Controlled positioning in food processor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12042094-B2
Application number	US-201917042289-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2019
Priority date	Mar 29, 2018
Publication date	Jul 23, 2024
Grant date	Jul 23, 2024

Abstract

A machine (1) for processing a liquid food substance includes: a jug (20) having a container (21) and delimiting a food cavity (21′) for containing the liquid food substance; and a base (10) that has one or more walls (11) forming a seat (11′) for removably receiving the container (21). The base (10) and the jug (20) comprise or delimit, respectively, an off-centred projecting member (33) and a corresponding off-centred seat (13) for the projecting member (33) or vice versa. The off-centred seat (13) is configured to receive the projecting member (33) when the container (21) is received by the base seat (11′) such that the container (21) is in place for processing the liquid food substance. The off-centred projecting member (33) is configured to maintain the container (21) off its place for processing the liquid food substance in the cavity (21′) when the projecting member (33) is off-set relative to the off-centred seat (13).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A machine for processing a liquid food substance, comprising:
a container that delimits a food cavity for containing the liquid food substance;
a base that has one or more walls forming a seat for removably receiving the container; and
the base and the container comprise, respectively, an off-centered, projecting member, and a corresponding off-centered seat for the projecting member or vice versa, the off-centered seat being configured to receive the projecting member when the container is received by the base such that the container is in a place for processing the liquid food substance in the food cavity, the off-centered projecting member being configured to maintain the container off the place for processing the liquid food substance in the cavity when the projecting member is off-set, relative to the off-centered seat,
wherein the machine further comprises a processing device and a control system that is configured to control the processing device for processing the liquid food substance, the control system being configured to detect when the container is off the processing place by measuring a characteristic of the processing device and comparing the characteristic to an expected value when the container is in the processing place or off the processing place.

2. The machine of claim 1 , wherein, when the off-centered projecting member is received in the off-centered seat, the off-centered seat and the off-centered projecting member have at least one of:
complementary shapes so that the off-centered seat and the off-centered projecting member form together a continuous outside surface;
a configuration to prevent a rotation of the container relative to the base; and
a configuration such that a downwardly oriented edge of the container rests on an upwardly oriented edge of the base or such that the downwardly oriented edge of the container is distant to the upwardly oriented edge of the base by no more than 0.5 mm, the upwardly oriented edge of the base forming a rim of the seat for receiving the container.

3. The machine of claim 1 , wherein, when the off-centered projecting member is off-set relative to the off-centered seat, a downwardly oriented edge of the container is spaced apart from an upwardly oriented edge of the base, by a distance that is greater than when the off-centered projecting member is received in the off-centered seat.

4. The machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the processing device and the control system form an actuator and/or a thermal conditioner controlled by a control unit; and/or
the control system is configured to detect when the container is off the processing place when the off-centered member is off-set relative to the off-centered seat; and/or
the control system is configured to detect that the container is off the processing place by measuring the characteristic in the form of a current consumption and/or a voltage consumption and/or an electric frequency.

5. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the container has a handle for holding the container by an adult human hand, the handle having a connection member projecting from the container and a substantially elongated upright gripping member that is connected to the connection member at a distance from the container, the gripping member having an upper portion that is above the connection member and a lower portion that is below the connection member, the upper portion being configured to support a thumb of the hand and delimiting with the connection member an upper seat for accommodating an index finger of the hand when the handle is held by the hand.

6. The machine of claim 5 , wherein the handle has a confinement member that extends:
substantially uprightly between the container and the lower portion of the gripping member; and
downwardly from the connection member or from close thereto,
the confinement member and the lower portion and the connection member delimiting a lower seat for accommodating a portion of a middle finger of the hand when the handle is held by the hand.

7. The machine of claim 5 , wherein the upper portion of the gripping member has at least one of the following features:
the upper portion is spaced from the container by a distance in the range of 1.5 to 4 cm;
the upper portion extends above the connection member by a distance in the range of 1 to 3 cm;
the upper portion of the gripping member has a width in the range of 0.5 to 3 cm; and
the upper portion has an uppermost free end.

8. The machine of claim 5 , wherein the lower part of the gripping member has at least one of the following features:
the lower portion is spaced from the container by a distance in the range of 1.5 to 4 cm;
the lower part extends below the connection member by a distance in the range of 1 to 5 cm;
the lower portion of the gripping member has a width in the range of 0.5 to 3 cm; and
the lower portion has a lowermost free end.

9. The machine of claim 5 , wherein the confinement member has at least one of following features:
the confinement member is spaced by a distance to the lower portion of the gripping part in the range of 1.5 to 3 cm;
the confinement member has a lowermost end that is spaced by a distance to the connection member in the range of 0.5 to 5 cm;
the confinement member has a width in the range of 0.5 to 3 cm; and
the confinement member has a lowermost free end.

10. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the container has a rim delimiting an opening of the container cavity, the machine further comprising a removable lid extending over the rim and having at least one of:
a) a peripheral wall that extends downwardly to form an outside lid face of the container, such as an outside lid face:
having a height in the range of 0.5 to 5 cm; and/or
extending flush with an outside face of the container uncovered by the lid and/or with an outside face of the base, and

b) an upright inner wall that extends downwardly into the cavity along the rim.

11. The machine of claim 10 , wherein the peripheral wall has a bottom end that contacts or comes close to the connection member, the bottom end being optionally spaced by less than 1 cm from the connection member.

12. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the container has at least one outside container wall that can be thermally conditioned by the liquid food substance in the cavity and/or by processing the liquid food substance in the cavity and that faces the at least one base wall when the container is in or on the base, and wherein the base and/or the container comprises one or more thermally insulating spacers, spacing the at least one base wall from the at least one outside container wall when the container is received in or on the seat of the base so as to prevent or inhibit thermal transfer between the at least one base wall and the container.

13. The machine of claim 12 , wherein the container is configured to radiate heat to outside of the container or absorb heat from outside of the container predominantly via one or more preferential container walls, as the thermally radiating or absorbing element, when the liquid food substance is processed in the container received in or on the seat, the thermally insulating spacers being positioned so as to space the one or more preferential wall from the at least one base wall.

14. The machine of claim 12 , wherein the insulating spacer is configured to space the at least one base wall from the at least one outside container wall by a distance in the range of 0.1 to 1 cm.

15. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the food cavity contains a movable agitating device, to agitate the liquid food

Assignees

• Nestle Sa

Inventors

• Byun Da Mi
• Dercar Heinz
• Guyon Bertrand
• Hoffmann Christian
• Restelli Marco
• Tuider Wolfgang
• Zavarsky Philipp

Classifications

• A47J31/005

  Portable or compact beverage making apparatus, e.g. for travelling, for use in automotive vehicles · CPC title

• A47J43/046 Primary

  with tools driven from the bottom side · CPC title

• A47J41/0061 Primary

  the elements being detachable or the food holding vessel being replaceable · CPC title