Mixer Blade with Segmented Serrations to Prevent Edge Breakage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing mixer blades suffer from a trade-off between operational reliability and cutting capacity, as sharply ground edges tend to break when encountering hard materials, leading to reduced cutting performance.

Innovation Solution

A blade design featuring a combination of sharply ground corrugations and blunt, rounded flat sections, where the flat sections provide edge stability and prevent breakage while maintaining high cutting performance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the cutting edge is sharply ground, then the cutting capacity is improved, but the operational reliability deteriorates due to increased breakage risk

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecutting capacityVSAvoidoperational reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The cutting edge is designed with spatially varying properties: corrugated sections with sharp cutting edges for high cutting capacity, and flat sections with rounded edges for high reliability. This local differentiation allows different portions of the cutting edge to serve different functions - the corrugated portions handle cutting while the flat portions provide structural strength and prevent breakage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The cutting edge is segmented into multiple distinct sections along its length - alternating corrugated sections and flat sections. Each segment has different geometric characteristics and functional properties, allowing the blade to simultaneously achieve both high cutting performance and high operational reliability through the collective action of these segmented portions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If the cutting edge is made robust to prevent breakage, then the operational reliability is improved, but the cutting capacity deteriorates due to reduced sharpness

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperational reliabilityVSAvoidcutting capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Rather than making the entire cutting edge uniformly robust, the invention applies robustness locally only where needed - the flat sections have rounded edges and greater thickness for strength and reliability, while the corrugated sections maintain sharp edges for cutting capacity. This localized application of robustness avoids the trade-off by concentrating strength where it prevents breakage without sacrificing cutting performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The cutting edge is divided into functional segments where flat sections provide robustness and corrugated sections provide cutting sharpness. This segmentation allows the blade to achieve both reliability and cutting capacity simultaneously, as each segment contributes its specialized function to the overall performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3914133B1Blade means for a mixer
Publication Date: 2023.02.22 ZWILLING J A HENCKELS AG
  • EP3914133B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3914133B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4*
  • EP3914133B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The invention relates to a blade means (1) for a mixer, e.g. an immersion blender (2) or stand mixer, which at least comprises: a rotational shaft (3); at least one blade (4) which extends from the rotational shaft (3) and has at least one cutting edge (5); and a plurality of serrations (6) which are formed in the at least one cutting edge (5), wherein the individual serrations (6) are spaced apart from one another by a planar portion (7) of the at least one cutting edge (5), wherein the planar portion (7) of the at least one cutting edge (5) is less sharp than the serrations (6).