Rotary cooker

Abstract

To provide a rotary cooker capable of improving frangibility as much as possible without providing a rib on an inner peripheral surface of a second wall part of a container.SOLUTION: A rotary cooker 1 includes: a driving unit, a container 210 having a first wall portion 214 and a second wall portion 215 extending upward from an outer end of the first wall portion and having a cylindrical shape; and at least one rotary blade 221 provided on the first wall portion inside the container and rotated about a rotary shaft 222 by the driving unit. An opening 215a of the second wall portion has a circular shape when viewed from a cylinder axis direction of the second wall portion. An opening 215b of the second wall portion has an elliptical shape when the second wall portion is cut by a plane perpendicular to the rotary shaft when viewed from the rotary shaft direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a rotary cooker such as a mixer or a food processor. [Background technology]

[0002] In the past, there has been a proposal for an electric cooker that includes "a main body equipped with a rotation drive unit, a container that is attached to the main body in a resting state and is removable, and a cooking rotor that is installed within the container and is operatively connected to the rotation drive unit with the container attached to the main body, wherein the electric cooker is provided with an attachment mechanism that can attach the container to the main body at any rotational phase relative to the main body while allowing relative rotation with respect to the main body and preventing relative movement in the vertical and horizontal directions with respect to the main body" (see, for example, JP 2011-244911 A). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-244911 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the electric cooker described above, ribs are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the side wall of the container, and these ribs guide the materials to be crushed inside the container to the cooking rotor, improving crushing performance. However, in the electric cooker described above, the provision of ribs increases the risk that the materials to be crushed may become caught between the ribs and the cooking rotor, causing the rotary drive unit to lock (the rotary shaft of the rotary drive unit will no longer rotate).

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a rotary cooker that can improve crushing performance as much as possible without providing ribs on the inner peripheral surface of the second wall portion of the container. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A rotary cooker according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a drive unit, a container, and at least one rotary blade. The container has a first wall and a second wall. The second wall extends upward from the outer end of the first wall and is cylindrical. The at least one rotary blade is provided on the first wall inside the container and rotated around the rotation axis by the drive unit. Furthermore, when viewed from the cylindrical axis direction of the second wall, the opening of the second wall is circular. Furthermore, when viewed from the rotation axis direction, the opening of the second wall is elliptical when the second wall is cut along a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis.

[0007] According to the above configuration, when viewed from the direction of the rotation axis, the trajectory of the rotary blade is circular, whereas when the second wall is cut along a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis, the opening of the second wall is elliptical. Therefore, in this rotary cooker, the fluid flow within the container can be made as uneven as possible, thereby generating as much turbulence as possible within the container. Therefore, in this rotary cooker, even without providing ribs on the inner circumferential surface of the second wall of the container, the objects to be crushed that are carried along with the flow can be guided to the rotary blade as much as possible, thereby improving crushing performance as much as possible.

[0008] A rotary cooker according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a drive unit, a container, and at least one rotary blade. The container has a first wall and a second wall. The second wall extends upward from the outer end of the first wall and is cylindrical. The at least one rotary blade is provided on the first wall inside the container and is rotated around a rotation axis by the drive unit. Furthermore, the cylindrical axis of the second wall intersects with an extension of the rotation axis.

[0009] With this configuration, compared to conventional rotary cookers in which the cylindrical axis of the second wall portion is aligned with the extension of the rotation axis, the fluid flow within the container can be made as uneven as possible, thereby generating as much turbulence as possible within the container. Therefore, with this rotary cooker, even without providing ribs on the inner circumferential surface of the second wall portion of the container, it is possible to guide as many of the objects to be crushed as possible along the flow to the rotary blades, thereby improving crushing performance as much as possible.

[0010] A rotary cooker according to a third aspect of the present invention is the rotary cooker according to the first or second aspect, wherein the rotary blade has a first blade portion and a second blade portion. The first blade portion extends to a first side in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the rotation axis. The second blade portion extends to a second side opposite the first side in the orthogonal direction. When the rotary blade is positioned at a position where the distance from the first end of the first blade portion to the second end of the second blade portion in the orthogonal direction is greatest as viewed from the first direction orthogonal to the up-down direction, the distance from the first end of the first blade portion to the second wall portion in the orthogonal direction is different from the distance from the second end of the second blade portion to the second wall portion in the orthogonal direction. Furthermore, when viewed from the vertical direction and from a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, when the rotary blade is positioned at a position where the distance from the first side end of the first blade portion to the second side end of the second blade portion in the perpendicular direction is at its maximum, the distance from the first side end of the first blade portion to the second wall portion in the perpendicular direction is the same as the distance from the second side end of the second blade portion to the second wall portion in the perpendicular direction.

[0011] According to the above configuration, a portion can be formed in which the distance from the tip of one of the first and second blade portions to the second wall portion in the orthogonal direction is longer than the distance from the tip of the other of the first and second blade portions to the second wall portion in the orthogonal direction. Therefore, in this rotary cooker, the fluid flow in that portion can be made as uneven as possible, thereby generating as much turbulence as possible within the container. Furthermore, according to the above configuration, a portion can be formed in which the distance from the tip of one of the first and second blade portions to the second wall portion in the orthogonal direction is the same as the distance from the tip of the other of the first and second blade portions to the second wall portion in the orthogonal direction. Therefore, in this rotary cooker, both blade portions can crush the object to be crushed as much as possible in that portion, thereby stabilizing crushing performance as much as possible.

