A multi-functional food processing machine

Abstract

This invention relates to kitchen appliances, specifically a multi-functional food processor. A steamer assembly is installed on the top of the cup body. The steamer assembly contains a cavity for holding food ingredients. The cavity is connected to a grinding chamber via a connecting port on the steamer assembly. The volume of the cavity is V1, and the corresponding grinding chamber's slurry-making capacity is V2. The area of ​​the connecting port is S1, and the area of ​​the slurry surface is S2. V1 / V2 = 0.6–2.5, and S1 / S2 = 0.1–0.5, allowing slurry making and steaming of the food ingredients in the cavity to be completed simultaneously. This food processor allows for the simultaneous preparation of hot drinks and ensures that the food ingredients in the steamer are also cooked. Furthermore, it produces significantly less condensation, and even if condensation occurs, there are no issues such as backflow or overflow, thus fully guaranteeing the texture and flavor of the cooked food.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to kitchen appliances, and in particular to a multifunctional food processing machine. Background Technology

[0002] A utility model patent with patent number CN202121850644.1, entitled "Food Processor," has been published. This patent discloses a second processing unit added to a first processing unit, allowing steam generated during the heating process of the first unit to enter the second processing unit and steam the food within it. This adds the steaming function to existing soymilk makers and blenders, enabling them to not only perform a single function but also to steam solid foods. While this food processor can steam food during soymilk production, in actual use, the soymilk making process is not continuously heated and processed. The process includes grinding and overflow prevention, which doesn't generate enough steam to heat the food in the steamer. Therefore, after the soymilk is made, some food may still be uncooked. Users then need to continuously heat the soymilk to generate more steam, which significantly reduces the amount of soymilk produced and also causes excessive condensation in the steamer. Although the aforementioned patent discloses a method to trap condensate inside the steamer, preventing it from flowing back into the soy milk and causing flavor contamination, the continuous heating of the soy milk means the steam output cannot be adjusted. This inevitably results in a significant amount of condensate remaining inside the steamer. Researchers would need to design a larger steamer to collect this condensate, increasing both the steamer's size and manufacturing costs. Furthermore, when the condensate exceeds the steamer's maximum capacity, it will still flow back into the soy milk, causing flavor contamination. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a food processing machine that, by matching the relationship between the space V1 for holding ingredients in the steamer and the amount of slurry V2, as well as the area S1 of the connecting opening and the area S2 of the slurry liquid surface, can achieve the simultaneous preparation of hot drinks and steaming of ingredients. Moreover, the amount of condensation produced is relatively small, and even if there is condensation, there will be no problems such as condensation backflow or overflow, thus fully ensuring the taste of the steamed ingredients.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a multifunctional food processing machine, comprising a cup body with a grinding chamber, a heating device for heating the grinding chamber, and a motor disposed at the bottom of the cup body. A rotating shaft driven by the motor passes through the bottom wall of the cup body and extends into the cup body. A grinding device is disposed at the end of the rotating shaft inside the grinding chamber. The machine is characterized in that: a steamer assembly is installed on the top of the cup body. The steamer assembly is provided with a cavity for accommodating food ingredients. The cavity and the grinding chamber are connected through a connecting port disposed on the steamer assembly. The volume of the cavity is V1, and the corresponding pulping capacity of the grinding chamber is V2. The area of ​​the connecting port is S1, and the area of ​​the pulping liquid surface is S2. Wherein, V1 / V2 = 0.6~2.5, and S1 / S2 = 0.1~0.5, so that pulping and steaming of the food ingredients in the cavity are completed simultaneously.

[0005] Furthermore, V1 = 480ml~2000ml;

[0006] Alternatively, V2 = 350ml to 1200ml.

[0007] Furthermore, when V1 ≥ 800ml, V2 is not less than 350ml;

[0008] Alternatively, if V1 ≤ 800ml, V2 shall not exceed 1200ml.

[0009] Furthermore, the steamer assembly is provided with a steaming tray for holding food, and the steaming tray divides the space inside the steamer assembly into an upper cavity and a lower water cavity. The water cavity is used to collect condensed water after steam condensation, and the steaming tray is provided with a through hole that connects the cavity and the water cavity.

