Multi-Drum Food Coating Device with Wide Feed Lines

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing food product coating devices face issues with capacity limitations due to narrow feed and removal lines, leading to product breakage, sticking, and inefficient processing, as they require large drums and complex spreading measures for further treatment.

Innovation Solution

The introduction of multiple rotary drums with wider feed and removal lines, accompanied by distributor and guide members to distribute products and coating material, allowing for separate coating streams and easier distribution onto a wider removal belt.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a single large drum is used to accommodate broad feed and removal lines for high capacity, then productivity increases, but the space occupied and device complexity increase undesirably

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecoating capacityVSAvoidspace occupied

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The system divides the coating process into multiple separate drums (first drum, second drum, third drum), each handling a portion of the feed stream. This segmentation allows the use of smaller, more compact drums instead of one large drum, reducing overall space occupation while maintaining high throughput capacity through parallel processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If products are concentrated in a small space within a single drum, then coating efficiency improves, but product breakage and sticking increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecoating efficiencyVSAvoidproduct breakage and sticking

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The feed stream is divided into multiple separate streams that are distributed across different drums. Each drum handles a smaller, less concentrated load of products, reducing the risk of breakage and sticking while maintaining overall coating efficiency through parallel processing of multiple streams.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the system (different drums) handle different portions of the feed stream with locally optimized conditions. Each drum provides a dedicated coating zone with controlled product density, ensuring uniform treatment and preventing harmful concentration effects in any single location.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Device complexity

If a narrow removal line is used, then device complexity is reduced, but further processing becomes difficult due to products leaving in a narrow stream

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveremoval line configurationVSAvoidsuitability for further processing

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The removal system transitions from a narrow single-stream configuration to a broad multi-stream configuration by distributing products across multiple drums and their respective removal lines. This dimensional expansion in the transverse direction allows products to leave in a wide distributed stream, greatly improving suitability for further processing while maintaining manageable device complexity through modular design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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 configuration enhances capacity utilization, prevents product breakage and sticking, and facilitates uniform treatment and processing by allowing food products to move freely, improving the efficiency of coating and subsequent processing steps.

Implementation Method 1

at least one essentially horizontal, rotary drum... when the drum rotates the food products are tumbled and move from the end of the drum

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRotation:

Implementation Method 2

Said distributor member can comprise a conveyor belt or vibrating channel or the like per drum which is mounted close to the drum such that it can swing to and fro.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectOscillation:

Implementation Method 3

there can be a guide member between every two drums and the feed line for splitting the food products fed via the feed line into two streams

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFlow separation: Flow Separation

Data Source

PatentUS7418920B2Device for coating food products with a particulate material

Publication Date: 2008.09.02 CFS BAKEL

AI summary

A device for coating a food product with a particulate coating material comprises at least one essentially horizontal, rotary drum, at least one feed line for feeding food products to be coated to one end of the drum, at least one removal line for removing coated food products at the opposite end of the drum, as well as feed means for feeding the coating material to the food products, such that when the drum rotates the food products are tumbled and move from the end of the drum that is oriented towards the feed line to the opposite end. At least one further rotary drum is provided, the width of the feed line and the removal line being greater than the diameter of a drum and said lines extending over at least two drums in the transverse direction.