WO1998048930A1

WO1998048930A1 - Turntable locator for stand mixer

Info

Publication number: WO1998048930A1
Application number: PCT/US1998/008329
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bruce R. Roberts; David W. Rickert; Eric V. Morales
Original assignee: Sunbeam Products, Inc.
Priority date: 1997-04-25
Filing date: 1998-04-24
Publication date: 1998-11-05
Also published as: AU7159398A

Abstract

A stand mixer (10) having a rotating turntable (24) for supporting a mixing bowl (22). The turntable (24) can be located from one position to another to accommodate differently sized bowls (22) without removing the turntable (24) from the base (26) of the mixer (10).

Description

TURNTABLE LOCATOR FOR STAND MIXER

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to food mixing apparatus, and in particular, devices referred to as "stand mixers", which include a mixer head placed on a stand to allow hands- free mixing of food items.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Stand mixers have been employed for decades to assist in the commercial and domestic preparation of food requiring mixing and/or kneading. Such stand mixers typically include a base or stand on which a rotatable turntable rests for holding mixing bowls of various sizes. In order to change from one size mixing bowl to the other, it is generally necessary to lift the turntable and reposition it in a different hole in the base. This task can be inconvenient, particularly for the elderly who may have difficulty lifting and/or repositioning the turntable and bowl, particularly if the turntable has become caked with batter or other food ingredients which may tend to cause the turntable to stick to the base.

Stand mixers also typically employ a pair of whippers which are attached to the front of the mixer and extend downwardly into the bowl containing food ingredients to be mixed.

While traditional whippers are effective in mixing, there is a tendency, particularly with thick batter or dough, to creep up the center bar that supports the whipper blades. This phenomenon, known as "dough creep" can potentially result in dough being driven up to the mixer head, fouling the gearing mechanisms, and potentially throwing dough and/or batter out of the bowl. Prior stand mixers have also commonly used variable speed control mechanisms, such as dials, knobs, slide levers, etc. While such speed controls are effective for incremental speed changes, they do not generally provide a "burst" or rapid speed change which is frequently desirable to break up large clumps for a short period of mixing time only.

In general, stand mixers of the prior art have permitted the user to lock the head in the up and/or down position or to remove the mixer head from the stand, but not perform all three functions. Locking the mixer head in the up position is desirable because it prevents the head from falling back into the bowl. For purposes of carrying the mixer by the handle, it is desirable to be able to lock the mixer head in the down position. Furthermore, locking the mixer head in the down position alleviates bouncing by the mixer head in heavy dough. Removing the mixer head completely from the stand may often be desirable for individuals wishing to use the mixer as a hand mixer rather than a stand mixer.

Other problems inherent in stand mixers is the tendency for water, milk, batter, and other ingredients and liquids to collect in the base of the turntable and cause the bottom of the mixer bowl to stick to the bottom of the turntable, rendering removal of the bowl problematic.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves one or more of the above- referenced problems of the prior art by providing a whipper design which includes no center bar, thereby eliminating the "dough creep" phenomenon of the prior art. The whippers include increased thickness in the whipper blades, which surprisingly results in no deterioration of mixer performance.

In another embodiment of the invention, a turntable locator is provided which enables the user to adjust the stand mixer to accommodate different bowl sizes without removing the turntable. A slide lever is preferably employed to position the turntable in two or more positions.

In yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, an improved mixer head locking feature is provided which locks the mixing head in the down position, thereby preventing the mixer head from bouncing when the mixer is mixing heavy dough. The feature also allows the mixer head to be locked in the up position for added convenience, and further allows the mixer head to be removed completely from the stand to serve as a hand mixer.

In yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the turntable includes a snap lock feature which eliminates the problem of the turntable sticking to the bottom of the bowl when the bowl is removed from the turntable.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred stand mixer on the present invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the stand mixer of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view of the stand mixer of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a left side elevational view of the stand mixer of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the stand mixer of Figure 1. Figure 6 is a perspective phantom line view of the stand mixer of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a cutaway side elevation showing the preferred turntable locator of the present invention.

Figure 8 is a detail of the turntable slide of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 9 is a detail of a preferred snap lock for the turntable of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 10 is a phantom line view of a preferred head lock mechanism of the present invention.

Figure 11 is a perspective view of a preferred band whipper of the present invention.

Figure 12 is a side elevation of the band whipper of Figure 11.

Figure 13 is a top plan view of a band for use with the preferred band whipper of the present invention.

Figure 14 is a side elevation view of the band of Figure 13.

Figure 15 is a side elevation view of a shaft or spindle for use with the band whipper of Figure 11.

Figure 16 is a top plan view of the band whipper of Figure 11.

Figure 17 is a bottom plan view of the band whipper of Figure 11. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to Figure 1, there is illustrated a preferred stand mixer of the present invention, generally 10, comprising a mixer head 12, and a base generally 14, having an upstanding pedestal portion 16 supporting the mixer head 12. The mixer head 12 in Figure 1 is shown in the head down position, but the mixer head 12 may also be pivoted into an upended position by virtue of a pivot point 18 to be subsequently described. The stand mixer includes whippers, generally 20, including an outboard whipper 28 and an inboard whipper 30. The whippers 28, 30 mix food and other items in a mixer bowl 22, which is supported on a turntable 24, which rotates within a base 26 of the stand 14.

