Extensible Openwork Fabric for Meat Curing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional tubular netting used in the food industry is non-elastic in the longitudinal direction, leading to stretching and thinning during the curing process, resulting in unsightly conical sections and poor sliceability, and fails to provide suitable indentation on meat products of varying sizes.

Innovation Solution

An openwork fabric with alternating cojoined and intermediate members made from extensible filament assemblies, including a composite filament with an inner extensible layer and an outer layer of braided inextensible threads, allowing for both longitudinal and transverse stretch, creating a hexagonal pattern that adapts to different meat product diameters.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If traditional non-elastic netting is used in the longitudinal direction, then the netting structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the netting stretches and thins during curing, causing conical sections and poor sliceability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of manufactureVSAvoidshape consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs composite materials by combining elastic and inelastic threads in the longitudinal members. Specifically, each longitudinal member alternates between elastic and inelastic portions, creating a composite structure that provides both stretchability during curing and shape retention during slicing. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining manufacturing simplicity while achieving consistent cylindrical shape and eliminating conical sections.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The longitudinal members are segmented into alternating elastic and inelastic portions rather than being made of uniform material. This segmentation allows different sections of the same member to perform different functions: elastic sections accommodate stretching during curing, while inelastic sections maintain shape during slicing. This directly addresses the shape consistency issue without complicating the overall netting structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Stability of the object's composition

If traditional netting with only circumferential elasticity is used, then the longitudinal structure remains stable, but the netting cannot adapt to meat products of varying sizes and provides poor indentation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelongitudinal stabilityVSAvoidadaptability to varying sizes

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces dynamic characteristics to the longitudinal members by making them extensible through the combination of elastic and inelastic portions. This allows the netting to dynamically adapt its longitudinal dimensions to accommodate meat products of varying sizes while maintaining structural stability. The elastic portions enable stretching during curing, and the inelastic portions provide stability during slicing, achieving both adaptability and stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Manufacturing precision

If elastic thread is used for all members, then the netting provides good indentation and adaptability, but the longitudinal stretching causes conical sections and shape distortion

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveindentation qualityVSAvoidcylindrical shape

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by assigning different material properties to different portions of the longitudinal members. Specifically, elastic portions are positioned to provide indentation and adaptability where needed, while inelastic portions are positioned to maintain cylindrical shape and prevent conical sections. This local differentiation of material properties allows the netting to simultaneously achieve good indentation quality and maintain proper cylindrical shape.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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 extensible netting provides consistent and deep indentation on meat products of various sizes, preventing air pocket formation and maintaining shape during cooking or curing, while offering aesthetic appeal with a variable hexagonal pattern.

Implementation Method 1

each intermediate member comprising a filament assembly and each cojoined member comprising a pair of filament assemblies that are worked together, the filament assemblies being extensible and the open work fabric being extensible in both longitudinal and transverse directions

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS10638765B2Openwork fabric

Publication Date: 2020.05.05 MERCTECH PTY LTD

AI summary

An improved tubular openwork fabric or net for food products, the openwork fabric including alternating cojoined and intermediate members, each intermediate member including a filament assembly and each cojoined member including a pair of filament assemblies that are worked together, the filament assemblies being extensible and the open work fabric being extensible in both longitudinal and transverse directions.