Stirrer tank

Abstract

The present application relates to a blender canister for operative connection to a blender for comminuting food, the blender canister having one or more projections in its interior for creating additional turbulence within the blender canister. The projection may be formed as a three-dimensional object whose periphery is integrally formed with a portion of the upstanding wall portion of the agitator tank, and may also be integrally formed with the base portion of the agitator tank, and may extend vertically above a blade path defined by a rotatable blade disposed adjacent the base portion of the agitator tank. The blender pot includes one or more protrusions that can promote the formation of asymmetric turbulence within the blender pot, thereby better comminuting food in the blender pot.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a blender jar, in particular to a blender jar for a small household kitchen blender, the blender jar comprising one or more protrusions to promote asymmetric turbulence in the blender jar, so as to better crush food in the blender jar. Background Art

[0002] As various mixed drinks become more popular, blenders have become more common in kitchens and many retail locations. Common blenders include a motor housing that rotates a mounting that cooperates with a rotatable blade disposed on the bottom surface of a blender container (commonly referred to as a "jar"), and in an ideal situation, when the ingredients loaded into the blender jar flow through the rotating blade assembly and are crushed within the rotating blade assembly, turbulence is formed due to the flow of these ingredients to blend the contents therein to a desired consistency.

[0003] When blending liquids or relatively soft solids (e.g. yogurt or ice cream), blending these ingredients generally produces ideal results. However, when using ice or many other foods that are commonly blended into drinks (e.g. fruits, vegetables, candies, vitamins, supplements, etc.), it is very important to distribute the pulverized solids as evenly as possible within the blended product.

[0004] Depending on the structure of the blender jar interior (or the absence of such structure), unblended or poorly blended food may form small vortices or clump together, often in locations that are beyond the reach of the rotatable blades. When this occurs, the user must stop operation of the blender and safely scrape the accumulated food toward the blades and attempt to reblend the food until a satisfactory result occurs, which can cause frustration and increase the time to prepare a satisfactory blended food product (this is considered a home use scenario, but is also critical in retail settings). Summary of the invention

[0005] In one aspect of the invention, the invention relates to a blender jar for being operatively connected to a blender for pulverizing food. The blender jar may include a base configured to be mounted to the blender, the base including a rotatable blade mounted to the base for being operatively interconnected with the blender. The rotatable blade may define a blade radius and a blade path, the blade path being determined by a vertical spacing between an upper end and a lower end of the rotatable blade. A wall portion may extend upwardly from the base, an inner surface of the wall portion together with an inner surface of the base defining an internal blending chamber. The wall portion may have a terminal edge for receiving a lid for containing food within the blending chamber.

[0006] At least one projection may be integrally formed with at least one of an inner surface of the base and an inner surface of the wall. The projection may extend into the internal mixing chamber without extending to a blade radius of the rotatable blade. The projection may have at least one surface extending from a lower portion adjacent to the base and an upper portion above the blade path of the rotatable blade.

[0007] Various alternative embodiments of the present invention may be envisioned without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the inner surface of the wall portion may define a polygonal surface having at least three vertices. At least one projection may be arranged within at least one of the at least three vertices of the inner surface of the wall portion. At least one projection may include a plurality of projections arranged within a plurality of the at least three vertices, wherein at least one vertex is arranged between adjacent projections. At least one projection may include a plurality of projections arranged within a plurality of the at least three vertices, wherein at least two of the plurality of projections are arranged within adjacent vertices.

[0008] The wall of the blender jar may define a generally rectangular cross-section having four vertices, and the at least one projection includes a plurality of projections arranged within oppositely arranged vertices. The wall may also define a generally rectangular cross-section having four vertices, and the at least one projection includes a plurality of projections arranged within adjacent vertices. The wall may define a generally rectangular cross-section having four vertices, and the at least one projection includes a plurality of projections arranged within all but one of the vertices.

[0009] Without departing from the scope of the present invention, various embodiments of the surface constituting at least one projection are also contemplated. For example, at least one projection may include a generally planar surface whose perimeter is integrally formed with a portion of the base and a portion of the wall above the blade path. At least one projection may include: a first generally planar surface whose perimeter is integrally formed with a portion of the base and a portion of the wall above the blade path; and a second generally planar surface whose perimeter is integrally formed with a portion of the base and a portion of the wall above the blade path, the first generally planar surface may intersect with the second generally planar surface along the midline of the at least one projection. At least one projection may have an upper portion including a generally planar surface whose edge is formed by the upper edge of the first generally planar surface and the upper edge of the second generally planar surface. The upper portion of at least one projection may include a third generally planar surface and a fourth generally planar surface arranged at an angle relative to each other.

