Movable Wall Dough Hopper for Precision Portioning
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dough portioning devices struggle with precise dosing and portioning of soft or partially cooked dough masses with high water content, as variations in fill levels lead to inconsistent dough portion weights, requiring complex weighing device control.
Innovation Solution
A device with a dough receiving chamber featuring movable wall elements that can adjust in at least one degree of freedom, allowing for controlled fill level management, eliminating the need for a weighing device by using a drive device and control system to maintain a constant fill level, ensuring consistent dough portioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a weighing device is used to measure dough portion weight, then dosing precision can be achieved, but device complexity increases and control becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the weighing device from the system entirely. Instead of measuring dough portion weight with a scale, the invention uses a hopper with controlled fill level and a cutter that portions dough based on the hopper's volume capacity. This extracts the complex measurement function and replaces it with a simpler volumetric approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical weighing system with a volumetric control system. The hopper's fill level (controlled by a level indicator) and the cutter's positioning determine the dough portion size, substituting weight-based measurement with volume-based control.
2Ease of operation
If fill level varies in the dough receiving chamber, then dough mass can be easily loaded, but dosing precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism using a level indicator that monitors the fill level in the hopper. When the dough reaches a predetermined level, the indicator signals the system to stop loading. This feedback loop maintains consistent fill levels across different loading operations, ensuring uniform dosing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The hopper is pre-configured with a predetermined fill level marking. Before each dosing cycle, the system prepares by setting the fill level to this predetermined mark, ensuring that the starting conditions are consistent for accurate and repeatable portioning.
3Manufacturing precision
If a movable wall element is added to control fill level, then dosing precision improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a movable wall element that can adjust the hopper's internal volume. This dynamic adjustment allows the hopper capacity to be changed to match different desired portion sizes. The movable wall provides a simple mechanical means to vary volume without complex control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable wall element serves multiple functions: it controls the fill level, adjusts the hopper capacity for different portion sizes, and can be positioned at various heights to accommodate different dough types and portion requirements. This single component provides versatile control over the dosing process.
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 solution enables precise and continuous gravimetric dosing and portioning of individual dough portions, maintaining a constant fill level and influencing dough properties, such as pressure and gas content, without the complexity of weighing device control, resulting in improved dosing accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
dosing and portioning processes carried out by means of the device are gravimetric, i.e., gravity-induced and thus under the (significant) influence of gravity
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
Device (1) for, in particular continuously, gravimetric dosing and portioning of individual dough portions (3) from a dough mass (2), comprising a dough receiving device (4) which is configured to receive a dough mass (2) to be portioned into individual dough portions (3), wherein the dough receiving device (4) has a dough receiving chamber (6) with a dough receiving volume (8) defined by several wall elements (7a, 7b), and a portioning device (5) which is configured to, in particular continuously, portion individual dough portions (3) from a dough mass (2) received in the dough receiving chamber (6), wherein at least one wall element (7b) of the dough receiving chamber (6) is movably mounted in at least one degree of freedom relative to at least one further wall element (7a) of the dough receiving chamber (6).wherein the dough intake volume (8) can be varied by movements of the at least one wall element (7b) which is movably mounted in at least one degree of freedom.