A gradient air-cooled cake embryo rapid shaping and cooling device

Abstract

The application provides a gradient air-cooled cake embryo rapid shaping and cooling device, and belongs to the technical field of baked food cooling and shaping equipment. The device comprises a rack assembly, a gradient air-cooled cavity assembly, a linkage air supply assembly, a follow-up load conveying assembly and a temperature and air control assembly. The gradient air-cooled cavity assembly is fixed on the top of the rack assembly. The follow-up load conveying assembly penetrates the gradient air-cooled cavity assembly horizontally. The linkage air supply assembly is symmetrically assembled on the upper and lower inner walls of each cavity of the gradient air-cooled cavity assembly. The temperature and air control assembly is fixed on the outside of the rack assembly and is in airtight communication with the linkage air supply assembly through a ventilation pipeline. The gradient air-cooled cake embryo rapid shaping and cooling device solves the problems of uneven cooling, product collapse and cracking, poor adjustment flexibility and high energy consumption caused by the existing cake embryo cooling and shaping equipment due to the following reasons: global unified air cooling, fixed structure, no linkage between air supply and conveying, and poor adjustment flexibility.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of baking food cooling and shaping equipment, and in particular to a gradient air-cooled cake base rapid shaping and cooling device. Background Technology

[0002] After baking, cake bases need to be cooled and set before proceeding with subsequent processing steps. The effectiveness of cooling and setting directly determines the product's texture, taste, and appearance. Currently, commonly used cooling and setting equipment in cake production lines includes natural static cooling racks, integrated direct-blowing air-cooling devices, and spiral circulating air-cooling devices. Natural static cooling relies on open racks and natural air convection to achieve cooling, but a single batch requires 30 to 40 minutes for cooling and setting, resulting in extremely low production efficiency. Integrated direct-blowing air-cooling devices use a single cavity with fixed fans at the top and bottom to directly blow cold air onto the cake base at a uniform speed throughout, but there is no zonal adjustment function for the airflow angle and volume. Spiral circulating air-cooling devices achieve continuous cooling through a vertical spiral conveyor frame combined with a surrounding fixed airflow, making them suitable for large-scale production.

[0003] However, the aforementioned cooling and shaping methods all have structural shortcomings. After baking, there is a temperature gradient between the inside and outside of the cake base. The surface layer has a high temperature and a soft texture, while the core layer has a high peak temperature and a high moisture content. When using a uniform air-cooling mode, the cold air blowing directly onto the surface causes the surface to cool and harden rapidly, while the core layer cools down more slowly. This easily leads to quality problems such as a hard exterior and a soft interior, internal heat accumulation, collapse and delamination, surface cracking, and uneven internal fluffiness. At the same time, the fans and air ducts of existing equipment are mostly fixed welded or bolted connections. The air delivery angle, area, and air volume are uniform parameters for the whole machine, which cannot be adjusted according to the size, thickness, and type of cake base. Moreover, the fixed structure is cumbersome to disassemble and maintain, resulting in low maintenance efficiency. In addition, although strong air blowing increases the cooling speed, it easily damages the soft structure of the cake base, causing uneven moisture migration and uneven drying of the cake. The existing equipment has an independent air supply structure and a material conveying structure. When the cake dough enters or leaves the cooling area, the fan runs at full load continuously, resulting in high energy consumption due to ineffective air supply. Furthermore, the gap between the air duct and the material is fixed, which cannot meet the heat dissipation space requirements of different sized cake doughs, leading to serious waste of air cooling resources.

