Poultry small breast meat pre-trim separation apparatus and method

Abstract

This invention discloses a pre-scraping and separating device and method for poultry breast meat, relating to the field of poultry processing technology. It includes a pre-scraper, a displacement guide plate, and a return spring. The displacement guide plate is linked to the pre-scraper and is used to cooperate with a pressure plate on a carrier. The return spring is disposed between the displacement guide plate and the pre-scraper. The carrier carries the poultry carcass and moves along a track. When the displacement guide plate is not in contact with the pressure plate, the return spring keeps the pre-scraper in a clearance position, allowing it to pass over the wing root joint of the poultry carcass. When the displacement guide plate comes into contact with the pressure plate, it displaces under the pressure of the pressure plate, overcoming the force of the return spring, and moves the pre-scraper to the pre-scraping position, allowing it to pre-scrape the breast meat of the poultry carcass. When the displacement guide plate disengages from the pressure plate, the return spring drives the pre-scraper to return to the clearance position. This invention greatly improves the integrity of the breast meat and the final yield, effectively controlling the bone-in rate of the product.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of poultry processing equipment technology, specifically to a pre-scraping and separating device and method for poultry breast meat. Background Technology

[0002] In the slaughtering and processing of poultry (such as chickens and ducks), the small breast (also known as chicken breast) consists of two slender muscles located on either side of the breastbone and below the large breast. Due to its tender texture, it has high economic value. Currently, there are two main methods for obtaining the small breast: one is manual separation, which is inefficient and difficult to guarantee the integrity of the meat; the other is harvesting it mechanically along with the large breast.

[0003] However, existing mechanical processing methods have significant drawbacks: First, the small breasts obtained are not very intact, easily broken, or remain on the skeleton, affecting product quality and yield; second, although small breasts can be harvested together with large breasts, the bone-in rate is high, leading to the need for additional manual sorting or equipment separation, increasing processing costs. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a pre-scraping and separation device that can improve the integrity of small breasts and reduce the bone-in rate. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a pre-scraping and separation device and method for poultry breast meat that can improve the integrity of the breast meat and reduce the bone-bearing rate.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows: A poultry breast meat pre-scraping and separating device, used in conjunction with a carrier that carries poultry carcasses and moves along a preset track, the carrier being equipped with a pressure plate; characterized in that it comprises: Pre-scraper; A displacement guide plate, which is linked to the pre-scraper and is used to cooperate with the pressure plate on the carrier; A reset spring is disposed between the displacement guide plate and the pre-scraper. The carrier carries the poultry carcass along the track. When the displacement guide plate is not in contact with the pressure plate on the carrier, the return spring keeps the pre-scraper in a clearance position, allowing the pre-scraper to pass over the wing root joint of the poultry carcass. When the displacement guide plate comes into contact with the pressure plate on the carrier, the displacement guide plate, under the pressure of the pressure plate, overcomes the force of the return spring and moves, causing the pre-scraper to move to the pre-scraping position, so that the pre-scraper is in contact with the small breast area of ​​the poultry carcass for pre-scraping. When the displacement guide plate disengages from the pressure plate on the carrier, the return spring drives the pre-scraper to return to the clearance position.

[0006] As a preferred technical solution, the pre-scraper has an arc-shaped blade that matches the curvature of the sternum of poultry.

[0007] As a preferred technical solution, the displacement guide plate has an inclined guide surface for smooth contact with the pressure plate.

[0008] As a preferred technical solution, the return spring is a gas spring.

[0009] As a preferred technical solution, the device further includes a mounting plate and an adjusting plate. One end of the adjusting plate is a free end, and the other end of the adjusting plate is pivotally connected to the mounting plate via a rotating shaft. One end of the gas spring is hinged to the mounting plate, and the other end of the gas spring is hinged to the middle of the adjusting plate. The displacement guide plate is fixedly mounted on the adjusting plate, and a displacement guide plate adjusting mechanism is provided between the displacement guide plate and the adjusting plate.

