Food processor

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of kitchen appliances, in particular to a food processor which comprises a shell, a control panel is arranged in the shell, an encoder is arranged on the control panel, a rotatable knob is further arranged on the side wall of the shell and penetrates through the shell to be connected with the encoder, the shell is provided with an annular surrounding rib extending in the direction of the knob, and the annular surrounding rib is sleeved with a first sealing ring. The first sealing ring is provided with at least one circle of first annular lip edge, the first annular lip edge obliquely extends towards one side of the shell, the rotary knob is provided with an annular surrounding edge arranged on the outer side of the annular surrounding rib in a sleeving mode, the annular surrounding edge presses the first annular lip edge so as to seal a gap between the annular surrounding rib and the annular surrounding edge, and the first sealing ring is an oil-containing silica gel piece. The food processer solves the problem that water enters the food processer through a gap of the knob, and also solves the problem that rotation of the knob is blocked.

Description

A food processor Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of kitchen appliance technology, and more particularly to a food processor. Background Technology

[0002] A food processor is a household appliance that integrates functions such as making soy milk, grinding dry powders, juicing, mincing meat, and shaved ice. It is used to make a variety of foods such as juice, soy milk, jam, dry powders, shaved ice, and minced meat.

[0003] The human-computer interaction functions of existing food processors are typically implemented through three types of structures: mechanical buttons, touch buttons, and knobs. For mechanical buttons and touch buttons, sealing the control interface is relatively easy, mostly using diaphragms attached to the casing, thus preventing water ingress. However, for knob structures, since the knob is a rotating component, achieving a tight seal between the knob and the casing is more difficult. For example, in the structure disclosed in existing technology CN202221227077.9, the knob lacks a sealing structure. Therefore, the food processor is at risk of water entering through the gap between the knob and the casing, potentially affecting its lifespan.

[0004] Some cooking machines use a seal between the knob and the housing to prevent water from entering. However, the knob is subject to resistance from the seal during rotation, which can cause it to rotate poorly and affect the user experience. Furthermore, prolonged use of the knob can cause wear and tear on the seal, leading to seal failure and still posing a risk of water ingress. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this application provides a food processor that not only solves the problem of water entering the food processor through the gap of the knob, but also solves the problem of the knob being obstructed from turning.

[0006] This application provides a food processor, including a housing, a control panel inside the housing, an encoder on the control panel, and a rotatable knob on the side wall of the housing. The knob passes through the housing and is connected to the encoder. The housing has an annular rib extending toward the knob, and a first sealing ring is fitted on the annular rib. The first sealing ring has at least one first annular lip, which extends obliquely toward one side of the housing. The knob has an annular edge fitted outside the annular rib, and the annular edge presses against the first annular lip to seal the gap between the annular rib and the annular edge. The first sealing ring is an oil-impregnated silicone part.

[0007] Compared to existing technologies where no sealing structure is provided between the knob and the housing, this application seals the gap between the annular rib and the annular edge by fitting a first sealing ring onto the annular rib, with the annular edge pressing against the first annular lip of the sealing ring. This effectively prevents water from entering the blender through the gap. Furthermore, the first sealing ring of this application is made of oil-impregnated silicone, which contains mineral oil and can spontaneously exude lubricating grease to ensure smooth knob rotation, thus satisfying the knob's rotational characteristics and providing a smooth user experience. This not only solves the sealing problem between the knob and housing in existing blenders but also addresses the issue of knob rotation obstruction, effectively improving the user experience. Moreover, the oil-impregnated silicone nature of the first sealing ring also reduces wear and prevents seal failure.

[0008] Furthermore, the first annular lip extends towards the housing. On one hand, when water flows into the first sealing ring, the inclination direction of the first annular lip is opposite to the water flow direction, effectively blocking the inflow of water and improving the sealing effect. On the other hand, the first annular lip is held by the annular rim, which provides auxiliary support for the knob. When the knob is turned, it can prevent the knob from swinging and reduce the probability of the knob loosening, thus preventing the knob from falling off.

[0009] As a preferred technical solution, the knob has a through structure, and the knob includes an annular insertion part disposed on the inner side of the annular rim. The annular insertion part extends into the annular rib, and the annular insertion part surrounds to form a through hole. A button that can be elastically reset is installed in the through hole. One end of the button extends into the housing and is connected to the control panel. The button includes a body located in the annular insertion part. A second sealing ring is provided on the body. The second sealing ring is pressed against the body by the inner wall of the annular insertion part to seal the gap between the annular insertion part and the body. The second sealing ring is an oil-impregnated silicone part.

