Mixing machine with movable bowl support
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Commercial food mixing machines lack advanced drive systems and control interfaces that provide efficient operation, real-time monitoring, and secure access to machine conditions, leading to potential operator errors and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A mixing machine with a drive assembly linked to a rotatable output member and a user interface featuring a touch-screen display, controller for real-time torque load monitoring, multiple access levels, and sensors for bowl position control, along with a VFD drive arrangement for high torque and speed, enhancing operational efficiency and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a basic control system is used in commercial mixing machines, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ease of operation and real-time monitoring capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical control interfaces with an electronic control system featuring a touch-screen display and microprocessor-based controller. This substitution enables real-time monitoring of torque load, speed, and temperature while providing intuitive graphical user interface for operation, thereby improving ease of operation without being constrained by mechanical interface limitations
Solution Approach 2:
The control system incorporates multiple sensors that continuously monitor mixing parameters (torque load, speed, temperature) and provide real-time feedback to the operator through the touch-screen display. This feedback mechanism enables operators to make informed adjustments during mixing operations, improving ease of operation while the integrated nature of the system prevents complexity from becoming unwieldy
2Productivity
If advanced drive systems with real-time monitoring are implemented, then the productivity and mixing performance improve, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it monitors torque load, controls motor speed, displays temperature, provides diagnostic information, and enables recipe storage. By consolidating these diverse functions into a single integrated control system with touch-screen interface, the patent achieves improved productivity through real-time monitoring and control while preventing device complexity from becoming unmanageable through functional integration
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates automatic diagnostic capabilities that monitor machine conditions and provide fault detection without requiring constant operator intervention. The controller automatically adjusts parameters and provides maintenance alerts, enabling the system to partially manage itself and reducing the operational complexity burden on users while maintaining high productivity
3Reliability
If multiple access levels with security codes are implemented, then the reliability and protection of machine settings improve, but the ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-configures multiple access levels (operator, supervisor, service) with appropriate security codes before operation. During normal use, operators automatically gain access to their designated level without needing to remember or input codes, maintaining ease of operation. The security structure is already in place, providing reliability and protection of machine settings without requiring operators to perform additional authentication actions during routine operations
4Measurement precision
If real-time torque load monitoring is displayed, then the measurement precision and control accuracy improve, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical measurement and display systems with electronic torque sensing and digital display through the touch-screen interface. The torque load sensor provides precise electrical signals that are processed and displayed graphically, achieving high measurement precision while avoiding the mechanical complexity of analog gauges, linkages, and mechanical display mechanisms
Data Source
AI summary
A food mixing machine includes a mixer body including a column and a head extending from the column. A rotatable output member extends downward from the head for receiving a mixer tool. A bowl support is mounted for vertical movement along the column between a lowered position away from the head and a raised position toward the head. A drive assembly is linked to selectively drive the rotatable output member. A user interface, including a touch-screen display, is located on the mixer body. A controller is associated with the user interface, wherein the controller is configured to communicate mixing machine condition information via the touch-screen display.