Programmable blender

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD [Detailed description of the invention]

【0001】

[Technical field to which the invention belongs]

The present invention generally relates to devices for processing food and beverages. In particular, the invention relates to a food and beverage blender that performs a plurality of programmable blending actions that are selectively initiated by the user. Specifically, the present invention relates to a blender that allows a user to load, modify, and copy programmable blender behavior without the use of an external device such as a computer.

【0002】

[Conventional technology]

Devices that facilitate the processing of food and beverage ingredients are widely used in both commercial and household furnishings. Such devices are useful, especially in the presence of a variety of actions that are repeated with high accuracy and precision, such as in the blending of beverages in commercial facilities such as bars and restaurants.

【0003】

Initially, the beverage blender requires the user to manually start and stop the blender motor to maintain the quality of the blend and the resulting beverage and maintain the consistency of the mixture with respect to the user's skill and accountability. was there. Moreover, because the motors contained in these blenders have a single operating speed, they are too fast for one blend and too slow for another, resulting in a high quality blend and constant It made it difficult for the user to manually achieve mixing.

【0004】

Some have incorporated user-selectable motor speeds and timers into the blender to facilitate constantness for each drink. However, each time a different type of beverage was made, and in most cases when different ingredients were added, the user had to readjust.

【0005】

Recently, digital electronic technology has made it possible for a blender to have a memory in which the various motor speeds and operating intervals for making multiple types of drinks can be stored. A blender that is digitally controlled in this way has a user's program (called a "drink program" or "blend program") that has a separate button for each type of drink stored in memory. Minimize control activity. The user simply presses the button corresponding to the desired type of beverage and presses the start button to start blending the beverage. The resulting drink is the same no matter who makes it, when and where. The fast, constant, reliable and complete mixing performed by these blending units was welcomed by both commercial and home users.

【0006】

Occasional changes in user taste or taste, or changes in the location of blenders used in commercial food services, have created a desire or need to change or replace the beverage program with a different type of beverage program. A similar need may also arise from the disruption or loss of a pre-programmed beverage blending operation stored in memory, such as from an electrical failure. In the past, changes or replacements of the beverage program required disassembly, which required the unit to be returned to the manufacturer and prevented from being reprogrammed outside the manufacturer's facility (ie, on-site). The user was unable to modify and exchange one or more beverage programs on the user side.

【0007】

However, recently, devices have become available on the market that allow users to enter a limited range of programs. The models "Copacabana" and "ipanema" sold by Gaggia Espanola, SA in Barcelona, Spain are espresso and cupcino coffee making devices. These devices have emerged to read information encoded by an external programming device into a magnetic strip attached to a plastic card, much like an automated teller machine reads information on a credit card. It is a thing. The model "ABC Blender" sold by Orem Utah's K-TEC Blendtec Division connects to an external computer that can input drink programs via a serial programming port.

【0008】

Both the Gaggia Espanola device and the ABC blender require an external device, such as a computer, to enter, modify, or copy beverage programs. In general, such additions, and sometimes specific devices, are not available or inconvenient for the user. As a result, this is uneconomical and often hinders user changes to existing beverage programs and the creation of new beverage programs, distributing such programs to different blenders in the same or related locations. Hinder.

【0009】

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device having a plurality of pre-programmable blend programs for processing food and beverage, in which the blend program provides a plurality of devices. Programming is possible that requires multiple intervals of motor operation at different speeds and accelerations for blending components.

【0010】

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device that allows a user to modify an internal blend program and store the modified blend program in a non-volatile memory simply by using the device itself, as described above. Is.

【0011】

Yet another object of the present invention is, as described above, to simply use the device itself, the user changes of the blending program to change any beverage mixing properties, or the ice content of any beverage, including ice. It is to provide a device that can include changes in.

【0012】

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a device that allows a user to create an entire new blend program and store the new blend program in non-volatile memory simply by using the device itself, as described above. Is.

【0013】

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a device that allows the user to copy the blend program for use in another blender or as a backup simply by using the device itself, as described above.

【0014】

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a device capable of copying a blend program selected by a user to a transfer mechanism such as a physical medium simply by using the device itself, as described above.

【0015】

These and other objectives and advantages of the present invention over existing prior art forms will become apparent and understood from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

【0016】

[Means for solving problems]

In general, a programmable blender that runs a blend program is modified with a blend assembly for blending ingredients and a memory containing a first blend program with multiple motion segments with variable blend program behavior characteristics. It includes an input means for the user to select the first operating characteristic and the magnitude of the change, and a processor. The processor receives the blend program from memory and the user's selection information from the input means, changes the first operating characteristic according to the user's selection information, and controls the operation of the blend assembly according to the changed blend program. To do.

