WO2017063872A1

WO2017063872A1 - A blender with detachable bottom part

Info

Publication number: WO2017063872A1
Application number: PCT/EP2016/073023
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bengt Ivar Anders Ivarsson; Maarten Cornelis Jacob De Hoog
Original assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
Priority date: 2015-10-12
Filing date: 2016-09-28
Publication date: 2017-04-20
Also published as: CN209331862U; RU188005U1

Abstract

The invention relates to a blender (10) for blending ingredients. The blender (10) comprises a base part (11) comprising a heating assembly (12), a container (13) for receiving the ingredients. The container (13) comprises a bottom part (14) being manually detachable. The bottom part (14) comprises a bottom plate (15) for contacting the heating assembly (12). The bottom part (14) also comprises a blade assembly (16) extending through the bottom plate (15), the blade assembly (16) having a first end (17) extending in the container (13) and comprising at least one blade (18), and a second end (19) facing the base part (11) and comprising a coupling element (20) to receive a rotation force from the base part (11). The he bottom part (14) also comprises a grip element (21) surrounding the bottom plate (15) for manually gripping and detaching the bottom part (14), the grip element (21) extending downwards at least partly along the coupling element (20).

Description

A blender with detachable bottom part

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a blender for blending ingredients.

The invention may be used in the field of food blending, in particular in kitchen appliance blenders.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Blenders are kitchen appliances designed for mixing or blending food ingredients such as fruits, milk and ice, into liquids. Blenders typically consist of a base, having a vertically positioned powerful a/c motor with a first coupling, and a cylindrical jar located directly above the base. The jar has a rotatable blade assembly at the bottom with a second coupling driven by the first coupling.

Blenders comprising means for heating the ingredients in the jar are known. A first version of this type of blenders comprises a jar made of metal, a heating element integrated in the jar and an electrical connection between the base and the jar for powering the heating element.

Another, less common version of this type of blenders includes a jar made of glass material and a heating element disposed in the base. The heating element heats a bottom part of the jar by heat conduction, and therefore no electrical connection is provided between the jar and the base. This latter type of blenders has the advantage of providing a full transparency of the jar and a sense of quality to the user, and also allows the jar to be machine-washable since the jar does not have any electrical connection.

In this latter type of blenders, it may be desirable to remove the blade assembly for separate cleaning. However, such operation may be unsafe for a user. If the user detaches the blade assembly while the blade assembly is still hot due to the heating from the heating element, the user may burn themselves. OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to propose a blender that mitigates and/or alleviates one or more of the above mentioned problems.

The invention is defined by the independent claims. The dependent claims define advantageous embodiments.

To this end, the blender for blending ingredients according to the invention comprises:

a base part comprising a heating assembly,

a container for receiving the ingredients, the container comprising a bottom part being manually detachable, the bottom part comprising:

a bottom plate for contacting the heating assembly, a blade assembly extending through the bottom plate, the blade assembly having a first end extending in the container and comprising at least one blade, and a second end facing the base part and comprising a coupling element to receive a rotation force from the base part,

a grip element surrounding the bottom plate for manually gripping and detaching the bottom part, the grip element extending downwards at least partly along the coupling element.

The above features help preventing scratching or deterioration of the bottom plate through repeated use of the blender, and therefore allow maintaining a good thermal conduction of the bottom plate.

Advantageously, the grip element extends beyond the coupling element. This further prevents scratching or deterioration of the bottom plate.

Preferably, the grip element forms a generally circular ribbon or perimeter wall. This shape for the grip element provides a large gripping surface for the user and therefore facilitates the detachment of the bottom plate.

Advantageously, the grip element is made of a high-temperature resistant material. The grip element can therefore withstand high temperatures and does not deteriorate when the bottom plate is heated. Preferably, the grip element is made of a low thermal conductive material or a thermal insulating material. This prevents the user from burning themselves when detaching the bottom part, in case the temperature of the bottom plate is still high. Preferably, the grip element is made of plastic material. Therefore, the grip element has resiliency properties that ensure a good fit between the grip element and the container and therefore an enhanced connection between the grip element and the container.

