Wavy Blade Tool Design for Easy Sharpening in Kitchen Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional serrated blades in food processors are brittle and lose sharpness quickly due to high rotation speeds and forces, making them difficult to sharpen and maintain, leading to inefficient food processing and increased blade degradation.
Innovation Solution
A wavy blade design produced by stamping and grinding with a flat surface, featuring periodic notches and protrusions, allows for easy sharpening using common kitchen tools and reduces brittleness, while the blade's shape and orientation enhance durability and interaction with food for efficient processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional serrated blades are used to increase effective cutting length, then food processing efficiency is improved, but blade brittleness increases and sharpness is lost quickly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature to the blade edge by creating a wavy profile instead of straight or conventional serrated edges. The wavy blade is formed by stamping periodic notches and protrusions followed by grinding at an angle, creating a curved cutting edge that maintains structural integrity while increasing effective cutting length. This curved geometry reduces stress concentration points compared to sharp serrations, thereby reducing brittleness while improving food processing efficiency.
2Productivity
If conventional serrated blades are used to maximize cutting edge length, then processing speed increases, but sharpening becomes difficult and requires specialized apparatus
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the blade edge from conventional serrations to a wavy profile with specific characteristics: periodic notches and protrusions formed by stamping, followed by angular grinding. The wavy blade has a grindable surface at an angle to the original blade plane, which allows it to be sharpened using simple flat grinding surfaces. This parameter change maintains the increased effective cutting length for high processing speed while enabling easy sharpening with common kitchen tools.
3Ease of operation
If straight blades are used to maintain simplicity and ease of sharpening, then blade maintenance is easy, but effective cutting length is reduced and processing efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the blade edge into periodic notches and protrusions through stamping, then applies angular grinding to create a wavy profile. This segmentation increases the effective cutting length along the blade perimeter, allowing more extensive contact with processed food during rotation. The segmented wavy structure maintains ease of sharpening on flat surfaces while significantly improving food processing efficiency compared to straight blades.
4Productivity
If conventional serrated blades are used to increase blade-to-food contact, then processing efficiency improves, but blade wear increases due to high forces
Solution Approach 1:
The wavy blade profile with curved cutting edge distributes mechanical forces more evenly across the blade length during food processing. The curved geometry of the notches and protrusions creates more gradual stress transitions compared to sharp serrations, reducing peak stresses and wear on individual points. This extends blade life while maintaining high processing efficiency through increased blade-to-food contact.
Data Source
AI summary
According to the present invention a blade tool arrangement (3) for a motor driven kitchen device adapted to be rotationally driven is provided. The arrangement comprising: a clutch (2) adapted to couple the blade tool arrangement (3) to a corresponding motor clutch of the kitchen device; at least one blade (9, 10), each of the at least one blade (9, 10) comprising a wavy shaped cutting edge (7, 8) arranged towards the rotation direction (14) of the motor. Each of the blades (9, 10) comprises a planar grindable surface (6) ending in the wavy shaped cutting edge (7, 8), wherein said grindable surface (6) is implemented in such a way that re-sharpening of the cutting edge (7, 8) by a user of the kitchen device is allowed.