Pasta making attachment to a multi-purpose kitchen machine
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pasta-making attachments for multi-purpose kitchen machines are often dedicated devices, which can be costly and inefficient due to the need for separate components and housing, whereas meat-grinding attachments are more common and utilize larger processing cavities, making it economically challenging to provide a versatile pasta-making solution.
Innovation Solution
The pasta-making attachment shares costly components with the meat-grinding attachment, including the main housing, hopper, and feed-tube, with a replaceable scroll-like extruder and die, and incorporates a tubular conversion device to adapt the processing cavity for efficient pasta extrusion, allowing conversion between meat-grinding and pasta-making functions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a dedicated pasta-making attachment is provided with its own housing and components, then pasta-making functionality is achieved, but cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment housing is designed to accommodate multiple extruders for different functions (pasta-making, meat-grinding, ice-creaming) through a universal mounting interface. The common housing and drive mechanism serve multiple purposes, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining versatility across different food preparation tasks
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the pasta-making extruder with the meat-grinding attachment components by using a shared housing, hopper, and drive mechanism. The extruder and die assembly can be integrated into the existing meat-grinder housing structure, merging two functions into a single multi-functional attachment unit
2Ease of manufacture
If a dedicated pasta-making attachment with separate housing is provided, then pasta extrusion is achieved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is designed as a universal container that can accommodate different extruders (pasta, meat, ice-cream) through standardized mounting features. This universal design allows a single housing mold and assembly process to produce attachments for multiple functions, significantly reducing manufacturing costs compared to producing separate dedicated housings for each function
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment is segmented into modular components: a common housing, a removable extruder assembly, and interchangeable dies. This segmentation allows the expensive housing to be manufactured once and reused, while only the simpler extruder and die components need to be changed for different functions, reducing overall manufacturing complexity and cost
3Adaptability or versatility
If a meat-grinding attachment is converted to pasta-making, then versatility is enhanced, but processing cavity efficiency may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The pasta extruder and die assembly are nested within the existing meat-grinding attachment housing. The extruder fits inside the processing cavity, and the die is positioned at the outlet. This nesting arrangement allows the compact pasta-making components to utilize the space within the larger meat-grinder housing without compromising extrusion efficiency, as the extruder is positioned optimally within the available volume
Solution Approach 2:
The processing cavity is adapted for pasta-making by positioning the extruder and die at the optimal location within the housing. The local geometry around the extrusion point is optimized for pasta extrusion efficiency, while the rest of the housing maintains its meat-grinding capabilities. This localized adaptation ensures high productivity for pasta-making without requiring complete redesign of the entire attachment
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
This approach enables an economical and versatile pasta-making solution by utilizing shared components and a conversion device, reducing costs and enhancing functionality by converting a meat-grinding attachment into a pasta-making attachment with minimal additional parts, thus offering a kit of parts for selective configuration.
Implementation Method 1
a scroll-like extruder, which is driven in rotation by the chosen drive outlet of the multi-purpose kitchen machine to force the pasta ingredients through the apertures in the pasta die
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
A pasta-making attachment for a multi-purpose kitchen machine, the attachment being configured to utilise selected components of a meat- grinding attachment configured for the same machine, together with a replacement scroll-like extruder screw dedicated to pasta making and replacement pasta-extrusion dies, wherein the selected components of said meat-grinding attachment include a hollow main body part (21) having a processing cavity therein within which a scroll-like extruder screw can rotate when driven by the machine, and a hopper (24) for allowing foodstuffs to be introduced into the processing cavity; the attachment being characterised by the further provision of a tubular conversion device (32) for insertion into the processing cavity to condition said cavity for operation with said replacement scroll-like extruder screw (30) dedicated to pasta making.