[0012] A rotary cooker according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is a rotary cooker according to the third aspect, wherein at least one of the first side end of the first blade portion and the second side end of the second blade portion is closer to the second wall portion.

[0013] With this configuration, the tip of at least one of the first and second blades can be positioned as close as possible to the second wall portion and the air layer that is generated when the liquid in the container is stirred by the rotary blades, thereby improving the crushing performance of this rotary cooker.

[0014] A rotary cooker according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the rotary cooker according to the first or second aspect, wherein the cylindrical axis of the second wall portion is aligned in the up-down direction, and the rotation axis is inclined relative to the cylindrical axis of the second wall portion.

[0015] With this configuration, even if the objects to be crushed rise up inside the container, they can be moved as far as possible toward the rotary blades by their own weight, thereby improving the crushing performance of this rotary cooker.

[0016] A sixth aspect of the present invention is a rotary cooker according to the first or second aspect, wherein the rotation axis is aligned in the vertical direction, the cylindrical axis of the second wall portion is inclined relative to the rotation axis, and a portion of the second wall portion is located on an extension of the rotation axis.

[0017] According to the above configuration, when the objects to be crushed rise inside the container with the flow, they can easily collide with the second wall portion. Therefore, in this rotary cooker, it is possible to minimize the disturbance of the fluid flow inside the container caused by the objects to be crushed colliding with the second wall portion. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a mixer according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main body according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a cup according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4]1 is a right side view of a cup with a lid attached according to an embodiment of the present invention, where line CC is a line perpendicular to an extension line of a driven shaft of a bladed wall member of the cup. [Figure 5] 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 3. [Figure 6] 5 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 4 taken along line B-B. [Figure 7] 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along CC in FIG. 4. [Figure 8] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a fluid flow in a cup body of a cup when a cup with a lid attached according to an embodiment of the present invention is viewed from above, in which the rotary blade and driven shaft of the bladed wall member of the cup are shown by dashed lines to indicate the positions of these members. [Figure 9] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a fluid flow in a cup body of a cup when a cup with a lid attached according to an embodiment of the present invention is viewed from the front, in which the rotary blade and driven shaft of the bladed wall member of the cup are shown by dashed lines to indicate the positions of these members. [Figure 10] 10 is a right-side cross-sectional view of the cup according to the modified example (A) taken along a line passing through the center in the left-right direction in a plan view and extending in the front-rear direction. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] As shown in Fig. 1, a mixer 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is mainly composed of a main body 100, a cup 200, and a lid 300. The main body 100, the cup 200, and the lid 300 are each independent components, and the mixer 1 is completed when the cup 200 with the lid 300 attached is attached to the main body 100. Each of these components will be described in detail below.

[0020] 1. Main unit 1 and 2, the main body 100 is mainly composed of a housing 110, a motor (not shown), a main body side coupling 120, a circuit board (not shown), an operation knob 130, a switch 140, and an electric plug cord (not shown), etc. These components will be described in detail below.

[0021] (1) Housing As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, housing 110 is mainly formed by a bottom wall (not shown), side walls 111, mounting walls 112, inclined walls 113, support walls 114, and a top wall 115. The bottom wall constitutes the bottom of housing 110. Side walls 111 extend upward from the outer edge of the bottom wall. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper end of the front portion of side walls 111 is lower than the upper end of the rear portion of side walls 111. As shown in FIG. 1 and 2, mounting walls 112 extend inward from the upper end of the front portion of side walls 111. As shown in FIG. 1, cup 200 is placed on mounting walls 112 so that mounting walls 112 abut against bottom wall 211 of cup body 210 of cup 200. As shown in FIG. 2, the inclined wall portion 113 extends from the rear of the mounting wall portion 112 so as to be inclined upward as it moves toward the rear. An opening (not shown) for passing a motor drive shaft is formed in the center of the inclined wall portion 113. Also, as shown in FIG. 2, a main body side coupling 120 is disposed on the outside of the inclined wall portion 113. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the support wall portion 114 extends inward from the front end of a portion of the rear portion of the side wall portion 111 that is higher than the upper end of the front portion, and curves toward the rear. As shown in FIG. 1, the cup 200 is attached to the main body 100 so that the support wall portion 114 supports the cup 200. As shown in FIG. 2, a recess 114a recessed toward the rear is formed in the center of the upper end of the support wall portion 114. An opening for exposing the switch 140 is formed in the right portion of the rear wall of this recess 114a. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the top wall portion 115 extends rearward from the upper end of the support wall portion 114.

[0022] (2) Motor The motor is housed inside the housing 110 and has a drive shaft. The drive shaft extends diagonally upward and forward, and the angle between the horizontal plane and the drive shaft is approximately 45 degrees. One end of the drive shaft is attached to the main body coupling 120. When the cup 200 is attached to the main body 100, the rotational power of the motor is transmitted to the driven shaft 222 of the bladed wall member 220 of the cup 200 via the drive shaft, the main body coupling 120, and the driven coupling 225 of the bladed wall member 220 of the cup 200.

[0023] (3) Body side coupling As described above, the main body side coupling 120 is disposed on the outside of the inclined wall portion 113 of the housing 110. Also, as described above, one end of the drive shaft is attached to the main body side coupling 120. Also, when the cup 200 is attached to the main body 100, the main body side coupling 120 connects the drive shaft of the motor of the main body 100 to the driven shaft 222 of the bladed wall member 220 of the cup 200.

[0024] (4) Circuit board The circuit board is housed inside the housing 110 and is connected to the motor, switch 140, electric plug cord, etc. via control lines, etc.

