Tri-blade assembly for blender

1. A blender jug and base apparatus, the apparatus including:

a blender jug having a jug body with a through opening that retains a hub;

wherein the hub has a blade assembly and a drive shaft;

a blender base that drives the blade assembly;

wherein the blender base has a throat in which is formed a neck; the neck receives the hub;

a pair of Hall effect sensors are provided, each behind a side wall of the neck;

wherein the Hall effect sensors are located about 90 degrees apart with respect to the shaft; and

the hub carries a pair of magnets that are located at about 180 degrees from one another with reference to the shaft, for cooperating with a Hall effect sensors.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the magnets have poles that are oriented in a horizontal plane.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the neck is generally square, having four corners; and the at least one Hall effect sensor is located in each of two adjacent corners.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the magnets are located along a line that intersects opposite corners of the jug.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the magnets have poles that are oriented in a horizontal plane.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:

the jug body has a through opening for receiving a blade assembly;

the blade assembly having a bearing case within which is mounted bearings for supporting the shaft;

the bearing case has a flange at one end and having threads at an opposite end, the threads protruding from a lower surface of the hub;

the threads cooperating with a threaded nut that draws the flange into engagement with the jug;

the lower surface of the hub and the nut being capped by a cover through which protrudes the shaft; and

a lower end of the shaft having attached to it, a coupling.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the pair of magnets are retained beneath the cover.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein:

the cover has a first opening that receives an insert with a second opening through which the shaft passes;

the insert having a lower surface with a metallic covering; and

a seal interposed between the coupling and the covering, the covering acting as a contact surface for the seal.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the covering is at least partially embedded into the insert.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein a circumferential edge of the insert is stepped to cooperate with a second step formed in the first opening in the cover.

11. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the cover is retained onto the hub by vertically oriented fasteners.

12. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein a seal is interposed between the flange and an interior of the jug.

13. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the jug has a collar and an underside of the jug is free from ribs within the collar.

14. The apparatus according to claim 6 , the jug having a sweeper blade, wherein:

a hub area with a central flat region, from which hub area radiates three upwardly curved and tapered individual blades;

each individual blade having a straight leading edge and a swept trailing edge;

each individual blade having an upright blade tip; and

wherein a transition section between a leading edge and an adjacent trailing edge is smoothly curved.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the blade is carried on a shaft that passes through a bearing case.