Kitchen appliance and method of assembling same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9351606-B2
Application number	US-201213406043-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2012
Priority date	Mar 3, 2011
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

Abstract

A kitchen appliance includes a housing with a base, a side wall and a cavity. The housing has a housing rim defining an opening to the cavity. A hinge base is mounted to the side wall. A container has a generally hollow interior and a container rim defining an opening. The container fits within the cavity of the housing. A lid at least partially covers the opening of the container when placed on the container rim. The lid has an exterior surface, and an opposing interior surface facing the interior of the container when the lid is placed on the container rim. A bracket is mounted to the exterior surface of the lid. At least a portion of the bracket is rotatably and selectively removably received within at least a portion of the hinge base to rotatably and selectively removable mount to the lid of the housing.

First claim

We claim:

1. A kitchen appliance comprising:
a housing having a base and a side wall extending therefrom, the side wall having an exterior surface and an opposing interior surface defining, with the base, a cavity within the housing, the housing having a housing rim at a first, free edge of the side wall defining an opening to the cavity;
a container having a generally hollow interior and a container rim defining an opening for accessing the interior thereof, the interior of the container being capable of retaining foodstuffs therein, the container being sized and shaped to fit within the cavity of the housing;
a lid sized and shaped to at least partially cover the opening of the container when placed on the container rim, the lid having an exterior surface and an opposing interior surface facing the interior of the container when the lid is placed on the container rim;
a hinge base, mounted to one of the exterior surface of the side wall of the housing and the exterior surface of the lid and, a first end of the hinge base extending above the housing rim and including two spaced-apart channels on opposing exterior side walls thereof; and
a bracket mounted to one of the exterior surface of the lid and the exterior surface of the sidewall of the housing, the bracket having two laterally spaced-apart extensions extending outwardly from a first end of the bracket, each of the two extensions including a respective projection on an interior side wall thereof and each projection being sized and shaped to be rotatably and selectively removably insertable within a respective channel of the two channels of the hinge base to rotatably and selectively removably mount the lid to the housing.

2. The kitchen appliance of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the hinge base extends outwardly beyond the exterior surface of the side wall of the housing, and wherein at least a portion of the bracket extends outwardly beyond an outer periphery of the lid.

3. The kitchen appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first end of the bracket extends outwardly beyond an outer periphery of the lid at a first location and an opposing second end of the bracket extends outwardly beyond the outer periphery of the lid at a second location diametrically opposed to the first location.

4. The kitchen appliance of claim 3 , wherein the second end of the bracket includes a handle and a groove is located on the handle.

5. The kitchen appliance of claim 4 , further comprising:
at least one latching mechanism mounted to the side wall of the housing, the at least one latching mechanism being an over-the-center clip having at least a hook and a lever, wherein at least a portion of the hook is sized and shaped to fit within the groove and the lever is rotatable to create a retaining force exerted by the latching mechanism on the handle to retain the lid on the container rim.

6. The kitchen appliance of claim 1 , further comprising:
a handle on one of an end of the bracket opposite the hinge base and the side wall of the housing;
a latching mechanism mounted to one of the side wall of the housing opposite the hinge base and the end of the bracket opposite the hinge base, the latching mechanism selectively retaining at least a portion of the handle;
at least one slot in the exterior surface of the side wall of the housing, and
at least one mounting hole extending through the hinge base, the slot and the mounting hole being sized and shaped to receive a fastener therethrough, the slot being vertically-elongated to allow for vertical adjustment of the hinge base with respect to the side wall of the housing.

7. The kitchen appliance of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least two laterally spaced-apart and vertically-elongated slots in the exterior surface of the side wall of the housing, wherein at least two laterally spaced-apart mounting holes extend through the hinge base, each slot corresponding to one of the mounting holes and each corresponding slot and mounting hole being sized and shaped to receive a fastener therethrough to securely attach the hinge base to the side wall of the housing.

8. A kitchen appliance comprising:
a housing having a base and a side wall extending therefrom, the side wall having an exterior surface and an opposing interior surface defining, with the base, a cavity within the housing, the housing having a housing rim at a first, free edge of the side wall defining an opening to the cavity, the side wall including at least two circumferentially spaced-apart and vertically-elongated slots in the exterior surface thereof;
a container having a generally hollow interior and a container rim defining an opening for accessing the interior thereof, the interior of the container being capable of retaining foodstuffs therein, the container being sized and the hinge base further shaped to fit within the cavity of the housing, a first end of the hinge base extending above the housing rim and including two spaced-apart channels on opposing exterior side walls thereof;
a hinge base mounted to the exterior surface of the side wall of the housing and having at least two circumferentially spaced-apart mounting holes extending therethrough, each mounting hole corresponding to one of the slots in the side wall of the housing;
a lid sized and shaped to at least partially cover the opening of the container when placed on the container rim, the lid having an exterior surface and an opposing interior surface facing the interior of the container when the lid is placed on the container rim;
a bracket mounted to the exterior surface of the lid, the bracket having two laterally spaced-apart extensions extending outwardly from a first end of the bracket, each of the two extensions including a respective projection on an interior side wall thereof and each projection being sized and shaped to be rotatably and selectively removably insertable within a respective channel of the two channels of the hinge base to rotatably and selectively removably mount the lid to the container rim; and
a fastener extending through each corresponding mounting hole and slot to secure the hinge base to the side wall of the housing, the vertically-elongated slots being sized and shaped to permit vertical adjustment of the hinge base with respect to the side wall of the housing.

9. The kitchen appliance of claim 8 , further comprising:
four laterally spaced-apart and vertically-elongated slots in the exterior surface of the side wall of the housing, a pair of the slots being located closer to the housing rim on the side wall of the housing than the remaining two slots.

10. The kitchen appliance of claim 9 , further comprising:
a handle on one of an end of the bracket opposite the hinge base and the side wall of the housing;
a latching mechanism mounted to one of the side wall of the housing opposite the hinge base and the end of the bracket opposite the hinge base, the latching mechanism selectively retaining at least a portion of the handle.

11. The kitchen appliance of claim 8 , wherein a first end of the bracket extends outwardly beyond an outer periphery of the lid at a first location and an opposing second end of the bracket extends outwardly beyond the outer periphery of the lid at a second location diametrically opposed to the first location.

12. A kitchen appliance comprising:
a housing having a base and a side wall extending therefrom, the side wall having an exterior surface and an opposing interior surface defining, with the base, a cavity within the housing, the housing having a housing rim at a first, free edge of the side wall defining an opening to the cavity;
a container having a generally hollow interior and a container

Assignees

• Gaynor James Robert
• Steiner Mark C
• Bock Brian
• Barnes John D
• Hamilton Beach Brands Inc

Inventors

• Gaynor James Robert
• Steiner Mark C
• Bock Brian
• Barnes John D

Classifications

• A47J36/10 Primary

  Lid-locking devices · CPC title

• A47J36/12

  Devices for holding lids in open position on the container · CPC title

• Y10T29/49947

  by applying separate fastener · CPC title