Poultry Keel Bone Tip Removal Device

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems for harvesting poultry fillets often break the fragile tip of the keel bone, causing it to embed in the fillet, which requires manual removal, slowing the process and potentially resulting in visually unappealing or reduced fillet size.

Innovation Solution

A treatment device with a bone blade carriage aligned with the keel bone at a preharvest station on a conveyor line, which mechanically removes the keel bone tip without embedding it in the fillet, reducing the need for manual removal and maintaining fillet quality.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If manual removal of broken keel bone tip is performed, then fillet quality is maintained, but processing time increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefillet qualityVSAvoidprocessing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The keel bone tip is removed in advance at a preharvest station before the fillet harvesting process begins. This preliminary action prevents the bone tip from breaking and embedding during subsequent processing, eliminating the need for manual removal later and maintaining both fillet quality and processing efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If keel bone tip is not removed beforehand, then processing speed is maintained, but bone fragments embed in fillets requiring manual intervention

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessing speedVSAvoidfillet integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The device performs preliminary removal of the keel bone tip at a preharvest station before fillet harvesting. This advance preparation ensures that no bone fragments will embed in the fillets during high-speed processing, maintaining both productivity and fillet integrity without requiring subsequent manual intervention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Manufacturing precision

If excessive meat is removed to eliminate bone fragments, then fillet purity is improved, but usable mass of fillet is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefillet purityVSAvoidusable mass

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The keel bone tip is precisely removed in advance at the preharvest station, eliminating the source of contamination before fillet harvesting. This preliminary removal ensures fillet purity is achieved without needing to trim excessive meat during or after harvesting, thereby preserving the usable mass of the fillet.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS11317635B2Treatment device and methods for preparing a poultry carcass for harvesting

Publication Date: 2022.05.03 MEYN FOOD PROCESSING TECH BV

AI summary

A treatment device or method for preparing a poultry carcass, as provided herein, may serve to remove a portion of the carcass's keel bone on a conveyor line. The treatment device may include a blade carriage and bone blade. The blade carriage may be disposed at a preharvest station on a conveyor path of the conveyor line. The bone blade may be mechanically linked to the blade carriage at the preharvest station to remove a tip of the keel bone. The bone blade may be aligned with the keel bone between a pair of fillets of the carcass within the preharvest station. The bone blade may also be spaced apart from a sternum of the carcass.