Tool, Adaptor, Attachment, and Food Processing Appliance therefor

Field

The present invention relates to a tool, an adaptor, an attachment, and a food processing appliance therefor.

Background

Food processing appliances typically have one or more attachment points to which one or more attachments can be interchangeably attached to carry out food processing activities. These food processing activities can include thermal, mechanical, or even chemical treatment. For example the attachment may be heated, cooled, or a tool may be driven to rotate within it, to carry out thermal and/or mechanical treatment of food.

It is desirable that these attachments be adaptable for use in as many different appliances as possible. In this way one attachment may be manufactured and sold for use with multiple food processing appliances with differing power-ratings and sizes, avoiding duplication and inefficiency.

An example of an attachment in which achieving adaptability is a challenge is an ice cream making attachment. Ice cream making attachments are used to simultaneously cool and agitate food matter in order to produce ice cream. Cooling is typically achieved either using a pre-cooled bowl including a phase-change-material (PCM), or a cooling bowl with an integral cooling element such as that described in the applicant’s patent publication no. WO2017125749A2 (WO’749) the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated in full by reference, particularly in as much as they relate to cooling in an attachment. Agitation is typically provided by a rotating tool shaped to repeatedly lift food material and mix air (or another gas) into it.

The cooling bowl is typically provided as an additional bowl to the main bowl of the food processing appliance, with its own fitting for attaching to the food processing appliance. This makes it hard to use the cooling bowl on an appliance with a differing attachment fitting. Additionally it is difficult for the cooling bowl to adapt to variations in concentricity of the bowl seat and the drive-outlet of the appliance.

Adapting the connection of the agitating tool to a drive outlet of the food processing appliance is also difficult. Ideally the agitating tool should be located close to (or even in contact with) the cooling bowl during use, so at to prevent the build-up of frozen material in contact with the cooling bowl and to thoroughly agitate the contents of the cooling bowl. However, if the tool is provided with an attachment configured for use with a single appliance (e.g., a bayonet fixture to a drive-outlet) then this cannot adapt to appliances of differing dimensions or having differing attachment points.

The present invention aims to at least partially ameliorate the above-described problems of the prior art.

Summary of the Invention

The invention includes a tool for a food processing appliance, wherein the tool is adaptable to fit at least two different sizes of a food processing appliance dimension. The tool is preferably adaptable to fit a first and second food processing appliance or a first and second container for use with a food processing appliance, wherein the first and second food processing appliances/containers have different sizes of the food processing appliance dimension. In this way, the tool may be manufactured and sold for use with multiple food processing appliances with differing power-ratings and sizes, avoiding duplication and inefficiency. The tool preferably remains at the same size (that is, the tool does not change in size) when in situ (in the appliance) - as such, the adaptability of the tool is preferably used to adjust the tool for use in different situations, e.g. for use in differently sized containers I appliances. The tool is preferably adaptable to fit at least two different sizes of a food processing appliance dimension and to be capable of operating (e.g. by rotating) when fitted at/in said at least two different sizes.

The tool may be resiliently biased, preferably so as to automatically adapt the tool to fit the greater of the at least two different sizes. In this way, the tool automatically adapts to the dimensions of different appliances without the need for user adjustment. The bias may also enable close contact with a bowl, such as an insulated bowl for making ice cream.

The food processing appliance dimension to which the tool is adaptable may extend parallel and/or perpendicular to an axis of rotation of a drive outlet of the food processing appliance. The food processing appliance dimension to which the tool is adaptable may be a distance between a drive outlet of the food processing appliance and (an interior surface of) a container within which the tool is driven, preferably an inner surface of the container, and/or a distance between an axis of rotation of a drive outlet that drives the tool and a container within which the tool is driven, preferably an inner surface of the container. In this way, a tool can be used with appliances having bowls of different sizes located at different distances from the drive outlet.

The tool may comprise an extendable shaft, preferably wherein the extendable shaft extends to adapt the tool to fit the greater of the at least two different sizes. As used herein, the term “extendable shaft” preferably connotes a shaft configured to change its length - for example, by increasing and/or decreasing in length. The extendable shaft may extend between a position that fits the smaller of the at least two different sizes and a position that fits the larger of the at least two different sizes. The extendable shaft may carry a working member. In this way, the tool adapts to the dimensions of different appliances without substantially altering the form of the tool, enabling the tool processes food in the same way with appliances of different dimensions.

A first section of the tool may slide relative to, preferably into, a second section of the tool, preferably so as to adapt the tool to fit the smaller of the at least two different sizes. In this way, the tool may extend in an axial direction whilst retaining rigidity in a direction transverse to the axial direction. Additionally, the second section can act to clean an external surface of the first section by wiping an exterior of the first section. The second section of the tool may be driven by the first section of the tool, preferably in rotation by rotational movement of the first section. In this way, the second section may be wider and hence stronger, with greater support against forces acting transverse to its major axis at its distal end. The tool may comprise a travel-limiter for limiting relative movement of the first and second section. The travel-limiter may prevent the first and second sections from separating when in use. The travel-limiter may limit insertion of one section into the other. Preferably, the travel-limiter may comprise a blind groove on one section mated with a rib on the other, preferably wherein the blind end of the blind groove is removable. In this way, the tool may be disassembled so that components can be cleaned separately. Relative rotation of the first and second sections may be prevented, preferably wherein relative rotation of the first and second sections is prevented by a travellimiter. Relative rotation of the first and second sections may be prevented by a groove in one section mated with a rib on the other. Alternatively, or in addition, relative rotation of the first and second sections may be prevented by partly or wholly non-cylindrical cross-sections of the first and second sections. The first and second sections may be removably attached such that they may be separated for cleaning.

