Micro-Puree Machine Drip Tray for Leak Collection and Cleanliness

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing domestic kitchen appliances for making frozen desserts like ice creams, gelatos, and sorbets are inefficient, requiring significant user time and effort, and are impractical for preparing non-dessert food products.

Innovation Solution

A micro-puree machine with a container that can be inverted and coupled to a base unit, featuring a bottom-driven shaft that extends through the lid to engage a blade assembly, allowing for efficient shaving and mixing of frozen ingredients under gravity, thereby improving texture and consistency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a bottom-driven shaft with blade assembly is used to shave and mix frozen ingredients, then the shaving and mixing efficiency is improved and texture consistency is enhanced, but the complexity of the device structure increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveshaving and mixing efficiencyVSAvoiddevice structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the traditional top-driven blade mechanism to a bottom-driven shaft that extends upward into the container. The drive shaft originates from the base unit and pushes the blade assembly upward into the frozen ingredients, reversing the conventional approach and enabling gravity-assisted mixing while simplifying the drive mechanism location.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The blade assembly is nested within the lid structure, and the drive shaft extends through the lid into the container. The blade assembly can be stored within the lid when not in use, and the drive shaft passes through openings in both the lid and drip tray, creating a nested arrangement that reduces overall structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Manufacturing precision

If the container is used in an inverted vertical orientation with bottom-driven shaft, then gravity assists the shaving and mixing process improving texture, but the risk of blade assembly disengagement during retraction increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefrozen food product texture and consistencyVSAvoidblade assembly retention

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the potential harm of gravity causing blade disengagement into a benefit by using gravity to assist the shaving and mixing process. The inverted orientation allows gravity to press the blade assembly against the frozen ingredients during operation, improving texture while the coupling mechanism prevents disengagement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The coupling mechanism between the drive shaft and blade assembly is designed to prevent disengagement before it can occur. The interlocking features and retention structures are built into the system to counteract the gravitational force that could cause the blade assembly to detach during shaft retraction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

3Ease of operation

If a drip tray is added to collect leaking food material, then the cleanliness and ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity and number of components increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleanliness during operationVSAvoidnumber of components

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The drip tray is merged with the base unit structure, forming an integrated assembly. The drip tray is positioned to receive the drive shaft and blade assembly during operation, and can be easily removed for cleaning. This merging reduces the need for separate collection containers and simplifies the overall system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The drip tray is designed to be easily removable and washable, allowing users to maintain cleanliness without complex disassembly procedures. The tray's structure enables self-cleaning through standard washing methods, reducing the need for additional maintenance mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

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 system enables the production of frozen food products like ice cream in a more efficient, consistent, and user-friendly manner, with reduced risk of blade disengagement due to gravity-assisted retention.

Implementation Method 1

gravity can assist the shaving and/or mixing process by applying a downward pressure or force on the frozen ingredients against the upwardly extending drive shaft and blade assembly

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGravity: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentUS20250072452A1Integrated drip tray for a micro-puree machine

Publication Date: 2025.03.06 SHARKNINJA OPERATING LLC

AI summary

An illustrative micro-puree machine is provided. The micro-puree machine includes a base unit including a coupling interface arranged to couple with a detachably connectable processing container. The coupling interface includes a mixing shaft configured to extend into the processing container. A drip tray couplable to the base unit below the processing container when the processing container is coupled to the coupling interface. The drip tray is configured to receive food material that leaks from the processing container while coupled to the coupling interface.