# US 2022/0273142 A1 · Variable Temperature Blender

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- Number: US 2022/0273142 A1
- Document ID: US20220273142A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/744,660
- Filed: 2022-05-14
- Published: 2022-09-01
- Earliest claimed: 2019-07-25
- Assignees: Columbia Insurance Company
- Applicants: Columbia Insurance Company
- Inventors: Brian Atinaja
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220273142A1

## CPC

- A47J 43/046: with tools driven from the bottom side
- A23L 5/10: General methods of cooking foods, e.g. by roasting or frying
- A23L 5/15: {using wave energy, irradiation, electrical means or magnetic fields, e.g. oven cooking or roasting using radiant dry heat}
- A23L 21/10: Marmalades; Jams; Jellies; Other similar fruit or vegetable compositions; Simulated fruit products
- A47J 27/004: {with integral electrical heating means (drinking cups with integral heating means A47J36/2466)}
- A47J 27/21091: {of electronic type}
- A47J 36/32: Time-controlled igniting mechanisms or alarm devices
- A47J 36/321: {the electronic control being performed over a network, e.g. by means of a handheld device}
- A47J 43/0716: {for machines with tools driven from the lower side (A47J43/0727 - A47J43/08 take precedence)}
- A47J 43/075: {Safety devices}
- B02C 25/00: Control arrangements specially adapted for crushing or disintegrating
- A23V 2002/00: Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
- A47J: KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES
- A23L: FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PREPARATION OR TREATMENT THEREOF (preservation thereof A23B)
- B02C: CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING IN GENERAL; MILLING GRAIN ({household tools and machines for pulverising foodstuffs, e.g. coffee and spice mills A47J42/00; pharmaceutical mortars A61J3/02; mechanical processing of refuse and garbage B03B9/06; dressing mould materials by grinding B22C5/04}; obtaining metallic powder by crushing, grinding or milling B22F9/04; {recovery of plastics by disintegrating B29B17/00; crushing raw materials in starch making C08B30/02; beaters for papermaking D21D1/02; crushing devices specially for transport in mines E21F13/002; slag crushing devices F23J1/00; fuel milling devices in combustion apparatus F23K1/00; household devices for crushing coal F24B15/02; ice disintegrating devices F25C5/02})
- A23V: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND LACTIC OR PROPIONIC ACID BACTERIA USED IN FOODSTUFFS OR FOOD PREPARATION

## Abstract

A variable temperature blender is disclosed for the cooking and preparation of heated sauces, jams, soups, purees, alternative milks, smoothies and more. A variable temperature blender has a lid assembly, a vessel assembly, and a base assembly. The vessel assembly has a blending vessel and a collar attached to a bottom portion of the blending vessel. The base assembly have a user interface, a motor, and a controller. A heating element positioned within the collar of the vessel assembly received an electronic signal from the controller via an electrical interface connecting the base assembly with the vessel assembly. The electronic signal activates or deactivates the heating element based on an operational mode of the variable temperature blender to heat a food item contained within the blending vessel.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A variable temperature blender comprising:
a lid assembly;
a vessel assembly, the vessel assembly having a blending vessel and a collar attached to a bottom portion of the blending vessel;
a base assembly, the base assembly having a user interface, a motor, and a controller; and
a heating element positioned within the collar of the vessel assembly,
wherein the controller is configured to control (i) heating of the heating element via an electronic heating control signal transmitted from the controller to an electrical interface that electrically connects the base assembly with the vessel assembly, the electronic heating control signal activating or deactivating heating by the heating element based on parameters of an operational mode of the variable temperature blender to heat at least one food item contained within the blending vessel, and (ii) execution of the operational mode, wherein the operational mode is a mode for preparation of a heated sauce.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The variable temperature blender of claim 1, wherein the electrical interface is a pin and socket electrical interface.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The variable temperature blender of claim 2, wherein the electrical interface comprises a vessel assembly electrical interface and a base assembly electrical interface, the vessel assembly electrical interface comprising one of a pin electrical interface or a socket electrical interface, the base assembly electrical interface comprising the other of a pin electrical interface or a socket electrical interface, and attachment of the vessel assembly to the base assembly mates the vessel assembly electrical interface with the base assembly electrical interface to establish the pin and socket electrical interface.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The variable temperature blender of claim 1, wherein the vessel assembly has a lid switch, the lid switch being in electrical communication with the electrical interface.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The variable temperature blender of claim 1, wherein the vessel assembly has a temperature sensor, the temperature sensor being in electrical communication with the electrical interface.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The variable temperature blender of claim 5, wherein the mode for preparation of the heated sauce is a pre-programmed mode of operation, the controller has a memory, and the memory is configured to store the pre-programmed mode of operation.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The variable temperature blender of claim 6, wherein the at least one food item is cream.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The variable temperature blender of claim 7, wherein the mode for preparation of the heated sauce comprises the controller being configured to control the heating of the heating element to arrive at (i) a first heated sauce temperature setting, and (ii) a second heated sauce temperature setting.

