Amorphous Material Shaper Vertical Dimensional Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rounding apparatuses for amorphous materials, such as dough, struggle to form materials into a perfect spherical shape due to limitations in conforming to conveyor belt humps or troughs, leading to non-spherical shapes and reduced production rates.
Innovation Solution
A tunnel shaper with an adjustable top tunnel and a forming tunnel that allows amorphous materials to be conveyed through a bore, enabling precise shaping of materials into desired forms without the need for the shaping mechanism to extend across the conveyor belt.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a rounding bar with concave face is oriented at an angle with respect to the conveyor belt, then the dough piece can be shaped into a round shape, but the production rate is limited due to the substantial distance the rounder bar must extend across the belt
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a conventional rounder bar that extends horizontally across the conveyor belt to a vertical shaping mechanism. The dough piece is shaped vertically between the shaping surface and the conveyor belt surface, eliminating the need for the shaping mechanism to extend across the belt width. This dimensional change allows multiple shapers to be positioned along the belt length without interfering with each other, thereby increasing production rate while maintaining spherical shape formation.
2Productivity
If multiple rounder bars are mounted above the conveyor belt to increase production rate, then more dough pieces can be shaped simultaneously, but each rounder bar must extend across the belt which limits the overall production rate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the horizontal arrangement of multiple rounder bars extending across the belt with a vertical shaping approach. Each shaper is positioned at a specific location along the belt length and shapes dough pieces vertically. This eliminates the need for complex multi-bar assemblies extending across the belt width, simplifying the device structure while enabling higher production rates through parallel processing at multiple positions along the conveyor.
3Reliability
If a flexible foot is added to the rounder bar to conform to humps or troughs in the conveyor belt surface, then the rounding bar can better contact the belt, but it does not adequately solve the problem of non-spherical dough pieces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the problem of incomplete contact with belt surface irregularities by moving the shaping action to a vertical dimension. The shaping surface is positioned vertically above the conveyor belt, and the dough piece is shaped between this vertical surface and the belt. This vertical arrangement ensures consistent shaping geometry regardless of belt surface variations, adequately solving the non-spherical shape problem that flexible feet could not resolve.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The tunnel shaper effectively forms amorphous materials into perfect spherical shapes, increases production rate by eliminating the need for the shaping mechanism to extend across the belt, and minimizes residue buildup and friction.
Implementation Method 1
The frictional engagement of the outer surface of the dough piece with the shaping surface of the rounder bar causes the dough piece form into a round shape
Implementation Method 2
An adjustment bar and one or more adjustment shafts extend between the adjustment bar and the forming tunnel. The distance of the top tunnel with respect to the forming tunnel is adjusted in order to control the shape of the material being processed
Data Source
AI summary
A tunnel shaper including an elongated forming tunnel for shaping amorphous food materials into a desired shape. The forming tunnel includes a bore defined by an inner wall. A channel extends along the length of the forming tunnel and is in open communication with the bore. A top tunnel extends along the tunnel in alignment with the channel. The top tunnel is adjustable with respect to the forming tunnel in order to control the shape of a amorphous material piece processed by the shaper. An adjustment bar and one or more adjustment shafts extend between the adjustment bar and the forming tunnel. A conveyor belt conveys amorphous material pieces through the bore of the forming tunnel and the distance of the top tunnel with respect to the forming tunnel is adjusted in order to control the shape of a amorphous material piece processed by the shaper.