GB2326354A - A whisk for domestic food mixers - Google Patents

Abstract

The whisk has a plurality of elongate wires 1 - 4 intended for rotation about a common axis 6, the wires being carried by a collar 5 which surrounds and is coaxial with the axis. The ends of each wire (eg 11,12; 21,22) are secured to the collar at points around the collar which are not diametrically opposite one another. For example, the ends 11 and 12 of wire 1 are secured to the collar such that in moving circumferentially in a clockwise direction from end 11 to end 12 it is only necessary to move through an angle of 135 degrees while the angle between the ends of wire 2 is reversed compared to that of wire 1, that is, an anti-clockwise movement from end 21 to end 22 requires 135 degrees or a clockwise movement requires 225 degrees. In a region 7 on or adjacent to the axis each wire has a kink that permits the wires to be interlaced giving the whisk structural integrity in the area furthest from the wires' mountings on the collar. As seen in Figure 4, the wires are secured to the collar by the insertion of each end in a grooved holder portion (51) into which is pressed a centre boss (52) and a dowel (53).

Description

Whisk Construction This invention relates to whisks for food processors and similar domestic appliances.

Whisks for domestic food processors and/or mixers are required to be of robust construction, enabling them to tolerate the significant forces to which they may be subjected when in use, and they must also be configured so that they efficiently translate their rotary energy to the material to be mixed and continually sweep the edges of the container with which they are designed to cooperate. Despite these requirements, however, the whisks themselves are not perceived by the consumer as high value items and thus, in the interests of economy, it is desired to reduce the cost of manufacturing them, from the standpoints both of direct component cost and assembly, without compromising their capability to meet the above-mentioned operational requirements.

It is an object of this invention to provide whisks of reduced component cost and preferably also of reduced assembly cost, and a method for their construction and assembly.

According to the invention there is provided a whisk for a domestic appliance, the whisk comprising a plurality of elongate members intended for rotation about a common axis, the elongate members being carried by a collar which surrounds said axis and is coaxial therewith, all of said elongate members being substantially identical and having their respective opposite ends secured to said collar and disposed to opposing sides of, but diametrally staggered with respect to, said axis.

Preferably the elongate members comprise pre-shaped wires that are kinked in the vicinity of their intersection with said axis to enable them to be interlaced to provide structural integrity in the region of said axis.

In the event that four of said elongate members are used, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, two of said members may be mounted to said collar with their diametral stagger in a clockwise sense, and the other two with their diametral stagger in an anti-clockwise sense.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, one embodiment thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 shows, in general side elevation, a whisk in accordance with an example of this invention; Figure 2 shows the whisk of Figure 1 in end elevation; Figure 3 is an enlarged view of part of the whisk as shown in Figure 2, showing in detail the interlacing of respective wires forming the whisk; Figure 4 shows a collar of the whisk, and Figures 5(a), 5(b) and 5(c) show a wire forming part of a whisk in accordance with this example of the invention.

Referring now to Figure 1, a whisk in accordance with one example of this invention comprises a plurality, four in this example, of elongate members 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively. These members are constituted by identical wires each pre-formed to the same configuration. The two ends of each wire are carried by a collar 5 which is disposed coaxially with the axis 6 about which the whisk is intended to rotate in use.

As best seen in Figure 2, the points at which the ends 11 and 12 of wire 1 are secured to the collar 5 are not diametrically opposite one another. Rather they are staggered diametrally, such that, in moving circumferentially in a clockwise direction from end 11 to end 12 it is necessary only to move through an angle of 135 degrees. Continuing the clockwise movement back to end 11 of course requires 225 degrees of travel to make up the full 360 degrees.

The wire 2 is structurally identical to wire 1, but is mounted to collar 5 with the angular stagger reversed as compared with that of wire 1. That is to say, clockwise movement from end 21 to end 22 of wire 2 requires 225 degrees of angular movement whereas the continued clockwise movement from end 22 to end 21 requires only 135 degrees of travel. Wire 3 has the same orientation as wire 1, and wire 4 has the same orientation as wire 2.