The tool may comprise a feature configured to locate on a corresponding feature of the food processing appliance other than a drive outlet, and preferably the feature and corresponding feature are a protrusion and a recess. In this way, the tool’s position may be constrained when processing food. For example, a tool configured to rotate about a single axis may locate on a feature along the axis to support the tool in rotation.

The tool may be configured to rotate about a single axis. The axis of rotation of the tool may be fixed I may not move during operation. The tool may be white (in colour), as this is particularly suitable for processing cold food as the tool may absorb less heat compared to tools in different (darker) colours. The tool may be an ice-cream agitator.

The tool may be configured to be located close or in contact with a container when in use, preferably so as to operate on food in the container. The tool may be shaped to repeatedly lift food material and mix air or another gas into the food material. The tool may comprise a section having a central column and radially-extending blades, preferably configured to be located close or in contact with a container when in use and/or to extend substantially across a (bottom) surface of the container. The tool may comprise further blades extending from the radially-extending blades, such as agitation wings extending (generally or substantially) along an axis of the column from the radially-extending blades, preferably wherein the further blades are configured to conform or to scape a (side) wall(s) of the container.

The tool may be configured to derive a rotational drive from a drive outlet via a nonattaching drive transmission. The non-attaching drive transmission comprises a central part which supports the tool on the drive outlet and an axially extending drive leaf configured to be driven in rotation by an element of the drive outlet displaced from the center of the drive outlet. In this way, the need for attachment means that must match each other is avoided, thus allowing drive to be transmitted from appliances having different drive attachments.

The invention also includes an adaptor configured to support an attachment within an outer container. The outer container may be a container of a food processing appliance, preferably wherein the attachment is an inner container such as a bowl. For example, an insulated bowl for making ice cream. The adaptor may support the attachment by suspending it within the outer container. In this way, the attachment is insulated from the outer container. All of or at least a part of the adaptor may be placed between the attachment and outer container.

The adaptor may comprise at least one resilient element configured to support the attachment within the outer container. As used herein, the term “Resilient” preferably connotes flexible and resiliently-deformable. The resilient element may, for example, be made of a flexible and resiliently-deformable material such as a TPE, rubber (natural or artificial) etc. The resilient element may be more resilient than the attachment and/or inner container. The at least one resilient element may be configured to conform to at least a portion of an inner surface of the outer container and/or at least a portion of an outer surface of the outer container to support the attachment within the outer container. In this way, the adaptor may resiliently adapt to compensate for variations in relative size and/or concentricity between the attachment and outer container.

The adaptor may be configured to support the attachment within outer containers of at least two different shapes and/or sizes. The adaptor may comprise at least one resilient element configured to resiliently adapt in order to support the attachment within outer containers of different shapes and/or sizes. The at least one resilient element may be configured to resiliently adapt to conform to at least a portion of an inner surface of an outer container and/or at least a portion of an outer surface of an outer container to support the attachment within outer containers of different shapes and/or sizes. The adaptor may comprise at least one resilient element configured to resiliently adapt to conform to an inner surface of outer containers in a first range of shapes and/or sizes and at least one resilient element configured to resiliently adapt to conform to an outer surface of outer containers in a second range of shapes and/or sizes, wherein the first range is different to the second, preferably wherein the first and second ranges are cross-sectional sizes, preferably a range of diameters. In this way, the attachment may be used with appliances with differently sized and/or shaped outer containers and so may be manufactured and sold for use with multiple food processing appliances with differing sizes, avoiding duplication and inefficiency.

An adaptor comprising a resilient element may further comprise a frame that is relatively rigid compared to the at least one resilient element, preferably a frame made from a relatively rigid material. The frame may be referred to as a base. The at least one resilient element may be removably attached to the frame. The at least one resilient element may be retained within a groove of the frame. The frame may comprise an annular groove and the at least one resilient element comprises a ring configured to fit within the groove. The resilient element and the frame may be integrally formed, preferably by over-moulding. In this way, the abutment ring becoming lost or fatigued by repeated stretching for detachment/attachment is prevented.

The adaptor may be configured to support the attachment within the outer container in such a way as to prevent relative rotation between the attachment and outer container.

The adaptor, frame and/or resilient element may be non-circular in shape, and preferably is oval and/or rectangular shaped, and more preferably still is a squircle. These shapes achieve adapting to large main bowls whilst still clearing the stand section of those appliances where the bowl is closely abutted by the stand section or another element of the appliance.

The invention also includes a food processor attachment comprising the tool and/or the adaptor, preferably wherein the attachment is a bowl, and more preferably wherein the adaptor ring is integrally formed. The bowl may be an insulated bowl suitable for ice cream making. The invention also includes a food processing appliance comprising the attachment and/or at least one tool as described herein.

Any apparatus feature as described herein may also be provided as a method feature, and vice versa. As used herein, means plus function features may be expressed alternatively in terms of their corresponding structure, such as a suitably programmed processor and associated memory.

