Appliance for processing foodstuffs

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing stand mixers have inefficiencies in space utilization, processing time, and nutritional value preservation due to their tall, slim design, leading to uneven processing results and reduced capacity for soy milk production.

Innovation Solution

A food processing device with a container having an essentially spherical section shape that reduces height while maintaining volume, improving circulation and processing efficiency, and incorporating internal curvatures to prevent food from getting stuck.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If a tall, slim container design is used, then the processing capacity is increased, but the height to capacity ratio becomes inefficient and storage space is wasted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing capacityVSAvoidstorage space
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The container is designed with a spherical section shape instead of a traditional tall, slim cylindrical form. This curved geometry optimizes the height-to-capacity ratio, allowing the container to achieve maximum volume with minimized height, thereby improving both processing capacity and storage efficiency simultaneously

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

2Quantity of substance

If a tall, slim container design is used, then the processing capacity is increased, but the processing time is extended

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing capacityVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The spherical section shape creates more uniform food distribution around the working part, ensuring all food items are processed efficiently. The curved geometry eliminates dead zones and improves circulation patterns, reducing the time required to process the same quantity of food compared to traditional cylindrical designs

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

3Quantity of substance

If a tall, slim container design is used, then the processing capacity is increased, but the food is heated up by friction and nutritional value deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing capacityVSAvoidfood temperature
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The spherical section geometry reduces the vertical distance food must travel, minimizing friction-generated heat. The shape promotes efficient circulation that processes food more quickly, reducing the duration of frictional heating and preserving nutritional value while maintaining high processing capacity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

4Productivity

If the working part extends across the entire bottom of the container, then ice crushing capability is improved, but already crushed ice gets stuck and larger ice cubes are not processed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveice crushing capabilityVSAvoidice crushing uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The spherical section shape prevents crushed ice from accumulating in dead zones at the bottom. The curved geometry ensures continuous circulation of ice cubes through the working part, allowing uniform processing of all ice sizes without stagnation or inconsistent crushing results

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

5Device complexity

If a typical cylindrical filter is used for soy milk production, then the filter structure is simple, but the space for accommodating produced soy milk is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefilter structureVSAvoidsoy milk capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The spherical section container provides additional volume around the cylindrical filter, creating more space for collected soy milk. The curved geometry maximizes the utilization of available space, allowing greater soy milk capacity without increasing filter complexity or device height

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Data Source

PatentEP3886662B1Appliance for processing foodstuffs
Publication Date: 2024.05.01 DE LONGHI BRAUN HOUSEHOLD GMBH
  • EP3886662B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3886662B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3886662B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The present invention relates to an appliance for processing foodstuffs, comprising a vessel with walls that define a chamber, in which foodstuffs for processing can be received, and a working part which is located in the chamber and can be driven, in order to process the foodstuffs, the chamber defined by the walls being formed, in part, substantially as spherical segments and said spherical-segment form surrounding the working part.