Portioning Machine Rotating Blade Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing portioning machines are inefficient for cutting materials with varying cross-sections and shapes, leading to inconsistent slice thickness and high mechanical complexity, making them unsuitable for medium-sized butcher shops or plants with changing products.
Innovation Solution
A portioning machine with a rotating blade and stop plate, where the axis of rotation is aligned with the tubular turret, allowing for a compact and simple design, using a disc-shaped knife that covers the cross-section of the shaped tube, and a support plate to maintain stability, with adjustable conveyor belt and rotational speed control for efficient cutting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a shaped tube with predetermined cross-section is used to press the material to be cut, then slice thickness consistency is improved, but device complexity increases due to required compression mechanics and movable stops
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential function of the shaped tube (defining cross-section) while removing the complex compression mechanics and movable stops. The shaped tube is replaced by a simple guide plate that merely guides the material without requiring active compression, thus maintaining slice consistency while dramatically simplifying the device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the expensive, complex shaped tube system with a simple, inexpensive guide plate that can be easily manufactured and replaced. This guide plate performs the essential function of defining the cutting path without requiring complex mechanics, making the overall system more cost-effective and easier to maintain.
2Manufacturing precision
If material is compressed in the shaped tube to fill the cross-section completely, then volume accuracy is improved, but cycle time increases due to high mechanical effort required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the active compression function from the system. Instead of using a shaped tube with complex compression mechanics to force material into the cross-section, a simple guide plate allows the material to be guided naturally along the cutting path, maintaining volume accuracy without the time-consuming compression process.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of actively compressing the material to fit the shaped tube cross-section, the patent inverts the approach by using the guide plate to define the cutting path and allowing the material to conform naturally. This reverses the cause-and-effect relationship, eliminating the need for high mechanical effort and reducing cycle time.
3Volume of moving object
If a rotating blade aligned with the tubular turret axis is used, then machine compactness is improved, but cutting capability for varied materials may be limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the guide plate universal by designing it to work with different material types and cutting configurations. The simple guide plate structure can be easily adapted or replaced depending on the material being cut, while maintaining the compact rotating blade design. This provides versatility without compromising compactness.
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 1c
AI summary
To keep the portioning machine cost-effective, pre-compression in the longitudinal direction is retained, but the effort on the portioning side is minimized by not using a portioning plate. Instead, the material to be cut (2) is advanced longitudinally (10) from the forming tube (1) until it reaches a stop. This stop plate (9) rotates together with the knife (8) on the same axis as the forming tube turret (1). It is important that the rotating knife (8) is always kept close to the forming tube turret (1).