Electrical Food Preparation Appliance With Rotatable Steam Vent Cap

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing food preparation appliances lack the ability to modulate the steam exhaust orifice passage section, which is essential for adapting to different cooking recipes and heat-sensitive ingredients, as the passage section cannot be adjusted to suit varying cooking requirements.

Innovation Solution

A household appliance with a removable measuring cap that can occupy multiple stable positions and rotate, allowing the user to vary the steam exhaust orifice passage section by moving or rotating the cap, thereby adjusting the degree of coverage of the steam escape orifices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the steam escape orifice has a fixed passage section, then the device structure is simple, but the adaptability to different cooking recipes and ingredients is poor

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to different cooking recipesVSAvoiddevice structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The measuring cap is designed to be rotatable within the opening, allowing the passage section of the steam escape orifice to be dynamically adjusted between multiple stable positions. This enables the user to adapt the steam exhaust capability to different cooking recipes and ingredients by simply rotating the cap to different angular positions, transforming a static structure into a dynamic, adjustable one.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Productivity

If the steam escape orifice passage section is reduced, then the cooking speed increases for non-heat-sensitive ingredients, but the suitability for heat-sensitive ingredients decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooking speedVSAvoidsuitability for heat-sensitive ingredients
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The rotatable measuring cap provides multiple stable positions that correspond to different passage sections of the steam escape orifice. Users can select a smaller passage section (by rotating to certain positions) to accelerate cooking of robust ingredients, or a larger passage section (by rotating to other positions) to protect heat-sensitive ingredients, thus dynamically adapting the cooking process to different ingredient requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the geometric parameter of the steam escape orifice (passage section area) by rotating the measuring cap to different positions. This parameter change allows the system to optimize between cooking speed and ingredient protection depending on the specific cooking task, enabling the same device to handle both fast-cooking robust ingredients and slow-cooking heat-sensitive ingredients effectively.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 users to adapt the steam exhaust passage section according to the type of food being cooked, ensuring efficient steam escape for heat-sensitive foods and accelerating cooking for less fragile ingredients by reducing the passage section.

Implementation Method 1

a device for heating the contents of the working receptacle

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeating: Heating

Data Source

PatentEP2934252B1Electrical food preparation appliance comprising a working container and a device for heating the contents of the working container
Publication Date: 2017.07.12 SEB SA
  • EP2934252B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2934252B1 patent drawingFigure 2~6
  • EP2934252B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

An electrical food preparation appliance comprising a working container (2) enclosing a tool rotated by a motor, a device for heating the contents of the working container (2) and a removable lid (5) that covers the working container (2), the lid (5) comprising an opening (54) for inserting ingredients into the working container (2), at least one steam exhaust orifice (55), and a removable measuring cap (6) accommodated into said opening (54) for inserting ingredients, characterised in that the measuring cap (6) can occupy at least two stable positions in said opening (54) of the lid (5) and in that the motion of the measuring cap (6) from one stable position to the other makes it possible to vary the passage cross-section of the steam exhaust orifice (55).