Stirring components and cooking appliances having them

Abstract

This invention provides a stirring assembly and a cooking appliance having the same. The stirring assembly includes: a rotating drum rotatably disposed within a cooking cavity of an inner pot about its vertical axis; stirring blades, including a rotating shaft and blades disposed on the rotating shaft, the rotating shaft being laterally inserted through the side wall of the rotating drum; and a transmission structure driving the rotating shaft to rotate about a horizontal direction. The blades include a first plate segment and a second plate segment, with both ends of the first plate segment connected to one end of the rotating shaft and the second plate segment, respectively. The first and second plate segments are located on opposite sides of the axis of the rotating shaft, and the outer edge of the second plate segment engages with the inner wall of the cooking cavity. The distance between the outer edge of the first plate segment and the inner wall of the cooking cavity is greater than the distance between the outer edge of the second plate segment and the inner wall of the cooking cavity. The technical solution provided by this application can solve the problem of food easily tangling on the stirring blades in related technologies.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of small household appliance technology, and more specifically, to a stirring assembly and a cooking appliance having the same. Background Technology

[0002] The cooking appliance includes an inner pot and an openable lid mounted on the inner pot. Food can be cooked by placing it into the cooking cavity of the inner pot, and the lid can be placed on the inner pot to seal the cooking cavity.

[0003] In related technologies, cooking appliances with automatic stir-frying functions are generally equipped with a stirring component. The stirring blades of the stirring component can rotate to make the food inside the cooking appliance rotate, thereby improving the evenness of the food's heating and thus improving the taste of the food.

[0004] However, the mixing blades in these technologies are not very effective at mixing food, and food tends to get tangled on the blades, affecting the user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention provides a stirring assembly and a cooking appliance having the same, to solve the problem in the related art that food easily gets tangled on the stirring blade.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, a stirring assembly is provided, disposed in an inner pot. The stirring assembly includes: a rotating drum rotatably disposed within a cooking cavity of the inner pot about its vertical axis; stirring blades, including a rotating shaft and blades disposed on the rotating shaft, the rotating shaft being transversely disposed through the side wall of the rotating drum; and a transmission structure disposed within the rotating drum, the transmission structure being capable of driving the rotating shaft to rotate about a horizontal direction; wherein the blades include a first plate segment and a second plate segment, a first end of the first plate segment being connected to the rotating shaft, a second end of the first plate segment being connected to one end of the second plate segment, the first plate segment and the second plate segment being located on opposite sides of the axis of the rotating shaft, the outer edge of the second plate segment engaging with the inner wall of the cooking cavity, and the distance between the outer edge of the first plate segment and the inner wall of the cooking cavity being greater than the distance between the outer edge of the second plate segment and the inner wall of the cooking cavity.

[0007] The mixing assembly of this invention includes a rotating drum, mixing blades, and a transmission structure. When the drum rotates, it drives the mixing blades to revolve around its vertical axis. Since the transmission structure can drive the rotating shaft to rotate horizontally, the blades rotate horizontally while following the drum's circumferential revolution. This means that the mixing blades can simultaneously stir-fry the food in the cooking cavity vertically and circumferentially, creating a three-dimensional mixing effect and improving the mixing efficiency. Furthermore, with this structure, since the first and second plate segments are respectively positioned on opposite sides of the rotating shaft axis, during one rotation of the blades, the first and second plate segments fit more closely to the inner wall of the cooking cavity. This allows the first and second plate segments to stir-fry the food in the cooking cavity once each, preventing the food from becoming entangled on the mixing blades. On the other hand, since the distance between the outer edge of the first plate segment and the inner wall of the cooking cavity is greater than the distance between the outer edge of the second plate segment and the inner wall of the cooking cavity, the flipping trajectory of the outer edge of the first plate segment is higher than that of the outer edge of the second plate segment. This allows the first plate segment to have a stir-frying effect on the upper layer of food in the cooking cavity. Thus, the first plate segment is responsible for pushing the high-level food flat, while the second plate segment is responsible for stir-frying the food at the bottom of the pot vertically. The first plate segment and the second plate segment work together to further enhance the three-dimensional stirring effect of the stirring component on the food in the cooking cavity.

[0008] Furthermore, the second plate segment is offset relative to the first plate segment in the circumferential direction of the rotating drum. With the blades employing the above structure, as the blades revolve around the vertical axis of the rotating drum and rotate on their own axis around the horizontal axis, the offset of the second plate segment relative to the first plate segment in the circumferential direction of the rotating drum results in two advantages: First, the outer edge of the second plate segment gradually engages with the inner wall of the cooking cavity along its length, rather than the entire outer edge directly contacting the inner wall. This allows the second plate segment to gradually push against the bottom food, reducing the risk of jamming. Second, the offset arrangement further increases the size of the blades in the direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation, preventing food from tangling on the blades. Furthermore, without increasing the volume of the blades, the three-dimensional stirring range of the blades is increased, thereby providing a better three-dimensional stirring effect for the food within the cooking cavity.

[0009] Furthermore, both the first and second plate segments are arc-shaped structures, with the middle portions of both segments protruding away from the axis of rotation. This causes the arc-shaped first and second plate segments to form a circular, flipping structure during one rotation of the blades, preventing food from easily tangling on the mixing blades.

[0010] Furthermore, the angle between the plane containing the outer wall of the second plate segment and the vertical plane containing the axis of rotation is between 25° and 65°. With this angle range, when the blades revolve around the vertical axis of the rotating cylinder and rotate on their own horizontal axis, on the one hand, if the angle is too small (less than 25°), the second plate segment cannot be gradually pushed when it comes into contact with the bottom food, easily leading to jamming. On the other hand, if the angle is too large (greater than 65°), the stirring range of the blades will decrease, thus affecting the stirring effect.

