Vibratory Conveyor with Liquid Film for Food Slice Singulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food slice conveying systems face challenges in achieving both high packing density and singulation, particularly with thin and flexible slices like potato slices, which often result in unintended overlap, leading to issues like arcing during microwave dehydration and affecting product quality.
Innovation Solution
A vibratory conveyor with a downwardly inclined surface and a liquid film, combined with vibratory motion, is used to convey food slices, ensuring they slide rather than being carried, thereby increasing packing density without overlap. This system includes a flume design with an upwardly inclined ramp and outwardly flaring configuration to enhance singulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If food slices are conveyed in bulk or stacked configuration, then packing density is improved, but slice singulation deteriorates causing overlap
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor element is vibrated in a direction substantially along the conveying surface to induce relative motion between adjacent slices, preventing them from adhering together and maintaining singulation while allowing high packing density
Solution Approach 2:
A liquid film is introduced as an intermediary between the conveyor surface and food slices to reduce friction and prevent sticking, enabling slices to slide independently while maintaining close spacing
2Productivity
If thin and flexible slices are conveyed, then production efficiency is improved, but slice overlap increases due to lack of rigidity
Solution Approach 1:
Vibration of the conveyor surface in the longitudinal direction creates relative motion that prevents thin flexible slices from overlapping, as the vibratory motion continuously adjusts the position of each slice independently
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid film acts as a mediator between the conveyor and thin flexible slices, reducing adhesion and allowing the slices to maintain their individual positions without sticking together
3Productivity
If packing density is increased on the conveyor, then production rate is improved, but slice overlap occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The vibratory motion of the conveyor element prevents adjacent slices from adhering together even at high packing densities, maintaining uniform slice distribution and preventing overlap while maximizing production rate
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid film reduces friction and adhesion between slices and the conveyor surface, enabling high packing density without causing slices to stick together or overlap
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 solution effectively maintains singulation while increasing packing density, preventing slice overlap and improving production efficiency by ensuring consistent slice distribution, thus avoiding quality degradation issues like arcing during microwave processing.
Implementation Method 1
a vibratory actuator coupled to the conveyor element and adapted to cause vibratory motion of the conveying surface, the vibratory motion being at least partly in a direction along the conveying surface
Implementation Method 2
a liquid supply for supplying liquid onto the conveying surface to form a liquid film over at least part of the conveying surface
Implementation Method 3
the conveying surface being downwardly inclined from an input end thereof towards an output end thereof
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for conveying food slices, the apparatus comprising a conveyor element having an upper conveying surface, the conveying surface being downwardly inclined from an input end thereof towards an output end thereof, a vibratory actuator coupled to the conveyor element and adapted to cause vibratory motion of the conveying surface, the vibratory motion being at least partly in a direction along the conveying surface, and a liquid supply for supplying liquid onto the conveying surface to form a liquid film over at least part of the conveying surface.