Electric stirring tower with lid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9693649-B2
Application number	US-201314070001-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 1, 2013
Priority date	Mar 1, 2013
Publication date	Jul 4, 2017
Grant date	Jul 4, 2017

Abstract

A cooking appliance kit includes a housing having a plurality of walls defining a heating cavity. A cooking vessel is configured to be inserted into the heating cavity. The cooking vessel includes a first rounded end, a second rounded end, and an intermediate necked portion that defines first and second wells that at least partially intersect. First and second distinct heater plates are disposed in the first and second wells, respectively. First and second drive arms are removable coupled to the housing in an operable communication with the drive system. The first drive arm includes a flipping wand and the second drive arm includes a stirring wand.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cooking appliance comprising:
a cooker housing including at least one outer wall defining a heating cavity that selectively receives a cooking vessel;
a stirring tower having a supporting foot, the stirring tower being selectively removable from the cooker housing;
a foot receptacle disposed in a base of the cooker housing for selectively receiving the supporting foot when the stirring tower is in an engaged position, wherein the engaged position includes the supporting foot laterally supporting the base relative to the stirring tower and wherein the cooker housing is free of vertical support from the stirring tower and the supporting foot;
a mixing arm hingedly removably coupled to the stirring tower;
at least one mixing wand removably engaged with the mixing arm; and
a lid pivotally coupled to the mixing arm and operable between an open position and a closed position in which the lid covers the heating cavity.

2. The cooking appliance of claim 1 , wherein the stirring tower is in electrical communication with the cooker housing, and wherein the cooker housing and the stirring tower include a fastening mechanism for selectively securing the stirring tower to the cooker housing, and wherein the stirring tower can be removed from engagement with the cooker housing by hand and without the use of tools.

3. The cooking appliance of claim 1 , further comprising:
a heating member disposed proximate the heating cavity; and
a user interface in electrical communication with the heating member and a drive system.

4. The cooking appliance of claim 3 , wherein the user interface includes a heating user interface disposed on an exterior surface of the cooker housing in electrical communication with the heating member, and a mixing user interface disposed on an exterior surface of the stirring tower and in electrical communication with the drive system.

5. The cooking appliance of claim 1 , wherein the lid includes an arm cover that engages a top surface of the mixing arm when the lid is in the closed position.

6. The cooking appliance of claim 1 , wherein the at least one mixing wand is selected from the group consisting of: a flipping wand, a stirring wand, and a combination flipping and stirring wand.

7. The cooking appliance of claim 1 , wherein the lid and the mixing arm selectively operate independent of one another such that operation of the lid between the open and closed positions is independent of operation of the mixing arm between a mixing state and an idle state.

8. A cooking appliance comprising:
a housing including a bottom wall defining a receptacle;
a stirring tower having an outwardly extending supporting foot that is selectively disposed in the receptacle of the housing, wherein the receptacle surrounds the supporting foot and conceals the supporting foot of the stirring tower from view when the stirring tower is in an engaged position with respect to the housing;
a mixing arm operably coupled to the stirring tower and operable between a mixing position defined by a drive system being in operable communication with the mixing arm, and an idle position defined by the drive system being out of operable communication with the mixing arm;
a lid pivotally coupled to the mixing arm and operable between open and closed positions; and
a cooking vessel that is selectively inserted into a heating cavity, and wherein the cooking vessel selectively receives the lid.

9. The cooking appliance of claim 8 , wherein the stirring tower is in selective electrical communication with the housing, and wherein the stirring tower selectively receives electrical power at least from an electrical interface disposed proximate the housing.

10. The cooking appliance of claim 8 , further comprising:
a heating element disposed proximate the heating cavity; and
a user interface in electrical communication with the heating element and the drive system.

11. The cooking appliance of claim 10 , wherein the user interface includes a heating user interface disposed on an exterior surface of the housing in electrical communication with the heating element, and a mixing user interface disposed on an exterior surface of the stirring tower in electrical communication with the drive system.

12. The cooking appliance of claim 8 , wherein the lid includes a recess for engaging a top surface of the mixing arm when the lid is in the closed position.

13. The cooking appliance of claim 8 , further comprising:
at least one mixing wand selected from the group consisting of: a flipping wand, a stirring wand, and a combination flipping and stirring wand.

14. The cooking appliance of claim 8 , wherein operation of the lid between the open and closed positions is independent of operation of the mixing arm between the mixing and idle positions.

15. The cooking appliance of claim 8 , wherein a user interface is disposed on an outer surface of the housing, wherein the user interface is in electrical communication with a heating member disposed proximate the heating cavity, and wherein the user interface is in selective electrical communication with the drive system when the supporting foot is disposed in a receptacle of a base.

16. A cooking appliance comprising:
a stirring tower having a supporting foot;
a mixing arm hingedly coupled to the stirring tower and operably coupled with a drive system;
a cooker housing including a plurality of walls and a base defining a heating cavity, the base defining a base receptacle that selectively receives the supporting foot to define a proximal position of the stirring tower with the cooker housing, wherein the proximal position is further defined by the base selectively positioned to cover and extend around the supporting foot, wherein the base and the supporting foot are substantially co-planar when in the proximal position;
a lid pivotally coupled to the mixing arm and operable between open and closed positions; and
a cooking vessel that is selectively inserted into the heating cavity, and wherein the cooking vessel selectively receives the lid when the stirring tower is in the proximal position.

17. The cooking appliance of claim 16 , wherein the stirring tower is in selective electrical communication with the cooker housing, and wherein the stirring tower selectively receives electrical power at least from an electrical interface disposed proximate the cooker housing.

18. The cooking appliance of claim 16 , further comprising:
a heating element disposed proximate the heating cavity; and
a user interface in electrical communication with the heating element and the drive system.

19. The cooking appliance of claim 16 , further comprising:
at least one mixing wand selected from the group consisting of a flipping wand, a stirring wand, and a combination flipping and stirring wand.

20. The cooking appliance of claim 18 , wherein the user interface includes a heating user interface disposed on an exterior surface of the cooker housing in electrical communication with the heating element, and a mixing user interface disposed on an exterior surface of the stirring tower and in electrical communication with the drive system.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Conti Michael P
• Gregory Christopher A

Classifications

• A47J36/165

  Stirring devices operatively connected to cooking vessels when being removably inserted inside (mixing, whipping, or beating devices A47J43/00) · CPC title

• A47J27/002 Primary

  Construction of cooking-vessels; Methods or processes of manufacturing specially adapted for cooking-vessels · CPC title

• A47J27/004

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

• A47J43/0705

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

• A47J43/044

  with tools driven from the top side · CPC title