Any feature in one aspect of the invention may be applied to other aspects of the invention, in any appropriate combination. In particular, method aspects may be applied to apparatus aspects, and vice versa. Furthermore, any, some and/or all features in one aspect can be applied to any, some and/or all features in any other aspect, in any appropriate combination.

It should also be appreciated that particular combinations of the various features described and defined in any aspects of the invention can be implemented and/or supplied and/or used independently.

In this specification the word 'or' can be interpreted in the exclusive or inclusive sense unless stated otherwise.

Furthermore, features implemented in hardware may generally be implemented in software, and vice versa. Any reference to software and hardware features herein should be construed accordingly.

Whilst the invention has been described in the field of domestic food processing and preparation machines, it can also be implemented in any field of use where efficient, effective and convenient preparation and/or processing of material is desired, either on an industrial scale and/or in small amounts. The field of use includes the preparation and/or processing of: chemicals; pharmaceuticals; paints; building materials; clothing materials; agricultural and/or veterinary feeds and/or treatments, including fertilisers, grain and other agricultural and/or veterinary products; oils; fuels; dyes; cosmetics; plastics; tars; finishes; waxes; varnishes; beverages; medical and/or biological research materials; solders; alloys; effluent; and/or other substances, and any reference to “food” herein may be replaced by such working mediums.

The invention described here may be used in any kitchen appliance and/or as a standalone device. This includes any domestic food-processing and/or preparation machine, including both top-driven machines (e.g. stand-mixers) and bottom-driven machines (e.g. blenders). It may be implemented in heated and/or cooled machines. It may be used in a machine that is built-in to a work-top or work surface, or in a stand-alone device. The invention can also be provided as a stand-alone device.

“Food processing” as described herein should be taken to encompass chopping, whisking, stirring, kneading, mincing, grinding, shaping, shredding, grating, cooking, freezing, making ice-cream, juicing (centrifugally or with a scroll), or other food-processing activities involving the physical and/or chemical transformation of food and/or beverage material by mechanical, chemical, and/or thermal means.

Brief Description of Drawings

One or more aspects will now be described, by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings having like-reference numerals, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a side-on, perspective view of an exemplary stand mixer incorporating a bowl assembly according to a first embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 shows a perspective, disassembled view of an exemplary tool according to a second embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 3 shows a perspective, assembled view of the tool of Fig. 2 in a first configuration;

Fig. 4 shows a perspective, assembled view of the tool of Fig. 2 in a second configuration;

Fig. 5 shows a side-on, cut-away view of the bowl assembly of Fig. 1 incorporating the tool of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 shows a perspective, exploded view of the bowl assembly of Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 7 shows a perspective, exploded view of the adaptor ring of the bowl assembly of Fig.6 in an inverted orientation;

Fig. 8 shows a side-on, cut-away section through the adaptor ring of Fig. 7; and,

Fig. 9 shows a top-down, plan view of the adaptor ring of Fig. 7.

Specific Description

Fig. 1 shows a food processing appliance 100 (in this case a stand mixer). The appliance 100 has a pedestal 110 with a bowl-seat 111 to which the main bowl 310 of the bowl assembly 300 can be releasably attached by, for example, a bayonet fixing arrangement (e.g., protrusions on the bowl seat 111 locking frictionally into bayonet indents 311). The pedestal 110 is shaped to rest horizontally along its major axis on a working surface during use, supporting the rest of the appliance 100. A stand section 120 extends upwards, transverse to the major axis of the pedestal 110, from an end of the pedestal 110.

A head section 130 is provided extending horizontally from the stand section 120, over the pedestal 110. Drive outlets 140, 150, and 160 are provided on the head for driving tools to carry out food processing tasks. In particular, the downward-facing outlet 140 is provided on the lower face of the head opposite the bowl-seat 111 of the pedestal 110 for driving tools to process food within the bowl assembly 300 when it is attached to the pedestal 110.

The head section 130 is preferably pivotable relative to the stand section 120, or alternatively the stand section 120 may pivot together with the head section 130 relative to the pedestal 110, such that the head 130 can be lifted away from the pedestal 110. A head-lift latch 180 is provided on the stand 120 which can be actuated by the user in order to free the head 120 to lift, potentially under the urging of a spring. This helps enable better access to the downward-facing outlet 140.

The downward-facing outlet 140 has an attachment point 141 provided on it for tools to attach to. The attachment point 141 may be a bayonet-seat, and is located on a disc 143 retained on the drive outlet 140 by a central nut 142. The central nut 142 may be static relative to the appliance 100 or may rotate with the disc 143 of the downward-facing outlet 140. Particularly if it is retained static relative to the appliance 100 during rotation of the disc 143, the central nut 142 preferably has a smooth, low-friction exterior - for example it may present a dome-shaped lower exterior surfaces so that the tool 200 can rotate in contact with it. The attachment point 141 may also be driven to rotate about its own axis whilst being driven bodily about the perimeter of the downward-facing outlet 140 by the rotation of the disc 143 by a planet-gear arrangement within the appliance 100, to enable e.g., planetary mixing. A user interface 170 is provided on the stand 120 for controlling the appliance 100. It may be a rotary dial or any other form of user-interface allowing user instructions to be input and optionally feedback to be provided to the user regarding status of the appliance 100.

