Pitter Apparatus Rotary Drive System Friction Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pitting knife drive assemblies using box cams or open cams face issues such as increased friction due to sliding and rolling contact, loud operation, short part life, and contamination of the final product with wear particles, along with inefficiencies in the pitting process.
Innovation Solution
A pitting knife assembly with a pulley drive system that moves the knife mount around a circular path, utilizing a frame with drive shafts and pulleys, and connectors to maintain parallel orientation, reducing the number of parts and improving the motion profile of the pitting knives.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If box cams or open cams are used to drive pitting knives, then the knives can be moved into engagement with fruit, but friction increases due to sliding and rolling contact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional cam-follower mechanical system with a pulley-belt system. The pitting knife mount is suspended and driven by pulleys and belts, eliminating the sliding and rolling contact inherent in cam mechanisms. This substitution reduces friction and energy loss while maintaining the ability to drive knives into fruit engagement reliably.
2Ease of operation
If box cams are used to drive pitting knives, then the knives can be moved around a closed path, but noise increases due to loud operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes the noisy cam mechanism with a pulley-belt drive system. The pulleys and belts provide smooth, quiet operation while maintaining precise control over the knife mount's circular path motion. This eliminates the loud operation associated with cam mechanisms.
3Productivity
If box cams are used to drive pitting knives, then the knives can be moved into engagement with fruit, but part life decreases due to short component durability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the short-lived cam components with durable pulleys and belts. The pulley-belt system has significantly longer service life and requires less frequent replacement, while maintaining the productivity and efficiency of the pitting process.
4Ease of operation
If box cams are used to drive pitting knives, then the knives can be moved around a closed path, but contamination occurs due to wear particles in the final product
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes the cam mechanism that generates wear particles with a pulley-belt system. The pulley-belt system produces minimal wear and no contamination particles, eliminating the risk of product contamination while maintaining the knife mount's circular motion capability.
5Productivity
If conventional cam mechanisms are used, then pitting knives can be driven, but device complexity increases due to multiple rotating bushings and lubricated parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the complex cam mechanism with a simpler pulley-belt system. The pulley-belt drive requires fewer components, eliminates multiple rotating bushings and lubricated parts, and reduces overall device complexity while maintaining full pitting operation capability.
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 reduces friction, noise, and part count, enhancing the efficiency and longevity of the pitting process while preventing contamination, resulting in a more reliable and cost-effective fruit pitting apparatus.
Implementation Method 1
The first timing belt is around the first pair of pulleys and the first drive pulley
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 2A
Figure 3
AI summary
A pitting knife assembly including a pitting knife mount (301) and a pulley drive assembly (304) coupled and configured to move the knife mount (301) around a circular or substantially circular path, and a fruit pitting apparatus including such an assembly. During operation of the pitting knife (102) assembly with at least one pitting knife mounted to the knife mount (301) and a fruit conveying assembly (36) positioned to convey fruit to the pitting knife assembly, the pitting knife (102) can produce pitted fruit by moving into engagement with fruit conveyed by the conveying assembly (36) (to pit the fruit) as the knife mount (301) moves through a first portion of the path, and the pitting knife (102) can then move out of engagement with (and away from) the pitted fruit as the knife mount (301) moves through a second portion of the path. Typically, the pitting knife assembly includes a drive shaft assembly (21,315) rotatably mounted to a frame, at least one pair of pulleys (304) coupled to and drivable by the drive shaft assembly, and a connector (313) rotatably connected between the pulleys (304) of each said pair so as to remain oriented at least substantially parallel to a line through the centers of the pulleys (304) of the pair while the pulleys (304) are driven by the drive shaft assembly (21,315), and the pitting knife mount (301) is coupled to the connector (313) such that said connector moves the pitting knife mount (301) around the at least substantially circular path when each said pair of pulleys (314) is driven by the drive shaft assembly (21,315).