A manual food processor includes a container with a removeable lid. The container includes a plurality of container undulations spaced along an upper portion of the container to form a seat. The lid is removably attachable to the container to enclose the interior space, and includes a food processing tool carried on a drive shaft. The lid further has a plurality of lid undulations which are complementary to and engageable with the plurality of container undulations, preventing the lid from rotating with respect to the container, and allowing removal of the lid without rotation of the lid.

A stand mixer includes: a lower assembly comprising a base and a lower support arm extending upwardly from the base; an upper assembly comprising a generally horizontal head positioned above the base and an upper support arm extending downwardly from the head, the lower and upper support arm assemblies forming a generally vertical support arm, the head configured to provide a mounting location for a beater; and a head-raising mechanism that moves the head relative to the base between raised and lowered positions, the head remaining generally horizontal in the raised position.

A manual food processor includes a container with a removeable lid. The container includes a plurality of container undulations spaced along an upper portion of the container to form a seat. The lid is removably attachable to the container to enclose the interior space, and includes a food processing tool carried on a drive shaft. The lid further has a plurality of lid undulations which are complementary to and engageable with the plurality of container undulations, preventing the lid from rotating with respect to the container, and allowing removal of the lid without rotation of the lid.

Described herein are bioreactor support structures configured to be used with containers having different designs, and methods for making and using such bioreactors. The support structures described herein may include two or more agitator motors and control systems or an adjustable-position agitator motor, a removable spacer and/or lid, multiple configurations for ports and probes, and multiple exhaust filter heating blankets. Also described herein are methods of manufacturing a multi-agitator motor or adjustable-position agitator motor bioreactor, as well as methods of modifying an existing support structure to be used with a container not originally designed to be used with the existing support structure, and methods for operating these bioreactors.

A helical blade body attachable to a food mixer by a shaft, the helical blade body formed from at least three helical blade members each of which has a first end connecting with a cap portion and a second end connecting with a base portion for creating a mixing zone within the helical blade body, each of the helical blade members having a spiraled configuration and extending from the cap portion to the base portion, wherein each of the helical blade members have the spiral angled in the same rotational direction, and wherein each of the helical blade members comprises a leading edge and a trailing edge with an upward facing spiraled flat surface in between with a predefined width and thickness so that during rotation of the blade body in a select rotational direction the spiraled flat surface will urge product being mixed upward, and wherein each helical blade is formed integrally with the cap portion and the base portion of a high strength plastic material. The unique shape of the helical beater described herein not only achieves higher mixing performance but also power efficiency. By using high strength plastics instead of metal, the improved helical beater design described herein will lower or fix material and manufacturing costs and will provide a better method of controlling the geometry of the beater body.

A mounting assembly is provided, including: a drive coupler shaped to engage a coupling member on a shaft positionable within a container defining an aperture to allow passage of the shaft; and a funnel positioned within the aperture to receive the drive coupler and guide the drive coupler to the coupling member. The assembly provides ergonomic advantages as the user is not required to lift the drive to reach the aperture.

Described herein are bioreactor support structures configured to be used with containers having different designs, and methods for making and using such bioreactors. The support structures described herein may include two or more agitator motors and control systems or an adjustable-position agitator motor, a removable spacer and/or lid, multiple configurations for ports and probes, and multiple exhaust filter heating blankets. Also described herein are methods of manufacturing a multi-agitator motor or adjustable-position agitator motor bioreactor, as well as methods of modifying an existing support structure to be used with a container not originally designed to be used with the existing support structure, and methods for operating these bioreactors.

Apparatus that mixes non-homogenous fluid. A threaded shaft within a housing circulates fluid within a container to effect mixing. In one embodiment, when placed in a container of fluid, the housing the fluid is recirculated through opposing ends of the housing. In an embodiment of a related method for mixing, a pump housing containing a screw journaled for rotation receives fluid within a container and conveys the fluid therethrough to circulate a fluid portion in the container along an exterior surface of the housing for mixing with another fluid portion to improve fluid homogeneity. After mixing, the portion of the fluid which first circulates through the housing may recirculate through the housing with said another portion of the fluid. The fluid may be continuously mixed and recirculated through the housing.

A stand mixer appliance includes a casing that includes a base, a column mounted to the base, and a motor housing mounted to the column that extends outwardly above the base. A motor is positioned within the motor housing. The motor includes two pins. The motor housing includes a first portion and a second portion. The second portion includes both a hole and a slot. The slot is elongated along a transverse direction of the motor, and the two pins of the motor extend perpendicularly to the transverse direction. Each of the two pins of the motor are disposed within a respective one of the hole and the slot of the second portion of the motor housing.

A hand-crank operated food processor includes a container with a removeable lid. The lid incorporates a number of gears that are operable by the hand crank to cause a drive shaft to spin, imparting a rotational force to a food processing implement such as a blade or a paddle carried on the drive shaft. The crank can be inserted into any one of a plurality of attachment points such that rotation of the crank handle in a selected attachment point will rotate the gears, and therefore the drive shaft, at a different rotational speed as compared to the rotational speed achieved at a different one of the plurality of attachment points at the same input speed from the crank.