Advantageously, the grip element comprises at least one nail- shaped element or finger grip. This allows a firm gripping of the grip element by the user.

Preferably, the grip element comprises at least one protuberance. This allows a firm gripping of the grip element by the user, in particular if the grip element is ribbon-shaped or is in the form of a perimeter wall. In the case where the grip element comprises at least one nail-shaped element, the protuberances are formed by the curvature of the nails.

Advantageously, the container comprises a lower region and a first collar extending around the lower region, the first collar extending downwards, the first collar comprising an inner thread adapted to cooperate with an outer thread formed in the bottom part, for detaching the bottom part from the container. This allows an easy detachment of the bottom part from the container. Preferably, the outer thread is formed in a wall of the grip element.

Advantageously, the first collar is made of plastic material. Therefore, the first collar has resiliency properties that ensure a good fit between the grip element and the first collar and therefore an enhanced connection between the grip element and the first collar.

Preferably, the container comprises a second collar surrounding the first collar and a pad is disposed between the second collar and a sidewall of the container. This prevents damage of the second collar during lifetime of the blender.

Advantageously, the bottom part comprises a sealing element disposed between the bottom plate and the container. This ensures a good sealing of the container when the bottom part is secured to the container, and prevents food ingredients and liquid in the container from leaking outside the container. Preferably, the grip element extends upwards around the sealing element such that the sealing element is held in the grip element when the bottom part is detached from the container. This ensures that the sealing element does not fall down when the bottom part is detached from the container.

Advantageously, when the inner thread is engaged with the outer thread, the sealing element is tightly held in place between the bottom plate and the container. This further ensures a good sealing of the container.

Detailed explanations and other aspects of the invention will be given below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Particular aspects of the invention will now be explained with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter and considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which identical parts or sub-steps are designated in the same manner:

Fig.lA depicts a perspective view of a blender according to the invention,

Fig. IB depicts a perspective view of a blender as depicted in Fig.l, the container being removed from the base part,

Fig.1 C depicts a perspective view of a base part of a blender as depicted in Fig.1 ,

Fig. ID depicts a further perspective view of a blender as depicted in Fig.l, where in particular the removable bottom part of the container is visible,

Fig.2A depicts a cross-sectional perspective view of a jar and collar assembly of a blender according to the invention,

Fig.2B depicts a detail of a jar and collar assembly as shown in Fig.2A,

Fig.3 depicts a perspective view of a detachable bottom part of a blender according to the invention,

Fig.4 depicts a three-dimensional exploded view of a container of a blender according to the invention,

Fig.5 depicts a vertical cross-sectional view of a part of a blender according to the invention,

Fig.6 depicts a perspective bottom view of a sealing element of a blender according to the invention, Fig.7A depicts a top view of a removable bottom part and heating assembly of a blender according to the invention,

Fig.7B depicts a vertical cross-sectional view of a removable bottom part and heating assembly of a blender according to the invention, taken along the line A-A shown in Fig.7A, and

Fig.8A, Fig.8B, Fig.9A, Fig.9B depict various views of a heating assembly of a blender according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to Fig. lA to Fig. ID, a blender 10 for blending food ingredients in accordance with the invention is shown. The blender 10 described herein is for example a programmable cooking blender.

Throughout the description, terms such as 'upwards', 'downwards', 'horizontal', 'vertical', 'bottom", 'top', 'upper', 'lower' and so on relate to the orientation of the blender 10 as shown in Fig.l of the accompanying drawings.

The blender 10 comprises:

a base part 11 comprising a heating assembly 12,

- a container 13 for receiving the ingredients, the container 13 comprising a bottom part 14 being manually detachable, the bottom part 14 comprising:

a bottom plate 15 for contacting the heating assembly 12,

a blade assembly 16 extending through the bottom plate 15, the blade assembly 16 having a first end 17 extending in the container 13 and comprising at least one blade 18, and a second end 19 facing the base part 11 and comprising a coupling element 20 to receive a rotation force from the base part 11,

a grip element 21 surrounding the bottom plate 15 for manually gripping and detaching the bottom part 14, the grip element 21 extending downwards at least partly along the coupling element 20.

