Food processor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023210310-A1
Application number	US-202318092825-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 3, 2023
Priority date	Jan 4, 2022
Publication date	Jul 6, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A food processor includes a main machine, a processing cup structure, and a heating device. The main machine has a processing chamber with an opening at an upper end of the processing chamber. The processing cup structure includes a processing cup, at least part of the processing cup is configured to be detachably mounted in the processing chamber through the opening of the processing chamber, and a processing cavity is formed in the processing cup for containing food material. The heating device is provided in the main machine, and is configured to heat heat-conducting fluid in the processing chamber. The heated heat-conducting fluid conducts heat into the processing cavity, to at least heat the food material in the processing cavity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A food processor comprising:
a main machine having a processing chamber with an opening at an upper end of the processing chamber; a processing cup structure including a processing cup, at least part of the processing cup being configured to be detachably mounted in the processing chamber through the opening of the processing chamber, and a processing cavity being formed in the processing cup for containing food material; and a heating device provided in the main machine, for heating heat-conducting fluid in the processing chamber, the heated heat-conducting fluid conducting heat into the processing cavity, to at least heat the food material in the processing cavity.

2 . The food processor of claim 1 , wherein the processing cup is at least partially submerged in the heat-conducting fluid.

3 . The food processor of claim 2 , wherein at least one of a bottom wall or a side wall of the processing cavity is provided with a liquid passage hole to introduce the heat-conducting fluid in the processing chamber into the processing cavity.

4 . The food processor of claim 1 , wherein a steam passage is formed in the food processor, the steam passage is in communication with the processing chamber and the processing cavity, and the heat-conducting fluid in the processing chamber is introduced into the processing cavity after phase change to steam the food material in the processing cavity.

5 . The food processor of claim 4 , wherein the steam passage is partially formed between the processing cup structure and the processing chamber, and partially formed at the processing cup structure.

6 . The food processor of claim 5 , wherein:
the processing cup has an air passage hole running through an outer side wall of the processing cup at an upper end of the processing cup, and an annular air passage gap is formed between the outer side wall of the processing cup and an inner side wall of the processing chamber; and the steam passage includes the annular air passage gap and the air passage hole.

7 . The food processor of claim 6 , wherein:
in a direction from outside to inside, the air passage hole is inclined downward; and/or the air passage hole is one of a plurality of air passage holes provided at the processing cup, the plurality of air passage holes being spaced apart from each other along a circumferential direction of the processing cup, and, in a direction from outside to inside, each of the plurality of air passage hole is inclined downward.

8 . The food processor of claim 6 , wherein:
the annular air passage gap is a first annular air passage gap; an annular drainage baffle is provided in the processing cavity, an upper end of the annular drainage baffle is provided at a top wall surface of the processing cavity, and a lower end of the annular drainage baffle is spaced from a bottom wall of the processing cavity; and a second annular air passage gap communicating with the air passage hole is formed between an outer side wall of the annular drainage baffle and an inner side wall of the processing cavity, the second annular air passage gap being configured to direct steam flow to a bottom of the processing cavity.

9 . The food processor of claim 8 , wherein:
the processing cup includes:
a cup body with an opening at an upper end of the cup body; and
a cup cover assembly covering an open end of the cup body to form the processing cavity with the cup body; and
the annular drainage baffle is provided at a lower end of the cup cover assembly and is integrally formed with the cup cover assembly.

10 . The food processor of claim 4 , wherein the steam passage is formed at the processing cup structure.

11 . The food processor of claim 10 , wherein:
a bottom of the processing cup is provided with a mounting hole; the processing cup structure further includes:
a mounting frame provided in the mounting hole; and
a crushing blade structure, an upper end of the crushing blade structure being rotatably mounted at the mounting frame and located in the processing cavity for crushing the food material in the processing cavity, and a lower end of the crushing blade structure extending out of the processing cavity to be drivingly connected to a main machine drive assembly; and
the steam passage is formed between the mounting frame and the crushing blade structure.

12 . The food processor of claim 11 , wherein:
the mounting frame includes a center support, a lower end of the center support being provided in the mounting hole, and an upper end of the center support being formed with an annular protrusion located in the processing cavity and extending upward; the crushing blade structure includes a blade body mounting seat, the blade body mounting seat being formed with an annular groove with an opening facing downward, and the blade body mounting seat being rotatably mounted at the center support; the annular protrusion is inserted in the annular groove, a thickness of the annular protrusion is smaller than a width of the annular groove, and two vertical annular air passage gaps spaced apart from each other are formed between the annular protrusion and the annular groove; a top of the annular protrusion is spaced apart from a bottom wall of the annular groove, a horizontal annular air passage gap is formed between the top of the annular protrusion and a bottom wall of the annular groove, and the horizontal annular air passage gap is communicated with the two vertical annular air passage gaps; and the steam passage includes the horizontal annular air passage gap and the two vertical annular air passage gaps.

13 . The food processor of claim 12 , wherein:
an outer side wall of the annular groove is provided with a plurality of air passage holes; the blade body mounting seat further includes an annular guide rib protruding from the outer side wall of the annular groove and extending laterally to guide the steam flow laterally; and/or an annular crimping protrusion protrudes from a side surface of the center support, and a sealing ring is provided between the annular crimping protrusion and a bottom wall of the processing cavity.

14 . The food processor of claim 11 , wherein the mounting frame includes:
a center support, a lower end of the center support being formed with a first connection member provided in the mounting hole, an upper end of the center support being located in the processing cavity; a support frame, an upper end of the support frame being formed with a second connection member provided in the mounting hole, the second connection member being detachably connected to the first connection member, and the support frame being configured to at least support and mount the processing cup in the processing chamber; and the crushing blade structure is rotatably mounted at the upper end of the center support.

15 . The food processor of claim 10 , wherein:
a bottom of the processing cup is provided with a through hole; the processing cup structure further includes:
a mounting frame provided in the processing cavity and corresponding to the through hole; and
a crushing blade structure rotatably mounted at the mounting frame, an upper end of the crushing blade structure being configured to extend upwards from the processing cavity and be drivingly connected to an external drive device; and
the steam passage is formed at the mounting frame.

16 . The food processor of claim 15 , wherein:
the mounting frame includes:
a through hole bracket provided in the processing cavity, the through hole bracket being formed with an

Assignees

• Guangdong Midea Consumer Electric Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Li Hou
• Guo Houcai
• Mo Qianhong
• Wei Yudi

Classifications

• A47J27/004

  with integral electrical heating means (drinking cups with integral heating means A47J36/2466) · CPC title

• A47J43/085

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

• A47J43/046

  with tools driven from the bottom side · CPC title

• A47J43/0727 Primary

  Mixing bowls · CPC title

• A47J43/0722

  Mixing, whipping or cutting tools · CPC title