Batch Feeding Dough Shaping Device

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing dough molding devices face issues with excessive flour consumption and contamination of non-essential areas due to continuous flour supply as a separating agent, leading to inefficient dough shaping and increased maintenance.

Innovation Solution

A batch feed device for separating agents, which uses a contactless feeding mechanism to target the application of flour only to the active chambers, reducing unnecessary contamination and flour usage by introducing the agent in batches.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a permanent belt feed device is used to continuously supply flour as a separating agent, then the risk of dough sticking to the knitting band is reduced, but flour consumption increases and non-essential areas become contaminated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprevention of dough stickingVSAvoidflour consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces continuous flour supply with periodic batch feeding. The feed device is designed to supply flour in discrete batches only when molding chambers are positioned at the feeding position, eliminating continuous waste and targeting the separating agent precisely where needed during the molding cycle

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements localized flour application by positioning the feed device to supply separating agent only to active molding chambers at the feeding position. The molding band design ensures flour is deposited only in essential areas where dough contact occurs, preventing contamination of non-essential areas while maintaining effective separation where required

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If a permanent belt feed device is used to continuously supply flour, then dough sticking is prevented, but contamination of non-essential areas increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprevention of dough stickingVSAvoidcontamination of non-essential areas
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements localized flour application by positioning the feed device to supply separating agent only to active molding chambers at the feeding position. The molding band design ensures flour is deposited only in essential areas where dough contact occurs, preventing contamination of non-essential areas while maintaining effective separation where required

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The batch feed device operates periodically only when molding chambers are at the feeding position, rather than continuously. This timing-based control ensures flour is applied only when and where needed, eliminating unnecessary contamination of areas that do not contact dough

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

3Reliability

If continuous flour supply is used, then dough sticking is prevented, but cleaning frequency increases due to accumulated contamination

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprevention of dough stickingVSAvoidcleaning intervals
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The feed device supplies flour in batches only when molding chambers are positioned at the feeding position, rather than continuously. This reduces the accumulation of flour and dough residues on the knitting band and feed device, extending the intervals between cleaning operations while maintaining effective separation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

By limiting flour application to essential areas where dough contact occurs, the patent reduces contamination in non-essential areas. This selective application decreases the overall contamination load on the system, reducing the frequency and extent of cleaning required

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP2105052B1Apparatus and method for working dough pieces
Publication Date: 2017.12.06 FORTUNA MASCHENBAU HLDG
  • EP2105052B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2105052B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2105052B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The shaping device (1) comprises a processing chamber drum (3) having radially accessible processing chambers (4), in which the dough pieces are processed, a processing strip (9) for radially locking the processing chambers, a device for supplying a releasing agent (21), by which a critical adhesion of the dough is prevented, and a contactless batch-feeding device for the releasing agent. The feeding device has a unit for inserting the releasing agent into the processing chambers. The inserting unit has a rotating feeding drum for the agent. The feeding device has a vibrating scoop (26). The shaping device (1) comprises a processing chamber drum (3) having radially accessible processing chambers (4), in which the dough pieces are processed, a processing strip (9) for radially locking the processing chambers, a device for supplying a releasing agent (21), by which a critical adhesion of the dough is prevented, and a contactless batch-feeding device for the releasing agent. The feeding device has a unit for inserting the releasing agent into the processing chambers. The inserting unit has a rotating feeding drum for the releasing agent. The feeding device has a vibrating scoop (26) for the releasing agent and a cleaning scoop for the releasing agent, and is arranged above the processing strip-area of the processing chamber drum related to a dough piece-transport circumferential direction. An independent claim is included for a method for shaping dough pieces.