A segmented flexible embedding continuous molding device for producing crab stick scrambled eggs

Abstract

This invention discloses a segmented flexible embedding continuous forming device for producing crab stick scrambled eggs, belonging to the field of food processing equipment technology. The device includes a frame, a heating tank, an egg liquid distributor, a crab stick spreading assembly, a stirring shaft, and a drive unit. The heating tank has a preheating zone and an embedding zone along the material conveying direction. The crab stick spreading assembly is located downstream of the preheating zone and corresponds to the inlet of the embedding zone. The stirring shaft is equipped with multiple sets of floating stirring blades, which are connected to the stirring shaft via an elastic reset assembly and are arranged in a spirally staggered manner along the axial direction, with their working surfaces having a pushing angle. During operation, the egg liquid forms a semi-solidified egg membrane in the preheating zone. Crab stick strips fall onto the egg membrane, and the floating stirring blades lift and fold the egg membrane backward, pushing the material to move, thus embedding the crab stick strips within the egg curd. This device can reduce the probability of crab stick strip breakage, clumping, and entanglement, improving the stability of continuous forming of crab stick scrambled eggs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of food processing equipment technology, and in particular to a segmented flexible embedding continuous molding device for producing crab stick scrambled eggs. Background Technology

[0002] Crab stick and scrambled egg dishes are made primarily from crab stick strips and seasoned egg liquid, through steps such as heating and solidification, mixing and shaping. The requirement for industrial production is that during the phase transition of the egg liquid from a liquid state to a semi-solid state and then to a solid state, the crab stick strips must be evenly dispersed within the egg curd and continuously shaped.

[0003] In the prior art, patent CN117179544A discloses a high-throughput continuous intelligent egg scrambling device, which produces loose egg pieces. It cannot utilize the semi-solid stage of the egg liquid to embed crab sticks within the egg solidification, and its fixed spiral blades easily cause the crab sticks to break. Patent CN211581480U discloses an egg dumpling forming machine that uses a rigid mold to achieve filling, but this is an intermittent process and not suitable for the flexible continuous embedding of semi-solid egg membranes. Known continuous egg skin forming equipment can only produce a single layer of egg skin and cannot embed solid materials during the egg liquid solidification process.

[0004] In summary, the existing technology lacks a production equipment that can flexibly embed crab sticks in the semi-solid state of egg liquid and complete the entire process from egg liquid to embedded finished product in a continuous flow manner. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a segmented flexible embedding continuous molding device for the production of crab stick scrambled eggs, which solves the problems of easy breakage, clumping, entanglement of crab stick strips and insufficient stability of continuous molding of materials in the existing continuous production of crab stick scrambled eggs.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a segmented flexible embedding continuous forming device for producing crab stick scrambled eggs, comprising a frame, a heating tank disposed on the frame, an egg liquid distributor disposed at the front end of the heating tank, a crab stick spreading component disposed above the heating tank, a stirring main shaft disposed along the length of the heating tank, and a drive device that is drively connected to the stirring main shaft.

[0007] The heating tank has a preheating zone and an encapsulation zone along the material conveying direction. The crab stick spreading assembly is located downstream and above the preheating zone, with its material drop position corresponding to the entrance of the encapsulation zone. Multiple sets of floating stirring blades are spaced axially along the stirring shaft, and these blades are connected to the stirring shaft via an elastic reset assembly. The multiple sets of floating stirring blades are arranged in a spiral staggered pattern along the stirring shaft's axial direction. The working surface of the floating stirring blades has a pushing angle relative to the radial plane of the stirring shaft, so that when the stirring shaft rotates, it lifts and folds the semi-solidified egg membrane backward and pushes the material towards the end of the heating tank.

[0008] In one embodiment, the heating tank further includes a shaping zone located downstream of the embedding zone, and the preheating zone, the embedding zone, and the shaping zone are arranged sequentially along the material conveying direction.

[0009] In one embodiment, the egg liquid distributor includes an inlet pipe, a flow stabilizing box, and an adjustable overflow weir. The adjustable overflow weir is located at the outlet of the flow stabilizing box and is used to adjust the thickness of the egg liquid layer entering the heating tank.

[0010] In one embodiment, the adjustable overflow weir includes a weir plate, an adjusting screw, and an adjusting support fixed to the flow stabilizer box. The weir plate slides vertically against the inner surface of the front side wall of the flow stabilizer box facing the heating tank and covers the lower part of the outlet of the flow stabilizer box. The adjusting screw is vertically inserted into the adjusting support and threadedly engaged with the adjusting support. The lower end of the adjusting screw is rotatably connected to the weir plate, so that turning the adjusting screw causes the weir plate to move up and down to change the height of the weir crest.

[0011] In one embodiment, the crab stick spreading assembly includes a crab stick hopper, a slitting roller, and a spreading drive motor. The slitting roller is disposed on the discharge side of the crab stick hopper and is driven to rotate by the spreading drive motor.

