Abstract
A stirrer for inserting into a bottom opening of a vessel bottom of a stirring vessel of an electric motor operated kitchen appliance has a plurality of positioning protrusions embodied on its circumferential surface one behind the other in the circumferential direction. A plurality of first positioning protrusions of the circumferential surface protrude with a first radial length difference beyond a smallest radius of the circumferential surface. At least one second positioning protrusion protrudes with a second radial length difference beyond the smallest radius of the circumferential surface, which second radial length difference is smaller than the first radial length difference.
Claims
1. A stirring vessel for an electric motor operated kitchen appliance, the stirring vessel having a vessel bottom with a bottom opening for accommodating a stirrer that can protrude through the vessel bottom into the stirring vessel, wherein an opening contour of the bottom opening has a plurality of positioning recesses embodied one behind the other in a circumferential direction, wherein a plurality of first positioning recesses of the opening contour protrude with a first radial length difference (ΔL.sub.1) beyond a smallest radius (R.sub.min) of the opening contour, and wherein the opening contour has a plurality of second positioning recesses, wherein the number of the first positioning recesses and the number of the second positioning recesses is identical, and wherein each second positioning recess is embodied in the circumferential direction between two of the first positioning recesses and which protrudes with a second radial length difference (ΔL.sub.2) beyond the smallest radius (R.sub.min) of the opening contour, which second radial length difference (ΔL.sub.2) is smaller than the first radial length difference (ΔL.sub.1), and wherein the second radial length difference (ΔL.sub.2) is smaller than 2 mm, so that the second radial length difference (ΔL.sub.2) differs only minimally from the smallest radius (R.sub.min) of the opening contour, but is sufficiently long so as to assist finding a correct installation position of the stirrer in the stirring vessel.
2. The stirring vessel according to claim 1, wherein the vessel bottom has exactly three first positioning recesses.
3. The stirring vessel according claim 1, wherein the first radial length difference (ΔL.sub.1) and the second radial length difference (ΔL.sub.2) differ by at least 1 mm relative to one another.
4. The stirring vessel according to claim 1, wherein the first radial length difference (ΔL.sub.1) is larger than 2 mm.
5. The stirring vessel according to claim 1, wherein the radius (R.sub.min) of the opening contour of the bottom opening of the vessel bottom of the stirring vessel is between 10 mm and 15 mm.
6. The stirring vessel according to claim 1, further comprising a stirrer having a plurality of positioning protrusions embodied on a circumferential surface of the stirrer one behind the other in a circumferential direction, wherein a plurality of first positioning protrusions of the circumferential surface protrude with a first radial length difference (ΔL.sub.1) beyond a smallest radius (R.sub.min) of the circumferential surface, and wherein the circumferential surface has at least one second positioning protrusion, which is embodied in the circumferential direction between two of the first positioning protrusions, and wherein the at least one second positioning protrusion protrudes with a second radial length difference (ΔL.sub.2) beyond the smallest radius (R.sub.min) of the circumferential surface, which second radial length difference (ΔL.sub.2) is smaller than the first radial length difference (ΔL.sub.1), wherein the first positioning protrusion corresponds to the first positioning recess in such a way that the first positioning protrusion completely fills the first positioning recess, and wherein the second positioning protrusion corresponds to the second positioning recess in such a way that the second positioning protrusion completely fills the second positioning recess.
7. An electric motor operated kitchen appliance comprising: a base unit, a stirring vessel according to claim 1, the stirring vessel being configured to be connected to the base unit, and a stirrer that is configured to be inserted into the bottom opening of the vessel bottom of the stirring vessel.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) The invention will be described in more detail below by means of exemplary embodiments.
(2) FIG. 1 shows an electric motor operated kitchen appliance comprising a stirring vessel,
(3) FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal section through the kitchen appliance,
(4) FIG. 3 shows an exploded illustration comprising a stirrer, a stirring vessel, and a foot part for the stirring vessel,
(5) FIG. 4 shows a stirrer according to the invention,
(6) FIG. 5 shows a partial area of a stirrer according to the prior art,
(7) FIG. 6 shows a partial area of a stirrer according to the invention according to a second embodiment, and
(8) FIG. 7 shows a contour of the partial areas of the stirrers illustrated in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, as well as an overlapping of them.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
(9) FIG. 1 shows a kitchen appliance 3 according to the invention comprising a stirring vessel 1. The kitchen appliance 3 has a base unit 20 comprising a stirring vessel accommodation (not illustrated), into which the stirring vessel 1 is inserted here for example. A stirrer 2, which can be rotated via a non-illustrated electric motor, which is arranged in the base unit 20, is assigned to a vessel bottom 4 of the stirring vessel 1 (see for example FIG. 2). The stirring vessel 1 has for example a handle 25 here, is embodied in a pot-like manner comprising a circular cross section, and supports the stirrer 2, centrally arranged on the vessel bottom 4. An electrical resistance heater can furthermore be assigned to the vessel bottom 4.
