Molding unit and extrusion device including the same

Abstract

The utility model provides a forming unit and an extrusion device comprising the same. The forming unit comprises a shell and a front cover. The housing includes a front portion and a rear portion. The front side portion has a tapered cross-sectional area. The rear portion has a uniform cross-sectional area. The front cover is connected with the shell. The front cover comprises a first inlet, a second inlet and a third inlet. The third inlet is located between the first inlet and the second inlet. An area of the third inlet is smaller than an area of the first inlet and an area of the second inlet.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a forming unit, and in particular to a forming unit of an extrusion device. Background Art

[0002] In the process of forming different raw materials, it is necessary to consider the properties of the raw materials themselves and select appropriate forming units and extrusion devices. The present disclosure provides a forming unit and an extrusion device that can continuously produce finished products with a certain thickness and can achieve coextrusion of food raw materials with moisture. Utility Model Content

[0003] The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a forming unit and an extrusion device comprising the same to solve at least one of the above problems.

[0004] Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a forming unit. The forming unit includes a shell and a front cover. The shell includes a front side portion and a rear side portion. The front side portion has a tapered cross-sectional area. The rear side portion has a uniform cross-sectional area. The front cover is connected to the shell. The front cover includes a first inlet, a second inlet, and a third inlet. The third inlet is located between the first inlet and the second inlet. An area of ​​the third inlet is smaller than an area of ​​the first inlet and an area of ​​the second inlet.

[0005] In some embodiments, the forming unit further includes a main partition and a secondary partition. The main partition is disposed in the shell and defines a first channel connected to the first inlet with the shell. The secondary partition is disposed in the shell and defines a second channel connected to the second inlet with the shell. The main partition and the secondary partition define a third channel connected to the third inlet, and a maximum cross-sectional area of ​​the third channel is smaller than a maximum cross-sectional area of ​​the first channel and a maximum cross-sectional area of ​​the second channel. In some embodiments, an angle between the main partition and the secondary partition is variable. In some embodiments, an extension direction of the main partition is substantially parallel to an extension direction of the rear side portion of the shell, and an extension direction of the secondary partition is not parallel to an extension direction of the rear side portion of the shell.

[0006] Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide an extrusion device. The extrusion device includes a forming unit and a filling box. The forming unit may be a forming unit as described above, and the forming unit includes an inlet end and an outlet end. The filling box includes an opening. The filling box can enter and exit the forming unit from the outlet end in a manner that the opening faces the forming unit. A first raw material, a second raw material, and a third raw material enter the forming unit from the inlet end and enter the filling box from the opening.

[0007] In some embodiments, the filling box is a rectangular parallelepiped. In some embodiments, the extrusion device further includes a pushing tool and a cutting tool. When the filling box has not been filled, the pushing tool pushes the filling box from the outlet end into the forming unit. When the filling box is filled with the first raw material, the second raw material, and the third raw material and leaves the forming unit from the outlet end, the cutting tool performs cutting at the outlet end, so that the first raw material, the second raw material, and the third raw material in the filling box are separated from the first raw material, the second raw material, and the third raw material in the forming unit.

[0008] In some embodiments, the extrusion device further comprises a feeding unit. The feeding unit comprises at least three feeding elements, which respectively supply the first raw material, the second raw material, and the third raw material. In some embodiments, the extrusion device further comprises a driving unit and a control unit. The driving unit drives the first raw material, the second raw material, and the third raw material to enter the forming unit from the inlet end. The control unit can control the driving unit. In some embodiments, the forming unit is a food raw material co-extrusion unit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] In order to make the features or advantages of the present disclosure more obvious and understandable, some embodiments are given and described in detail with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the various features are not necessarily drawn to scale. In fact, the size of the various features may be arbitrarily enlarged or reduced, and may be drawn schematically.

[0010] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an extrusion apparatus according to some embodiments.

[0011] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a forming unit according to some embodiments.

[0012] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a front cover of a forming unit according to some embodiments.

[0013] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a drive unit according to some embodiments.

[0014] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of coextruded feedstocks according to some embodiments.

