Mixing device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ice cream mixing devices often leave compounds on the container walls, leading to non-homogeneous and less volumized products due to inadequate contact with cooled surfaces, resulting in a lower overrun and less creamy consistency.
Innovation Solution
A mixing device with a central hub and three skewed spokes, featuring external lateral fins and connection segments that form a truncated cone shape, allowing efficient contact with cooled surfaces and effective removal of compounds from the container walls, while incorporating air to increase volume and prevent ice crystal formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional mixing devices with whip-like or helicoidal shapes are used, then the mixing action is provided, but the compound remains on the container walls without being properly mixed
Solution Approach 1:
The mixing device transitions from conventional two-dimensional flat or helicoidal blades to a three-dimensional structure with lateral fins extending perpendicular to the rotation plane. This adds a new spatial dimension to the mixing action, enabling the fins to scrape and lift compound from the container walls while rotating, ensuring complete mixing and preventing compound accumulation on surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The mixing device is divided into multiple functional components: a central rotation axis, radial arms, and lateral fins extending from each arm. This segmentation allows different parts to perform specific functions - the radial arms provide structural support and rotation, while the lateral fins perform the actual scraping and mixing action against the container walls, improving overall mixing effectiveness.
2Device complexity
If the compound is not removed from the walls of the container regularly, then the mixing structure is simpler, but the part in contact with the cooled surface tends to freeze and gives a non-homogeneous compound
Solution Approach 1:
The lateral fins extend in the third dimension perpendicular to the rotation plane, creating a three-dimensional mixing structure. This allows the fins to reach and scrape compound from the container walls that conventional two-dimensional blades cannot access, continuously removing compound from cooled surfaces and preventing freezing while maintaining structural simplicity.
3Productivity
If conventional mixing devices are used, then the mixing function is provided, but the compound is not sufficiently volumized
Solution Approach 1:
The three-dimensional lateral fins create additional mixing paths and air incorporation zones that conventional two-dimensional blades lack. As the fins rotate and scrape against the container walls, they trap and incorporate air into the compound more effectively, significantly increasing volume and achieving high overrun while maintaining efficient mixing capability.
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
The device ensures homogeneous mixing, high overrun, and a smooth, creamy ice cream product by maintaining compound contact with cooled surfaces and facilitating air incorporation, thus enhancing both the mixing efficiency and the final product's quality.
Implementation Method 1
suitable to volumize liquid or semi-liquid substances, for example milk, eggs, and suchlike, by introducing into the substance as much air as possible so as to increase its volume and obtain a compound with a homogeneous and creamy consistency
Implementation Method 2
a cooling circuit to cool the container
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~7
AI summary
Mixing device suitable to mix substances or liquid or semi-liquid compounds to increase the volume thereof, comprising a hub (12) which develops along a central axis (X) and three mixing spokes (11) connected to the hub (12), wherein each of the spokes (11) comprises an external lateral fin (14) and two upper (15) and lower (16) connection segments, which connect respective upper and lower ends of the lateral fin (14) to the hub (12).