Description:The following specification describes and ascertains the nature of this invention and the manner in which it is to be performed:

Field of the invention
The present invention concerns a jar socket assembly for connecting a jar of a kitchen ma-chine with a motor base of the kitchen machine. The invention further concerns a jar assem-bly with a jar socket assembly and a jar, and a kitchen machine comprising such jar assembly and a base.

Background of the invention:
Kitchen machines typically comprise a jar configured to receive food which is to be pro-cessed, and a motor base configured to drive a respective rotatable tool for processing the food. To facilitate cleaning and/or exchanging the tool, the jar and the motor base are typically separable from each other. The kitchen machine may further comprise a jar socket assembly configured to be arranged between the jar and the motor base.

The jar may be formed as a tube having two openings, one of which (namely, in an orientation designated for utilisation, a bottom-side opening) is closed by the jar socket assembly when fastened to the jar. Alternatively, the jar may have a single opening only and may be closed by the jar socket assembly before being mounted upside down on the base. Thereby, the need of a lid as a further component can be eliminated.

To avoid that a user inadvertently loosens the jar or even lifts it without the jar socket assem-bly during operation of the kitchen machine, which may cause spillage of the processed food or even injuries to the user, the jar socket assembly may advantageously comprise a locking mechanism.

Document EP 3 973 833 A1 discloses a connector assembly comprising a safety element in-hibiting unintentional separation of components of the kitchen machine.

Brief description of the invention:
It is an object of the present invention to provide an alternative technique preventing acci-dental disassembling of a kitchen machine during operation thereof.

The object is achieved by a jar socket assembly according to claim 1, by a jar assembly ac-cording to claim 8 and by a kitchen machine according to claim 9. Advantageous embodi-ments are disclosed in the dependent claims, the description and the figures.

A jar socket assembly according to the present invention is devised as a component of a kitch-en machine. It comprises a socket and a jar lock. The socket is configured to be fastened to a (compatible) jar, and to hold a tool such that this is rotatable relative to the socket. In particu-lar, such tool may comprise at least one knife. Such held, an axis of rotation of the tool prefer-ably coincides with a centre axis of the socket. The socket may form a bottom surface for the jar when this is fastened to the socket.

A devised movement for fastening the socket to the jar comprises a rotation of the socket, in a first rotational direction, relative to the jar, preferably about the centre axis of the socket. In particular, the socket may comprise fastening means (such as a thread and/or at least one (e.g., male and/or female) component of a bayonet mount), which fastening means may be configured to interact with a respective structure of the jar. The fastening means may be formed in a radially inner surface of the socket; as is to be noted, unless indicated otherwise, the terms “radial”, “axial” and “circumference” and their respective derivatives in this docu-ment relate to the centre axis of the socket.

The socket of the jar socket assembly is further configured to be mounted on a base of the kitchen machine. Thereby, the tool may be connected, via a clutch, to an electric motor the base may comprise, so as to drive a rotation of the tool. The mounting may be feasible by simply inserting at least a portion of the socket into a reception hole the base may form. Addi-tionally or alternatively, the mounting may comprise a fixation. In particular, the socket may comprise fixation means such as a thread and/or at least one component of a bayonet mount respectively configured to interact with a respective structure the mount may exhibit, so as to fix the socket to the base.

The jar lock of the jar socket assembly according to the present invention comprises a spring and a latch. In particular, the spring may be a spiral spring or a flat spring (such as an elastic leaf). It may be partially or entirely made of metal and/or plastic, for example.

The latch is configured to be pressed (in particular shifted) relative to the socket, by the base (in particular a portion thereof) when the socket is being mounted thereon, opposed to a spring force of the spring into a securing position. In the securing position, the latch is config-ured to block rotation, of the socket relative to the jar when fastened thereto, at least in a sec-ond rotational direction reverse to the first rotational direction.

Therein, in a circumference direction (with respect to the centre axis of the socket), the jar lock spans a width which is at most a quarter, at most a sixth or at most an eighth of a (full) circumference of the socket (measured at its widest range).

Accordingly, as compared to the socket, the jar lock is a small, simply structured and light-weight element, which is easily and automatically applied when a user utilises the kitchen machine, which operates reliably to prevent unintentional separation of the socket and the jar during operation of the kitchen machine, and which requires minimal manufacturing efforts and material.

Due to the spring force acting thereon in the securing position, the latch will be moved away from the securing position when the jar socket assembly is unmounted from the base (i.e., removed therefrom). Consequently, in this situation the rotation is automatically unblocked, such that the jar can be unfastened from the jar socket assembly by in particular rotating it in the second rotational direction.

