US 11,744,406 B2
Food processing apparatus and method
Amy L. Golino, Merrimack, NH (US); and Vanessa H. Spilios, West Newton, MA (US)
Assigned to SHARKNINJA OPERATING LLC, Needham, MA (US)
Filed by SHARKNINJA OPERATING LLC, Needham, MA (US)
Filed on Oct. 16, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/72,451.
Application 17/072,451 is a continuation of application No. 15/579,856, abandoned, previously published as PCT/US2016/036377, filed on Jun. 8, 2016.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/172,678, filed on Jun. 8, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2021/0030209 A1, Feb. 4, 2021
Int. Cl. A47J 43/08 (2006.01); A47J 43/046 (2006.01)
CPC A47J 43/085 (2013.01) [A47J 43/046 (2013.01)] 27 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A food processing apparatus comprising:
a container including at least one rotatable blade;
a drive unit having a drive coupler to rotate the at least one blade;
a controller to control the drive unit; and
at least one non-transitory memory storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the controller, cause the controller, in response to a first user input, to sequentially:
activate the drive unit for three seconds or less to rotate the drive coupler as a first pulse;
pause the drive unit for at least one second;
activate the drive unit for three seconds or less to rotate the drive coupler as a second pulse;
pause the drive unit for at least one second;
activate the drive unit for at least five seconds to rotate the drive coupler as a first blending segment;
pause the drive unit for at least one second;
activate the drive unit for at least five seconds to rotate the drive coupler as a second blending segment, wherein the second blending segment comprises a rapid acceleration of the drive unit to cause liquids and solids to surge briefly upwardly along an inner side wall of the container toward an upper end of the container to achieve a fountain effect sequence;
pause the drive unit for at least one second; and
activate the drive unit for at least five seconds to rotate the drive coupler as a third blending segment;
wherein a total time period of all activations of the drive unit that are at least five seconds for blending segments is at least twenty-three seconds.