GB2170395A

GB2170395A - Electric culinary appliance

Info

Publication number: GB2170395A
Application number: GB08529305A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Walter Ilg; Johann Magg
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-02-04
Filing date: 1985-11-28
Publication date: 1986-08-06
Also published as: FR2576770A1; GB2170395B; DE3503718C2; DE3503718A1; GB8529305D0; FR2576770B1

Abstract

An electrical kitchen appliance comprises a drive unit with a power take-off housing part (4) and a control housing part (12) connected therewith to form an L-shaped housing (2) which contains an electric motor, a transmission and control equipment. A power take-off shaft projects out of a sleeve (6) of the power take-off housing part (4) and extends parallel to the control housing part (12). The housing (2) can be tilted through 90 DEG out of a principal setting in which it so stands with the power take-off housing part (4) on a support surface that the shaft and control housing part project upwardly. In the tilted setting of the housing, in which the shaft is horizontal as shown in figure 2, a mincing machine (30) is coupled to the shaft and is supported by a support (36) on the support surface. The support (36) extends past the control housing part (12), which in the tilted setting rests on the support surface, and a safety locking bar (42) arranged on the support (36) engages into an opening (20) of the control housing part (12) and actuates a latching device therein to unlatch a switch of the motor. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Domestic appliance The present invention relates to a domestic appliance, in particular an electrical kitchen machine.

In a known kitchen machine, a drive device is, in operation with a meat mincer, so titled that seen from above it rests on a support surface in L-shape with a power take-off housing and control housing or feet formed thereon. This known machine is relatively large so that an adequate spacing of the drive input shaft and the meat mincer coupled thereto above the support surface is available, this spacing being required in orderto allow a sufficiently large collecting bowl to be placed below the outlet of the mincer. In smaller kitchen machines, the problem exists that the powertake- off shaft in this position of the drive device has a lower height above the support surface, which height is not sufficient to allow a bowl of convenient size to be placed thereunder.

In order that smaller kitchen machines may have an adequate height, it has been proposed to form outwardly pivotable feet on the drive device, which feet bring the drive device into a higher position above the support surface. The support feet have the disadvantage of increasing prodution cost and making the operation for the appliance more complicated. A further problem results from the fact that small kitchen machines of the kind known as food processors possess a latching device for a motor switch in the control housing projecting generally parallel to the power take-off shaft. This latching device serves to prevent injuries to the user in operation of the machine with a knife or grating insert in a bowl, in that a foot, which is connected with a lid of the bowl, engages into the control housing and actuates the latching device therein.

The motor can thus be put into operation only with the lid of the working bowl in place and correctly latched. In order to permit operation with a mincer, a safety locking bar connected with the mincer must engage into the control housing.

There is thus a need for a domestic appliance which has a relatively simple construction, is convenient to operate and operationally reliable.

According to the present invention there is provided a domestic appliance comprising a drive unit, which comprises a control housing part and a powertake-off housing parttogetherforming a generally L-shaped housing and control means and electric drive means arranged in the housing, the drive means including a powertake-off shaft projecting from the power take-off housing part generally parallel to the control housing part and the housing being supportable on a support surface with the shaft extending selectably upwardly or horizontally, and a mincing machine which includes a support member and which, when the shaft extends horizontally and the drive unit housing is supported on such support surface at a side of the control housing part remote from the shaft, is drivably couplable to the shaft and supportable by the support member resting on the support surface and extending past the control housing part, the support member being provided with a release device so engaged in an opening of the control housing part when the machine is coupled to the shaft as to release latching means latching switching means of the drive means.

Preferably, the support member of the machine has an abutment, which extends substantially parallel to the shaft and co-operates with an external side of the control housing part in order to securely support the turning moment transmitted from the shaft to the housing of the machine and to avoid overloading the release device. This abutment prevents the release divice from being drawn out of the opening of the control housing part under resilient bending of the housing of the drive unit or of parts of the machine, in particular a support foot of the support member. A portion, engaging under the control housing part, of a broadened foot of the support member of the machine can serve as the abutment.

