NZ598788B - Torque limiting disposable agitator for a food mixer - Google Patents
Torque limiting disposable agitator for a food mixer Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- NZ598788B NZ598788B NZ598788A NZ59878812A NZ598788B NZ 598788 B NZ598788 B NZ 598788B NZ 598788 A NZ598788 A NZ 598788A NZ 59878812 A NZ59878812 A NZ 59878812A NZ 598788 B NZ598788 B NZ 598788B
- Authority
- NZ
- New Zealand
- Prior art keywords
- stem
- agitator
- wall
- food
- torque
- Prior art date
Links
- 235000013305 food Nutrition 0.000 title claims abstract description 36
- 238000002156 mixing Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 18
- 230000001419 dependent Effects 0.000 claims 3
- 235000015243 ice cream Nutrition 0.000 description 14
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 4
- 229920003023 plastic Polymers 0.000 description 4
- 238000004140 cleaning Methods 0.000 description 3
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 description 3
- 229920001634 Copolyester Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 241000272168 Laridae Species 0.000 description 1
- 210000001138 Tears Anatomy 0.000 description 1
- 235000013409 condiments Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000011109 contamination Methods 0.000 description 1
- 235000013410 fast food Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 150000002500 ions Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000006011 modification reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
- A23G—COCOA; COCOA PRODUCTS, e.g. CHOCOLATE; SUBSTITUTES FOR COCOA OR COCOA PRODUCTS; CONFECTIONERY; CHEWING GUM; ICE-CREAM; PREPARATION THEREOF
- A23G9/00—Frozen sweets, e.g. ice confectionery, ice-cream; Mixtures therefor
- A23G9/04—Production of frozen sweets, e.g. ice-cream
- A23G9/08—Batch production
- A23G9/12—Batch production using means for stirring the contents in a non-moving container
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
- A23G—COCOA; COCOA PRODUCTS, e.g. CHOCOLATE; SUBSTITUTES FOR COCOA OR COCOA PRODUCTS; CONFECTIONERY; CHEWING GUM; ICE-CREAM; PREPARATION THEREOF
- A23G9/00—Frozen sweets, e.g. ice confectionery, ice-cream; Mixtures therefor
- A23G9/04—Production of frozen sweets, e.g. ice-cream
- A23G9/22—Details, component parts or accessories of apparatus insofar as not peculiar to a single one of the preceding groups
- A23G9/224—Agitators or scrapers
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47J—KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES
- A47J43/00—Implements for preparing or holding food, not provided for in other groups of this subclass
- A47J43/04—Machines for domestic use not covered elsewhere, e.g. for grinding, mixing, stirring, kneading, emulsifying, whipping or beating foodstuffs, e.g. power-driven
- A47J43/07—Parts or details, e.g. mixing tools, whipping tools
- A47J43/0705—Parts or details, e.g. mixing tools, whipping tools for machines with tools driven from the upper side
- A47J43/0711—Parts or details, e.g. mixing tools, whipping tools for machines with tools driven from the upper side mixing, whipping or cutting tools
-
- B01F13/045—
-
- B01F7/00025—
-
- B01F7/0005—
-
- B01F7/001—
-
- B01F7/00333—
-
- B01F7/00666—
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T29/00—Metal working
- Y10T29/49—Method of mechanical manufacture
- Y10T29/49826—Assembling or joining
Abstract
598788 An agitator 10 adapted to be attached to a rotatable shaft to mix food comprising a stem 11 having a first wall 20 spaced from a second wall and a third wall 21 extending generally centrally between the first and second walls, a shaft coupler 12 at one end of the stem 11 adapted to be attached to the shaft, and a blade 13 for mixing the food at the other end of the stem 11. The stem 11 has a weakened area where the stem 11 will break if a predetermined amount of torque is encountered by the agitator 10. The weakened area includes notches 22 formed in the first and second walls, with the notches 22 leaving a web 23 between the notches 22 in each of the first and second walls. ed to the shaft, and a blade 13 for mixing the food at the other end of the stem 11. The stem 11 has a weakened area where the stem 11 will break if a predetermined amount of torque is encountered by the agitator 10. The weakened area includes notches 22 formed in the first and second walls, with the notches 22 leaving a web 23 between the notches 22 in each of the first and second walls.