The forward drive outlet 150 and upper drive outlet 160 are shown in Fig. 1 with their respective covers attached. The rotary drive output by the outlets 150 and 160 may be higher or lower speed relative to the downward-facing outlet 140, with this being achieved by suitable gearing within the appliance 100. Rotary drive for each of the outlets 140, 150, and 160 is preferably provided by a single motor that may be located in the head 130, the stand 120, or in the pedestal 110.

An agitation tool 200 is shown in Fig. 2. The agitation tool 200 lower section 210 having a central column 213, and agitation wings 211 extending along an axis of the column 213 from radially-extending blades 212. In use, the lower section 210 is rotated with either or both of the wings 211 and the blades 212 in close proximity to or even in contact with the bowl assembly 300 to ensure that food material is thoroughly process and does not, e.g., freeze onto the bowl 300. Rubber wipers may be provided on either or both of the wings 211 and blades 212 to ensure close contact with the bowl 300.

The wings 211 are preferably shaped to have a leading edge 211a that contacts the bowl assembly 300 (e.g., the inner bowl 350) to scrape material frozen thereon off, and a trailing edge 211b lifted away from the bowl assembly 300 to draw unfrozen material upwards and apply it onto the bowl assembly 300 in order to freeze it. In this way during rotation each wing 211 repeatedly scrapes off frozen material and applies unfrozen material onto the bowl assembly 300 to be frozen. To further improve this effect the wings 211 may have a curved, aerofoil-like shape.

A flange 214 is provided on the lower section 210 extending radially from it. This flange 214 prevents food material being processed by the tool 200 climbing along the column 213. The flange 214 can also seal with a static splash-guard 320 of the main bowl 310 of the bowl assembly 300, to prevent either material entering or leaving the bowl assembly 300 during use. Rubber sealing elements 215, or sealing elements made of any other suitable substance, may be provided extending from a periphery of the flange 214 for this purpose. The flange 214 also abuts axially with the splashguard 320 to centre the tool 200 relative to the splashguard 320.

The lower section 210 is driven to rotate by an upper section 220 of the tool 200 that locates slidably within an upper aperture 216 of the lower section 210 that extends axially within the column 213. To ensure that the lower section 210 and the upper section 220 rotate together, the exterior of the upper section 220 has ribs 221 extending axially along the upper section 220 that fit within axially-extending grooves 217 on an internal surface of the aperture 216. In this way the upper section 220 can slide axially within the lower section 210, but is constrained from rotating relative to the lower section 210, thus ensuring that rotational drive is transmitted from the upper section 210 to the lower section 220.

Whilst a male-female relationship between the upper section 220 and the lower section 210 respectively has been described above, the relationship could instead be female-male (i.e., with the lower section 210 extending within an axially-extending aperture within the upper section 220) without changing significantly the principle of operation. However, the male-female relationship depicted in Fig. 2 is preferred as it allows the column 213 to be wider and hence stronger, which is important as it is subject to forces acting transverse to its major axis at its unsupported distal end where it meets the blades 212.

Similarly, the ribs 221 could be provided on the lower section 210 and the grooves 217 provided on the upper section 220, again without changing the principle of operation. However, as the grooves 217 tend to give more strengthening against transverse forces than the ribs 221, preferably the grooves are provided on the lower section 210 for the reasons already discussed above.

The upper section 220 receives rotary drive from the downward-facing drive outlet 140. This is achieved by a bearing hole 222 at the end of the upper section 220 opposite to that which mates with the lower section 210 being pressed against the nut 142, and a driving leaf 223 extending radially from the upper section 220 being pushed to rotate by the attachment point 141. To achieve this the driving leaf 223 should extend at least as far radially as the attachment point 141 is distant from the nut 142.

A strengthening flange 224 is provided extending from the upper section 220 along a lower edge of the leaf 223 to provide greater strength in a rotation direction to the driving leaf 223. Additionally, for greater strength and to prevent slippage, the driving leaf 223 is shaped so as to curve away from the direction of rotation of the attachment point 141 along its direction of extension. Preferably the driving leaf 223 is shaped so as to be concave, with an open end of the concave shape facing towards the attachment point 141 as it bears against the driving leaf 223, so as to partially surround it. This concave, partially-surrounding shape is particularly advantageous in terms of strengthening the driving leaf 223 and preventing the attachment point slipping along the length of the driving leaf 223, particularly in combination with a cylindrically-shaped attachment point 141.

The drive leaf 223 may be extendable. The drive leaf may also be changeable. For example, the upper section may comprise a separable drive section for receiving drive from a drive outlet. The tool may comprise a plurality of drive sections which may be attached to the upper section, each drive section suitable for receiving drive from a different drive outlet. In other embodiments, the upper section may be separable from the upper section, and the tool may comprise a plurality of upper sections, each upper section suitable for receiving drive from a different drive outlet.

As the drive leaf 223 receives drive directly from the attachment point 141, without being physically attached to it (either releasably or permanently) and, in the absence of a force urging it towards the attachment point 141 (or vice-versa) will freely separate, this is an example of a non-attaching drive transmission. Non-attaching drive transmission is advantageous as it avoids the need for attachment means that must match each other, thus allowing drive to be transmitted from appliances having different drive attachments.

In order to maintain the bearing hole 222 in contact with the nut 142, a compression spring 230 is provided compressed between the upper section 220 and the lower section 210 biasing both the upper section 220 towards the nut 142, and the lower section 210 downwardly in use.