[0010] As a preferred technical solution, the linkage mechanism includes an active linkage and a driven linkage, which are movably connected at the middle. The active linkage is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft, and one end of the driven linkage is hinged to the mounting plate, while the other end is fixedly connected to the pre-scraper.

[0011] As a preferred technical solution, a blade spacing fine-tuning mechanism is provided between the pre-scraper and the driven connecting rod.

[0012] As a preferred technical solution, the tool distance fine-tuning mechanism includes a horizontal adjustment plate and a vertical adjustment plate, and the horizontal adjustment plate and the vertical adjustment plate are respectively provided with adjustment elongated holes.

[0013] The present invention also provides a method for pre-scraping and separating poultry breast meat using the above-described device, comprising the following steps: Step 1: The carrier moves the poultry carcass along the track. The pre-scraper is in the avoidance position under the action of the return spring. At this time, there is a gap between the pre-scraper and the poultry carcass, so that the pre-scraper can pass over the wing root joint of the poultry carcass without interference. Step 2: When the displacement guide plate comes into contact with the pressure plate on the carrier, the displacement guide plate is forced by the pressure plate to overcome the force of the return spring and move, and drives the pre-scraper to move to the pre-scraping position, so that the pre-scraper fits the small breast of the poultry carcass. As the carrier continues to move, the pre-scraper pre-scrapes and separates the small breast. Step 3: After the displacement guide plate disengages from the pressure plate on the vehicle, the return spring drives the displacement guide plate and the pre-scraper to return to the avoidance position, waiting for the next vehicle to enter.

[0014] Preferably, in step two, after the pre-scraper is attached to the position of the small breast of the poultry carcass, the pre-scraper moves along the surface of the sternum from the front end to the rear end of the sternum to complete the pre-scraping separation of the small breast.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: (1) Improve the integrity of small breast meat: The present invention uses a pre-scraper that is linked with the displacement guide plate. After the displacement guide plate contacts the carrier pressure plate, the pre-scraper can accurately and gently fit the root of the small breast meat on the surface of the sternum. With the arc-shaped blade matching the curvature of the sternum, the pre-scraper completely pre-scrapes the small breast meat along the surface of the sternum from the root of the small breast meat. This effectively avoids the problems of small breast meat breaking or remaining in the skeleton caused by violent pulling or positional deviation in the traditional mechanical separation method, and greatly improves the integrity of the small breast meat and the final yield.

[0016] (2) Reduce bone-bearing rate: The present invention uses a return spring (especially a gas spring) as a loading element, so that the pre-scraper can achieve flexible loading when it fits the sternum, avoiding bone chip peeling that may be caused by rigid scraping, and effectively controlling the bone-bearing rate of the product.

[0017] (3) Compact structure and strong adaptability: This invention utilizes the carrier's own pressure plate as a trigger element, and achieves automatic entry and reset of the pre-scraper through a displacement guide plate, a return spring, and a linkage mechanism (such as a linkage mechanism). When not in contact with the pressure plate, the pre-scraper remains in the avoidance position, and can safely and without interference pass over the wing root joint of the poultry carcass; after contacting the pressure plate, the pre-scraper precisely enters the pre-scraping position; after leaving the pressure plate, the pre-scraper quickly resets. The entire process requires no external sensors or electrical control, and relies entirely on the mechanical structure to complete the adaptive action, which has high reliability and meets the needs of continuous and high-speed operation of the production line.

[0018] (4) Flexible adjustment and strong applicability: By setting a displacement guide plate adjustment mechanism between the displacement guide plate and the adjustment plate, and setting a blade distance fine adjustment mechanism including a transverse adjustment plate and a longitudinal adjustment plate between the pre-scraper and the driven connecting rod, the operator can easily adjust the initial angle, pre-scraping position and scraping depth of the pre-scraper according to different breeds or sizes of poultry carcasses. This makes the device flexible and adaptable to poultry processing lines of various specifications, with strong versatility.

