Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the field of home kitchen utensils and in particular relates to a stirring cup and a food processor.

Background of the Invention

Food processors for home use to process food materials generally have a heating function and a stirring function and can make cold and hot juice and soy milk. During use, its stirring cup needs to be regularly cleaned, either automatically or manually, to remove food residue therein and maintain the food processing space inside the stirring cup clean and hygienic. However, some blind corners (for example, the back side of a stirring blade, the bottom wall of the food processing space, etc.) are difficult to clean. In addition, more and more users start to use beverage brewing kettle to brew herbal tea, cook soup, and heat milk. Both food processors and beverage brewing kettle take up relatively large storage space in the kitchen.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention provides a stirring cup and a food processor that can also serve as a beverage brewing kettle in addition to traditional functions of a food processor, which also makes it easier to clean the stirring cup.

In order to achieve the above described objective, the present invention provides a stirring cup comprising:

- a cup body having a side wall;

- a blade holder assembly detachably mounted to the bottom of the side wall and enclosing a first processing space for accommodating food materials with the side wall of the cup body, the blade holder assembly comprising a first seat body for supplying heat to the first processing space and a stirring blade mounted on the first seat body for stirring the food materials;

- a beverage brewing assembly capable of replacing the blade holder assembly to be detachably mounted to the bottom of the side wall and enclosing a second processing space for accommodating food materials with the side wall of the cup body, the beverage brewing assembly comprising a second seat body for supplying heat to the second processing space.

When food residue needs to be cleaned, the blade holder assembly can be detached from the side wall of the cup body. Thus, areas where residue is prone to accumulate, such as the surface of the first seat body and the back side of the stirring blade, can be cleaned more thoroughly, thereby preventing bacteria from growing and ensuring the health of the user. In addition, as the food processor is provided with both the blade holder assembly and the beverage brewing assembly, which are replaceable with each other, the function of beverage brewing is added to the food processor. It should be noted that the beverage brewing assembly does not comprise any stirring blade which is understood in a broad way and can be a crushing blade, a grinding head, high-speed blender screw, etc. In other words, the beverage brewing assembly is devoid of any stirring blade. Besides, according to an alternative embodiment, the first seat body of the blade holder assembly does not necessarily provide a heating function for supplying heat to the first processing space.

Optionally, the second seat body of the beverage brewing assembly comprises a heat-conducting upper shell and a lower cover that are assembled together to delimit an accommodating space inside the beverage brewing assembly, a heating element being arranged inside the accommodating space and on the lower surface of the heat-conducting upper shell.

Since the second seat body of the beverage brewing assembly is formed through the assembly of the heat-conducting upper shell and the lower cover, the manufacture of the second seat body and the formation of the inner accommodating space are both facilitated. Electronic elements such as the heating element being provided inside the accommodating space, not only the level of integration of various elements inside the beverage brewing assembly is increased, but also the protection of electronic elements is improved.

Optionally, the lower surface of the upper shell is provided with a downwardly protruding post comprising a connecting portion located at the upper end and connected to the lower surface of the heat-conducting upper shell, a stepped abutting portion located in the middle, and a threaded portion located at the lower end; the upper surface of the lower cover being provided with an upwardly protruding cylinder, the top end of the cylinder extending inward to form a fitting plate, a mounting hole being formed in the central area of the fitting plate, the cylinder and the fitting plate defining an avoidance space; the threaded portion of the post passing through the mounting hole to be located below the fitting plate, and the fitting plate abutting against the abutting portion of the post, a locking nut entering the avoidance space and being screwed with the threaded portion to clamp the fitting plate with the abutting portion.

By providing the above-described post and cylinder, not only can the mounting and fixing of the upper shell and the lower cover be achieved, but also an avoidance space is formed to avoid a corresponding structure of a host of the food processor.

Optionally, a sealing gasket is provided between the fitting plate and the locking nut.

By providing the sealing gasket, the sealing performance at the joint between the heat-conducting upper shell and the lower cover can be improved.

Optionally, an L-shaped stepped portion is formed at the edge of the heat-conducting upper shell, a sealing ring being provided between the stepped portion and the side wall of the cup body, the cross section of the sealing ring being L-shaped.

By providing the sealing ring, the sealing performance between the beverage brewing assembly and the side wall of the cup body can be improved.

Optionally, the beverage brewing assembly further comprises a temperature probe which is arranged on the upper surface of the upper shell or inside the accommodating space.