[0010] In another aspect of the present invention, the blender jar described herein can be included in a component of a blender. For example, a blender for pulverizing food can include: a housing including a motor; a controller operably connected to the motor for operating the motor through a plurality of blending modes; a base defined on an upper portion of the housing, and the base including a bearing having a key engagement portion configured to be rotationally driven by the motor. A blender jar can include: a base configured to be mounted on a base, the base including a rotatable blade mounted to the base for operably interconnecting with the key engagement portion of the base, wherein the rotational movement of the key engagement portion transmits the rotational movement to the rotatable blade. The rotatable blade can define a blade radius and a blade path, wherein the blade path can be determined by the vertical spacing between the upper end and the lower end of the rotatable blade. A wall portion can extend upward from the base, the inner surface of the wall portion together with the inner surface of the base defining an internal blending chamber, and the wall portion can have a terminal edge for receiving a lid to contain food in the blending chamber. A blender jar associated with a blender as described herein may include various surface and topographical features of the at least one protrusion as described above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] In the attached picture:

[0012] Figure 1 is a front view of a blender including a motor housing with a blender jar mounted thereon and having a rotatable blade assembly operably connected to the motor housing for pulverizing food within the blender jar.

[0013] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A front view of a blender jar shown in , illustrating a protrusion disposed within the blender jar extending above a blade path defined between upper and lower vertical limits of a rotatable blade assembly disposed within the blender jar.

[0014] Figure 3A is looking down Figure 1 to Figure 2 A top plan view of a blender jar in FIG. 1 (with the lid removed) showing protrusions arranged within the blender jar at the vertices of a pair of sides of the blender jar.

[0015] Figure 3B is with Figure 3A , wherein a plurality of projections are shown arranged within a blender jar in opposite orientations to one another.

[0016] Figure 3C is with Figure 3A, wherein multiple protrusions are shown in adjacent orientations along the same side of the blender jar.

[0017] Figure 3D is with Figure 3A A similarly oriented top plan view is shown in FIG. 1 , wherein a plurality of projections are shown disposed within all but one of the vertices of the blender jar.

[0018] Figure 4A is a cross-sectional view of a base portion of a blender jar showing a first embodiment of a projection having a first generally planar surface configuration.

[0019] Figure 4B is a cross-sectional view of a base portion of a blender jar showing a second embodiment of a projection comprising a pair of angled closed surfaces having a common side.

[0020] Figure 4C is a cross-sectional view of a base portion of a blender jar showing a third embodiment of a projection including a pair of angled surfaces having a common side and an intermediate corner portion.

[0021] Figure 4D is a cross-sectional view of a base portion of a blender jar showing a fourth embodiment of a projection including a pair of angled closed surfaces having a common side and an upper corner portion formed by the pair of angled surfaces.

[0022] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 to Figure 2 A front view of a blender jar is shown in , which shows an exemplary embodiment of a projection according to the present invention, and schematic arrows show a preferred path for crushing food when the rotatable blade assembly moves the food being blended in the blender jar in an asymmetrical manner.

[0023] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 An enlarged schematic diagram of the protrusions shown in , which shows that the normally random impacts of the stirred food are redirected due to impacting on the protrusions. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Various aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a blender jar having one or more projections arranged and configured to introduce an asymmetric flow pattern within the blender jar. For purposes of the description associated with the accompanying drawings, directional terms such as "upper," "lower," "right," "left," "rear," "front," "vertical," "horizontal," and their derivatives (if any) refer to the present invention as such. Figure 1, as shown in the orientation from the perspective of a user viewing the front of the blender. However, it should be understood that various aspects of the disclosure may assume a variety of alternative orientations unless expressly specified to the contrary.

[0025] Turning now to the drawings, and in particular to Figure 1 , blender 10 is shown including a housing 12 and a blender jar 14 .

