Patent Application
20200001256
The present subject matter relates to mixing methods and devices, and more particularly to a method of producing a product having mixed constituents and an apparatus that mixes materials and is easy to operate and clean.
Current mixer designs do not fully discharge all material following a mixing operation leading to cross-contamination from one batch to the other and/or loss of product and concomitant loss of revenue. Specifically, existing designs, such as the so-called “bomb bay” door design comprising two hinged doors disposed at the bottom of the mixer that are hinged at laterally spaced outer portions and open in the middle to release mixed product, do not fully discharge product inasmuch as product is usually left at the hinged outer portions of the doors. Also, the discharge mechanism is problematic due to the presence of several moving components at the product discharge area that pose sanitary concerns.
Existing full batch discharge mixers, such as the “dump style” mixer, offer full discharge of material, but such a mixer utilizes a single shell design that requires a pan to tilt and discharge with an open cover. Such a design presents a pinch point when product is discharged that can injure a user. Also, no provision is made for full washdown of the mixer between uses.
According to one aspect, a method of producing a product having mixed constituents comprises the step of providing a mixing apparatus including a main housing having an inlet and an outlet opposite the inlet wherein the outlet is disposed at a lower portion of the main housing, a mixing drum disposed in the main housing wherein the mixing drum includes an opening that is movable between a first position aligned with the inlet and a second position aligned with the outlet, and an agitator disposed inside the mixing drum. The method further includes the step of providing first and second materials, positioning the mixing drum at the first position, and introducing the first and second materials into the mixing drum through the aligned opening and inlet. Still further, the method includes the steps of operating the agitator to mix the first and second materials to produce a human-edible product, moving the mixing drum to the second position, and removing the human-edible product from the mixing drum through the aligned opening and outlet
According to another aspect a method of producing a product having mixed constituents includes the step of (a.) providing a mixing apparatus including a main housing having an inlet and an outlet opposite the inlet wherein the outlet is disposed at a lower portion of the main housing, a mixing drum disposed in the main housing wherein the mixing drum includes an opening that is movable between a first position aligned with the inlet and a second position aligned with the outlet, a liquid spraying apparatus, and an agitator disposed inside the mixing drum. The method further includes the steps of (b.) providing a first batch of first and second materials, (c.) positioning the mixing drum at the first position, and (d.) introducing the first and second materials into the mixing drum through the aligned opening and inlet. Still further, the method includes the steps of (e.) operating the agitator to mix the first and second materials to produce a human-edible product, (f.) moving the mixing drum to the second position, (g.) removing the human-edible product from the mixing drum through the aligned opening and outlet, (h.) operating the liquid spraying apparatus to spray a liquid toward at least one of the mixing drum and the outlet, (i.) drying the liquid, (j.) providing a second batch of the first and second materials, and (k) repeating steps (c.)-(i.) for the second batch of the first and second materials.
According to yet another aspect, a mixing apparatus comprises a main housing having an inlet and an outlet opposite the inlet wherein the outlet is disposed at a lower portion of the main housing and a mixing drum disposed in the main housing. The mixing drum is disposed inside the main housing and includes an opening that is movable between a first position aligned with the inlet and second position aligned with the outlet and further has a non-apertured side wall terminating at side edges of the opening. An agitator is disposed inside the mixing drum and a motor moves the mixing drum between the first and second positions.
Other aspects and advantages will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description and the attached drawings wherein like numerals designate like structures throughout the specification.
The present system 20 and the method of use thereof are particularly useful in the production of products that can be safely consumed or used by humans and/or animals owing to the ability (discussed below) to clean the mixer 26 in a simple and effective manner between batches. However, the present system 20 and method of use are not limited to use in the production of edible or human-usable or animal-usable products (including human-edible foods, animal feed, oral and other medicaments, skin products, other personal products, powdered or other detergents, and the like) but can be used in the production of other products.
