Ice Cream Dot Clumping With Frozen Binder Fusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ice cream coating technologies face challenges in uniformly applying coatings to ice cream products at solid or semi-solid temperatures, leading to unappealing taste and appearance issues, especially when using cryogenically cooled equipment.
Innovation Solution
A method involving cryogenically manufactured ice cream units being conveyed to a rotating container where a liquid binder is applied, hardening to fuse individual units into clumps, which are then stored in a frozen form.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If coatings are applied to ice cream at solid or semi-solid temperatures, then the ice cream structure is maintained, but uniform coating application becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter of the ice cream from solid/semi-solid state to a more pliable state by temporary warming, enabling uniform coating application. After coating, the product is re-frozen to restore the desired structure. This parameter change resolves the contradiction by allowing coating at a temperature where the material is more workable while maintaining the final product structure through re-freezing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary warming to the ice cream before coating to make it pliable, then applies the coating, and finally re-freezes it. This sequence of preliminary action (warming), main action (coating), and finishing action (re-freezing) allows uniform coating application while maintaining the final structural integrity.
2Temperature
If cryogenically cooled equipment is used to maintain ice cream temperature, then the frozen state is preserved, but coating uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically adjusts the temperature of the ice cream during the coating process by temporarily removing it from cryogenic cooling, warming it to a pliable state for uniform coating application, then returning it to cryogenic cooling after coating. This dynamic temperature adjustment resolves the contradiction between maintaining frozen state and achieving coating uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the temperature parameter from cryogenically cooled state to a higher temperature state during coating, then returns it to the original cryogenic state. This parameter change enables uniform coating application while preserving the final frozen state and structural integrity.
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 method ensures uniform coating and fusion of ice cream units into clumps, enhancing product appearance and taste while maintaining the frozen state, addressing the uniformity and temperature-related issues in existing technologies.
Implementation Method 1
disposing a liquid on the units while the units are within the rotating container, wherein the liquid hardens into a binder that facilitates fusion of individual units with one another
Data Source
AI summary
A method for producing clumped frozen food products includes the steps of forming a plurality of cryogenically manufactured ice cream units; conveying the units along a conveyor to a rotating container; disposing a liquid on the units while the units are within the rotating container, wherein the liquid hardens into a binder that facilitates fusion of individual units with one another to form a plurality of clumps, each of the clumps respectively comprising a plurality of fused units coupled with the binder. After forming into clumps, the clumps may be removed from the rotating container and stored in a frozen form.