A module includes a housing, a sealing feature, a locking feature, and an agitator. The housing has an opening separating inner and outer surfaces and a boss that extends through the housing such that part of the outer surface forms an inner bore of the boss having a terminus pointing toward the opening. The agitator has a base, a shaft, and a mixing element coupled to the base such that the base, in cooperation with the sealing feature, circumferentially seals the opening of the housing to form a cavity defined by the inner surface. The shaft passes through the inner bore. The locking feature when engaged permits independent or simultaneous translational and rotational movement of the shaft while an area between the terminus of the boss and the shaft remains mechanically sealed during the movement against liquid or powder encroachment into a clean area of the inner bore.

A domestic appliance for processing foods including: a bowl, with an opening for introducing foods into the bowl and into which a tool for processing foods is inserted, a splash guard, which can be inserted into the opening of the bowl, such that boundary regions of the splash guard are opposite an inner wall of the opening to prevent foods from spraying out of the bowl, and a cover, which can be inserted into the opening of the bowl once the splash guard has been inserted into the opening of the bowl,
wherein the splash guard includes a plate which extends substantially flat and ends with boundary regions.

A stand mixer includes a base with a column mounted to the base, and a head fixed atop the column. The stand mixer also includes a bowl and a bowl carrier mounted on the column. The bowl carrier includes two arms extending forward from the back portion of the bowl carrier. The bowl carrier defines a pocket at the back portion of the bowl carrier. The pocket is configured for receiving a bowl retention protuberance of the bowl when the bowl is mounted on the two arms. Each of the two arms defines a respective orifice on a top portion of the two arms. Each of the two arms includes a respective plunger. The orifice of each of the two arms configured for receiving a respective locking tab of the bowl. The plunger of each of the two arms has an end portion that extends into the orifice to engage the respective locking tab on the bowl, when the bowl is mounted on the two arms.

A novel device for frothing milk is disclosed. The frothing device preferably includes a rotatable impeller and a screen disposed about the bottom of the impeller downstream of milk being pushed by the impeller. The frothing device may further include a pitcher and a base upon which the pitcher sits wherein the base includes a heater. The pitcher includes a magnetic drive capable of turning the impeller at very high speeds. The impeller is positioned off-center within the pitcher that preferably includes a tapered interior. The structure of the device and programs that adjust the speed of rotation of the impeller permit the user to create bubbles and further break the bubbles down into a silky smooth microfoam without the conventional use of a steam wand or other such device and without the skills of a professional barista.

Drive mechanism for a multi-function food processor with three drive outlets each couplable separately to a food processing component. The drive mechanism including: at one end of a motor, an output shaft having a first cone gear of a cone gear set and a worm; a first central drive shaft having a second cone gear meshing with the first cone gear, the first central drive shaft associated with the first and second drive outlets; the second drive outlet associated with the first central drive shaft by a first reduction gear arrangement which includes a first gear train meshing with a sun gear sleeved on the first central drive shaft; a second central drive shaft having a worm gear driven by the worm, the second central drive shaft associated with the third drive outlet; the third drive outlet associated with the second central drive shaft by a second gear reduction arrangement.

A method of operating a blender having a rotatable cutting blade in a food preparation chamber includes providing a sensing light assembly, generating at least one sensing light beam below the food preparation chamber, inserting a cup containing food to be blended into the food preparation chamber, generating an error signal if a foreign object crosses the sensing light beam, and preventing or stopping rotation of the cutting blade in response to the error signal.

An easily assembled blender with an internal frame holding a cupholder elevator assembly, a mix motor assembly, a food preparation chamber, a water heater assembly and a steamer assembly. The water heater and steamer assemblies are preferably on modular trays that slide into the internal frame. The water heater preferably also serves as a hot water reservoir and, to avoid overheating, has its heating coil located near its bottom. To resist scale deposits, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tubing is preferably used to transport steam from the steamer to the food preparation chamber. To expedite manufacture, a spring-biased idler assembly with a drive belt for the cupholder elevator assembly preferably snaps into a lower receiving port on the internal frame. Crisscrossing infrared light beams are preferably placed at the entrance of the food preparation chamber to detect whether the cup entering the chamber is the correct size and detect whether any foreign object is below the food preparation chamber.

A device for frothing milk preferably includes a rotatable impeller and a screen disposed about the bottom of the impeller downstream of milk being pushed by the impeller. The frothing device may further include a pitcher and a base upon which the pitcher sits wherein the base includes a heater. The pitcher includes a magnetic drive capable of turning the impeller at very high speeds. The impeller is positioned off-center within the pitcher that preferably includes a tapered interior. The structure of the device and programs that adjust the speed of rotation of the impeller permit the user to create bubbles and further break the bubbles down into a silky smooth microfoam without the conventional use of a steam wand or other such device and without the skills of a professional barista.

A system for remote management of smart grinding device is provided. The system includes a device configured for performing a plurality of functions based on a one or more inputs received. The plurality of functions includes identifying, weighing, dispensing, cleaning, soaking, grinding, fermenting, altering the proportions and storing of one or more ingredients for preparation of an edible composition. The system also includes a communication interface configured for communicating the one or more inputs to the device and further communicating a real time information related to the plurality of functions performed, to a remote server via a wireless network. The system also includes the remote server configured for continuously analyzing the real time information related to the plurality of functions performed by the device by using artificial intelligence (AI) for generating the one or more inputs for the plurality of functions.

An automatic meal preparation apparatus is provided which has a top section with compartments for raw food and at least one spice/sauce cartridge; a middle section with a cooking vessel; and a bottom section with a heating element. The sections are stacked in series within a housing. The compartments of the top section are disposed above the cooking vessel. The cooking vessel is in communication with the heating element. A controller receives a selection of a recipe from a user, and executes instructions of the recipe to selectively heat the heating element at certain times, and selectively dispense at least a portion of the raw food and a pre-determined measure of spice/sauce. The apparatus stirs and cooks the food and the spice/sauce in the vessel for a specified duration, in accordance with the recipe.