Circular Knife Mounting for Meat Separation from Bone Structures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for releasing meat from bone structures in the food processing industry are complex and cost-intensive, with limited adjustment capabilities, primarily allowing axial movement of cutting knives, resulting in inefficient meat yield.
Innovation Solution
A device with a circular knife held between a stop and a securing means on the knife shaft, featuring compensating elements that enable tilting and flexible movement, allowing precise and efficient meat separation by passively adjusting to the bone structure and actively controlled sliding bodies for optimal cutting position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If servo motors or stepper motors are used for adjusting the cutting knives, then adjustment capability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting knife is designed to automatically adjust its position by sliding along the bone structure during operation. The knife passively follows the bone contour without requiring external actuators, achieving self-adjustment through the interaction between the knife edge and bone surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex motorized adjustment systems (servo motors, stepper motors) with a simple mechanical sliding mechanism. The knife moves along guide rails or slots while maintaining contact with the bone, substituting electromechanical systems with pure mechanical guidance.
2Speed
If pneumatic components are used for adjusting the cutting knives, then adjustment speed is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting knife system automatically adapts to bone shape variations through continuous contact and sliding movement. The knife edge naturally follows the bone contour as the product moves through the processing station, eliminating the need for pneumatic actuators or active control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The knife mounting allows dynamic movement in multiple directions (axial, radial, and angular adjustments) through mechanical compliance rather than active control. The system transitions from static, actuated positioning to dynamic, passive adaptation to bone geometry.
3Adaptability or versatility
If spring-mounting is used for the cutting knives, then flexibility is improved, but manufacturing precision and control decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The knife positioning system is divided into multiple independent adjustment degrees of freedom (axial position, radial offset, angular orientation). Each degree can be independently adjusted or passively adapts, allowing precise control while maintaining flexibility. The segmentation of adjustment capabilities enables fine-tuning without sacrificing adaptability.
4Device complexity
If axial adjustment only is provided, then device complexity is reduced, but meat yield decreases due to limited positioning capability
Solution Approach 1:
The knife mounting provides dynamic adjustment capabilities in multiple directions (axial, radial, and angular) through mechanical compliance and sliding mechanisms. This allows the knife to actively follow three-dimensional bone contours, maximizing cutting precision and meat yield without proportionally increasing system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from one-dimensional (axial) knife adjustment to multi-dimensional positioning by adding radial and angular adjustment capabilities. The knife can now move in multiple spatial dimensions to precisely follow complex bone geometries, significantly improving meat yield while maintaining relatively simple mechanical structures.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a device (10) designed and configured for separating meat from a bone structure (11) or parts thereof, comprising at least one cutting unit (12) which includes at least one knife carrier (13) with a knife shaft (14) rotatably mounted in the knife carrier (13), wherein a circular knife (15) is positively engaged and fixed on the knife shaft (14) and is rotationally fixed relative to the knife shaft (14), and a drive (16) for rotating the knife shaft (14), which is characterized in that the circular knife (15) is held and fixed on the knife shaft (14) between a stop (17) of the knife shaft (14) and a locking element (19) arranged on the side of the free end (18) of the knife shaft (14), wherein at least one compensating element (20) is optionally arranged between the circular knife (15) and the stop (17) and/or between the circular knife (15) and the locking element (19). is.The invention further relates to a corresponding device (36) and a corresponding method for the automatic processing of products of the food processing industry.