【0017】

The blender that runs the blend program is functional to the blend assembly to blend the ingredients, the first memory resident in the blender to store the blend program, and the blender to store the blend program. In a blender that receives the second memory bound to and the blend program and selectively copies the blend program from the first memory to the second memory (and vice versa) from the second memory to the first memory. It has a processor that resides in.

【0018】

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

A typical blender control unit according to the present invention is generally indicated by reference numeral 10 in FIG. 7, and can be adapted to various food and drink blenders. One such blender is shown in the perspective view of FIG. 1 and is commonly indicated by reference numeral 20. The blender 20 comprises a housing 21 with a lower housing member 22, a user interface and display 24, and a blend assembly including a motor 25 (shown in FIG. 7).

【0019】

The user interface and display 24 detailed in FIG. 2 include a plurality of user input pushbuttons (hereinafter referred to as "buttons"), which are used to select a beverage program stored in the blender memory. Can be changed / created. These include a plurality of numbered self-recovering buttons 30 (see individually signed buttons 31-36). The user interface and display 24 further include a start / stop button 37, a speed change button 38, a blend motor pulse button 39, a display 40, and a mode selection button 41. The start / stop button 37, speed change button 38 and pulse button 39 allow the user to manually control the blender motor 25. This control includes start, stop, speed increase and decrease, high speed and low speed pulse drive, all of which are known in the art. The display 40 may be any display function that displays the desired message, eg, a 2-line, 16-character vacuum fluorescent display. The mode selection button 41 can be used to initiate a program routine in response to user input to change the beverage program characteristics or create a new beverage program. This will be described in detail below.

【0020】

FIG. 5 represents a plan view of a typical storage medium, such as a drink program memory key card according to the present invention, which memory is generally represented by reference numeral 50 and is functionally coupled to the blender 20. ing. A typical key card 50 shown in FIG. 5 is a rectangular printed circuit board sufficient to mount a drink program key memory integrated circuit 51 (hereinafter referred to as IC 51, which will be described in detail below). The size is, for example, about 5/8 inch x 2.5 inch (about 1.59 x 6.35 cm) that can be conveniently handled by the user. The key card 50 is provided at one end in the longitudinal direction with a conventional edge connector 52 that couples to a mating key socket junction described below and electrically connects the circuit on the key card 50 to that junction. ..

【0021】

As detailed in FIGS. 3 and 4, the blender 20 includes a socket 45 having a groove integrally formed with its own lower housing member 22. The user inserts the key card 50 into the groove and pushes the edge connector 52 into the fitting socket described below until it fits. The socket 45 includes a tilted portion 46 or other mechanical feature that is apparent to those skilled in the art, the tilting of which facilitates the correct orientation of the edge connector 52 with respect to the mating socket and fitting into it.

【0022】

The present invention allows the storage and reprogramming of beverage programs with multiple motion segments. FIG. 6 shows a graph of blender motor speed vs. time for a typical beverage program, each with four motion segments with different variable motion characteristics. The speed of the blender motor 25 starts from zero at time zero to time t₁Increases to a specific preselected first speed in. Blender motor 25 is at time t₂Operates at the 1st speed. Time from zero to time t₂The time interval until is called segment 1, and the speed of the blender motor 25 is from time zero to time t.₁The rate at which it increases to is called the slope ratio of segment 1. Tilt rate, target speed, and motion duration are time intervals t₃, T₄, T₅, T₆, T₇, T₈The remaining segments 2, 3 and 4 with are selected in the same way.

【0023】

In FIG. 7, typical blender control units 10 typically include a power board 55 that receives power from a commercial power source 56 such as 60Hz, 120V, a microcontroller board 60, and the beverage program memory key card described above. Including 50 and. The microcontroller board 60 includes a microcontroller 61 having a processor 62 and a non-volatile microcontroller memory 63, and inputs / outputs data and control information via bus 66 (hereinafter referred to as I / O). ) It communicates with port 67, an edge connector key socket 68 that houses and couples a drink program memory key card 50, and a drink program base memory 70.

【0024】

The power board 55 supplies all the power required for the blender control unit 10 and the blender motor 25. The power board 55 also contains information about the temperature and speed of the blender motor 25 from a thermocouple or other temperature sensor functionally coupled to the blender motor 25, and a tachometer or other rotary speed sensor. It receives signals on a regular basis and also provides those signals to processor 62 on the microcontroller board 60.

