Pet Food Cooler Air Plenum Layout for Contamination-Free Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pet food coolers face limitations in cooling efficiency due to design flaws such as empty collection hoppers providing no cooling function, contamination issues from residual material, and inefficient airflow, which reduces cooling capacity and requires costly maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A cooler design featuring a chamber with a product inlet, outlet, and air outlet, incorporating an air duct with an exit opening to direct airflow into the product outlet, and a conveyor forming an air plenum to ensure consistent airflow and efficient cooling, eliminating the need for mechanical slats and reducing maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional coolers use mechanical slats or bars for collecting and cooling pet food, then product collection is achieved, but cooling efficiency is limited due to empty collection hopper space providing no cooling function
Solution Approach 1:
The collection hopper is transformed from a single-function storage device into a multi-functional component that simultaneously collects cooled product and provides additional cooling space. The hopper is equipped with its own airflow system and cooling surfaces, allowing it to actively cool product while storing it, thereby utilizing the previously wasted volume for productive cooling function.
Solution Approach 2:
The collection hopper is merged with the cooling chamber functionality, creating an integrated system where the hopper serves both as a collection device and as an active cooling zone. This combination eliminates the separation between cooling and collection functions, maximizing the utilization of available space for cooling purposes.
2Ease of operation
If mechanical slats are used for product collection and airflow, then product passage is enabled, but contamination problems arise from residual fine product material
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical slats are completely removed from the system and replaced with a smooth-walled collection hopper design. This extraction of the problematic mechanical component eliminates the crevices and surfaces where fine product material accumulates, thereby preventing contamination while maintaining product flow through the hopper.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical slat system is replaced with a streamlined hopper design that relies on gravity and airflow rather than mechanical moving parts to facilitate product movement. This substitution eliminates the contamination issues associated with mechanical components while maintaining operational effectiveness.
3Ease of operation
If mechanical slats with pneumatic or hydraulic drive are used, then product collection is achieved, but maintenance costs increase due to moving parts requiring cleaning and maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
All pneumatic and hydraulic drive mechanisms are completely removed from the system. The collection hopper is designed as a static structure with no moving parts, eliminating the need for maintenance of complex mechanical systems while still achieving effective product collection through gravity and airflow.
Solution Approach 2:
The collection hopper is designed to be self-cleaning and maintenance-free through its smooth-walled construction and strategic airflow patterns that prevent material accumulation. The design eliminates the need for manual cleaning and maintenance of mechanical components by creating a system where product flow and air circulation naturally prevent contamination.
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 enables high-rate cooling with improved retention time, reduced maintenance, and effective handling of coated pet food without contamination, achieving greater cooling efficiency and ease of operation.
Implementation Method 1
one or more air ducts having an exit opening so constructed and arranged for providing airflow into the product outlet
Implementation Method 2
a conveyor positioned below the product outlet... the panel addition and the conveyor form an air plenum for directing airflow from the air duct to the product outlet of the chamber
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
Coolers for cooling pet food products and methods regarding same are presented. In an embodiment, the present invention provides a cooler comprising a chamber having product inlet, a product outlet and an air outlet, and at least one air duct having an exit opening so constructed and arranged for providing airflow into the product outlet.