Locking Roller Cover Geometry for Gap-Resistant Appliance Latches
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing locking elements for food processors are prone to soiling and difficult to clean due to gaps between the locking element and the cover, which can accumulate dirt and dust during operation.
Innovation Solution
A locking roller with a base body and a cover element featuring a beveled edge region that is prestressed to minimize gaps, allowing for a gap-free or reduced gap arrangement, with the cover element being partially cylindrical and having a free-form surface with beveled and non-beveled edge areas for optimal adaptation to the base body, ensuring effective cleaning and protection from dust and dirt.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a cover element is attached to the locking element base body, then the locking element is protected and aesthetics are improved, but gaps form between the cover element and base body that accumulate dirt and are difficult to clean
Solution Approach 1:
The cover element is made from a flexible sheet material that can be deformed during assembly to eliminate gaps. The material's flexibility allows it to conform tightly to the base body surface, creating a gap-free or minimal-gap arrangement that prevents dirt accumulation while maintaining protective and aesthetic functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The physical state of the cover element is changed from rigid to flexible by selecting appropriate sheet material properties. This parameter change enables the cover element to be deformed during assembly and maintain intimate contact with the base body, eliminating the gap problem without compromising structural integrity.
2Strength
If the cover element is made rigid to maintain structural integrity, then strength is improved, but gaps form that are difficult to clean
Solution Approach 1:
The cover element uses flexible sheet material that provides sufficient structural integrity for protective functions while allowing deformation to eliminate gaps. The flexibility enables tight conformity to the base body surface without requiring rigid construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover element is designed with a curved or contoured shape that follows the surface geometry of the base body. This curvature design, combined with material flexibility, allows the cover to conform tightly to irregular surfaces and eliminate gaps that would trap dirt.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the cover element is made flexible to eliminate gaps, then cleanability is improved, but structural integrity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The cover element is constructed from flexible sheet material that provides both gap elimination and sufficient structural strength. The material properties are selected to balance flexibility for conformity with adequate rigidity for protective functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover element may use composite material construction that combines flexible and structurally strong properties. This allows the cover to be deformed for gap elimination while maintaining the strength needed for protective and aesthetic functions.
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 significantly reduces the formation of gaps between the locking element and the cover, preventing dirt accumulation and enhancing cleanability, while maintaining structural integrity and flexibility for tolerance compensation during assembly.
Implementation Method 1
The cover element can then be deformed by pressing against the base body, so that it is prestressed in relation to the base body and is supported with the folded edge region against the base body with as few gaps as possible.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a cooking attachment (2) for a heatable vessel (3) of a food processor, which cooking attachment (2) has one or more base openings (4) through which steam escaping from the vessel (3) enters the cooking attachment (2) and condensate can flow from the cooking attachment (2) into the container (3). In order to cook food contained in the cooking attachment (2) faster and more evenly and/or to keep it warm after preparation, regardless of its position within the cooking attachment (2), it is proposed that the cooking attachment (2) have a ) exiting steam heating heating device (5).