In order to perform effective mixing, it is preferable to maintain the outboard whipper 28 in relatively close proximity to the side of the bowl 22, as is well known in the art. A problem arises when the user desires to use a differently sized bowl, which requires repositioning the turntable 24 to accommodate a need to maintain the outboard whipper 28 in close proximity with the smaller or larger sized bowl. In the past, this adjustment has commonly been accomplished by use of spaced holes in the base adapted to receive the axle of the turntable 24. This requires the user to lift the turntable 24 and locate the proper hole when switching from one size bowl to another. This problem is overcome by a highly preferred embodiment of the invention which includes a turntable locator feature for moving the turntable 24 from one location to another on the base 26 without the need to remove the turntable 24 from the base 26 and hunt for the appropriate location in the base 26 for the turntable. In a highly preferred embodiment the turntable locator feature includes a slide lever knob 32 which, as seen in Figure 2, travels within a slot 34 in the base 26. In a preferred embodiment, the turntable position is adjusted simply by sliding the control knob 32 in the slot 34. Referring now to Figure 5, there is illustrated the knob 32 which engages a lever 36 which pivots about a pivot pin 38 in the base 26.

As illustrated in Figure 6, the base 26 includes a slot 40 through which an axle 42 of the turntable 24 passes. Preferably, this slot 40 is a semicircular curve, the center of which corresponds to the pivot point 38. The slot may also be arcuate, i.e., elliptical, or even straight, depending on the contour of the mixer base 26, the width of the slot, and the positioning desired for the turntable 24.

The lever 36 preferably includes ridges 44 (also seen in Figure 9) which provides added strength to the lever and are generally formed by metal stamping procedures. These ridges 44 preferably ride on a pair of perpendicular ridges 46 in a base plate 48 on the underside of the base 26. These ridges cooperate to provide contact points for sliding the lever 44 and for biasing the lever in the appropriate turntable positions as will subsequently be described.

Referring now to Figure 8, the lever 36 is retained in the desired position by one or more detents 50 in the base

26. In order to relocate the turntable, the user depresses the lever 36 by pressing down on the control knob 32 in order to overcome the biasing force of the lower ridge (s)

46 on the upper ridge (s) 44, which allows the user to slide the lever 36 across the slot 34 until it reaches another detent 50 which allows the lever 36 to be retained in the new position. While only two detentes 50 are shown in

Figure 8, it would, of course, be possible to include additional detentes 50 for more than two bowl sizes. The axle 42 of the turntable 24 may be standard, passing through a hole 43 in the lever 36, or may be of a snap lock type of a highly preferred embodiment of the present invention, described subsequently. Referring now to Figure 9, there is illustrated a snap lock mechanism of a preferred embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the turntable snaps into place within the base of the mixer, eliminating the tendency for the turntable to stick to a bowl and be inadvertently removed when the bowl is removed from the mixer. In this embodiment, the turntable 24 includes a series of snaps 60 extend downwardly from the underside 62 of the turntable 24. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 9, the snaps 60 extend through an opening 63 in the lever 36 previously described. In another preferred embodiment, the turntable snaps may extend through a hole in the base 26. In this embodiment, the lever 36 is not employed, and the turntable passes through holes in the base itself.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 9, the snaps 60 also extend through the slot 40 in the base. In a preferred embodiment to the invention, there are three snaps 60, preferably equally spaced. The snaps 60 may perform integral with the axle 42, or may be attached to the underside of the turntable 62 and separate from the axle 42. Generally, the axle 42 remains stationary allowing the lower platter 24a to remain stationary with respect to the upper platter 24b of the turntable which preferably rides on a bearing allowing the upper platter 24b to turn with respect to the lower platter 24a. In addition to the use of snaps 60, it is also possible to use other snap fit mechanisms, such as an annular ring which can be molded directly into a cylindrical shaft extending downwardly from the axle 42 and be snap fit into a corresponding groove in either the bottom of the stand 26 or in the lever 36. Also, it would be possible to have an axle and/or snaps extend upwardly from the base 26 and/or turntable 36 in order to receive a complimentary opening in the base 62 of the lower platter 24a.

As illustrated, the snaps 60 preferably have an inclined surface 70 which urges the snap 60 inwardly as it passes through the opening 63 in the lever 36. Another surface 72 which may also be a straight incline, but may also be a curved surface, is contoured to retain the clip 60 and hence the turntable 24 within the base 26. This same surface 70 is also contoured to allow the user to overcome the retention forces of the clip 60 by applying a predetermined pulling force sufficient to ensure that the turntable 24 is not removed unless it is intended to be removed by the user.

