Dough Conveyor Nozzle Aperture for Precise Fat Feed Adjustment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing dough conveyor devices lack precision and ease of use in adjusting the amount of fat applied to dough sheets, making it difficult to achieve desired dough quality and optimize fat consumption.

Innovation Solution

A dough sheet conveyor device with a nozzle and adjustable orifice featuring a slider that can be displaced at an angle greater than 0 degrees, guided by slots or grooves, and operated via a threaded spindle connected to a handle, allowing for precise control of the passage cross-sectional area without requiring high skill levels, and enabling tool-free disassembly for cleaning.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If the slider is moved parallel to the infeed direction (0 degrees), then the adjustment mechanism is simple, but the precision of passage cross-sectional area control is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepassage cross-sectional area control precisionVSAvoidoperator skill requirement
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The slider movement direction is changed from parallel (0 degrees) to angled (greater than 0 degrees) relative to the infeed direction. This dimensional change in the adjustment mechanism allows the operator to achieve very small changes in passage cross-sectional area with easier, more intuitive motion, reducing skill requirements while improving precision

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Ease of manufacture

If the device components are tightly assembled for compactness, then the device size is reduced, but cleaning access and disassembly become difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning easeVSAvoiddisassembly complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The device is divided into separable components including the removable screen and the adjustable slider assembly. These segments can be detached without tools, allowing easy access to internal surfaces for cleaning while maintaining a compact assembled configuration

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

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

Enables precise and easy adjustment of fat application, improving dough quality and optimizing fat consumption while simplifying operator interaction and facilitating cleaning.

Implementation Method 1

the slider can be moved by a threaded spindle. As a result, a further translation between a movement of an operator and the movement of the slider can be achieved, which in turn can improve the accuracy of the setting of the diaphragm

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThreaded spindle mechanism: Screw

Data Source

PatentEP4133941A1Dough strip conveyor with a device for feeding a pasty food product
Publication Date: 2023.02.15 FRITSCH BAKERY TECHNOLOGIES GMBH & CO KG
  • EP4133941A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4133941A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4133941A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A dough conveyor (1) with a device (2) for feeding a pasty foodstuff (3), in particular fat or butter. The device (2) comprises a nozzle (6) and an adjustable aperture (7) which includes a plate (8) with an opening (9) and a slide (10), wherein the slide (10) is configured to at least partially cover the opening (9) and to limit a passage cross-sectional area (11) of the aperture (7) in a feed direction (Z). The dough conveyor is characterized in that the slide (10) is displaceable in an adjustment direction (V), wherein the adjustment direction (V) is oriented at an angle greater than 0 degrees relative to the feed direction (Z).