Olive Crusher With Counter-Rotating Screen And Disk Pre-Crushing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current olive crushers face issues such as low productivity, inefficient extraction of chlorophylls leading to green color release in oil, suboptimal crushing, hammer wear and replacement frequency, and paste heating/emulsion due to high rotation speeds.
Innovation Solution
An olive crusher combining disk-based pre-crushing and hammer-based finishing, with controlled lower rotation speeds, featuring interchangeable hammers and adjustable toothed disks, and a counter-rotating cylindrical screen to achieve optimal processing of olives at any ripening stage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If high rotation speed is used for hammer crushing, then productivity is improved, but paste heating and emulsion occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by introducing a disk-based pre-crushing stage before the hammer-based final crushing stage. The disks perform initial size reduction at lower speeds, preparing the olives for subsequent hammer processing. This preliminary action allows the hammers to operate at optimized speeds that maintain productivity while avoiding excessive heat generation and emulsion formation in the final crushing stage.
2Productivity
If hammer rotation speed is increased, then crushing efficiency is improved, but hammer wear increases requiring frequent replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The disk-based pre-crushing stage performs preliminary size reduction, breaking down the olive structure before the hammers act on the material. This preliminary action reduces the impact force required by the hammers, thereby decreasing wear on the hammer surfaces while maintaining crushing efficiency. The hammers operate on pre-softened material, extending their service life.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters by introducing a two-stage process with different speed regimes. The disks operate at one set of parameters for pre-crushing, while the hammers operate at optimized parameters for final processing. This parameter differentiation allows the hammers to work at speeds that balance efficiency with reduced wear, rather than operating continuously at maximum speed.
3Manufacturing precision
If disk distance is adjusted for particle size control, then crushing precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the crushing process into two distinct stages: disk-based pre-crushing and hammer-based final crushing. Each stage has its own adjustable parameters and mechanisms. The disk distance adjustment mechanism is isolated to the pre-crushing stage, allowing for particle size control without complicating the entire device. The hammer stage operates independently with its own optimization parameters, reducing the overall system complexity.
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 enhances efficiency, reduces hammer replacement frequency, prevents paste heating and emulsion, and allows for delicate crushing with adjustable particle size, effectively processing olives across different species and ripening degrees.
Implementation Method 1
Crushing is obtained by the impact of hammers on the olives which are pressed between the screen and the opposed face of the hammers
Data Source
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AI summary
An olive crusher (10) comprises: - a housing (11) in which olives are crushed, and which is delimited at its top and sides by walls (12, 13) and has a bottom opening for releasing the olive paste obtained by crushing and a front access opening (14); - a door (15) for closing the front opening (14), which has a conduit (16) extending therethrough for introducing olives into the housing (11) via a hopper (17) and a motorized auger (18); - an impeller (30) having a plurality of arms (32), rotated about a horizontal axis by a rotary shaft (34) driven by a first motor (36); - a peripheral cylindrical screen (20,200); - a plurality of crushing hammers (40), mounted to the ends of the arms (32) of the impeller (30) proximate to the screen (20). The hammers (40) have a parallelepiped shape and each is oriented with two contiguous walls (41,42) forming angles (α,β) from 40° to 50°, preferably of 45° with respect to the tangent plane (T) that passes through the generatrix of the screen (20) that is closest to the hammer (40).