Vertical Oil Delivery System with Flow Sensor for Popcorn Machine
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing popcorn popping machine oil delivery systems face issues such as oil wastage, difficulty in handling heavy oil buckets, and operator oversight leading to insufficient oil delivery, resulting in burned popcorn and contamination.
Innovation Solution
An oil delivery system with containers supported vertically to prevent oil trapping, using flexible tubing with quick connect/disconnect connectors for easy handling, and a flow sensor with alarm to detect empty containers and ensure continuous oil supply.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the container of oil is tilted at an angle to improve movement of oil toward the outlet, then oil flow is improved, but some oil becomes trapped in the flexible bag and cannot be withdrawn
Solution Approach 1:
The container is inverted (turned upside down) so that the outlet is at the lowest point. This inversion allows gravity to pull all oil toward the outlet, eliminating trapped oil while maintaining continuous flow. The flexible bag collapses uniformly as oil is withdrawn, ensuring complete evacuation.
Solution Approach 2:
The container orientation is changed from horizontal/angled to vertical inversion, utilizing the vertical dimension for gravity-driven flow. This dimensional change ensures all oil migrates to the outlet at the bottom, preventing trapping in any corner of the flexible bag.
2Quantity of substance
If large buckets of oil are used to supply cooking oil, then oil supply capacity is sufficient, but the buckets are difficult to handle and messy when changing
Solution Approach 1:
The oil supply system is segmented into a permanent container structure and a removable flexible bag. The flexible bag can be easily extracted and replaced without handling heavy buckets, while the container structure remains fixed. This segmentation separates the handling burden from the oil storage function.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible bag containing oil is extracted as a separate removable component from the container. This allows the bag to be easily removed and replaced without moving the entire container or handling heavy buckets, significantly improving ease of operation while maintaining large oil supply capacity.
3Device complexity
If the operator manually monitors oil delivery to detect empty containers, then system complexity is low, but the operator may be busy and unaware when oil is empty
Solution Approach 1:
A flow sensor provides automatic feedback about oil flow status to the control system. When the sensor detects abnormal flow conditions indicating an empty container, the system generates an alert to notify the operator, ensuring reliable detection without requiring constant manual monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-monitoring of oil levels through the flow sensor and control system, which automatically detect when the flexible bag is empty. This eliminates the need for continuous operator attention while maintaining high detection reliability through automated sensing.
4Productivity
If the pump is submerged in the oil bucket to draw oil, then oil delivery is effective, but the pump is messy to handle and oil drips when changing buckets
Solution Approach 1:
The pump is extracted from direct contact with the oil container. Instead of submerging the pump in the bucket, the system uses a flexible tube to deliver oil from the container to the pump. This allows the pump to remain in a clean, accessible location while maintaining effective oil delivery, and eliminates mess when changing containers.
Solution Approach 2:
A flexible tube serves as an intermediary between the oil container and the pump. The tube transports oil from the container to the pump without requiring the pump to contact the container, keeping the pump clean and easy to handle while maintaining effective oil delivery.
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
Minimizes oil wastage, simplifies handling, and ensures consistent oil delivery, reducing the likelihood of burned popcorn and contamination by alerting operators to replace empty containers.
Implementation Method 1
The pump is provided to draw the oil from the container and deliver the oil to the kettle
Implementation Method 2
A heater is provided with the pump to heat and liquefy the oil which otherwise tends to solidify at room temperature
Implementation Method 3
A flow sensor is provided to detect a flow status of the oil
Data Source
AI summary
An oil delivery system for a popcorn popping machine to deliver cooking oil to a kettle of the popping machine. In one embodiment, the oil delivery system includes more or more containers of oil which are supported within a cabinet of the popping machine so that the outlet of each container is facing downwardly so as to be oriented along a vertical axis. Flexible tubing is provided to connect the outlets of the containers to a pump of the oil delivery system. Each container may comprise a flexible bag which is enclosed in a rectangular box. The outlets of the flexible bags include quick connect/disconnect connectors which are connected with quick connect/disconnect connectors provided on the flexible tubing. The oil delivery system is provided with a flow sensor to detect when a container of oil is empty and provide an alert to an operator to remove and replace the container with a filled container. An electronic valve is provided in the oil delivery system to control the flow of oil from the containers.