Annular Slicing Head With Sacrificial Ring for Bearing Failure Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing slicing machines struggle to accommodate larger and elongate products while maintaining or increasing throughput, and there is a need to prevent bearing failures that can lead to product jamming and machine damage.
Innovation Solution
A slicing machine with an annular cutting head and an impeller assembly featuring equi-angularly spaced tubular guides and a bearing assembly that includes a sacrificial ring to prevent contact between the tubular guides and knives in case of bearing failure, allowing for larger products and increased throughput.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the machine is designed to accommodate larger and elongate products, then product size capacity is improved, but the risk of bearing failure and product jamming increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by providing a sacrificial ring that absorbs the impact of bearing failure. The sacrificial ring is positioned between the tubular guide and the cutting head, creating a cushioning barrier that prevents direct contact and damage when bearing failure occurs, thereby maintaining reliability while accommodating larger products
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs disposable components by making the tubular guide and sacrificial ring replaceable parts. When bearing failure occurs, these components can be quickly replaced rather than replacing the entire impeller assembly, reducing downtime and maintenance costs while enabling the machine to handle larger products
2Reliability
If bearing protection measures are added to prevent damage, then machine reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the protection function from the main bearing structure by adding a separate sacrificial ring component. This isolation allows the bearing protection mechanism to be independently replaced without affecting other parts of the impeller assembly, improving reliability while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by providing protection only at the critical interface between the tubular guide and cutting head where bearing failure would cause damage. The sacrificial ring is strategically positioned at this specific location rather than throughout the entire machine, maintaining simplicity while enhancing reliability where it is most needed
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
The machine effectively accommodates large and elongate products, reduces product jamming, and extends the useful life of the impeller assembly and cutting head by preventing damage from bearing failures.
Implementation Method 1
the impeller assembly transports products to knives situated in the cutting head for slicing the products
Data Source
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AI summary
Machines and methods for slicing products into lattice-type slices or chips. The methods and machines utilize a cutting head having an annular shape that defines an axis of the cutting head, and an impeller assembly coaxially mounted within the interior of the cutting head for rotation about the axis of the cutting head. The cutting head having at least one knife at a perimeter thereof and extending radially inward of the cutting head. The impeller assembly has a base, a cavity within the base, a central opening to the cavity within the base, and equi-angularly spaced tubular guides extending radially outward from the base for delivering products within the cavity toward the perimeter of the cutting head as the impeller assembly rotates within the cutting head. The impeller assembly includes features with the ability to increase product throughput and increase the useful lives of the impeller assembly and cutting head.