PREPARATION VESSEL FOR A FOOD PROCESSOR

Abstract

A preparation vessel for a food processor has a vessel wall, at least a partial area of which has a double-wall configuration, with an inner wall that borders a preparation chamber of the preparation vessel and an outer wall designed separately from the latter and spaced apart from the inner wall by an intermediate space. In order to optimize such a preparation vessel with respect to both heating and/or heat retention as well as outward insulation, the intermediate space has a vacuum with a gas pressure of less than 300 mbar and/or an insulating material with a thermal conductivity of less than 0.02 W/(mK).

Claims

1. A preparation vessel for a food processor comprising a vessel wall, at least a partial area of which has a double-wall configuration, with an inner wall that borders a preparation chamber of the preparation vessel and an outer wall designed separately from the preparation chamber and spaced apart from the inner wall by an intermediate space, wherein the intermediate space has a vacuum with a gas pressure of less than 300 mbar and/or an insulating material with a thermal conductivity of less than 0.02 W/(mK).

2. The preparation vessel according to claim 1, wherein the gas pressure is less than 100 mbar.

3. The preparation vessel according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate space has the insulating material, and wherein the insulating material is comprised of a silica, an aerogel, an open-pore polymer foam and/or glass fibers.

4. The preparation vessel according to claim 1, wherein the vessel wall is a circumferential wall of the preparation vessel.

5. A preparation vessel for a food processor comprising a vessel wall, at least a partial area of which has a double-wall configuration, with an inner wall that borders a preparation chamber and an outer wall designed separately from the preparation chamber and spaced apart from the inner wall by an intermediate space, wherein the intermediate space accommodates a heating and/or cooling device that contacts the inner wall in a heat conducting manner.

6. The preparation vessel according to claim 5, wherein the heating device and/or cooling device is thermally insulated relative to the outer wall.

7. The preparation vessel according to claim 5, wherein the intermediate space between the outer wall and the heating and/or cooling device has a vacuum with a gas pressure of less than 300 mbar and/or an insulating material with a thermal conductivity of less than 0.02 W/(mK).

8. The preparation vessel according to claim 1, wherein the preparation vessel is configured to be connected with a base unit of a food processor, and has electrical connections for connection to a power supply of the base unit.

9. The preparation vessel according to claim 1, wherein a vessel floor of the preparation vessel has a heating and/or cooling device.

10. A food processor with a base unit and a preparation vessel according to claim 1, the preparation vessel being configured to be connected with the base unit.

11. The preparation vessel according to claim 5, wherein a vessel floor of the preparation vessel has a heating and/or cooling device.

12. The preparation vessel according to claim 5, wherein the preparation vessel is configured to be connected with a base unit of a food processor, and has electrical connections for connection to a power supply of the base unit.

13. The preparation vessel according to claim 5, wherein a vessel floor of the preparation vessel has a heating and/or cooling device.

14. A food processor with a base unit and a preparation vessel according to claim 5, the preparation vessel being configured to be connected with the base unit.

15. The preparation vessel according to claim 1, wherein the gas pressure is less than 50 mbar.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The invention will be explained in greater detail below based on exemplary embodiments. As shown in the drawings:

[0020] FIG. 1 is a food processor according to the invention with a preparation vessel,

[0021] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section through the food processor according to FIG. 1,

[0022] FIG. 3 is a preparation vessel according to the invention based on a first embodiment,

[0023] FIG. 4 is a preparation vessel according to the invention based on a second embodiment,

[0024] FIG. 5 is a preparation vessel according to the invention based on a third embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0025] FIG. 1 only exemplarily shows an electric motor-driven food processor 2, which is here designed as a combined cooking/mixing device. For example, the food processor 2 has a base unit 11 for detachably accommodating a preparation vessel 1. A vessel floor 12 of the preparation vessel 1 (see FIG. 2) here has a floor opening, through which can be passed part of an agitator 21 that is connected with a motor shaft of an electric motor of the food processor 2. The preparation vessel 1 further has a vessel handle 19 and a cover 16 with a cover handle 18 and a cover opening 17. For example, the cover opening 17 makes it possible to add ingredients into the preparation vessel 1 during operation of the food processor 2. Also arranged on the base unit 11 are a display 14, here for example a touchscreen, as well as a switch 15, which can be used to control a menu guide of the food processor 2, for example to control the preparation of meals based on a selected recipe. For example, the display 14 can show the user individual processing steps involved in an automatic recipe preparation, as well as required ingredients for the preparation that the user must add to the preparation vessel 1. For example, the switch 15 allows the user to confirm an input, initiate individual processing steps and the like. The cover 16 of the preparation vessel 1 is fixed to the preparation vessel 1 using two locking rollers 20, so that the preparation vessel 1 cannot undesirably open during an operation of the food processor 2.

[0026] FIG. 2 shows the food processor 2 with a longitudinally cut preparation vessel 1 according to a first embodiment. The preparation vessel 1 is also shown magnified on FIG. 3. The base unit 11 of the food processor 2 has a device receiving area, with which the preparation vessel 1 is detachably connected. For example, the vessel receiving area is here shaped like a depression, into which the preparation vessel 1 can be placed. The vessel receiving area can have electrical contacts, which provide a power supply for electrical consumers of the preparation vessel 1. To this end, for example, a strip with contacts can be formed on the vessel receiving area, with which corresponding electrical contacts of the preparation vessel 1 can be connected. The preparation vessel 1 here has a vessel foot part 23, which forms a standing surface for the preparation vessel 1. The preparation vessel 1 is connected with this vessel foot part 23, preferably detachably. For example, the vessel foot part 23 can serve to fix the agitator 21 to the vessel floor 12 of the preparation vessel 1. The agitator 21 is here designed as a set of knives with a plurality of knives 22. The vessel floor 12 further accommodates a heating device 13. For example, the heating device 13 is here integrated as a thick-film heating device in the material of the vessel floor 12, and is supplied with electrical energy via the power supply of the base unit 11 of the food processor 2.

