Frozen Confection Nozzle with Opposite Direction Motion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for producing frozen confectionery products, such as ice cream cones, fail to create visually appealing and detailed decorative shapes, as they often result in deformed extrusions when the nozzle is stationary, lacking the fine detail and attractiveness sought by consumers.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and process involving a nozzle with narrow apertures and an extrusion plate, where the nozzle moves in the opposite direction to the extrusion, allowing for the creation of thin, well-defined streams of frozen confection that can form intricate designs, such as spirals and flowers, by controlling the aperture size, flow rate, and temperature.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the nozzle is stationary during extrusion, then the process is simple to operate, but the extrusion produces deformed shapes lacking fine detail and visual appeal
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle is made movable relative to the extrusion direction, transitioning from a stationary to a dynamic positioning system. The nozzle moves in the opposite direction to the extrusion flow, creating a controlled relative motion that enables precise shape formation while maintaining operational simplicity through automated coordination of nozzle and extrusion movements.
2Manufacturing precision
If the aperture size is reduced to create fine detail, then the decorative quality improves, but the extrusion flow becomes more difficult to control
Solution Approach 1:
The system maintains continuous extrusion flow while the nozzle moves in the opposite direction. This continuous relative motion ensures that the frozen confection is constantly shaped by the moving nozzle aperture, preventing flow stagnation and maintaining smooth, controlled extrusion even through narrow apertures, thereby enabling fine detail without flow control difficulties.
3Shape
If the nozzle moves in the opposite direction to extrusion, then decorative shapes with fine detail are produced, but the process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle motion system is merged with the extrusion mechanism, where the nozzle movement in the opposite direction to extrusion is coordinated as an integrated process. This combining of motions allows decorative shapes to be formed naturally through the relative movement, reducing the need for separate complex shaping mechanisms while achieving the desired decorative effect.
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 process produces frozen confectionery products with precise, decorative shapes and fine details on the surface, enhancing their visual appeal and allowing for the creation of various designs like spirals and flowers, while maintaining structural integrity through controlled wall thickness and temperature management.
Implementation Method 1
extruding the frozen confection from the chamber of the nozzle through the apertures of the extrusion plate
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for producing frozen confectionery products is provided, the apparatus comprising: means for supplying a frozen confection to the inlets of a nozzle; the nozzle comprising a chamber and an extrusion plate, wherein the extrusion plate defines one or more apertures; the apertures having a width of from 1 to 5 mm and a length of at least 10 mm; means for moving the nozzle in the opposite direction to the direction of extrusion. A process for producing frozen confectionery products, the process comprising: supplying a frozen confection to a nozzle, the nozzle comprising a chamber and an extrusion plate, wherein the extrusion plate defines one or more apertures; wherein the apertures have a width of from 1 to 5 mm and a length of at least 10 mm; extruding the frozen confection from the chamber of the nozzle through the apertures of the extrusion plate; and simultaneously moving the nozzle in the opposite direction to the direction of extrusion; and stopping the flow of the frozen confection is also provided.