TWM585496U - Measurement apparatus for dough - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a measurement apparatus for dough, which includes a board, a restriction member and a pressing member. The pressing member comprises a carrying surface for carrying a weight member and a pressing head extending oppositely from the carrying surface. The pressing head is shaped and sized to correspond to a measurement space. The pressing head can be at least partially received in the measurement space to press a sample on the board.

Description

Measuring device for dough

The present disclosure relates to a measuring device, in particular to a measuring device for edible dough and a method for using the same to obtain data related to the texture of the dough.

Food texture has been widely used in food physical analysis and evaluation to indicate the organization and taste of food. Through the evaluation and testing of food texture characteristics, it helps to improve product design and production processes, adjustment of raw materials or formulations, control of storage stability and product quality, new product development, and product positioning and commercial competition.

There are two methods for evaluating food texture. The first is a sensory analysis method, which uses the human body's sensory observations and reactions in series to produce the tactile sensation of muscle contraction and strength change through the process of food taking and ingestion, and then evaluates the texture characteristics of the product. This method belongs to subjective judgment. Because humans have different perceptions of reactions, it is not easy to obtain accurate and repetitive results. Another way is to use instruments to measure the deformation of food and raw materials under the action of force, analyze the mechanical behavior of the sample, and obtain the force and displacement parameters as indicators of food texture characteristics, which is an objective analysis method. At present, the texture analyzer has been widely used in the field of food research. Its equipment components include a host, a computer and various probes. The host is composed of a base, a drive system and sensors. The computer program controls the operation, through the calculation of special software components, collects the experimental data, obtains the deformation, time, force value and test map to evaluate the food texture characteristics.

Because the texture analyzer contains sensors and data acquisition systems, it must be operated and used in a laboratory environment such as specific power and space requirements, and is not suitable for moving and carrying. The known handheld hardness tester has the advantages of being convenient to carry and measuring instantly and online. However, regardless of the special hand-held hardness tester for food and chemical materials, it has the disadvantages of a small probe area, a limited measurement range, and the suitability of specific samples. It is not suitable for dough measurement.

Therefore, it is necessary to develop a measuring device for dough that has no restrictions on the use of electronic measuring devices.

The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a measuring device for dough, including: a plate including a bearing surface for carrying an object to be measured; a restricting component for seating on the plate and defining a plate with the plate; An accommodating space is used for accommodating the object to be measured; and an extruded part including a bearing surface for carrying a gravity component and an extrusion head extending in the opposite direction from the bearing surface, the extrusion The indenter is configured to have a shape and a size matching the accommodating space, so that the pressing member can be at least partially accommodated in the accommodating space to press the object to be measured.

In a specific embodiment, the plate is formed with a plurality of holes, and the plurality of holes penetrate the plate.

In a specific embodiment, the device further includes a base for holding the board.

In a specific embodiment, each of the plurality of holes has a diameter of 4.00 to 8.00 mm.

In a specific embodiment, the pressing head is formed with a mark, wherein the mark is used to indicate a relative position of the pressing member and the restricting member.

In a specific embodiment, the extrusion head has an extrusion surface, and the total area of the plurality of holes accounts for 40 to 70.38% of the area of the extrusion surface.

In a specific embodiment, the plurality of holes are an array of twenty-eight holes, of which four holes are distributed at an innermost diameter of the array, and sixteen holes are distributed at one outermost of the array. Outer diameter. In a specific embodiment, the plurality of holes are an array of twenty-one holes, one of which is distributed at the center of the array, and thirteen of which are distributed at an outermost diameter of the array. In a specific embodiment, the plurality of holes are an arrangement of forty-eight holes, which are arranged according to a region defined by a hexagon, wherein three holes surround the center of the arrangement. In a specific embodiment, the plurality of holes are an arrangement of thirty-seven holes, one of which is distributed in the center of the arrangement, and the diameter of each hole is selected from one of 4.5 mm, 5 mm, and 5.5 mm. .

These and other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be presented in more detail in the following description of the present disclosure and the drawings illustrated by the principles of the present disclosure.

The disclosure will be described more fully below with reference to the drawings, and specific examples and specific embodiments will be shown by way of illustration. However, the claimed subject matter can be embodied in many different forms, so the construction of the covered or applied claim subject matter is not limited to any example embodiments disclosed in this specification; the example embodiments are merely examples. Similarly, this disclosure is intended to provide a reasonably broad scope to the claimed subject matter that is being applied for or covered. In addition, for example, it is claimed that the subject matter may be embodied as a method, apparatus, or system.

