GB2600993A

GB2600993A - Animal-food processor and blade arrangement

Info

Publication number: GB2600993A
Application number: GB2018027.9A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Inglis Joseph
Original assignee: Vchef Ltd
Current assignee: Vchef Ltd
Priority date: 2020-11-17
Filing date: 2020-11-17
Publication date: 2022-05-18
Also published as: WO2022106808A1; GB202018027D0

Abstract

An animal-food processor 10 comprises a motor assembly 14, a food container 16, and a drive shaft 30 receivable in the food container. A blade element 50 has a cutting edge(s) positioned in the food container. Paddles 52a, 52b are engaged with the drive shaft so as to rotate with the drive shaft and urge ingredients within the food container against the blade element. The paddle may be tilted out of a vertical plane. Preferably a first paddle is positioned above the blade element in the food container and a second said paddle is positioned below the blade element in the food container. Preferably the food container comprises a lid 60. A base 34 may comprise weighing scales 42 and / or a hotplate 44, preferably zoned. Output shafts 24, 26 may engage with a latching mechanism 36, which may be spring loaded and / or with a user handle, which couples to the drive shaft to impart a drive from the motor to the drive shaft. Preferably a controller 40 includes a wireless communicator configured to receive control signals for the motor assembly from an external device. A blade arrangement is also claimed.

Description

Animal-Food Processor and Blade Arrangement The present invention relates to an animal-food processor, preferably but not necessarily exclusively configured to chop and cook a chunky-textured animal food from fresh or raw ingredients. The invention further relates to a blade arrangement suitable for food 5 processors for the same purpose.

The majority of wet domestic animal food is bought in tins or pouches, and typically comprises chunks of meat and/or vegetable matter in a gelatinous or gravy-like medium. Rarely is animal food prepared directly by the owner of the pet.

Many food processors are available on the market for human food use. These include 10 processors for chopping ingredients into various sizes, such as in blender-type products, as well as cooking devices which can automatically cook pre-prepared ingredients without interaction from the user.

Neither of these classes of device are suitable for creating the consistency of food which animals are used to consuming. Blenders will very finely chop the raw ingredients, 15 resulting in an output which has a uniform consistency or grade of cut.

On the other hand, automatic cookers, such as slow cookers, are able to heat a cooking vessel at a comparatively low temperature over a long period of time, thus allowing for the creation of stews without burning the food. However, the ingredients need to be provided in a suitable form for the stew, that is, pre-chopped by the user.

The present invention provides a means of preparing fresh animal food which has the stew-like consistency expected of pet food.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an animal-food processor comprising: a motor assembly; a food container; a drive shaft receivable in the food container and configured to be driven by the motor assembly; a blade element having at least one cutting edge positioned in the food container and fixed relative thereto; and at least one paddle engaged with the drive shaft so as to rotate with the drive shaft and urge ingredients within the food container against the blade element.

Whereas traditional food processors rely on high-speed blades, the present invention utilises a combination of rotating paddles which drive the ingredients contacting with the 30 paddles against the fixed blades. This avoid blending or pulverizing the ingredients in the food container, instead chopping the ingredients into chunks which is more akin to that found in standard animal food tins. with a stew-like consistency. Fresh, animal-suitable food can therefore be created in the user's kitchen.

Optionally, the or each paddle may be tilted out of a vertical plane.

Tilted paddles will help to direct the ingredients in the food container towards the fixed blade, which is much more important in the present arrangement than in configurations with a high-velocity rotating blade.

In one preferable embodiment, a tilt angle of the or each paddle may be between 15 to 20° with respect to the said vertical plane.

The tilt angle of the paddles can be optimised in order to direct ingredients towards the blade element in an efficient manner without the ingredients flowing over the top of the upper paddle.

Preferably, a first said paddle may be provided which is positioned above the blade element in the food container and a second said paddle may be provided which is 15 positioned below the blade element in the food container.

The paired paddles provide a tandem directing force towards the blade element of the animal-food processor, continuously urging the fresh ingredients into the cutting edges. This encourages uniform processing of the ingredients.

Optionally, the first paddle may be tilted out of a vertical plane in a first direction with 20 respect to a direction of rotation of the drive shaft, and the second paddle may be titled out of the vertical plane in a second direction with respect to the direction of rotation of the drive shaft which is opposite to the first said direction.

