RU2183318C2 - Device for determining structural and mechanical properties of food-stuffs - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: food industry. SUBSTANCE: device has set of replaceable indenters, means for recording immersion depth of indenter, table for sample of food to be examined, worm and screw pairs as drive, two brackets rigidly secured on nut of screw pair and traction dynamometer for measuring force of resistance to immersion of indenter into sample under examination. Bushings made of material with low friction coefficient, for instance, fluoroplastic, are fitted in coaxial holes of brackets. These bushings serve as guides for vertical rod on which indenter is secured. EFFECT: increased accuracy of measurements, simplified design, enlarged operating capabilities of device. 1 dwg

Description

 The invention relates to the meat industry, in particular to devices for determining the structural and mechanical properties of food products.

 A known device for determining the tenderness of meat (US Pat. US 3602038, class G 01 N 3/48, 1971), comprising a holder with a handle and stops and a pillow on which two rows of needles are fixed. The rod cushion connects to a membrane on which piezoelectric sensors are mounted, closed by a casing, and an indicator that senses the force from the resistance experienced by the indenters.

 The disadvantages of this device are the lack of removable indenters, the impossibility of changing the maximum immersion depth of the indenters, as well as the manual insertion of needles into the test sample.

 The closest to the proposed portable small-sized penetrometer PPM-4 (Prospectus for the portable small-sized penetrometer PPM-4 of the MV Keldysh Research Institute of Thermal Processes and the Moscow State Academy of Applied Biotechnology), including a set of removable indenters, an introduction mechanism them into the test sample and a compression dynamometer, to which the resistance force is transmitted to the introduction of indenters into the sample.

 The disadvantages of the device are the need to power it from the mains and reduced measurement accuracy due to the presence of a compression spring.

 The solution is used to increase the accuracy of measurements, simplify the design and expand the possibilities of using the device.

 This goal is achieved by the fact that the device for determining the structural and mechanical properties of food products, containing an indenter, a table for the test sample, a device for recording the indenter immersion depth, is equipped with a worm and screw pairs as a drive, two brackets rigidly fixed to the screw pair nut, in the coaxial holes of the brackets there are bushings made of a material with a low coefficient of friction (for example, fluoroplastic), which are guides for a vertical rod with a closed an indenter insulated on it, as well as a tensile dynamometer.

 The proposed device differs from the known one in that the indenter is moved by means of a mechanical manual drive consisting of worm and screw pairs. The presence of a tensile dynamometer and bushings that reduce friction when moving the rod, leads to increased measurement accuracy.

 The drawing shows a device for determining the structural and mechanical properties of food products.

 A device for determining the structural and mechanical properties of food products (Fig. 1) contains a drive consisting of a screw pair: screw 1 and nut 2, and a worm pair 3, brackets 4 mounted on a nut 2, and a table 5 on which the test sample is placed 6. The holes 4 are made in the brackets in which the bushings 7 are made of a material that reduces friction when moving the vertical rod 8. An indenter 9 is fixed at the lower end of the rod, the immersion depth of which in the test sample is controlled by moving 10 and fixed 11 test scales. To measure the resistance force of immersion of the indenter in the test sample, a tensile dynamometer 12 is installed, the element 13 of which is rigidly connected to the rod 8, and the element 14 is connected to the upper bracket 4.

 The device operates as follows.

 A sample of the food product 6 is placed on the table 5. By means of a worm gear 3 and a screw 1 with a nut 2, the bracket 4 with the rod 8 is lowered. In this case, the indenter 9 penetrates the sample 6. The resistance force arising from this through the rod 8 and elements 13 and 14 working in tension, is transmitted to the tensile dynamometer 12. The depth of immersion is determined by measuring scales 10 and 11.

 Compared with the known, the proposed device provides improved measurement accuracy due to the presence of a tension spring in the measuring device and bushings made of material with a low coefficient of friction. The design of the device is easy to manufacture and use.

 In addition, the device is equipped with a set of interchangeable indenters to expand the use of the device.

Claims (1)

 A device for determining the structural and mechanical properties of food products, containing a set of interchangeable indenters, a device for recording the indenter immersion depth, characterized in that it is equipped with a table for the product sample under study, worm and screw pairs as a drive, two brackets rigidly fixed to the screw nut pairs, in the coaxial holes of the brackets there are bushings made of a material with a low coefficient of friction, for example, fluoroplastic, which are guides for vertical terzhnya with indenter attached to it, as well as a dynamometer to measure the tensile force resistance penetration of the indenter into the test sample.