Stand Mixer Beater Tool with Removable Scraper Blade for Easy Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beater tools for stand mixers face challenges in accurately matching the bowl surface, leading to material adherence issues, especially with clingy ingredients, due to production tolerances, and practical difficulties in fitting and replacing flexible scraping members.
Innovation Solution
A beater assembly with arm members and a transverse member forming an integral framework, featuring a blade member with a thick root portion and flexible wiping part, allowing for easy removal, cleaning, and replacement, and accommodating different blade members with varying characteristics for diverse mixing tasks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If flexible scraping members are fitted to arm members to conform to bowl surface, then material adherence is prevented, but device complexity and difficulty of fitting/replacement increase
Solution Approach 1:
The beater tool is divided into separate components: the arm member with groove and the blade member with root portion. The blade member can be independently fitted to or removed from the arm member, simplifying the overall fitting process while maintaining the scraping function.
Solution Approach 2:
The blade member's root portion is designed to fit within the groove of the arm member, creating a nested structure where the blade member is inserted into and secured by the arm member's groove, simplifying assembly.
2Strength
If blade member is made with thick root portion and flexible wiping part, then wear resistance is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The blade member features non-uniform thickness: a thick root portion for wear resistance and structural integrity, and a thinner wiping part for flexibility and conformance to the bowl profile. This local variation in quality optimizes both durability and functional performance.
3Ease of operation
If blade member is made removable and replaceable, then cleaning ease is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The beater tool is segmented into the arm member and the removable blade member. This segmentation allows the blade member to be easily detached for cleaning or replacement while keeping the arm member as a reusable base structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection between the blade member and arm member is designed to be dynamically changeable - easily attachable and detachable. The groove and root portion configuration allows for simple insertion and removal actions, making the system adaptable for cleaning and replacement operations.
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
Facilitates thorough mixing by preventing material adherence, enabling efficient cleaning and replacement of blade members, and accommodating different materials and mixtures, while reducing the risk of ingredients burning or sticking in heated mixers.
Implementation Method 1
an outwardly extending wiping part of thinner profile and formed to repeatedly flex when repeatedly wiped against the interior wall of the bowl during the planetary mixing motion
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
Beater assembly for mixing ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer with planetary drive, the assembly (10) including upright arm members (12, 14) which repeatedly approach and pass close to the walls of the bowl in accordance with the motion imparted by the planetary drive. The arm members are provided with flexible wiping or scraping blades (22) which are capable of adapting themselves to fully conform to the bowl surface, each arm member (12, 14) is grooved (24) along its length and each blade (22) is formed of a length-wise resilient elastomer configured for mounting in the groove. The blades are formed at each end with fasteners (34, 36) and are held in position, under length-wise tension, by interlocking the fasteners with anchoring devices (38, 40) located near the ends of the arm members.