A bowl assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Kitchen appliances with a rotatable drive assembly are not well-suited for cooking operations like slow cooking, rice cooking, and sous vide water bath cooking due to the obstruction caused by the rotating tool and reduced usable space in the bowl.
Innovation Solution
A bowl assembly with a tool mount and blanking plug that can be interchanged to seal the aperture, allowing for a locking mechanism to secure either the tool mount or blanking plug, which are designed to fit the aperture's shape, enabling the bowl to be used with or without a rotating tool, and incorporating a heating element for temperature control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a rotatable drive assembly is installed in the bowl, then the bowl can perform food processing operations, but the rotating tool obstructs movement of ingredients and reduces usable space in the bowl
Solution Approach 1:
The invention implements a dynamic configuration system where the drive assembly can be rotated to different positions (e.g., 0 degrees with tool, 180 degrees with blanking plug) and locked in place. This dynamic repositioning allows the bowl to switch between food processing mode (with tool) and cooking mode (with blanking plug sealing the aperture), resolving the contradiction between versatility and usable space by making the drive assembly position variable rather than fixed
2Adaptability or versatility
If a rotating tool is present in the bowl, then food processing can be performed, but the presence of the tool impacts performance of cooking operations like slow cooking, rice cooking, and sous vide
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the tool from the bowl by providing a blanking plug that seals the aperture when the tool is not needed. The blanking plug completely removes the rotating tool obstruction from the cooking space, allowing cooking operations to proceed without interference. This extraction principle resolves the contradiction by completely removing the conflicting element (tool) rather than just repositioning it
3Adaptability or versatility
If the aperture is left open, then the bowl can accommodate a rotating tool, but heat transfer efficiency is reduced and cooking performance is impacted
Solution Approach 1:
The aperture serves multiple functions: it allows the drive assembly to be mounted when food processing is needed, and it can be sealed by the blanking plug when cooking is needed. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by making the aperture adaptable to different operational requirements, maintaining both tool mounting capability and heat transfer efficiency through its dual-purpose design
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
This solution allows for multi-functional use of the bowl assembly in various cooking operations by sealing the aperture with interchangeable components, ensuring efficient heat transfer and preventing obstruction, thus enhancing the usability of the bowl for different cooking methods.
Implementation Method 1
The heating element is preferably a resistive heating element
Implementation Method 2
ensuring efficient heat transfer
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3
AI summary
A bowl assembly 110 for a kitchen appliance 1 arranged to process ingredients contained within the bowl assembly 110, comprising: a bowl 112 having an aperture 115 in its base; a drivable tool mount 200 for a food processing tool arranged to fit within the aperture 115; and a blanking plug 300 arranged to fit within the aperture 115; wherein the drivable tool mount 200 and blanking plug 300 are interchangeable with one another.