US3612969A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Automatic blender
Assignee: John Oster Manufacturing Co
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Filing: 1969-06-30
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Granted: 1971-10-12
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Expires: 1989-06-30
Abstract
Abstract An automatic blender than can be programmed to perform a variety of tasks with perforated recipe cards is provided. The card bearing the desired recipe is inserted between a printed circuit control board and an assembly of spring brushes so that the perforations allow only selected brushes to make electrical contact with the printed circuit board. The blender START pushbutton and power switch are also actuated by the recipe card, so the blender has no external controls.
Inventors
- 👤 James B Cockroft
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 23:41
CPC Classifications
G; G05; G05B; G05B19/00; G05B19/02; G05B19/04; G05B19/12; G05B19/14; H; H02; H02P; H02P7/00; H02P7/06; H02P7/18; H02P7/24; H02P7/28; H02P7/285; H02P7/292; H02P7/295; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S388/00; Y10S388/935; Y10S388/936
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
126 words
A programmable blender comprising: a blender including a motor; a source of electrical power; control circuitry means connecting said source of electrical power to said motor for regulating both the speed and the time of energization of said motor; a plurality of switches within said control circuitry each including two separable contacts and oriented so that the contacts lie on opposite sides of a plane when separated; a plurality of planar elements bearing perforations positioned to correspond to the locations of selected switches within said plane; and means for positioning a planar element within said plane so as to separate the contacts of all but the selected switches said selected switches causing said motor to operate at a predetermined speed with a predetermined time of energization.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
126 words
A programmable blender comprising: a blender including a motor; a source of electrical power; control circuitry means connecting said source of electrical power to said motor for regulating both the speed and the time of energization of said motor; a plurality of switches within said control circuitry each including two separable contacts and oriented so that the contacts lie on opposite sides of a plane when separated; a plurality of planar elements bearing perforations positioned to correspond to the locations of selected switches within said plane; and means for positioning a planar element within said plane so as to separate the contacts of all but the selected switches said selected switches causing said motor to operate at a predetermined speed with a predetermined time of energization.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
A programmable blender in accordance with claim 1 wherein the switches each comprise a spring brush contact positioned adjacent a surface contact.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
A programmable blender in accordance with claim 2 wherein the surface contacts are clad sections of a planar-printed circuit board positioned parallel to and adjacent said plane.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
A programmable blender in accordance with claim 2 wherein the spring brush contacts comprise a plurality of spring-temper phosphor-bronze spring wires anchored in a metal base.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
A programmable blender in accordance with claim 1 wherein the planar elements are recipe cards bearing recipes for dishes which may be prepared with the assistance of the blender.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
40 words
A programmable blender in accordance with claim 1 wherein the planar elements contain knockouts positioned to correspond to the location of each switch within the plane, said knockoUts being easily removable to leave perforations adjacent switches which may be selected.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
61 words
A programmable blender in accordance with claim 1 and further including a power switch connected between said source of electrical power and said control circuitry, said power switch being normally open, and said power switch being arranged to close whenever a planar element is properly positioned within said plane so as to separate the contacts of all but the selected switches.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
50 words
A programmable blender in accordance with claim 7 wherein the power switch comprises a spring knife section positioned adjacent said plane, and a surface contact section positioned so that the spring knife section is forced against the surface contact section whenever a planar element is properly positioned within said plane.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
A programmable blender in accordance with claim 8 wherein the surface contact section is a clad section of a printed circuit board.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
40 words
A programmable blender in accordance with claim 1 wherein the control circuitry includes a start switch, and also timing means disconnecting said source of electrical power from said motor at a predetermined time interval after the start switch is actuated.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
39 words
A programmable blender in accordance with claim 10 wherein the start switch is positioned in said plane so that it is actuated by an edge of a planar element whenever a planar element is positioned properly within said plane.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
75 words
A programmable blender in accordance with claim 11 wherein the start switch comprises a switch blade that is rigidly fixed at one end and has a portion positioned so as to be shifted by an edge of a planar element whenever a planar element is placed into position within said plane, and a fixed contact that is positioned to make electrical contact with said switch blade when the blade is shifted by a planar element.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
94 words
A programmable blender comprising: a blender including a motor; a source of electrical power; control circuitry means connecting said source of electrical power to said motor for regulating both the speed and the time of energization of said motor, and having a plurality of control signal inputs; a plurality of planar elements bearing machine-readable indicia; insertion means for feeding one of said planar elements into the blender; and translation means within the blender for converting the machine-readable indicia into electrical signals, and signals being fed into the control signal inputs of the control circuitry.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
94 words
A programmable blender comprising: a blender including a motor; a source of electrical power; control circuitry means connecting said source of electrical power to said motor for regulating both the speed and the time of energization of said motor, and having a plurality of control signal inputs; a plurality of planar elements bearing machine-readable indicia; insertion means for feeding one of said planar elements into the blender; and translation means within the blender for converting the machine-readable indicia into electrical signals, and signals being fed into the control signal inputs of the control circuitry.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
33 words
A programmable blender in accordance with claim 13 wherein the control circuitry includes means responsive to alteration of the control signals for varying the speed and the time of operation of the blender.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
53 words
A programmable blender in accordance with claim 14 that further includes energization means responsive to the presence of a planar element within the blender for energizing the control circuitry, and also starting means responsive to the insertion of a planar element into the blender for initiating a timed operation of the blender motor.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-10-11 | 1975-04-12 | 1975-10-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-10-11 | 1979-04-12 | 1979-10-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-10-11 | 1983-04-12 | 1983-10-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |