Kitchen Appliance Vacuum Device Integration for Oxidation-Free Cooking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing multipurpose kitchen appliances lack the capability to reduce oxidation processes in food preparation and maintain vacuum conditions for gentle cooking methods like sous-vide, often requiring plastic bags and fixed cooking temperatures.
Innovation Solution
A multipurpose kitchen appliance equipped with a vacuum device integrated into the base unit, featuring a vacuum pump and connecting elements to evacuate pots, and an adapter unit with a one-way valve for sealing and connecting to the pot, allowing flexible vacuum control and maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a vacuum device is integrated into the kitchen appliance, then oxidation processes in food are reduced and vacuum cooking is enabled, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The kitchen appliance base unit is designed to perform multiple functions: traditional food processing (blending, chopping) and vacuum cooking. The vacuum device shares the base unit's motor, control system, and power supply, allowing the same appliance to serve both conventional and vacuum-based culinary needs without requiring separate dedicated equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The vacuum device is merged with the kitchen appliance base unit, combining the vacuum pump, control electronics, and motor into a single integrated system. The pot serves dual purposes as both a food preparation container and a vacuum chamber, eliminating the need for separate vacuum sealing equipment and plastic bags.
2Ease of operation
If a breakthrough is formed in the pot or lid for vacuum connection, then fluidic connection for evacuation is achieved, but sealing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
An adapter unit serves as an intermediary component between the pot/lid breakthrough and the vacuum hose connecting element. The adapter includes a sealing element that interfaces with the breakthrough opening, providing a reliable seal while maintaining easy connection and disconnection of the vacuum hose. This intermediary component simplifies the sealing challenge by decoupling the structural breakthrough from the functional vacuum seal.
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
Reduces oxidation and discoloration of food, enables vacuum cooking at low temperatures without plastic bags, and provides flexible vacuum settings for various cooking needs.
Implementation Method 1
a vacuum device is provided, which is integrated into the base unit or connected to the base unit. The vacuuming equipment has at least one evacuating unit and a connecting element, wherein a first breakthrough is formed in the pot or in the lid, and the connecting element is set up to fluidically connect the evacuating unit to the breakthrough for evacuating the pot
Implementation Method 2
an adapter unit with a one-way valve for sealing and connecting to the pot, allowing flexible vacuum control and maintenance
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a multi-purpose kitchen appliance (1), more particularly a food processor with a base apparatus (3) and a preparation vessel (2) that can be connected to the base apparatus, wherein the preparation vessel (2) has at least one pot (4) and a lid (5) that closes a pot opening of the pot (4), wherein a vacuuming device (6), which is integrated in the base apparatus (3) or connected to the base apparatus (3), has at least one evacuation unit (7) and a connection element (8), wherein a first through-hole (9) is formed in the pot (4) or in the lid (5), and the connection element (8) is designed to fluidically connect the evacuation unit (7) to the through-hole (9) in order to evacuate the pot (4). The invention also relates to an adapter unit and to a method.