Kitchen Bowl Cam Coupling for Self-Locking Clean Attachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing kitchen appliances face challenges with the ease of bowl fixation to the base station, requiring manual adjustments and having complex locking mechanisms, and the design of the bowl allows food loss and poor cleanability due to the tubular element at the bottom.
Innovation Solution
A kitchen appliance with a base station and removable bowl featuring cam portions on the drive shaft and bowl that self-find and self-lock, eliminating the need for manual alignment and providing a closed bottom for full volume usage and improved cleanability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a pin and angled slot locking mechanism is used, then the bowl can be securely fixed to the support, but the bowl requires careful manual placement and additional manual operations to align the pin with the slot
Solution Approach 1:
The bowl and support are equipped with self-aligning features (guide surfaces and positioning elements) that automatically guide the bowl into the correct position during placement, eliminating the need for manual alignment operations while maintaining secure fixation through the pin-slot mechanism
2Reliability
If a pin engages a slot for coupling, then the locking connection is achieved, but the contact area is very limited and the connection becomes complex with many parts
Solution Approach 1:
The pin and slot are integrated into a unified coupling structure where the pin is a simplified single-piece element that combines locking and positioning functions, reducing the total number of parts while maintaining reliable locking through the engaged pin-slot connection
3Length of moving object
If a tubular element extends through the bottom of the bowl for drive shaft access, then the drive shaft can penetrate the bowl, but the bowl cannot be completely filled and cleanability is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The drive shaft is nested within a recessed cavity in the bowl bottom rather than extending through a tubular element, allowing the bowl to be completely filled while maintaining drive shaft access and significantly improving cleanability by eliminating protruding tubular structures
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 self-finding and self-locking mechanism simplifies bowl attachment, reduces manual operations, and enhances cleanability by preventing food loss and allowing complete bowl filling, while the closed bottom design improves usability and stability.
Implementation Method 1
The first and second cam portions comprise first respectively second cam faces. The cam faces mate upon interaction of the head with the socket, such that upon rotating the drive shaft the second coupling part rotates in unison with the first coupling part and the bowl is pulled down towards the support surface.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4A~4B
AI summary
A kitchen appliance comprising a base station (2) having a support surface (6) on an upper portion thereof and a rotatable drive shaft comprising a first coupling part (7) at a free end thereof. The appliance comprises a removable bowl (3) comprising a bottom part that is supported by the support surface (6) during operation and a coupling member (14) supported from said bottom part. The member comprises a second coupling part (15) for coupling with the first coupling part (7). The first coupling part (7) comprises a head (8) with an outer surface (19) with a number of first cam portions (20). The second coupling part (15) comprises a socket (16) for accommodating the head (8), the socket has an inner circumferential surface (23) with a number of second cam portions (24), said first and second cam portions (20, 24) comprise first respectively second cam faces (21, 25), which mate upon accommodation of the head (8) in the socket (16).