The term "an embodiment" used in this specification does not necessarily refer to the same specific embodiment, and "in other (some / some) embodiments" used in this specification does not necessarily refer to a different specific embodiment. Its purpose is, for example, that the claimed subject matter includes all or part of a combination of exemplary embodiments.

The first figure shows the main components of the measuring device (10) for dough (or a material similar to the dough) of the present disclosure, including a base (101), a plate (102), a restricting component (103), and a squeeze Press the component (104). The dough referred to in this disclosure refers to dough or other kinds of test objects similar to dough with extended texture.

The base (101) provides the bottom support of the measuring device (10), and includes a frame (101a) and a plurality of posts (101b). These pillars (101b) support the frame (101a) at a height, and these pillars (101b) can also be connected via connecting members (101c) to strengthen the structure of the base (101) or adjust the center of gravity. The frame (101a) forms an accommodating space (101d), which is configured to communicate the upper and lower sides of the frame (not shown). The accommodating space (101d) of the frame (101a) is used to receive the plate (102), and a shoulder (101e) is formed on the inner side of the frame (101a) to provide support for the plate (102a) accommodated in the frame (101a). ). Although the displayed frame (101a) and its accommodating space (101d) are rectangular, they may also be circular or other shapes.

The plate (102) has a supporting surface (102a) for supporting a test object, such as dough. The thickness of the plate (102) should be large enough to withstand the squeezing gravity above, without deformation, such as about 5.2 mm. The shape and size of the plate (102) are appropriately selected so as to be placed in the accommodation space (101d) of the base (101). The plate (102) is formed with a plurality of holes (102b), which pass through the entire plate (102) in the longitudinal direction. When the plate (102) is contained in the base (101), the hole (102b) communicates with the lower part of the frame (101a). The hole (102b) is configured to receive a part of the object to be advanced due to the pressing, and the related description will be described later. In other embodiments, the holes may be ignored.

In one embodiment, the base (101) further includes a lateral holding means for holding the received plate (102). For example, the frame (101a) may be formed with a plurality of threaded holes (101f), which cooperate with corresponding screws (101g) to laterally clamp a plate in the accommodation space (101d). In a possible embodiment, the base (101) may further include a means for longitudinal holding. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the plate (102) and the frame (101) each have a positioning structure that can cooperate with each other.

The restricting component (103) is a container for restricting the movement of the object to be measured. The restricting part (103) is a tube as shown. The restricting component (103) is placed on the bearing surface (102a) of the plate (102) and forms an accommodating space with the bearing surface (102a) as a test chamber for accommodating the object to be measured. The material of the restriction member (103) may be transparent acrylic or stainless steel. Acrylic materials are good for observing and measuring, while stainless steel is good for simulating the progress of dough in mechanical equipment. Preferably, the size of the limiting member (103) should be large enough to cover the area where the plurality of holes (102b) of the plate (102) are distributed, so that the holes (102b) communicate with the space defined by the limiting member (103). In one embodiment, the inner diameter of the restricting member (103) is about 43.7 mm. Although not shown, the restricting member (103) may be fixed to the plate (102) by a holding means. For example, the aforementioned clamping means, ie, a combination of a screw hole and a screw, may be applied. Alternatively, in a possible embodiment, the plate (102) may form a specific ring or groove to limit the position of the restricting member (103).

The pressing member (104) has a bearing surface (104a) and a pressing head (104b) extending downward from the bearing surface (104a). In an embodiment, the extrusion head (104b) is a post whose diameter is equivalent to the inner diameter of the restriction member (103), so that the extrusion head (104b) can be matched with the restriction member (103). For example, the diameter of the extrusion head (104b) is approximately 43.7 mm. The end of the extrusion head (104b) has an extrusion surface (104c), which is used as a contact surface with the object to be measured during measurement. In one embodiment, the pressing surface (104c) is a flat surface. The bearing surface (104a) is basically a plane for carrying a gravity component (not shown), such as a weight. Of course, the gravity component may be in the form of any solid, liquid, or a combination thereof. In other words, the gravity member can be placed on the pressing member (104), thereby adjusting the pressing force of the pressing member (104).

