Abstract
A mixing vessel for a food processor operated by an electric motor, which mixing vessel has a mixing mechanism which can be connected to a rotary drive of the food processor by means of a coupling driver, wherein the mixing vessel has a cleaning device for cleaning an inner wall of the mixing vessel, in particular a floor of the vessel. The cleaning device is arranged on the mixing vessel, in particular on a vessel wall and/or the mixing mechanism, and has at least one cleaning element which is designed such that, upon actuation of the cleaning device, it sweeps over the inner wall and/or over sub-regions of the mixing mechanism and, by interacting mechanically with any deposits which may be located on the inner wall and/or the mixing mechanism, helps to remove the same. The mixing vessel can have a cleaning device which has an ultrasonic transmitter, which is arranged in a fixed position in a wall of the mixing vessel or which is arranged, in particular in a removable manner, in the interior of the mixing vessel.
Claims
1-10. (canceled)
11. A mixing vessel (3) for an electromotively driven food processor (2), which mixing vessel (3) has a mixing mechanism (5), in particular a knife set (6) or a milk foaming attachment (8), which by means of a coupling driver (18) can be connected with the rotary drive of the food processor (2), wherein the mixing vessel (3) has a cleaning device (1) for purposes of cleaning an inner wall (4) of the mixing vessel (3), in particular, a vessel floor (20), wherein further, the cleaning device (1) is arranged on the mixing vessel (3), in particular on a vessel wall (15), and/or on the mixing mechanism (5), and has at least one cleaning element (9) that is designed such that the latter is swept over the inner wall (4) and/or over subregions of the mixing mechanism (5) by an actuation of the cleaning device (1), and, by a mechanical interaction with any deposits (22) that may be located on the inner wall (4) and/or the mixing mechanism (5), helps to remove them, wherein, the cleaning element (9), in addition to a rotation about an axis of rotation (12) of the mixing mechanism (5), can rotate about an axis of rotation (13) arranged in parallel to the first axis of rotation (12).
12. The mixing vessel (3) in accordance with claim 11, wherein, the cleaning device (1) is connected with the mixing mechanism (5) such that with a rotation of the rotary drive of the food processor (2) the cleaning element (9) is moved together with the latter.
13. The mixing vessel (3) in accordance with claim 12, wherein, the cleaning device (1) has connecting elements (17) for purposes of making a plug-in connection, a screw-in connection, a bayonet connection, a latch-in connection, and/or a magnetic connection with the mixing mechanism (5).
14. The mixing vessel (3) in accordance with claim 11, wherein, the cleaning element (9) has bristles (10), textile fibres, and/or metal fibres.
15. The mixing vessel (3) in accordance with claim 11, wherein, for purposes of mechanical interaction with the inner wall (4) and/or the mixing mechanism (5), the cleaning element (9) intervenes in a partial circular segment (11) formed between knives (7) of a knife set (6), or wings of a milk foaming attachment (8).
16. The mixing vessel in accordance with claim 11, wherein, the cleaning element (9) in conjunction with the mixing mechanism (5) forms planetary gearing, wherein at least a subregion of the mixing mechanism (5) is designed to act as a sun gear, and wherein the cleaning element (9) is designed to act as a planet gear.
17. The mixing vessel (3) in accordance with claim 11, wherein, the cleaning device (1) has an ultrasonic transmitter (14), which is arranged in a fixed location in a vessel wall (15) of the mixing vessel (3), or which is arranged in the interior (16) of the mixing vessel (3), in particular such that it can be removed.
18. The mixing vessel (3) in accordance with claim 17, wherein, the ultrasonic transmitter (14) is integrated into a heating device (23) arranged in the vessel wall (15), in particular in a vessel floor (20).
19. An electromotively driven food processor (2) with a mixing vessel (3), which is designed in accordance with claim 11.
Description
[0025] In what follows the invention is elucidated in more detail in terms of examples of embodiment. Here:
[0026] FIG. 1 shows a food processor with a mixing vessel in a cross-sectional view,
[0027] FIG. 2 shows a perspective plan view onto a mixing vessel,
[0028] FIG. 3 shows a mixing vessel with a cleaning device in accordance with a first form of embodiment in a cross-sectional view,
[0029] FIG. 4 shows the mixing vessel as in FIG. 3 in a perspective plan view,
[0030] FIG. 5 shows a mixing vessel with a cleaning device in accordance with a second form of embodiment in a perspective plan view,
[0031] FIGS. 6a)-c) show various forms of embodiment of connecting elements for purposes of connecting a cleaning device with a mixing mechanism,
[0032] FIG. 7 shows a mixing vessel with a cleaning device in accordance with a third form of embodiment in a cross-sectional view, and
[0033] FIG. 8 shows a vessel floor of a mixing vessel with a combination of a cleaning device and a heating device.