The heating assembly 12 has a heating plate 22 for transferring heat by conduction to the detachable bottom part 14. The base part 11 comprises a temperature sensor 23 for sensing the temperature of the bottom part 14 of the container 13, the temperature sensor 23 extending through the heating plate 22.

The container 13, or jar assembly 13, is configured to be secured to the base part 11. Preferably, the jar assembly 13 comprises a jar 24 and a collar assembly 25 or skirt 25. The jar 24 is generally cylindrical. The jar 24 has a sidewall 26 and comprises an upper region 27 and lower region 28, or lower neck 28. The diameter of the lower region 28 is less that the diameter of the upper region 27. The upper region 27 comprises an upper opening 29 through which food ingredients to be blended, for example ingredients for a soup, can be introduced in the jar 24. The lower region 28 comprises a lower opening 30 that is closed by the detachable bottom part 14. The lower region 28 has a lower end 31 including a jar sealing surface 32. A spout 33 is arranged at an end of the sidewall 26 in the upper region 27. A lid 34 along with a lid seal 35 are provided for sealingly closing the upper opening 29. A measuring cup 36 may be provided in a recess 36a in the lid 34. A handle 37 may be attached to the sidewall 26 of the jar 24. The jar 24 is advantageously made of transparent glass so that the user can see the ingredients in the jar 24 during use.

As shown in Fig.2 A, an internal retaining rib 38 may extend circumferentially from the sidewall 26 in the lower region 28, towards the centre of the jar 24. Alternatively, a plurality of internal retaining ribs (not shown) extend along the circumference of the sidewall 26 in the lower region 28 towards the centre of the jar 24. A plurality of external locating ribs 39, for example four external locating ribs 39, may be distributed around the circumference of the jar 24. The external locating ribs 39 project outwards from the sidewall 26. The external locating ribs 39 may be secured to the collar assembly 25.

The collar assembly 25 is arranged around the lower region 28 and is configured to receive the bottom part 14. The collar assembly 25 is secured to the lower region 28. Advantageously, the collar assembly 25 comprises a first, inner collar 41 and a second, outer collar 40. The inner collar 41 and the outer collar 40 are assembled together by means of a plurality of screws 42. The outer collar 40 may surround the inner collar 41 such that the outer collar 40 and the inner collar 41 are concentric. The external locating ribs 39 may be sandwiched or secured between the inner collar 41 and the outer collar 40 so that the collar assembly 25 is fixedly attached to the lower region 28. The outer collar 40 may extend circumferentially around the lower region 28 and may extend downwards beyond the lower region 28. Similarly, the inner collar 41 may extend circumferentially around the lower region 28 and may extend downwards beyond the lower region 28. The outer collar 40 may extend downwards beyond the inner collar 41 so that when the jar assembly 13 is placed on a surface such as a table, the jar assembly 13 rests on the outer collar 40. The inner collar 41 comprises an inner thread 43. The outer collar 40 and the inner collar 41 are advantageously made of plastic material.

As visible in Fig.2A and Fig.2B, a pad 44 may be disposed between the outer collar 40 and the sidewall 26 in the lower region 28. The pad 44 extends circumferentially around the lower region 28 between the outer collar 40 and the sidewall 26. The pad 44 is advantageously made of rubber. The pad 44 helps preventing damage of the outer collar 40 during lifetime of the blender 10.

The detachable bottom part 14 is illustrated in Fig.3 to Fig.5. The bottom part 14 is intended to close the lower opening 30 of the jar 24. The bottom part 14 comprises the blade assembly 16, a blade holder 45, the grip element 21 allowing the user to detach the bottom part 14, and a sealing element 46 or sealing gasket 46 for sealing the lower opening 30 of the jar 24.

