Patent Application
20180161741
A food processing machine can include mechanisms for rendering a food preparation from a set of ingredients. For example, a blender can include a carafe with a blending mechanism for blending a set of ingredients inside the carafe. A user of the blender can add ingredients to the carafe, pour liquid into the carafe, and then blend the ingredients inside the carafe.
In general, in one aspect, the invention relates to a food processing machine with liquid injection. The food processing machine can include: a reservoir for holding a liquid; and an injection mechanism for conveying the liquid from the reservoir into a container for processing a set of ingredients.
In general, in another aspect, the invention relates to a method for food processing. The method can include: providing a reservoir for holding a liquid; and injecting the liquid from the reservoir into a container for processing a set of ingredients.
Other aspects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.
Embodiments of the present invention are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements.
Reference will now be made in detail to the various embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Like elements in the various figures are denoted by like reference numerals for consistency. While described in conjunction with these embodiments, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the disclosure to these embodiments. On the contrary, the disclosure is intended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, in the following detailed description of the present disclosure, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, it will be understood that the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the present disclosure.
In one or more embodiments, the ingredients 140 can be freeze-dried ingredients for a soup, a smoothie, a nutritional supplement, etc., to name a few examples. The ingredients 140 can be prepackaged inside the container 130. The ingredients 140 can be added to the container 130 by a user of the food processing machine 100. The ingredients 140 can be a combination of prepackaged ingredients and ingredients added by a user.
The reservoir 110 can hold a “cold” liquid, e.g., liquid at an ambient temperature. The reservoir 110 can hold a hot liquid. In one or more embodiments, the hot liquid, e.g., hot water, can be used for blending soups, thawing and blending frozen ingredients, etc.
The injection mechanism 120 can include an electric pump for conveying liquid from the reservoir 110 into the container 130. The container 130 can include an injection port 150 that enables liquid to enter the container 130. For example, the injection port 150 can include a valve or other opening that enables liquid arriving under pressure at the injection port 150 to enter the container 130.
In some embodiments, the injection mechanism 120 can inject liquid into the container 130 through an open top of the container 130.
In one or more embodiments, the container 130 includes a pressure release mechanism 330. The pressure release mechanism 330 can prevent high pressure buildup inside the container 130 by releasing an amount of air from the container 130 equivalent to an amount of liquid injected into the container 130. The pressure release mechanism 330 can be a valve that opens when the pressure inside the container 130 exceeds a predetermined amount of pressure. The pressure release mechanism 330 can vent steam buildup from inside the container 130. In some embodiments, the container attachment 220 can include the pressure release mechanism 330.
In some embodiments, the container attachment 220 can include a manual pressure release mechanism for releasing pressure from inside the container 130 when a user actuates the manual pressure release mechanism, e.g., by pressing a button of the container attachment 220. A manual pressure release mechanism can be integrated with a mechanism that enables a user to release the container attachment 220 from the container 130.
The food processing machine 100 in this embodiment includes a container attachment 420 that couples to the container 130. The container attachment 420 includes an injection port 450 that enables liquid from the reservoirs 410-412 to be injected into the container 130.
In some embodiments, the injection mechanisms 430-432 can inject liquid directly into the container 130, e.g., through an open top of the container 130.
The machine controller 580 can activate the heating element 414, the injection mechanisms 430-432, and the drive mechanism 584 at the appropriate times with the appropriate control settings to process the ingredients 140 inside the container 130. For example, the machine controller 580 can activate the heating element 414 when processing of the ingredients 140 requires heated liquid, and apply the appropriate control settings for liquid temperature, etc. In another example, the machine controller 580 can activate the injection mechanism 430 or the injection mechanism 432, or both, at the appropriate times or intervals to inject hot or cold liquid or a combination of hot and cold liquid into the container 130. In yet another example, the machine controller 580 can activate the drive mechanism 584 at the appropriate times or intervals and speeds to process the ingredients 140 inside the container 130. In yet another example, the machine controller 580 can perform a maintenance cycle in which vinegar from one of the reservoirs is pumped through the system. A cleaning cycle can be adapted to what kind of liquid has been used to process the ingredients 140, e.g., milk, coconut milk, etc.
In some embodiments, the machine controller 580 can maintain preheated liquid in a small reservoir for quickly thawing the ingredients 140.
