External Cutting Thickness Control for Food Processor Disks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food processors lack the ability to easily adjust cutting thickness during operation, limiting user flexibility in processing different food items.
Innovation Solution
A food processor design featuring a cutting assembly with a rotating disk and blade, where the disk is upwardly and downwardly movable relative to the blade, and an adjustment assembly with a user-operated control device, such as a lever or screw-type drive, allows for adjustment of cutting thickness while the motor-driven cutting assembly is in operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the cutting assembly is fixed in position, then the device structure is simple and stable, but the user cannot adjust cutting thickness during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting assembly is designed with movable components that allow dynamic adjustment of cutting thickness during operation. The disk can be moved upwardly and downwardly relative to the blade through a control mechanism, enabling the user to change cutting parameters without stopping the device.
Solution Approach 2:
An adjustment assembly with a control mechanism (such as a lever or screw-type drive) serves as an intermediary between the user and the cutting assembly. This intermediary mechanism translates user input into precise movements of the cutting disk, enabling thickness adjustment without direct manipulation of the cutting components.
2Productivity
If the user stops the processing operation to adjust cutting thickness, then the adjustment can be made accurately, but the productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustment mechanism is designed to operate during continuous processing without requiring the motor to stop. The control mechanism allows the disk position to be adjusted while the cutting assembly remains in operation, maintaining continuous productivity while enabling thickness changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows the user to self-adjust the cutting parameters during operation through the control mechanism. The design enables the user to maintain both productivity and precision by making adjustments on-the-fly without external intervention or stopping the process.
3Ease of operation
If an adjustment mechanism is added to the food processor, then the user can adjust cutting thickness, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustment control is extracted and positioned externally, away from the complex internal cutting mechanism. The control mechanism (lever or screw-type drive) is designed to be user-friendly and accessible, while the internal components remain enclosed and protected, simplifying the user interface without hiding the necessary internal complexity.
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 the user to produce cut food items of varying thicknesses without stopping the processing operation, enhancing versatility and efficiency in food preparation.
Implementation Method 1
The screw-type drive assembly includes an internally-threaded upper sleeve and an externally-threaded lower sleeve
Implementation Method 2
The adjustment assembly also includes a gear assembly configured to operate the screw-type drive assembly
Data Source
AI summary
A food processor includes a base and a bowl with a removable lid. Food items are advanced into the bowl through a feed tube formed in the lid where they are cut by a cutting assembly driven by a motor. The cutting assembly is adjustable to vary the thickness of the cut food items. An adjustment assembly positioned in the base is operable to adjust the cutting thickness of the cutting assembly while the cutting assembly is driven by the motor.