Single-Portion Gelato Machine with Pre-Cooled Batch Freezing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ice cream machines fail to efficiently produce single-dose products in a short time without waste or preservatives, while ensuring hygiene, safety, and adaptability to various shop sizes, and lack user-friendly operation and cleaning ease.
Innovation Solution
A method and machine for making single-dose gelato using a batch freezing chamber with a stirrer and thermal system, allowing preloading of a base mixture at near-zero temperatures, simultaneous cooling and stirring, and flavoring addition, controlled by a user interface, to produce high-quality gelato in a short time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional ice cream machines are used to make single-dose products, then the production time is long and waste occurs, but the requirement is to produce quickly without waste
Solution Approach 1:
The machine pre-cools the freezing chamber to sub-zero temperatures before each single-dose production cycle. This preliminary cooling action eliminates the need to heat and re-cool the chamber during production, dramatically reducing turnaround time and enabling rapid single-portion制作 without waste
Solution Approach 2:
The machine is designed for single-dose production rather than batch processing, segmenting the ice cream production into individual portions. This allows precise control of small quantities (50-550g) and eliminates waste by producing only what is needed, while maintaining high productivity through rapid cycling
2Adaptability or versatility
If the machine is made compact for small shop spaces, then adaptability improves, but the machine must still perform complex freezing and stirring functions
Solution Approach 1:
The machine merges the freezing chamber, stirrer mechanism, and dispensing system into a single compact integrated unit. The horizontal cylindrical chamber combines cooling and stirring functions in one space, eliminating the need for separate equipment while maintaining complex functionality for high-quality single-dose production
Solution Approach 2:
The freezing chamber serves multiple functions: it cools the mixture to sub-zero temperatures, maintains the mixture in a semiliquid standby state, performs simultaneous cooling and stirring during production, and houses the dispensing valve. This multi-functionality in a single component enables compact design while maintaining versatility
3Productivity
If the base mixture is kept at very low temperatures to reduce processing time, then productivity improves, but the mixture may freeze solid
Solution Approach 1:
The machine precisely controls the temperature parameter of the base mixture, maintaining it in a semiliquid state between -5°C and 5°C. This parameter control prevents the mixture from freezing solid while enabling rapid processing. The stirrer continuously agitates the mixture to maintain proper consistency and prevent crystallization during storage and production
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
Enables quick, high-quality, and customizable single-dose gelato production with reduced turnaround times, ensuring hygiene and adaptability, while optimizing space and reducing waste.
Implementation Method 1
a thermal system (10) for cooling... turning on the cooling of the batch freezing chamber... convert the base mixture with the added additional liquid and/or flavouring into a single portion of gelato
Implementation Method 2
a stirrer (4) mounted inside the batch freezing chamber... mixing the portion of base mixture in the batch freezing chamber... turning on the simultaneous cooling and stirring mode
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
A method for making a single portion of an ice cream product, in particular, gelato, comprising the following temporal step sequence: - providing a machine (1) for making single-portion gelato and provided with a batch freezing chamber (2) and a stirrer (4) mounted inside the batch freezing chamber (2); - preloading the batch freezing chamber (2) with a portion of base mixture; - turning on the cooling of the batch freezing chamber (2) and mixing the portion of base mixture in the batch freezing chamber (2) to keep the portion of base mixture in a semiliquid, standby condition at a predetermined temperature of between -5°C and 5°C; - feeding an additional base liquid and/or a desired flavouring into the batch freezing chamber (2), defining a predetermined gelato flavour; - turning on the simultaneous cooling and stirring mode of the batch freezing chamber (2) to convert the base mixture with the added additional liquid and/or flavouring into a single portion of gelato having the predetermined flavour; - dispensing the single gelato portion made in the batch freezing chamber (2) into a serving container (6).