Control method for ice cream machine

Abstract

A control method for an ice cream machine. An ice cream machine enters an operating state; on the basis of a pressure value F and a weight value G, an electric motor is controlled to drive an upper machine body to move from a first position to a second position; at least one descending and churning stroke and at least one ascending and mixing stroke are executed; and a blade not only churns an ice cream material located in a containing cup, but after churning, the blade also ascends and rotates reversely to perform mixing, such that during the mixing process, the churned ice cream material can be fully mixed with air, thereby improving the air saturation of the ice cream material, and thus improving the mouthfeel of an ice cream.

Description

A control method for ice cream machine Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a control method for an ice cream machine. Background Art

[0002] Prior art, such as the Chinese invention patent document with publication number CN216674577U, discloses a micro-fruit puree machine, which includes a housing, a platform, a positioning motor, and a drive motor. The platform is movably positioned in the housing between a first position and a second position. The positioning motor is mounted on the housing and coupled to the platform, so that the positioning motor can be used to move the platform between the first position and the second position. The drive motor can be used to rotate a power shaft relative to the platform. The drive motor is mounted on the platform, so that the drive motor and the power shaft move together with the platform between the first position and the second position in response to the positioning motor.

[0003] Based on the above, in the prior art, the platform is driven to move up and down by a position motor, and the purpose of the platform movement is to drive the cutter head downward to whip the ice cream material located in the bowl assembly. However, in the prior art, the cutter head is driven by the position motor to move directly from the first position to the second position during operation, resulting in the whipped ice cream material not being fully mixed, and the air saturation of the whipped ice cream material being uneven, which results in the poor taste of the whipped ice cream. At the same time, the motor moves directly from the first position to the second position, and the motor whips downward all the time without releasing the buffer, which can easily cause damage to the motor.

[0004] Moreover, in the existing technology, it is impossible to control the movement and rotation of the cutter head according to the weight of the ice cream material, resulting in that the cutter head still runs at the preset speed of the machine under materials of different weights, resulting in slow whipping efficiency, which needs further improvement.

[0005] At the same time, in the prior art, the platform is driven up and down by a position motor, while the drive motor is responsible for driving the power shaft to drive the cutter head to rotate. This drive method uses two drive sources, which has the problems of high production cost and high subsequent maintenance cost. Moreover, under the drive of the position motor, the platform drives the power shaft to descend or ascend. During this process, the power shaft moves from the inside of the casing to the outside of the casing to whip the material, and then returns to the casing after the whipping is completed. This movement method will cause the material remaining on the power shaft during whipping to move into the casing, which is not only easy to breed bacteria but also has the problem of material accumulation and odor. At the same time, when the cutter shaft under this structure is in the off state, the power shaft is located inside the casing and is not conducive to cleaning.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the present invention provides an ice cream machine control method that uses lifting, whipping and mixing to increase the air saturation of ice cream materials through whipping and mixing.

[0008] A control method for an ice cream machine designed for this purpose includes a lower body and an upper body. The upper body is movably arranged relative to the lower body. A mounting area for mounting a container is provided between the lower body and the upper body. A cutter shaft is rotatably provided on the upper body above the mounting area. A cutter head is provided at the lower end of the cutter shaft.

[0009] The ice cream machine is provided with a screw lifting mechanism for driving the upper body to move up and down relative to the lower body;

[0010] The upper body is provided with a motor, and the motor is provided with a first output shaft and a second output shaft, the first output shaft is transmission-connected to the knife shaft, and the second output shaft is transmission-connected to the screw lifting mechanism;

[0011] The lower body is provided with a weighing module for contacting the container, and the weighing module is used to sense the weight of the container and output the weight value in G;

[0012] A cup cover that can cover the container cup is slidably provided on the blade shaft, a pressure spring is sleeved on the blade shaft, the upper end of the pressure spring is connected to the upper body, and a pressure sensor that fits the pressure spring is provided on the upper body above the pressure spring, the lower end of the pressure spring can be in contact with the upper end surface of the cup cover and transmit pressure to the detection end of the pressure sensor in real time, and the pressure sensor is used to detect the real-time pressure of the pressure spring and output a pressure value F;

[0013] The control method of the ice cream machine includes: the ice cream machine enters a working state and controls the motor to drive the upper body to move from a first position to a second position according to a pressure value F and a weight value G, wherein the movement of the upper body from the first position to the second position includes at least one descending whipping stroke and one ascending mixing stroke.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the ice cream machine of the present invention performs at least one descending whipping stroke and one ascending mixing stroke when working. The cutter head not only whips the ice cream material in the container, but also rises and reverses to mix after whipping. During this mixing process, the whipped ice cream material can be fully mixed with air to increase the air saturation of the ice cream material, thereby improving the taste of the ice cream.

