JP2012210634A - Mixer device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a mixer device in which a bowl can be easily attached/detached to/from the body of a mixer, and to provide a shock absorbing member excellent in a shock absorbing property.SOLUTION: The mixer device includes: a mixer body having a rotatable output part extending downward; a bowl supporting member disposed under the output part; at least one rotatable pin member that is installed at the bowl supporting member and defines a bowl pivot; and a bushing in which a through-hole that receives the pin member rotatably is formed, wherein an opening receiving the pin member is formed at the bowl supporting member, the bushing and the pin member are inserted together in the opening so that the pin member may rotate relatively to the bushing.

Description

  The present invention relates to a mixer device having a bowl that can be pivotally coupled to a mixer.

  Mixers are used to mix and blend various materials. Generally, a mixer includes a mixer body having a motor for driving a mixer element extending substantially vertically, and a bowl positioned below the mixer element. The bowl receives therein the material to be mixed and the lower end of the rotatable mixer element. In general, the bowl can be removed from the mixer body, facilitating the loading and unloading of the material into the bowl and allowing the bowl to be cleaned, repaired or replaced.

  In most existing mixers, the bowl is movable in a direction perpendicular to the mixer body and can be lowered to remove the bowl from the mixer element. When the bowl is lowered, the material to be mixed can be added to or removed from the bowl. However, when the user of the mixer adds or removes material from the bowl, the bowl may not be accessible due to the arrangement and orientation of the protrusion of the mixer body relative to the bowl.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a mixer device in which a bowl can be easily attached to and detached from a mixer body.

  The present invention according to claim 1 defines a mixer main body having a rotatable output part extending downward, a bowl support part disposed below the output part, and a bowl pivot axis attached to the bowl support part. At least one rotatable pin member, and a bushing having a through hole for rotatably receiving the pin member, and an opening for receiving the bushing is formed in the bowl support portion. The gist is a mixer device in which the bushing is inserted into the opening together with the pin member so that the pin member rotates relative to the bushing.

It is a perspective view of one embodiment of a mixer of the present invention. It is a perspective view of the bowl, yoke part, and mixer main-body part shown in FIG. 1, and is a figure which shows the state which left | separated the bowl perpendicularly | vertically from the yoke part. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a bowl, a yoke part and a mixer main body part shown in FIG. 2, showing that the bowl is coupled to the yoke part and is in a loading position. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a bowl, a yoke part and a mixer main body part shown in FIG. 3, showing a state where the bowl is in a closed position. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the bowl, the yoke part, and the mixer main body part shown in FIG. 4, showing that the bowl is in a use position. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a bowl, yoke portion and mixer body portion showing an alternative embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view of the bowl, yoke part, and mixer main-body part which show a detent mechanism. It is a front schematic diagram of the mixer shown in FIG. It is a perspective view of a bowl, a yoke part, and a mixer main-body part which shows another detent mechanism in which a bowl is in a loading position. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the bowl, the yoke portion, and the mixer main body portion shown in FIG. 9, showing a state where the bowl is in a closed position. It is a figure which shows an alternative bracket in the perspective view of the bowl shown in FIG. 10, a yoke part, and a mixer main-body part. FIG. 10 is a detailed bottom view of the bowl, the yoke portion, and the mixer main body portion shown in FIG. 9. FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of a locking mechanism in the mixer of FIG. 9. FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of the mixer of FIG. 9 showing the bowl switch in the open position. FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of the mixer of FIG. 9 showing the bowl switch in the closed position. FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of the mixer of FIG. 9 showing the bowl switch in the closed position. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating one embodiment of a control structure architecture that can be used to control a mixer. FIG. 10 is a top view of the mixer shown in FIG. 9. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a bowl. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a bowl. It is a figure which shows the mixer apparatus which has a rotating pin component. It is a figure which shows the mixer apparatus which has a rotating pin component. It is a figure which shows the mixer apparatus which has a rotating pin component. It is a figure which shows the mixer apparatus which has the bowl collar part which turns. It is a figure which shows the mixer apparatus which has the bowl collar part which turns. It is a figure which shows the mixer apparatus which has the bowl collar part which turns. It is a figure which shows the mixer apparatus which has the bowl collar part which turns. It is a figure which shows the mixer apparatus which has the bowl collar part which turns. It is a figure which shows the mixer apparatus which has the bowl collar part which turns.