The first, upper end 17 of the blade assembly 16 extends in the jar 24 and comprises a plurality of blades 18. The plurality of blades 18 are mounted on a shaft 47. The second, lower end 19 of the blade assembly 16 faces the base part 11 and comprises a coupling assembly 48 including the coupling element 20. The coupling element 20 is secured to the shaft 47 by means of a coupling nut 49 or coupling screw 49. As shown in Fig.4, a plurality of O-rings 50, C-rings 51, washers 52 and bearing elements 53 with screws 54 are also provided in the coupling assembly 48 to ensure a good connection between the coupling element 20 and the blade assembly 16. The coupling element 20 is preferably circular and has for example an outer diameter of approximately 29 millimetres.

The blade holder 45 is configured to position the blade assembly 16 relative to the jar 24. The blade holder 45 is configured to maintain the shaft 47 substantially parallel to the sidewall 26 of the jar 24. The blade holder 45 has a generally circular shape. The blade holder 45 comprises the bottom plate 15 configured to contact with the heating plate 22 in the base part 11 when the jar assembly 13 is arranged on the base part 11. The bottom plate 15 is generally flat. The bottom plate 15 is generally circular. The blade holder 45 comprises a central passage 55 through which the shaft 47 extends. The central passage 55 is generally circular. Preferably, the blade holder 45 comprises a circumferential wall 56 projecting upwards. The circumferential wall 56 may be substantially vertical. Preferably, the blade holder sealing surface 57 extends from an outer edge of the circumferential wall 56. The blade holder sealing surface 57 is substantially perpendicular to the circumferential wall 56 and faces upwards. The blade holder sealing surface 57 extends circumferentially around the wall 56. The blade holder 45 is advantageously made of die-cast aluminium to effectively conduct heat from the heating plate 22 to the food ingredients inside the jar 24. The flat bottom plate 15 is preferably machined by Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining. Optionally, the blade holder 45 is coated with a thermoplastic material such as Teflon or any other coating allowing the blade holder 45 to be machine-washable.

The grip element 21 is attached to the blade holder 45. For example, as depicted in Fig.4, the grip element 21 and the blade holder 45 are assembled by plurality of screws 58, for example four screws 58. Optionally, the grip element 21 has a plurality of protuberances 59, for example four protuberances 59, coinciding with holes (not shown) in the grip element 21 that receive the screws 58 for assembling the grip element 21 and the blade holder 45. The protuberances 59 allow for an easy gripping of the grip element 21 by the user.

Advantageously, the grip element 21 is in the form of a grip ring 21 having an upper wall 60 and a lower wall 61. The grip ring 21 forms a protecting sleeve around the blade holder 45. Specifically, the grip ring 21 forms a circular ribbon or perimeter wall around the flat bottom plate 15. In one embodiment, the lower wall 61 extends beyond the coupling element 20 so that the bottom plate 15 is protected and prevented from being scratched or deteriorated, which would be detrimental to the heat transfer from the heating plate 22. The lower wall 61 of the grip ring 21 therefore improves the durability of the bottom part 14 and therefore the durability of the blender 10. The upper wall 60 of the grip ring 21 extends upwards around the sealing gasket 46 such that the grip element 21 holds the sealing gasket 46 when the bottom part 14 is detached. Optionally, the grip ring 21 comprises at least one external nail-shaped element 59a or external finger grip 59a for allowing the user to firmly hold the grip element 21 when detaching the bottom part 14. Optionally, the grip element 21 comprises a plurality of external finger grips 59a formed by the protuberances 59 distributed on the lower wall 61. The grip ring 21 is advantageously manually threaded to the inner collar 41. To this end, an outer thread 62 is formed in the upper wall 60. The outer thread 62 is adapted to cooperate with the inner thread 43 of the inner collar 41 to attach the bottom part 14 to the collar assembly 25. Advantageously, the grip element 21 is made of plastic material. As both the inner collar 41 and the grip ring 21 are advantageously made of plastic material, both the inner collar 41 and the grip ring 21 have resiliency properties that ensure a good fit between the grip ring 21 and the inner collar 41. Therefore, an enhanced connection between the grip ring 21 and the inner collar 41 is enabled. The simple connection between the grip ring 21 and the collar assembly 25 limits the number of parts needed by the user to assemble the jar assembly 13. This facilitates the use of the blender 10. As the bottom part 14 is easily detachable, the jar 24 and the blades 18 are also more easily cleanable.

