Fluid communication of a blender system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9968222-B2
Application number	US-201214124069-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2012
Priority date	Jun 10, 2011
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

A blender is adapted to process and heat food products. The blender includes a base and a container coupled with the base. Disposed in the container is a work area and a processor component adapted to process food products. Disposed within the processor component is a fluid conduit through which steam may pass. The fluid conduit includes at least one outer wall and an interior lumen. The outer wall of the fluid conduit is separated from an inner wall of the processor component by a gap. The gap is in fluid communication with the work chamber. Disposed in the base is a reservoir (adapted to hold one or more fluids, e.g., water), which is in fluid communication with the interior lumen of the fluid conduit of the container. Steam formed in the reservoir passes from the reservoir into the work chamber by way of the interior lumen and the gap.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A blender system, comprising:
a container, comprising:
a bottom section;
one or more container walls extending from the bottom section and defining an interior volume of space, the interior volume of space including a work chamber for processing one or more food products;
a fluid conduit having at least one conduit wall defining an interior lumen, the at least one conduit wall coupled to or integral with the bottom section of the container at a proximal end and extending to a distal end within the work chamber; and
a processor component surrounding the distal end of the fluid conduit and at least a portion of an exterior side of the at least one conduit wall with a gap therebetween, the gap in fluid communication with the interior lumen and the work chamber, the processor component including at least one food processing feature; and

the container removably coupled to a base, the base comprising:
a motorized drive configured to provide rotational force to a drive shaft, the drive shaft coupled with the processor component;
a reservoir in fluid communication with the interior lumen of the fluid conduit; and
a heating component adapted to heat contents of the reservoir.

2. The blender system of claim 1 , wherein when heat energy provided to a liquid disposed in the reservoir by the heating component causes transformation of the liquid into a gas, the gas flows from the reservoir through the fluid conduit and the gap, and into the work chamber.

3. The blender system of claim 1 , wherein the reservoir is open at a first end, the container being removably coupled to the base at the first end of the reservoir in such a way that the fluid conduit is disposed above the reservoir and the interior lumen of the fluid conduit leads to the reservoir.

4. The blender system of claim 1 , further comprising a lid removably coupled to the container at an open end of the container, the lid having one or more adjustable ventilation apertures.

5. The blender system of claim 1 , further comprising a lid removably coupled to the container at an open end of the container, the lid comprising:
a body portion;
one or more ventilation apertures disposed through the body portion; and
a ventilation cover adjustable between a plurality of different ventilation positions each covering a different amount of the one or more ventilation apertures.

6. The blender system of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of different ventilation positions comprise a closed ventilation configuration wherein the one or more ventilation apertures in the body portion are completely obstructed.

7. The blender system of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of different ventilation positions comprise one or more ventilation configurations predetermined as suitable for steaming or cooking a particular food product or category of food products.

8. The blender system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one food processing feature comprises one or more cutting blades, one or more mixing paddles, or both.

9. The blender system of claim 1 , wherein the motorized drive comprises an electric motor and a pulley system, a gear system, or both.

10. The blender system of claim 1 , wherein the base further comprises a control unit coupled to the motorized drive and adapted to control movement of the drive shaft and thereby the processor component.

11. The blender system of claim 1 , wherein the container further comprises:
a locking mechanism adapted to releasably lock with the base; and
an actuator adapted to enable release of the locking mechanism.

12. The blender system of claim 1 , wherein the processor component is removably coupled to the fluid conduit and adapted to remain removably coupled to the fluid conduit when the container is removed from the base.

13. The blender system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one food processing feature comprises one or more cutting blades, one or more mixing paddles, or both.

14. A container for a blender system, the container comprising:
a bottom section;
one or more container walls extending from the bottom section and defining an interior volume of space, the interior volume of space including a work chamber for processing one or more food products;
a fluid conduit having at least one conduit wall defining an interior lumen, the at least one conduit wall coupled to or integral with the bottom section of the container at a proximal end and extending to a distal end within the work chamber; and
a processor component surrounding the distal end of the fluid conduit and at least a portion of an exterior side of the at least one conduit wall with a gap therebetween, the gap in fluid communication with the interior lumen and the work chamber, the processor component including at least one food processing feature;
wherein coupling the container to a base causes the processor component to couple with a drive shaft coupled to a motorized drive in the base, and establishes fluid communication between the interior lumen of the fluid conduit and a reservoir in the base.

15. The container of claim 14 , wherein the container is adapted to removably couple with the base and be received by a first open end of the reservoir in such a way that the fluid conduit is disposed above the reservoir and the interior lumen of the fluid conduit leads to the reservoir.

16. The container of claim 14 , further comprising a lid removably coupled to the container at an open end of the container, the lid having one or more adjustable ventilation apertures.

17. The container of claim 14 , further comprising a lid removably coupled to the container at an open end of the container, the lid comprising:
a body portion;
one or more ventilation apertures disposed through the body portion; and
a ventilation cover adjustable between a plurality of different positions each covering a different amount of the one or more ventilation apertures.

Assignees

• Audette David M
• Mcgee Brian R
• Sharkninja Operating Llc

Inventors

• Audette David M
• Mcgee Brian R

Classifications

• A47J27/004

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

• A47J43/06

  with a plurality of interchangeable working units {, e.g. with a single driving-unit} · CPC title

• A47J43/046 Primary

  with tools driven from the bottom side · CPC title

• A47J43/0716 Primary

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