Method and apparatus for slicing and processing whole muscle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional methods for slicing and processing whole muscle meat, such as for Philly Cheese Steaks, are labor-intensive, inefficient, and require batch processing, leading to high energy consumption and increased costs due to freezing and separate cooking stations, while not meeting the criteria for quick preparation and convenient consumption.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus involving an in-line rotary multi-blade slicer with adjustable blades and a cooking horn with a reverse taper design, allowing for continuous processing of whole muscle meat into thinly sliced or sheeted products, maintaining muscle integrity and reducing labor and energy costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If whole muscle is ground, mixed with salt and ingredients, stuffed into a box, palletized, and frozen into a solid cube before slicing, then the meat can be sliced while frozen at approximately 20 to 24 degrees Fahrenheit, but the process becomes labor intensive, time consuming, requires significant freezer capacity, and expends excessive energy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter from frozen (20-24°F) to refrigerated (34-38°F), allowing the meat to be sliced in a softer state without requiring freezing. This parameter change eliminates the need for freezing infrastructure while maintaining slice consistency through adjusted blade configuration and feeding mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the freezing step from the processing sequence entirely. By slicing the meat in a refrigerated rather than frozen state, the system removes the freezing and thawing operations, eliminating associated energy consumption, time delays, and equipment requirements while maintaining productive throughput
2Reliability
If the meat is frozen into a solid cube before slicing, then slicing can be performed on frozen meat, but the process requires separate freezing and cooking stations, increasing device complexity and energy consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the slicing and cooking operations into a single integrated apparatus. The sliced meat is formed and cooked continuously in one device without requiring separate freezing and cooking stations, reducing device complexity while maintaining slice integrity through controlled processing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the temperature parameter from frozen to refrigerated state for slicing, which allows the meat to be more pliable and easier to slice without requiring complex freezing infrastructure. This parameter change simplifies the overall system while maintaining reliable slice formation
3Manufacturing precision
If traditional batch processing methods are used with freezing, then meat can be processed, but the process has significant idle time during freezing and requires conveyance through separate cooking stations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous processing where ground meat is continuously fed through the slicing mechanism and immediately conveyed to cooking stations. This eliminates batch processing idle time during freezing by maintaining continuous motion from grinding through slicing to cooking, reducing total processing cycle time while maintaining product uniformity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary size reduction of the meat into ground or finely chopped state before slicing, which prepares the material for rapid continuous processing. This preliminary action enables the meat to be quickly formed and sliced without requiring time-consuming freezing steps, reducing overall processing time while maintaining uniformity
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, cost-effective production of thinly sliced meat products with improved throughput and reduced labor intensity, maintaining muscle water-holding capacity and achieving consistent thickness without cell rupture, while allowing for precise temperature control during cooking.
Implementation Method 1
cooking the sliced size reduced whole muscle product in the cooking horn
Implementation Method 2
pumping the ground whole muscle through an in-line rotary multi-blade slicer
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for improving processing whole muscle for a thinly slice meat item, such as a meat item for Philly Cheese Steaks. One implementation of the method and apparatus as disclosed and claimed herein includes grounding whole muscle and pumping the ground whole muscle through an in-line rotary multi-blade slicer and further extruding the product from the in-line slicer and pumping the product through a cooking horn. For one implementation of the method and apparatus, the product is pumped through and in-line sheeter before pumping the product through the cooking horn.