Poultry Neck Cleaning Apparatus with Adjustable Drum Spacing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing apparatuses for cleaning the internal neck skin of slaughtered poultry struggle to effectively remove windpipe, gullet, and glandular tissue across a range of poultry sizes, as they lack adjustable features to accommodate size variations and ensure precise alignment of the bore organ and presser chock for optimal scraping action without causing tissue damage.

Innovation Solution

The apparatus features adjustable distance and rotational positioning between the first drum connected to the rotatable bore organ and the second drum connected to the presser chock, facilitated by a mechanism with hydraulic actuators, allowing for continuous adjustment to accommodate various poultry sizes and ensure accurate alignment for effective cleaning.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If the presser chock is arranged to move upwards at the beginning of the cleaning operation until it slightly lifts the poultry, then an appropriate amount of pressure is obtained for effective scraping, but the apparatus can only accommodate a limited range of poultry sizes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvescraping action precisionVSAvoidpoultry size range
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The distance between the first drum and second drum is made adjustable, allowing the apparatus to adapt its configuration dynamically. This enables the presser chock to maintain appropriate pressure on poultry of varying sizes by adjusting the spatial relationship between the scraping and pressing components, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining precise scraping action and accommodating diverse poultry sizes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The physical parameter of distance between the first drum and second drum is made variable. By adjusting this distance parameter, the apparatus can optimize the pressure applied by the presser chock for different poultry sizes while maintaining effective scraping action, thereby achieving both precision and versatility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Device complexity

If the distance between the first drum and second drum is fixed, then the apparatus structure is simple, but it cannot accommodate notable size differences in poultry

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveapparatus structureVSAvoidpoultry size accommodation
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The fixed distance between the first drum and second drum is changed to an adjustable distance. This dynamic configuration allows the apparatus to accommodate poultry of various sizes by adjusting the distance parameter, while the adjustment mechanism itself remains relatively simple, thus balancing structural simplicity with adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Productivity

If the presser chock applies strong pressure to assist the scraping action, then the removal of windpipe and gullet is improved, but the neck skin may be torn

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetissue removal efficiencyVSAvoidneck skin damage
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The distance between the first drum and second drum is adjusted to optimize the pressure applied by the presser chock. By fine-tuning this distance parameter, the apparatus achieves the right balance between applying sufficient pressure for effective tissue removal and avoiding excessive pressure that could tear the neck skin, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and harm prevention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP2965631B1Apparatus for carrying out a cleaning operation applied to the internal neck skin of slaughtered poultry
Publication Date: 2017.04.19 MEYN FOOD PROCESSING TECH BV
  • EP2965631B1 patent drawingFigure 1~4
  • EP2965631B1 patent drawingFigure 5
  • EP2965631B1 patent drawingFigure 6A~6B

AI summary

An apparatus for carrying out a cleaning operation applied to the internal neck skin of slaughtered poultry by removing the windpipe, gullet, glandular tissue or remainders thereof. The apparatus comprises suspension devices for suspending the poultry by the legs, a first drum (4) which at its periphery is provided with a first curve formed by a first groove (13) which is being traced by a first projection that connects to a rotatable bore organ (5) so as to arrange that by rotation of the first drum said bore organ is inserted from the top into the poultry being suspended by the legs for carrying out the cleaning operation. The apparatus further comprises presser means comprising a presser chock (9), which during the cleaning operation rests against the neck skin of the poultry at the breast side and pushes the neck skin of the poultry toward the bore organ, wherein the presser chock cooperates with a second drum (15) provided with a second groove (16) which is being traced by a second projection (17) connected with the pressure chock so as to arrange that said pressure chock is adjustable in height by rotation of the second drum. The first drum and the second drum have an adjustable distance with respect to each other to accommodate for different sizes of poultry.