Multi-Nozzle Paste Cutting for Consistent Meatball Forming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food processing devices for forming pasty foods, such as meatballs, are complex, difficult to clean, and not adaptable for multiple outlets, leading to inconsistent product formation and operation challenges, especially for non-technical personnel.
Innovation Solution
A device with a pair of knives and a controller that moves across a paste supply nozzle to cut and shape the paste, ensuring complete severance and consistent product formation, using a flow divider for equal paste distribution across multiple outlets, and featuring interchangeable components for ease of operation and maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If an iris type diaphragm valve is used to cut the paste, then the paste can be periodically cut into individual lengths, but the valve construction becomes complex requiring a large number of moving parts
Solution Approach 1:
The single complex iris valve is segmented into multiple simple plate valves with apertures. Each plate valve independently controls one outlet, replacing the complex diaphragm mechanism with simpler, modular components that achieve the same periodic cutting function.
Solution Approach 2:
The complex diaphragm and moving parts are extracted and removed from the system. The invention uses fixed plates with apertures instead of moving diaphragms, eliminating the need for complex valve mechanisms while maintaining the paste cutting capability.
2Productivity
If an iris type diaphragm valve is used, then paste cutting is achieved, but the valve becomes bulky making multiple outlet/valve combinations virtually impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The plate valve design with apertures is a universal solution that can be applied to any number of outlets. Multiple plates can be stacked or arranged to control multiple outlets simultaneously, providing scalability and versatility that the bulky iris valve cannot achieve.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple plate valves with apertures can be nested or stacked together to control multiple outlets in a compact arrangement. This allows the system to handle multiple paste streams with consistent formatting capability, enabling multi-outlet configurations in a space-efficient manner.
3Productivity
If a plate with outlet and moving aperture plate is used to cut paste, then individual lengths are formed, but the cutting action causes skewing of the meatball prior to dropping
Solution Approach 1:
The plate valves are designed with apertures that provide localized control over paste flow at each outlet. The aperture geometry and positioning are optimized to ensure uniform paste extrusion and proper meatball formation, preventing skewing by controlling the flow characteristics at the local outlet level.
4Productivity
If devices with plate and aperture are used, then paste is cut into individual lengths, but the devices are not adapted for use with a number of outlets due to pressure variation
Solution Approach 1:
The plate valve design with apertures is a universal solution that can be applied to any number of outlets. Each outlet has its own plate valve with aperture, ensuring uniform pressure distribution and consistent paste flow characteristics across all outlets, making the system adaptable to multi-outlet configurations.
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 achieves precise and consistent formation of shaped items with reduced pressure buildup, allowing for efficient operation by unskilled personnel and easy maintenance, ensuring high food industry standards are met.
Implementation Method 1
a pair of knives, a mechanism for periodically moving the knives across the nozzle to cut the paste supply and to form an individual item
Implementation Method 2
the controller may control the movement e.g. the speed, of the knives to produce the formed items while maintaining a constant paste delivery
Implementation Method 3
The meat paste may be supplied by a conventional dosing pump, which feeds the product to one or more dispensing heads
Data Source
AI summary
A food processing device comprises a paste reservoir, a feed pump and a flow divider. The flow divider is provided with outlets to four supply lines all of which receive a substantially equal supply of paste as a result of the operation of the flow divider. Each of the outlets is connected to a nozzle. A pair of knives is located ahead of the nozzles, each being provided with four apertures. The knives are provided with an actuating mechanism and a controller. Controller registers and controls operation of the meatball forming device and is electrically connected to the feed pump, to a servomotor and to a shaft encoder.