Feed tube protector for a food processor

In a food processor of the type including a housing containing an electric motor drive and control means for rendering said motor drive inoperative unless said control means is actuated, a bowl mountable on said housing for enclosing a rotatable tool within said bowl driveable by tool drive means when said motor drive is rendered operative by actuation of said control means, a removable cover adapted to be positioned on said bowl, with a feed tube mounted on said cover forming a passageway for feeding food items through said cover into said bowl adapted to have a food pusher plunged into said passageway for pushing food items toward the rotating tool, the novel safety apparatus comprising:

• a feed tube protector including:
• an outer sleeve carrying actuator means thereon,
• a food pusher being movably mounted for longitudinal movement within the interior of said outer sleeve,
• said food pusher being captured with respect to said outer sleeve for preventing complete withdrawal of said food pusher from said sleeve,
• said outer sleeve being mountable over said feed tube with said food pusher being aligned with said food passageway and being manually plungeable within said passageway for feeding food items in said feed tube,
• said actuator means on said sleeve being operatively associated with said control means only when said cover is properly positioned on said bowl and said sleeve is properly positioned on said feed tube,
• for causing said food pusher to prevent access to said passageway for preventing the insertion of a hand or foreign object through said feed tube into said bowl when said rotatable tool is being driven by said motor drive.

For use in a food processor of the type including a housing containing an electric motor drive and control means for rendering said electric motor drive inoperative unless said control means is actuated, a bowl mountable on said housing with driveable means in the bowl on which various selected rotary tools can be mounted to be driven by said shaft, a removable cover for said bowl adapted to be properly positioned on said bowl, and a feed tube mounted on said cover forming a passageway for feeding food items through said cover into said bowl, feed tube protector safety apparatus comprising:

• outer means removably nestable over the feed tube in a predetermined position thereon,
• guide means on said outer means,
• actuator means on said outer means,
• a food pusher movably mounted by said guide means on said outer means for telescoping movement with respect to said outer means,
• said food pusher being captured by said guide means for preventing complete withdrawal of said food pusher from said outer means,
• said food pusher being aligned by said guide means for being directly aligned with the food passageway in said feed tube and for being plungeable therein when said outer means is nested in said predetermined position over said feed tube, and
• said actuator means being located on said outer means in a predetermined position thereon for being adapted to cause actuation of said control means only when said cover is properly positioned on said bowl and said outer means is nested over the feed tube in said proper position,
• whereby the captured food pusher in said protector safety apparatus blocks access to said passageway whenever the electric motor drive is rendered operative by said actuator means.

For use with a food processor of the type including a base enclosing an electric motor drive and having control means for rendering said drive inoperative unless actuation of said control means occurs, a bowl mountable on said base for enclosing a rotatable tool within said bowl, said tool being driveable by said drive, a removable cover for said bowl, a food feed tube having a passageway communicating with the interior of the bowl for feeding food items into the bowl, and a food pusher manually insertable into said passageway for pushing the food items into the bowl;

• feed tube protector safety apparatus comprising:
• outer means removably nestable over the feed tube in a predetermined position thereon,
• guide means on said outer means,
• actuator means on said outer means,
• a food pusher movably mounted by said guide means on said outer means for telescoping movement with respect to said outer means,
• said food pusher being captured by said guide means for preventing complete withdrawal of said food pusher from said outer means,
• said food pusher being aligned by said guide means for being directly aligned with the food passageway in said feed tube and for being plungeable therein when said outer means is nested in said predetermined position over said feed tube, and
• said actuator means being located on said outer means in a predetermined position thereon for actuating said control means only when said cover is properly positioned on said bowl and said outer means is nested over the feed tube in said proper position,
• whereby the captured food pusher in said protector safety apparatus blocks access to said passageway whenever the electric motor drive is rendered operative by said actuator means.

In a food processor of the type including a base enclosing drive means and having control means for rendering said drive means inoperative unless said control means is actuated, a bowl on said base for enclosing a rotatable tool within said bowl, said tool being driveable by said drive means, a removable cover for said bowl, a food feed tube having a passageway communicating with the interior of the bowl for feeding food items into the bowl, and a food pusher manually insertable into said passageway for pushing the food items into the bowl, protector safety apparatus comprising:

• outer means removably nestable over the feed tube in a predetermined position thereon,
• food pusher means movable within said outer means,
• said food pusher and said outer means having cooperating guide means and guideways for aligning said food pusher with said passageway in the feed tube when said outer means is nested over the feed tube in said predetermined position,
• said guideways being elongated for permitting said food pusher to be plunged into said passageway in the feed tube for pushing food items toward the tool when said outer means is nested over the feed tube in said predetermined position,
• said protector apparatus including captivating means for preventing removal of said food pusher from said outer means for assuring that said food pusher always blocks access to said passageway when said outer means is nested over the feed tube in said predetermined position, and
• said outer means including actuator means thereon in a predetermined location for actuating said control means when said outer means is nested over said feed tube in said predetermined position for rendering said drive means operative only when the captivated food pusher is blocking access to said passageway in the food feed tube for preventing inadvertent insertion of a hand or foreign object into said passageway when said drive means is rendered operative.