Description
PATENTS FORM NO. 5 Our ref: BFR 233892 NZPR
NEW ZEALAND
PATENTS ACT 1953
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
Torque limiting disposable agitator for a food mixer
We, Vita-Mix Corporation, a United States of America corporation of 8615 Usher Road,
Cleveland, Ohio 44138, United States of America, hereby declare the invention, for which we
pray that a patent may be granted to us and the method by which it is to be performed, to be
particularly bed in and by the following statement:
1 (followed by page ’la)
TORQUE LIMITING DISPOSABLE AGITATOR FOR A FOOD MIXER
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a disposable agitator for mixing food
products, such as ice cream or the like, which is formed in the shape of a
spoon so that the user may utilize it to consume the food after the mixing is
complete. More specifically, this invention s to such an or, and its
method of construction, which will break cleanly at a predetermined location
discernable to the user if the food product is too hard.
BACKGROUND ART
Food mixing machines are commonly utilized by convenience stores,
fast food establishments or the like, particularly those that blend condiments or
other foods into ice cream in a container for consumption by the customer with
a spoon. The blending is typically performed by an agitator carried at the
bottom of a ng shaft. The ice cream and other foods to be d are
provided to the user in a container, and the agitator is positioned in the ice
cream to blend the t. After use, the agitator must be cleaned to avoid
contamination of the next product to be blended.
In order to avoid the step of cleaning the agitator, disposable plastic
agitators have been developed which are placed on the rotating shaft prior to
use, and d from the rotating shaft after use. As a result, the shaft does
not need to be d n each usage.
Some of those disposable agitators have been formed in the shape
of a spoon. in those devices, the bowl of the spoon mixes the product and the
stem of the spoon is hollow and is positioned by the user over at least a portion
of the rotatable shaft of the food mixer. The spoon shaft is provided with a clip
which is snapped over a rib provided on the rotatable shaft to attach the spoon
to the shaft. The product is then blended by the user and the spoon removed
3O from the shaft. This system is advantageous not only because of the saving of
time by not having to clean the agitator after each use, but also the spoon can
be used by the customer to consume the food thereby saving the
establishment the cost of providing a conventional spoon to the customer.
1a (followed by page 2)
However, if these plastic agitators are attempted to be utilized to mix
ice cream or other products which are too hard, as by being too cold, it is
le that when the bowl of the spoon is placed in the ice cream and the
agitator rotated, the agitator could break as it is twisted. Such breakage, if left
uncontrolled, would occur at a random location along the stem of the spoon
which could create sharp orjagged edges along the stern of the spoon. The
random ge could also occur at the bowl of the spoon and could result in
small fragments of the bowl of the spoon being disposed in the blended
product, or could result with the bowl of the spoon having sharp edges. ln
either ce, such breakage of the spoon could constitute a potential safety
risk to an individual failing to inspect the spoon prior to using it to consume the
blended product.
Thus, the need exists to provide a disposable plastic spoon-shaped
or which, if breakage does occur, will not break randomly but rather will
break cleanly at a location easily discerned by the customer.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
It is thus an object of one aspect of the present invention to provide
a rotatable agitator for a food mixer which will break at a predetermined
location when encountering a torque force of a predetermined size resisting the
rotation.
It is an object of another aspect of the present invention to provide
an agitator, as above, which when used to mix ice cream will break at a
predetermined ature of the ice cream.
It is an object of r aspect of the present invention to e a
method of constructing the agitator with the above-described features.
Alternatively it is an object to at least provide the consumer with a
useful choice.
These and other s of the present invention, as well as the
3O advantages thereof over existing prior art forms, which will become apparent
from the description to follow, are accomplished by the improvements
hereinafter described and claimed.
In general, an agitator adapted to be attached to a rotatable shaft to
mix food includes a stem, a shaft coupler at one end of the stem adapted to be
attached to the shaft, and a blade for mixing the food at the other end of the
stem. The stem has a weakened area where the stem will break if a
predetermined amount of torque is encountered by the agitator.
A method of constructing an agitator for mixing foods and having a
stem which will break when a ermined torque is encountered by the
stem includes the step of providing a weakened area in the stem at a desired
discernible on along the stem.
r method for constructing an agitator for mixing food and
having a stem which will break when a predetermined torque is encountered
includes the steps of providing a ed area in the stem, and determining
the size of the weakened area depending on the size of the predetermined
torque.