[0019] (5) Compact structure, easy integration and maintenance: The entire device is fixed to the production line frame by a mounting plate. The layout of each component is compact and occupies little space. The return spring is preferably a gas spring, which has a stable and adjustable output force. With the linkage mechanism, it can ensure sufficient pre-scraping force while having a good flexible buffering effect. It can effectively complete the pre-scraping without damaging the blade or poultry carcass due to rigid impact. Each component is easy to disassemble and the maintenance cost is low.

[0020] (6) High degree of automation and improved production efficiency: The pre-scraping separation method provided by this invention realizes the full automation of the pre-scraping process of small breast meat. Once the carrier enters the working area, the pre-scraping blade automatically completes the complete action cycle of "avoidance → cutting in → fitting pre-scraping → resetting", which is synchronized with the production line rhythm. Compared with the manual peeling method, the production efficiency is greatly improved, while ensuring the consistency of the pre-scraping effect of small breast meat of each poultry carcass, which is conducive to the realization of standardized and large-scale poultry meat processing production. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The following figures are intended only to illustrate and explain the present invention and do not limit the scope of the invention. Wherein: Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention; Figures 2 to 4 These are reference diagrams showing the state of the present invention in different perspectives when it is working in conjunction with the vehicle (before the vehicle contacts the displacement guide plate); Figures 5 to 7 These are reference diagrams from different perspectives showing the state of the present invention when it is working in conjunction with the carrier (after the carrier comes into contact with the displacement guide plate). Figure 8 This is a reference diagram showing the state of the pre-scraper as it passes over the wing root joint of the poultry carcass; Figure 9 This is a reference image showing the state of the pre-scraper when it cuts between the small breast meat and the sternum; Figure 10 This is a reference image showing the state of the pre-scraping blade after it has been applied; Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure when the two sets of devices are installed symmetrically.

[0022] In the diagram: 1-Pre-scraper; 11-Arc-shaped blade; 2-Displacement guide plate; 21-Inclined guide surface; 3-Reset spring; 4-Mounting plate; 5-Adjusting plate; 51-Rotating shaft; 6-Linkage mechanism; 61-Driving linkage; 62-Driven linkage; 7-Blade distance fine-tuning mechanism; 71-Transverse adjustment plate; 72-Longitudinal adjustment plate; 73-Adjusting elongated hole; 8-Carrier; 81-Pressure plate; 9-Avian carcass; 91-Breast meat; 92-Wing root joint; 10-Railway. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. In the following detailed description, only certain exemplary embodiments of the invention are described by way of illustration. Undoubtedly, those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications can be made to the described embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the drawings and description are illustrative in nature and not intended to limit the scope of the claims.

[0024] Please see Figures 1 to 4 A poultry breast meat pre-scraping and separating device is used to be installed on a poultry slaughtering and processing production line, and works in conjunction with a carrier 8 that carries poultry carcasses and moves along a preset track 10. A pressure plate 81 is provided on the side of the carrier 8 near the track.

[0025] refer to Figure 1 The device mainly includes a pre-scraper 1, a displacement guide plate 2, a reset spring 3, a mounting plate 4, an adjusting plate 5, and a linkage mechanism 6.

[0026] Mounting plate 4 serves as the foundation of the entire device and is fixedly mounted on the production line frame (not shown). One end of adjusting plate 5 is a free end, and the other end is pivotally connected to mounting plate 4 via rotating shaft 51, allowing adjusting plate 5 to swing around rotating shaft 51.

[0027] The return spring 3 is preferably a gas spring, with one end hinged to the mounting plate 4 and the other end hinged to the middle of the adjusting plate 5, always applying a supporting force and a stable return torque to the adjusting plate 5. The gas spring has adjustable and damping characteristics, which can make the swinging process of the adjusting plate 5 smooth and without impact, and the supporting force can be changed by adjusting the pressure according to different poultry breeds and sizes.