Advantageously, the grip ring 21 is made of a high-temperature resistant material so that the grip ring 21 can withstand high temperatures and therefore does not deteriorate when the bottom plate 15 is heated. Preferably, the grip ring 21 is made of a thermal insulating material, so that the user does not burn themselves when detaching the bottom part 14 in case the jar assembly 13 has just been removed from the hot heating plate 22 and the temperature of the bottom plate 15 is still high. The grip ring 21 therefore helps avoiding the user to be burnt and helps improving the safety of the blender 10.

The sealing element 46 or sealing gasket 46 is arranged between the blade holder 45 and the jar 24. One function of the sealing gasket 46 is to ensure the sealing between the detachable bottom part 14 and the jar 24 to prevent food ingredients and liquid in the jar 24 from leaking outside the jar 24.

Preferably, the sealing gasket 46 comprises at least one friction rib 63 extending upwards inside the jar 24. The friction rib(s) 63 aims to create turbulences among the food ingredients during blending, to improve the blending performance. The friction rib(s) 63 replaces the ribs made of glass and moulded together with the jar 24 of known blenders. Preferably, as illustrated in Fig.5, the at least one friction rib 63 extends along an internal surface of the sidewall 26 in the lower region 28 of the jar 24. Preferably, the at least one friction rib 63 comprises a plurality of friction ribs 63 distributed around an inner periphery IP of the sealing gasket 46. For example, as illustrated in Fig.3, a number of four friction ribs 63 is chosen. Advantageously, the friction ribs 63 are regularly distributed around the inner periphery IP. For example, if a number of four friction ribs 63 is chosen, the friction ribs 63 are distributed every 90 degrees around the inner periphery IP.

Preferably, at least one of the friction ribs 63 comprises a tab portion 64 extending along a direction RD (represented in Fig.6) being radial compared to an inner periphery IP of the sealing gasket 46. The direction RD directs toward the centre of the inner periphery IP.

Preferably, the tab portion 64 is arranged at an upper part U (represented in Fig.7B) of the at least one friction rib 63. For example, as depicted by Fig.3 and Fig.7B, the tab portion 64 is at the most upper part of the friction rib 63. Optionally, the tab portion 64 t the form of a truncated pyramid.

Preferably, as depicted in Fig.4, the sealing gasket 46 comprises a ring element 65 having a first surface SI facing the blade holder 45 and a second surface S2 facing the jar 24. At least one of the first surface S 1 and the second surface S2 comprises concentric compression ribs CR1, CR2. For example, as depicted in Fig.3, Fig.4 and Fig.6, the compression ribs CR1 are on the first surface SI and the compression ribs CR2 are on the second surface S2. The

compression ribs CR1, CR2 aim to further improving the contact with the lower region 28 of the jar 24. Preferably, the sealing gasket 46 and the at least one friction rib 63 form a single element made of moulded rubber material. Alternatively, the at least one friction rib 63 is glued or attached as separate elements, and are for example made of plastic material.

Preferably, as depicted in Fig.6, the inner periphery IP is provided with a plurality of inner retention ribs 66 distributed circumferentially around the circumference of the sealing gasket 46. Similarly, an outer periphery OP of the sealing gasket 46 may be provided with a plurality of outer retention ribs 67 distributed circumferentially around the ring element 65. The plurality of inner and outer retention ribs 66, 67 help improving the retention of the sealing gasket 46 between the circumferential wall 56 of the blade holder 45 and the upper wall 60 of the grip ring 21.

