Patent Application
20220304511
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a blender, and more particularly to a container of a blender configured to receive one or more food items therein.
Blenders are commonly used to process a plurality of different food products, including liquids, solids, semi-solids, gels and the like. It is well-known that blenders are useful devices for blending, cutting, and dicing food products in a wide variety of commercial settings, including home kitchen use, professional restaurant or food services use, and large-scale industrial use. They offer a convenient alternative to chopping or dicing by hand, and often come with a range of operational settings and modes adapted to provide specific types or amounts of food processing, e.g., as catered to particular food products.
Several benefits can be achieved by forming a vacuum within a blender container or attachment either prior to or after a blending operation. For example, by forming a vacuum prior to a blending operation, the overall degradation of the nutritional properties of the ingredients being processes may be reduced. Accordingly, a blender container or attachment may include a seal that is movable to selectively form a vacuum within the blender container. However, when the blender container is used in high vibration environments, such as in a vehicle or when the container is being carried in a bag for example, it is possible that liquid or other ingredients from the interior of the blender container may leak through the seal.
According to an embodiment, an accessory for use in a food processing system having a processing chamber in a container with an interior surface and a rotatable blade assembly, the accessory including an accessory body receivable within the processing chamber of the attachment. The accessory body has an upper end, a lower end, and at least one sidewall extending between the first end and the second end to define an accessory interior. An opening to the accessory interior is arranged at the upper end and a filtering body extends from the accessory body. The filtering body is associable with the interior surface of the container to create an exit channel from the processing chamber.
In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments a filtering flange connects said filtering body to said accessory body, said filtering flange being positioned to block a portion of a flow from said processing chamber in an area adjacent said exit channel.
In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments at least a portion of said sidewall is permeable to a fluid flow.
In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments said filtering body is positionable within the processing chamber such that said exit channel is aligned with a spout of the container.
In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments said upper end includes a spout region disposed a greater distance from the interior surface of the container than a remainder of said upper end.
In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments said filtering body extends downwardly from said spout region of said accessory body.
In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments said filtering body includes an abutting end for contacting the interior surface of the container, said abutting end having a notch formed therein.
In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments said notch and the interior surface of the container cooperate to define an exit channel.
In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments said accessory body further comprises a lid configurable to selectively seal said opening at said upper end.
In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments said lid is removably associated with said upper end.
In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments said lid is rotatably coupled to said upper end.
In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments said lower end of said accessory body is positionable in contact with a bottom surface of the processing chamber.
In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments said accessory body includes a first portion adjacent said lower end and a second portion adjacent said upper end, said first portion and said second portion having different configurations.
In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments at least one of said first portion and said second portion is generally cylindrical in shape and the other of said first portion and said second portion is generally frustoconical in shape.
In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments comprising an opening to said accessory interior at said lower end, wherein a diameter of said opening at said lower end is greater than a diameter of the rotatable blade assembly.
According to another embodiment, a container assembly for a food processing system includes a sealable container body including a processing chamber having an interior surface and an open end, a rotatable blade assembly including at least one blade positioned within the chamber of the sealable body, and an accessory positionable within the chamber. The accessory includes an accessory body having an accessory interior, an upper end in communication with the accessory interior, and a filtering body extending from the accessory body. The filtering body being associable with the interior surface of the container body to create an exit channel from the processing chamber.
In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments a filtering flange connects said filtering body to said accessory body, said filtering flange being positioned to block a portion of a flow from said processing chamber in an area adjacent said exit channel.
In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments said accessory body includes a sidewall and at least a portion of said sidewall is permeable to a fluid flow.
In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments said container body includes a spout and said exit channel is aligned with said spout.
In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments said upper end includes a spout region disposed a greater distance from an interior surface of said container body than a remainder of said upper end.
In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments said filtering body extends downwardly from said spout region of said accessory body.