[0025] (5) Control knob 1 and 2, the operation knob 130 is provided at the front end of the side wall portion 111 of the housing 110. By rotating the operation knob 130, the user can turn the motor on and off, change the rotation speed of the rotary blade 221 of the bladed wall member 220, and so on.

[0026] (6) Switch As described above, switch 140 is exposed from the opening of recess 114a in support wall 114 of housing 110. Switch 140 is biased forward by a coil spring (not shown). When switch 140 is moved forward by the biasing force of the coil spring, switch 140 is in the OFF state. In the OFF state, the motor and other components do not operate even if operation knob 130 is operated. On the other hand, when cup 200 with lid 300 attached is attached to main body 100 and protrusion 314 of lid main body 310 of lid 300 moves switch 140 backward against the biasing force of the coil spring, switch 140 is in the ON state. In the ON state, the motor and other components operate when operation knob 130 is operated.

[0027] (7) Electric plug cord The electrical plug cord is mainly composed of an electrical cord (not shown) and a plug (not shown). One end of the electrical cord is connected to a circuit board, and the other end is connected to a plug. The plug can be inserted into or removed from a socket for an external power source.

[0028] 2. Cup 1 and 3 to 7, the cup 200 is mainly composed of a cup body 210, a bladed wall member 220, and an annular seal member 230. These components will be described in detail below.

[0029] (1) Cup body As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 to 7, the cup body 210 is mainly formed of a bottom wall portion 211, an upright wall portion 212, a support wall portion 213, an inclined wall portion 214, a side wall portion 215, a handle 216, and a rib 217. As described above, the bottom wall portion 211 abuts against the mounting wall portion 112 of the housing 110 of the main body 100 when the cup 200 is placed on the mounting wall portion 112 of the housing 110 of the main body 100. The bottom wall portion 211 has a notch that is approximately U-shaped in plan view from the rear end to the center in the front-to-rear direction. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 to 7, the upright wall portion 212 extends upward from the edge of the notch in the bottom wall portion 211. As shown in FIGS. 1, 4, and 5, the height position of the upper end of the upright wall portion 212 increases from the front end to the rear end. As shown in FIGS. 1, 4, 5, and 7, the support wall portion 213 is located between the bottom wall portion 211 and the side wall portion 215 on the front side of the standing wall portion 212 and is connected to the bottom wall portion 211, the standing wall portion 212, and the side wall portion 215. As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the inclined wall portion 214 extends inward from the upper end of the standing wall portion 212 and slopes upward toward the rear. As shown in FIG. 5, an opening 214a is formed in the center of the inclined wall portion 214, and the bladed wall member 220 is fitted into this opening 214a and attached to the cup body 210. As shown in FIG. 5, the inclined wall portion 214 is perpendicular to the driven shaft 222 of the bladed wall member 220. As shown in FIGS. 1, 3 to 7, the side wall portion 215 has a substantially cylindrical shape and extends upward from the outer end of the inclined wall portion 214. 3, the opening 215a of the side wall 215 has a circular shape in a plan view. The cylindrical axis L1 of the side wall 215 is a line that passes through the center of the opening 215a in a plan view and that runs vertically inside the side wall 215 (see FIG. 5). As shown in FIG. 7, when the side wall 215 is cut along a plane perpendicular to the driven shaft 222 of the bladed wall member 220, the opening 215b of the side wall 215 has an elliptical shape when viewed from the direction of the driven shaft 222 of the bladed wall member 220. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, a spout 215c for pouring the fluid contained in the cup body 210 is formed at the rear end of the upper end of the side wall 215.1, 4, and 9, the right portion of the side wall 215 is provided with scale lines and a volume indicator indicating the liquid volume (unit: milliliters) in the cup body 210 corresponding to the scale lines. The left portion of the side wall 215 is provided with scale lines, an indicator indicating the mass (unit: ounces) of water in the cup body 210 corresponding to the scale lines, and a cup number indicator indicating the volume of water in the cup body 210 corresponding to the indicator. For example, one scale line may be indicated as "8 ounces" and "1 cup." As shown in FIGS. 1, 3 to 5, the handle 216 extends forward from the front end of the upper end of the side wall 215 and then extends downward. A user of the mixer 1 can remove the cup 200 from the main body 100 by grasping the handle 216 and pulling the cup 200 toward themselves. 3 and 5 to 7, rib 217 is formed at the rear end of the upper surface of inclined wall portion 214. This rib 217 makes it easier for the highly viscous fluid on the upper surface of inclined wall portion 214 to separate from the upper surface of inclined wall portion 214 when main body 100 is driven by the motor.

[0030] (2) Bladed wall member 2 and 3, the bladed wall member 220 is mainly composed of a rotary blade 221, a driven shaft 222, an upper case member 223, a lower case member 224, a driven-side coupling 225, and a bearing portion 226. These components will be described in detail below.

