Multi-Tier Impeller for Complete Small Food Product Cutting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cutting machines struggle to efficiently process smaller food products, such as almonds and coffee beans, as they often only encounter a limited portion of each knife, leading to incomplete cuts and reduced production capacity.
Innovation Solution
The impeller is designed with intermediate plates to create tier levels within the impeller, allowing for the stratification of products and the use of paddles to direct products into pockets, ensuring that a greater portion of each knife is utilized for cutting, particularly for smaller products.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the impeller uses a simple single-tier design, then the device complexity is low, but smaller products only encounter a limited portion of each knife leading to incomplete cuts
Solution Approach 1:
The impeller is divided into multiple tier levels (first tier level between ring and first intermediate plate, second tier level between first intermediate plate and base) to create distinct product flow paths. This segmentation ensures that smaller products are properly distributed and engaged with the cutting knives, resolving the issue of incomplete cuts while maintaining manageable structural complexity through modular intermediate plates.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a vertical dimension to product distribution by creating multiple tier levels within the impeller. Products are distributed across different vertical levels (first tier and second tier), which allows smaller products to be properly positioned and engaged with the cutting knives, transforming a two-dimensional single-tier design into a three-dimensional multi-tier system.
2Productivity
If the impeller processes smaller products efficiently, then productivity increases, but the device complexity increases due to intermediate plates and tier levels
Solution Approach 1:
The impeller structure is segmented into multiple tier levels with intermediate plates, allowing simultaneous processing of products at different vertical levels. This increases productivity by ensuring complete knife engagement for smaller products while maintaining a modular structure that manages complexity through standardized intermediate plate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate plates serve multiple functions: they define the tier levels, act as product distribution surfaces, and guide product flow to appropriate cutting zones. This multi-functionality increases productivity without proportionally increasing complexity, as a single component (intermediate plate) performs several critical functions.
3Manufacturing precision
If the knife length engagement is increased for smaller products, then cut quality improves, but the device complexity increases due to tier level configuration
Solution Approach 1:
By introducing vertical tier levels, the invention extends knife engagement in the vertical dimension. Smaller products are distributed across first and second tier levels, allowing the cutting knives to engage products along their entire length. This dimensional transformation improves cut quality while managing complexity through systematic vertical arrangement.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting process is segmented into multiple tier-level stages, with products progressing from the first tier level to the second tier level. This segmentation ensures that smaller products receive complete cutting engagement at each tier, improving cut quality while organizing the complexity into manageable, repeatable units.
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
This configuration allows for more efficient cutting of smaller products by ensuring that a majority of the knife length is engaged, resulting in improved cut quality and increased production capacity.
Implementation Method 1
The impeller 14 rotates within the cutting head 12, while the latter remains stationary. The hopper 11 delivers products to the middle of the impeller 14, and centrifugal force causes the products to move outward into engagement with the knives of the cutting head 12.
Data Source
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AI summary
Methods and equipment for cutting products, including food products. Such equipment includes an impeller (40) adapted to be coaxially mounted within an annular-shaped cutting head (12) for rotation about an axis of the cutting head (12) in a rotational direction relative to the cutting head (12). The impeller (40) includes a base (44) and ring (46) spaced axially from each other, at least a first intermediate plate (60) disposed between the base (44) and the ring (46) so as to define at least first and second tier levels (70) within the impeller (40), and paddles (42) disposed between the base (44) and the ring (46) and within the first and second tier levels (70). The first intermediate plate (60) has an opening (66) therein that defines a passage between the first and second tier levels (70). The impeller (40) further has pockets (68) defined by and between immediately adjacent pairs of paddles (42) within each tier level (70).