GB2501310A

GB2501310A - Hand-held electric blenders

Info

Publication number: GB2501310A
Application number: GB1206936.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Fields
Original assignee: Kenwood Ltd
Current assignee: Kenwood Ltd
Priority date: 2012-04-20
Filing date: 2012-04-20
Publication date: 2013-10-23
Anticipated expiration: 2032-04-20
Also published as: WO2013156753A1; GB201206936D0; GB2501310B

Abstract

A hand-held blender comprises a main body part configured to be handÂheld. This main body part contains an electric motor and supports a rotary drive outlet having a drive axis. The blender further comprises a wand-like tool that is formed with a suitably shaped upper portion by means of which it can be releasably connected to the main body part; the tool also including an elongate housing containing a rotatable drive shaft. The tool has a foodstuff-processing head at its end remote from the main body part; the processing head comprising a bladed member that is coupled to the drive shaft and mounted for rotation within a shield housing provided with an opening at its lower end. The arrangement is such that at least the elongate housing and the rotatable drive shaft of the tool are out of line with the drive axis of the drive outlet. Typically, though not necessarily, the elongate housing and the drive shaft of the tool are disposed substantially parallel to, but offset from the drive outlet axis.

Description

HAND-HELD ELECTRIC BLENDERS

This invention relates to hand-held electric blenders, commonly referred to, inter alia, as "hand blenders", "stick blenders", "wands" or "wand blenders".

Hand-held electric blenders are versatile appliances, capable of supporting arid driving various attachments and/or accessories designed to perform various tasks, such as whisking, blending or chopping, for example. In general, these attachments and accessories (generically referred to hereinafter for convenience as "tools") are selectively attachable to, and removable from, a main body part which contains an electrically operated drive motor and is shaped to be held in a user's hand. The tools are typically attached to and released from the main body part by way of a quick-release coupling, and usually comprise an elongate housing which contains a drive shaft configured at one end to connect with a rotational drive outlet, on the main body part, that is driven by the electric motor.

The aforementioned tools tend to be generally tubular and elongate; indeed, stick-like or wand-like, hence the expressions often used to describe them. A tool, when selected for use, is attached end-wise to the main body part, so that its drive shaft extends coaxially from the drive outlet powered by the electric motor; the tool carrying, at its end remote from the main body part, a respective processing head, containing blades or other devices, connected to and driven by the shaft and designed to cut, chop, comminute or otherwise process foodstuffs in a bowl, dish or other container.

The tools are commonly fitted with inverted, cup-like shields supported on the tool body so as to surround the blades or the like, for user protection. The sides of such protective shields typically are formed with slots to allow entry of ingredients from the sides of the tool, as well as from the underside, through the main opening afforded by the inverted cup shape.

The speed at which the blade or other device of a given tool is driven will depend upon the thnction it is intended to perform. Thus some blades or other devices are driven at the full motor speed (typically 15,000 revolutions per minute ("rpm") or thereabouts), whilst others are operated at lower speeds and thus require gearing. Lower speed operation may be required, for example, to provide additional operating torque for some functions andlor to reduce a risk of over-processing.

Where gearing is provided, it is preferable, though not essential, to incorporate it into the tool, since the correct gearing is then certain to be in place when the tool is used. Alternatively, gearing may be provided in the main hand-held body part, together with manually operable or automatic means to select the gearing appropriate to a chosen tool, or a separate gearbox may be provided, designed to be mounted between, and coaxially with, the main body part and the tool.

Whilst hand blenders are established, useful and versatile appliances, problems are sometimes experienced when utilising them since, when attempting to blend food by lowering the processing head of the blender into a container containing foodstuffs, such as ingredients to be processed, the blade can only directly contact those ingredients which physically lie within its swept volume (i.e. those within the protective shield). Moreover, the protective shield itself often engages certain ingredients, making it difficult for the user to lower the blender further.

To continue blending the rest of the food, the blender thus needs to be repeatedly raised and lowered, whilst also being tilted over in an effort to get the blade to contact more ingredients. Eventually, once the food has reached a critical degree of fluid content, the remaining solid food is carried towards the blades in this fluid and the user will not have to move the blender as much.