A preferred exemplary rotatable agitator according to the ts of
the t invention is shown by way of example in the accompanying
drawings without attempting to show all the various forms and modifications in
which the ion might be embodied, the invention being measured by the
appended claims and not by the details of the specification.
The words ‘comprise’, ‘comprising’ and the like are to be construed
in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense, that is
to say, in the sense of ‘including but not d to’.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an agitator made in accordance with
the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the agitator of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the agitator of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a somewhat schematic view showing the agitator attached
to a rotatable shaft and mixing ice cream in a cup.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FOR NG OUT THE INVENTION
3O A food mixing agitator made in accordance with the present
invention is generally indicated by the numeral 10. Agitator 10 is preferably
made of a copolyester or polycabonate plastic material and can take on any
conventional shape, but is advantageously shown as being in the shape of a
spoon. As such, agitator 10 includes a stem portion, generally ted by the
numeral 11, a shaft coupler portion, generally indicated by the numeral 12 and
formed at one end of stem portion 11, and a blade portion 13 which is in the
shape of the bowl of a spoon and which is formed at the other end of stem
n 11.
Coupler portion 12 of agitator 10 es a lly rectangular
hollow socket generally indicated by the numeral 14 and having an open top.
Socket 14 is defined by a bottom surface 15, opposed side walls 16 extending
upwardly from bottom surface 15, and opposed offset slats 17 extending
between side walls 16. A flexible clip 18 is d by one of the side walls 16
and extends ly over the top of socket 14. A look barb 19 is positioned
on clip 18 above the top of socket 14.
The stem portion 11 of agitator 10 is in the shape of an l—beam and
includes opposed side walls 20 d by a central wall 21. Walls 20 and 21
extend downwardly from bottom surface 15 of socket 14 to blade portion 13.
This l—beam shape provides strength to spoon agitator 10 to resist potential
torque and breakage when in operation.
r, if agitator 10 is used to mix extremely frozen or hard
material; breakage of the blade portion 13 or even the l-beam stem portion 11
could occur on a random basis which, particularly if unnoticed, could injure the
user as previously described. To assure that if any breakage occurs, that it will
always occur at one discernible location, I-beam side walls 20 are provided
with opposed slots or notches 22 which extend inwardly toward each other
leaving a web 23 therebetween. An aperture 24 is provided through central
wall 21 and is preferably generally aligned with notches 22 and web 23. As
such, notches 22, web 23, and aperture 24 define a weakened area of the
stem portion 11 of agitator 10. As will hereinafter be more fully described, if
agitator 10 is to fracture, side walls 20 will do so at the weakened area of web
23, and central wall 21 will fracture at the area of aperture 24.
or 10 is intended to be used ily in conjunction with a
machine that mixes food products. For a full understanding of tanding
of a typical machine and its operation, reference is made to pending US.
Patent Application Serial No. 12/460,273 filed on July 17, 2009, which is
incorporated herein by reference.
In such a machine, agitator 10 is attached to a shaft 25, as shown in
Fig. 4, for rotation therewith. Such is lished by positioning the driver
and of shaft 25 into the socket 14. As the agitator 10 is being moved upwardly
to accomplish such connection, clip 18 flexes until lock barb 19 engages a
flange 26 on the driver end of shaft 25. Agitator 10 may be manually removed
from shaft 25 by merely pulling down an or 10, or the mixing machine
may be provided with an automatic agitator ejection system.
As shown, in Fig. 4, when or 10 is positioned in a food product
27, such as ice cream provided in a cup 28, shaft 25 begins to rotate and the
blade portion 13 begins to mix the food 27. But if the food is too hard and
thereby resists rotation of blade portion 13, and if the torque generated on
stem 11 s a ermined amount, before any other ge can
occur, stem 11 will sever at the weakened area defined by notches 22 and 23
and aperture 24. Such will essentially tear the copolyester material of agitator
at the weakened area rather than allowing it to randomly break at other
areas.
The size of the notches 22 and 23 and therefore the size of the web
23, and the size of the aperture 24, as well as the material of agitator 10,
dictate at what torque amount the stem 11 will break. For e, by making
web 23 smaller, stem 11 would break with less torque. Similarly, by making
aperture 24 bigger, stem 11 would break with less torque. Thus, the amount of
torque force needed to break stem 11 can be controlled by adjusting the size
of web 23, aperture 24 or both.
