Replaceable Freezer Cylinder for Simplified Ice Cream Machine Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional ice cream and yogurt machine freezer cylinders require complex and labor-intensive cleaning processes, which can damage components and lead to contamination, as they need to be detached and disassembled, making it difficult to maintain hygiene and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A replaceable freezer cylinder design that is detachably coupled within the heat exchanger, allowing for easy sliding in and out for cleaning, preventing raw material contact with the heat exchanger and minimizing the risk of damage, while maintaining the heat exchanger's cleanliness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the freezer cylinder is detached and disassembled for cleaning, then cleaning access is improved, but component damage risk and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The freezer cylinder is designed as a detachable module that can be separated from the heat exchanger. This segmentation allows the cylinder to be removed for cleaning without disassembling internal components, reducing cleaning time while maintaining accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The freezer cylinder is extracted as a separate removable component from the heat exchanger system. This extraction enables direct access to the cylinder interior for cleaning without requiring disassembly of the entire system or delicate internal parts.
2Ease of operation
If the freezer cylinder is detached and disassembled for cleaning, then cleaning access is improved, but component damage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into the removable freezer cylinder and the stationary heat exchanger. This segmentation allows cleaning operations to be performed on the cylinder alone without disturbing the integrity of the heat exchanger or other sensitive components.
Solution Approach 2:
The freezer cylinder is taken out as a separate serviceable component. This extraction allows cleaning to be performed on the removable cylinder without risking damage to the permanent heat exchanger assembly, thereby preserving component integrity.
3Productivity
If the heat exchanger contacts raw material, then heat exchange efficiency is improved, but contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger and freezer cylinder are segmented as separate components. The cylinder acts as a barrier that allows heat exchange between the raw material inside the cylinder and the refrigerant in the heat exchanger, while preventing direct contact between the raw material and the heat exchanger surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The freezer cylinder serves as an intermediary component between the raw material and the heat exchanger. It enables thermal energy transfer while maintaining physical separation, thus preventing contamination of the heat exchanger by raw material while preserving heat exchange efficiency.
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
This design enhances cleaning efficiency, reduces labor and risk of component damage, and ensures the heat exchanger remains clean, improving the overall sanitation and operational simplicity of ice cream or yogurt machines.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanger having a receiving channel; and a replaceable freezer cylinder detachably received within the receiving channel, wherein the replaceable freezer cylinder has a feeding channel for raw material feeding therethrough to thermally communicate with the heat exchanger so as to form a frozen product within the feeding channel
Data Source
AI summary
An expansion evaporator includes a heat exchanger and a replaceable freezer cylinder detachably received within a receiving channel of the heat exchanger, wherein the replaceable freezer cylinder has a feeding channel for raw material feeding therethrough to thermally communicate with the heat exchanger so as to form a frozen product within the feeding channel. The replaceable freezer cylinder is detached from the heat exchanger for cleaning purpose as the raw material is not contacted with the heat exchanger.