Blender with integral food residue scraper
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional blenders face issues with unblended food particles adhering to the inner surface of the blending container and air pockets forming around the blade, which interfere with the blending process and require manual intervention to resolve.
Innovation Solution
A blender with an integrated food scraping assembly that includes a motorized blade assembly and a food scraping assembly with a scraping ring and air pocket puncturing projection, allowing for continuous operation by dislodging food particles and collapsing air pockets without manual intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a conventional blender is used, then the blending operation can be performed, but food residue accumulates on the inner surface of the blending container and air pockets form around the blade, requiring manual intervention to cease operation and scrape the residue
Solution Approach 1:
The blender performs self-scraping through an integrated scraping ring that rotates with the blade assembly, automatically dislodging food residue from the container inner surface without requiring external manual intervention, thus maintaining continuous operation and improving productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The scraping function is merged with the blending function by integrating the scraping ring onto the blade assembly, allowing both blending and scraping to occur simultaneously during operation, eliminating the need to stop the blender for manual scraping
2Productivity
If a conventional blender is used, then the blending operation can be performed, but air pockets form around the blade due to cavitation, preventing the blade from contacting food pieces and requiring manual collapse of air pockets
Solution Approach 1:
The blender performs self-air-pocket-collapse through a projection on the blade assembly that penetrates into air pockets during rotation, automatically releasing trapped air without requiring external manual intervention, thus maintaining continuous operation and improving productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The air pocket collapse function is merged with the blending function by integrating the projection onto the blade assembly, allowing both blending and air pocket collapse to occur simultaneously during operation, eliminating the need to stop the blender for manual air pocket removal
3Ease of operation
If integrated wipers are added to the blender, then food residue scraping is improved, but the wipers cannot address air pockets and food particles adhere to the wipers, potentially requiring manual removal
Solution Approach 1:
The scraping function is merged with the rotating blade assembly rather than being a separate wiper component, allowing the scraping action to be performed by the same rotational motion that drives blending, thus avoiding additional complexity while maintaining effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using wipers that rotate independently within the container, the scraping surface is inverted to be part of the blade assembly itself, utilizing the blade's rotational motion to scrape the container inner surface, thereby eliminating the need for separate wiper mechanisms
4Adaptability or versatility
If rotating wipers are used, then food residue can be scraped, but they cannot be used with non-cylindrical blending containers and fail to push food residue towards the blades
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using wipers that rotate independently, the scraping function is inverted to be part of the blade assembly, allowing the scraping action to follow the exact contour of the container inner surface, thus adapting to any container shape including non-cylindrical forms
Solution Approach 2:
The scraping ring is segmented into multiple scraping surfaces that can independently contact different portions of the container inner surface, allowing adaptation to various container geometries while maintaining effective scraping across the entire surface area
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
Enables continuous blending by effectively dislodging food particles and collapsing air pockets, ensuring uniform consistency and efficient food processing without interrupting the operation.
Implementation Method 1
Air pockets typically form as a result of cavitation, particularly when the blender is used to prepare viscous foods and ingredients
Implementation Method 2
Blenders typically operate by using a spinning motorized blade to reduce a piece of food within a blending container
Data Source
AI summary
A blender adapted to reduce food pieces and produce a blended food mixture, comprising a blending container for holding the food pieces, a pedestal having a motorized blade for reducing the food pieces, and a food scraping assembly positioned within the blending container. The food scraping assembly has a scraping ring adapted to dislodge unblended food particles adhering to an inner surface of the blending container, a rod adapted to alternatively raise and lower the scraping ring within the blending container, and an air pocket puncturing projection adapted to collapse a cavitation air bubble which surrounds the blade and interferes with the production of the blended food mixture.