Whisk Cage Geometry for Bottom Contact and Splash Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food preparation appliances with deformable whisk cages generate excessive splashing during the whipping process, particularly when processing larger quantities of viscous preparations.
Innovation Solution
A whisk design featuring a main cage with loop-shaped wires and a complementary cage having a flexible lower part that extends below the main cage, made of less rigid material, minimizes splashing by ensuring contact with the container bottom while avoiding contact with the sides, promoting efficient foaming and expansion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a deformable complementary cage with flexible strands is used in the whisk, then whipping efficiency and food expansion are improved, but excessive splashing occurs during the whipping process
Solution Approach 1:
The complementary cage is segmented into a rigid upper part and a flexible lower part, allowing each segment to serve different functions: the rigid upper part maintains structural integrity while the flexible lower part provides gentle agitation to minimize splashing
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the strands have different rigidity properties - the upper portions are rigid for structural support, while the lower portions are flexible to reduce splashing. This local differentiation of material properties resolves the contradiction between whipping efficiency and splashing control
2Productivity
If the flexible lower part extends around the maximum diameter of the main cage, then better food contact and mixing is achieved, but contact with container side walls increases causing more splashing
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible lower part is designed with an asymmetric extension pattern - it extends downward below the main cage but is constrained not to extend around the maximum diameter of the main cage. This asymmetric geometry allows effective bottom contact for mixing while avoiding side wall contact that causes splashing
3Stability of the object's composition
If more rigid material is used for the complementary cage, then structural stability is improved, but food expansion and foaming capability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The complementary cage uses different material rigidity in different regions: rigid material in the upper part for structural stability, and flexible material in the lower part for food expansion and foaming. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between structural stability and food expansion capability
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 design effectively reduces splashing and enhances whipping efficiency by ensuring the flexible lower part contacts the container bottom, expanding the food preparation while maintaining control over deformation, especially for larger quantities.
Implementation Method 1
said complementary cage comprising a flexible lower part extending outside the main cage, due to the fact that the maximum diameter of the casing of the complementary cage is less than the maximum diameter of the casing of the main cage, so that the flexible lower part extends only below the main cage
Implementation Method 2
These arrangements make it possible to favor the contact of the flexible lower portion(s) with a bottom portion of a working container
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
The invention relates to a whisk (10) for a food preparation appliance, the whisk (10) comprising a drive head (11), wires (20) in the form of a loop defining a main cage (26), and strands (30) formed into a loop defining a deformable additional cage (36) of lower stiffness than the main cage (26), the additional cage (36) having a flexible lower part (37) extending outside of the main cage (26). According to the invention, the maximum diameter of the envelope of the additional cage (36) is less than the maximum diameter of the envelope of the main cage (26), so that the flexible lower part (37) extends only below the main cage (26) and not around the maximum diameter of the envelope of the main cage (26). The invention also relates to a food preparation appliance comprising a working container, a motor turning a transmission member, with a planetary movement if so desired, and at least one whisk (10) of the aforementioned type.