Ice Cream Stick Gripper Lever Enclosing Protrusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing grippers for ice cream sticks face mechanical stress issues, leading to compromised integrity and frequent maintenance needs, which compromises hygiene and production throughput in the food handling industry.
Innovation Solution
A gripper design featuring a polymer lever with a metal or ceramic protrusion that encloses the retaining element, distributing pressure and reducing stress, allowing for secure attachment with minimized risk of rupture and contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional gripper components are used, then the gripper can perform the gripping function, but high mechanical stresses lead to compromised mechanical integrity and frequent maintenance needs
Solution Approach 1:
The gripper lever is constructed as a composite structure combining a polymer material body with an embedded metal or ceramic protrusion. The polymer provides stress distribution and shock absorption, while the metal/ceramic protrusion provides wear resistance and structural strength at the contact point. This composite construction allows the gripper to withstand high mechanical stresses during repeated gripping operations without compromising mechanical integrity, thereby reducing maintenance frequency and improving reliability.
2Device complexity
If the protrusion is exposed without enclosure, then the structure is simpler, but stress concentration increases the risk of rupture and contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The metal or ceramic protrusion is embedded within and enclosed by the polymer lever body, creating a nested structure where the protrusion is housed inside the polymer matrix. This enclosure protects the protrusion from direct impact and stress concentration, reducing the risk of rupture. The polymer material acts as a protective shell that distributes mechanical stresses around the protrusion, preventing contamination while maintaining a relatively simple overall device structure.
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 1c~1e
AI summary
A gripper (100) for a stick (301) on which ice cream (300) is formed is disclosed. The gripper comprises a support (101), a lever (102) being movable relative the support (101) by a pivoting motion, and a protrusion (103) attached to the lever (102), wherein the lever (102) is movable between a closed position (pi) in which the protrusion (103) and the support (101) pinch the stick (301), when the stick (301) is arranged in a gap (104) between the protrusion (103) and the support (101), and an open position (p2) in which the gap (104) is increased such that the stick (301) is released from the gap (104), wherein the lever (102) at least partly encloses the protrusion (103).