[0031] (2-1) Rotary blade The rotary blade 221 is a metal blade that rotates around a driven shaft 222 to crush and mix the materials to be crushed inside the cup body 210. As shown in FIGS. 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 120, 121, 122, 130, 131, 132, 140, 142, 143, 144, 145, 150, 152, 160, 170, 17 As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the first straight blade portion AA extends from one end of the driven shaft 222 toward one side in a direction perpendicular to the driven shaft 222. As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the second straight blade portion AB extends from one end of the driven shaft 222 toward the side opposite the first straight blade portion AA in a direction perpendicular to the driven shaft 222. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the tips of the first straight blade portion AA and the second straight blade portion AB are closer to the side wall portion 215 of the cup body 210 (in other words, the tips of the first straight blade portion AA and the second straight blade portion AB are not positioned on the cylindrical axis L1 of the side wall portion 215 of the cup body 210). As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the curved blade 221b is formed by a first curved blade portion BA, a second curved blade portion BB, etc. As shown in Fig. 7, the first curved blade portion BA and the second curved blade portion BB are point symmetrical with respect to the driven shaft 222 as the center when viewed from the direction of the driven shaft 222. As shown in Figs. 5 to 7, the first curved blade portion BA extends from one end of the driven shaft 222 toward one side in a direction perpendicular to the driven shaft 222 and is bent at the end on the driven shaft 222 side. As shown in Figs. 5 to 7, the second curved blade portion BB extends from one end of the driven shaft 222 toward the opposite side from the first curved blade portion BA in the direction perpendicular to the driven shaft 222 and is bent at the end on the driven shaft 222 side.As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the tip of the first curved blade portion BA and the tip of the second curved blade portion BB are closer to the side wall portion 215 of the cup body 210 (in other words, the tip of the first curved blade portion BA and the tip of the second curved blade portion BB are not located on the cylindrical axis L1 of the side wall portion 215 of the cup body 210).

[0032] When the cup 200 is viewed from the right (see Figure 5) or left, and the first straight blade portion AA is located in front of the second straight blade portion AB and the rotary blade 221 is located at a position where the distance from the tip of the first straight blade portion AA to the tip of the second straight blade portion AB in a direction perpendicular to the driven shaft 222 is maximum, the distance A from the tip of the first straight blade portion AA of the straight blade 221a in a direction perpendicular to the driven shaft 222 to the front of the side wall portion 215 of the cup body 210 is different from the distance B from the tip of the second straight blade portion AB of the straight blade 221a in a direction perpendicular to the driven shaft 222 to the rear of the side wall portion 215 of the cup body 210 (more specifically, the distance A is shorter than the distance B). Furthermore, when the cup 200 is viewed from the right (see Figure 5) or the left, when the first curved blade portion BA is located in front of the second curved blade portion BB and the rotary blade 221 is located at a position where the distance from the tip of the first curved blade portion BA to the tip of the second curved blade portion BB in a direction perpendicular to the driven shaft 222 is at its maximum, the distance A' from the tip of the first curved blade portion BA of the curved blade 221b in a direction perpendicular to the driven shaft 222 to the front of the side wall portion 215 of the cup body 210 is different from the distance B' from the tip of the second curved blade portion BB of the curved blade 221b in a direction perpendicular to the driven shaft 222 to the rear of the side wall portion 215 of the cup body 210 (more specifically, the distance A' is shorter than the distance B'). Furthermore, when the cup 200 is viewed from the front (see Figure 6) or the rear, when the first straight blade portion AA is located to the left of the second straight blade portion AB and the rotary blade 221 is located at a position where the distance from the tip of the first straight blade portion AA to the tip of the second straight blade portion AB in a direction perpendicular to the driven shaft 222 is at its maximum, the distance C from the tip of the first straight blade portion AA of the straight blade 221a to the left part of the side wall portion 215 of the cup body 210 in the direction perpendicular to the driven shaft 222 (left-right direction) is the same as the distance D from the tip of the second straight blade portion AB of the straight blade 221a to the right part of the side wall portion 215 of the cup body 210 in the left-right direction.Furthermore, when the cup 200 is viewed from the front (see Figure 6) or rear, when the first curved blade portion BA is located to the left of the second curved blade portion BB and the rotary blade 221 is located at a position where the distance from the tip of the first curved blade portion BA to the tip of the second curved blade portion BB in a direction perpendicular to the driven shaft 222 is at its maximum, the distance C' from the tip of the first curved blade portion BA of the curved blade 221b to the left part of the side wall portion 215 of the cup body 210 in the left-right direction is the same as the distance D' from the tip of the second curved blade portion BB of the curved blade 221b to the right part of the side wall portion 215 of the cup body 210 in the left-right direction.

[0033] (2-2) Driven shaft When the cup 200 is attached to the main body 100, the driven shaft 222 is positioned on the same line as the drive shaft of the motor of the main body 100 (i.e., the driven shaft 222 is aligned diagonally upward and forward as shown in FIG. 5, and the angle between the horizontal plane and the driven shaft 222 is approximately 45 degrees). As shown in FIG. 5, an extension line L2 of the driven shaft 222 intersects with a cylindrical axis L1 of the side wall portion 215 of the cup body 210 when the bladed wall member 220 is attached to the cup body 210, and the angle formed by the extension line L2 of the driven shaft 222 and the cylindrical axis L1 of the side wall portion 215 of the cup body 210 is approximately 45 degrees. One end of the driven shaft 222 is fastened to the rotation center of the rotary blade 221 as described above, and the other end of the driven shaft 222 is attached to a driven-side coupling 225 as shown in FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 5, the driven shaft 222 passes through the inside of the cylindrical wall portion 223a of the upper case member 223 and is rotatably supported by a bearing portion 226.