The pressing member (104) may be provided with a ring (104d) located on the periphery of the bearing surface (104a) for limiting the displacement of the gravity member. Although not shown, the ring (104d) may also include a retaining means, such as the aforementioned clamping means, that is, the threaded hole (101f) and the screw (101g). Preferably, the gravity member should be properly held on the pressing member (104) so that the gravity member does not tilt or rotate the pressing member (104), and at the same time, ensure that the force is applied uniformly to the object to be measured.

In one embodiment, a marking (104e) is provided on one side of the extrusion head (104b), which may be formed by printing or structure. The mark (104e) is mainly configured to indicate a relative relationship between the pressing member (104) and the restricting member (103). For example, the mark (104e) is a set of longitudinally extending scales in millimeters. In this way, the observer can read the initial state and the final state of the object to be measured through the scale, and the distance moved by the pressing member (104) relative to the limiting member (103) as a reference for the degree of deformation of the object to be measured.

The second figure shows that a weight (200) is placed on the pressing part (104), and a part of the pressing head (104b) is inserted into the measurement space formed by the restricting part (103) and the plate (102). According to the partial cross-section of the second figure, a bottom surface of the plate (102) sits on a shoulder (101e) of the frame (101a), and a hole (102b) runs through the entire plate (102) in the longitudinal direction. A test object (D) is placed on the bearing surface (102a) of the plate (102) and is surrounded by the restraint member (103). Due to the weight of the pressing member (104) and the weight of the weight, the object to be measured is pressed by the pressing surface (104c) of the pressing member (104). The object under test may be deformed and prevent the pressing part (104) from proceeding. Alternatively, the object under test may be deformed and advance through the hole (102b) below it. However, the deformation is the result of compression for a period of time. For example, the weight of the weight (200) may be selected from five hundred grams, one kilogram, two kilograms, and three kilograms. In a feasible alternative, the extrusion part (104) and the code (200) may be replaced by a probe of a known texture analyzer. A person skilled in the art can cooperate with the restriction member (103) and the plate (102) by using a probe having an appropriate size. The probe is generally controlled by a driver, and it can be configured to use six kilograms, twelve kilograms, twenty-four kilograms, thirty-six kilograms, or forty-eight kilograms as the force of the probe. According to the pressing distance of the probe, a deformation amount related to the object to be measured can be recorded, thereby knowing the texture of the object to be measured.

Refer to the third and third figures A and B, respectively, to show the relative relationship between the pressing part (104) and the limiting part (103) in the initial state and the final state of the object to be measured. The initial state is a position where the pressing part (104) is located before the object to be measured is pressed. For example, the position where the pressing surface (104c) is in contact with the object to be measured, or the position where the pressing part (104) does not enter the measurement space can be viewed. The surveyor should determine the appropriate starting state based on the measurement conditions. The final state is that the deformation of the object under test is no longer significantly changed. For example, the final state can be determined by a predetermined pressing time, or the relative relationship between the pressing member (104) and the restricting member (103) can be observed through the aforementioned mark (104e) without any detectable change. With this, the change amount of the position of the pressing part (104) in the initial state and the final state can be regarded as a deformation amount data caused by the object to be measured being squeezed. It can be understood that the replacement of gravity components with different weights will affect the amount of deformation of the object to be measured. Based on the measurement of a set of gravity components, statistical values related to the object to be measured can be obtained. In addition, for objects to be tested with different textures, the statistical results of the amount of deformation will also differ.

The fourth diagram A and the fourth diagram B respectively show the first embodiment and the second embodiment in which the aforementioned holes (102b) are arranged. Figure 4A shows the arrangement of twenty-eight holes, of which four of these holes are evenly arranged at an inner diameter, and sixteen of these holes are equally arranged at an outer diameter. The lower eight holes are evenly arranged between the innermost and outermost diameters. In one embodiment, the diameter of a single hole is about 6.12 mm, the gap between the innermost diameter hole and the hole is about 1.8 mm, and the gap between the outermost diameter hole and the hole is about 1.2 mm, which is between the outermost diameter and the innermost diameter. The hole-to-hole gap is about 3.2 mm, and the total cross-sectional area of these holes accounts for about 54.92% of the area of the extrusion face (104c). The "total cross-sectional area of the holes" or similar description herein refers to the sum of the cross-sectional areas of each hole. The "cross-sectional area of a hole" or similar description herein refers to the cross-sectional area of the hole on the bearing surface of the plate.