Current blenders also limit visibility of the processing operation, as the elongate, tubular tool extends axially from the main body part down to the blade and shield assembly, thereby obscuring, or at least restricting the user's view of, the processing area which is of course controlled by the swept area of the blade.

Additionally, current blenders are not configured to enable the blade and shield assembly to be readily utilised, in a spoon-like fashion, to delve into the foodstuffs being processed, so as to turn them over or move them about, and thereby expose different regions of the foodstuff to the action of the blades.

The invention seeks to address one or more of the above-mentioned problems.

According to the invention there is provided a hand-held blender comprising a main body part configured to be hand-held; the main body part containing an electric motor and supporting a drive outlet capable of being driven in rotation, about a drive axis, by the motor; the blender further comprising a tool adapted for releasable connection to the main body part and comprising an elongate housing containing a rotatable drive shaft; the tool being adapted at one end for coupling said shaft to said drive outlet and having a foodstuff-processing head at its other end; the processing head comprising a bladed member coupled to said shaft and mounted for rotation within a shield housing provided with an opening at its end remote from the said drive shaft; wherein at least the elongate housing and the rotatable drive shaft of said tool are out of line with the said drive axis of said drive outlet.

In some preferred embodiments of the invention, the said elongate housing and drive shaft of the tool are disposed substantially parallel to, but offset from, the axis of the drive outlet. This provides an arrangement by means of which the drive shaft can readily be driven by simple gearing from the drive outlet.

In some other preferred embodiments, the elongate housing and drive shaft of the tool are disposed at an inclined angle to the axis of the drive outlet, whilst in still further preferred embodiments the elongate housing and the drive shaft of the tool are both offset from and inclined to the axis of the drive outlet.

In some preferred embodiments of the invention, the bladed member is located for rotation about an axis which coincides with neither the said drive axis of the drive outlet on the main body part nor the drive shaft of the tool, though in other preferred embodiments the bladed member is located for rotation about an axis coincident with the drive axis of said drive outlet.

It is preferred that the bladed member comprises a ring-shaped support member carrying one or more blades cantilevered from the support and facing inwardly of the ring.

The ring-shaped support member preferable carries a gear means to be driven by co-operative gear means on said drive shaft.

In some preferred embodiments of the invention, the shield housing is formed as a relatively flat, roofed cylinder within which the bladed member rotates, whereby the blender is provided with a somewhat spoon-shaped configuration usable to readily manipulate foodstuffs.

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(a) and 1(b) are side and front elevational views respectively of a hand blender in accordance with one example of the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the blender, showing the underside of the processing head; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the blending tool, showing the top side of the processing head; Figure 4 represents a cross-sectional view through the blending tool; and Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the detailed inter-relationship of certain elements of the tool.

Referring now to Figures 1(a) and 1(b), a hand blender 10 in accordance with one example of the invention comprises a main body part 12 in the form of a generally tubular casing to which a wand-like tool 14 can be releasably attached. The casing of the main body part 12 houses an electric motor (not shown) mounted axially therein and connected to a drive outlet of conventional kind (not shown) having a drive axis 16 which, in this example, is coincident with the motor and casing axes. The motor may be mains or battery powered, or may be driven by a supercapacitive arrangement, using double-layer capacitors or the like, as described in our co-pending UK patent application GB 1106277.5 and/or in the related co-pending International patent application PCT/GB2O12/000338. In the present example, the motor is mains-powered and the casing 12 carries a flexible entry grommet 18 for a mains lead (not shown) which can be connected to a suitable power supply to energise the motor for use.

The casing of the main body part 12 also supports at least one control switch, exemplified in this case by buttons 20 and 22, which are actuated by a user to switch the motor on and off, to change the motor speed and/or to cause pulsed or continuous operation of the motor. It will be appreciated that different control ftrnctions and differing numbers of controls may be provided, depending upon factors such as aesthetic design considerations, the range of functionalities offered by the appliance and/or the price point at which the appliance is aimed.