Actuating or control elements for a motor switch can be arranged at that end face of the control housing part which extends transversely to the shaft, in order to be conveniently positioned for gripping in normal operation. In order that the support member of the machine can extend directly along this end face, the end face preferably has a surface portion which is set back in axial direction and on which a control element for the drive means, for example an operating element for a motor switch,1s arranged. As a result, this element does not obstruct rotary movement of the support member of the machine around the shaft, which movement may be necessary in order to pivot the release device into the opening of the control housing part.Moreover, engagement of a portion of the foot of the support member under the control housing part is simplified, since the set-back surface portion facilitates its pivotation into the operational setting. Expediently, the set-back surface portion of the control housing part slopes, in the principal operational setting, of the drive device obliquely down in the manner of a desk from the remaining surface portion of this end face, so that a smooth and easily cleanable shape of the drive unit is provided. In order to further facilitate movement of the abutment into its operative setting under the control housing part, the set-back surface portion preferably extends as far as or beyond a notional plane which is normal to the support surface and contains the axis of the shaft.

The machine is sealed off at its drive input end at the passage of its drive input shaft to the coupling with the power take-off shaft so that normally no liquid issues at this point. Since, however, the opening provided for the release device points upwardly in the previously proposed position of the drive device and pollution of the release device is to be avoided for reasons of safety, a sleeve, which is connected with the support member and preferably formed thereon, or an upwardly open groove, surrounds that drive input end of the machine which faces the power take-off shaft and guides any liquid which may run out of the drive input end to an outlet channel formed at or in the support member.The outlet channel guides the liquid reliably past the opening in the control housing part to the support surface or into a catching trough formed in the support foot Preferably, an open groove, which has the advantage of being easily cleanable, is formed at the side ofthe support member remote from the powertake-offshaft.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example with referance to the acccompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a drive unit of a small kitchen appliance embodying the invention, the drive unit being shown in a normal operational setting thereof; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the drive unit of Fig.

1 tilted through 90 and connected with a mincing machine; FGig. 3 is a sectional view of part of the machine along the line Ill-Ill in Figs. 2 and 4; and Fig. 4 is an elavation of part of a support member of the machine seen from the right in Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a kitchen appliance comprising a drive unit with a housing 2 which in normal setting is constructed to be substantially L-shaped as seen from the front, one limb of the L-shaped forming a power take-off housing part 4 in which a transmission (not shown) is arranged. The underside of the housing part 4 in the normal setting of the device faces a support surface and carries short support feet. At its upper side, the housing part 4 has a guide sleeve 6, which projects vertically upwards and through which a power take-off shaft 8 extends. At its uppermost projecting end, the shaft 8 carries a coupling member 10. A control housing part 12, disposed laterally of the shaft 8 and projecting upwardly parallel thereto, forms the second limb of the Lshaped drive unit housing 2.That end face of the control housing part 12 which is the upper in the basic setting, is shaped to be angled with a rearward horizontal end face portion 14 and a forward end face portion 16, which slops downwardly in the manner of a desk and on which is arranged an operating knob 18 for actuation of a motor switch (not shown). A short distance below the upper end face portion 14, the housing part 12 has an engagement opening 20, which extends in part in the end face portion 16 and in part in the side wall surface adjoining thereat and facing the drive shaft 8. Arranged therebehind in the control housing 12 is a latching deviceforthe motor switch, which device prevents actuation of the switch as long as no safety looking bar engages into the opening 20 and unlatched the device.