In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments said filtering body includes an abutting end for contacting an interior surface of the container, said abutting end having a notch formed therein.
In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments said notch and the interior surface of the container cooperate to define an exit channel.
In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments said accessory further comprises a lid connectable to said accessory body to seal said accessory interior.
In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments said sealable container body includes a vacuum channel selectively arranged in fluid communication with said processing chamber.
The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the specification embodies several aspects of the present invention and, together with the description, serves to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:
The detailed description explains embodiments of the invention, together with advantages and features, by way of example with reference to the drawings.
Referring now to
One or more attachments 30 varying in size and/or functionality may be configured for use with the base 22. An example of an attachment 30 is shown in
Another example of an attachment 30 suitable for use with the base 22 is illustrated in
In an embodiment, the food processing system 20 is operable to perform a vacuum operation. Accordingly, as best shown in
In an embodiment, one or more of the attachments 30 previously described are vacuum containers suitable for performing a vacuum operation of the food processing system 20. With reference now to
In an embodiment, the vacuum passage 60 is integrally formed with the body of the container 32. As best shown in
The lid 44 configured to selectively couple to the first open end 36 of the pitcher container 32 has at least one internal chamber formed therein, defined at least partially by a wall of the lid 44. As shown, the lid 44 may include a first chamber 64 located at a first side 66 thereof, and in some embodiments may include a second chamber 68 arranged adjacent a second side 70 thereof. Although the first chamber 64 and the second chamber 68 are shown as being disposed at opposite sides of the lid 44 (
In an embodiment, the lid 44 includes at least one component, such as a flap 72 for example, movable between a first closed position and a second open position, relative to the lid 44. When the flap 72 is in the first closed position, an interior facing surface 74 of the flap 72 defines an upper extent of first chamber 64. Alternatively, or in addition, a second flap 76 pivotal between a first closed position and a second open position, may be associated with access or operation of a release mechanism 78 disposed within the second chamber 68. Operation of the release mechanism 78 is configured to break the vacuum within the processing chamber 42 of the container 32, by allowing ambient air to flow therein.
When the lid 44 is affixed to the first open end 36 of the container 32, the first chamber 64 is arranged in fluid communication with the second end 80 of the vacuum passage 60 formed in the container 32. Accordingly, the first chamber 64 may be considered a vacuum chamber. In such embodiments, a second end 80 of the vacuum passage 60 may extend into or directly couple with the vacuum chamber 64. However, because the vacuum chamber 64 is disposed in the lid 44, in other embodiments, the vacuum passage 60 does not extend beyond the end 36 of the container 32. As a result, a portion of the vacuum passage 60 may be at least partially defined by the lid 44.
Further, a vacuum sealing assembly 82 movable between a sealed position and a unsealed position is disposed within the vacuum chamber 64 in fluid communication with the processing chamber 42 of the container 32. During a vacuum operation, the force applied to the vacuum sealing assembly 82 via the vacuum mechanism 52 causes the vacuum sealing assembly 82 to transform from a sealed position to an unsealed position. As a result, air from within the processing chamber 42 of the container 32 is evacuated from the processing chamber 42 via the vacuum passage 60. Once operation of the vacuum mechanism 52 ceases, the vacuum sealing assembly 82 will bias back to the sealed position, thereby preventing the flow of air into the processing chamber 42 such that a negative pressure is maintained therein. Although a vacuum sealing assembly 82 including an umbrella valve having a flange movable to selectively expose an opening in fluid communication with the processing chamber 42 is shown in the FIGS., it should be understood that any suitable vacuum sealing assembly 82 is within the scope of the disclosure.