Opposed tilt angles encourage drive of the ingredients towards the central region in which the blade element is located, creating the chunky texture of the final animal food 25 once chopped.

The blade element may comprise two cutting edges positioned opposite to one another in the food container.

Cutting edges which are opposite to one another ensure that an efficient cutting process can be obtained during the rotation of the paddles in the food container.

Preferably, the two cutting edges may be vertically spaced-apart from one another.

The vertical spacing of the cutting elements allows for the ingredients to be chopped easily by both the motion of the upper and lower paddles.

The blade element may comprise a collar through which the drive shaft is receivable in 5 the food container.

The presence of the collar on the blade element will assist with maintaining the alignment of the drive shaft despite resistance incurred from the ingredients, thereby reducing the possibility of collision between the cutting edges and the paddles.

In a preferable embodiment, the food container may comprise a lid having an openable 10 portion for permitting access thereto.

An openable and closable lid of the food container prevents unexpected egress of ingredients from the food container during the chopping process, whilst still providing a means of inserting further ingredients where required.

The openable portion may be openable to inhibit engagement of the motor assembly and 15 drive shaft.

It is desirable that the paddles cannot be activated accidentally whilst the lid is partially open, and therefore it is advantageous to combine the effect of the slidable opening of the lid with the desire to block the engagement of the drive shaft and motor.

Preferably, the openable portion may comprise a slidable plate.

A sliding plate can be readily moved into a blocking condition to prevent the drive shaft being engaged.

Optionally, the lid may comprise at least one reinforcing member which engages with the blade element.

By providing a fixed reference against which the blade element is secured, vibrational 25 collision between the paddles and blade can be obviated. By making the fixing relative to the lid, rather than the food container itself, the blade arrangement remains removable from the food container.

A base of the animal-food processor may comprise weighing scales disposed below an engagement region for the food container.

The inclusion of weighing scales or a similar load cell type of arrangement allows for the raw ingredients to be directly measured out in the animal-food processor, rather than 5 requiring any additional pre-weighing.

Preferably, a base of the animal-food processor may comprise a hotplate disposed below an engagement region for the food container.

A hotplate allows for direct cooking of the ingredients in the food container, thus allowing cooked meals to be prepared for the pet from fresh ingredients, using only a single 10 apparatus.

The hotplate may be a multi-zone hotplate configured to selectably heat depending on a size of food container of the animal-food processor.

The user may be provided with a wide degree of flexibility over the potential dimensions of food container, for example, to cook individual portions or bulk food. The multi-zone 15 hotplate allows for efficient heating of the attached food container to be achieved.

The animal-food processor may further comprise a temperature sensor associated with the food container.

A temperature sensor can ensure that a hotplate override can be configured by the controller, providing full automation of the cooking process for the animal-food processor 20 without the risk of burning.

Preferably, there may further be provided an output shaft engaged with a latching mechanism which couples to the drive shaft to impart a drive from the motor to the drive shaft.

A latching mechanism provides a failsafe mechanism for introducing the food container 25 containing the blade arrangement into the stand unit, without risk of unexpected and dangerous activation of the drive.

Optionally, the latching mechanism may be a spring-loaded latching mechanism.

A spring-loaded latch will provide a biasing force to engage with the drive shaft, which, as previously described can be inhibited by the use of the slidable plate of the lid of the food container. This removes the risk of vibrational disengagement of the connection with the drive shaft during operation.

Preferably, the latching mechanism may comprise a manually activatable user handle.

It is preferred that the user have manual control of the drive engagement mechanism to avoid unintentional activation of the drive shaft and thus blade arrangement.

In one embodiment, the latching mechanism may be connected to a movable component which is displaceable relative to a shaft access of the food container Moving of part of the stand unit of the animal-food processor can provide a means of obscuring the top opening when the drive shaft is disengaged, whilst also providing the necessary means of disconnecting the drive shaft from the motor assembly.

The animal-food processor may further comprise a controller in communication with at least the motor assembly, the controller including a wireless communicator configured to 15 receive control signals for the motor assembly from an external device.

Wireless communication of the controller with, typically, a computer application on a smartphone, allows for greater user freedom of control of the chopping and cooking functionality of the animal-food processor.