Advantageously, the sealing gasket 46 is supported by the blade holder 45. Preferably, the sealing gasket 46 is maintained tight between the upper wall 60 of the grip ring 21 and the circumferential wall 56 of the blade holder 45. In this way, the sealing gasket 46 does not fall down when the user detaches the bottom part 14. When the inner thread 43 is engaged with the outer thread 62, the sealing gasket 46 is tightly held in place between the blade holder sealing surface 57 and the jar sealing surface 32, and also abuts against the internal retaining rib 38 of the jar 24. This helps ensuring a good sealing of the lower opening 30 of the jar 24.

An accurate location and compression of the sealing gasket 46 is enabled since the connection between the detachable bottom part 14 and the jar assembly 13 does not rely on the poor tolerance of the glass jar 24. The blender 10 therefore provides a reliable sealing between the detachable bottom part 14 and the jar assembly 13. In addition, since the inner collar 41 and the grip element 21 are both advantageously in plastic material, friction between the inner thread 43 and the outer thread 62 is reduced and an easy attachment/removal of the bottom part 14 is enabled. Furthermore, since the heat transfer occurs by heat conduction from the heating plate 22 in the base part 11 to the bottom plate 15 in the jar assembly 13, the jar assembly 13 does not need any electrical connection. This increases safety for the user and allows the jar assembly 13 to be machine-washable.

As shown in Fig. lB and Fig.lC, the base part 11 may comprise a display screen 68 and a control button 69 enabling the user to make a selection among a plurality of cooking programs. The base part 11 comprises the heating assembly 12 for heating the ingredients in the jar 24, and a gearing system 70 configured to couple with the coupling element 20 to drive the blade assembly 16 in rotation in the jar 24. The base part 11 further comprises a microcontroller (not shown) for controlling the gearing system 70 and the heating assembly 12.

The heating assembly 12 is illustrated in more detail in Fig.8A to Fig.9B. The heating assembly 12 includes the heating plate 22 and a heating element 71 extending within the heating plate 22. The heating plate 22 has an external heating surface 72 facing upwards. The heating plate 22 is generally circular and has a diameter that is less than the diameter of the grip element 21. Advantageously, the diameter of the heating plate 22 corresponds substantially to the diameter of the bottom plate 15. The heating plate 22 is preferably made of die-cast aluminium. Preferably, the heating plate 22 is provided with a central aperture 73. The central aperture 73 is configured to receive the coupling element 20 when the jar assembly 13 is secured to the base part 11. The central aperture 73 is preferably circular and has a diameter in the range [22 mm; 50 mm], for example a diameter of approximately 36 millimetres. When the base part 11 and the jar assembly 13 are assembled, the external heating surface 72 and the bottom plate 15 are in contact with each other, making heat conduction possible from the heating plate 22 to the bottom part 14 of the jar 24 and therefore to the food ingredients in the jar 24.

Advantageously, the heating plate 22 further comprises an additional aperture 74. The additional aperture 74 is preferably round-shaped. The additional aperture 74 is preferably smaller than the central aperture 73. The additional aperture 74 has a diameter in the range [6 mm; 30 mm], for example a diameter of approximately 10 millimetres. The additional aperture 74 extends through the heating plate 22 between the central aperture 73 and the circumference of the heating plate 22. Preferably, the additional aperture 74 is located in the heating plate 22 substantially halfway between the centre of the heating plate 22 and a point situated in the circumference of the heating plate 22.

The heating element 71 is preferably cast into the heating plate 22. The heating element 71 is for example in the form of a copper tube receiving a thin coil-shaped copper wire (not shown) and filled with magnesium oxide surrounding the copper wire. In operation, an electrical current runs through the copper wire. Due to the resistance of the copper wire, heat is generated and transferred outwards to the heating plate 22 surrounding the copper tube. The heating element 71 is arch-shaped and extends concentrically with the circular heating plate 22. The heating element 71 comprises a first electrical connection CI in the form of a first end point or first cold pin, and a second electrical connection C2 in the form of a second end point or second cold pin. The first and second electrical connections CI, C2 extend substantially vertically downwards below the heating plate 22. The additional aperture 74 is located in the heating plate 22 between the first and second electrical connections CI, C2.

