GB2522028A - Improvements in or relating to stand mixer arrangements - Google Patents

Abstract

A stand mixer arrangement includes a pedestal 20 for a mixing bowl 30; an electric motor and a drive system including a rotary drive outlet 60 disposed overhead of the bowl 30, capable of imparting a mixing action to a tool 12 suspended into the bowl 30 from a socket (62) supported by said drive outlet 60. The stand mixer also includes illumination means 70 encircling, or substantially encircling, said drive outlet 60 and arranged to direct light into the mixing bowl 30. The illumination means may comprise one or more extended light sources or a plurality of discrete electrically powered light sources (72, 74, 76). A cover may be proved for the bowl, said cover being configured to transmit the illumination from said illumination means into the bowl.

Description

I

IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO STAND MIXER

ARRANGEMENTS

This invention relates to stand mixers, by which is meant the kind of motor-dmen kitchen machine winch is used to mix, or otherwise process, ingredients iii a bow I by powered movement of one or more shanked tools which are suspended into the howl from a head unit that canies a downwardly-facing rotary drive outlet, powered by the motor, and having a socket to which the shank, or shanks, of the tool, or tools can be fitted for use Ihe powered mocmeni. of the shanked tool or tools is often, thougi not necessarily, planetary in nature, Such mixers conventionally comprise a generally C-shaped casing which provdes a pedestal-like support for a mixing bowl, and a genetally upright support portion supports the head unit so that it extends overhead of the bowl Usually, the upright portion is hinged, to allow the head unit to be raised relati%e to the pedestal, so as to facilitate the fitrncnt and removal of the tools to and from the socket in the rotary drive outlet.

Stand mixers such as the Kenwood (Thef kitchen machine are vel1 known and have been well established in use for many years. Over the years, mixers of this kind have been adapted and developed so as to perform an ever broadening range of functions, and many such appliances provide, fat example, a plurality of additional di we outlets runmng at different 2S speeds and with differing torque characteristics, thus enabling them to drive a number of attachments, such as blenders and mincers, which between them, can perform a wide range of tasks This is beneficial for the user, because a single machine can be used to selectively host several attachments and thus perform a range of tasks which would otherwise require the puiehase and stotage of several bespoke kitchen machines, each with their own motors and associated equipment.

Recent tehnLcaI developments have provided stand mixers with a still bi oadei operational capability, as it has been pi oposed to incorporate heating arrangements into such machines, thereby to enable foodstuffs to be heated whilst being stined or mixed by the normal planetary mixing action of the stand mixer. Of course, the heating arrangements can be used or not, according to user requirements, and it will also be appiectated that the heating temperatuie and the heating time are both controlIabIe enablmg the user to apply any desired degree of heating, toi example sufficient to completely cook, to partially cook, or to merely warm ingredients.

Tn any ennt, when preparmg food with a stand mixer, using the shanked tools and the bowl, it is g' eatly advantageous for the user to have ood visibility of the ingredients in the bowl, as this provides the user with the ability to exert greater control ovei the prepatation process I ight naturally entering the bowl horn its working environment is reduced due to the constructional arrangement of a stand mixer which, as explained, has its head unit above the bowl and the tool or tools suspended from the downwardly -facing drive outlet Proposals have been. made, for example as described, in GB 1464838 and in CN2O1861482, to increase the visibility of ingredients being worked in the bo1 by incorporating an elecincally powered light souicc mounted on the underside of the head unit of the appliance and offset from the di we outlet Such a light source can provide usefifl addition& light in:o the bowl, but only from a single direction. With arrangements as S proposed in the aforenientioned pateni public ations, the mixing tool in the bowl casts a shadow onto the mgxedients on the side of the howl opposite the light, thus coinpromismg the visibuty of the ingredients In some cucumstances, moreover, it s desiranle to provide a bowl cover, usually made of transpalent plastics mateual, to reduce unwanted egress of steam arid/or to pre'ent ingredients being ejected from the bowl oi other receptacle in which they are being stirred and/or heated. \Vith existnig lighting arrangements, the bowl illumination is further compromised when the optional transparent bowl cover is fitted. I5

it is an object of this invention to provide improved illuminatioj of the bowl interior and its contents.

According to the invention, there is provided a stand mixer arrangement including a pedestal foi a mixing ho I, an electric motor and a Cnve system including a rotary drive outlet disposed overhead of the bowl, capable of imparting a mixing action to a tool suspended into the howl from a socket supported by said drive outlet; and illumination means encircling, or substantially encircling, said drive outlet and arranged to direct light into the mixing bowl The socket may be supported on the axis of the rotary drive outlet, or it may he offset from said axis so as to descube a circular orbit around the axis, enabling a tool si.rnported from the socket to pei form a planetary motion by executmg rotation about the socket axis as well as berng bodily rotated around the axis of the arive outlet.

In one prefeired embodiment of the invention, the illumination means comprises an extended light source, such as an elongate filament and/or an array of discrete light sources, disposed under a common optically 1:ransmissive cover.

In another prefetred embodiment, the illumination means comprises a pluiahty of separate light sources distnbuted around said dnve outlet and each disposed under a respective optically tiansmissn'e coei In either event, the invention provides improved illumination of ingredients within the bowl, because the light sources are positioned to encircle, or substantially encircle, the drive outlet, thereby significantly reducing the shadowing effect of the rmxmg tool Preferred embodiments of the invention incorporate the light source, or sow ces, mto a single transparently-capped enclosure encircling the drive outlet.

