Adjustable Dough Rollers With Clutch Protection Against Foreign Objects
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing household food processing devices lack user-friendly mechanisms for adjusting food thickness and automatic protection against foreign objects, leading to inefficiencies and potential damage.
Innovation Solution
A household food processing device with adjustable roller gaps controlled by a user interface and a clutch mechanism that automatically disengages rollers when a foreign object is detected, ensuring safe operation and precise thickness adjustment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the roller gap is made adjustable to allow thickness customization, then the adaptability and user control are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic adjustment mechanism where the second roller can be moved along the stationary axis to change the gap size. The mechanism includes a movable carriage that travels along the axis, with the second roller mounted on this carriage. This allows the gap between rollers to be dynamically adjusted during operation, enabling thickness customization while maintaining a relatively simple mechanical structure through linear motion rather than complex positioning systems.
2Reliability
If a clutch mechanism is added to detect foreign objects and automatically disengage rollers, then the reliability and safety are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The clutch mechanism is designed to automatically detect foreign objects and disengage the rollers without requiring external intervention or complex control systems. The mechanism uses the presence of a foreign object in the gap as the trigger condition, and the clutch automatically responds by disengaging the drive connection between rollers. This self-service approach improves reliability through automatic protection while minimizing complexity by avoiding sensors, motors, or electronic controls.
3Ease of operation
If the second roller is made movable along the stationary axis to adjust gap size, then the ease of operation is improved, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the roller assembly into distinct functional components: a stationary first roller mounted on a fixed support, and a movable second roller mounted on a carriage that travels along the stationary axis. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each component - the first roller remains simple and fixed, while the second roller's carriage provides the adjustment capability. The segmentation simplifies the overall structure by isolating the complexity to only where needed for adjustment.
Data Source
AI summary
A household food processing device includes a housing, a pair of rollers having a first roller with a stationary axle and a second roller with a pivotable axle. Further, the household food processing device includes an indexing mechanism configured for adjusting a dough thickness, and a clutch mechanism configured to disengage at least one of the first roller or the second roller.