[0011] Furthermore, the blade also includes a third plate segment, which is connected to the end of the second plate segment furthest from the first plate segment. The third plate segment is bent relative to the second plate segment in the direction toward the axis of rotation. Using this third plate segment, when the blade revolves around the vertical axis of the rotating cylinder and rotates on its own horizontal axis, the third plate segment also revolves around the vertical axis of the rotating cylinder and the horizontal axis of the rotating cylinder. By providing a bent third plate segment at the end of the second plate segment furthest from the first plate segment, the third plate segment can be used to perform secondary stirring of the food that slides off the second plate segment while the second plate segment is stirring the food, thus improving the stirring effect of the blade on the food.

[0012] Furthermore, the angle between the plane containing the outer wall of the second plate segment and the plane containing the outer wall of the third plate segment is between 90° and 140°. With this angle range, as the blades revolve around the vertical axis of the rotating cylinder and rotate around the horizontal axis of the cylinder, on the one hand, if the angle is too small (less than 90°), the food is prone to tangling on the third plate segment when it performs secondary stirring on the food sliding down from the second plate segment; on the other hand, if the angle is too large (greater than 140°), the third plate segment cannot effectively perform secondary stirring on the food sliding down from the second plate segment, thus failing to further improve the stirring effect of the blades on the food.

[0013] Furthermore, the second plate segment includes a strip plate extending along its length, with one end of the strip plate connected to the second end of the first plate segment. Using this strip plate, as the second plate segment gradually pushes against the bottom food, the outer edge of the strip plate gradually engages with the inner wall of the cooking cavity along the length of the second plate segment, resulting in a gradual pushing action when the second plate segment contacts the bottom food, reducing the risk of jamming and improving the stirring effect of the blades on the food.

[0014] Furthermore, the second plate segment also includes a lifting plate disposed on the strip plate, the lifting plate being located on one side of the strip plate facing the axis of rotation. Using the aforementioned lifting plate, as the second plate segment gradually pushes against the bottom food, the lifting plate, positioned on one side of the strip plate facing the axis of rotation, is used to stir-fry the food. The lifting plate increases the contact area between the second plate segment and the food, facilitating both forward scooping and reverse pushing of the food, and improving the mixing effect of the blades on the food.

[0015] Furthermore, the cross-sectional shape of the lifting plate is arc-shaped. This structure facilitates the lifting of food when it comes into contact with it. Moreover, the reliability of the arc-shaped cross-section prevents damage to the lifting plate due to excessive food weight, extending the lifespan of the blades.

[0016] Furthermore, the radius of curvature of the cross-section of the lifting plate is between 15mm and 60mm. Using this range of cross-sectional radius ensures that, during the gradual pushing action as the lifting plate contacts the food at the bottom, it avoids two problems: firstly, an excessively small radius would result in a small contact area between the lifting plate and the food, hindering effective forward scooping and reverse pushing of the food, leading to unsatisfactory mixing effects from the blades; secondly, an excessively large radius would result in overly large blades, making miniaturization of the mixing components difficult.

[0017] Furthermore, the width of the first plate segment is between 10mm and 25mm. Using this width range for the first plate segment avoids two problems: firstly, if the width is too small, the contact area between the first plate segment and the food will be too small, resulting in ineffective mixing and unsatisfactory mixing effect from the blades; secondly, if the width is too large, the overall size of the blades will be too large, hindering the miniaturization of the mixing component. The width of the strip plate is between 5mm and 30mm. Using this width range for the strip plate, when the strip plate revolves around the vertical axis of the rotating cylinder with the blades and rotates on its own horizontal axis, it avoids two problems: firstly, if the width of the strip plate is too large, the overall size of the blades will be too large, hindering the miniaturization of the mixing component; secondly, if the width of the strip plate is too small, the contact area between the strip plate and the food will be too small, resulting in ineffective mixing and unsatisfactory mixing effect from the blades. The width of the lifting plate is between 10mm and 40mm. By employing the aforementioned size range for the width of the lifting plates, as the lifting plates revolve around the vertical axis of the rotating cylinder and rotate on their own horizontal axis, the following considerations are considered: First, the width of the lifting plates should not be too large, resulting in an excessively large overall size of the blades, which would hinder the miniaturization of the mixing assembly. Second, the width of the lifting plates should not be too small, as this would result in insufficient contact area between the strip plates and the food, hindering effective forward digging and reverse pushing of the food, leading to unsatisfactory mixing effects. The blades also include a third plate segment connected to the end of the strip plate furthest from the first plate segment. The width of the third plate segment is between 5mm and 30mm. This size range for the width of the third plate segment also avoids the following: First, if the width of the third plate segment is too small, the contact area between the third plate segment and the food would be too small, hindering effective mixing effects, resulting in unsatisfactory mixing effects. Second, if the width of the third plate segment is too large, the overall size of the blades would be excessive, hindering the miniaturization of the mixing assembly.

[0018] Furthermore, the maximum distance between the outer edges of the first and second plate segments is between 80mm and 130mm. Using this maximum distance, when the blades revolve around the vertical axis of the rotating cylinder and rotate on their own horizontal axis, it avoids two problems: firstly, a distance that is too small, resulting in a small three-dimensional mixing range and poor mixing effect on the ingredients; secondly, a distance that is too large, leading to an excessively large overall blade size, which would hinder the miniaturization of the mixing assembly.

