Automated Meat Loading Station with Rectilinear Needles

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing meat processing plants face challenges in loading and unloading meat portions, such as bellies, without causing cuts due to the curved shape of hooks, which reduces the meat's value and complicates the process at low temperatures during unloading.

Innovation Solution

An automated loading station with a conveying apparatus and a press that aligns meat portions with rectilinear needles on a sustaining element, minimizing lacerations and allowing for efficient hooking and unhooking, while the unloading station uses a movement apparatus to gently extract needles from the meat.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If curved hooks are used to penetrate and hold meat portions, then the meat portions can be securely hooked to sustaining elements, but the curved shape of the hooks produces cuts and lacerations in the meat, reducing its value

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehooking reliabilityVSAvoidmeat laceration

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the conventional curved hook design by using rectilinear (straight) needles instead. The conveying apparatus rotates the sustaining element with rectilinear needles to align them perpendicular to the meat surface, allowing penetration without the cutting action caused by curved hooks. This geometric inversion eliminates meat laceration while maintaining secure attachment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies inversion by reversing the traditional hooking mechanism. Instead of using curved hooks that penetrate and rely on their shape to hold meat, the invention uses straight needles that penetrate perpendicular to the meat surface and rely on rotational positioning and pressing force. This inverted approach eliminates the harmful cutting action of curved hooks while achieving reliable meat attachment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Productivity

If hooks penetrate the meat to hold it vertically hanging, then the meat can be moved within processing stations, but the penetration process produces cuts due to the curved shape of the hooks, requiring damaged segments to undergo additional processing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessing throughputVSAvoidadditional processing requirement

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

By replacing curved hooks with rectilinear needles, the patent eliminates the cutting action that creates damaged meat segments. The straight needles penetrate perpendicular to the meat surface without lateral cutting forces, ensuring that the entire meat portion remains undamaged and can proceed directly through the processing line without requiring additional processing for damaged segments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The inverted approach of using straight needles instead of curved hooks eliminates the need for additional processing of damaged segments. The needles penetrate and hold the meat without creating cuts, thereby maintaining the full value of the meat portion and streamlining the processing workflow by removing the need for separate handling of damaged segments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Extent of automation

If conventional hooking methods are used, then meat portions can be loaded onto sustaining elements, but the process causes meat damage that reduces product quality and value

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautomated loading capabilityVSAvoidmeat integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent maintains automated loading capability while improving meat integrity by using rectilinear needles instead of curved hooks. The conveying apparatus automatically positions and rotates the sustaining element with straight needles to align them perpendicular to the meat surface, enabling automated penetration without the lateral cutting forces that cause damage. This geometric change preserves meat integrity throughout the automated process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The inverted design of straight needles combined with rotational positioning and pressing force maintains full automated loading capability while eliminating meat damage. The system automatically orients the needles perpendicular to the meat surface and applies controlled pressing force, achieving both automation and high manufacturing precision without the harmful effects of conventional curved hooks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentUS11839221B2Automated loading station suitable for meat portions and plant for processing said meat portions

Publication Date: 2023.12.12 FAVA DI ADELE TURETTA & C

AI summary

An automated loading station for meat portions configured so as to hook, at a hooking area, a meat portion to a sustaining element, which loading station is provided with a movement apparatus for moving the sustaining elements configured so as to move a sustaining element at the hooking area, a conveying apparatus for conveying the meat portions configured so as to convey the meat portion at the hooking area and to align a segment of the meat portion to a plurality of needles of the sustaining element, and a press configured so as to press the meat portion against the needles of the sustaining element positioned in the hooking area to penetrate the meat portion with the needles.