The temperature probe arranged on the upper surface of the heat-conducting upper shell can come into contact with the food material inside the second processing space, which facilitates the detection of a relatively accurate temperature of the food material during the brewing process. Alternatively, the temperature probe may be arranged inside the accommodating space. As the temperature probe is not provided on the upper surface of the heat-conducting upper shell, the overall upper surface of the heat-conducting upper shell can be configured to be a plane without apparent depression or protrusion, which facilitates subsequent cleaning.

Optionally, the beverage brewing assembly further comprises a thermostat which is arranged inside the accommodating space and is electrically connected with the heating element.

By providing the thermostat, precise control of the temperature of the food material can be achieved.

Optionally, a fixing frame is provided at the bottom of the side wall of the cup body, the fixing frame being rotatably arranged and having an open state and a locked state; in the locked state, the fixing frame locking the beverage brewing assembly or the blade holder assembly to the bottom of the side wall of the cup body; in the open state, the beverage brewing assembly or the blade holder assembly is detachable from the cup body.

By providing the fixing frame, the detachment and replacement of the beverage brewing assembly or the blade holder assembly are very convenient, which facilitates its utilization by a user.

Optionally, a button is further provided at the bottom of the side wall of the cup body, the button being provided with a locking member, and the fixing frame being provided with a hook cooperating with the locking member, the button being used to switch the fixing frame between the open state and the locked state.

By providing the button, the detachment and replacement of the beverage brewing assembly or the blade holder assembly by a user is further facilitated.

Optionally, the fixing frame is in the shape of a circular ring, so as to press and contact the blade holder assembly or of the beverage brewing assembly at their periphery while exposing their central area.

Therefore, the avoidance space at the bottom of the beverage brewing assembly and the matching structure of the blade holder assembly can be exposed. Thus, the stirring cup can be easily fitted to the host of the food processor.

Optionally, a locking structure is provided on the inner surface of the side wall of the cup body, both the blade holder assembly and the beverage brewing assembly being provided with a matching structure located on the outer surface, and the detachable mounting being realized through the cooperation of the locking structure and the matching structure.

By providing the locking structure on the surface of the side wall of the cup body and the matching structure respectively on the surface of the blade holder assembly and the beverage brewing assembly, rapid detachment or replacement of the blade holder assembly and the beverage brewing assembly can be achieved.

Optionally, the locking structure and/or the matching structure comprises a lug.

In order to achieve the above-described objective, the present invention further provides a food processor. The food processor comprises: a stirring cup as described above; and a host for supporting the stirring cup.

When food residue needs to be cleaned, the blade holder assembly can be detached from the side wall of the cup body. Thus, areas where residue are prone to accumulate, such as the surface of the first seat body and the back side of the stirring blade can be cleaned more thoroughly, making it difficult for bacteria to grow and ensuring the health of the user. In addition, as the food processor is provided with both the blade holder assembly and the beverage brewing assembly, which are replaceable with each other, the function of beverage brewing is added to the food processor. Description of the Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an assembled food processor according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an exploded view in perspective of the food processor in Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 3 is an exploded view in perspective of the beverage brewing assembly in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a schematic view of the heating circuit in Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 5 is a schematic view of replacing the blade holder assembly and the beverage brewing assembly;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of one working mode of the food processor;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of another working mode of the food processor;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the assembled host of the food processor in Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of a food processor according to another embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the assembled beverage brewing assembly in Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is an exploded view in perspective of a stirring cup according to yet another embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 12 is an exploded view in perspective of a stirring cup according to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Invention

Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, the same references in different drawings represent the same or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. The modes of realization described in the illustrative exemplary embodiments below do not represent all modes of realization consistent with the present invention. Rather, they are merely examples of devices consistent with some aspects of the present invention as recited in the appended claims.

The terminology used in the present invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the present invention. Unless otherwise defined, technical or scientific terms used in the present invention shall have the ordinary meaning as understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. The terms such as "a" or "an" and the like used in the specification and claims of the present invention do not denote a quantitative limitation, but rather denote the presence of at least one. The terms like "include" or "comprise" mean that the elements or items appearing before "include" or "comprise" cover the elements or items listed after "include" or "comprise" and their equivalents, and do not exclude other elements or object. "Connected" or "connection" and similar words are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. "A plurality of" includes two and is equivalent to “at least two”. As used in the specification and the appended claims of the present invention, the singular forms "a", "said", and "the" are intended to include plural forms as well, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term "and/or" as used herein refers to and includes any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a food processor. The food processor can be a high-speed blender, a juicer, a soymilk maker, or another food processing utensil that has a heating function and a stirring function.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 8, the food processor 100 comprise a host 2 and a stirring cup 1. During the preparation of food materials, the stirring cup 1 is placed above the host 2. When the preparation is completed, the stirring cup 1 can be detached from the host 2.

