A blender jar defines a geometry to impart vertical movement to material being processed in the blender jar, and, alternatively or in combination, improves the horizontal movement to the blended material. By configuring one or more agitators on the floor of a jar, laminar flow or symmetric flow of material around the jar is disrupted. The material is forced in an upward direction in the jar and, therefore, into more frequent contact with the cutter blades rotating in the jar.
1. A blender jar for promoting three dimensional material flow, the jar comprising:
a floor and a sidewall connected to the floor and extending vertically upwardly from the floor to form a space inside the sidewall and above the floor where material is blended;
the floor comprises a central opening through which extends a drive shaft;
a cutter assembly attached to the drive shaft, the cutter assembly comprising a blade that rotates on the shaft inside the blender jar and above the floor, the rotation of the blade defining a blade path;
wherein the floor comprises an agitator that is closer to the blade path than the remainder of the floor; and
wherein the agitator is curved in a vertical direction relative to the horizontal plane of the blade path.
2. A blender jar as described in claim 1 , wherein the floor comprises a plurality of agitators.
3. A blender jar as described in claim 2 , wherein the agitators are symmetrically spaced around the circumference of the opening in the floor.
4. A blender jar as described in claim 2 , wherein the agitators are asymmetrically spaced around the circumference of the opening in the floor.
5. A blender jar as described in claim 2 , wherein the plurality of agitators comprise a plurality of sizes.
6. A blender jar as described in claim 1 , wherein the sidewall comprises a rib.
7. A blender jar as described in claim 1 , wherein the sidewall comprises a plurality of ribs.
8. A blender jar as described in claim 1 , wherein the sidewall comprises a bump.
9. A blender jar as described in claim 1 , wherein the sidewall comprises a plurality of bumps.
10. A blender jar for promoting three dimensional material flow, the jar comprising:
a floor and a sidewall connected to the floor and extending vertically upwardly from the floor to form a space inside the sidewall and above the floor where material is blended;
the floor comprises a central opening through which extends a drive shaft;
a cutter assembly attached to the drive shaft, the cutter assembly comprising a blade that rotates on the shaft inside the blender jar and above the floor, the rotation of the blade defining a blade path; and
wherein the floor comprises an agitator that is closer to the blade path than the remainder of the floor, and the side elevation cross-sectional agitator geometry is selected from the group consisting of hemispheric, sinusoidal, curved or a combination thereof.
11. A blender jar as described in claim 10 , wherein the floor comprises a plurality of agitators.
12. A blender jar as described in claim 11 , wherein the agitators are symmetrically spaced around the circumference of the opening in the floor.
13. A blender jar as described in claim 11 , wherein the agitators are asymmetrically spaced around the circumference of the opening in the floor.
14. A blender jar as described in claim 11 , wherein the plurality of agitators comprise a plurality of sizes.
15. A blender jar described in claim 10 , wherein the sidewall comprises a rib.
16. A blender jar described in claim 10 , wherein the sidewall comprises a plurality of ribs.
17. A blender jar a described in claim 10 , wherein the sidewall comprises a bump.
18. A blender jar described in claim 10 , wherein the sidewall comprises a plurality of bumps.