[0010] Furthermore, the volume of condensate collected in the residual water chamber is no more than 100ml;

[0011] Alternatively, the steamer assembly is provided with a steam guide located between the connecting port and the steaming tray. The lower port of the steam guide is connected to the connecting port, and the vertical distance from the upper port to the steaming tray is no more than 10mm.

[0012] Furthermore, the steamer assembly includes a mounting bracket installed at the mouth of the cup and a steamer body supported on the mounting bracket, the cavity being located inside the steamer body, and the communication port being disposed on the mounting bracket.

[0013] Furthermore, the mounting bracket is provided with an anti-overflow electrode, which is located inside or outside the communication port;

[0014] Alternatively, the bottom of the steamer body is provided with an inwardly extending support portion that rests on the mounting bracket. The support portion is provided with a through opening corresponding to the communication port. The cavity is located above the through opening. The support portion has a residual water cavity for collecting condensate.

[0015] Alternatively, the top of the mounting bracket may be provided with a residual water chamber for collecting condensate.

[0016] Furthermore, the mounting bracket is a cup lid that is mounted on the cup body, and the connecting port is located through the center of the cup lid.

[0017] Furthermore, the top wall of the cup lid has a support surface that slopes downward from the center to the edge, and the bottom wall of the steamer body has a support surface that fits against the support surface and is located on the inner side of the steamer body. The peripheral wall and the bottom wall of the steamer body are connected to form a water cavity.

[0018] Alternatively, a baffle ring extending into the grinding chamber is provided on the inner side of the top wall of the cup lid, and the connecting port is formed by the baffle ring.

[0019] Furthermore, the heating power of the heating device is P = 500W to 1200W.

[0020] Through research, the inventors discovered that existing food processors that simultaneously prepare hot drinks and steam ingredients often suffer from problems during the process: either the food is undercooked, or excessive condensation causes it to flow back into the hot drink, resulting in off-flavors. While existing technologies disclose structures that retain condensation within the steamer, this inevitably increases the steamer's size, making it bulky and inconvenient for installation and transportation. Furthermore, it can cause the steamer to tip over during the process. However, the inventors found that by rationally matching the volume V1 of the cavity with the corresponding pulverizing capacity V2 of the grinding chamber, and the area S1 of the connecting opening with the area S2 of the pulverized liquid surface—specifically, V1 / V2 = 0.6–2.5, and S1 / S2 = 0.1–0.5—the food in the steamer can be fully steamed simultaneously with the hot drink preparation, without generating excessive condensation that could flow back into the hot drink and cause off-flavors. This eliminates the need for users to repeatedly heat beverages to generate steam for cooking ingredients, without significantly reducing the beverage volume. Furthermore, it eliminates the need for developers to design larger steamers to collect condensation. The food processor of this invention employs this design, resulting in an aesthetically pleasing and appropriately sized steamer assembly suitable for ordinary households. During preparation, there is no overflow of liquid, and when the steamer assembly is removed after cooking, excessive condensation prevents it from spilling onto the table and creating a cleaning burden. Moreover, food steamed using this invention has a superior texture and is never undercooked. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the food processing machine of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Enlarged structural diagram at point A;

[0024] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the disassembled assembly structure of the steamer component and the cup body;

[0025] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the steamer body. Detailed Implementation

[0026] Example:

[0027] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of an embodiment of the food processing machine of the present invention. A food processing machine includes a cup body 1 having a grinding chamber 10, a heating device 2 for heating the grinding chamber 10, and a motor 3 disposed at the bottom of the cup body 1. A rotating shaft 31 driven by the motor 3 passes through the bottom wall of the cup body 1 and extends into the cup body 1, and a grinding device 4 is disposed in the grinding chamber 10 and installed at the end of the rotating shaft 31. In this embodiment, the heating device 2 is a heating tube fixed to the bottom of the cup body 1. Meanwhile, a steamer assembly 5 is installed on the top of the cup body 1. The steamer assembly 5 includes a mounting bracket 51 installed at the mouth of the cup body 1, a steamer body 52 supported on the mounting bracket 51, and a steaming lid 53 covering the steamer body 52. ​​A steaming tray 54 is installed inside the steamer body 52. ​​The steaming tray 54 is used to hold food. The steaming tray 54 divides the steamer body 52 into an upper cavity 501 and a lower residual water cavity 502. The cavity 501 is formed by the inner walls of the steaming tray 54, the steamer body 52, and the steaming lid 53, and is used to hold food. The residual water cavity 502 is used to collect condensed water after steam condensation, and the steaming tray 54 is provided with a through hole 540 connecting the cavity 501 and the residual water cavity 502.