The main body part 12 is further provided with a latching arrangement (not shown) of any convenient kind, such as a bayonet fixture or a snap-fitting, for securely latching thereto wand-like tools, such as the tool 14, whilst they are temporarily coupled to the main body part so as to pick up drive from the motor-driven drive outlet for use. In this example, mechanical press-buttons such as 24 and 26 are provided for user actuation to delatch the tools. For attachment, the tool 14 is simply pushed into place, at which time co-operative elements of the latching means snap into engagement; the buttons 24 and 26 being pressed inwards, to disengage the co-operative elements of the latching means, when the tool is to be removed.

Referring now additionally to Figures 2 through 5, a tool 14 typically comprises an upper portion 28 shaped and configured for releasable attachment to the main body part 12, as described above.

S

In accordance with a particularly preferred aspect of the invention, the tool 14 frirther comprises an elongate housing 30 containing a rotatable drive shaft 32 (best seen in Figures 4 and 5) and has a foodstuff-processing head 34 at its lower end; the processing head comprising a bladed member 36 coupled to the shaft and mounted for rotation within a shield housing 38 that is open at its lower end, as best seen in Figure 2.

Accordingly, the elongate housing 30 and the rotatable drive shaft 32 of the tool 14 are out of line with the axis 16, being laterally offset from that axis, though (in this example) substantially parallel thereto. Although the bladed member 36 preferably rotates about an axis that aligns with neither the axis 16 nor that of the drive shaft 32, it can be configured to align with the former axis if desired.

The arrangement described above thus differs from conventional hand blenders in that the elongate housing 30 of the tool 14, and the drive shaft 32 which it contains, are not coaxial with the motor drive axis and drive outlet axis 16. Instead, the housing 30 and its drive shaft 32 are offset to one side. Furthermore, the bladed member 36 is not driven about the axis of the drive shaft 32 housed within the housing 30. Moreover, in this example, the bladed member 36 does not, as would normally be the case, rotate about an axis coincident with the axis 16, though it may be configured to do so if desired.

In the present exemplary embodiment of the invention, the shield housing 38, within which the bladed member 36 is mounted for rotation, is formed as a relatively shallow cylinder comprising upper and lower wall pans 40 and 42 and a flat, slatted roof 44. The underside of the shield housing 38 presents a large opening 46 exposing blades 48 of the bladed member 36 to the foodstuffs to be processed. The two wall parts 40 and 42 can be separated to allow the blades 48 to be removed for cleaning. Overall, however, it will be seen that the blender 10 is provided with a somewhat spoon-shaped configuration usable to readily manipulate foodstuffs.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 4 and 5, the motor (not shown) in the main body part 12 drives, through a removable coupling of conventional kind as previously described, a short drive shaft 50, located at the top of the tool 14, which is coaxial with the axis 16 of the drive outlet provided on the main casing 12. The short drive shaft 50 is axially connected to a discoidal top gear 52 which directly drives a spindle gear 54 located at the top of the main, elongated drive shaft 32 of the tool 14.

The drive shaft 32, as previously explained, is housed within, and substantially axially coextensive with, the elongate housing 30 of the tool 14. At the bottom of the drive shaft 32 there is provided a bottom driveshaft gear 56 which engages with and drives a blade gear ring 58.

The blade gear ring 58 is carried by the ring-shaped bladed member 36, which also carries the blades 48. The bladed member 36 has a serrated lower edge 60. The member 36 is located in position by the tubular side-wall 40, 42 of the shield housing 38, but is able to turn about its axis.

The drive shaft 32 is supported by upper and lower bearings 62 and 64 respectively, which are mounted into the elongate housing 30 of the tool 14; the number, material, type and position of these bearings being of course dependent on the application and thus potentially taking any

suitable form.