  FIG. 1 shows a mixer, generally indicated by the reference numeral 10, which comprises a mixer body 12 having a main portion 13 extending substantially vertically and a protrusion or transmission head 14. The mixer body 12 includes a yoke portion 20 coupled to the main portion 13 of the body. The yoke portion 20 is substantially semicircular in a top view, and has a shape for closely receiving the mixer bowl 18 therein. The yoke part 20 is coupled to a vertically movable yoke part base 50, and the base part 50 of this yoke part can move in a vertical direction along a pair of guide rails 52, 54.

  The mixer 10 includes a motor, that is, a mixer driving unit 11 housed in a mixer body 12. The mixer drive unit 11 is drivingly coupled to the output component 15 so as to rotate the output component 15 (see FIG. 8) about its central axis A. The mixer 10 includes a mixer element 16 (eg, a doo hook) that is removably connected to the output component 15 and extends substantially downward. The mixing element 16 can be of any shape and can be attached to the output component 15 by various attachment mechanisms such as bayonet type attachments (not shown) well known in the art. The bowl 18 is shaped to be attached to the yoke portion 20 of the mixer body 12 so as to be closely accommodated in the yoke portion 20. The bowl 18 includes a bowl body 19 that contains the material to be mixed (not shown) and an upper rim or edge 23 that forms a face C. The bowl 18 has a central axis B substantially perpendicular to the surface C. The bowl 18 includes a pair of band portions 21 separated in the vertical direction, and each band portion 21 is attached to the bowl body 19 by spot welding or the like.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the mixer 10 generally includes an attachment structure indicated by reference numeral 22, which attaches the bowl 18 to the yoke portion 20 and the mixer body 12 in a pivotable manner. The mounting structure 22 in one embodiment includes a pair of pin arms 28, 30 that are coupled to the bowl 18 and project outward. Each of the pin arms 28 and 30 is coupled to one of the band portions 21 by welding or the like, and the pins 24 and 26 extend substantially downward from the respective pin arms 28 and 30. The attachment structure 22 in this embodiment can further include a pair of brackets 32, 34 attached to the distal end of the yoke portion 20 (preferably by casting), with a hole 36 in each bracket 32, 34. , 38 are formed. As shown in FIG. 2, the pins 24 and 26 are aligned with each other in the axial direction, and the holes 36 and 38 are also aligned with each other in the axial direction.

  In order to attach the bowl 18 to the mixer body 12, as shown in FIG. 2, the position of the bowl 18 is adjusted so that the holes 36 and 38 of the brackets 32 and 34 and the pins 24 and 26 are aligned. The bowl 18 is then lowered so that the pins 24, 26 are received in the corresponding holes 36, 38 so that the pin arms 28, 30 engage the corresponding mounting brackets 32, 34 as shown in FIG. In order to guide the pins 24 and 26 into the mounting brackets 32 and 34, it is preferable that the tips of the pins 24 and 26 are tapered. As each pin 24, 26 is received by the holes 36, 38, each pin / bracket combination forms a hinge around which the bowl 18 can pivot. The bowl 18 of FIG. 3 is in the loading / unloading position, with the bowl pivoting (at least somewhat) away from the mixer body 12 and the yoke portion 20.

  After the bowl 18 is attached to the mixer body 12, the bowl can be swung from the loading / unloading position shown in FIG. 3 to the closed position shown in FIG. When the bowl 18 is in the closed position, the bowl 18 is received in the yoke portion 20 at a position close to the mixer body 12, and when the bowl 18 is raised relative to the mixer element 16, the mixer element 16 is placed in the bowl 18. The position of the bowl 18 is adjusted to enter. When the bowl 18 is in the closed position, it is preferable that the central axis A of the output component and the central axis of the mixer element 16 are aligned with the central axis B of the bowl 18.