[0034] (2-3) Upper case member Here, the upper case member 223 will be described assuming that the bladed wall member 220 is not attached to the cup body 210 and is arranged so that the driven shaft 222 is aligned in the up-down direction. The upper case member 223 is arranged above the lower case member 224 and is connected to the lower case member 224 (see FIG. 5). The upper case member 223 is mainly formed by a cylindrical wall portion 223a, a first top wall portion 223b, a second top wall portion 223c, a side wall portion 223d, etc. (see FIGS. 3, 5 to 7). The cylindrical wall portion 223a has a substantially cylindrical shape. A bearing portion 226 is arranged inside the cylindrical wall portion 223a (see FIG. 5). The first top wall portion 223b extends from the upper end of the cylindrical wall portion 223a so as to slope downward as it extends outward (see FIGS. 3, 5 to 7), and has a generally annular shape in plan view. The second top wall portion 223c extends outward from the outer end of the first top wall portion 223b (see FIGS. 3, 5 to 7), and has a generally annular shape in plan view. A generally annular groove GR into which the annular seal member 230 is fitted is formed on the upper surface of the outer end of the second top wall portion 223c (see FIG. 5). The portion of the second top wall portion 223c inside the portion where the groove GR is formed is perpendicular to the driven shaft 222 and is parallel to the inclined wall portion 214 of the cup body 210 when the bladed wall member 220 is attached to the cup body 210. The side wall portion 223d has a substantially cylindrical shape and extends downward from the outer end of the second top wall portion 223c (see FIG. 5).

[0035] (2-4) Lower case member Here, the lower case member 224 will be described assuming that the bladed wall member 220 is not attached to the cup body 210 and is arranged so that the driven shaft 222 is aligned in the up-down direction. The lower case member 224 is mainly formed by an outer wall portion 224a, a bottom wall portion 224b, an inner wall portion 224c, and a top wall portion 224d (see FIGS. 4 to 6). The outer wall portion 224a has a substantially cylindrical shape. The upper end portion of the outer wall portion 224a is located inside the side wall portion 223d of the upper case member 223 and faces the side wall portion 223d of the upper case member 223 (see FIG. 5). The bottom wall portion 224b extends inward from the lower end of the outer wall portion 224a (see FIG. 5). The inner wall portion 224c has a generally cylindrical shape and extends upward from the inner end of the bottom wall portion 224b (see FIG. 5). The top wall portion 224d extends inward from the upper end of the inner wall portion 224c (see FIG. 5). An opening for passing the driven shaft 222 therethrough is formed in the center of the top wall portion 224d.

[0036] (2-5) Driven side coupling As shown in Fig. 5, the driven-side coupling 225 is disposed inside the inner wall portion 224c of the lower case member 224. The driven-side coupling 225 is attached to one end of the driven shaft 222, and is engaged and connected with the body-side coupling 120 when the cup 200 is attached to the main body 100. As described above, when the motor of the main body 100 is driven with the cup 200 attached to the main body 100, the rotational power is transmitted to the driven shaft 222 via the drive shaft of the motor of the main body 100, the main body-side coupling 120 of the main body 100, and the driven-side coupling 225. As a result, the rotary blade 221 rotates.

[0037] (2-6) Bearing The bearing portion 226 is a bearing such as a plain bearing or a rolling bearing, and as described above, is disposed inside the cylindrical wall portion 223a of the upper case member 223. Also, as described above, the bearing portion 226 supports the driven shaft 222 so that it can rotate freely.

[0038] (3) Annular seal member The annular sealing member 230 is a substantially annular elastic member made of rubber, elastomer, or the like, and as described above, is fitted into the groove GR in the second top wall portion 223c of the upper case member 223 of the bladed wall member 220. As shown in Figure 5, when the bladed wall member 220 is attached to the cup body 210, the annular sealing member 230 closes the gap between the inclined wall portion 214 of the cup body 210 and the second top wall portion 223c of the upper case member 223 of the bladed wall member 220.

[0039] 3. Lid 1, 4 and 6, the lid body 300 is mainly composed of a lid main body 310 and a guide wall portion forming member 320. These components will be described in detail below.

[0040] (1) Lid body As shown in FIGS. 1, 4, and 6, the lid body 310 is mainly formed by a main body portion 311, a front extension portion 312, a rear extension portion 313, and a protrusion portion 314. As shown in FIG. 4, the main body portion 311 has a disk shape in a plan view. When the lid body 300 is attached to the cup 200, the main body portion 311 is located above the side wall portion 215 of the cup body 210 of the cup 200 and covers the opening 215a of the side wall portion 215 of the cup body 210 of the cup 200. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the front extension portion 312 extends forward from the front end of the main body portion 311. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, when the lid body 300 is attached to the cup 200, the front extension portion 312 is located above the handle 216 of the cup body 210 of the cup 200. As shown in Figures 1 and 4, rear extension 313 extends forward from the front end of main body 311. As shown in Figure 1, when cup 200 with lid 300 attached is attached to main body 100, rear extension 313 fits into recess 114a of support wall 114 of housing 110 of main body 100. As shown in Figure 4, protrusion 314 is formed on the right side of the rear end of rear extension 313. As described above, when cup 200 with lid 300 attached is attached to main body 100, protrusion 314 moves switch 140 of main body 100 rearward.

[0041] (2) Guide wall forming member As shown in FIG. 6, the guide wall portion-forming member 320 is attached to the underside of the main body portion 311 of the lid main body 310, and is mainly formed by a first guide wall portion 321 and a second guide wall portion 322. As shown in FIG. 6, the first guide wall portion 321 has a generally inverted concave shape in the cross section viewed along the line B-B in FIG. 4. Therefore, an upwardly recessed recess is formed in the guide wall portion-forming member 320 by the first guide wall portion 321. As shown in FIG. 6, the second guide wall portion 322 is formed on the left side of the first guide wall portion 321. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, the second guide wall portion 322 has a generally inverted concave shape in the cross section viewed along the line B-B in FIG. 4. Therefore, an upwardly recessed recess is formed in the guide wall portion-forming member 320 by the second guide wall portion 322. Furthermore, when the motor of the main body 100 is driven, the fluid that flows into these recesses tends to flow downward (toward the rotating blade 221 of the bladed wall member 220 of the cup 200) by running along the inner surfaces of these recesses or by bouncing off the inner surfaces of these recesses.

