Food Dispensing Pump with Segmented Rotor and Elastomeric Chamber
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pumps for dispensing liquid, semi-liquid, or semi-solid food products, particularly creamy or high-density items like creams and chocolates, require frequent laborious cleaning to prevent bacterial proliferation, and there is a need for a more efficient and rapid sanitization method.
Innovation Solution
A pump design featuring a rotor with lobes that operates within an airtight chamber with elastomeric elements, creating a sealed dispensing path, allowing for easy disassembly and cleaning, similar to a peristaltic pump but with enhanced ease of maintenance and adaptability for high-density products.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a peristaltic pump is used for dispensing food products, then the product can be dispensed through the tap, but the pump requires frequent cleaning operations to prevent bacterial proliferation
Solution Approach 1:
The pump is divided into separable components: the housing (10, 11) can be detached from the rotor (8) and elastomeric elements (12). This segmentation allows each component to be independently cleaned or replaced, reducing the overall cleaning time and effort required to maintain sanitary conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotor (8) and elastomeric elements (12) are designed to be extractable from the housing (10, 11). This extraction capability enables rapid removal of parts that come into contact with food products, allowing for quick cleaning or replacement without disassembling the entire pump structure.
2Reliability
If a peristaltic pump is used for dispensing food products, then the product can be dispensed through the tap, but the cleaning operations are laborious and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The pump components are segmented into easily separable parts (housing, rotor, elastomeric elements) that can be independently handled during cleaning. This segmentation makes the cleaning process less laborious by allowing operators to focus only on the necessary components.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotor and elastomeric elements can be extracted from the housing for separate cleaning or replacement. This extraction simplifies the cleaning operation by allowing direct access to critical surfaces without complex disassembly procedures.
3Device complexity
If a traditional pump design is used, then the structure is established, but the cleaning process is complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The pump structure is segmented into modular components that can be independently removed and cleaned. This segmentation maintains structural integrity during operation while enabling rapid sanitization by allowing selective disassembly of only the necessary parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump is designed with pre-considered disassembly features that allow for preliminary preparation of components for cleaning. The housing, rotor, and elastomeric elements are configured to be easily separated before cleaning begins, reducing the overall sanitization time.
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 pump effectively handles high-density products while reducing cleaning and maintenance needs, offering a simpler and more rapid sanitization process compared to traditional designs.
Implementation Method 1
The pump comprises an inlet opening (6), which has to be engaged in the tap (4), an outlet opening (7), which constitutes the opening from which the product required by the operator comes out, and a dispensing path P between the inlet opening (6) and the outlet opening (7)
Data Source
AI summary
A pump for dispensing semi-liquid food products includes an inlet opening, an outlet opening, a dispensing path between the inlet opening and the outlet opening, a rotor for pushing the product along the dispensing path, and an airtight chamber, interposed between the inlet and outlet openings and coaxially containing the rotor. The dispensing path is defined by a cyclically choked gap formed between an outer periphery of the rotor, including three projecting and angularly equidistant lobes, and an inner periphery of the airtight chamber, which is elastically deformable.