Co-rotating Driver Elements Prevent Adhesion in Confectionery Roller Former
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Solution Overview
Problem
Confectionery mass tends to adhere to stationary side walls during carpet formation, leading to uneven density and weight distribution in the final product, resulting in 'underweight' bars from edge regions and increased production costs.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of co-rotating driver elements with a larger outer diameter on the second gap-forming roller, which partially or completely replaces stationary side walls, prevents adherence and ensures a uniform volume flow, maintaining constant density and height across the carpet width.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If stationary side walls are used in the container, then the device structure is simple, but the confectionery mass adheres to the walls causing uneven density and weight distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by replacing stationary side walls with rotatable driver elements that rotate in the same direction as the second gap-forming element. This rotation prevents the confectionery mass from adhering to the walls by creating a non-sticking surface through continuous motion, thereby ensuring uniform density and weight distribution across the carpet width while maintaining structural simplicity
2Ease of manufacture
If stationary side walls are used in the container, then the device structure is simple, but 'underweight' bars are produced from edge regions increasing production costs
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable driver elements rotate continuously to prevent adhesion of confectionery mass to the side walls, ensuring that edge region bars have sufficient weight and meet quality specifications, thereby eliminating the need for additional material input and reducing production costs
3Manufacturing precision
If co-rotating driver elements with larger outer diameter are introduced, then carpet density and height uniformity is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The driver elements serve multiple functions: they rotate to prevent adhesion of confectionery mass, they define the container's lateral boundaries, and they work in coordination with the gap-forming elements to ensure uniform carpet formation. This multi-functionality justifies the increased structural complexity by delivering significant improvements in carpet quality
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
This solution ensures a uniform density and height of the carpet, eliminating the need for adjusting production to meet weight limits, reducing material input and production costs by preventing 'underweight' bars and maintaining even side edges.
Implementation Method 1
Confectionery mass tends to adhere to stationary side walls during carpet formation
Data Source
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AI summary
Device (1) for forming a carpet (2) of confectionery mass (3), comprises a first gap formation element (4); and a second gap formation element (8). The second gap formation element is formed as a rotationally drivable roller with a circumferential surface and a first outer diameter. The first gap formation element, and the second gap formation element are arranged and formed relatively to each other to form a gap, through which the confectionery mass and the thickness of the carpet can be inserted through the height of the gap. Device (1) for forming a carpet (2) of confectionery mass (3), comprises a first gap formation element (4); and a second gap formation element (8). The second gap formation element is formed as a rotationally drivable roller with a circumferential surface and a first outer diameter. The first gap formation element, and the second gap formation element are arranged and formed relatively to each other to form a gap, through which the confectionery mass and the thickness of the carpet can be inserted through the height of the gap. The second gap formation element is formed so that the carpet is collected on a part of circumferential surface of the second gap formation member, carried with the surface during the rotation and can be removed from the surface. The second gap formation element has a respective co-rotating driving element in its two axially outer areas with a larger second outer diameter compared to the first outer diameter.