Compact Motorized Tortilla Forming Machine with Adjustable Roller Gap
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motorized tortilla machines lack a compact design that efficiently forms a uniform sheet of dough or masa with adjustable thickness and easy cleaning, while maintaining sanitary operation and efficient adjustment mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A compact motorized tortilla forming machine with a pair of HDPE food-grade plastic rollers, a cutter roller assembly, and a thickness control system that adjusts the gap between rollers for uniform thickness, along with a conveyor belt and stripper wires for easy product removal, integrated with a stainless steel support platform for sanitary operation and easy cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a compact design is implemented, then the machine occupies minimal space, but the mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into integrated assemblies: the roller assembly integrates sheeting and thickness control functions, the cutter assembly combines cutting and stripping functions, and the conveyor belt integrates product transport and removal functions. This merging reduces the overall machine footprint while maintaining functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The rollers serve multiple purposes: forming the dough sheet, controlling thickness through gap adjustment, and facilitating product removal through the conveyor belt. The cutter roller both cuts the dough and works with stripper wires to remove products. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed.
2Manufacturing precision
If adjustable thickness control is implemented, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The thickness control mechanism allows dynamic adjustment of the roller gap during operation. The rollers can be positioned at different distances from each other to achieve desired thicknesses, and this adjustment can be made without disassembling the machine, enabling flexible production of different tortilla thicknesses.
Solution Approach 2:
The thickness control is achieved by dividing the roller assembly into independently adjustable components. Each roller can be adjusted relative to the other, allowing precise control of the gap size. This segmentation enables fine-tuning of thickness without requiring complex centralized control systems.
3Ease of operation
If easy cleaning and sanitary operation are implemented, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cutter roller and stripper wires are designed as removable components that can be easily extracted from the machine for cleaning. The conveyor belt is also designed to be removable or easily accessible for cleaning. This extraction of potentially contaminating components simplifies the cleaning process and maintains sanitary conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The rollers are made of food-grade plastic material that is non-porous and smooth, making it homogeneous in surface properties that resist bacterial adhesion and facilitate easy cleaning. This material selection ensures that all surfaces contacting the dough have similar easy-to-clean characteristics.
Data Source
AI summary
A compact motorized tortilla forming machine utilizing rollers for forming a mass of dough or masa into a flat circular configuration prior to cooking or baking that is of a compact size, having a 2′×2′ footprint and can easily fit on and be supported on a countertop or table. The machine includes a roller assembly, a forwardly extending conveyor near its bottom end, a drive motor having a drive sprocket connected with an electrical power source through a relay coupled with a limit switch that provides overload protection, a cover member having an on-off switch, a start button, and an emergency stop button mounted thereon and connected in a circuit between the power source and the drive motor, and an exhaust fan mounted inside of the cover member and connected in a circuit between the power source and the drive motor. A top lid and a rear door are maintained normally closed by magnetic latches and limit switches and when opened, the limit switches prevent electrical current from flowing to the motor.