Optionally, the drive shaft may be rotatably operable in a clockwise and an anti-clockwise 20 direction Having the capability to drive in both forwards and backwards directions will allow the blade arrangement to clear blockages more easily, which can be a greater concern since the blades themselves are fixed.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a blade arrangement for a food processor, the blade arrangement comprising: a drive shaft; at least one paddle engaged with the drive shaft so as to rotate with the drive shaft; and a fixed blade element; the rotation of the at least one paddle being configured to drive ingredients against the fixed blade element in an operative state of the food processor.

Whilst the desired food processor is specifically designed for animal food, it will be apparent that a viable blade arrangement could be made which is retrofittable to existing kitchen food processors.

The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example only, with 5 reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic representation of the vertical cross-section from the side of one embodiment of an animal-food processor in accordance with the first aspect of the invention; Figure 2 shows an end view of the blade arrangement of the animal-food 10 processor of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a diagrammatic representation of the vertical cross-section from the side of the animal-food processor of Figure 1 following closure of the lid and engagement of the drive shaft with the motor assembly; Figure 4 shows a diagrammatic representation from above of the animal-food 15 processor of Figure 1 with the motor assembly unit being dashed out for clarity, prior to engagement of the food container with the motor assembly unit; Figure 5 shows a diagrammatic representation of the animal-food processor of Figure 4, with the food container engaged with the motor assembly unit, the lid being in an open state; Figure 6 shows a diagrammatic representation of the animal-food processor of Figure 4, with the food container engaged with the motor assembly unit, the lid being in a closed state; Figure 7 shows a diagrammatic representation from the front of one half of the lid of Figure 4; Figure 8 shows a diagrammatic representation from the side of the lid of Figure 4; Figure 9 shows a diagrammatic representation from below of the lid of Figure 4; Figure 10 shows a diagrammatic representation of the vertical cross-section from the side of the animal-food processor of Figure 1 in an operative state; Figure 11 shows a diagrammatic representation from the side of the food container of the animal-food processor of Figure 1 in conjunction with the hot-plate base; Figure 12 shows a diagrammatic representation from the side of an alternative food container of the animal-food processor of Figure 1 in conjunction with the hot-plate base; Figure 13 shows a plan view of a further embodiment of an animal-food processor in accordance with the first aspect of the invention in a first condition; and Figure 14 shows a plan view of the animal-food processor of Figure 13 in a second condition in which the drive shaft is disengaged from the motor assembly.

Referring to Figure 1, there is illustrated an animal-food processor, referenced globally at 10, and which is designed for the preparation of fresh animal food, in particular, food for domestic dogs and cats.

The animal-food processor 10 comprises two main parts; a stand unit 12 which houses the main drive components of a motor assembly 14, and a food container 16 within which is receivable a blade arrangement 18. The food container 16 can be coupled to the stand unit 12 to allow the blade arrangement 18 to be driven, thus cutting animal food present in the food container 16 into the desired form. The desired form is a chunky or meaty texture, as one would ordinarily find in pre-packaging animal food tins or packets.

The stand unit 12 includes the motor assembly 14, here comprising a motor 20, a gearbox 22 which couples to a first output shaft 24, which in turn couples to a second output shaft 26 via a toothed belt 28. The second output shaft 26 can then be engaged with the main drive shaft 30 of the blade arrangement 18. Alternative drive transmission mechanisms, including any combination of gears, shafts, and belts, will be apparent to the skilled person.

The stand unit 12 is a portable unit, designed for household or domestic use, rather than having the form of an industrial-scale mixer and processor. Grips or feet 32 may be provided on the base 34 of the stand unit 12, to allow it to be placed onto a solid surface, 30 such as a kitchen worktop.

The second output shaft 26 is connected to a latch mechanism 36 which enables manual engagement or disengagement of the second output shaft 26 with the drive shaft 30. The latch mechanism 36 may be spring loaded, and may be provided associated with a user engagement handle 38 to allow for manual activation.

A controller 40 is provided within the stand unit 12 which may communicatively control the motor assembly 14, and the controller 40 may have a wireless communicator to allow for signals to be transmitted to and from external sources.

The base 34 of the stand unit 12 is dimensioned to receive the food container 16 thereon, preferably having a coupling interface to lock the food container 16 in position onto the 10 base 34. Typically, this might be provided as a latch or bayonet type of connection.

