Wiping mechanism for food processor
Patent Information
- Application Number
- PCT/AU2026/050138
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2025-02-21
- Filing Date
- 2026-02-20
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-27
Smart Images

Figure AU2026050138_27082026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
WIPING MECHANISM FOR FOOD PROCESSORFIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates to processing foodstuffs. In particular, the invention relates to a food processor with a wiping mechanism.
[0002] The disclosure has been developed primarily for use with a food processor, and will be described hereinafter with reference to this application. However, it will be appreciated that the disclosure is not limited to this particular field of use, and may also be employed in other kitchen machines.BACKGROUND
[0003] Food processors and similar appliances have become increasingly popular in both residential and commercial kitchens, as well as other food preparation settings. A typical food processor consists of a bowl-shaped container, a lid with a food chute extending perpendicularly from its top surface, and optionally a food pusher that fits within the chute to guide ingredients into the container. It also includes a rotary blade with two arced blades extending radially from a central hub. The container is typically mounted on a motor base, which houses control buttons that allow users to activate the motor and rotate the blade. Many food processors also come with interchangeable processing discs for specialized tasks such as slicing, grating, and dicing.
[0004] Consumers commonly use food processors to handle a wide range of ingredients.However, during operation, ingredients are often flung to the sides of the bowl, where they become stuck — especially when processing sticky -textured foods. This requires manual intervention, typically using a spatula or similar tool to scrape, mix, or redistribute the ingredients. The user must then replace the lid and resume operation, often repeating this process multiple times to achieve even chopping or mixing.SUMMARY
[0005] It is an object of the present disclosure to substantially overcome, or at least ameliorate, one or more of the disadvantages of existing arrangements, or at least provide a useful alternative to existing arrangements.
[0006] The present disclosure provides a wiping mechanism for a food processor, the food processor comprising a lid that is releasably attachable to a bowl, the wiping mechanism comprising: a first member extending through the lid into the bowl, the first member being rotatable about a vertical axis; a coupling attached to the first member to secure the first member to the lid, the coupling comprising a first projection and a second projection; a wiper comprising an attachment portion configured to connect to the coupling, the attachment portion comprising a first opening configured to engage with the first projection and a cut out configured to engage with the second projection, wherein engagement between the first projection and the first opening, and between the second projection and the cut out, locates the wiper in a locked position relative to the coupling; wherein the wiper is configured to wipe a sidewall of the bowl when the first member is rotated about the vertical axis.
[0007] The first projection may be a first hook and the second projection may be a second hook, each of the first hook and the second hook comprising a bottom edge and a horizontal upper surface.
[0008] The first opening may comprise a step at a periphery of the first opening, the step configured to engage with the horizontal upper surface of the first hook such that the first hook captures the periphery of the first opening.
[0009] The cut out may comprise a step at a periphery of the cut out, the step configured to engage with the horizontal upper surface of the second hook such that the second hook captures the periphery of the cut out.
[0010] The bottom edge of each of the first hook and the second hook may be rounded to facilitate installation of the wiper by allowing the attachment portion to slide over the first projection and the second projection into the locked position.
[0011] The attachment portion may comprise at least one magnet and the first member may comprise at least one corresponding magnet or ferrous insert, such that when the wiper is placed adjacent the coupling, the wiper is drawn into alignment with the coupling.
[0012] The wiper may be removable from the coupling by sliding the attachment portion radially outward until the first opening and the cut out disengage from the first projection and the second projection, respectively.
[0013] The coupling may be located below the lid such that the first member and the coupling sandwich the lid therebetween.
[0014] The first member may comprise: a reservoir configured to receive liquid; and at least one opening to fluidly connect the reservoir and the bowl when the lid is attached to the bowl.
[0015] The reservoir may comprise an interior surface that is angled to form a gradient that directs liquid toward the at least one opening.
[0016] The first member may comprise a gripping portion configured to be gripped by a human hand, the gripping portion being rotatable relative to the first member about another vertical axis.
[0017] The present disclosure provides a food processor comprising: a bowl having a sidewall; a lid releasably attachable to the bowl; and a wiping mechanism as described above.