[0034] FIG. 1 shows an electromotively driven food processor 2, which here, for example, is designed as a cooking-mixing unit. A mixing vessel 3 is inserted into the food processor 2; this has a vessel wall 15 with an inner wall 4, including a vessel floor 20, which bounds an interior 16 of the mixing vessel 3.
[0035] A mixing mechanism 5, here in the form of a knife set 6, is arranged within the mixing vessel 3. The mixing mechanism 5 is arranged on a rotary shaft (not shown) having an axis of rotation 12, which at its end is connected by means of a coupling driver (18, see FIG. 3) with a rotary drive of the food processor 2. Here the knife set 6 has, for example, two knives 7, which cross in the vicinity of the axis of rotation 12, and are displaced relative to one another by an angle of 90°. The knives 7 each have two opposite end sections, extending in opposite directions in the form of a crescent, and have cutting edges on the concave side.
[0036] FIG. 2 shows a plan view onto a mixing vessel 3, which after preparation of food has deposits 22 on the inner wall 4 of the mixing vessel 3, in particular on the vessel floor 20. The deposits 22 are residual foodstuffs from the dishes prepared in the mixing vessel 3, which adhere to the inner wall 4. Typically the residual foodstuffs can adhere to the inner wall, 4 or are burnt on to the latter. Various types of deposits 22 are conceivable, for example, residual foodstuffs of milk, cream, flour and water, chocolate, peanut butter, sugar, coffee, oil, pudding, food colouring, tomato sauce, or similar. The deposits 22 can form a continuous layer on the inner wall 4 or—as shown—can consist of individual fragments.
[0037] FIG. 3 shows a mixing vessel 3 with a cleaning device 1, which is connected with the mixing mechanism 5. Here the mixing mechanism 5 has a milk foaming attachment 8, commonly used for the foaming of milk, which is also known as a so-called butterfly insert. In addition, the mixing mechanism 5 has a knife set 6, on which is arranged the milk foaming attachment 8. The cleaning device 1 has a plurality of cleaning elements 9, here four; in turn each of these has a multiplicity of bristles 10 arranged next to one another. Two of the cleaning elements 9 are arranged on the milk foaming attachment 8, pointing radially outwards with respect to the axis of rotation 12, while, in the case of a conventional orientation of the milk foaming attachment 8, two further cleaning elements 9 are arranged within the mixing vessel 3 under the milk foaming attachment 8, such that the bristles 10 point in the direction of the vessel floor 20. The cleaning device 1 can, for example, be attached to the milk foaming attachment 8 by means of a latch-in connection, a plug-in connection, or similar. It is both possible to arrange the cleaning device 1 as a part on the milk foaming attachment 8, or to arrange each cleaning element 9 of the cleaning device 1 separately, whereby the first-cited variant is more convenient for the user because of the smaller number of handgrips required. The bristles 10 of the cleaning device 1 are, for example, steel bristles that contact the inner wall 4 of the stirrer vessel 3 in the installed state of the milk foaming attachment 8 and the cleaning device 1, at least with one end region. By virtue of the fact that the cleaning device 1 is connected to the mixing mechanism 5 of the food processor 2, the cleaning elements 9 of the cleaning device 1 are automatically moved together with the rotary drive of the food processor 2 when the mixing mechanism 5 is rotated, whereby the bristles 10 sweep over the inner wall 4 of the mixing vessel 3 and cause a release of the deposits 22 by mechanical interaction with the deposits 22 located on the inner wall 4.
[0038] FIG. 4 shows the mixing vessel as in FIG. 3 in a perspective view from above. The mixing mechanism 5 can be seen, which has the knife set 6, and the milk foaming attachment 8 arranged above the latter. The two cleaning elements 9 of the cleaning device 1 arranged underneath the milk foaming attachment 8 intervene in partial circular segments 11 formed between knives 7 of the knife set 6, such that the bristles 10 of the cleaning elements 9 come into contact with the vessel floor 20, and when the mixing mechanism 5 rotates these effect a removal of the deposits 22.
[0039] FIG. 5 shows a further variant of embodiment of the invention, in accordance with which the cleaning device 1 is designed in the manner of planetary gearing. The cleaning device 1 is arranged on the mixing mechanism 5, in this case the knife set 6, whereby the cleaning device 1 has four plate-form cleaning elements 9; these intervene in partial circular segments 11 formed between knives 7 of the knife set 6. The cleaning device 1 has an essentially rotationally symmetrical base arranged on the mixing mechanism 5, that is to say, on the axis of rotation 12; four cleaning arms are formed on the base, and these carry the plate-form cleaning elements 9. Each of the cleaning elements 9 is arranged on a cleaning arm such that it can rotate about an axis of rotation 13. The axes of rotation of the cleaning elements acting as planet gears run parallel to the axis of rotation 12 of the mixing mechanism 5. In the radial direction the plate-form cleaning elements 9 are in active connection with the inner wall 4 of the mixing vessel 3 such that the cleaning elements 9 roll on the inner wall 4 during rotation of the mixing mechanism 5 and thereby rotate around both the axis of rotation 12 and also the axis of rotation 13. The cleaning elements 9 can again have bristles 10 (not shown) that make contact with the vessel floor 20. In addition, however, it is also possible for the plate-form cleaning elements 9 to impinge directly on the vessel floor 20 in the manner of a grinding wheel. Depending on the size of the cleaning elements 9 and the partial circular segments 11 formed between the knives 7, the cleaning elements 9 can also impinge mechanically on the knives 7 as they rotate about the axis of rotation 13 and can free them from any deposits 22 that may be present.
