HK1022083B - Dipping mixer - Google Patents

Description

The present invention is intended for use in a portable electromechanical device or a submersible mixer intended primarily, but not exclusively, for the preparation of food.

One such apparatus is known as the BE-A-629800 document and comprises a crankcase, the crankcase including an electric motor driving in a rotation a first end of a shaft contained in a fixed tube fixed to the crankcase by a first end, a tool being connected in a rotation to the second end of the shaft by an axle, a removable tip being mounted on a second end of the tube, the axle passing through the tip and being removably connected to the shaft.

The problem with this type of apparatus is essentially a hygiene problem. In fact, given the presence of an electric motor, it is not possible to clean it properly, in particular with the help of a washing machine, and in particular it is not possible to sterilize the front part of the apparatus which is brought into contact with successive preparations which are generally different. The high-speed rotating apparatus, however, plays the role of an upward suction pump.

The purpose of the present invention is to overcome this disadvantage and to enable the production of a submersible mixer which can be used in the public catering industry and which has the necessary hygienic qualities.

The objectives are achieved by a mixer dipping according to independent claims 1 and 7.

This allows the tip to be removed for thorough cleaning or even sterilization, and not only the tip but also the tool itself can be removed for further cleaning or maintenance, particularly of the bearing behind the tool.

Other preferential characteristics are described in the dependent claims.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will be shown in the following description of particular embodiments, given only as non-limiting examples, in relation to figures representing: Figure 1 a perspective view of a mixer according to the invention;Figure 2 a cut-out view through a vertical plane of the lower part of the tube and the tip in the working position;Figure 3 a split-out view of the upper part of the tube;Figure 4 a split-out view of the lower part of the mixer;Figure 5 a view of the cooling air circulation inside the engine hood;Figure 6 a view of a variant mounting of the tool inside the tip;Figure 7 a cut-out view of the bottom of a removable thermal bridge submersible mixer.

In Figure 1, the mixer is shown to have a bottom-up removable nozzle 1 attached to a tube or sleeve 2. Tube 2 is solidary to the carter 3 and includes an electric motor (not shown) as well as electrical connection means to a power source including a thermal fuse and a voltage-deficit board. At the top of the carter 3 is a handle 4 which may include a motor operating control switch.

A first method of implementation is shown in Figures 2.3 and 4.

Figure 2 shows the front part of the mixer comprising the front end of tube 2 inside which a drive shaft 5 extends, the upper end (not shown) of which is mechanically connected to the engine output shaft. Of course, shaft 5 is an elongated shaft of sufficient length to remove the crankcase 3 from the tool, which is intended for working in fluid preparations, in particular, usually at relatively high temperatures.

A piece 7 connecting to the removable tip 1 is mounted on the lower end of the tube 2. The front of piece 7 (the right part on the figure) has a 7a assembly part with a piece 8a whose inner face 8a corresponds to the surface 7a which, in the example shown, is conical. The 8 has at its top 21 ergots, of which only one appears on the figure, which can fit into a groove 22 of piece 7 for a bayonet closure. A static joint 23 is arranged between pieces 7 and 8. On piece 8 a solid metal guard 9 in the shape of a bell is arranged which prevents tool 13 from touching the bottom or the walls of the work vessel and allows the tool to reflect the material treated against its walls.

In the axial part, an extension 6 is distinguished from the lower part of the shaft 5 and extends it.The extension 6 is inserted through its front part into a drive part screwed on the extension 6 and forms a drive cage 11 surrounding a drive hub 17.

In Figure 3 the drive shaft 5 and the extension shaft 6 are shown from right to left, a ball bearing 30 and a ring 30a, tube 2 having at its top a watertight 2a flask mounted on the engine crankcase 3.

Similarly, in Figure 4 the drive hub 17, the cylindrical bearing 16, e.g. in graphite, the sleeve 8 ending in bell 9, a low friction sealing part 15 and a supporting part 14 are shown from top to bottom, after an elastic blowing device has been fitted.

These elements are assembled in Figure 2. Inside the drive cage 11 is mounted, via hub 17, the 12a end of the reduced diameter of axis 12 whose second end carries the tool 13. which, in the example shown, has three blades.

The drive hub 17 is bolted to the rear of the axle 12 and is surrounded by the drive cage 11 bolted to the tip 6. This rotating tip is itself protected from liquid updrafts by the lip joint 18 and it rotates in ball bearing 30.

When turning in the preparation of food, the tool 13 exerts a centrifugal pumping effect which tends to suck the liquid into the tube 2 with the disadvantages noted above. In the apparatus of the invention this problem is solved by the presence of means of increasing the sealing capacity on the one hand and by the presence of a decompression chamber 19 of appropriate volume on the other hand formed inside the tip around the drive organs of the tool.

The sealing is improved by allowing a slight axial swing of the tool which, as has been said, presses when rotating on the blowpipe 14. To this end, and as shown at the top of Figure 4, the drive hub 17 has ribs 17a while the cage 11 has protruding internal parts 11a (Fig. 3). The protrusions 11a which come on the ribs 17a move on a cam surface 17b of the hub 17 in such a way as to draw the axis 12 and the tool towards stroke 6, which produces the desired compression of the extender joint to the blowpipe 14 as soon as the engine is started.

Figure 3 shows the elements described above, in particular tip 7, which has a groove 22 with a bayonet closure.

