Rotating Drum Interleaver Handling with Vacuum and Pneumatic Ejection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for forming edible products, such as meat patties, with interleavers lack efficient mechanisms for separating and handling the interleavers during the production process, leading to potential issues with adhesion and handling.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus featuring a rotating drum with mold cavities and an interleaver storage system, utilizing vacuum and pressurized gas to attach and detach the edible material and interleaver, along with controlled transportation means to ensure precise placement and separation, addresses the handling challenges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If vacuum is applied to adhere the material and interleaver to the cavity, then adhesion is improved, but handling complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes vacuum pressure (pneumatics) to adhere the interleaver and edible material to the drum cavity during formation. The vacuum is applied through the porous bottom of the cavity to securely hold the interleaver in place, ensuring reliable adhesion without requiring additional mechanical fastening mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The drum cavity bottom is made of porous material that allows vacuum to pass through and adhere the interleaver. The porous structure enables uniform vacuum distribution across the cavity surface, improving adhesion reliability while maintaining a relatively simple overall device structure.
2Productivity
If pressurized gas is forced through porous material to eject the product, then ejection efficiency is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Pressurized gas is forced through the porous bottom of the drum cavity to eject the formed edible product. This pneumatic ejection mechanism provides efficient product removal from the mold cavity, improving productivity by enabling quick and complete ejection without mechanical intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The porous material in the cavity bottom serves dual function: allowing vacuum to adhere the interleaver during formation, and then allowing pressurized gas to eject the product. This eliminates the need for separate ejection mechanisms, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining high ejection efficiency.
3Productivity
If the drum rotates continuously to shape the material, then production speed is improved, but control precision decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The drum is designed to rotate continuously during the material formation process, providing dynamic shaping of the edible material as it is pressed against the rotating drum surface. The continuous rotation enables high production speed while the controlled rotational motion ensures consistent product formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotating drum serves multiple functions: it shapes the edible material, transports the formed products, and facilitates their discharge. This multi-functionality maintains high production speed while integrating control mechanisms that ensure manufacturing precision across all operations.
4Manufacturing precision
If the drum is stationary during interleaver placement, then placement precision is improved, but production speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The interleaver is placed in the drum cavity before the drum begins rotation. This preliminary placement action occurs when the drum is stationary or moving slowly, ensuring precise positioning of the interleaver. Once placed, the drum rotates to complete the formation process, maintaining both precision and productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The drum operates in periodic cycles: stationary or slow rotation during interleaver placement for precision, then faster rotation during material formation and product discharge for productivity. This periodic variation in rotational speed optimizes both placement precision and overall production speed.
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 enables efficient formation and separation of edible products with interleavers, ensuring proper adhesion and handling, improving the production process by using a drum with porous cavities and controlled transportation systems.
Implementation Method 1
vacuum can be applied to adhere the material and/or the interleaver to the cavity
Implementation Method 2
pressurized gas can be forced through the porous material to eject the edible product
Implementation Method 3
The discharge of the edible material can be utilized or supported by pressurized air
Implementation Method 4
The transportation means comprise vacuum means, in order to attach the interleaver to the transportation means
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2
Figure 3a~3c
AI summary
The present invention relates to an apparatus for the formation of products (8) comprising an edible material, preferably meat and an interleaver (5,134,142).