Commercial Meat Chopper with Segmented Blade Frame
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing meat choppers are too small and fragile to efficiently chop large, partially frozen slabs of ground meat into smaller portions for even and quick cooking, especially in commercial applications.
Innovation Solution
A meat chopper with a sturdy stainless steel construction, featuring a handle coupled to a frame with multiple chopping blades, allowing for larger blades and efficient meat separation, including access to corners of a cooking surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a small personal use meat chopper is used, then the device is easy to manipulate and clean, but it is too small and fragile to efficiently chop large portions of meat in commercial applications
Solution Approach 1:
The chopper is divided into separate functional components: a handle assembly and a blade assembly that can be detached. This segmentation allows the blade assembly to be enlarged for commercial productivity while keeping the handle manageable for operation, resolving the contradiction between ease of manipulation and chopping efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a single-handled personal chopper to a multi-bladed commercial chopper with a frame structure. This dimensional expansion allows the device to handle large portions of meat efficiently while maintaining operational control through the extended handle structure.
2Ease of operation
If the chopper is made of soft lightweight resilient material, then it is easy to manipulate and clean, but it is not sturdy enough for commercial applications
Solution Approach 1:
The chopper combines different materials with complementary properties: a resilient handle material for ease of manipulation and cleaning, paired with a sturdy blade assembly material for reliability and durability in commercial applications. This composite construction resolves the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability.
3Ease of manufacture
If the fins are made thin and cylindrical for personal use, then the device is easy to clean, but the constant stress of chopping meat at a large distance would damage the fins
Solution Approach 1:
The separation of the handle and blade assemblies allows the blade assembly to be independently designed with thicker, more durable blades suitable for commercial use, while the handle maintains its thin, easy-to-clean structure. This segmentation resolves the contradiction between ease of cleaning and blade durability.
Solution Approach 2:
The detached blade assembly acts as an intermediary component that can be replaced or maintained separately from the handle. This allows the blade assembly to be optimized for strength and durability without compromising the ease of cleaning of the handle, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and blade durability.
4Productivity
If larger blades are used in commercial applications, then more meat can be separated per press, but the device becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The division into separate handle and blade assemblies allows the blade assembly to be enlarged for higher productivity without proportionally increasing the complexity of the entire device. The modular structure makes the added complexity manageable and easier to manufacture and maintain.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame structure serves multiple functions: it supports the blades, provides structural integrity for larger blade dimensions, and enables access to corners of the cooking surface. This multi-functionality increases productivity without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure is directed to an improved meat chopper and method for using the chopper to chop large portions of food on a cooking surface. The improved chopper allows a user to chop large portions of ground meat at a time and allows the user to access meat in the corners of the cooking surface. The size and weight of the chopper allows a user to quickly chop large portions of meat. The stainless steel construction of the chopper makes the chopper easy to clean and reduces damage to the chopper during use. The chopper has a handle coupled to a frame containing multiple blades to chop the meat. The increased size of the chopper and spacing between the blades prevents meat from becoming stuck between the blades during use. The rectangular frame containing the blades acts as a blade itself, increasing the amount of meat separated with each press of the chopper into the meat.