[0012] In one embodiment, the elastic reset assembly includes an elastic seat and a torsion spring; the elastic seat is fixed to the stirring spindle and has an internal cavity and a cylindrical outer surface, the outer surface forming a journal; the torsion spring is coaxially installed in the internal cavity of the elastic seat, the inner end of the torsion spring is fixed to the elastic seat, and the outer end protrudes through a circumferential groove on the wall of the elastic seat and is fixed to the floating stirring blade; the root of the floating stirring blade is provided with a mating hole, which is rotatably fitted onto the outer surface of the elastic seat, and the two form a rotational fit; the torsion spring keeps the floating stirring blade at a preset working angle in a free state, allows the floating stirring blade to rotate backward to make way when it is subjected to resistance exceeding a preset threshold, and drives it to reset after the resistance disappears.

[0013] Furthermore, a limiting member extending radially outward is fixedly connected to the outer circular surface of the elastic seat; an arc-shaped limiting groove is provided at the root of the floating stirring blade, and the outer end of the limiting member extends into the arc-shaped limiting groove; the two end faces of the arc-shaped limiting groove respectively cooperate with the limiting member to limit the forward reset limit position and the maximum backward clearance angle of the floating stirring blade.

[0014] In one embodiment, the floating stirring blades have rounded lifting lips, and a clearance gap is formed between the rounded lifting lips and the bottom of the heating tank.

[0015] Furthermore, the clearance is 0.5–3 mm.

[0016] In one embodiment, a fixed anti-tangling comb is fixedly connected to the inner side of the heating tank wall. The fixed anti-tangling comb extends into the gap between adjacent floating stirring blades and avoids the rotational envelope of the floating stirring blades.

[0017] In one embodiment, an elastic wall-cleaning scraper is detachably provided at the bottom of the heating tank or on the inner side of the tank wall. The elastic wall-cleaning scraper is positioned close to the bottom of the heating tank or the inner side of the tank wall via an elastic scraper seat.

[0018] Compared with existing technologies, this technical solution has the following beneficial effects: First, by placing the crab stick spreading component downstream of the preheating zone, the crab stick strips fall onto the semi-solidified egg membrane that has already formed a supporting capacity, reducing the probability that the crab stick strips will sink directly into the flowing egg liquid or remain concentrated in a local area. Second, by using floating stirring blades to lift and fold the semi-solidified egg membrane, the crab sticks are covered by the egg membrane instead of being directly subjected to high-speed shearing, thereby reducing the probability of the crab sticks breaking, clumping, and getting tangled in the blades. Third, through the spiral staggered arrangement of multiple sets of floating stirring blades and the pushing angle, the lifting and folding action simultaneously generates a pushing effect along the length of the heating tank, thereby forming a continuous action chain of "film formation, spreading, lifting and folding, axial propulsion, shaping and discharge". Fourth, by combining the elastic reset component and the limiting component, the floating stirring blades can give way and reset when they encounter crab sticks or thick egg curd blocks, reducing the risk of crab sticks breaking or blades getting stuck due to rigid extrusion. Fifth, the combination of a flow stabilizer and an adjustable overflow weir allows the egg liquid to overflow evenly into the preheating zone with a stable and adjustable thickness, providing a prerequisite for the uniform formation of the semi-solidified egg membrane and subsequent consistent lifting and folding. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a front view of an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 for Figure 2 Sectional view along the BB line; Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the egg liquid distributor according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the crab stick spreading component according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the cooperative structure of the floating stirring blades and the elastic reset assembly in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view of the floating stirring blades and the elastic reset assembly in an embodiment of the present invention; In the diagram, 1. Frame; 2. Heating tank; 21. Preheating zone; 22. Embedding zone; 23. Shaping zone; 3. Egg liquid distributor; 31. Liquid inlet pipe; 32. Flow stabilizer; 33. Adjustable overflow weir; 331. Weir plate; 332. Adjusting screw; 333. Adjusting support; 4. Crab stick spreading assembly; 41. Crab stick hopper; 42. Slitting roller; 421. Slitting trough; 43. Spreading drive motor; 5. Stirring main shaft; 51. Floating stirring blades; 511. Rounded lifting lip; 52. Elastic reset assembly; 521. Torsion spring; 53. Limiting component; 54. Bearing seat; 6. Fixed anti-tangling comb teeth; 7. Drive device. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the following embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0021] For example Figures 1 to 7 As shown, this embodiment provides a segmented flexible embedding continuous molding device for producing crab stick scrambled eggs, including a frame 1, a heating tank 2, an egg liquid distributor 3, a crab stick spreading component 4, a stirring main shaft 5, fixed anti-tangling comb teeth 6, and a drive device 7.

