Machine for making liquid and semi-liquid products
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing technologies in the ice cream, bakery, and confectionery sectors face challenges in quickly producing small quantities of liquid or semi-liquid products on customer demand while ensuring food safety and reducing contamination risks.
Innovation Solution
A machine equipped with a thermal system using dual heat exchanger fluids and a cleaning device, allowing for efficient production and hygiene maintenance, featuring a rotatable processing container and a drive shaft mechanism for easy operation and cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a machine produces liquid or semi-liquid products in small quantities on customer demand, then productivity and customer service are improved, but the risk of product contamination increases due to frequent handling and exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a closed system where the processing container is sealed during operation, creating a controlled environment that prevents contamination from the external atmosphere while allowing rapid production of small quantities on demand
Solution Approach 2:
The machine divides the processing system into separate sealed components (processing container, cleaning device, thermal system) that can be independently managed and sterilized, reducing cross-contamination risks while maintaining high productivity
2Reliability
If a machine is designed for easy cleaning and hygiene maintenance, then food safety is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional cleaning mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning device is designed to automatically clean the processing container through rotation and spray mechanisms, eliminating the need for manual disassembly and cleaning while maintaining high food safety standards
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning function is integrated into the existing processing container structure, combining cleaning mechanisms with the processing components rather than adding separate complex cleaning systems
3Ease of operation
If a rotatable processing container with drive shaft mechanism is used, then ease of operation and cleaning are improved, but device complexity increases due to additional mechanical components
Solution Approach 1:
The drive shaft mechanism serves multiple functions: it rotates the processing container during operation for mixing and during cleaning for spray distribution, eliminating the need for separate rotation mechanisms and simplifying the overall structure
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
Enables rapid production of small quantities of ice cream and other products while ensuring food safety and hygiene, reducing contamination risks and improving efficiency in heat exchange and cleaning processes.
Implementation Method 1
a thermal system (14) for performing at least one thermodynamic cycle using a heat exchanger fluid and including a compressor (20), a first heat exchanger (21) and a pressure reducing element (22), all having the heat exchanger fluid flowing through them
Implementation Method 2
a second heat exchanger (24) in which the heat exchanger fluid circulates
Data Source
AI summary
A machine for making liquid or semi-liquid products includes a thermal system using a main heat exchanger fluid, a compressor, a first heat exchanger and a pressure reducing element, all affected by circulation of the main heat exchanger fluid. A motor includes a drive shaft rotatable about a vertical axis. A production unit includes a first container with a processing chamber for making ice cream and a stirrer insertable into the first processing container. A second container includes a cavity rotatably housing the first container and which is fixed relative to a frame. Channels for circulating the main heat exchanger fluid are associated with the second container and define for the thermal system a second heat exchanger in which the main heat exchanger fluid circulates. A coupling mechanism couples the first container and drive shaft for transmission of motion from the motor to the first container.