Meat Grinding Separator Screw for Soft Material Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing grinding machines for foodstuffs, such as meat, face challenges in effectively separating and recovering soft, usable material from mixtures with hard materials like bone and gristle, often requiring adaptations and inefficiently treating both materials as waste.
Innovation Solution
A separator assembly is integrated downstream of the orifice plate, featuring a tapered separator passage with perforations and a rotatable separator screw, which separates soft and hard materials by exploiting the difference in their flow characteristics through the tapered passage, allowing the soft material to be discharged while the hard material is directed to a collection outlet.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hard material collection passages are used to route hard material away from grinding orifices, then hard material is successfully separated from the grinding process, but soft usable material is lost in the mixture discharged from collection passages
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the material flow into two separate streams: one for hard material collection and another for soft material recovery. The separator assembly segments the mixed material discharged from collection passages, directing hard material to a hard material outlet and recovering soft material through a separate soft material outlet, thus preventing soft material loss while maintaining hard material separation effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The separator assembly acts as an intermediary device between the hard material collection passages and the final discharge points. It receives the mixed material from collection passages, performs separation, and then directs each material type to its appropriate outlet, thereby recovering soft material that would otherwise be lost while maintaining the hard material separation function
2Loss of substance
If separator assembly is added downstream of orifice plate, then soft material recovery is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The separator assembly is integrated with the existing grinding machine structure, merging the soft material recovery function with the hard material collection system. The separator chamber, screw conveyor, and outlet structures are combined into a single assembly that attaches to the grinding head, achieving soft material recovery without requiring multiple separate devices or extensive structural modifications
Solution Approach 2:
The separator assembly performs multiple functions within a single device: it separates hard material from soft material, directs hard material to collection, recovers soft material for reuse, and maintains the grinding process continuity. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate systems, thereby limiting the increase in overall device complexity
3Productivity
If separator screw is rotatable within separator passage, then separation efficiency is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The separator screw is designed to be self-driven by the flow of material through the separator passage. The material flow itself provides the rotational force needed to turn the screw conveyor, eliminating the need for external motors or power sources. This self-service mechanism improves separation efficiency while simplifying manufacturing by removing complex drive mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The separator screw utilizes the hydraulic action of the material flow to generate rotational motion. The flowing mixture of hard and soft materials drives the screw rotation through pressure and flow dynamics, converting the kinetic energy of the material stream into mechanical rotation for effective separation, thereby achieving high separation efficiency without complex mechanical drive systems
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
This solution enables efficient separation and recovery of usable soft material from hard material collection passages, maximizing the output of usable material while preventing hard materials from re-entering the grinding process, without requiring significant modifications to existing grinding machine components.
Implementation Method 1
separates soft material from the mixture of soft material and hard material by exploiting the difference in their flow characteristics through the tapered passage
Implementation Method 2
a separator chamber having a wall that defines an axially extending tapered separator passage. The separator passage receives the mixture of soft material and hard material from the upstream inlet
Implementation Method 3
The separator screw is interconnected with the rotatable advancement member and is rotatable within the separator passage in response to rotation of the rotatable advancement member. Rotation of the separator screw causes separation of soft material from the mixture of soft material and hard material, and forces the soft material through the perforations in the wall of the separator chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A grinding machine for grinding foodstuffs, such as meat or the like, includes an orifice plate at the outlet of a grinding head. The orifice plate has collection passages that discharge a mixture of soft material and hard material through the orifice plate. A separator assembly is positioned downstream of the orifice plate for separating the soft material from the hard material. The separator assembly includes a separator chamber that receives the mixture of soft material and hard material, in combination with a rotatable separator screw positioned within the separator chamber. Rotation of the separator screw functions to separate the soft material from the hard material. Soft material is discharged through perforations in the separator chamber and hard material is discharged through a discharge of the separator chamber.