Dough Cutting Unit With Motor-Driven Adjustment Mechanism

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing dough strip systems face inefficiencies in producing pastries with precise weight, leading to increased raw material costs and waste due to manufacturing tolerances, as they struggle to maintain accurate weight accuracy and adjust cutting widths dynamically without stopping production.

Innovation Solution

The device features an adjustable cutting unit with a disc-shaped adjustment mechanism driven by a motor, allowing for rapid adjustments in cutting width without stopping the system, using ramps and return springs to precisely control the knife's position, and a control unit to ensure consistent weight distribution across dough strands.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If conventional dough conveyor systems use fixed cutting widths, then production stops are required to adjust cutting width, but this reduces productivity and increases costs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveweight accuracy of dough piecesVSAvoidproduction stoppage time
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The cutting device incorporates a motor-driven adjustment mechanism that enables dynamic modification of the cutting width during operation. The blade position can be rapidly adjusted (within milliseconds) without stopping the dough conveyor, transforming a static cutting system into a dynamic one that adapts to varying weight requirements while maintaining continuous production

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the cutting parameter (blade position relative to dough strip) in real-time based on weight measurements. By adjusting the blade position parameter dynamically, the system compensates for weight variations in dough strips, ensuring accurate pastry weights without production interruptions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Manufacturing precision

If cutting width is precisely set in conventional systems, then weight accuracy of dough pieces improves, but adjustment flexibility is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveweight accuracy of dough piecesVSAvoidcutting width adjustment capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The cutting device transitions from a fixed, precisely-set cutting width to a dynamic system where the blade position can be rapidly adjusted during operation. The motor-driven mechanism enables continuous adaptation of cutting width while maintaining precision through controlled movement and positioning

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses weight measurements of dough strips as feedback to automatically adjust the blade position. This closed-loop control ensures that weight accuracy is maintained while providing adaptability to varying dough strip weights, eliminating the trade-off between precision and flexibility

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Productivity

If rapid blade adjustment is implemented, then productivity improves by avoiding production stops, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontinuous production capabilityVSAvoidadjustment mechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces manual or mechanical adjustment methods with a motor-driven adjustment mechanism. This substitution enables automated, rapid blade positioning controlled by the control unit, achieving continuous production capability while managing complexity through electrical control rather than complex mechanical linkages

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

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 solution significantly improves weight accuracy of dough strands, reduces production costs, and minimizes waste by allowing real-time adjustments during operation, ensuring consistent weight per unit length of cut sections without interrupting the production process.

Implementation Method 1

one, in particular three, ramps are arranged on one of the end faces of the adjustment disc, wherein a ramp receptacle, in particular designed opposite to the ramp, is formed on the knife, wherein the ramp rests against the ramp receptacle, wherein the ramp rises, in particular uniformly, in the direction of the axis of the adjustment disc such that when the adjustment disc is moved, preferably rotated, by the motor, the ramp is moved and the position of the knife relative to the cutting unit is changed

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectRamp mechanism: Wedge

Implementation Method 2

the adjustment mechanism may include at least one, and in particular three, return springs, wherein the return spring is arranged such that it exerts a force on the knife against the slope of the ramp and in particular reduces the distance of the knife to the cutting unit

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSpring force: Spring

Data Source

PatentEP3432720B1Apparatus for cutting a sheet of dough
Publication Date: 2023.10.18 KOENIG MASCHINEN GMBH
  • EP3432720B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3432720B1 patent drawingFigure 3~3a
  • EP3432720B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The invention relates to a device (10) for cutting partial strips having a defined specifiable mass, preferably from a dough strip, comprising at least one cutting unit (1), which has a blade (3), wherein the cutting unit (1) is adjustably fastened to a retaining element (2) of the device (10) in such a way that the blades (3) cut a dough strip, which is conveyed past the device (10) and is moved in the longitudinal direction of the dough strip, into at least two partial pieces predominantly parallel to the direction of motion of the dough strip, characterized in that the cutting unit (2) comprises an adjustment mechanism (4), wherein the adjustment mechanism (4) is designed in such a way that the position of the blade (3) can be adjusted with respect to the position of the cutting unit (1), in particular over the width of the dough strip, by automated control.