Replaceable Food Preparation Plate With Safe Push-Release Mounting

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing food preparation devices with replaceable blade plates face challenges in safely and rapidly mounting and removing large food preparation plates, as conventional sliding systems are cumbersome and pose a risk of injury due to exposed blades.

Innovation Solution

A food preparation device with a retaining device that allows the food preparation plate to move in translation perpendicular to the retaining part, enabling safe and rapid attachment and detachment by pressing designated areas with both hands, and featuring a cover to protect blades during operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a sliding system is used for mounting and removal of the food preparation plate, then the food preparation plate can be replaced relatively safely, but it is not possible to rapidly mount the food preparation plate on the main body of the food preparation device

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesafety of plate replacementVSAvoidspeed of plate replacement

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of sliding the plate horizontally along the handle as in conventional systems, this invention inverts the mounting direction by pushing the plate vertically onto the retaining part from above. This allows rapid one-handed operation while maintaining safety through the cover mechanism that protects blades during the entire replacement process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The cover is designed to automatically cover the food preparation blades before the plate is removed and remains in place during the entire replacement process. This preliminary protective action eliminates the need for careful manual handling and enables rapid replacement without safety concerns about exposed blades.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Area of stationary object

If the food preparation plate is large (at least approximately 10 cm long and approximately 5 cm wide), then it can serve to grate large Japanese radish and the like, but when inserted, the food preparation plate that is held in a hand will tend to shake and therefore the work of fitting the food preparation plate into the food preparation plate insertion opening will take time

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesize of food preparation plateVSAvoiddifficulty of mounting plate

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The mounting direction is inverted from horizontal sliding to vertical pushing. This allows the user to stabilize the plate against the palm of the hand and push it straight down onto the retaining part, eliminating the shaking and alignment issues associated with horizontal insertion of large plates.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The engagement protrusions and engagement recesses are designed to automatically engage when the plate is pushed onto the retaining part, extracting the complex alignment and fitting process from manual operation. The plate simply needs to be pushed down, and the mechanical features handle the precise positioning and securing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Productivity

If food preparation blades are provided over substantially the entire food preparation surface, then the efficiency of the grating work is improved, but the food preparation blades are exposed over a wide area, which is dangerous in so much as fingers or the like can easily come into contact with the food preparation blades when the food preparation plate is replaced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveefficiency of grating workVSAvoidrisk of injury from exposed blades

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The cover is designed to automatically cover the food preparation blades before the plate is removed and remains in place during the entire replacement process. This preliminary protective action ensures that even though blades are provided over the entire surface for efficient grating, they remain covered and safe during plate replacement operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The cover acts as an intermediary protective element between the user's fingers and the exposed blades. It allows the user to handle and replace the plate without direct contact with the dangerous blade surfaces, while still enabling the blades to perform their grating function when the plate is in use.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS8857747B2Food preparation device

Publication Date: 2014.10.14 KAI R&D CENT CO LTD

AI summary

A food preparation plate is replaceable and engagement means for retaining the food preparation plate are present between the food preparation plate and a retaining part. The food preparation plate can move in translation in a direction perpendicular to a plane constituted by the retaining part. Two places on the back side of the food preparation plate that is retained in the retaining part can be simultaneously pressed in the direction of the front side by the digits of different hands; and by simultaneously pressing those two places with digits of different hands, the food preparation plate is moved in translation in the direction of the front side thereof, so as to release the engagement means and allow the food preparation plate to be detached.