The mixer 26 is illustrated in detail in
With specific reference to
The main housing 40 comprises first and second end plates 60, 62, respectively, and first and second side plates 64, 66, respectively. First and second curved guide plates 68, 70 are carried on inner surfaces 72, 74, respectively, of the first and second side plates 64, 66, respectively, and extend between inner surfaces 76, 78 of the end plates 60, 62. The guide plates 68, 70 are mirror images of one another, and hence, only the guide plate 68 will be described in detail herein. The guide plate 68 comprises an upper ramp portion 80, a lower ramp portion 82, and an arcuate central portion 84 disposed between the ramp portions 80, 82. While each of the ramp portions 80, 82 is shown as being planar, either or both of the portions 80, 82 may have a different shape, such as an arcuate shape, as desired. The central portion 84 preferably has a constant radius of curvature R1 (
The guide plate 70 includes upper and lower ramp portions 90, 92, respectively, separated by an arcuate central portion 94 similar or identical to the portions 80, 82, and 84, respectively. The guide plates 68, 70 are separated by a distance measured at axially-extending central lines 96, 98 equal to or slightly larger than twice the radius of curvature R1 and the arcuate central portions 84, 94 are aligned such that the portions 84, 94 together define a circle having a radius substantially or exactly equal to R1.
A plurality of fluid dispensing nozzles 99 are carried by and extend through portions of the side plates 64, 66. In the preferred embodiment, the nozzles 99 are mounted in the arcuate central portions 84, 94, although one or more of the nozzles 99 may be mounted in another portion or portions of the main housing 40. The nozzles 99 are coupled to one or more controllable fluid sources, such as a controllable pressurized water and/or a controllable pressurized air source or sources 101 (not shown in
An inner mixing drum 100 comprises a circumferential wall 102 formed into a partial cylinder having a constant radius of curvature R2 and a disk-shaped end wall 104 welded or otherwise secured to a first end 106 of the wall 102. A second end 108 of the wall 102 is left open. Preferably, the wall 102 is non-perforated such that no openings extend therethrough, at least in the portions that contact product being mixed. Also preferably, an opening 110 that extends axially and circumferentially is defined by circumferential ends 112, 114 of the wall 102 and the opening 110 has a circumferential arc length A1 (
First and second partial rings 120, 122 each defining a partial circle of an arc length A2, A3, respectively, (
Each of the partial rings 120, 122 includes a circumferential slot 130, 132, respectively, (
The mixer 26 further includes an apron 140 secured to the inner surface 76 of the of the end plate 60 that assists in supporting the mixing drum 100.
The mixer 26 is assembled by assembling the guide plates 68, 70 to the side plates 64, 66, securing the side plates 64, 66 and, optionally the guide plates 68, 70, to the end plate 62, and securing the apron 140 to edges of the lower ramp portions 82, 92. The mixing drum 100 and the first and second partial rings 120, 122 secured thereto are inserted into the generally cylindrical recess 148 (
The assembly steps for the mixer 26 are completed by fastening the remaining end plate 62 to the other portions of the mixer 26 such that a second spindle 182 of the agitator 160 extends through a bore 184 (
The mixer 226 comprises a main housing 240 similar or identical to the main housing 40 and an inner mixing drum 300, with one exception being that the inner mixing drum 300 includes an end wall 304 and a further end wall 305 at an opposite end of the mixing drum 300. The main housing 240 and the end walls 304 and 305 of the inner mixing drum 300 are journaled at ends 355, 357 of a shaft 350 of an agitator 360. The inner mixing drum 300 is thus capable of independent relative rotation with respect to the main housing 240. Also, the shaft 350 can independently rotate within the main housing 240 and further is independently rotatable with respect to the inner mixing drum 300. The apparatus that affords this independent movement comprises any suitable device or devices known to one of ordinary skill in the art (e.g., roller or ball bearing devices or the like). The partial rings 120, 122 are replaced by full rings 320, 322 that are secured to ends 306, 308 of the inner mixing drum 300 and/or to the end walls 304 and 305 and first and second pairs of spaced stub shafts 400, 402 and 404, 406 are secured by suitable fasteners 408 to end plates 260, 262, respectively, of the main housing 240. Bearing-mounted casters or rollers 410, 412, 414, 416 are rotatably mounted on inner ends of the stub shafts 400, 402, 404, 406, respectively, and rotatably support axially outwardly extending flanges 418, 420 of the full rings 320, 322, respectively. The casters 410, 412, 414, 416 assist in supporting the inner mixing drum 300. A shaft 424 of a gear 426 is rotatably mounted on the end plate 305. The gear 426 includes teeth that mesh with inwardly extending teeth of a ring gear 428 comprising a part of the full ring 322. As the gear 426 is rotated the ring gear 428, and thus the inner mixing drum 300, which is fastened securely to the ring gear 428, are rotated.
