Automated Meatloaf Pocket Removal Mechanism
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for removing the pocket from a meatloaf are labor-intensive and prone to contamination, as they require handlers to manually manipulate and cut through the weighty meatloaf, posing challenges with weight and hygiene.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that involve cutting vertical incisions at the ends of the pocket, followed by a parallel incision in the upper wall, using a hooking mechanism with suction cups and jaws to lift and pull the pocket away, and injecting air to facilitate the process, allowing for automated removal without manual handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If manual handling and cutting of the meatloaf pocket is performed, then the process is simple and requires basic equipment, but the handler is exposed to contamination risk and physical strain due to the weight of the meatloaf
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical handling with an automated mechanical system. A robotic arm equipped with a gripping device automatically positions, cuts, and removes the pocket from the meatloaf, eliminating direct handler contact and contamination risk while managing the weight and positioning of the meatloaf through automated mechanical forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables the meatloaf processing to be self-sufficient by automating the pocket removal process. The automated equipment performs cutting, gripping, and pocket removal without requiring manual intervention, allowing the process to serve itself and eliminating the need for handlers to physically manipulate the heavy meatloaf.
2Reliability
If automated cutting and pocket removal is implemented, then handler safety and hygiene are improved, but the device complexity and initial investment increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical handling with an automated mechanical system. A robotic arm equipped with a gripping device automatically positions, cuts, and removes the pocket from the meatloaf, eliminating direct handler contact and contamination risk while managing the weight and positioning of the meatloaf through automated mechanical forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated system integrates multiple functions into a single robotic unit: positioning the meatloaf, cutting the pocket, gripping the meatloaf, and removing the pocket. This multi-functional approach improves hygiene compliance through complete automation while managing device complexity by consolidating operations into one versatile robotic system.
3Productivity
If the pocket is cut and removed in one continuous operation, then processing speed and productivity are improved, but the precision of cutting and the control of the removal process become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic arm first positions the meatloaf precisely on the cutting surface before cutting begins. The cutting device then makes precise incisions along the pocket edges, and only after cutting is complete does the gripping device engage to remove the pocket. This preliminary positioning and sequential operation maintains cutting precision while enabling continuous high-speed processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The pocket removal process is segmented into distinct phases: positioning, cutting, gripping, and removal. The cutting phase is further divided into making incisions and separating the pocket. This segmentation allows each phase to be optimized for its specific function—cutting precision during the cutting phase and removal speed during the gripping phase—thereby maintaining precision while improving overall productivity.
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
The solution enables efficient and contamination-free removal of the pocket from the meatloaf, reducing handler strain and ensuring cleanliness by automating the process, allowing for seamless transfer to subsequent processing stations.
Implementation Method 1
the hooking step consists of a step of sucking up first zones of the side walls of the pocket by said suction cups
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~5
Figure 6
AI summary
The method involves receiving a meat loaf (10). A lower incision (602) extending in a direction parallel to a longitudinal direction of the loaf and in a lower wall of a pocket (12) is cut. Hooking units formed of clamps (614) and suction cups (616) are hooked on lateral walls of the pocket. The pocket is drawn in a direction extending between a direction (652), normal to the considered lateral wall and oriented towards exterior of the loaf, and a direction (656) normal to the lower wall of the pocket and oriented towards top. The loaf is transferred to an ulterior processing station. An independent claim is also included for a device for removing a pocket enveloping a food product loaf.