Guillotine Knife Guide Strips for Cheese Cutting Hygiene
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Solution Overview
Problem
In cheese production, the use of plastic and stainless steel guiding means for guillotine knives in cheese compacting columns leads to thermal expansion issues, creating hard-to-clean gaps that can cause leakage and product residue accumulation, compromising hygiene and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The guillotine knife is equipped with plastic guide strips featuring recesses and end sections that slide along its edges, allowing for exposure and cleaning of the knife edges during operation, eliminating the need for plastic guiding blocks and reducing thermal expansion-related issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If plastic guiding blocks are used to guide the guillotine knife, then the knife can be guided smoothly, but gaps form between plastic and stainless steel components due to thermal expansion, creating hard-to-clean surfaces that cause leakage and product residue accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the plastic guiding blocks from the system entirely. Instead, the guillotine knife is guided by its own longitudinal edges that directly engage with guiding slots in the stationary girders, eliminating the plastic component that causes thermal expansion gaps and subsequent cleaning problems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the guiding function with the knife structure itself. The longitudinal edges of the guillotine knife serve dual purposes: they are part of the cutting tool and simultaneously function as the guiding elements that engage with the stationary girders, eliminating the need for separate plastic guiding blocks.
2Ease of operation
If plastic guiding blocks are used, then the guillotine knife can be guided, but the gaps between materials create leakage paths and product residue accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the plastic guiding blocks that create leakage paths. The guiding function is achieved through the longitudinal edges of the guillotine knife engaging with guiding slots in the stationary girders, eliminating the material interface that generates harmful gaps for leakage and contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses homogeneous material construction for the guiding system. The stationary girders and guillotine knife are both made of metal (stainless steel), eliminating the plastic-metal interface that creates thermal expansion gaps and allows leakage and product residue accumulation.
3Ease of operation
If plastic guiding blocks are used, then the guillotine knife guidance is achieved, but cleaning becomes difficult due to gaps between components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the plastic guiding blocks that create hard-to-clean gaps. The guiding mechanism now uses the longitudinal edges of the guillotine knife directly engaging with guiding slots in the stationary girders, creating a seamless metal-to-metal interface that is easy to clean and maintain hygiene.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs homogeneous metal construction for all guiding components. The stationary girders and guillotine knife are both stainless steel, eliminating the plastic-metal interface that creates cleaning difficulties and ensures all surfaces can be effectively cleaned for food safety.
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
This design enhances cleanliness, prevents leakage, and maintains the structural integrity of the cheese compacting apparatus by ensuring all surfaces can be effectively cleaned and reducing the risk of contamination.
Implementation Method 1
The guide strips are arranged on the guillotine knife so as to be slidable back and forth in longitudinal direction over a predetermined distance
Implementation Method 2
which recesses leave parts of the longitudinal edges of the guillotine knife exposed
Implementation Method 3
wherein the outer surface of at least a number of the sections of the guide strips cooperates with the guiding slots for the longitudinal edges of the guillotine knife
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for preparation of cheese comprising at least one vertical column, a guillotine knife for cutting of curd blocks, and a guide of guiding the guillotine knife having plastic guide strips overlying its longitudinal edges.