[0015] The reference numerals are as follows:

[0016] 100: Extrusion device

[0017] 200: Forming unit

[0018] 200E1: Entry

[0019] 200E2: Exit

[0020] 210:Front cover

[0021] 211: First Entrance

[0022] 211A: Area of ​​the first entrance

[0023] 212: Second Entrance

[0024] 212A: Area of ​​the second entrance

[0025] 213: The third entrance

[0026] 213A: Area of ​​the third entrance

[0027] 220: Shell

[0028] 220P1:Front part

[0029] 220P2: Rear part

[0030] 230: Main partition

[0031] 240: Secondary partition

[0032] 250: First channel

[0033] 250A: Maximum cross-sectional area of ​​the first channel

[0034] 260: Second channel

[0035] 260A: Maximum cross-sectional area of ​​the second channel

[0036] 270: Third Channel

[0037] 270A: Maximum cross-sectional area of ​​the third channel

[0038] 280: Buffer structure

[0039] 290: Positioning structure

[0040] 300: Feeding unit

[0041] 400:Drive unit

[0042] 410: Hydraulic unit

[0043] 420: Hydraulic cylinder unit

[0044] 421:Ontology

[0045] 422: Hydraulic ejector

[0046] 500: Control unit

[0047] 600: Filling box

[0048] 610: Opening of filling box

[0049] 700: Propulsion tools

[0050] 710: Putter

[0051] 800: Cutting tools

[0052] 1000: Finished product

[0053] M1: First Raw Material

[0054] M2: Second raw material

[0055] M3: The third raw material DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] In this specification, many different embodiments or examples are provided to implement different features of the present disclosure. If this specification describes that a first feature is formed "on" or "above" a second feature, it means that embodiments in which the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature may be included, and embodiments in which an additional feature is formed between the first feature and the second feature so that the first feature and the second feature are not in direct contact may also be included.

[0057] In addition, in this specification, relative spatial terms may be used to describe the arrangement of various features. Relative spatial terms are used to facilitate the description of the positional relationship of a feature relative to other features in the drawings. In addition to the orientations shown in the drawings, these spatial terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation. The device can be turned to different orientations (rotated 90 degrees or other orientations), and the relative spatial terms used herein can also be interpreted in the same way. For example, if the drawing is flipped so that the device is upside down, the features on the "top" will become the features on the "bottom".

[0058] In this specification, the terms "including", "having" and the like are open-ended words, and thus should be interpreted as "including but not limited to..." Therefore, the terms "including" and "having" specify the existence of corresponding features, regions, steps, operations and / or elements, but do not exclude the existence of one or more corresponding features, regions, steps, operations and / or elements.

[0059] Ordinal numbers in the specification and claims, such as "first", "second", etc., do not have a sequential order, and are only used to mark and distinguish two different features with the same name. Therefore, the first feature referred to in the specification may be referred to as the second feature in the claims. In addition, similar and / or corresponding symbols or letters may be used in different examples of the present disclosure. The use of these similar and / or corresponding symbols or letters is only for the purpose of simply and clearly describing some embodiments of the present disclosure, and does not represent any association between the different embodiments and / or configurations discussed.

[0060] Please refer to Figure 1, to understand an extrusion device 100. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an extrusion device 100 according to some embodiments. The extrusion device 100 includes a forming unit 200, a feeding unit 300, a driving unit 400, a control unit 500, a filling box 600, a pushing tool 700, and a cutting tool 800.

[0061] The extrusion device 100 can achieve co-extrusion of at least three raw materials. In some embodiments, the extrusion device 100 can be used in the field of food processing technology. For example, at least three raw materials can be food raw materials, and the forming unit 200 can be a food raw material co-extrusion unit. In some embodiments, the co-extruded food raw materials may include a fat layer, a lean meat layer, and a bonding layer. In addition, the meat in the fat layer and the lean meat layer may include meat or meat substitutes (meat substitutes or meat alternatives) (or vegetarian meat). In the case where the meat in the fat layer and the lean meat layer only includes meat substitutes but not meat, the co-extruded food raw materials are vegetarian, so that the extrusion device 100 has a wider range of applicability. However, the technical field of the extrusion device 100 is not limited to this.

[0062] Next, in addition to Figure 1 In addition, please refer to Figure 2 as well as Figure 3 , to understand the forming unit 200. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a forming unit 200 according to some embodiments. Figure 3 2 is a schematic diagram of a front cover 210 of a forming unit 200 according to some embodiments. The forming unit 200 includes an inlet end 200E1 and an outlet end 200E2. Raw materials can enter the forming unit 200 from the inlet end 200E1 and leave the forming unit 200 from the outlet end 200E2. In addition to the front cover 210, the forming unit 200 includes a housing 220, a main baffle 230, and a secondary baffle 240.