[0018] The present disclosure provides a method of operating a food processor comprising a lid releasably attached to a bowl, the method comprising: installing a wiper onto a coupling by engaging a first opening of an attachment portion of the wiper with a first projection of the coupling, and engaging a cut out of the attachment portion with a second projection of the coupling, thereby locating the wiper in a locked position relative to the coupling; positioning the lid on the bowl; and rotating a first member connected to the coupling about a vertical axis to cause the wiper to wipe a sidewall of the bowl.
[0019] The method may further comprise removing the wiper from the coupling by sliding the attachment portion radially outward until the first opening and the cut out disengage from the first projection and the second projection, respectively.
[0020] The method may further comprise introducing liquid into a reservoir of the first member, wherein the liquid flows through at least one opening into the bowl.
[0021] The present disclosure provides a wiping mechanism for a food processor, the food processor comprising a lid that is releasably attachable to a bowl, the wiping mechanism comprising: a first member extending through the lid into the bowl, the first member to be rotated about a vertical axis; a coupling attached to the first member to secure the first memberto the lid; a wiper connected to the coupling to wipe a sidewall of the bowl when the first member is rotated.
[0022] The first member may be a crank arm.
[0023] The coupling may be attached to the first member by ultrasonic welding such that the first member and the coupling are rotatable together about the vertical axis with respect to the lid.
[0024] The coupling may be annular to allow at least a portion of the first member to be attached within the coupling.
[0025] The coupling may comprise a first projection and a second projection to locate the wiper in a locked position relative to the coupling.
[0026] The wiper may comprise an attachment portion to connect the wiper to the first projection and the second projection.
[0027] The attachment portion may comprise a first region configured for connection with the first projection, and a second region configured for connection with the second projection.
[0028] The first region may comprise a first opening, the first opening allowing the first projection to engage a periphery of the first opening.
[0029] The second region may comprise a cut out, the cut out allowing the second projection to engage a periphery of the cut out.
[0030] The wiper may comprise a wiper blade to wipe the sidewall of the bowl when the first member is rotated.
[0031] The attachment portion may comprise a magnet and the first member may comprise a ferrous insert, such that in use, when the wiper is placed adjacent the coupling, the wiper is brought into correct alignment with the coupling by the magnet.
[0032] The attachment portion may comprise a ferrous insert and the first member may comprise a magnet, such that in use, when the wiper is placed adjacent the coupling, the wiper is brought into correct alignment with the coupling by the magnet.
[0033] The attachment portion may comprise a magnet of a first polarity and the first member may comprise a magnet of a second polarity opposite to the first polarity, such that in use, when the wiper is placed adjacent the coupling, the wiper is brought into correct alignment with the coupling by the magnets.
[0034] When the attachment portion and the first member are adjacent one another, the magnet and the ferrous insert may be axially offset from each other such that there is a continuous force pulling the attachment portion and first member toward each other.
[0035] When the attachment portion and the first member are adjacent one another, the magnet of first polarity and the magnet of second polarity may be axially offset from each other such that there is a continuous force pulling the attachment portion and first member toward each other.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0036] For a more complete understanding of the present invention, exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail in the following description with reference to the accompanying drawing figures, in which like reference signs designate like parts and in which:
[0037] FIG 1 shows a perspective view of a food processor according to an embodiment.
[0038] FIG 2 shows an exploded view of the food processor shown in FIG 1.
[0039] FIG 3 shows a side view of the food processor shown in FIG 1 with section line A- A.
[0040] FIG 4 shows a front view of the food processor shown in FIG 1 with section line B-B.
[0041] FIG 5 shows a section view of the food processor shown in FIG 1 taken along the line A-A.
[0042] FIG 6 shows an enlarged view of the first member, coupling and wiper seen in FIG 5.
[0043] FIG 7 shows a section view of the food processor shown in FIG 1 taken along the line B-B.
[0044] FIG 8 shows an exploded perspective view of a lid of the food processor shown in FIG 1.
[0045] FIG 9 shows another exploded perspective view of a lid of the food processor shown in FIG 1.
