FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus for steaming and blending food products. In particular, the apparatus is for producing baby food by steaming and blending food products.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Baby food is generally known to be made by steaming food products, and then placing them in a separate blender. This requires two separate appliances.

It is also known to use a single appliance to both steam and blend food products, for example from US 2004/0146621. This document provides a combined steamer and blender. The steam exits the steaming chamber through apertures in the walls of the chamber. This may result in a poor and uneven steaming performance.

US 2008/0047439 describes that during steaming, steam is condensed and collected, but a steam outlet to allow escape of steam from the steaming chamber is not provided.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides, in a first aspect, an apparatus for steaming and blending food products according to claim 1. The present invention provides, in a second aspect, a system for steaming and blending food products according to claim 12.

Thus, a steam outlet is provided in a location which provides for good steaming performance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a cutaway perspective view of an apparatus for steaming and blending according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a cross-section through the apparatus of Figure 1 along the line X-

X;

Figure 3 is an exploded view of the separate parts of the apparatus of Figure 1; and Figure 4 is an enlarged view of part of the apparatus of Figure 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

With reference to Figures 1 to 3, an apparatus 1 for steaming and blending food products is provided. The apparatus 1 is able to cook raw food products by steaming. The cooked food products can then be blended into a consistency suitable to be fed to a baby.

The apparatus 1 comprises a container 2 which defines a chamber 3 for receiving food products. A lid 6 fits onto the container 2, which has a handle 40. A sieve 8 is located between the container 2 and lid 6. The sieve 8 has a plurality of apertures 10 through which steam can pass forming a steam inlet, and forms a base of the chamber 3 during steaming. The lid 6 is provided with a steam inlet port 12, through which steam can enter the apparatus 1 from a base unit (not shown) having a steam generator. Steam can exit the container through a steam outlet passage 36, which will be described in more detail below. Figures 1 and 2 show the apparatus 1 orientated to steam food products. In order to blend food products, the apparatus 1 is turned 180° so that the lid 6 is on top of the container 2. The food products may be one or more items of foodstuff of one or more types.

A blade assembly 16 is directly driven by a rotating driving member (not shown) attached to the base unit, in order to blend food products. The blade assembly 16 comprises a blade outer support member 18, a blade inner support member 22 and at least one knife or blade 20. The outer support member 18 and inner support member 22 are annular spaced apart concentric walls, and are driven to rotate with the blade(s) 20 by the driving member. The blade assembly 16 has an end 28 distal from the base 4, which is engaged in a blind bore 30 of the lid 6 for support.

The lid is provided with a recess 34 to receive the driving member of the base unit. The driving member is not used to rotate the lid 6, but ensures the apparatus 1 is correctly located and stably positioned on the base unit. The container 2 has an opening 14, over which the blade assembly 16 is located. The container comprises an annular upstanding wall 26 which extends from the base 4 of the container 2 and surrounds the opening 14. The wall 26 extends between the outer and inner support members 18, 22. The opening 14 can be considered as defined at any point along the upstanding wall 26. The upstanding wall 26 of the container ensures that, when blending, food products cannot fall through the opening 14.

The blade assembly 16 is driven through the opening 14 in the container 2, the opening 14 facing downwardly when the apparatus 1 is used for blending. The driving member (not shown) is engagable with an interior surface of the inner support member 22 when located in bore 38. The blade assembly 16 is supported by the driving member. A drive through assembly in the container is therefore not required, which reduces complexity and cost.

The outer support member 18 extends to adjacent the base 4 of the container 2, and defines a first steam outlet port 24 with the base 4. Steam can exit the chamber 3 through the first steam outlet port 24. The outer support member 18 is spaced apart from an exterior surface of the wall 26, to form a section of steam outlet passage 36. The inner support member 22 is spaced apart from an inner surface of the wall 26, forming a further section of steam outlet passage 36.