The stirring cup 1 is entirely supported on the host 2. A lower end face of the stirring cup 1 and an upper end face of the host 2 can be provided with both mechanical fitting elements and conductive contacts adapted to each other. The mechanical fitting elements can be a pair of couplers. The conductive contacts can be commonly used electrical connectors. After the stirring cup 1 is placed on the host 2, their mechanical fitting elements and conductive contacts are connected with each other correspondingly, so that the stirring cup 1 and the host 2 are mechanically and electrically connected. Thus a motor, a power distributor, and a controller arranged inside the host 2 can provide driving force, power, and signal control for a stirring blade, an anti-spilling probe, and a vacuum pump arranged inside the stirring cup 1 . The stirring blade mentioned here should be understood in a broad way and can be a crushing blade, a grinding head, high-speed blender screw, etc.

The stirring cup 1 comprises a cup body 12, a cup cover 11 , and a venting cover 10. The cup cover 11 is mounted at the upper opening of the cup body 12. A feeding hole is formed in a central area of the cup cover 11. The venting cover 10 is mounted at the feeding hole. A vapor passage is provided inside the venting cover 10 for discharging vapor produced during heating. The vapor passage has a relatively small width that is significantly smaller than the size of the feeding hole, and therefore can significantly reduce the noises generated by stirring.

The cup body 12 has a cylindrical side wall 120. Two openings are respectively formed at the top and the bottom of the space enclosed by the side wall 120. In this embodiment, the cup cover 11 and the venting cover 10 are provided at the top opening while a blade holder assembly 14 or a beverage brewing assembly 15 is provided at the bottom opening. Any one of the blade holder assembly 14 and the beverage brewing assembly 15 can be selectively mounted at the bottom opening of the side wall 120.

The blade holder assembly 14 can be detachably mounted to the bottom of the side wall 120 of the cup body and encloses a first processing space 125 for accommodating food materials with the side wall 120 of the cup body. The blade holder assembly 14 comprises a first seat body 131 for supplying heat to the first processing space 125 and a stirring blade 143 mounted on the first seat body 131 for stirring the food materials. When the blade holder assembly 14 is mounted to the side wall 120 of the cup body, the stirring cup 1 has a stirring function and a heating function and can be used for making juice, soymilk, jam, dry powder, shaved ice, ground meat, etc.

The beverage brewing assembly 15 can replace the blade holder assembly 14 to be detachably mounted to the bottom of the side wall 120 of the cup body and enclose a second processing space 125’ for accommodating food materials with the side wall 120 of the cup body. The beverage brewing assembly 15 comprises a second seat body 131 ’ for supplying heat to the second processing space 125’, but does not comprise a stirring blade. When the beverage brewing assembly 15 is mounted to the side wall 120 of the cup body, the stirring cup 1 has a heating function and can achieve functions of a traditional beverage brewing kettle, such as boiling water, brewing herbal tea, boiling eggs, making soup, cooking noodles, heating alcohol, heating milk, steaming egg pudding, brewing coffee, etc.

When food residue needs to be cleaned, the blade holder assembly 14 can be detached from the side wall 120 of the cup body. Thus, areas where residue is prone to accumulate, such as the surface of the first seat body and the back side of the stirring blade, can be cleaned more thoroughly, thereby preventing bacteria from growing and ensuring the health of the user. In addition, as the food processor has both the blade holder assembly 14 and the beverage brewing assembly 15, which are replaceable with each other, the function of beverage brewing is added to the food processor.

The beverage brewing assembly 15 comprises a heat-conducting upper shell 157 and a lower cover 151 that are assembled together to form the second seat body 131 ’ and to delimit an accommodating space inside the second seat body 131 ’. A heating element 158 is arranged inside the accommodating space and on the lower surface of the heat-conducting upper shell 157.

Since the second seat body 131 ’ of the beverage brewing assembly 15 is formed through the assembly of the heat-conducting upper shell 157 and the lower cover 151 , the manufacture of the second seat body 131 ’ and the formation of the accommodating space inside are both facilitated. Electronic elements such as the heating element 158 inside the accommodating space, not only is the level of integration of various elements inside the beverage brewing assembly 15 is increased, but also the protection of electronic elements is improved. Similar construction can be used for the first seat body 131 of the blade holder assembly 14.

The heat-conducting upper shell 157 can be made of a material that has a relatively high thermal conductivity, such as stainless steel. The heating element 158 can be an element using electric energy to produce heat of various forms such as a heating tube, electric heating film, or electromagnetic coil. Of course, based on actual needs and application scenarios, the heating element 158 can also be an element that transforms another form of energy into heat.

