Reciprocating Container Design for Fast Solid Comminution and Mixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing kitchen appliances and methods for processing solid foods and recyclable materials fail to efficiently grind, cut, and mix these materials while ensuring thorough mixing and mechanical stress, particularly for food items and recyclables like batteries and composite materials, within a short duration.
Innovation Solution
A device with a container driven in a reciprocating motion along two axes at different frequencies and angles, equipped with fixed cutting edges, accelerates the cutting and mixing process by superimposing movements to create a non-linear trajectory, ensuring continuous engagement of contents without settling, and allows immediate addition of additives.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If rollers or mills are used for crushing solids, then the solids can be ground, but the process requires significant time and energy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies vibrations to a rotating blade in a kitchen machine using a piezo element, creating high-frequency oscillations that enhance cutting efficiency and reduce processing time while lowering energy consumption compared to traditional rolling or milling methods
Solution Approach 2:
The container is driven in a forced reciprocating motion at frequencies of at least 0.5 Hz along two axes, creating periodic mechanical stress that efficiently breaks down solids and mixes contents without requiring continuous high-energy input
2Productivity
If a container is driven in reciprocating motion at high frequency, then intensive mixing and mechanical stress are achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The same reciprocating motion mechanism serves multiple functions: it provides intensive mixing, applies mechanical stress to soften food, and enables thorough incorporation of additives, eliminating the need for separate mixing devices or mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines cutting, mixing, and mechanical stressing functions into a single integrated container system, where the reciprocating motion simultaneously accomplishes all these tasks without requiring separate components or mechanisms
3Manufacturing precision
If the container is driven along two axes at different frequencies, then thorough mixing is achieved, but the control and measurement difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The superposition of motions along two axes automatically generates the desired mixing patterns and mechanical stress distributions without requiring complex real-time control algorithms or sensors, as the physics of the system self-organizes the mixing process
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 device effectively cuts and mixes food and recyclable materials quickly, ensuring thorough mixing and mechanical stress, releasing cell sap or softening food pieces, and allowing immediate addition of additives, while maintaining efficiency and uniformity.
Implementation Method 1
The WO 2013/079919 A1 describes the application of vibrations to a rotating blade in a kitchen machine using a piezo element.
Implementation Method 2
WO 2015/114118 A1 describes the production of meat products by subjecting raw pieces of meat to a load in a container that is driven along two axes in a forced reciprocating motion at a frequency of at least 0.5 Hz. Due to the load, the raw pieces of meat absorb, for example, aqueous or oily substances or may stick together.
Implementation Method 3
the container is driven to a reciprocating motion parallel to or at an angle to the plane in which the first opening extends, and which may be linear, in particular driven by an eccentric drive, and which is preferably achieved by superimposing the motion along at least two axes that are at an angle to each other at the same, preferably different, frequencies
Data Source
Figure 1~4B
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a device for comminuting solids into pieces, more particularly solid food into food pieces, which has a container at the first end-face cross-sectional opening of which at least one knife is arranged, wherein the first cross-sectional opening forms an outlet opening or is covered by a first cover that has an inlet opening, wherein the container is driven to move back and forth parallel or at an angle to a plane which in the first cross-sectional opening extends, with a feed shaft the outlet opening of which is arranged in the region of the first cross-sectional opening and the opposite feed opening of which is spaced apart from its outlet opening.