A vacuum operation may be performed after food has been disposed within the processing chamber 42 but prior to performing a food processing operation. In another embodiment, a vacuum operation is initiated to draw a vacuum within the processing chamber 42 after a food processing operation has been performed. Forming a vacuum after a blending operation may be used to increase the shelf life or storage of the food products within the attachment 30. After a vacuum has been generated within the processing chamber 42 of the container 32 it is difficult, if not impossible to access the food product within the processing chamber 42 as a result of the forces acting thereon. Accordingly, a user should first break the vacuum within the container 32 by operating the release mechanism 78, thereby venting the processing chamber 42 of the container 32 to ambient via a release path, prior to accessing the contents within the interior 42 of the container 32.
With reference now to
As shown, the first portion 112 of the accessory body 102 may be generally cylindrical in shape and include an annular base 116, such as formed from a plastic material for example, configured to abut an end of the processing chamber 42. In an embodiment, the opening formed at the first end 104 of the accessory body 102 is sized to position the strainer 100 concentrically with the one or more rotatable blades 35 of the blade assembly 34 such that the rotatable blades 35 are located and freely operable within the accessory interior 110 of the strainer 100. In an embodiment, a contour of the annular base 116 is selected to properly position the strainer 100 within the processing chamber 42 and/or restrict unintended movement of the strainer 100 within the processing chamber 42.
A plurality of support members 118 extend upwardly from the annular base 116. Although the support members 118 are illustrated with a vertical orientation, embodiments where the support members 118 have another configuration are also within the scope of the disclosure. A partially permeable or porous material 120 extends between each of the plurality of support members 118 to define the sidewall 108 of the first portion 112. In an embodiment, the partially porous material 120 is a mesh or screen-like material having a plurality of small openings formed therein. The openings may be sized to allow a portion of the contents located within the accessory interior 110, such as liquid or blended food particles for example, to migrate outwardly from the accessory interior 110 defined by the first portion 112 of the strainer 100 into the processing chamber 42 of the pitcher container 32. The openings may similarly be sized to restrict the flow of a portion of the contents of the accessory interior 110 therefore, such as pulp or waste for example.
In the illustrated, non-limiting embodiment, the second portion 114 of the accessory body 102 has a funnel-like or frustoconical shape. As shown, the end 122 of the second portion 114 is generally complementary in size to the adjacent end 124 of the first portion 112. Because the portion of the sidewalls 108 that define the second portion 114 are angled outwardly relative to a central axis of the strainer 100, an internal diameter at the second upper end 106 of the accessory body 102 is greater than an internal diameter at the first lower end 104 of the accessory body 102. However, it should be understood that a second portion 114 having any shape is within the scope of the disclosure. In an embodiment shown in the FIGS., within the second portion 114, the sidewalls 108 are formed from a substantially solid, non-permeable material, such that none of the contents disposed within the accessory interior 110 of the strainer 100 is able to pass through the sidewalls 108 at the second portion 114 of the body 102.
Although the portion of the sidewalls 108 defined by the second portion 114 of the body 102 are illustrated as being substantially solid, embodiments where the sidewalls include an at least partially permeable material are also contemplated herein.
In an embodiment, the second upper end 106 of the accessory body 102 includes an outwardly extending flange 125, also referred to herein as a filtering flange, having one or more sides 126. The contour of the sides 126 of the flange is generally complementary to the interior of the pitcher container 32. For example, the flange 125 may be generally rectangular, and in some embodiments, square in shape, and in an embodiment, at least a portion of each side 126 abuts a corresponding sidewall 40 of the pitcher container 32. Alternatively, a sealing element 127 arranged about an outer periphery of the flange 125 may contact the sidewalls 40 of the pitcher container 32 in place of the flange 125. This sealing element may aid in restricting movement of the strainer 100 relative to the pitcher container 32 during not only a pouring operation, such as when the pitcher container 32 is in a tilted configuration, but also during a processing operation.
