Food Processor Circuit Interlock for Safe Continuous Operation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food preparation appliances face challenges in providing both continuous and high-speed cutting functions while ensuring user safety, as these requirements are often incompatible due to safety standards, leading to obstacles in designing a device that can offer both functions simultaneously.
Innovation Solution
A food preparation appliance with a support box, removable work accessories, an electric motor, and an electrical circuit that automatically deactivates continuous operation when specific accessories are mounted, ensuring safety through switch mechanisms and ergonomic design to prevent unsafe operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the appliance provides continuous operation function, then productivity is improved, but safety is compromised when incompatible accessories are used
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical circuit is pre-configured with safety switches that automatically detect incompatible accessory mounting and prevent continuous operation before it can occur. The system performs preliminary safety checks through the electrical circuit configuration, ensuring that high-speed cutting accessories cannot activate continuous operation mode, thus preventing safety hazards before they arise.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the appliance restricts continuous operation for safety, then user safety is improved, but productivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The safety restriction is applied locally and selectively based on the mounted accessory type. The electrical circuit configuration creates different operational characteristics for different accessories: high-speed cutting accessories automatically deactivate continuous operation, while other accessories compatible with continuous operation remain unaffected. This localized approach maintains productivity where safe while preventing hazards where risky.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the appliance offers multiple work accessories with different functions, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A single electrical circuit design serves multiple functions: it powers the motor, detects accessory types through switch configurations, and automatically adjusts operational modes based on the mounted accessory. The circuit universally handles both high-speed cutting operations (with automatic continuous operation deactivation) and other compatible operations, eliminating the need for separate control systems for each accessory type.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention concerns a food preparation appliance comprising: - a support housing (10), - at least first (85) and second removable working accessories, each comprising a working tool (30), - an electric motor arranged in the support housing (10), with a drive shaft (11) arranged to drive one or the other of the working tools (30), - an electric circuit arranged to control the operation of the electric motor. According to the invention, the electric circuit is arranged to have a continuous operation function of the electric motor, and the first working accessory (85) is arranged to deactivate the continuous operation function, when the working tool (30) of same is driven by the electric motor.