A single screw extruder die structure for plant tissue protein production

Abstract

The utility model discloses a single screw extruder die structure for plant tissue protein production, more particularly in the extruder die technical field, including riser, be provided with the flow guide extrusion subassembly on the riser, the flow guide extrusion subassembly includes the first connecting cover of setting in the riser one side, one side of first connecting cover is provided with the second connecting cover. The utility model discloses the structure design of accurate guidance of flow guide cavity, the structure design of collaborative extrusion of double pressure boost conveying wheel, gather the compression effect of gathering pipe, on one hand can guide molten material to flow along the preset direction stably, on the other hand realizes the uniform pressure boost of material, provides the stable mechanical environment for protein molecule crosslinking, fiberization, simultaneously, the synchronous reverse rotation of double pressure boost conveying wheel can form multidirectional fiber interweave with material, greatly promotes the chewy feeling and fiber level of product, makes it more close to the taste characteristic of real muscle tissue, solves the technical problem of single fiber structure of traditional die.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of extrusion die head technology, and more specifically, to a single-screw extrusion die head structure for the production of plant tissue protein. Background Technology

[0002] Textile protein (TVP / TSP, also known as textured plant protein) is a functional and adaptable food ingredient. Using plant proteins such as soy protein, pea protein, and peanut protein as core ingredients, it breaks down the loose protein molecular structure of the raw materials through extrusion cooking technology. After recombination and fiberization, it forms a product with animal muscle fiber texture, good chewiness, and water retention. It contains no added animal ingredients and is perfectly suited to diverse dietary needs, including vegetarian diets. Due to its unique structure and properties, it is widely used in various fields such as plant-based meat products (e.g., plant-based steaks, plant-based meatballs, plant-based sausages), meat product improvement (e.g., strengthening and retaining water in sausages and ham), and convenience food ingredients (e.g., instant noodle seasoning packets, ready-to-eat meal replacements), with continuously growing market demand.

[0003] The single-screw extruder is the core equipment for the production of plant tissue protein. Its screw system undertakes the key tasks of raw material conveying, mixing, heating and pressurizing, ultimately transforming the raw material into a flowable but unsolidified "molten" protein material. The die head, as the only channel for the molten material to exit the extruder, directly determines the fiber forming quality and production efficiency of the plant tissue protein through its structural design. In existing technologies, the flow channels of the die heads mostly adopt a "straight line" or "spiral" design. Although this can achieve the molding of longitudinally continuous fibers, it has significant drawbacks: it is difficult to achieve multi-directional fiber interweaving, resulting in a significant difference between the chewiness of the product and real muscle tissue, which cannot meet the needs of high-end products; during the material conveying process in the die head, uneven pressure and untimely heat dissipation can easily lead to local overheating or uneven cooling, causing abnormal denaturation of protein molecules and affecting the stability of product quality; residual air in the material is difficult to expel, and after molding, air holes and pores are easily generated inside the product, resulting in a loose fiber structure and insufficient density, reducing the product's boiling resistance and storage stability; fourth, some die heads lack targeted pressurization and flow guiding structures, resulting in low material conveying efficiency and easy blockage or uneven flow rate problems, which restricts the continuity of industrial production and capacity improvement. Utility Model Content

[0004] In order to overcome the above-mentioned defects of the prior art, the present invention provides a single-screw extruder die head structure for the production of plant tissue protein, aiming to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0005] This utility model provides the following technical solution: a single-screw extruder die head structure for the production of plant tissue protein, including a vertical plate, on which a flow guiding extrusion component is provided; The flow guiding and extrusion assembly includes a first connecting cover disposed on one side of the vertical plate, and a second connecting cover disposed on one side of the first connecting cover; A first booster conveyor wheel is provided between the first connecting cover and the second connecting cover. A second booster conveyor wheel is provided on one side of the first booster conveyor wheel. Conveying grooves are respectively opened on the outer sides of the first booster conveyor wheel and the second booster conveyor wheel for conveying the medium. The bottom of both the first and second pressurized conveying wheels is provided with a conveying pipe, which is embedded in the bottom of the first and second connecting covers; A gathering pipe is provided at the bottom of the conveying pipe, and the conveying pipe and the gathering pipe are connected.

