Porous Food Forming Drum Cavities for Venting and Clean Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food forming drums are difficult to produce and have hygienic issues, as described in prior art.
Innovation Solution
A food forming drum with partially porous product cavities made from a gas-permeable material, featuring interconnected pores and fluid channels, allows for ventilation and discharge of formed products, and includes a movable unit for easy cleaning and transportation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If product cavities are made from non-porous material, then structural integrity is maintained, but ventilation and product discharge are impaired
Solution Approach 1:
The product cavities are made from porous material with controlled porosity (20-80% open pores) that allows gas permeability for ventilation and product discharge while maintaining sufficient structural integrity. The porous structure enables air to pass through during filling and formed products to be discharged efficiently.
Solution Approach 2:
The drum surface is selectively treated: the outer circumferential surface maintains a non-porous, smooth finish for structural integrity and easy cleaning, while the inner product cavity surfaces are porous to enable ventilation and discharge functions.
2Productivity
If product cavities are made from porous material, then ventilation and product discharge are improved, but ease of manufacture deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The porosity parameter of the material is controlled within a specific range (20-80% open pores) to balance the competing requirements of ventilation performance and manufacturability, allowing the material to be produced using conventional sintering or foaming processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The drum is constructed as a composite structure combining porous material for the product cavities with a non-porous outer layer or surface treatment, allowing each region to have optimized properties for its specific function while being manufactured as an integrated component.
3Strength
If pores are closed at bonding locations, then bonding strength is improved, but gas permeability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The porous material has spatially varying properties: pores are closed or sealed at bonding locations to ensure strong adhesion to the drum surface, while pores remain open in the product cavity regions to maintain ventilation and discharge functionality.
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 production efficiency and hygiene by facilitating easy cleaning and product discharge while maintaining drum integrity and durability.
Implementation Method 1
the product cavities are at least partially made of a porous material, for example sintered metal, which is gas-permeable and via which the product cavity can be vented or through which gas, for example air, can be discharged
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 2c
AI summary
The present invention relates to a food forming drum comprising a multitude of rows product cavities, each row comprising a multitude of product cavities, wherein the product cavities are provided as one or more at least partially porous members made from a porous material with interconnecting pores. The present invention further relates to a food forming apparatus comprising a food forming drum and a porous member. Additionally, the present invention relates to a movable unit to transport a drum and a method to change a drum or clean the food forming apparatus.