Cam Mechanism for Split Blade Housing Rotary Knife
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cam mechanisms for power operated rotary knives are inefficient to manufacture and assemble, making it difficult to effectively move the split blade housing between blade supporting and blade changing positions, which complicates blade replacement and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A two-position cam mechanism with a cam member rotatable about a diagonal plane intersecting cam pins, facilitating efficient assembly and operation by securing the split blade housing in either a blade supporting or blade changing position through a cam plate and cam pins, allowing for easy expansion and contraction of the blade housing diameter.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a conventional cam mechanism is used to move the split blade housing between blade supporting and blade changing positions, then the blade housing can be positioned, but the mechanism is inefficient to manufacture and assemble
Solution Approach 1:
The cam mechanism is divided into distinct modular components: a cam member with cam surfaces, a cam follower with a roller, and a actuator. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured independently using standard machining processes, improving ease of manufacture and assembly while reducing overall mechanism complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cam mechanism is designed as a separate, extractable assembly from the blade housing. The cam member, follower, and actuator can be removed as a unit for maintenance or replacement without disassembling the entire blade housing, significantly improving assembly efficiency and ease of manufacture.
2Ease of operation
If the split blade housing is moved between positions using a complex mechanism, then positioning is achieved, but blade replacement and maintenance become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The cam follower incorporates a roller that automatically rotates as the cam member moves between positions, converting linear motion into rotational motion self-service style. This eliminates the need for additional linkages or actuators, simplifying the mechanism while making blade replacement easier through automatic motion transformation.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a complex linkage system to move the blade housing, the invention inverts the approach by using a simple cam-follower mechanism where the cam member's rotational movement directly controls the housing position. This inversion from linkage-based to cam-based control simplifies the mechanism and improves ease of operation for blade replacement.
3Manufacturing precision
If a cam mechanism with asymmetric cam member is used, then specific positioning is achieved, but manufacturability and assembly efficiency are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The cam member is designed with asymmetric cam surfaces on opposite sides, where each cam surface has a different profile optimized for its specific function: one side provides a cam surface for advancing the blade housing to the cutting position, while the other side provides a different cam surface for retracting it. This controlled asymmetry achieves precise positioning while maintaining manufacturability through standard machining operations.
Solution Approach 2:
Each cam surface on the cam member is designed with locally optimized geometry tailored to its specific function. The first cam surface has properties optimized for pushing the blade housing forward, while the second cam surface has properties optimized for pulling it back. This local quality approach ensures precise positioning at each stage while keeping the overall manufacturing process efficient and straightforward.
Data Source
AI summary
A cam mechanism bridging a split through a mounting section of a split blade housing of a power operated rotary knife for moving the split blade housing between the first, blade supporting position and the second blade changing position. The cam mechanism includes a cam plate including an opening and a cam member supported for rotation by the cam plate. The cam member includes first and second surfaces spaced apart by a side wall, the cam member first surface including first and second cam pins extending from the first surface. The cam member second surface includes a boss extending from the second surface. The boss of the cam member being received in the cam plate opening. The side wall of the cam member is symmetric with respect to a diagonal plane intersecting the first and second cam pins and extending substantially parallel to the cam member axis of rotation.