[0022] The heating tank 2 is detachably mounted on the frame 1. In this embodiment, the heating tank 2 has a circular arc bottom cross-section, with the radius of curvature of the arc greater than twice the width of the heating tank. In this proportion, the arc bottom is relatively gentle, and when a thin layer of egg liquid (2–8 mm) is spread, the depth difference between the center and edge of the arc is much smaller than the thickness of the egg liquid layer, thus not affecting the uniformity of the egg liquid layer in the width direction. In other embodiments, the cross-section of the heating tank 2 can also be a shallow U-shape to accommodate wider egg liquid spreading requirements.

[0023] The heating tank 2 has a downward tilt angle of 0.5°-3° along the material conveying direction, so that its front end is slightly higher than its rear end, providing gravity drive for the egg liquid to flow forward. This causes the egg liquid overflowing from the self-stabilizing box 32 to the front end of the preheating zone 21 to flow towards the encapsulation zone 22 under the action of gravity and spread along the length of the heating tank 2.

[0024] The heating tank 2 is sequentially divided into a preheating zone 21, an embedding zone 22, and a shaping zone 23 along the material conveying direction. The temperature of the preheating zone 21 is controlled at 60-75°C to allow the egg liquid to form a semi-solidified egg membrane with supporting capacity within the heating tank 2. The temperature of the embedding zone 22 is controlled at 65-80°C to maintain the egg membrane in a semi-solid state to complete the spreading of crab sticks and the lifting and folding of the egg membrane for embedding. The temperature of the shaping zone 23 is controlled at 75-90°C to further solidify and shape the egg curd after embedding the crab sticks. The selection of the temperature range of the preheating zone 21 is based on the thermal denaturation characteristics of egg liquid proteins: egg liquid proteins begin to denature and coagulate above 60°C, but the coagulation rate is relatively slow. The egg liquid close to the bottom of the heating tank denatures and coagulates first to form a semi-solidified egg membrane, while the upper layer of egg liquid remains in a liquid or semi-fluid state due to the poor thermal conductivity of the egg liquid itself and the evaporative heat loss at the liquid surface. This characteristic of "the bottom solidifies first and the top layer flows later" provides an ideal semi-solidified window for lifting and folding. If the temperature is higher than 80°C, the egg liquid will solidify rapidly in the entire layer and will not be able to form an independent egg membrane that can be supported; if the temperature is lower than 55°C, the egg liquid solidifies too slowly and cannot form an egg membrane of sufficient strength within the length of the preheating zone.

[0025] In this embodiment, the heating tank (2) is heated by a steam jacket. The steam jacket is divided into a first jacket section and a second jacket section that are independent of each other along the material conveying direction. The first jacket section corresponds to the preheating zone (21) and the encapsulation zone (22), and the second jacket section corresponds to the shaping zone (23). The two jacket sections are equipped with independent steam inlet pipes and drain valves, and the heating temperature of the corresponding area is controlled by adjusting the steam inlet volume of each section.

[0026] The steam supply temperature of the first jacket section is controlled at 60–75°C based on the requirements of the preheating zone (21), so that the egg liquid forms a semi-solid egg film in the preheating zone (21). The embedding zone (22) shares the first jacket section with the preheating zone (21). Since the material has absorbed a lot of heat in the preheating zone (21) and the temperature is close to the jacket temperature, and the sensible heat rise is more obvious after the egg liquid completes the phase change, the temperature of the material naturally rises to 65–80°C after entering the embedding zone (22), which meets the temperature requirements of the embedding process.

[0027] The steam supply temperature of the second jacket section is controlled at 75–90°C, so that the embedded egg curd can be fully solidified in the shaping zone (23).

[0028] A heat insulation plate is installed in the jacket between the embedding area (22) and the shaping area (23) to reduce heat conduction between the two areas. At the same time, the embedding area (22) forms a natural temperature transition through the heat conduction of the tank wall itself.

[0029] In this embodiment, the length of the preheating zone 21 is 800–1200 mm, the length of the embedding zone 22 is 400–600 mm, and the length of the shaping zone 23 is 600–1000 mm. The length of each zone can be adjusted proportionally according to the production speed and egg liquid formula.

[0030] In other embodiments, the heating tank 2 may also employ an electric heating interlayer, in which multiple sets of independently temperature-controlled electric heating elements are arranged along the length of the heating tank 2 to heat each section separately; or a heat-conducting medium interlayer may be used, in which the heat-conducting medium circulates within the interlayer, and the temperature and flow rate of the heat-conducting medium in each section of the interlayer are adjustable, thereby achieving a zoned temperature field distribution throughout the entire length of the heating tank 2.