[0006] Optionally, in one possible implementation, a first heat dissipation fin is provided on the outer side of the conveying pipe, and a second heat dissipation fin is provided on the outer side of the gathering pipe, for dissipating heat when the conveying pipe and the gathering pipe convey the medium. A vibrating block is slidably connected to the first connecting cover, and the bottom end of the vibrating block abuts against the outer side of the second pressurizing conveying wheel, for the second pressurizing conveying wheel to rotate and contact the vibrating block to generate amplitude and discharge gas in the medium. A motor for driving the first pressurizing conveying wheel to rotate is provided on one side of the upright plate, and the first pressurizing conveying wheel and the second pressurizing conveying wheel are in contact, for the first pressurizing conveying wheel to rotate synchronously with the second pressurizing conveying wheel through friction when rotating. Optionally, in one possible implementation, a wind-cooled radiator for heat dissipation is provided on one side of the second connecting cover, a protective cover is provided at the bottom of the second connecting cover, a misalignment cavity is opened on one side of the protective cover, a flow guide cavity is opened through the top of the first connecting cover, the flow guide cavity is located between the first booster conveying wheel and the second booster conveying wheel, and is used to convey the medium into the conveying groove between the first booster conveying wheel and the second booster conveying wheel, and the protective cover extends to the outside of the gathering tube, which can be used to protect the gathering tube; The technical effects and advantages of this utility model are as follows: Through the structural design of precise guidance by the flow guide cavity and coordinated extrusion by the dual pressurized conveying wheels, combined with the gathering and compression effect of the gathering tube, it can guide the molten material to flow stably in the preset direction on the one hand, and achieve uniform pressurization of the material on the other hand, providing a stable mechanical environment for protein molecule cross-linking and fibrillation. At the same time, the synchronous reverse rotation of the dual pressurized conveying wheels can drive the material to form multi-directional fiber interweaving, which greatly improves the chewiness and fiber layering of the product, making it closer to the taste characteristics of real muscle tissue, and solving the technical problem of the single fiber structure of traditional mold heads. The composite heat dissipation structure of the first heat dissipation fin, the second heat dissipation fin, and the air-cooled radiator is adopted. The first heat dissipation fin on the outside of the conveying pipe and the second heat dissipation fin on the outside of the gathering pipe increase the heat dissipation contact area. Combined with the air-cooled radiator to introduce cooling airflow into the core working cavity, a comprehensive and three-dimensional heat dissipation system is formed. This effectively solves the problem of abnormal protein molecule denaturation caused by local overheating and uneven cooling of materials in traditional molds. It ensures the temperature stability of molten materials during conveying and molding, and guarantees the quality consistency and stability of plant tissue proteins. By setting a vibrating block on the first connecting cover that contacts the second pressurizing conveyor wheel, a high-frequency amplitude is generated by the contact friction between the second pressurizing conveyor wheel and the vibrating block when they rotate. This amplitude is directly transmitted to the flowing material, which can efficiently remove the air and residual bubbles trapped inside the material, avoid the appearance of air holes and pores inside the product after molding, significantly improve the density and structural stability of plant tissue protein, enhance the product's resistance to boiling, slicing, and storage period, and solve the problems of easy loosening and high defect rate of traditional die-formed products. Attached Figure Description

[0007] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this disclosure, the accompanying drawings used in some embodiments will be briefly described below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only drawings of some embodiments of this disclosure, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings. In addition, the drawings described below can be regarded as schematic diagrams and are not intended to limit the actual size of the product, the actual flow of the method, the actual timing of the signals, etc. involved in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0008] Figure 1 This is a front view of the overall structure of this utility model.

[0009] Figure 2 This is a side view of the overall structure of this utility model.

[0010] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the second connecting cover, air-cooled radiator, protective cover, and misalignment cavity of this utility model.

[0011] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the flow guiding and extrusion assembly of this utility model.

