Rissole Forming Motor Roller with Oblique Reliefs

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing machines for making rissoles are bulky, complex, and inefficient in producing consistently spherical shapes, often leading to clogging and maintenance issues due to exposure and handling challenges, especially with soft or sticky food types.

Innovation Solution

A compact machine design featuring a rotating head with bores for portioning food, a forming element with motor roller and guide grooves, and oblique reliefs/notches to guide food into a spherical shape, along with a protective casing to prevent operator contact and food detachment, ensuring easy maintenance and transport.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Shape

If a closed loop belt with semi-circular groove is used to form rissoles, then the food can be shaped into spherical form, but the machine becomes enormously bulky and complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespherical shape of rissolesVSAvoidbulkiness of machine
Core Design Contradiction:
ShapeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The forming process is segmented into two distinct stages: first, a cylindrical channel forms the initial food roll, and second, a separate rounding channel with rotating rollers transforms it into a spherical rissole. This segmentation allows each component to be compact while achieving the desired spherical shape, avoiding the need for a large closed loop belt system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The dispensing element and forming element are merged into a single integrated unit where the cylindrical channel and rounding channel are positioned adjacent to each other. The food portion is directly transferred from the dispensing bore to the cylindrical channel and then to the rounding channel, eliminating the need for separate bulky components and reducing overall machine size.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Shape

If food portions are formed in a long circular chamber with rotating disk, then spherical rissoles can be produced, but soft or sticky food gets stuck to the disk and causes clogging

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespherical shape of rissolesVSAvoidclogging and food detachment
Core Design Contradiction:
ShapeVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of having the food rotate against a stationary surface, the invention uses rotating rollers that actively grip and rotate the food portion within the rounding channel. The food is held between the rotating roller and the fixed guide, reversing the traditional approach and preventing soft or sticky food from detaching or clogging the system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The rounding channel is designed with a curved cross-section that guides the food portion through a controlled rotational path. The curved geometry of the channel and rollers ensures the food is gradually transformed into a spherical shape while maintaining continuous contact, preventing detachment and clogging even with soft or sticky food types.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the disk is completely housed within the fixed cylindrical stop, then the forming channel is enclosed, but cleaning becomes impossible without extracting the disk

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefood exposure and contaminationVSAvoidcleaning accessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The forming system is segmented into a fixed cylindrical channel and a separate rounding channel with rotating rollers. The rounding channel is designed as a distinct module that can be independently accessed and cleaned, allowing maintenance without disassembling the entire forming mechanism or extracting components from the fixed stop.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The machine incorporates an automatic evacuator system that removes formed rissoles from the forming area, keeping the forming channels clear and minimizing food residue accumulation. This self-cleaning capability reduces the frequency and complexity of manual cleaning operations while maintaining food safety standards.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

4Productivity

If conventional forming machines are used, then rissoles can be produced, but the shape is imprecise and non-constant

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverissole productionVSAvoidsphericity and dimensional consistency
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The rounding channel is specifically designed with a curved cross-section that guides the food portion through a controlled rotational path. The curved geometry, combined with rotating rollers, ensures the food is gradually transformed into a precise spherical shape with constant dimensions, achieving high manufacturing precision while maintaining productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention controls the rotation speed and contact pressure of the rollers in the rounding channel to optimize the forming process. By adjusting these parameters, the system achieves consistent spherical shapes with precise dimensional control, transforming the food portion from an irregular cylinder to a uniform sphere with high repeatability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 machine produces perfectly spherical rissoles of constant dimensions with reduced exposure and risk of clogging, facilitating easy maintenance and transport, suitable for domestic use.

Implementation Method 1

a motor roller (13) provided with a pair of circumferential recesses (14)... each recess (14) with a semicircular section... which, together with the relative groove (16), defines a channel (21) in which each food portion (6) passes to be shaped like a rissole (2)... a pair of grooves (16) each of which faces the relative recess (14)... The fixed guide (15) is curved with a central angle that ranges between 50° and 160°

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Implementation Method 2

The forming element (10) is positioned below the dispensing element (5) within which each food portion (6) passes to be shaped like a rissole (2)... At the exit from the forming element (10), each rissole (2) is transported by an evacuation element (7)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGravity: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentEP3817561B1Machine for making rissoles
Publication Date: 2022.10.26 MINERVA OMEGA GRP SRL
  • EP3817561B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3817561B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

A machine for forming rissoles (2) comprises a hopper (3) for a food (4); a dispensing element (5) of at least a portion (6) of said food (4) taken from the hopper (3); a forming element (10) of each portion (6) comprising a shaped element (11) and a contrast element (12) facing the latter. The shaped element (11) consists of a motor roller (13) provided with a pair of circumferential grooves (14) and the contrast element (12) consists of a fixed guide (15) provided with two grooves (16) facing the recesses (14). Each recess (14) and each groove (16) form a channel (21) and internally have respectively a series of relieves or notches (22) and a series of protrusions or cavities (23). The relieves or notches (22) and the protrusions or cavities (23) are intended to interact with each portion (6) to help their rototranslational movement within the channel (21) and to form a corresponding spherical shaped rissole (2).