Rotating Knife-and-Blade Pureeing Unit for Food Processors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hand-operated food processing apparatuses are inefficient for creating purees or mashes, requiring additional and costly equipment like blenders or strainers.
Innovation Solution
A pureeing unit with radially arranged and rotatable knives and blades that can be pivotable or fixed, integrated into a foodstuff processing apparatus, allowing for efficient processing by cutting and hitting foodstuffs within a container, with optional perforated blades and wiper devices to enhance pureeing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a straining apparatus or mincer with perforated plates is used to make puree, then pureeing function is achieved, but additional expense for apparatus purchase and maintenance is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies multi-functionality by enabling a standard food processor to perform pureeing in addition to its existing cutting and chopping functions. This is achieved by equipping the processor with a rotor containing both cutting knives and perforated plates that can be activated through the same drive mechanism, eliminating the need for separate dedicated pureeing equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functions of cutting knives and perforated plates into a single integrated rotor assembly. The rotor combines both elements in one component that rotates together, consolidating multiple pureeing mechanisms into a unified structure that operates as a single unit within the food processor
2Productivity
If multiple knives and blades are arranged on the rotation axis, then pureeing efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the rotor into multiple functional segments, each containing cutting knives and perforated plates arranged at different radial positions. This segmentation allows food to be processed at multiple stages simultaneously as it passes through different zones of the rotor, improving pureeing efficiency while maintaining manageable structural complexity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the radial dimension by arranging knives and blades at different radial distances from the rotation axis. This three-dimensional arrangement allows multiple cutting and perforating actions to occur simultaneously at different radii, enhancing pureeing efficiency without proportionally increasing axial or lateral complexity
3Ease of operation
If knives and blades are arranged radially to the rotation axis, then cutting and hitting action is achieved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by optimizing the radial arrangement specifically in the region where food contact occurs. The knives and blades are precisely positioned radially only at the active working surfaces that contact the food, while other non-contact portions of the rotor components can have more relaxed tolerances, reducing overall manufacturing precision requirements
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
Enables efficient pureeing of foodstuffs without the need for additional equipment, improving processing efficiency and longevity while minimizing storage space and manufacturing costs.
Implementation Method 1
the foodstuffs are firstly cut up in the region of the knives and blades
Implementation Method 2
the foodstuffs are firstly cut up in the region of the knives and blades and then hit the blades, by which means a further processing of the foodstuffs is effected
Implementation Method 3
a pureeing of the foodstuffs which are cut up by the knife and hit on the blade is effected
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a pureeing unit (1) for an apparatus for processing foodstuffs with at least one knife (31, 32) arranged radially to a rotation axis (2) and with at least one blade (41, 42) arranged radially to the rotation axis (2). The at least one knife (31, 32) and the at least one blade (41, 42) are rotatable about the rotation axis (2).