In order to prevent the lower section 210 and the upper section 220 being forced apart by the spring 230, a locking nut 240 is provided at the end of the lower section 210 through which the upper section 220 is inserted. The locking nut 240 covers the ends of the grooves 217, preventing the ribs 221 exiting the grooves 217, but has a central aperture 241 through which the rest of the upper section 220 can slide. As the ribs 221 only extend along part of the axial extent of the upper section 220, only that part of axial extent of the upper section 220 along which the ribs 217 extend is retained in the lower section 210. Similarly, the strengthening flange 224 helps prevent complete insertion of the upper section 220 into the lower section 210 by blocking against the locking nut 240.

The locking nut 240 thus acts as a travel limiter, closing the ends of the grooves 217 to form blind grooves which the ribs 221 cannot exit when it is attached to the tool 200. The locking nut 240 thus limits the travel of the upper section 220 relative to the lower section 210 between a point of maximum extent away from the lower section 210 (as shown in Fig. 3) and a point of maximum compression of the spring 230 and minimum extent of the upper section 220 away from the lower section 210 (as shown in Fig. 4). The locking nut 240 is preferably removably attached to the lower section 210, for example using a bayonet-fitting, snap-fitting, or screw attachment, turning the locking nut 240 in the direction indicated by the arrows seen in Fig. 3. Removable attachment of the locking nut 240 permits the tool 200 to be disassembled so that components can be cleaned separately. A rubber seal may optionally be included between the upper section 220 and the lower section 210 to help prevent liquid ingress therebetween.

To allow the locking nut 240 to insert through the central aperture 241, cut-outs 242 are provided for the passage of the ribs 221 therethrough. The cut-outs 242 are located such that, once the ribs 221 are seated in the grooves 217 and locking nut 240 attached to the lower section 210, the cut-outs 242 are not located so as to correspond to the ribs 221 , thus blocking the ribs 221 within the aperture 216.

The upper section 220 and lower section 210, and particularly the ribs 221 and grooves 217, are preferably made of relatively low-friction materials (e.g., nylon or a similar plastic) to facilitate relative sliding/telescoping therebetween. Lubricating oils are preferably avoided to avoid contaminating food processed by the tool 200 with oil leaking from the tool 200. The tool 200 is preferably made of dishwasher-safe and/or food-safe material such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, nylon, HDPE, or a similar plastic.

Whilst the tool 200 is described as having two relatively-telescoping elements (upper section 220, lower section 210), it may instead have three or more, each interconnected in the fashion described for upper section 220 and lower section 210. Relatively-telescoping components have the advantage of allowing telescoping in an axial direction whilst retaining rigidity in a direction transverse to the axial direction. Additionally, the process of telescoping can act to clean an external surface of the telescoping element as one telescoping element wipes an exterior of the element that telescopes through it.

To further ensure that relative rotation between the upper section 220 and the lower section 210 is prevented, the upper section 220 may be cylindrically-shaped along most of its exterior except for a flattened, non-cylindrical portion 225 that matches a corresponding flattened, non-cylindrical portion of the interior of the lower section 210. Alternatively the upper section 220 may be e.g., square, pentagonal, hexagonal or another non-cylindrical shape, with the aperture 216 being similarly non-cylindrical in cross-section and conforming to an exterior of the upper section 220.

If the nut 142 co-rotates with the attachment point 141 and plate 143 then the bearing hole 222 may be shaped to conform to a non-cylindrical exterior shape of the nut 142 (or another rotating feature on the drive outlet 140) to better transmit rotational impetus therebetween. In this case, if the connection between them is firm enough, then the drive leaf 223 may be disposed of and drive taken directly from the feature of the drive outlet 140 on which the bearing hole 222 bears. However, an arrangement where the tool 200 only bears against the nut 142, and does not receive drive directly from it, is preferable as nuts similar to nut 142 are common features of planetary stand mixers, meaning that the tool 200 can be used with multiple different stand mixers.

Adaptation of the tool 200 to different appliances 100 having differing distances between their driver-outlets and bowls is thus achieved by allowing variation in the length of the tool 200. Particularly, the use of a resilient element (the spring 230) means that the tool 200 automatically adapts to the differing dimensions of different appliances without the need for user adjustment. It will be appreciated that the tool may be configured to adapt to appliances having different distances between features of an appliance other than the drive outlet and bowl - for example, different distances between an axis of rotation of a tool and an inner surface of a container in which the tool is driven.

In an alternative embodiment, the upper section 220 and the lower section 210 may be rigidly connected and one or more additional shaft-elements may be rigidly connected between them to adjust a length of the tool 200. However, this does not achieve automatic adaptation. In another alternative embodiment, the upper section 220 and the lower section 210 may be relatively-telescoping in the manner described above, but the resilient element (the spring 230) omitted. In this case either an attaching drive may be used so as to hold the tool 200 in driven connection with the drive outlet 140, or relative-telescoping between the upper section 220 and lower section 210 may be locked at a desired height through use of a locking element such as e.g., a locking nut abutting the sections 220 and 210 so as to prevent telescoping therebetween.

Fig. 5 shows the tool 200 assembled to the bowl assembly 300. As can be seen in Fig. 5, the flange 214 of the tool 200 bears against and partially surrounds a lip of an inner aperture 321 of the splashguard 230 to help prevent food material flowing therebetween.

