Ice Confection Device Bypass Path for Re-cooling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing ice confection producing devices face issues with melting and leakage of ice confection in the extruding path due to external air temperature, leading to quality decline and waste, especially when multiple kinds of ice confections are produced and mixed.

Innovation Solution

An ice confection producing device with a cooling cylinder, extruding means, and a circulating path that allows ice confection to be re-cooled by efficiently using the press force applied, with the circulating path branching from the extruding path and connecting to the cooling cylinder, enabling the return of melted ice confection to the cooling cylinder for re-cooling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the ice confection supplying path is kept closed during production and storage, then the ice confection quality is maintained in the cooling cylinder, but the ice confection inside the supplying path melts due to external air temperature

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveice confection qualityVSAvoidice confection temperature in supplying path

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by circulating ice confection through the supplying path before it melts, maintaining its temperature and quality. The circulation system proactively prevents melting by continuously moving the ice confection, rather than reacting after melting occurs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The circulation pump operates continuously to maintain ice confection movement through the supplying path, ensuring uninterrupted cooling effect and preventing temperature rise that would lead to melting and quality degradation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

2Productivity

If press force is applied to extrude melted ice confection through the open-close member, then the ice confection is discharged, but the melted ice confection scatters around causing waste and cleaning requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveice confection dischargeVSAvoidice confection waste

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the harmful effect of melted ice confection into a benefit by using the meltwater as part of the circulation medium. The melted portions are drawn back into the cooling cylinder through the circulation system, where they are re-cooled and reused, transforming waste into a valuable resource

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of discarding melted ice confection as waste, the system recovers it by drawing the melted portions back into the cooling cylinder through the circulation pump, where they are re-cooled and returned to the supplying path for continued use

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

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

Prevents melting and leakage of ice confection in the extruding path, maintaining quality and reducing waste by re-cooling the ice confection inside the cooling cylinder, suitable for devices producing multiple kinds of ice confections.

Implementation Method 1

a cooling cylinder (5), wherein one end of the bypass (2d) is connected to a main path (2c) extending from the cooling cylinder (4), and the other end of the bypass (2d) is connected to inside the cooling cylinder (4)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

ice confection extruding means for pushing out the ice confection

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPressure force: Pressure Increase

Data Source

PatentEP2050343B1Ice confection producing device and ice confection producing method

Publication Date: 2015.10.28 NISSEI CO LTD

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AI summary

A front lid (2) of an ice confection producing device (1) has a main path (2c) for supplying outward an ice confection pushed out from a cooling cylinder (4) by a stirring blade (6) and also has a bypass (2d) branched from that portion of the main path (2c) that is near a plunger (3) and connected to the cooling cylinder (4). A connection opening (2d-1) of the bypass (2d) is formed at a position corresponding to a portion where a rotating shaft, or a center bar (5), is attached. The construction enables an ice confection that is in the ice confection supplying path (main path (2c)) and has started to melt by influence of the outside temperature to be circulated in order that the ice confection is cooled again in the cooling cylinder (4). That is, the ice confection producing device can re-cool the ice confection that is present in the main path and a missing main path while the ice confection is not taken out.