【0025】

The microcontroller 61 may be any microcontroller as long as its components, the processor 62 and the memory 63, are compatible with the blender control unit according to the present invention. Memory 63 stores the blender control program described herein and also stores a backup copy of the original or starting drink program. The I / O port 67 may be any conventional communication port, which allows the microcontroller 61 to communicate with the manufacturer and load the desired original or starting drink program into the microcontroller memory 63. .. The beverage program-based memory 70 residing in the blender 20 can use any conventional non-volatile memory having sufficient capacity to store the desired beverage program data. The key socket 68 includes a conventional current sensor, whereby when the socket houses the drink program memory key card 50 and is coupled to it, the processor 62 interrupts or other means known to those of skill in the art. Automatically receive an alarm via.

【0026】

8 and 9 show a flow chart of the top layer of a typical algorithm executed by the blender control unit 10 according to the present invention. In detail, FIG. 8 shows a typical main control routine, the operation of which begins at start 80, first in step 81 where the entire hardware is powered and initialized. This process specifically involves clearing the display 40 and all volatile microcontroller operating memory, as well as checking and displaying the current temperature of the blender motor 25. Initialization step 81 further includes resetting all software programming flags used to control their selected default state. At step 82, you can display the default power supply message, such as the manufacturer name and the name and version of the beverage program currently resident in base memory 70.

【0027】

The status of the key socket 68 and all beverage program memory cards associated with it is then tested in a typical key card test routine 120 shown in FIG. (The circled letters shown in the flow chart specify the points of interconnection between each figure.) Specifically, first, the current loop connected to the conductor in key socket 68 is tested in step 121. , The drink program memory card 50 is checked to see if it is bound to it, and the first flag is set between the base memory 70 and the key card 50 currently bound to the key socket 68. Indicates that the blend program has been copied. This test ensures that the user can recopy the beverage program between memory 70 and multiple key card 50s, if desired, and the latter can be used to distribute the blending program to another blender. If the states match, flag 1 is reset in step 122 before continuing.

【0028】

If the two states do not match, or after one of the flags has been reset, the current loop connected to the conductor in key socket 68 is tested in step 83 and the beverage program memory key card 50 is It is checked to see if it is bound to it and if the first flag is set, and the blend program is being copied between the base memory 70 and the key card 50 that is currently bound to key socket 68. Show that. Also, if the two conditions are met, or not after one of the flags has been reset, its memory contents are selectively sampled within step 84 by methods known to those of skill in the art, and the beverage program data. Is determined to be in the correct state. If in the correct state, the user will be given the opportunity to copy the blend program between the beverage program memory in the key card 50 and the base memory 70 in the blender 10. FIG. 11 shows a typical copy selection routine 125 in which this selection is made.

【0029】

The copy selection routine 125 begins at step 126 and displays a selection message on display 40, such as "press 1 to copy the program to the blender. Press 2 to copy the program to the medium." At this time, when the user presses the button 31 of the drink program 1, the blend program currently resident in the base memory 70 is copied to the drink program memory in the key card 50. When the user presses button 32 of the beverage program 2, the copy is made in the opposite direction to the above. Of course, any button can be preselected, programmed and entered for these selections, and the preselected buttons can be tested in steps 127 and 128 to confirm the user selection.

【0030】

In the example of the present invention, if it turns out that the button 31 of the drink program 1 is pressed in step 127, then in step 129 the blend program currently resident in the base memory 70 is the drink program in the key card 50. Copyed to memory, flag 1 is set, and the program "Save Complete" message is displayed on display 40 in step 88, as shown in the return to FIG. If neither button 31 nor button 32 of the beverage program is pressed, no action is taken and subsequent steps are shown back in Figure 8. If it turns out that the button 32 of the beverage program 2 is pressed in step 128, then the data is inspected in step 85 (as shown again in Figure 8) and again to those skilled in the art. Any known method can be used to determine if the beverage program data in the key card 50 is identical to the current beverage program in base memory 70. If not, the beverage program message is displayed on display 40 as shown in step 86, the new beverage program is copied from IC51 in memory key card 50 to base memory 70 in step 87, and in step 88 The "Save Complete" message is displayed.

【0031】

The "ready" message is displayed in step 90 if there is no key card 50 fitted in the key socket 68 (step 83) and the beverage program data for IC51 in the memory key card 50. If the content of is corrupted (step 84) and if the beverage program in IC51 is the same as the beverage program in base memory 70 (step 85), the user can select the beverage program without pressing the preselect button. If you choose not to copy (step 128) and after the "save complete" message for the new beverage program is displayed (step 88).