[0010] A second sealing ring is provided between the button body and the inner wall of the annular insertion part. This second sealing ring is also made of oil-impregnated silicone. On one hand, it seals the gap between the button and the annular insertion part when the button moves, further enhancing the sealing of the food processor's control interface when combined with the seal between the knob and the housing. On the other hand, the oil-impregnated silicone part of the second sealing ring ensures a tight seal without affecting the button's movement when pressed and reset.

[0011] As a preferred technical solution, the second sealing ring is provided with at least one second annular lip, and the second annular lip extends obliquely to the side away from the housing, and the inner wall of the annular insertion part presses against the second annular lip.

[0012] By setting a second annular lip, the sealing performance of the second sealing ring can be further improved. Moreover, the second annular lip extends obliquely away from the housing, which can provide a certain buffering effect on the button when it moves outward during reset, effectively improving the button's service life.

[0013] As a preferred technical solution, the outer wall of the body is provided with an annular groove, and the second sealing ring is sleeved between the groove wall of the annular groove and the inner wall of the annular insertion part.

[0014] By setting an annular groove to accommodate the second sealing ring, the second sealing ring is confined within the annular groove, preventing the second sealing ring from undergoing large displacement as the button moves, which would affect the sealing effect. It also prevents the second sealing ring from repeatedly moving, which would damage its service life.

[0015] As a preferred technical solution, the housing is provided with an annular step surrounding the outer side of the annular rib, the annular step including a first step surface that limits the end of the first sealing ring and a second step surface that provides auxiliary support to the end of the annular rib.

[0016] The first step, by limiting the first sealing ring, prevents it from shifting too much and affecting the sealing effect. Furthermore, the second step, by providing auxiliary support to the end of the annular rim, supports the knob during rotation, preventing it from wobbling. Additionally, the second step's support at the end of the annular rim reduces the likelihood of external impurities entering the gap between the annular rib and the annular rim.

[0017] As a preferred technical solution, the interference of the first annular lip is 0.3mm-0.5mm.

[0018] As a preferred technical solution, the housing includes an outer shell and a display panel separately mounted on the outer shell. The outer shell is provided with mounting holes, and the display panel is sealed and mounted at the mounting holes. The annular rib is provided on the display panel, and the knob passes through the display panel and is connected to the encoder.

[0019] As a preferred technical solution, the food processor includes a knob baffle, the knob passes through the display panel and is connected to the knob baffle to sandwich the display panel between the two, and the knob can drive the knob baffle to rotate relative to the display panel.

[0020] By using the knob baffle to fix the knob to the other side of the display panel, a stable support can be provided for the knob so that it will not fall off.

[0021] As a preferred technical solution, the food processor includes a support frame, which is fixed inside the outer casing. The display panel is sandwiched between the support frame and the outer casing, and the control panel is fixedly installed on the side of the support frame away from the display panel.

[0022] As a preferred technical solution, the end of the knob that extends into the housing is provided with a snap-fit ​​part, and the encoder has an annular wall extending toward the knob, and the annular wall is provided with a snap-fit ​​hole, and the snap-fit ​​part snaps into the snap-fit ​​hole. Attached Figure Description

[0023] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application.

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0025] Figure 1 is an exploded view of the food processor described in an embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 2 is a front view of the food processor described in an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 3 is an enlarged schematic diagram of point A in Figure 2 as described in the embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the knob and the encoder according to an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 5 is an enlarged schematic diagram of section B in Figure 2 as described in the embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 6 is an enlarged schematic diagram of point C in Figure 2 as described in the embodiment of this application.

[0031] in:

[0032] 1. Housing; 11. Annular rib; 12. Annular step; 121. First step surface; 122. First step surface; 13. Outer shell; 131. Mounting hole; 14. Display panel; 141. Sealing groove; 142. Panel sealing ring; 2. Knob; 21. Snap-fit ​​part; 22. Annular rim; 23. Annular insertion part; 231. Annular connecting part; 3. Control panel; 31. Encoder; 311. Snap-fit ​​hole; 4. First sealing ring; 41. First annular lip; 5. Bracket; 6. Button; 61. Annular groove; 62. Spring; 7. Second sealing ring; 71. Second annular lip; 8. Knob baffle. Detailed Implementation

[0033] To better understand the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application, the solution of this application will be further described below. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in these embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0034] Many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of this application, but this application may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein; obviously, the embodiments in the specification are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments.