  To move the bowl from the closed position (FIG. 4) to the use position (FIG. 5), the yoke portion 20 is raised vertically by moving the yoke base 50 along a pair of vertically extending guide rails 52,54. In general, a bowl raising / lowering driving device or a manual crank (not shown) is used for raising the yoke portion 20. When the yoke portion 20 is raised, the bowl 18 is raised to the use position shown in FIGS. When bowl 18 is in the use position, the lower portion of mixer element 16 enters bowl 18 so that mixer element 16 can mix the contents of bowl 18.

  The bowl 18 can include a fixed bracket 60 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) having an opening 64, and the mixer body 12 can include a fixed pin 62 extending generally downward. When the bowl 18 is moved to the use position (see FIG. 5), the fixing pin 62 is received in the opening 64 of the fixing bracket 60 and holds the bowl in the use position. That is, the combination of the fixing pin and the fixing bracket prevents the bowl 18 from turning around the mounting structure 22.

  In another embodiment of the present invention, the positions of these pins and brackets may be reversed. As an example, FIG. 6 shows an attachment structure 71 for attaching the bowl 72 to the yoke portion 20. The bowl 72 in this embodiment has an outer surface 74 and a pair of brackets 76 and 78 coupled to the outer surface 74 and extending outwardly from the outer surface 74. Each of the brackets 76 and 78 is coupled to one of the band portions 21 (by welding or the like), and a substantially circular opening 80 is provided therein. The attachment structure 71 further includes a pair of pins 82 and 84 coupled to the yoke portion 20 and extending upward from the yoke portion 20.

  To attach the bowl 72 to the yoke portion 20, the brackets 76, 78 are aligned and their openings 80 are arranged to receive the associated pins 82, 84, respectively, so that the bowl 72 can pivot on the yoke portion 20. It can be combined. When the bowl 72 is coupled to the yoke portion 20, the bowl 72 can be swung to allow the bowl to enter and exit from the closed position, and can be used in the same manner as the bowl 18 described above. It should be understood that the bowl 72 need not necessarily include the brackets 76, 78, and that the opening 80 may be provided in any part of the bowl. For example, an edge or other attachment portion (not shown) extending around the entire circumference or part of the bowl 72 may be provided in the bowl 72, and one or more openings 80 may be provided in the edge or other attachment portion. If necessary, the lower pin 84 may be slightly shorter than the upper pin 82 so that the bowl 72 can be easily attached to and detached from the yoke portion 12.

  The mounting structures 22 and 71 allow the bowls 18 and 72 to pivot from below the protrusion 14 of the mixer body 12 to the bowl loading / unloading position shown in FIG. When loading and unloading materials from the bowl at this loading / unloading position, the hands 18 and 72 can be easily put into the bowl. Furthermore, in this loading / unloading position, the handle 66 is pivoted to an easily graspable part away from the mixer body.

  Brackets 32, 34 or 76, so that the central axis of the bowl 18, 72 is hardly tilted during the pivoting movement of the bowl 18, 72 (ie the pivoting movement between the closed position of the bowl and the loading / unloading position). 78 is preferably sufficient support. More specifically, it is preferable that the orientation of the central axis B of the bowls 18, 72 hardly move relative to the mixer body 12 during any pivoting movement of the bowls 18, 72. In other words, although the central axis B moves laterally when the bowls 18 and 72 are swung, it is preferable that the orientation of the central axis B does not change relative to the mixer body, the axis A, or the rotation axis of the mixer element 16. . The central axis B of the bowl 18, 72 in one embodiment remains generally parallel to the central axis A of the output component 15 and the central axis of the mixer element during any pivoting movement of the bowl 18, 72. The output component 15 may be a planetary gear device or may include a planetary gear device. In this case, the center axis A of the output component 15 is the center of the orbit of the planetary gear.

  The bowls 18, 72 pivot in a plane C defined by the top edge or edge 23 of the bowls 18, 72, and this plane C is preferably stationary with respect to the mixer body 12. This allows the bowls 18, 72 to smoothly pivot between their closed and open positions, eliminating the need for the user to lift the bowl during the bowl pivoting motion. The brackets 32, 34, 76, 78 and the pins 24, 26, 82, 84 preferably cooperate to ensure such a smooth and planar pivoting motion of the bowls 18, 72. For example, it is preferable to place a sufficient distance between the brackets 32 and 34 and between the brackets 76 and 78 to prevent the bowls 18 and 72 from tilting during the turning operation.