[0015] The present invention uses a dual-axis motor to simultaneously drive the blade shaft and the screw lifting mechanism, achieving single-motor drive. This reduces production costs and reduces the cost of replacing damaged components during future maintenance. Furthermore, the movable upper body ensures that the blade shaft remains exposed, making it easier to clean debris from the blade shaft, preventing bacterial growth and material accumulation, and facilitating cleaning. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of the upper body in the first position;

[0017] FIG2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the upper body in a first position;

[0018] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of the upper body in the second position;

[0019] FIG4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the upper body in the second position;

[0020] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of the present invention;

[0021] FIG6 is a second schematic diagram of a partial structure of the present invention;

[0022] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a planar structure of a cutter head according to the present invention;

[0023] FIG8 is a second schematic diagram of the planar structure of the cutter head of the present invention;

[0024] FIG9 is a diagram showing the movement trend of the upper body between the first position and the second position;

[0025] Figure 10 is a diagram showing the operating principle of the ice cream. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0027] 1-9 , a control method for an ice cream machine is shown. The ice cream machine includes a lower body 10 and an upper body 20. The upper body 20 is movably disposed relative to the lower body 10. A mounting area 100 for mounting a container 50 is disposed between the lower body 10 and the upper body 20. A cutter shaft 30 is rotatably disposed on the upper body 20 above the mounting area 100. A cutter head 40 is disposed at the lower end of the cutter shaft 30.

[0028] The ice cream machine is provided with a screw lifting mechanism 80 for driving the upper body 20 to move up and down relative to the lower body 10. The screw lifting mechanism 80 includes a screw 801 fixedly installed in the lower body 10, the screw 801 extending upward into the upper body 20, and a screw nut 810 rotatably provided in the upper body 20. The screw nut 810 is threadedly connected to the screw 801, and the second output shaft 620 is drivingly connected to the screw nut 810;

[0029] The upper body 20 is provided with a motor 60, and the motor 60 is provided with a first output shaft 610 and a second output shaft 620. The first output shaft 610 is in transmission connection with the knife shaft 30, and the second output shaft 620 is in transmission connection with the screw nut 810.

[0030] The motor 60 is used to drive the upper body 20 to move relative to the lower body 10 between the first position and the second position and drive the knife shaft 30 to rotate in the forward or reverse direction;

[0031] The ice cream machine is provided with a first micro switch 710 and a second micro switch 720. When the upper body 20 is in the first position, it senses the first micro switch 710. When the upper body 20 is in the second position, it senses the second micro switch 720.

[0032] The lower body 10 is provided with a weighing module 530 for contacting the container 50 , and the weighing module 530 is used to sense the weight of the container 50 and output a weight value G;

[0033] The blade shaft 30 is provided with a cup cover 310 that can cover the container 50. The blade shaft 30 is provided with a pressure spring 90. The upper end of the pressure spring 90 is connected to the upper body 20. A pressure sensor 910 that fits the pressure spring 90 is provided on the upper body 20 above the pressure spring 90. The lower end of the pressure spring 90 can be in contact with the upper end surface of the cup cover 310 and transmit pressure to the detection end of the pressure sensor 910 in real time. The pressure sensor 910 is used to detect the real-time pressure of the pressure spring 90 and the output pressure value is F.

[0034] The control method of the ice cream machine includes: the ice cream machine enters a working state and controls the motor 60 to drive the upper body 20 to move from a first position to a second position according to a pressure value F and a weight value G, wherein the movement of the upper body 20 from the first position to the second position includes at least one descending whipping stroke and one ascending mixing stroke.

[0035] Based on the above embodiment, in the descending whipping stroke, the upper body 20 moves downward relative to the lower body 10 and the blade shaft 30 rotates along the first direction; in the ascending mixing stroke, the upper body 20 moves upward relative to the lower body 10 and the blade shaft 30 rotates along the second direction.