[0063] The front cover 210 is connected to the housing 220. The front cover 210 includes a first inlet 211, a second inlet 212, and a third inlet 213. The third inlet 213 is located between the first inlet 211 and the second inlet 212. In some embodiments, an area 213A of the third inlet 213 is smaller than an area 211A of the first inlet 211 and an area 212A of the second inlet 212. In some embodiments, the area 211A of the first inlet 211 is substantially the same as the area 212A of the second inlet 212. In some embodiments, the housing 220 can be equipped with different front covers 210, wherein different front covers 210 can have first inlets 211, second inlets 212, and third inlets 213 of different sizes. The appropriate front cover 210 can be selected according to actual needs (such as raw material composition).

[0064] The housing 220 includes a front portion 220P1 and a rear portion 220P2. In some embodiments, the front portion 220P1 is trapezoidal and the rear portion 220P2 is rectangular when viewed from above. In some embodiments, the front portion 220P1 has a tapered cross-sectional area and the rear portion 220P2 has a uniform cross-sectional area. In some embodiments, the uniform cross-sectional area of ​​the rear portion 220P2 is rectangular.

[0065] The main partition 230 is disposed in the housing 220. In some embodiments, the extension direction of the main partition 230 is substantially parallel to the extension direction of the rear portion 220P2 of the housing 220.

[0066] The secondary partition 240 is disposed in the housing 220. In some embodiments, the extension direction of the secondary partition 240 is not parallel to the extension direction of the rear portion 220P2 of the housing 220, and thus an angle is formed between the primary partition 230 and the secondary partition 240. In some embodiments, the angle between the primary partition 230 and the secondary partition 240 is variable. The angle between the primary partition 230 and the secondary partition 240 can be changed according to actual needs (such as the size of the first inlet 211, the second inlet 212, and the third inlet 213). In some embodiments, a size of the secondary partition 240 is different from a size of the primary partition 230.

[0067] The main baffle 230 and the shell 220 define a first channel 250 in communication with the first inlet 211. The secondary baffle 240 and the shell 220 define a second channel 260 in communication with the second inlet 212. The main baffle 230 and the secondary baffle 240 define a third channel 270 in communication with the third inlet 213. In some embodiments, a maximum cross-sectional area 270A of the third channel 270 is smaller than a maximum cross-sectional area 250A of the first channel 250 and a maximum cross-sectional area 260A of the second channel 260. In some embodiments, at least one of the first channel 250, the second channel 260, and the third channel 270 has a gradually changing cross-sectional area. For example, the third channel 270 may have a gradually decreasing cross-sectional area. Alternatively, the first channel 250, the second channel 260, and the third channel 270 may all have gradually decreasing cross-sectional areas.

[0068] Please refer to it separately again Figure 1 , to understand the feeding unit 300. The feeding unit 300 may include at least three feeding elements corresponding to the first inlet 211, the second inlet 212, and the third inlet 213 (due to the viewing angle, Figure 1 Only two feeding elements are shown) to respectively supply different raw materials (such as the food materials described above) to the forming unit 200. In some embodiments, the feeding element is a sleeve, but is not limited thereto.

[0069] Next, in addition to Figure 1 In addition, please refer to Figure 4 , to understand the drive unit 400. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a driving unit 400 according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the driving unit 400 may be a hydraulic power unit. The driving unit 400 includes a hydraulic unit 410 and a hydraulic cylinder unit 420. The hydraulic unit 410 may include an oil filling port for replenishing oil, an oil pipe that can withstand high pressure, a pressurized motor for generating driving force, a regulating valve for adjusting pressure, etc. The hydraulic cylinder unit 420 may include a body 421 and a hydraulic push rod 422, etc. The hydraulic push rod 422 is connected to the body 421 and can be used to push the raw materials in the feeding unit 300. Specifically, the hydraulic push rod 421 can move toward the feeding unit 300 to push the raw materials in the feeding unit 300 to the first inlet 211, the second inlet 212, and the third inlet 213.

