Kitchen Appliance for Processing Foodstuff and Method of Operating Same

Abstract

A kitchen appliance for processing foodstuff includes a housing enclosing a motor. A bowl is removably mountable to the housing. The bowl includes a mouth for receiving a rotatable tool within the bowl. A bowl lid is removably mountable on to the mouth of the bowl. A clamping mechanism is movably attached to the bowl lid and removably engagable with at least a portion of the bowl. The clamping mechanism is movable between a first position for engaging at least a portion of the bowl to retain the bowl lid on the mouth of the bowl and a second position spaced-apart from the bowl for allowing the bowl lid to be removed from the bowl. The kitchen appliance being assembled without rotating the bowl relative to the housing or the lid relative to the bowl.

I/we claim: 
     
         1 . A kitchen appliance for processing foodstuff comprising:
 a housing enclosing a motor;   a bowl removably mountable to the housing, the bowl including a mouth for receiving a rotatable tool within the bowl;   a bowl lid removably mountable on to the mouth of the bowl; and   a first clamping mechanism and a second clamping mechanism movably attached to the bowl lid and removably engageable between the bowl lid and at least a portion of the bowl, the clamping mechanism being movable between a first position to retain the bowl lid on the mouth of the bowl and a second position for allowing the bowl lid to be removed from the bowl.   
     
     
         2 . The kitchen appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second clamping mechanisms are pivotably attached to the bowl lid, the clamping mechanism being pivotable between the first position and the second position. 
     
     
         3 . The kitchen appliance according to  claim 2 , wherein kitchen appliance defines a longitudinal axis, and the first and second clamping mechanisms are pivotable about an axis that extends generally perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         4 . The kitchen appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the first clamping mechanism is located on one side of the bowl lid and the second clamping mechanism is located on a diametrically opposed side of the bowl lid. 
     
     
         5 . The kitchen appliance according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one extension extending radially outwardly from the bowl lid, the extension including a groove therein for receipt of at least a portion of the first clamping mechanism therein, wherein engagement of at least a portion of the first clamping mechanism and the groove permits rotational movement of the first clamping mechanism with respect to the bowl lid.   
     
     
         6 . The kitchen appliance according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a projection extending radially outwardly from the bowl proximate the mouth thereof, the first clamping mechanism engaging at least a portion of the projection when the first clamping mechanism is in the first position.   
     
     
         7 . The kitchen appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the bowl lid is attached to the bowl without rotating the bowl lid relative to the bowl. 
     
     
         8 . The kitchen appliance according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a clutch mechanism within the bowl;   a lug extending downwardly from a bottom of the bowl, the lug being operatively engaged with the clutch mechanism; and   the housing comprising a drive member, the drive member being operatively engaged with the lug when the bowl is properly positioned on the housing.   
     
     
         9 . The kitchen appliance according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a feed tube extending from a top wall of the bowl lid, the feed tube defining a feed cavity and including a feed mouth;   a switch mechanism at least partially surrounded by the housing, the switch mechanism being operatively connected to the motor; and   an actuation member at least partially surrounded by the housing, the actuation member being pivotable between a first position when the bowl is separated from the housing and a second position when the bowl is properly position on the housing and the bowl lid is properly positioned on the bowl, in the first position the actuation member being spaced-apart from the switch mechanism to maintain the switch mechanism in an open position and prevent actuation of the motor, in the second position the actuation member engaging the switch mechanism to close the switch mechanism to actuate the motor.   
     
     
         10 . A kitchen appliance for processing foodstuff comprising:
 a housing enclosing a motor, the housing having a reduced diameter portion proximate a first upper end thereof;   a bowl removably mountable to the housing, the bowl including a base wall and a side wall extending upwardly therefrom, the side wall defining a mouth of the bowl opposite the base wall, a skirt extending downwardly from the base wall opposite the mouth, a drive shaft extending into a cavity of the bowl and being separable from the housing;   a bowl lid removably mountable on to the mouth of the bowl;   a first rotatable tool removably mountable to at least a portion of the drive shaft; and   a second rotatable tool removably mountable to at least a portion of the drive shaft,   wherein the bowl is removably mountable to the housing by positioning at least a portion of the skirt of the bowl to surround at least a portion of the reduced diameter portion of the housing.   
     
     
         11 . The kitchen appliance according to  claim 10 , wherein the bowl is removably mountable to the housing by moving the bowl linearly downwardly onto the housing without rotating the bowl relative to the housing. 
     