  Various pins and brackets can be used to attach the bowl 18 to the mixer body 12. For example, the cross-sectional shapes of the pins 24, 26, 82, 84 and the holes or openings associated therewith are preferably substantially circular or nearly circular (ie, hexagonal, elliptical, etc.), but depart from the scope of the present invention. Other shapes can also be used without doing so. For example, as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, at least one of the brackets 76, 78 may be a partial opening 80 ′ (ie, an opening that is not completely enclosed). The opening 80 'in FIG. 18 is substantially semicircular in the top view. The opening 80 ′ in FIG. 19 is a generally complete opening but includes a slot 81. Thus, it should be understood that the “opening” of the present invention does not necessarily have to be an opening surrounded by the periphery.

  Here, each bracket 32, 34 (or 76, 78) is depicted as being joined to the bowl 18 (72), but only one of the brackets 32, 34 (or 76, 78) is bowl 18 (72) may be combined. If only one of the brackets 32, 34 (or 76, 78) is coupled to the bowl, the other bracket can be coupled to the other bracket coupled to the bowl. For example, in FIG. 6, only the upper bracket 76 is coupled to the bowl, and the lower bracket 78 is coupled to a substantially vertically extending joining member (not shown) located outside the yoke portion 20 and coupled to the upper bracket 76. be able to. By doing so, the upper bracket 76, the lower bracket 78, and the coupling member are substantially C-shaped in a side view.

  Further, the bowls 18 and 72 may be two-piece bowls. For example, the bowl may include a first portion that is an annular collar. Related brackets 32, 34, 76 and 78 are arranged on the annular collar. The first portion of the bowl is a collar similar to one of the rings 21, which is sufficient to support at least two of the vertically spaced brackets 32, 34, 76, 78. It can be a thickness. In this case, the collar can be pivotally connected to the yoke 20 and the second part of the bowl 18, 72 is as a bowl body with a smooth outer surface that can be inserted and removed from this collar. Also good.

  The mixer 10 may include a detent mechanism for keeping the bowls 18, 72 in a closed position when the bowls 18, 72 are raised and lowered, or during a mixing operation. As an example, in FIG. 3, one detent mechanism that can be used to keep the bowl 18 in the closed position is generally designated 40. (The detent mechanism 40 can be used for the bowl 72 or any other bowl used in the mixer.) The detent mechanism 40 in this embodiment is on the opposite side of the bowl 18 to the mounting mechanism 22. It is preferable to arrange. The detent mechanism 40 in the illustrated embodiment includes a relatively flexible and deformable washer 42 attached to the yoke portion 20 and having an opening 44 in the center. The detent mechanism 40 also includes a peg 46 attached to the bowl 18 and extending forward. The opening 44 of the washer 42 is smaller than the maximum portion of the peg 46, and when the bowl 18 moves to the closed position, the peg 46 is fed into the washer 42, and the peg 46 is held inside the washer by an interference fit. ing. Thus, the detent mechanism 40 serves to hold the bowl 18 in the closed position.

  An alternative embodiment detent mechanism 40 'is shown in FIG. Although detent mechanism or guide 40 'is shown in FIG. 7 in connection with bowl 18, detent mechanism 40' can be used with bowl 72 or any other bowl used in a mixer. The peg 46 in this embodiment is attached to a washer 47, and the yoke portion 20 has a recess 49 that is shaped to receive the washer 47 inside. Thus, the bottom surface of the recessed portion 49 supports a part of the weight of the bowl 18 when the bowl 18 is in the closed position, and when the washer 47 is received by the recessed portion 49, the yoke portion 20 increases the weight of the bowl 18. Help support.