[0019] Furthermore, the radius of the tangent circle formed between the outer edge of the first plate segment, the bottom wall of the cooking cavity, and the outer wall of the rotating drum is between 10mm and 25mm. Using the radius of the tangent circle formed between the outer edge of the first plate segment, the bottom wall of the cooking cavity, and the outer wall of the rotating drum within the above-mentioned size range, when the blades revolve around the vertical axis of the rotating drum and rotate around the horizontal axis of the rotating shaft, on the one hand, it avoids the radius R2 of the tangent circle formed between the outer edge of the first plate segment, the bottom wall of the cooking cavity, and the outer wall of the rotating drum being too small, which would prevent the first plate segment from handling large-volume ingredients and easily cause jamming. On the other hand, it avoids the radius of the tangent circle formed between the outer edge of the first plate segment, the bottom wall of the cooking cavity, and the outer wall of the rotating drum being too large, which would affect the stirring range of the blades and thus the stirring effect of the stirring assembly.

[0020] Furthermore, a fixed blade is also provided on the outer wall of the rotating drum. The height of the fixed blade is lower than that of the stirring blade. When the drum rotates, the fixed blade revolves with the drum around its vertical axis, thereby stirring the food at the bottom and improving the stirring performance. The gap between the outer edge of the second plate section and the inner wall of the cooking cavity is between 0mm and 1.5mm. Using the above-mentioned size range for the gap between the outer edge of the second plate section and the inner wall of the cooking cavity, when the blade revolves around the vertical axis of the drum and rotates on its own horizontal axis, avoids the gap between the outer edge of the second plate section and the inner wall of the cooking cavity being too large, which would prevent the second plate section from failing to stir the lower food. Effective stirring is not possible, as the blades cannot achieve three-dimensional stirring of the food within the cooking cavity. The transmission structure includes a fixed gear and a moving gear. The upper end of the fixed gear has a horizontally positioned gear ring, and the moving gear is mounted on the rotating shaft and meshes with the gear ring. The lower end of the fixed gear engages with the inner pot to prevent rotation. When the drum rotates, it drives the rotating shaft, blades, and moving gear to revolve around the vertical axis of the drum. Because the fixed gear engages with the inner pot to prevent rotation, it remains stationary relative to the inner pot, while the moving gear rotates around the gear ring of the fixed gear. The torque of the drum is transmitted to the rotating shaft through the interaction of the fixed and moving gears, causing the rotating shaft to revolve circumferentially with the drum while simultaneously rotating horizontally. In this embodiment, both the gear ring of the fixed gear and the moving gear are bevel gears, thus converting the circumferential rotation of the drum into the horizontal rotation of the rotating shaft.

[0021] According to another aspect of the present invention, a cooking appliance is provided, comprising: an inner pot having a driving member; and a stirring assembly disposed within the cooking cavity of the inner pot. The driving member is drivenly connected to the rotating drum of the stirring assembly, and the stirring assembly is the stirring assembly provided above. Therefore, during one rotation of the blades, the arc-shaped first plate segment and the arc-shaped second plate segment form a near-circular flipping structure, making it less likely for food to entangle on the stirring blades. Furthermore, the first plate segment can be used to flatten food at higher positions, and the second plate segment can be used to longitudinally stir-fry food at the bottom of the pot. The cooperation of the first and second plate segments further enhances the three-dimensional stirring effect of the stirring assembly on the ingredients within the cooking cavity. Attached Figure Description

[0022] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. In the drawings:

[0023] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a cooking utensil provided according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0024] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a cooking utensil provided according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0025] Figure 3 It shows Figure 1 Exploded view of the stirring components in the image;

[0026] Figure 4 It shows Figure 3 Exploded view of the stationary gear of the stirring assembly in the image;

[0027] Figure 5 It shows Figure 3 An exploded view of the stirring blades of the stirring assembly in the image;

[0028] Figure 6 It shows Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the stirring blades in the stirring assembly;

[0029] Figure 7 It shows Figure 6 Sectional view at point AA;

[0030] Figure 8 It shows Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the stirring blades of the stirring assembly from another perspective;

[0031] Figure 9 It shows Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing the angle between the plane containing the outer wall of the second plate segment of the stirring blade and the vertical plane containing the rotating shaft;

[0032] Figure 10 It shows Figure 3 A structural schematic diagram of the stirring blades from another perspective;

[0033] Figure 11 It shows Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the angle between the plane containing the outer wall of the second plate segment of the stirring blade and the plane containing the outer wall of the third plate segment;

[0034] Figure 12 It shows Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing the maximum distance between the outer edges of the first and second plates of the stirring blades.

[0035] The above figures include the following reference numerals:

[0036] 10. Rotating drum; 11. Upper drum body; 12. Lower drum body;

[0037] 20. Stirring blade; 21. Rotating shaft; 22. Blade; 221. First plate segment; 222. Second plate segment; 2221. Strip plate; 2222. Lifting plate; 223. Third plate segment;

[0038] 30. Transmission structure; 31. Fixed gear; 311. Gear ring; 312. Fixed shaft seat; 313. Gear cylinder; 32. Moving gear;

[0039] 40. Fixed leaf;

[0040] 50. Inner pot; 51. Cooking cavity;

[0041] α, the angle between the plane containing the outer wall of the second plate segment and the vertical plane containing the axis of rotation;

[0042] β, the angle between the plane containing the outer wall of the second plate segment and the plane containing the outer wall of the third plate segment;

[0043] R1 is the radius of the arc of the cross-section of the cutting plate;

[0044] R2 is the radius of the tangent circle formed between the outer edge of the first plate segment, the bottom wall of the cooking cavity, and the outer wall of the rotating cylinder.

