Ice Cream Machine Stick Positioning via Rotatable Mould Groove
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ice cream machines face challenges in accurately positioning ice cream sticks due to inclusions, leading to misplacement and undesirable shapes, and existing stick insertion methods can cause offsetting and increased production inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
An ice cream machine with a rotatable unit, moulds featuring a groove for stick insertion, and an ejection mechanism that allows sticks to be placed correctly before filling with ice cream, reducing misplacement risks and enabling higher production capacity through controlled stick and ice cream handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a stick inserter is arranged to insert the stick into the ice cream after filling, then the process is simple, but the inclusions may cause misplacement of the stick and unacceptable shapes
Solution Approach 1:
The stick is inserted into the groove of the mould before the ice cream is filled into the mould. The rotatable unit rotates to bring the groove with the pre-inserted stick into the filling position, allowing the ice cream to be filled around the stick. This preliminary action ensures accurate stick positioning without being affected by inclusions in the ice cream.
2Ease of operation
If the stick is inserted after filling with ice cream, then the process is straightforward, but the stick may be offset compared to its intentional position
Solution Approach 1:
The stick providing arrangement supplies the stick to the groove of the mould before the filling operation. The rotatable unit then rotates to position the groove with the pre-inserted stick at the filling location, ensuring the stick is already in its correct position before ice cream is added, thereby preventing any offset.
3Device complexity
If traditional stick insertion methods are used, then the equipment is simple, but the production capacity is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The stick providing arrangement is merged with the rotatable unit that also handles the moulds. The groove in the mould serves dual purposes: holding the stick during rotation and receiving the ice cream filling. This integration allows simultaneous stick insertion and mould rotation, increasing production capacity without significantly increasing equipment complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotatable unit dynamically rotates to bring different grooves with pre-inserted sticks into the filling position sequentially. This dynamic rotation enables continuous operation with multiple moulds, significantly increasing production capacity compared to static insertion methods while maintaining relatively simple equipment structure.
4Ease of manufacture
If the stick is inserted after filling, then the process is simple, but holes and protrusions are caused by the inserted stick moving inclusions
Solution Approach 1:
The stick is inserted into the groove before the ice cream filling process. The ice cream is then filled around the pre-positioned stick, allowing inclusions to settle naturally without being displaced by a later stick insertion. This prevents holes and protrusions on the ice cream product surface.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to an ice cream machine having a filling zone and an emptying zone. The ice cream machine may include a rotatable unit, a mould for receiving ice cream, a stick providing arrangement, and a guiding structure arranged to prevent more than one stick from entering the groove of the mould from the stick providing arrangement. The stick providing arrangement is arranged such that a rotation of the rotatable unit causes the groove to match the position of the stick providing arrangement and thereby allow a single stick to enter the groove, wherein further rotation of the rotatable unit causes one of the sidewalls of the groove to bring the stick along the rotational movement of the rotatable unit.