Figure 4B shows the arrangement of twenty-one holes. One of the holes is located in the center. Thirteen holes in the holes are evenly arranged at the outermost diameter, and the remaining seven holes. It is equally divided between the center and the outermost diameter. In an embodiment, the diameter of a single hole is about 8 mm, the gap between the outermost hole and the hole is about 0.88 mm, the gap between the center and the outermost hole is about 0.74 mm, and the total cross-sectional area of the hole is It accounts for about 70.38% of the area of the extrusion surface (104c).

Furthermore, the fourth C diagram shows another embodiment. This is an arrangement of forty-eight holes according to the area defined by a hexagon. The closest to the center is three holes surrounding the center, and the remaining holes face the edges of the hexagon. Arrange in a specific direction. The distance between each of these holes and another adjacent hole is approximately 1.37 mm. A maximum distance between point to point in the hexagon is 43.7 mm. The diameter of the hole is 4 mm. The total cross-sectional area of these holes accounts for about 40% of the area of the extrusion face (104c).

Furthermore, the fourth D diagram shows still another embodiment. This is an arrangement of concentric distribution of thirty-seven holes in a circle defined by a circle, which is distributed in the center by one hole. The holes are surrounded, and there are eighteen holes in the outermost circle. Among them, for the area of the pressing surface (104c), the total cross-sectional area with a hole diameter of 4.5 mm is 40.52%, and the total cross-sectional area with a hole diameter of 5 mm is 50.03%, and the total cross-sectional area with a hole diameter of 5.5 mm is 60.53%. The arrangement of the fourth diagram D is logically starting from the center point, and increasing from the inner circle to the outer circle in multiples of six. For example, the first circle has six holes, the second circle has twelve holes, and the third circle has eighteen holes. Add a total of thirty-seven holes. Of course, among other possibilities, different arrangements can be created according to this logic.

The four arrangements shown in Figure 4 can be implemented on different boards, respectively. The “different plates” mentioned in this article means that there is a difference between the plates of at least one of the following parameters: the arrangement of the plurality of holes, the total cross-sectional area of the plurality of holes, the diameter of the single hole, the cross-sectional area of the single hole, etc. In this way, the surveyor can select a board for measurement according to the nature of the object to be measured, or perform multiple measurements on the same object to be tested with different plates to obtain more accurate results. Preferably, the arrangement of the holes is a center-symmetric arrangement, which can ensure that the force to be measured and the plate during the measurement are uniform. The number of the holes or the arrangement of the holes can be determined at least by the known area of a circle (that is, the area of the extrusion surface) and the total area ratio of the holes (such as 40%, 50%, and 60%). With the same arrangement logic, the value diameter or number of holes can be obtained based on different selections of the area ratios. In possible embodiments, the diameters of the holes are not exactly the same. As described above, the plate (102) can be held in the frame (101a) through the cooperation of the screw hole (101f) and the screw (101g). Of course, the plate (102) can also be removed from the frame (101a). For example, a plate with a relatively small single hole diameter is suitable for doughs with relatively high water content (such as 35 to 50%), and a plate with a relatively large single hole diameter is suitable for doughs with relatively low water content (such as less than 35 %).

Based on the above configuration, the surveyor can first place an object to be measured in an accommodating space defined by the load-bearing surface (102a) of the plate (102) and the restricting component (103), that is, a measurement space or a measurement room. Taking dough as an example, the dough to be tested can be prepared through a specific ratio (such as the ratio of water, salt and flour). In addition, it is preferable that the size and initial shape of the object to be measured should have consistent specifications. Then, the object to be measured located in the accommodating space is pressed by the pressing part (104) at a starting position within a predetermined time. For example, the surveyor can release the pressing part (104) from the position in contact with the top of the object to be measured, and after a period of time (ie, effective pressing time), such as ten seconds, twenty seconds, thirty seconds, or sixty In seconds, the degree of displacement of the pressing member (104) is recorded via the mark (104e). After the predetermined time has elapsed, first information is obtained based on an end position of the pressing member and the aforementioned starting position, and the displacement value of the pressing member (104) is shown in the third figure. Of course, within the predetermined time, the surveyor can also obtain records at different time points according to the marks, forming more specific statistical information.

Finally, the squeeze part (104) is removed and the squeezed test object is taken out to obtain a second information based at least on the difference (eg, deformation) of the test object and the squeezed test object. For example, the degree to which the dough is squeezed into the hole (102b) is different under different degrees of squeezing, which can be known by observation or measurement after being taken out.

