Immersion Blender Facade Fixing Ring for Flush, Low-Noise Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hand-held household cooking appliances, such as immersion blenders, suffer from dirt accumulation and noise generation due to the clearance between front elements and the housing, which degrades the visual and qualitative appearance and causes unpleasant vibrations during motor operation.
Innovation Solution
A hand-held household food preparation appliance with a front element securely attached using a flexible fixing piece that deforms to achieve permanent contact, eliminating clearance and incorporating a flexible support surface to dampen vibrations, and a fixing ring that maintains the upper and lower shells together.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If front elements are arranged edge to edge and held by clipping onto the shell, then the device structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but clearance results between front elements allowing dirt accumulation and visual degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a flexible fixing piece made of elastomeric material (Shore A hardness 20-70) that deforms under compression to eliminate clearance between front elements and the housing. This flexible component compresses during assembly to create permanent contact, preventing dirt accumulation while maintaining simple manufacturing processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical state of the fixing piece from rigid to flexible by selecting elastomeric material with specific hardness parameters (Shore A 20-70). This parameter change allows the fixing piece to deform and adapt to dimensional variations, eliminating clearance without requiring high manufacturing precision.
2Ease of operation
If front elements are held by clipping onto the shell, then the mounting process is simple, but movement of facade elements generates vibrations and unpleasant noise during motor operation
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible fixing piece made of elastomeric material acts as a vibration-damping element that absorbs movements and prevents vibrations of the front elements during motor operation. The material's elasticity allows it to maintain constant contact while dampening harmful vibrations and noise.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixing piece is designed with inherent cushioning properties through the selection of elastomeric material. This beforehand cushioning prevents vibrations and noise by absorbing mechanical energy before it can propagate, eliminating the need for additional vibration-damping components.
3Manufacturing precision
If a flexible fixing piece is used to eliminate clearance, then dirt accumulation is prevented and visual appearance is improved, but the fixing mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible fixing piece serves multiple functions simultaneously: it eliminates clearance, prevents dirt accumulation, dampens vibrations, and simplifies assembly. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby reducing overall device complexity despite the added flexibility requirement.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixing piece combines rigid structural support with flexible vibration-damping properties through the use of elastomeric material. This composite approach achieves both precise contact and vibration damping in a single component, avoiding the complexity of multiple separate parts.
4Object-generated harmful factors
If the flexible material has low Shore A hardness for better damping, then vibration damping is improved, but the fixing strength may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the Shore A hardness parameter of the elastomeric material to a specific range (20-70) that balances vibration damping capability with fixing strength. This parameter optimization ensures sufficient deformation for clearance elimination and vibration absorption while maintaining adequate mechanical strength for secure attachment.
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
The solution effectively prevents dirt accumulation, reduces noise by eliminating vibrations, and ensures a secure, ergonomic, and noise-free operation by using a flexible material with Shore A hardness less than 70 and a rigid core covered with a flexible skin for immobilization and damping.
Implementation Method 1
a part made of flexible material effecting docking with the facade element... allowing a deformation of the part of the fixing piece coming edge to edge with the facade element, which makes it possible to obtain a fixing piece coming into permanent contact with the facade element
Implementation Method 2
the fixing piece coming into permanent contact with the facade element, without the interposition of a game, which participates in the damping of the vibrations of the facade element
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~6
Figure 4A~4B
AI summary
The appliance has a housing (1) including a motor, and a front element including an outer surface defining a visible portion of the housing. The front element is held on the housing by a holding ring (4) in flush with the front element, where the holding ring includes an upper lip (42A) made of flexible material and mating with the front element. A mixing foot is removably attached at a longitudinal end of the housing, where the holding ring is interposed between the mixing foot and the front element.