[0042] <Regarding the flow of fluid within the cup body of the mixer cup according to the embodiment of the present invention> Here, the flow FL of fluid within the cup body 210 of the cup 200 of the mixer 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. Note that the flow FL shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 is merely one example of a flow that can occur within the cup body 210 of the cup 200. For example, the fluid may travel two or three times around the second top wall portion 223c of the upper case member 223 of the bladed wall member 220 of the cup 200 before joining the flow FL shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. First, when the cup 200 with the lid 300 attached is attached to the main body 100 and the operation knob 130 of the main body 100 is operated, the motor of the main body 100 is driven, and the rotary blade 221 of the bladed wall member 220 of the cup 200 rotates about the driven shaft 222. As a result, the flow FL of fluid is generated within the cup body 210 of the cup 200, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. As shown in Fig. 8, the fluid flows around the driven shaft 222 of the bladed wall member 220 of the cup 200 in a plan view. As shown in Fig. 9, the fluid flows to the inside of the recess formed by the first guide wall portion 321 of the guide wall portion-forming member 320 of the lid 300, and then flows downward (toward the rotary blade 221 of the bladed wall member 220 of the cup 200) due to the weight of the recess and the fluid. The fluid also flows to the inside of the recess formed by the second guide wall portion 322 of the guide wall portion-forming member 320 of the lid 300, and then flows downward (toward the rotary blade 221 of the bladed wall member 220 of the cup 200) due to the weight of the recess and the fluid. In addition, when the object to be crushed in the fluid flows with the flow FL, it is crushed by the rotating blade 221 of the bladed wall member 220 of the cup 200 at the contact position with the rotating blade 221 of the bladed wall member 220 of the rotating cup 200.

[0043] <Features of the mixer according to the embodiment of the present invention> (1) In the mixer 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, when the side wall 215 of the cup body 210 is cut on a plane perpendicular to the driven shaft 222 of the bladed wall member 220, the opening 215b of the side wall 215 has an elliptical shape when viewed from the direction of the driven shaft 222 of the bladed wall member 220. Furthermore, in this mixer 1, the extension line L2 of the driven shaft 222 of the bladed wall member 220 intersects with the cylindrical axis L1 of the side wall 215 of the cup body 210. Therefore, in this mixer 1, the fluid flow FL within the cup body 210 can be made as non-uniform as possible, thereby generating as much turbulence as possible within the cup body 210. Therefore, in this mixer 1, even without providing ribs on the inner circumferential surface of the side wall 215 of the cup body 210, the objects to be crushed entrained in the flow FL can be guided as much as possible to the rotating blades 221 of the bladed wall member 220, thereby improving crushing performance as much as possible.

[0044] (2) In mixer 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, when cup 200 is viewed from the right or left, distance A from the tip of first straight blade portion AA of straight blade 221a to the front portion of side wall portion 215 of cup body 210 in a direction perpendicular to driven shaft 222 is shorter than distance B from the tip of second straight blade portion AB of straight blade 221a to the rear portion of side wall portion 215 of cup body 210 in a direction perpendicular to driven shaft 222. Also, in mixer 1, when cup 200 is viewed from the right or left, distance A' from the tip of first curved blade portion BA of curved blade 221b to the front portion of side wall portion 215 of cup body 210 in a direction perpendicular to driven shaft 222 is shorter than distance B' from the tip of second curved blade portion BB of curved blade 221b to the rear portion of side wall portion 215 of cup body 210 in a direction perpendicular to driven shaft 222. Therefore, in this mixer 1, the fluid flow FL can be made as non-uniform as possible in the portion between the rear of the sidewall 215 of the cup body 210 and the tip of the rotary blade 221, thereby generating as much turbulence as possible within the container. In this mixer 1, when the cup 200 is viewed from the front or rear, the distance C in the left-right direction from the tip of the first straight blade portion AA of the straight blade 221a to the left portion of the sidewall 215 of the cup body 210 is the same as the distance D in the left-right direction from the tip of the second straight blade portion AB of the straight blade 221a to the right portion of the sidewall 215 of the cup body 210. In addition, when the cup 200 is viewed from the front or rear, the distance C' in the left-right direction from the tip of the first curved blade portion BA of the curved blade 221b to the left portion of the sidewall 215 of the cup body 210 is the same as the distance D' in the left-right direction from the tip of the second curved blade portion BB of the curved blade 221b to the right portion of the sidewall 215 of the cup body 210. Therefore, in this mixer 1, the rotating blade 221 can crush the object to be crushed as much as possible in the area between the left and right parts of the side wall portion 215 of the cup body 210 and the tip of the rotating blade 221, thereby making the crushing performance as stable as possible.

[0045] (3) In the mixer 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the tips of the first straight blade portion AA and the second straight blade portion AB of the straight blade 221a are closer to the sidewall 215 of the cup body 210. In addition, the tips of the first curved blade portion BA and the second curved blade portion BB of the curved blade 221b are closer to the sidewall 215 of the cup body 210. Therefore, in this mixer 1, the tips of the first straight blade portion AA and the second straight blade portion AB of the straight blade 221a and the tips of the first curved blade portion BA and the second curved blade portion BB of the curved blade 221b can be positioned as close as possible to the space between the air layer generated when the liquid in the cup body 210 is agitated by the rotary blade 221 and the sidewall 215 of the cup body 210. Therefore, in this mixer 1, the crushing performance can be improved as much as possible.

