Bone-in Meat Clamping Device with Rotation Suppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automating the loading of bone-in limb meats, such as bone-in thigh meats, into a deboner in the same direction is challenging, as existing technologies lack a means to achieve this without manual intervention.
Innovation Solution
A clamping device with a pair of clamp pieces and rotation suppressing portions, including a projection and abutting portion, that can securely hold and orient bone-in limb meats to prevent rotation, allowing for automated loading in a desired direction, using a multi-axes articulated arm and conveyor system to control positions and orientations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional clamping device is used to hold bone-in limb meats, then the meat can be held and conveyed, but the meat cannot be reliably prevented from rotating during the loading process
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping device is divided into multiple functional components: a pair of clamp pieces for basic holding, and separate rotation suppressing portions with projection portions that engage with the bone. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, providing reliable rotational prevention without requiring a completely redesigned complex structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The projection portions act as intermediary elements that bridge the clamp pieces and the bone. These projections extend into the space between the clamp pieces and engage with the bone surface, serving as a mechanical mediator that prevents rotation while maintaining the simplicity of the overall clamping structure.
2Extent of automation
If manual loading is used to ensure proper orientation of bone-in limb meats, then loading accuracy is maintained, but labor intensity increases and automation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping device with rotation suppressing portions enables the system to automatically maintain proper meat orientation without manual intervention. The projection portions self-eng-age with the bone during the clamping process, automatically preventing rotation and ensuring correct loading orientation, thereby achieving both automation and precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotation suppressing portions are pre-configured on the clamping device to engage with the bone before the loading operation begins. This preliminary configuration ensures that the meat is held in the correct orientation from the moment of clamping, eliminating the need for manual orientation adjustments during the loading process.
3Force
If the clamp pieces are positioned to securely hold the meat, then holding force is sufficient, but the meat may still rotate due to insufficient rotational constraint
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping device applies different types of constraints at different locations: the clamp pieces provide general holding force at the gripping points, while the projection portions provide localized rotational constraint by engaging with specific features on the bone. This local differentiation of constraint quality ensures both sufficient holding force and reliable rotational prevention.
Data Source
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AI summary
A clamping device for a bone-in limb meat according to an embodiment includes a pair of clamp pieces including a first clamp piece and a second clamp piece, and being openable/closable so as to hold a bone-in limb meat, and rotation suppressing portions for suppressing a rotation of the bone-in limb meat, the rotation suppressing portions being disposed at positions deviated with respect to the pair of clamp pieces in a direction perpendicular to a plane including an opening/closing direction of the pair of clamp pieces. The rotation suppressing portions include a projection portion disposed so as to protrude from the first clamp piece into a space between the pair of clamp pieces and configured to contact the bone-in limb meat when viewed from the direction perpendicular to the plane.