Adjustable Guide Elements for Gentle Sausage Strand Division
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sausage casing separation technologies often result in casing bursts due to mechanical stress, especially when handling natural casings with varying sausage calibers, as they fail to provide gentle and balanced guidance during the division process.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves adjustable guide elements that can be set to match the sausage caliber, allowing the not yet completely filled sausage to rotate unhindered and preventing imbalances, with guide and compartment elements spatially superimposed to support the sausage strand during division, enabling gentle guidance and production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If non-adjustable guide elements are used, then the device structure is simple, but casing bursts occur due to mechanical stress when handling natural casings with varying sausage calibers
Solution Approach 1:
The guide elements are made adjustable in position along the transport direction, allowing dynamic adaptation to different sausage calibers. This enables the guide elements to maintain optimal spacing relative to the sausage diameter, preventing mechanical stress and casing bursts while handling varying product sizes.
2Ease of operation
If the distance between guide elements is fixed, then the device is simple to operate, but it cannot accommodate different sausage calibers without causing mechanical stress
Solution Approach 1:
The guide elements incorporate adjustable positioning mechanisms that allow operators to modify the distance between guide elements according to the specific sausage caliber being processed. This dynamic adjustment capability enables the system to accommodate a wide range of sausage diameters while maintaining gentle handling and preventing casing damage.
3Stability of the object's composition
If guide elements are positioned far from the filling tube, then the sausage can rotate freely, but the device cannot provide close support during division
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable guide elements allow dynamic positioning that optimizes both sausage rotation freedom and proximity to the filling tube. By adjusting the guide element position along the transport direction, the system maintains sufficient spacing for unhindered rotation while positioning the division mechanism close to the filling tube for efficient processing.
4Volume of moving object
If the distance between guide elements is too small, then the device is compact, but the not yet completely filled sausage cannot rotate unhindered causing faulty linking points or casing bursts
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable guide elements enable the system to optimize the distance between guides based on the specific processing requirements. For unhindered rotation of not yet completely filled sausages, the guides are positioned at an optimal distance that prevents mechanical interference and ensures reliable linking points, while still maintaining a compact overall device footprint.
Data Source
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AI summary
The apparatus has a pair of dividing elements (3a) for dividing a stuffed sausage strand (12), where the stuffed sausage strand is conveyed in conveying direction between guide elements (2a, 2c). A sausage caliber adjusts distance between the guide elements, where the guide elements are arranged on an ejection end of a stuffing tube (9) such that the dividing elements are prevented from being coupled with the stuffing tube. The dividing elements are arranged between the guide elements. An independent claim is also included for a method for dividing stuffed sausage strands.