An impeller assembly for a bioprocessing system includes a hub and at least one blade pivotally to the hub, the at least one blade including a first leg portion and a second leg portion extending at an angle from the first leg portion. The at least one blade is rotatable between a first position where the first leg portion extends generally outwardly from the hub and a second position where the second leg portion extends generally outwardly from the hub.

The invention relates to a stirring member (9) for using in a system for preparing a food product, the product being prepared by the stirring member (9) moving inside a container (8), the stirring member (9) being configured in such a way that it can adopt different configurations depending on its direction of rotation inside the container (8). Preferably, the stirring member (9) can adopt a spoon configuration or a whisk configuration. The invention further relates to a method for using such a stirring member (9) in a system for preparing a food product, the method varying the direction of rotation of the stirring member (9) so that it adopts a different configuration depending on the type of product prepared in the container (8).

A device and method for aerating a food substance. The device includes: an aerator, a vessel, a drive unit and a mounting. The aerator includes a plurality of filaments attached at their proximal ends and being free at their distal ends. Every filament has a first state and a second state. The filament undergoes a reversible elastic deformation when being bent by a transverse force from the first state to the second state. The filament performs a spring-back action from the second state to the first state, lowering the spring tension, when the transverse force acting on the filament drops to zero. The aerator is attachable to and rotatable by the drive unit thereby defining an axis of rotation. The vessel defines a space for holding the food substance being bordered at the sides by an inner wall. The vessel and the drive unit are attachable to the mounting. The mounting defines a spatial relationship between the axis of rotation and the inner wall of the vessel such that the distal ends of a fraction of the filaments contact the inner wall of the vessel, wherein the inner wall bends the fraction of the filaments by applying the transverse force.

A mixing device includes a base, shaft, impeller sleeve, and impeller blades. The base can be constructed for releasable attachment to an opening of a container, such as a 55-gallon drum. The shaft extends from the base and is coupled thereto such that rotation can be transmitted to the shaft by way of or through the base. The impeller sleeve is mounted on the shaft and supports the impeller blades. Each impeller blade includes an attachment leg and a stirring leg extending from the attachment leg. The impeller blades are supported so as to transition from a collapsed position with the stirring leg proximal to a central axis of the shaft to an extended position with the stirring leg distal from the central axis when the shaft is rotated. Each impeller blade can be formed of a plastic, such as a glass-filled polypropylene or glass-filled nylon.

An apparatus for making a frozen dessert. The apparatus including a reservoir located within a chassis for receiving a liquid dessert mixture and a rotatable paddle located within the reservoir. The paddle can have a body coupled to at least one respective scraper element by a living hinge, such that the scraper element has a scraping edge that is radially-outward biased by the living hinge for abuttingly engaging a wall of the reservoir. The reservoir and the axis of rotation can be substantially horizontally directed, with a substantially vertically-orientated lid closing an opening of the reservoir, the lid defining an aperture for receiving the mixture or enabling egress of the frozen dessert.

The invention relates to a stirring member (9) for using in a system for preparing a food product, the product being prepared by the stirring member (9) moving inside a container (8), the stirring member (9) being configured in such a way that it can adopt different configurations depending on its direction of rotation inside the container (8). Preferably, the stirring member (9) can adopt a spoon configuration or a whisk configuration. The invention further relates to a method for using such a stirring member (9) in a system for preparing a food product, the method varying the direction of rotation of the stirring member (9) so that it adopts a different configuration depending on the type of product prepared in the container (8).

A rotor for a kneading machine for alimentary doughs is provided. The rotor has a flat base formed of a plurality of arms and a plurality of mixing paddles restrained to the arms. The mixing paddles are pivotally mounted on the arms about respective axes (E, F) that are parallel to the flat base. The arms are movable between a first operating position, wherein they extend from the arms along a direction (V) that is generally perpendicular to the flat base, and a second operating position, wherein they extend from the arms in opposite directions substantially parallel to the flat base. When the rotor is mounted in a kneading machine, its paddles are proximate to a bottom of the container of the machine in the second operating position, thus acting to separate the dough.

A mixing device includes a base, shaft, impeller sleeve, and impeller blades. The base can be constructed for releasable attachment to an opening of a container, such as a 55-gallon drum. The shaft extends from the base and is coupled thereto such that rotation can be transmitted to the shaft by way of or through the base. The impeller sleeve is mounted on the shaft and supports the impeller blades. Each impeller blade includes an attachment leg and a stirring leg extending from the attachment leg. The impeller blades are supported so as to transition from a collapsed position with the stirring leg proximal to a central axis of the shaft to an extended position with the stirring leg distal from the central axis when the shaft is rotated. Each impeller blade can be formed of a plastic, such as a glass-filled polypropylene or glass-filled nylon.

A mixing device includes a base, shaft, impeller sleeve, and impeller blades. The base can be constructed for releasable attachment to an opening of a container, such as a 55-gallon drum. The shaft extends from the base and is coupled thereto such that rotation can be transmitted to the shaft by way of or through the base. The impeller sleeve is mounted on the shaft and supports the impeller blades. Each impeller blade includes an attachment leg and a stirring leg extending from the attachment leg. The impeller blades are supported so as to transition from a collapsed position with the stirring leg proximal to a central axis of the shaft to an extended position with the stirring leg distal from the central axis when the shaft is rotated. Each impeller blade can be formed of a plastic, such as a glass-filled polypropylene or glass-filled nylon.