In one or more embodiments, the food processing machine 100 includes a food-pack sensor 582 that scans a food-pack code from a food-pack that contains the ingredients 140. For example, the food-pack sensor 582 can include a scanning mechanism for scanning a bar code, QR code, etc., from a food-pack that contains the ingredients 140. In one or more embodiments, the ingredients 140 are prepackaged inside the container 130 and the food-pack sensor 582 reads a food-pack code from a surface of the container 130.
The machine controller 580 can activate the heating element 414, the injection mechanisms 430-432, and the drive mechanism 584 in response to the food-pack code read from the container 130. For example, the timing parameters and settings for the heating element 414, the injection mechanisms 430-432, and the drive mechanism 584 for processing the ingredients 140 inside the container 130 can be encoded in a food-pack code.
In one or more embodiments, the food processing machine 100 includes a user interface mechanism 530, e.g., a touchscreen, that enables a user to provide inputs to the machine controller 580. A user can enter their preferences pertaining to the processing of the ingredients 140 via the user interface mechanism 530. The machine controller 580 can adjust the processing parameters for the heating element 414, the injection mechanisms 430-432, and the drive mechanism 584 accordingly. For example, if a user specifies a preference for thicker soup preparations, the machine controller 580 can adjust the liquid heating and injection parameters accordingly to yield a thicker soup from the ingredients 140.
In one or more embodiments, the container 130 is a blending carafe. In one or more other embodiments, the container 130 is a disposable blending sleeve that slips into a blending carafe. In still other embodiments, the container 130 is a stirring bowl.
In one or more embodiments, the food processing machine 100 includes a mechanism, e.g., a flow meter, flow gauge, etc., for measuring a volume of liquid injected into the container 130. A mechanism for measuring a volume of liquid can measure a volume of liquid at ambient temperature or a volume of heated liquid, or both.
The module 606 includes an upper portion 610 that houses the reservoir 410. The module 606 includes a lower portion 612 that houses the reservoir 412 with the heating element 414. The module 606 also houses the injection mechanisms 430-432.
In one or more embodiments, the modules 602 and 604 can function without the module 606 which can be added as an option. For example, a user can add liquid manually into the container 130.
The lower portion 612 contains the reservoir 412 with the heating element 414. The lower portion 612 contains the injection mechanisms 430-432 which are respective pumps for the cold liquid from the reservoir 410 and the hot liquid from the reservoir 412.
Also shown is a blending sleeve 1220 that slips inside the blending carafe 1230. The ingredients 140 can be prepackaged inside the blending sleeve 1220, or added into the blending sleeve 1220 by a user, or both. The container attachment 420 acts on the ingredients 140 inside the blending sleeve 1220.
In one or more embodiments, the blending sleeve 1220 includes a pressure release valve 1230 for preventing excessive pressure buildup inside the blending sleeve 1220 when hot liquid is injected into the blending sleeve 1220 via the injection port 450 of the container attachment 420 and the ingredients 140 are processed inside the blending sleeve 1220.
In one or more embodiments, a structure 1330 is formed in a corner of a top surface 1306 of the upper portion 610. The structure 1330 facilitates replenishing of the reservoir 410. A user can carry the module 606 to a liquid source, e.g., a water faucet, a water dispenser of a refrigerator, etc., or use a pitcher or other container of liquid, and structure the 1330 can be opened/closed to facilitate replenishing of the reservoir 410.
The stirring bowl 1430 connects to the drive mechanism 584 via a stirring attachment 1420. The opening 810 of the conduit 812 carries liquid from the reservoirs 410-412 to an injection port 1250 of the stirring attachment 1420 and injects liquid into the stirring bowl 1430.
At step 1810, a reservoir for holding a liquid is provided. The reservoir can hold a liquid at an ambient temperature. The reservoir can hold a hot liquid. At step 1820, the liquid from the reservoir is injected into a container for processing a set of ingredients. The ingredients can be prepackaged in the container or added by a user.
While the foregoing disclosure sets forth various embodiments using specific diagrams, flowcharts, and examples, each diagram component, flowchart step, operation, and/or component described and/or illustrated herein may be implemented, individually and/or collectively, using a range of processes and components.
The process parameters and sequence of steps described and/or illustrated herein are given by way of example only. For example, while the steps illustrated and/or described herein may be shown or discussed in a particular order, these steps do not necessarily need to be performed in the order illustrated or discussed. The various example methods described and/or illustrated herein may also omit one or more of the steps described or illustrated herein or include additional steps in addition to those disclosed.
While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments may be devised which do not depart from the scope of the invention as disclosed herein.
