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 mixing device, in particular bulk material mixing device, with at least one mixing container comprises a receiving region for receiving a material to be mixed, with at least one mixing unit which is configured for mixing the material to be mixed that is present in the mixing container, and with at least one lump breaker unit comprising at least one cutter element which protrudes into the mixing container, wherein the at least one lump breaker unit is arranged in a frontal region of the mixing container.

An apparatus and method of cleaning a food processor including providing a food processor base that includes a rotary power driver having a rotatable shaft. A bowl is mounted on the base. A food processing blade attached to the shaft within the bowl. A cleaning accessory is placed in the bowl above the food processing blade. A cleaning fluid is introduced into the bowl, and the food processing blade with the rotatable shaft agitate the cleaning fluid in conjunction with the cleaning accessory.

This disclosure provides a high solids biomass slurry that is readily pumpable and transportable to downstream processing units, such as chemical and/or biochemical processing units. The slurry is amenable to saccharification efficiencies of >70 % in processing times of <36 hours. Also provided are devices for processing materials, such as the high solids biomass slurry.

The disclosure relates to a food waste recycler including a housing defining an interior with an access opening providing access to the interior, a bin located within the interior and a mixing assembly located within the bin to facilitate the movement of material, such as refuse, according to an automatic cycle of operation.

Static plant for preparing feed mixes for ruminant livestock, having a conveyor unit for conveying the feed mix ingredients, chain and/or screw feeders, feeders with weight sensors and supplementary conveyor belt, silos of solid ingredients, and silos of liquid ingredients, independently supplying two or more high-capacity mixers, via the conveyor unit by a dual flow, the mixers including weight control means, laser sensors and strain gauges. The invention allows for mixing to be controlled with increased accuracy and, consequently, improving the quality of the mix, using fully automated continuous operating cycles, the resulting mix being discharged onto any type of known device using discharging means, for its distribution.

An apparatus for dispensing a mixture of a diluent and an additive for sanitation, cosmetic or cleaning applications. The apparatus includes a mixing unit for creating a mixture of the diluent and the additive, a diluent supply supplying the diluent to the mixing unit, an additive supply supplying the additive to the mixing unit, an outlet for dispensing the mixture. The diluent supply includes a pump arranged to increase the pressure of the diluent before the diluent enters the mixing unit.

Provided is a mixing apparatus. The mixing apparatus comprises a housing defining a primary chamber, an inlet for receiving material into the mixing apparatus, as well as an outlet for discharging material from the mixing apparatus. The housing provides within the primary chamber a plurality of rotating shafts, each rotating shaft having a plurality of flailing fixtures associated therewith.

An apparatus and method of cleaning a food processor including providing a food processor base that includes a rotary power driver having a rotatable shaft. A bowl is mounted on the base. A food processing blade attached to the shaft within the bowl. A cleaning accessory is placed in the bowl above the food processing blade. A cleaning fluid is introduced into the bowl, and the food processing blade with the rotatable shaft agitate the cleaning fluid in conjunction with the cleaning accessory.

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.