GB2470914A

GB2470914A - Beater assembly for a stand mixer

Info

Publication number: GB2470914A
Application number: GB0909882A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mark Seidler; Keith Leaman
Original assignee: Kenwood Ltd
Current assignee: Kenwood Ltd
Priority date: 2009-06-09
Filing date: 2009-06-09
Publication date: 2010-12-15
Anticipated expiration: 2029-06-09
Also published as: GB0909882D0; GB2470914B

Abstract

A beater assembly 10 for a stand mixer with planetary drive, comprises a support structure formed of a central pillar 12 with means for attachment 14 to a drive outlet and first and second arm members 18, 20. The first and second arm members 18, 20 curve away from the central pillar 12 and are disposed symmetrically in "U"-shaped formation with their distal ends 22,24 unsupported, creating an "anchor" shaped beater. A shroud member 28, 30 is carried by each of the arm members 18, 20 with each shroud member being configured to slide over its respective arm member from its unsupported end 22, 24 and to present a flexible, blade-like wiping profile to contact surfaces. This provides all of the benefits of a wiping beater and additionally permits the shrouds to be readily removed for cleaning or replacement.

Description

BEATER ASSEMBLY FOR A STAND MIXER

This invention relates to a beater assembly for a stand mixer.

Stand mixers are well known and versatile kitchen appliances which generally (though not necessarily) comprise a C-shaped casing, including a support for a bowl in which ingredients are to be mixed, an upright section and a header portion which is supported by the upright section so as to dispose a drive outlet over the bowl. The drive outlet faces down towards the bowl and can accommodate, by temporary attachment, various tools devised for such purposes as whisking, blending, kneading and beating ingredients. The drive outlet is configured to impart a planetary drive motion to tools attached thereto; whereby a tool is rotated about an axis and also precesses around a circular path centered on the axis.

The beater tool is a particularly useful, as it can perform a number of tasks, and such tools have evolved into a format whereby a pair of substantially rigid arm members, shaped to substantially conform to the profile of the inner upright surface and a portion of the base of the mixing bowl, are formed into a rigid and substantially flat structure by joining together their lower parts and providing transversely-extending upper supports linking the upper parts of the arm members to a central pillar. Usually cross-bracing members are also provided, between the arm members to the central pillar, for added strength and possibly also enhancing visual appeal.

The beater tools work reasonably well in general use. However, production tolerances make it difficult to ensure that the arm members of the beater accurately match the inner surface of the bowl. Accordingly, when material of a clingy nature is being mixed, a problem can arise in that there is a tendency for some of the material to adhere to the surface of the bowl so that it is not thoroughly incorporated into the mixture being made.

GB 483,800 disclosed, as long ago as 1938, that this problem could be addressed by providing the arm members of the beater with flexible scraping members capable of adapting themselves to fully conform to the bowl surface, and thus provide a complete and systematic scraping or wiping action in order to remove adhering material from the surface of the bowl and redirect it back into the mixture. The "flexi-beater" concept has been revisited in recent years, as described for example in US 7,314,308 to Fallowes et al and WO 2007/007202 to Kaas, but practical problems still exist in relation to fitting the scraping members to the arm members and allowing for cleaning or replacement of the respective components, and it is an aim of this invention to address one or more of these problems.

According to the invention there is provided a beater assembly for a stand mixer with planetary drive; the beater assembly comprising a support structure formed of a central pillar member, configured at one end for removable attachment to a planetary drive outlet of the stand mixer, and supporting at its other end first and second arm members curving away therefrom and disposed symmetrically in "U"-shaped formation thereabout, with their distal ends unsupported; and a shroud member for each of said arm members; each said shroud member being configured to slide over its respective arm member from its unsupported end and to substantially conform with, and present a flexible, blade-like wiping profile to, surfaces contacted thereby. This provides all of the benefits of a wiping beater and additionally permits the shrouds to be readily removed for cleaning or replacement. It will be appreciated that the invention provides a form of beater which differs radically from the norm, as described earlier, in which a somewhat anchor-shaped component is provided.

Preferably, the arm members are tapered; narrowing towards their unsupported ends, and the shrouds are similarly shaped, in order to facilitate fitment of the shrouds to the arms.

It is further preferred that each arm is formed at its unsupported end with a retention means capable of retaining the shroud in place until it is removed for cleaning or replacement.

The retention means may comprise a local enlargement at or adjacent the unsupported end of each arm member; preferably with a sharply stepped surface facing along the arm to resist movement of the shroud by engagement with its narrower open end.

Preferably the arms have a flattened cross-section sufficient to resist any tendency for the shroud to move bodily relative to the arm when in operation. In preferred embodiments, the cross-section at all points along each of said arms is substantially rectangular.

Usefully, the shrouds fitted to the first and second arms may be identical.

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: Figure 1 (a) shows a beater in accordance with one embodiment of the invention with its shroud members in situ; Figure 1(b) shows a detail of the ends of one arm and shroud member of the beater; Figure 2 shows the beater without its shroud members; and Figure 3 shows the shroud members.

Referring now to the drawings, a beater assembly in accordance with one example of the invention is shown at 10. As aforementioned, the assembly is intended for use in a stand mixer (not shown) with planetary drive.