[0004] In summary, the field of cake base cooling and shaping still faces prominent problems such as poor cooling uniformity, low structural adjustment flexibility, difficulty in balancing cooling efficiency and shaping quality, and high energy consumption. There is an urgent need for a cooling and shaping solution that can achieve gradient zone cooling, flexible adjustment of air supply parameters, and linkage and adaptation between air supply and conveying structure. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a gradient air-cooled cake base rapid shaping and cooling device, which solves the problems of uneven cooling, easy collapse and cracking of products, poor adjustment flexibility and high energy consumption caused by the existing cake base cooling and shaping equipment, which is characterized by uniform air cooling throughout the entire area, fixed and unadjustable structure, and no linkage between air supply and conveying.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a gradient air-cooled cake base rapid shaping and cooling device, including a frame assembly, a gradient air-cooled cavity assembly, a linked air supply assembly, a follow-up material conveying assembly, and a temperature and air control assembly. The gradient air-cooled cavity assembly is fixed to the top of the frame assembly. The follow-up material conveying assembly extends laterally through the interior of the gradient air-cooled cavity assembly. The linked air supply assembly is symmetrically assembled on the upper and lower inner walls of each section of the gradient air-cooled cavity assembly. The temperature and air control assembly is fixed to the outside of the frame assembly and is in a sealed connection with the linked air supply assembly through a ventilation duct.

[0007] Preferably, the gradient air-cooled cavity assembly adopts a segmented nested telescopic sealing structure, with multiple cavities nested and inserted in sequence. Adjacent cavities are connected by nested sliding grooves, and elastic locking components are set inside the nested sliding grooves to lock the cavity position. Sealing strips are snapped into the gaps between the cavity splices to complete the sealing treatment.

[0008] Preferably, the gradient air-cooling cavity assembly is composed of a pre-cooling cavity, a gradient shaping cavity, and a deep curing cavity coaxially connected. The three cavities are nested and slid together in sequence and are uniformly positioned and locked by an elastic locking component. The overall cooling length can be freely adjusted.

[0009] Preferably, the linkage air supply assembly has an independent adjustable structure with a ball joint fixed to the upper and lower inner walls of the cavity. The universal air supply plate is movably hinged to the ball joint, the diversion air duct is connected to the universal air supply plate, and a miniature air volume regulating valve is installed at the input end of the diversion air duct. Each air supply unit can independently adjust the air supply angle and air volume.

[0010] Preferably, the linked air supply components corresponding to each cavity switch the air supply mode according to the operation requirements, and cooperate with the cavity zoning to achieve layered gradient air supply. The air supply angle, wind speed and temperature inside different cavities can be independently controlled.

[0011] Preferably, the follow-up material conveying component adopts a horizontal layout structure, the linkage guide rail is fixed on the inner walls of both sides of the gradient air-cooling cavity component, the linkage slider is slidably engaged with the linkage guide rail, the breathable material conveying mesh belt is erected between the two linkage sliders, the bottom end of the linkage slider is connected to the chain drive component, and linkage sensors are installed at both ends of the linkage guide rail.

[0012] Preferably, the constant temperature air cooler unit inside the temperature and air control assembly is connected to the branch temperature control pipeline. The branch temperature control pipeline branches into multiple independent branches that are connected to the branch air ducts inside each section of the cavity. Each branch is equipped with a main air volume regulator, and the temperature sensors installed inside the cavity are connected to the overall control system signal.

[0013] Therefore, the present invention employs the above-mentioned gradient air-cooled cake base rapid shaping and cooling device, and the technical effects are as follows: 1. Highly adaptable structure with wide applicability: The three-section nested telescopic cavity is combined with a universal hinged adjustable air supply structure, which can flexibly adjust the cooling stroke and air supply angle to adapt to the shaping needs of cake bases of different heights, diameters and types, solving the problem of single adaptability and poor versatility of existing equipment.

[0014] 2. Excellent gradient cooling effect, good sealing stability, and high yield: The three-section cavity differentiated air supply realizes the gradient cooling of the surface pre-cooling, the middle layer shaping, and the core layer curing. Combined with the nested elastic sealing snap structure, it eliminates cold air crosstalk, completely solves defects such as external cold and internal heat, surface cracking, embryo collapse and delamination deformation. After shaping, the structure is uniform and the fluffiness is stable, and the yield rate is increased to over 95%.

