HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE MIXING ARRANGEMENT

Abstract

A household mixer appliance having an open top mixing container, a hook and a drive arrangement. The mixing container has a side wall portion with a through hole for the drive arrangement and the hook is arranged to be rotatable around an axis of rotation within the mixing container via the drive arrangement. A seal is arranged between the drive arrangement and the side wall portion of the mixing container, and the drive arrangement includes a quick-release mechanism to which the hook is attachable.

Claims

1. A household mixer appliance comprising: a hook; a drive arrangement operatively connectable to the hook and, when connected to the hook, configured to rotate the hook around an axis of rotation within the mixing container; an open top mixing container comprising a side wall portion with a through hole for the drive arrangement; and a seal arranged between the drive arrangement and the side wall portion of the mixing container; wherein the drive arrangement comprises a quick-release mechanism to which the hook is attachable.

2. The household mixer appliance according to claim 1, wherein the hook comprises: a distal end; and a proximal end provided with a sole attachment portion that is arranged to be attachable to the quick-release mechanism of the drive arrangement.

3. The household mixer appliance according to claim 1, wherein the quick-release mechanism is at least one of: a locking pin arrangement; a bayonet coupling arrangement; and a snap-lock arrangement.

4. The household mixer appliance according claim 1, wherein the axis of rotation is substantially horizontal.

5. The household mixer appliance according to claim 1, wherein the drive arrangement comprises a first coupling member that is at least partly arranged to extend into the through hole of the mixing container.

6. The household mixer appliance according to claim 5, wherein the hook is attachable to the first coupling member via the quick-release mechanism.

7. The household mixer appliance according to claim 5, wherein the hook and the mixing container are detachable from the drive arrangement when the hook is detached from the quick-release mechanism.

8. The household mixer appliance according to claim 5, wherein the seal is arranged to be fitted in between the side wall portion of the mixing container and the first coupling member.

9. The household mixer appliance according to claim 8 wherein the first coupling member comprises a flange, and where the seal is arranged radially outwards of the flange, towards a cylindrical surface that forms the through hole.

10. The household mixer appliance according to claim 5, wherein the seal and the first coupling member together are arranged to seal off the through hole when the hook is attached to the drive arrangement.

11. The household mixer appliance according to claim 5, wherein the drive arrangement comprises a second coupling member that is arranged to transfer rotational movement from an electric motor to the hook via the first coupling member.

12. The household mixer appliance according to claim 11, wherein the hook, the quick-release mechanism, the mixing container, the seal and the first coupling member together forms an assembly that is detachable as one unit from the second coupling member.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] The various aspects of embodiments herein, including its particular features and advantages, will be readily understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0034] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a household appliance mixing arrangement according to some embodiments.

[0035] FIG. 2 illustrates a cross section of the household appliance mixing arrangement according to some other embodiments.

[0036] FIG. 3 illustrates another cross section view of the FIG. 2 household appliance mixing arrangement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] Embodiments herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

[0038] Well-known functions or constructions will not necessarily be described in detail for brevity and/or clarity.

[0039] FIG. 1 illustrates a household appliance mixing arrangement 1 in perspective. The mixing arrangement 1 is illustrated in an exploded view, where the parts and features are separated in a direction parallel to the illustrated axis of rotation A.

[0040] In the left part of FIG. 1 a hook 3 is illustrated. The hook 3 comprises a distal end 3a and a proximal end 3b. A curved elongated portion provided with a helix-shaped protrusion extends between the distal end 3a and the proximal end 3b. At the proximal end 3b, the hook 3 is provided with a sole attachment portion 3c. The attachment portion 3c can be integrated as one unit with the hook 3 or alternatively be a separate part which is attachable to the hook such that they together form the hook 3. The attachment portion 3c is further described below.

[0041] Next to the hook 3 are illustrated: a drive arrangement 4, a sealing 5 and a side wall portion 2a of a mixing container. The side wall portion 2a comprises a through hole 2b. In order to better illustrate the mechanism of the mixing arrangement 1, only the side wall portion 2a, which is a part of the mixing container wall, is illustrated in FIG. 1. In FIG. 2 a larger part of the mixing container is illustrated, and in FIG. 3 the entire mixing container is illustrated.

[0042] When assembled, the attachment portion 3c abuts an inner surface of the side wall portion 2a around the trough hole 2b, such that ingredients, at least to some extent, are prevented from escaping the mixing container via the through hole 2b. Also the sealing 5 is arranged to prevent leakage via the through hole 2b.

[0043] The drive arrangement 4 comprises a quick-release-hook-attachment arrangement 4a, a first coupling member 4c and a second coupling member 4d.

[0044] In an assembled state, the hook 3 is attached to the quick-release-hook-attachment arrangement 4a. In the FIG. 1 embodiment the quick-release-hook-attachment arrangement 4a is a locking pin arrangement. The locking pin arrangement comprises a male and a female member which, when locked to each other, secures the hook 3 to the first coupling member 4c. The hook 3 and the quick-release-hook-attachment arrangement 4a could alternatively be secured to each other by a snap-lock arrangement, a bayonet coupling arrangement, threads or the like. Any attachment means which provides for a reliable and easy-to-use hook attachment can be used. The hook 3 can be attached and detached relatively the quick-release-hook-attachment arrangement 4a without any tools.