(10) The base unit 20 of the kitchen appliance 3, which is proposed in an exemplary manner, furthermore has a display 21 here, on which a drop-down menu, preparation instructions or the like can be displayed. A switch 22, which is embodied here as rotary-push switch, is arranged alongside. The kitchen appliance 3 can for example be turned on and off via this switch or a selection can be made, which is displayed for example on the display 21. The base unit 20 also has two locking elements 24 in the form of locking rollers, which serve to lock the stirring vessel 1 by means of a cover 23.
(11) FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal section of the kitchen appliance 3 illustrated in FIG. 1. The stirrer 2 can be seen, which protrudes through the vessel bottom 4 of the stirring vessel 1 into the base unit 20 of the kitchen appliance 3. An electric motor comprising a corresponding drive shaft, to which the stirrer 2 can be coupled, is located in the base unit 20. This is not illustrated in detail in FIG. 2. The stirrer 2 is, for example, a set of knives comprising a plurality of knives 29. The stirrer 2 furthermore has a bearing body 28, which can be arranged on the stirring vessel 1 in a rotationally fixed manner. A stirrer shaft 27, in contrast, is rotationally movable relative to the bearing body 28 and also to the stirring vessel 1, namely rotatable about an axis of rotation 26. The stirrer 2 is furthermore connected to a foot part 30 of the stirring vessel 1, which secures the stirrer 2 to the stirring vessel 1 in a rotationally fixed manner.
(12) FIG. 3 shows a stirring vessel 1 comprising a removed stirrer 2 according to a first embodiment, and a foot part 30 removed from the vessel bottom 4 of the stirring vessel 1. The stirrer 2 is a knife bearing comprising a plurality of knives 29, which are connected to a stirrer shaft 27 in a rotationally fixed manner. The stirrer shaft 27 is rotatably accommodated in a bearing body 28 of the stirrer 2, which bearing body 28 can be guided through a bottom opening 5 of the vessel bottom 4 of the stirring vessel 1, so as to connect it to the vessel bottom 4 in a rotationally fixed manner. A plurality of positioning protrusions 14, 15, 16, which can be guided through corresponding positioning recesses 7, 8, 9 of the bottom opening 5 of the vessel bottom 4, are arranged on the bearing body 28. With regard to its shape and size, every positioning recess 7, 8, 9 corresponds to a positioning protrusion 14, 15, 16. In the illustration, a total of three positioning protrusions 14, 15, 16 or three positioning recesses 7, 8, 9, respectively, are shown. Securing protrusions 31, which serve as counter bearings in response to the securing of the bearing body 28 of the stirrer 2 to the stirring vessel 1, are located on the stirrer 2. Based on a direction parallel to the longitudinal extension of the axis of rotation 26, the securing protrusions 31 are located upstream of one positioning protrusion 14, 15, 16 each, so that, based on an assembly direction of the stirrer 2, the securing protrusions 31 abut on the stirring vessel 1 in the same insertion direction as the assigned positioning protrusion 14, 15, 16, so that one positioning protrusion 14, 15, 16 each, and one securing protrusion 31 are guided through the same positioning recess 7, 8, 9 of the bottom opening 5 of the vessel bottom 4 in response to the assembly.
(13) A plurality of electrical contacts 32 in the form of contact pins, which serve to establish an electroconductive connection to corresponding electrical contacts (not illustrated) of the base unit 20 of the kitchen appliance 3, is furthermore arranged on the vessel bottom 4 of the stirring vessel 1.