[0015] 3. Quick-release connection, convenient maintenance and low cost: The boltless quick-release structure with nested sliding grooves, elastic locking and sealing snap-fit ​​replaces the traditional bolt fastening and welding fixing methods. The cavity can be disassembled and assembled, the air duct is inspected and the fan is maintained without tools, which greatly reduces the difficulty of operation and maintenance and downtime, and is suitable for continuous production line.

[0016] 4. The conveying and air supply structures are linked, and energy is controlled on demand, balancing efficiency and energy saving: The follow-up material conveying structure and the gradient air cooling structure are mechanically linked. When the cake base enters the cooling area, the corresponding cavity is activated to supply air as needed, and it automatically stops after being removed. This eliminates the ineffective supply of air at full load throughout the process, increases the utilization rate of cold energy by more than 30%, and shortens the shaping time of a single batch to 10 to 15 minutes, thus improving production efficiency and energy saving simultaneously. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall three-dimensional structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the disassembled structure of the gradient air-cooled cavity assembly of the present invention; Figure 3 This is an enlarged schematic diagram of the installation structure of the linked air supply component of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the side assembly structure of the follow-up material conveying component of the present invention.

[0018] Figure Labels 1. Frame assembly; 2. Gradient air-cooled cavity assembly; 21. Pre-cooling cavity; 22. Gradient shaping cavity; 23. Deep curing cavity; 24. Nested slide rail; 25. Elastic locking assembly; 26. Sealing snap strip; 31. Ball joint; 32. Universal air supply plate; 33. Miniature air volume regulating valve; 34. Diverter air duct; 41. Linkage guide rail; 42. Linkage slider; 43. Chain drive assembly; 44. Breathable material carrier belt; 45. Linkage sensor; 51. Constant temperature air cooling unit; 52. Branch temperature control pipeline; 53. Main air volume regulator; 54. Temperature sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0020] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this invention shall have the ordinary meaning as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains.

[0021] Example 1 like Figures 1-4 As shown, this invention provides a gradient air-cooled cake base rapid shaping and cooling device, which is composed of five functional modules: frame assembly 1, gradient air-cooling cavity assembly 2, linked air supply assembly, follow-up material conveying assembly, and temperature and air control assembly. It achieves an integrated machine structure, gradient air cooling, and linked conveying and air control. Each functional module is independently controllable and mutually compatible, working together to complete the continuous gradient cooling and shaping of the cake base.

[0022] Frame assembly 1 serves as the sole basic support for the entire machine, bearing the weight and positioning of all cavities, conveying structures, and air-cooling control structures. The gradient air-cooling cavity assembly 2 is fixedly installed at the top of frame assembly 1, forming the core operating area for cooling and shaping the cake base. A follow-up material conveying assembly is arranged horizontally throughout the interior of the gradient air-cooling cavity assembly 2, forming a continuous material conveying channel. Linked air supply assemblies are symmetrically arranged and assembled on the upper and lower inner walls of each section of the gradient air-cooling cavity assembly 2, correspondingly covering the entire material conveying area. The temperature and air control assembly is fixedly arranged on the outside of frame assembly 1, forming a sealed connection with all linked air supply assemblies through ventilation ducts, providing a controllable cold source and airflow adjustment function for the entire machine.

[0023] The gradient air-cooling cavity assembly 2 is a segmented, expandable, and sealed cavity structure, consisting of a pre-cooling cavity 21, a gradient shaping cavity 22, a deep curing cavity 23, nested grooves 24, elastic locking components 25, and sealing snap-fit ​​strips 26. The right end of the pre-cooling cavity 21 and the left end of the gradient shaping cavity 22 are nested together, as are the right ends of the gradient shaping cavity 22 and the left ends of the deep curing cavity 23. These three cavities are coaxially connected sequentially to form the overall cooling cavity. Nested grooves 24 are provided on the inner side of each cavity's joint, allowing adjacent cavities to slide and expand together via these grooves. Elastic locking components 25 are installed inside the nested grooves 24, locking and releasing the cavity's sliding stroke through their extension and retraction. Sealing snap-fit ​​strips 26 are fitted into the gaps formed by the joints of the cavities, ensuring a tight seal at the joints and guaranteeing that the overall cavity is adjustable, easy to assemble and disassemble, and reliably sealed.