[0045] L is the maximum distance between the outer edges of the first plate segment and the outer edges of the second plate segment. Detailed Implementation

[0046] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the present invention or its application or use. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0047] like Figures 1 to 12 As shown, this embodiment of the invention provides a stirring assembly disposed in an inner pot 50. The stirring assembly includes a rotating drum 10, stirring blades 20, and a transmission structure 30. The rotating drum 10 is rotatably disposed within the cooking cavity 51 of the inner pot 50 about its vertical axis. The stirring blades 20 include a rotating shaft 21 and blades 22 disposed on the rotating shaft 21. The rotating shaft 21 is transversely inserted through the side wall of the rotating drum 10. The transmission structure 30 is disposed within the rotating drum 10 and can drive the rotating shaft 21 to rotate about horizontally. The plate 22 includes a first plate segment 221 and a second plate segment 222. The first end of the first plate segment 221 is connected to the rotating shaft 21, and the second end of the first plate segment 221 is connected to one end of the second plate segment 222. The first plate segment 221 and the second plate segment 222 are located on both sides of the axis of the rotating shaft 21. The outer edge of the second plate segment 222 is fitted with the inner wall of the cooking cavity 51. The distance between the outer edge of the first plate segment 221 and the inner wall of the cooking cavity 51 is greater than the distance between the outer edge of the second plate segment 222 and the inner wall of the cooking cavity 51.

[0048] Applying the technical solution of this invention, the stirring assembly includes a rotating drum 10, stirring blades 20, and a transmission structure 30. When the rotating drum 10 rotates, it drives the stirring blades 20 to revolve around the vertical axis of the drum 10. Since the transmission structure 30 can drive the rotating shaft 21 to rotate horizontally, the blades rotate horizontally while following the rotating drum 10 in a circumferential revolution. In other words, the stirring blades 20 can stir-fry the food in the cooking cavity 51 vertically and circumferentially, thereby forming a three-dimensional stirring effect and improving the stirring effect of the stirring assembly on the food. With the above structure, on the one hand, since the first plate segment 221 and the second plate segment 222 are respectively arranged on both sides of the axis of the rotating shaft 21, during the rotation of the blades 22, the first plate segment 221 and the second plate segment 222 are more in contact with the inner wall of the cooking cavity 51. Thus, the first plate segment 221 and the second plate segment 222 can stir-fry the food in the cooking cavity 51 once in succession, making it less likely for the food to get tangled on the stirring blades 20. On the other hand, since the distance between the outer edge of the first plate segment 221 and the inner wall of the cooking cavity 51 is greater than the distance between the outer edge of the second plate segment 222 and the inner wall of the cooking cavity 51, the flipping trajectory of the outer edge of the first plate segment 221 is higher than that of the outer edge of the second plate segment 222. This allows the first plate segment 221 to have a stir-frying effect on the upper layer of food in the cooking cavity 51. Thus, the first plate segment 221 is responsible for pushing the high-level food flat, and the second plate segment 222 is responsible for stir-frying the food at the bottom of the pot vertically. The first plate segment 221 and the second plate segment 222 work together to further enhance the three-dimensional stirring effect of the stirring component on the food in the cooking cavity 51.

[0049] It should be noted that the distance between the outer edge of the first plate segment 221 and the inner wall of the cooking cavity 51 refers to the distance between the outer edge of the first plate segment 221 and the bottom wall of the cooking cavity 51, and the distance between the outer edge of the first plate segment 221 and the side wall of the cooking cavity 51. Similarly, the distance between the outer edge of the second plate segment 222 and the inner wall of the cooking cavity 51 refers to the distance between the outer edge of the second plate segment 222 and the bottom wall of the cooking cavity 51, and the distance between the outer edge of the second plate segment 222 and the side wall of the cooking cavity 51. In this embodiment, the distance between the outer edge of the first plate segment 221 and the bottom wall of the cooking cavity 51 is greater than the distance between the outer edge of the second plate segment 222 and the bottom wall of the cooking cavity 51, and the distance between the outer edge of the first plate segment 221 and the side wall of the cooking cavity 51 is greater than the distance between the outer edge of the second plate segment 222 and the side wall of the cooking cavity 51.

[0050] In this embodiment, three-dimensional stirring refers to the following: the stirring blades 20 stir the food in the cooking cavity 51 of the inner pot 50 in a circumferential direction, and the stirring blades 20 also tumble and stir the food in the cooking cavity 51 in a vertical direction, so that the food in the cooking cavity 51 tumbles both circumferentially and vertically, forming a three-dimensional tumbling effect. That is to say, while ensuring the circumferential rotation of the stirring blades 20, a secondary three-dimensional tumbling is achieved on the side of the stirring blades 20 in a longitudinal direction. The tumbling on the side is a longitudinal circular motion in a displacement shape while rotating at the bottom, so its motion is parabolic rather than a simple circular motion, thus achieving true three-dimensional tumbling.

[0051] like Figure 9 As shown, the second plate segment 222 is offset relative to the first plate segment 221 in the circumferential direction of the rotating drum 10. With the blade 22 employing the above structure, as the blade 22 revolves around the vertical axis of the rotating drum 10 and rotates on its own axis around the horizontal axis of the rotating shaft 21, the offset of the second plate segment 222 relative to the first plate segment 221 in the circumferential direction of the rotating drum 10 results in two advantages: First, the outer edge of the second plate segment 222 gradually engages with the inner wall of the cooking cavity 51 along its length, rather than the entire outer edge of the second plate segment 222 directly contacting the inner wall of the cooking cavity 51. This gradual pushing of the second plate segment 222 when it contacts the bottom food reduces the risk of jamming. Second, the offset setting further increases the size of the blade 22 in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the rotating shaft 21, preventing food from tangling on the blade 22. Furthermore, without increasing the volume of the blade 22, the three-dimensional stirring range of the blade 22 is increased, thereby providing a better three-dimensional stirring effect for the food in the cooking cavity 51.

[0052] It should be noted that the second plate segment 222 is offset relative to the first plate segment 221 in the circumferential direction of the rotating cylinder 10. This means that the second plate segment 222 is deflected relative to the first plate segment 221, that is, there is an angle between the extension direction of the second plate segment 222 and the extension direction of the first plate segment 221. This is so that when the blade 22 rotates, the outer edge of the second plate segment 222 will gradually engage with the inner wall of the cooking cavity 51 along the length direction of the second plate segment 222, rather than the entire outer edge of the second plate segment 222 contacting the inner wall of the cooking cavity 51 at the same time.