The latch may comprise a block portion configured to block said rotation by jamming fas-tening means (of the socket and/or of the jar) designated to fasten the socket to the jar.

In particular, such block portion may be configured to project, in the securing position of the latch, into a gap between the socket and the jar when they are fastened together, and to jam within the gap said fastening means.

For example, in respective embodiments, the block portion may be configured to project (possibly within such gap) into an interruption of an interrupted thread (being a fastening means) the socket may comprise to engage with an interrupted thread of the jar to fasten the socket to the jar.

Additionally or alternatively, again in respective embodiments, the block portion of the latch may be configured to block, in the securing position (and possibly within the above-mentioned gap), a receptor of a bayonet mount serving to fasten the socket to the jar.

In particular, in the securing position of the latch, the block portion may extend along an inner surface of the socket (i.e., a socket surface facing the centre axis of the socket). It may at least partially be shaped as a (possibly cylindrical) pin, and/or it may be at least partially shaped as a strip; such strip may extend in axial direction and/or have a thickness (being its smallest extension) in radial direction with regard to the centre axis of the socket.

The socket has preferably a basic shape which is rotationally symmetric about the centre axis of the socket. In particular, an outer surface of the socket may preferably be rotationally symmetric about said centre axis.

According to advantageous embodiments, the jar socket assembly may comprise precisely one jar lock which is configured to be pressed, by the base, into a securing position as detailed above. In embodiments in which the jar lock comprises a block portion as mentioned above, the jar lock may comprise precisely one such block portion. Such jar socket assembly has a simple structure and therefore requires particularly little effort and material for being manu-factured.

Advantageously, the socket comprises at least one guidance member configured to guide a movement of the latch to and from the securing position thereof. For instance, such guidance member may comprise at least one guidance frame formed by the socket and at least partially surrounding the latch, and/or at least one rail the latch may be configured to moved along when pressed or released by the base. Such guidance member(s) facilitate/s a particularly reliable movement of the latch and minimises a risk of canting even though the jar lock is small relative to the socket’s circumference.

The jar lock may be permanently attached to the socket, i.e., such that it cannot be non-destructively detached from the socket. In particular, the jar lock may be an integral part of the socket. In such embodiments, the latch may be movably accommodated and caught in a holder formed by the socket.

According to alternative embodiments, the jar lock may be detachably attached to the socket.

In particular, the jar lock may comprise a screw or clamp for detachably attaching the jar lock to the socket (while allowing movement thereof relative to the socket). In such embodiments, the screw or clamp may be fixable to the socket while extending through a hole of the latch. Accordingly, the screw or clamp may serve as a guidance member for the latch when this is pressed into its securing position and/or when it is released therefrom (by unmounting the socket from the base of the kitchen machine).

In respective embodiments, the jar lock may be additionally supported by at least one guid-ance member as mentioned above.

According to advantageous embodiments of the present invention, the latch is partially or entirely made of plastics. Such material permits a particularly simple and resource-saving manufacturing.

A jar assembly according to the present invention comprises a jar socket assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, and a compatible jar, i.e., a jar the socket of the jar socket is adapted to be fastened to (and to be secured by means of the jar lock in the way de-scribed above). The jar may be at least partially made of plastic and/or glass and/or metal.

A kitchen machine according to the present invention comprises a base and a jar assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. Therein, the socket of the jar socket assembly belonging to the jar assembly is adapted to be mounted on the base. The base com-prises an electric motor which is configured to be coupled, by way of said mounting, to the rotatable tool when this held by said socket. The electric motor thus serves to drive the rotat-able tool.

The base further comprises a portion configured to press, when the blender assembly is mounted on the base, the latch of the jar socket assembly’s jar lock into its securing position.

According to advantageous embodiments of the present invention, the kitchen machine com-prises an electric blender.

In what follows, preferred embodiments of the present invention are explained with respect to the accompanying drawings. As is to be understood, the various elements and components are depicted as examples only, may be facultative and/or combined in a manner different than that depicted. Reference signs for related elements are used comprehensively and not defined again for each figure.

Brief description of the accompanying drawings:
Shown is schematically in

Fig. 1: an exemplary embodiment of a kitchen machine according to the present inven-tion;

Fig. 2a: a jar socket assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present inven-tion in a first view;

Fig. 2b: the jar socket assembly of Figure 2a in a second view;

Fig. 2c: the jar socket assembly of Figures 2a, 2b in a sectional further view;

Fig. 3: components of an exemplary jar lock of a jar socket assembly according to the pre-sent invention; and

Fig. 4: a jar assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention in a sectional view.