  The detent mechanism 40, 40 ′ portion on the bowl 18 may be located anywhere on the surface of the bowl 18 as long as it can engage with a corresponding portion located on the mixer body 12. Preferably, the detent mechanism 40, 40 ′ portion on the bowl 18 is disposed in the bowl 18 portion that is in the vicinity of the yoke portion 20 when the bowl 18 is in the closed position. Furthermore, the orientation of each part of the detent mechanism 40, 40 'can be reversed. For example, the peg 46 of the detent mechanism 40 can be disposed on the mixer body 12 and the washer 42 can be disposed on the bowl 18. Similarly, the fixing bracket 60 may be disposed on the bowl 18 and the fixing pin 62 may be disposed on the mixer body 12.

  9-12 show yet another detent mechanism 104 that can be used in the mixer of the present invention. 9-12 show the detent mechanism 104 used for the bowl 102, this detent mechanism 104 can be used for the bowls 18, 72 described above and most other bowls used in the mixer. it can. The bowl 102 of FIGS. 9-12 is similar to the bowl 72 shown in FIG. 6 in that the bowl 102 has brackets 76, 78 (not shown in FIGS. 9-12) and an opening 80 therein. Moreover, the yoke part 20 has the pins 82 and 84 (not shown in FIGS. 9-12) extended upward like the yoke part 20 shown in FIG. The detent mechanism 104 includes a fixed bracket 106 coupled to the outer surface 108 of the bowl 102, and the fixed bracket 106 includes a generally circular opening 109 therein. The yoke portion 20 can have a substantially hemispherical stainless steel pad 120 on the top thereof. The detent mechanism 104 includes a pivotable fixed handle 110 including a grip 107.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the fixed handle 110 is rotatably coupled to the cam 112 via a pin (not shown) that passes through an opening 111 formed in alignment with both the handle 110 and the cam 112. ing. Similarly, the cam 112 is rotatably coupled to the fixed pin 114 via the drive pin 113. Fixing pin 114 is oriented substantially vertically and includes a generally hemispherical tip 117 housed within pad 120. The fixed handle 110, the cam 112, and the fixed pin 114 are rotatably coupled, and the fixed pin 114 can move vertically when the fixed handle 110 is turned. For example, FIG. 9 shows the detent mechanism 104 in the unlocked position, where the fixing pin 114 is flush with the pad 120 or embedded in the pad. When the handle 110 is rotated in the direction of arrow D in FIG. 9, the cam 112 rotates in the direction of arrow D, and the fixing pin 114 moves vertically upward so as to protrude upward from the pad 120. (See FIGS. 10 and 10A. Here, the fixed handle is rotated by about 270 °.) Conversely, when the handle 110 is turned in the direction of arrow E in FIGS. 10 and 10A, the fixed pin 114 moves vertically downward. The fixing pin 114 may be flush with the pad 120 or embedded in the pad.

  In this way, by rotating the fixed handle 110 when the bowl 102 is in the closed position shown in FIG. 10, the fixed pin 114 protrudes from the pad 120 and is received by the opening 109 of the fixed bracket 106, and the bowl 102 is moved to the closed position. Can be kept. When it is desired to release the detent mechanism 104 and move the bowl 102 from the closed position, the handle 110 is rotated in the direction of the arrow E and the fixing pin 114 is moved backward. Thus, the fixing pin 114 effectively operates as a retractable mounting pin. It is also possible to keep the fixed pin 114 in the extended position by friction, over-center mechanism, other detents or equivalent means. Various detent mechanisms such as various latches, hooks, interengagement arrangements, clasps, clips, frictional engagement surfaces, magnets can be used within the scope of the present invention to keep the bowls 18, 72, 102 in the closed position. Of course. For example, the bowl can include an outwardly extending protrusion, and the yoke portion can include a recess shaped to receive the protrusion therein. In this case, in order to move the bowl to the closed position, the bowl can be lifted up slightly and the bowl can be swung to the closed position so that the protrusion is above the recess. Thereafter, the bowl is lowered, and the protrusion is received by the recess to hold the bowl in the closed position.

