Electric motor-operated food processor, mixing vessel and agitator therefor

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electric motor-operated food processors face compatibility issues between different model generations of mixing vessels and agitators, leading to the potential use of unsuitable agitators, which can affect performance and safety.

Innovation Solution

Designing mixing vessels and agitators with specific radial length differences for positioning recesses and projections, ensuring that agitators from newer models cannot be inserted into older vessels but can be inserted into vessels of the same or older generations, thereby preventing the use of incompatible agitators and ensuring safety and compatibility.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the number of positioning recesses and positioning projections is increased for safety reasons, then compatibility control between model generations is improved, but the complexity of the positioning system increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompatibility controlVSAvoidpositioning system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The positioning recesses are differentiated by their radial lengths, creating local variations in geometry. Specifically, at least one positioning recess has a different radial length compared to others, which allows the system to encode model generation information locally within the positioning structure itself, rather than requiring a complete redesign of the entire positioning system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the geometric parameters of the positioning recesses, specifically the radial length dimension. By varying this parameter across different recesses and model generations, the system creates a parameter-based coding scheme that enables compatibility control without increasing the overall number of positioning elements or system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If different numbers of positioning recesses are provided for different model series, then safety and compatibility prevention are improved, but the ease of manufacture decreases due to multiple variants

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompatibility preventionVSAvoidmanufacturing simplicity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The positioning system is designed with universal characteristics where the same basic positioning structure can accommodate multiple model generations. The differentiated radial lengths of positioning recesses allow a single mixing vessel design to work with multiple agitator types across different generations, eliminating the need for completely separate positioning systems for each model series.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

Rather than changing the overall number of positioning recesses across different models, the invention introduces local variations in radial length within the same positioning structure. This localized differentiation maintains manufacturing simplicity while achieving model-specific compatibility control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Stability of the object's composition

If an agitator with more positioning projections is used in a vessel with fewer corresponding recesses, then rotational fixation is improved, but compatibility with newer models is worsened

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverotational fixationVSAvoidmodel compatibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The positioning recesses are designed with asymmetric radial lengths, where at least one recess has a different radial dimension compared to others. This asymmetric design creates a unique geometric signature that enables compatibility control while maintaining adequate rotational fixation through the remaining matching projections and recesses.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

Solution Approach 2:

By changing the radial length parameter of specific positioning recesses, the system creates model-specific geometric codes. This allows agitators with different numbers of projections to be differentiated by their compatibility with vessels having varying radial length configurations, balancing fixation requirements with model adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3469969B1Electric motor-operated food processor, mixing vessel and agitator therefor
Publication Date: 2020.07.15 VORWERK & CO INTERHOLDING GMBH
  • EP3469969B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3469969B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3469969B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a stirring device (2) for insertion into a bottom opening (5) of a vessel bottom (4) of a mixing vessel (1) of an electrically operated kitchen machine (3), wherein the stirring device (2) has several positioning projections (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19) formed one behind the other on its circumferential surface (13) in the circumferential direction.In order to make the agitator (2) compatible with older model generations of a kitchen machine (3), it is proposed that several first positioning projections (14, 15, 16) of the circumferential surface (13) project with a first radial length difference (ΔL1) beyond a smallest radius (Rmin) of the circumferential surface (13), and wherein the circumferential surface (13) has at least one second positioning projection (17, 18, 19) formed in the circumferential direction between two first positioning projections (14, 15, 16), which projects with a second radial length difference (ΔL2) beyond the smallest radius (Rmin) of the circumferential surface (13), which second radial length difference (ΔL2) is smaller than the first radial length difference (ΔL1). Furthermore, the invention relates to a mixing vessel (1) corresponding to the agitator (2) and to an electrically operated kitchen machine (3) with such a mixing vessel (1) and/or agitator (2).