[0046] (4) In the mixer 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the cylindrical axis L1 of the side wall portion 215 of the cup body 210 is aligned in the vertical direction, and the extension line L2 of the driven shaft 222 of the bladed wall member 220 is inclined with respect to the cylindrical axis L1 of the side wall portion 215 of the cup body 210. Therefore, in this mixer 1, even if the objects to be crushed ride the flow FL and rise inside the cup body 210, the objects can be moved as far as possible by their own weight toward the rotating blades 221 of the bladed wall member 220. Therefore, in this mixer 1, the crushing performance can be improved as much as possible.

[0047] <Modification> (A) In the mixer 1 according to the previous embodiment, the cylindrical axis L1 of the side wall 215 of the cup body 210 is aligned in the vertical direction, and the extension line L2 of the driven shaft 222 of the bladed wall member 220 is inclined with respect to the cylindrical axis L1 of the side wall 215 of the cup body 210. However, as shown in FIG. 10 , the cup 200 may be designed so that the driven shaft 222 of the bladed wall member 220 is aligned in the vertical direction by rotating the cup 200 approximately 45 degrees clockwise in a right side view. In such a case, the motor of the main body 100 may be arranged so that its drive shaft is aligned in the vertical direction, for example, by projecting from the mounting wall 112 of the housing 110. Then, the main body coupling 120 may be arranged, for example, above the mounting wall 112 of the housing 110, and one end of the motor drive shaft may be attached to the main body coupling 120. Also, as shown in Figure 10, it is preferable that a portion of the side wall portion 215 of the cup body 210 is located on the extension line L2 of the driven shaft 222 of the bladed wall member 220 (i.e., it is preferable that the upper opening of the side wall portion 215 of the cup body 210 is not located on the extension line L2 of the driven shaft 222 of the bladed wall member 220).

[0048] (B) In the mixer 1 according to the previous embodiment, the inclined wall portion 214 of the cup body 210 was perpendicular to the driven shaft 222 of the bladed wall member 220. However, the inclined wall portion 214 of the cup body 210 does not have to be perpendicular to the driven shaft 222 of the bladed wall member 220. Also, in the mixer 1 according to the previous embodiment, the portion of the second top wall portion 223c of the upper case member 223 of the bladed wall member 220 that is inside the portion where the groove GR is formed was perpendicular to the driven shaft 222 of the bladed wall member 220. However, this portion does not have to be perpendicular to the driven shaft 222 of the bladed wall member 220.

[0049] (C) In the mixer 1 according to the previous embodiment, the angle formed between the extension line L2 of the driven shaft 222 of the bladed wall member 220 and the cylindrical axis L1 of the side wall portion 215 of the cup body 210 was approximately 45 degrees. However, the angle formed between the extension line L2 of the driven shaft 222 of the bladed wall member 220 and the cylindrical axis L1 of the side wall portion 215 of the cup body 210 is not limited to approximately 45 degrees, and may be within a range of more than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees (more preferably within a range of 15 degrees to 75 degrees, and even more preferably within a range of 30 degrees to 60 degrees). In such cases, the inclination angle of the inclined wall portion 214 of the cup body 210, the position of the bladed wall member 220, etc. may be changed as appropriate.

[0050] (D) In the mixer 1 according to the previous embodiment, the driven shaft 222 of the bladed wall member 220 was positioned on the same line as the drive shaft of the motor of the main body 100 when the cup 200 was attached to the main body 100. However, the driven shaft 222 of the bladed wall member 220 does not have to be positioned on the same line as the drive shaft of the motor of the main body 100 in the same state (the direction of the driven shaft 222 of the bladed wall member 220 and the direction of the drive shaft of the motor of the main body 100 may be different). For example, the motor may be disposed so that the drive shaft of the motor is aligned in the vertical direction and protrudes from the mounting wall portion 112 of the housing 110, while the angle formed by the driven shaft 222 of the bladed wall member 220 and the horizontal plane is kept at approximately 45 degrees. In such a case, a transmission mechanism for transmitting the rotational power of the motor to the driven shaft 222 of the bladed wall member 220, which has an axial direction different from that of the motor's drive shaft, needs to be provided between the motor's drive shaft and the driven shaft 222 of the bladed wall member 220.

[0051] (E) Although not mentioned in the mixer 1 according to the previous embodiment, distance A may be the same as or different from distance C and distance D. Furthermore, distance A' may be the same as or different from distance C' and distance D'. Furthermore, in the mixer 1 according to the previous embodiment, distance A was shorter than distance B, and distance A' was shorter than distance B'. However, distance A may be longer than distance B or the same as distance B. Furthermore, distance A' may be longer than distance B' or the same as distance B'. Furthermore, in the mixer 1 according to the previous embodiment, distance C was the same as distance D, and distance C' was the same as distance D'. However, distance C may be different from distance D. Furthermore, distance C' may be different from distance D'.

[0052] (F) In mixer 1 according to the previous embodiment, rib 217 was formed at the rear end of the upper surface of inclined wall portion 214 of cup body 210 of cup 200. However, rib 217 may or may not be formed at a portion of the upper surface of inclined wall portion 214 other than the rear end.