[0035] In existing technologies, food processors that use knobs for human-computer interaction often lack a seal between the knob and the housing due to the knob's rotating nature. This creates a risk of water entering through the gap between the knob and the housing during cleaning or use, thus affecting the food processor's lifespan.

[0036] To address the aforementioned problems, this application provides a food processor that solves the sealing problem between the knob and the housing while still satisfying the knob's rotation characteristics. For example, Figure 1 is an exploded view of the food processor according to this application embodiment, Figure 2 is a front view of the food processor according to this application embodiment, and Figure 3 is an enlarged view of point A in Figure 2 according to this application embodiment. As shown in Figures 1-3, the food processor of this application embodiment includes a housing 1, a rotatable knob 2 on the side wall of the housing 1, and a control panel 3 inside the housing 1. Users can issue control commands to the food processor by rotating the knob 2, and the control panel 3 can control the operation of the food processor according to the control commands.

[0037] In this embodiment, the control panel 3 is equipped with an encoder 31, which is connected to the knob 2. Specifically, one end of the knob 2 passes through the housing 1 and connects to the encoder 31. It is understood that the structural principle of the encoder 31 in this embodiment is the same as in the prior art; it only needs to cooperate with the knob 2. For example, in this embodiment, the knob 2 can drive the encoder 31 to rotate, as shown in Figures 1 and 4. The end of the knob 2 extending into the housing 1 is provided with a locking part 21. The encoder 31 has an annular wall extending towards the knob 2, and a locking hole 311 is provided on the annular wall. The locking part 21 engages with the locking hole 311. This structure enables the connection between the knob 2 and the encoder 31, allowing the knob 2 to drive the encoder 31 to rotate. The encoder 31 transmits corresponding signals to the control panel 3, which then performs the corresponding function control.

[0038] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the housing 1 of this embodiment has an annular rib 11 extending towards the knob 2. A first sealing ring 4 is fitted onto the annular rib 11, and the first sealing ring 4 has at least one first annular lip 41 (when there are multiple first annular lips 41, the multiple first annular lips 41 are spaced apart along the axial direction of the first sealing ring 4). The knob 2 has an annular edge 22 fitted outside the annular rib 11. That is, the annular rib 11, the first sealing ring 4, and the annular edge 22 are fitted sequentially from the inside to the outside. The annular edge 22 presses against the first annular lip 41 to seal the gap between the annular rib 11 and the annular edge 22, thereby achieving the sealing purpose between the knob 2 and the housing 1. Compared with the prior art where no sealing structure is provided between the knob 2 and the housing 1, this effectively prevents water from entering the food processor from the gap between the two.

[0039] To ensure smooth rotation of the knob 2 without being affected by the first sealing ring 4, the first sealing ring 4 in this embodiment is an oil-impregnated silicone component. The oil-impregnated silicone contains mineral oil and can spontaneously exude lubricating grease to ensure the smoothness of the knob 2's rotation, thus satisfying the rotational characteristics of the knob 2. Compared to the prior art where a seal at the knob causes rotational obstruction, the first sealing ring 4 of this application provides a smooth user experience when rotating the knob 2. It solves the sealing problem between the knob and the housing in existing food processors and also addresses the issue of knob obstruction, effectively improving the user experience. Furthermore, the oil-impregnated silicone component of the first sealing ring 4 also reduces wear and prevents seal failure.

[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the first annular lip 41 extends towards the housing 1. This structure, on the one hand, ensures that when water flows into the first sealing ring 4, the inclination direction of the first annular lip 41 is opposite to the water flow direction, effectively blocking water inflow and improving the sealing effect. On the other hand, the first annular lip 41 is held by the annular rim 22, providing auxiliary support for the knob 2. This prevents the knob 2 from wobbling when rotated and reduces the probability of loosening, thus preventing the knob 2 from falling off.

[0041] Preferably, the interference fit of the first annular lip 41 in this embodiment is 0.3mm-0.5mm. Furthermore, the higher the hardness of the oil-impregnated silicone of the first sealing ring 4, the smaller the interference fit can be. For example, when the hardness of the oil-impregnated silicone is 50 degrees, the sealing amount can be 0.3mm; when the hardness of the oil-impregnated silicone is 30 degrees, the sealing amount can be set to 0.5mm.

[0042] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the housing 1 of this embodiment is provided with an annular step 12 surrounding the outer side of the annular rib 11. The annular step 12 includes a first step surface 121 and a second step surface 122. The first step surface 121 is used to limit the end of the first sealing ring 4 to prevent the first sealing ring 4 from undergoing large displacement and affecting the sealing effect. The second step surface 122 is used to provide auxiliary support for the end of the annular edge 22 to avoid the problem of swinging when the knob 2 is rotated. In addition, the auxiliary support of the end of the annular edge 22 by the second step surface 122 also reduces the possibility of external impurities entering the gap between the annular rib 11 and the annular edge 22.

