Mixing bowl positioning improvement for a stand mixer appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12458174-B2
Application number	US-202217885645-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 11, 2022
Priority date	Aug 11, 2022
Publication date	Nov 4, 2025
Grant date	Nov 4, 2025

Abstract

A stand mixer is provided. The stand mixer may include a support frame, a bowl arm assembly, and a damper assembly. The bowl arm assembly may be mounted to the support frame and may be moveable a raised position and a lowered position. The damper assembly may be mounted to the support frame and may be positioned for engaging the bowl arm assembly as it moves towards the lower position. The stand mixer may also include a bracket attached to the bowl arm assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A stand mixer defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the stand mixer comprising:
a support frame; a bowl arm assembly slidably mounted to the support frame and being movable between a raised position and a lowered position; a damper assembly mounted to the support frame and being positioned for engaging the bowl arm assembly as it moves toward the lowered position; and a bracket attached to the bowl arm assembly, wherein the damper assembly is further aligned with the bracket, the bracket configured to contact the damper assembly to initiate a slowdown period of movement of the bowl arm assembly as the bowl arm assembly moves between the raised position and the lowered position.

2 . The stand mixer of claim 1 , wherein the support frame comprises a base member and a support column extending from the base member, wherein the bowl arm assembly is slidably mounted on the support column.

3 . The stand mixer of claim 2 , wherein the bowl arm assembly comprises a bowl support arm that is configured for receiving a mixing bowl, the stand mixer further comprising:
a mixing head mounted proximate a top of the support frame, wherein the bowl support arm is positioned adjacent the mixing head when the bowl arm assembly is in the raised position.

4 . The stand mixer of claim 1 , wherein the bracket maintains contact with the damper assembly as the bowl arm assembly moves between the raised position and the lowered position.

5 . The stand mixer of claim 1 , wherein the bracket is spaced apart from the damper assembly in the raised position and contacts the damper assembly in the lowered position, the bracket engaging the damper assembly during movement of the bowl arm assembly from the raised position and to the lowered position.

6 . The stand mixer of claim 1 , wherein the support frame further comprises a column rail, the bowl arm assembly slidably connected to the column rail and moveable along the column rail in the vertical direction between the raised position and the lowered position.

7 . The stand mixer of claim 6 , wherein the column rail comprises an inner surface located within the support frame and an outer surface facing opposite the inner surface,
wherein the damper assembly contacts the bowl arm assembly within the support frame, and wherein the bracket connects with the damper assembly at a position adjacent to the inner surface.

8 . The stand mixer of claim 7 , wherein the column rail further comprises a mechanical stop extending from the inner surface, and
wherein the bracket rests on the mechanical stop in the lowered position, the mechanical stop arresting further movement of the bowl arm assembly past the lowered position.

9 . The stand mixer of claim 7 , wherein the bowl arm assembly comprises a bracket mounting structure, the bracket attached to the bracket mounting structure of the bowl arm assembly,
wherein the column rail defines a bowl lift aperture, the bracket mounting structure of the bowl lift assembly extending through the bowl lift aperture into the support frame, and wherein the bracket slides along the inner surface of the column rail between the raised position and the lowered position.

10 . The stand mixer of claim 6 , wherein the bowl arm assembly is configured to slide unrestricted along the column rail during a first portion of movement between the raised position and the lowered position, the first portion of movement prior to connecting the bracket to the damper assembly during movement between the raised position and the lowered position.

11 . The stand mixer of claim 7 , wherein the damper assembly comprises two damper assemblies aligned laterally along the inner surface of the column rail, wherein the bracket comprises two brackets, each bracket attached to the bowl arm assembly such that each bracket aligns with a corresponding damper assembly, and
wherein each bracket configured to contact each corresponding damper assembly to initiate a slowdown movement period of the bowl arm assembly as the bowl arm assembly moves between the raised position and the lowered position.

12 . The stand mixer of claim 1 , the bowl arm assembly further comprising:
a bowl support arm configured to removably couple to a mixing bowl; and at least one rotating lift arm moveable between the raised position and the lowered position, the at least one rotating lift arm pivotably attached to the bowl support arm and configured to pivot to initiate movement of the bowl arm assembly from the raised position into the lowered position.

13 . The stand mixer of claim 2 , wherein the stand mixer further comprises a mixing bowl, the mixing bowl removably coupled to the bowl arm assembly and moveable between the raised position and the lowered position with the bowl arm assembly.

14 . The stand mixer of claim 13 , wherein the mixing bowl rests above the base member in the raised position and in the lowered position, with an unloading distance between the base member in the lowered position.

15 . The stand mixer of claim 13 , wherein the mixing bowl contacts the base member in the lowered position.

16 . The stand mixer of claim 1 , wherein the damper assembly is at least one of: a linear damper, a spring, a torsional damper, a hydraulic damper system, or a pneumatic damper system.

17 . The stand mixer of claim 1 , wherein the damper assembly includes a damper head, the damper head configured to engage a bottom surface of the bracket,
wherein a slowdown portion of movement between the raised position and the lowered position occurs upon connection of the damper head to the bottom surface of the bracket.

18 . A stand mixer defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the stand mixer comprising:
a support frame; a bowl arm assembly slidably mounted to the support frame and being movable between a raised position and a lowered position; a bracket attached to the bowl arm assembly; and a damper assembly comprising a damper, the damper mounted to the support frame and being positioned for engaging the bracket as it moves toward the lowered position.

19 . The stand mixer of claim 18 , wherein the support frame further comprises a column rail, the bowl arm assembly slidably connected to the column rail and moveable along the column rail in the vertical direction between the raised position and the lowered position,
wherein the column rail further comprises a mechanical stop extending from an inner surface of the column rail, and wherein the bracket rests on the mechanical stop in the lowered position, the mechanical stop configured to arrest movement of the bowl arm assembly past the lowered position.

20 . A stand mixer defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the stand mixer comprising:
a support frame; a bowl arm assembly slidably mounted to the support frame and being movable between a raised position and a lowered position, the bowl arm assembly comprising a bowl support arm configured to removably couple to a mixing bowl and at least one rotating lift arm moveable between the raised position and the lowered position, the at least one rotating lift arm pivotably attached to the bowl support arm and configured to pivot to initiate movement of the bowl arm assembly from the raised position into the lowered position; and a damper assembly mounted to the support frame and being positioned for engaging the bowl arm assembly as it

Assignees

• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Abeygunawardana Danister
• Garces Tomas
• Lewis Eric Matthew
• Hunter Matthew R
• Hawkins Mason

Classifications

• A47J2043/04463

  with a mixing unit rigidly fixed on the housing and a movable support for the bowl · CPC title

• A47J43/044 Primary

  with tools driven from the top side · CPC title