Patent attributes
A blade structure has at least three pairs of blade arms constructed and arranged to create regions of material movement in a blender cup, wherein material is moved outward and upward in a lower region near outer walls of the blender cup, material is moved upward and inward in an upper region near the outer walls of the blender cup, material is chopped and moved downward in a region partway between the outer walls and a central axis of the blender cup, and material is moved downward near the central axis of the blender cup. One embodiment of the blade structure includes a first pair of blade arms arranged in opposition about a common central axis, constructed and arranged for efficient chopping of ice; a second pair of blade arms arranged in opposition about the common central axis, constructed and arranged to move material impinging on a central part of the second pair of blade arms in a downward direction and to move material impinging on a tips of the second pair of blade arms in an upward and inward direction; and a third pair of blade arms arranged in opposition about the common central axis, constructed and arranged to move material impinging on a central portion of the third pair of blade arms in a generally downward direction and arranged to move material impinging on tips of the third pair of blade arms in an outward direction.