External Slice Thickness Control for Food Processor Cutting Assemblies
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional food processors lack an efficient mechanism for adjusting the cutting thickness of food items during processing, limiting user flexibility and precision in achieving desired cut sizes.
Innovation Solution
A food processor design featuring a cutting assembly with a rotating disk and cutting blade, where the disk's position relative to the blade is adjustable via a gear assembly and user-operated control device, allowing for manual or motor-driven adjustment of cutting thickness without removing the lid, utilizing a two-piece adaptor and lift device to change the disk's position relative to the blade.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the cutting thickness is adjusted by removing and reassembling components, then the cutting thickness can be changed, but the processing cycle is interrupted and time is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting assembly is designed with a movable rotating disk that can be dynamically adjusted to different positions relative to the cutting blade during operation. The disk is supported by a sleeve that allows vertical movement, enabling continuous adjustment of cutting thickness without stopping the processor. This dynamic adjustment mechanism resolves the contradiction by making the cutting thickness changeable while maintaining continuous processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustment mechanism is designed to be self-contained within the operating food processor, eliminating the need to disassemble and reassemble components. The user-operated control device operates the adjustment mechanism from the outside, allowing the system to adjust cutting thickness autonomously during operation without external intervention or processing interruption.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a complex adjustment mechanism is added to enable cutting thickness adjustment during operation, then user flexibility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A gear assembly acts as an intermediary mechanism between the user-operated control device and the rotating disk. The gear assembly includes a first gear connected to the control device and a second gear connected to the sleeve supporting the rotating disk. This intermediary gear mechanism translates simple user input into precise vertical movement of the rotating disk, achieving complex adjustment functionality through a relatively simple and elegant mechanical linkage.
3Productivity
If the rotating disk position is fixed relative to the cutting blade, then the device structure is simple, but cutting thickness cannot be adjusted during processing
Solution Approach 1:
The rotating disk is designed with vertical movability relative to the cutting blade through a sleeve support system. This dynamic positioning capability allows the disk to be moved to different vertical positions during operation, enabling variation in cutting thickness while maintaining a relatively simple overall device structure. The dynamic element is localized to the cutting assembly rather than the entire 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 precise control over cutting thickness, allowing users to produce thicker or thinner slices during operation, enhancing user flexibility and processing efficiency by adjusting the cutting thickness without interrupting the processing cycle.
Implementation Method 1
The gear assembly may include a first gear including a first plurality of teeth defined on an outer surface and a spline extending from an inner surface thereof. The spline may be received in the groove of the second sleeve. A second gear including a second plurality of teeth may be interdigitated with the first plurality of teeth.
Implementation Method 2
The lift device may include an upper sleeve that is rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof and an lower sleeve. The upper sleeve may have an externally threaded outer surface, and the lower sleeve may have an internally threaded inner surface that receives the externally threaded outer surface of the upper sleeve.
Implementation Method 3
a motor configured to drive the cutting assembly to cut the food items
Data Source
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AI summary
A food processor includes a base (12) and a bowl (20) with a removable lid (22). Food items are advanced into the bowl (20) through a feed tube (24) formed in the lid (22) where they are cut by a cutting assembly (16) driven by a motor (14). The cutting assembly (16) is adjustable to vary the thickness of the cut food items. An adjustment assembly (42) positioned in the base (12) is operable to adjust the cutting thickness of the cutting assembly (16) while the cutting assembly (16) is driven by the motor (14).