Immersion mixer with trigger manipulable from multiple grasping locations

Abstract

An immersion mixer includes: a housing; a drive motor residing within the housing; a shaft attached to the motor and configured to rotate relative to the housing; blades attached to and rotatable with the shaft; a handle attached to the housing, the handle including a first segment and a second segment attached to the first segment and to the housing; and a trigger attached to the handle and operatively associated with the motor. The trigger includes a first segment that is generally parallel with the first segment of the handle and a second segment that is generally parallel with the second segment of the handle. Engagement by a user of either the first segment of the trigger or the second segment of the trigger causes the drive motor to rotate the shaft and blades.

That which is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An immersion mixer, comprising:
 a housing;   a drive motor residing within the housing;   a shaft attached to the motor and configured to rotate relative to the housing;   blades attached to and rotatable with the shaft;   a handle attached to the housing, the handle including a first handle segment and a second handle segment attached to the first handle segment and to the housing;   a trigger attached to the handle and operatively associated with the motor;   wherein engagement by a user of the trigger causes the drive motor to rotate the shaft and blades; and   a drive speed dial mounted to the handle adjacent the trigger for rotation about an axis that is generally normal to the first and second handle segments, the drive speed dial operatively associated with the motor and configured such that rotation of the dial adjusts the rotational speed of the blades.   
     
     
         2 . The immersion mixer defined in  claim 1 , wherein the drive speed dial is positioned for manipulation with a user's thumb when the user grasps the first handle segment or the second handle segment. 
     
     
         3 . The immersion mixer defined in  claim 2 , wherein the first handle segment is a generally horizontal segment, and the second handle segment of the handle is a generally vertical front segment. 
     
     
         4 . The immersion mixer defined in  claim 3 , wherein the handle further includes a generally vertical third rear handle segment that is attached to the housing and to the first handle segment. 
     
     
         5 . The immersion mixer defined in  claim 4 , further comprising an interlock button operatively associated with the drive motor, wherein initial rotation of the shaft by the motor requires engagement of the interlock button and the trigger. 
     
     
         6 . The immersion mixer defined in  claim 5 , wherein the interlock button is mounted on the third segment of the handle. 
     
     
         7 . The immersion mixer defined in  claim 1 , wherein the trigger includes a first trigger segment that is generally parallel with the first handle segment and a second trigger segment that is generally parallel with the second handle segment of the handle. 
     
     
         8 . The immersion mixer defined in  claim 1 , wherein the drive speed dial further comprises an illumination source. 
     
     
         9 . The immersion mixer defined in  claim 8 , wherein the drive speed dial further comprises markings that correlate an angular position of the drive speed dial to a drive motor speed. 
     
     
         10 . The immersion mixer defined in  claim 9 , wherein the illumination source is a multi-color illumination source. 
     
     
         11 . The immersion mixer defined in  claim 1 , wherein the drive speed dial is operatively associated with the motor via a potentiometer.