Gear system for mixers and mixer attachments

A motorized food mixing apparatus having a variable engagement planetary food mixing tool, the mixing apparatus comprising:

• a base unit;
• a motor housed in the base unit;
• a driveshaft rotatable by the motor, the driveshaft having a first longitudinal axis;
• a mixing container attached to the base unit;
• a mixing tool, comprising:
• a body engaging the driveshaft;
• a sun gear concentric with the first longitudinal axis, the sun gear having a first helical gear surface;
• a planet gear having a second longitudinal axis, the second longitudinal axis being non-parallel to the first longitudinal axis, the planet gear having a second helical gear surface extending around the second longitudinal axis, the planet gear engaging the first helical gear surface of the sun gear in a plurality of positions along the second longitudinal axis;
• a mixing member extending into the mixing container, the mixing member being connected to the planet gear and configured to move around the first longitudinal axis while rotating around the second longitudinal axis as the planet gear traverses the sun gear.

A food mixer, comprising:

• a base unit having a tool attachment portion;
• a mixing bowl attached to the base unit;
• a motor attached to the base unit, the motor having operational settings, the motor being configured to apply a torque to the tool attachment portion;
• a mixing tool removably attached to the tool attachment portion;
• a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the motor;
• a controller unit configured to receive measurements of the temperature of the motor and to reference motor efficiency data to determine an output power of the motor.

A method of controlling a food mixer apparatus, the method comprising:

• providing a mixer apparatus having a motor connected to a mixing tool attachment, an input power sensor for the motor, and a temperature sensor for the motor, the mixing tool attachment extending into a mixing container;
• operating the motor to rotate the mixing tool attachment;
• measuring the temperature of the motor using the temperature sensor while the motor is operating;
• measuring the input power of the motor using the input power sensor while the motor is operating;
• calculating the output power of the motor using the input power and the temperature of the motor;
• adjusting operational settings of the motor based on the calculated output power.