[0053] (G) Although not mentioned in the mixer 1 of the previous embodiment, a rib may be provided on the inner surface of the side wall portion 215 of the cup body 210 of the cup 200 to guide the object to be crushed in the cup body 210 to the rotating blade 221 of the bladed wall member 220.

[0054] (H) In the mixer 1 according to the previous embodiment, the tip of the first straight blade portion AA and the tip of the second straight blade portion AB of the straight blade 221a of the rotary blade 221 were closer to the side wall 215 of the cup body 210. However, the tip of either the first straight blade portion AA or the second straight blade portion AB may be closer to the side wall 215 of the cup body 210. Also, in the mixer 1 according to the previous embodiment, the tip of the first curved blade portion BA and the tip of the second curved blade portion BB of the curved blade 221b of the rotary blade 221 were closer to the side wall 215 of the cup body 210. However, the tip of either the first curved blade portion BA or the second curved blade portion BB may be closer to the side wall 215 of the cup body 210.

[0055] The above modifications may be applied alone or in combination. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1: Mixer (rotary cooker) 210: Cup body (container) 214: Inclined wall (first wall) 215: Side wall portion (second wall portion) 215a: Opening (opening in the second wall portion) 215b: Opening (opening in the second wall when the second wall is cut along a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis) 221: Rotary blade 221a: Straight blade (rotary blade) 221b: Curved blade (rotary blade) 222: Driven shaft (rotating shaft) A: The distance from the tip of the first straight blade portion of the straight blade to the side wall portion of the cup body in the direction perpendicular to the driven shaft (the distance from the first side end of the first blade portion to the second wall portion in the perpendicular direction). A': The distance from the tip of the first bent blade portion of the bent blade to the side wall portion of the cup body in the direction perpendicular to the driven shaft (the distance from the first side end of the first blade portion to the second wall portion in the perpendicular direction). AA: 1st straight blade part (1st blade part) AB: 2nd straight blade part (2nd blade part) B: Distance from the tip of the second straight blade portion of the straight blade to the side wall portion of the cup body in a direction perpendicular to the driven shaft (distance from the second side end of the second blade portion to the second wall portion in the perpendicular direction) B': The distance from the tip of the second bent blade portion of the bent blade to the side wall portion of the cup body in the direction perpendicular to the driven shaft (the distance from the second side end of the second blade portion to the second wall portion in the perpendicular direction). BA: 1st bent blade part (1st blade part) BB: 2nd bent blade part (2nd blade part) C: The distance from the tip of the first straight blade of the straight blade to the side wall of the cup body in the left-right direction (the distance from the first side end of the first blade to the second wall in the perpendicular direction) C': The distance from the tip of the first bent blade of the bent blade to the side wall of the cup body in the left-right direction (the distance from the first side end of the first blade to the second wall in the perpendicular direction). D: The distance from the tip of the second straight blade of the straight blade to the side wall of the cup body in the left-right direction (the distance from the second side end of the second blade to the second wall in the perpendicular direction) D': The distance from the tip of the second bent blade of the bent blade to the side wall of the cup body in the left-right direction (the distance from the second side end of the second blade to the second wall in the perpendicular direction) L1: Cylinder axis of the side wall of the cup body (cylinder axis of the second wall) L2: Extension line of driven shaft (extension line of rotating shaft)

Claims

1. A drive unit; a container having a first wall portion and a cylindrical second wall portion extending upward from an outer end of the first wall portion; at least one rotary blade provided on the first wall portion inside the container and rotated around a rotation axis by the drive unit; When viewed from the cylindrical axis direction of the second wall portion, the opening of the second wall portion has a circular shape, When viewed from the rotation axis direction, the opening of the second wall portion has an elliptical shape when the second wall portion is cut along a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis. Rotary cooker.

2. A drive unit; a container having a first wall portion and a cylindrical second wall portion extending upward from an outer end of the first wall portion; at least one rotary blade provided on the first wall portion inside the container and rotated around a rotation axis by the drive unit; The cylindrical axis of the second wall portion and an extension line of the rotation axis intersect with each other. Rotary cooker.

3. The rotary blade has a first blade portion extending to a first side in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the rotation axis, and a second blade portion extending to a second side opposite to the first side in the orthogonal direction, When the rotary blade is positioned at a position where a distance from the first end of the first blade portion to the second end of the second blade portion in the orthogonal direction is maximum as viewed from a first direction orthogonal to a vertical direction, a distance from the first end of the first blade portion to the second wall portion in the orthogonal direction is different from a distance from the second end of the second blade portion to the second wall portion in the orthogonal direction, When viewed from a vertical direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, in a state where the rotary blade is positioned at a position where the distance from the first end of the first blade portion to the second end of the second blade portion in the perpendicular direction is greatest, the distance from the first end of the first blade portion to the second wall portion in the perpendicular direction is the same as the distance from the second end of the second blade portion to the second wall portion in the perpendicular direction. The rotary cooker according to claim 1 or 2.

4. At least one of the first side end of the first blade portion and the second side end of the second blade portion is closer to the second wall portion. The rotary cooker according to claim 3.

5. The cylindrical axis of the second wall portion is aligned along the vertical direction, The rotation axis is inclined with respect to the cylindrical axis of the second wall portion. The rotary cooker according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The rotation axis is along the vertical direction, a cylindrical axis of the second wall portion is inclined with respect to the rotation axis, A portion of the second wall portion is located on an extension of the rotation axis. The rotary cooker according to claim 1 or 2.

Images