MODULAR BLENDER WITH IMPROVED WATER HEATING AND LIGHT BEAM DETECTION

• Main Authors: DIEMER, John, GOEBEL, Patrick M, CONNELL, Steven T, LAU, Shek Fai, SCHEIBLE, Kathleen A, AHMANN, Kurt J, TOM, Curtis
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 17.05.2018
• Subjects: APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS, ORSURGICAL ARTICLES; COFFEE MILLS; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION, OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; FURNITURE; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS, OR SURGICALARTICLES; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS INGENERAL; MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING, DISPERSING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL; TRANSPORTING

An easily assembled blender with an internal frame holding a cupholder elevator assembly, a mix motor assembly, a food preparation chamber, a water heater assembly and a steamer assembly. The water heater and steamer assemblies are preferably on modular trays that slide into the internal frame. The water heater preferably also serves as a hot water reservoir and, to avoid overheating, has its heating coil located near its bottom. To resist scale deposits, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tubing is preferably used to transport steam from the steamer to the food preparation chamber. To expedite manufacture, a spring-biased idler assembly with a drive belt for the cupholder elevator assembly preferably snaps into a lower receiving port on the internal frame. Crisscrossing infrared light beams are preferably placed at the entrance of the food preparation chamber to detect whether the cup entering the chamber is the correct size and detect whether any foreign object is below the food preparation chamber.