According to the above description, at least the following statistical information can be obtained using the measuring device and method for dough according to the present disclosure, including: the impact of different extrusion degrees on the deformation degree of the test object, and the different extrusion degrees on the test object with different texture ( (Such as dough with different moisture content) statistics, the impact of extrusion time on the deformation of the test object, the impact of different moisture content on the deformation of the test object, the impact of different measurement time on the deformation of the test object, etc. Based on this, you can build statistics that can be used.

In summary, the present disclosure provides a measuring device for dough without power supply, which can select the degree of extrusion and the resistance to deformation of the object to be measured (such as the size of the cross-section, total cross-sectional area, or Arrangement, etc.), overcome the limitations of electronic devices, and provide other usability for measurement methods.

Although the foregoing disclosure has been described with certain details for the sake of clarity, I will understand that certain changes and modifications can be implemented within the scope of the patent application. Therefore, the above embodiments are used for illustration only, and are not limited, and the disclosure is not limited to the details described herein, but may be modified in the scope of equivalent patent applications and equivalents.

10‧‧‧ measuring device

103‧‧‧Restricted parts

101‧‧‧base

104‧‧‧ Extruded parts

101a‧‧‧box

104a‧‧‧bearing surface

101b‧‧‧column

104b‧‧‧ squeeze head

101c‧‧‧Connecting parts

104c‧‧‧ Extruded surface

101d‧‧‧accommodation space

104d‧‧‧circle

101e‧‧‧Shoulder

104e‧‧‧Mark

101f‧‧‧Threaded hole

200‧‧‧ weight

101g‧‧‧screw

D‧‧‧ DUT

102‧‧‧board

102a‧‧‧bearing surface

102b‧‧‧hole

The disclosure can be further understood with reference to the following drawings and descriptions. Non-limiting and non-exhaustive examples are described with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings do not have to be actual dimensions; the emphasis is on explaining the structure and principle.

The first figure shows an exploded view of the measuring device of the present disclosure.

The second figure shows a use state of the measuring device (including dough) of the present disclosure.

The third diagram A and the third diagram B respectively show the first use state and the second use state of the measuring device of the present disclosure, and particularly show the change of the scale in part.

Figures 4A to 4D show optional replacement parts of the measurement device of the present disclosure.

Claims (10)

A measuring device for dough includes:
A board including a bearing surface for carrying a test object;
A restricting member for seating on the board and defining an accommodating space with the board, the accommodating space is used for accommodating the object to be measured; and an extruding member including a bearing surface for carrying A gravity component and an extrusion head extending in the opposite direction from the bearing surface, the extrusion head is configured to have a shape and a size matching the accommodation space, so that the extrusion component can be at least partially accommodated in the accommodation space to Squeeze the test object. The measuring device according to item 1 of the scope of patent application, wherein the plate is formed with a plurality of holes, and the plurality of holes penetrate the plate. The measuring device according to item 1 of the patent application scope further includes a base for holding the board. The measuring device according to item 2 of the scope of patent application, wherein each of the plurality of holes has a diameter of 4.00 to 8.00 mm. The measuring device according to item 2 of the scope of patent application, wherein the extrusion head has an extrusion surface, and the total area of the plurality of holes accounts for 40.00 to 70.38% of the area of the extrusion surface. The measuring device according to item 2 of the scope of patent application, wherein the plurality of holes are an array of twenty-eight holes, four of which are distributed at an innermost diameter of the array, and sixteen of which are distributed An outer diameter of the array. The measuring device according to item 2 of the scope of patent application, wherein the plurality of holes are an array of twenty-one holes, one of the holes is distributed in the center of the array, and thirteen holes are distributed in the array. One of the outermost diameter. The measuring device according to item 2 of the scope of patent application, wherein the plurality of holes are an arrangement of forty-eight holes, which are arranged according to a region defined by a hexagon, and three holes surround the center of the arrangement. The measuring device according to item 2 of the scope of patent application, wherein the plurality of holes are an arrangement of thirty-seven holes, one of which is distributed in the center of the arrangement, and the diameter of each hole is selected from 4.5 mm and 5 mm And one of 5.5 mm. The measuring device according to item 1 of the patent application range, wherein the extrusion head is formed with a mark, wherein the mark is used to indicate a relative position of the extrusion member and the restriction member.