[0026] The housing 12 may be any known blender housing known to those skilled in the art and typically includes a control panel 16 (which is not required if the blender 10 is remotely operated) for providing signals to a motor inside the housing 12, which may provide rotational drive motion to a bearing (not shown) which in turn may be operably interconnected with corresponding components of the blender jar 14 via an upper base portion 18 of the housing 12. The specific components of the housing 12 shown in the drawings should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention contemplated herein, as a variety of components that may operate as the housing 12 of the blender 10 will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0027] Go to Figure 1 to Figure 2 , a specific embodiment of the blender jar 14 will now be described. The blender jar 14 generally includes a base portion 20, an upright wall portion 22, and a lid 24. The base portion 20 of the blender jar 14 generally includes structural components sufficient to be mounted to the upper base 18 of the housing 12. The specific structural components used to mount the base portion 20 to the upper base 18 are not germane to the present invention and a variety of suitable examples are known to those skilled in the art. The lower portion of the upright wall portion 22 generally has a geometric perimeter corresponding to the perimeter of the base portion 20, and the upright wall portion extends upwardly from the base portion. Figure 1The specific example of the upright wall portion 22 shown in the should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the upright wall portion 22 may have different cross-sections throughout its height, and that the shape of the perimeter of the inner surface of the upright wall portion 22 may vary as it extends upward. In the example shown herein, the perimeter of the upright wall portion 22 adjacent the upper base 18 of the housing may be circular, and as the upright wall portion 22 extends upward from the base portion 20 of the blender jar 14, the perimeter of the upright wall portion may change to have different polygonal shapes. The upper edge of the upright wall portion 22 typically includes a pouring spout 28, the function of which is obvious to those skilled in the art, such as for pouring the blended food from the interior of the blender jar 14. The perimeter of the lid 24 is typically configured to sealably engage the upper edge of the upright wall portion 22 (including the pouring spout 28) to prevent the material in the blender jar 14 from escaping during the blending operation performed by the blender 10. The lid 24 generally has an access hole 30 for adding food to the interior of the blender jar 14 without removing the lid 24 from the upper edge of the upright wall portion 22, and an access hole plug 32 adapted to sealingly fit within the access hole 30 and also to prevent the material within the blender jar 14 from escaping during the blending operation. It should be understood that the specific embodiments of the lid 24 shown in the drawings are merely examples and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention.

[0028] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the base portion 20 of the blender jar 14 includes a rotatable blade 34. The rotatable blade 34 typically has a suitable structure configured to receive mating components on the housing 12 that are operably interconnected with a motor (not shown) therein, such as a keyed opening or protrusion. After the blender jar 14 is appropriately positioned on top of the housing 12, the rotational motion generated by the motor within the housing 12 is transmitted through these mating components to provide the appropriate rotational drive force to the rotatable blade 34. The specific embodiments of the rotatable blades shown in the drawings should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention, as any suitable blade components may be easily replaced without departing from the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that reference is made to the drawings. Figure 2 Each blade subassembly of the rotatable blade 34 may have a varying height and angle to define the vertical height (in degrees) of the rotatable blade. Figure 2 The blade path is indicated by the reference numeral 36 and the term “blade path” in FIG.

[0029] In one aspect of the present invention, a protrusion 38 is provided inside the blender jar 14. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the protrusion 38 may be provided as a single protrusion inside the blender jar 14, or the protrusion may be provided as a plurality of protrusions 38 spaced apart at regular or irregular intervals inside the blender jar 14.

[0030] The projection 38 may have a variety of geometric configurations and still be contemplated within the scope of the invention described herein. Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figures 3A to 3D The projection 38 having a triangular shape shown in the drawings is shown only as an example, and the specific shape used for the exemplary embodiments in the drawings should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention described herein. The projection 38 is configured to form an obstruction near the rotatable blade 34 to redirect the food being blended in an asymmetrical manner and disrupt the laminar flow that may be formed inside the blender jar 14. The perimeter of the projection 38 can be integrally formed with at least one of the inner surface of the base 20 and the inner surface of the upright wall portion 22. The lower portion of the projection 38 is preferably formed adjacent to the base portion 20 of the blender jar 14 or integrally formed with the base portion of the blender jar, and extends laterally inward from the upright wall portion 22 a distance sufficient to disrupt the flow within the blender jar 14 without interfering with or contacting the physical components of the rotatable blade 34. It should be understood that the lateral extent to which the projection 38 extends inward from the inner surface of the upright wall portion 22 can vary along the height of the projection 38. In one embodiment of the present invention, the height of the projection 38 extends vertically above the height defined by the blade path 36 of the rotatable blade 34 .

