The present invention relates to the technical field of multi-purpose food preparation appliances.
The present invention relates more particularly to multi-purpose food preparation appliances comprising a hand-held motorized housing and comprising several types of drive outputs configured for use with either removable rotary work tools or removable work accessories.
Document WO96/25/081 discloses an appliance of the aforementioned type in which the motorized housing has a rear opening provided for mounting a mixing accessory. This document proposes to mount the mixing accessory in a cylindrical barrel supported by the electric motor. The end of the mixing accessory that engages in the housing thus has a relatively small cross-section. One drawback of the aforementioned embodiment is that the axis of the mixing accessory must be correctly aligned with the axis of the drive output so that the mixing accessory can be mounted. Mounting the mixing accessory can be challenging.
The present invention aims to remedy this disadvantage. The technical problem behind the invention is to facilitate the mounting of a removable work accessory comprising a connecting element and a rotary drive unit, such as a mixing accessory, on a hand-held motorized housing of a multi-purpose food preparation appliance.
One purpose of the invention is to provide a hand-held housing for a multi-purpose food preparation appliance, in which the mounting of a removable work accessory comprising a connecting element and a rotary drive unit is facilitated.
A further purpose of the invention is to provide a hand-held housing for a multi-purpose food preparation appliance, in which the mounting of a removable work accessory comprising a connecting element and a rotary drive unit is facilitated and the construction of which is simple to achieve.
Another purpose of the invention is to provide a multi-purpose food preparation appliance comprising a hand-held housing and a removable work accessory comprising a connecting element and a rotary drive unit, in which the mounting of the removable work accessory in the housing is facilitated.
A further purpose of the invention is to provide a multi-purpose food preparation appliance comprising a hand-held housing and a removable work accessory comprising a connecting element and a rotary drive unit, in which the mounting of the removable work accessory in the housing is facilitated and the construction of which is simple to achieve.
These purposes are achieved with a hand-held housing for a multi-purpose food preparation appliance, housing an electric motor, the housing having at least one and preferably two first drive output(s) driven by the electric motor and (each) configured to drive a removable rotary work tool, the housing having an opening configured for mounting a removable work accessory, the housing having retaining members configured to engage with a connecting element of the work accessory mounted in the opening, the housing having a second drive output driven by the electric motor and configured to drive a rotary drive unit of the work accessory mounted in the opening, due to the fact that the retaining members are arranged on an outer part of a protrusion arranged inside the housing around the second drive output and that the retaining members are configured to engage with an inner part of the connecting element. These provisions enable the retaining members to be housed in the housing while facilitating the placement of the connecting element in the housing. The connecting element may be engaged in the opening around the protrusion and then guided by the protrusion as engagement continues.
The protrusion may have a frustoconical end. This provision makes it easier to guide the connecting element.
The retaining members may be supported by a structural piece arranged in the housing behind the opening. This provision makes the housing easier to make and simplifies its construction.
The second drive output may run through the structural piece. This provision improves the mechanical strength of the structural piece, compared to a structural piece with a notch for the passage of the second drive output, or allows for smaller dimensions creating a space for the passage of the second drive output, which helps simplify the construction of the housing.
The frustoconical end may be formed by an annular cover mounted on the structural piece. This provision makes the housing easier to make and simplifies its construction.
The structural piece may form a cavity opening into the opening, with the retaining members being arranged in the cavity. This provision makes the housing easier to make and simplifies its construction.
The structural piece may form a slider on which slides a panel capable of occupying an open position in which the opening is uncovered and a closed position in which the opening is covered by the panel. This provision makes it possible to conceal the second drive output, while keeping construction simple.
The slider may have guide ridges and the panel may have guide notches sliding on the guide ridges when the panel is moved between the open and closed positions, or inversely. This provision makes the panel easier to move, while keeping construction simple.
The structural piece may extend into a rear strut of the housing. This provision makes the slidably mounted panel easier to make.
The housing may have a handle extending from the rear strut. This provision makes the housing easier to use.
The housing may comprise two outer half-shells, with the structural piece held between the two assembled outer half-shells. This provision makes the housing easier to make.
These purposes are also achieved with a multi-purpose food preparation appliance comprising a hand-held housing and a removable work accessory configured to be mounted in the housing, the work accessory comprising a rotary drive unit and a connecting element, in that the housing conforms to at least one of the aforementioned features. These provisions make the multi-purpose food preparation appliance easier to make.
The inner part may have internal fastening members that engage with the retaining members when the work accessory is mounted in the opening. This provision makes the work accessory easier to make.