[0031] An egg liquid distributor 3 is located at the front end of the heating tank 2. The egg liquid distributor 3 includes an inlet pipe 31, a flow stabilizing box 32, and an adjustable overflow weir 33. The flow stabilizing box 32 is fixed to the front wall of the heating tank 2. The flow stabilizing box 32 is a box with an inlet and an outlet. A flow stabilizing chamber is formed inside the flow stabilizing box 32 to eliminate pulsating fluctuations during liquid inflow, ensuring a stable liquid surface before overflow. The outlet of the flow stabilizing box 32 is located at the lower part of its front sidewall facing the heating tank 2. The inlet is located at the bottom or lower sidewall of the flow stabilizing box 32, and the inlet pipe 31 is detachably connected to the inlet via a flange or clamp. The seasoned egg liquid enters the flow stabilizing chamber from the lower part of the flow stabilizing box 32 via the inlet pipe 31 in a submerged outflow manner, avoiding fluctuations caused by impacting the liquid surface.

[0032] The adjustable overflow weir 33 includes a weir plate 331, an adjusting screw 332, and an adjusting support 333 fixed to the flow stabilizing box 32. The weir plate 331 is attached to the outer surface of the front wall where the liquid outlet of the flow stabilizing box 32 is located, and is constrained by a pressure plate or guide rail so that it can only slide in the vertical direction. The liquid-facing surface of the weir plate 331 and the outer surface of the front wall of the flow stabilizing box 32 are in a planar sliding seal fit. By controlling the flatness and surface roughness of the mating surface, the egg liquid cannot seep out from the mating surface under the action of surface tension. An adjusting screw 332 is vertically mounted on an adjusting support 333, and the adjusting screw 332 is threaded into the adjusting support 333. The upper end of the weir plate 331, facing away from the flow stabilizer 32, has a sloping eave. The sloping eave is angled downwards to facilitate the outward flow of egg liquid. A thin vertical rod is fixed to the sloping eave, and a bearing is fixed to the upper end of the thin vertical rod. The lower end of the adjusting screw 332 is rotatably connected to the vertical rod through this bearing, thus achieving a rotatable connection with the weir plate 331. When the adjusting screw 332 is turned, the adjusting screw 332 moves axially relative to the adjusting support 333, causing the weir plate 331 to move up and down, thereby changing the height of the top edge of the weir plate 331 relative to the bottom of the heating tank 2. The thin vertical rod reduces the contact area with the egg liquid, minimizing its impact on the uniform distribution of the egg liquid.

[0033] After the seasoned egg liquid enters the flow stabilizing tank 32 through the inlet pipe 31, the egg liquid accumulates in the flow stabilizing tank 32 and forms a stable liquid surface. It then overflows evenly into the preheating zone 21 along the width direction of the heating tank 2, passing over the top of the weir plate 331. The effective overflow width of the outlet of the flow stabilizing tank 32 should be equal to or slightly less than the inner width of the heating tank 2 to ensure that the egg liquid can evenly cover the entire cross-section of the heating tank 2.

[0034] By adjusting the height of the weir top of the weir plate 331, the thickness of the egg liquid layer overflowing into the heating tank 2 can be changed, so that the egg liquid forms a thin layer with a thickness of 2-8mm in the preheating zone 21, which is conducive to subsequent lifting and folding.

[0035] The crab stick spreading assembly 4 is located downstream of the preheating zone 21 and corresponds to the inlet of the encapsulation zone 22. The crab stick spreading assembly 4 includes a crab stick hopper 41, a slitting roller 42, and a spreading drive motor 43.

[0036] The crab stick hopper 41 is fixedly connected to the frame 1. The crab stick hopper (41) is a trapezoidal cross-section container that is larger at the top and smaller at the bottom. The whole is shaped like an inverted frustum or an inverted trapezoidal trough. It is made of stainless steel plate by welding or bending. The discharge port of the crab stick hopper (41) is located at the bottom of the crab stick hopper and is a long rectangular opening that extends along the width direction of the heating tank 2. The slitting roller 42 is rotatably set at the discharge port of the crab stick hopper 41. Its outer peripheral surface is close to the edge of the discharge port, and its outer peripheral surface is distributed with axially extending slitting grooves 421. A gap exists between the outer circumferential surface of the slitting roller 42 and the discharge port. This gap is smaller than the minimum cross-sectional dimension of a single crab stick. When the slitting roller 42 is stationary, its outer circumferential surface prevents the crab sticks in the crab stick hopper 41 from falling. Only when the slitting roller 42 rotates until the slitting grooves 421 distributed on its outer circumference are aligned with the discharge port, do the crab sticks fall into the slitting grooves 421 by gravity and are carried out as the slitting roller 42 rotates. The slitting roller 42 is a flexible roller made of food-grade silicone or rubber, and the edges of the slitting grooves 421 on its outer circumferential surface are smooth and rounded. When a crab stick occasionally gets stuck in the gap between the discharge port of the crab stick hopper 41 and the contact gap between the slitting roller 42 and the slitting roller 42, the flexible roller surface of the slitting roller 42 can elastically deform to make room, preventing rigid compression from causing the crab stick to break. The slitting roller 42 is driven by a spreading drive motor 43, which is fixedly installed on the crab stick hopper 41 or on the frame 1.