[0012] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the vertical plate, conveying pipe, first heat dissipation fins, gathering pipe, first pressurizing conveying wheel and second pressurizing conveying wheel of this utility model.

[0013] The attached figures are labeled as follows: 1. Vertical plate; 2. First connecting cover; 3. Second connecting cover; 4. First pressurizing conveyor wheel; 5. Second pressurizing conveyor wheel; 6. Conveying pipe; 7. First heat dissipation fin; 8. Gathering pipe; 9. Second heat dissipation fin; 10. Vibrating block; 11. Motor; 12. Air-cooled radiator; 13. Protective cover; 14. Misalignment cavity; 15. Guide cavity; 16. Conveying trough. Detailed Implementation

[0014] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0015] Example 1 This embodiment discloses a single-screw extruder die head structure for the production of plant tissue protein, aiming to solve the problems of low medium conveying efficiency, poor heat dissipation, and easy residual gas in the medium during the production of plant tissue protein, which leads to loose fiber structure and poor molding quality.

[0016] Specifically, the single-screw extruder die head structure for plant tissue protein production in this embodiment includes a vertical plate 1. The vertical plate 1 serves as the mounting reference component for the entire die head structure and is made of high-strength stainless steel to ensure structural stability and wear resistance.

[0017] The vertical plate 1 is equipped with a flow guiding and extrusion assembly, which is the core structure for realizing media transportation, pressurization and preliminary forming. Specifically, it includes a first connecting cover 2 set on one side of the vertical plate 1. The first connecting cover 2 is fixedly connected to the vertical plate 1 by bolts, and a second connecting cover 3 is detachably connected to one side of the first connecting cover 2 by a flange structure. The first connecting cover 2 and the second connecting cover 3 enclose a sealed cavity to accommodate the internal transmission components, preventing media leakage and the entry of external impurities.

[0018] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, a first booster conveyor wheel 4 is rotatably mounted between the first connecting cover 2 and the second connecting cover 3. A second booster conveyor wheel 5 is provided on one side of the first booster conveyor wheel 4. Both the first booster conveyor wheel 4 and the second booster conveyor wheel 5 are made of wear-resistant alloy material, and conveying grooves 16 are respectively opened on their outer sides. This structural design can form a stable pushing force on the medium when the wheel rotates, realizing efficient conveying of the medium. A conveying pipe 6 is provided at the bottom of both the first booster conveyor wheel 4 and the second booster conveyor wheel 5. The inner diameter of the conveying pipe 6 is adapted to the groove width of the conveying groove 16, and the conveying pipe 6 is embedded in the pre-set mounting holes at the bottom of the first connecting cover 2 and the second connecting cover 3. A sealing connection is achieved by a sealing ring to prevent leakage of the medium during the conveying process. The bottom of the conveying pipe 6 is integrally formed with a gathering pipe 8. The conveying pipe 6 and the gathering pipe 8 are connected. The inner diameter of the gathering pipe 8 gradually decreases along the direction of medium flow. Its inlet end inner diameter is consistent with the inner diameter of the conveying pipe 6. It can gather and compress the medium discharged from the conveying pipe 6, further increase the density of the medium, and lay the foundation for subsequent fiber forming.

[0019] As shown in Figures 1, 4, and 5, a first heat dissipation fin 7 is integrally formed on the outer side of the conveying pipe 6. The first heat dissipation fin 7 is evenly distributed along the length of the conveying pipe 6. Similarly, a second heat dissipation fin 9 is integrally formed on the outer side of the gathering pipe 8. The structural parameters of the second heat dissipation fin 9 are the same as those of the first heat dissipation fin 7, and both the first and second heat dissipation fins are made of aluminum alloy with excellent thermal conductivity. This design, by increasing the heat dissipation area, can quickly diffuse the heat generated by the extrusion and friction of the conveying pipe 6 and the gathering pipe 8 during the conveying of the medium, preventing the medium from deteriorating due to excessively high local temperatures and ensuring the stability of the quality of plant tissue protein.

