Plate Freezer Unloading Using Heat Release and Gravity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional food processing methods using freezer plates for organic products require significant human involvement, leading to occupational health and safety issues and limitations in handling heavy loads, especially when dealing with slippery and difficult-to-handle frozen blocks.
Innovation Solution
An automated plate freezer system with a hopper-mounted above freezer plate units, equipped with cooling and heating means, pneumatic rams for plate operation, and a refrigeration system, allowing for minimal human intervention and gravitational removal of frozen blocks, which are then conveyed to a storage system for further processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If conventional manual methods are used to handle frozen blocks, then human involvement is high, but occupational health and safety problems arise and handling capacity is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automatic unloading where frozen blocks are gravitationally removed from the plate freezer assembly without human intervention. The automated plate freezer system performs functions that would otherwise require manual labor, allowing the system to serve itself in the unloading process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical handling with an automated system using pneumatic rams for plate operation and gravitational force for block removal. This substitution eliminates the need for human physical intervention while managing the complexity through integrated automation components.
2Productivity
If manual lifting of frozen blocks is performed, then human strength limits are reached, but handling capacity and efficiency are constrained
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically unloads frozen blocks through gravitational removal, eliminating the need for manual lifting. The automated mechanism handles the entire process from plate opening to block removal, improving productivity while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes gravitational force for block removal, allowing blocks to be naturally discharged from the plate freezer assembly without requiring additional lifting mechanisms. This approach leverages the natural gravitational field to simplify the handling process and improve efficiency.
3Reliability
If conventional plate assemblies are used, then simple structure is maintained, but occupational health and safety risks increase due to slippery blocks
Solution Approach 1:
The automated system safely handles slippery frozen blocks through automatic unloading mechanisms, eliminating human exposure to safety risks. The system performs plate opening and block removal automatically, ensuring reliable and safe operation without requiring human intervention with hazardous materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an automated unloading system as an intermediary between the freezing process and block removal. This intermediary mechanism handles the slippery blocks safely, preventing direct human contact and associated safety risks while maintaining operational reliability.
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 system reduces human involvement, minimizes product damage, and enhances safety by automating the freezing process, enabling efficient handling and storage of frozen blocks with reduced storage and transport costs, while extending the shelf life of frozen products.
Implementation Method 1
said freezer plate unit being provided with cooling means to freeze the food material
Implementation Method 2
heating means such that, on the completion of freezing, frozen blocks of material are able to be gravitationally removed from the plate freezer assembly
Implementation Method 3
the opening and closing means be effected using draw bolts linking the plates to pneumatic rams at either end of the bank of plates
Implementation Method 4
the slide rails be pneumatically raised and lowered by means of an internal air bag which when inflated raises the floors to at least the base of the freezer plate assembly and seals its base
Data Source
AI summary
An automated plate freezer assembly apparatus includes a hopper mounted above at least one freezer plate unit with the hopper able to pass food material from the hopper to the freezer plate unit. The freezer plate unit has a cooling device for freezing the food material and a heating device so that, upon the completion of freezing, frozen blocks of material are able to be gravitationally removed from the plate freezer assembly apparatus.