Cooling station and method for cooling waffle blades
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling systems for wafer sheets, especially those with cream layers, face challenges in efficiently cooling multi-layered waffle products without damaging the products or contaminating the cooling device, as traditional spiral coolers require significant space and are complex, while vertical coolers are not suitable for cream-coated sheets.
Innovation Solution
A cooling station design featuring a wafer sheet conveyor with upward and downward sections, a displacement device that shifts sheets transversely to maintain cream-side up, and holding devices that allow horizontal transport and compartment alignment for efficient cooling without product damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If a spiral-shaped conveyor is used to cool wafer sheets, then sufficient cooling time is provided, but the device requires a relatively large amount of space and is complicated in construction
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor path is segmented into an ascending part and a descending part, with wafer sheets being transferred between these segments at deflection points. This segmentation allows the cooling process to occur along a vertical path rather than requiring a horizontal spiral, thereby reducing space requirements while maintaining adequate cooling duration
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling conveyor transitions from a horizontal spiral arrangement to a vertical arrangement with upward and downward sections. By utilizing the vertical dimension, the system achieves sufficient cooling time without requiring the large horizontal space that would be needed for a spiral conveyor of equivalent cooling capacity
2Device complexity
If wafer sheets are turned over at the upper deflection point of the conveyor, then the conveyor can transport sheets vertically with simple structure, but the cream side would rest on the compartments leading to damage and contamination
Solution Approach 1:
Wafer sheets are transferred from the ascending conveyor section to the descending conveyor section before reaching the upper deflection point. This preliminary transfer action ensures that sheets maintain their orientation with the cream side facing upward throughout the cooling process, preventing contact with the conveyor compartments and avoiding damage or contamination
Solution Approach 2:
A transfer area with transfer devices acts as an intermediary between the ascending and descending conveyor sections. These transfer devices enable the horizontal displacement of wafer sheets without requiring them to be turned over, thus maintaining product integrity while still achieving vertical conveyor operation
3Area of stationary object
If wafer sheets are conveyed upwards and then downwards in vertical sections, then space is reduced and structure is simplified, but sheets must be turned over which damages cream-coated products
Solution Approach 1:
The vertical conveyor is segmented into distinct ascending and descending sections connected by transfer areas. This segmentation allows for horizontal displacement of wafer sheets between sections without requiring 180-degree turns, thereby maintaining cream-side-up orientation while achieving compact vertical arrangement
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses vertical conveyance with horizontal transfer mechanisms to displace wafer sheets between upward and downward sections. This approach maintains the space-saving vertical configuration while avoiding the harmful turning action through operation in multiple dimensions
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 solution enables high-quality, damage-free cooling of wafer sheets and blocks with cream layers, optimizing space usage and maintaining cream integrity, thus enhancing the efficiency and reliability of the cooling process.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling area for cooling the wafer sheets
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
Method and cooling station for cooling wafer sheets (2), comprising: a cooling area (3) for cooling the wafer sheets (2), a wafer sheet conveyor (4) extending through the cooling area (3) for transporting the wafer sheets (2), a first conveying section (7) of the wafer sheet conveyor (4) in which the wafer sheets (2) are conveyed upwards substantially parallel and spaced apart, a second conveying section (8) of the wafer sheet conveyor (4) in which the wafer sheets (2) are conveyed downwards substantially parallel and spaced apart, a first deflection section (9) in which the wafer sheet conveyor (4) is deflected from the first conveying section (7) to the second conveying section (8), a second deflection section (10) in which the wafer sheet conveyor (4) is deflected from the second conveying section (8) back to the first conveying section (7),and a shifting device (11) which shifts the wafer sheets (2) transversely to the course of the wafer sheet conveyor (4) from one conveying section (7, 8) of the wafer sheet conveyor (4), in particular from the first conveying section (7), to the other conveying section (7, 8), in particular into the second conveying section (8).