(14) The foot part 30 of the stirring vessel 1, which is only proposed in an exemplary manner here, as well as the stirring vessel 1 as a whole, is embodied essentially pot-shaped and serves as accommodation for the vessel bottom 4 of the stirring vessel 1. The foot part 30 provides a base for the stirring vessel 1, so as to be able to place the latter for example onto a worktop, in particular when the vessel bottom 4 is heated up. When the foot part 30 is assembled on the vessel bottom 4, the electrical contacts 32 of the stirring vessel 1 protrude into the interior of the foot part 30. The foot part 30, in turn, can be connected to the stirring vessel accommodation of the base unit 20 of the kitchen appliance 3 in a shape-corresponding manner. The electrical contacts 32 of the stirring vessel 1 thereby come into contact with corresponding electrical contacts of the base unit 20.
(15) The assembly of the foot part 30 to the vessel bottom 4 of the stirring vessel 1 takes place for example in such a way that the foot part 30 is initially positioned on the vessel bottom 4 and is rotated about the axis of rotation 26 of the stirrer 2, which protrudes through the bottom opening 5 of the stirring vessel 1. As a result of the rotation of the foot part 30, a securing element (not illustrated) of the foot part 30 is simultaneously tensioned between the vessel bottom 4 and the securing protrusions 31 of the stirrer 2, so that the stirrer 2 is simultaneously also secured to the stirring vessel 1 as a result of the securing of the foot part 30 to the stirring vessel 1.
(16) FIG. 4 shows, in detail, the stirrer 2 comprising the knives 29, which are connected to the stirrer shaft 27 in a rotationally fixed manner. The stirrer shaft 27 rotates around the axis of rotation 26. A plurality, here a total of three, positioning protrusions 14, 15, 16 (reference numeral 16 is located on the rear side so as not to be visible in the Figure), which serve to engage with corresponding positioning protrusions 14, 15, 16 of the bottom opening 5 of the vessel bottom 4 of the stirring vessel 1, are arranged on the bearing body 28, which can be connected to the vessel bottom 4 in a rotationally fixed manner. In the same radial direction—based on the axis of rotation 26—securing protrusions 31 are arranged below each positioning protrusion 14, 15, 16.
(17) FIGS. 5 and 6 each show a partial area of a bearing body 28 of a stirrer 2, wherein FIG. 5 initially defines the prior art and wherein FIG. 6 shows a second embodiment according to the invention, which differs from the embodiment according to the invention according to FIGS. 3 and 4.
(18) The bearing body 28 of the stirrer 2 according to the prior art illustrated in FIG. 5 has a total of six positioning protrusions 33, of which only four are visible in FIG. 5. A securing protrusion 31 is located above each second positioning protrusion 33. The contour of the circumferential surface 13 illustrated in FIG. 7 on the left on the top, follows based on a cross section of this bearing body 28 perpendicular to the axis of rotation 26 inside a plane, in which the positioning protrusions 33 are embodied. As can be seen, the contour has an initially circular base area with a smallest radius R.sub.min, as well as positioning protrusions 33 protruding beyond this smallest radius R.sub.min. The smallest radius R.sub.min has here for example a size of 13 mm, while the positioning protrusions 33 protrude from the circular circumferential line by a first radial length difference ΔL1 of for example 4 mm here. All of the positioning protrusions 33 have radial length differences ΔL1, which are identical to one another. The positioning protrusions 33 are furthermore embodied equidistantly one behind the other along the circumferential line of the circular base body. Such a stirrer 2 according to FIG. 5 or FIG. 7, respectively, on the left on the top, serves for fastening to a vessel bottom 4 of a stirring vessel 1 with a corresponding opening contour 6, which has positioning recesses corresponding to the positioning protrusions 33, namely here a total of six positioning recesses, which are also arranged equidistantly to one another and have a shape and size, which corresponds to the positioning protrusions 33.
