Juice extractor with cleaning feature
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing juicing appliances face reduced efficiency due to unwanted pulp buildup on the shredding implement, which is not effectively removed by current cleaning methods, especially when the cleaning implement encounters irregularities on the surface.
Innovation Solution
A manually operated cleaning device with a wiper blade biased by a coil wave spring maintains constant engagement with the perforated surface of the sieve, ensuring effective removal of pulp buildup even with surface irregularities during rotation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a cleaning implement is used to scrape pulp from the shredding implement, then pulp removal is achieved, but irregularities on the working surface cause uneven application reducing cleaning efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the cleaning implement from rigid to flexible by using a biasing member (spring) that allows the cleaning element to dynamically adjust its engagement pressure and position. This flexibility enables consistent cleaning contact despite surface irregularities, resolving the contradiction between cleaning efficiency and cleaning consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning implement is designed with a biasing member that provides dynamic adjustment capability. As the cleaning implement rotates with the sieve, the spring continuously adapts to surface variations, maintaining optimal contact pressure. This dynamic mechanism ensures reliable and consistent pulp removal across the entire working surface.
2Productivity
If the cleaning implement is pressed against the perforated surface, then pulp removal improves, but surface irregularities cause uneven engagement reducing effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The biasing member transforms the engagement mechanism from static fixed-pressure to dynamic variable-pressure contact. The spring allows the cleaning implement to automatically adjust to surface irregularities, maintaining effective pulp removal without requiring manual intervention to compensate for uneven surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning implement is designed to self-adjust to surface variations through the biasing member. The spring automatically compensates for irregularities in the perforated surface, eliminating the need for external adjustment mechanisms or manual intervention, thereby improving ease of operation while maintaining effectiveness.
3Device complexity
If a rigid cleaning implement is used, then structural simplicity is maintained, but it cannot adapt to surface irregularities reducing cleaning performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a biasing member that adds minimal structural complexity while dramatically improving cleaning performance. The spring mechanism allows the cleaning implement to adapt to surface irregularities, transforming a simple rigid structure into a performance-optimized system with dynamic adjustment capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning device transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic system with a biasing member. This added complexity enables the cleaning implement to continuously adapt to surface variations during rotation, significantly improving cleaning performance while maintaining relatively simple overall device architecture.
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 solution ensures consistent and efficient pulp removal, maintaining juicing efficiency by constantly engaging the wiper blade with the perforated surface, addressing the issue of irregularities and improving cleaning efficacy.
Implementation Method 1
a coil wave spring configured to maintain constant engagement of the wiper blade against the perforated surface
Data Source
AI summary
A food preparation appliance including a housing containing a sieve having an inner perforated surface for extracting fruits and vegetables into liquids and solid particles, a source of rotatable power for rotating the sieve, and a manually operated cleaning device for removing pulp of food particles from the perforated surface of the sieve. The cleaning device includes a cleaning implement having a first position normally biased into a non-engaged position from the perforated surface and a second position when the cleaning device is operated to an engaged position against the perforated surface. The cleaning implement is biased against the perforated surface in the second position using a biasing member configured to maintain constant engagement of the cleaning implement against the perforated surface while the sieve is rotated. In an embodiment, the biasing member is a coil wave spring.