[0024] The integrated air supply assembly is a zoned, independently adjustable air supply structure, consisting of a ball joint 31, a universal air supply plate 32, a micro air volume regulating valve 33, and a diversion duct 34. The ball joint 31 is fixedly installed on the upper and lower inner walls of the pre-cooling chamber 21, the gradient shaping chamber 22, and the deep curing chamber 23, serving as the fixed base for the air supply adjustment structure. The ball joint 31 and the universal air supply plate 32 form a movable hinge connection, allowing the universal air supply plate 32 to rotate and adjust at any angle using the ball joint 31. The inner side of the universal air supply plate 32 is connected to the diversion duct 34, which serves as a cold air guide channel. The input end of the diversion duct 34 is equipped with a micro air volume regulating valve 33. Each group of diversion ducts 34, micro air volume regulating valves 33, and universal air supply plates 32 independently cooperate to achieve independent adjustment of the air supply angle and air volume in a single zone.

[0025] The follow-up material conveying assembly is a continuous, fully follow-up conveying structure, consisting of a linkage guide rail 41, a linkage slider 42, a chain drive assembly 43, a breathable material carrier belt 44, and linkage sensors 45. The linkage guide rail 41 is symmetrically and fixedly installed on both sides of the inner wall of the gradient air-cooling chamber assembly 2, arranged horizontally and parallel. The linkage guide rail 41 and the linkage slider 42 form a sliding engagement, allowing the linkage slider 42 to slide linearly back and forth along the linkage guide rail 41. A breathable material carrier belt 44 is fixedly installed between corresponding positions of the linkage sliders 42 on both sides, forming a conveying carrier for the cake base. The bottom end of the linkage slider 42 is connected to the chain drive assembly 43, and the output power of the chain drive assembly 43 drives the linkage slider 42 and the breathable material carrier belt 44 to move at a uniform speed. Linkage sensors 45 are fixedly installed at both ends of the linkage guide rail 41, and the linkage sensors 45 form a signal connection with the temperature and air control assembly to achieve linkage matching between the material position signal and the air-cooling parameters.

[0026] The temperature and airflow control assembly is the core structure for regulating the air-cooled parameters of the entire unit, consisting of a constant-temperature air-cooling unit 51, branch temperature control pipes 52, a main airflow regulator 53, and a temperature sensor 54. The constant-temperature air-cooling unit 51 is fixedly installed on the outside of the frame assembly 1, serving as the cold source generation structure for the entire unit. The output end of the constant-temperature air-cooling unit 51 connects to the branch temperature control pipes 52, which are divided into three independent branches. These three branches respectively connect to the diversion air ducts 34 inside the pre-cooling chamber 21, the gradient shaping chamber 22, and the deep curing chamber 23, achieving precise delivery of the cold source to the airflow structures of each chamber. Each branch of the branch temperature control pipes 52 is equipped with a main airflow regulator 53 to regulate the total airflow of each branch. Temperature sensors 54 are installed inside each cavity. The temperature sensors 54 collect the temperature signal inside the cavity in real time and feed it back to match the overall control logic. Together with the main air volume regulator 53 and the micro air volume regulating valve 33, a closed-loop control connection for independent temperature and air volume control of the three cavities is realized.