[0036] Based on the above embodiment, in the descending whipping stroke, the rotation speed of the blade shaft 30 is V1=K1*F, the descending speed of the upper body 20 is V2=X*V1, and the descending time is T1;

[0037] In the ascending mixing stroke, the rotation speed of the blade shaft 30 is V3 = K2*F, the ascending speed of the upper body 20 is V4 = X*V3, and the ascending time is T2;

[0038] Here, K1 is the forward rotation coefficient, K2 is the reverse rotation coefficient, X is the movement coefficient, and F is the pressure value. Both K1 and K2 are inversely proportional to G. This inverse proportional setting allows the K value to decrease as the weight value G increases. In other words, the heavier the ice in the container 50, the slower the blade shaft's rotation and descent speeds. This allows for intelligent whipping and descent based on the weight of the ice, improving the ice cream's taste while also effectively protecting the motor.

[0039] See Figure 10, the working process of the ice cream machine;

[0040] S1, the motor 60 drives the upper body 20 to perform the first descending whipping stroke;

[0041] In the first descending whipping stroke, the upper body 20 moves downward relative to the lower body 10 and the blade shaft 30 rotates in the first direction. During this rotation, the ice-shaving blade of the blade head 40 contacts the ice material, thereby grinding the ice material.

[0042] S2, after completing the first descending whipping stroke, executing the ascending mixing stroke;

[0043] During the ascending mixing stroke, the upper body 20 moves upward relative to the lower body 10 and the blade shaft 30 rotates in the second direction. During this rotation, the blade head 40 moves upward and, during the rotation, the mixing blade breaks up the shaved ice again, so that the ice is fully mixed with the air in the container.

[0044] S3, after completing the ascending mixing stroke, executing the second descending whipping stroke;

[0045] In the second downward whipping stroke, the upper body 20 moves downward relative to the lower body 10 and the blade shaft 30 rotates in the first direction. During this rotation, the ice-shaving blade of the blade head 40 contacts the ice material, thereby grinding the ice material.

[0046] S4, looping through steps S1 to S3 until the machine body 20 moves to the second position, controlling the motor 60 to drive the upper machine body 20 to move from the second position to the first position and rotating the blade shaft 30 in the second direction to mix the ice material again, thereby completing the operation.

[0047] In the present invention, the first output shaft 610 is connected to the cutter shaft 30 through a belt 630 , and the second output shaft 620 is connected to the screw nut 810 through a planetary gear set 640 .

[0048] Furthermore, X is 0.03, so that the moving speed of the upper body is slower than the rotating speed of the cutter shaft, so that the cutter head moves at a slow speed during high-speed grinding, thereby achieving sufficient ice shaving.

[0049] 6 , a mounting shell 800 is fixedly installed in the upper body 20 , and the screw nut 810 is rotatably disposed in the mounting shell 800 . The mounting shell 800 can be assembled into the upper body 20 using screws.

[0050] 2 , a guide column 110 is provided in the lower body 10 , and the upper body 20 is slidably connected to the guide column 110 . When the upper body 20 is raised or lowered, it moves relative to the guide column 110 .

[0051] In the present invention, the blade shaft 30 is magnetically connected to the blade head 40 .

[0052] 2 and 7 , a coupling cavity 301 is provided at the lower end of the blade shaft 30 , a coupling portion 420 is provided on the blade head 40 , the coupling portion 420 is inserted into the coupling cavity 301 , and a magnetic attraction part 300 is provided in the coupling cavity 301 that is magnetically attracted to the coupling portion 420 .

[0053] 8 , the blade head 40 includes a blade disc 400 , the coupling portion 420 is disposed on the blade disc 400 , and the blade disc 400 is provided with a plurality of blades 410 in an array along its circumference, and the blades 410 are respectively provided with an ice-shaving blade 44 and a mixing blade 430 , and the ice-shaving blade 44 and the mixing blade 430 are disposed on opposite sides of each other.

[0054] When the cutter head 40 is descending, it rotates forward, and the ice cream material in the container 50 is shaved by the ice shaving blade 44, so that the upper end surface of the ice cube is shaved into fine ice material. When the cutter head 40 rises and reverses, the mixing blade 430 comes into contact with the ice material. During this process, the mixing blade 430 can effectively break up the ice material that has been shaved, so that the ice material is fully mixed with the air in the container, making the ice material more dense and improving the taste of the ice cream.

[0055] A third micro switch 520 and a fourth micro switch 510 for detecting the container 50 are disposed in the installation area 100 .

[0056] The contents not described in detail in this specification belong to the prior art known to those skilled in the art.

[0057] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise" and the like to indicate directions or positional relationships based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operated in a specific direction, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. The terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features.

