Magnetic Slide Rod Retention for Easier Food Slicer Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food slicers with permanent or complex slide rod attachments complicate cleaning and installation, increasing manufacturing costs and operational difficulty.
Innovation Solution
A magnetic retention system for the slide rod allows for easy removal and attachment, utilizing a magnet to hold the slide rod in place on the carriage assembly, enabling simple cleaning and quick assembly/disassembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a threaded rod or permanently attached meat grip assembly slide rod is used, then the slide rod is securely retained, but the cleaning process becomes more difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical retention system (threaded connections or permanent attachment mechanisms) with a magnetic retention system. The magnetic force provides sufficient holding strength to secure the slide rod during operation, while allowing simple removal by overcoming the magnetic force, thereby facilitating easy cleaning without complex disassembly procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the retention mechanism from a mechanical interlocking system to a magnetic field-based system. This parameter change allows the slide rod to be securely held during use through magnetic attraction, while enabling easy removal by applying a simple pulling force that overcomes the magnetic retention, thus improving cleaning ease.
2Ease of operation
If a removable slide rod with complex retention mechanisms (spring-biased pin, flexing retention clip, or threaded attachment) is used, then the slide rod can be removed for cleaning, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical retention mechanisms (such as spring-biased pins, flexing retention clips, or threaded attachments) with a simple magnetic retention system. This substitution maintains the ability to remove the slide rod for cleaning while significantly reducing the mechanical complexity and manufacturing cost of the retention mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the retention function from complex mechanical components and implements it through a simple magnetic field. This extraction eliminates the need for additional mechanical parts such as pins, clips, or threads, thereby reducing device complexity while preserving the removable feature for cleaning purposes.
3Ease of manufacture
If a permanently attached slide rod is used, then manufacturing is simpler, but cleaning requires removing a larger portion of the meat grip
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces permanent mechanical attachment with magnetic retention, enabling the slide rod to be easily removed for cleaning without requiring removal of larger portions of the meat grip assembly. This maintains manufacturing simplicity while dramatically improving cleaning accessibility.
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
Facilitates easier cleaning and quicker breakdown of the slicer, enhancing user convenience and reducing complexity and costs associated with slide rod handling.
Implementation Method 1
The slide rod is releasably retained to the carriage assembly by a magnetic retention force to allow for removal of the slide rod for cleaning.
Data Source
AI summary
A food product slicer includes a base, a knife mounted for rotation relative to the base, a carriage assembly mounted to the base for reciprocal movement back and forth past a cutting edge of the knife, wherein the carriage includes a tray for holding food product during slicing, and a movable gauge plate for varying a thickness of food product slices. A slide rod is releasably connected to the carriage assembly, and a meat grip assembly is mounted on the slide rod so as to be movable along at least a portion of a length of the slide rod. The slide rod is releasably retained to the carriage assembly by a magnetic retention force to allow for removal of the slide rod for cleaning.