The temperature sensor 23 or heat sensor is preferably in the form of a thermistor 23. The thermistor 23 is provided in the base part 11. The thermistor 23 extends through the additional aperture 74. The thermistor 23 is therefore arranged in-between the first electrical connection and the second electrical connection CI, C2. Preferably, the thermistor 23 extends vertically in the base part 11. Preferably, the thermistor 23 is movable in the additional aperture 74. Preferably, the thermistor 23 is slideable vertically through the additional aperture 74. Preferably, the thermistor 23 is movable along a vertical direction D relative to the heating plate 22. The thermistor 23 advantageously exhibits a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) behaviour.

Advantageously, a cap 75 is provided at an upper end 78 of the thermistor 23. The cap 75 encapsulates the upper end 78 of the thermistor 23. The cap 75 is fixed to the thermistor 23. The cap 75 comprises a flat top part 76. The upper end 78 of the thermistor 23 is in contact with the flat top part 76. Preferably, the cap 75 is cylindrical-shaped. Advantageously, the cap 75 has a diameter in the range [5 mm; 20 mm]. The cap 75 is preferably made of a high temperature resistant material. The cap 75 therefore withstands high temperatures and does not deteriorate when the heating assembly 12 operates. The cap 75 is preferably made of a high thermal conductive material to ensure that heat from the heated bottom plate 15 is effectively transferred to the thermistor 23. The cap 75 is preferably made of a low electrically conductive material. For example, the cap 75 is made of a ceramic material. Advantageously, the heating plate 22 and the cap 75 are dimensioned so that an air-gap 79 is created between the heating plate 22 and the cap 75. To provide the air-gap 79, a guiding member 80 is preferably arranged within the additional aperture 74 to maintain the capped thermistor 23 spaced apart from the heating plate 22. The guiding member 80 is advantageously fixed to the heating plate 22 and receives the capped thermistor 23 in the additional aperture 74. The air-gap 79 is in the form of a generally annular hollow volume extending between the heating plate 22 and the capped thermistor 23. Preferably, the air-gap 79 has a width of at least 1 millimetre. The air-gap 79 ensures that heat conduction from the heating element 71 directly to the thermistor 23 is limited. As such, the air-gap 79 acts as a thermal insulator between the heating element 71 and the thermistor 23. Therefore, the air-gap 79 ensures that the heat coming from the bottom plate 15 towards the thermistor 23 is predominant over the heat coming from the heating element 71, and that the thermistor 23 is therefore responsive to the heat coming from the bottom plate 15 rather than to the heat coming from the heating element 71. This allows the thermistor 23 to properly detect the temperature in the jar 24 without being disrupted by the heat coming from the heating element 71.

Optionally, an insulating member 81 is provided in the air-gap 79 for further limiting heat conduction from the heating element 71 directly to the thermistor 23. As shown in Fig.8 A, the insulating member 81 is for example in the form of an insulating sleeve 81 arranged along the circumference of the additional aperture 74. The insulating sleeve 81 is spaced apart from the capped thermistor 23. The insulating sleeve 81 surrounds the capped thermistor 23.

The capped thermistor 23 is adapted to move between a first position PI and a second position P2. In the first position PI shown in Fig. 8A and Fig. 8B, the top part 76 is proud of the external heating surface 72. In other words, when the cap 75 moves towards the first position PI, the top part 76 comes out by a given distance from the external heating surface. The given distance is advantageously in the range [1 mm; 10 mm], for example 2 millimetres. The cap 75 is adapted to take the first position PI when the bottom part 14 does not contact the heating plate 22. In the second position P2 shown in Fig.7B, the top part 76 is aligned or flush with the external heating surface 72. The cap 75 is adapted to move towards the second position P2 when the bottom part 14 contacts with the heating plate 22. A spring mechanism 77 may be provided in the base part 11 to provide the thermistor 23 with a vertical retention force so that the thermistor 23 is biased upwards, towards the first position PI . The capped thermistor 23 is positioned in the heating assembly 12 so that when the jar assembly 13 is placed on the base part 11, the bottom plate 15 touches and depresses the capped thermistor 23, urging the capped thermistor 23 from the first position PI towards the second position P2.

