Heated Food Dispensing Flow Path to Prevent Clogging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for heating and dispensing viscous or solid edible food substances, such as butter, often face issues with clogging and poor sprayability due to incomplete melting, leading to inefficiencies in converting these substances into a liquid state suitable for various applications.
Innovation Solution
A dispensing system that includes a heating band wrapped around a reservoir for efficient melting, a temperature sensor for ensuring the substance reaches a suitable liquid state before dispensing, and a control circuit to prevent clogging by maintaining the substance in a liquid form, along with a peristaltic pump and heated dispensing tube for continuous flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a simple heating element is used to melt the food substance, then the device complexity is reduced, but the melting efficiency and temperature uniformity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element is segmented into multiple heating zones along the dispensing tube, with each zone independently controllable. This segmentation allows different parts of the tube to be heated to different temperatures, ensuring complete melting of viscous food substances while maintaining efficient operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating approach transitions from a single-point or single-zone heater to a distributed multi-zone heating system along the length of the dispensing tube. This dimensional expansion of the heating structure improves melting efficiency by addressing temperature gradients throughout the entire fluid path.
2Reliability
If the food substance is heated to a higher temperature to ensure complete melting, then the liquid state is achieved, but the risk of overheating and degradation increases
Solution Approach 1:
Temperature sensors are integrated into each heating zone, providing real-time feedback to the control system. The control circuit continuously monitors temperature and adjusts power delivery to maintain temperatures within the optimal range, preventing both incomplete melting and overheating degradation.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating system dynamically adjusts the power output of each heating zone based on real-time temperature conditions and dispensing requirements. This dynamic control allows the system to respond to changing thermal conditions, ensuring complete melting while preventing overheating damage.
3Ease of operation
If the dispensing tube is heated to prevent clogging, then the sprayability is improved, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary heating of the dispensing tube before actual dispensing begins, and maintains temperature only in the necessary zones. This preliminary and selective heating approach ensures good sprayability while minimizing energy consumption by avoiding continuous full-length heating.
Solution Approach 2:
Heating is applied locally to specific zones of the dispensing tube where temperature gradients are most critical, rather than uniformly heating the entire tube. This localized heating approach maintains sprayability in critical areas while reducing overall energy consumption.
4Measurement precision
If a temperature sensor and control circuit are added to monitor and control the heating, then the temperature control precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Temperature sensors provide continuous feedback to a microcontroller, which automatically adjusts the heating power to maintain precise temperature control. This feedback mechanism achieves high measurement precision and control accuracy while keeping the user interface simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system operates autonomously, using the temperature sensor data to self-regulate the heating process without requiring manual intervention. The system automatically maintains optimal temperatures, reducing the operational complexity for the user while achieving precise temperature control.
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 system effectively melts and maintains food substances in a liquid state, preventing clogging and ensuring optimal sprayability, making it suitable for a range of applications including viscous and solid-to-liquid transformations.
Implementation Method 1
an arcuately curved heating band complementary configured to the reservoir and in conformal contact with exterior side surfaces of the reservoir, the heating band operable to melt the food substance therein to produce a liquid
Implementation Method 2
heat the dispensing tube and associated dispensing nozzle to prevent the liquid from solidifying
Data Source
AI summary
A dispensing system for heating and dispensing a food substance in a liquid state includes a portable dispensing unit including housing including a reservoir for holding a food substance, a heater operable to heat the substance to an operating temperature for producing a liquid, and a pump for dispensing the liquid via a dispensing tube and spray nozzle. A manually activated actuator operates to initiate the dispensing cycle. Control circuitry associated with the dispensing unit monitors the liquid temperature and controls operation of pump and unit. The dispensing unit may be powered by a rechargeable battery. A charging base provides a dock for recharging the battery of the dispensing unit. The pump may include an auto-reverse feature to draw the liquid back into reservoir when not dispensing the liquid for preventing clogs in the dispensing system.