Blender system with vibration proof seal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Blender containers with vacuum sealing mechanisms leak in high vibration environments, such as vehicles or when carried in bags, due to the failure of seals to retain liquids and ingredients effectively.
Innovation Solution
A container assembly with a needle valve and umbrella valve system, coupled with a biasing mechanism, that forms and breaks a vacuum within the blender container to prevent leakage, utilizing a coil spring and vacuum pad for sealing engagement and movement control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a seal is used to form a vacuum within the blender container, then nutritional degradation is reduced, but liquid leakage occurs in high vibration environments
Solution Approach 1:
The needle valve is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position in response to vibration forces. The biasing mechanism enables the valve to move between open and closed positions, maintaining sealing reliability under varying vibration conditions that would cause a fixed seal to fail.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational state of the valve from a static closed position to a dynamically controllable open/closed state. By introducing the movable needle valve with biasing mechanism, the system can adjust the sealing parameter in real-time to maintain vacuum integrity during vibration while preventing liquid leakage.
2Reliability
If a movable needle valve is used to control vacuum formation, then vacuum sealing is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The biasing mechanism provides self-actuating functionality, where the spring automatically returns the needle valve to its closed position after vacuum formation. This eliminates the need for complex control systems, motors, or electronic actuators, maintaining simplicity while achieving reliable vacuum sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The biasing mechanism acts as an intermediary between the needle valve and the vacuum chamber, providing the necessary force to maintain sealing without requiring direct complex control. The spring mechanism mediates the interaction between vacuum pressure and valve position, simplifying the overall control architecture.
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 system effectively maintains a vacuum within the blender container during processing, reducing nutritional degradation and preventing leakage in high vibration conditions, ensuring better retention of food products and their nutritional properties.
Implementation Method 1
A biasing mechanism is operably coupled to the needle valve to move the needle valve opening out of the chamber
Implementation Method 2
Several benefits can be achieved by forming a vacuum within a blender container or attachment either prior to or after a blending operation
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed are a container assembly and a food processing system (20) comprising thereof. The container assembly includes a sealable body including a chamber (32), a chamber opening (56) formed in the sealable body, and a vacuum sealing assembly (52) mounted to the sealable body adjacent the chamber opening (56). The vacuum sealing assembly (52) includes a needle valve (60) having a needle valve opening formed therein. The needle valve (60) is movable relative to the chamber opening (56) such that the needle valve opening is movable into and out of the chamber (32). A biasing mechanism (74) is operably coupled to the needle valve (60) to move the needle valve opening out of the chamber (32).