The steam outlet passage 36 has at least one change of direction. Steam passing through the steam outlet passage 36 undergoes a first change of direction of between 90 and 180 degrees when passing through the first port 24, and passing over the end surface of the outer support member 18. The steam outlet passage 36 further has a 180 degree change of direction around the end surface of the wall of the container at point 32 where the inner and outer support members join. The steam outlet passage 36 can be considered a labyrinth due to the at least one change in direction required (preferably a reversal of direction) as it passes through the steam outlet passage 36.

The steam outlet passage 36 has a second port through which steam exits the container. The second port is preferably at or adjacent to the opening 14 through which the blade assembly is driven, or is in fluid communication with the opening 14. The opening 14 through which the steam exits is relatively large, providing a low steam velocity at exit.

When cooking with steam, the steam has to be distributed evenly through the food for a good result. To achieve this, the entry and exit points should be as far apart as possible. When using a single apparatus which is inverted between steaming and blending modes, either the steam inlet or exit hole are conventionally positioned at the bottom of the container, leading to cooking fluids leaking from the container when the container is flipped in to the blending position. Positioning the hole on the container wall reduces the problem of leakage but results in a poor and uneven steaming performance. The present invention provides a steam exit on the top surface of the container in a central position, which provides for good steaming performance. When blending, the steam exit of the present invention does not leak cooking fluids.

The steam outlet passage 36 is formed using two parts, wall 26 and blade assembly 16. Using two parts improves cleanability compared to one part solutions.

The driving member engages with an interior surface of the inner support member, and so does not affect the steam outlet passage 36 which is formed between the exterior surface of the inner support member 22 and the wall 26. The blade assembly 16 extends at least partially over, i.e. overlapping with in a longitudinal direction (vertical direction as shown), the opening in the container 2 through which steam exits.

Figure 4 shows an enlargement of the blade assembly 16. The outer support member 18 has an end surface partly defining the port 24. The wall 26 has an end surface adjacent point 32. The end surface of the outer support member 18 and/or the wall 26 is configured, with an adjacent surface, to prevent the steam outlet passage 36 being closed off. The surfaces are shaped so that even when abutting an opposing surface, at least one aperture is provided between the surfaces to allow steam to pass through. Preferably, the end surface or opposing surface has at least one protrusion 42, preferably having rounded edges. The protrusion 42 extends in the plane of the wall 26 or outer support member 18. As the blade assembly 16 is urged upwardly, a protrusion 42 on the outer support member 18 contacts the base 4, allowing steam to enter the steam passage through apertures formed around the protrusion 42. Similarly, a protrusion 42 on the wall 26 may contact the join 32 between the inner and outer support members 18, 22, allowing steam to pass around the protrusion 42. The feature may be of any shape which breaks the smoothness of either the end surfaces past which the steam flows, ensuring that a seal is not formed. The protrusions may alternately be formed on the facing surface of the base 4 and/or joining part 32. In use, food products are placed in the chamber 3 of the container, and the lid

6 attached to the container 2. The apparatus 1 is placed on the base unit, with the lid 6 downwardly.

Steam is generated in the base unit and enters through opening 12, through sieve 8 and into the chamber 3 of the container. The steam heats the food products, and exits the chamber 3 through the steam outlet port 24. The steam travels down and then up along the steam outlet passage 36, and finally is exhausted through opening 14 to the atmosphere.

When the steaming is complete, the apparatus 1 is removed as a whole from the base unit and rotated 180°. The base 4 of the container 2 faces downwardly, and the driving member of the base unit extends through the opening 14 and engages with the blade assembly 16. The blade assembly 16 is driven to rotate. The blade(s) 20 chop and blend the food products until the desired consistency is reached. The lid 6 may then be removed, and the blended food products removed from the container and are ready to serve.

The blade assembly has been described as having an outer support member and an inner support member. Alternatively, the blade assembly may only have an outer support member radially outside of the wall 26 of the container. The steam outlet passage 36 is then defined solely by the interior surface of the wall 26 after passing the end surface of the wall at point 32.

The whole of the blade assembly has been described as rotatably driven. Alternatively, only a part of the blade support member attached to the blade is driven, and a part of the blade support member is stationary. The steam outlet passage 36 may extend through one or both of the rotating and stationary parts.