Bent Cutting-Disc Knife for Uniform Thin Vegetable Slices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cutting discs in cutting machines, made from die-cast aluminum, discolor due to food contact and washing, and the design with a knife at an angle with the disc plane results in deformed and unevenly cut vegetable slices.
Innovation Solution
A cutting disc made from sheet metal with a knife bent along its longitudinal direction, where the attachment means are on one side of the bend line and the cutting edge on the other, ensuring the cutting edge is parallel to the disc plane, allowing for even cutting of thin slices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a knife is fixed at an angle (10-20 degrees) to the cutting disc plane, then the knife can be securely attached to the disc, but the cutting edge produces deformed and unevenly thick slices
Solution Approach 1:
The knife is bent along its longitudinal axis to create a two-dimensional angular configuration. The attachment means are positioned at an angle relative to the cutting edge, allowing the knife to be mounted on the disc such that the cutting edge becomes parallel to the disc plane. This dimensional reconfiguration resolves the contradiction by decoupling the attachment angle from the cutting edge orientation.
2Manufacturing precision
If the cutting edge is made parallel to the disc plane by bending the knife, then uniform thin slices can be cut, but the attachment means must be positioned at an angle requiring complex knife geometry
Solution Approach 1:
The knife is segmented into functionally distinct zones: an attachment section containing the attachment means at an angle, a bend line creating the angular transition, and a cutting section with the cutting edge parallel to the disc plane. This segmentation allows each zone to fulfill its specific function independently, achieving precise cutting geometry while maintaining secure attachment.
3Strength
If a die-cast aluminum cutting disc is used, then the disc can be manufactured with sufficient stiffness to withstand cutting forces, but the disc becomes discolored through contact with food acids and washing
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting disc is constructed from stainless steel, a material that combines the required mechanical strength and stiffness to withstand cutting forces with corrosion resistance that prevents discoloration from food acids and washing. This material substitution resolves the contradiction by providing both structural integrity and chemical inertness.
Data Source
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AI summary
A knife for a cutting disc (1) for use in a cutting machine for foodstuffs. The disc comprises a dike-shaped section (5, 9) with a sloping part (5) that extends radially from the centre of the disc. An attachment means for a knife is arranged along the sloping part. The knife is bent along a longitudinal bend line. The attachment means is located in a first section (15) of the knife on one side of the bend line. A cutting edge of the knife is located along the free edge of the knife in another section (17) on the other side of the bend line. The bending angle between the two sections is such that the cutting edge is parallel to the plane of the cutting disc, when the knife is mounted on the cutting disc.