Fish Fillet Board Gill Bracket and Spacer Leveling

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing fish fillet boards fail to provide stable positioning for fish during fillet cuts, leading to slippage and waste due to inadequate clamping and lack of adjustment for fish size, and require multiple hand movements and knife placement changes, resulting in inefficient and wasteful processing.

Innovation Solution

A Fish Fillet Board with a 60-degree gill bracket for initial stability and stackable HDPE spacers for leveling during the second cut, allowing one-handed operation and precise filleting without curvature issues.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If clamp mechanisms are used to secure fish during fillet cuts, then the fish is held in place to counteract longitudinal forces, but the fish can still slip out due to decreased friction with the protective mucous coating

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestability of fish during fillet cutVSAvoidslippage of fish from clamp

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The gill bracket serves as an intermediary element that engages with the gill plate of the fish rather than clamping the fish body directly. This intermediary approach provides secure engagement with the fish's anatomical structure, preventing slippage while avoiding the friction issues associated with clamping the fish's protective mucous coating.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If clamp mechanisms are used to secure fish, then longitudinal stability is provided, but no stability is provided perpendicular to the direction of travel of the fillet knife

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelongitudinal stability of fishVSAvoidperpendicular stability of fish

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The gill bracket is designed with a 60-degree angle that engages the gill plate, providing stabilization in multiple dimensions. The angled configuration not only counteracts longitudinal forces but also provides perpendicular stability by engaging the fish at an optimal angle, preventing sawing motion during filleting.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Reliability

If clamp mechanisms are used to secure fish, then the fish is held stable during cutting, but the user must set down the fillet knife to operate the clamp mechanism

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestability of fish during processingVSAvoidefficiency of fish processing

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The gill bracket is pre-positioned on the fillet board at the correct 60-degree angle and height, allowing the fish to be directly placed and secured in one motion. This preliminary setup eliminates the need to stop and adjust clamps during processing, maintaining continuous knife operation and improving productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Device complexity

If no levelling mechanism is provided for the fish spine, then the fillet board is simple in design, but a significant portion of useable meat is wasted during the second fillet cut

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesimplicity of fillet board designVSAvoidwaste of useable meat

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The fillet board incorporates adjustable spacers that can be stacked in different combinations to create customized levelling heights. This segmentation allows precise adjustment for different fish sizes and spine curvatures, enabling accurate second-cut filleting without wasting meat, while maintaining relative design simplicity through modular components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

5Reliability

If a fixed recess is provided for the fish head, then the fish can be stabilized for the second cut, but the design cannot accommodate different sizes of fish

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestability of fish for second cutVSAvoidaccommodation of different fish sizes

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The spacers are designed to be adjustable and reconfigurable, allowing the user to dynamically adapt the levelling height and fish positioning for different fish sizes. This dynamic adjustment capability provides both stability for the second cut and versatility for various fish dimensions, replacing fixed recess designs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS10492506B2Fish fillet board and method of use

Publication Date: 2019.12.03 GABRIELS EDWARD

AI summary

Many different designs of fillet boards exist in the related art. One problem associated with processing fish is the problem of keeping a fish in a stable position to execute fillet cuts. The subject invention is an improved Fish Fillet Board and Method of Use. The subject invention relates to the field of fishing and fish processing. The subject invention utilizes a gill bracket, which secures a fish in proper position for the user to execute the first side fillet cut. Once the first side fillet cut is completed, the user then positions the appropriate number of spacers to level the fish for the second side fillet cut. Levelling of the fish significantly decreases the difficulty of the second side fillet cut, and decreases the potential of wasted meat due to an inaccurate fillet cut.