[0028] The displacement guide plate 2 is fixedly installed on the adjusting plate 5. The front end of the displacement guide plate 2 is provided with an inclined guide surface 21, which smoothly abuts against the pressure plate 81 on the carrier 8, thereby reducing impact and noise during contact and making the cutting action of the pre-scraper 1 more stable. A displacement guide plate adjustment mechanism (with a waist-shaped hole and bolt) is provided between the displacement guide plate 2 and the adjusting plate 5, used to finely adjust the fixed position and angle of the displacement guide plate 2 to adapt to the triggering position of different carrier specifications.

[0029] The linkage mechanism 6 includes a driving link 61 and a driven link 62, which are movably connected in the middle by a pin. One end of the driving link 61 is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 51 and can rotate synchronously with the rotating shaft 51. One end of the driven link 62 is hinged to the mounting plate 4, and its other end (free end) is fixedly connected to the pre-scraping blade 1. This linkage mechanism can accurately and reliably convert the swing of the adjusting plate 5 into the lifting displacement of the pre-scraping blade 1, and has the function of amplifying the stroke and force, ensuring that the pre-scraping blade 1 can quickly and accurately enter the pre-scraping position.

[0030] like Figure 1As shown, to facilitate adaptation to different poultry carcass sizes 9, a blade spacing fine-tuning mechanism 7 is provided between the pre-scraper 1 and the driven connecting rod 62. This mechanism includes a transverse adjustment plate 71 and a longitudinal adjustment plate 72, each with an adjustment elongated hole 73. By loosening the bolt and moving it within the range of the adjustment elongated hole 73, the transverse position (relative to the center of the carcass) and longitudinal position of the pre-scraper 1 can be adjusted, and then locked again after adjustment. This design allows the device to flexibly adapt to different breeds and sizes of poultry, significantly improving its versatility. The blade of the pre-scraper 1 is designed as an arc-shaped blade 11 that matches the curvature of the poultry sternum, and the carrier 8 also has a matching arc-shaped bearing surface. This arc-shaped structure facilitates close contact with the sternum surface during pre-scraping, allowing the pre-scraper to completely separate the small breast meat from the periosteum layer, thereby effectively improving the integrity of the small breast meat and avoiding cutting into the bone, reducing the bone-in rate from the source.

[0031] The work process is as follows: Initial state (e.g.) Figures 2 to 4 (As shown): The carrier 8 has not yet contacted the displacement guide plate 2. Under the thrust of the return spring 3 (gas spring), the adjusting plate 5 swings downward around the rotating shaft 51 to its limit position, driving the active connecting rod 61 to rotate clockwise, thereby pulling up the driven connecting rod 62 and the pre-scraper 1 fixed thereto. At this time, the pre-scraper 1 is in a raised clearance position, with a safe clearance between it and the wing root joint 92 of the poultry carcass 9 passing below (see reference). Figure 8 This design allows the pre-scraper to pass over the wing root joint without interference in non-working areas, avoiding damage to the blade and ensuring good passage for carcasses of various shapes.

[0032] Working status (e.g.) Figures 5 to 7 (As shown): The carrier 8, carrying the poultry carcass 9, moves along the track. When the pressure plate 81 begins to contact the inclined guide surface 21 of the displacement guide plate 2, as the carrier 8 continues to move forward, the pressure plate 81 presses against the displacement guide plate 2, forcing the adjusting plate 5 to overcome the force of the return spring 3 and swing upward around the rotating shaft 51. The swinging of the adjusting plate 5 drives the active connecting rod 61 to rotate counterclockwise, which in turn drives the driven connecting rod 62 to swing downward, ultimately causing the pre-scraping blade 1 to descend smoothly to the pre-scraping position. At this time, the arc-shaped blade 11 of the pre-scraping blade 1 is tightly attached to the surface of the sternum of the poultry carcass 9 and is located below the small breast meat 91 (see reference). Figure 9 As the carrier 8 continues to move, the pre-scraper 1 moves relative to the sternum from front to rear, completely pre-scraping and separating the small breast meat 91 from the sternum (see reference). Figure 10 Because the curved blade always conforms to the curvature of the sternum and the pressure is controlled by the gas spring and linkage mechanism, the pre-scraping process is gentle and thorough, which not only ensures the integrity of the small breast meat, but also avoids scraping the bone and producing bone fragments, thus significantly reducing the bone-bearing rate during subsequent separation.