A lid 128 may be associated with to the second end 106 of the accessory body 102. The lid 128 may be removably connected to the accessory body 102, or alternatively, may be rotatably coupled thereto. In an embodiment, the lid 128 is formed from a generally solid material and has a contour complementary to the contour of the second upper end 106 of the body 102. The lid 128 may be connected to the accessory body 102 via any suitable connection mechanism including, but not limited to, a pressure-tight seal, a snap-fit engagement, and a threaded connection for example. It should be understood that any type of connection formed between the lid 128 and the accessory body 102 is contemplated herein. In an embodiment, the lid 128 may include a tab, loop, or opening 129 to allow a user to easily grasp and manipulate the strainer 100 relative to the pitcher container 32. In addition, the lid 128 may include a tab or other feature 135 to provide a user with an access point to easily grasp and manipulate the lid 128 relative to the accessory body 102.
In an embodiment, best shown in
Further, in an embodiment, the strainer 100 includes a filtering body 134 operable to restrict the flow from the pouring chamber 130. The filtering body 134 may include a flange, tab, or other protrusion that extends generally downwardly and outwardly from either the lid 128 or from the second end 106 of the accessory body 102, within the pouring chamber 130. As shown, the filtering body 134 extends from an outer periphery of the flange 125 such that the filtering body 134 is offset from an exterior surface of the sidewall 108. In an embodiment, the filtering body 134 extends downwardly from the spout region 131 of the flange 125.
A distal abutting end 136 of the filtering body 134 is configured to abut the interior surface of the pitcher container 32 when the accessory 100 is installed within the processing chamber 42. As shown, the abutting end 136 of the filtering body 134 is arranged at an angle to the rotational axis of the blade assembly 34 toward the interior surface of sidewall 40. The abutting end 136 of the filtering body 134 additionally includes a small cutout or notch 138. Although the cutout 138, best illustrated in
To use the strainer 100, the strainer 100 is installed within the processing chamber 42 of either a container 32 or a vacuum container 32, such that the rotatable blades 35 of the blade assembly 34 are located within the accessory interior 110 of the strainer 100. One or more food items to be processed are installed into the accessory interior 110 through the open second upper end 106 of the accessory body 102. Once the desired contents are installed therein, the lid 128 may be used to seal the upper end 106 of the accessory body 102 and the lid 44 may be positioned to seal the container 32. It should be understood that adding ingredients to be processed as described herein may include adding one or more ingredients to the processing chamber 42, at a position separate from and external to the accessory interior 110.
Once all of the desired ingredients have been added, a food processing operation may be performed to process or mix the food located within the accessory interior 110. As the food is processed, a portion of the processed food will migrate through the permeable portion of the sidewalls 108 of the accessory body 102; however, larger particles will remain trapped within the accessory interior 110, separate from the pouring chamber 130. Further, if a liquid was added to the processing chamber 42, the liquid is circulated through and mixed with the contents of the processing chamber 42, such as to infuse the liquid with the contents of the accessory interior 110. In embodiments where the container 32 is a vacuum container, a vacuum operation (i.e. reducing the pressure within the processing chamber 42 and therefore the accessory interior 110) may be performed prior to initiating the food processing operation. However, it should be understood that a vacuum operation may be performed at any time during such a food processing/infusion operation.
Once a desired level of fusion, mixing, and/or blending has been achieved, a user removes the lid 44 from the first end of the container 36 to pour the contents of the processing chamber 42, and more specifically, the contents of the pouring chamber 130 into a separate vessel. As best shown in
A strainer accessory 100 as illustrated and described herein when used in conjunction with a vacuum mechanism 52 prior to a food processing operation may provide a food product having increased vitamin retention, specifically vitamin C Exposure to oxygen during the blending process may cause the ingredients within the container 32 to degrade. By removing the oxygen from the container 32, the overall degradation of the nutritional properties of the ingredients being processes is reduced. Further, the infusion of the ingredients into a fluid may be additionally enhanced. In addition, use of the strainer in conjunction with a vacuum mechanism 52 may reduce the amount of undesirable foam produced during the food processing operation.
All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.
The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) is to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.
Exemplary embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. Variations of those embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2020/037484 | 6/12/2020 | WO |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62861812 | Jun 2019 | US |