[0046] FIG 10 shows a perspective view of the food processor lid with a wiper of a wiping mechanism partially installed.DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0047] FIGs 1 to 10 show a food processor 10 that comprises a lid 20 and a bowl 30. The lid 20 is releasably attachable to the bowl 30 by being screwed onto the bowl 30 or via clips (not shown) or by means known to those skilled in the art. The food processor 10 also comprises a wiping mechanism 100 which will be described in more detail below with reference to the section views in FIG 5 to FIG 7 as well as the exploded views in FIG 8 and FIG 9.
[0048] The wiping mechanism 100 comprises a first member 110 extending through the lid 20 into the bowl 30. The first member 110 may extend through a lid opening 22. The first member 110 is rotatable about a vertical axis 12. The first member 110 may comprise a gripping portion 120 that is rotatable about another vertical axis 125 and provides a grip for a human hand. The another vertical axis 125 may be parallel to the vertical axis 12 and the axes may be separated by a moment arm. The gripping portion 120 may be connected to the first member by any suitable fastener that allows the gripping portion 120 to rotate with respect to the first member 110, for example, a nut and bolt or press stud. The first member 110 may further comprise a reservoir 112 and one or more openings 114. The one or more openings 114 serve to fluidly connect the reservoir 112 to the bowl 30 so that liquid foodstuff can be introduced to the bowl 30 when the lid 20 is attached to the bowl. The first member 110 may be said to be a crank arm rotatable about the vertical axis 12 to drive other components of the wiping mechanism 100.
[0049] The reservoir 112 may be shaped to facilitate the flow of liquid toward the one or more openings 114. In some aspects, the reservoir 112 may include an interior surface that is angled or tapered to form a gradient that directs liquid toward the one or more openings 114 under the influence of gravity. The gradient may be configured such that liquid introduced into the reservoir 112 flows naturally toward the one or more openings 114 without requiring the user to tilt or manipulate the lid 20. In some cases, the interior surface of the reservoir 112 may be funnel-shaped or conical, with the one or more openings 114 positioned at or near the lowest point of the reservoir 112. The one or more openings 114 may be sized to control the flow rate of liquid into the bowl 30, thereby allowing the user to introduce liquid gradually during food processing operations. In some aspects, the one or more openings 114 may be positioned radially outward from the vertical axis 12 such that liquid exits the reservoir 112 away from the center of the bowl 30, which may promote distribution of the liquid across the foodstuff being processed. The reservoir 112 may also include a lip or rim surrounding an upper opening of the reservoir 112 to prevent spillage when liquid is poured into the reservoir 112.
[0050] The first member 110 may include a first step 116 and a second step 118. The first step 116 may wrap around a cylindrical portion of the first member 110 and serves to rest on or abut against the lid 20. In particular, the first step 116 may rest on an outside portion of the lid. The second step 118 may also wrap around a cylindrical portion of the first member 110 and serves to attach the first member 110 to a coupling 130.
[0051] The coupling 130 may be generally annular in shape to allow at least a portion of the first member 110 to be attached within the coupling 130. The coupling 130 may comprise a corresponding step 132 to attach to the step 118. In the embodiment shown, it is envisaged that the first member 110 and the coupling 130 are attached to each other by ultrasonic welding at the step 118 and the corresponding step 132. However, other methods of attaching the first member 110 and the coupling 130 may be used, such as an adhesive, in-mold clips and fasteners, for example. Depending on the method of attachment, the first member 110 and the coupling 130 may be permanently attached to each other and thereby permanently attached to the lid 20. Thus, the first member 110 and the coupling 130 may be rotatable together about the axis 12, as one unit, with respect to the lid 20. As the coupling 130 may be located below the lid 20, it may be said that the first member 110 and coupling 130 sandwich the lid 20 between each other.
[0052] The coupling 130 may also include a first projection 134 and a second projection 136. The first projection 134 and the second projection 136 may be in the form of a first hook and a second hook, each of the first and second hooks comprising a rounded bottom edge 137 and a horizontal upper surface 139. The first projection 134 and the second projection 136 may each be about 3mm in length. It is envisaged that longer (or shorter) projections may be used, depending on spatial requirements. The first projection 134 and the second projection 136 may allow a wiper 140 to connect to the coupling 130. The wiper 140 serves to wipe a sidewall 32 of the bowl 30 when the first member 110 is rotated about the vertical axis 12.
