Non-Contact Conveyance Device for Soft Food Materials
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional non-contact conveyance devices deform soft food materials like pie dough and bread dough during conveyance due to the formation of annular protrusions on their surfaces, necessitating post-conveyance shape correction.
Innovation Solution
A non-contact conveyance device with a conveyance head featuring a flat facing surface, air supply port, and ejection ports positioned at acute angles to the facing surface, which use compressed air to hold and convey objects without contact, preventing deformation of soft materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a conventional non-contact conveyance device with a curved gas guide surface is used, then soft food materials can be conveyed without direct contact, but the soft food materials are deformed and annular protrusions are formed on their surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional curved gas guide surface to a flat facing surface. This flat surface allows compressed air to be ejected horizontally along the surface, creating a uniform air cushion that supports soft food materials without the curved deformation that causes annular protrusions. The flat geometry preserves the original shape of conveyed objects while maintaining non-contact support.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the ejection path inclination angle to an acute angle (specifically horizontal ejection at 0 degrees relative to the flat surface), rather than the conventional curved path. This parameter change in the air ejection geometry transforms how the air cushion forms, allowing it to support objects without the radial outward flow that creates surface protrusions on soft materials.
2Shape
If a flat facing surface with horizontal air ejection is used, then soft food materials are conveyed without deformation, but the air ejection paths must be positioned at specific acute angles from the holding center point
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions multiple ejection paths at asymmetric acute angles relative to the holding center point on the flat facing surface. This asymmetric arrangement of air ejection ports creates an effective air cushion that supports objects without requiring symmetric radial configuration, simplifying the overall structure while preventing surface deformation through optimized air flow distribution.
3Reliability
If multiple ejection ports are positioned at acute angles from the holding center point, then uniform air cushion is achieved without object contact, but the air pressure distribution must be precisely controlled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the air supply into multiple separate ejection paths and ports positioned at different acute angles from the holding center point. This segmentation of the air cushion into multiple discrete ejection zones allows for more uniform and controllable air pressure distribution across the flat facing surface, improving holding stability while enabling independent control of each ejection path for simplified pressure management.
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
Enables the conveyance of soft food materials without deformation, eliminating the need for post-conveyance shape correction and improving maintenance and contamination prevention by maintaining a non-contact, flat surface interaction.
Implementation Method 1
compressed air is ejected from each of the ejection ports and flows along the facing surface, thereby holding the conveyed object without causing the conveyed object to contact with the facing surface
Data Source
AI summary
A non-contact conveyance device includes a conveyance head in which a flat facing surface opposing a conveyed object is formed, a gas supply port connected to a supply source of compressed air is provided in the conveyance head, each of ejection ports of a plurality of ejection paths that communicate with the supply port and are formed in the conveyance head is provided at a position separated by an opening distance from a holding center point of the facing surface, an inclination angle of the ejection path with respect to the facing surface is set to an acute angle, and the compressed gas ejected from each of the ejection ports flows along the facing surface and holds the conveyed object without causing the convey object to contact with the facing surface.