【0032】

When the "ready" message is displayed, the user can perform any appropriate blender action, for example by pressing the corresponding buttons 31-36 to select and execute one of the drink programs and start / stop. Use button 37 to start or stop the blender motor 25, use the speed change button 38 to adjust the speed of the blender motor 25, or use the pulse button 39 to pulse drive the blender motor 25. be able to. The desired scan key routine is executed in step 91 and all button movements are tested in step 92. At the push of a button, the user is given the opportunity to change the ice content of any beverage, including any beverage mixing properties or ice, and create a new blend program or blend program segment. FIG. 12 shows a typical program routine 130 that makes such changes or creations. In this routine, the user continuously selects the desired beverage program, beverage program segment, change characteristics and magnitude.

【0033】

Program routine 130 begins at step 131 and is tested to determine if the correct combination of preselected buttons to start the program routine is pressed by the preselection method. The user pressing two or more buttons in succession minimizes accidental or inadvertent input to program routine 130 and helps with desirable protection. This is because this routine permanently modifies the blend program and is not suitable for operation by all users. In fact, when another button with multiple functions is pressed in succession, safety can be enhanced by including additional buttons such that the function of the button alone allows input to the program routine 130. The mode selection button 41 serves this function of the typical blenders described herein.

【0034】

If the correct combination of preselected buttons has not been pressed to start program routine 130 and a particular other button has been pressed, step 93, illustrated back in FIG. The routine selected in is called and executed. If the button being pressed is not found in step 92, the basic main control routine is repeated and step 83 is initiated at the completion of the routine selected in step 93 or at the completion of program routine 130. ..

【0035】

Returning to program routine 130 in FIG. 12, at step 132, display 40 displays the current drink program identifier, drink program segment, and characteristics such as segment motor speed, time, tilt ratio, or ice volume. Is displayed. The default selection is displayed until the user makes another selection by executing program routine 130. The scan key routine is then executed in step 133 and the button is tested in step 134. These practices and test methods are similar to steps 91 and 92, respectively. If the button is not pressed, the display is refreshed in step 132 and the key is tested again until it detects that the button is pressed. If the button is pressed, the button is tested in step 137 to see if it is one of the drink buttons and indicates the user selection of the blend program to be changed or replaced. If the button is not pressed, the user will not be able to make program changes, the basic main control routine will be repeated, and the key card test routine 120 will be started.

【0036】

When it detects that the beverage program button has been pressed in step 137, the display 40 is refreshed and in step 139 it displays the distinguished name, drink program segment, and characteristics of the current beverage program. After selecting the beverage program to change, the user then selects the beverage program segment. Buttons 31-36 can be preselected to correspond to a particular beverage program segment. Using the example in Figure 6, there are four segments that can be selected by pressing the Beverage Program Buttons 1-4 respectively. Therefore, in step 140, the beverage program buttons 1-4 are tested. If no button is pressed, the operation returns to step 132. However, when one of these buttons is pressed, the display 40 is refreshed again, displaying the current beverage program distinguished name, beverage program segment, and characteristics in step 141.

【0037】

After selecting the beverage program and beverage program segment you want to change, then enter the characteristics you want to change or add. The key is scanned in step 142 and the pressed button is tested in step 143, similar to the method performed in the corresponding steps 133 and 134. Advantageously, a toggle switch such as the blender motor pulse button 39 can be used to scroll through and select a limited number of characteristics, and a test can be performed and the button will be performed in step 144. You can see if it was done. If executed, in step 145, the characteristic to be changed is changed to a new selection and displayed on the display 40.

【0038】

Next, it is necessary to enter the magnitude and polarity of the characteristic change. Preferably, again, using a toggle switch such as the speed change button 38, press up / down as many times as the magnitude of the desired change or result characteristic to "select" the desired characteristic. .. At step 147, button 39 is tested. When the button is pressed, after a preselected timeout period, the characteristics can be increased or decreased when requested by the user action of button 39 (step 148), in step 141 the display 40 is refreshed, Key monitoring for another characteristic change is resumed. If button 38 is not pressed after the preselected timeout period, all characteristics, segments and program changes can be saved to the desired memory, such as base memory 70 (step 149), at step 140, another. Key monitoring for characteristic changes is resumed.

【0039】

FIG. 9 shows a top-level flowchart of four typical operation routines included in the typical blender control unit shown in FIG. One selection and execution of the beverage program (step 100) is initiated by pressing the corresponding buttons 31-36 in step 101. The selected beverage program is executed and in step 102 the selected program characteristics such as current motor speed and residual time are displayed. While the beverage program is running in step 103, a check is repeated to determine if the user has selected another button to disable the rest of the beverage program. If the user selects another button, the beverage program is stopped at step 104. Then, when the beverage program is complete, the "ready" message is displayed in step 105 and the program execution returns to the main program (step 106).

