Housing for a food processor

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Solution Overview

Problem

Food processor housings made from easily scratched plastics suffer from optical and hygienic issues due to scratches from granular materials like salt or sugar, which complicate debris removal.

Innovation Solution

A housing with a bayonet receptacle featuring a metal covering skin and a plastic carrying element, where the metal skin is produced as a deep-drawn article and bonded to the plastic element using undercut elements for durability and cleanability, with sliding elements minimizing friction and ensuring a fluid-tight connection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the housing is made from plastics, then the cost is reduced, but the surface is easily scratched by granular material

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovecostVSAvoidscratch resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The receptacle is constructed as a composite structure combining a plastic carrying element with a metal covering skin. The plastic provides cost-effectiveness and structural support, while the metal skin provides scratch resistance and durability where it is most needed - on the surface that contacts granular material during bowl attachment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Ease of manufacture

If the housing is made from plastics, then the cost is reduced, but the cleanability is worsened due to scratch accumulation

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovecostVSAvoidcleanability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The metal covering skin on the receptacle provides a smooth, non-porous surface that resists scratch accumulation and facilitates easy cleaning. This composite approach maintains cost-effectiveness through plastic construction while improving cleanability where debris removal is critical.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Reliability

If a metal bayonet receptacle is used, then the scratch resistance is improved, but the cleanability is worsened due to screws creating gaps and grooves

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvescratch resistanceVSAvoidcleanability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

By using a plastic carrying element with integrated metal skin instead of a solid metal receptacle with screws, the design achieves scratch resistance through the metal surface while maintaining cleanability through the seamless plastic construction that eliminates screw holes and gaps where debris could accumulate.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The screw fastening system is replaced by an integrated injection-moulded connection between the plastic carrying element and the receptacle housing. This extraction of the screw mechanism eliminates the gaps and grooves that hinder cleanability while maintaining the structural integrity and scratch resistance of the metal covering skin.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP4292484A1Housing for a food processor
Publication Date: 2023.12.20 BSH HAUSGERATE GMBH
  • EP4292484A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4292484A1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4292484A1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The invention relates to a housing (1) for a food processor, with a bayonet receptacle (2) for a mixing bowl. To improve the durability of the bayonet receptacle (2) it is proposed to form the bayonet receptacle (2) with a covering skin (4) from metal carried by a carrying element (5) formed from plastics. The covering skin (4) can be provided with cut-outs (7) that are filled by plastic elements (8) that incorporate bayonet grooves (3) and that are connected with the carrying element (5) being an injection moulding component moulded against the undersurface of the covering skin (4). This provides a durable housing for a food processor that is inexpensive to produce.