GB2345650A

GB2345650A - Tool storage for domestic food mixers

Info

Publication number: GB2345650A
Application number: GB9900476A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Harding; Johan Santer
Original assignee: Kenwood Marks Ltd
Current assignee: Kenwood Marks Ltd
Priority date: 1999-01-12
Filing date: 1999-01-12
Publication date: 2000-07-19
Anticipated expiration: 2019-01-12
Also published as: GB2345650B

Abstract

Beaters or whisks are stored on a domestic food mixer by means of an intermediate member 14 which is attached to the mixer by spigots 17,18 inserted in the mixer drive sockets 6,7. The member 14 is of resilient construction and includes slots 20,21 for receiving the shanks 8 of the tools 9.

Description

TOOL STORAGE ARRANGEMENTS FOR DOMESTIC APPLIANCES This invention relates to tool storage arrangements for domestic appliances, especially such appliances as may be used for operations such as food mixing, processing etc, and which utilise removable tools for such purposes.

The tools used with such appliances are typically whisks, beaters and the like, and problems are often encountered with the storage of these tools when they and/or the appliances themselves are not in use. Typically the tools are kept loose and separately from the appliance and this can lead to their loss or damage, with the frustrating result that they are unavailable when the user wishes to employ them.

This invention aims to provide means whereby the tools can be readily stored with the appliance itself, being retained by a member that is releasably securable to the appliance.

According to the invention there is provided a tool storage arrangement for a domestic appliance having one or more drive sockets adapted to releasably receive and hold for operation a shanked tool, the arrangement comprising a preformed member having first and second, generally opposed, major surfaces, wherein the first of said surfaces bears a protrusion shaped and dimensioned to retentively engage in the or each drive socket and the second of said surfaces is formed with a slot dimensioned and shaped to grip the shank of the or each tool.

Preferably, the preformed member is made of a resilient

material such as that known as"Santoprene"/. is further preferred that the shanks of the tools are formed with approximately half-moon-shaped drive spigots and that the slot or slots in the member are shaped to receive the spigots at one end thereof. This locates the shanks and assists in preventing the tools from sliding along the slots.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the appliance has two drive sockets and the member thus bears two protrusions, one intended to retentively engage in each socket. This provides a stable platform for tool storage.

It is preferred also that the first surface of the preformed member is of generally concave form and the second surface is of generally convex form; the concave and convex curvatures being about an axis perpendicular to the slot or slots. This configuration creates variable flexibility of the member in differing dimensions and promotes the gripping of the shank or shanks within the slot or slots and the retentiveness of the protrusions in the drive sockets of the appliance.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, one embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which : Figures 1, 2 and 3 show, in underneath, side and top elevations respectively, an appliance utilising a tool storage arrangement in accordance with one example of the invention, together with typical tools ; and Figures 4 (a), 4 (b), 5 and 6 illustrate respectively front, rear, side and end (top) elevations of a preformed member comprising the basic element of the storage arrangement.

Referring now to Figures 1, 2 and 3, the appliance represented comprises a hand-held food mixer/processor device 1 with a main body part 2, a handle 3, an electrical cord 4 (see Figure 2) and operating switches typically located at 5. In general, the form and nature of the components 2-5 is irrelevant to the invention; the principal requirement in this respect being that the appliance 1 has at least one socket into which the shank of a suitable tool or attachment can be inserted and releasably retained when it is desired to operate the appliance. In this example, as best seen in Figures 2 and 3, the appliance 1 has a pair of such sockets, 6 and 7.

Each socket is configured and constructed, in known manner, to receive the shanks 8 of a pair of tools 9 such as those best seen in Figures 1 and 2; the tools 9 being of themselves of known construction and including half-moonshaped drive spigots 10 and 11 near their proximal ends (those intended for insertion respectively into the sockets 6 and 7). At their distal ends, each of the shanks 8 supports, by means of a plastics coupling device 12 fixedly secured thereto, a beater tool part 13.

In operation, the proximal end of the shank 8 of each of the tools 9 is inserted into a respective one of the drive sockets 6,7, and the switches 5 operated to energise the motor of the appliance 1, causing the tools to rotate at sufficient speed to effect the desired operation. All of this is conventional and thus no further explanation thereof is considered necessary herein.

