A method to make a single dough ball using adaptive kneading technology is explained. An adaptive kneading technology which resides in a processor is used to form an optimal viscoelastic dough ball. The flour and liquid are mixed, the initial dough is contacted, the reading for resistance is recorded, if need be corrected and finally a dough ball is dispensed to make a flat bread.

A lock member includes a housing, a movement body, and an elastic member. The housing includes an open groove at an inner wall of the housing. A bottom of the open groove is provided with a movement surface. An end of the movement surface proximal to an opening of the open groove is a locking end, and an end of the movement surface distal to the opening of the open groove is an unlocking end. The movement body is provided in the open groove and moveable along the movement surface. The elastic member is provided in the open groove and configured to maintain the movement body at the locking end or the unlocking end of the movement surface.

A baking attachment for a kitchen appliance has an outer container with inner walls enclosing a receiving compartment and an insertion opening on an upper side. A preparation container is arranged in the receiving compartment. A heating device is provided in an intermediate space between a base and side walls of the preparation container and inner walls of outer container. A mixing and kneading mechanism and a cover for the insertion opening are provided. The outer container detachably inserts into a receiving section of the kitchen appliance base. A free end of a rotary shaft of the mixing and kneading mechanism arranged in a connection section has a first coupling section for rotationally fixed connection to a second coupling section on a drive shaft of the kitchen appliance base. Electrical contact elements of the heating device in the connection section detachable connect to electrical contacts of a kitchen appliance base.

A gear box for a reciprocating kneader. A primary rotational gear is attached to a gear box primary shaft and rotates in concert therewith. A secondary rotational gear is engaged with the primary rotation gear and rotates therewith. A secondary shaft is attached to the secondary rotational gear and rotates therewith. A primary oscillation gear is attached to the gear box primary shaft and rotates therewith. A secondary oscillation gear is rotationally engaged with the primary oscillation gear and rotates on the secondary shaft. An eccentric is coupled to the secondary oscillation gear and rotates in concert therewith. A yoke is engaged with the eccentric and oscillates on an axis perpendicular to the secondary shaft in response to the lobe. The gearbox secondary shaft moves along its axis in concert with yoke oscillation. A housing is pivotally attached to the yoke and pivotally attached to a casing at a casing.

A counter-rotating dough making mechanism, including a drive shaft (9) that is provided with an upper dough hook assembly (1) and a lower dough hook assembly (2) is disclosed. The lower dough hook assembly (2) is preferably provided with a stir plate (3) which enhances the thorough mixing of flour during dough kneading. The upper dough hook assembly (1) and the lower dough hook assembly (2) are connected by gears (42a, 42b, 42c) so that they rotate synchronously but in the opposite direction. By the counter-rotating action of the upper dough hook assembly (1) and the lower dough hook assembly (2), the dough making process is more effective as compared to the usual single piece dough hook as used in many stand mixers. The design and construction of the disclosed counter-rotating dough making mechanism is simple, robust, and reliable, and can deliver superior performance in dough making.

A mixing machine includes a head extending over a bowl receiving location, a rotatable output shaft for receiving a mixer tool, and a gear system for effecting rotation of the rotatable output shaft about its axis and orbiting of the shaft axis about another axis. An electric motor includes an output operatively connected to drive the gear system. A variable frequency drive is connected to deliver 3-phase power to the electric motor to achieve variable speed and torque. The variable frequency drive includes a plurality of embedded sensors, including embedded current sensors and embedded voltage sensors. A diagnostic control is configured and operable to analyze outputs from the embedded sensors and produce an alert indication upon identification of a characteristic indicative of at least one of input power brownout, input power surge, machine short circuit, motor phase insulation arch, motor phase to ground arch or motor loss of phase.

A gear box for a reciprocating kneader. A primary rotational gear is attached to a gear box primary shaft and rotates in concert therewith. A secondary rotational gear is engaged with the primary rotation gear and rotates therewith. A secondary shaft is attached to the secondary rotational gear and rotates therewith. A primary oscillation gear is attached to the gear box primary shaft and rotates therewith. A secondary oscillation gear is rotationally engaged with the primary oscillation gear and rotates on the secondary shaft. An eccentric is coupled to the secondary oscillation gear and rotates in concert therewith. A yoke is engaged with the eccentric and oscillates on an axis perpendicular to the secondary shaft in response to the lobe. The gearbox secondary shaft moves along its axis in concert with yoke oscillation. A housing is pivotally attached to the yoke and pivotally attached to a casing at a casing.

A dough preparation machine includes a power unit, which drives, through rotational speed mechanism, a helical screw shaft that extends into a dough chamber so that the dough is compressed and pushed through rotation of the helical screw shaft to be discharged out of a jet nozzle mounted to the dough chamber. The dough chamber is provided, at a location above the helical screw shaft, with an auxiliary dough driver, which includes two movable blades that are opposite to each other and are selectively extendable outward and retractable inward. When one of the movable blades passes through a circular sidewall of dough chamber, it is pressed by the sidewall to get retracted inwardly and at the same time causing another one of the movable blades to extend outward to knead and poke dough. This process is cyclically repeated to efficiently knead the dough and prevent attachment of the dough.

A dough preparation machine includes a power unit, which drives, through rotational speed mechanism, a helical screw shaft that extends into a dough chamber so that the dough is compressed and pushed through rotation of the helical screw shaft to be discharged out of a jet nozzle mounted to the dough chamber. The dough chamber is provided, at a location above the helical screw shaft, with an auxiliary dough driver, which includes two movable blades that are opposite to each other and are selectively extendable outward and retractable inward. When one of the movable blades passes through a circular sidewall of dough chamber, it is pressed by the sidewall to get retracted inwardly and at the same time causing another one of the movable blades to extend outward to knead and poke dough. This process is cyclically repeated to efficiently knead the dough and prevent attachment of the dough.

A device for preparing extrudable food products includes a working chamber configured to house ingredients in operation of the device, an extrusion die, a rotation shaft configured to stir the ingredients and extrude the food products through the extrusion die, and a driving system by which the rotation shaft is driven. The driving system is configured to separate the extrusion by at least one time period during which the rotation shaft rotates in a first direction which is opposite to a second direction in which the rotation shaft rotates to extrude the food products. Therefore, build-ups inside the working chamber can be removed by the sticky dough hit and/or lifted by the stirring bars on the rotation shaft when the rotation shaft rotates reversely.