The lower surface of the heat-conducting upper shell 157 is provided with a downwardly protruding post 1570. The post 1570 comprises a connecting portion 1572 located at the upper end and connected to the lower surface of the heat-conducting upper shell 157, a stepped abutting portion 1574 located in the middle, and a threaded portion 1576 located at the lower end. The outer surface of the threaded portion 1576 is provided with an external thread.

Correspondingly, the upper surface of the lower cover 151 is provided with an upwardly protruding cylinder 1512. The top end of the cylinder extends inward to form a fitting plate 1514. A mounting hole is formed in the central area of the fitting plate 1514. The cylinder 1512 and the fitting plate 1514 define an avoidance space 1513.

During assembly, the threaded portion 1576 of the post 1570 passes through the mounting hole to be located below the fitting plate 1514, and the fitting plate 1514 abuts against the abutting portion 1574 of the post 1570. A locking nut 150 is inserted in the avoidance space 1513 and screwed with the threaded portion 1576 to clamp the fitting plate 1514 with the abutting portion 1574.

By providing the above-described post 1570 and cylinder 1512, not only can the mounting and fixing of the heat-conducting upper shell 157 and the lower cover 151 be achieved, but also an avoidance space 1513 is formed to avoid a corresponding structure of the host 2 of the food processor.

Further, a sealing gasket 32 can be provided between the fitting plate 1514 and the locking nut 150.

By providing the sealing gasket 32, the sealing performance at the joint between the heat-conducting upper shell 157 and the lower cover 151 can be improved.

A mounting member 156 can also be provided inside the accommodating space of the beverage brewing assembly 15 for mounting and supporting a thermostat 155, a coupler 152, etc.

An L-shaped stepped portion 1578 can be formed at the edge of the heat-conducting upper shell 157, and a sealing ring 154 is provided between the stepped portion 1578 and the side wall 120 of the cup body, the cross section of the sealing ring 154 being L-shaped.

By providing the sealing ring 154, the sealing performance between the beverage brewing assembly 15 and the side wall 120 of the cup body can be improved.

The beverage brewing assembly 15 can further comprise a temperature probe 159. The temperature probe 159 can be arranged on the upper surface of the heat-conducting upper shell 157 to come into direct contact with the food material inside the second processing space so as to precisely measure the temperature of the food material during the brewing process. In another embodiment, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the temperature probe 159 is provided inside the accommodating space of the beverage brewing assembly 15. As the temperature probe 159 is not provided on the upper surface of the heat-conducting upper shell 157, the overall upper surface of the heat-conducting upper shell 157 can be configured to be a plane without any apparent depression or protrusion, which facilitates subsequent cleaning. The top part of the temperature probe 159 can be tightly pressed against the lower surface of the heat-conducting upper shell 157 so as to measure the temperature of the food material in a relatively precise way.

The temperature probe 159 can be a NTC (Negative Temperature Coefficient) temperature sensor.

The beverage brewing assembly 15 can further comprise a thermostat 155. The thermostat 155 is arranged inside the accommodating space of the beverage brewing assembly 15. One end of the thermostat 155 is electrically connected with the heating element 158 while another end is electrically connected with a control board. According to the temperature measured by the temperature probe 159, the control board controls the operating status of the heating element 158 by means of the thermostat 155, so as to maintain the temperature of the food material in an appropriate temperature interval.

By providing the thermostat 155, precise control of the temperature of the food material can be achieved.

As shown in Fig. 5, a fixing frame 122 is provided at the bottom of the side wall 120 of the cup body, the fixing frame 122 being rotatably arranged and having an open state and a locked state. When the fixing frame 122 is rotated to 0 degree, i.e., when the fixing frame 120 is pressed against the side wall 120 of the cup body, it is in the locked state; when the fixing frame 122 is rotated to be disengaged from the side wall 120 of the cup body, it is in the open state. In the locked state, the fixing frame 122 is pressed against the beverage brewing assembly 15 or the blade holder assembly 14 from below and locks it to the bottom of the side wall 120 of the cup body. In the open state, the beverage brewing assembly 15 or the blade holder assembly 14 is detachable from the cup body.

By providing the above-described fixing frame, the detachment and replacement of the beverage brewing assembly 15 or the blade holder assembly 14 are very convenient, which facilitates its utilization by a user.