[0031] Go to FIG. 3A to FIG. 3D , illustrate various embodiments of the present invention wherein one or more projections 38 are arranged in a variety of ways relative to the base portion 20 and the upstanding wall portion 22 of the blender jar 14. FIG. 3A to FIG. 3D The orientation is a top plan view looking down into the interior of the blender jar 14, with the lid 24 removed. In this manner, the perimeter geometry of the upright wall portion 22 is shown with its upper edge. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the cross-section of the upright wall portion 22 may vary throughout its height. In the exemplary blender jar 14 shown in the drawings, the upright wall portion 22 is shown as having a generally curved polygonal shape with four vertices and four sides. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the specific cross-sectional shape of the upright wall portion 22 may take a variety of geometric or polygonal shapes without departing from the scope of the present invention. In fact, more or fewer vertices and sides may be provided in alternative configurations of the upright wall portion 22, including zero vertices for a circular configuration or major or minor vertices for an elliptical configuration, without departing from the scope of the present invention. In addition, the embodiment of the blender jar 14 shown in the drawings also includes one or more ribs 40 extending at least a portion of the height of the upright wall portion 22. It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that a greater or lesser number of ribs 40, including zero ribs, may be provided without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 3A A single projection 38 is shown that is disposed generally within one vertex of the particular polygonal shape of the upright wall portion 22 shown. Figure 3B A pair of projections 38 are shown disposed in opposing vertices of the particular polygonal shape of the upright wall portion 22 shown. Figure 3C A pair of projections 38 are shown disposed in adjacent vertices of the particular polygonal shape of the upright wall portion 22 shown. Figure 3D Three protrusions 38 are shown, which are arranged in three of the four vertices shown in the specific polygonal shape of the upright wall portion 22. For other polygonal shapes of the upright wall portion 22 with other numbers of sides (other than four) and vertices, those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention can contemplate arranging one or more protrusions 38 in any combination of one vertex to n-1 vertices in the specific polygonal shape of the alternative embodiment of the upright wall portion 22 without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0033] Go to 4A to 4D In each of these figures, a cross-sectional view of the blender jar 14 is shown, showing a portion of the base portion 20 located within the upright wall portion 22 of the blender jar. For clarity, the rotatable blade 34 is removed so that the protrusion 38 can be seen. 4A to 4D This is more clearly shown in 4A to 4D In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the protrusion 38 is shown with its peripheral edge intricately formed with a portion of the base portion 20 and a portion of the upright wall portion 22 to form a three-dimensional intrusion into the interior of the blender jar 14. Figure 4A , the projection 38 is shown as a generally convex member having a curved outer surface extending into the interior of the blender jar 14. The projection 38 may also have a planar outer surface defined by the intersection of a portion of the upright wall portion 22 with the base portion 20 to form a generally polygonal shape. Figure 4B An alternative embodiment of the projection 38 is shown, which is formed by a first surface 42 and a second surface 44 each formed as a generally convex or generally planar surface and formed integrally with a portion of the upright wall portion 22 and the base portion 20. Figure 4B In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the first surface 42 and the second surface 44 are arranged at an angle relative to each other, preferably along a centerline 46 of the projection 38. Figure 4CIn the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the projection 38 is also formed to have a first surface 42 and a second surface 44 arranged at an angle relative to each other, and the first surface and the second surface are preferably arranged at an angle relative to each other along a center line 46 of the projection 38. In addition, a third surface 48 and a fourth surface 50 are formed in the upper portion of the projection 38. Figure 4C , the first surface is arranged at an angle relative to the second surface 44, the third surface 48, and the fourth surface 50. The first surface 42 and the third surface 48 are preferably arranged at an angle relative to the second surface 44 and the fourth surface 50, preferably along the centerline 46 of the projection 38. The first surface 42 is preferably arranged at an angle relative to the third surface 48 along a generally transverse line 52, and the second surface 44 is preferably arranged at an angle relative to the fourth surface 50 along the transverse line 52. Figure 4D is with Figure 4C The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , but the transverse line 52 is generally arranged above the Figure 4C The embodiment shown in , allows the angular arrangement between the surfaces constituting the projection 38 to be varied. In some cases, the surfaces 48 and 50 may be arranged at or above the blade path.

[0034] Go to Figure 5 , shows the blender jar 14 in operation, wherein a pair of schematic mixing arrows 54 illustrate exemplary blending directions typically produced by the motor of the housing 12 as the rotatable blade 34 rotates during a plurality of blending modes. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that a common goal of most blending operations is to cause the food being blended and crushed within the blender jar 14 to move in a rotational manner such that the food is pulled downwardly toward the rotatable blade 34 within the blender jar 14. In order to prevent some of the problems mentioned above in the prior art, the protrusion 38 performs multiple functions within the blender jar 14. First, the lower portion of the protrusion 38 is used to limit the area adjacent to the rotatable blade 34 to direct the food inside the blender jar 14 toward the rotatable blade 34. In addition, as shown in FIG. Figure 6 As shown in FIG. 1 , it can be seen that food particles 56 impinge on the outer surface of the projections 38 and are directed in an upward direction so that they can later be pulled back downward by the rotatable blades 34 and further blended and crushed, thereby preventing the food from forming eddies or clumps inside the blender jar 14 that might prevent the food from being adequately crushed. Finally, the projections 38 serve to disrupt the laminar flow within the blender jar 34 and promote turbulence within the food being blended, thereby achieving a more consistent mixing and blending effect.

