Kitchen appliance
A device is disclosed for peeling foodstuffs, the device comprising a rotatable disc having a first friction surface; and a second, preferably friction, surface encircling the first friction surface. Other embodiments are also disclosed.
1 . A kitchen appliance comprising a motor unit, and an attachment for the kitchen appliance, the attachment comprising:
a coupling to removably attach the attachment to the kitchen appliance, the coupling configured to transmit drive from the motor to the attachment,
a drive transmission mechanism comprising a gear box arranged to engage with the motor via the coupling, and to provide rotary drive to a drive outlet of the attachment,
a removably attachable tool connectable to the drive outlet, the tool having an elongated axle extending away from the attachment and carrying a food processing formation at a distal end thereof, whereby a proximal end of the axle of the tool can be detached from the attachment, and
an ejector actuable to detach the removably attachable tool from the attachment, wherein
the kitchen appliance further comprisesing a further ejector actuable to detach of the attachment from the kitchen appliance, wherein:
the further ejector is separate from the ejector for the removably attachable tool;
the further ejector is spaced apart from the ejector for the removably attachable tool; and
the direction of actuation of the further ejector is different from the direction of actuation of the ejector for the removably attachable tool, the arrangement being such that the further ejector is actuable to release the attachment from the motor unit, and the ejector is actuable subsequently to release the tool from the attachment.
2 . The attachment of claim 1 , wherein the reversibly attachable tool and the ejector for the reversibly attachable tool are provided on opposite faces of the attachment.
3 . The attachment of claim 1 , wherein the reversibly attachable tool is ejected along an ejection direction, and the ejector for the reversibly attachable tool comprises an ejection controller activated in an activation direction, the activation direction being parallel to the ejection direction.
4 . The attachment of claim 3 , wherein the activation direction is offset from the ejection direction.
5 . The attachment of claim 1 , wherein the ejector for the reversibly attachable tool further comprises an ejection pin for each component part of the tool, preferably wherein the ejector for the reversibly attachable tool comprises two ejection pins, more preferably wherein the tool comprises two component parts, optionally a first ejection pin having a different length than a second ejection pin.
6 . The attachment of claim 1 , wherein the ejector for the reversibly attachable tool further comprises a guiding formation parallel to the ejection direction, preferably wherein the guiding formation comprises ribs in a direction parallel to the ejection direction, even more preferably wherein the guiding formation is aligned with the activation direction.
7 . The attachment of claim 6 , wherein the guiding formation further comprises struts, preferably in a direction perpendicular to the ejection direction.
8 . The attachment of claim 1 , wherein the ejector for the reversibly attachable tool comprises an ejector button, and a biasing means configured to bias the ejector button against an ejection direction, preferably towards an upper position and/or away from a surface of the attachment.
9 . The attachment of claim 1 , wherein the ejector for the reversibly attachable tool comprises an ejector button, and a biasing means configured to bias the ejector button in the ejection direction, preferably towards a lower position from which the button is moved to an upper position when the reversibly attachable tool is attached to the attachment.
10 . The kitchen appliance of claim 1 , wherein the coupling comprises a formation configured to engage with a formation of the kitchen appliance to removably attach the attachment to the kitchen appliance.
11 . The kitchen appliance of claim 10 , wherein the coupling means comprises a bayonet and/or snap fit mechanism; and/or wherein the further ejector comprises a release button, preferably a pair of release buttons arranged to be squeezed together.
12 . A kitchen appliance comprising:
an elongated appliance body comprising a motor;
an attachment body comprising a coupling configured to removably attach the attachment body to the appliance body, and to transit drive from the kitchen appliance to the attachment, the attachment body comprising a gearbox and a drive outlet;
a tool having an elongated axle carrying a food processing formation at a distal end thereof, the tool attachable to the drive outlet and extending away from a lower surface of the attachment body;
a first ejector device configured to selectively detach the attachment body from the appliance body; and
a second ejector device configured to selectively detach a proximal end of the axle of the tool from the attachment body; wherein the first ejector device is spaced apart from the second ejector device and has a different direction of actuation configured such that the first ejector device is actuable to detach the attachment body before the second ejector device is actuated to detach the tool from the attachment body.
13 . The kitchen appliance of claim 12 wherein:
the appliance body has a distal annular end portion and the attachment body has a proximal annular end portion configured to removably attach the attachment body to the appliance body.
14 . The kitchen appliance of claim 12 wherein the first ejector device is located on the distal annular end portion of the appliance body or the proximal annular end portion of the attachment body; and where in the second ejector device has a button located on a surface of the attachment body.
15 . The kitchen appliance of claim 14 wherein the second ejector device includes a member radially inwardly extending for selectively engaging the tool, configured to disengage the tool from the attachment body when the button is pressed.