[0028] In this embodiment, the mounting bracket 51 is a cup lid with a sealing cap mounted on the cup body 1. The cup lid is provided with a connecting port 510 that connects the residual water chamber 502, the container chamber 501, and the grinding chamber 10. A baffle ring 511 extending towards the grinding chamber 10 is provided on the inner side of the top wall of the cup lid. The connecting port 510 is formed by the baffle ring 511 and extends through the center of the cup lid. In this embodiment, the cup lid is also provided with an anti-overflow electrode 512 electrically connected to the control unit. The anti-overflow electrode 512 is located inside the connecting port 510 and is used to detect slurry overflow signals.

[0029] In this embodiment, the top wall of the cup lid has a support surface 513 that slopes downward from the center to the edge. The bottom of the steamer body 52 has a support portion 521 that rests on the cup lid, and the support portion 521 has a support surface 523 that fits against the support surface 513. The residual water cavity 502 is formed by connecting the peripheral wall of the steamer body 52 with the support portion 521 having the support surface 523. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a through opening 520 is provided on the support portion 521 located within the residual water cavity 502. The through opening 520 communicates with the connecting opening 510. The support portion 521 also has a steam guiding portion 522 that extends upward and surrounds the through opening 520. The lower port of the steam guiding portion 522 communicates with the connecting opening 510, and the vertical distance from the upper port to the steaming tray 54 is H, where H is not greater than 10 mm.

[0030] In this embodiment, the heating power of the heating tube is P = 800W, the volume of the cavity is V1, the corresponding pulping capacity of the grinding chamber is V2, the minimum cross-sectional area of ​​the connecting opening is S1, and the area of ​​the pulping liquid surface is S2. Through continuous testing and research, the inventors have discovered that when V1 / V2 and S1 / S2 are selected with different values, the resulting cookedness and texture of the food, as well as unexpected situations, occur during the pulping process when pulping and steaming the ingredients using a food processing machine. The inventors now record the experimental process based on the following dimensions.

[0031] Food doneness:

[0032] A1: The ingredients are cooked; A2: The ingredients are not fully cooked; A3: The ingredients are slightly undercooked, but this does not affect edibility; A4: The ingredients are overcooked.

[0033] Taste:

[0034] B1: Poor taste; B2: Good taste; B3: Average taste.

[0035] The amount of condensate produced, and whether it flows back into the soy milk and imparts an off-flavor:

[0036] C1: Less condensate is produced, with some backflow; C2: Less condensate is produced, with no obvious backflow; C3: More condensate is produced, with some backflow; C4: More condensate is produced, with no obvious backflow.

[0037] Slurry overflow situation:

[0038] D1: No overflow occurred; D2: Overflow occurred.

[0039] The table below shows the experimental records of various parameter conditions recorded by the inventors during the food processing process using the food processing machine of this invention:

[0040]

[0041] Through research, the inventors discovered that when V1 / V2 is less than 0.6, the amount of food that the steamer assembly can hold is relatively small. When this steamer assembly is matched with a regular food processor, the resulting food is insufficient to satisfy a single person's breakfast portion. Furthermore, due to the relatively small cavity, the food inside is easily overcooked when making hot drinks, resulting in poor texture. Conversely, when V1 / V2 is greater than 2.5, the steamer assembly becomes too bulky when matched with a regular food processor, making the entire machine top-heavy. Since the steamer assembly is installed at the rim of the cup, it is relatively easy for it to tip over during operation due to vibration. Moreover, because the cavity inside the steamer assembly is relatively large, the same amount of steam needs to cover the entire cavity, leading to uneven steaming of the food. Generally, food near the center of the cavity cooks more easily, while food distributed around the perimeter remains undercooked. Therefore, to match existing food processors that integrate the motor and cup body, and to balance user experience and product aesthetics, this embodiment selects a V1 / V2 range of 0.6 to 2.5. Specifically, when the pulping volume V2 is selected between 350ml and 1200ml, the cavity volume V1 corresponds to 480ml to 2000ml. Furthermore, the inventors have found that when the cavity volume V1 ≥ 800ml, V2 must be no less than 350ml; and when the cavity volume V1 ≤ 800ml, V2 must be no greater than 1200ml.

