Food processor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12349690-B2
Application number	US-202017127311-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2020
Priority date	Dec 20, 2019
Publication date	Jul 8, 2025
Grant date	Jul 8, 2025

Abstract

A food processor is disclosed and includes a main body, a grinding container mounted in a portion of the main body and forming a space therein, a grinder rotatably disposed in the grinding container, a grinding motor for rotating the grinder, a drying container mounted under the grinding container inside the main body and forming a space therein, a heating device for supplying heated air to the drying container, and a discharge container detachably mounted under the drying container inside the main body and forming a space therein. The grinding container has a surface facing the drying container that is openable toward the drying container, and the drying container includes one side surface formed so as to be openable toward the discharge container.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A food processor, comprising:
a main body;
a grinding container mounted in a portion of the main body, the grinding container including:
a grinder rotatably disposed in the grinding container;
a grinding motor configured to rotate the grinder; and
a grinding container lower plate configured to rotate;

a drying container mounted under the grinding container inside the main body, the drying container having an internal space;
a heating device disposed under the drying container, the heating device including a blower fan and a heater, the heating device being configured to supply heated air to the drying container by the blower fan and the heater; and
a discharge container detachably mounted under the drying container inside the main body, the discharge container having an internal space,
wherein the drying container comprises:
a drying container lower plate disposed on the heating device, the drying container lower plate having a mesh structure;
a drying container side plate extending vertically in an upward direction from an outer circumference of the drying container lower plate; and
first drying container gears secured to one end or both ends of the drying container lower plate on a rotation axis of the drying container lower plate,

wherein the drying container side plate comprises:
an upper fixed wall fixedly disposed at a position spaced upwards apart from the drying container lower plate; and
a lower rotary wall disposed under the upper fixed wall and rotatably coupled to the upper fixed wall,

wherein the drying container comprises second drying container gears disposed at two ends of the lower rotary wall and engaging the first drying container gears and configured to rotate to cause an object dried in the drying container to be discharged to the discharge container,
wherein rotation of the grinding container lower plate causes a ground object to move from the grinding container to the drying container,
wherein rotation of the drying container lower plate causes the ground object to move from the drying container to the discharge container,
wherein the lower rotary wall rotates outward from the drying container when the drying container lower plate rotates inward into the drying container, causing the drying container to open towards the direction of the discharge container,
wherein, when the drying container lower plate rotates inward into the drying container, the blower fan blows air to the drying container.

2. The food processor according to claim 1 , wherein the grinding container comprises:
a grinding container lower plate on which the grinder and the grinding motor are disposed; and
a grinding container side plate extending vertically in an upward direction from an outer circumference of the grinding container lower plate and forming an internal space in the grinding container.

3. The food processor according to claim 2 , wherein the grinding container lower plate is rotatably coupled to a portion of the grinding container side plate, and
wherein the grinding container lower plate is rotatable between a first position perpendicular to the grinding container side plate and a second position inclined downward into the drying container.

4. The food processor according to claim 3 , wherein the grinding container further comprises grinding container gears disposed at two ends of the grinding container lower plate and configured to rotate together with the grinding container lower plate, and
wherein the food processor further comprises first body gears provided in the main body and engaged with the grinding container gears.

5. The food processor according to claim 4 , wherein the grinding container further comprises a grinding container cover hingedly coupled to the grinding container side plate and configured to open and close.

6. The food processor according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an inner container having a hollow cylindrical shape and disposed inside the grinding container.

7. The food processor according to claim 1 , wherein the drying container lower plate is rotatably coupled to the drying container side plate.

8. The food processor according to claim 1 , wherein the drying container side plate comprises:
a first wall disposed inside the main body; and
a second wall exposed to an outside of the main body,
wherein the first wall comprises the upper fixed wall and the lower rotary wall, and
wherein the second wall includes an upper portion having a discharge hole, the discharge hole being configured to discharge heated air supplied from the heating device to outside of the food processor.

9. The food processor according to claim 8 , wherein the second wall includes a protruding rib formed on an inner side of the second wall configured to limit a range of upwards rotation of the drying container lower plate.

10. The food processor according to claim 1 , when the drying container lower plate is rotated into a space defined by the drying container side plate, the lower rotary surface is rotated to an outside of the drying container.

11. The food processor according to claim 10 , further comprising second body gears configured to mesh with the second drying container gears to cause the second drying container gears to rotate.

12. The food processor according to claim 1 , wherein the heating device further incudes a blower motor configured to rotate the blower fan, and
wherein the blower fan blows air heated by the heater into the drying container.

13. The food processor according to claim 1 , further comprising a seasoning storage disposed above the discharge container to store seasoning, the seasoning storage configured to discharge stored seasoning into the discharge container.

14. The food processor according to claim 13 , wherein the seasoning storage comprises a plurality of storage containers isolated from each other and configured to store plural kinds of seasoning,
wherein each storage container comprises a storage container lower plate having a plurality of openings spaced apart from each other in a horizontal direction, and
wherein the food processor further comprises an opening cover disposed at a lower side of the seasoning storage configured to open and close the plurality of openings in the storage container lower plates.

15. The food processor according to claim 14 , wherein the opening cover comprises:
a plurality of covers configured to cover the plurality of openings in the storage container lower plates and spaced apart from each other in the horizontal direction; and
a plurality of holes configured to expose the plurality of openings in the storage container lower plates, and
wherein the plurality of covers and the plurality of holes are alternately disposed.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Choi Younsung
• Lee Eunjung
• Lee Kangseong
• Morimoto Takashi
• Ikeda Masako
• Imanishi Hiromu
• Yokota Masami

Classifications

• A47J43/085

  for machines with tools driven from the lower side (A47J43/087, A47J43/09 take precedence) · CPC title

• A47J43/06

  with a plurality of interchangeable working units {, e.g. with a single driving-unit} · CPC title

• A47J37/0623

  Small-size cooking ovens, i.e. defining an at least partially closed cooking cavity (A47J37/0605 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A47J43/0716

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

• A23B2/90

  by drying or kilning; Subsequent reconstitution · CPC title