Kitchen appliance with a kitchen appliance base and a preparation module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11901682-B2
Application number	US-202217889527-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2022
Priority date	Aug 20, 2021
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

Abstract

A kitchen appliance, including at least one kitchen appliance base and at least one preparation module is provided. The kitchen appliance base includes at least one electrical interface and at least one receiving region. The preparation module includes at least one electrical counter-interface for electrical contacting with the electrical interface. The electrical interface includes at least two power contacts and at least one auxiliary contact. The electrical counter-interface includes at least two power counter-contacts and at least one auxiliary counter-contact. In the kitchen appliance, the insertion forces for the electrical contacting for the user are reduced, are realized by the power contacts and the power counter-contacts, as well as the auxiliary contact and the auxiliary counter-contact being designed and configured such that the power contacts are electrically contacted with the power counter-contacts at a different point in time than is the auxiliary contact with the auxiliary counter-contact.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A kitchen appliance comprising:
at least one kitchen appliance base, the kitchen appliance base including at least one electrical interface and at least one receiving region, the electrical interface having at least two power contacts and at least one auxiliary contact; and
at least one preparation module, the preparation module including at least one electrical counter-interface configured for electrical contact with the electrical interface, the electrical counter-interface having at least two power counter-contacts and at least one auxiliary counter-contact;
wherein the power contacts and the power counter-contacts, as well as the auxiliary contact and the auxiliary counter-contact, are designed and configured such that the power contacts are electrically contacted with the power counter-contacts at a different point in time than the auxiliary contact is electrically contacted with the auxiliary counter-contact.

2. The kitchen appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the power contacts and/or the auxiliary contact and/or the power counter-contacts and/or the auxiliary counter-contact are disposed on a notional, common circular path at different angular positions with respect to each other, or that the power contacts and/or the auxiliary contact and/or the power counter-contacts and/or the auxiliary counter-contact are disposed on notional, different circular paths having different radii, each at different angular positions.

3. The kitchen appliance according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the power contacts and/or at least the auxiliary contact of the electrical interface, during and/or after the disposing of the preparation module in the receiving region, is movable on the kitchen appliance base from a rest position at least toward a contact position, and/or that at least one of the power counter-contacts and/or at least the auxiliary counter-contact of the electrical counter-interface, during and/or after the disposing of the preparation module in the receiving region, is movable on the preparation module from a rest position at least toward a contact position.

4. The kitchen appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the power contacts, the power counter-contacts, the auxiliary contact, and the auxiliary counter-contact are manufactured from an electrically conductive material, and that at least one contact surface, of the power contacts, the power counter-contacts, the auxiliary contact and/or the auxiliary counter-contact is at least partially provided with a coating for reducing the transition resistance.

5. The kitchen appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the power contacts, the auxiliary contact, the power counter-contacts and/or the auxiliary counter-contact is/are at least indirectly movable by a drive unit.

6. The kitchen appliance according to claim 5 , wherein the kitchen appliance base includes at least one drive lever, the drive lever being indirectly or directly rotatable by the drive unit, and at least one of the power contacts, at least the auxiliary contact, at least one of the power counter-contacts, and/or at least the auxiliary counter-contact interacts/interact with the drive lever such that a movement of the drive lever effects a movement of at least one of the power contacts, at least the auxiliary contact, at least one of the power counter-contacts, and/or at least the auxiliary counter-contact from a rest position into a contact position.

7. The kitchen appliance according to claim 3 , wherein at least one of the power contacts, at least the auxiliary contact, at least one of the power counter-contacts and/or at least the auxiliary counter-contact is/are disposed on at least one contact carrier, and that the contact carrier together with the at least one power contact, at least the auxiliary contact, the at least one power counter-contact and/or at least the auxiliary counter-contact, is movably held.

8. The kitchen appliance according to claim 6 , wherein the drive lever includes at least one cutout for interacting with at least one drive projection of the contact carrier, the cutout being shaped such that a rotation of the drive lever effects a translational movement of the contact carrier.

9. The kitchen appliance according to claim 3 , wherein the kitchen appliance base includes at least one contact carrier module, such that in the rest position, the power contacts and/or the auxiliary contact are/is introduced into the contact carrier module, and that when in the contact position, the power contacts and/or the auxiliary contact at least partially protrude from the contact carrier module.

10. The kitchen appliance according to claim 9 , wherein on a circumferential surface of the contact carrier module in the rest position, a gap is formed between the contact carrier, in a head region of the contact carrier and the contact carrier module, such that the risk of a liquid entry is minimized, by at least one seal being disposed between contact carrier and contact carrier module.

11. The kitchen appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the kitchen appliance base includes at least one locking element, the locking element being movably held between a release position and a locking position,
wherein in the release position, the preparation module can be disposed in at least two orientations in the receiving region,
wherein in the locking position, a locking of the preparation module to the kitchen appliance base is effected.

12. The kitchen appliance according to claim 11 , wherein in the preparation module disposed in the receiving region, the locking element interacts in a positive-locking manner with at least one locking counter-element of the preparation module, so that a movement, in particular a rotational movement of the locking element effects a movement, in particular a rotation of the locking counter-element, that the locking counter-element is movable by the locking element between a release position and a locking position, and that in the locking position the locking counter-element interacts with locking contours on the kitchen appliance base in a positive-locking manner, whereby a locking of the preparation module to the kitchen appliance base is effected.

13. The kitchen appliance according to claim 6 , wherein the drive lever and also a locking element, are rotatably, driven at least indirectly by the drive unit, and that the drive unit is disposed outside a center of rotation of the locking element.

14. A kitchen appliance base for a kitchen appliance, according to claim 1 , the kitchen appliance base including at least one electrical interface and at least one receiving region, the electrical interface including at least two power contacts and at least one auxiliary contacts,
wherein at least one of the power contacts and/or at least the auxiliary contact of the electrical interface during and/or after the disposing of a preparation module in the receiving region, is movable on the kitchen appliance base from a rest position at least toward a contact position.

15. A preparation module for a kitchen appliance, according to claim 1 , the preparation module including at least one electrical counter-interface for electrical contacting with the electrical interface of a kitchen appliance base, the electrical counter-interface including at least two power counter-contacts and at least one auxiliary counter-contact,
wherein at least one of the power counter-contacts and/or at least the auxiliary counter-contact of the electrical counter-interface during and/or after the disposing of the preparation module in the receiving region, is movable on the preparatio

Assignees

• Vorwerk Co Interholding

Inventors

• Bayard Christian

Classifications

• H01R33/7607 Primary

  the parallel terminal pins having a circular disposition · CPC title

• A47J43/0716

  for machines with tools driven from the lower side (A47J43/0727 - A47J43/08 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01R33/765

  the terminal pins having a non-circular disposition · CPC title

• H01R33/7671

  having multiple positions or sockets, e.g. stacked sockets while mounting · CPC title

• H01R33/97

  Holders with separate means to prevent loosening of the coupling or unauthorised removal of apparatus held · CPC title