[0053] The wiper 140 may be generally L-shaped and include a wiper blade 142 that is generally perpendicular to an attachment portion 144. The attachment portion 144 serves to connect the wiper 140 to the coupling 130 so that the wiper 140 can be rotated by the first member 110 when the first member 110 is rotated about the vertical axis 12. The attachment portion 144 may include a first region or opening 146 that engages with the first projection or hook 134. The attachment portion may also include a second region or cut out 148 that engages with the second projection or hook 136. Each of the opening 146 and the cut out 148 may include, at a periphery of the respective opening 146 and cut out 148, a step 149 to engage with the horizontal upper surface 139 of the first hook 134 and the second hook 136.
[0054] The first projection 134 and the second projection 136 may be circumferentially spaced apart on the coupling 130. In some aspects, the first projection 134 and the second projection 136 may be positioned on opposite sides of the coupling 130, or may be positioned at an angle relative to one another, such as approximately 90 degrees apart. This circumferential spacing may provide stability to the wiper 140 when connected to the coupling 130 by resisting rotational forces during wiping operations. The first projection 134 and the second projection 136 may extend radially outward from the coupling 130, or may extend in a direction having both radial and axial components. In some cases, the projections 134, 136 may be integrally formed with the coupling 130, such as by injection molding, or may be separately formed and attached to the coupling 130.
[0055] The first opening 146 may be a closed aperture, such as a circular or oval hole, through which the first projection 134 passes during installation of the wiper 140. The cut out 148 may be an open-sided slot or notch that receives the second projection 136 from a radially outward direction. This arrangement of a closed first opening 146 and an open-sided cut out 148 mayfacilitate installation of the wiper 140 by allowing the user to first engage the first projection 134 with the first opening 146, and then pivot or slide the attachment portion 144 to engage the second projection 136 with the cut out 148. In some aspects, the cut out 148 may have a width that is slightly larger than the width of the second projection 136 to allow the second projection 136 to enter the cut out 148 with minimal resistance, while the step 149 at the periphery of the cut out 148 captures the second projection 136 to prevent axial disengagement.
[0056] The engagement between the first projection 134 and the first opening 146, and between the second projection 136 and the cut out 148, may serve to locate the wiper 140 in a locked position relative to the coupling 130. In the locked position, the wiper 140 may be secured against movement in both axial and radial directions. The step 149 at the periphery of the first opening 146 may engage with the horizontal upper surface 139 of the first projection 134 such that the first projection 134 captures the periphery of the first opening 146. Similarly, the step 149 at the periphery of the cut out 148 may engage with the horizontal upper surface 139 of the second projection 136 such that the second projection 136 captures the periphery of the cut out 148. This engagement may prevent the attachment portion 144 from moving axially away from the coupling 130 during use. The rounded bottom edge 137 of each projection 134, 136 may facilitate installation of the wiper 140 by allowing the attachment portion 144 to slide over the projections 134, 136 and into the locked position. In some aspects, the wiper 140 may be unlocked from the coupling 130 by sliding the attachment portion 144 radially outward until the first opening 146 and the cut out 148 disengage from the respective projections 134, 136.
[0057] The pairs of magnets 150, 152 may be configured with opposite polarities to create an attractive force between the first member 110 and the attachment portion 144. In some aspects, the magnet in the first member 110 may have a first polarity and the magnet in the attachment portion 144 may have a second polarity opposite to the first polarity. This opposite polarity arrangement causes the magnets to attract one another when the wiper 140 is brought into proximity with the coupling 130, thereby drawing the wiper 140 into correct alignment with the coupling 130. In some cases, the strength of the magnets may be selected to provide sufficient attractive force to hold the wiper 140 in position during operation while still allowing the user to remove the wiper 140 by sliding it radially outward.
