Ice cream production system and large-gram-weight ice cream production line

Abstract

The utility model provides an ice cream production system and a large-gram-weight ice cream production line. The ice cream production system comprises a forming mechanism used for forming ice cream slices; the freezing mechanism is used for freezing the ice cream slices; and the grabbing and moving mechanism is used for grabbing and moving the frozen ice cream slices and overlapping more than two frozen ice cream slices at a specified position to obtain the ice cream. Compared with a direct filling and refreezing large-gram-weight ice cream production mode, the large-gram-weight ice cream obtained by the method is lower in center temperature, more balanced in temperature of all parts, more stable in structure and not prone to collapse, and the taste and quality of the ice cream are improved. And meanwhile, the equipment can be connected with a controller, so that a foundation is laid for subsequent automatic improvement, and the labor load and the labor cost can be reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of food processing equipment technology, and more specifically, to an ice cream production system and a large-weight ice cream production line. Background Technology

[0002] In the frozen beverage industry, many manufacturers produce large tub products, such as ice cream, primarily for family packs, retail stores, and buffet restaurants. The production process for these products is usually direct filling, where robots or specialized equipment fill the tubs according to their shape, and then the tubs are transported to a quick-freezing tunnel to freeze.

[0003] However, due to the high weight of large drum products, typically exceeding 3 kg, the freezing time in the quick-freezing tunnel is long and the freezing effect is poor. Therefore, after passing through the quick-freezing tunnel, they need to be re-frozen at low temperatures in cold storage. Even so, the large drum products still collapse at the point of sale due to insufficient core temperature.

[0004] Therefore, it is especially necessary to address the issue of large containers of products collapsing due to improper freezing, which affects the taste and quality of the products. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an ice cream production system and a large-weight ice cream production line, which can prevent the collapse of large-weight ice cream caused by insufficient center temperature.

[0006] The embodiments of this utility model can be implemented as follows:

[0007] In a first aspect, this utility model provides an ice cream production system, comprising:

[0008] A forming mechanism used to form ice cream sheets;

[0009] Freezing equipment used to freeze ice cream sheets;

[0010] A gripping and moving mechanism is used to grip and move frozen ice cream slices, and place two or more frozen ice cream slices overlapping in a designated position to obtain ice cream.

[0011] In an optional embodiment, the molding mechanism includes a freezer, an extrusion molding device, and a cutting device. The discharge port of the freezer is connected to the inlet of the extrusion molding device. The discharge port of the extrusion molding device is arranged downwards, and the cutting device is arranged below the discharge port of the extrusion molding device.

[0012] In an optional embodiment, the cutting device includes a first blade and a second blade respectively disposed on both sides of the discharge port of the extrusion molding device, and a first power component that drives the first blade and the second blade to reciprocate in the same plane to achieve ice cream slicing, wherein the cutting edges of the first blade and the second blade are arranged opposite to each other.

[0013] In an optional embodiment, the device further includes a tray and a conveying device capable of moving the tray from below the outlet of the extrusion molding apparatus to the freezing mechanism.

[0014] In an optional embodiment, a vibratory unloading mechanism is also included, which enables frozen ice cream slices to detach from the tray. The vibratory unloading mechanism includes a hammer and a second power assembly that drives the hammer to strike the tray.

[0015] In an optional embodiment, the gripping and moving mechanism includes a mechanical gripper, and a flexible protective layer is provided at the contact point between the mechanical gripper and the ice cream slice.

[0016] In an optional embodiment, the gripping and moving mechanism includes a vacuum adsorption gripper, and a flexible protective layer is provided at the contact point between the vacuum adsorption gripper and the ice cream slice.

[0017] In an optional implementation, a visual recognizer capable of identifying ice cream slices is also included, the visual recognizer being connected to the controller of the grasping and moving mechanism.

[0018] In an optional embodiment, a packaging barrel placement area is also included, wherein packaging barrels for holding stacked ice cream slices are provided in the packaging barrel placement area.

[0019] Secondly, this utility model provides a large-weight ice cream production line, including the ice cream production system described in any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0020] The beneficial effects of the ice cream production system and large-weight ice cream production line provided by this utility model include: compared with the direct pouring and refreezing method for producing large-weight ice cream, the large-weight ice cream obtained by this application has a lower center temperature, more uniform temperature in all parts of the ice cream, and a more stable structure that is less prone to collapse, which is conducive to improving the taste and quality of the ice cream. At the same time, the equipment can be connected to a controller, laying the foundation for subsequent automation improvements and helping to reduce manual labor load and labor costs. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this utility model and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0022] Figure 1 To improve the production process of large tub ice cream;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an ice cream production system according to this application;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the extrusion molding apparatus and cutting apparatus (left, before slicing; right, after slicing) in this application.