[0037] After the crab sticks fall from the crab stick hopper 41 into the slitting grooves 421 of the slitting roller 42, they rotate with the slitting roller 42 to the bottom and are released into the heating tank 2.

[0038] The rotational speed of the slitting roller 42 is matched with the supply of crab stick strips, thereby controlling the distribution density of the crab stick strips on the egg membrane. The stirring main shaft 5 is set along the length of the heating tank 2. Both ends of the stirring main shaft (5) are rotatably supported on the frame (1) through bearing seats (54), which are located outside the discharge port at the end of the heating tank (2). The discharge end of the heating tank 2 has an open structure. The shaft end of the stirring main shaft 5 that passes through the discharge end of the heating tank 2 is connected to the drive device 7. The drive device 7 is fixedly installed on the frame 1. The drive device 7 is a geared motor, which is fixedly installed on the frame 1 and drives the stirring main shaft 5 to rotate at a low speed of 5-30 rpm.

[0039] Multiple sets of floating stirring blades 51 are arranged at axial intervals along the stirring shaft 5, and these sets of floating stirring blades 51 are spirally staggered along the axial direction of the stirring shaft 5. In this way, the multiple sets of floating stirring blades 51 are arranged sequentially at a certain interval along the axial direction of the stirring shaft 5, and each set of floating stirring blades 51 deflects sequentially by a preset phase angle in the circumferential direction of the stirring shaft 5, ensuring that adjacent sets of floating stirring blades 51 do not overlap in the circumferential direction. This spiral staggered arrangement ensures that each set of floating stirring blades 51 contacts the material sequentially during rotation, reducing rotational resistance fluctuations, while simultaneously ensuring that the material receives a continuous axial pushing force within the heating tank 2.

[0040] The axial gap between two adjacent floating mixing blades (51) is 50–200 mm. The specific value is determined based on the total length of the heating tank (2), the number of blade groups, and the density of crab sticks. It should be greater than the axial thickness of the comb strip of the fixed anti-tangling comb (6) to ensure that the fixed anti-tangling comb (6) can smoothly extend into the gap between the blades without interfering with the floating mixing blades (51).

[0041] The working surface of the floating stirring blade 51 has a pushing angle of 5°-25° relative to the radial plane of the stirring main shaft 5, so that while the floating stirring blade 51 lifts the semi-solidified egg membrane, it generates a pushing force on the material along the length of the heating tank 2.

[0042] The floating stirring blades 51 are connected to the stirring main shaft 5 via an elastic reset assembly 52. ​​The elastic reset assembly 52 includes an elastic seat 52 and a torsion spring 521.

[0043] The elastic seat 52 is axially and radially fixed to the stirring shaft 5 by a key or set screw. The elastic seat 52 is a cylindrical sleeve with an internal cavity, and its outer circular surface forms a journal. The axis of the outer circular surface is parallel to the axis of the stirring shaft 5 and radially offset. The torsion spring 521 is coaxially installed in the internal cavity of the elastic seat 52. The inner end of the torsion spring 521 is fixed to the elastic seat 52, and the outer end protrudes through the circumferential groove opened on the wall of the elastic seat 52 and is fixed to the floating stirring blades 51.

[0044] The root of the floating stirring blade 51 is provided with a mating hole, in which a food-grade wear-resistant bushing is fixed. The inner hole of the bushing is rotatably fitted onto the outer circumferential surface of the elastic seat 52, forming a pivotal rotational fit. The outer circumferential surface of the elastic seat 52 has a sufficient diameter to accommodate the internal torsion spring 521 and withstand the bending moment generated by the cantilevered force of the floating stirring blade 51, while providing stable rotational support. This rotational fit constrains the movement direction of the floating stirring blade 51 to rotate only about the axis of the outer circumferential surface of the elastic seat 52 in a plane perpendicular to the axis, preventing axial movement or radial displacement.

[0045] The direction of the elastic force of the torsion spring 521 keeps the floating stirring blade 51 at a preset working angle in a free state. When the floating stirring blade 51 encounters abnormal resistance such as local accumulation of crab stick strips or hard lumps of over-coagulated egg liquid, it overcomes the elastic force of the torsion spring 521 and rotates backward relative to the stirring main shaft 5 to make room, and is driven to reset by the torsion spring 521 after overcoming the resistance.

