Solid Belt Coating System for Food Products
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food product coating systems, particularly enrobers with open mesh conveyor belts, are expensive, complex, and require extensive downtime for cleaning, especially when coating the bottom and sides of products like chewy grain bars with liquid coatings.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing a solid conveyor belt with a dispenser manifold to apply a coating directly onto the belt, allowing for efficient coating of the bottom and side portions of food products, followed by a detailer assembly to ensure even coating and collection of excess material, reducing cleaning time and increasing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If an open mesh conveyor belt is used in an enrober system to enable coating of multiple surfaces, then coating versatility is improved, but cleaning time and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a solid belt specifically at the coating station where coating material is deposited, while other conveyor sections may use different belt types. This localized application of solid belt material provides the necessary coating surface while avoiding the cleaning complexities of solid belts throughout the entire conveyor system.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyor system is divided into separate sections: a first conveyor belt for product transport, a solid second conveyor belt specifically for the coating station, and a detailer assembly. This segmentation allows the solid belt to be isolated to only where it is needed for coating, simplifying cleaning by limiting the affected area.
2Manufacturing precision
If a solid conveyor belt is used to apply coating directly onto the belt, then coating uniformity is improved, but the complexity of the system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The solid second conveyor belt serves multiple functions: it provides a stable surface for coating material adhesion, supports the food products during coating, and facilitates easy cleaning. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional complex components to achieve uniform coating.
Solution Approach 2:
The solid conveyor belt acts as an intermediary surface between the coating material dispenser and the food products. It receives the coating material and transfers it uniformly to the products, simplifying the coating application mechanism while ensuring consistency.
3Ease of manufacture
If liquid coating material is used with an open mesh belt, then coating material application is simplified, but excess coating material falls through the belt requiring complex collection systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a solid belt specifically in the coating station area where coating material is applied, preventing excess material from falling through. This localized solid surface simplifies coating material containment without requiring complex collection systems throughout the entire conveyor.
Solution Approach 2:
The solid belt converts the potential problem of excess coating material falling through the conveyor into a benefit by allowing the material to remain on the belt surface for easy collection and recycling, transforming a waste issue into a resource recovery opportunity.
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 system significantly reduces cleaning time from thirty-five hours to four hours, enhancing production line efficiency and enabling cost-effective, uniform coating of food products without the need for lateral containment structures.
Implementation Method 1
A covering layer of a viscous coating material is applied to the food products and to the first support surface so that the coating material adheres to each food product and contacts the first support surface
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A product conveying and coating system (2) includes at least first and second, sequentially arranged conveyor belts (12,63), with at least the second conveyor belt (63) being a solid belt. Interposed in a gap (151) between the first and second belts (12,63) is a dispenser head (164) of a coating manifold (157). The dispenser head (164) spans the gap (151) between upper surface portions (21,73) of the first and second conveyor belts (12,63), with an elongated side wall outlet portion (173) of the dispenser head (164) being exposed, in a downstream direction of the overall conveyor unit (9), to the upper surface (73) of the second conveyor belt (63). The system (2) provides for dispensing of coating material (180) directly onto the second, solid conveyor belt (63) and enrobing at least bottom and partial side portions (47,50,51) of food products (45) upon the solid belt (63). Provisions are made for scraping from the solid belt (63), removing from the coated food products (298) and recycling excess coating material (180).