Quick-Release Mixing Arm Attachment for Food Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mixing apparatuses for food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic products require frequent replacement of scraping and mixing elements due to wear, and their maintenance and cleaning are time-consuming and difficult, especially with the use of screw and bolt elements, which are often not compliant with safety regulations.
Innovation Solution
A scraping and mixing assembly with a quick-release attachment system that eliminates the need for screw and bolt elements, using resilient clamping elements for secure attachment and easy operation, allowing for tool-free assembly and disassembly, and facilitating easy cleaning and maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If screw and bolt elements are used to attach scraping and mixing elements, then the attachment is secure and reliable, but the maintenance and cleaning become time-consuming and difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment assembly is divided into separate components: a support element with a retaining element and a resilient clamping element. This segmentation allows the scraping and mixing elements to be quickly detached and reattached without tools, reducing maintenance time while maintaining secure attachment through the clamping mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient clamping element automatically maintains clamping force on the scraping and mixing elements without requiring external fasteners or tools. The self-adjusting nature of the resilient element ensures continuous secure attachment while enabling tool-free removal and installation, eliminating the time-consuming process of using screw and bolt elements.
2Reliability
If screw and bolt elements are used to attach scraping and mixing elements, then the attachment is secure, but the number of exposed fasteners increases which violates safety regulations
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates screw and bolt elements from the attachment assembly. The retaining element and resilient clamping element work together to provide secure attachment without any exposed fasteners, thereby meeting safety regulations while maintaining attachment reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient clamping element is designed as a simple, maintenance-friendly component that replaces complex fastening systems. While the clamping element may eventually wear and need replacement, its simple design eliminates the need for multiple fasteners, reducing the harmful factor of exposed fasteners and simplifying the overall attachment system.
3Productivity
If scraping elements are made to contact inner surfaces of processing tank walls, then continuous scraping is achieved, but the frequency of element replacement increases due to high wear
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient clamping element allows for adjustment of the contact pressure between the scraping element and the processing tank walls. By optimizing this parameter, the system achieves continuous effective scraping while reducing excessive wear that would lead to frequent replacements, thus balancing productivity and element durability.
4Ease of operation
If the attachment assembly uses resilient clamping elements, then tool-free assembly and disassembly is enabled, but the complexity of the attachment assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The retaining element and resilient clamping element are integrated into a unified attachment assembly that works together as a single mechanism. This merging provides tool-free assembly and disassembly capabilities while avoiding the complexity of multiple separate components, as the resilient element inherently provides both the clamping force and the release mechanism.
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 provides a secure, easy-to-maintain, and versatile attachment system that reduces the frequency of element replacement, aligns with safety regulations by minimizing exposed fasteners, and simplifies the operation and cleaning process, enhancing the overall efficiency and safety of the mixing apparatus.
Implementation Method 1
The attachment assembly comprises a support element (114) and a body element (116) which are separate and adapted to be coupled together in an overlapping relationship, and a resilient clamping element (122) made integral with one of said body element (116) and said scraping and/or mixing element (106)
Data Source
AI summary
A scraping and/or mixing assembly for a mixing apparatus for food, pharmaceutical or cosmetic products, including a mixing arm element and at least one respective scraping and/or mixing element attached to each other by a quick-release attachment assembly including a support element and a body element connected to the scraping and/or mixing element. The support element and body element are attachable to each other by a first releasable clamping assembly including a first retaining element movable between a clamping position, clamping the support and body elements to each other, and a releasable position. The first releasable clamping assembly includes a first resilient clamping element made integral with one of the body element and the support element and movable between a rest position, wherein it engages the first retaining element to keep it in the clamped position, and a stressed position, wherein it disengages the first retaining element to release it.