Heated Scraper for Chocolate Coating Belt
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dragee-coating devices face issues with the accumulation of coating material on the circulating belt, leading to uneven coating, material wastage, and adhesion of objects to each other, due to the formation of lumps and difficulty in cleaning the belt.
Innovation Solution
A heated strip-shaped scraper is positioned adjacent to the belt to melt and redistribute the adhering coating material back onto the objects, preventing thick layer accumulation and ensuring even coating by adjusting temperature and distance, with a web-shaped depositing surface and groove design to facilitate material reuse.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a circulating belt is used for coating, then coating material is evenly distributed over the surface of objects, but coating material accumulates on the belt forming thick layers that are difficult to remove
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the accumulated coating material from the belt using a doctor blade that mechanically scrapes off the adhering mass, separating the harmful accumulation from the useful coating function
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the temperature parameter of the belt by providing heating means to keep the temperature within a predetermined range, preventing excessive cooling that would cause material accumulation and sticking
2Productivity
If coating material adheres to the belt, then coating is applied to objects, but lumps form and objects stick to each other
Solution Approach 1:
The doctor blade continuously removes adhering coating material before it can form lumps and cause object sticking, extracting the harmful accumulation from the system
Solution Approach 2:
The heating means applies thermal energy in advance to maintain the belt temperature within the optimal range, preventing coating material from sticking and forming lumps before they can occur
3Ease of manufacture
If a doctor blade is used to scrape coating material, then belt cleaning is achieved, but damage to the belt from sticking occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The heating means maintains the belt temperature within a predetermined range, preventing the coating material from cooling and sticking to the belt, thereby eliminating the mechanical stress and damage that would occur during scraping operations
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
This solution simplifies belt cleaning, reduces material wastage, and prevents lump formation, ensuring consistent and efficient dragee-coating by melting excess material and returning it to objects, thus maintaining process efficiency and quality.
Implementation Method 1
a heated strip-shaped scraper is provided adjacent to the circulating belt, by means of which coating material adhering to the belt can be melted and returned to the objects to be coated
Implementation Method 2
a heating device is provided on the dragee-coating belt, so that the temperature of the dragee-coating belt and the spray mass located thereon is kept within a predetermined temperature range
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
The sugar coating device (1) for chocolate, comprises a circulating belt (3), on which objects (5) to be coated are arranged at a reception (8) formed through the belt, a unit for supplying coating material to the objects, a heatable strip-shaped aluminum scraper, by which adhered coating material is meltable at the belt, and a controller. The scraper is arranged adjacent to the circulating belt and recirculated to the objects to be coated, is movable and has a temperature of 70-80[deg] C during coating. A distance between the belt and the scraper is changeable. The sugar coating device (1) for chocolate, comprises a circulating belt (3), on which objects (5) to be coated are arranged at a reception (8) formed through the belt, a unit for supplying coating material to the objects, a heatable strip-shaped aluminum scraper, by which adhered coating material is meltable at the belt, and a controller. The scraper is arranged adjacent to the circulating belt and recirculated to the objects to be coated, is movable and has a temperature of 70-80[deg] C during coating. A distance between the belt and the scraper is changeable. The scraper has a spike turned to the belt and a groove vertically running to the moving direction of the belt. A web-shaped depositing surface for the coating material is formed between the groove and the spike. The distance between the spike of the scraper and the belt is 0.8-1.5 mm. The depositing surface has a width of 5-8 mm. The belt and the depositing surface have an angle of 50-80[deg] . An automatic removal of the scraper from the belt is carried out by the controller during the stagnation of the belt. The temperature and the distance of the scraper from the belt are controlled depending of the coating material.