A working tool for a kitchen appliance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing kitchen appliance blades face issues with food getting stuck during processing at low rotation velocities, leading to motor overload and incomplete processing, due to suboptimal blade geometry and vortex distribution.
Innovation Solution
The blades are designed with outside parts twisted parallel to the rotation axis and angled to maximize cutting surfaces along the vessel perimeter, with sickle-shaped outside parts and sharpened inside parts to direct food towards the bottom, enhancing vortex circulation and reducing sticking risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the blade geometry is optimized for high peripheral velocity processing, then food processing efficiency is improved, but food gets stuck between the blade and vessel walls at low rotation velocities
Solution Approach 1:
The blade is designed with different geometric properties at different locations: the outer region has a first angle relative to the rotation axis for high-velocity processing, while the inner region has a second, smaller angle to prevent food sticking. This local differentiation allows each region to optimize its function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The blade is segmented into at least two distinct regions along its length: an outer region for primary cutting and mixing at high peripheral velocity, and an inner region for preventing food accumulation near the vessel walls. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each region's geometry for its specific functional requirement.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the rotation velocity is reduced for solid food processing, then energy consumption is reduced, but the motor overheats due to overload
Solution Approach 1:
The blade geometry parameters (angles relative to the rotation axis) are specifically optimized to enhance vortex circulation patterns. This optimization improves the hydrodynamic efficiency of food movement, allowing the motor to operate more effectively at lower rotation velocities without overheating, thus reducing energy consumption while maintaining processing capability.
3Loss of time
If the blade has sharp cutting surfaces for efficient chopping, then processing time is reduced, but food ingredients get stuck in certain areas causing incomplete processing
Solution Approach 1:
The blade maintains sharp cutting surfaces through its length while applying different geometric angles to different regions. The outer region uses a steeper angle for aggressive chopping and mixing, while the inner region uses a gentler angle to guide food flow and prevent stagnation zones, ensuring complete processing without sacrificing cutting efficiency.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design improves food processing efficiency and reduces motor overload by ensuring uniform distribution and high peripheral velocity, preventing food from getting stuck and optimizing energy transfer for faster processing.
Implementation Method 1
A vortex is created during the rotation of the working tool, ensuring that the food ingredients are uniformly distributed and mixed throughout the processing vessel.
Implementation Method 2
This is often a hydrodynamic problem, in which it is very important to optimize the pattern and the velocity of circulation of the food being processed around the processing vessel
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
A working tool (1) for a kitchen appliance, adapted to be rotationally driven, consisting of two or more blades (2) for food processing, wherein at least one blade consists of the inside part (3) of the blade (2) and the outside part (4) of the blade (2), and in which each inside part (3) of the blade (2) is in contact with the holder (6), while the plane of the inside part (3) of the blade (2) is substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis, and each outside part (4) of the blade (2) is in the vicinity of the wall of the processing vessel (5), while its plane is substantially parallel to the rotation axis.