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the positional relationship between the striking hammer and the tray in this application;

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the ice cream slices being packed into a packaging container in this application (left, first slice; right, second slice).

[0027] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the visual recognition device in this application.

[0028] Icons: 101 - Placing in bucket; 102 - Filling; 103 - Weighing; 104 - Replenishing and smoothing; 105 - Covering; 106 - Tunnel freezing; 107 - Packing and warehousing; 100 - Molding mechanism; 110 - Freezing machine; 120 - Extrusion molding device; 130 - Cutting device; 131 - First blade; 132 - Second blade; 200 - Freezing mechanism; 300 - Grabbing and moving mechanism; 400 - Tray; 500 - Hammer; 600 - Vision recognition device; 700 - Packaging bucket; 800 - Ice cream slice. Detailed Implementation

[0029] For the production of large tub ice cream products, a direct filling and freezing method can be used, specifically as follows: Figure 1 As shown, it includes:

[0030] Place bucket 101, and place the packaging bucket 700 for holding ice cream;

[0031] Filling 102 uses robotic / servo filling to inject a preset weight of ice cream into packaging barrel 700;

[0032] Weigh 103 and manually check if the weight meets the requirements;

[0033] Add and smooth the ingredients 104. If the weight deviates significantly from the preset weight, it can be manually added or removed. Then, the operator manually smooths the ice cream to make it easier to put on the lid.

[0034] Cover the 105-degree cap and then cover the 700-degree packaging drum.

[0035] Tunnel freezing 106: Freeze the ice cream inside the packaging bucket;

[0036] Packing and Warehousing 107: Pack the frozen products into boxes and put them into storage.

[0037] In the above methods, because large tubs of ice cream are large in volume and freeze slowly, tunnel freezing cannot freeze the large tubs of products solidly. Even if they are subsequently transferred to a cold storage for refreezing at low temperatures, the products are prone to collapse.

[0038] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention provides an ice cream production system that can prevent collapse caused by insufficient central temperature in large-weight ice cream, thereby improving the taste and quality of tub-sized ice cream.

[0039] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this utility model, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of this utility model described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0040] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0041] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0042] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that if terms such as "upper," "lower," "inner," or "outer" are used to indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship in which the utility model product is usually placed during use, they are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model.

[0043] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be interpreted as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0044] It should be noted that, where there is no conflict, the features in the embodiments of this utility model can be combined with each other.

[0045] This utility model provides an ice cream production system, such as... Figure 2 The following are included:

[0046] Forming mechanism 100, used to form ice cream sheet 800;

[0047] Freezing unit 200 is used to freeze ice cream slabs 800;

[0048] The grasping and moving mechanism 300 is used to grasp and move frozen ice cream slices 800, and place two or more frozen ice cream slices 800 overlapping in a designated position to obtain ice cream.

[0049] In this embodiment, the ice cream is first pre-formed using a molding mechanism 100 to form ice cream sheets 800. These sheets are then frozen and stacked for packaging to obtain a large-weight ice cream product. By dividing the large-weight, large-volume ice cream product into two or more ice cream sheets 800 and freezing them in stages, the thinner ice cream sheets 800 are more fully exposed to the freezing mechanism 200 compared to the whole ice cream product. This allows even the center of the ice cream sheet 800 to be quickly and solidified, resulting in a smaller temperature difference between different parts of the ice cream sheet. Reassembling the frozen ice cream sheets 800 yields a large-weight ice cream product with a frozen center and a more stable structure that is less prone to collapse.

[0050] Compared to the direct pouring and refreezing method for producing large-weight ice cream, this application produces ice cream with a lower center temperature, more uniform temperature distribution, and a more stable structure that is less prone to collapse, thus improving the taste and quality of the ice cream. Furthermore, this equipment can be connected to a controller, laying the foundation for subsequent automation improvements and helping to reduce manual labor and costs.

[0051] In an optional embodiment, the molding mechanism 100 includes a freezer 110, an extrusion molding device 120, and a cutting device 130. The discharge port of the freezer 110 is connected to the inlet of the extrusion molding device 120. The discharge port of the extrusion molding device 120 is arranged downwards, and the cutting device 130 is arranged below the discharge port of the extrusion molding device 120. Figure 2 and 3 As shown.