  Although it is preferable to provide an opening 109 inside the bracket 106 so that turning of the bowl 102 in both directions can be suppressed, it is not necessary to provide an opening in the bracket 106 as shown in FIG. 10A. In this case, the bracket 106 is positioned behind the fixed pin 114 and has an engaging surface 103, and the engaging surface and the fixed pin 114 are engaged to prevent the bowl 102 from turning from the closed position. Yes. Thus, the bowl 102 may include a protrusion, a bracket, a pin, and the like that can be located behind the fixing pin 114 at a position where the fixing pin 114 extends. Further, instead of the hole or the opening, the bracket may include a recess for receiving the pin inside. The bracket 106 can also include a partial opening similar to the opening 80 'shown in FIGS.

  The mixer of the present invention may include a sensor (generally indicated at 130) for detecting that the bowl 18, 72, 102 is in the closed position as shown in FIGS. The sensor 130 in the illustrated embodiment includes a plunger 132 that is received in the slot 133 of the mixer body 120 and is spring loaded. The inner end 134 of the plunger 132 is coupled to a switch plate 137 that extends substantially vertically. The plunger 132 and the switch plate together form an actuating assembly 139. Sensor 130 also includes a limit switch 136 having a trigger 141 coupled to mixer body 120. The sensor 130 includes a spring 140 disposed around the plunger 132 that biases the plunger 132 from the mixer body 12 toward the bowl 18, 72, 102. Thereby, the switch plate 137 moves away from the trigger 141 when there is no load.

  The bowls 18, 72, 102 may include handles or protrusions 144 located on the outer surface of the bowl and extending generally outward therefrom. As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the protrusion 144 has a shape that engages with the plunger 132, and moves the plunger 132 inward when the bowls 18, 72, 102 are in the closed position. (This compresses the spring 140.) When the protrusion 144 engages the plunger 132 and moves the plunger 132 inward, the switch plate 137 is pushed in and contacts the trigger 141 of the limit switch 136. The limit switch 136 is actuated by. The limit switch 136 then sends a signal to the central controller, processor or CPU of the mixer notifying that the bowls 18, 72, 102 are in the closed position. In one embodiment, the bowl 18, 72, 102 and / or the plunger 132 is such that when the bowl 18, 72, 102 pivots away from the closed position, the protrusion 144 engages and disengages the plunger 132. It can include a dissociation function to draw out. This dissociation function can include various interengaging members, rotating cams, and the like.

  When the bowls 18, 72, 102 are in the closed position and the limit switch 136 is activated, the bowl is raised to the operating position and the contents of the bowl can be mixed by the mixer element 16. The switch plate 137 is coupled to the yoke portion 20, and therefore moves vertically together with the yoke portion 20 and the bowls 18, 72, 102 as the yoke portion 20 moves. The switch plate 137 is a relatively long thin plate that extends vertically, and slides on the trigger 141 as the yoke portion 20 is raised, so that the switch plate keeps the limit switch closed or in an activated state. Therefore, the switch plate 137 preferably has a sufficient length so that at least a part of the switch plate 137 is positioned above the trigger 141 over the entire movable range of the yoke portion 20.

  If necessary, the rigidity of the spring 140 can be sufficiently increased so that the bowls 18, 72, 102 cannot remain in the closed position unless the detent mechanism 104 is operated. In other words, the spring 140 pivots the bowl 102 out of the closed position unless the detent mechanism 104 is actuated to lock the bowls 18, 72, 102 in the closed position. Thus, the spring 140 pushes the bowls 18, 72, 102 out of the closed position, so that the user can be alerted to operate the detent mechanism 104. It goes without saying that in order to push the bowl out of the closed position, the mixer can have other springs and structures in addition to the spring 140.

  FIG. 16 shows a block diagram of a control structure that can be used in connection with sensors 130 that control the operation of the mixer. The limit switch or lock switch 136 is preferably connected to the control circuit 170. The control circuit 170 is connected to a user input panel 172 for inputting the rotation speed and mixing time of the mixer elements desired by the user. The control circuit 170 is connected to the mixer driving unit 11 in order to control the rotation of the output component 15 and the mixer element 16. The mixer may also include a bowl up / down switch 176 that allows the user to operate the bowl up / down drive 178 to raise and / or lower the yoke and bowl. The bowl up / down switch 176 is connected to the control circuit 170 and a bowl up / down drive unit 178 that drives the bowl and yoke portion in the vertical direction. A bowl raising / lowering drive unit 178 is also connected to the control circuit 170. In addition, the control circuit 170 is connected to a signal display device 180 such as a buzzer that operates upon certain events.

