Personal blender
A food blending device including: a blending hub; a blending vessel that is removablly engagable to the hub; wherein the hub has a seal adapted to engage in an interior surface of the vessel and a clamping mechanism for engaging an exterior of a rim of the vessel.
1. A food blending device including:
a blending hub;
a blending vessel that is removably engagable to the hub;
wherein the hub has a seal adapted to engage in an interior surface of the vessel and a clamping mechanism for engaging an exterior of a rim of the vessel in a clamping configuration;
wherein the clamping mechanism includes a pair of opposing reciprocating jaws, and wherein the jaws move in unison and are driven toward or away from the vessel by a pair of threaded actuators.
2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the actuators are driven in unison by an interconnecting yoke.
3. The device according to claim 2 , wherein:
the jaws have interior thread features that cooperate with the actuators.
4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein:
in the clamping configuration, the vessel rim is compressed against the seal.
5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the vessel rim is smooth and lacks threads.
6. The device according to claim 3 , wherein:
the hub has mechanical features for removeably affixing the hub to a motorized base.
7. The device according to claim 3 , wherein:
the hub retains a rotating blade assembly having blending blades at one end and a driven coupling component at an opposite end.
8. The device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the hub has a concave shaped surface under the blades.
9. The device according to claim 8 , wherein:
the concave shaped surface is configured to minimize fluid pressure exerted on the seal.
10. The device according to claim 7 , wherein:
the driven coupling component is driven by a cooperating drive coupling located on a motorized base.
11. The device according to claim 10 , wherein:
the hub has mechanical features for removably affixing the hub to the motorized base.
12. The device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the hub has a driven coupling component that drives rotation of a blending blade such that, with the vessel clamped to the hub, the blade is located within a space enclosed by the vessel, and the driven coupling component can be externally driven.
13. The device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the device further includes a motorized base that supports the hub, the motorized base having a rotatable coupling that engages a cooperating coupling in the hub that drives rotation of a blending blade.