GB2238712A

GB2238712A - Accessory for food processors

Info

Publication number: GB2238712A
Application number: GB8927990A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Paul Child
Original assignee: Kenwood Marks Ltd
Current assignee: Kenwood Marks Ltd
Priority date: 1989-12-11
Filing date: 1989-12-11
Publication date: 1991-06-12
Anticipated expiration: 2009-12-11
Also published as: GB2238712B; GB8927990D0

Abstract

A plate-like accessory 20 for mounting within the container 6 of a food processor is shaped so as to conform to the periphery of the container interior and to restrict upward movement of food during operation of the food processor. The accessory 20 has a central tubular hub portion 22 to accommodate a blade carrier 14 and is formed with an outwardly-extending peripheral lip 30 arranged to abut the end of flange 18 of the container lid 9 and the container side wall, in order to inhibit seepage of liquid from inside the container 6 out between the container 6 and the lid 9. The accessory 20 is also provided with one or more protuberances 32 arranged to project downwardly into the container 6 when the accessory 20 is mounted therein. The protuberances 32 are shaped so as to impart turbulence to the contents of the container 6 during operation of the food processor. <IMAGE>

Description

AN ACCESSORY FOR A FOOD PROCESSOR This invention relates to food processors and more particularly to an accessory for use with food processors.

Food processors are often used to blend foods in the form of liquids such as soup. The liquid tends to rotate with the rotating blades of the processor and thus experiences a centrifugal force which forces it towards the edge of the bowl, where it tends to rise up the side wall. Should the liquid reach the area of the join between the bowl and the lid, it can leak through to the outside of the bowl.

To avoid this undesirable effect, it may be necessary to reduce the amount of liquid which can be processed at one time. This may cause inconvenience when large quantities of liquid are to be processed.

Another problem with blending liquids in a food processor is that any solid pieces such as vegetables in the liquid, which are intended to be chopped by the blades, are carried around with the liquid and tend not to come into contact with the blades.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an accessory for a food processor, which accessory alleviates the problems associated with known food processors particularly when used for blending liquids.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided an accessory for a food processor having a container for holding food to be processed, the accessory being intended to be mounted in the container and being shaped so as to conform to the shape of the periphery of the cross-sectional area of the interior of the container, and to restrict upward movement of the food during operation of the food processor.

Preferably the accessory extends across substantially the whole cross-sectional area of the container interior, and may be in the form of a circular plate or dish. The accessory may have a central aperture to accommodate a blade carrier mounted on a central tubular portion of the container, within which a drive shaft extends. The aperture may be provided in the form of tubular hub portion.

The lid of the container may have a downwardly extending peripheral flange arranged to fit closely inside the container. In such a case, the periphery of the accessory may abut the end of the flange preferably in a sealing manner.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the accessory is provided with one or more protuberances arranged to project downwardly into the container when the accessory is mounted therein, the one or more protuberances being shaped so as to impart turbulance to the contents of the container during operation of the food processor. Thus any solid pieces in the liquid in the container may be distributed throughout the liquid and cut by the blades.

Preferably, the accessory is provided with a plurality of protuberances, which may be equally spaced, and in a preferred embodiment there are three protuberances each of elongate and arcuate shape.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic cross sectional view of a food processor with an accessory in accordance with one embodiment of the invention mounted therein; Figure 2 is a plan view of the accessory; Figure 3 is a side view of the accessory; and Figure 4 to 11 are plan and side views of alternative embodiments of the accessory.

Referring to Fig.1, a food processor comprises a main body portion 2, which contains a motor and drive mechanism (not shown) for a rotating a drive shaft 4 projecting from the body 2. A removable container or bowl 6 for holding the food to be processed is provided with a handle 7 and a lid 9. The container 6 has a base 8, a side wall 10 and a central tube 12 extending upwardly from the base 8 and surrounding the drive shaft 4. A blade carrier 14 is in the form of a cylinder with an open lower end at which blades 16 are mounted, and fits over the tube 12, engaging with the drive shaft 4 to form a driving connection.

The lid 9 is formed with a peripheral flange 18 extending parallel to the side wall 10 of the container 6 and configured to fit tightly within it.

A plate like accessory 20, shown in Figs.2 and 3, is in the form of a part spherical dish with a central hub 22. The hub 22 has ridges or crimps formed in the side both for decorative purposes and to provide a grippable surface for easier handling. At the periphery of the accessory 20 is a downardly extending flange 28 ending in an outwardly extending lip 30. The flange 28 closely fits the inner surface of the flange 18 of the lid 9. The upper surface of the lip 30 abuts the end of the lid flange 18, and the peripheral end surface of the lip 30 abuts the side wall 10 of the container 6.

Three equally spaced protuberances 32 extend from the underside of the accessory 20. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, they are elongated and arcuate in shape, extending both radially and circumferencially from the peripheral region of the accessory 20 to the central region. The undersides 34 of the protuberances.