The lower section 210 of the tool 200 has a protrusion 218 formed at a lower end that bears in a corresponding depression in bottom 351 of the inner bowl 350 contained within the cooling bowl 340 to help retain the tool 200 in a central position in the cooling bowl 340. Alternatively a protrusion on the inner bowl 350 could similarly correspond to a depression on the tool 200. Notably, the combination of the flange 214 bearing against the splashguard 230, and the protrusion 218 against the depression 35, substantially locates the tool 200 within the bowl assembly 300 such that it may rotate but otherwise not substantially move relative to it.

The wings 211 rotate in close contact with the sidewalls of inner bowl 350 to help scrape them down, preventing the build-up of material on them. Scraping the sidewalls in this fashion can help prevent the build-up of ice whilst making ice cream.

Cooling in the cooling bowl 340 shown in Fig. 5 is provided by the pre-cooled PCM (phase change material) 341. The PCM 341 is preferably a material with a phase-transition temperature in the range -25 degree centigrade to 25 degrees centigrade. More preferably the PCM 341 has a phase transition temperature at or below 0 degrees centigrade (i.e., freezing point of water) and above -25 degrees centigrade (i.e., the lowest temperature achievable in a standard domestic freezer). More preferably still the phase transition temperature is in the range 0 centigrade to -18 degrees centigrade (i.e., the typical minimum temperature of a modern freezer). Yet more preferably the phase transition temperature is in the range 0 degrees centigrade to -12 degrees centigrade (i.e., the minimum temperature of older freezers). More preferably still, the PCM is E-11, available from Phase Change Material Products Limited Unit 32, Mere View Industrial Estate, Yaxley, Cambridgeshire PE7 3HS, United Kingdom. Examples of other suitable PCMs include water, salty water, and vegetable-based PCMs. The PCM 341 may be food safe such that it will not toxically contaminate food it comes into contact with. The PCM 341 may be coloured, for example by addition of a food-safe dye if it is clear in its natural/liquid state, such that leakage of the PCM 341 can easily be spotted by the user. The PCM 341 is preferably odourless under normal operating conditions. The PCM 341 may be non- corrosive such that e.g., ordinary steel will not rust in contact with it. The PCM 341 is preferably surrounded by insulating material on all sides except that side that faces the inner bowl 350. For example, as shown in Fig. 5, the PCM 341 is surrounded below and at the side by a relatively thick section 340a of the sidewall of the cooling bowl 340. This helps prevent warming of the PCM from any direction but the inner bowl 350, enhancing cooling of the inner bowl 350. To further enhance this cooling effect, the bottom surface 351 of the inner bowl 350 may be made of a relatively heat-conductive material such as, for example, stainless steel.

The PCM 341 may only surround the inner bowl 350 on one side, or it may extend up the sides of the inner bowl to the level of the upper section of the cooling bowl side wall 340b. Ribs 347 may be provided between the cooling bowl 340 and the inner bowl 350 in order to maintain spacing between them.

Whilst cooling is described above as being achieved using a PCM 341, the cooling bowl 340 may comprise, either additionally or alternatively, an active (i.e. , powered e.g. electrically or chemically) cooling element. For example it may comprise the cooling jacket described in the applicant’s WO’749 discussed above. Also alternatively or additionally, it may include a different passive (i.e., pre-cooled) cooling element to the PCM 341 , such as a cooled thermal mass.

The sidewall of the cooling bowl 340 is preferably made of a relatively heat-insulating material such as, for example, polystyrene, or glass-filled polypropylene. It may incorporate airfilled voids, foam-filled voids, or even vacuum-filled voids, in order to enhance its heat insulation properties. Metal conduction pathways (e.g., metal rivets) are preferably avoided in the construction of the walls of the cooling bowl 340. In contrast, the inner bowl 350 may be made of a more durable, scrapable substance (e.g., a food-safe metal such as stainless steel, a durable hard plastic, or preferably aluminium as it is cheap and easily malleable) as it may come into contact with the tool 200, and these substances tend to be more conductive. Using an inner bowl 350 and an outer cooling bowl 340 in this fashion, either permanently-attached to each other or removably attachable from each other, combines the best of their respective properties.

Whilst the PCM 341 has been described above as integral to the cooling bowl 340, it may instead be provided as a separate component (e.g., a tank of PCM liquid) removably- attachable to the cooling bowl 340 or inner bowl 350 so that it may be placed in a refrigerator by itself avoiding the need to refrigerate an entire bowl. In this case, the PCM 341 and its surrounding sidewall 340a and bowl-bottom 342 may separate as a unit from the rest of the cooling bowl 340 by, e.g., a screwing attachment or other removable attachment to be placed in the refrigerator. Alternatively the PCM 341 and the bowl-bottom 351 may be separable as a unit from the cooling bowl 340. In a further alternative, the PCM 341 may be removable by itself and placed in a space between the cooling bowl 340 and the inner bowl 350. In yet another alternative, the PCM 341 may be permanently attached or removably attachable to the inner bowl 350. In order to hold the cooling bowl 340 within the main bowl 310 such that it doesn’t rotate during use, and preferably above the bottom of the main bowl 310 and air-gapped away from it over the majority of its surface to further prevent heat-conduction to the cooling bowl 340, an adaptor ring 330 is used. The adaptor ring 330 in use is located between the upper edge 313 of the main bowl 310 and the cooling bowl 340.

