Variable Temperature Blender

Abstract

A variable temperature blender is disclosed for the cooking and preparation of heated sauces, jams, soups, purees, alternative milks, smoothies and more. A variable temperature blender has a lid assembly, a vessel assembly, and a base assembly. The vessel assembly has a blending vessel and a collar attached to a bottom portion of the blending vessel. The base assembly have a user interface, a motor, and a controller. A heating element positioned within the collar of the vessel assembly received an electronic signal from the controller via an electrical interface connecting the base assembly with the vessel assembly. The electronic signal activates or deactivates the heating element based on an operational mode of the variable temperature blender to heat a food item contained within the blending vessel.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A variable temperature blender comprising:
 a lid assembly;   a vessel assembly, the vessel assembly having a blending vessel and a collar attached to a bottom portion of the blending vessel;   a base assembly, the base assembly having a user interface, a motor, and a controller; and   a heating element positioned within the collar of the vessel assembly,   wherein the controller is configured to control (i) heating of the heating element via an electronic heating control signal transmitted from the controller to an electrical interface that electrically connects the base assembly with the vessel assembly, the electronic heating control signal activating or deactivating heating by the heating element based on parameters of an operational mode of the variable temperature blender to heat at least on food item contained within the blending vessel, and (ii) execution of the operational mode.   
     
     
         2 . The variable temperature blender of  claim 1 , wherein the electrical interface is a pin and socket electrical interface. 
     
     
         3 . The variable temperature blender of  claim 2 , wherein the electrical interface comprises a vessel assembly electrical interface and a base assembly electrical interface, the vessel assembly electrical interface comprising one of a pin electrical interface or a socket electrical interface, the base assembly electrical interface comprising the other of a pin electrical interface or a socket electrical interface, and attachment of the vessel assembly to the base assembly mates the vessel assembly electrical interface with the base assembly electrical interface to establish the pin and socket electrical interface. 
     
     
         4 . The variable temperature blender of  claim 1 , wherein the vessel assembly has a lid switch, the lid switch being in electrical communication with the electrical interface. 
     
     
         5 . The variable temperature blender of  claim 1 , wherein the vessel assembly has a temperature sensor, the temperature sensor being in electrical communication with the electrical interface. 
     
     
         6 . The variable temperature blender of  claim 5 , wherein the controller has a memory to store a plurality of pre-programmed modes of operation. 
     
     
         7 . The variable temperature blender of  claim 6 , wherein the operational mode is one of the plurality of pre-programmed modes of operation. 
     
     
         8 . The variable temperature blender of  claim 7 , wherein one of the plurality of pre-programmed modes of operation is a mode for preparation of a heated sauce, and the operational mode is the mode for preparation of the heated sauce. 
     
     
         9 . The variable temperature blender of  claim 8 , further comprising a blade assembly, wherein the at least on food item comprises ingredients for a heated sauce, and the controller is configured to:
 control rotation of the blade assembly via the motor via transmission of an electronic motor control signal from the controller to the electrical interface;   activate heating by the heating element to arrive at a first predetermined temperature for the mode of preparation of the heated sauce;   rotate the blade assembly to mix the ingredients for a first predetermined amount of time at a first predetermined rotation rate of the blade assembly;   receive a first temperature sensor reading from the temperature sensor, the first temperature sensor reading including first data representative of a first detected temperature;   make a first determination of whether the first detected temperature is below the first predetermined temperature and activate heating by the heating element if the result of the first determination is that the first detected temperature is below the first predetermined temperature;   when the result of the first determination is that the first detected temperature equals the first predetermined temperature, turn off the blade assembly and deactivate the heating by the heating element for a first predetermined amount of off-time;   activate heating by the heating element to arrive at a second predetermined temperature for the mode of preparation of the heated sauce;   rotate the blade assembly to mix the ingredients for a second predetermined amount of time at a second predetermined rotation rate of the blade assembly;   receive a second temperature sensor reading from the temperature sensor, the second temperature sensor reading including second data representative of a second detected temperature;   make a second determination of whether the second detected temperature is below the second predetermined temperature and activate heating by the heating element if the result of the second determination is that the second detected temperature is below the second predetermined temperature;   when the result of the second determining is that the second detected temperature is greater than or equal to the second predetermined temperature, turn off the blade assembly and deactivate the heating by the heating element; and   provide, via the user interface, an indication that the mode of preparation of the heated sauce has completed.   
     
     
         10 . The variable temperature blender of  claim 7 , wherein one of the plurality of pre-programmed modes of operation is a mode for preparation of a jam sauce, and the operational mode is the mode for preparation of the jam sauce. 
     
