Juicer Draff Control Unit with Elastically Deformable Outlet Plate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing juicers face challenges in efficiently extracting juice from various materials, particularly green vegetables and high-viscosity fruits, and require frequent disassembly and cleaning, which complicates the process and may lead to nutrient loss and bacterial growth due to inadequate draff control and separation.
Innovation Solution
A juicer design featuring a draff control unit with an elastically deformable opening and closing plate that adjusts the draff outlet port's opening degree, allowing for optimal juice extraction force and easy cleaning without disassembly, using a combination of rigid and soft materials for the plate and a rotary control lever for precise control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the juicer operates at high speed to improve productivity, then juice extraction efficiency increases, but intrinsic flavor and nutrients are destroyed and green vegetable juice cannot be extracted from vegetables with stems or leaves
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by varying the rotation speed of the feed screw based on material properties. The control unit adjusts rotational speed dynamically - using lower speeds for green vegetables with stems/leaves to preserve nutrients and structure, and higher speeds for other materials to maintain productivity. This resolves the contradiction by making the system adaptive rather than fixed.
2Reliability
If the juicer is disassembled frequently for cleaning to maintain hygiene, then food residue is removed, but the cleaning process becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the housing into an upper housing and lower housing that can be easily separated. The mesh drum is positioned to be accessible when housings are separated, and the draff outlet port is designed to be accessible without complete disassembly. This segmentation allows selective cleaning of different components independently, simplifying the overall cleaning process while maintaining hygiene.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables self-service cleaning through the design where the mesh drum can be accessed and cleaned without requiring disassembly of the main body housing. The draff outlet port and mesh drum are positioned such that users can perform basic cleaning operations themselves without complex disassembly procedures.
3Reliability
If the draff outlet port is kept closed to improve draff separation, then juice extraction quality improves, but cleaning the mesh drum becomes difficult without disassembly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the housing structure to provide independent access to the mesh drum. The upper and lower housings can be separated to expose the mesh drum for cleaning, while the draff outlet port remains in the lower housing. This segmentation allows the mesh drum to be accessed and cleaned without requiring the draff outlet port to be permanently open or requiring complete disassembly of the main body.
4Reliability
If a rigid opening and closing plate is used to control the draff outlet port, then draff separation is improved, but the plate cannot adapt to different material properties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the opening and closing plate elastically deformable rather than rigid. The plate can flex and adapt its shape based on the pressure and properties of different materials being processed. This elastic deformability allows the same plate structure to effectively control the draff outlet port for various material types including green vegetables, fruits, and soybeans, providing both reliable separation and material adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameter of the opening and closing plate from rigid to elastically deformable. This parameter change allows the plate to adjust its mechanical properties dynamically during operation, enabling it to adapt to different material characteristics while maintaining effective draff separation control.
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
This design enhances juice extraction efficiency, simplifies the cleaning process, and prevents residue mixing, allowing for easy operation with different materials without disassembling the juicer, ensuring effective draff separation and maintaining hygiene.
Implementation Method 1
an elastically deformable opening and closing plate that adjusts the draff outlet port's opening degree
Implementation Method 2
presses and crushes a raw material put into an inlet port or a feed tube at high speed and produce juice from the crushed material using a centrifugal separation method
Implementation Method 3
the material is naturally moved downwardly due to gravity as a feed screw is rotated
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a juicer including a draff control unit. The juicer includes: a mainbody; a housing including a draff outlet port formed at a lower portion thereof, and a draff descending hole formed on a bottom surface thereof; a cover; a feed screw; and a draff control unit including an opening and closing plate consisting of a rear portion and a front portion, the rear portion being elastically not deformable and the front portion being elastically deformable, the opening and closing plate being configured such that it completely opens the draff outlet port, and such that in the case where the opening and closing plate closes at least partially the draff outlet port, the draff outlet port is selectively closed by either the front portion or the rear portion, or by a part of the front portion and a part of the rear portion.