Food chopper
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food choppers face issues with food particles being jammed between the scraper element and the side wall, leading to a deterioration in scraping function over time, and an unpleasant jolt when the chopping blade assembly reaches the counter-bearing face, which can damage the blade and cause user discomfort.
Innovation Solution
The food chopper incorporates a scraper element with an elastic lip that moves radially along the side wall during rotation, providing improved scraping and guiding of food particles, and a damping feature on the tappet to reduce the jolt, along with a locking mechanism to minimize storage space and prevent blade damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a scraper element is used to move along the side wall, then food particles are prevented from adhering to the side wall, but small pieces of food may be jammed between the scraper element and the side wall
Solution Approach 1:
The scraper element is designed with an elastic lip that can flex and adapt to the side wall surface, preventing food particles from being trapped while maintaining effective scraping contact. The elastic material allows the scraper to conform to slight variations in the side wall geometry without creating gaps or jamming points.
Solution Approach 2:
The scraper element's elastic lip changes its physical parameters (flexibility, contact pressure) dynamically during operation. The elastic material allows the scraper to maintain optimal contact pressure with the side wall while accommodating dimensional variations, preventing food particle entrapment.
2Duration of action of moving object
If the scraper element is used for extended periods, then food particles continue to be scraped, but the scraper element may be deformed by hot rinsing water or mechanical forces
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic lip is made from heat-resistant elastic material that maintains its mechanical properties during hot rinsing cycles. This flexible yet thermally stable design allows the scraper to withstand repeated thermal exposure without permanent deformation, preserving its scraping function over extended use.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic lip acts as a cushioning element that absorbs mechanical stresses during operation and cleaning. By providing this protective buffer, the scraper element can withstand mechanical forces and thermal shocks without permanent deformation, maintaining its functional geometry throughout its service life.
3Productivity
If the chopping blade assembly is forcibly rotated during movement, then chopping efficiency is improved, but an unpleasant jolt occurs when reaching the counter-bearing face
Solution Approach 1:
A damping element is incorporated into the chopping blade assembly mechanism to cushion the impact when the blade reaches the counter-bearing face. This damping feature absorbs the shock energy, preventing the unpleasant jolt felt by the user while maintaining the forced rotation capability for efficient chopping during the stroke.
Solution Approach 2:
The damping element changes the mechanical parameters (force, acceleration) during the chopping stroke. By introducing this energy-absorbing component, the system maintains high chopping efficiency during the main stroke while reducing peak forces and vibrations at the end of the stroke, improving user comfort.
4Productivity
If the chopping blade assembly is forcibly rotated during movement, then chopping efficiency is improved, but wear on the blade increases
Solution Approach 1:
The damping element protects the chopping blade from excessive wear by cushioning the impact forces during the chopping stroke. This shock absorption reduces the mechanical stress and friction on the blade, allowing it to maintain its cutting edge for longer periods while still enabling forced rotation for efficient chopping.
Solution Approach 2:
The damping element modifies the force parameters during blade movement, reducing peak loads and vibrations that cause blade wear. By controlling the mechanical parameters of the chopping action, the system achieves high chopping efficiency while extending blade service life through reduced mechanical degradation.
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 enhances the scraping efficiency, reduces wear on the chopping blade, and provides a more comfortable operation by minimizing the jolt and preventing blade damage, while optimizing storage space and functionality.
Implementation Method 1
held and guided in the guide of the housing so as to be movable to-and-fro along an operating direction counter to a force of a return spring
Implementation Method 2
the scraper edge having an elastic lip which is configured, during rotational movement of the scraper element, to bear on the inner side of the side wall
Implementation Method 3
a damping feature on the tappet to reduce the jolt
Data Source
AI summary
A food chopper includes a housing and a chopping blade assembly disposed therein. The chopping blade assembly is held and guided in a guide of the housing so as to be movable to-and-fro along an operating direction counter to a force of a return spring in such a manner that the chopping blade assembly, during movement along the operating direction, is forcibly rotated and held in the upper rest position by the return spring and, in order to chop the food, is movable from the upper rest position downward against a counter-bearing face. A scraper element is rotationally driven by rotational movement of the chopping blade assembly and has a scraper edge having an elastic lip which is configured, during the rotational movement of the scraper element, to bear on an inner side of a side wall of the housing.