[0040] Although this is not shown in the figure, the cleaning device 1 can, of course, also have one, two, three, or more than four cleaning elements 9, instead of four cleaning elements 9. In addition, it is also possible not to roll the plate-form cleaning elements 9 on the inner wall 4 for a rotation about the axes of rotation 13, but rather to rotate them by means of a separate motor of the cleaning device 1. This variant is also suitable, in particular, for cleaning devices 1, which are not connected to the mixing mechanism 5 in a rotationally fixed manner, and thus do not rotate together with a rotation of the mixing mechanism 5. By fitting the cleaning device 1 with its own motor, the rotation of the cleaning elements 9 about both the axis of rotation 12 and also the axis of rotation 13 can be effected.
[0041] FIGS. 6a to 6c show various options for attaching the cleaning device 1 to the mixing mechanism 5. The mixing mechanism 5 can, for example, be a knife set 6. FIG. 6a shows a bayonet connection in which a connecting element 17 of the cleaning device 1 engages under a corresponding subregion of the mixing mechanism 5. FIG. 6b shows a latch-in connection in which a flexible connecting element of the cleaning device 1 engages in a corresponding subregion of a mixing mechanism 5, here designed as a recess. FIG. 6c shows a magnetic connection of cleaning device 1 and mixing mechanism 5, in which the cleaning device 1 has a connecting element 17 designed as a permanent magnet, which interacts with a magnetic or magnetisable subregion of the mixing mechanism 5. Advantageously, the mixing mechanism 5 has a magnetic material in at least one subregion, such as, for example, magnetic, corrosion-resistant steel, which at the same time is also suitable for the preparation of foodstuffs.
[0042] FIG. 7 shows a mixing vessel 3 in accordance with a further form of embodiment of the invention, in which the cleaning device 1 has an ultrasonic transmitter 14, which is arranged in a fixed location in the vessel wall 15 of the mixing vessel 3. The ultrasonic transmitter 14 has an electrical connection 24 that connects the ultrasonic transmitter, via the coupling driver 18 of the mixing mechanism 5, to the power supply of the food processor 2. During operation of the cleaning device 1, the ultrasonic transmitter generates vibrations that are transmitted to the vessel wall 15 of the mixing vessel 3, and in this manner can effect the removal of deposits 22. Here the cleaning action of ultrasound is utilised, whereby the ultrasonic transmitter transmits the vibrational energy either wholly and directly to the vessel wall 15, or also indirectly via a medium arranged in the mixing vessel 3, such as water. If required, the cleaning result can also be aided by a cleaning agent, for example surfactants. Although this is not shown in the figure, the mixing vessel 3 in addition to the ultrasonic transmitter can, of course, also have a mechanically acting cleaning device 1.
[0043] FIG. 8 shows a vessel floor 20 of a mixing vessel 3, which has a combination of its heating device 23 and a cleaning device 1. A multiplicity of conducting tracks 19 with electrical contact pairs 21, which form the heating device 23, are arranged in the vessel floor 20. Furthermore, an ultrasonic transmitter 14, which generates vibrations and can transmit these to the vessel floor 20, or to the entire mixing vessel 3, is arranged between the conducting tracks 19. Particularly advantageously the heating-cleaning combination can be welded into the vessel floor 20.
LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS
[0044] 1 Cleaning device [0045] 2 Food processor [0046] 3 Mixing vessel [0047] 4 Inner wall [0048] 5 Mixing mechanism [0049] 6 Knife set [0050] 7 Knife [0051] 8 Milk foaming attachment [0052] 9 Cleaning element [0053] 10 Bristles [0054] 11 Partial circular segment [0055] 12 Axis of rotation [0056] 13 Axis of rotation [0057] 14 Ultrasonic transmitter [0058] 15 Vessel wall [0059] 16 Interior [0060] 17 Connecting element [0061] 18 Coupling driver [0062] 19 Conducting track [0063] 20 Vessel floor [0064] 21 Contact pair [0065] 22 Deposits [0066] 23 Heating device [0067] 24 Electrical connection
