Nested Churning Cylinder in Post-Churning Drum for Compact Butter Production

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional butter-making machines require significant installation space and high manufacturing costs, with complex designs that can be optimized for improved efficiency and cost-effectiveness in butter production.

Innovation Solution

A space-optimized butter-making device with a partially or fully arranged churning cylinder in a secondary churning drum, featuring a conical post-churning cylinder and a hood with a supply pipe for cooled buttermilk, which simplifies the design and reduces manufacturing costs by eliminating complex connections and allowing for efficient butter grain separation and consistency improvement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional butter-making machines are used with separate churning cylinder and post-churning drum, then the butter production process is reliable, but the installation space requirement increases and manufacturing costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebutter production process reliabilityVSAvoidinstallation space
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the churning cylinder and post-churning drum into a single integrated unit where the churning cylinder is partially or fully arranged inside the post-churning drum. This spatial merging eliminates the need for separate components and connections, thereby reducing installation space while maintaining the functional reliability of the butter production process through preserved churning and post-churning operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The churning cylinder is nested within the post-churning drum, creating a compact hierarchical structure. This nesting arrangement allows the smaller churning cylinder to be positioned inside the larger post-churning drum, maximizing space utilization and minimizing the overall footprint of the butter-making machine without compromising operational reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Ease of manufacture

If conventional butter-making machines with separate churning cylinder and post-churning drum are used, then the processing functions are complete, but the manufacturing costs increase due to complex connections

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidstructural complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

By combining the churning cylinder and post-churching drum into one integrated structure, the patent eliminates complex external connections, joints, and sealing mechanisms that would be required between separate components. This merging significantly simplifies the manufacturing process, reduces the number of parts requiring assembly, and lowers overall manufacturing costs while maintaining complete processing functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention extracts and eliminates the complex connection interface between separate churning cylinder and post-churning drum. By integrating these components, the patent removes the need for complicated coupling mechanisms, flanges, and seals, thereby reducing device complexity and easing manufacturing requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Ease of operation

If the post-churning drum is tilted to specify transport direction, then the butter grain transport is effective, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebutter grain transport efficiencyVSAvoidstructural complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a conical post-churning drum with a specific angle range (10°-45°) to utilize gravitational force and surface geometry for specifying the transport direction of butter grains. This curved conical shape naturally guides the material flow from the churning cylinder to the discharge point without requiring additional tilting mechanisms or complex structural adjustments, thereby maintaining operational efficiency while reducing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

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 solution achieves a compact design, reduces manufacturing costs, and enhances butter grain consistency and separation efficiency, improving the overall quality and yield of butter production while minimizing space requirements.

Implementation Method 1

a specification of the transport path can be achieved in that the post-churning cylinder is designed conically

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGravitation: Gravitation

Implementation Method 2

the membrane covering of the fat balls in the cream is destroyed by the shearing forces of a beater in a churning cylinder

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectShear stress: Shear Stress

Implementation Method 3

Cooled buttermilk can be fed through this feed pipe into a post-churning area of the post-churning drum, where it advantageously improves the consistency of the buttermilk

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCooling: Cooling

Data Source

PatentEP2595474B1Device for producing butter
Publication Date: 2018.04.18 GEA MECHANICAL EQUIP GMBH
  • EP2595474B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2595474B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2595474B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a device for producing butter from cream, comprising at least one churning cylinder (23, 23') for converting cream into butter grain and buttermilk and an after-churning drum (1, 1') for separating the buttermilk and butter grain, the churning cylinder (23, 23') being disposed entirely or at least partially in the after-churning drum (1, 1').