[0052] In this embodiment, the forming mechanism 100 can initially form ice cream into ice cream sheet 800, and the ice cream sheet 800 can be kept from significant deformation before entering the freezing mechanism 200.

[0053] The freezer can initially reduce the material's fluidity, making it easier for the extruder to initially shape the material.

[0054] The extruder can be a screw extruder or other extruders, as long as it can extrude the material. The extruded cylindrical material can be cut into sheets by the cutting device 130. It should be noted that the extruder's outlet is set downwards, which makes the extruded material relatively balanced by gravity. After being cut by the cutting device 130, it is also more conducive to maintaining the sheet shape of the ice cream sheet 800 and reducing the deformation of the ice cream sheet 800. If the outlet is set to the side, the ice cream will not be completely frozen and will shift downwards under the action of gravity after leaving the extruder. At the same time, when the sliced ​​ice cream sheet 800 falls to the receiving device, the peripheral surface contacts the receiving device first, which will cause further deformation of the ice cream sheet 800. This is not conducive to maintaining the sheet structure of the ice cream sheet 800, and will result in an increase in the local thickness of the ice cream sheet 800. The center temperature may be lower, which is not conducive to the rapid freezing and solidification of the ice cream sheet 800.

[0055] In an optional embodiment, the cutting device 130 includes a first blade 131 and a second blade 132 respectively disposed on both sides of the discharge port of the extrusion molding device 120, and a first power component that drives the first blade 131 and the second blade 132 to reciprocate in the same plane to slice ice cream, wherein the cutting edges of the first blade 131 and the second blade 132 are arranged opposite to each other.

[0056] The cutting device 130 includes two blades arranged on the same side and the two blades are respectively arranged on both sides of the discharge port of the extrusion molding device 120. When slicing, the two blades can cut the ice cream column at the same time. The forces of the two blades on the ice cream column can cancel each other out, which helps to reduce the deformation of the ice cream column and ice cream slice 800. The resulting ice cream slice 800 has a more uniform thickness and better roundness.

[0057] In some embodiments, the first blade 131 and the second blade 132 can be semi-circular, rectangular, etc., and the width or radius of the first blade 131 and the second blade 132 can be greater than or equal to the radius of the ice cream slice 800.

[0058] In an optional embodiment, the device further includes a tray 400 and a conveying device capable of moving the tray 400 from below the discharge port of the extrusion molding apparatus 120 to the freezing mechanism 200.

[0059] The conveying device can pass directly below the discharge port of the extrusion molding device 120. After the ice cream slices 800 are sliced, they fall downwards into the tray 400. The conveying device transfers the tray 400 and the ice cream slices 800 on the tray 400 to the freezing mechanism 200.

[0060] In this embodiment, the freezing mechanism 200 can be a tunnel-type freezing mechanism 200, which allows the freezing time of the ice cream slices 800 to be adjusted by adjusting the length of the tunnel-type freezing mechanism 200 and the conveying speed of the conveying device.

[0061] In alternative implementations, such as Figure 4 As shown, it also includes a vibrating unloading mechanism that can cause the frozen ice cream slab 800 to detach from the tray 400. The vibrating unloading mechanism includes a hammer 500 and a second power assembly that drives the hammer 500 to strike the tray 400.

[0062] Since the ice cream slice 800 and the tray 400 may stick together, affecting the subsequent gripping and moving of the frozen ice cream slice 800, the vibration generated by the hammer 500 striking the tray 400 is designed to help separate the ice cream slice 800 and the tray 400.

[0063] In some implementations, in order to prevent the position of the tray 400 from shifting after being struck, a groove that matches the bottom surface of the tray 400 can be provided on the conveying device to reduce the possibility of the tray 400 shifting.

[0064] In an optional embodiment, the gripping and moving mechanism includes a mechanical gripper, and a flexible protective layer is provided at the contact point between the mechanical gripper and the ice cream slice 800.

[0065] The flexible protective layer can reduce damage to the frozen ice cream sheet 800 by the gripper. In some embodiments, the flexible protective layer can be made of cotton material, which minimizes damage to the frozen ice cream sheet 800 while also providing an anti-slip function to prevent the gripper from detaching from the frozen ice cream sheet 800. A schematic diagram of the gripper picking up and placing the ice cream sheet 800 is shown below. Figure 5 As shown.

[0066] In an optional embodiment, the gripping and moving mechanism includes a vacuum adsorption gripper, and a flexible protective layer is provided at the contact point between the vacuum adsorption gripper and the ice cream slice 800.

