Handy Mixer
Class: ME40 - Engineering Design I
Skills: Teamwork, Ideation, CAD & 3D Printing, Water Jet Cutting
Our Inspiration
We were inspired by the KitchenAid Mixer, but instead of motors doing all the work, she would be providing the force to mix the ingredients. This was a requirement for the project.
Project Context
In this class, we were working with a client that had cerebral palsy and this client's favorite activity was to bake. Our section on the class was focused on making the mixing of ingredients easier for the client during the baking process. From watching videos of her trying to bake, we realized that she was able to comfortably do a cranking motion with her right arm. Our idea was to turn that cranking motion into force that could be used for mixing ingredients.
How it works
The way the Handy Mixer worked was by turning the cranking motion provided by the client into a rotational motion about a perpendicular axis. This was done using bevel gears. The plate secured into place by locking into position with notches on the bottom, and the bottom of the Handy Mixer had foam pads, so that it wouldn't move upon use. We used hinges for the top part so that the paddle wheel and bowl could easily be taken out to clean.
