Blender jar collars and interlocks

A blender jar assembly coupleable to a collar assembly of a blender, the blender jar assembly comprising:

• a blender jar to receive items for processing;
• and
• a blender jar collar assembly fixedly assembled to a base of the blender jar, the blender jar collar assembly comprising:
• a collar housing to receive a bottom portion of the blender jar;
• a blade assembly mounted on an axis of the collar housing;
• a plunger moveable upward and downward within the collar housing between a lower position where the plunger prevents the blade assembly from coupling with a motor in a blender base, and an upper position where the plunger allows the blade assembly to couple with the motor, the plunger including a base portion and an arm extending upward within the collar housing, the arm having:
• a u-shaped channel which extends in a circumferential direction and where an open portion of the u-shaped channel is oriented inwards and perpendicular to the circumferential direction;
• a stop protrusion positioned on the arm;
• and
• a slide protrusion having an upper portion adjacent the u-shaped channel and a lower portion extending towards the base portion;
• and
• a concentric interlock ring within the collar housing and rotating responsive to rotation of a blender jar, the interlock ring having:
• a first portion engaging the u-shaped channel as the first portion rotationally moves into alignment with the u-shaped channel thereby preventing the plunger from moving upward toward the upper position;
• a notch portion not engaging the u-shaped channel and not engaging the slide protrusion when the notch portion is rotationally aligned with the u-shaped channel and the slide protrusion thereby enabling the plunger to move upward and downward within the collar housing;
• a side portion of the notch portion engaging the slide protrusion as the plunger moves upward preventing the interlock ring from rotating the notch portion out of alignment of the slide protrusion while the plunger is raised above the lower position;
• and
• a tab portion which engages the stop protrusion on the arm when the interlock ring is rotated to limit rotational movement of the interlock ring.