Vita-mix Corporation

Flurry International

John K Barnard

Richard D Boozer

Eugene J Kozlowski

Robert M Ulanski

Fred H Mehlman

Michael D Anton

Frank P Barnard

Sreenivasan Sankar

David A Brown

David J Kolar

David Jennett

A food processing assembly () includes a base member (), a container () and a cover (). The base member () has a platform portion () adapted to carry the container () and a housing portion () for a motor. A wall () of the housing () has a plurality of air inlet slots () and a gutter () protects the slots () from receiving any liquid which might be on the base member (). The container () has a sidewall () with an open top that has a peripheral rim (). A cover () includes a tab assembly () that has a notch () to receive the rim (). The vertical lifting of a handle portion () of the tab assembly () removes the cover () from the container (). A spout () and a handle () are formed near the top of the container (). A heat shield () includes a body portion () which is attached to the sidewall () at a location under the spout (), and it also includes a flap (). The body portion () protects the hand of the user when engaging the sidewall () of the container () and the flap () protects the hand of the user from drippings from the spout ().

Food processing machine

A food mixing machine () has an agitator () to mix food in a cup (C). A cup holder () is provided with a flexible boot () which receives the cup (C). The cup holder () is moveable through an opening () in the machine () and carries a gripping assembly () and an actuator assembly (). The actuator assembly () is moveable relative to the gripping assembly () and is biased by springs () to maintain fingers () of the gripping assembly () in engagement with the cup (C). When it is desired to release the cup (C), a release assembly () overcomes the bias of the springs (). As the cup holder () moves through the opening (), the area between the cup holder () and the opening () is sealed by a seal assembly () so that food materials cannot go through the opening ().

Cup holding assembly for a food mixing machine

The open top of a blender container () is closed by a cover (). The cover () is provided with an internal vane () which extends downwardly from the top wall () of the cover () and inwardly from the sidewall () of the cover (). The vane () disrupts any turbulence which might be created by a fluid being mixed in the container ().

Turbulence-reducing blender lid and method of operation

Base for a blender

Container for a blender

An air pocket is often formed in fluid (F) in the pitcher (14) of a blender around the rotating mixing blade assembly (24) thereof. The air pocket is of a cross-sectional size defined by an air channel defining member, shown in the form of a bearing housing (23) of the mixing blade assembly (24). After the pitcher (14) is filled with the fluid (F), the plunger portion (12) of an accessory (10) is positioned adjacent to and above the mixing blade assembly (24) and maintained free of contact with the pitcher (14). The plunger portion (12) is of a cross-sectional size approximately the cross-sectional size of the air channel defining member and prevents the formation of the air pocket in the fluid (F) around the blade assembly (24).

Method of preventing the formation of an air pocket in a blender

A dispenser according to the invention is capable of dispensing fluid food products from selected bags through nozzles attached thereto. An actuator plate has one edge provided with V-shaped slots. A push rod carries the actuator plate and positions a selected V-shaped slot adjacent to the selected nozzle. The other end of the actuator plate is in engagement with a cam assembly driven by a motor. The rod can be pushed to engage a switch to activate the motor which moves the actuator plate so that a V-shaped slot engages a nozzle to dispense the selected fluid food. A return spring assures that the actuator plate is in constant engagement with the cam assembly.

Fluid food dispenser

A disposable agitator (12, 12A) for a food mixer (10) includes an elongate hollow sleeve stem (16, 24) which fits over and rotates with an elongate rotatable shaft (11, 11A) of the mixer (10). An agitator blade (17, 25) configured in the shape of a bowl of a spoon is positioned at the bottom of the stem (16, 24). In one embodiment a detent (18) in the stem (16) engages a recess (14) in the shaft (11) while in another embodiment a barb (29) engages a flange (23) on the shaft to longitudinally position the agitator (12) on the shaft (11). The agitator is used by sliding the hollow stem (16, 24) upwardly over the shaft (11, 11A) to, in one embodiment, to cause the detent (18) to engage the recess (14), and in the other embodiment to cause the barb (29) to engage the flange (23). After mixing the food product, the user is induced to remove the agitator (12, 12A), because the blade (17, 25) is configured like the bowl of a spoon, by sliding the stem (16, 24) downwardly away from the shaft (11, 11A).

Agitator for a food mixer and method of use thereof

Agitator for a food mixer

Ice cream agitator

Ice cream mixer

A splash guard (10) for a food mixer (11) having a housing from which a food agitator (17) downwardly extends including a base plate (22) having an opening (24) therein. A ring member (23) is positioned above the base plate (22) and surrounds the agitator (17). Rod members (27) carry the base plate (22) and ring member (23) so that when a cup (C) is placed below the base plate (22) and moved vertically, the base plate (22) and ring member (23) move upwardly with the rod member (27) while the agitator (17) enters the cup (C).

Growing community of inventors

Olmstead Falls, OH, United States of America

John K Barnard