[0033] Reset State: After the pre-scraping action is completed, the carrier 8 continues to move. After the pressure plate 81 disengages from the displacement guide plate 2, the restoring force of the reset spring 3 immediately drives the adjusting plate 5 to swing downwards. Through the linkage mechanism 6, the pre-scraping blade 1 is quickly raised and reset to the avoidance position, preparing for the arrival of the next carrier 8. The entire reset process is fast and without delay, ensuring that the device can meet the high-cycle operation requirements of the production line and achieve automated circulation.

[0034] Based on the above, the method for pre-scraping and separating poultry breast meat specifically includes the following steps: Step 1, Avoidance and Positioning: The carrier 8, carrying the poultry carcass 9, moves along the track. At this time, the pre-scraper 1 is in an avoidance position under the action of the return spring 3, maintaining a predetermined gap with the poultry carcass 9. The pre-scraper 1 can pass over the wing root joint 92 of the poultry carcass 9 without collision, avoiding interference.

[0035] Step 2, Cutting and Pre-scraping: When the pressure plate 81 of the carrier 8 abuts against the inclined guide surface 21 of the displacement guide plate 2 and continues to move, the pressure plate 81 applies pressure to the displacement guide plate 2. This pressure is transmitted sequentially through the adjusting plate 5 and the linkage mechanism 6, overcoming the elasticity of the return spring 3 and driving the pre-scraping blade 1 to move from the avoidance position to the pre-scraping position. The arc-shaped blade 11 of the pre-scraping blade 1 fits tightly between the small breast meat 91 and the sternum of the poultry carcass 9. As the carrier 8 moves, the pre-scraping blade 1 smoothly slides from the front end to the rear end of the sternum, effectively separating the small breast meat 91 from the bone, forming a pre-scraping incision. During this process, the blade only slides along the surface of the sternum and does not cut into the bone, thus completely peeling off the small breast meat without producing bone fragments, greatly improving the yield and purity of the small breast meat.

[0036] Step 3, Separation and Reset: After pre-scraping the small breast meat, the pressure plate 81 of the carrier 8 disengages from the displacement guide plate 2. The restoring force of the reset spring 3 immediately drives the adjusting plate 5 to swing in the opposite direction, and through the linkage mechanism 6, the pre-scraping blade 1 quickly and accurately resets to the avoidance position, awaiting the entry of the next carrier 8. This step realizes the automatic cycle of the device, without manual intervention or additional electrical control components, ensuring a high degree of synchronization between the pre-scraping process and the production line cycle, effectively improving the overall processing efficiency.

[0037] refer to Figure 11 To facilitate the simultaneous pre-scraping and separation of the small breast meat on both sides of the carcass at the same work station, this device is usually set up in two symmetrical sets, one above the other.

[0038] The above-described method and apparatus achieve automated and flexible pre-separation of breast meat. The pre-scraper only adheres to the required working area (i.e., the sternum region), automatically avoiding other areas (such as the wing root), ensuring both effective pre-scraping and preventing accidental damage. Because the pre-scraper cuts along the sternum surface with controllable pressure, it maximizes the preservation of breast meat integrity and avoids cutting the bone, thus significantly reducing the bone-in rate of the final product. Practical application shows that using the apparatus and method of this invention can improve breast meat integrity to over 98% and reduce the bone-in rate to below 0.5%, while eliminating a large amount of subsequent manual sorting processes, demonstrating extremely high practical value and economic benefits.