[0020] Example 2 Based on Example 1, this example discloses a single-screw extruder die head structure for the production of plant tissue protein, as shown in Figure 4. A vibrating block 10 is slidably connected to the first connecting cover 2 via a slide rail. The top of the vibrating block 10 is elastically connected to the inner wall of the first connecting cover 2 via a spring. The bottom of the vibrating block 10 is provided with an arc-shaped contact surface, which is adapted to the outer contour of the second pressure conveying wheel 5, and the contact surface is made of wear-resistant rubber. When the second pressure conveying wheel 5 rotates, its outer side continuously contacts and rubs against the bottom of the vibrating block 10, causing the vibrating block 10 to reciprocate up and down along the slide rail to generate a high-frequency amplitude. This amplitude is transmitted to the internal conveying medium through the second pressure conveying wheel 5, which can effectively expel the air trapped in the medium, avoid the formation of pores inside the formed plant tissue protein, and improve the density and chewiness of the product.

[0021] As shown in Figures 1, 4, and 5, a motor 11 for driving the first booster conveyor wheel 4 to rotate is fixedly mounted on one side of the upright plate 1 via a motor bracket. The motor 11 is a servo motor, and its output shaft is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft of the first booster conveyor wheel 4 via a coupling, enabling precise speed control. Both ends of the rotating shafts of the first booster conveyor wheel 4 and the second booster conveyor wheel 5 are rotatably connected to the first connecting cover 2 and the second connecting cover 3 via bearings, and the wheel edges of the first booster conveyor wheel 4 and the second booster conveyor wheel 5 are in meshing contact with each other. When the motor 11 drives the first booster conveyor wheel 4 to rotate, the friction between the wheels drives the second booster conveyor wheel 5 to rotate synchronously in the opposite direction, ensuring that the conveying grooves 16 of the two wheels can work together to achieve stable conveying and pressurization of the medium.

[0022] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, a wind-cooled radiator 12 for heat dissipation is fixedly installed on one side of the second connecting cover 3 by bolts. The air outlet of the wind-cooled radiator 12 faces the cavity enclosed by the first connecting cover 2 and the second connecting cover 3, allowing cooling airflow to enter the cavity and forcibly dissipate heat from the first booster conveyor wheel 4, the second booster conveyor wheel 5, and surrounding components, further improving the overall heat dissipation effect. A protective cover 13 is welded and fixed to the bottom of the second connecting cover 3. The protective cover 13 is made of stainless steel and has a semi-enclosed box structure. A misaligned cavity 14 is provided on one side of it. The misaligned cavity 14 can prevent the protective cover 13 from interfering with other components and facilitates the later inspection and maintenance of the internal structure. The protective cover 13 extends to the outside of the gathering tube 8, which can effectively protect the gathering tube 8 from deformation caused by external collisions and prevent operators from being burned by accidental contact with the high-temperature gathering tube 8.

[0023] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, a flow guide cavity 15 is provided through the top of the first connecting cover 2. The flow guide cavity 15 has a funnel-shaped structure, and its outlet end is located above the space between the first booster conveyor wheel 4 and the second booster conveyor wheel 5, corresponding to the conveying groove 16 of the two wheels. This design can accurately guide the molten medium conveyed from the extruder screw into the conveying groove 16 between the first booster conveyor wheel 4 and the second booster conveyor wheel 5, preventing medium overflow and improving the medium conveying efficiency.