[0027] This device utilizes a three-section nested gradient air-cooling chamber with mechanical partitioning, combined with a linked air supply and follow-up material conveying structure, to achieve gradient cooling and shaping of the cake base from high temperature baking to complete shaping. Through structural linkage and compliance, it avoids the rapid cooling defects of traditional cooling methods, ensuring the quality of the cake base. The specific principle is as follows: The baked high-temperature cake base is placed on the surface of the breathable material carrier belt 44. The chain drive component 43 outputs power to drive the linkage slider 42 to slide at a constant speed along the linkage guide rail 41, causing the cake base to move continuously and smoothly, and enter the pre-cooling chamber 21, the gradient shaping chamber 22, and the deep curing chamber 23 in sequence to complete the segmented cooling and shaping.

[0028] When the cake base enters the precooling chamber 21, the linkage sensor 45 senses the arrival of the material and triggers the precooling working mode. The universal air supply plate 32 of the precooling chamber 21 is adjusted to a small-angle side blowing working mode. The micro air volume regulating valve 33 works in conjunction with the main air volume regulator 53 to output low wind speed and medium temperature cold air to slowly precool the surface of the cake base, quickly dissipate the high temperature residual heat attached to the surface of the cake base, and prevent the surface of the cake base from hardening and forming a crust at an extreme speed. At the same time, the heat dissipation channel for the residual heat inside the cake base to diffuse outward is completely preserved, laying the foundation for uniform shaping in the later stage.

[0029] When the cake base enters the gradient shaping cavity 22, the equipment automatically switches to the shaping working position. The universal air supply plate 32 of the gradient shaping cavity 22 is adjusted to a multi-angle surrounding air supply mode. The system simultaneously and appropriately increases the air supply speed and reduces the cold air temperature. The cold air can evenly penetrate the middle layer structure of the cake base, accelerate the even evaporation of moisture and heat dissipation in the middle layer of the cake base, and achieve the initial shaping of the main structure of the cake base. This effectively corrects the soft deformation trend of the cake base under high temperature and avoids the problems of collapse and uneven deformation.

[0030] When the cake base enters the deep curing chamber 23, the equipment switches to the curing working position. The universal air supply plate 32 of the deep curing chamber 23 is adjusted to a vertical air supply mode facing the cake base. High wind speed and low temperature cold air operation are used to quickly and efficiently remove the high temperature heat accumulated in the core layer of the cake base, complete the curing and shaping of the overall structure of the cake base, and ensure that the internal and external temperature of the cake base is uniform and the internal structure is compact and regular.

[0031] During equipment operation, the three cavities can freely extend and retract to adjust the overall working length via nested sliding grooves 24, flexibly adapting to the cooling stroke requirements of cake bases of different thicknesses and sizes. The sealing strips 26 at the joints of the cavities ensure the internal sealing of the cavities throughout the process, significantly reducing cooling loss. At the same time, the follow-up material conveying component, the linked air supply component, and the temperature and air control component operate synchronously throughout the process, activating the matching air cooling parameters only in the corresponding cavity area of ​​the material, eliminating ineffective air supply loss, and significantly improving the cooling and shaping efficiency of the cake base and the yield of finished products.

[0032] In practice, the specific assembly steps of this device are as follows: Complete the fixed installation of rack assembly 1, adjust the placement of rack assembly 1 to ensure that rack assembly 1 is placed horizontally and has stable overall load-bearing capacity, so as to provide a stable support foundation for the subsequent assembly of other components.

[0033] After assembling the rack assembly 1, the gradient air-cooled cavity assembly 2 is assembled. The pre-cooling cavity 21, gradient shaping cavity 22, and deep curing cavity 23 are nested and spliced ​​sequentially using nested grooves 24. During the splicing process, the elastic locking component 25 is pressed to temporarily fix each cavity. Based on the cooling stroke requirements of a typical 6-8 inch cake base, the total working length of the three cavities is adjusted to 1.8m. After the length adjustment is completed, the elastic locking component 25 is used to lock the cavity extension and retraction positions, fixing the overall cavity structure dimensions. Then, sealing strips 26 are snapped into the gaps between the cavity splices to complete the sealed assembly of the gradient air-cooled cavity assembly 2. Finally, the assembled gradient air-cooled cavity assembly 2 is fixedly installed on top of the rack assembly 1.