The base 34 may include weighing scales 42 or a similar type of load cell and which is set to determine a weight of ingredients inside the food container. The base 34 may additionally or alternatively include a heating element, here in the form of an electric hotplate 44, which is able to transfer thermal energy to the food container in order to cook the animal food in the food container 16. A temperature sensor could be provided in order to monitor the cooking temperature of the animal food; in the present embodiment, this is illustrated as an infra-red sensor 46 which is mounted in the stand unit 12 so as to emit a sensor beam into the food container 16. It is thus preferred that the food container 16 be formed at least in part from a transparent or translucent material, so that the infra-red sensor 46 can penetrate through the walls of the food container 16, though in some embodiments the infra-red sensor may be able to determine the temperature from the outside of the food container 16, and opaque walls can be provided as required.

The food container 16 is effectively a bucket or jug designed for containing animal food 25 in use, preferably having a thermally conductive lower surface 48. An internal base of the food container 16 may be journaled or include a bearing to which the drive shaft 30 is mountable.

The blade arrangement 18 comprises the drive shaft 30, a blade element 50, and at least one paddle 52a, 52b. Here, upper and lower paddles 52a, 52b are provided. The upper paddle 52a is positioned vertically above the blade element 50, whilst the lower paddle 52b is positioned vertically below the blade element 50, in use. The blade arrangement 18 can be seen in detail in Figure 2.

In the depicted embodiment, the lower paddle 52b is approximately 30mm high, and is tilted, preferably so as to present a backwards-leaning contact face 54b. This urges animal food in the food container 16 up towards the blade element 50. The upper paddle 52a is also tilted. The upper paddle 52a may preferably be taller than the lower paddle 52b, here being 60mm high. The upper paddle 52a is tilted in the opposite direction to the lower paddle 52b, thus presenting a forwards-leaning contact face 54a, again, directing food towards the blade element 50. The tilt angle may be approximately 15 to 20° in each case, and the tilt angle can be altered so that it is either the same or a different magnitude for each of the upper and lower paddles 52a, 52b.

The blade element 50 here comprises a central collar 56 through which the drive shaft 30 is received, with two opposed blades 58 each having at least one cutting edge disposed thereon. Preferably, there is a cutting edge on both sides of the blade 58 so that cutting can occur regardless of whether the drive shaft 30 is driven in clockwise or anti-clockwise direction. Driving of the drive shaft 30 in reverse may held to remove clogging of the paddles 52a, 52b which can occur in some instances.

The cutting edges of the blades 58 are vertically spaced apart from one another. One of the blades 58 is positioned so as to be vertically adjacent to the upper paddle 52a, whilst the other blade 58 is vertically adjacent to the lower paddle 52b. Whilst two cutting edges are shown, a single cutting edge may be provided, or a larger number of cutting edges.

In the embodiment shown, the blade arrangement 18 is coupled to a lid 60 of the food container 16, the lid 60 having reinforcing members 62 which engaged with the blade element 50 to hold the blade element 50 securely in alignment within the food container 16. These reinforcing members 62 may be provided as depending struts which are positioned adjacent to an outer edge of the food container 16, connecting with the blade element 50 at its radially outermost tips.

The lid 60 is dimensioned to cover the open top area of the food container 16, and will therefore typically be circular in area. An openable portion 64 is provided on the lid 60 so that ingredients can be inserted into the food container 16 even when the lid 60 is engaged. This may be provided as a flap or similar hinged access port, but may preferably be a sliding panel 66 which moves along a top surface 68 of the lid 60 in a sliding manner, shown in detail in Figures 4 to 6.

This may have the added benefit of preventing operation of the animal-food processor 10 whilst the openable portion 64 is open. The slidable panel 66 may be configured so as to slide into the connection area between the drive shaft 30 and the second output shaft 26, thereby inhibiting interengagement of the drive shaft 30 and second output shaft 26 when the openable portion 64 is open. Closure of the slidable panel 66 removes the barrier to engagement, allowing the drive to be coupled to the drive shaft 30 once more. The closed condition of the slidable panel 66 can be seen in Figure 3. The animal-food processor 10 is therefore ready for operation in the illustrated state.

The mechanism for engaging the food container 16 with the stand unit 12 is shown in 10 more detail in Figures 4 to 6.