The inner part may be part of an annular wall of the connecting element. This provision makes the work accessory easier to make and improves its robustness.
The annular wall may cover the protrusion when the work accessory is mounted in the opening. This provision makes it easier to place the work accessory in the housing.
The purposes, aspects and advantages of this invention, according to the description given below of a particular embodiment of the invention presented by way of non-limiting example, and of variants, will be better understood by referring to the attached drawings in which:
The rotary work tools 2 shown in
The work accessory 3 shown in
As can be seen in
The housing 1 has a handle 6 configured to use the housing 1 with the rotary work tools 2 or with the work accessory 3. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in the figures, the handle 6 is a closed handle. The handle 6 has an elongated gripping area 7. The handle 6 extends between a front strut 8 and a rear strut 9 of the housing 1. The handle 6 is connected to the main part of the housing 1 housing the electric motor 10 via the front strut 8 and the rear strut 9. As a variant, the handle 6 could in particular be an open handle connected by a single strut to the main part of the housing 1 housing the electric motor 10.
The housing 1 has two first drive outputs 11, only one of which can be seen in
As can be seen more clearly in
In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in the figures, the connecting element 30 has an annular edge 38 and an annular wall 39. The inner part 32 of the work accessory 3 that engages with the retaining members 14 is part of the annular wall 39. The internal fastening members 37 are arranged inside the annular wall 39. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in the figures, two internal fastening members 37 are arranged facing each other inside the annular wall 39.
The second drive output 12 is configured to drive the rotary drive unit 31 of the work accessory 3 mounted in the opening 13.
The housing 1 has retaining members 14, which can be seen more clearly in
As can be seen more clearly in
The housing 1 houses a structural piece 20, which can be seen more clearly in
In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in the figures, the frustoconical end 17 is formed by an annular cover 18. As can be seen in
A device for closing the opening 13 may be provided to conceal the second drive output 12 when the work accessory 3 is not mounted in the housing 1.
In the variant embodiment illustrated in
The structural piece 20 forms a slider 22 on which the panel 23 slides. The structural piece 20 extends into the rear strut 9. The panel 23 is thus arranged inside the housing 1. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in the figures, the structural piece 20 is held between the two assembled outer half-shells 4; 5.
The panel 23 may have an actuating member 26. Preferably, the actuating member 26 is protruding. Preferably, the actuating member 26 is adjacent to the opening 13 when the panel 23 is in the open position, as shown in
As can be more clearly seen in
The housing 1 illustrated in
In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in the figures, the internal fastening members 37 and the retaining members 14 are part of a bayonet-type locking device. As a variant, the internal fastening members 37 and the retaining members 14 could in particular be part of a screw-on locking device, if desired of the quarter-turn type.
To remove the work accessory 3, the user rotates the work accessory 3 in the opposite direction relative to the housing 1 to disengage the internal fastening members 37 from the retaining members 14. After removing the work accessory 3, the user can slide the panel 23 down to close the opening 13.
As a variant, the panel 23 provided to close the opening 13 is not necessarily arranged inside the housing 1. If desired, the panel 23 may be arranged outside the housing 1.
As a variant, the panel 23 provided to close the opening 13 is not necessarily slidably mounted on a structural piece 20 arranged inside the housing 1. If desired, the panel 23 may be slidably mounted on one or both of the outer half-shells 4, 5.
As a variant, the panel 23 provided to close the opening 13 is not necessarily slidably mounted. The panel 23 may be pivotally mounted on or in the housing 1.
As a variant, the opening 13 may be closed by a removably mounted plug. If desired, the plug may engage with the retaining members 14 and be mounted on the housing 1 in a similar manner to the work accessory 3.
As a variant, the housing 1 may have at least one and preferably two first drive output(s) 11 driven by the electric motor 10, with the first drive output(s) 11 each being configured to drive a removable rotary work tool 2.
As a variant, other types of rotary work tools 2 may be considered. The rotary work tools 2 are not necessarily whisks, but may in particular be kneading hooks.
As a variant, other types of work accessories 3 may be considered. The work accessory 3 is not necessarily a mixing stand, but may in particular be a ricer accessory, or an accessory for crushing ice cubes.
Of course, the invention is in no way limited to the embodiment described and illustrated and to its variants, which have only been provided by way of example. Changes can still be made, particularly with regard to the constitution of the various elements or by substituting technical equivalents, without departing from the scope of protection of the invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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FR2012501 | Dec 2020 | FR | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2021/083374 | 11/29/2021 | WO |