Turning now to Figures 7 and 10 there is illustrated yet another preferred embodiment of the invention comprising an improved headlock mechanism. The improved headlock mechanism comprises a locking pin generally 80 which carries a locking axle 82 which is governed by two fork members 84, 86 attached to a button 88. The locking pin 80 is biased upwardly by a spring 90, the spring being compressed between a washer or nut 92 and a stationary guide plate 94 anchored to the pedestal. The lock pin 80 in its normal position is biased upwardly into a recess 94 contained within the mixer head, thereby precluding the mixer head from being pivoted rearwardly. In order to disengage the mixer head and pivot same in a rearward orientation, the button 88 is compressed downwardly, which acts upon the forks 84, 86 which in turn drive the locking flange 82 downwardly, thereby driving the locking pin 80 downwardly and out of the recess 94, enabling the user to rotate the mixer head 12 rearwardly, as illustrated in Figure 7. Once the mixer head 12 is fully rotated rearwardly, the lock pin 80 can be released by releasing the button 88, thereby engaging another recess 95 in the housing of the mixer head 12 and thereby locking the head 12 in the upright position as illustrated in Figure 7.

Because the locking pin 80 is slideably received within the recess 94, it does not prevent the mixer head 12 from being removed vertically from the stand. The mechanism, generally 100, for removing the head 12 from the stand may be conventional, such as that currently used on the Mixmaster^® Model 2360 Stand Mixer sold by Sunbeam Products, Inc., Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Such a mechanism generally includes a spring clip 101 actuated by a release button 102 at the rear of the stand which clip 101 engages a horizontal pin 104 riding in a yoke 105 in the pedestal and passing through a flange 106 in the mixer head. Thus, while the locking pin 80 precludes the mixer head while in its upward or downward position from shifting positions, the fact that it is slideably received in the recess of the mixer head allows the mixer head to be removed from the stand.

Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to specific examples and preferred embodiments and illustrations, it is to be understood that the full scope of the invention is defined by the following claims, as fairly interpreted, including all equivalents thereof .

Claims

We Claim:

1. A stand mixer including a mixer head assembly and a stand for supporting said mixer head assembly, said stand including a base located below said mixer head assembly, said base including a receptacle portion therein for receiving a removable rotatable turntable, said receptacle portion comprising a slotted opening for receiving a downwardly projecting axle of said turntable, said slotted opening defining a first position adapted to receive said turntable holding a first sized bowl, and a second position adapted to receive said turntable holding a second sized bowl, said slotted opening allowing a user of said stand mixer to slide said turntable from said first position to said second position without removing said turntable from said base.

2. The stand mixer of claim 1, wherein said slotted opening is arcuate.

3. The stand mixer of claim 2, wherein said first and second position each include a turntable locating portion, each said turntable locating portion assisting the user in identifying said first or second position, and retaining said turntable in said first or second position during operation of said stand mixer.

4. The stand mixer of claim 2 , wherein said base further includes a turntable position activator, said activator including ΓÇó a finger knob, said finger knob assisting the user in remotely moving said turntable from said first position to said second position.

5. The stand mixer of claim 4, wherein said turntable position activator includes a shaft having a first and second end, the first end of said shaft being pivotally mounted to said base, the second end of said shaft being positioned proximate an external surface of said base, said finger knob being positioned on said second end of said shaft, said slotted opening being positioned between said first and second ends of said shaft, said shaft including an opening for receiving said downwardly projecting axle of said turntable.

6. The stand mixer of claim 5 , wherein said turntable engages said shaft in a snap lock engagement.

7. The stand mixer of claim 3, wherein said turntable locating portions each comprise a detent in a second slotted opening in said base, and said detent sized to receive a lever carrying said turntable.

8. A stand mixer including a mixer head assembly and a stand for supporting said mixer head assembly, said stand including a base, said base having a slotted opening therein for receiving an axle of a rotatable turntable, said turntable being adjustable to a plurality of locations on said base by moving said turntable through said slotted opening.

9. The stand mixer of claim 8, wherein said base includes a lever pivotally mounted to said base, said lever including an opening therein for receiving said turntable axle, said lever being operable by a user of said stand mixer to move said turntable to a plurality of positions along said slotted opening.

10. The stand mixer of claim 9 wherein said lever is pivotally mounted to a pin in said base passing through an opening in said lever at one end thereof .

11. The stand mixer of claim 10, wherein a second end of said lever protrudes from said base, said second end of said lever being operable by a user of said stand mixer to move said turntable to a plurality of positions along said slotted opening.

12. The stand mixer of claim 11, wherein said second end of said lever protrudes through a second slotted opening in said base.

13. The stand mixer of claim 12, wherein said second slotted opening includes a plurality of detents for locating said turntable in a plurality of predetermined positions with respect to said base.

14. The stand mixer of claim 13, wherein said second end of said lever includes a finger knob for a user of said mixer to use to slide said lever along said second slotted opening in said base.

15. The stand mixer of claim 13 , wherein said lever includes one or more contact points engaging one or more complementary contact points on a portion of said base, said contact points cooperating to allow said lever to be biased into said detents and to allow said lever to slide across said second slotted opening in said base.