GB2167312A

GB2167312A - Food processor attachment

Info

Publication number: GB2167312A
Application number: GB08429253A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Keith Colvin
Original assignee: ICTC ELECTRICAL Ltd
Current assignee: ICTC ELECTRICAL Ltd
Priority date: 1984-11-20
Filing date: 1984-11-20
Publication date: 1986-05-29
Also published as: GB8429253D0; GB2167312B

Abstract

An attachment (1) for a food processor (2) is provided with its own gearing system (9, 11, 16) preferably epicyclic, to enable the speed of rotation of the food processor drive spindle (6) to be reduced whereby the processing head (18) rotates at a speed less than or greater than that of the drive spindle. As shown it comprises a first, driven, member (7) having a sun gear (9) which engages with planet gears (11) carried on a second, rotary member (10) which is mounted (preferably detachably) a tool (18). Rotation of internal gear (16) is prevented by a locating ring (17) which locates in the inlet opening (5) of the lid (4). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improved attachment for a food processor This invention relates to an accessory for attachment to a food processor and more particularly but not exclusively, to an egg whisk attachment.

Food processors are driven by an electric motor which is either driven at one constant speed or it may have a motor which can be driven at one of several different speeds. A common speed for such motors is 1500 r.p.m. which is suitable for most mixing or liquidising operations. However, for certain operations such as egg whisking, a much lower speed of about 500 r.p.m.is needed. If the food processor does not have any facility on it to drive the motor at such a speed, it means that it cannot be used for that purpose. Conversely, a speed of between 4000 and 6000 r.p.m. may be needed for the extraction of juices from fruit and/or vegetables.

The problem to be solved therefore is to provide an attachment for fitting to a known food processor which is provided with its own means whereby in use, it will step down or step up its speed of rotation in relation to the speed of the food processor motor driving it.

According to the invention, there is provided an attachment for fitting to a food processor with a detachable mixing bowl whose drive spindle protrudes through the base thereof, the attachment comprising a first member rotatable by said drive spindle about an axis and a second member concentrically mounted for rotation about said axis at a speed different from that of the first member by gearing provided on the first and second members.

Preferably a processing head is detachable from the second member, for instance by means of a bayonet fitting, but it may be part of the second member. The processing head may be of any convenient form such as a paddle, a stirrer, a beater, a slicer or a whisk depending on the process to be carried out in the food mixer bowl.

The gearing can either step down or step up the speed of rotation of the second member in relation to the driven speed of the first member. The preferred arrangement however steps-down the speed using epicyclic gearing.

In a preferred embodiment, the first member has a sun gear at one end which is seated in a recess in one end of the second member.

Conveniently, the second member is tubular and of a greater diameter than that of the sun gear, the diameter of the recess being substantially the same as the mean diameter of the sun gear.

In the preferred embodiment to be described hereafter, the second member acts as a carrier for at least one but preferably two planet gears mounted diametrically opposite each other to mesh with the sun gear on the first member. More than two planet gears may however be provided but, in any event, the or each planet gear meshes with a toothed annulus provided around the interior of an end cap, said cap having locating means thereon which cooperate with the mixing bowl or its lid to prevent the cap from rotating in relation to the first and second members.

The locating means can cooperate with the side wall of the mixing bowl but preferably it locates in a seat provided on the lid. Alternatively, a protrusion, in the form of an open ring of the same cross section as the feed hole in the lid of the mixing bowl, extends laterally from the cap so that it will locate in the feed hole in the lid of the mixing bowl to captivate the end cap against rotation.

Due to the simple design of the attachment of the invention, all of its component parts can be readily moulded from a plastics material which keeps manufacturing costs down and facilitates cleaning.

A preferred attachment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1. is a side view of an attachment of the invention with an egg whisk mixing head thereon, Figure 2. is a plan view of the attachment of Figure 1 and, Figure 3. is a cross section through the attachment of Figure 1 but with the end cap shown separated from the remainder of the device.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in Figure 3 an attachment 1 for fitting to a food processor 2 (shown schematically) having a detachable mixing bowl 3 fitted thereto to which a removable lid 4 may be fitted. The lid 4 is provided with an inlet opening 5 through which food to be processed is fed to the mixing bowl. A drive spindle 6 protrudes from the top of the processor body 2 through the base of the mixing bowl, this spindle being connected to and rotated by a motor (not shown) which may be of the series or induction type. It should be noted the the food processor 2 and its mixing bowl and lid does not form any part of the present invention. The invention is concerned only with the attachment 1 which is fitted to the drive spindle 6 to be driven thereby.

The attachment comprises a first member 7 rotatable by the drive spindle 6. A keyed passage 8 is provided in the base of the member 7 to cooperate with and locate on the similarly keyed drive spindle 6. A sun gear 9 is provided at the end of the member 7 remote from the passage 8.

