Automated Hanging Device for Ring-Shaped Meat Products
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for hanging ring-shaped filled meat products on rods for drying are largely manual and inefficient, as they lack automation, making it difficult to handle products with varying geometry and slippery surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A device comprising an inlet surface, a V-shaped receiving vessel, and an ejection platform actuated by ejection means to align and secure ring-shaped filled meat products onto rods, ensuring proper shape maintenance and automated placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual hanging methods are used for ring-shaped filled meat products, then handling flexibility is maintained, but productivity is low and the process is inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The device segments the hanging process into distinct functional zones: an inlet surface for product arrival, a V-shaped receiving vessel for shaping and positioning, and an ejection platform for rod engagement. This segmentation allows each component to perform a specific function, achieving automation while maintaining handling flexibility for products with varying geometry
Solution Approach 2:
The V-shaped receiving vessel acts as an intermediary between the inlet surface and the rod. It temporarily holds the ring-shaped filled meat product, ensures proper shaping with the inner opening aligned, and facilitates smooth transfer to the rod, thereby enabling automated handling without direct mechanical manipulation of the slippery product surface
2Productivity
If automated hanging devices are implemented, then productivity increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device extracts the complex shaping and positioning operations from the main hanging mechanism by using a separate V-shaped receiving vessel. This vessel pre-forms the product with proper alignment before the simplified ejection platform transfers it to the rod, reducing the complexity of the primary automation mechanism while maintaining high productivity
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of directly manipulating the slippery ring-shaped product with complex grippers or clamps, the device inverts the approach by using gravity-fed movement through the V-shaped vessel and a pushing ejection mechanism. This indirect method simplifies the mechanical structure while achieving reliable automated hanging
3Manufacturing precision
If the inner opening of ring-shaped filled meat product is not properly aligned, then the product may fold over itself, but ensuring proper alignment increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The V-shaped receiving vessel uses its asymmetric geometry to naturally guide and align the ring-shaped filled meat product. The V-shape provides lateral confinement that prevents folding while allowing the inner opening to self-align through the product's own geometry and gravity, achieving precise alignment without complex adjustment mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The device enables the ring-shaped filled meat product to self-align its inner opening through the constraining geometry of the V-shaped receiving vessel. The product's own elastic properties and the vessel's shape work together to automatically position the inner opening correctly without requiring external alignment actuators or sensors
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4a~4c
AI summary
The present invention relates to a device for hanging ring-shaped filled meat products on rods, comprising an inlet surface 24 along which ring-shaped filled meat products move, a V-shaped receiving vessel 28 into which the filled meat products fall from the inlet surface, an ejection platform 30 actuated by ejection means that push the filled meat product from the receiving vessel to introduce it onto a rod 12 at a free end thereof. The free end of the rod is introduced through an opening arranged for that purpose in the ejection platform when said platform is actuated by the ejection means. The rod is held at the opposite end in a rod holder. A machine comprising a device for hanging filled meat products according to the invention is also disclosed.