[0043] In this embodiment, optionally, as shown in FIG1, the housing 1 includes an outer shell 13 and a display panel 14 separately mounted on the outer shell 13. The outer shell 13 has a mounting hole 131, and the display panel 14 is sealed and mounted at the mounting hole 131. Exemplarily, as shown in FIG5, the outer wall edge of the display panel 14 in this embodiment is surrounded by a sealing groove 141, and a panel sealing ring 142 is provided within the sealing groove 141. The display panel 14 is inserted into the mounting hole 131 from the inside of the outer shell 13, and the panel sealing ring 142 is pressed tightly against the inner wall of the outer shell 13, thereby achieving a sealed installation of the display panel 14 and the outer shell 13, preventing external impurities from entering the outer shell 13. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the display panel 14 is mounted at the mounting hole 131 from the inside out, which also facilitates the assembly of the display panel 14.

[0044] In this embodiment, the aforementioned annular rib 11 is disposed on the display panel 14, and the knob 2 passes through the display panel 14 and is connected to the encoder 31.

[0045] As shown in Figure 1, the food processor also includes a support 5, which is fixed inside the outer casing 13. The display panel 14 is sandwiched between the support 5 and the outer casing 13. Optionally, the support 5 has a plurality of first through holes along its circumference, and the inner wall of the outer casing 13 has a plurality of first studs around the mounting holes 131 along its circumference. The first studs are arranged one-to-one with the first through holes. Screws pass through the first through holes and are fixed to the first studs to fix the support 5 to the outer casing 13, and sandwich the display panel 14 between the support 5 and the outer casing 13.

[0046] In addition, in this embodiment, the control panel 3 is fixedly installed on the side of the bracket 5 away from the display panel 14 so that the encoder 31 and the knob 2 are arranged opposite to each other, thereby realizing the connection between the encoder 31 and the knob 2.

[0047] The aforementioned knob 2 has a through-hole structure. Optionally, referring to Figure 2, the knob 2 includes an annular insertion portion 23 disposed inside the annular rim 22. The annular insertion portion 23 is integrally formed with the annular rim 22 and extends into the annular rib 11 of the housing 1. Furthermore, the annular insertion portion 23 forms a through hole, and a resiliently reset button 6 is installed within the through hole. One end of the button 6 extends into the housing 1 and connects to the control panel 3. Specifically, by providing the button 6 within the through hole, pressing the button 6 activates the trigger switch on the control panel 3, thereby starting the food processor. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the button 6 is fitted with a spring 62, which enables the button 6 to resiliently reset.

[0048] Preferably, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the button 6 includes a body located within the annular insertion portion 23. A second sealing ring 7 is fitted over the body, and the second sealing ring 7 is pressed against the body by the inner wall of the annular insertion portion 23 to seal the gap between the annular insertion portion 23 and the body. The second sealing ring 7 is made of oil-impregnated silicone. This second sealing ring 7, on the one hand, seals the gap between the button 6 and the annular insertion portion 23 when the button 6 moves, and combined with the seal between the knob 2 and the housing 1, further enhances the sealing performance of the control interface of the food processor. On the other hand, the oil-impregnated silicone of the second sealing ring 7 ensures that the button 6 rebounds smoothly after being pressed, without affecting the movement of the button 6 when it resets.

[0049] In this embodiment, the body of the button 6 extends toward the control panel 3 to form a buckle, and a sliding groove is provided on the inner wall of the encoder 31 along the axial direction. The buckle is placed in the sliding groove to guide and limit the axial movement of the button 6 relative to the encoder 31.

[0050] Preferably, as shown in FIG6, the annular insertion part 23 of this embodiment includes an annular connecting part 231 extending from the inner wall to the center and having an L-shaped cross section. The body of the button 6 is disposed through the annular connecting part 231, and the second sealing ring 7 is sandwiched between the annular connecting part 231 and the body of the button 6.

[0051] Furthermore, the outer wall of the button 6 body is provided with an annular groove 61, and the second sealing ring 7 is sleeved between the groove wall of the annular groove 61 and the inner wall of the annular insertion part 23, specifically between the groove wall of the annular groove 61 and the inner wall of the annular connecting part 231. By providing the annular groove 61 to accommodate the second sealing ring 7, the second sealing ring 7 is confined within the annular groove 61, preventing the second sealing ring 7 from undergoing large displacement as the button 6 moves, thus affecting the sealing effect, and also preventing the second sealing ring 7 from repeatedly moving, which would damage its service life.

