Culinary preparation appliance for producing cold culinary preparations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food preparation appliances for cold dishes like ice cream and frozen yogurt require significant freezer space and have lengthy processing times due to inefficient heat exchange between the chilled bowl and ingredients.
Innovation Solution
A food preparation apparatus with a removable cooling base and a blade design that promotes heat exchange by allowing the blade to contact a flat, refrigerated surface during planetary motion, optimizing processing time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a chilled bowl is placed in the freezer compartment to cool the refrigerating elements, then the refrigeration capability is improved, but the space required in the freezer compartment increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigeration system is segmented into a removable cooling base that can be separated from the mixing bowl. Only the compact cooling base needs to be placed in the freezer, while the bowl remains outside. This segmentation reduces the freezer space requirement from the entire bowl volume to just the cooling base volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling function is extracted from the bowl and placed in a separate removable cooling base. This allows the bowl to be used without occupying freezer space, while the compact cooling base stores efficiently in the freezer. The cooling base can be easily positioned in the bowl for food preparation when needed.
2Productivity
If the food processing tool scrapes the entire bottom and edges of the chilled bowl at high frequency, then mixing efficiency is improved, but the processing time becomes lengthy due to limited heat exchange time
Solution Approach 1:
The blade is designed with a specific geometry where only a portion of its length contacts the cooling base surface during planetary motion. This localized contact optimizes heat exchange at the critical interface between the blade and cooling base, while the rest of the blade performs mixing functions. The contact portion has dimensions optimized for thermal transfer rather than full-surface scraping.
3Productivity
If the ingredients are projected onto the inner shell during processing, then mixing is enhanced, but the heat exchange time between the chilled surface and ingredients is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The blade acts as an intermediary heat transfer medium between the cooling base and the ingredients. By having the blade contact the cooling base and simultaneously interact with the ingredients during planetary motion, heat is efficiently transferred from the cooling base through the blade to the ingredients. This intermediary mechanism enhances both mixing and heat exchange simultaneously.
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 reduces processing time and space requirements by enhancing heat exchange between the cooling base and ingredients, resulting in efficient preparation of cold foods.
Implementation Method 1
bringing at least part of the blade into contact with the flat, cooling upper surface, by subjecting it to a planetary motion, promotes heat exchange between said upper surface and the ingredients being processed
Implementation Method 2
a container positioned above the base for holding the ingredients for the cold dish, the container having a refrigerated wall against which the ingredients come into contact during the preparation
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a food preparation apparatus (100), which comprises a body (103) having a base (104), a head (105) extending above the base (104), and a bowl (101) configured to be engaged on the base (104). The head (105) receives a food processing tool (200) and includes a drive system (106) for the food processing tool (200) in a planetary motion. The head (105) can be moved into an engaged position where the food processing tool (200) is housed in the bowl (101) or into a disengaged position where the food processing tool (200) is away from the bowl (101). According to the invention, the bowl (101) removably receives a cooling base (4) having a flat, cooling upper surface (6). The culinary processing tool (200) includes a blade (202) which has at least one part (204) that comes into contact with the upper surface (6) to scrape it during its planetary movement.