The adaptor ring 330 has recesses 331 into which protrusions of the cooling bowl 340 locate to prevent relative rotation therebetween. A seal 344 located in a groove 345 along an upper edge of the opening of the cooling bowl 340 is provided between the cooling bowl 340 and the inner bowl 350 to seal the gap between them.

The splashguard 320 is preferably made of transparent material (e.g., a transparent plastic such as a copolyester such as Tritan™) to allow the user to see the state of the food being processed within the cooling bowl 340. A feed-tube 323 is provided in the splashguard 320 communicating with the inner bowl 350, so that ingredients can be poured into it from the outside during use. The feed tube 322 may optionally include a closeable lid, preferably one biased to a closed position by a resilient element, to prevent accidental ingress/egress of food material.

As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, in order to adapt to differently-sized main bowls 310, having differing diameters at their upper edge 313, the adaptor ring 330 comprises two parts - a ring base 330a and a flexible abutment ring 330b. As shown in Fig. 7 the flexible abutment ring 330b can flex inwardly and outwardly to adapt to bowls of differing diameters (310a, 310b, 330c). Particularly the abutment ring 330b has an outwardly-extending flap 332 that resiliently contacts the main bowl 310 at differing distances, and an abutment flange 333 that extends over the edge of the main bowl 313 to abut against the larger main bowl 310c from the opposite side from the flap 332 (i.e., on the external surface of the main bowl 310c). The resilient force/friction of the abutment ring 330b against the main bowl 310 is sufficient to secure it against relative rotation under ordinary use. The adaptor ring may comprise a plurality of flexible abutment rings, which may be of different sizes.

The flexibility of the abutment ring 330b also permits variations in concentricity between the drive outlet 140 and the main bowl 310/bowl seat 111 to be adapted to. These variations may be innate to the device 100, or may arise spontaneously due to flexing/movement of the head 130 relative to the pedestal 110. The abutment ring 330b simply flexes to allow the cooling bowl 340 and inner bowl 350 to be located concentric to the drive outlet 140.

Wedge sections 334 extend from the ring seal 330b through cut-outs 335 in the ring base 330a. In this way relative rotation of the abutment ring 330b and the base 330a is prevented. The wedge sections 334 may also be dimensioned to resiliently abut against the main bowl 310 to further secure the ring 330 against relative rotation with respect to the main bowl 310, and act as spacers when the adaptor ring 330 is used with smaller bowls when the flap 332 is flexed inwards. The wedge sections 334 also serve to divide the flap 332 into at least two portions, preventing the entire flap 332 being deflected upward (and out of contact with the main bowl 310) by force acting at a single point. Additionally, the wedge sections 334 create an air-flow passage permitting air to flow past the abutment ring 330b to facilitate insertion and removal of the adaptor ring 330 from the main bowl 310 by preventing compression/suction of the air beneath it during attachment/removal. However, as air-flow is prevented about the majority of the circumference of the adaptor ring 330 by the abutment ring 330b, warming of the cooling bowl 340 by airflow is reduced.

As can be seen in Fig. 8, a radially-outwardly-extending upper lip 346 of the cooling bowl 340 rests on the ring base 330a. The cooling bowl 340 is thus secured both vertically/axially and rotationally relative to the adaptor ring 330, and thus to the main bowl 310.

Fig. 9 shows the ring base 330a assembled to the abutment ring 330b. To attach the abutment ring 330b to the base 330a the abutment ring 330b is stretched and located in tension within the peripheral groove 336 of the base 330a with the wedges 334 located so as to correspond to the cut outs 335 of the base 330a. Providing the abutment ring 330b and the base 330a so as to be separable permits easier cleaning, particularly of material located between them. Alternatively the abutment ring 330b may be provided over-moulded on the base 330a such that they are permanently attached, this is advantageous as it would prevent the abutment ring 330b becoming lost or fatigued by repeated stretching for detachment/attachment.

In order to hold the flexible abutment ring 330b against the main bowl 310, the ring base 330a should be a relatively rigid material compared to that of the abutment ring 330b. For example the ring base may be a hard plastic such as HDPE, nylon, polypropylene, or another hard plastic, preferably a food-safe and dishwasher-safe one such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. Alternatively it may be a durable, non-corroding metal such as stainless steel. In contrast the flexible abutment ring 330b should be made of a flexible, resiliently-deformable material such as a TPE, rubber (natural or artificial) etc.

Fig. 9 illustrates the non-circular (e.g., oval/rectangular) shape of the adaptor ring 330, colloquially called a “squircle”. This permits the ring 330 to sit on the lip of larger main bowls, with the abutment flanges 333 located on the portions of the ring 330 extending away from a circular portion of the adaptor ring 330 above the handles 313 of the main bowl 310. This “squircle” shape achieves adapting to large main bowls 310 whilst still clearing the stand section 120 of those appliances where the bowl is closely abutted by the stand section 120 or another element of the appliance 100. The cross section of the adaptor may be considered to have such a non-circular outline with an inner circular void.

Whilst the adaptor ring 330 has been described above as being provided separately to the cooling bowl 340, such that it can be used on a different attachment, it may instead be integrally formed with the cooling bowl 340 (or a different attachment, such as, for example, a sieving attachment). This may be achieved by simply over-moulding the flexible abutment ring 330b onto a suitable formation provided on an external wall of the attachment that acts as the base 330a, or by providing the abutment ring 330b as a separate component that fits into a formation on the external wall of the attachment.

