Automated Hand Deboning Apparatus for Bird Carcass Tissue Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current automation in animal processing, particularly in separating tissues from skeletal structures in bird carcasses, often results in suboptimal yield and contamination from unwanted skeletal material, necessitating a combination of mechanical and manual manipulation to maximize tissue harvest while minimizing bone incorporation.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that combines mechanical scoring and separation with manual harvesting, utilizing a cut assembly to score the carcass and a separator assembly to separate breast and tenderloin tissues from the breast bone, followed by manual removal using a fixture to optimize tissue extraction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If fully automated mechanical processing is used to separate tissues from skeletal structures, then productivity is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to bone contamination and suboptimal tissue yield
Solution Approach 1:
The processing system is divided into two distinct segments: an automated mechanical scoring stage that performs initial tissue separation, followed by a manual harvesting stage that completes the separation with high precision. This segmentation allows each stage to optimize for its specific function, combining speed and quality
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical scoring assembly performs preliminary action by making initial incisions and separating tissues from skeletal structures before manual harvesting. This preliminary mechanical preparation reduces the complexity of subsequent manual work while maintaining high final quality
2Manufacturing precision
If fully manual processing is used to maximize tissue yield and avoid bone contamination, then manufacturing precision is improved, but productivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical scoring assembly performs preliminary action by making initial incisions and separating tissues from skeletal structures before manual harvesting. This preliminary mechanical preparation reduces the complexity and time required for manual work while maintaining high final quality
Solution Approach 2:
The processing workflow is segmented into mechanical scoring (for speed) and manual harvesting (for precision), allowing the manual operator to focus only on the critical final separation steps rather than the entire process
3Productivity
If mechanical scoring is applied to separate breast tissue from skeletal system, then productivity is improved, but object-generated harmful factors worsen due to potential bone fragmentation
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical scoring assembly performs preliminary action by making controlled incisions along specific paths that guide tissue separation away from bone structures. This preliminary mechanical preparation is designed to minimize bone contact and fragmentation before manual harvesting occurs
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical scoring blade acts as an intermediary tool that creates controlled separation paths between tissue and bone. By establishing these predetermined separation channels, the system mediates between the need for mechanical speed and the requirement to avoid bone contamination
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method for separating wanted tissues from a bird carcass comprises mechanical and manual manipulation of the tissues. Mechanical manipulation includes scoring the lateral side of the carcass below the ribs between the neck opening and vent to separate the breast tissue from the skeletal system, and cutting the breast tissue and tenderloin tissue from the breast bone. Manual manipulation of the wanted tissues includes: mounting the carcass on a fixture, grasping the breast tissue adjacent the neck opening, and moving the hand toward the vent to separate the breast tissue from the carcass; and grasping the tenderloin tissue adjacent the neck opening, and moving the hand toward the vent to separate the tenderloin tissue from the carcass. Alternatively, the breast tissue may be harvested as a butterfly filet by scoring the lateral side of the carcass and removing the breast tissue from the carcass.