In Figure 4, the food container 16 has the lid 60 attached. The slidable panel 66 is in an open state, and may indeed be biased to this configuration if preferred, for instance, via a spring member.

The food container 16 is then connected to the stand unit 12 by urging it into position. 15 The connected state is shown in Figure 5. The slidable panel 66 remains in the open position to allow ingredients to be inserted through the top opening 70.

The slidable panel 66 can be moved by pulling on a user engagement portion, here illustrated as a recess 72 in the slidable panel 66 which a user can pull on with their finger. Pulling the slidable panel 66 towards them allows the user to expose the shaft access 74 through the lid 60, and the spring-loaded latch mechanism 36 can then be used to engage the second output shaft 26 with the drive shaft 30.

The structure of the lid 60 can be seen in more detail in Figure 7 to 9. The lid 60 is itself formed having a main top piece 76 having a perimetric flange 78 from which depends a skirt portion 80. The reinforcing members 62 of the lid 60 depend from the main top piece 25 76, depending from the outer edge of the lid 60 adjacent to the skirt portion 80.

The reinforcing members 62 are held in place relative to the skirt portion 80 in slotted receiver 82 which also extend into the food container 16 in parallel with the axis of the drive shaft 30. The reinforcing members 62 thus are forcibly aligned to the blades 58 of the blade element 50.

One or more handles may be provided on the lid 60 to assist with lifting the food container 16 and urging it into position with respect to the stand unit 12.

The operational state of the animal-food processor 10 can be seen in detail in Figure 10.

The animal-food processor 10 can be activated by a user. This may be via a switch directly mounted onto the stand unit 12, but additionally or alternatively could be controlled wirelessly, via an external device. A user's smartphone 84 is illustrated providing activation commands in Figure 10, communicating with a wireless communications element associated with the controller 40. Once an activation signal has been received by the controller 40, a command signal can be sent to the motor 20. The controller 40 may also then activate the hotplate 44 in accordance with any heating or cooking instructions which have been provided by the user. This may be, for example, provided via a computer application on the smartphone 84 which has one or more predetermined recipes and thus cooking directions programmed therein. A display on the animal-food processor 10 may relay the weight of the ingredients as measured by the weighing scales 42 to the user, so that they can determine the correct ingredient ratio in situ.

The motor 20 provides a rotational drive to the drive shaft 30 via the first and second output shafts 24, 26, thereby imparting a rotation to the drive shaft 30 within the food container 16. The drive shaft 30 therefore rotates, turning the paddles 52a, 52b relative to the fixed blade element 50. The paddles 52a, 52b drive the ingredients against the cutting edges of the blades 58. The connection of the blade element 50 to the lid 60 prevents vibrational collision between the blade element 50 and the paddles 52a, 52b as they rotate.

The ingredients in the food container 16 are thus chopped into a chunky mixture, and are cooked by the hotplate 44 so as to result in a freshly prepared and animal-suitable meal.

The hotplate 44 may have multiple modes of operation. When the standard food container 16 is mounted onto the base 34, this may be dimensioned so that the thermally-conductive lower surface 48 of the food container 16 matches the size of the hotplate 44, and the whole hotplate can activate to heat the food container 16. This is illustrated in Figure 11.

The arrangement of Figure 12 shows an alternative food container 116 which is smaller than the standard food container 16. In this instance, the thermally conductive lower surface 148 does not size-match the hotplate 44. The controller 40 may therefore determine that a different food container 116 has been connected to the base 34, and only activate part of the hotplate 44 for heating. This reduces the risk of exposed hot parts of the animal-food processor 10 in use, as well as reducing energy waste. The controller 40 may determine which food container 16, 116 is connected based on a shape-mating interface for instance. The hotplate 44 could therefore be provided as a multi-zone hotplate.

A further embodiment of the animal-food processor is shown in Figures 13 and 14, referenced globally at 210. Identical or similar features of the first embodiment of the invention will be referenced using identical or similar reference numerals, and further 10 detailed description is omitted for brevity.

In this embodiment, the stand unit 212 has an upper swing arm 286 which is pivotable or otherwise displaceable with respect to the base 234. This moves the user engagement handle 238 out of alignment with the shaft access 274, exposing the top opening 270 of the food container 216.

Since the upper swing arm 286 pivots so as to cover the top opening 270 when the user engagement handle 238 is aligned to the shaft access 274, the slidable plate of the food container 216 as previously described can be omitted, without risking the unexpected activation of the animal-food processor 210.

