3D beater

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12128373-B2
Application number	US-202217568021-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 4, 2022
Priority date	Jan 4, 2022
Publication date	Oct 29, 2024
Grant date	Oct 29, 2024

Abstract

A mixer for combining food constituents into a homogeneous mass includes an eccentric drive mounted on a mixing head of the mixer, where the eccentric drive is configured to rotate around a central axis of a mixing area and rotate an offset rotational axis of a drive shaft in an orbit about the central axis of the mixing area. An angled beater attachment for the mixer further includes a top mounting portion operably coupled to the drive shaft of the stand mixer, a bottom beater portion disposed above the mixing area, and a beater support member operably coupled with a support shaft of the bottom beater portion. The bottom beater portion is driven by the drive shaft about an angled rotational axis that extends at an acute angle relative to the central axis of the mixing area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mixer for combining food constituents into a homogeneous mass, the mixer comprising:
an eccentric drive mounted on a mixing head of the mixer and configured to rotate around a central axis of a mixing area and rotate an offset rotational axis of an eccentric drive shaft in an orbit about the central axis of the mixing area and having an offset rotatable attachment drive lug through which the eccentric drive shaft extends; and
an angled beater attachment further comprising:
a top mounting portion operably coupled to the eccentric drive shaft;
a bottom beater portion disposed above the mixing area; and
a beater support member operably coupled with a support shaft of the bottom beater portion at a lower end of the beater support member and operably coupled with the attachment drive lug of the mixing head via a mating recess disposed at an upper end of the beater support member, wherein the beater support member is adapted to directly engage the attachment drive lug and thereby rotate the angled beater attachment around the central axis of the mixing area;

wherein the bottom beater portion is driven by the eccentric drive shaft about an angled rotational axis that extends at an acute angle relative to the central axis of the mixing area.

2. The mixer of claim 1 , wherein the angled beater attachment further comprises an articulating U-joint that operably couples the top mounting portion and the bottom beater portion and pivots about the offset rotational axis of the eccentric drive shaft and about the angled rotational axis.

3. The mixer of claim 1 , wherein:
the beater support member rotates about the central axis; and
the offset rotational axis of the eccentric drive shaft and a rotational axis of the top mounting portion are coincident and the top mounting portion rotates about the offset rotational axis of the eccentric drive shaft and orbits the central axis of the mixing area.

4. The mixer of claim 1 , wherein the top mounting portion of the angled beater attachment also orbits the central axis.

5. The mixer of claim 4 , wherein the top mounting portion is operably coupled to the eccentric drive shaft by a releasable connector disposed on the top mounting portion.

6. The mixer of claim 1 , wherein the bottom beater portion comprises a mixing element having a curvilinear leading edge adapted to engage a smooth curvature of a bottom interior surface of a mixing bowl.

7. The mixer of claim 6 , wherein the bottom beater portion further comprises a trailing edge operably coupled with the leading edge, such that the leading edge and the trailing edge define a leading edge closed loop having a substantially triangular cross section.

8. The mixer of claim 7 , wherein a bottom tail of the trailing edge has a curvilinear configuration and extends away from the leading edge of the bottom beater portion.

9. The mixer of claim 8 , wherein an upper arm of the leading edge extends outwardly from the support shaft of the bottom beater portion.

10. The mixer of claim 1 , wherein the bottom beater portion comprises a mixing element having a curvilinear leading edge, the leading edge further comprising a forward extending blade adapted to engage a smooth curvature of a bottom interior surface of a mixing bowl.

11. The mixer of claim 10 , wherein the bottom beater portion further comprises a beater frame operably coupled with the leading edge, the beater frame comprising a forward leg, an upper leg operably coupled with the top mounting portion, a rearward leg, and a bottom leg that define a beater frame closed loop having a substantially triangular cross section.

12. The mixer of claim 11 , wherein the bottom leg of the beater frame has an offset raised central portion.

13. The mixer of claim 11 , wherein the leading edge and the forward leg of the beater frame define a leading edge closed loop having an upwardly extending leg operably coupling an upper portion of the leading edge with the beater frame, the upwardly extending leg having a substantially triangular cross section.

14. An angled beater attachment for a stand mixer having an eccentric drive rotatable about a central axis of a mixing area, the angled beater attachment comprising:
a top mounting portion operably coupled to an offset drive shaft of the stand mixer;
a bottom beater portion centrally disposed above the mixing area, the bottom beater portion having an upwardly extending support shaft; and
a beater support member operably coupled with an offset rotatable attachment drive lug disposed on the eccentric drive at an upper end thereof and operably coupled at a lower end thereof with the support shaft of the bottom beater portion, wherein the beater support member is operably coupled with the attachment drive lug of a mixing head via a mating recess disposed at an upper end of the beater support member, and wherein the beater support member is adapted to directly engage the attachment drive lug and thereby rotate the beater support member and the bottom beater portion around the central axis of the mixing area;
wherein the bottom beater portion is driven by the offset drive shaft about an angled rotational axis that extends at an acute angle relative to the central axis of the mixing area.

15. The angled beater attachment of claim 14 , further comprising an articulating U-joint that operably couples the top mounting portion and the bottom beater portion and pivots about an offset rotational axis of the offset drive shaft and about the angled rotational axis.

16. An angled beater attachment for a stand mixer having a mixer operably coupled to an offset drive shaft of the stand mixer having an eccentric drive, the angled beater attachment comprising:
a top mounting portion operably coupled to the offset drive shaft of the stand mixer;
a bottom beater portion centrally disposed above a mixing area; and
a beater support member operably coupled with the eccentric drive at an upper end thereof and operably coupled at a lower end thereof with a support shaft of the bottom beater portion, wherein the beater support member is operably coupled with an offset rotatable attachment drive lug of a mixing head via a mating recess disposed at an upper end of the beater support member, and wherein the beater support member is adapted to directly engage the attachment drive lug and thereby rotate the beater support member and the bottom beater portion around the central axis of the mixing area;
wherein the offset drive shaft drives the bottom beater portion about an angled rotational axis that extends at an acute angle relative to a central axis of a mixing area and causes the bottom beater portion to orbit the central axis.

17. The angled beater attachment of claim 16 , wherein:
the bottom beater portion defines a mixing element having a curvilinear leading edge adapted to engage a smooth curvature of a bottom interior surface of a mixing bowl and a trailing edge operably coupled with the leading edge, such that the leading edge and the trailing edge define a closed loop; and
a bottom tail of the trailing edge has a curvilinear configuration and extends away from the leading edge of the bottom beater portion and an upper arm of the leading edge extends outwardly from the support shaft of the bottom beater portion.

18. The angled beater attachment of claim 16 , wherein:
the bottom beater portion comprises a mixing element having a curvilinear leading edge, the leading edge further comprising a forward extending blade adapted to engage a smooth curvature of a bottom interior surface of a m

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Mock Brandon T
• Murphy Sayer James

Classifications

• A47J2043/04481

  with a mixing unit pivotable on the support · CPC title

• A47J43/0711 Primary

  mixing, whipping or cutting tools · CPC title

• A47J43/044

  with tools driven from the top side · CPC title

• B01F2101/1805

  Kitchen, household equipment for mixing · CPC title

• B01F27/0723

  oblique with respect to the rotating axis · CPC title