[0046] Preferably, a threaded hole is radially formed on the outer circumference of the elastic seat 52, and the limiting member 53 is a limiting screw, which is screwed into the threaded hole with the head of the limiting screw protruding outward. An arc-shaped limiting groove is formed at the root of the floating stirring blade 51 at a corresponding position, extending along the rotation direction of the floating stirring blade 51. The head of the limiting screw extends into the arc-shaped limiting groove, which has a front end face and a rear end face opposite each other along the rotation direction. When the floating stirring blade 51 is in a free state, driven by the elastic force of the torsion spring 521, the front end face of the arc-shaped limiting groove abuts against the head of the limiting screw, keeping the floating stirring blade 51 at a preset working angle, which is the extreme position for forward reset. When the floating stirring blade 51 experiences resistance exceeding a preset threshold, it overcomes the elastic force of the torsion spring 521 and rotates backward to make room. The rear end face of the arc-shaped limiting groove moves closer to the head of the limiting screw as the blade rotates, until the two abut against each other, limiting the maximum backward rotation angle of the floating stirring blade 51. The limiting element 53 can protect the torsion spring 521 from overtravel damage under abnormal operating conditions.

[0047] The floating stirring blade 51 has a blunt lifting lip 511. The blunt lifting lip 511 is located at the foremost edge of the floating stirring blade 51 in the direction of rotation. The working surface of the floating stirring blade 51 is an inclined surface or concave curved surface extending from the blunt lifting lip 511 in the opposite direction to the direction of rotation. This working surface slides in from below the semi-solidified egg membrane when the stirring shaft 5 rotates, gradually lifting the egg membrane and rolling it backward. A clearance gap of 0.5-3 mm is formed between the blunt lifting lip 511 and the bottom of the heating tank 2. The cross-section of the blunt lifting lip (511) is arc-shaped with a radius of curvature of 2-5 mm.

[0048] In other embodiments, the outer edge of the floating stirring blade 51 can be provided with a food-grade, soft-touch scraper. The clearance between the soft scraper and the bottom of the heating tank 2 can be further reduced to 0.2-1 mm, reducing the amount of egg membrane residue at the bottom while ensuring no rigid contact with the bottom of the tank. During operation, the blunt lifting lip 511 enters from below the semi-solidified egg membrane, lifting and folding it backward, so that the crab sticks falling on the semi-solidified egg membrane are covered by the egg membrane. Because there is a clearance between the blunt lifting lip 511 and the bottom of the heating tank 2, the floating stirring blade 51 does not rigidly rub against the bottom of the heating tank 2, thereby reducing the risk of tearing the egg membrane or causing jamming.

[0049] The fixed anti-tangling comb 6 is fixedly connected to the inner side of the wall of the heating tank 2. The fixed anti-tangling comb 6 extends inward along the width direction of the heating tank 2, and its insertion position is aligned with the axial gap between two adjacent sets of floating stirring blades 51 in the axial direction of the stirring main shaft 5. The insertion length of the fixed anti-tangling comb 6 is such that its end is located outside the rotational envelope of the floating stirring blades 51 in the radial direction, so that when the floating stirring blades 51 rotate and pass by, the crab stick strips or egg curd blocks attached to the blades are peeled off by the fixed anti-tangling comb 6, and the fixed anti-tangling comb 6 itself does not interfere with the floating stirring blades 51.

[0050] The elastic wall-cleaning scraper 7 is detachably mounted on the inner bottom of the heating tank 2 via the elastic scraper seat 71. The elastic wall-cleaning scraper 7 is positioned axially with the stirring shaft 5, aligning with the axial gap between two adjacent sets of floating stirring blades 51, thus avoiding interference with the rotational envelope of the floating stirring blades 51. The elastic scraper seat 71 is fixed to the inner bottom surface of the heating tank 2 via clips or screws. The elastic wall-cleaning scraper 7 is mounted on the elastic scraper seat 71, with its scraping edge facing upwards and close to the inner bottom surface of the heating tank 2. As material passes through, it scrapes away the egg membrane adhering to the inner bottom surface of the heating tank 2, reducing the probability of localized adhesion and hardening of egg liquid at the bottom of the heating tank 2. The elastic scraper seat 71 is elastic, allowing the elastic wall-cleaning scraper 7 to move downwards when encountering thicker egg curd, reducing rigid jamming. The elastic wall-cleaning scraper 7 is made of food-grade heat-resistant elastic material and can be disassembled, cleaned, and replaced periodically. In other embodiments, the elastic wall-cleaning scraper 7 can also be disposed on the inner side of the wall of the heating tank 2 via the elastic scraper seat 71, with its scraper blade close to the inner surface of the tank wall, for scraping off the egg membrane attached to the tank wall.

[0051] After the egg curd block containing the crab stick is heated and solidified in the shaping zone 23, it is continuously pushed by subsequent materials to the end of the heating tank 2 for natural discharge.

[0052] This equipment enables the continuous connection of the two processes of "preheating and film formation" and "embedding". Its principle lies in the phase change of the egg liquid during the heating process and the cooperation between the floating stirring blades and the bottom of the heating tank.

