Food processor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11877696-B2
Application number	US-202017128625-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2020
Priority date	Dec 19, 2019
Publication date	Jan 23, 2024
Grant date	Jan 23, 2024

Abstract

A food processor assembly is disclosed. An example food processor assembly includes an assembly base, a bowl base, a bow, a lid, and a blade storage container. The assembly base includes a rotary input shaft that selectively couples to a coupler of a blender base. The bowl base selectively couples to the assembly base with the rotary input shaft extending through the bowl based. The bowl includes a body and a central column integrally formed with the body though which the rotary input shaft extends. The lid selectively couples to the bowl. The lid includes a feed tube to receive food items. The lid having a first vertical orientation to selectively couple to the bowl and a second vertical orientation to selectively couple to the bowl. The blade storage container selectively couples to the lid when the lid in coupled to the bowl in the second vertical orientation.

First claim

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed:

1. A food processor assembly comprising:
an assembly base with a rotary input shaft configured to selectively couple to a coupler of a blender base;
a bowl base configured to selectively couple to the assembly base, the rotary input shaft extending through the bowl base;
a bowl configured to selectively couple to the bowl base, the bowl including a body and a central column integrally formed with the body through which the rotary input shaft extends;
a lid configured to selectively couple to the bowl, the lid including a feed tube to processed B receive food items to processed and the lid having a first vertical orientation to selectively couple to the bowl and a second vertical orientation to selectively couple to the bowl; and
a blade storage container configured to selectively couple to the lid when the lid is coupled to the bowl in the second vertical orientation, wherein the assembly base defines a plurality of mounting holes, the bowl base further comprises a latch including a lever, the bowl base selectively coupling to the assembly base via one of the plurality of mounting holes when the lever is in a locking position,
wherein the bowl further comprises a handle, an interlock portion between the handle and the body, and a spout, wherein the handle, interlock portion, and the spout are integrally formed with the body;
wherein the latch comprises a mount extending from the latch, the mount and interlock portion configured so that when the food processor assembly is assembled, the mount extends through the interlock portion to engage the lid in the first vertical orientation.

2. The food processor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lid includes an interlock that extends along the feeding tube, a proximal side of the interlock configured to engage with the latch when the food processor assembly is assembled.

3. The food processor assembly of claim 2 , wherein the latch defines a keyed hole, and the food processor assembly further comprises a first tamper that slidably fits in the feed tube to facilitate manual translation of food items through the feeding tube, the first tamper comprising a tab with a protrusion configured to slidably insert into the keyed hole.

4. The food processor assembly of claim 3 , wherein the first tamper defines a secondary feeding tube that is smaller than the feeding tube, and the food processor assembly further comprises a second tamper configured to fit within the secondary feeding tube to facilitate manual translation of food items through the secondary feeding tube.

5. The food processor assembly of claim 4 , wherein the second tamper defines a cavity and wherein the second tamper defines a hole contiguous with the cavity, the hole sized to, when the second tamper is in the secondary feeding tube, drizzle a liquid into the bowl.

6. The food processor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lid includes a rib extending the feed tube beyond a top substrate into an interior of the lid.

7. The food processor assembly of claim 6 , wherein the lid includes an interlock that extends along the feeding tube, and wherein a body of the lid defines cavities on either side of the interlock, wherein one wall of each of the cavities is the rib.

8. The food processor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the feeding tube is sized and shaped to fit between the central column and an inner wall of the bowl when the lid is in the second vertical orientation.

9. The food processor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lid further comprises:
a top substrate through which the feeding tube extends;
an upper side wall extending from the top substrate, the upper side wall having a first outer diameter at a junction of the upper side wall and a second outer diameter; and
a lower side wall having a third outer diameter, the second outer diameter of the upper side wall being at the junction of the upper side wall and the lower side wall.

10. The food processing assembly of claim 9 , wherein the first outer diameter is smaller than an inner diameter of the bowl, the second outer diameter is equal to the first outer diameter of the bowl, and the third outer diameter is equal to the inner diameter of the bowl.

11. The food processing assembly of claim 10 , wherein the blade storage container comprises an inner substrate and an outer substrate that are integrally formed at a first end and define a space between them at a second end.

12. The food processing assembly of claim 11 , wherein the space is configured to receive the lower side wall when the lid is in the second vertical orientation.

Assignees

• Vita Mix Man Corp

Inventors

• Hammond Rebecca
• Kolar David

Classifications

• A47J43/046 Primary

  with tools driven from the bottom side · CPC title

• A47J43/0722

  Mixing, whipping or cutting tools · CPC title

• A47J43/0727

  Mixing bowls · CPC title