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 an 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 sidewall comprises a substantially circular cross-section;
the sidewall further comprising a vertical bump therein, wherein the size of the bump is defined as the distance that the surface of the bump is indented from the imaginary circular radius of the sidewall;
wherein the minimum distance from the widest point of the blade path to the bump is about 25% to 55% of the size of the bump.
2. A blender jar as described in claim 1 , wherein the minimum distance from the widest point of the blade path to the bump is about 30% to 45% of the size of the bump.
3. A blender jar as described in claim 1 , wherein the sidewall further comprises a plurality of vertical bumps therein.
4. A blender jar as described in claim 3 , wherein the plurality of vertical bumps are equally proportioned.
5. A blender jar as described in claim 4 , wherein the sidewall comprises two bumps spaced about 120 degrees from each other around the circumference of the jar.
6. A blender jar as described in claim 1 , wherein the floor comprises an agitator that is closer to the blade than the remainder of the floor.
7. A blender jar as described in claim 6 , further comprising a first distance defined by the shortest possible line from the top of the agitator to the bottom of the blade; and
a second distance defined by the shortest possible line from the top of the floor to the bottom of the blade, the second distance being 0.1 inches to 0.45 inches greater than the first distance.