Bent Cutting Disc Knife for Even 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 of existing cutting knives results in deformation and uneven cutting of thin vegetable slices.
Innovation Solution
A knife for a cutting disc with a bend line along its longitudinal direction, where the attachment means is on one side of the bend line and the cutting edge is on the other, ensuring the cutting edge is parallel to the disc plane, allowing for even cutting of thin slices without deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a removable cutting knife is fixed at an angle of 10-20 degrees to the plane of the cutting disc, then the knife can be easily attached and removed, but it causes deformation and uneven thickness in thin vegetable slices
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of mounting the knife at an angle to facilitate attachment, the invention inverts the approach by mounting the knife parallel to the disc plane. The angle is introduced in the opposite direction - in the mounting surface (dike-shaped section) rather than in the knife itself, thereby achieving both easy attachment and precise cutting.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention moves the angular deviation from the knife blade dimension to the mounting surface dimension. The dike-shaped section provides the necessary angle for attachment while the knife blade remains parallel to the disc plane, separating the attachment function from the cutting precision requirement.
2Manufacturing precision
If the knife is mounted parallel to the cutting disc plane, then thin vegetable slices can be cut evenly without deformation, but the attachment becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the mounting structure into a dike-shaped section with a sloping part. This segmentation allows the mounting surface to provide the necessary angle while keeping the knife blade parallel to the disc plane, simplifying the overall attachment structure despite the angular requirement.
Solution Approach 2:
The dike-shaped section acts as an intermediary between the cutting disc and the knife. It provides the angular mounting surface needed for attachment while allowing the knife blade to remain parallel to the disc plane, thus mediating between the attachment and cutting precision requirements.
3Strength
If a cutting disc is made from die-cast aluminium, then it possesses sufficient stiffness to withstand cutting forces, but it becomes discoloured through contact with acids in foodstuffs and washing
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from a single material (die-cast aluminium) to a composite construction using sheet metal with a plastic coating. This composite structure maintains the stiffness required for cutting while the plastic coating protects against discolouration from acid contact and washing.
Solution Approach 2:
The plastic coating creates an inert environment between the metal disc and the acidic foodstuffs. This protective layer prevents chemical reactions that would cause discolouration, while still allowing the disc to function mechanically for cutting.
Data Source
AI summary
A knife for a cutting disc in a cutting machine, which disc includes a centrally arranged, penetrating hole and an opening extending in a radial direction. The disc is manufactured from sheet metal and includes a dike-shaped section with a sloping part extending radially from the center of the disc. An attachment element for attaching the knife is arranged along the sloping part. The knife is bent along a bend line running along the longitudinal direction of the knife. The attachment element is present in a section of the knife on one side of the bend line, and a cutting edge is present running along the free edge of the knife. The angle of bend between the sections is such that the section of the knife at which the cutting edge is present is parallel to the plane of the cutting disc when the knife is mounted on the disc.