Port unit for a food processing appliance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food processing appliances for preparing cooled edible products, such as ice cream and frozen yogurt, often require multiple inlets and outlets that increase the risk of contamination and complicate cleaning, as they separate ingredient introduction from product dispensing and pressure release.
Innovation Solution
A port unit that switches between loading and dispensing states, acting as both an ingredient inlet and product outlet, with a displaceable plunger and linking conduit, minimizing contact points and eliminating the need for separate valves, thereby simplifying cleaning and reducing surface area exposure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate inlets and outlets are provided for ingredient introduction and product dispensing, then functional versatility is improved, but device complexity and cleaning difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The port unit is designed to perform multiple functions: it serves as both an ingredient inlet and a product outlet at different operational phases. The plunger mechanism enables the same physical port to be used for loading ingredients into the processing chamber and later for dispensing the finished product, eliminating the need for separate dedicated inlets and outlets.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the functions of separate ingredient introduction and product dispensing pathways into a single integrated port unit. By combining these functions into one physical structure with a plunger-based switching mechanism, the total number of contact surfaces and passages is reduced, simplifying the overall device architecture.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate inlets and outlets are provided, then functional versatility is improved, but cleaning ease deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The port unit serves as a multi-functional component that handles both ingredient loading and product dispensing, reducing the total number of surfaces that require cleaning. The same port is used in different operational modes, minimizing the number of separate cleaning zones needed in the system.
Solution Approach 2:
The plunger mechanism extracts and isolates the switching function from separate physical pathways, allowing a single port to be used for multiple purposes. This extraction of the switching mechanism into a dedicated component simplifies the overall structure and reduces the number of surfaces exposed to food products.
3Adaptability or versatility
If separate valves and pressure release mechanisms are added, then functional control is improved, but device complexity and contamination risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The plunger mechanism serves multiple control functions simultaneously: it opens/closes the port for ingredient loading, opens/closes the port for product dispensing, and can create pressure differential for pressure release. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate valves and pressure release mechanisms, reducing the number of potential contamination sources.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
The present disclosure concerns a port for a food processing appliance, in particular an appliance for the processing of ingredients and preparing a cooled edible product therefrom, e.g. ice cream, sorbet, gelato, frozen yogurt, soft-serve ice cream, slushes, shakes, blended frozen coffee drinks, etc., particularly such an appliance intended for home use, offices, or for small businesses. The appliance comprises a processing chamber which comprises a port unit switchable between a loading state and a dispensing state.