Automated Ice Cream Machine Cleaning System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional ice cream and yogurt machine cleaning methods are labor-intensive, inefficient, and prone to component damage, as they require manual disassembly and cannot thoroughly clean critical components like freezing cylinders, leading to contamination risks and reduced machine lifespan.
Innovation Solution
An automated system and method for cleaning and washing ice cream or yogurt machines that allows for thorough cleaning of pipelines and freezing cylinders without disassembly, using a control panel to manage the process, a liquid container that can switch between raw material and detergent tanks, and a pump to circulate cleaning liquids through the system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual disassembly and cleaning method is used, then cleaning access to components is improved, but labor time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service cleaning by automatically circulating cleaning solution through all components including freezing cylinders, dispensing mechanisms, and pipelines without requiring manual disassembly. The automated circulation system performs cleaning functions that would otherwise require significant manual labor and time investment.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses hydraulic circulation of cleaning solution through the system components. A pump circulates cleaning liquid through freezing cylinders, dispensing mechanisms, and pipelines, enabling thorough cleaning without manual disassembly. The hydraulic system delivers cleaning solution to hard-to-reach areas automatically.
2Ease of operation
If manual disassembly is performed, then component cleaning is possible, but component damage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
Components clean themselves through automated circulation of cleaning solution. The system eliminates the need for manual handling, disassembly, and reassembly of components, thereby preventing damage while ensuring thorough cleaning of all surfaces including freezing cylinders and internal pipelines.
Solution Approach 2:
Hydraulic circulation delivers cleaning solution through all components without mechanical contact. The pump-driven flow cleans freezing cylinders, dispensing mechanisms, and pipelines internally, avoiding the mechanical stress and potential damage associated with manual disassembly and reassembly operations.
3Productivity
If traditional washing method is used, then some components are cleaned, but cleaning thoroughness is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The hydraulic circulation system thoroughly cleans all components including freezing cylinders, dispensing mechanisms, and pipelines. The pump-driven cleaning solution flow reaches all internal surfaces and hard-to-access areas, ensuring complete cleaning coverage that manual methods cannot achieve, thereby meeting high hygiene standards.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated cleaning system universally cleans all components of the ice cream machine through a single circulation process. The cleaning solution flows through freezing cylinders, dispensing mechanisms, pipelines, and other components, providing comprehensive cleaning coverage that addresses hygiene requirements for the entire system.
4Reliability
If periodic manual cleaning is performed, then contamination prevention is attempted, but cleaning efficiency is low
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service cleaning automatically, maintaining hygiene standards without requiring periodic manual intervention. The automated circulation of cleaning solution continuously cleans components, preventing contamination buildup while eliminating the time and labor associated with manual cleaning operations.
Solution Approach 2:
Hydraulic circulation provides efficient and thorough cleaning of all components including freezing cylinders and pipelines. The pump-driven system delivers cleaning solution under pressure to all areas, ensuring complete contamination removal while operating quickly and automatically, thereby achieving both high hygiene standards and cleaning efficiency.
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
Enhances cleaning efficiency, reduces labor, prolongs machine lifespan, and ensures thorough cleaning of all components, including freezing cylinders, without manual disassembly, thereby preventing contamination and improving hygiene.
Implementation Method 1
a pump adapted for pumping the one or more raw materials from the liquid container to the freezing cylinder and the frozen soft-serve product from the freezing cylinder to the dispensing device via the pipeline
Implementation Method 2
a thermal exchange device having a first outlet connecting to the inlet of the direct expansion evaporator with a first refrigerant duct for feeding cold liquid refrigerant into the exchange channel of the direct expansion evaporator
Implementation Method 3
the refrigerant is in liquid phase under a predetermined high pressure when entering into the helical heat exchange channel and is in gaseous phase when exiting the helical heat exchange channel
Implementation Method 4
The liquid phase refrigerant is rapidly converting into gaseous phase after the liquid refrigerant entering the relatively lower pressure and larger space of the heat exchange channel due to an expansion of area within the heat exchange channel
Data Source
AI summary
A system for automatically cleaning and washing an ice cream machines includes a liquid container for storing raw materials; a freezing cylinder connected with the liquid container through a cleaning pathway; a water tank for storing rinse water to rinse the freezing cylinder and the cleaning pathway; a detergent tank for storing detergents to clean and wash the freezing cylinder and the cleaning pathway; a pump arranged on the cleaning pathway to selectively pump the raw material, the rinse water or the detergent; and a control panel adapted to control an on/off and cleaning.