The guiding member 80 guides the cap 75 vertically when the cap 75 moves through the additional aperture 74 between the first position PI and the second position P2. Optionally, a stop member 82 is provided at a lower end 83 of the cap 75 to prevent the cap 75 from moving beyond the given distance.

Advantageously, the encapsulated thermistor 23 touches the bottom plate 15 whilst the jar assembly 13 is in place on the base part 11 so that the thermistor 23 can measure the temperature of the bottom plate 15. and therefore provides the user with a temperature feedback of the food ingredients in the jar 24. The position of the thermistor 23 in the heating assembly 12 is such that an accurate sensing of the temperature of the bottom part 14 is enabled. The blender 10 therefore allows for an effective cooking of the ingredients and helps preventing from undercooking, overcooking, overflowing or dry-boiling.

Although in the above described embodiments the blender 10 has been described as being a cooking blender, the present invention can be applied to any other kitchen appliance having a heating plate 22 and a central drive system, such as a food processor or a mixer grinder. The above embodiments as described are only illustrative, and not intended to limit the technique approaches of the present invention. Although the present invention is described in details referring to the preferable embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that the technique approaches of the present invention can be modified or equally displaced without departing from the protective scope of the claims of the present invention. In particular, although the invention has been described based on a kitchen appliance, it can be applied to any industrial blender, either to blend food ingredients or non-edible materials. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.

Claims

1. A blender (10) for blending ingredients, said blender (10) comprising:

a base part (11) comprising a heating assembly (12),

a container (13) for receiving said ingredients, said container (13) comprising a bottom part (14) being manually detachable, said bottom part (14) comprising:

a bottom plate (15) for contacting the heating assembly (12),

a blade assembly (16) extending through said bottom plate (15), said blade assembly (16) having a first end (17) extending in said container (13) and comprising at least one blade (18), and a second end (19) facing said base part (11) and comprising a coupling element (20) to receive a rotation force from said base part (11),

a grip element (21) surrounding said bottom plate (15) for manually gripping and detaching said bottom part (14), said grip element (21) extending downwards at least partly along the coupling element (20).

2. A blender (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the grip element (21) extends beyond the coupling element (20).

3. A blender (10) as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said grip element (21) forms a generally circular ribbon.

4. A blender (10) as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said grip element (21) is made of a high-temperature resistant material.

5. A blender (10) as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said grip element (21) is made of plastic material.

6. A blender (10) as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said grip element (21) comprises at least one nail-shaped element (59a).

7. A blender (10) as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said grip element (21) comprises at least one protuberance (59).

8. A blender (10) as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said container (13) comprises a lower region (28) and a first collar (41) extending around said lower region (28), said first collar (41) extending downwards, said first collar (41) comprising an inner thread (43) adapted to cooperate with an outer thread (62) formed in said bottom part (14), for detaching said bottom part (14) from said container (13).

9. A blender (10) as claimed in claim 8, wherein said outer thread (62) is formed in a wall (60) of said grip element (21).

10. A blender (10) as claimed in claim 8 or claim 9, wherein said first collar (41) is made of plastic material.

11. A blender (10) as claimed in any of claims 8 to 10, wherein said container (13) comprises a second collar (40) surrounding said first collar (41) and wherein a pad (44) is disposed between said second collar (40) and a sidewall (26) of the container (13).

12. A blender (10) as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the bottom part (14) comprises a sealing element (46) disposed between the bottom plate (15) and the container (13).

13. A blender (10) as claimed in claim 12, wherein said grip element (21) extends upwards around the sealing element (46) such that the sealing element (46) is held in the grip element (21) when the bottom part (14) is detached from the container (13).

14. A blender (10) as claimed in claim 12 when dependent upon claim 8, wherein when the inner thread (43) is engaged with the outer thread (62), the sealing element (46) is tightly held in place between the bottom plate (15) and the container (13).

15. A blender (10) as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the grip element (21) is made of a thermal insulating material.