[0035] To the extent not yet described, the different features and structures of the various embodiments may be used in combination with each other as needed. The fact that a feature may not be shown in all embodiments should not be interpreted as that the feature cannot be used in each embodiment, but rather is not shown for the sake of brevity of description. Therefore, the various features of different embodiments may be combined and matched as needed to form a new embodiment, whether or not the new embodiment is explicitly described. All combinations or arrangements of the features described herein are covered by the present disclosure. In addition, although the present invention has been specifically described in conjunction with certain specific embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that these embodiments are for illustration only and not limitation. In addition to the concepts covered by the appended claims, the following clauses may also provide a basis for the claims in any possible combination:

[0036] A blender jar for operatively connecting to a blender for pulverizing food, the blender jar comprising: a base configured to be mounted to the blender, the base comprising a rotatable blade mounted to the base for operatively connecting to the blender, the rotatable blade defining a blade radius and a blade path, the blade path being determined by a vertical spacing between an upper end and a lower end of the rotatable blade; a wall extending upwardly from the base, an inner surface of the wall defining an internal blending chamber together with an inner surface of the base, the wall having a terminal edge for receiving a lid to contain food within the blending chamber; and at least one projection integrally formed with at least one of an inner surface of the base and an inner surface of the wall, the projection extending into the internal blending chamber without extending to the blade radius of the rotatable blade, the projection having at least one surface extending from a lower portion adjacent to the base and an upper portion above the blade path of the rotatable blade.

[0037] The blender jar according to the preceding clause, wherein the inner surface of the wall defines a polygonal surface having at least three vertices.

[0038] Blender jar according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein at least one protrusion is arranged in at least one of the at least three vertices of the inner surface of the wall.

[0039] The blender jar according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the at least one projection comprises a plurality of projections arranged within a plurality of the at least three vertices, wherein at least one vertex is arranged between adjacent projections.

[0040] The blender jar according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the at least one protrusion comprises a plurality of protrusions arranged in a plurality of the at least three vertices, wherein at least two protrusions of the plurality of protrusions are arranged in adjacent vertices.

[0041] A blender jar according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the wall defines a generally rectangular cross-section having four vertices, and the at least one projection comprises a plurality of projections arranged within oppositely arranged vertices.

[0042] A blender jar according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the wall defines a generally rectangular cross-section having four vertices, and the at least one projection comprises a plurality of projections arranged within adjacent vertices.

[0043] A blender jar according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the wall defines a generally rectangular cross-section having four vertices, and the at least one projection comprises a plurality of projections arranged within all but one of the vertices.

[0044] A blender jar according to any preceding clause, wherein at least one projection comprises a generally planar surface having a perimeter formed integrally with a portion of the base and a portion of the wall above the blade path.

[0045] A blender jar according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein at least one projection comprises: a first generally planar surface having a perimeter formed integrally with a portion of the base and a portion of the wall above the blade path; and a second generally planar surface having a perimeter formed integrally with a portion of the base and a portion of the wall above the blade path, the first generally planar surface intersecting the second generally planar surface along a midline of the at least one projection.

[0046] A blender jar according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein at least one projection has an upper portion comprising a substantially planar surface, an edge of the substantially planar surface being formed by an upper edge of the first substantially planar surface and an upper edge of the second substantially planar surface.

[0047] The blender jar according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the upper portion of the at least one projection comprises a third substantially planar surface and a fourth substantially planar surface arranged at an angle relative to each other.

