Dispensing Blender Jar
AssigneeHamilton Beach Brands, Inc.
InventorsBenjamin Branson, John Bohannon, Brian Williams
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A blender jar defines a geometry to impart vertical movement to material being processed in the blender jar, and, alternatively or in combination, improves the horizontal movement to the blended material. By configuring one or more agitators on the floor of a jar, laminar flow or symmetric flow of material around the jar is disrupted. The material is forced in an upward direction in the jar and, therefore, into more frequent contact with the cutter blades rotating in the jar. A dispensing blender jar includes a hole in the jar wall that leads to a dispensing spout. The hole is positioned, at least in part, on the leading edge of a vertical bump in the sidewall of the jar.
Claims16
A dispensing blender jar for promoting three dimensional material flow within the jar and for enhancing the flow of material out of a dispensing spout, the jar comprising:
- a floor and a sidewall connected to the floor and extending vertically upwardly from the floor to form a space inside the sidewall and above the floor where material is blended;
- the floor comprises an opening through which extends a drive shaft;
- a cutter assembly attached to the drive shaft, the cutter assembly comprising a blade that rotates on the shaft inside the blender jar and above the floor, the rotation of the blade defining a blade path and a direction of rotation;
- wherein the sidewall comprises a substantially circular cross-section;
- the sidewall further comprising a vertical bump therein, the vertical bump defining a leading edge of the bump which is the edge of the bump first reached by material that rotates in the jar in the direction of rotation;
- a hole in the sidewall of the jar positioned at least in part in a plane defined by the blade path, the hole being in fluid communication with a channel and a dispensing spout mounted on the channel;
- wherein the hole in the sidewall is further positioned, at least in part, on the leading edge of the bump.
A dispensing blender jar for enhancing the flow of material out of a dispensing spout, the jar comprising a jar wall comprising;
- a floor and a sidewall connected to the floor and extending vertically upwardly from the floor to form a space inside the sidewall and above the floor where material is blended;
- a hole in the jar wall, the hole being in fluid communication with a channel and a dispensing spout mounted on the channel;
- a diverter defined by the wall for diverting the flow of material into the hole, where the jar wall has a nominal cross-sectional wall thickness, and the diverter does not increase the nominal cross-sectional wall thickness.
A dispensing blender jar for enhancing the flow of material out of a dispensing spout, the jar comprising:
- a floor and a sidewall connected to the floor and extending vertically upwardly from the floor to form a space inside the sidewall and above the floor where material is blended;
- the floor comprises an opening through which extends a drive shaft;
- a cutter assembly attached to the drive shaft, the cutter assembly comprising a blade that rotates on the shaft inside the blender jar and above the floor, the rotation of the blade defining a blade path;
- a hole in the sidewall of the jar, the hole being in fluid communication with a channel and a dispensing spout mounted on the channel, wherein the channel is coplanar, at least in part, with the blade path;
- and
- a diverter defined by a part of an inside surface of the channel.
A dispensing blender jar for enhancing the flow of material out of a dispensing spout, the jar comprising:
- a jar wall comprising a floor and a sidewall connected to the floor and extending vertically upwardly from the floor to form a space inside the sidewall and above the floor where material is blended;
- a hole positioned in the jar wall, the hole being in fluid communication with a channel and a dispensing spout mounted on the channel;
- wherein the channel defines a coplanar, cross-sectional channel perimeter proximate the hole, the planar cross-section being substantially normal to the sidewall where the hole is positioned;
- further wherein the hole defines a hole perimeter along the intersection of the hole and the jar wall;
- and the ratio of the hole perimeter to the channel perimeter is in the range of about 1.05 to 1.5.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.