Food Processor Motor-Driven Locking for Dynamic User Freedom Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional food processors limit user freedom during food preparation, restricting the degree of freedom and flexibility, which can hinder efficient cooking processes and result in reduced cooking comfort and quality.
Innovation Solution
A food processor with a motor-driven locking device for the vessel and lid, controlled by a system that adjusts the degree of freedom based on multiple parameters, allowing for increased user flexibility while maintaining cooking comfort by dynamically locking or unlocking the lid and vessel depending on the cooking process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a motor-driven locking device is implemented to limit user degree of freedom, then cooking safety and process control are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking device operates autonomously based on sensor inputs and control unit logic, automatically locking or unlocking the lid without requiring manual user intervention. The system self-regulates the degree of freedom by monitoring cooking parameters and actuating the locking mechanism accordingly, thereby improving safety while avoiding the need for complex manual control interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces purely mechanical locking systems with an integrated electromechanical system that uses sensors, a control unit, and motor-driven actuation. This substitution allows for intelligent, parameter-based control of the locking state, improving reliability through automated safety protocols while the modular electronic architecture keeps the overall system complexity manageable.
2Reliability
If the locking device is always engaged to ensure safety, then cooking safety is improved, but user flexibility and cooking comfort deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The locking device transitions from a static, always-engaged state to a dynamic system that continuously adjusts its locking state based on real-time cooking parameters. The control unit monitors temperature, cooking phase, and other sensors to dynamically determine when locking is necessary and when user access should be permitted, thereby maintaining safety without unnecessarily restricting user flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of the locking device based on cooking conditions. Instead of maintaining a constant locked state, the locking mechanism's engagement status is varied as a function of temperature, cooking stage, and safety requirements. This parameter-based control ensures safety during critical phases while allowing user access during safe periods, preserving cooking comfort.
3Ease of operation
If the locking device is never engaged to maximize user freedom, then user flexibility is improved, but cooking safety and process control deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit continuously receives feedback from sensors monitoring temperature, cooking phase, and lid position. Based on this feedback, the system intelligently determines when to engage the locking device to prevent unsafe conditions. This closed-loop control ensures that user freedom is maximized during safe operating conditions while automatically restricting access when safety risks are detected, thereby maintaining both flexibility and safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The system autonomously monitors cooking parameters and self-regulates the locking state without requiring user judgment or intervention. When safety conditions are met, the system remains unlocked for user access; when parameters indicate a safety risk, the system automatically engages the lock. This self-service approach eliminates the need for users to manually balance freedom versus safety, achieving both goals simultaneously.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a food processor for performing a food preparation process by heating, chopping and/or stirring a food in a food preparation vessel by means of a heating element for heating and/or a rotatable tool for chopping and/or stirring the food in the food preparation vessel, wherein the food processor comprises at least one functional unit including a motor for rotating the tool and/or the heating element for heating, wherein the food processor comprises at least one device for limiting a degree of freedom of a user during use of the food processor for food preparation including at least one motor-driven locking device for the food preparation vessel or its lid. A control of the food processor is configured such that, based on a plurality of parameters that are able to describe or influence the food preparation process, the control controls the at least one functional unit and the at least one device for limiting a degree of freedom such that a reduction or increase in the user's degree of freedom during use of the food processor can be effected in dependence on the plurality of parameters. The disclosure further relates to a corresponding method and computer program. The degree of freedom of the user can thereby be increased in an improved manner during the preparation of a food with a food processor.