Segmented Vegetable Layer Processing Plant
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for processing leaf vegetables, such as spinach and chicory, face compatibility issues between cookers and deep freezers due to size differences, leading to increased machinery and plant costs, and result in uniformity challenges for thicker product layers.
Innovation Solution
A method and plant that form superposed layers of leaf vegetables by blanching, cooling, cutting, and superposing them to ensure uniform cooking and reduce equipment needs, using a single cooker and deep freezer, with conveyor belts and cutting mechanisms to create multiple layers without requiring special machinery designs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the product width from the cooker is reduced to fit the deep freezer infeed opening, then compatibility between cooker and deep freezer is achieved, but the number of deep freezers must increase to match the product divisions
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the cooking process into multiple separate cooking zones within a single cooker, each zone processing a portion that can be independently deep-frozen. This segmentation allows one deep freezer to handle multiple divided portions simultaneously, eliminating the need for multiple deep freezers while maintaining compatibility between cooker output and freezer input dimensions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple deep freezers are used to process divided portions, then product compatibility is maintained, but plant dimensions and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cooker is divided into multiple cooking zones that process portions in parallel, with each portion suitable for single deep freezer processing. This segmentation enables one deep freezer to handle multiple streams simultaneously, reducing the overall plant footprint and eliminating the need for multiple large deep freezer units.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes the time dimension by processing multiple portions sequentially through the single deep freezer, and the spatial dimension by arranging cooking zones to output portions that can be stacked or arranged within the freezer capacity, thereby reducing the need for multiple parallel freezer units.
3Length of moving object
If thicker layers of leaves are processed, then portion thickness is increased, but uniform cooking becomes difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments thick leaf layers into multiple thinner sub-layers during processing, ensuring each layer achieves uniform cooking. The segments are then reassembled or stacked to form the final thick portion, guaranteeing that cooking uniformity is maintained throughout the entire thickness while still delivering the desired thick final product.
Solution Approach 2:
The leaf layers are pre-separated and arranged in thinner, uniformly cookable configurations before the cooking process begins. This preliminary arrangement ensures that when the portions are eventually stacked to achieve greater thickness, the cooking uniformity has already been established during the individual layer processing stage.
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 approach allows for the production of high-quality, thicker vegetable layers with uniform cooking, reducing plant dimensions and costs while maintaining efficient processing, and enabling the use of customary machinery.
Implementation Method 1
blanching, cooling, cutting, and superposing them to ensure uniform cooking
Implementation Method 2
blanching, cooling, cutting, and superposing them
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 4a~4b
AI summary
A method for making layers (34) of vegetable leaves (8) comprises the steps of: forming a first uniform bed (6) of vegetable leaves (8) which are laid out flat and randomly superposed; subjecting the first bed (6) of vegetables to a heat treatment; dividing the first bed (6) of heat treated vegetables longitudinally relative to the feed direction (D) to form a plurality of elongate strips (26); superposing the strips (26) over each other to form a second bed (32) composed of a plurality of superposed layers (34) of the first bed (6); cutting the superposed layers (34) to form the second bed (32) into portions (38); and, lastly, deep-freezing the portions (38) made.