CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 63/108,664 filed on November 2, 2020 and U.S. Provisional Application 63/159,779 filed on March 11, 2021 which are both incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth.

FIELD OF INVENTION

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to controlling splash from a mixing apparatus that produces a hydrated mix, such as a dough or batter. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus for dealing with splashing. Most particularly, the invention relates to an assembly that controls potential contamination of equipment and the surrounding environment by splashing and uncontrolled escaping air entrapped with the material flow.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Hydrating mixing chambers that discharge the product on to collecting vessels or powered conveyors, such as a screw, are known. When such a hydrated product is discharged, splashing may result from unabsorbed liquid, particles of the mixture itself in free fall to the collecting vessel or a moving conveyor. Splashing can be both a sanitation issue and a damage issue for the production apparatus. Although there were prior attempts to control splashing and mange air flow, there remains a need for better controlling both issues.

SUMMARY

[0003] The present splash controller preferably provides a funneling vessel that controls the spacing between a discharge tube and a conveying mechanism for transporting the hydrated mixture. The splash controller preferably enables the use of other devices in conjunction with the funneling vessel to provide an assembly with further control splashing. The further device may be use independently of the funneling vessel. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0004] The invention will be more fully understood by reading the detailed description in conjunction with the following drawings wherein:

[0005] Figure 1 is a schematic illustrating a vented splash controller assembly, with a funneling vessel and a further splash diffuser, installed on an apparatus that dispenses a fluidized material;

[0006] Figure 2 is a sectional view of the assembly in Figure 1;

[0007] Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the splash controller assembly in Figure 2;

[0008] Figure 4 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the vented funneling vessel;

[0009] Figure 5 is an illustration of a splash diffuser for use as part of the vented splash controller assembly in Figures 2 and 3;

[0010] Figure 6 is a sectional view of the blades in a diffuser as shown in Figure 5;

[0011] Figure 7 is a side elevation view of a diffuser blade;

[0012] Figure 8 is a top view of the diffuser blade in Figure 7;

[0013] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of a vented cap usable with the splash diffuser of Figure 4; and,

[0014] Figure 10 is a sectional view illustrating a continuous winding usable within the diffuser of Figure 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] The terms “hydrated mix,” “fluidized material,” “ liquified products,” and “mixture” as used herein denote any number of industrial materials, such as dough, batter, ice cream, cheese, or sauces, which are fluid containing.

[0016] The schematically illustrated mixing apparatus 10 in Figure 1 is an example of an apparatus that can benefit from the present invention. One such apparatus is described in U.S. Patent 10, 195,572, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein as if fully set forth. The mixing apparatus 10 has a dry ingredients inlet portion 20, an accumulation or mixing chamber 30, and delivery or outlet tube 40. The hydrated mixture exits the apparatus through the opening 44 of outlet tube 40. As the mixture passes the outlet opening 44, it is no long confined and the mixture falls into a collection vessel 50 and is moved onward by a mechanical conveyor 60.

[0017] The collection vessel as shown in Figure 2 can take a variety of forms, such as a conveyor belt, bin, transport vessel or the like, that collects or moves the mixture to the next processing stage. The descending hydrated or fluidized material and ascending splash are indicated by the respective arrows. In some popular mixing apparatus, the hydration or fluidizing liquid is a pressurized spray that is applied in a pressure range between 10 bar (approximately 145 psi) and 300 bar (approximately 4,350 psi). This pressurized spray can cause higher speed movement of the mixture and that movement produces the splash and entraps air the escapes around the outlet opening 44. This pressure in combination with the tapering of the outlet tube toward the opening 44 causes additional turbulence and further mixing.

[0018] The collection vessel of splash controller 50 and mechanical conveyor 60 can take a variety of forms in their shapes and how they are connected. The splash controller 50 can be mated with the diffuser 42 surrounding the delivery tube by the collar clamp 43. A similar collar clamp 43’ can mate the collection vessel of splash controller to the conveyor 60. The conveyor 60 can be a belt, individual transport vessels or in the preferred embodiment a motorized screw that collects or moves the mixture received from the splash controller 50 to the next processing stage.

[0019] Turning again to Figure 2, the splash controller 50 has a top 56 with and ingress opening 53 and at least one vent openings 58, and tapered or sloping sides 54 that narrow as they extend toward the base 52 and define an egress opening 55 in the base 52. Depending from the top 56 are post 57 that support deflector 59 that are sized to be larger than the area of the vent openings 58. The flared sides 54 for an expansion chamber 51 where the liquified material is unconfined. Air or other gases introduced into the expansion chamber 51 by the movements of liquified material can escape through the vents 58.

