Meat Scraper Plate Angled Design for Automated Deboning

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional de-boning methods for domestic animal limbs face challenges in automating incision along complex bone profiles, leading to low automation levels and inefficient meat scraping processes, which result in prolonged processing times and increased equipment complexity.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus that utilize a clamping device to hang the animal limb, allowing the ankle to be positioned under a scraper plate, which is angled to prevent meat clogging and enable efficient scraping along the bone profile with a single operation, combined with multi-joint robots for precise incision making.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If manual incision making is used along complex bone profiles, then incision accuracy is maintained, but automation level remains low and processing efficiency is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomation level of incision makingVSAvoidincision accuracy along bone profile
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual mechanical incision making with an automated cutting device that follows the bone profile. The cutting device is guided along the complex 3D bone surface using automated control systems, substituting human manual operation with mechanical automation while maintaining precision through controlled movement along the bone's contour.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the operational parameters of the cutting device to adapt to the complex bone profile. By adjusting cutting depth, speed, and angle parameters dynamically during the automated process, the system maintains incision accuracy while achieving full automation along the varying bone surfaces.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If meat scraping is divided into multiple steps with multiple scrapers, then clogging is avoided, but equipment complexity increases and processing time is extended

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing speed of meat scrapingVSAvoidnumber of scrapers and equipment
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple meat scraping operations into a single integrated scraper design. The unified scraper combines the functions of multiple individual scrapers into one component, reducing equipment complexity while maintaining the ability to scrape meat efficiently along the bone without clogging through its extended scraping path.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a new dimensional approach to meat scraping by designing the scraper to operate along the length of the bone in addition to the traditional scraping motion. This extended dimensional approach allows continuous scraping from one end of the bone to the other, eliminating the need for multiple scrapers positioned at different locations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Productivity

If multiple sets of meat scrapers and cutters are provided for each processing step, then continuous processing is enabled, but apparatus size increases and space is consumed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontinuous processing capabilityVSAvoidapparatus footprint
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent designs universal processing stations where single scrapers and cutters can handle multiple processing steps. The equipment is configured to perform various scraping and cutting operations sequentially on the same workpiece, eliminating the need for dedicated equipment for each step and reducing the overall apparatus footprint while maintaining continuous processing capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP2110021B2Method and apparatus for deboning picnic or thigh part
Publication Date: 2017.12.27 MAYEKAWA MFG CO LTD
  • EP2110021B2 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2110021B2 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2110021B2 patent drawingFigure 3(a)~4

AI summary

An arm or leg part of slaughtered domestic animal can be de-boned automatically by automating incision making process conventionally carried out manually. Process of making automated incision to the meat part of a work 1 to be de-boned clamped with a clamper 11 and hanged from it along the surface of the bone thereof in longitudinal direction including joint part while it is transferred in a hanged state, process of allowing a part of the work 1 right under the clamped part to intrude into a recessed portion 72a of a meat scraper plate 71 located downstream of the transferring work 1, and process of scraping meat from the bone by transferring the clamper 11 further in a state the meat part of the work 1 is held down by the scraper plate 71 which is fixed in position, whereby the meat part of the work receives scraping force from the undersurface of the scraper plate 71 to be scraped from the bone.