     
         12 . The kitchen appliance according to  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a clutch mechanism within the bowl;   a lug extending downwardly from a bottom of the bowl, the lug being operatively engaged with the clutch mechanism; and   a drive member on or within the housing, the drive member being operatively engaged with the lug when the bowl is properly positioned on the housing.   
     
     
         13 . The kitchen appliance according to  claim 10 , further comprising:
 at least one groove extending at least partially inwardly into the reduced diameter portion of the housing, the groove extending at least generally parallel to the drive shaft of the bowl when the bowl is mounted to the housing; and   a projection extending radially inwardly from an interior surface of the skirt,   wherein at least a portion of the projection is positioned within at least a portion of the groove of the housing when the bowl is positioned on the housing.   
     
     
         14 . The kitchen appliance according to  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a feed tube extending from a top wall of the bowl lid, the feed tube defining a feed cavity and including a feed mouth; and   a clamping mechanism movably attached to the bowl lid and removably engageable with at least a portion of the bowl, the clamping mechanism being movable between a first position for engaging at least a portion of the bowl to retain the bowl lid on the mouth of the bowl and a second position spaced-apart from the bowl for allowing the bowl lid to be removed from the bowl.   
     
     
         15 . A kitchen appliance for processing foodstuff comprising:
 a housing enclosing a motor;   a bowl removably mountable to the housing, the bowl including a base wall and a side wall extending upwardly therefrom, the side wall defining a mouth of the bowl opposite the base wall, a drive shaft extending into a cavity of the bowl, the drive shaft being rotatable with respect to the bowl and being separable from the housing;   a clutch mechanism within the bowl, the clutch mechanism operatively connecting the motor of the housing to the drive shaft of the bowl when the bowl is properly positioned on the housing;   a bowl lid removably mountable on to the mouth of the bowl;   a first rotatable tool removably mountable to at least a portion of the drive shaft; and   a second rotatable tool removably mountable to at least a portion of the drive shaft,   wherein, when the bowl is properly positioned on the housing and upon actuation of the motor, the clutch mechanism effects rotation of the drive shaft with respect to the bowl to process foodstuff therein.   
     
     
         16 . The kitchen appliance according to  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a lug extending downwardly from the base wall of the bowl, the lug being operatively engaged with the clutch mechanism; and   a drive member on or within the housing, the drive member being operatively engaged with the lug when the bowl is properly positioned on the housing, the motor is operatively connected to the drive member such that actuation of the motor rotates the drive member.   
     
     
         17 . The kitchen appliance according to  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a skirt extending downwardly from the base wall opposite the mouth, the skirt extending around a periphery of the bowl.   
     
     
         18 . The kitchen appliance according to  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a feed tube extending from a top wall of the bowl lid, the feed tube defining a feed cavity and including a feed mouth;   a switch mechanism at least partially surrounded by the housing, the switch mechanism being operatively connected to the motor; and   an actuation member at least partially surrounded by the housing, the actuation member being pivotable between a first position when the bowl is separated from the housing and a second position when the bowl is properly position on the housing, in the first position the actuation member being spaced-apart from the switch mechanism to maintain the switch mechanism in an open position and prevent actuation of the motor, in the second position the actuation member engaging the switch mechanism to close the switch mechanism to actuate the motor,   wherein a biasing member biases the actuation member in the first position.   
     
     
         19 . A kitchen appliance for processing foodstuff comprising:
 a housing enclosing a motor, a switch mechanism to permit actuation of the motor, and an actuation member pivotable between a first position and a second position, in the first position the actuation member being spaced-apart from the switch mechanism to maintain the switch mechanism in an open position and prevent actuation of the motor, in second position the actuation member engaging the switch mechanism to close the switch mechanism to actuate the motor;   a bowl removably mountable to the housing, the bowl including a mouth for receiving a rotatable tool within the bowl, a first member for selectively engaging the actuation member for actuating the switch mechanism, and a drive shaft being separable from the housing; and   a bowl lid removably mountable on to the mouth of the bowl;   wherein, when either the bowl lid is removed from the mouth of the bowl or the bowl is removed from the housing, the actuation member is in the first position; and   wherein, when the bowl lid is properly positioned on the mouth of the bowl and the bowl is properly positioned on the housing, the actuation member is in the second position.   
     
     
         20 . The kitchen appliance according to  claim 19 , wherein the kitchen appliance defines a longitudinal axis, and wherein the actuation member is pivotable with respect to the housing about an axis that extends generally perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the kitchen appliance.