Handheld kitchen appliance assembly

A base for supporting a kitchen appliance including a drive unit and a plurality of tools configured to be driven by the drive unit, the drive unit having a rechargeable battery, a motor, and a first electrical contact, the plurality of tools each having a tool element and an attachment portion for releasably connecting the tool to the drive unit, the base comprising:

• a charging unit including a cavity sized and shaped to receive a portion of the drive unit to support the drive unit, the cavity including a second electrical contact, the second electrical contact configured to engage with the first electrical contact of the drive unit when the drive unit is received within the charging unit;
• a power supply connected to the charging unit, the power supply configured to provide power to the charging unit to enable the charging unit to send a charging current to the battery of the drive unit via the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact;
• and
• a plurality of cradles for supporting the plurality of tools, the plurality of cradles each including an opening sized and shaped to receive one of the plurality of tools,
• wherein each of the plurality of cradles includes a linkage engagable with the charging unit for releasably connecting the respective cradle to the drive unit,
• wherein each of the plurality of cradles includes a plurality of recesses sized and shaped to receive the linkage of another one of the plurality of cradles for releasable connecting the plurality of cradles to one another;
• and
• wherein the charging unit is connectable to more than one of the plurality of cradles at the same time, and wherein each of the plurality of cradles is connectable to more than one of the plurality of cradles at the same time.

A handheld kitchen appliance assembly, comprising:

• a drive unit including
• a housing having an elongated body with a first end and a second end that is spaced apart from the first end,
• a rechargeable battery disposed within the housing,
• a motor disposed within the housing and powered by the battery,
• an attachment member positioned on the second end of the housing, and
• a first electrical contact positioned on the second end of the housing, the electrical contact configured to receive a charging current and send the charging current to the battery to recharge the battery;
• a tool including a tool element and an attachment portion, the attachment portion configured to engage with the attachment member of the drive unit to connect the tool to the drive unit;
• and
• a base including
• a charging unit having a cavity with a second electrical contact, the cavity configured to receive the second end of the drive unit so that the first electrical contact of the drive unit engages with the second electrical contact of the charging unit, the second electrical contact configured to send the charging current to the first electrical contact, and
• a cradle having an opening for receiving a portion of the tool, the cradle including a linkage engagable with the charging unit for selectively connecting the cradle to the charging unit,
• wherein each of the plurality of cradles further includes a linkage engagable with the charging unit for selectively connecting the cradle to the charging unit, wherein the plurality of cradles are connectable to the charging unit at the same time.