[0053] like Figure 1 As shown, both the first plate segment 221 and the second plate segment 222 are arc-shaped structures. The middle parts of the first plate segment 221 and the second plate segment 222 both protrude in a direction away from the axis of rotation 21. This causes the arc-shaped first plate segment 221 and the arc-shaped second plate segment 222 to form a circular flipping structure during one rotation of the blade 22, making it less likely for food to get tangled on the stirring blade 20.

[0054] It should be noted that, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the middle part of the first plate segment 221 and the middle part of the second plate segment 222 are not only provided with a partially protruding structure, but the entire first plate segment 221 and the second plate segment 222 are arc-shaped structures, so that during the rotation of the blade 22, the arc-shaped first plate segment 221 and the arc-shaped second plate segment 222 form a similar circular flipping structure.

[0055] Specifically, in this embodiment, during the rotation of the blade 22, the arc-shaped first plate segment 221 and the arc-shaped second plate segment 222 will form an elliptical flip structure, and the extension direction of the axis of the rotating shaft 21 is the minor axis of the ellipse.

[0056] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 8 as well as Figure 9 As shown, the angle α between the plane containing the outer wall of the second plate segment 222 and the vertical plane containing the rotating shaft 21 is between 25° and 65°. With an angle α within this range, when the blade 22 revolves around the vertical axis of the rotating cylinder 10 and rotates on its own axis around the horizontal axis of the rotating shaft 21, on the one hand, if the angle α is too small (less than 25°), the second plate segment 222 cannot be gradually pushed when it comes into contact with the bottom food, which can easily lead to jamming. On the other hand, if the angle α is too large (greater than 65°), the stirring range of the blade 22 will become smaller, thus affecting the stirring effect.

[0057] Specifically, the angle α between the plane containing the outer wall of the second plate segment 222 and the vertical plane containing the rotating shaft 21 can be 25°, 35°, 45°, 55°, 65°, or any other value between 25° and 65°.

[0058] like Figure 1 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 as well as Figure 8 As shown, the blade 22 also includes a third plate segment 223, which is connected to the end of the second plate segment 222 away from the first plate segment 221. The third plate segment 223 is bent relative to the second plate segment 222 in the direction toward the axis of the rotating shaft 21. With the aforementioned third plate segment 223, when the blade 22 revolves around the vertical axis of the rotating cylinder 10 and rotates on its own axis around the horizontal axis of the rotating shaft 21, the third plate segment 223 also revolves around the vertical axis of the rotating cylinder 10 and around the horizontal axis of the rotating shaft 21. By setting the bent third plate segment 223 at the end of the second plate segment 222 away from the first plate segment 221, the third plate segment 223 can be used to perform secondary stirring of the food that slides off the second plate segment 222 while the second plate segment 222 is stirring the food, thereby improving the stirring effect of the blade 22 on the food.

[0059] Specifically, the end of the third plate segment 223 is an arc-shaped structure to prevent the end of the third plate segment 223 from damaging the food or scratching the pot wall during rotation.

[0060] like Figure 1 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 9 as well as Figure 11 As shown, the angle β between the plane containing the outer wall of the second plate segment 222 and the plane containing the outer wall of the third plate segment 223 is between 90° and 140°. With an angle β within this range, when the blade 22 revolves around the vertical axis of the rotating cylinder 10 and rotates around the horizontal axis of the rotating shaft 21, on the one hand, if the angle β is too small (less than 90°), the food is prone to become entangled on the third plate segment 223 when it performs secondary stirring on the food that has slid off the second plate segment 222. On the other hand, if the angle β is too large (greater than 140°), the third plate segment 223 cannot effectively perform secondary stirring on the food that has slid off the second plate segment 222, thus failing to further improve the stirring effect of the blade 22 on the food.

[0061] Specifically, the angle β between the plane containing the outer sidewall of the second plate segment 222 and the plane containing the outer sidewall of the third plate segment 223 can be 90°, 100°, 110°, 120°, 130°, 140°, and any other value between 90° and 140°.

[0062] like Figure 6 As shown, the second plate segment 222 includes a strip plate 2221 extending along its length, with one end of the strip plate 2221 connected to the second end of the first plate segment 221. Using the strip plate 2221, when the second plate segment 222 gradually pushes against the bottom food, the outer edge of the strip plate 2221 gradually engages with the inner wall of the cooking cavity 51 along the length of the second plate segment 222, resulting in a gradual pushing effect when the second plate segment 222 contacts the bottom food, reducing the risk of jamming and improving the stirring effect of the blades 22 on the food.

[0063] like Figure 6 As shown, the second plate segment 222 also includes a lifting plate 2222 disposed on the strip plate 2221. The lifting plate 2222 is located on one side of the strip plate 2221 facing the axis of rotation 21. Using the lifting plate 2222, when the second plate segment 222 gradually pushes against the bottom food, the lifting plate 2222 is disposed on one side of the strip plate 2221 facing the axis of rotation 21. The lifting plate 2222 is used to stir-fry the food. The lifting plate 2222 can increase the contact area between the second plate segment 222 and the food, making it easier to scoop up the food from the front and push it from the back, thus improving the stirring effect of the blade 22 on the food.

[0064] Specifically, in the direction away from the strip plate 2221, the length of the lifting plate 2222 gradually decreases, and the corners of the lifting plate 2222 are arc-shaped, which can reduce the stirring resistance between the lifting plate 2222 and the food, and also prevent the lifting plate 2222 from damaging the food during rotation.

[0065] like Figures 5 to 12 As shown, the cross-sectional shape of the lifting plate 2222 is arc-shaped. With this structure, the lifting plate 2222 can easily lift food when it comes into contact with it. Furthermore, the reliability of the arc-shaped cross-section prevents damage to the lifting plate 2222 due to excessive food weight, thus extending the service life of the blades 22.

