Poultry Deboning Chucks for Bone Removal Without Meat Damage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional poultry deboning processes are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and prone to human error, often requiring manual labor, high-pressure liquid, and compressed air, which can damage meat and create food safety hazards, leading to yield losses and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A semi-automatic deboning system using actuated pushing and pulling mechanisms, powered electrically or hydraulically, that eliminates the use of liquid and compressed air, employing a conveyor, holder and grabber chucks with blades to remove bones from poultry carcasses efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual deboning methods are used, then flexibility and adaptability are maintained, but labor intensity and time consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The poultry carcass is self-positioned on the conveyor belt using gravity and the natural shape of the cavity, eliminating the need for manual positioning. The bone is pushed out automatically by the protruding end of the cavity, requiring no manual intervention for bone extraction.
Solution Approach 2:
The deboning device is divided into distinct functional segments: the conveyor belt for transport, the cavity for holding and positioning, the protruding end for automatic bone pushing, and the blade for bone removal. Each segment performs a specific function that contributes to the overall automated process.
2Productivity
If high-pressure liquid and compressed air are used in semi-mechanical devices, then deboning speed increases, but meat appearance and texture are altered
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the harmful elements (high-pressure liquid and compressed air) from the deboning process. Instead, it uses a mechanical pushing mechanism that physically removes the bone without introducing substances that would damage the meat's appearance or texture.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the pneumatic and hydraulic systems (compressed air and high-pressure liquid) with a purely mechanical system consisting of a conveyor belt, cavity, protruding end, and blade. This mechanical substitution maintains deboning effectiveness while preserving meat quality.
3Productivity
If high-pressure or compressed air is used during bone removal, then the bone is removed faster, but bone breaking or chipping occurs creating food safety hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The bone is preliminarily positioned and pushed out of the cavity through the protruding end before the blade makes contact. This preliminary action aligns the bone properly and reduces sudden impacts during removal, preventing bone breaking or chipping that could create food safety hazards.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses dynamic movement where the conveyor belt continuously moves the carcass forward, and the blade moves with the carcass rather than being stationary. This dynamic approach allows for controlled bone removal at speed without sudden impacts that would cause bone fragmentation.
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple people perform manual incisions with handheld knives, then complex bone structures can be handled, but extensive training and time are required
Solution Approach 1:
The device performs the complex task of bone removal automatically without requiring human operators to have specialized skills. The self-positioning mechanism and automatic bone pushing eliminate the need for trained personnel to perform manual incisions, thereby eliminating extensive training requirements while maintaining the ability to handle various bone structures.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method for poultry deboning. The poultry deboning apparatus may include a holder device including a holder chuck configured to hold a poultry product. The holder chuck may include an opening configured to receive a first portion of the poultry product and one or more blades configured to engage the first portion of the poultry product. The poultry deboning apparatus may include a grabber device including a grabber chuck configured to grab a second portion of the poultry product. The grabber chuck may include an opening configured to receive the second portion of the poultry product and one or more blades configured to extend into the opening and engage the second portion of the poultry product. The grabber device may be configured to move away from the holder chuck to remove a bone in the second portion of the poultry product.