[0058] A magnetic arrangement is shown most clearly in FIG 7, where there is at least one pair of magnets 150, 152. In the embodiment shown, there are two pairs of magnets 150, 152. Thepairs of magnets 150, 152 are positioned in the first member 110 and the wiper 140. The pairs of magnets 150, 152 serve to locate and lock the wiper in the correct position on the coupling. The embodiment shown in FIG 7 may also be interpreted as having a magnet 150 and a ferrous insert 152 located in the first member 110 and the attachment portion 144, respectively. In this way, the ferrous insert 152 would be attracted toward the magnet 150 when the attachment portion 144 is brought into proximity with the first member 110. The positions of the ferrous insert 152 and the magnet 150 may of course be switched such that the ferrous insert 152 is located in the first member 110, rather than the attachment portion 144. In any one of the example described here, the pair of magnets or the magnet and ferrous insert arrangement are axially offset from each other so as to provide a constant pull force between the attachment portion 144 and the first member 110.
[0059] The attachment potion 144 may include an aperture 155 and the first member 110 may include an ingress 156, each of which being aligned with the vertical axis 12. This allows for a spindle / cutter (not shown) to be located.
[0060] Use of the wiping mechanism 100 will now be described.
[0061] With reference to FIG 10, a user may disengage the wiper 140 from the coupling 130 by sliding the wiper 140 radially away from the center of the lid 20, so that the attachment portion 144 disengages from the first projection 134 and the second projection 136. The wiper 140 may then be tilted away from the underside of the lid 20 to thereby remove the wiper 140 from the projections 134, 136. Installation of the wiper 140 may be done in reverse, however the magnetic arrangement described above assists the user in locating the wiper 140 on the coupling 130. The user may position the attachment portion 144 of the wiper 140 near the coupling 130. When positioned close enough to each other, the wiper 140 is magnetically drawn toward the coupling 130 to an engaged position where the first projection 134 engages the first opening 146 and the second projection 136 engages the cut out 148. In the engaged position the wiper 140 is held in position by the coupling 130. In this position, the center of the coupling 130 and the attachment portion 144 may be aligned with the vertical axis 12. The user may then position the lid 20 on the bowl 30, to then process foodstuff in the bowl 30. If foodstuff becomes stuck to the sidewall 32, the user may actuate the wiping mechanism 100 by rotating the first member 110 by the swivelable gripping portion 120. The gripping portion 120 will rotate about axis 125 as the first member is rotated about the axis 12. In turn, the wiper 140 will be rotated about the axis12 with the wiper blade 142 wiping the sidewall 32, pushing any foodstuff stuck to the sidewall 32 toward the vertical axis 12. This action may be done whilst the processor 10 is active and chopping foodstuff. As described above, the wiper 140 may be removed from the lid 20 by sliding the wiper 140 radially away from the center of the lid 20 to disengage the wiper 140 from the coupling 120.
[0062] Various forms of the wiping mechanism 100 described above may have one or more of the following advantages.
[0063] While the food processor is operating and cutting foodstuff, the wiping mechanism may be actuated to push foodstuff stuck to the sidewall toward the middle of the bowl without having to remove the lid and use a tool to redistribute the foodstuff for further chopping.
[0064] The first member and the coupling may be permanently attached to each other, meaning less maintenance for users as they only need to remove the wiper form the lid for wiping.
[0065] The magnet and hook arrangement enable easy and accurate positioning and installation of the wiper with respect to the lid.
[0066] The magnet and hook arrangement enable easy and quick removal of the wiper for wiping.
[0067] Although specific embodiments are illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a variety of alternative and / or equivalent implementations exist. It should be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are examples only and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration in any way. Rather, the foregoing summary and detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing at least one exemplary embodiment, it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope as set forth in the appended claims and their legal equivalents. Generally, this application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific embodiments discussed herein.
