A micro puree machine has a microswitch for interacting with projections on a bowl to alert the user that the bowl has been installed correctly to the machine housing. The microswitch also interacts with a plunger of a lid and blade assembly to alert the user that the blade has been properly assembled to the lid.

A vibration damper system used in a food processor to reduce the vibration of a high power motor that has varying speed cycles is disclosed. The motor is suspended from a ceiling that is mounted to the motor base through a plurality of bolted joints. The bolted joints are surrounded by a grommet that has a unique shape. The grommet comprises generally three parts, which are an upper portion, a middle portion, and a lower portion. The middle portion is smaller than other portion so that it creates a recess for the ceiling to be sandwiched between the grommet. In a preferred embodiment, the lower portion of the grommet further comprises a plurality of petal members that provide a non-uniform spring rate to the grommet so that the grommet is adapted best to reduce the upward impulse of the motor. The food processor also contains a novel air ventilation system.

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.

The invention relates to a hand-held electrically driven domestic appliance and to a corresponding method for controlling the hand-held electrically driven domestic appliance. The domestic appliance includes an electric motor for driving the domestic appliance; a control unit for controlling the motor; a first actuation element for outputting a first control signal to the control unit in order to select a motor control mode; and a second actuation element for outputting a second control signal to the control unit. The control unit is designed to select a motor actuation mode from the specified motor actuation modes on the basis of the first control signal, and the control unit is designed to determine a motor actuation signal to be output to the motor on the basis of the selected motor actuation mode and the second control signal.

A mixing machine includes a head extending over a bowl receiving location, the head including a downwardly extending rotatable output shaft for receiving a mixer tool, the head including a planetary system therewithin for effecting rotation of the rotatable output shaft about its axis and orbiting of the shaft axis about another axis. A motor includes an output operatively connected to drive the planetary system. A control system includes a plurality of sensors, each sensor located for detecting a respective condition of mixing machine, and a diagnostic control operable to (i) track outputs from the plurality of sensors over time, (ii) analyze the tracked outputs and (iii) produce an alert indication based upon the diagnostic control identifying a performance characteristic indicative of a need for service or repair of the mixing machine.

A cooking appliance for processing food, more specifically a cooking appliance of the type that include a body housing an electric motor, a shaft for actuating a processing tool, and an integral handle, the various processing tools being coupled to the body by means of an arm that comprises an implement, such as a grinding, whisking or mixing implement, where the operating control of the appliance (on, off, rotating speed of the implement, etc.) is carried out by means of a sensor system that can detect a characteristic or predetermined movement performed on the appliance and can interpret said movement as an operating instruction, for example, turning the implement on, turning it off, and establishing and controlling the rotating speed thereof, etc.

A vibration damper system used in a food processor to reduce the vibration of a high power motor that has varying speed cycles is disclosed. The motor is suspended from a ceiling that is mounted to the motor base through a plurality of bolted joints. The bolted joints are surrounded by a grommet that has a unique shape. The grommet comprises generally three parts, which are an upper portion, a middle portion, and a lower portion. The middle portion is smaller than other portion so that it creates a recess for the ceiling to be sandwiched between the grommet. In a preferred embodiment, the lower portion of the grommet further comprises a plurality of petal members that provide a non-uniform spring rate to the grommet so that the grommet is adapted best to reduce the upward impulse of the motor. The food processor also contains a novel air ventilation system.

A versatile food processing system that can work with plurality of top-mounted food processing units of different types and sizes is disclosed. The motor base of the food processing system has a locking mechanism and safety actuators at different radial locations so that food processing units of different sizes can utilities the safety mechanism. One particular processing unit is especially useful for making noodles and vegetable strips. The processing unit comprises a stationary outer vessel and a rotating inner vessel. Blades are located on an inner lid of the inner vessel. The inner vessel spins in unison with the inner lid without a central shaft to avoid harm caused by the shaft to the quality of the resulting noodles.

A bowl assembly for a micro puree machine including an inner beaker and an outer bowl. The inner beaker is configured to receive ingredients and has an exterior bottom surface that includes a beaker alignment feature. The outer bowl is configured to receive the inner beaker therein. The outer bowl includes an interior bottom surface that includes a bowl alignment feature and an exterior bottom surface that includes a bowl securing element. The beaker alignment feature of the inner beaker exterior bottom surface is complementary to the bowl alignment feature of the outer bowl interior bottom surface such that, at times the inner beaker is positioned in the outer bowl, the complementary bowl alignment feature and inner beaker alignment feature prevent rotation of the inner beaker relative to the outer bowl. The bowl securing element is configured to receive and attach to a platform of a micro puree machine.