[0034] After the gradient air-cooled cavity assembly 2 is assembled, the assembly of the linked air supply assembly is carried out. Ball joints 31 are symmetrically fixed to the upper and lower inner walls of each section of the gradient air-cooled cavity assembly 2. Universal air supply plates 32 are hinged to the ball joints 31, ensuring that the universal air supply plates 32 can rotate freely and flexibly adjust the air supply angle. A diversion duct 34 is connected to the inner side of the universal air supply plate 32. A miniature airflow regulating valve 33 is installed and fixed at the input end of the diversion duct 34 to achieve independent control of the airflow in a single duct, completing the standardized assembly and fixing of all linked air supply components inside the cavities.

[0035] The following assembly of the follow-up material conveying component is then carried out. Linkage guide rails 41 are symmetrically fixed to the inner walls on both sides of the gradient air-cooled cavity component 2. Linkage sliders 42 are embedded inside the linkage guide rails 41. A breathable material conveying mesh belt 44 is fixed and installed between the symmetrically arranged linkage sliders 42 on both sides, ensuring the mesh belt is laid flat and evenly stressed. The bottom end of the linkage slider 42 is connected to the chain drive component 43 to form a stable transmission connection, ensuring that the transmission power can effectively drive the slider and mesh belt. Finally, linkage sensors 45 are fixedly installed at the beginning and end positions of the linkage guide rails 41, completing the overall assembly of the follow-up material conveying component.

[0036] Finally, the assembly and debugging of the temperature and air control components are completed. A constant temperature air cooler unit 51 is fixedly installed on the outside of the frame assembly 1. The output end of the constant temperature air cooler unit 51 is connected to the branch temperature control pipe 52. The branch temperature control pipe 52 branches into three pipes, which respectively connect to the air ducts 34 inside the pre-cooling chamber 21, the gradient shaping chamber 22, and the deep curing chamber 23. Each branch temperature control pipe 52 is equipped with a main airflow regulator 53 to achieve unified control of the total airflow. Temperature sensors 54 are evenly distributed inside each chamber to collect temperature data in real time, completing the overall assembly of the temperature and air control components. After all components are assembled, the equipment power is turned on, completing the complete assembly of the entire machine.

[0037] For a standard 8-inch sponge cake base, the cooling parameters for shaping and setting were adjusted. Based on the high-temperature forming characteristics of the cake base, segmented gradient air cooling parameters were set. The specific gradient parameters are as follows: Pre-cooling cavity 21 parameter adjustment: The airflow parameters are controlled in coordination between the main airflow regulator 53 and the micro airflow regulating valve 33. The internal cold air temperature range of the pre-cooling cavity 21 is set to 22-24℃, the airflow velocity range is 1.2-1.5m / s, and the tilt angle of the universal air supply plate 32 is adjusted to 45°, adopting a double-sided oblique air supply mode. This pre-cools the surface of the cake base, which is fresh out of the oven and has a surface temperature of about 180℃. The time the cake base stays in the pre-cooling cavity 21 is controlled to be 4-5 minutes, which accurately dissipates the high temperature residual heat on the surface of the cake base and completely avoids the phenomenon of rapid hardening and crust formation on the surface.

[0038] Gradient shaping cavity 22 parameter adjustment: Set the internal cold air temperature range of the gradient shaping cavity 22 to 16-18℃ and the air supply speed range to 1.8-2.2m / s. Adjust the universal air supply plate 32 to achieve a multi-angle surround air supply mode that dynamically switches from 0-60°, expanding the cold air coverage area. Control the cake base to stay in the gradient shaping cavity 22 for 3-4 minutes to accelerate the uniform heat dissipation of the middle layer of the cake base, promote the initial shaping of the main structure of the cake base, and correct the potential deformation caused by the high temperature and soft state.