[0066] like Figure 7 As shown, the radius of curvature R1 of the cross-section of the lifting plate 2222 is between 15mm and 60mm. Using this range of dimensions for the radius of curvature R1 of the cross-section of the lifting plate 2222, when it gradually pushes the food at the bottom, it avoids two problems: firstly, if the radius of curvature R1 of the cross-section of the lifting plate 2222 is too small, the contact area between the lifting plate 2222 and the food at the bottom will be too small, making it difficult to effectively scoop and push the food from the front and back, resulting in an unsatisfactory mixing effect of the blades 22; secondly, if the radius of curvature R1 of the cross-section of the lifting plate 2222 is too large, the overall size of the blades 22 will be too large, making it difficult to miniaturize the mixing component.

[0067] Specifically, the radius R1 of the cross-section of the copy plate 2222 can be 15mm, 30mm, 45mm, 60mm, or any other value between 15mm and 60mm.

[0068] In this embodiment, the width of the first plate segment 221 is between 10mm and 25mm. Using this width range for the first plate segment 221 serves two purposes: firstly, it avoids the first plate segment 221 being too narrow, resulting in insufficient contact area between the first plate segment 221 and the food, hindering effective mixing and causing unsatisfactory mixing performance of the blades 22; secondly, it avoids the first plate segment 221 being too wide, leading to an excessively large overall size of the blades 22, which would make miniaturization of the mixing assembly difficult.

[0069] Specifically, the width of the first plate segment 221 can be 10mm, 15mm, 20mm, 25mm, or any other value between 10mm and 25mm.

[0070] In this embodiment, the width of the strip plate 2221 is between 5mm and 30mm. Using this width range, when the strip plate 2221 revolves around the vertical axis of the rotating cylinder 10 with the blades 22 and rotates on its own axis around the horizontal axis of the rotating shaft 21, it avoids two problems: firstly, the width of the strip plate 2221 is too large, resulting in an excessively large overall size of the blades 22, which would hinder the miniaturization of the mixing assembly; secondly, it avoids the width of the strip plate 2221 being too small, resulting in an insufficient contact area between the strip plate 2221 and the food, making effective mixing impossible and leading to unsatisfactory mixing performance of the blades 22.

[0071] Specifically, the width of the strip 2221 can be 5mm, 15mm, 25mm, 30mm, or any other value between 5mm and 30mm.

[0072] In this embodiment, the width of the lifting plate 2222 is between 10mm and 40mm. Using this width range, when the lifting plate 2222 revolves around the vertical axis of the rotating cylinder 10 with the blades 22 and rotates on its own axis around the horizontal axis of the rotating shaft 21, it avoids two problems: firstly, the width of the lifting plate 2222 is too large, resulting in an excessively large overall size of the blades 22, which would hinder the miniaturization of the mixing assembly; secondly, it avoids the width of the lifting plate 2222 being too small, resulting in too small a contact area between the strip plate 2221 and the food, making it difficult to effectively scoop up food from the front and push it from the back, leading to an unsatisfactory mixing effect of the blades 22.

[0073] Specifically, the width of the strip 2221 can be 10mm, 20mm, 30mm, 40mm, or any other value between 10mm and 40mm.

[0074] In this embodiment, the blade 22 further includes a third plate segment 223, which is connected to the end of the strip plate 2221 away from the first plate segment 221. The width of the third plate segment 223 is between 5mm and 30mm. Using the width of the third plate segment 223 within this range serves two purposes: firstly, it avoids the third plate segment 223 being too narrow, resulting in insufficient contact area with the food and ineffective mixing, leading to an unsatisfactory mixing effect from the blade 22; secondly, it avoids the third plate segment 223 being too wide, resulting in an excessively large overall size of the blade 22, which would hinder the miniaturization of the mixing assembly.

[0075] Specifically, the width of the third plate segment 223 can be 5mm, 15mm, 25mm, 30mm, or any other value between 5mm and 30mm.

[0076] like Figure 1 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 as well as Figure 12As shown, the maximum distance L between the outer edges of the first plate segment 221 and the second plate segment 222 is between 80mm and 130mm. Using this size range, the maximum distance L between the outer edges of the first plate segment 221 and the second plate segment 222, when the blade 22 revolves around the vertical axis of the rotating cylinder 10 and rotates on its own axis around the horizontal axis of the rotating shaft 21, avoids two problems: firstly, the maximum distance L between the outer edges of the first plate segment 221 and the second plate segment 222 being too small, resulting in a small three-dimensional stirring range for the blade 22 and poor three-dimensional stirring effect on the food; secondly, it avoids the maximum distance L between the outer edges of the first plate segment 221 and the second plate segment 222 being too large, leading to an excessively large overall size of the blade 22, which would hinder the miniaturization of the stirring assembly.

[0077] In this embodiment, the maximum distance L between the outer edge of the first plate segment 221 and the outer edge of the second plate segment 222 is the dimension of the major axis of the ellipse.

[0078] Specifically, the maximum distance L between the outer edge of the first plate segment 221 and the outer edge of the second plate segment 222 can be 80mm, 110mm, 130mm, or any other value between 80mm and 130mm.

