US 8,757,287 · Granted 2014-06-24

The Hand Mixer Safety Lock That Prevents Kitchen Accidents

Imagine a hand mixer that won't start unless you deliberately unlock it first by pressing a safety switch with your finger. This patent protects that two-step unlocking system—you have to intentionally flip a safety switch before the motor can turn on, which stops the mixer from accidentally spinning up in your hand or on the counter.

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The plain-English version

What it protects

The claim covers a finger-operated safety switch system for electric kitchen appliances like hand mixers. What's protected here is the specific mechanism where a user must manually actuate a separate safety switch to unlock the main on/off switch before the motor can operate. The patent protects the electronic control that governs this dual-switch arrangement and prevents the motor from running unless both steps are completed.

Why it matters

Kitchen appliances with spinning motors pose genuine safety risks in homes, especially around children or in moments of distraction. By requiring an intentional two-step activation process, this design reduces accidental starts that could cause injuries. For a manufacturer like BSH (which makes Bosch and Siemens appliances), embedding this safety feature into the product design creates a competitive advantage and reduces liability exposure from user injuries.

Real-world use

When you pick up a modern Bosch or Siemens hand mixer, you're holding a device designed around this safety principle—you can't just squeeze the trigger and have the beaters suddenly spin without first unlocking the safety interlock.

Original USPTO abstract

An electric-motor kitchen appliance, in particular an electric-motor handheld device, preferably a hand mixer, includes a switch. The invention also relates to a finger-actuated electric control for the switch, and to a method for switching on/off a kitchen appliance. The switch is unlocked when the safety switch is actuated by the finger of a user. The safety switch is electronically switched. The possibility of unintentionally operating the electric-motor of the kitchen appliance is reduced due to the manual operation of the two separate switches. As a result, the safety of the electric-motor kitchen appliance in the household is significantly increased.

Patent details

Publication number: US 8,757,287
Filing date: 2006-07-14
Grant date: 2014-06-24
Assignee: Bsh Bosch Und Siemens Hausgeraete Gmbh
Inventor(s): MAK MARJAN, OGRIZEK DARKO, SEDOVSEK ALEKSANDER, SEMEJA UROS
CPC class: A47J43/0755

View original record on Google Patents →

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