Switchable Friction Reduction for Food Product Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing grippers for food products like sausage, ham, and cheese struggle with precise positioning during deposition due to uneven friction between the food and the receiving elements, often resulting in lateral displacement and manual correction.
Innovation Solution
A method and device employing switchable friction-reducing means, such as fluid nozzles or electrical charging units, controlled by a unit like a microcontroller, to minimize friction between the food product and the receiving elements during deposition, ensuring precise placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional grippers are used to transport and place food products, then the food products can be moved from starting point to destination, but the food products are shifted laterally during placement due to uneven friction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the friction coefficient between the receiving element and food product during the placement process. A fluid (typically air) is introduced to reduce friction precisely when the food product needs to be positioned, allowing the receiving element to be withdrawn without causing lateral displacement. This dynamic parameter change resolves the contradiction between maintaining grip during transport and enabling precise placement.
Solution Approach 2:
The friction reduction is applied periodically rather than continuously - specifically activated during the placement phase when the receiving element withdraws from under the food product. This periodic application of friction reduction eliminates lateral displacement at the critical moment of placement while maintaining normal friction during transport for stable gripping.
2Stability of the object's composition
If friction between receiving element and food product is high during placement, then the food product remains stable on the receiving element, but the receiving element cannot be easily withdrawn without causing lateral displacement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically changes the friction parameter by introducing a fluid during the withdrawal phase. This allows the system to have high friction during transport (for stability) and low friction during withdrawal (for ease of operation), resolving the contradiction between these two requirements through temporal parameter variation.
3Manufacturing precision
If manual repositioning is performed to correct lateral displacement, then precise positioning can be achieved, but production time and labor costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-positioning by using the friction reduction mechanism to enable the food product to remain stationary relative to the target position during receiving element withdrawal. The food product essentially positions itself correctly without requiring external manual intervention, thus maintaining high precision while preserving productivity.
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
Enables precise positioning of food products by eliminating undesired lateral displacement, reducing the need for manual correction and ensuring accurate placement within packaging.
Implementation Method 1
A fluid supply unit has fluid outlet nozzles through which fluid can be supplied towards the food product, i.e., against gravity
Implementation Method 2
the switchable friction reduction means eliminates the friction between the food product and the receiving element precisely when the food product is placed in the target position
Data Source
Figure 1a~2
AI summary
The invention proposes a method for sorting and/or conveying food products, in particular sausage, ham and/or cheese, having the following method steps: receiving the food product (2) by means of a receiving element (3), positioning the food product (2) in a target position by virtue of moving the receiving element (3) by means of at least one actuator and depositing the food product (2) at the target position, characterized in that, when the food product is being deposited, a switchable friction-reduction means for reducing friction between the food product (2) and the receiving element (3) is switched on.