[0079] like Figure 2 As shown, the radius R2 of the tangent circle formed between the outer edge of the first plate segment 221, the bottom wall of the cooking cavity 51, and the outer wall of the rotating drum 10 is between 10mm and 25mm. Using the radius R2 of the tangent circle formed between the outer edge of the first plate segment 221, the bottom wall of the cooking cavity 51, and the outer wall of the rotating drum 10 within the above-mentioned size range, when the blade 22 revolves around the vertical axis of the rotating drum 10 and rotates around the horizontal axis of the rotating shaft 21, on the one hand, it avoids the radius R2 of the tangent circle formed between the outer edge of the first plate segment 221, the bottom wall of the cooking cavity 51, and the outer wall of the rotating drum 10 being too small, making it impossible for the first plate segment 221 to handle large-volume ingredients and easily causing jamming problems; on the other hand, it avoids the radius R2 of the tangent circle formed between the outer edge of the first plate segment 221, the bottom wall of the cooking cavity 51, and the outer wall of the rotating drum 10 being too large, affecting the stirring range of the blade 22 and thus affecting the stirring effect of the stirring assembly.

[0080] Specifically, the radius R2 of the tangent circle formed between the outer edge of the first plate segment 221, the bottom wall of the cooking cavity 51, and the outer side wall of the rotating cylinder 10 can be 10mm, 15mm, 20mm, 25mm, or any other value between 10mm and 25mm.

[0081] like Figures 1 to 3As shown, a fixed blade 40 is also provided on the outer wall of the rotating drum 10, and the height of the fixed blade 40 is lower than the height of the stirring blade 20. When the rotating drum 10 rotates, the fixed blade 40 revolves around the vertical axis of the rotating drum 10, thereby stirring the food at the bottom and improving the stirring performance.

[0082] In this embodiment, the gap between the outer edge of the second plate segment 222 and the inner wall of the cooking cavity 51 is between 0 mm and 1.5 mm. By using this size range, the gap between the outer edge of the second plate segment 222 and the inner wall of the cooking cavity 51 is prevented from being too large when the blades 22 revolve around the vertical axis of the rotating cylinder 10 and rotate around the horizontal axis of the rotating shaft 21. Otherwise, the second plate segment 222 would not be able to effectively stir the lower layer of food, and the blades 22 would not be able to achieve three-dimensional stirring of the ingredients in the cooking cavity 51.

[0083] Specifically, when the ingredient is hard (such as pork ribs), the gap between the outer edge of the second plate segment 222 and the inner wall of the cooking cavity 51 should be set between 0.5mm and 1.5mm. If the gap is too small, there is a risk that the blade 22 may get stuck. When the ingredient is soft (such as leafy greens), since soft ingredients are easier to stir, the gap between the outer edge of the second plate segment 222 and the inner wall of the cooking cavity 51 can be set between 0mm and 1.5mm.

[0084] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the transmission structure 30 includes a fixed gear 31 and a moving gear 32. The upper end of the fixed gear 31 has a horizontally arranged gear ring 311. The moving gear 32 is mounted on the rotating shaft 21 and meshes with the gear ring 311. The lower end of the fixed gear 31 is engaged with the inner pot 50 to prevent rotation. Using the above-mentioned transmission structure 30, when the rotating drum 10 rotates, the rotating drum 10 drives the rotating shaft 21, the blades 22, and the moving gear 32 to revolve around the vertical axis of the rotating drum 10. Since the fixed gear 31 is engaged with the inner pot 50 to prevent rotation, the fixed gear 31 is fixed relative to the inner pot 50. The moving gear 32 rotates around the gear ring 311 of the fixed gear 31. The torque of the rotating drum 10 is transmitted to the rotating shaft 21 by the cooperation of the fixed gear 31 and the moving gear 32. Thus, the rotating shaft 21 revolves around the rotating drum 10 in the circumferential direction while rotating horizontally. In this embodiment, both the gear ring 311 of the fixed gear 31 and the moving gear 32 are bevel gears, which can convert the circumferential rotation of the rotating drum 10 into the horizontal rotation of the rotating shaft 21.

[0085] Specifically, the fixed gear 31 includes a fixed shaft seat 312 and a gear cylinder 313 disposed on the fixed shaft seat 312. An anti-rotation structure is disposed between the fixed shaft seat 312 and the inner pot 50, and a gear ring 311 is disposed on the upper end face of the gear cylinder 313. When the moving gear 32 rotates around the gear ring 311 of the fixed gear 31, due to the anti-rotation structure disposed between the fixed shaft seat 312 and the inner pot 50, the gear cylinder 313 is disposed on the fixed shaft seat 312, and the gear ring 311 is disposed on the upper end face of the gear cylinder 313. The gear ring 311 is fixed relative to the inner pot 50, and the moving gear 32 revolves around the vertical axis of the rotating cylinder 10 relative to the inner pot 50.

[0086] In this embodiment, the rotating drum 10 includes an upper drum body 11 and a lower drum body 12, and the transmission structure 30 is disposed inside the upper drum body 11.

[0087] like Figure 1 As shown, another embodiment of the present invention provides a cooking appliance, which includes an inner pot 50 and a stirring assembly. The inner pot 50 has a driving member, and the stirring assembly is disposed in the cooking cavity 51 of the inner pot 50. The driving member is drivenly connected to the rotating drum 10 of the stirring assembly, and the stirring assembly is the stirring assembly provided above. Therefore, during the rotation of the blade 22, the arc-shaped first plate segment 221 and the arc-shaped second plate segment 222 form a near-circular flipping structure, making it less likely for food to entangle on the stirring blade 20. The first plate segment 221 can also be used to flatten food at higher positions, and the second plate segment 222 can be used to stir-fry food at the bottom of the pot vertically. The first plate segment 221 and the second plate segment 222 work together to further enhance the three-dimensional stirring effect of the stirring assembly on the ingredients in the cooking cavity 51.

[0088] The cooking appliance also includes a pot body, with an inner pot 50 set inside the pot body. A drive motor is installed inside the pot body, and the drive component is a drive shaft. The motor shaft of the drive motor is connected to the drive shaft, and the drive motor drives the stirring component to rotate through the drive shaft.

[0089] In this embodiment, the cooking appliance also includes a lid, which is closable and can be installed on the inner pot 50. The lid seals the cooking cavity 51 of the inner pot 50.

