Stepped Blender Cleaning Tool for Stepped Shaft Crevices

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional cleaning tools, such as dish brushes and specialized blender brushes, are inadequate for effectively cleaning the difficult-to-reach areas under the blades of blenders with a stepped shaft, as they fail to reach and clean the small crevices and stepped regions efficiently.

Innovation Solution

A cleaning tool with a stepped arrangement of cleaning elements at different radii and heights, featuring a handle, angled neck, and a resilient over-mould with vertical blades and nodules, designed to match the geometry of the blender blade assembly, allowing for simultaneous cleaning of all surfaces under the blades.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If conventional dish brushes are used to clean blender blades, then flat surfaces can be cleaned, but small crevices beneath the blades cannot be reached

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning effectivenessVSAvoidability to reach crevices
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The cleaning tool divides the cleaning function into multiple segments: a first set of cleaning elements for one surface and a second set for another surface, allowing each segment to target specific areas of the blade assembly including hard-to-reach crevices

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The tool transitions from conventional single-surface brushes to a multi-surface design with cleaning elements arranged to contact the blade assembly from multiple dimensions simultaneously, including top, bottom, and side surfaces

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Ease of operation

If dedicated blender brushes are used, then some improvement is achieved, but they offer minimal improvement over scaled down dish brushes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning effectivenessVSAvoidstructural design
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cleaning tool is designed with universal applicability to clean all surfaces of the blade assembly including the blade itself, the shaft, and surrounding areas, making it a multi-functional tool that replaces multiple specialized brushes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The tool merges multiple cleaning functions into a single device by combining first and second sets of cleaning elements on one handle, integrating what would traditionally require multiple separate brushes into one unified tool

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3503775B1Blender cleaning tool
Publication Date: 2024.01.10 KUHN NOMINEES PTY LTD
  • EP3503775B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3503775B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3503775B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A tool with two sets of cleaning elements disposed at first and second radii about a common axis thus providing cleaning surfaces for all the spaces between a blender blade on a stepped shaft and its supporting base. Depending on the size of the step the cleaning elements are either vertical blades or nodules in the edge of a planar body.