【0040】

The user can also choose to perform a manual blend cycle or a pulse blend cycle by pressing the appropriate user interface 24 button. When doing these, the corresponding routines are called at steps 110 and 111 and executed at steps 112 and 113, respectively. The user can also choose to restore the default beverage program from the microcontroller memory 63 to the program-based memory 70 by pressing the appropriate user interface 24 button again. In this case, the corresponding routine is called in step 115, the copy is performed in step 116, and then the "save complete" message is displayed in step 117.

【0041】

Some variants and modifications are obvious and will be understood by those skilled in the art. For example, a beverage program may have as few as one, or as many as multiple segments as needed, to produce the beverage for which the program has been created. Further, in the embodiment of the programmed blender control unit 10 described here, the beverage program selected to be executed by the user is in the non-volatile memory of the microcomputer board 60. However, although not preferred here, the processor 62 can execute the beverage program directly from an external source on the microcontroller board 60, for example the beverage program memory key card 50. In this case, the microcontroller memory 63 and the base memory 70 can be deleted. Of course, if no external source is available, Blender 20 will only work manually.

【0042】

The interface between the microcontroller board 60 and the beverage program memory can be formed in any way that the blended program can be transferred, such as wire or wireless. An additional example of a suitable wire interface that can be used in place of or in addition to an edge connector is an RJ type telephone connection or a fiber optic optical connection. Infrared, radio frequency or other wireless interfaces can be replaced or added to key socket 68.

【0043】

As long as the invention is modified and amended and the details are modified, some of which have already been described herein and all that is described herein and shown in the accompanying drawings is exemplary. , Should be interpreted as not meaning a restriction. Thus, devices constructed by and reasonably equivalent to the concepts of the invention achieve the object of the invention, otherwise they substantially improve the technology of programmable blenders. It is clear that.

【0044】

[Effect of the invention]

As will be apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an apparatus having a plurality of pre-programmable blend programs for processing foods and beverages. The blend program allows programming for blending multiple components that requires multiple intervals of motor operation at different speeds and accelerations.

【0045】

Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a device in which a user can change an internal blend program and can save the changed blend program in a non-volatile memory only by using the device itself.

【0046】

Also, according to the present invention, changes by the user of the blending program may include changes in the characteristics of any beverage mixture or changes in the ice content of any beverage, including ice, simply by using the device itself. A device capable of being provided can be provided.

【0047】

Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an apparatus in which a user can create an entire new blend program and store the new blend program in a non-volatile memory simply by using the apparatus itself.

【0048】

Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an apparatus in which a user can copy a blend program for use in another blender or as a backup simply by using the apparatus itself.

【0049】

Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an apparatus capable of copying a blend program selected by a user to a transfer mechanism such as a physical medium only by using the apparatus itself.

[Simple explanation of drawings]

[Figure 1]

The perspective view of the typical programmable blender which concerns on this invention.

[Figure 2]

Front view of a typical user interface and display of a programmable blender shown in Figure 1.

[Fig. 3]

Bottom view of the lower housing of the programmable blender.

[Fig. 4]

Partial bottom view of the lower housing in Figure 3.

[Fig. 5]

Top view of a typical beverage program memory key card according to the present invention.

[Fig. 6]

Diagram showing the relationship between blender motor speed and time of a typical beverage program.

[Fig. 7]

The block diagram of the typical blender control part by this invention.

[Fig. 8]

The top layer flowchart of a typical blender control program according to the present invention.

[Fig. 9]

The top layer flowchart of four typical operation routines included in the typical blender control unit in Fig. 8.

[Fig. 10]

Top layer flowchart of a typical key card test routine included in a typical blender control program in Figure 8.

[Fig. 11]

It is the top layer flowchart of the typical blend program copy selection routine included in the typical blender control program of FIG.

[Fig. 12]

Top-level flowchart of a typical routine for modifying or selecting a new blend program in a blend program.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 Blender control unit 20 blender 21 housing 22 Lower housing member 24 User interface and display 25 blender motor 30 Self-recovering button 37 Start / Stop Button 38 Speed change button 39 Blend Motor Pulse Button 40 display 41 Mode selection button 45 socket 46 Inclined part 50 key card 55 Power Board 60 Microcontroller board 61 Microcontroller 62 processor 63 Non-volatile microcontroller memory 70 Beverage Program Base Memory