In Fig. 2, the drive unit is illustrated tilted through 90 , standing with the control housing part 12 on the support surface and in connection with a meat mincer 30. The meat mincer has a fastening part 32 of plastics material with a horizontal sleeve 34, which surrounds the projection 6 of the housing part 4 and is guided thereon, and a support 36, which projects donwardlyfrom its end remote from the housing part 4 and has a broadened support foot 38 standing on the support surface. The foot 38 has a flat abutment 40, which engages under the housing part 12 and in the region of the end face 14 of the control housing part 12 projects below this.At mid height the support 36 has a downwardly projecting safety latching bar 42 which engages into the opening 20 and unlatched the latching device for the motor switch. The sleeve 34 at its inside has centring ribs 44, which in their rear region cooperate with the guide projection 6. A mincing device 50 of metal is plugged, at an end portion of a drive input side of a tube 52 containing a conveying worm (not shown), into that region of the sleeve 34 which is remote from the housing part 4, the tube 52 being fixed by means of a clamping screw 54 screwed into the sleeve 34. Afeed pipe 56, which at its upper end carries a bowl 46 for the stock to be minced as well as a plug 58 engaging into the pipe opening, opens from above into the pipe 52.A narrowed rearward end portion of a first conveying pipe 60 is centred in the forward region of the ribs 44 (Fig. 3) and contains a shaft seal (not shown) for the drive shaft (not shown) of the worm. The drive shaft or worm of the mincer 30 is coupled by way of a coupling part (not shown) with the coupling member 10 of the shaft 8 of the drive unit The sleeve 34 is slightly conically widened towards the mincing device 50, whereby its base region continously slopes down away from the housing part4 by reason ofthe horizontal extent ofthe axis of the shaft 8 and the drive shaft of the device 50. As a result, any liquid issuing out of the rear end of the device 50 and along the drive shaft thereof can flow away to the front, i.e. away from the housing part 4, and issue out of the front end of the sleeve 34.In order that this liquid cannot reach the latching bar 42 and thereby flow into the housing part 12, and open groove 62, which adjoins the front end of the sleeve 34, extends as far as the foot 38 and conducts the liquid over the foot and onto the support surface, is formed at the side of the support 36 remote from the housing part 4. In a modification of this embodiment, a collecting trough for the liquid can be formed in the foot of the support. For the formation of the groove, the support 36, as seen in horizontal section, has an H-shaped profile formed by two side walls 64 and 66, which extend parallel to each other and to the shaft 8, and a connecting wall 68 extending therebetween at a spacing from their outer edges.

A groove 80 in the forward base region of the inside wall of the sleeve 34 facilitates flow of the liquid past the device 50 to the outlet groove 62.

Such an appliance has the advantage that an adequate height ofthe delivery opening of the mincer above the support surface is provided in simple manner and the supportfoot of the mincer takes over the additional function with a projection serving as safety locking bar in order to actutate the latching device in the control housing part. The appliance has a good standing stability, particularly when the electrical drive motor is arranged in usual manner in the control housing part and the drive unit thereby has a centre of gravity close to the support surface. Furthermore, compared with known constructions in which the drive unit in operation with a mincer is so tilted relative to its normal setting that it is L-shaped as seen from above, the advantage is obtained that it is not necessary to have a separate, bulky safety locking bar projecting transversely from the support foot in order to actuate the latching device of the motor switch.

Claims

1. A domestic appliance comprising a drive unit, which comprises a control housing part and a power take-off housirig part together forming a generally L-shaped housing and control means and electric drive means arranged in the housing, the drive means including a power take-off shaft projecting from the power take-off housing part generally parallel to the control housing part and the housing being supportable on a support surface with the shaft extending selectably upwardly or horizontally, and a mincing machine which includes a support member and which, when the shaft extends horizontally and the drive unit housing is supported on such support surface at a side of the control housing part remote from the shaft, is drivably couplable to the shaft and supportable by the support member resting on the support surface and extending past the control housing part, the support member being provided with a release device so engaged in an opening of the control housing part when the machine is coupled to the shaft as to release latching means latching switching means of the drive means.

2. An appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support member of the machine includes an abutment arranged to co-operate with an external surface portion of the control housing part and extend substantually parallel to the shaft when the machine is coupled to the shaft.

3. An appliance as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the support member has an enlarged foot portion to rest on such support surface.

4. An appliance as claimed in claim 2, wherein the support member has an enlarged foot portion to rest on such support surface, the abutment being provided by a portion of the foot.

5. An appliance as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the control housing part at its free end has a surface portion set back relative to an end face plane transverse to the axis of the shaft, the control means comprising a control element f or the drive means arranged on said surface portion.

6. An appliance as claimed in claim 5, wherein said surface portion in inclined relative to said plane.

7. An appliance as claimed in either claim 5 or claim 6, wherein said surface portion occupies at least half the area of the control housing part in plan projection on said plane.

8. An appliance as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the machine comprises a sleeve connected to the support member and arranged to surround a coupling region of the shaft when the machine is coupled thereto and to conduct liquid from that region to an outlet channel of the support member.

9. An appliance as claimed in claim 5, wherein the channel is provided by a groove in the support member at a side thereof remote from the shaft when the machine is coupled thereto.

10. An appliance substantially as herinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.