[0058] The above shows and describes the basic principles, main features and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The above embodiments and descriptions are merely illustrative of the principles of the present invention. Various changes and modifications may be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Such changes and modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the present invention. The scope of protection claimed in the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A control method for an ice cream machine, characterized in that: The ice cream machine includes a lower body (10) and an upper body (20). The upper body (20) is movably arranged relative to the lower body (10). An installation area (100) for installing a cup (50) is provided between the lower body (10) and the upper body (20). A knife shaft (30) is rotatably arranged on the upper body (20) above the installation area (100). A knife head (40) is provided at the lower end of the knife shaft (30). A screw rod lifting mechanism (80) for driving the upper body (20) to move up and down relative to the lower body (10) is provided in the ice cream machine. A motor (60) is provided in the upper body (20). The motor (60) is provided with a first output shaft (610) and a second output shaft (620). The first output shaft (610) is in transmission connection with the knife shaft (30), and the second output shaft (620) is in transmission connection with the screw rod lifting mechanism (80). A weighing module (530) for contacting the cup (50) is provided on the lower body (10). The weighing module (530) is used for sensing the weight of the cup (50) and outputting a weight value G. A cup cover (310) that can cover the cup (50) is provided on the knife shaft (30). A pressure spring (90) is sleeved on the knife shaft (30). The upper end of the pressure spring (90) is connected to the upper body (20). A pressure sensor (910) that fits with the pressure spring (90) is provided on the upper body (20) above the pressure spring (90). The lower end of the pressure spring (90) can be in contact with the upper end surface of the cup cover (310) and transmit pressure to the detection end of the pressure sensor (910) in real time. The pressure sensor (910) is used for detecting the real-time pressure of the pressure spring (90) and outputting a pressure value F. The control method of the ice cream machine includes: The ice cream machine enters the working state and controls the motor (60) to drive the upper body (20) to move from the first position to the second position according to the pressure value F and the weight value G. The movement of the upper body (20) from the first position to the second position includes at least one downward stirring stroke and one upward mixing stroke.

2. The control method for an ice cream machine according to claim 1, wherein: In the downward stirring stroke, the upper body (20) moves downward relative to the lower body (10) and the knife shaft (30) rotates in the first direction. In the upward mixing stroke, the upper body (20) moves upward relative to the lower body (10) and the knife shaft (30) rotates in the second direction.

3. The control method for an ice cream machine according to claim 2, wherein: In the downward stirring stroke, the rotation speed of the knife shaft (30) is V1 = K1*F, the downward speed of the upper body (20) is V2 = X*V1, and the downward time is T1. In the upward mixing stroke, the rotation speed of the knife shaft (30) is V3 = K2*F, the upward speed of the upper body (20) is V4 = X*V3, and the upward time is T2. Among them, K1 is the positive rotation coefficient, K2 is the reverse rotation coefficient, X is the movement coefficient, F is the pressure value, and both K1 and K2 are inversely proportional to G.

4. A control method for an ice cream machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The knife shaft (30) is magnetically connected to the knife head (40).

5. A control method for an ice cream machine according to claim 4, characterized in that: A coupling cavity (301) is provided at the lower end of the blade shaft (30), a coupling portion (420) is provided on the blade head (40), the coupling portion (420) is inserted into the coupling cavity (301), and a magnetic attraction member (300) is provided in the coupling cavity (301) and is magnetically attracted to the coupling portion (420).

6. The control method for an ice cream machine according to claim 5, characterized in that: The blade head (40) comprises a blade disc (400), the coupling portion (420) is arranged on the blade disc (400), the blade disc (400) is provided with a plurality of blades (410) in an array along its circumference, the blades (410) are respectively provided with an ice-shaving blade (440) and a mixing blade (430), and the ice-shaving blade (440) and the mixing blade (430) are arranged on opposite sides of each other.

7. A control method for an ice cream machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: A third micro switch (520) and a fourth micro switch (510) for detecting the container (50) are arranged in the installation area (100).

8. A control method for an ice cream machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The screw lifting mechanism (80) comprises a screw (801) fixedly installed in the lower body (10), the screw (801) extending upward into the upper body (20), a screw nut (810) rotatably arranged in the upper body (20), the screw nut (810) being threadedly connected to the screw (801), and the second output shaft (620) being drivingly connected to the screw nut (810).

9. A control method for an ice cream machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The ice cream machine is provided with a first micro switch (710) and a second micro switch (720); when the upper body (20) is located at a first position, it senses the first micro switch (710); and when the upper body (20) is located at a second position, it senses the second micro switch (720).

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