Automatic Bread Slicer Using Light Curtain Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bread slicers with lids require additional operations and are less efficient in cutting loaves per unit time due to the need for manual intervention and safety mechanisms that restrict access during cutting.
Innovation Solution
A bread slicer with a detection system using a light curtain or electromagnetic beam to automatically start and stop the blade movement and pusher operation based on object presence in the access opening, allowing for hands-free operation and increased efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cover is provided to close the access opening during cutting, then safety is improved, but the number of operations increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical cover system with an optical detection system (light curtain). Instead of requiring physical coverage and manual operation to ensure safety, the system uses optical sensors to detect objects in the access opening and automatically controls the blade drive and pusher, eliminating the need for a mechanical cover while maintaining safety and improving productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements automatic control where the detection means autonomously monitor the access opening and trigger the cutting sequence without manual intervention. The pusher automatically advances the loaf when detected, and the blades automatically cut when the pusher reaches the correct position, eliminating the need for operator actions required by covered systems
2Reliability
If manual intervention is required to start cutting, then safety is improved through operator control, but the number of operations increases and time is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The detection means continuously monitor the access opening before cutting is initiated. When a loaf is detected on the pusher, the system automatically prepares and initiates the cutting sequence without waiting for manual input, eliminating operator response time and reducing the total time to cut a loaf while maintaining safety through automated control
3Ease of operation
If the access opening remains open for quick access, then ease of operation is improved, but safety risk increases from blade interference with objects
Solution Approach 1:
The detection means provide continuous feedback about objects in the access opening to the control system. This feedback loop enables the system to automatically stop the blades when an object is detected and resume when the object is removed, allowing the access opening to remain open for ease of operation while preventing blade interference through real-time monitoring and automatic response
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
Enables automatic cutting of bread with reduced operational steps, enhancing the throughput of sliced loaves by eliminating the need for manual initiation and ensuring safety by preventing blade interference with objects in the access opening.
Implementation Method 1
the detection means allow to generate at least one electromagnetic beam extending in or opposite the plane of the access opening, the detection means comprising at least one optical sensor for detecting the interruption of the beam when there is an object in the access opening
Data Source
AI summary
A device and a method for cutting a loaf of bread in slices having an input compartment adjacent to a set of parallel oblong blades which can be driven back and forth in their longitudinal direction. A pusher movable between a retracted position in relation to the blades and an end cutting position pushes the bread through the blades. A detector is provided to detect the presence of an object in the access opening of an input compartment which cooperates with the blades' drive to stop the movement of the blades when the presence of an object in the access opening is detected. When the presence of an object in the access opening is detected while the pusher is in its retracted position, the movement of the blades starts and the pusher will be moved from its retracted position to the end cutting position when the object is no longer detected in the access opening.