When mixing ice cream, the torque placed on stem 11 is a function
primarily of the temperature of the ice cream. Typically, cups of ice cream
When delivered to a convenience store or the like may be as cold as —15°F. As
they are stored at the establishment, they may warm up to 6"F for use by the
consumer. At such temperatures, stem breakage is typically not a problem.
However, if the cup is served when too cold, for example, at -6°F, stem
breakage could begin to be a problem. As a result, at least as a starting point,
the size of web 23 and aperture 24 may be set to allow stem 11 to sever at the
weakened area if the ice cream is of a hardness exemplified at -6°F. It has
been found that a web 23 of about 0.2 inch and an aperture 24 of about that
same dimension will permit ge of the stem at -6°F.
in light of the foregoing, it should thus be evident that a an agitator
for a food mixer constructed as described herein substantially improves the art
and otherwise accomplishes the objects of the present invention.
Claims (19)
- An agitator adapted to be attached to a rotatable shaft to mix food comprising a stem having a first wall spaced from a second wall and a third wall ing generally centrally between said first and second walls, a shaft coupler at one end of said stem adapted to be attached to the shaft, and a blade for mixing the food at the other end of said stem, said stem having a weakened area where said stem will break if a 10 predetermined amount of torque is encountered by the agitator, said ed area including notches formed in said first and second walls, said notches leaving a web between said notches in each of said first and second walls.
- 15 The agitator of claim 1 wherein said weakened area includes an aperture in said stem aligned with said web.
- The or of claim 2 wherein the size of said web and the size of said aperture are dependent upon the predetermined amount of torque.
- The or of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the predetermined amount of torque is based on the hardness of the food being mixed.
- The agitator of any one of claims 2 to 4 wherein the aperture is in said 25 third wall, said aperture being aligned with said web.
- The agitator of any one of the preceding claims wherein said blade is in the shape of the bowl of a spoon.
- 30 The agitator of any one of the preceding claims wherein the amount of torque encountered by said blade when mixing the food is dependent on the hardness of the food, said predetermined amount of torque being ined based on the hardness of the food.
- A method of ucting an agitator for mixing food and having a stem which will break when a predetermined torque is encountered by the stem, the stem having a first wall spaced from a second wall and a third wall extending generally between said first and second walls, the method comprising the step of providing a ed area in the stem at a desired discernible location along the stem, the weakened area including notches formed in said first and second walls, said notches leaving a web between said s in each of said first and second walls.
- 10 The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of determining the size of the weakened area dependent on the size of the predetermined torque.
- 10. The method of claim 8 or claim 9 wherein the step of providing a weakened area includes the step of ing an aperture in the stem.
- 11. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of ing a weakened area including the step of aligning the web with the aperture.
- 12. A method of ucting an agitator for mixing food and having a stem 20 which will break when a predetermined torque is encountered, the stem having a first wall spaced from a second wall and a third wall extending generally between said first and second walls, the method comprising the steps of providing a weakened area in the stem, and determining the size of the weakened area depending on the size of the predetermined , 25 the weakened area including notches formed in said first and second walls, said notches leaving a web between said notches in each of said first and second walls.
- 13. The method of claim 12 including the step of determining the 30 predetermined torque based on the hardness of the food to be mixed by the agitator.
- 14. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of providing a weakened area includes the step of providing a web and an aligned aperture in the stem.
- 15. An agitator adapted to be attached to a ble shaft to mix food comprising a stem including a generally flat first wall, a second wall at one end of said first wall and a third wall at the other end of said first wall, a shaft coupler at one end of said stem adapted to be attached to the shaft, and a blade for mixing the food at the other end of said stem, said stem having a weakened area where said stem will break if a ermined amount of torque is tered by the agitator, said weakened area including opposed notches formed in said second and third walls and an 10 aperture extending through said first wall.
- 16. The agitator of claim 15 wherein said opposed notches are aligned with said aperture. 15
- 17. The agitator of claim 15, wherein the size of the notches and the size of the aperture determine the predetermined amount of torque needed to break said stem.
- 18. An agitator substantially as bed herein with reference to the 2O accompanying drawings.
- 19. A method of constructing an agitator, substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US13/065,905 US8414183B2 (en) | 2011-04-01 | 2011-04-01 | Torque limiting disposable agitator for a food mixer |
US13/065,905 | 2011-04-01 |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
NZ598788A NZ598788A (en) | 2013-08-30 |
NZ598788B true NZ598788B (en) | 2013-12-03 |
Family
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