Center-Filled Confection Nozzle with Segmented Flow Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of center-filled confections like gummy candy and fruit snacks faces issues with candy tailing and off-centered fillings, leading to leakage and undesirable appearance, due to the preferential flow of the shell component in starch deposition equipment, which results in thin shell walls and exposure of the filler.
Innovation Solution
The use of a flow distributing apertured disk insert or manifold design with multiple entry points for the shell component to evenly distribute the shell component, preventing excessive flow and ensuring the filler remains centered, thereby maintaining uniform wall thickness and preventing leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single entry point for shell component is used in the manifold nozzle, then the device complexity is reduced, but the shell component flows preferentially down one side causing off-centered filling and thin shell walls
Solution Approach 1:
The single entry point for shell component is segmented into multiple entry points arranged around the perimeter of the manifold nozzle. This segmentation distributes the shell component flow more evenly around the filler, preventing preferential flow down one side and ensuring the filler remains centered while forming uniform shell walls.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the shell component viscosity is reduced to avoid candy tailing, then candy tailing is prevented, but the shell component flows more rapidly down the annular space causing off-centered filler positioning
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple entry points for shell component are arranged around the perimeter of the manifold nozzle, segmenting the flow path. This ensures that even when shell component has low viscosity and flows rapidly, the flow is distributed evenly around the filler, preventing off-centered positioning while maintaining smooth deposition without candy tailing.
3Strength
If the shell flow rate is increased to create thicker shell walls, then shell wall thickness increases, but the filler becomes off-centered due to preferential flow
Solution Approach 1:
The shell component flow is segmented into multiple streams through multiple entry points arranged around the filler. This allows the total shell flow rate to be increased to create thicker walls while the distributed arrangement prevents preferential flow that would cause off-centered filler positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
Each entry point provides localized flow control, allowing the shell component to be deposited evenly around the filler from multiple locations. This local quality approach ensures uniform wall thickness while maintaining filler concentricity, as each local flow stream contributes equally to the overall shell formation.
4Manufacturing precision
If multiple entry points are used for shell component, then the shell component is evenly distributed preventing off-centered filling, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The manifold nozzle is designed with multiple entry points that serve the universal function of distributing shell component flow evenly around the filler. This multi-functional design achieves uniform shell wall formation while the entry points are integrated into the existing nozzle structure, minimizing additional complexity.
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 approach results in center-filled confections with uniformly thick walls, reduced leakage, and a desirable appearance, allowing for higher liquid filler content without decentering, and maintaining product integrity during handling and storage.
Implementation Method 1
distributing the shell component at least substantially evenly throughout an annular passageway of each manifold nozzle prior to contact of the filler component and the shell component
Implementation Method 2
In the mass production of center filled confections such as gummy candy, also known as jelly candy or fruit snacks using starch deposition equipment
Data Source
AI summary
Center filled confections, such as gummy or jelly candies or fruit snacks are continuously produced by co-deposition into a mold without candy tailing to obtain products with substantially uniform side walls and little, if any, shell breakage and filler leakage or bleed-out problems. Decentering of the filler and its accompanying production of thin or weak shell walls is avoided by at least substantially preventing excessive flow of a fluid or liquid shell component along a single side of shell introduction into the manifold nozzle or nozzle cavity. At least substantially uniform flow of the shell component in an annular passageway of a co-deposition nozzle assembly may be achieved with an apertured disk insert, a plurality of manifold bores, or opposing shell component entry points to evenly distribute the shell component and prevent or substantially reduce filler leakage or bleed-out.