Compact speed-reducing universal motor drive assembly arrangement for food processor

In a rotary food processor of the type including a base housing enclosing a drive unit, a rotatable spindle driven by said drive unit and extending vertically upward from said base housing and in which a working bowl can be detachably mounted on said base housing for holding food material to be processed in said bowl with a removable cover for covering the bowl, said bowl having a bottom with an opening therein through which said spindle extends upwardly into said bowl when said bowl is mounted on said base housing for receiving a rotatable tool onto said spindle, a drive unit comprising:

• a universal electric motor having a motor frame and being positioned within said base housing below said rotatable spindle,
• mounting means for mounting said universal electric motor with the axis of rotation of said motor extending horizontally and with the motor shaft extending horizontally from one end of the motor frame,
• a pinion gear secured to said motor shaft for rotation by said shaft,
• a ring gear engaging said pinion gear for being driven by said pinion gear,
• said ring gear having a relatively large diameter and encircling the frame of said universal motor for revolving about the motor frame in a horizontal plane, and
• coupling means for coupling the revolving ring gear to said spindle for rotating the spindle about a vertical axis.

In a rotary food processor of the type including a base housing enclosing a drive unit, a rotatable spindle driven by said drive unit and extending vertically upward from said base housing and in which a working bowl can be detachably mounted on said base housing for holding food material to be processed in said bowl, said bowl having a bottom with an opening therein through which said spindle extends upwardly into said bowl when said bowl is mounted on said base housing for receiving a rotatable tool onto said spindle, a removable cover engageable with the bowl in a working position on the bowl for covering the bowl while the food material is being processed therein, a drive unit comprising:

• a universal electric motor having a motor frame and being mounted within said base housing below said rotatable spindle with the motor shaft extending from one end of the motor frame,
• a pinion gear secured to said motor shaft for rotation by said shaft,
• a ring gear engaging said pinion gear for being driven by said pinion gear,
• said ring gear having a relatively large diameter at least several times the diameter of said pinion gear and revolving in a horizontal plane,
• a rotatable gear support having a relatively large diameter perimeter secured to said ring gear and being coupled to said spindle for coupling the revolving ring gear to said spindle, and
• braking means positioned within said base housing and responsive to removal of the cover from its working position on the bowl for applying braking force to the perimeter of said gear support, thereby applying the braking force at a relatively large mechanical advantage with respect to the rotating spindle for rapidly stopping spindle rotation.

In a food processor of the type including a base housing adapted to have a food processing bowl mounted thereon in a predetermined position and in which there is a drive unit in the base housing for driving a rotatable tool spindle in the bowl to rotate the spindle about a vertical axis, a drive unit comprising:

• a universal electric motor having a motor frame and being mounted within said base housing with the motor shaft extending from one end of the motor frame,
• a pinion gear secured to said motor shaft for rotation by said shaft,
• a ring gear engaging said pinion gear for being driven by said pinion gear,
• said ring gear having a relatively large diameter at least several times the diameter of said pinion gear and revolving in a horizontal plane encircling said motor frame,
• said ring gear including a rotatable gear support which is rotatable about a vertical axis and has a saucer-shape nesting about the motor frame,
• bearing means in said base housing mounting said rotatable gear support for rotation about said vertical axis, and
• means for coupling said rotatable gear support to a spindle in a bowl mounted on said base housing in said predetermined position for rotating the spindle about a vertical axis in the bowl.

In a food processor of the type including a base adapted to have a food processing bowl held thereon, a drive assembly in the base for driving a rotatable tool mount in the bowl to rotate the tool mount about an axis, said drive assembly comprising:

• a universal electric motor having a motor frame,
• said motor being mounted within said base with a motor shaft extending from one end of the motor frame,
• a pinion gear secured to said motor shaft for rotation by said shaft,
• a ring gear engaging said pinion gear for being driven by said pinion gear,
• said ring gear having a relatively large diameter at least several times the diameter of said pinion gear and revolving in encircling relationship with respect to said motor frame,
• said ring gear including a rotatable gear support which is rotatable about said axis,
• said rotatable gear support being in nesting relationship with respect to the motor frame,
• bearing means in said base for mounting said rotatable gear support for rotation about said axis, and
• means for coupling said rotatable gear support to a rotatable tool mount in a bowl held on said base in said predetermined position for rotating the tool mount about said axis in the bowl,
• thereby providing a compact overall assembly configuration with low headroom requirements within said base.

In a food processor of the type including a base adapted to have a food processing bowl held thereon, a drive assembly in the base for driving a rotatable tool mount in the bowl to rotate the tool mount about an axis, said drive assembly comprising:

• a universal electric motor having a motor frame,
• said motor being mounted within said base with a motor shaft extending from one end of the motor frame,
• a pinion gear secured to said motor shaft for rotation by said shaft,
• a ring gear engaging said pinion gear for being driven by said pinion gear,
• said ring gear having a diameter much larger than the diameter of said pinion gear and revolving in encircling relationship with respect to said motor frame,
• said ring gear including a rotatable gear support which is rotatable about said axis,
• said rotatable gear support being in nesting relationship with respect to the motor frame,
• bearing means in said base for mounting said rotatable gear support for rotation about said axis, and
• means for coupling said rotatable gear support to a rotatable tool mount in a bowl held on said base in said predetermined position for rotating the tool mount about said axis in the bowl,
• thereby providing a compact overall drive assembly with low headroom requirements within said base.

A drive assembly in a food processor of the type including a base adapted to have a food processing bowl held thereon, said bowl being adapted to be closed by a cover in predetermined position on the bowl during operation of said drive assembly, said drive assembly driving a rotatable tool mount in the bowl to rotate the tool mount about an axis, said drive assembly comprising:

• a universal electric motor having a motor frame,
• said motor being mounted within said base with a motor shaft extending from one end of the motor frame,
• a pinion gear secured to said motor shaft for rotation by said shaft,
• a ring gear engaging said pinion gear for being driven by said pinion gear,
• said ring gear having a relatively large diameter at least several times the diameter of said pinion gear and revolving in encircling relationship with respect to said motor frame,
• said ring gear including a rotatable gear support which is rotatable about said axis,
• said rotatable gear support being in nesting relationship with respect to the motor frame,
• bearing means in said base for mounting said rotatable gear support for rotation about said axis,
• means for coupling said rotatable gear support to a rotatable tool mount in a bowl held on said base in said predetermined position for rotating the tool mount about said axis in the bowl, and
• braking means positioned within said base and responsive to removal of the cover from said predetermined position on the bowl for applying braking force effectively to the perimeter of said gear support,
• thereby applying the braking force at a relatively large radius with respect to the tool mount axis for rapidly stopping rotation of said tool mount.