A button 121 can be further provided at the bottom of the side wall 120 of the cup body. The button 121 is provided with a locking member 1212, and the fixing frame 122 is provided with a hook 1222 cooperating with the locking member 1212. By means of the cooperation between the hook 1222 and the locking member 1212, the fixing frame 122 can be locked with the side wall 120 of the cup body in the locked state. The button 121 can drive the locking member 1212 to move so that the hook 1222 can be unlocked with the locking member 1212 by pressing the button 121. Therefore, the button 121 can be used to switch the fixing frame 122 between the open state and the locked state.

When the fixing frame 122 is rotated to the locked state, the hook 1222 of the fixing frame 122 can automatically engage with the locking member 1212 on the button 121 so as to achieve the locking of the fixing frame 122. When the beverage brewing assembly 15 or the blade holder assembly 14 needs to be detached or replaced, the button 121 can be pressed to drive the locking member 1212 thereon to move so that the locking member 1212 disengages and detaches from the hook 1222, at which time the fixing frame 122 is in a rotatable state. The fixing frame 122 is rotated to the open state so that it no longer presses against the beverage brewing assembly 15 or the blade holder assembly 14, at which time the beverage brewing assembly 15 or the blade holder assembly 14 can be easily detached from the bottom of the side wall 120 of the cup body. By providing the button 121 , the detachment or replacement of the beverage brewing assembly 15 or the blade holder assembly 14 by a user can be facilitated.

Further, the fixing frame 122 can be in the shape of a circular ring so as to press and contact the blade holder assembly 14 or the beverage brewing assembly 15 at their periphery while exposing their central area.

With the above configuration of the fixing frame 122, the avoidance space 1513 at the bottom of the beverage brewing assembly 15 and the matching structure of the blade holder assembly 14 can be exposed. Thus, the stirring cup 1 can be easily fitted to the host 2 of the food processor.

Of course, in another embodiment, a locking structure can be used to achieve the detachable mounting of the beverage brewing assembly 15 or the blade holder assembly 14 with the side wall 120 of the cup body. As shown in Fig. 11 , a locking structure 123 can be provided on the inner surface of the side wall 120 of the cup body. Correspondingly, both the blade holder assembly 14 and the beverage brewing assembly 15 can be provided with a matching structure 140 located on the outer surface. The detachable mounting is realized through the cooperation of the locking structure 123 and the matching structure 140. In Fig. 11 , the locking structure 123 and the matching structure 140 are both lugs. The fixing of the blade holder assembly 14 or the beverage brewing assembly 15 with the side wall 120 of the cup body can be achieved by means of the interference and engagement between two corresponding lugs or two sets of corresponding lugs. Of course, the locking structure 123 and the matching structure 140 can also be cooperating structures of a protrusion and a depression, or cooperating structures of an external thread and an internal thread.

As shown in Fig. 11 , the shell of the blade holder assembly 14 and the shell of the beverage brewing assembly 15 are both formed by the assembly of two parts. Each shell of the blade holder assembly 14 and the beverage brewing assembly 15 is formed by the assembly of the heat-conducting upper shell 157 and the lower cover 151 . Except for the stirring blade 143, the two shells have the same or substantially the same structure, which is the same or substantially the same as the beverage brewing assembly 15 as shown in Figs. 1 to 7. The matching structure 140 can be provided at the outer surface of the lower cover 151 .

In another embodiment, the shell of the blade holder assembly 14 and the beverage brewing assembly 15 can be formed by the assembly of more parts (for example, three parts). As shown in Fig. 12, besides the heat-conducting upper shell 157 and the lower cover 151 , the shell of the blade holder assembly 14 and the beverage brewing assembly 15 further comprises a lower shell 16. After the heat-conducting upper shell 157 and the lower cover 151 are assembled together, they are further assembled with the lower shell

16 to form a whole. In this embodiment, all the functional elements can be provided on the heat-conducting upper shell 157 and the lower cover 151 while the matching structure 140 for mounting is provided on the lower shell 16.

Besides the functional elements such as the stirring blade 143 and the heating element 158, the blade holder assemble 14 and the beverage brewing assembly 15 can further comprise a signal terminal 141 that can be fitted to a signal terminal 124 below the side wall 120 of the cup body. Signal transmission between the cup cover 11 , the side wall 120 of the cup body, and the blade holder assembly 14 (or the beverage brewing assembly 15) is achieved via a coupler 127 located above the side wall 120 of the cup body and a coupler 110 located on the cup cover 11 . The coupler 152 provided at the bottom of the blade holder assembly 14 and the beverage brewing assembly 15 can be used for further connecting to a coupler 160 provided on the host 2 of the food processor (shown on Fig. 8).

What have been described above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.