Fish Conveyor Transfer with Pusher Plate for Head-First Orientation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for orienting dead or stunned fish are prone to errors, particularly when multiple fish enter simultaneously, and require long boards, leading to inconsistent orientation and potential blocking, especially when automated processing is involved.
Innovation Solution
A conveyor belt system with a side-mounted inclined sliding plate and pusher plate that adjusts to fish orientation, ensuring all fish are oriented head or tail first by using a pusher plate to guide fish onto a sliding plate, which turns them to the desired orientation before transfer to a second conveyor belt.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a long inclining board is used to orient dead or stunned fish, then fish can turn from tail first to head first, but the device becomes longer and more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The long inclining board is segmented into two separate conveyor belts (first and second conveyor belts) with a transfer mechanism in between. This divides the orientation function into discrete stages: the first conveyor belt receives fish in random orientation, the transfer mechanism reorients them, and the second conveyor belt delivers them in consistent orientation, thereby achieving reliable orientation without requiring a single long board.
Solution Approach 2:
A transfer mechanism acts as an intermediary between the two conveyor belts to reorient fish from random to consistent orientation. This intermediary component enables the system to achieve reliable orientation outcomes without extending the overall system length, as the transfer mechanism compactly performs the reorientation function that would otherwise require a long inclining board.
2Productivity
If multiple fish enter the inclining board simultaneously, then processing throughput increases, but fish can block each other and orientation becomes inconsistent
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the fish processing stream by using separate conveyor belts and a transfer mechanism. This segmentation allows fish to be processed in controlled batches rather than all at once, maintaining orientation consistency even when multiple fish are handled simultaneously, as each conveyor belt can manage its own flow independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyor belts provide dynamic control over fish movement and timing. By adjusting conveyor speeds and using controlled transfer mechanisms, the system can regulate the flow of fish to prevent blocking while maintaining consistent orientation, enabling reliable processing of multiple fish without the blocking problems of static inclining boards.
3Reliability
If mechanical manipulation methods are used to orient fish, then orientation is achieved, but the fish are treated roughly affecting quality and appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces rough manual or aggressive mechanical manipulation with gentle conveyor belt transport and a controlled transfer mechanism. Fish are conveyed along flat surfaces and transferred through a designed mechanism that maintains their orientation without rough handling, thereby achieving consistent orientation while preserving fish quality and appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameters of the orientation process by using controlled conveyor speeds, gentle transfer mechanisms, and optimized belt configurations. These parameter adjustments enable reliable orientation achievement while minimizing mechanical stress on the fish, thereby maintaining their quality and appearance unlike harsher traditional methods.
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
Ensures consistent orientation of fish with either head or tail first, reducing errors and enabling efficient transfer to processing machines, accommodating different processing requirements by adjusting conveyor belt directions.
Implementation Method 1
a side-mounted and inclined sliding plate... Fish entering the board with the tail first will in most cases turn and eventually end up head first
Implementation Method 2
An inclined pusher plate is arranged with a distance over the first conveyor belt... The pusher plate is arranged to push fish that is transported head first on the first conveyor belt
Data Source
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AI summary
This document describes an apparatus (10) for orientation of dead or stunned fish (16) comprising a first conveyer belt (12) and a second conveyor belt (14) for transport of lying fish. Fish (16) is arranged to be transferred from the first conveyor belt (12) and the second conveyor belt (14) via a side-mounted and inclined sliding plate (18). An inclined pusher plate (20) is arranged with a distance over the first conveyor belt (12) so that a space (a) is formed therebetween. The pusher plate (20) is arranged to push fish (16) that is transported head first on the first conveyor belt (12), over to the sliding plate (18) head first and further out an outlet (28) head first and to the second conveyor belt (14). The pusher plate (20) is arranged to catch the tail (16a) of the fish being transported with the tail (16) first on the first conveyor belt (12), in the space (a) below the pusher plate (20), wherewith the fish (16) is turned and pushed over to the sliding plate (18) with the belly or head first and further out an outlet (28) head first and to the second conveyor belt (14).