[0027] The preparation vessel 1 has a vessel wall 3, which comprises the circumferential surface of the preparation vessel 1 along with its vessel floor 12. The vessel wall 3 is here double-walled in design, with an inner wall 5 and an outer wall 7 spaced apart from the inner wall 5. The inner wall 5 and outer wall 7 are separated by an intermediate space 6. The intermediate space 6 is exposed to a low pressure here measuring 200 mbar, for example. This relates to the entire intermediate space 6 of the vessel wall 3, except in this case for the area of the vessel floor 12, for example, in which the heating device 13 is arranged.

[0028] The vacuum established in the intermediate space 6 serves to thermally insulate a preparation chamber 4 of the preparation vessel 1 relative to the environment. The vacuum interrupts a thermally conductive connection that might otherwise be present between the inner wall 5 and outer wall 7. Because the walls 5, 7 are thermally decoupled by the vacuum, a meal located in the preparation chamber 4 cools off less rapidly, and its thermal energy cannot be released to the outer wall 7 of the preparation vessel 1. Despite the hot preparation material inside of the preparation chamber 4, the outer wall 7 remains cold, and cannot burn a user even at high temperatures, should he or she touch the outer wall 7 of the preparation vessel 1. The inner wall 5 is preferably made out of a thermally conductive material, for example a metal, so that the preparation chamber 4 and preparation material located therein can be heated as uniformly as possible and kept warm. The preparation material can thus retain a temperature over a longer period of time by comparison to prior art, since no temperature compensation with the environment of the preparation vessel 1 takes place.

[0029] FIG. 4 shows another possible embodiment of a preparation vessel 1 according to the invention. In this example, the double-walled vessel wall 3 of the preparation vessel 1 has an insulating material 8 relative to the circumferential wall having a thermal conductivity less than that of air. For example, the insulating material 8 here has a thermal conductivity of less than 0.02 W/(mK). For example, the insulating material 8 consists of an open-pore polymer foam or an aerogel. In addition, other materials are possible, for example silica, glass fibers, other plastic insulating materials and the like. In addition to the insulating material 8, it can be provided that a vacuum be applied in partial areas of the intermediate space 6 free of materials, for example so that the open pores of the polymer foam are evacuated. This makes it possible to achieve an overall low thermal conductivity of the intermediate space 6.

[0030] Finally, FIG. 5 shows another optional embodiment of a preparation vessel 1 according to the invention. The vessel wall 3 here has a heating device 9 and a cooling device 10 in both a circumferential area and the vessel floor 12. For example, the heating device 9 can consist of a resistance wire, Peltier elements or the like. For example, the cooling device 10 can have a canal system for cooling liquid, Peltier elements or the like. The coiled shape of the heating device 9 and cooling device 10 shown on FIG. 5 is only selected as an example. This does not limit the way in which the heating device 9 and cooling device 10 are configured. Both the heating device 9 and cooling device 10 are advantageously in contact with the inner wall 5, so that the thermal energy or cold can be released to the preparation chamber 4 or a preparation material located therein via the preferably thermally conductive inner wall 5. However, on the opposing side of the vessel wall 3, the heating device 9 and cooling device 10 are spaced apart from the outer wall 7, and are not in contact with the latter in a thermally conductive manner. A vacuum or insulating material 8 is preferably in the intermediate space 6 between the heating device 9 or cooling device 10 and the outer wall 7.

[0031] Because the heating device 9 is formed along the entire vessel wall 3, the preparation chamber 4 can be heated not only over the vessel floor 12, but over a complete surface area, so that the preparation material can be heated more uniformly and gently, and nutrient-protective cooking is ensured. The cooling device 10 makes it possible to prepare cold meals in addition to preparing hot meals. It is no longer necessary to put the preparation vessel 1 into a refrigerator, for example before whipping cream, preparing ice cream or mouse. The preparation vessel 1 or its preparation chamber 4 always stays cold, but because it is thermally decoupled from the outer wall 7, a user does not feel any effects of the cold on the outside of the outer wall 7.

[0032] Another embodiment similar to the embodiment according to FIG. 5 can also provide that the heating device 9 be in contact with the inner wall 5, while the cooling device 10 be in contact with the outer wall 7. During operation of the heating device 9, heat that might get to the outer wall 7 can be eliminated by the cooling device 10.

[0033] Apart from the exemplary embodiments shown above, other combinations involving a vacuum, insulating material 8 a heating device 9 and cooling device 10 are of course also possible.

REFERENCE LIST

[0034] 1 Preparation vessel

[0035] 2 Food processor

[0036] 3 Vessel wall

[0037] 4 Preparation chamber

[0038] 5 Inner wall

[0039] 6 Intermediate space

[0040] 7 Outer wall

[0041] 8 Insulating material

[0042] 9 Heating device

[0043] 10 Cooling device

[0044] 11 Base unit

[0045] 12 Vessel floor

[0046] 13 Heating device

[0047] 14 Display

[0048] 15 Switch

[0049] 16 Cover

[0050] 17 Cover opening

[0051] 18 Cover handle

[0052] 19 Vessel handle

[0053] 20 Locking roller

[0054] 21 Agitator

[0055] 22 Knife

[0056] 23 Vessel foot part