Food processing system

A drive system comprising:

• an actuator selectively coupled to a drive shaft extending along a first axis and configured to be coupled to a processing component of a food processing system having a chamber for holding a food item and a lid removably mounted with respect to the chamber, the actuator including at least one protrusion from a bottom surface of the actuator;
• a drive wheel coupled to the drive shaft and having a plurality of circumferentially driven teeth;
• and
• a ratchet wheel positioned between the actuator and the drive wheel, the ratchet wheel being moveable along the first axis between an engaged position and a disengaged position, and having a first surface and a second surface, opposed to the first surface, the first surface having a variable contour extending continuously between a first end defined by a first stop member and a second end defined by a second stop member, the first and second stop members each protruding from the variable contours towards the actuator, the second surface having a plurality of circumferentially spaced teeth,
• wherein the ratchet wheel is positioned such that, in both the engaged and disengaged positions, the first surface faces the bottom surface of the actuator, the second surface faces the plurality of circumferentially driven teeth of the drive wheel, and a bottom surface of the protrusion contacts the variable contour, and
• wherein the ratchet wheel is positioned such that, in the disengaged position the protrusion is positioned toward the first end of the variable contour and the ratchet wheel is spaced from the drive wheel, and in the engaged position, the protrusion abuts the second stop member at the second end of the variable contour and the plurality of spaced teeth of the ratchet wheel engage the plurality of driven teeth of the drive wheel, respectively, to rotate the drive wheel and drive shaft.

A drive system configured to impart rotational motion to a processing component of a food processing system and facilitate free rotation thereof, the food processing system having a chamber for holding a food item to be processed and a lid configured to cover the chamber, the drive system comprising:

• an actuator selectively coupled to a drive shaft extending along a first axis and configured to be coupled to the processing component, the actuator including at least one protrusion from a bottom surface of the actuator;
• a drive wheel coupled to the drive shaft and having a plurality of circumferentially driven teeth;
• and
• a ratchet wheel positioned between the actuator and the drive wheel, the ratchet wheel being moveable in a direction substantially parallel to the first axis between an engaged position and a disengaged position, and having a first surface and a second surface, opposed to the first surface, the first surface having a variable contour extending continuously between a first end defined by a first stop member and a second end defined by a second stop member, the first and second stop members each protruding from the variable contours towards the actuator, the second surface having a plurality of circumferentially spaced teeth,
• wherein the ratchet wheel is positioned such that, in both the engaged and disengaged positions, the first surface faces the bottom surface of the actuator, the second surface faces the plurality of circumferentially driven teeth of the drive wheel, and a bottom surface of the protrusion contacts the variable contour, and
• wherein the ratchet wheel is positioned such that, an interaction between the contoured surface of the ratchet wheel and the protrusion of the drive mechanism rotates the ratchet wheel and moves the ratchet wheel toward the engaged position to facilitate engaging the plurality of teeth to the plurality of driven teeth to impart rotational motion to the drive wheel.