Stand Mixer Beater With Elastomer Scraper for Bowl Conformity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beater tools for stand mixers face challenges in accurately matching the bowl surface, leading to material adherence issues, especially with clingy ingredients, and difficulties in cleaning, replacing, and using different scraping members.
Innovation Solution
A beater assembly with grooved arm members and a resilient elastomer blade member that can be securely fastened and easily removed, allowing for effective scraping, cleaning, and replacement, and accommodating different blade characteristics for various mixtures and bowl materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If rigid arm members are used to conform to the bowl profile, then structural strength is maintained, but the ability to adapt to bowl surface variations and remove adhering material deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The beater is divided into rigid arm members (providing strength) and separate flexible scraping members (providing adaptability). The scraping members are detachably connected to the arm members, allowing each component to perform its specialized function independently.
Solution Approach 2:
Flexible scraping members made of elastomeric material are used to replace rigid scraping surfaces. These flexible members can deform to conform to the bowl's curved surface and variations therein, ensuring continuous contact for effective scraping of adhering material.
2Ease of operation
If flexible scraping members are integrated into the beater, then scraping effectiveness improves, but cleaning and replacement of scraping members becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The scraping members are designed as separate, detachable components from the arm members. This segmentation allows the scraping members to be easily removed for cleaning or replacement without disassembling the entire beater structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection between scraping members and arm members is designed to be dynamic and reversible, allowing users to attach and detach scraping members as needed. This enables maintenance and replacement operations to be performed quickly and easily.
3Reliability
If fixed scraping members are used, then consistent scraping action is achieved, but adaptability to different applications and bowl materials deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The beater design allows a single arm member structure to support multiple different scraping members suited for different applications. Users can select and attach appropriate scraping members based on the specific mixing task, bowl material, or ingredient characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
Different scraping members can be designed with varying parameters (material composition, flexibility, thickness, surface properties) to optimize performance for different applications. The ability to change these parameters by swapping scraping members provides versatility while maintaining reliable scraping action.
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 ensures thorough incorporation of ingredients, reduces material adherence, facilitates easy cleaning and replacement, and allows for the use of alternative blades, enhancing mixing efficiency and safety when using heated stand mixers.
Implementation Method 1
a blade member formed of a length-wise resilient elastomer and configured for mounting in said groove; the retention of said blade member in said groove being enhanced by the length-wise resilience of said elastomer
Data Source
AI summary
Beater assembly for mixing ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer with planetary drive, the assembly (10) including upright arm members (12, 14) which repeatedly approach and pass close to the walls of the bowl in accordance with the motion imparted by the planetary drive. The arm members are provided with flexible wiping or scraping blades (22) which are capable of adapting themselves to fully conform to the bowl surface, each arm member (12, 14) is grooved (24) along its length and each blade (22) is formed of a length-wise resilient elastomer configured for mounting in the groove. The blades are formed at each end with fasteners (34, 36) and are held in position, under length-wise tension, by interlocking the fasteners with anchoring devices (38, 40) located near the ends of the arm members.