Blender Mass Balancing Element Outside Container to Reduce Vibration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Stand mixers with offset knife blades experience dynamic imbalance at high speeds, leading to vibrations, excessive bearing strain, noise, and impaired food processing due to the presence of balancing masses within the processing area.
Innovation Solution
A stand mixer design with a rotating tool and a mass balancing element positioned outside the food processing area, allowing for optimal food contact and improved handling by decoupling the balancing element from the processing zone, thus reducing structural complexity and enhancing cleaning efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If knife blades are arranged in offset planes to improve cutting performance, then chopping efficiency is improved, but dynamic imbalance occurs leading to vibrations and bearing strain
Solution Approach 1:
The balancing mass is extracted from the processing area and positioned in the drive area on the drive shaft. This separation allows the knife blades to be arranged in offset planes for improved chopping efficiency while the balancing mass compensates for the dynamic imbalance caused by this offset arrangement without interfering with food processing
Solution Approach 2:
A balancing mass is introduced on the drive shaft to counterbalance the dynamic imbalance generated by the offset arrangement of knife blades. The balancing mass creates opposing centrifugal forces that neutralize the vibration and bearing strain caused by the uneven mass distribution of the offset blades
2Reliability
If balancing masses are positioned on the knife shaft in the processing area to compensate for dynamic unbalance, then dynamic balance is improved, but food processing performance is impaired and handling becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The balancing mass is extracted from the processing area and repositioned in the drive area on the drive shaft. This extraction eliminates the negative impact of balancing masses on food processing performance and handling while maintaining the dynamic balance compensation function
Solution Approach 2:
The device is segmented into two functional areas: the processing area containing only food-contact components (knife blades, container) and the drive area containing the drive shaft with both drive mechanism and balancing mass. This segmentation allows each area to be optimized for its specific function without compromise
3Productivity
If knife blades are arranged at different heights on the shaft to achieve better chopping performance, then cutting performance is improved, but significant dynamic imbalance remains causing bearing load and wear
Solution Approach 1:
A balancing mass is positioned on the drive shaft at a specific radius and angular position to counterbalance the dynamic imbalance caused by offset knife blades. The balancing mass creates centrifugal forces that oppose and neutralize the deviation moments generated by the offset blade arrangement, reducing bearing load and wear
Solution Approach 2:
The balancing mass is extracted from the processing area and placed in the drive area, allowing it to compensate for dynamic imbalance without interfering with food processing. This separation enables the knife blades to be optimally positioned for chopping performance while the balancing mass handles the dynamic balance issue
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 achieves balanced operation, reduces noise and bearing stress, improves food processing efficiency, and simplifies handling by isolating the mass balancing element from the processing area, enabling the use of non-food-grade materials for balancing and facilitating easier maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
a mass balancing element arranged outside the container for balancing the tool
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a blender comprising: a container for processing food, a tool that is mounted inside the container and is rotatably driven by a shaft, and a mass balance element for balancing the tool, mounted outside the container.