[0090] The cooking appliance includes an air fryer, rice cooker, electric pressure cooker, or a multi-functional heating pot with baking, cooking, and food preparation functions.

[0091] It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to this application. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0092] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention. It should also be understood that, for ease of description, the dimensions of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn to actual scale. Techniques, methods, and devices known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and devices should be considered part of the specification. In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures denote similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it need not be further discussed in subsequent figures.

[0093] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by directional terms such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "horizontal, vertical, horizontal" and "top, bottom" is generally based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise stated, these directional terms do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of protection of this invention; the directional terms "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours relative to the outline of each component itself.

[0094] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as "above," "on top of," "on the upper surface of," "above," etc., are used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship of a device or feature as shown in the figures to other devices or features. It should be understood that spatial relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations in use or operation beyond the orientation of the device as described in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures were inverted, a device described as "above" or "on top of" other devices or structures would subsequently be positioned as "below" or "under" other devices or structures. Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below." The device may also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptions used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0095] Furthermore, it should be noted that the use of terms such as "first" and "second" to define components is merely for the purpose of distinguishing the corresponding components. Unless otherwise stated, the above terms have no special meaning and therefore should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this invention.

[0096] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A stirring assembly provided in an inner pot (50), characterized by, The stirring assembly comprises: a rotating drum (10) rotatably arranged in a cooking cavity (51) of the inner pot (50) about a vertical axis thereof; a stirring blade (20) comprising a rotating shaft (21) transversely penetrating a side wall of the rotating drum (10) and a blade (22) arranged on the rotating shaft (21); a transmission structure (30) arranged in the rotating drum (10) and capable of driving the rotating shaft (21) to rotate horizontally; wherein the blade (22) comprises a first plate segment (221) and a second plate segment (222), a first end of the first plate segment (221) is connected with the rotating shaft (21), a second end of the first plate segment (221) is connected with one end of the second plate segment (222), the first plate segment (221) and the second plate segment (222) are respectively located on two sides of an axis of the rotating shaft (21), an outer edge of the second plate segment (222) is matched with an inner wall of the cooking cavity (51), and a distance between an outer edge of the first plate segment (221) and the inner wall of the cooking cavity (51) is greater than a distance between the outer edge of the second plate segment (222) and the inner wall of the cooking cavity (51); the first plate segment (221) and the second plate segment (222) are both arc-shaped structures, and a middle portion of the first plate segment (221) and a middle portion of the second plate segment (222) are both convex in a direction away from the axis of the rotating shaft (21); the blade (22) further comprises a third plate segment (223), the third plate segment (223) is connected with one end of the second plate segment (222) away from the first plate segment (221), and the third plate segment (223) is bent relative to the second plate segment (222) in a direction towards the axis of the rotating shaft (21).

2. The stirring assembly of claim 1, wherein, The second plate segment (222) is arranged offset relative to the first plate segment (221) in a circumferential direction of the rotating drum (10).

3. The stirring assembly of claim 2, wherein, An included angle between a plane in which an outer side wall of the second plate segment (222) is located and a vertical plane in which the rotating shaft (21) is located is between 25° and 65°.

4. The stirring assembly of claim 1, wherein, An included angle between a plane in which an outer side wall of the second plate segment (222) is located and a plane in which an outer side wall of the third plate segment (223) is located is between 90° and 140°.

5. The stirring assembly of claim 1, wherein, The second plate segment (222) comprises a strip-shaped plate (2221) extending along a length direction thereof, and one end of the strip-shaped plate (2221) is connected with the second end of the first plate segment (221).

6. The stirring assembly of claim 5, wherein, The second plate segment (222) further comprises a scraping plate (2222) arranged on the strip-shaped plate (2221), and the scraping plate (2222) is located on a side of the strip-shaped plate (2221) towards the axis of the rotating shaft (21).

7. The stirring assembly of claim 6, wherein, A cross-sectional shape of the scraping plate (2222) is a circular arc shape.

8. The stirring assembly of claim 7, wherein, A radius of the circular arc of the cross-section of the scraping plate (2222) is between 15 mm and 60 mm.

9. The stirring assembly according to claim 6, wherein a width dimension of the first plate segment (221) is between 10 mm and 25 mm. The width of the strip-shaped plate (2221) is between 5mm and 30mm. The width of the paddle (2222) is between 10mm and 40mm. The blade (22) further comprises a third plate segment (223) connected to an end of the strip-shaped plate (2221) away from the first plate segment (221), and the width of the third plate segment (223) is between 5mm and 30mm.

10. A whisking assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, The maximum distance between the outer edge of the first plate segment (221) and the outer edge of the second plate segment (222) is between 80mm and 130mm.

11. A whisking assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, The radius of the tangent circle formed between the outer edge of the first plate segment (221), the bottom wall of the cooking cavity (51), and the outer side wall of the drum (10) is between 10mm and 25mm.

12. The stirring assembly according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The outer side wall of the drum (10) is further provided with a fixed blade (40), and the height of the fixed blade (40) is lower than the height of the stirring blade (20). The gap between the outer edge of the second plate segment (222) and the inner wall of the cooking cavity (51) is between 0mm and 1.5mm. The transmission structure (30) comprises a driving gear (31) and a driven gear (32), the upper end of the driving gear (31) is provided with a horizontally arranged gear ring (311), the driven gear (32) is arranged on the rotating shaft (21) and is engaged with the gear ring (311), and the lower end of the driving gear (31) is rotationally matched with the inner pot (50).

13. A cooking appliance characterized by, The cooking appliance comprises: An inner pot (50) having a driving member; A stirring assembly arranged in the cooking cavity (51) of the inner pot (50), the driving member is drivingly connected with the drum (10) of the stirring assembly, and the stirring assembly is any one of the stirring assemblies according to claims 1-12.

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