[0070] Please refer again Figures 1 to 3 , to understand the control unit 500, the filling box 600, the pushing tool 700, and the cutting tool 800.

[0071] The control unit 500 can control the driving unit 400, including but not limited to the movement of the hydraulic push rod 422. In some embodiments, the control unit 500 can include a safety switch with an emergency power-off function.

[0072] The filling box 600 can be used to fill the co-extruded raw materials. The filling box 600 has an opening 610. The filling box 600 can enter and exit the forming unit 200 from the outlet end 200E2 of the forming unit 200 with the opening 610 facing the forming unit 200. In some embodiments, the filling box 600 is a rectangular parallelepiped.

[0073] In some embodiments, a cross-sectional area of ​​the rear portion 220P2 of the housing 220 is substantially the same as a cross-sectional area of ​​the filling box 600 to avoid wasting raw materials during filling. In some embodiments, the forming unit 200 includes a buffer structure 280 and a positioning structure 290. The buffer structure 280 can facilitate the entry and exit of the filling box 600. In some embodiments, the buffer structure 280 is a round corner. The positioning structure 290 can be used to position the filling box 600 when the filling box 600 is in the forming unit 200. In some embodiments, the positioning structure 290 is a protrusion or a bump.

[0074] When the filling box 600 has not been filled, the pushing tool 700 can be used to push the filling box 600 from the outlet end 200E2 of the forming unit 200 into the forming unit 200. In some embodiments, the pushing tool 700 includes a push rod 710.

[0075] The cutting tool 800 can be used to cut the raw material. Specifically, when the co-extruded raw material is filled in the filling box 600 in the forming unit 200 and leaves the forming unit 200 from the outlet end 200E2 of the forming unit 200 due to the continuous extrusion of the raw material, the cutting tool 800 can be cut at the outlet end 200E2 of the forming unit 200, so that the raw material in the filling box 600 is separated from the raw material in the forming unit 200.

[0076] In some embodiments, the extrusion device 100 further includes a stage unit (not shown) disposed below the forming unit 200, the feeding unit 300, the driving unit 400, the control unit 500, the filling box 600, the pushing tool 700, and the cutting tool 800. In some embodiments, the stage unit includes a metal material, such as stainless steel, but not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the top surface of the stage unit is rectangular, but not limited thereto.

[0077] Please also refer to Figures 1 to 5 , to understand how the extrusion apparatus 100 produces the co-extruded raw materials. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of co-extruded raw materials (a finished product 1000) according to some embodiments. Figure 5In the illustrated embodiment, the co-extruded raw materials include a first raw material M1, a second raw material M2, and a third raw material M3. In some embodiments, the first raw material M1 and the second raw material M2 may include meat or a meat substitute. The third raw material M3 may bond the first raw material M1 and the second raw material M2.

[0078] The feeding unit 300 can supply the first raw material M1, the second raw material M2, and the third raw material M3. The driving unit 400 can push the first raw material M1, the second raw material M2, and the third raw material M3 in the feeding unit 300 to the first inlet 211, the second inlet 212, and the third inlet 213, respectively. The control unit 500 can control the driving unit 400. For example, the feeding speed of the first raw material M1, the second raw material M2, and the third raw material M3 can be changed. In addition, the pushing tool 700 can push the empty filling box 600 from the outlet end 200E2 of the forming unit 200 into the forming unit 200.

[0079] The first raw material M1, the second raw material M2, and the third raw material M3 may enter the first channel 250, the second channel 260, and the third channel 270 respectively from the inlet end 200E1 of the forming unit 200. Subsequently, the first raw material M1, the second raw material M2, and the third raw material M3 enter the filling box 600 from the opening 610 of the filling box 600 at the rear side portion 220P2 of the housing 220. The filling box 600 may leave the forming unit 200 from the outlet end 200E2 of the forming unit 200 due to the continuous pushing of the first raw material M1, the second raw material M2, and the third raw material M3.

[0080] After the filling box 600 leaves the forming unit 200, the cutting tool 800 can cut at the outlet end 200E2 of the forming unit 200, so that the first raw material M1, the second raw material M2, and the third raw material M3 in the filling box 600 are separated from the first raw material M1, the second raw material M2, and the third raw material M3 in the forming unit 200. In some embodiments, after the cutting is completed, the filling box 600 can be removed mechanically or manually, and a new filling box 600 can be installed to repeatedly perform filling.