[0042] Furthermore, the inventors have discovered that even when V1 / V2 is set between 0.6 and 2.5, it cannot be guaranteed that the steamed food will meet the user's consumption requirements, and there are still cases of undercooked or overcooked food. The inventors have found that this is closely related to the size of the area S1 of the connecting opening and the area S2 of the pulping liquid surface. When S1 / S2 is less than 0.1, the area of ​​the connecting opening is small, and the steam generated in the grinding chamber cannot be quickly introduced into the container to steam the food. At the same time, a large portion of the steam is blocked by the lid in the grinding chamber, causing the pressure in the grinding chamber to gradually increase. The continuous steam heat will push the temperature of the pulp to continue to rise, causing the pulp surface to rise rapidly, and pulp overflow is very likely to occur. At this time, not only is it difficult to steam the food properly, but normal pulping will also be affected. Furthermore, the inventors discovered that when S1 / S2 is greater than 0.5, the area of ​​the connecting opening is larger than the area of ​​the pulping liquid surface. At this point, almost all the steam generated in the grinding chamber can enter the container to heat the ingredients. This results in a relative reduction in the steam remaining in the grinding chamber. During the pulping process, the pulping temperature needs to be continuously heated to maintain, leading to more steam entering the container. This causes the ingredients in the container to be overcooked, failing to meet the user's taste requirements. Simultaneously, excessive steam also condenses into more condensate, causing condensate accumulation and flowing back into the pulping beverage. Therefore, to meet the user's requirements for the edibility of the ingredients, this embodiment limits S1 / S2 to 0.1–0.5.

[0043] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, V1 / V2 and S1 / S2 are two pairs of interdependent parameters, which researchers need to consider together during the design process. Through research, the inventors discovered that by rationally matching the volume V1 of the cavity with the corresponding pulping capacity V2 of the grinding chamber, and the area S1 of the connecting opening with the area S2 of the pulping liquid surface—that is, when V1 / V2 = 0.6–2.5 and S1 / S2 = 0.1–0.5—the food in the steamer can be fully cooked while the hot beverage is being prepared, without generating excessive condensate that could flow back into the hot beverage and cause flavor contamination. This eliminates the need for users to repeatedly heat the beverage to generate steam to cook the food, the beverage volume is not significantly reduced, and researchers do not need to design a larger steamer to collect condensate. It should be noted that the area S2 of the pulping liquid surface, for ease of measurement, refers to the cross-sectional area of ​​the liquid surface where the grinding chamber is located when the liquid is at rest.

[0044] It should also be noted that in this embodiment, the amount of condensate collected in the residual water chamber generally does not exceed 50ml. To prevent condensate backflow, the residual water chamber is designed to hold no more than 100ml, significantly reducing its volume compared to existing food processors with steamer components. This results in a more refined overall design and a better user experience. In this embodiment, the residual water chamber is located within the steamer body. Alternatively, the steamer body can have a bottom-opening structure that directly connects to the mounting bracket, in which case the residual water chamber can be mounted on the bracket. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the anti-overflow electrode is installed inside the connecting port. To facilitate cleaning, the anti-overflow electrode can also be located outside the baffle ring or integrated with it.

[0045] In addition, in this embodiment, the steam guide unit on the steam body can guide steam to steam and heat the food on the steaming tray. The vertical distance H from the upper end of the steam guide unit to the steaming tray is generally no more than 10mm. If H is greater than 10mm, the steam concentration effect is weakened, and the steam dispersion is more severe, failing to provide continuous steaming and heating to the food. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the mounting bracket and the steamer body can also be an integrated structure. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the heating device is not limited to a heating tube; it can also be other devices capable of heating the grinding chamber, such as electromagnetic heating. The heating power P of the heating device is required to be selected between 500W and 1200W to allow the food processor to select an appropriate heating power P based on the pulping volume V2.