[0052] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, the second sealing ring 7 is provided with at least one second annular lip 71, and the second annular lip 71 extends obliquely away from the housing 1. The inner wall of the annular insertion portion 23 presses against the second annular lip 71. By providing the second annular lip 71, the sealing performance of the second sealing ring 7 can be further improved. Moreover, the oblique extension of the second annular lip 71 away from the housing 1 can provide a certain buffering effect on the button 6 when it moves outward during reset, effectively improving the service life of the button 6. Preferably, the interference fit of the second annular lip 71 is 0.3mm-0.5mm.

[0053] As shown in Figure 1, in this embodiment, the food processor also includes a knob baffle 8 disposed on one side of the display panel 14. The knob 2 passes through the display panel 14 and is connected to the knob baffle 8, so that the display panel 14 is sandwiched between the knob baffle 8 and the knob 2. Moreover, the knob 2 can drive the knob baffle 8 to rotate relative to the display panel 14. By setting the knob baffle 8, a stable support can be provided for the knob 2, so that the knob 2 will not fall off.

[0054] It should be noted that the knob baffle 8 is connected to the annular insertion part 23 of the knob 2, and the connection between the two can be achieved by screw connection.

[0055] The food processor described in this embodiment, through the aforementioned structure, effectively solves the sealing problem between the knob 2 and the housing 1 of existing food processors while ensuring the rotation characteristics of the knob 2, thereby improving the user experience.

[0056] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0057] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, enabling those skilled in the art to understand or implement this application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of this application. Therefore, this application is not to be limited to the embodiments described herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A food processor, comprising a housing, a control panel disposed within the housing, an encoder disposed on the control panel, and a rotatable knob disposed on a side wall of the housing, the knob passing through the housing and connected to the encoder, characterized in that, The housing has an annular rib extending toward the knob, and a first sealing ring is fitted on the annular rib. The first sealing ring has at least one first annular lip, and the first annular lip extends obliquely toward one side of the housing. The knob has an annular rim fitted outside the annular rib, and the annular rim presses against the first annular lip to seal the gap between the annular rib and the annular rim. The first sealing ring is an oil-impregnated silicone part.

2. The food processor of claim 1, wherein, The knob has a through structure and includes an annular insertion part disposed inside the annular rim. The annular insertion part extends into the annular rib and forms a through hole. A resiliently reset button is installed in the through hole. One end of the button extends into the housing and connects to the control panel. The button includes a body located inside the annular insertion part. A second sealing ring is provided on the body. The second sealing ring is pressed against the body by the inner wall of the annular insertion part to seal the gap between the annular insertion part and the body. The second sealing ring is an oil-impregnated silicone part.

3. The food processor of claim 2, wherein, The second sealing ring is provided with at least one second annular lip, and the second annular lip extends obliquely away from the housing. The inner wall of the annular insertion portion presses against the second annular lip.

4. The food processor of claim 2, wherein, The outer wall of the main body is provided with an annular groove, and the second sealing ring is sleeved between the groove wall of the annular groove and the inner wall of the annular insertion part.

5. The food processor of claim 1, wherein, The housing is provided with an annular step surrounding the outer side of the annular rib. The annular step includes a first step surface that limits the end of the first sealing ring and a second step surface that provides auxiliary support to the end of the annular rib.

6. The food processor of claim 1, wherein, The interference of the first annular lip is 0.3mm-0.5mm.

7. The food processor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing includes an outer shell and a separate display panel mounted on the outer shell. The outer shell has mounting holes, and the display panel is sealed and mounted at the mounting holes. The annular rib is disposed on the display panel, and the knob passes through the display panel and is connected to the encoder.

8. The food processor of claim 7, wherein, The food processor includes a knob baffle, the knob passes through the display panel and is connected to the knob baffle to sandwich the display panel between the two, and the knob can drive the knob baffle to rotate relative to the display panel.

9. The food processor according to claim 7, characterized in that, The food processor includes a support frame, which is fixed inside the housing. The display panel is sandwiched between the support frame and the housing, and the control panel is fixedly installed on the side of the support frame away from the display panel.

10. The food processor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The knob has a snap-fit ​​part at one end that extends into the housing, and the encoder has an annular wall extending toward the knob. The annular wall has a snap-fit ​​hole, and the snap-fit ​​part snaps into the snap-fit ​​hole.

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