[0081] In some embodiments, the filling box 600 filled with the first raw material M1, the second raw material M2, and the third raw material M3 may be covered, pressurized, etc., to further facilitate the forming of the finished product 1000. Because the first raw material M1, the second raw material M2, and the third raw material M3 are co-extruded to the rear portion 220E2 of the housing 220 having a rectangular cross-sectional area, the finished product 1000 is a rectangular parallelepiped. Moreover, the entire finished product 1000 is quite stable, and the first raw material M1, the second raw material M2, and the third raw material M3 will not separate from each other.

[0082] In summary, the present disclosure provides a forming unit and an extrusion device. The forming unit has a front cover, a shell, a main partition, and a secondary partition. The front cover has at least three inlets. The shell, the main partition, and the secondary partition define at least three channels connected to the at least three inlets to achieve co-extrusion of at least three raw materials. The rear portion of the shell has a consistent cross-sectional area, so that the finished product is quite stable. In addition, the extrusion device may further include a feeding unit for supplying raw materials, a driving unit for driving the raw materials in the feeding unit, a control unit for controlling the driving unit, a filling box for filling the co-extruded raw materials, a pushing tool for pushing the empty filling box, a cutting tool for separating the raw materials in the filling box from the raw materials in the forming unit, etc.

[0083] The features of several embodiments are summarized above so that those skilled in the art can better understand various aspects of the present disclosure. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the present disclosure can be easily used as a basis for designing or modifying other processes and structures to achieve the same purpose or have the same effect as the embodiments described herein. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that such equivalent configurations do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and various changes, substitutions and modifications may be made to the present disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A forming unit, characterized in that: include: A housing, comprising: a front portion having a tapered cross-sectional area; and a rear portion having a uniform cross-sectional area; and A front cover connected to the housing comprises: a first entrance; a second entrance; and A third inlet is located between the first inlet and the second inlet, wherein an area of ​​the third inlet is smaller than an area of ​​the first inlet and an area of ​​the second inlet.

2. The forming unit according to claim 1, characterized in that Also includes: a main baffle disposed in the shell and defining a first passage communicating with the first inlet with the shell; as well as a primary partition disposed in the shell and defining a second passage communicating with the second inlet with the shell; The main partition and the secondary partition define a third channel connected to the third inlet, and a maximum cross-sectional area of ​​the third channel is smaller than a maximum cross-sectional area of ​​the first channel and a maximum cross-sectional area of ​​the second channel.

3. The forming unit according to claim 2, characterized in that An angle between the primary partition and the secondary partition is variable.

4. The forming unit according to claim 2, characterized in that The extension direction of the primary partition is parallel to the extension direction of the rear side portion of the shell, and the extension direction of the secondary partition is not parallel to the extension direction of the rear side portion of the shell.

5. An extrusion device, characterized in that: include: The forming unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the forming unit comprises an inlet end and an outlet end; as well as a filling box including an opening for entering and exiting the forming unit from the outlet end in a manner that the opening faces the forming unit; A first raw material, a second raw material and a third raw material enter the forming unit from the inlet end and enter the filling box from the opening.

6. The extrusion device according to claim 5, characterized in that The filling box is a rectangular parallelepiped.

7. The extrusion device according to claim 5, characterized in that Also includes: a pushing tool, wherein when the filling box has not been filled, the pushing tool pushes the filling box from the outlet end into the forming unit; as well as A cutting tool, wherein when the filling box is filled with the first raw material, the second raw material, and the third raw material and leaves the forming unit from the outlet end, the cutting tool performs cutting at the outlet end, so that the first raw material, the second raw material, and the third raw material in the filling box are separated from the first raw material, the second raw material, and the third raw material in the forming unit.

8. The extrusion device according to claim 5, characterized in that The invention also comprises a feeding unit, wherein the feeding unit comprises at least three feeding elements, which respectively supply the first raw material, the second raw material, and the third raw material.

9. The extrusion device according to claim 8, characterized in that Also includes: a driving unit, driving the first raw material, the second raw material, and the third raw material to enter the forming unit from the inlet end; as well as A control unit controls the driving unit.

10. The extrusion device according to claim 5, characterized in that The forming unit is a food material co-extrusion unit.

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