Blender

A blender for continuous mixing ingredients, with condiments, flavours or liquids, to form a homogenous and well mixed product, the blender includes:

• (i) a base having an interior space therein and the base includes start and stop switches for starting and stopping the operation of the blender;
• (ii) a hollow central column extending upwardly from the base, the hollow central column having an interior space therein;
• (iii) a top housing mounted to the top of the column, the top housing having a motor, drive transmission means and a drive shaft, the drive shaft extends downwardly and outwardly from said top housing;
• (iv) an auger attached to a distal end of the drive shaft, the auger has a tapered screw that tapers to a tip;
• (v) a mixing bowl having an open top, the mixing bowl is in substantially coaxial alignment with the auger, the bottom of the mixing bowl having a valved outlet so as to prevent liquids exiting the mixing bowl during blending;
• (vi) a mixing bowl holder for releasably holding the mixing bowl in substantial coaxial alignment;
• (vii) a ball screw drive mechanism housed within the interior of column and connectable to the mixing bowl holder for moving the mixing bowl in linear movement toward and away from the auger, the ball screw drive mechanism includes:
• a) a vertically orientated ball screw situated within the interior space of the column extending upwardly from the base to the top housing;
• b) a ball screw nut threadingly connected to the ball screw;
• and
• c) a screw block attached to the ball screw nut such that the screw block is adapted to move up and down upon rotation of the ball screw;
• (viii) a floating and removeable safety splash guard positioned above the auger wherein the safety splash guard is adapted to fit within the opening of the mixing bowl such that the safety splash guard is able to contact with an upper internal wall below and adjacent the top of the mixing bowl so as to prevent splashing and spillage out of the opening of the mixing bowl when the blender is in use;
• (ix) a vertically aligned slot in the column, where the slot extends along a portion of the length of the column, wherein the screw block has a portion that extends through the slot whereby the distal end of said portion is connected to a collar positioned on and surrounding the circumference of the column, the collar is attachable to the mixing bowl holder;
• and
• (x) a vertical oriented activation holder positioned within the interior of the column and extends along and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the column and is spaced a distance from the screw ball, the activation holder has a plurality of activation means along its length, such that as the screw block moves along the length of the ball screw it passes and activates activation means among the plurality of activation means in order to determine the relative position of the mixing bowl relative to the auger;
• wherein the auger commences rotation automatically, when the mixing bowl comes into contact with the floating safety splash guard and continues to rotate as the mixing bowl is driven upward passing activation means among the plurality of activation means and stops only when the mixing bowl is in the uppermost position and the start switch released such that safe and variable control of the movement of the mixing bowl toward the auger is obtainable.