The present invention relates generally to kitchen appliances. Particularly, the present invention relates to portable kitchen appliances for blending food items at power levels comparable to AC appliances. The present invention includes a cooling system for the portable blender to prevent overheating. The blender system also includes a jar and base which are stackable within one another so that the system has a first configuration for use, and a second configuration for storage.

Examples described herein relate to a mixing vessel for consumable substances, a method of using a mixing vessel and a method of manufacturing a mixing vessel. The mixing vessel may be used to produce a consumable liquid, such as a hot beverage. In one example, a mixing vessel for consumable liquids has an internal chamber for receiving consumable substances for mixing and a sealing member for the internal chamber. The sealing member has at least two stable spatial configurations to change a volume of the internal chamber. The sealing member is arranged to transition between the at least two stable spatial configurations on application of a pressure generated within the internal chamber during mixing to increase the volume of the internal chamber.

A system for allowing gas to flow into a liquid, the system comprising: a container having a bottom wherein the bottom comprises a gas inlet; a lid configured to cover the container; a gas providing mechanism configured to allow flow of the gas through the gas inlet into the liquid when contained in the container, and a locking mechanism configured to ensure flow of gas into the liquid only when the container is properly covered by the lid. Additional embodiments of the system are disclosed herein.

An apparatus for accommodation and dispensing of miscible materials has an accommodation vessel having a lower region in the form of a truncated cone, with a lower discharge opening in the direction of gravity, and ha a mixing mechanism shaft disposed centrally in a mixing space, which shaft has at least one mixing mechanism that revolves in the accommodation vessel. The discharge opening is provided with a displacer apparatus that projects into the interior of the lower region of the accommodation vessel. The lower end of the mixing screw or mixing spiral of the mixing mechanism projects into the approximately V-shaped channel between the lower vessel wall and the displacer apparatus.

A method for controlling pressure in a blending apparatus includes sealingly coupling a blade platform to a rim of a vessel including foodstuffs to form a blending chamber. The blade platform includes a blade assembly. The method includes injecting fluid via an opening defined within the blade platform into the blending chamber while the blade platform is sealingly coupled to the vessel. The injection of fluid causes a change in pressure in the blending chamber. The method includes rotating blades of the blade assembly to process the foodstuffs in the blending chamber. The method includes introducing air into the blending chamber to decrease a difference between the pressure within the blending chamber and a pressure external to the blending chamber. The method includes decoupling the blade platform from the rim.

There is provided an apparatus and a method for producing a play compound and the play compound itself which, in one embodiment is a compound which sufficiently fluid to be pliable and is typically cold and slimy to the touch. The apparatus and a method provide a powder and liquid to a user, which can be a non-skilled person and thereby allow the mixing of the powder and liquid together by that person to form the play compound outside of a factory environment whilst ensuring that the play compound which is formed has the desired characteristics. Most typically the user which performs the mixing can be the end user, such as a child, who will play with the compound and so the formation of the play compound forms a new part of the play experience.

A container (100) within which a food product is to be processed. The container (100) includes: a hollow body (101) providing an interior chamber (110) to receive the product and within which the product is processed, the body (101) having a rim portion (104) surrounding a body top opening (106); a removable lid (107) sealingly associated with the rim portion (104) to close the top opening (106), the lid (107) having: a base (111) sealingly associated with the rim portion (104), the base (111) having a base opening (115) providing access to the chamber (110) and a sealing surface (157) surrounding the base opening (115), a removable valve assembly (112) located in the base opening (115) and sealingly associated with the base (111) to close the base opening (115), the valve assembly (112) including: a main part (122) associated with the base (111) to removably secure the valve assembly (112) in the base opening (115), a seal (123) mounted on the main part (122) and engaging the sealing surface (157), an air opening (131) in the main part (122) providing for air flow from the chamber (110) to exterior of the container (100), a valve (132) operatively associated with the air opening (131) to close the air opening (131) to at least inhibit air flow from exterior of the container (100) to said chamber (110) but permit air flow from the chamber (110) to the exterior, and wherein a cavity (156) is provided between the base (111) and main part (122), leading to said seal (123), with the cavity (156) including a first cavity portion (151) and a second cavity portion (153), with the first cavity portion (151) being configured relative to the second cavity portion (153) to at least partly dissipate kinetic energy of liquid being propelled from the interior (110) into the cavity (156).

A container (100) within which a food product is to be processed. The container (100) includes: a hollow body (101) providing an interior chamber (110) to receive the product and within which the product is processed, the body (101) having a rim portion (104) surrounding a body top opening (106); a removable lid (107) sealingly associated with the rim portion (104) to close the top opening (106), the lid (107) having: a base (111) sealingly associated with the rim portion (104), the base (111) having a base opening (115) providing access to the chamber (110) and a sealing surface (157) surrounding the base opening (115), a removable valve assembly (112) located in the base opening (115) and sealingly associated with the base (111) to close the base opening (115), the valve assembly (112) including: a main part (122) associated with the base (111) to removably secure the valve assembly (112) in the base opening (115), a seal (123) mounted on the main part (122) and engaging the sealing surface (157), an air opening (131) in the main part (122) providing for air flow from the chamber (110) to exterior of the container (100), a valve (132) operatively associated with the air opening (131) to close the air opening (131) to at least inhibit air flow from exterior of the container (100) to said chamber (110) but permit air flow from the chamber (110) to the exterior, and wherein a cavity (156) is provided between the base (111) and main part (122), leading to said seal (123), with the cavity (156) including a first cavity portion (151) and a second cavity portion (153), with the first cavity portion (151) being configured relative to the second cavity portion (153) to at least partly dissipate kinetic energy of liquid being propelled from the interior (110) into the cavity (156).

An antibody-resin coupling apparatus quickly and efficiently activates resin beads and couples them to antibodies, while preventing breakdown and crosslinking of the beads, thereby improving downstream column purification processes, extending the usable life of the resin beads, and increasing molecule capture efficiency of the resultant resin-antibody complexes, to allow improved isolation and purification of factor VIII molecules or other drug compounds.

An apparatus includes a blender lid configured to cover an opening in a blender receptacle and a lid arm coupled to the blender lid and coupled rotationally about a first horizontal axis. The lid arm is configured to rotate about the first horizontal axis to selectively position the blender lid to cover and uncover the opening in the blender receptacle. The blender arm may rotate the blender lid about the first horizontal axis to cover the opening in the blender receptacle and apply a downward force on the blender lid to seal the opening of the blender receptacle with the blender lid. The blender arm may include a horizontal rod having a longitudinal axis that corresponds to the first horizontal axis and having a first end attached to the blender lid.