Coaxial with the member 7 and the sun gear 9 is a tubular second member 10 which is rotatable around the first member 7 by means of planet gears 11 mounted diametrically op posite each other in mountings 12a, 1 2b provided on the second member 10. The planet gears protrude through windows 13 in the wall of the second member to mesh constantly with the sun gear 9 on the first member 7.

The mountings 12a, 1 2b are spaced fingers provided with facing indentations (not shown) to receive and locate the planet gear spindles 1 1a, 1 1b. As the whole of the second member 10 including the fingers 12a, 12b is moulded from a plastics material, the fingers are resilient enough to spring apart to permit insertion of the planet gears and then grip their spindles 1 1a, 1 1b once they have located in their indentions.

It will be noted that the diameter of the tubular second member 10 is reduced in the region of the sun gear 9 on the first member 7 to provide a recess 13 of approximately the same diameter as the sun gear 9 thereby effectively locating the first member 7 in the second member 10.

The second member 10 also includes an annular laterally projecting seat or lip 14, against which an end cap 15 seats. The interior of the end cap 15 is provided with a toothed annulus 16 which constantly meshes with the planet gears 11, when it is in its lowered position seated against lip 14. A locating ring 17 extends laterally from the edge of the cap 15 and is dimensioned and positioned so that it will locate in the inlet opening 5 in the lid 4 of the mixing bowl 3 when the lid is placed in position. This fitting of the ring in the lid opening 5 effectively captivates the end cap and prevents its rotation when the drive spindle 6 is rotated by the food processor motor (not shown).

A mixer head 18, an egg whisk in the drawing, is removably fitted to the end of the second member 10 by means of a bayonet pin 19 and suitable shaped slot 20. An annular lip 21 axially locates the mixer head 18.

It will be seen from the foregoing description of the device shown in the drawings that it is provided with its own epicyclic gearing arrangement which will effectively step down the speed of rotation of the second member 10 in relation to the speed of rotation of the first member 7 driven by the food processor drive spindle 6. As an example, with the arrangement illustrated, the drive spindle speed of 1500 r.p.m. can be reduced to 500 r.p.m.

which is what is required for egg whisking.

Claims

CLAIMS Amendments to the claims have been filed, and have the following effect: Claim 1 above has been textually amended. Textually amended claim is as follows: 1. An attachment for fitting to a food processor with a detachable mixing bowl whose drive spindle protrudes through the base thereof, the attachment comprising a first member adapted to fit to and be driven in rotation by said drive spindle about an axis and a second member concentrically mounted for rotation about said axis at a speed different from that of the first member by gearing provided on the first and second members, said second member being adapted to carry a food processing head. CLAIMS

1. An attachment for fitting to a food processor with a detachable mixing bowl whose drive spindle protrudes through the base thereof, the attachment comprising a first member rotatable by said drive spindle about an axis and a second member concentrically mounted for rotation about said axis at a speed different from that of the first member by gearing provided on the first and second members.

2. An attachment as claimed in claim 1 wherein a processing head is provided on the second member.

3. An attachment as claimed in claim 2 wherein the head is releasably attached to the second member.

4. An attachment as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the gearing reduces the speed of rotation of the second member in relation to the driven speed of the first member.

5. An attachment as claimed in claim 4 wherein the gearing is epicyclic.

6. An attachment as claimed in claim 5 wherein the first member has a sun gear at one end which is seated in a recess in one end of the second member.

7. An attachment as claimed in claim 6 wherein the second member is tubular and of a greater diameter than that of the sun gear.

8. An attachment as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7 wherein the diameter of the recess is substantially the same as the mean diameter of the sun gear.

9. An attachment as claimed in any of claims 5 to 8 wherein the second member is a carrier for at least one planet gear which is mounted to mesh with the sun gear on the first member.

10. An attachment as claimed in claim 9 wherein the carrier mounts two planet gears located diametrically opposite each other.

11. An attachment as claimed in claim 9 wherein more than two planet gears are provided.

12. An attachment as claimed in any of claims 9 to 11 wherein the or each planet gear meshes with a toothed ahnulus provided around the intension of an end cap, said cap having locating means whereon which cooperate with the mixing bowl or its lid to prevent the cap from rotating in relation to the first and second members.

13. An attachment as claimed in claim 12 wherein the locating means is a protrusion which locates in a seat provided on the lid of the mixing bowl.

14. An attachment as claimed in claim 12 wherein the locating means is an open ring of the same cross section as the feed hole in the lid of the mixing bowl, said ring being mounted on the end cap so that it will locate in the feed hole in the lid of the mixing bowl to captivate the end cap against rotation.

15. A mixing attachment substantially as herein described with reference to the accom panying drawings.