A plurality of fluid dispensing nozzles 299 are carried by and extend through portions of the side plates 264, 266. In the preferred embodiment, the nozzles 299 are mounted in the arcuate central portions 284, 294, although one or more of the nozzles may be mounted in another portion or portions of the main housing 240. The nozzles 299 are coupled to a controllable pressurized water (and, optionally, air) source 301.
The mixer 226 is assembled in a fashion similar to the method of assembling the mixer 26, with the added steps of securing the stub shafts 400, 402, 404, 406 and associated casters 410, 412, 414, 416 to the end plates 260, 262 at appropriate points in the assembly sequence. As in the previous embodiment, an end plate 262 is preferably (although not necessarily) removably fastened by bolts or other fasteners to the end 308 of the inner mixing drum so that the end plate 262 can be readily removed for servicing and/or cleaning.
If necessary or desirable, assembly may be facilitated by providing four enlarged recesses 600 in the end plates 260, 262 as seen in
Referring again to
Referring also to
Following a mixing and material discharge operation as described above processing of the mixed product as noted previously is effected at a step 210. During the step 208 or thereafter, a cleaning operation may be undertaken at a step 212. In one embodiment, a cleaning operation is undertaken when the opening 110 is disposed at the discharge position or at any other position. A cleaning fluid, such as water and/or pressurized air and/or another liquid, is introduced by the fluid source 101 through the nozzles 99 into and about the inner mixing drum 100. In a specific embodiment, water is sprayed through the nozzles 99 as the inner mixing drum 100 is moved by the motor 190 through several full rotations, although the water may be sprayed while the inner mixing drum 100 is moved through a sequence of fixed positions and/or while the inner drum is held at a fixed position. The liquid(s) are sprayed for a duration of a spray cycle, which may be a fixed duration or which may be for a variable duration dependent upon the amount of cleaning that is considered necessary or desirable. Following an end of the spray cycle, an optional drying cycle may be undertaken at a step 214. The drying cycle may simply be a fixed or variable period of time that elapses following a spray cycle during which the components of the mixer 26 air-dry. Alternatively or in addition, the drying cycle may comprise a fixed or variable period of time during which compressed and/or heated air is directed toward the components of the mixer 26, optionally through one or more of the nozzles 99, to accomplish forced drying. In still another embodiment, a first drying sub-cycle may be undertaken during which forced drying is undertaken followed by a second drying sub-cycle during which air-drying is allowed to occur. In any event, cleaning and/or drying cycles are optional procedures that may or may not be considered necessary or desirable. In particular, it may not be necessary or desirable to clean the mixer 26 between mixing batches, or it might necessary or desirable to clean the mixer 26 only between certain mixing batches.
Following the step 214, further mixing of other material batches may be undertaken, in which case the steps 200-214 are repeated, or mixing is terminated.
Referring to
The mixer 26 or 226 is easily cleaned between batches or uses as necessary or desirable to minimize/eliminate cross-contamination. Further, the mixer 26 or 226 is readily partially or fully disassembled to permit recovery of mixed product so as to maximize revenue and/or to further facilitate cleaning. These beneficial results are realized, at least in part, by the provision of cleaning device(s) in the form of the liquid spraying apparatus and/or by securing the end plate 62 or 262 (and, possibly, other parts of the mixer 26 or 226, such as the end plate 305) to other portions of the mixer 26 or 226 by bolts or other readily removable fasteners that can be removed in the field to expose the inner portions of the mixer 26 or 226.
All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.
The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar references in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the disclosure and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the disclosure unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the disclosure.
Numerous modifications to the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoing description. It should be understood that the illustrated embodiments are exemplary only, and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the disclosure.