[0024] The specific working principle is as follows: In the production process of plant tissue protein, the mixture of molten medium protein powder, water and excipients, which has been mixed, heated and pressurized by the screw of the extruder, is first conveyed to the guide cavity 15 at the top of the first connecting cover 2. Through the funnel-shaped structure of the guide cavity 15, the medium is precisely guided into the conveying groove 16 between the first pressurizing conveying wheel 4 and the second pressurizing conveying wheel 5. The motor 11 is started, and the motor 11 drives the first pressurizing conveying wheel 4 to rotate. Through the friction between the first pressurizing conveying wheel 4 and the second pressurizing conveying wheel 5, the second pressurizing conveying wheel 5 rotates synchronously in the opposite direction. The conveying grooves 16 of the two wheels work together to form a stable pushing force and extrusion force on the medium, so as to realize the pressurized conveying of the medium. During the medium transport process, the second pressurized conveying wheel 5 rotates and contacts the vibrating block 10, causing the vibrating block 10 to reciprocate up and down to generate high-frequency amplitude, which expels the air inside the medium. At the same time, the first heat dissipation fins 7 and the second heat dissipation fins 9 on the outside of the conveying pipe 6 and the gathering pipe 8 cooperate with the air-cooled radiator 12 to quickly dissipate the heat generated during the medium transport process and ensure the medium temperature is stable. After the medium is transported to the gathering pipe 8 through the conveying pipe 6, it forms a continuous medium flow with uniform density under the gathering and compression action of the gathering pipe 8, and finally exits from the outlet of the gathering pipe 8 to form a plant tissue protein semi-finished product with a good fiber structure.

[0025] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present utility model and are not intended to limit the present utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present utility model shall be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A die head structure for a single-screw extruder for the production of plant tissue protein, comprising a vertical plate (1), characterized in that: The vertical plate (1) is provided with a flow guiding and extrusion assembly; The flow guiding and extrusion assembly includes a first connecting cover (2) disposed on one side of the upright plate (1), and a second connecting cover (3) disposed on one side of the first connecting cover (2). A first booster conveyor wheel (4) is provided between the first connecting cover (2) and the second connecting cover (3). A second booster conveyor wheel (5) is provided on one side of the first booster conveyor wheel (4). Conveying grooves (16) are respectively opened on the outer sides of the first booster conveyor wheel (4) and the second booster conveyor wheel (5) for conveying the medium. The bottom of the first booster conveyor wheel (4) and the second booster conveyor wheel (5) are provided with conveying pipes (6), which are embedded in the bottom of the first connecting cover (2) and the second connecting cover (3).

2. The single-screw extruder die head structure for plant tissue protein production according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom of the conveying pipe (6) is provided with a gathering pipe (8), the conveying pipe (6) and the gathering pipe (8) are connected, the outer side of the conveying pipe (6) is provided with a first heat dissipation fin (7), and the outer side of the gathering pipe (8) is provided with a second heat dissipation fin (9), which are used to diffuse the heat when the conveying pipe (6) and the gathering pipe (8) convey the medium.

3. The single-screw extruder die head structure for plant tissue protein production according to claim 1, characterized in that: A vibrating block (10) is slidably connected to the first connecting cover (2). The bottom end of the vibrating block (10) abuts against the outside of the second pressurizing conveying wheel (5) for the second pressurizing conveying wheel (5) to rotate and contact the vibrating block (10) to generate amplitude and discharge the gas in the medium.

4. The single-screw extruder die head structure for plant tissue protein production according to claim 1, characterized in that: A motor (11) for driving the first booster conveyor wheel (4) to rotate is provided on one side of the upright plate (1), and the first booster conveyor wheel (4) and the second booster conveyor wheel (5) are in contact, so that the first booster conveyor wheel (4) and the second booster conveyor wheel (5) rotate synchronously by friction when they rotate.

5. The single-screw extruder die head structure for plant tissue protein production according to claim 2, characterized in that: A wind-cooled radiator (12) for heat dissipation is provided on one side of the second connecting cover (3), and a protective cover (13) is provided at the bottom of the second connecting cover (3). A misaligned cavity (14) is opened on one side of the protective cover (13).

6. The single-screw extruder die head structure for plant tissue protein production according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top of the first connecting cover (2) is provided with a flow guide cavity (15), which is located between the first booster conveying wheel (4) and the second booster conveying wheel (5) and is used to convey the medium into the conveying groove (16) between the first booster conveying wheel (4) and the second booster conveying wheel (5).

7. The single-screw extruder die head structure for plant tissue protein production according to claim 5, characterized in that: The protective cover (13) extends to the outside of the gathering tube (8) to protect the gathering tube (8).

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