Whilst the animal-food processor has been constructed with animal feed in mind, it will 20 be apparent that fresh meals for human consumption could also be prepared. The relevant features of the invention could therefore be incorporated into a standard kitchen food processor.

Indeed, it is the blade arrangement which produces the chunky food texture on demand, and it is conceivable that a blade set or dedicated food container having such a blade 25 arrangement could be provided for pre-existing kitchen food processors.

It is therefore possible to provide a food processor, specifically but not necessarily exclusively an animal-food processor, which can weigh, cook, and chop ingredients inserted therein and produce a final produce which has a stew-like consistency. This removes the need for the user to provide tinned or packet food for their pet.

The words 'comprises/comprising' and the words 'having/including' when used herein with reference to the present invention are used to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof It is appreciated that certain features of the invention, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable sub-combination.

The embodiments described above are provided by way of examples only, and various other modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the field without departing from 10 the scope of the invention as defined herein.

Claims

Claims 1. An animal-food processor comprising: a motor assembly; a food container; a drive shaft receivable in the food container and configured to be driven by the motor assembly; a blade element having at least one cutting edge positioned in the food container and fixed relative thereto; and at least one paddle engaged with the drive shaft so as to rotate with the drive shaft and urge ingredients within the food container against the blade element.
2. An animal-food processor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the or each paddle is tilted out of a vertical plane.
3. An animal-food processor as claimed in claim 2, wherein a tilt angle of the or each paddle is between 15 to 200 with respect to the said vertical plane.
4. An animal-food processor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein 20 a first said paddle is provided which is positioned above the blade element in the food container and a second said paddle is provided which is positioned below the blade element in the food container.
5. An animal-food processor as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first paddle is tilted out of a vertical plane in a first direction with respect to a direction of rotation of the drive shaft, and the second paddle is titled out of the vertical plane in a second direction with respect to the direction of rotation of the drive shaft which is opposite to the first said direction.
6. An animal-food processor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the blade element comprises two cutting edges positioned opposite to one another in the food container.
7. An animal-food processor as claimed in claim 6, wherein the two cutting edges are vertically spaced-apart from one another.
8. An animal-food processor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the blade element comprises a collar through which the drive shaft is receivable in the food container.
9. An animal-food processor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the food container comprises a lid having an openable portion for permitting access thereto.
10. An animal-food processor as claimed in claim 9, wherein the openable portion is openable to inhibit engagement of the motor assembly and drive shaft.
11. An animal-food processor as claimed in claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the openable portion comprises a slidable plate.
12. An animal-food processor as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the lid comprises at least one reinforcing member which engages with the blade element.
13. An animal-food processor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a base of the animal-food processor comprises weighing scales disposed below an 20 engagement region for the food container.
14. An animal-food processor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a base of the animal-food processor comprises a hotplate disposed below an engagement region for the food container.
15. An animal-food processor as claimed in claim 14, wherein the hotplate is a multi-zone hotplate configured to selectably heat depending on a size of food container of the animal-food processor.
16. An animal-food processor as claimed in claim 14 or claim 15, further comprising a temperature sensor associated with the food container.
17. An animal-food processor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising an output shaft engaged with a latching mechanism which couples to the 35 drive shaft to impart a drive from the motor to the drive shaft.
18. An animal-food processor as claimed in claim 16, wherein the latching mechanism is a spring-loaded latching mechanism.
19. An animal-food processor as claimed in claim 16 or claim 17, wherein the latching mechanism comprises a manually activatable user handle.
20. An animal-food processor as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 18, wherein the latching mechanism is connected to a movable component which is displaceable relative to a shaft access of the food container,
21. An animal-food processor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further 10 comprising a controller in communication with at least the motor assembly, the controller including a wireless communicator configured to receive control signals for the motor assembly from an external device.
22. An animal-food processor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein 15 the drive shaft is rotatably operable in a clockwise and an anti-clockwise direction.
23. A blade arrangement for a food processor, the blade arrangement comprising: a drive shaft; at least one paddle engaged with the drive shaft so as to rotate with the drive shaft; and a fixed blade element; the rotation of the at least one paddle being configured to drive ingredients against the fixed blade element in an operative state of the food processor.