     
         11 . The variable temperature blender of  claim 10 , further comprising a blade assembly, wherein the at least on food item comprises ingredients for a jam sauce, and the controller is configured to:
 control rotation of the blade assembly via the motor via transmission of an electronic motor control signal from the controller to the electrical interface   activate heating by the heating element to arrive at a first predetermined temperature for the mode of preparation of the jam sauce;   rotate the blade assembly to mix the ingredients for a first predetermined amount of time at a first predetermined rotation rate of the blade assembly;   receive a first temperature sensor reading from the temperature sensor, the first temperature sensor reading including first data representative of a first detected temperature;   make a first determination of whether the first detected temperature is below the first predetermined temperature and activate heating by the heating element if the result of the first determination is that the first detected temperature is below the first predetermined temperature;   when the result of the first determination is that the first detected temperature is equal to the first predetermined temperature, turn off the blade assembly and deactivate the heating by the heating element for a first predetermined amount of off-time;   rotate the blade assembly to mix the ingredients for a second predetermined amount of time at a second predetermined rotation rate of the blade assembly;   receive a second temperature sensor reading from the temperature sensor, the second temperature sensor reading including second data representative of a second detected temperature;   make a second determination of whether the second detected temperature is below the second predetermined temperature and activate heating by the heating element if the result of the second determination is that the second detected temperature is below the second predetermined temperature;   when the result of the second determining is that the second detected temperature is equal to the second predetermined temperature, turn off the blade assembly and deactivate the heating by the heating element; and   provide, via the user interface, an indication that the mode of preparation of the jam sauce has completed.   
     
     
         12 . The variable temperature blender of  claim 4 , wherein the lid assembly has a lid including a protrusion extending from the lid, the blending vessel has a handle, and the lid switch is within the handle. 
     
     
         13 . The variable temperature blender of  claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to (i) detect a status of the lid switch, and (ii) enable or disable the execution of the operational mode based on the detected status of the lid switch. 
     
     
         14 . The variable temperature blender of  claim 13 , wherein when the lid is attached to the blending vessel in a locked position, the protrusion engages the lid switch, and the status of the lid switch is an engaged status which, when detected by the controller, permits the execution of the operational mode by the controller. 
     
     
         15 . The variable temperature blender of  claim 13 , wherein when the lid is not attached to the blending vessel in a locked position, the protrusion does not engage the lid switch, and the status of the lid switch is a disengaged status which, when detected by the controller, does not permit the execution of the operational mode by the controller. 
     
     
         16 . A method to create a food item with a variable temperature blender, the method comprising:
 placing at least one food item into a blending vessel of the variable temperature blender;   selecting a pre-programmed mode of operation from a plurality of pre-programmed modes of operation via a user interface of the variable temperature blender;   activating rotation of a blade assembly to blend the at least one food item;   activating heating by a heating element to heat the at least one food item;   receiving a first temperature sensor reading from a temperature sensor of the variable temperature blender;   determining whether the received first temperature sensor reading is at or below a predetermined temperature reading for the pre-programmed mode of operation;   activating the heating element when a result of the determination is that the first temperature sensor reading is below the predetermined temperature reading for the pre-programmed mode of operation;   receiving a second temperature sensor reading from the temperature sensor of the variable temperature blender; and   deactivating heating by the heating element if the received second temperature sensor reading is at or above the predetermined temperature reading for the pre-programmed mode of operation.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the pre-programmed mode of operation is a mode of preparation of a heated sauce, the activating the heating by the heating element to heat the at least one food item comprises activating the heating by the heating element to arrive at a predetermined heated sauce temperature, the at least one food item comprises ingredients of the heated sauce, and the activating the rotation of the blade assembly to blend the at least one food item comprises rotating the blade assembly to mix the heated sauce ingredients for a predetermined amount of time at a predetermined rotation rate of the blade assembly. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the pre-programmed mode of operation is a mode of preparation of a jam sauce, the activating the heating by the heating element to heat the at least one food item comprises activating the heating by the heating element to arrive at a predetermined jam sauce temperature, the at least one food item comprise ingredients of the jam sauce, and the activating the blade assembly to blend the at least one food item comprises rotating the blade assembly to mix the jam sauce ingredients for a predetermined amount of time at a predetermined rotation rate of the blade assembly. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the selecting the pre-programmed mode of operation from a plurality of pre-programmed modes of operation via the user interface comprises a user operating a control dial of the variable temperature blender. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising providing, via the user interface, an indication of a status of the pre-programmed mode of preparation.