[0067] Compared to mechanical grippers, vacuum adsorption grippers have a larger contact area with the frozen ice cream slice 800, which helps to reduce damage to the frozen ice cream slice 800. The flexible protective layer in the vacuum adsorption gripper can be made of low-temperature resistant rubber or silicone.

[0068] In an optional embodiment, a visual recognizer 600 capable of identifying ice cream slices 800 is also included. The visual recognizer 600 is connected to the controller of the grasping and moving mechanism, such as... Figure 6 As shown.

[0069] The vision recognition device 600 can identify whether the ice cream slice 800 has reached the designated area. If the ice cream slice 800 has reached the designated area, it sends a signal to the controller of the grasping and moving mechanism. The controller controls the grasping and moving mechanism to grasp the ice cream slice 800.

[0070] Furthermore, the vision recognition device 600 can also transmit the precise position of the ice cream slice 800 to the controller of the grasping and moving mechanism, which can more precisely control the grasping and moving mechanism to grasp the ice cream slice 800.

[0071] In an optional embodiment, a packaging drum 700 placement area is also included, wherein a packaging drum 700 for holding stacked ice cream slices 800 is provided in the packaging drum 700 placement area.

[0072] The grasping and moving mechanism 300 moves two or more frozen ice cream slices 800 sequentially along a set path to the top of the packaging bucket 700 and places them overlapping inside the bucket 700. A lid sorting system separates individual lids, which are then conveyed to the top of the bucket for lid placement and pressing. After lid placement, the ice cream is conveyed to the boxing station, where an unboxing machine and a box packer complete the boxing process. Finally, the ice cream is capped and packaged, completing the production of large-gram ice cream products.

[0073] Adopt this application Figure 2-6 The ice cream production system shown produces ice cream with a center temperature of -7.6℃ and an edge temperature of -19.4℃ after the ice cream sheet remains in the freezing mechanism 200 at -38℃ for 55 minutes. The temperature difference between different parts of the ice cream product is relatively small. However, when a 3kg ice cream product is prepared using the direct pouring freezing method, after the same 55-minute freezing process in the freezing mechanism 200 at -38℃, the center temperature is only about -3℃ and the edge temperature is about -19℃. The center temperature is higher, and the structure is more prone to collapse.

[0074] This utility model also provides a large-weight ice cream production line, including the ice cream production system described in any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0075] The above description is only a specific embodiment of this utility model, but the protection scope of this utility model is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. An ice cream production system, characterized in that, include: A forming mechanism used to form ice cream sheets; Freezing equipment used to freeze ice cream sheets; A gripping and moving mechanism is used to grip and move frozen ice cream slices, and place two or more frozen ice cream slices overlapping in a designated position to obtain ice cream.

2. The ice cream production system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The molding mechanism includes a freezer, an extrusion molding device, and a cutting device. The discharge port of the freezer is connected to the inlet of the extrusion molding device. The discharge port of the extrusion molding device is arranged downwards, and the cutting device is arranged below the discharge port of the extrusion molding device.

3. The ice cream production system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The cutting device includes a first blade and a second blade respectively disposed on both sides of the discharge port of the extrusion molding device, and a first power component that drives the first blade and the second blade to reciprocate in the same plane to slice ice cream. The cutting edges of the first blade and the second blade are arranged opposite to each other.

4. The ice cream production system according to claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes a tray and a conveying device capable of moving the tray from below the discharge port of the extrusion molding device to the freezing mechanism.

5. The ice cream production system according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a vibrating unloading mechanism that can cause frozen ice cream slices to detach from the tray, the vibrating unloading mechanism including a hammer and a second power assembly that drives the hammer to strike the tray.

6. The ice cream production system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The grasping and moving mechanism includes a mechanical gripper, and a flexible protective layer is provided at the contact point between the mechanical gripper and the ice cream slice.

7. The ice cream production system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The grasping and moving mechanism includes a vacuum adsorption gripper, and a flexible protective layer is provided at the contact point between the vacuum adsorption gripper and the ice cream slice.

8. The ice cream production system according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a visual recognizer capable of identifying ice cream slices, which is connected to the controller of the grasping and moving mechanism.

9. The ice cream production system according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a packaging barrel placement area, which is provided with packaging barrels for holding stacked ice cream slices.

10. A large-gram ice cream production line, characterized in that, Includes the ice cream production system according to any one of claims 1-9.

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