The lower part of Figure 3 shows clearly that the tool mounted inside the tip 1 can be easily dismantled by rotating the tool axis 12 which clears the protrusions 11a from the surface of cam 17b and then by rotating the sleeve 8 so that the sleeve's bolts 21 arrive in front of the grooves 22

The tool is dismantled very quickly by turning the tip of the tool by a quarter of a turn, which releases teeth 21 from groove 22. after which a pull is made on tip 1 which dissolves piece 11 from piece 17 and releases piece 8 from cone 7a.

Figure 5 shows the upper part of the mixer. As previously stated, it is desirable that it meet the airtightness requirements as high as possible. That is, the cartridge 3 must be perfectly sealed at its lower part to prevent any projections into the engine. However, projections exist due to the rotational motion of the tool.

Figure 6 shows a variant of the mounting of the tool and the removable tip just described. In this embodiment, the drive cage 10 is trapped in the bell tip 9 via the collar 29 with a joint that gives it two degrees of freedom, respectively axially and transversely. The jointed hub 28 of the drive shaft 6 ends in its front part (right of Figure 5), by a center cone 24 of the drive cage 10. A lip joint 25 is mounted between the drive cage 10 and the lower surface of the tip 1.The hub and cage have a ramp system which allows the drive cage 11 to be pulled against hub 28 in such a way as to crush the lip joint 25 and thus ensure a first seal. A second seal is obtained by the gasket 26 which turns when the tool is driven against the face of a piece 27, for example ceramic. The drive shaft 6 rotates inside the tip via two ball bearings 30. It is solidarized from the drive shaft as before. This solution allows, after using the device, to disassemble the tip and the tool for cleaning purposes.

The removable tip 8, mechanically connected to tube 2 and including means of transmitting movement, allows the metal parts to be lined up in such a way as to present a surface free of food holding areas.

In Figure 7, axis 12 of the tool rotates in a cylindrical bearing 16. One end of axis 12 carries the tool 13, which in the example shown is a three-bladed knife. The second end 12a of axis 12 is mounted inside the drive cage 11 via a drive hub 17. A seal is provided, starting from tool 13, by the blowtorch 14, for example neoprene, one side of which rests on a surface of the part 15 with a low coefficient of friction, which is, for example, graphite.

During operation, the rotation of axis 12 in bearing 16 causes a temperature rise which cannot be dissipated when bearing 16 is immersed in plastic and thus isolated from bell 9.

According to the invention, a heat-conducting ring 39 is inserted between bearing 16 and bell 9 e.g. of stainless steel, of general trunk shape, the outer surface 40 of which is in contact with the upper part 49 of bell 9 and the inner orifice 41 of which encloses bearing 16 for most of its length.

This ring 39 creates a thermal bridge between bearing 16 and bell 9 allowing heat dissipation to the outside of the device.

Claims (10)

1. Dipping mixer comprising a housing (3), housing (3) including an electric motor driving in rotation a first end of a shaft (5) included in a fixed tube (2) attached to housing (3) by a first end, an implement (13) being joined in rotation to the second end of shaft (5) via a spindle (12), a removable end-piece (1) being mounted on a second end of tube (2), spindle (12) passing through end-piece (1) and being connected removable fashion to shaft (5), characterized in that implement (13) and spindle (12) are mounted removable fashion in end-piece (1).
2. Mixer as in claim 1, characterized in that the motor shaft (5) includes an extension (6) driving a driver cage (11) integral with extension (6), cooperating with a driver hub (17) integral with spindle (12) of implement (13).
3. Mixer as in claim 2, characterized in that cage (11) includes inner projections (11a) inserting into hub (17) falling on cam surfaces (17b) to draw spindle (12) and the implement towards extension (6).
4. Mixer as in either of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that the extension (6) is mounted in rotation via a bearing (30) and sealed by a lip seal (18).
5. Mixer as in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that, at the exit of end-piece (1), and integral with spindle (12) of the implement, a rotary bellows seal is mounted (14) able to be crushed against a ring part (15) with low coefficient of friction fixed to the end-piece, followed by a decompression chamber (19) of appropriate volume.
6. Mixer as in any of the preceding claims, characterised in that a heat conducting ring (39) is mounted between a guide bearing (16) for spindle (12) and a bell guard (9).
7. Dipping mixer comprising a housing (3), housing (3) including an electric motor driving in rotation a first end of a shaft (5) included in a fixed tube (2) attached to housing (3) by a first end, an implement being connected in rotation removable fashion to the second end of shaft (5), an end-piece (1) being mounted removable fashion onto a second end of tube (2), end-piece (1) and the implement being removable, characterized in that the implement can be dismounted from the end-piece (1).
8. Mixer as in claim 7, characterized in that shaft (5) drives in rotation a driver cage (10) on which the implement is mounted, the driver cage (10) being trapped in the bell guard (9) via a collar (29) with clearance imparting two degrees of freedom respectively axially and transversally.
9. Mixer as in any of the preceding claims characterized in that housing (3) at its upper end is provided with air inlets (34) and outlets (38), the lower part of the housing (3) being sealed.
10. Dipping mixer as in any of the preceding claims characterized in that the lower part of tube (2) has an assembly part (7) surmounted by a groove (22) into which engage teeth (21) of connector part (8) of end-piece (1), a static seal being inserted between parts (7) and (8).