### Claim 9 (depends on 5)

The variable temperature blender of claim 5, further comprising a blade assembly, wherein the at least one food item comprises ingredients for the heated sauce, and the controller is configured to:
control rotation of the blade assembly via the motor via transmission of an electronic motor control signal from the controller to the electrical interface;
activate heating by the heating element to arrive at a first predetermined temperature for the mode for preparation of the heated sauce;
rotate the blade assembly to mix the ingredients for a first predetermined amount of time at a first predetermined rotation rate of the blade assembly;
receive a first temperature sensor reading from the temperature sensor, the first temperature sensor reading including first data representative of a first detected temperature;
make a first determination of whether the first detected temperature is below the first predetermined temperature and activate heating by the heating element if the result of the first determination is that the first detected temperature is below the first predetermined temperature;
when the result of the first determination is that the first detected temperature equals the first predetermined temperature, turn off the blade assembly and deactivate the heating by the heating element for a first predetermined amount of off-time;
activate heating by the heating element to arrive at a second predetermined temperature for the mode of preparation of the heated sauce;
rotate the blade assembly to mix the ingredients for a second predetermined amount of time at a second predetermined rotation rate of the blade assembly;
receive a second temperature sensor reading from the temperature sensor, the second temperature sensor reading including second data representative of a second detected temperature;
make a second determination of whether the second detected temperature is below the second predetermined temperature and activate heating by the heating element if the result of the second determination is that the second detected temperature is below the second predetermined temperature;
when the result of the second determining is that the second detected temperature is greater than or equal to the second predetermined temperature, turn off the blade assembly and deactivate the heating by the heating element; and
provide, via the user interface, an indication that the mode for preparation of the heated sauce has completed.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The variable temperature blender of claim 8, wherein a temperature of the second heated sauce temperature setting is higher than a temperature of the first heated sauce temperature setting.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The variable temperature blender of claim 10, wherein the temperature of the second heated sauce temperature setting is 205° F.

### Claim 12 (depends on 4)

The variable temperature blender of claim 4, wherein the lid assembly has a lid including a protrusion extending from the lid, the blending vessel has a handle, and the lid switch is within the handle.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The variable temperature blender of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to (i) detect a status of the lid switch, and (ii) enable or disable the execution of the mode for preparation of the heated sauce based on the detected status of the lid switch.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The variable temperature blender of claim 13, wherein when the lid is attached to the blending vessel in a locked position, the protrusion engages the lid switch, and the status of the lid switch is an engaged status which, when detected by the controller, permits the execution of the mode for preparation of the heated sauce by the controller.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The variable temperature blender of claim 13, wherein when the lid is not attached to the blending vessel in a locked position, the protrusion does not engage the lid switch, and the status of the lid switch is a disengaged status which, when detected by the controller, does not permit the execution of the mode for preparation of the heated sauce by the controller.

### Claim 16

A method to create a heated sauce with a variable temperature blender, the method comprising:
placing at least one food item into a blending vessel of the variable temperature blender;
selecting a pre-programmed mode of preparation of a heated sauce from a plurality of pre-programmed modes of operation via a user interface of the variable temperature blender;
activating rotation of a blade assembly to blend the at least one food item;
activating heating by a heating element to heat the at least one food item;
receiving a first temperature sensor reading from a temperature sensor of the variable temperature blender;
determining whether the received first temperature sensor reading is at or below a predetermined temperature reading for the mode of preparation of the heated sauce;
activating the heating element when a result of the determination is that the first temperature sensor reading is below the predetermined temperature reading for the mode of preparation of the heated sauce;
receiving a second temperature sensor reading from the temperature sensor of the variable temperature blender; and
deactivating heating by the heating element if the received second temperature sensor reading is at or above the predetermined temperature reading for the mode of preparation of the heated sauce.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the activating the heating by the heating element to heat the at least one food item comprises activating the heating by the heating element to arrive at a predetermined heated sauce temperature, the at least one food item comprises ingredients of the heated sauce, and the activating the rotation of the blade assembly to blend the at least one food item comprises rotating the blade assembly to mix the heated sauce ingredients for a predetermined amount of time at a predetermined rotation rate of the blade assembly.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one food item is cream.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the selecting the mode of preparation of the heated sauce from the plurality of pre-programmed modes of operation via the user interface comprises a user operating a control dial of the variable temperature blender.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising providing, via the user interface, an indication of a status of the mode of preparation of the heated sauce.