Annular Impeller for Longitudinal Cutting of Elongate Food Products

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing size reduction equipment, such as the DiversaCut 2110, is inefficient in processing elongate food products that require orientation for longitudinal cuts, as they often necessitate manual handling and specific cut styles like French-cut or European-style beans, which can be time-consuming and labor-intensive.

Innovation Solution

A machine with an annular-shaped impeller and circumferentially oriented paddles that use centrifugal force to hold products in annular cavities, allowing for simultaneous delivery and orientation of elongate products, enabling a first longitudinal cut during rotation, and subsequent processing into reduced-size products like French-cut beans.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If manual handling is used for elongate food products requiring orientation, then cutting precision can be maintained, but productivity is reduced and labor intensity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecutting precisionVSAvoidproductivity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The feed unit is divided into multiple feed troughs that can independently receive and orient different elongate food products. Each trough acts as a separate segmentation unit, allowing simultaneous processing of multiple products while maintaining individual orientation precision through the impeller's centrifugal force mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The impeller with circumferential paddles automatically orients the elongate food products within the feed troughs using centrifugal force during rotation. This self-orienting mechanism eliminates the need for manual handling and positioning, thereby increasing productivity while maintaining consistent cutting precision through automated orientation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Productivity

If automated processing is implemented for elongate food products, then productivity increases, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduction capacityVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The impeller serves multiple functions simultaneously: it rotates to drive the cutting process, generates centrifugal force to hold products against the casing wall, and through its circumferential paddles, orients the elongate food products in the feed troughs. This multi-functionality increases productivity without proportionally increasing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The impeller and feed troughs utilize curved and annular geometries that naturally guide and orient elongate products through centrifugal force during rotation. The curved surfaces and annular shape provide automatic orientation without requiring complex mechanical positioning mechanisms, thereby increasing production capacity while limiting complexity growth.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

3Productivity

If circumferential orientation of products is implemented, then longitudinal cutting efficiency is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecutting efficiencyVSAvoidorientation precision

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The circumferential paddles on the impeller continuously contact and re-orient the elongate food products during rotation, providing real-time feedback and correction of product orientation. This ensures that products maintain the correct longitudinal alignment throughout the cutting process, improving cutting efficiency while compensating for any orientation deviations to maintain manufacturing precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Facilitates efficient and automated longitudinal cutting of elongate food products, reducing manual handling and increasing production capacity by ensuring consistent cuts, such as French-cut or European-style cuts, while allowing for further processing into strip-cut or granulated products.

Implementation Method 1

Centrifugal force holds the product 16 against the inner wall of the casing 12 as paddles 20 of the impeller 14 carry the product 16 past a slicing knife 22

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCentrifugal force: Centrifugal Force

Implementation Method 2

as the impeller 14 rotates on a horizontal axis within the casing 12

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRotational motion:

Data Source

PatentUS10442102B2Machines and methods for cutting products to produce reduced-size products therefrom

Publication Date: 2019.10.15 URSCHEL LABORATORIES INC

AI summary

Machines and methods suitable for performing cutting operations on products to yield a reduced-size product, for example, slicing and strip-cutting elongate food products. Such a method includes simultaneously delivering products to annular-shaped cavities of a rotating impeller. The products are simultaneously delivered with a feed unit that has a feed chute extension that protrudes into an interior of the impeller. The feed chute extension defines feed chutes that are aligned with the annular-shaped cavities of the impeller and direct the products to circumferential series of pockets within the annular-shaped cavities. The products are held within the pockets by centrifugal force as the products are carried past a slicing knife to form a first longitudinal cut through each of the products during a rotation of the impeller and to produce therefrom a substantially longitudinally sliced product.