Food processor
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional food processors lack refrigeration capabilities, which limits their ability to keep food fresh or prepare cold food items effectively.
Innovation Solution
A food processor design incorporating a cold generator with a ring-shaped cold energy transfer plate and Peltier elements to create a refrigeration space within the container, allowing for efficient cold energy transfer and retention, along with a motor and power transmitter for processing food items.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a conventional food processor design is used, then the device can process food items, but it cannot keep food fresh or prepare cold food items
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the refrigeration function with the food processing function by integrating the cold generator and cold energy transfer plate into the container structure. The cold generator is mounted on the main body and the cold energy transfer plate is integrated with the container bottom, allowing both cooling and processing to occur in the same device without requiring separate refrigeration equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The container is designed to serve multiple functions: it acts as both the food processing chamber and the refrigeration chamber. The cold energy transfer plate is integrated with the container bottom, enabling the container to simultaneously process and cool food items, making the device universal for both purposes.
2Reliability
If a cold generator is added to provide refrigeration, then food freshness is preserved, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigeration system is segmented into distinct functional components: the cold generator unit with Peltier elements for cooling, the heat sink for heat dissipation, and the cold energy transfer plate for cold energy distribution. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and simplifies the overall structure by clearly defining functional boundaries.
Solution Approach 2:
The cold energy transfer plate acts as an intermediary between the cold generator and the food items. It receives cold energy from the Peltier elements and distributes it across the container bottom, efficiently transferring cooling effect to the food while isolating the complex cold generator mechanism from direct contact with food.
3Temperature
If Peltier elements and heat sink are used for cold generation, then efficient cooling is achieved, but heat dissipation space is required
Solution Approach 1:
The heat sink is nested within the main body housing, utilizing the existing internal space of the food processor. The cold generator and heat sink are positioned vertically, with the heat sink located at the bottom of the main body, effectively nesting the thermal management components within the available volume without significantly increasing the external dimensions of the device.
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 preservation of food freshness and preparation of cold food items like ice cream or slush, maintaining food quality by effectively cooling the food-containing space.
Implementation Method 1
The cold generating unit comprises a heat transfer element for generating cold energy. The cold generator may include: a heat sink for supporting the heat-transfer element and dissipating heat generated from the heat-transfer element; and a hot air vent port for releasing hot air dissipated by the heat sink. The heat-transfer element may include a Peltier element
Implementation Method 2
a heat sink for supporting the heat-transfer element and dissipating heat generated from the heat-transfer element
Implementation Method 3
a cold energy transfer plate that determines the lateral shape of the refrigeration space and a cold generating unit that surrounds the side of the refrigeration space
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A food processor (1, 2) includes: a main body (10, 210); and a container (20) that forms a food-containing space (126A, 27) for containing food items and is detachably mounted to the main body (10, 210), wherein the main body (10, 210) comprises a cold energy generator (120) for transmitting cold energy to the container (20) by coming into contact with at least part of the container (20), with the container (20) mounted on the main body (10, 210).