Detailed description of the embodiments:
Figure 1 provides a perspective view of a kitchen machine 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention in an orientation designated for utilisation of the kitchen machine. In the case of Figure 1, the kitchen machine is an electric blender. It comprises a base 30 includ-ing an electric motor (not visible in Figure 1), a jar 20 and a jar socket assembly 10 which in the situation depicted is fastened to the jar 20 and mounted on the base 30.

Therein, as can be taken by Figure 1, the jar 20 has a single opening only which is to be closed, after filling the jar with food to be processed, with the jar socket assembly 10 before the such combined jar assembly 100 is turned to be mounted upside down (i.e., with the opening of the jar facing downwards). Accordingly, no lid is required. Moreover, if the processed food is liq-uid, after unmounting the jar assembly 100, turning it upright and unfastening the jar socket assembly, the jar can be used as a mug. The jar may be partially or entirely made of plastics.

Details of the jar socket assembly 10 are shown in Figures 2a, 2b and 2c providing different views thereof: In particular, the jar socket assembly comprises a socket 1 having a centre axis X with respect to which a basic shape of the socket 1 (in particular an outer surface of the socket 1) is rotationally symmetric. The socket 1 has a circumference U (measured in a wid-est region of the socket 1 and with respect to the centre axis X, i.e., in a plane orthogonal to the centre axis X).

In the situation depicted in Figure 2a, the socket 1 holds a tool 3 which is rotatable relative to the socket 1. An axis of rotation of the tool 3, which in this case is a knife assembly, coincides with the centre axis X of the socket 1. Preferably, the tool 3 is detachable from the socket 1. When the socket 1 is mounted to the base 30 as shown in Figure 1, the tool is drivable by means of the electric motor comprised by the base 30.

As can be seen in Figure 2a, the socket 1 of the jar socket assembly 10 comprises fastening means 1-1 which in the present case are configured as an interrupted thread having interrup-tions I1, i.e., regions of discontinuities of a thread ridge. By rotating the socket in a first rota-tional direction relative to a jar (such as jar 20 shown in Figure 1) having a compatible thread, the socket 1 thus can be fastened to the jar.

Therein, also the thread of the jar preferably is interrupted, wherein in a fastened situation, at least one of the interruptions I1 of the socket 1 coincides with an interruption of the thread of the jar: In such situation, a gap is built, by the coinciding interruptions, between the jar and the socket. A latch of a jar lock comprised by the jar socket assembly 10 (which jar lock is not visible in Figure 2a due to the perspective) then can be shifted to its securing position at least partially arranged within the gap. As a consequence, the latch jams the fastening means 1-1, thus blocking a rotation of the jar 20 relative to the socket 1 in a second rotational direction reverse to the first one. Thereby, an unintentional separation of the jar from the jar socket assembly 10 is inhibited.

Figure 2b shows the jar lock 2, which in this embodiment is detachably attached to the socket 1 by means of a screw 2-3. The jar lock 2 further comprises a spring 2-1, which in this case is configured as a spiral spring, and a latch 2-2. To facilitate said blocking, with respect to the orientation designated for utilisation, the latch 2-2 is to be pushed upwards, as indicated in Figure 2b by an arrow, i.e., in a direction reverse to a direction of a spring force of the spring 2-1. Thereby, a block portion 2-2-2 of the latch 2-2 is caused to enter one of the intersections I1, as illustrated in Figure 2c. Accordingly, if in this situation the socket 1 has been fastened to the compatible jar (not shown in Figure 2c), the blocking is achieved.

A guiding frame 1-2 formed in the socket 1 and surrounding the block portion 2-2-2 supports the jar lock 2 and thus ensures a reliable movement of the latch 2-2.

As further indicated in Figure 2b, the jar lock 2 extends in a circumferential direction over a width w. Therein, in the exemplary case depicted, the width w is less than an eighth of the cir-cumference U (referenced in Figure 2a) of the socket 1. Accordingly, the jar lock 2 is small compared to the socket, and requires minimal manufacturing efforts and material.

Figure 3 separately illustrates the spring 2-1 and the latch 2-2 of the jar lock 2 having a partic-ularly simple structure. In particular, it is best seen in this figure that the block portion 2-2-2 of the latch 2-2 is shaped as a strip.