The ring gear 58 of the bladed member 36 is driven from the side in this embodiment, in order to facilitate offsetting the drive from the central axis 16 of the system, and therefore out the way of foodstuffs during blending. As mentioned, and as can be clearly seen, the drive shaft 32 is offset from the drive outlet axis 16. The bladed member 36 rotates about an axis that is not in any event coincident with that of the drive shaft 32, but which may or may not be coincident with the drive outlet axis 16.

Although, in the embodiment of the invention described here, the axis 16 and that of the drive shaft 32 are offset but parallel, this need not necessarily be the case, and it is envisaged that, in certain embodiments, the two axes may be inclined to one another at any chosen angle.

Moreover, additionally to or instead of an inclination of the axis 16 to the axis of the drive shaft 32, the axis of rotation of the bladed member 36 may be inclined with respect to with respect the axis of the drive shaft 32.

The drive shaft 32 need not be a solid shaft and it can be replaced with a flexible drive shaft or a number of linked drive shafts. Moreover, the invention is not limited to the use of a single offset drive shaft housing 30, and multiple housings can be used if preferred, or if necessary.

Where additional housings are provided, it is envisaged that they could be arranged in any chosen angular disposition relative to the housing 30.

For example, if two housings are provided (the housing 30 and one additional housing), the additional housing may be located diametrically opposite housing 30, with respect to the bladed member 36 and the upper portion 28 of the tool 14, or it may be located at 90 degrees therefrom or at any other angle, depending upon the desired overall configuration of the tool.

Moreover, any additional housing may or may not contain a drive shaft such as 32. Thus, any additional housing may provide simply passive support or may be used, with a drive shaft and appropriate gearing, to supplement or augment the drive to the ring gear 58 of the bladed member 36. In some embodiments, a combination of passive and active housings may be used to supplement the housing 30.

Furthermore, the housing 30 of the tool 14 may not just consist of a casing around the long drive shaft 32 but may also be provided with additional structure to add strength between the main body casing 12 and the upper part 28 of the tool 14 and the lower shield housing 38 containing the bladed member 36.

Those skilled in the art will readily recognise that the arrangement comprising top gear 52, top driveshaft gear 54, bottom driveshaft gear 56 and blade gear ring 58 is representative only of a number of arrangements that could be used to transmit the motor drive to the bladed member 36.

Alternative arrangements can readily be envisaged, utilising components such as belts, chains, friction rollers, bevel gears, viscose couplings, universal joints or the like.

The ring-shaped bladed member 36 supports a number of blades 48 that can take any convenient form and which can either be formed integrally with the blade member 36, or formed separately therefrom and joined thereto. In either event, it is preferred that the blades 48 are cantilevered inwardly from the internal wall of the ring-shaped bladed member 36, so that they do not require any attachment points on the axis of member 36.

However, if necessary, the free, inner ends of the blades 48 can be attached to a central support to add strength. The number, orientation and position of blades 48 provided is not of the essence of the invention, and can be changed to suit differing blender designs andlor differing operational requirements.

The configuration of the individual blades 48 is not limited to the concave / convex design shown in the drawings. The blades can take any configuration and, in particular, could conform to any suitable concave or convex shape with respect to the rotational direction of the bladed member 36. Furthermore, the cutting edges of any or all of the blades 48 need not conform to a plain ground edge but could be formed with serrations, dentations or sawteeth, and/or may be formed into other enhanced cutting configurations.

Whilst the blades 48 are shown mounted at three different heights inside the bladed member 36 this need not be the case and in some embodiments the blades are mounted so as to be co-planar. Moreover, blades that are tilted or otherwise bent, shaped or configured to increase the vertical extent of their interaction with the foodstuff can be utilised if desired.

As previously mentioned, it is preferred that the bladed member 36 is removable to facilitate cleaning, for which purpose the lower wall portion 42 of the shield housing 38 is preferably removable (e.g. by way of a screw or bayonet connection or the like) from the upper wall part 40.

The bladed member 36 is preferably formed with a serrated lower edge whereby, when the member 36 rotates, the serrated lower edge 60 is able to cut into foodstuff that it is pressed against. By this means, the member 36 can cut a "tunnel" into the foodstuff. This serrated lower edge 60 is slightly sub flush with the bottom surface of the lower wall part 42 so as to meet current UK safety standards, though it may be mounted proud of the lower wall part in circumstances where such standards do not apply.