When the tools are finished with, however, they are retained to the appliance 1 by means of an arrangement in accordance with an example of the invention, utilising a preformed member 14 as shown in Figures 4 (a), 4 (b), 5 and 6. Referring now 10 these Figures, it can be seen thai the preformed member 14 is generally ovoid in elevation. It is also concavo-convex ir profile. It has two major surfaces, 15 and 16, which are generally opposed ; the first, as best seen in Figure 4 (b), bearing a pair of protuberances 17,18 intended for insertion into the sockets 6 and 7 of the appliance 1. The two protuberances 17 and 18 are of course similarly dimensioned. They are generally frusto-conical and each is formed with three equi-angularly spaced and axially extending gripper bars such as 19. The surface 15 is dished in both dimensions, presenting therefore a concave surface to the appliance 1 and it is preferable that the member 14 is made of a material such as that known as"Santoprene"a rubber compound having a degree of resilience whilst exhibiting the desired degree of firmness to ensure reliable retention not only of the member 14 to the appliance 1, but as of the tools such as 9 to the member 14 in a manner that will become clear hereinafter.

If desired, instead of making the axes of the protuberances 17 and 18 precisely parallel, they can be slightly incline relative to one another so as to enhance the grip appl-ed when the protuberances are inserted into their respective drive sockets of the appliance 1.

As can best be seen from Figure 4 (a), the second major surface 16 of the member 14 is formed with a pair o slots 20 and 21 dimensioned to grip the shanks such as 8 of a pair of tools such as 9 and to retain the tools firmly in place. The surface 16 in convex about a central axis orthogonal to the slots formed therein ; the thickness of the material of the member 14 and the other characteristics of the member 14 being such as to permit the depth of each slot to exceed one half of the diameter of che shanks such as 8, so that the slots partially close over the shanks and assist in providing a firm grip thereon. Additionally, he topendsoftheslosareshaped10accommodatehehalf- moon-shaped drive spigots such as 10 and 11.

As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the member 14, when mounted to the appliance 1 by insertion of its protuberances 17 and 18 into the drive sockets 6 and 7 of the appliance, conveniently retains the tools such as 9 to the appliance by gripping their shanks such as 8 in the slots 20 and 21. When required for use, the tools such as 9 are removed from the member 14, which itself is removed from the appliance 1 to free up the drive sockets so that they can receive the shanks such as 8 of the tools such as 9. Clearly, the member 14 can be removed'from the appliance 1 before, during or after the removal of the tools such as 9 from the member 14.

It will be appreciated that the invention can be implemented in many alternative ways, depending for example on the nature and design of the appliance 1 and/or the tools such as 9, and that the detailed profile, shape and/or configuration of the preformed member 14 can take any form convenient for its intended application.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A tool storage arrangement for a domestic appliance having one or more drive sockets adapted to releasably receive and hold for operation a shanked tool, the arrangement comprising a preformed member having first and second, generally opposed, major surfaces, wherein the first of said surfaces bears a protrusion shaped and dimensioned to retentively engage in the or each drive socket and the second of said surfaces is formed with a slot dimensioned and shaped to grip the shank of the or each tool.
2. An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the preformed member is made of a resilient material.
3. An arrangement according to claim 2 wherein the resilient material comprises a rubberised material such as that known as "Santoperene" (RTM)
4. An arrangement according to any preceding claim wherein the shanks of the tools are formed with approximately half-moon-shaped drive spigots and the slot or slots in the preformed, member are shaped to receive the spigots at one end thereof.
5. An arrangement according to any preceding claim for use with an appliance having two drive sockets, wherein the preformed member bears two protrusions, one intended to retentively engage in each socket.
6. Ar arrangemert accordirg to any preceding cla wherein the first surface of the preformed member is of generally concave forr. and the second surface is cr generally convex form ; the concave and convex c'roa~ures being about an axis perpendicular to the slot or slots and creating variable flexibility of the member in differing dimensions.
7. An arrangement according to any preceding claim wherein the or each slot is, over at least part of its length, of depth greater than one half of the diameter of the shank of the tool it is intended to house, and wherein the slot is formed to partially overlie the forward-facing surface of the shank housed therein, thereby to positively grip the shank.
8. A tool storage arrangement for a domestic appliance having one or more drive sockets adapted to releasably receive and hold for operation a shanked tool, the arrangement being substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.