Radial Meat Extrusion Unit with Air Dehydration Crust

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing meat processing units face challenges in producing elongated strings of meat products without wrapping film or gelled coating, leading to fragility and uneven extrusion, which results in incorrect laying on conveyor surfaces and potential interruptions or build-ups due to inconsistent flow rates among extruder heads.

Innovation Solution

A meat processing unit with a distribution chamber and extruder heads arranged in radial symmetry, equipped with distribution ducts of identical length, ensuring homogeneous flow conditions and simultaneous extrusion of multiple strings on a conveyor surface, followed by an air treatment unit for dehydration to create a cohesive crust, allowing for handling without wrapping or coating.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If wrapping film or gelled coating is used to enable handling of extruded meat product, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity and loss of substance increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehandling of extruded meat productVSAvoidcomplexity of extrusion system

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention removes the wrapping film and gelled coating from the extrusion system, eliminating the need for additional components and materials while directly addressing the handling challenge through a different approach (radial symmetry design)

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention divides the extrusion system into multiple extruder heads arranged in radial symmetry, with each head independently configured to ensure uniform flow distribution, thereby eliminating the need for wrapping or coating while maintaining handling capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Manufacturing precision

If distribution ducts of identical length are used to ensure uniform flow distribution, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuniformity of meat product flow rateVSAvoidcomplexity of distribution chamber

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention uses radial symmetry in the arrangement of extruder heads and distribution ducts, creating a balanced configuration where all ducts have identical length from the central inlet to their respective outlets, ensuring uniform flow distribution while maintaining design simplicity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

3Productivity

If multiple extruder heads operate simultaneously to increase productivity, then productivity is improved, but reliability worsens due to flow rate variations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoutput of extruded meat productVSAvoidconsistency of extrusion flow rate

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention creates equipotential flow conditions by designing all distribution ducts to have identical length and configuration, ensuring that each extruder head receives the same pressure and flow rate, thereby maintaining consistency across multiple simultaneous extrusion operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #12Equipotentiality

4Ease of operation

If air treatment unit is used to create crust for handling, then ease of operation is improved, but loss of substance increases due to dehydration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehandling of extruded meat productVSAvoiddehydration of meat product

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The invention applies partial dehydration through the air treatment unit, creating only a thin crust on the surface of the extruded meat product just enough to enable handling, while maintaining the interior moisture content to minimize overall substance loss

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

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 ensures uniform extrusion and stability of elongated meat strings, preventing breakage and enabling smooth handling and transfer by creating a hardened dehydrated crust, thus addressing the fragility and handling issues associated with the lack of wrapping film or gelled coating.

Implementation Method 1

an air treatment unit configured to apply an air current with controlled temperature, humidity and speed against the raw extruded product for obtaining a hardened dehydrated outer crust

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDehydration: Desiccation

Data Source

PatentUS11617373B2Meat processing unit and method for the production of an extruded meat product

Publication Date: 2023.04.04 METALQUIMIA SA

AI summary

The proposed invention includes an extruder apparatus (1) for a minced meat product with a distribution chamber (10) provided with an inlet opening (11) and with multiple outlet openings (12) of identical section, each one in communication with an extruder head (50) through a distribution duct (40) to produce the extrusion on a conveyor surface (2) movable through an air treatment unit (60), wherein each extruder head is connected to one of the distribution ducts and comprises a cutting device including a plunger inserted in the extruder head movable from an extruding position, in which the plunger does not interfere with the connection with the distribution duct, to a cutting position in which the plunger completely blocks said connection and in which the plunger reaches or goes beyond an extruding opening of the duct to eject all of the extruded meat product from the interior of the duct.