Helical Scraper Stirrer for Ice Cream Freezing Cylinder
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ice cream machine stirrers face issues with ice buildup on the cylinder walls, leading to poor ice cream quality and potential stirrer damage, and are difficult to clean, risking bacteriological contamination.
Innovation Solution
A stirrer design with helical scrapers mounted on a shaft, featuring interchangeable plastic scraping members with a fixed angle of incidence, allowing for efficient scraping and easy cleaning, reducing bacterial risk and improving product quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If scrapers are integrated into the stirrer structure to prevent ice buildup on cylinder walls, then ice scraping effectiveness is improved, but device complexity increases and cleaning difficulty worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The stirrer is divided into separate functional components: a central shaft and detachable scraper assemblies. Each scraper assembly can be independently removed from the shaft, allowing the scraper elements to be separated from the drive mechanism. This segmentation enables simpler main stirrer structure while maintaining effective ice scraping capability through dedicated scraper components.
Solution Approach 2:
The scraper assemblies are extracted as separate removable units from the stirrer shaft. This allows the scraping function to be performed by dedicated elements that can be easily detached and cleaned independently, reducing the complexity of the permanent stirrer structure while maintaining effective ice removal capability.
2Ease of operation
If scrapers are made as separate parts mounted with springs and elastic elements to enable cleaning, then ease of cleaning is improved, but device complexity increases and maintenance time worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The scraper assembly is segmented into modular components that can be easily detached from the shaft without requiring disassembly of complex mounting mechanisms. Each scraper unit can be independently removed by simple manual manipulation, eliminating the need for springs and elastic elements while maintaining ease of cleaning access.
3Productivity
If the stirrer operates continuously without full immersion in product, then mixing efficiency is improved, but ice cream buildup on stirrer surfaces worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The helical scrapers continuously engage with the cylinder wall during the entire rotation cycle, maintaining constant scraping action that prevents ice buildup. This continuous useful action of scraping occurs simultaneously with the mixing operation, ensuring both functions operate effectively without interruption or buildup issues.
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 design ensures quicker and easier cleaning, prevents ice buildup, maintains product quality, and reduces maintenance complexity, ensuring safer and smoother ice cream production.
Implementation Method 1
helical scrapers (7) extending around an axis A... operate on a cylindrical inside wall (10) of the mixing and freezing unit (2) to scrape the wall (10) so to prevent the formation of layers of ice
Data Source
AI summary
A stirrer of a machine for making and dispensing ice cream products rotates about an axis inside a cylindrical mixing and freezing unit and comprises a plurality of helical scrapers extending around the axis and operating on an inside wall of the mixing and freezing unit to be scraped, a shaft for rotating the stirrer about the axis and mounting the helical scrapers at a first end of them. Each helical scraper comprises a guide and at least one scraping member which can be slidably coupled to and uncoupled from the guide.