Carcass Positioning Device for Optical Recording Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing positioning devices for carcass halves, such as pig halves, are structurally complex and limited in throughput, often resulting in parallax errors during optical recording and incorrect quality classifications due to their mechanical complexity and inability to ensure precise alignment with the camera plane.
Innovation Solution
A positioning device comprising at least two vertically arranged guide tubes and a movable guide element with rollers, ensuring the cleavage plane is parallel to the camera plane, with adjustable vertical spacing and inclined rollers for accurate alignment and secure positioning, preventing parallax errors and facilitating efficient evaluation and classification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a structurally complex positioning device with mechanical alignment mechanisms is used, then alignment precision can be improved, but device complexity and throughput limitations worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical alignment mechanisms with a simple guide tube system that uses gravity and geometry to achieve automatic positioning. Carcass halves hang on hooks and pass through guide tubes, which naturally guide them into the correct position without requiring complex mechanical actuators or adjustment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning system utilizes the carcass half's own weight and geometry to achieve self-alignment. As the carcass passes through the guide tubes, gravity causes it to naturally settle into the correct position, eliminating the need for external positioning mechanisms.
2Productivity
If guide tubes are positioned close together to increase throughput, then productivity improves, but alignment precision deteriorates due to insufficient spacing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions guide tubes in a vertical arrangement rather than horizontal, utilizing the vertical dimension to provide sufficient spacing for accurate alignment while maintaining high throughput. The guide tubes are arranged one above the other, allowing carcass halves to be positioned precisely without requiring large horizontal distances between guides.
3Measurement precision
If parallax errors occur during optical recording, then measurement accuracy deteriorates, but this cannot be improved without adding complex positioning mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The guide tubes perform preliminary positioning of the carcass halves before they reach the recording area. By ensuring correct alignment occurs upstream during the guiding process, the system eliminates parallax errors in the recording without requiring additional positioning mechanisms at the recording station itself.
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
The solution ensures precise alignment of the carcass halves with the camera plane, eliminating parallax errors and enabling accurate evaluation and classification, while being cost-effective, modular, and easy to clean, with antimicrobial surfaces for hygiene.
Implementation Method 1
The guide element with the rollers is held by two angled levers, each with a weight
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
A positioning device for carcass halves, in particular pig halves, is described for aligning the slit plane parallel to the recording plane of a camera. According to the invention, the positioning device has, with respect to the slit side (11), preferably a rear guide element (4) movably arranged at the level of the upper guide (1), which has rollers (8), (8.1; 8.2; 8.3) as pressure elements in the area of the recording position of the pig half (10).