[0068] It will also be appreciated that in this document the terms “comprise”, “comprising”, “include”, “including”, “contain”, “containing”, “have”, “having”, and any variations thereof,are intended to be understood in an inclusive (i.e. non-exclusive) sense, such that the process, method, device, apparatus or system described herein is not limited to those features or parts or elements or steps recited but may include other elements, features, parts or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Furthermore, the terms “a” and “an” used herein are intended to be understood as meaning one or more unless explicitly stated otherwise. Moreover, the terms “first”, “second”, etc. are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on or to establish a certain ranking of importance of their objects.Food processor 137 Bottom edge Vertical axis 139 Horizontal upper surface Lid 140 WiperBowl 142 Wiper blade Sidewall 144 Attachment portion Wiping mechanism 146 First region / First opening First member 148 Second region / Cut out Reservoir 149 StepOne or more openings 150 Pair of magnets First step 152 Second pair of magnets Second step 155 ApertureGripping portion 156 Locating ingress Another vertical axisCouplingCorresponding stepFirst projection / First HookSecond projection / Second Hook
Claims
CLAIMS1. A wiping mechanism for a food processor, the food processor comprising a lid that is releasably attachable to a bowl, the wiping mechanism comprising:a first member extending through the lid into the bowl, the first member being rotatable about a vertical axis;a coupling attached to the first member to secure the first member to the lid, the coupling comprising a first projection and a second projection;a wiper comprising an attachment portion configured to connect to the coupling, the attachment portion comprising a first opening configured to engage with the first projection and a cut out configured to engage with the second projection, wherein engagement between the first projection and the first opening, and between the second projection and the cut out, locates the wiper in a locked position relative to the coupling;wherein the wiper is configured to wipe a sidewall of the bowl when the first member is rotated about the vertical axis.
2. The wiping mechanism of claim 1, wherein the first projection is a first hook and the second projection is a second hook, each of the first hook and the second hook comprising a bottom edge and a horizontal upper surface.
3. The wiping mechanism of claim 2, wherein the first opening comprises a step at a periphery of the first opening, the step configured to engage with the horizontal upper surface of the first hook such that the first hook captures the periphery of the first opening.
4. The wiping mechanism of claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the cut out comprises a step at a periphery of the cut out, the step configured to engage with the horizontal upper surface of the second hook such that the second hook captures the periphery of the cut out.
5. The wiping mechanism of any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the bottom edge of each of the first hook and the second hook is rounded to facilitate installation of the wiper by allowing the attachment portion to slide over the first projection and the second projection into the locked position.
6. The wiping mechanism of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the attachment portion comprisesat least one magnet and the first member comprises at least one corresponding magnet or ferrous insert, such that when the wiper is placed adjacent the coupling, the wiper is drawn into alignment with the coupling.
7. The wiping mechanism of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the wiper is removable from the coupling by sliding the attachment portion radially outward until the first opening and the cut out disengage from the first projection and the second projection, respectively.
8. The wiping mechanism of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the coupling is located below the lid such that the first member and the coupling sandwich the lid therebetween.
9. The wiping mechanism of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first member comprises: a reservoir configured to receive liquid; andat least one opening to fluidly connect the reservoir and the bowl when the lid is attached to the bowl.
10. The wiping mechanism of claim 9, wherein the reservoir comprises an interior surface that is angled to form a gradient that directs liquid toward the at least one opening.
11. The wiping mechanism of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the first member comprises a gripping portion configured to be gripped by a human hand, the gripping portion being rotatable relative to the first member about another vertical axis.
12. A food processor comprising:a bowl having a sidewall;a lid releasably attachable to the bowl; anda wiping mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 11.
13. A method of operating a food processor comprising a lid releasably attached to a bowl, the method comprising:installing a wiper onto a coupling by engaging a first opening of an attachment portion of the wiper with a first projection of the coupling, and engaging a cut out of the attachment portion with a second projection of the coupling, thereby locating the wiper in a locked positionrelative to the coupling;positioning the lid on the bowl; androtating a first member connected to the coupling about a vertical axis to cause the wiper to wipe a sidewall of the bowl.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising removing the wiper from the coupling by sliding the attachment portion radially outward until the first opening and the cut out disengage from the first projection and the second projection, respectively.
15. The method of claim 13 or claim 14, further comprising introducing liquid into a reservoir of the first member, wherein the liquid flows through at least one opening into the bowl.Breville Pty LimitedPatent Attorneys for the Applicant / Nominated PersonGLMR