Juicer Housing Fastening and Sensor Interlock for Safe Disassembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional juice extractors with twin-gear systems face difficulties in easy assembly and disassembly, as well as in preventing unexpected stops due to remnants caught between components, which complicates washing and restarts.
Innovation Solution
A juice extractor design featuring a fastening unit with arms having protrusion portions that engage easily, allowing simultaneous movement, and a sensor unit to stop the driving unit's power when separating the housing, ensuring safe disassembly and easy restarts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the conventional fastening unit with two arms hinge-coupled to the driving unit is used, then the housing can be coupled to the driving unit, but the two arms must be adjusted in position individually making assembly difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the positioning and fastening functions into a single integrated structure. The positioning protrusions on the arms engage with corresponding recesses on the housing, automatically aligning the arms during assembly without requiring individual adjustment. This merging of alignment and fastening operations resolves the contradiction between ease of assembly and structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The arms are pre-configured with positioning protrusions at specific angles that automatically guide them into the correct position during assembly. This preliminary positioning structure eliminates the need for manual adjustment during the assembly process, making the operation simpler while maintaining the necessary structural complexity for proper function.
2Ease of operation
If the housing is separated for washing, then washing can be performed, but remnants caught between the housing and crushing units or transferring units prevent easy separation
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening unit employs hinge-coupled arms that can dynamically move between a closed fastening position and an open release position. This dynamic mechanism allows the housing to be securely held during operation (preventing remnants from causing instability) while enabling easy release when the lever is actuated for washing purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The link connected to the lever acts as an intermediary that translates the user's pulling action on the lever into simultaneous movement of both arms. This intermediary mechanism coordinates the disengagement of both arms, making the separation process simple and reliable even when remnants are present.
3Ease of operation
If the housing is separated from the driving unit, then washing can be performed, but the driving unit may continue operating causing injuries
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor unit mounted on the housing detects whether the housing is coupled to or separated from the driving unit and provides feedback to the control unit. When separation is detected, the control unit automatically stops power supply to the motor, preventing the driving unit from operating independently and eliminating the safety hazard of potential injuries.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces a purely mechanical fastening system with an integrated sensor-based detection system. Instead of relying solely on mechanical interlocks, the sensor unit optically or electrically detects the coupling state and triggers the control unit to stop the motor, substituting mechanical safety with a more reliable sensor-based safety mechanism.
4Reliability
If remnants are caught between the housing and crushing units or transferring units, then the extracting operation may stop unexpectedly, but restarting requires manual intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor unit continuously monitors the operational state and automatically detects when the housing is separated or when operation stops due to remnants. The control unit then automatically stops power supply and can automatically restart the motor when the housing is recoupled, allowing the system to service itself without requiring manual intervention for simple stoppages.
Data Source
AI summary
A juice extractor with an easily assembled and disassembled housing includes: a driving unit having a motor housing having a motor mounted at the inside thereof, a rotary shaft connected to the motor and protruded toward one side of the motor housing, and a fixing shaft disposed adjacent to the rotary shaft on the motor housing; a juice extracting unit having roller portions operated by the motor provided at the driving unit to crush, extract and transfer juice extraction materials and the housing for accommodating the roller portions thereinto; a fastening unit for detachably coupling the housing of the juice extracting unit to the motor housing; and a sensor unit having a sensor operator mounted on the housing of the juice extracting unit and a sensor mounted on the motor housing in such a manner as to be operated by a change in distance with the sensor operator.