In Figure 4, a jar assembly 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present inven-tion is depicted in a partially sectional view. The jar assembly 200 comprises a jar socket as-sembly 10 and a jar 20 compatible thereto which in the situation depicted are fastened to-gether. Therein, at least one interruption I1 of an interrupted thread 1-1 of the socket 1 (cf. Figure 2a) and an interruption I2 of an interrupted thread 21 of the jar coincide, thereby form-ing a gap G between the socket 1 and the jar 20. When the jar assembly 100 is mounted to a base of the kitchen machine (not shown in Figure 4), a portion of the base pushes the latch 2-2 in the direction indicated in Figure 4 by an arrow. In the thus reached securing position of the latch 2-2, the block portion 2-2-2 is at least partially positioned within said gap G and jams the interrupted threads 1-1, 21. Thereby, a separating rotation of the jar 20 relative to the jar socket assembly 10 will be blocked. Accordingly, an inadvertent unfastening of the jar 20 is prevented as long as the jar socket assembly 10 is mounted to the base, thus in particular, as long as the kitchen machine is operated.

Disclosed is a jar socket assembly 10 of a kitchen machine 1000, the jar socket assembly 10 comprising a socket 1 and a jar lock 2. The socket 1 is configured to be fastened to a jar 20 of the kitchen machine 1000, and the jar lock 2 is configured to inhibit an unintentional unfas-tening of the socket 1 from the jar 20 when the jar socket assembly 10 is mounted on a base 30 of the kitchen machine 1000. Therein, in a circumference direction with respect to a centre axis X of the socket 1, the jar lock 2 spans a width w of at most a quarter, at most a sixth or at most an eighth of a circumference U of the socket 1.

Further disclosed is a jar assembly 100 comprising a jar 20 and jar socket assembly 10. More-over, a kitchen machine 1000 comprising a jar assembly 100 and a base 30 is disclosed.

Reference signs

1 socket

1-1 fastening means/ interrupted thread
1-2 guiding frame

2 jar lock
2-1 spring
2-2 latch
2-2-2 block portion
2-3 screw

3 rotatable tool

10 jar socket assembly
20 jar
30 base

100 jar assembly
1000 kitchen machine

G gap
I1 interruption in thread 1-1
I2 interruption in thread 21

U circumference
w width of jar lock 2
X centre axis of socket 1
, Claims:PATENT CLAIMS

1. Jar socket assembly (10) of a kitchen machine (1000), the jar socket assembly com-prising a socket (1) and a jar lock (2),
wherein the socket (1) is configured to hold a rotatable tool (3), to be fastened to a jar (20) by a fastening movement comprising a rotation relative to the jar (20) in a first rotational direction, and to be mounted on a base (30) of the kitchen machine (100),
and wherein the jar lock (2) comprises a spring (2-1) and a latch (2-2), the latch being (2-2) configured to be pressed, by the base (30) when the socket (1) is mounted thereon, opposed to a spring force of the spring (2-1) into a securing position relative to the socket (1), in which securing position the latch (2-2) is configured to block rota-tion of the socket (1) relative to the jar (20) when fastened thereto, at least in a second rotational direction reverse to the first rotational direction,
and wherein in a circumference direction with respect to a centre axis (X) of the sock-et (1), the jar lock (2) spans a width (w) of at most a quarter, at most a sixth or at most an eighth of a circumference (U) of the socket (1).

2. Jar socket assembly according to claim 1, wherein the latch (2-2) has a block portion (2-2-2) configured to block said rotation by jamming fastening means (1-1) designat-ed for fastening the socket (10) to the jar (20).

3. Jar socket assembly according to claim 2, wherein the fastening means (1-1) compris-es an interrupted thread formed in the socket (1), and in the securing position of the latch (2-2), the block portion (2-2-2) is at least partially positioned within an interrup-tion (I1) of the interrupted thread.

4. Jar socket assembly according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the jar lock (2) is detachably fixable to the socket (1).

5. Jar lock assembly according to claim 4, wherein the jar lock (2) comprises a screw (2-3) for detachably fixing the latch (2-2) and the spring (2-1) to the socket (1).

6. Jar socket assembly according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the jar lock is perma-nently attached to the socket.

7. Jar socket assembly according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the latch (2-2) is partially or entirely made of plastics.

8. Jar assembly (100) comprising a jar socket assembly (10) according to one of the pre-ceding claims, and a jar (20) the socket (1) of the jar socket assembly (10) is adapted to be fastened to.

9. Kitchen machine (1000) comprising a jar assembly (100) according to claim 9, and a base (30) the socket (1) of the jar socket assembly (10) is adapted to be mounted on,
the base (30) comprising an electric motor configured to drive a rotatable tool (3) when this is held by said socket (1), and a portion configured to press the latch (2-2) of the jar lock 2 of the jar socket assembly (10) into the securing position thereof when the jar assembly (100) is mounted on the base (30).

10. Kitchen machine according to claim 9, wherein the kitchen machine comprises an electric blender.