[0053] In the preheating zone 21, the egg liquid distributor 3 evenly distributes the egg liquid onto the bottom of the heating tank 2, forming a liquid layer 2–8 mm thick. At this time, the egg liquid is liquid and has no mechanical support, filling the clearance gap between the floating stirring blade 51 and the bottom of the heating tank 2. As the floating stirring blade 51 rotates, the blunt lifting lip 511 sweeps across the liquid egg liquid within the clearance gap, causing the liquid egg liquid to flow around the sides of the blade without being scooped up. Simultaneously, the egg liquid adhering to the bottom of the heating tank 2 gradually solidifies upon heating, forming a semi-solidified egg membrane. This egg membrane grows upwards from the bottom of the heating tank 2, exceeding the thickness of the clearance gap. The floating stirring blade 51, rotating within the clearance gap, always remains below the egg membrane, without damaging it.

[0054] When the semi-solidified egg membrane, carrying the crab sticks falling from the crab stick spreading component 4, enters the encapsulation zone 22, the egg membrane has already acquired a certain mechanical strength and is no longer a freely flowing liquid. When the floating stirring blades 51 rotate to near the bottom of the heating tank 2, the blunt lifting lip 511 presses against the semi-solidified egg membrane from below. Because the egg membrane is solid or semi-solid and cannot flow around it, the floating stirring blades 51 apply an effective force to it, lifting it from the bottom of the heating tank 2 and folding it backward in the material conveying direction, covering the crab sticks and completing the encapsulation. At the same time, because the working surface of the floating stirring blades 51 has a pushing angle, the material is gradually pushed towards the shaping zone 23 during the folding and encapsulation process.

[0055] The same set of floating stirring blades 51 do not scoop up the material in the preheating zone 21 because the material is in a liquid state, but automatically perform lifting and folding actions in the encapsulation zone 22 because the material becomes semi-solid, thereby continuously completing the film formation and encapsulation processes.

[0056] Based on the above working principle, the specific working process of this equipment is as follows: The seasoned egg liquid first enters the preheating zone 21 of the heating tank 2 through the egg liquid distributor 3. The seasoned egg liquid can be continuously pumped into the flow stabilizing tank 32 at a constant flow rate via the inlet pipe 31, where it accumulates and forms a stable liquid surface. With a constant inlet flow rate, the liquid level in the flow stabilizing tank 32 automatically stabilizes at a certain height above the top edge of the weir plate 331, forming a stable overflow head. The egg liquid overflows over the top of the weir plate 331, forming a uniform overflow layer along the width of the heating tank 2, and is continuously discharged into the preheating zone 21. By adjusting the height of the top of the weir plate 331, the overflow head height between the liquid surface in the flow stabilizing tank 32 and the top of the weir plate 331 can be changed, thereby adjusting the overflow layer thickness. When the inlet flow rate is constant, lowering the weir plate 331 increases the overflow head and the overflow velocity, forming a thinner egg liquid layer; raising the weir plate 331 forms a thicker egg liquid layer. In this way, the thickness of the egg liquid layer can be controlled between 2 and 8 mm.

[0057] The egg liquid flows forward and is heated along the inclined heating tank 2 in the preheating zone 21, and its bottom gradually solidifies to form a semi-solid egg membrane with supporting capacity.

[0058] Subsequently, the crab stick spreading component 4 spreads the crab stick strips above the end of the preheating zone 21, causing the crab stick strips to fall onto the semi-solidified egg membrane and enter the inlet of the encapsulation zone 22. The crab stick strips enter the slitting roller 42 from the crab stick hopper 41, and after being dispersed by the slitting groove 421 of the slitting roller 42, they fall into the encapsulation zone 22.

[0059] The drive unit 7 drives the stirring shaft 5 to rotate at a speed of 5–30 rpm, which in turn drives multiple sets of floating stirring blades 51 to rotate. In the encapsulation zone 22, the blunt lifting lips 511 of the floating stirring blades 51 enter from below the semi-solidified egg membrane, lifting and folding the egg membrane so that the crab sticks are encapsulated by the egg membrane. The spiral staggered arrangement of the multiple sets of floating stirring blades 51 and the pushing angle of the working surface cause the material to be gradually pushed towards the shaping zone 23 during the folding and encapsulation process. When the floating stirring blades 51 encounter localized accumulation of crab sticks, the torsion spring 521 in the elastic reset assembly 52 causes it to give way and reset, avoiding rigid compression.

[0060] When the floating stirring blades 51 pass the fixed anti-tangling comb 6, the crab sticks or egg curds attached to the blades are peeled off.

[0061] After entering the shaping zone 23, the material continues to solidify at a temperature of 75–90°C. Finally, under the pushing force of the floating stirring blades 51, the material is discharged from the end of the heating tank 2, completing the continuous molding process.

