Compact Food Slicer With Integrated Carriage Guide

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing food slicing machines face challenges with space requirements, complexity, and high production costs due to cumbersome constructions and the need for precise manufacturing, which affects stability and efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A compact food slicing machine design where the carriage guide and cutting blade are integrated on a single part, allowing for precise positioning and improved statics, enabling a more affordable and functional machine with reduced space usage in the stowed position.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of moving object

If the carriage is folded up against the housing to reduce space, then the space requirement is reduced, but the construction becomes more complex and expensive

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespace requirementVSAvoidconstruction complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The carriage guide and motor housing are merged into a single integrated component. The carriage guide is formed as an extruded profile that incorporates both the guide function and the motor housing, eliminating the need for separate base part and housing components. This integration reduces the number of parts while maintaining the space-saving folded design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The integrated carriage guide structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides guidance for the carriage movement, houses the motor, supports the cutting blade, and enables the folding mechanism. This multi-functionality reduces the overall complexity by consolidating what would otherwise require separate components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Ease of manufacture

If separate parts are used for housing, base part, support and carriage, then manufacturing flexibility is improved, but the number of parts increases and production cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing flexibilityVSAvoidnumber of parts
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The base part and housing are merged into a single integrated carriage guide structure. This extruded profile combines functions that would otherwise require separate components, reducing the total part count while maintaining manufacturing flexibility through the extrusion process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Manufacturing precision

If high dimensional accuracy is used for precise interaction between carriage and cutting blade, then functionality is improved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedimensional accuracyVSAvoidproduction cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

By integrating the carriage guide and motor housing into a single extruded profile, the reference surfaces for carriage positioning are built-in to the same component that houses the motor. This eliminates cumulative tolerances from multiple assembled parts, achieving precise carriage-to-blade alignment through the inherent geometry of the integrated structure rather than requiring high-precision machining of separate components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP2266765B1Cutting machine for food
Publication Date: 2012.05.16 GEBR GRAEF GMBH & CO KG
  • EP2266765B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2266765B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2266765B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The machine has a rotatable cutting blade (2) and/or a motor for the blade accommodated in a housing (1). Slides (4) include a support surface for cutting goods and are bidirectionally moved relative to the blade. A guide for the slides is integrally arranged at and/or in the housing. The housing has a groove and/or a projection, which extends in a direction of displacement of the slides. The slides are transferred from a position in which the support surface extends away from the housing and to a position in which the support surface extends along the housing.