(19) FIG. 6 or FIG. 7, respectively, on the right on the top, show an embodiment according to the invention of a bearing body 28 of a stirrer 2, which differs from the prior art. The stirrer 2 has for example positioning protrusions 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 here, comprising two different radial length differences ΔL.sub.1, ΔL.sub.2. On the one hand, the circumferential surface 13 of the stirrer 2 has a total of three first positioning protrusions 14, 15, 16, which have a first radial length difference ΔL1. On the other hand, the circumferential surface 13 has three second positioning protrusions 17, 18, 19, which have a second radial length difference ΔL.sub.2. The radial length differences ΔL.sub.1, ΔL.sub.2 are also calculated here again starting at a circumferential line of a circular base body with a smallest radius R.sub.min. The smallest radius R.sub.min is here also approximately 13 mm, analogous to FIG. 5. The first radial length difference ΔL.sub.1 of the first positioning protrusions 14, 15, 16 corresponds to the first radial length difference ΔL.sub.1 of the positioning protrusions 33 according to the prior art, as illustrated in FIG. 5. The second positioning protrusions 17, 18, 19, in contrast, have a smaller, second radial length difference ΔL.sub.2, which is only approximately 1.5 mm here. The first positioning protrusions 14, 15, 16 and the second positioning protrusions 17, 18, 19 are each arranged equidistantly to one another, wherein a first positioning protrusions 14, 15, 16 is in each case located between two second positioning protrusions 17, 18, 19 each along the circumferential line, or a second positioning protrusion 17, 18, 19 is in each case located between two first positioning protrusions 14, 15, 16 each, respectively. The contour of the circumferential surface 13 of the bearing body 28 according to FIG. 6, which is illustrated in FIG. 7 on the right on the top, results. The three first positioning protrusions 14, 15, 16 are in each case spaced apart at angular distances of 120° to one another. The second positioning protrusions 17, 18, 19 are also spaced apart relative to one another at an angular range of 120°. Angular sections of 60° in each case exist between a first positioning protrusion 14, 15, 16 and an adjacent second positioning protrusion 17, 18, 19.
(20) In comparison, the contours according to the prior art illustrated in FIG. 5 and the embodiment according to the invention illustrated in FIG. 7 differ, such as in the covering shown in FIG. 7 on the bottom. In particular, areas, which differ from one another, exist along the contour. These are the angular areas, in which the bearing body 28 of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6 has shortened second positioning protrusions 17, 18, 19, which have a second radial length difference ΔL.sub.2, which is smaller than the first radial length difference ΔL.sub.1 of the positioning protrusions 33 or of the first positioning protrusions 14, 15, 16, respectively.
(21) The circumferential contours of the bearing body 28 illustrated in FIG. 7 simultaneously correspond to an opening contour 6 of a bottom opening 5 of a shape-corresponding vessel bottom 4. The positioning protrusions 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 illustrated in FIG. 7 on the right are thus simultaneously also numbered as positioning recesses 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.
(22) As can be seen from FIG. 7, the embodiment of the stirrer 2 according to the invention has the result that the stirrer 2 illustrated in FIG. 6 can be introduced into a corresponding bottom opening 5 according to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7 on the left as well as according to the embodiment illustrated according to FIG. 7 on the right, but that, vice versa, the stirrer 2 according to FIG. 5, which is known from the prior art, cannot be introduced into a bottom opening 5, the opening contour 6 of which corresponds to the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 on the right. As illustrated on the bottom in FIG. 7, the positioning protrusions 33 are too long to be capable of being inserted into the second positioning recess 10, 11, 12 of the vessel bottom 4. The stirrer 2 according to FIG. 5, which is known from the prior art, can thus not be inserted into a stirring vessel 1, which requires a stirrer 2 according to FIG. 6. In contrast, however, the stirrer 2 according to FIG. 6 can be inserted into a stirring vessel 1, which is embodied for the prior art according to FIG. 5, wherein the second positioning protrusions 17, 18, 19 of the bearing body 28 then do not completely cover the positioning recesses formed in the vessel bottom 4. However, the bearing body 28 as well as possibly an additional sealing element then ensures a complete sealing of the stirrer 2 against the stirring vessel 1, so that medium can also not escape in this case out of the stirring vessel 1 through the bottom opening 5. Even though the stirrers 2 according to the embodiments in FIG. 3 or 4 and 6, respectively, are compatible with stirring vessels 1 of the prior art, a stirring vessel 2 illustrated in FIG. 5 is vice versa not compatible with the stirring vessels 1 according to the invention.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
(23) 1 stirring vessel 29 knife 2 stirrer 30 foot part 3 kitchen appliance 31 securing protrusion 4 vessel bottom 32 electrical contact 5 bottom opening 33 positioning protrusion 6 opening contour ΔL1 first radial length difference 7 first positioning recess ΔL2 second radial length difference 8 first positioning recess R.sub.min smallest radius 9 first positioning recess 10 second positioning recess 11 second positioning recess 12 second positioning recess 13 circumferential surface 14 first positioning protrusion 15 first positioning protrusion 16 first positioning protrusion 17 second positioning protrusion 18 second positioning protrusion 19 second positioning protrusion 20 base unit 21 display 22 switch 23 cover 24 locking element 25 handle 26 axis of rotation 27 stirring shaft 28 bearing body
