Food Processor Feed Chute Signal Detection for Hand Safety
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food processor feed chute assemblies pose a risk of injury to consumers when they unintentionally insert their hands or fingers into the feed opening during operation, and the current solutions require cumbersome pre-cutting of food articles due to restrictive cross-sectional dimensions.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a signal processor with sensors, such as a light gate or infrared transmitter and receiver, to differentiate between food articles and human limbs, and expanding the feed opening dimensions to allow larger pieces of food without the need for pre-cutting, ensuring safe operation and easy feeding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the feed opening cross-sectional dimensions are reduced to prevent hand insertion, then consumer safety is improved, but the ability to process larger food articles is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The safety system performs preliminary detection of objects in the feed chute before the processor blade operates. The sensor detects whether an object is present and the control unit determines if it is a hand or food article, taking preventive action before injury can occur. This allows the feed opening to remain large for food articles while maintaining safety through advance detection and control.
2Measurement precision
If sensors are placed close to the food processing element, then detection accuracy is improved, but the risk of sensor damage from moving elements is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The feed chute serves as an intermediary medium that transmits the presence of objects (hands or food articles) from the feed opening to the sensor. The sensor is positioned at the lower end of the feed chute where it can detect objects that have been pushed down, while the feed chute structure protects the sensor from direct contact with the high-speed rotating blade and food articles.
3Device complexity
If a single sensor is used to detect objects, then device complexity is reduced, but the ability to distinguish hands from food articles is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses dynamic characteristics of object interaction with the feed chute to distinguish between hands and food articles. Food articles are pushed into the chute and move quickly through, while hands are held stationary or move slowly by the user. The control unit analyzes the temporal pattern of sensor signals to determine object type, enabling discrimination with a single sensor through dynamic behavior analysis.
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 effectively prevents injuries by safely shutting off the processor when human limbs are detected and allows for easy feeding of larger food pieces without pre-cutting, enhancing consumer safety and convenience.
Implementation Method 1
The at least one sensor comprises a source and a detector. The source could be a signal transmitter. The detector could be a receiver to detect an object passing through.
Implementation Method 2
The at least one signal processor is provided with signal processing algorithms configured to discriminate between discontinuous food pieces being entered and a feed continuous human finger, hand or arm reaching into the feed chute.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2C
Figure 2D~2E
AI summary
A feed chute (100) having a feed opening cooperating with a transparent pusher (102) is disclosed. The transparent pusher is dimensioned to slide through the feed chute to push food articles into a food processor (104) for processing by a food processing element (106). The feed chute (100) comprises at least one signal processor (110) disposed on the interior surface of the feed chute to ensure consumer safe operation.