[0048] A blender for pulverizing food, comprising: a housing including a motor; a controller operably connected to the motor for operating the motor through a plurality of blending modes; a base defined on an upper portion of the housing and including a bearing having a keyed portion configured to be rotationally driven by the motor; and a blender jar, the blender jar comprising: a base configured to be mounted on the base, the base including a rotatable blade mounted to the base for operably interconnecting with the keyed portion of the base, wherein rotational movement of the keyed portion imparts rotational movement to the rotatable blade, the rotatable blade defining a blade radius and a blade tip. a blade path defined by a vertical spacing between an upper end and a lower end of the rotatable blade; a wall portion extending upwardly from the base, an inner surface of the wall portion defining an internal blending chamber together with an inner surface of the base, the wall portion having a terminal edge for receiving a cover to contain food within the blending chamber; and at least one projection integrally formed with at least one of an inner surface of the base and an inner surface of the wall portion, the projection extending into the internal blending chamber without extending to a blade radius of the rotatable blade, the projection having at least one surface extending from a lower portion adjacent to the base and an upper portion above the blade path of the rotatable blade.

[0049] A blender jar according to the preceding clause, wherein the at least one projection comprises a generally planar surface having a perimeter integrally formed with a portion of the base and a portion of the wall above the blade path.

[0050] A blender jar according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein at least one projection comprises: a first generally planar surface having a perimeter formed integrally with a portion of the base and a portion of the wall above the blade path; and a second generally planar surface having a perimeter formed integrally with a portion of the base and a portion of the wall above the blade path, the first generally planar surface intersecting the second generally planar surface along a midline of the at least one projection.

[0051] A blender jar according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein at least one projection has an upper portion comprising a substantially planar surface, an edge of the substantially planar surface being formed by an upper edge of the first substantially planar surface and an upper edge of the second substantially planar surface.

[0052] The blender jar according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the upper portion of the at least one projection comprises a third substantially planar surface and a fourth substantially planar surface arranged at an angle relative to each other.

[0053] Although the present invention has been specifically described in conjunction with some specific embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that this is only exemplary rather than limiting. Reasonable changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the foregoing disclosure and the accompanying drawings without departing from the spirit of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A blender jar for operative connection to a blender for pulverizing food, comprising: a base configured to be mounted to a blender, the base including a rotatable blade mounted to the base for operative interconnection with the blender, the rotatable blade defining a blade radius and a blade path, the blade path being determined by a vertical spacing between an upper end and a lower end of the rotatable blade; a wall portion extending upwardly from the base, an inner surface of the wall portion defining an inner mixing chamber together with an inner surface of the base, the wall portion having a terminal edge for receiving a lid to contain food within the inner mixing chamber; as well as At least one projection is integrally formed with at least one of an inner surface of the base and an inner surface of the wall, the projection extending into the internal mixing chamber without extending to the blade radius of the rotatable blade, the projection having at least one surface extending from a lower portion adjacent to the base and an upper portion above the blade path of the rotatable blade.

2. The blender jar of claim 1, wherein: The inner surface of the wall portion defines a polygonal surface having at least three vertices.

3. The blender jar of claim 2, wherein: The at least one protrusion is arranged in at least one vertex of the at least three vertices of the inner surface of the wall portion.

4. A blender jar according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: The at least one protrusion includes a plurality of protrusions arranged within a plurality of vertices among the at least three vertices, wherein at least one vertex is arranged between adjacent protrusions.

5. The blender jar according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: The at least one protrusion includes a plurality of protrusions arranged in a plurality of vertices among the at least three vertices, wherein at least two protrusions among the plurality of protrusions are arranged in adjacent vertices.

6. The blender jar according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The wall portion defines a generally rectangular cross-section having four vertices, and the at least one projection includes a plurality of projections disposed within oppositely disposed vertices.

7. The blender jar according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The wall portion defines a generally rectangular cross-section having four vertices, and the at least one projection includes a plurality of projections arranged within adjacent vertices.

8. The blender jar according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The wall portion defines a generally rectangular cross-section having four vertices, and the at least one projection includes a plurality of projections arranged within all but one of the vertices.

9. The blender jar of claim 1, wherein: The at least one projection includes a generally planar surface having a perimeter integrally formed with a portion of the base and a portion of the wall above the blade path.

10. The blender jar of claim 1, wherein: The at least one projection includes a first generally planar surface whose perimeter is integrally formed with a portion of the base and a portion of the wall portion above the blade path; and a second generally planar surface whose perimeter is integrally formed with a portion of the base and a portion of the wall portion above the blade path, the first generally planar surface and the second generally planar surface intersecting along a midline of the at least one projection.

11. The blender jar of claim 10, wherein: The at least one projection has an upper portion including a generally planar surface with edges formed by an upper edge of the first generally planar surface and an upper edge of the second generally planar surface.

12. The blender jar of claim 11, wherein: The upper portion of the at least one projection includes third and fourth generally planar surfaces that are arranged at an angle relative to each other.

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