[0039] Parameter adjustment of deep curing chamber 23: Set the internal cold air temperature range of deep curing chamber 23 to 10-12℃ and the air supply speed range to 2.5-3.0m / s. Adjust the orientation of the universal air supply plate 32 so that the cold air is directed vertically and directly onto the upper and lower surfaces of the cake base. Control the residence time of the cake base inside the deep curing chamber 23 to 3-4 minutes to quickly dissipate the residual heat accumulated in the core layer of the cake base and complete the curing and shaping of the overall structure of the cake base.

[0040] The running speed of the chain drive assembly 43 is adjusted synchronously to match the total dwell time of the three cavities to 10-13 minutes, ensuring that the cake dough passes through each cooling zone at a uniform speed and smoothly, and realizing continuous gradient shaping operation.

[0041] After all equipment parameters have been debugged, the constant temperature air cooler unit 51 is started. The constant temperature air cooler unit 51 delivers cold air to each cavity through the branch temperature control pipe 52. The temperature sensor 54 collects the internal temperature data of each cavity in real time and provides feedback in real time to ensure that the gradient temperature of each cavity is stably maintained within the set range. The baked high-temperature cake base is placed stably on the surface of the breathable material carrier belt 44, and the chain drive assembly 43 is started. The chain drive assembly 43 drives the linkage slider 42 and the breathable material carrier belt 44 to move forward at a uniform speed, so as to transport the cake base stably.

[0042] When the cake base enters the precooling chamber 21, the linkage sensor 45 senses the material arrival signal, and the equipment automatically triggers the preset air supply parameters of the precooling chamber 21 to complete the slow cooling of the surface of the cake base. After the cake base is conveyed into the gradient shaping chamber 22 by the mesh belt, the equipment automatically switches to the shaping air supply parameters, and achieves uniform heat dissipation and preliminary shaping of the middle layer of the cake base through multi-angle circumferential air supply. After the cake base enters the deep curing chamber 23, the equipment switches to the curing air supply parameters to quickly complete the core layer cooling and the overall curing and shaping of the cake base.

[0043] After the cake base has fully cooled and set, it is smoothly output from the discharge end of the deep curing cavity 23. The set cake base has a uniform internal and external temperature, a compact internal structure, and no quality problems such as collapse, cracking, or delamination. It can be directly demolded and processed in subsequent steps. After the equipment operation is completed, the elastic locking component 25 can be pressed to release the cavity locking state, shrink the overall length of the three-section cavity, reduce the space occupied by the equipment, and remove the sealing clip strip 26 to quickly disassemble each section of the cavity, making it convenient for workers to clean and maintain components such as air ducts, fans, and conveyor belts.

[0044] Furthermore, the equipment can be flexibly adjusted to meet the production needs of cake bases of different sizes, adapting to multi-category production operations. For the differentiated production needs of 6-inch small cake bases and thick chiffon cake bases, the effective working length of the three-section cavity can be adjusted via the nested slide 24, changing the residence time of the cake base within each cavity to match the heat dissipation and shaping requirements of different cake base sizes. Simultaneously, the air delivery angle of the universal air supply plate 32 can be finely adjusted via the ball joint 31, and the air volume and speed of a single area can be precisely controlled via the micro airflow regulating valve 33, adapting to the gradient cooling and shaping standards of cake bases of different thicknesses, densities, and sizes, significantly improving the equipment's production versatility and adaptability.

