Ice Crushing Tool with Wing Protrusions for Uniform Particle Size
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric ice crushing household appliances often fail to produce uniformly sized ice particles, with some cubes becoming too small (snow-like) while others remain large, due to uneven crushing dynamics.
Innovation Solution
An ice crushing tool with a longitudinal body and wing-like protrusions above the blade, which accelerate and return ice cubes to the blade, preventing over-crushing and ensuring uniform texture by improving ice movement and crushing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a high-speed mixer or blender is used to crush ice, then the ice is crushed for a long time in the lower part, but the ice particles become non-uniform with some turning into snow while large cubes remain
Solution Approach 1:
The tool is segmented into distinct functional elements: a blade for crushing and wing-like protrusions for moving ice cubes. This segmentation allows different parts to perform specialized functions - the blade crushes ice while the protrusions prevent over-crushing by redirecting ice cubes, thereby achieving both high productivity and uniform particle size.
Solution Approach 2:
The wing-like protrusions act as intermediaries between the blade and the ice cubes. They intercept ice cubes that have fallen into the crushing zone and redirect them back, preventing direct contact with the blade until the appropriate time. This intermediary mechanism ensures uniform crushing by controlling when and how ice cubes are processed.
2Loss of time
If the blade continuously crushes ice in the lower part, then processing time increases, but the ice cubes are not uniformly crushed to desired size
Solution Approach 1:
The wing-like protrusions create periodic action by repeatedly intercepting and redirecting ice cubes back to the bowl's upper regions. This periodic redirection prevents continuous crushing, allowing ice cubes to be processed in cycles - falling to the blade, being crushed, then being redirected back - which reduces total processing time while maintaining uniform particle size.
Solution Approach 2:
The tool introduces dynamic movement patterns through the wing-like protrusions that actively redirect ice cubes during rotation. This dynamic approach creates varying motion paths for different ice cubes, ensuring they all receive appropriate crushing exposure without over-processing, thereby reducing time while maintaining size consistency.
3Productivity
If the blade crushes ice for an extended period, then more ice is processed, but already crushed ice is further crushed into snow
Solution Approach 1:
The wing-like protrusions perform preliminary anti-action by intercepting ice cubes before they can be over-crushed by the blade. They redirect ice cubes back to the bowl's upper regions, preventing the harmful effect of turning crushed ice into snow. This preliminary intervention maintains productivity by allowing continuous processing while preventing the harmful outcome of excessive crushing.
Solution Approach 2:
The wing-like protrusions convert the potentially harmful effect of ice cubes falling into the crushing zone into a beneficial cycle. Instead of allowing uncontrolled continuous crushing that creates snow, the protrusions redirect these fallen cubes back, transforming what would be over-crushing into a controlled, periodic crushing process that maintains uniform particle size while continuing to process large volumes of ice.
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
The tool achieves a more uniform texture of crushed ice by enhancing ice movement and reducing the time required to process a given volume, preventing the creation of snow-like particles and ensuring all ice cubes are crushed to the desired size.
Implementation Method 1
The at least one wing-like protrusion extends radially from the longitudinal body in an axial distance above the at least one blade... creates a more dynamic movement of the crushed ice and/or the ice cubes... increase the speed of ice cubes that are bounced off the blade and return them back to the blade
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~4
AI summary
Disclosed is an ice crushing tool for an electric ice crushing household appliance, comprising at least one wing with a blunt front edge in an axial distance upwards to at least one blade, and an electric ice crushing household appliance.