One-Sided Roller Cooling Device for Cleanable Chip Production
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Solution Overview
Problem
Roller cooling devices in the pharmaceutical and food industries require more frequent and thorough cleaning than those in the chemical industry, but existing designs are difficult to access and clean due to being mounted on both sides for stability.
Innovation Solution
The rollers and pressure belt are mounted and driven from one side, allowing for easier access and dismantling for cleaning purposes, with sealing rings that adjust between operating and assembly positions to facilitate cleaning and maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the rollers and pressure belt are mounted on both sides for stability, then the device stability is improved, but the cleaning accessibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into two distinct sides: a drive side containing all mounting structures, bearings, and drives, and a clean side with smooth roller surfaces free of mechanical components. This segmentation allows the clean side to be easily accessible for cleaning while the drive side provides stable mounting.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting structure is designed asymmetrically with all fastening elements, bearings, and drives located only on one side of the rollers. The opposite side maintains a symmetric, smooth cylindrical surface ideal for cleaning. This asymmetric design resolves the contradiction by concentrating complexity on one side while keeping the other side simple and accessible.
2Strength
If the rollers are permanently mounted for structural stability, then the structural stability is improved, but the maintenance accessibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The roller assembly is segmented into a permanently mounted roller body providing structural stability, and separately removable sealing rings and covers that provide maintenance access. The sealing rings can be detached from the clean side without disturbing the permanent mounting structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing rings are extracted as separate, removable components from the roller assembly. These sealing rings can be removed from the clean side to access bearing and drive components for maintenance, while the roller itself remains permanently mounted to maintain structural stability.
3Reliability
If the sealing rings are fixed in position to ensure sealing effectiveness, then the sealing effectiveness is improved, but the cleaning accessibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing rings are designed with dynamic positioning capability, allowing them to be adjusted between a fixed sealed position during operation and a removed or repositioned state during cleaning. This dynamic design maintains sealing effectiveness when needed while enabling cleaning accessibility when required.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing rings are positioned and sealed before the cleaning operation begins. During cleaning, they can be temporarily removed or repositioned to allow access, then restored to their sealing position afterward. This preliminary sealing action ensures reliability is maintained while allowing subsequent cleaning access.
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
This design enhances cleaning efficiency by allowing for thorough cleaning of all parts, especially the chill roll and nip roll, which have smooth surfaces, and reduces the complexity of maintenance, improving accessibility and ease of use.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling roller, a squeezing roller and a pressure belt circulating over deflection rollers. The cooling and the squeezing roller are used to roll out the mass into a thin film
Implementation Method 2
The sealing ring of a first of the two rolls, preferably the cooling roll, can be fixed adjacent to the partition on this roll and seal slidingly in relation to the partition
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a roller cooling device for continuously converting a hot, flowable mass into solid chips by way of cooling down said mass, comprising at least one cooling roller (1), a crushing roller (2), and a pressing belt (3) circulating over pulleys (4). According to the invention, said parts (1 - 4) are retained only from one side and the rollers (1, 2) are supported only on said side and are driven proceeding from said side, and said parts (1 - 4) are accessible and/or removable from the other side for cleaning purposes.