In the region of each wire that will, in use, be intersected by, or at least lie adjacent, the axis 6, there is formed a kink such as that shown at 7 in Figure 1, intersecting the point of the wire at which the aforementioned angular stagger is imposed. The kink 7 has an axial component and permits the four wires to be interlaced, as best shown in Figures 2 and 3, to give the whisk structural integrity in the area farthest from the secure mounting of the ends such as 11,12 and 21,22 of the respective wires to the collar.

Figure 4 shows how the ends of the wires are secured to the collar 5, by the insertion of the various wire ends into a grooved holder portion 51 and their firm attachment to the collar by means of a centre boss 52 and a dowel 53, both of which are pressed into the holder 51. The boss 52 may be secured to the holder 51 by means of inter-engaging catches or friction-fitting areas formed in between the regions occupied by the ends of the wires, or by other suitable known techniques. Adhesive can be used instead or in addition if desired.

Referring now to Figures 5(a), 5(b) and 5(c), these show the wire 1, although,as has been mentioned, all four of the wires 1, 2, 3 and 4 are identical.

In Figure 5(a), which represents the wire 1 viewed from beneath, it can be seen that the two operative, or "wing" portions 13,14 of the wire are angularly inclined relative to one another by an included angle of 135 degrees. Figure 5(b) represents an elevation of the wire 1 viewed perpendicularly to wing 14 and also includes a dashed line 16 which, in practice, would coincide with the axis 6 of the whisk as a whole. Figure 5(c) shows a similar elevation to that of Figure 5 (b) but viewed perpendicularly to wing 13. In each of Figures 5(b) and 5(c), the kink that is formed between the wings 13 and 14 of the wire 1 is shown at 15. As has been said earlier, all of the wires are identical, though two of them are mounted to the collar 5 with one orientation and two with the other.

In any event, the whisk is quickly assembled and has advantage of economies of scale over constructions utilising more than one basic wire form. It also exhibits good performance and structural integrity.

Claims (10)

Claims

1. A whisk for a domestic appliance, the whisk comprising a plurality of elongate members intended for rotation about a common axis, the elongate members being carried by a collar which surrounds said axis and is coaxial therewith, all of said elongate members being substantially identical and having their respective opposite ends secured to said collar and disposed to opposing sides of, but diametrally staggered with respect to, said axis.

2. A whisk according to claim 1 wherein each of said elongate members has components extending both along and across said axis and the components extending across said axis are intersected thereby.

3. A whisk according to claim 2 wherein the elongate members comprise preshaped wires that are kinked in the vicinity of their intersection with said axis to enable them to be interlaced to provide structural integrity in the region of said axis.

4. A whisk according to claim 3 wherein the ends of the wires are secured to the collar by means of a grooved holder portion into which the various wire ends are inserted, and a centre boss and a dowel, both of which are pressed into the holder.

5. A whisk according to claim 4 including inter-engaging catches provided between the regions occupied by the ends of the wires to secure the boss to the holder.

6. A whisk according to claim 4 including friction-fitting areas provided between the regions occupied by the ends of the wires to secure the boss to the holder.

7. A whisk according to any of claims 4, 5 or 6 wherein adhesive is used to secure, or to assist in securing, the boss to the holder.

8. A whisk according to any preceding claim wherein said diametral stagger is such that, for each of said elongate members, the angles subtended at said axis by said opposite ends of said elongate members are approximately 135 degrees, measured in one rotational direction, and approximately 225 degrees measured in the opposite rotational direction.

9. A whisk according to any preceding claim comprising four of said elongate members, two of said members being mounted to said collar with their diametral stagger in a clockwise sense, and the other two with their diametral stagger in an anticlockwise sense.

10. A whisk substantially as herein described and/or as shown in the accompanying drawings.