Cryogenic tunnel with conveyor for producing capsules of food products, in particular of sauce
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing ice cubes or pellets face issues with adhesion to the belt, leading to demoulding difficulties and material losses, particularly in cryogenic processing.
Innovation Solution
A novel conveyor belt system with unitary moulds and automatic ejection mechanism, utilizing a stainless-steel 'chain-plate' or 'bucket' conveyor belt structure, where each pellet is automatically demoulded by applying opposing forces through the conveyor's rotation, allowing for easy detachment from the moulds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional indented belts are used for cryogenic processing, then the belt structure is simple, but adhesion occurs leading to demoulding difficulties and material losses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the surface energy parameter of the belt by applying a non-stick coating (such as Teflon) to the indentations. This coating reduces the adhesion between the frozen product and the belt surface, enabling easy demoulding without material loss while maintaining the conventional indented belt structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure by combining the metallic belt base material with a non-stick polymer coating layer. This composite approach leverages the mechanical strength of metal and the low adhesion properties of materials like PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) to solve the demoulding problem.
2Ease of operation
If pre-cooling the belt in cryogenic liquid is implemented, then adhesion is reduced and demoulding is facilitated, but the processing time increases and throughput decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The non-stick coating is applied in advance to the belt surface, creating a permanent low-adhesion surface. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for repeated pre-cooling cycles, allowing continuous operation at optimal throughput while maintaining easy demoulding throughout the process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the thermal pre-cooling mechanism with a surface property modification approach. Instead of using cold temperatures to reduce adhesion temporarily, the non-stick coating provides a permanent mechanical/chemical surface property that prevents adhesion, eliminating the time-consuming pre-cooling step.
3Loss of substance
If stainless steel conveyor belt with non-stick properties is used, then material losses are reduced and demoulding is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the surface energy parameter of the conveyor belt by applying a non-stick coating, transforming a high-adhesion metal surface into a low-adhesion surface. This parameter change achieves material loss reduction without requiring complex mechanical demoulding systems or multiple belt components.
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 significantly improves throughput and reduces material losses by ensuring easy and efficient demoulding of frozen products, even at low temperatures, using stainless steel's non-stick properties and mechanical ejection.
Implementation Method 1
using stainless steel's non-stick properties and mechanical ejection
Implementation Method 2
each pellet is automatically demoulded by ejection, the ejection being effected by a given element of the structure of the conveyor belt
Implementation Method 3
the field of methods and installations for the cryogenic processing of products, in particular food products, and especially methods and installations for manufacturing 'ice cubes' or 'pellets'
Data Source
AI summary
Equipment for manufacturing pellets of liquid or pasty products, comprising a tunnel and comprising a conveyor belt capable of transporting the product to be processed in the equipment along a processing path that passes through the various zones of the equipment, wherein the conveyor belt is equipped with unitary moulds, or else unitary moulds are formed in the structure of the conveyor belt, wherein the equipment comprises a pellet demoulding zone situated at the outlet of the tunnel or immediately downstream of the outlet of the tunnel, the demoulding zone operating in a rotation zone of the conveyor, and wherein the structure of the belt allows each pellet to be automatically demoulded by ejection, the ejection being effected by a given element of the structure of the conveyor belt on account of opposing forces being applied to the walls of the mould in the demoulding zone.