Safety interlock for the food pusher in a food processor

In a food processor of the type having a working bowl mounted on a housing with a drive shaft extending into the bowl for rotating a food processing tool installed on the shaft and wherein an electric motor is located in the housing for rotating the drive shaft when the motor is energized, with an on-off switch in the housing for controlling the energization of the motor, a cover, means for holding the cover in its normal position on the bowl during operation of the food processor, a hopper on the cover having a food feed passageway extending through the cover into the working bowl when the cover is in said normal position on the bowl, a food pusher which is insertable into the food passageway for pushing food items through said passageway, and with means for preventing energization of the motor unless the cover is held in its normal position on the bowl, the improvement which comprises:

• safety interlock means operatively associated with said hopper including means responsive to the presence of the pusher in said feed passageway in the hopper for causing actuation of said switch for energizing the motor only when the pusher has been inserted into the feed passageway, thereby to prevent the inadvertent insertion of a hand or foreign object into said passageway when the food processing tool is being rotated by the energized motor.

In a food processor having a feed hopper for feeding food articles into a bowl and a pusher insertable into the hopper for pushing food through the hopper and wherein there are means for preventing enertization of the motor unless a cover is held in its normal position on the bowl including an operating cam associated with the cover and a switch caused to be actuated by means of said cam when the cover is in said normal position, the safety interlock improvement comprising:

• said cam being movably mounted on the cover for occupying an inactive position in which said cam is incapable of causing actuation of said switch and an actuating position in which said cam is capable of causing such actuation, and a movable member operatively associated with said movable cam for moving said cam into said actuating position when said member has been displaced by a food pusher in said hopper.

For use in a food processor of the type including an electric motor in a housing with a drive shaft driven by the motor and extending from the housing and a power switch in the housing for energizing the motor when said switch is actuated, a bowl mountable on said housing for enclosing said drive shaft, with a rotatable tool within said bowl and driveable by said drive shaft, and with means for holding a cover in a normal position on the bowl during operation of the food processor, the improvement which comprises:

• a removable safety interlock cover for said bowl having a power switch actuator movably mounted on the cover and movable between an inactive position and a switch-actuating position, a food-receiving hopper on said cover having a passageway extending therethrough for feeding food items through the cover into the bowl, said hopper having a lateral opening therein communicating with said passageway, and a food pusher manually insertable into said passageway in said hopper, said switch actuator occupying its inactive position in the absence of the food pusher, and said food pusher having a projection thereon for entering said lateral opening for moving said switch actuator into its switch actuating position for actuating said power switch only when said pusher is in said hopper.

In a food processor of the type having a working bowl mountable on a base with tool drive means in the bowl for rotating a food processing tool in the bowl, and wherein an electric motor is located in the base for rotating the tool drive means when the motor is energized, with control means for controlling the operation of the tool drive means, a hopper having a food feed passageway extending through the hopper into the working bowl, a food pusher which is insertable into the food passageway for pushing food items through said passageway, the improvement which comprises:

• safety interlock means operatively associated with said hopper including means responsive to the presence of the pusher in said feed passageway in the hopper for causing actuation of said control means for operating the tool drive means only when the pusher has been inserted into the feed passageway, thereby to prevent the inadvertent insertion of a hand into said passageway when the food processing tool is being rotated in the bowl by the tool drive means.

In a food processor of the type including tool drive means driven by an electric motor drive located in a base with control means for rendering the motor drive inoperative unless said control means is actuated, a bowl mountable on said base for enclosing a rotatable tool within said bowl, said tool being driveable by said tool drive means, a food-receiving hopper extending into the bowl, and a food pusher manually insertable into said hopper for pushing the food items from said hopper into contact with the tool in said bowl, the invention comprising:

• safety interlock means including first means on said food pusher and second means on said hopper, said first and second means operatively interacting with said control means when said food pusher is at least partially in said hopper for rendering the motor drive operative only when said food pusher is in said hopper, thereby preventing the insertion of a hand through the hopper into the bowl when the tool is being driven by the operative motor drive.

In a food processor of the type including tool drive means driven by a motor drive located in a base with control means for rendering the motor drive inoperative unless said control means is actuated, a bowl mountable on said base for enclosing a rotatable tool within said bowl, said tool being driveable by said tool drive means, a removable cover for said bowl, a food-receiving hopper extending through the cover for feeding food items through the cover into contact with a rotating tool in the bowl, and a food pusher manually insertable into said hopper for pushing the food items in said hopper toward the rotating tool, the invention comprising:

• safety interlock means operatively associated with said food pusher and hopper and cover for actuating said control means for rendering the motor drive operative only when said cover is held in its normal position on said bowl and said bowl is properly positioned on said base and said food pusher is at least partially in said hopper for preventing the insertion of a hand through the hopper into the bowl when the tool is being driven by the operative motor drive.

In a food processor of the type having a working bowl mountable on a base with the tool drive means in the bowl for rotating a food processing tool in the bowl, and wherein an electric motor drive is located in the base for rotating the tool drive means when the motor drive is actuated with control means for preventing the rotation of the tool drive means unless said control means is actuated, a hopper having a food feed passageway extending through the hopper into the working bowl, a food pusher which is insertable into the food passageway for pushing food items through said passageway toward a tool in the bowl, the improvement which comprises:

• safety interlock means including first means on said food pusher and second means outside of said hopper for actuating said control means, said second means being operatively associated with said first means, said second means serving to actuate said control means only when said pusher is at least partially inserted into said feed passageway in the hopper for permitting rotation of the tool drive means only when the pusher has been inserted into the feed passageway, thereby to prevent the inadvertent insertion of a hand into said passageway when the food processing tool is being rotated in the bowl by the tool drive means.