Noodle Unbinding Apparatus with Curved Wall and Rotating Rods
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing apparatuses for unbinding mutually stuck noodles are inefficient, either failing to effectively unbind noodles due to high speed drying processes or achieving unbinding at the cost of low production speed.
Innovation Solution
A noodle unbinding apparatus with a rotating shaft and diagonally opposed unbinding members formed by metal rods, where the rods are bent to project towards the rotation direction and secured to the shaft, combined with a circularly curved inner wall surface that creates a narrow clearance with the rods to repeatedly hit and unbind noodles effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If noodles are simply folded before drying at high speed, then production speed is improved, but the degree of binding condition of mutually stuck noodles cannot be effectively reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The unbinding mechanism is segmented into multiple functional zones: a first unbinding zone with upwardly extending inner wall surface and second unbinding zone with downwardly extending inner wall surface. This segmentation allows different regions to perform specific unbinding functions, effectively separating the unbinding process from the drying process to achieve both high productivity and effective unbinding.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a vertical dimension to the unbinding process by creating upwardly and downwardly extending inner wall surfaces that form multiple unbinding zones. This dimensional change transforms the traditional single-plane unbinding into a three-dimensional multi-zone unbinding system, allowing noodles to be unbound more effectively while maintaining high production speed.
2Force
If a mass of mutually stuck noodles is hit against the inner wall surface by noodle hitting rods, then unbinding action is applied, but the noodles pass through the inner wall surface within a short time and cannot be effectively unbound
Solution Approach 1:
The upwardly extending inner wall surface creates a first unbinding zone that preliminarily unbinds noodles before they reach the main drying zone. This preliminary action extends the retention time in the unbinding region, allowing effective unbinding to occur before the noodles are accelerated downward by gravity.
Solution Approach 2:
The downwardly extending inner wall surface creates a second unbinding zone that provides periodic unbinding action as noodles pass through. This periodic action complements the preliminary unbinding, ensuring thorough separation of stuck noodles while maintaining their progression through the dryer.
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 apparatus effectively reduces the binding condition of noodles by retaining them longer near the unbinding surface, allowing for efficient unbinding without cutting, thereby improving production speed and unbinding efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a circularly curved inner wall surface that creates a narrow clearance with the rods to repeatedly hit and unbind noodles effectively
Data Source
AI summary
A mass of mutually stuck noodles is unbound by unbinding rods. Within a housing 11 is arranged a rotating shaft 12 to extend horizontally, and a plurality of unbinding rods 13 are secured to the rotating shaft 12 at diagonally opposed positions to extend in radial directions like tow combs, said unbinding rods 13 being curved and having a given length. Within the housing 11, an inner wall surface 14 is arranged along a circular arc whose center is aligned with an axis of the rotating shaft 12 and whose diameter is slightly larger than a diameter of a circle drawn by rotating tips 13a of the unbinding rods 13. A portion of the inner wall surface 14 extending from a horizontal level h passing through the center of the rotating shaft 12 to a lower end of an inlet 15 is formed as an unbinding surface 17 having a circular arc cross sectional shape facing the unbinding rods with a small clearance. A mass of noodles N for one meal charged into the housing 11 from said inlet 15 is sent in the counter-clockwise direction by means of the unbinding rods 13 rotated at a high speed and is hit by the unbinding rods 13 repeatedly to perform an effective unbinding function, while a mass of noodles N is retained in a region near an entrance of the unbinding surface 17.