Cutting Machine Chain Frame Guide Strip Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cutting machines for food items like sausages and cheeses face challenges in ensuring hygiene due to cumbersome and strenuous handling of the heavy chain frame during cleaning, leading to inadequate cleaning practices and compromised machine hygiene.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of a substantially perpendicular guide strip with undercut leaders on the housing and corresponding guide pins on the chain frame facilitates easier and centered insertion, reducing the risk of collisions and ensuring correct alignment with the circular blade, thereby simplifying the handling and cleaning process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the chain frame is removed from the cutting machine for cleaning, then the hygiene of the machine is maintained, but the handling becomes cumbersome and strenuous due to the heavy weight of the chain frame
Solution Approach 1:
The chain frame is designed as a separable component that can be removed from the cutting machine for cleaning. The guide strip with undercut leaders and guide pins create modular mounting points that allow the chain frame to be detached as a single unit, enabling easy removal and reinstallation while maintaining hygiene standards.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide strip with undercut leaders acts as an intermediary mechanism between the housing and the chain frame. The guide pins on the chain frame engage with these undercuts to provide guided insertion and secure mounting, simplifying the handling process while ensuring proper positioning.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the chain frame is mounted on three points (drive shaft and two support points), then the stability of the chain frame is ensured, but the mounting process becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The guide strip with undercut leaders is pre-installed on the housing during manufacturing. The guide pins are pre-positioned on the chain frame. During assembly, the operator simply needs to lower the chain frame onto the guide strip, and the guide pins automatically engage with the undercuts in the correct sequence, eliminating the need for complex alignment procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide strip and guide pins create a self-aligning and self-locating system. As the chain frame is lowered onto the guide strip, the guide pins automatically engage with the undercut leaders in a controlled sequence, ensuring correct positioning of all three mounting points without requiring manual adjustment or complex procedures.
3Device complexity
If the chain frame is inserted without guidance, then the insertion process is simple, but the risk of collisions with other machine parts increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide strip with undercut leaders serves as an intermediary guidance mechanism between the operator and the chain frame insertion process. The guide pins on the chain frame engage with these undercuts to provide physical guidance, preventing collisions with other machine parts while maintaining a simple insertion process.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual alignment process is replaced by a mechanical guidance system consisting of the guide strip and guide pins. This mechanical interface automatically ensures correct positioning and prevents collisions, eliminating the need for complex manual alignment procedures.
4Ease of operation
If the guide pins are positioned at the same height, then the centering of the chain frame is simplified, but the engagement with undercut leaders becomes less precise
Solution Approach 1:
The guide pins are positioned at different heights relative to each other, creating an asymmetric engagement pattern with the undercut leaders. This asymmetric arrangement ensures precise engagement and proper positioning of the chain frame, while the overall symmetry of the guide strip structure maintains centering functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the guide strip have different geometric characteristics. The undercut leaders are positioned and dimensioned to match the specific height and angular orientation of each guide pin, creating localized engagement zones that ensure precise positioning while maintaining overall centering capability.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
The invention relates to a cutting machine for foodstuffs such as sausage or cheese, comprising a housing (1), a circular blade (2), a stop plate (3) which determines the cutting thickness and is movable in the axial direction of the circular blade (2), a food carriage (4) which is movable parallel to the stop plate (3), and a removable chain frame (5) with chains (7) with points for transporting the sliced food from the circular blade (2) to a beater by means of which the sliced food can be thrown towards a discharge area, wherein the chain frame (5) in the installed state is connected to a drive shaft (8) on the cutting machine via a pivot axis (6) and is mounted on the housing (1) of the cutting machine with at least one further support point (9).For inserting the chain frame (5), at least one substantially vertically arranged guide rail (10) is provided on the housing (1), which has undercut guide tracks (11) on both longitudinal sides, each of which has a offset offset (12, 13) towards the circular blade. At least two guide pins (14) with corresponding lateral projections that engage in the undercuts of the guide tracks (11) when inserted are provided on the chain frame (5).