[0045] As mentioned, the drive arrangement 4 also comprises the first coupling member 4c. In an assembled state, the quick-release-hook-attachment arrangement 4a is locked also relatively the first coupling member 4c. Hereby the first coupling member 4c is able to transfer a rotational movement around the axis of rotation A to the quick-release-hook-attachment arrangement 4a and the hook 3. In the FIG. 1 embodiment both the first coupling member 4c and the quick-release-hook-attachment arrangement 4a comprise longitudinal grooves/ribs which are arranged to transfer the rotational movement. At least a major part of the quick-release-hook-attachment arrangement 4a is arranged inside the mixing container 2 and at least a major part of the first coupling member 4c is arranged outside of the mixing container 2.

[0046] Outside of the mixing container 2 and next to the first coupling member 4c the second coupling member 4d is arranged. The first 4c and second 4d coupling members have complementary shaped portions and/or are provided with ribs/grooves which are complementary to each other. Hereby the second coupling member 4d can transfer a rotational movement from an electric motor to the first coupling member 4c, when the first and second coupling members are engaged to each other. The first coupling member 4c can be attached to/removed from the second coupling member 4d by movement thereof along a direction which is substantially in parallel with the axis of rotation A.

[0047] The second coupling member 4d will be brought to rotate by an electric motor. Such an electric motor could be directly or indirectly connected to the second coupling member 4d. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, a drive member 7 is arranged to put the second coupling member 4d in motion. A first portion 7a of the drive member 7 is, in the assembled state, connected to the second coupling member 4d, while a second portion 7b is connected to the electric motor.

[0048] In FIG. 1 is also illustrated part of a housing 8. The housing 8 will enclose the electric motor, the drive member 7 and other parts, such that they are protected. The housing 8, or parts thereof, can also constitute a support for the open top mixing container.

[0049] FIG. 2 illustrates a household appliance mixing arrangement 1 which generally corresponds to the embodiment described in accordance with FIG. 1, but the hook 3 does not comprise any helix-shaped protrusion. FIG. 2 illustrates a cross section of the household appliance mixing arrangement 1 in an exploded view. In FIG. 2 is also illustrated a bottom portion 2c and an upper portion 2d of the mixing container. The first coupling member 4c comprises a flange 4c. The flange 4c can be arranged to extend into the interior of the mixing container via the through hole 2b, whereby the quick-release-hook-attachment arrangement 4a can be attached to the flange 4c. The mixing container with its through hole 2b can be thread onto the flange 4c whereby the quick-release-hook-attachment arrangement 4a can be attached to the flange 4c.

[0050] In FIG. 2 the sealing 5 is illustrated as a separate part, but in other embodiments the sealing 5 can be attached to the mixing container or the flange 4c. In the assembled state the sealing 5 is arranged radially outwards of the flange 4c, towards a cylindrical surface which forms the through hole 2b of the mixing container.

[0051] The hook 3 is rotatable around a substantially horizontal axis of rotation A within the mixing container 2, when the hook 3 is attached to the drive arrangement 4 and abuts the inside of the mixing container 2.

[0052] In FIG. 2 the hook 3 is illustrated in its lowermost position. The hook 3 is in the lowermost position when the centre of gravity of the hook 3 is as low as possible within the mixing container 2. The lowermost position is also illustrated in FIG. 3.

[0053] The exploded view cross section of FIG. 3 generally corresponds to FIG. 2, but in FIG. 3 the first coupling member 4c is illustrated when the flange 4c is inserted into the trough hole of the mixing container 2. In FIG. 3 the drive arrangement 4, the sealing 5, the housing 8 and the side wall portion 2a of the mixing container 2 are schematically illustrated in a larger scale as compared to the mixing container 2 and the hook 3.

[0054] When the attachment portion 3c of the hook 3 and the quick-release-hook-attachment arrangement 4a are attached to each other via the through hole, the hook 3, the quick-release-hook-attachment arrangement 4a, the mixing container 2, the sealing 5 and the first coupling member 4c together forms an assembly 6. The assembly 6 is detachable as one unit from the second coupling member 4d and other parts, such as the housing 8 and the electric motor.

[0055] The mixing container 2 can be made of any durable material, such as plastics, metal and/or glass and the hook 3 can be made e.g. of metal and/or plastics.

[0056] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the hook 3 has a substantially horizontal axis of rotation A and the mixing container 2 is an open top mixing container. Since the hook 3 is attached to the drive arrangement 4 via the through hole in the side wall portion of the mixing container 2, a user who would like to add ingredients, e.g. during baking, mixing and/or kneading, can easily do so since no drive arrangements or other parts of the household appliance mixing arrangement 1 obstruct the mixer container opening. The hook 3 rotates near the inner surface of the mixing container 2 such that the ingredients are pressed, kneaded and well-mixed between the hook 3 and the inner surface when the hook 3 is rotated. The hook 3 could have a curved elongated shape. A curved elongated shape of the hook 3 has proven to be exceptionally efficient for catching and bringing the foodstuff to be mixed and kneaded over the length of the hook 3.