[0045] Therefore, this invention employs the aforementioned gradient air-cooled cake base rapid shaping and cooling device. The device as a whole comprises a frame assembly, a gradient air-cooling cavity assembly, a linked air supply assembly, a follow-up material conveying assembly, and a temperature and air control assembly. The frame assembly serves as the overall support structure, with a retractable, sealed, three-section nested gradient air-cooling cavity assembly fixedly installed at the top. A follow-up material conveying assembly, driven by chain transmission and capable of real-time material position sensing, is installed throughout the cavity. Linked air supply assemblies with independently adjustable angles and airflow are symmetrically mounted on the inner walls of each cavity section. Temperature and air control assemblies capable of independent temperature and airflow control are mounted on the outer side of the frame. The device is connected to various air supply structures through pipelines. Through a three-section cavity partition gradient cooling structure design, combined with a multi-angle switchable omnidirectional air supply mode and a follow-up synchronous conveying structure, the cake base can complete the segmented gradient cooling process of surface pre-cooling, middle layer shaping, and core layer deep curing in sequence. At the same time, the adjustable cavity structure can be used to adapt to the production needs of cake bases of different sizes. The sealing structure reduces the loss of cold energy. Relying on the linkage control of conveying and air cooling parameters, precise air supply and no ineffective energy consumption are achieved. This effectively solves the problems of hardening and crusting, large internal and external temperature difference, deformation and cracking, and low cooling efficiency that are common in traditional cake base cooling.

[0046] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and not to limit them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can still be made to the technical solutions of the present invention, and these modifications or equivalent substitutions cannot cause the modified technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention.

Claims

1. A gradient air-cooled cake base rapid shaping and cooling device, characterized in that, It includes a frame assembly, a gradient air-cooled cavity assembly, a linked air supply assembly, a follow-up material conveying assembly, and a temperature and air control assembly. The gradient air-cooled cavity assembly is fixed to the top of the frame assembly. The follow-up material conveying assembly runs horizontally through the interior of the gradient air-cooled cavity assembly. The linked air supply assembly is symmetrically assembled on the upper and lower inner walls of each section of the gradient air-cooled cavity assembly. The temperature and air control assembly is fixed to the outside of the frame assembly and is connected to the linked air supply assembly in a sealed manner through a ventilation duct.

2. The gradient air-cooled cake base rapid shaping and cooling device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gradient air-cooled cavity assembly adopts a segmented nested telescopic sealing structure. Multiple cavities are nested and inserted in sequence, and adjacent cavities are connected by nested sliding grooves. An elastic locking component is set inside the nested sliding groove to lock the cavity position. Sealing strips are snapped into the gaps between the cavities to complete the sealing treatment.

3. The gradient air-cooled cake base rapid shaping and cooling device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The gradient air-cooling cavity assembly consists of a pre-cooling cavity, a gradient shaping cavity, and a deep curing cavity, which are coaxially connected. The three cavities are nested and slid together and are uniformly positioned and locked by an elastic locking component. The overall cooling length can be freely adjusted.

4. The gradient air-cooled cake base rapid shaping and cooling device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The integrated air supply assembly has an independently adjustable structure with ball joints fixed to the upper and lower inner walls of the cavity. The universal air supply plate is movably hinged to the ball joint, and the diversion air duct is connected to the universal air supply plate. A miniature air volume regulating valve is installed at the input end of the diversion air duct, and each air supply unit can independently adjust the air supply angle and air volume.

5. A gradient air-cooled cake base rapid shaping and cooling device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The corresponding air supply components of each cavity switch the air supply mode according to the operation requirements, and achieve layered gradient air supply in conjunction with cavity partitioning. The air supply angle, wind speed and temperature inside different cavities can be independently controlled.

6. The gradient air-cooled cake base rapid shaping and cooling device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The follow-up material conveying component adopts a horizontal layout structure. The linkage guide rail is fixed on the inner walls of both sides of the gradient air-cooling cavity component. The linkage slider slides with the linkage guide rail. The breathable material conveying mesh belt is installed between the linkage sliders on both sides. The bottom end of the linkage slider is connected to the chain drive component. Linkage sensors are installed at both ends of the linkage guide rail.

7. The gradient air-cooled cake base rapid shaping and cooling device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The constant temperature air cooler unit inside the temperature and air control assembly is connected to the branch temperature control pipeline. The branch temperature control pipeline branches into multiple independent branches, which are connected to the branch air ducts inside each section of the cavity. Each branch is equipped with a main air volume regulator. The temperature sensors installed inside the cavity are connected to the overall control system signal.

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