Mixing appliance

A blender 30 includes a base housing 32, a jar mount 34 which nests on the housing, and a jar 36, which is threadedly attached to the jar mount. A motor 66 is contained within the base housing 32 and drives a blending implement 74 located within the base of the jar 36. The jar mount 34 rests on a plurality of compliant pads 88 to support the jar mount and the jar 36 during operation of the blender 30. An extension 42 of the base housing 32 provides an enclosure for a switch assembly 68 which includes four switches 96 for facilitating external control of the operation of the motor 66 and the blender 30. Each of four compliant actuator pads 54 extend through respective openings 148 in a cover 50 of the extension 42 and engage a respective actuator block 158 which is mounted on a pivotable panel 152. When any of the actuator pads 54 is depressed by an operator, a respective one of the panels 152 is pivoted to move a section of the panel into actuating engagement with a switch plunger 100 of a respective one of the switches 96 to operate the motor 66 and, thereby, the blender 30.