[0046] It should also be noted that the cup body of the food processor in this embodiment adopts a double-layer structure including an inner cup and an outer cup fitted outside the inner cup. Of course, the cup body in this embodiment can also be a single-layer cup body structure, such as a single-layer transparent cup body, and the bottom of the cup body is provided with a base that encloses the motor and heating device therein, and the base is connected to the transparent cup body to form the cup body of the food processor of this invention.

[0047] Those skilled in the art will understand that this invention includes, but is not limited to, the contents described in the accompanying drawings and the specific embodiments above. Any modifications that do not depart from the functional and structural principles of this invention will be included within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A multifunctional food processing machine, comprising a cup body with a grinding chamber, a heating device for heating the grinding chamber, and a motor disposed at the bottom of the cup body, wherein a rotating shaft driven by the motor passes through the bottom wall of the cup body and extends into the cup body, and a grinding device installed at the end of the rotating shaft is disposed within the grinding chamber, characterized in that: A steamer assembly is installed on the top of the cup body. The steamer assembly has a cavity for holding food. The cavity is connected to the grinding chamber through a connecting port on the steamer assembly. The volume of the cavity is V1, and the corresponding pulping capacity of the grinding chamber is V2. The area of ​​the connecting port is S1, and the area of ​​the pulping liquid surface is S2. V1 / V2 = 0.6 to 2.5, and S1 / S2 = 0.1 to 0.5, so that pulping and steaming of the food in the cavity are completed simultaneously.

2. The multifunctional food processing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: V1 = 480ml to 2000ml; or V2 = 350ml to 1200ml.

3. The multifunctional food processing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: When V1 ≥ 800ml, V2 is not less than 350ml; Alternatively, if V1 ≤ 800ml, V2 shall not exceed 1200ml.

4. The multifunctional food processing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The steamer assembly is equipped with a steaming tray for holding food, and the steaming tray divides the space inside the steamer assembly into an upper cavity and a lower water cavity. The water cavity is used to collect condensed water after steam condensation, and the steaming tray is provided with a through hole that connects the cavity and the water cavity.

5. The multifunctional food processing machine according to claim 4, characterized in that: The volume of condensate collected in the residual water chamber is no more than 100ml; Alternatively, the steamer assembly is provided with a steam guide located between the connecting port and the steaming tray. The lower port of the steam guide is connected to the connecting port, and the vertical distance from the upper port to the steaming tray is no more than 10mm.

6. The multifunctional food processing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The steamer assembly includes a mounting bracket installed at the mouth of the cup and a steamer body supported on the mounting bracket. The cavity is located inside the steamer body, and the communication port is provided on the mounting bracket.

7. The multifunctional food processing machine according to claim 6, characterized in that: The mounting bracket is equipped with an anti-overflow electrode, which is located inside or outside the communication port. Alternatively, the bottom of the steamer body is provided with an inwardly extending support portion that rests on the mounting bracket. The support portion is provided with a through opening corresponding to the communication port. The cavity is located above the through opening. The support portion has a residual water cavity for collecting condensate. Alternatively, the top of the mounting bracket may be provided with a residual water chamber for collecting condensate.

8. The multifunctional food processing machine according to claim 6, characterized in that: The mounting bracket is a cup lid that is mounted on the cup body, and the connecting port is located through the center of the cup lid.

9. The multifunctional food processing machine according to claim 8, characterized in that: The top wall of the cup lid has a support surface that slopes downward from the center to the edge, and the bottom wall of the steamer body has a support surface that fits against the support surface and is located on the inner side of the steamer body. The peripheral wall and the bottom wall of the steamer body are connected to form a water cavity. Alternatively, a baffle ring extending into the grinding chamber is provided on the inner side of the top wall of the cup lid, and the connecting port is formed by the baffle ring.

10. The multifunctional food processing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heating power of the heating device is P = 500W to 1200W.

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