Corrugated Knife Cutting Head for Large Amplitude Food Slices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food cutting equipment is unable to produce slices with large amplitude cross-sections without incurring unacceptable levels of through-slice cracking or surface roughness.
Innovation Solution
The development of cutting apparatuses with corrugated knives and specialized clamping mechanisms that minimize surface contact and adjust knife angles to reduce stress, combined with impact-absorbing impeller paddles and precise alignment systems, allows for the production of slices with large amplitude cross-sections while minimizing cracking and abrasion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If conventional cutting equipment is used to produce slices with large amplitude cross-sections, then the amplitude of the cross-section can be increased, but through-slice cracking and surface roughness occur
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting process is segmented into multiple sequential cuts rather than a single deep cut. The first cut creates a preliminary groove, and subsequent cuts gradually deepen the groove to form the large amplitude cross-section. This incremental approach prevents stress concentration and cracking that would occur with a single deep cut.
Solution Approach 2:
Before the final cutting action that creates the large amplitude cross-section, preliminary actions are performed including: (1) making initial shallow cuts to create a groove pattern, (2) positioning support members beneath the knife to prevent surface contact, and (3) pre-aligning the cutting head. These preliminary actions prepare the system to achieve the desired shape without causing cracking.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If support members are positioned close to the cutting head, then surface contact and abrasion are minimized, but the complexity of the apparatus increases
Solution Approach 1:
Support members are introduced as intermediary elements between the cutting head and the food product surface. These support members extend upward to position themselves immediately beneath the knife during cutting, preventing the knife from contacting the product surface. This intermediary structure eliminates surface abrasion while maintaining a relatively simple overall apparatus design.
Solution Approach 2:
The support members utilize the vertical dimension by extending upward from the cutting head assembly to meet the knife blade during operation. This vertical positioning approach allows the support members to be located close to the cutting action without requiring complex horizontal adjustments or reconfiguration of the cutting path.
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 effectively produces food product slices with large amplitude cross-sections while reducing through-cracking and surface abrasion, resulting in higher quality and uniformity.
Implementation Method 1
The impeller 10 rotates within the cutting head 12... the impeller 10 has generally radially-oriented paddles 16 with faces that engage and direct food products (e.g., potatoes) radially outward against the knives 14 of the cutting head 12 as the impeller 10 rotates
Implementation Method 2
Each knife 14 projects radially inward toward the impeller 10... defines a cutting edge at its radially innermost extremity... the knives 14 of the cutting head 12 are individually secured with clamping assemblies 26 to the shoes 22
Data Source
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AI summary
Apparatuses for cutting food product are provided having a cutting head (12,112, 212). The cutting head (12,112, 212) includes one or more knife assemblies. Each knife assembly includes a knife (14,114, 214) extending toward the food product and is adapter to secure the knife (14,114, 214) to the cutting head (12,112, 212). The knife (14,114, 214) has a corrugated shape to produce a food product slice with generally parallel cuts wherein the food product slice has a periodic shape and a large-amplitude cross-section.