As used herein, the term "removable attachment" (end similar terms such as “removably attachable”), as used in relation to an attachment between a first object and a second object, preferably connotes that the first object is attached to the second object and can be detached (and preferably re-attached, detached again, and so on, repetitively), and/or that the first object may be removed from the second object without damaging the first object or the second object; more preferably the term connotes that the first object may be re-attached to the second object without damaging the first object or the second object, and/or that the first object may be removed from (and optionally also re-attached to) the second object by hand and/or without the use of tools (e.g. screwdrivers, spanners, etc.). Mechanisms such as a snap-fit, a bayonet attachment, and a hand-rotatable locking nut may be used in this regard.

“Food safe” in this context means any substance that does not shed substances harmful to human health in clinically significant quantities if ingested. For example, it should be BPA- free.

“Dishwasher safe” means that it should be physically and chemically stable during prolonged exposure to the conditions prevailing within a dishwasher machine. For example it should be able to withstand exposure to a mixture of water and a typical dishwasher substance (e.g., washing with Fairy™ or Finish™ dishwasher tablets and water, at temperatures of 82 degrees centigrade for as long as 8 hours without visibly degrading (e.g., cracking)).

It will be understood that the present invention has been described above purely by way of example, and modifications of detail can be made within the scope of the invention.

Each feature disclosed in the description, and (where appropriate) the claims and drawings may be provided independently or in any appropriate combination.

Reference numerals appearing in the claims are by way of illustration only and shall have no limiting effect on the scope of the claims.

The following is a list of embodiments of the invention:

1. A tool for a food processing appliance, comprising an extendable shaft configured to be extendable, preferably resiliently and/or telescopingly, to compensate for differing distances between a drive outlet of a food processing appliance and the container in which the tool is used. 2. The tool of embodiment 1 , wherein the tool is configured to derive a rotational drive from the drive outlet via a non-attaching drive transmission.

3. The tool of embodiment 2, wherein the non-attaching drive transmission comprises a bearing configured to bear against a centre of the drive outlet and a drive leaf configured to receive drive from an element of the drive outlet displaced from the centre of the drive outlet.

4. The tool of any preceding embodiment, wherein the extendable shaft is a resiliently- extendable shaft and comprises two or more relatively-telescoping shaft-elements.

5. The tool of embodiment 4 comprising a travel-limiter configured to prevent one shaftelement leaving another in use.

6. The tool of embodiment 5, wherein the travel-limiter is further configured to limit insertion of one shaft-element into another in use.

7. The tool of either embodiment 5 or 6, wherein the travel-limiter is further configured to prevent relative rotation of the shaft-elements.

8. The tool of embodiment 7, wherein the travel-limiter comprises a blind groove on one shaft-element mated with a rib on another shaft-element.

9. The tool of any one of embodiment 4-7 wherein the relatively-telescoping shaft-elements are removably attached to each other for allowing their disassembly for cleaning.

10. The tool of embodiment 9 as dependent from embodiment 8, wherein a blind end of the blind groove comprises a locking nut that is removably attached to its respective shaft-element for enabling, once the nut is removed, the shaft-elements to be separated for cleaning.

11. The tool of any one of embodiments 4-10, wherein the relatively-telescoping shaft elements are partly or wholly non-cylindrical in cross-section for preventing relative rotation therebetween.

12. The tool of any preceding embodiment, wherein the tool is configured to rotate about a single axis.

13. The tool of any preceding embodiment, wherein the tool comprises a feature configured to locate on a corresponding feature of the container in which the tool is used for constraining the tool to rotate in a single position, and preferably wherein the feature and corresponding feature are a protrusion and a recess.

14. The tool of any preceding embodiment, wherein the tool is an ice-cream agitator.

15. A ring adaptor configured to be placed between a smaller inner container and a larger outer container to locate the inner container at a desired height relative to the outer container when the inner container is located within the outer container.

16. The ring adaptor of embodiment 15, further comprising a resilient element configured to resiliently adapt to compensate for variations in relative size and/or concentricity between the outer container and the inner container. 17. The ring adaptor of embodiment 16, wherein the resilient element is configured to frictionally prevent relative rotation between the inner container and the outer container under ordinary use conditions.

18. The ring adaptor of either embodiment 16 or embodiment 17, further comprising a rigid support ring.

19. The ring adaptor of embodiment 18, wherein the resilient element is removably attached to the rigid support ring.

20. The ring adaptor of embodiment 19, wherein the resilient element is resiliently retained within a groove of the rigid support ring.

21. The ring adaptor of embodiment 18, wherein the rigid support ring and the resilient element are integrally formed, preferably by over-moulding.

22. The ring adaptor of any one of embodiments 16-21 , wherein the resilient element comprises an inner abutment element configured to conform to an inner surface of smaller outer bowls and an outer abutment element configured to conform to an outer surface of larger bowls.

23. The ring adaptor of any one of embodiments 16-22, wherein the ring adaptor is noncircular in shape, and preferably is oval and/or rectangular shaped, and more preferably still is a squircle.

24. A food processor attachment comprising the tool of any one of embodiments 1-14 and/or the adaptor ring of any one of embodiments 15-23, preferably wherein the attachment is a bowl with which the adaptor ring of any one of embodiments 15-23 is integrally formed.

25. A food processing appliance comprising the attachment of embodiment 24.