Kitchen machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9854945-B2
Application number	US-201514923674-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2015
Priority date	Oct 29, 2014
Publication date	Jan 2, 2018
Grant date	Jan 2, 2018

Abstract

The invention relates to a kitchen appliance ( 1 ), in particular a mixer having a base device ( 2 ) and a vessel ( 3 ), which can be arranged thereon, wherein the kitchen appliance ( 1 ) has a positioning device ( 8 ) for positioning a first partial area ( 6 ) of the kitchen appliance ( 1 ) relative to a second partial area ( 7 ) of the kitchen appliance ( 1 ). For an advantageous monitoring of a positioning, it is proposed for an optical measuring device comprising a light emitter ( 9 ) and a light receiver ( 10 ) to be assigned to the positioning device ( 8 ), which are arranged on the first partial area ( 6 ) and/or on the second partial area ( 7 ) in such a manner that the light intensity measured by the light receiver ( 10 ) varies as a function of the positioning of the first partial area ( 6 ) relative to the second partial area ( 7 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A kitchen appliance comprising:
a positioning device comprising a first partial area and a second partial area, the positioning device being configured to position the first partial area relative to the second partial area; and
an optical measuring device assigned to the positioning device and comprising a light emitter, a light receiver, a first light guide, a second light guide, and an opening gap, the light emitter and the light receiver being arranged on the first partial area or on the second partial area in such a manner that the light intensity measured by the light receiver varies as a function of the positioning of the first partial area relative to the second partial area,
wherein the first light guide and the second light guide form together a light path arranged between the light emitter and the light receiver, have a common optical axis, and are spaced apart from one another by the opening gap, and
wherein the second partial area or the first partial area can engage into the opening gap and interrupt light traveling through the light path such that the light intensity measured by the light receiver varies.

2. The kitchen appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the kitchen appliance comprises a mixer having a base device and a vessel arranged on the base device, and
wherein the second partial area is a partial area of the vessel.

3. The kitchen appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the light emitter and the light receiver are arranged on the second partial area.

4. The kitchen appliance according to claim 2 , wherein the first partial area is a partial area of a lid, which closes the vessel.

5. The kitchen appliance according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second light guides comprises an optical fiber.

6. The kitchen appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the light path is provided by a wall of the first partial area or of the second partial area, the wall reflecting the light emitted by the light emitter, and
wherein the opening gap is assigned to the wall.

7. The kitchen appliance according to claim 4 , wherein the first partial area is embodied in such a manner that the first partial area can engage with the opening gap as a result of the arrangement of the lid on the vessel.

8. The kitchen appliance according to claim 1 , comprising an automatic locking device, which is embodied to establish a lock between the first partial area and the second partial area of the kitchen appliance, as a function of the light intensity measured by the light receiver.

Assignees

• Vorwerk Co Interholding

Inventors

• Starflinger Frank

Classifications

• A47J43/046

  with tools driven from the bottom side · CPC title

• A47J43/0772 Primary

  activated by the proper positioning of the cover · CPC title

• A47J43/0777

  in which the activating element on the cover transmits a signal to a safety device in the base element via the mixing bowl removably seated on this base element, e.g. pin on the cover moves a pushrod in the bowl handle to operate safety switch in the base element · CPC title

• A47J43/0716

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