Apparatus for chilling and/or freezing products
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spiral freezers require extensive redesign and reconfiguration for different product use or facility operations, involving disassembly, rewelding, and lengthy fabrication times, consuming significant resources and time.
Innovation Solution
A reconfigurable freezer design with interchangeable infeed and outfeed assemblies, a modular housing, and adjustable conveyor belt tiers, allowing for rapid reconfiguration between different operational configurations without extensive redesign.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single configuration freezer is constructed, then the freezer can operate reliably for a specific application, but the freezer cannot be easily reconfigured for different products or facilities
Solution Approach 1:
The freezer is divided into modular components including removable infeed and outfeed assemblies, separate conveyor belt tiers, and interchangeable drum configurations. This segmentation allows individual components to be repositioned or replaced without affecting the entire system, enabling rapid reconfiguration for different applications while maintaining overall structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The freezer incorporates dynamic reconfigurability through removable assemblies and adjustable components that can be easily repositioned. The infeed and outfeed assemblies can be removed and reinstalled at different locations, and conveyor belt tiers can be adjusted to create different operational configurations, allowing the system to adapt to varying operational requirements.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the freezer is redesigned for a different configuration, then the freezer can accommodate new applications, but the redesign process consumes three to nine months of design time plus three months of fabrication time
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple infeed and outfeed assemblies are pre-configured during manufacturing with different orientations and configurations. These pre-prepared assemblies can be directly installed without requiring on-site fabrication or extensive modification, enabling rapid reconfiguration when operational requirements change.
Solution Approach 2:
The freezer allows change of operational parameters through physical reconfiguration of components. By changing the position and orientation of infeed/outfeed assemblies and adjusting conveyor belt configurations, the system can adapt to different product types, facility layouts, and operational requirements without requiring complete redesign.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the freezer is disassembled and rewelded for reconfiguration, then the freezer can be adapted to new specifications, but significant resources and workshop space are consumed
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of discarding existing freezer components during reconfiguration, the design allows recovery and reuse of major components such as the housing, drum, and conveyor belts. Only the infeed and outfeed assemblies need to be removed and replaced, minimizing material waste and resource consumption while achieving the desired configuration change.
Data Source
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AI summary
In order to overcome the limitations and problems that earlier apparatus have experienced, a reconfigurable freezer (10; 110; 210; 310; 410) is proposed, comprising: - a housing (12; 112; 212; 312; 412) having an internal space (14; 114; 214; 314) therein, and first and second openings (56, 76) each in communication with said internal space (14; 114; 214; 314), with a surface area at said internal space (14; 114; 214; 314) in particular being octagonally-shaped or with a cross-section of said housing (12; 112; 212; 312; 412) viewed from above said housing (12; 112; 212; 312; 412) in particular being octagonally-shaped; - an infeed assembly and an outfeed assembly, the infeed assembly constructed to be removably mounted to the housing (12; 112; 212; 312; 412) at one of the first and second openings (56, 76) for being in communication with said internal space (14; 114; 214; 314), and the outfeed assembly constructed to be removably mounted to another of the first and second openings (56, 76) for being in communication with said internal space (14; 114; 214; 314), wherein the infeed assembly and the outfeed assembly are interchangeable at the first and second openings (56, 76).