In this example, the beater assembly 10 comprises a support structure formed of a central pillar member 12, configured at one end 14 for removable attachment to a planetary drive outlet (not shown) of a stand mixer, and supporting at its other end 16 first and second arm members 18, 20. The arm members 18 and 20 curve away from the central pillar member 12 and are disposed symmetrically in "U"-shaped formation about the pillar member, with their distal ends 22 and 24 respectively being unsupported.

This creates a somewhat anchor-shaped beater 10, thereby dispensing with transversely-extending upper members which are traditionally used to connect the ends, such as 22 and 24, of arm members such as 18 and 20 to the central pillar member 12, and producing a configuration suitable to receive a respective, hollow shroud member 28, 30, over each of said arm members 18 and 20.

The basic anchor-shaped beater may be constructed in any convenient manner and from any suitable material having the requisite structural rigidity and being food-safe. Accordingly, the arm members 18 and 20 may be formed integrally with the central pillar member 12, for example by pressing, stamping or moulding operations, or they may be formed separately and attached to the central pillar member 12 by welding, for example. In this example, the central pillar member is hollow and is made from aluminium.

Each shroud member 28, 30, is configured to slide over its respective arm member 18, 20 from its unsupported end 22, 24 and to substantially conform with, and present a flexible, blade-like wiping profile to, internal, bowl-like surfaces contacted thereby. The shrouds 28, 30 bear wing-like or fin-like wiping portions 32, 34 respectively, which may be continuous, as shown, or may be castellated, or otherwise varied in depth and/or in thickness, along their length. In particular, it is convenient to have a discontinuity or variation in blade depth and/or thickness to correspond in alignment with any point at which the associated bowl has a distinct local variation in profile.

In any event, the attributes of a wiping beater are achieved, in a construction that additionally pennits the shrouds 28, 30 to be readily removed for cleaning or replacement.

In this example, the arm members 18 and 20 are tapered; narrowing towards their unsupported ends 22 and 24 respectively, and the shrouds 28, 30 are similarly shaped, in order to facilitate fitment of the shrouds to the arms.

Moreover, each arm member 18, 20 is formed, at or near its unsupported end 22, 24, with a retention means capable of retaining its respective shroud 28, 30 in place, or at least of resisting any significant movement of a shroud along its respective arm member, until the shroud is deliberately removed for cleaning or replacement. In this example, such a retention means is provided, in the form of a local enlargement 36, 38 at or adjacent the unsupported end of each arm member 18, 20. The local enlargement preferably features a sharply stepped surface facing away from the unsupported end 22, 24 of a respective arm 18, 20 to resist movement of the shroud 28, 30 off of its respective arm, by engagement with the narrower open end 40, 42 of the respective shroud.

In the present example of the invention, the wider open ends of the shrouds are configured to closely approach one another, in the area 44 where the arm members 18 and 20 meet the central pillar member 12, 50 as to ensure that the base of the mixing bowl is wiped in the same way as its generally upright side surface. This need not be the case, however, and in some embodiments the shrouds may meet, or they may stop significantly short of the area 44, in contact with a second stepped surface (not shown) optionally formed on their respective arm members.

It will be appreciated that the shrouds 28, 30 should not be allowed to turn on their respective arms 18, 20 under the pressure exerted when the wiping portions 32, 34 engage in wiping contact with the bowl whilst the beater is being used to mix ingredients and, to this end, the arms 1 8 and 20 are, in this example, formed with a flattened cross-section, and the shrouds 28, 30 are moulded with a matching inner surface thereby to resist any tendency for the shrouds 28, 30 to turn bodily relative to their respective arms 18, when in operation. In preferred embodiments, the cross-section at all points along each of the arms 18, 20 is substantially rectangular, though it will be appreciated that any profile capable of achieving the desired result can be used; for example a triangular profile, or a star-shaped profile, although in general it is preferred to avoid profiles containing distinct grooves, channels or other small features, as these can be difficult to clean.

Useful economies of scale can be made if the shrouds fitted to the first and second arms are identical.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A beater assembly for a stand mixer with planetary drive; the beater assembly comprising a support structure formed of a central pillar member, configured at one end for removable attachment to a planetary drive outlet of the stand mixer, and supporting at its other end first and second arm members curving away therefrom and disposed symmetrically in "U"-shaped formation thereabout, with their distal ends unsupported; and a shroud member for each of said arm members; each said shroud member being configured to slide over its respective arm member from its unsupported end and to substantially conform with, and present a flexible, blade-like wiping profile to, surfaces contacted thereby.
2. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the arm members are tapered; narrowing towards their unsupported ends, and the shrouds are similarly shaped, in order to facilitate fitment of the shrouds to the arms.
3. An assembly according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein each arm is formed, at or near its unsupported end, with a retention means capable of retaining the shroud in place until it is removed for cleaning or replacement.
4. An assembly according to claim 3, wherein the retention means comprise a local enlargement at or adjacent the unsupported end of each arm member.
5. An assembly according to claim 4, wherein said local enlargement is formed with a sharply stepped surface facing along the arni to resist longitudinal movement of the shroud by engagement with its narrower open end.
6. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the arms have a flattened cross-section sufficient to resist any tendency for the shroud to rotate bodily relative to the arm when in operation.
7. An assembly according to claim 6 wherein the cross-section at all points along each of said arms is substantially rectangular.
8. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein, the shrouds fitted to the first and second arms are identical.
9. A beater assembly, substantially as herein described and/or as shown in the accompanying drawings, for a stand mixer with planetary drive.