[0039] The above description is merely an illustrative embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Any equivalent changes and modifications made by those skilled in the art without departing from the concept and principles of the present invention should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A pre-scraping and separating device for poultry breast meat, used in conjunction with a carrier that carries poultry carcasses and moves along a preset track, the carrier being equipped with a pressure plate; characterized in that, include: A pre-scraping blade, wherein the pre-scraping blade has an avoidance position and a pre-scraping position; A displacement guide plate, which is linked to the pre-scraper and is used to cooperate with the pressure plate on the carrier; A reset spring is disposed between the displacement guide plate and the pre-scraper. The carrier carries the poultry carcass along the track. When the displacement guide plate is not in contact with the pressure plate on the carrier, the return spring keeps the pre-scraper in a clearance position, allowing the pre-scraper to pass over the wing root joint of the poultry carcass. When the displacement guide plate comes into contact with the pressure plate on the carrier, the displacement guide plate, under the pressure of the pressure plate, overcomes the force of the return spring and moves, causing the pre-scraper to move to the pre-scraping position, so that the pre-scraper is in contact with the small breast area of ​​the poultry carcass for pre-scraping. When the displacement guide plate disengages from the pressure plate on the carrier, the return spring drives the pre-scraper to return to the clearance position.

2. The poultry breast meat pre-scraping and separating device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The pre-scraper has an arc-shaped blade that matches the curvature of the sternum of poultry.

3. The poultry breast meat pre-scraping and separating device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The displacement guide plate has an inclined guide surface for smooth contact with the pressure plate.

4. The poultry breast meat pre-scraping and separating device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The return spring is a gas spring.

5. The poultry breast meat pre-scraping and separating device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: It also includes a mounting plate and an adjusting plate. One end of the adjusting plate is a free end, and the other end of the adjusting plate is pivotally connected to the mounting plate via a rotating shaft. One end of the gas spring is hinged to the mounting plate, and the other end of the gas spring is hinged to the middle of the adjusting plate. The displacement guide plate is fixedly mounted on the adjusting plate, and a displacement guide plate adjusting mechanism is provided between the displacement guide plate and the adjusting plate.

6. The poultry breast meat pre-scraping and separating device as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The linkage mechanism includes a driving link and a driven link, which are movably connected at the middle. The driving link is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft, and one end of the driven link is hinged to the mounting plate, while the other end is fixedly connected to the pre-scraper.

7. The poultry breast meat pre-scraping and separating device as described in claim 6, characterized in that: A blade spacing fine-tuning mechanism is provided between the pre-scraper and the driven connecting rod.

8. The poultry breast meat pre-scraping and separating device as described in claim 7, characterized in that: The tool spacing fine-tuning mechanism includes a horizontal adjustment plate and a vertical adjustment plate, and each of the horizontal and vertical adjustment plates is provided with an adjustment elongated hole.

9. A method for pre-scraping and separating poultry breast meat, characterized in that, The poultry breast meat pre-scraping and separating device as described in any one of claims 1 to 8 includes the following steps: Step 1: The carrier moves the poultry carcass along the track. The pre-scraper is in the avoidance position under the action of the return spring. At this time, there is a gap between the pre-scraper and the poultry carcass, so that the pre-scraper can pass over the wing root joint of the poultry carcass without interference. Step 2: When the displacement guide plate comes into contact with the pressure plate on the carrier, the displacement guide plate is forced by the pressure plate to overcome the force of the return spring and move, and drives the pre-scraper to move to the pre-scraping position, so that the pre-scraper fits the small breast of the poultry carcass. As the carrier continues to move, the pre-scraper pre-scrapes and separates the small breast. Step 3: After the displacement guide plate disengages from the pressure plate on the vehicle, the return spring drives the displacement guide plate and the pre-scraper to return to the avoidance position, waiting for the next vehicle to enter.

10. The method for pre-scraping and separating poultry breast meat as described in claim 9, characterized in that: In step two, after the pre-scraper is attached to the position of the small breast of the poultry carcass, the pre-scraper moves along the surface of the sternum from the front end to the rear end of the sternum to complete the pre-scraping separation of the small breast.

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