[0062] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications without departing from the technical principles of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A segmented flexible embedding continuous forming device for producing crab stick egg rolls, comprising a rack (1), a heating tank (2) arranged on the rack (1), an egg liquid distributor (3) arranged at the front end of the heating tank (2), a crab stick spreading assembly (4) arranged above the heating tank (2), a stirring main shaft (5) arranged along the length direction of the heating tank (2), and a driving device (7) in transmission connection with the stirring main shaft (5), characterized in that: The heating tank (2) has a preheating zone (21) and an encapsulation zone (22) along the material conveying direction; the dropping position of the crab stick spreading component (4) corresponds to the entrance of the encapsulation zone (22); multiple sets of floating stirring blades (51) are arranged at intervals along the axial direction on the stirring main shaft (5). The floating stirring blades (51) are connected to the stirring main shaft (5) through the elastic reset component (52), and the multiple sets of floating stirring blades (51) are arranged in a spiral staggered manner along the axial direction of the stirring main shaft (5). The working surface of the floating stirring blades (51) has a pushing angle relative to the radial plane of the stirring main shaft (5) so that when the stirring main shaft (5) rotates, it lifts and folds the semi-solidified egg membrane backward and pushes the material to the end of the heating tank (2). ​ 2. The segmented flexible embedding continuous forming device for producing crab stick according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heating tank (2) also includes a shaping zone (23) located downstream of the embedding zone (22). The preheating zone (21), the embedding zone (22) and the shaping zone (23) are arranged sequentially along the material conveying direction.

3. The segmented flexible embedding continuous forming device for producing crab stick according to claim 1, characterized in that: The egg liquid distributor (3) includes an inlet pipe (31), a flow stabilizer (32), and an adjustable overflow weir (33). The adjustable overflow weir (33) is located at the outlet of the flow stabilizer (32) and is used to adjust the thickness of the egg liquid layer entering the heating tank (2).

4. The segmented flexible embedding continuous forming device for producing crab stick according to claim 3, characterized in that: The adjustable overflow weir (33) includes a weir plate (331), an adjusting screw (332), and an adjusting support (333) fixed on the flow stabilizer (32). The weir plate (331) slides vertically against the inner surface of the front side wall of the flow stabilizer (32) facing the heating tank (2) and covers the lower part of the liquid outlet of the flow stabilizer (32). The adjusting screw (332) is vertically inserted into the adjusting support (333) and threadedly engaged with the adjusting support (333). The lower end of the adjusting screw (332) is rotatably connected to the weir plate (331), so that when the adjusting screw (332) is turned, the weir plate (331) moves up and down to change the height of the weir top of the weir plate (331).

5. The segmented flexible embedding continuous forming device for producing crab stick according to claim 1, characterized in that: The crab stick spreading assembly (4) includes a crab stick hopper (41), a slitting roller (42), and a spreading drive motor (43). The slitting roller (42) is located on the discharge side of the crab stick hopper (41) and is driven to rotate by the spreading drive motor (43).

6. The segmented flexible embedding continuous forming device for producing crab stick according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic reset assembly includes an elastic seat (52) and a torsion spring (521); the elastic seat (52) is fixed to the stirring spindle (5) and has an internal cavity and a cylindrical outer surface forming the journal; the torsion spring (521) is coaxially installed in the internal cavity of the elastic seat (52), the inner end of the torsion spring (521) is fixed to the elastic seat (52), and the outer end passes through the circumferential groove opened on the wall of the elastic seat (52) and is fixed to the floating stirring blade (51); the floating stirring blade (51) is rotatably sleeved on the outer surface of the elastic seat (52); the torsion spring (521) keeps the floating stirring blade (51) at a preset working angle in a free state, allows the floating stirring blade (51) to rotate backward to make way when it is subjected to resistance exceeding a preset threshold, and drives it to reset after the resistance disappears.

7. The segmented temperature control flexible embedding continuous forming apparatus for producing crab stick according to claim 6, characterized in that: A limiting member (53) extending radially outward is fixedly connected to the outer circular surface of the elastic seat (52); an arc-shaped limiting groove is provided at the root of the floating stirring blade (51), and the outer end of the limiting member (53) extends into the arc-shaped limiting groove; the two end faces of the arc-shaped limiting groove cooperate with the limiting member (53) respectively to limit the forward reset limit position and the maximum backward clearance angle of the floating stirring blade (51).

8. The segmented flexible embedding continuous forming device for producing crab stick according to claim 1, characterized in that: The floating stirring blade (51) has a rounded lifting lip (511), and a clearance gap is formed between the rounded lifting lip (511) and the bottom of the heating tank (2).

9. The segmented flexible embedding continuous molding device for producing crab stick scrambled eggs according to claim 8, characterized in that: The clearance is 0.5–3 mm.

10. The segmented flexible embedding continuous molding device for producing crab stick scrambled eggs according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heating tank (2) has a fixed anti-tangling comb tooth (6) fixedly connected to the inner side of the tank wall. The fixed anti-tangling comb tooth (6) extends into the gap between adjacent floating stirring blades (51) and avoids the rotation envelope of the floating stirring blades (51).

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