[0020] During a production operation, the tube 40 is inserted in the ingress opening 53 and production material exiting the opening 42 in tube 40 is permitted to free fall through the expansion chamber 51 defined in vessel 50. The material falls under gravity toward the egress opening 55. As the production material engages the screw 62 in conveyor 60, fluidized material subject to the fan like action of the screw results in splatter or splashing of the material. The splashed material moves freely within the vessel 50 and air that is traps as a result of the mixing operation or contact with the screw 62 is allowed to escape and the liquified material is redirected to the conveyor by the tapered or flared sides 54.

[0021] With reference now to Figure 3, there is an enlarged section of the vessel 50. As can be seen in Figure 3, the deflector 59 blocks access to the vent opening 58. On impacting the deflector 59, the moving material is stopped and entrapped air moves out through the gap or space formed by the post 57 between the deflector 59 and the top 56.

[0022] With reference now to Figure 4, an alternative embodiment of splash or splatter controller is shown is cross section. This embodiment fits a mixing apparatus 10 as shown in Figure 1. In this embodiment, the vessel 250 has a conical expansion chamber 251 and a convex top 256. As with the prior embodiment, protected vent openings 258 are provided for releasing escaped air. With some production materials, the funnel like side and convex top may be advantageous for returning material to the conveyor screw 62.

[0023] With reference to Figure 5, the diffuser 42 is shown in a stand alone application with the outlet 40. The diffuser 42 has a base plate 153 dimensioned to mate with the conveyor 60. In this example, the housing 166 is cylindrical; however, it only needs to be configured to complement the outlet source 40. A diffuser blade array 152 is positioned between the outlet tube 40 and the outer sleeve 166 and supported by the base plate 53. The blade array 152 includes a plurality of blades 154, 156, 158, 160, 162, and 164 with a helical shape that tapers up and away from the base plate 53. The blades 154-164 circumscribe the perimeter of the outlet 40 and are arranged to provide intermittent gaps 100. Any splashed material impacts the underside of a respective blade and is slowed by the movement along the underside of the blade. The slowed mixture tends to flow back toward the outlet tube and into the collection vessel. Trapped or entrained air escapes through the gaps 100.

[0024] With reference to Figures 6-8, the blade array 152 will be described in more detail. Each of the blades has a first end 170, a second end 172, an upper surface 174, and an opposite lower surface 176. As illustrated in Figures 6 and 7, the first end 170 and the second end 172 are at different heights, see H in Figure 7, which will dictate the downward angle. The height H may be adjusted according to the product or the space available for the diffuser. When installed in a splash controller, splashed product hits a blade's lower or bottom surface 176 and under the force of gravity moves downward toward a blade beneath it or downward to a collection vessel.

[0025] Each of the blades 154-164 has a similar geometry. As illustrated in Figure 8, each blade is an arc of approximately 90°. As such, when six blades 154-164 are spaced evenly in a circle, the blades have approximately a 15° overlap a prior blade so that consecutive blade ends 172 are spaced apart by 60° ± 5°.

[0026] The pitch of the helical blades 154-164 may be dictated by the viscosity of the flowing hydrated product. Generally, the pitch must be sufficient to continually move the hydrated product downward under working conditions under while avoiding additional splashing.

[0027] In order to reduce the length of the outer sleeve 66 needed to capture the splash, a cap 190 surrounds the outlet tube 40. The cap 190 includes a plurality of vanes 192, see Figure 9, that have successively varied interior and exterior diameters and are arranged to provide a plurality of vents 194 that permit air to escape and relieve potential back pressure. As such, the vanes 192 cause the cap 190 to have a larger interior diameter at the base and a smaller diameter at the top where it surrounds the outlet tube 40.

[0028] Still with reference to Figure 9, the cap 190 will be described in more detail. As noted earlier, cap 190 is formed with a plurality of annular vanes 192 with vents 194 formed between adjacent vanes. The vanes 192 may be formed of any suitable material, such as steel or aluminum, which can withstand repeated impacts of splashed material. The vanes 192 are angled relative to a longitudinal axis of the diffuser 42 and the outlet tube 40 (i.e., a vertical axis in Figure 5). In particular, the vanes 192 may be angled inwardly to be relatively higher at an inner circumference and relatively lower at an outer circumference. As noted previously, the vanes 192 are successively sized with decreasing circumferences relative to each other as the cap 190 extends upward toward the outlet tube 40. The illustrated vanes 192 are rectangular in crosssection; however other cross-sectional shapes are contemplated.

[0029] Figure 10 illustrates the plurality of spiral windings within the cap 190. Preferably the spiral windings 200-200n are formed as a continuous winding that extends inwardly by about three quarters of an inch to about 1 inch. The vertical distance between the individual windings is about the same but can be varies so there is clearance to permit the entrapped gas to escape.