32 are parallel to the plane containing the periphery of the accessory 20 so that they protrude further at their peripheral ends than they do near the centre, due to the dish-like shape of the accessory 20.

The accessory 20 may conveniently be made from plastics material, such as polyethylene or polypropylene, for example by vacuum forming or injection moulding.

It may conveniently be used when the food to-be blended is liquid in character, for example, it may be soup. The liquid, which may include solid pieces of food, is placed in the container 6 which is mounted on the food processor with the blade carrier 14 in place.

The accessory 20 is then placed over the blade carrier 14. The lid 9 is fitted onto the container 6 such that the lid flange 18 abuts the upper surface of the lip 30 of the accessory 20, which lip 30 fits closely within the bowl 6.

When the food processor is switched on, the liquid will tend to be thrown outwardly, and thus may rise up the side wall 10 of the container 6. If there is sufficient liquid in the container 6, it will reach the periphery of the accessory 20. The problem of the liquid seeping out between the container 20 and the lid 9 is alleviated by the presence of the accessory 20 and particularly the lip 30. The accessory 20 is stationary with respect to the container 6 and the lid 18, making possible good contact between them. Further upward movement of the liquid will be restricted so that it will then spread over the underside of the accessory 20 where it will contact the protuberances 32. The protuberances 32 intercept the flow of the liquid, and cause it to become turbulent. Thus the effect of the liquid turning with the blades 16 is lessened, and the tendancy for the liquid to rise up the wall 10 of the container 6 is correspondingly reduced. In addition, any solid pieces of food to be chopped up, which may have risen with the liquid away from the blades 16, will be mixed in the turbulent flow, and will be more likely to reach the blades 16.

Thus the accessory 20 provides better conditions for good blending of liquid type foods.

Whilst a particular embodiment of the presentinvention has been described, various modifications will be envisaged without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, there may be a different number of protuberances, which may have other shapes, as shown in Figures 4 to 11. Figures 4 and 5 show protuberances 34 which are of a similar shape but which are greater in number. In Figures 6 and 7 the protuberances 36 are generally tetrahedral in shape. The ridges on the hub may have a different configuration: for example ridges 38 are more widely spaced. As in the other alternative embodiment, the accessory shown in Figures 6 and 7 does not have a downwardly extending side portion, but has a thin peripheral lip 39.

Also, the accessory may not be part spherical.

Figures 8 and 9 show an accessory comprising a flat plate 40, having protuberances 42 in the shape of segments of a sphere. In Figures 10 and 11, the accessory comprises a generally flat plate 44 with radially extending crimps 46 arranged in the manner of the points of a star. Additionally, there are semi-cylindrical protuberances 48.

Claims

1. An accessory for a food processor having a container for holding food to be processed, the accessory being intended to be mounted in the container and being shaped so as to conform to the shape of the periphery of the crosssectional area of the interior of the container, and to restrict upward movement of the food during operation of the food processor.

2. An accessory as claimed in claim 1, wherein the accessory extends across substantially the whole crosssectional area of the container interior.

3. An accessory as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the accessory is in the form of a circular plate or dish.

4. An accessory as claimed in any preceding claim, and having a central aperture to accommodate a blade carrier mounted on a central tubular portion of the container, within which a drive shaft extends.

5. An accessory as claimed in claim 4, wherein the aperture is provided in the form of a tubular hub portion.

6. An accessory as claimed in claim 5, wherein a plurality of ridges or crimps are formed around the outer surface of the hub portion.

7. An accessory as claimed in any preceding claim, and including an outwardly-extending lip formed around the periphery of the accessory which is intended to abut the lid of the container within which the accessory is mounted and the interior surface of the side wall of the container.

8. An accessory as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the accessory is provided with one or more protuberances arranged to project downwardly into the container when the accessory is mounted therein, the one or more protuberances being shaped so as to impart turbulance to the contents of the container during operation of the-food processor.

9. An accessory as claimed in claim 8, wherein the accessory is provided with a plurality of equally-spaced protuberances.

10. An accessory as claimed in claim 9, wherein each protuberance has an elongate and arcuate shape.

11. An accessory for a food processorthaving a container for holding food to be processed, the accessory being intended to be mounted in the container and being providedwith one or more protuberances arranged to project downwardly into the container when the accessory is mounted therein, the one or more protuberances being shaped so as to impart turbulance to the contents of the container during operation of the food processor.

12. An accessory for a food processor, the accessory.

being substantially as hereindescribed with reference to Figures 1 to 3, or 4 and 5, or 6 and 7, or 8 and 9, orlO and 11 of the accompanying drawings.

13. A food processor having a container for holding food to be processed and an accessory, as claimed in. anypreceding claim, mounted within the container.

14. A food processor substantially as hereindescribed with reference to Figure 1 in combination with Figures 2 and 3, or 4 and 5, or 6 and 7, or 8 and 9, or 10 and 11 of the accompanying drawings.