  Using the control structure of FIG. 16, the switch 136 can be reliably closed before the bowl ascending / descending drive 178 and the mixer drive 11 are activated. More specifically, if the switch 136 is not closed, the control circuit 170 prevents the mixer drive 11, the bowl up / down drive 178, and the bowl up / down switch 176 from operating. Alternatively, if the switch 136 is not closed, the bowl raising / lowering drive unit 178 may control the bowl to be raised but not raised. Similarly, if the switch 136 is open during the ascent and mix operations, the control circuit 170 prevents the mixer drive 11, bowl up / down drive 178 and / or bowl up / down switch 176 from being activated, The ascending or mixing operation can be stopped completely. When the sensor 130 is opened during the mixing operation, the control circuit 170 can stop the operation of the mixer drive unit 11 and activate the signal display device 180 to alert the user.

  The arrangement and orientation of each part of the bowl 102 can take a variety of forms to adapt the bowl to the mixer. FIG. 17 shows one embodiment of the bowl 102. In the illustrated embodiment, the handles 66 are in a direction 180 degrees away from each other. Similarly, the fixing bracket 106 and the mounting brackets 76 and 78 are in directions away from each other by 180 °. The mounting brackets 76, 78 are about 30 ° away from the adjacent handle 66, and the protrusion 144 is about 90 ° away from the fixed brackets 76, 78 and the fixed bracket 106.

  In another embodiment shown in FIGS. 20-22, a through-hole 500 extending perpendicular to one side or arm of the bowl yoke portion 20 is provided, and a rotating pin assembly 502 is provided therein. The pin assembly 502 includes a bushing 504 fixedly disposed in the opening 500 and a pin 506 that passes through the bushing 504 and is rotatable with respect to the bushing 504. Above the bushing is an annular lip 508 embedded in the seating surface at the top of the through-hole 500, and above the pin 506 is a corresponding lip 510 received on the annular lip 508. When the pin rotates, the lower surface of the lip 510 slides over the entire upper surface of the lip 508. In order to prevent the pin 506 from coming off from the bushing 504, a fixing pin, a nut assembly or other structure (not shown) may be provided on the lower portion 512 of the pin extending from the bottom surface of the yoke portion 20. In the illustrated embodiment, the exposed top 514 of the pin 506 is square (when viewed from the top). The pin lower portion 512 may also include a rectangular shape as shown.

  Bowl 520 includes a bracket mechanism 522 having upper and lower bracket extensions 524 and 526. The upper bracket extension 524 includes a square opening that engages the square portion 514 of the pin, and the lower bracket extension 526 includes a slot that extends substantially radially (relative to the vertical axis of the bowl), which is the pin lower portion 512. Engage with. When the bowl 520 rotates, the rotational force is transmitted to the pin 506 by the bracket mechanism 522, and the pin rotates in the bushing 504. Note that the upper and lower portions of the pins and the corresponding bracket openings can be non-circular (e.g., oval, elliptical, triangular, shaped with four or more sides, or some indefinite shape). Furthermore, in order to transmit the force of moving the bowl to the pin and rotate the pin, only one of the upper part and the lower part of the pin may be non-circular and the other may be circular. The bowl may include a second bracket mechanism 530 on the opposite side to secure the bowl in a closed position relative to the yoke portion 20. The bracket mechanism can include an opening and an inclined surface as described above.

  The embodiment of FIGS. 20-22 can be combined with the previously described bowl closing position sensor device, or other suitable bowl closing position sensor device (eg, a mechanical, optical or magnetic sensor, etc.). Corresponding protrusions can be provided on the bowl to activate the bowl closing position sensor. The same control as described above can be performed based on the open / closed state of the bowl and the raised / lowered state of the yoke portion.

