Helical Movement Device with Frontal Blade for Fluid Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing machines for dispensing refrigerated fluid or pasty products face inefficiencies in product movement and ice accumulation on the cooling element, leading to reduced flow and potential damage from excessive ice buildup.
Innovation Solution
A movement device with a helical element and scraper means that maintains the cooling element's surface free from ice and frozen products, utilizing connecting elements and frontal blades to enhance product flow and prevent ice accumulation, ensuring efficient thermal exchange and continuous dispensing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a helical element is used to move the product, then the product is pushed towards the dispensing area, but the axial push is limited and exhausts quickly, causing product stagnation near the faucet
Solution Approach 1:
The movement device is segmented into multiple functional elements: the helical element for initial product pushing, and one or more frontal blades positioned downstream to provide additional axial push. This segmentation allows the device to maintain continuous product movement throughout the dispensing area, preventing stagnation near the faucet while keeping the helical element for its primary function.
2Temperature
If the cooling element operates continuously at low temperatures, then the product is kept refrigerated, but ice and frozen products accumulate on the external surface, limiting thermal exchange and product flow
Solution Approach 1:
The scraper means are positioned to continuously or periodically remove ice and frozen product accumulations from the cooling element surface before they can significantly impede thermal exchange or product flow. This preliminary action maintains the cooling element's effectiveness throughout operation, preventing the buildup that would otherwise limit productivity.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If ice accumulations build up excessively on the cooling element, then thermal exchange is limited and product flow is restricted, but excessive thickness can also damage the movement device and transmission members
Solution Approach 1:
The scraper means, initially designed to maintain thermal exchange efficiency by removing ice accumulations, also serve as a protective mechanism against excessive ice buildup that could damage the movement device. By continuously clearing the cooling element surface, the scrapers prevent the harmful transformation of ice from a manageable accumulation to a damaging force.
4Loss of energy
If the cooling element surface is covered by ice and frozen product, then thermal exchange between the cooling element and product is strongly limited, but the ice layer also acts as an insulator reducing cooling efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The scraper means operate continuously or periodically to maintain the cooling element surface free from ice and frozen product accumulations. This continuous action ensures that the thermal exchange between the cooling element and the product remains efficient throughout operation, preventing energy loss that would occur with ice insulation.
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 solution enables efficient product movement and maintains the cooling element's surface clear of ice, ensuring continuous and abundant dispensing while preventing damage from ice buildup, thus improving thermal efficiency and product flow.
Implementation Method 1
a helical element, arranged with helical development around a longitudinal axis, which is predisposed to rotate concentrically externally of the cooling element. The inclination of the helix and the sense of rotation of the helical element are such as to push the fluid product in advancement along the longitudinal axis
Implementation Method 2
the cooling element, normally consisting of an evaporator, is contained in a cylindrical casing... the external surface of the cooling element is in fact a seat for the formation of accumulations of ice and/or of frozen products... strongly limits both the thermal exchange between the cooling element and the product
Data Source
AI summary
A movement device, in particular for fluid or pasty products, including: a helical element (2), arranged with helical development about a longitudinal axis (x) thereof and being predisposed to rotate concentrically externally of a cooling element (100) in such a way as to push a fluid product in advancement along the longitudinal axis (x); a first connecting element (3), predisposed to reciprocally connect and maintain the turns of the helical element (2) distant from one another; a hub (4), predisposed to enable connecting the helical element (2) to a rotating element (110) predisposed to activate the helical element (2) in rotation about the longitudinal axis (x) thereof; a first frontal blade (10), arranged downstream of the helical element (2), conformed such as to push a fluid product in advancement along the longitudinal axis (x) downstream of the helical element (2).