Dual Disk Sausage Constricting Mechanism for High-Speed Portioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sausage portioning devices have complex mechanics, limited flexibility, and low portioning performance, making them inefficient for producing individual sausage portions or chains.
Innovation Solution
A device with two opposing rotatable disks and connecting elements allows for the alignment of displacement elements at a predetermined angle, enabling high-speed and flexible constricting and separating of sausage strands, with multiple displacement elements on each disk for increased performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a complex planetary gear mechanism is used to align displacement elements perpendicular to the sausage strand, then the alignment precision is improved, but the device complexity increases and portioning performance is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the alignment function from the complex planetary gear mechanism and implements it through a simpler guide structure that directs displacement elements along arcs. This removes the unnecessary complexity while maintaining the perpendicular alignment of displacement elements relative to the sausage strand, resolving the contradiction between alignment precision and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a complex gear mechanism to actively control alignment, the patent inverts the approach by using a passive guide structure that naturally constrains displacement elements to move along arcs. This inversion simplifies the mechanism while achieving the same alignment effect, addressing both precision and complexity concerns.
2Device complexity
If only one displacement element is arranged on one side of the sausage strand, then the device complexity is reduced, but the portioning performance is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the portioning function by arranging multiple displacement elements (at least two) on each of the two opposing disks. This segmentation allows simultaneous action on multiple points of the sausage strand, significantly increasing portioning performance while maintaining structural simplicity through the symmetric dual-disk configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple displacement elements on each disk to work in unison, creating a synergistic effect where the simultaneous action of multiple elements achieves high-speed portioning. This merging of functions on both disks resolves the contradiction by achieving high productivity without proportionally increasing device complexity.
3Productivity
If multiple displacement elements are arranged on each disk with small spacing, then the portioning performance is increased, but the moment of inertia increases reducing operational speed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs thin-walled disk structures that minimize the moment of inertia while providing sufficient structural strength to support multiple displacement elements. This allows the disks to rotate at high speeds (up to 2000 rpm) even with multiple elements arranged at small spacings, resolving the contradiction between portioning performance and operational speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the dynamic characteristics of the disks by carefully designing their mass distribution and thickness profiles. This allows the system to achieve high rotational speeds despite the presence of multiple displacement elements, maintaining both high portioning performance and low moment of inertia through dynamic optimization.
4Manufacturing precision
If the displacement elements are guided to maintain a predetermined angle relative to the direction of transport, then the separation precision is improved, but the mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the angle maintenance requirement by moving the problem into a different dimensional space. Instead of using complex guides to constrain angular orientation directly, the displacement elements are allowed to rotate freely about their own axes as they travel along curved paths. The arc-shaped guides naturally maintain the predetermined angle through geometric constraints rather than mechanical enforcement, reducing mechanism complexity while preserving separation precision.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure relates to a device for constricting and/or separating a sausage strand moving in direction of transport with two separating devices which in relation to sausage strand are disposed opposite one another, each comprising:a disk mounted to be rotatable about a first axis,a disk arranged thereabove mounted to be rotatable about a second axis with an axis spacing from first axis,at least two connecting elements, at least one of which comprises a displacement element,where a first end of respective connecting element is mounted to be rotatable in first disk at a respective distance r from first axis and a second end in second disk is mounted to be rotatable at same distance from second axis, where connecting elements are guided such that at least one displacement element, during its rotation about first axis, is always aligned at a predetermined angle relative to direction of transport.