  As the bracket extension 524 moves downward toward the pin when the bowl is attached to the mixer body, a cooperating surface is provided such that the pin rotates and is properly aligned with the bracket extension opening. Additional features, such as providing each on the bracket 524, can be added to the embodiments shown in FIGS. In another modification, a torsion spring mechanism may be provided in the pin assembly 502 so that the pin 506 is always urged to a certain position when an external force that rotates the pin does not act.

  FIGS. 23-28 show another alternative embodiment with a two-piece swivel bowl mechanism, which uses a bowl collar 600 mounted in a pivotal relationship with the yoke portion 20 of the mixer body, The bowl collar supports the bowl 602 during mixing and swiveling. Although the bowl collar in the illustrated embodiment is generally U-shaped, the collar can also form a closure ring (as schematically illustrated by the dashed line in FIG. 28). The collar 600 includes an upper opening 604 and a downwardly extending bracket 606 with an extension 608 that includes a slot 610. The mixer body yoke portion 20 includes an upper pin member 612 and a lower pin member 614 that engage the opening 604 and slot 610 so that the bowl collar can rotate about a pivot axis defined by the pin member. It is like that. These pin members can be fixed or rotatable according to the pin and bushing arrangement described above. The illustrated bowl collar 600 includes bowl mounting pins 616, 618, and the bowl 602 includes correspondingly spaced mounting brackets 620, 622 that open to receive the mounting pins 614, 616. And the bowl is supported by the collar 600 so that it can pivot with the collar 600. Further, the bowl 602 may include an outer band member 630 that is arranged to rest on the upper surface of the collar 600. The collar 600 may also include an opening 624 that is used to secure the collar 600 in the closed position (e.g., by interaction with the pin retracting downward as described above). The bowl 602 can be easily removed from the bowl collar 600 for cleaning and the like. In this configuration, the protrusion for starting the bowl closing position sensor can be provided on either the bowl collar 600 or the bowl 602. In general, such a member is provided on the bowl itself and the bowl is not attached. It is preferred that the specific function of the mixer is not restricted when only the bowl collar is moved to the closed position.

  Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, it is obvious that improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Mixer 12 Mixer main body 13 Main part 14 Transmission head 15 Output component 16 Mixer element 18 Bowl 20 Yoke part 21 Band part 22 Mounting structure 23 Upper rim 24 Pin 26 Pin 28 Pin arm 30 Pin arm 32 Bracket 34 Bracket 36 Hole 38 Hole 40 Detent Mechanism 40 'detent mechanism 42 washer 44 opening 46 peg 47 washer 49 recess 50 yoke base 52 guide rail 54 guide rail 60 fixing bracket 62 fixing pin 66 handle 64 opening 71 mounting structure 72 bowl 74 outer surface 76 bracket 78 bracket 80 opening 80 'opening 82 pin 84 pin 102 bowl 104 detent mechanism 106 bracket 109 opening 110 fixed handle 111 opening 112 cam 113 driving pin 114 fixed Pin 117 Fixed pin tip 120 Pad 130 Sensor 132 Plunger 136 Limit switch 137 Switch plate 139 Actuation assembly 140 Spring 141 Trigger 144 Protrusion 170 Control circuit 172 User input panel 176 Bowl up / down switch 178 Bowl up / down drive 180 signal Display device 500 Through-hole 502 Pin assembly 504 Bushing 506 Pin 508 Annular lip 510 Lip 514 Pin upper part 520 Bowl 524 Bracket extension 522 Bracket mechanism 524 Upper bracket extension 526 Lower bracket extension 530 Bracket mechanism 600 Bowl collar 602 Bowl 604 Opening 606 Bracket 610 Slot 616 Mounting pin 618 Mounting pin 620 Mounting bracket 6 2 mounting bracket

Claims (2)

A mixer body having a rotatable output component extending downward;
A bowl support disposed below the output component;
At least one rotatable pin member attached to the bowl support and defining a bowl pivot axis;
A bushing formed with a through hole for rotatably receiving the pin member,
An opening for receiving the bushing is formed in the bowl support portion, and the bushing is inserted into the opening together with the pin member so that the pin member rotates relative to the bushing. Mixer device.   The mixer apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a bowl that engages with a pin member used for rotation between a mixing position relative to the mixer body and an open position relative to the mixer body.

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