The enclosuie, or an annular cap theiefor, preferably comprises a light-guide or lens to optimise the light emission foi even illumination Where a bowl cover is provided, it is preferred that the cover is configured to txansmit the illumination to the bowl and in si,ch circumstances the cover may be formed with an annular window regwn through which the illumination fiom said sorce or sources of light can pass. The window region may be apertured and/or include one or more elements formed as a lens or light-guide to enhance the illumination.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily earned mth effect, embodiments theteof will now he described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which £0 Figure 1(a) shows, in perspective view, a typical stand mixer, Figure 1(b) shows a detail of the drive outlet on the head of the stand mixer; Figure 2 shows, in side elevation, and with the head raised, a stand mixer provided wftli illumination in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; Figure 3 shows a front elevational view of the mixer of Figure 2; and Figure 4 shows a front elevational view of a mixer, and with the head raised in accordance with a second embodiment olthe inven1ion Referring now to Figures 1(a) and 1(h), the stand mixer shown generally at 10 is a well-known and long-established piece of kitchen equipment.

This particulat mixer has a heating capability, but such capability is not material to the present invention.

Stand mixers typically tomprise a generally C-shaped casing which provides a pedestal-like support 20 for a mixing bowl 30 (sec Figures 2 to 4), and a generally upright support portion 40 supporting a head unit 50 that extends, for operation. overhead of the bowl 30 The ipright nortion is foimed in wo pails that can pivot relative to one anothei, so as to allow the head unit 50 to be lifted to facilitate the installation of tools and the fitting and removal nithe bowl 30, and the head unit 50 canies a downwardly-facing, niotor-powered planetary drive outlet 60 to a socket 62 of which the shank of a kneadmg, whisking or other processing tool 12 (see Figures 2 and 3) is temporarily connected for use The tool 12 is suspended from the socket 62 of the drive outlet 60 and reaches down into the bowl 30 to mix ingredients therein.

Is Stand mixers are versatile appliances, and typicaily provide in addition to the aforementioned outlet 60 used to drive the shanked mixing tool 12, at least one further drive outlet lbr driving attachments with different speed and/or torque requirements, and configured for performing other tasks Typically, such additional drive outlets may be set up to drive the operating tool of a high speed attachment, such as a food processor or a blender, ot a low-speed/high torque attachment, such as a mincer Typically, and as best seen in Figure 1(b), the drive outlet 60 of the stand mixer 10 comprises the socket 62 carried by a disc-shaped member 64 that itself is directly or ndirect1y driven from a gearbox in the head unit so as to rotate in a horizontal plane, relative to the head LnIt 50, about a vertical cetra1 axis 66 that is typicatly (though not necessarily) aligned xith the central axis of the howl 30 Thus a tool mounted with its shank inserted into the drive socket 60 is rotated about the axis of its shank, and is bodily rotated around the axis 66, thereby describing a planetary motion. c

As mentioned above, the stand mixer 10 may also incorporate heating means (not shown, hut usually accommodated within the base 20) enabling ingredients in the bowl 30 to be heated whilst being subjected to the mixing acUon The heating mechanism, if provided, may be provided by arty coin enient agency or method Referring now additionally to Figures 2 and 3, a first enboditnent of the invention utilises an extendcd electrically powered light source 70 to proviuc improved illumination of the ingredients hithin the bowl The is light source encircles the dnve outlet 60, thus also encu cling the socket 62 and thereby reducing the shado of the mixing tool 12 This significantly improves the dlumination within the bowl In this embodiment, the extended light source 70, which may comprise an elongate filament or an array of individual point sources, such as LEDs, is housed in the head unit 50 beneath a single transparentIycapped enclosure, the cap of which may be formed as, or incorporate, a light-guide or lens around the gearbox outlet disc 64 of the gearbox outlet 60.

Such a light--guide or lens, if provided, is configured to enhance the spread and orientation of the light so as to optimise the illumination ofihe contents of the bowl 30.

In a second embodiment of the mv cnn. shown in figure 4, a p1 in ably of sepatate light sources, 72, 74 and 76, each of whh may comprise an elongate filament or one or more individual point sources, such as LEDs, are distributed around the outlet 60, again so as to substantially encircle the socket 62.

In both embodiments, it is preferred that the light sources 70 or 72, 74, 76 are mounted so as to remain stationary in the head unit whilst the disc 64 and the socket 62 rotate around the axis 66. If preferred, however, the i a light sources can be mounted so as to rotate with the disc 64 in the foregoing embodiments of the invention, no transparent bowl cover is positioned between the lights and bowl, so naturally the illumination provided by the light sources 70 or 72, 74 and 76 is not compromised thereby.

In the event that a transparent bowl covez is positioned between the lights and bowl, the cover is preferably designed so that the illumination is not compromised theieby This can be achieved, for example, by designing the cover to have an annular gap in alignment with the light source, or sources, vth thin spideNweb features holding the parts of the cover to either side of the annular gap Alternatively, the cover can be designed to incorporate an annular Ienslike feature to assist in directing the light into the required areas of the bowl 30.

The light sources in the foregoing embodiments of the invention are powei ed (via voltagecharigmg and/or transfbrming circuitry if necessary) born the mitts elecb tcU) uppiy connected to the sumd ml et. Tb ts need not he the case, hay. evc't, and the I tght sow ces ma>, 11 prefen ed he po ered by any othei means, me udm hM terie' (sing1en-sc o redtargtabe1, soiax celic andior ô-cs1!ed iipehtapadtor" dthiers, L dr citeuit. 31pioi.ng dti&Jayet.capacitos or simIIardevics