The lower wall part 42 can, if desired, be formed with cut-outs or castellations to facilitate the presentation of foodstuffs to the blades 48 and/or the serrated lower edge 60 of the bladed member 36, and the serrations provided on the edge 60 can take any required form.

The slatted roof 44 of the shield housing 38 covers the blades 48 as viewed from above when in use. The purpose of the slats is to allow the shield housing to conform to the relevant UK safety standards whilst not obscuring totally the user's view of the blending process. A solid roof could be provided if preferred, however.

In any event, the roof of the shield housing could be fixed to the upper wall 40, and therefore not rotate. Alternatively, the roof may be fixed to the bladed member 36 and therefore allowed to rotate. In some embodiments of the invention, the roof is removable for cleaning. One or more of the blades 48 can be arranged to run in contact, or near contact, with the slats of roof 44 to give an improved cutting process and a self-cleaning facility.

The inner surface of the bladed member 36 and the external surface of the lower wall 42 can be smooth, as shown, or alternatively may present a ribbed or shaped surface with the operational intent of causing turbulence and mixing of the media being processed. Any such ribbing or shaping may conveniently resemble that described and claimed in WO-A2- 2010122285. Alternatively, the surfaces could contain ribs or a shaped surface that imparts a directional flow, either rotational or along the pivot axis of the blade ring 36 to foodstuffs being processed.

The direction of rotation of all parts is not specific to the invention.

Claims

Claims: 1. A hand-held blender comprising a main body part configured to be hand-held; the main body part containing an electric motor and supporting a drive outlet capable of being driven in rotation, about a drive axis, by the motor; the blender further comprising a tool adapted for releasable connection to the main body part and comprising an elongate housing containing a rotatable drive shaft; the tool being adapted at one end for coupling said shaft to said drive outlet and having a foodstuff-processing head at its other end; the processing head comprising a bladed member coupled to said shaft and mounted for rotation within a shield housing provided with an opening at its end remote from the said drive shaft; wherein at least the elongate housing and the rotatable drive shaft of said tool are out of line with the said drive axis of said drive outlet.
2. A blender according to claim 1, wherein the said elongate housing and drive shaft of the tool are disposed substantially parallel to, but offset from, the axis of the drive outlet.
3. A blender according to claim 2, wherein the drive shaft is driven by simple gearing from the drive outlet.
4. A blender according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the elongate housing and drive shaft of the tool are inclined to the axis of the drive outlet.
5. A blender according to any preceding claim, wherein the bladed member is located for rotation about an axis which coincides with neither the said drive axis of the drive outlet on the main body part nor the drive shaft of the tool.
6. A blender according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the bladed member is located for rotation about an axis coincident with the drive axis of said drive outlet.
7. A blender according to any preceding claim, wherein the bladed member comprises a ring-shaped support member carrying one or more blades cantilevered from the support and facing inwardly of the ring.
8. A blender according to claim 7, wherein the ring-shaped support member preferable carries a gear means driven by co-operative gear means on said drive shaft.
9. A blender according to any preceding claim, wherein the shield housing is formed as a relatively shallow, roofed cylinder within which the bladed member rotates, whereby the blender is provided with a somewhat spoon-shaped configuration usable to readily manipulate foodstuffs.
10. A blender according to claim 9, wherein the roof of said shield housing is slatted.
11. A blender according to claim 9 or claim 10, wherein said shield housing comprises upper and lower wall portions configured to be separable to permit the bladed member to be withdrawn for cleaning.
12. A blender according to any of claims 9 to 11, wherein the roof of said shield housing is attached to said bladed member and rotates therewith.
13. A blender according to any of claims 9 to 11, whereill the roof of said shield housing is fixed to the housing and does not rotate with said bladed member.
14. A hand-held blender substantially as herein described with reference to and/or as shown in the accompanying drawings.