Poultry Shackle Tendon Trap for Single-Leg Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shackles fail to maintain the correct positioning of poultry parts, particularly when split into single legs, leading to meat being left on the bones and inefficient deboning processes at abattoirs, resulting in increased meat loss and downgrading.
Innovation Solution
A product carrier with a plane-formed bearing element and a recess featuring a tendon trap, designed to securely hold poultry legs, where the recess is more circular than oval-shaped and includes a tendon trap to position the Achilles tendon accurately, improving the handling and deboning of one-legged carcass parts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a conventional shackle with a plane-formed bearing element and shut-off device is used, then the shackle can carry poultry carcasses or parts, but it cannot hold single legs in a pre-determined position when the carcass is split into two parts
Solution Approach 1:
The recess is divided into two distinct functional zones: a first recess area for receiving the thigh bone and a second recess area for receiving the drumstick bone. This segmentation allows each zone to be optimized for its specific function, enabling precise positioning of single legs while maintaining versatility for different poultry parts.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the bearing element are given different geometric characteristics: the first recess area has dimensions optimized for thigh bone positioning while the second recess area has dimensions optimized for drumstick positioning. This local differentiation of geometric properties enables precise positioning for specific applications.
2Productivity
If incorrect positioning of one-leg carcass parts is used, then handling is simpler, but meat is left behind on bones and deboning efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The correct positioning of the poultry part is achieved in advance through the specially designed recess geometry before the deboning process begins. The thigh bone and drumstick are pre-positioned in their correct anatomical relationships within the bearing element, ensuring that subsequent deboning operations can proceed efficiently without requiring real-time adjustment.
3Manufacturing precision
If a recess more circular than oval-shaped is used, then the tendon trap can position the Achilles tendon accurately, but the recess occupies more space
Solution Approach 1:
The recess is designed with non-uniform geometric properties: the first recess area has specific dimensions for thigh bone positioning while the second recess area has specific dimensions for drumstick positioning. This local differentiation of geometric properties enables precise positioning for specific applications without requiring the entire recess to be oversized.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3A~3B
Figure 3C~3D
AI summary
The invention is related to a product carrier or shackle and use hereof for carrying suspended animal carcasses or part hereof such as poultry or split parts of poultry in both legs or in one leg, respectively. The product carrier comprises a plane-formed bearing element (2) with at least one shut-off device (3) and at least one recess (4) for holding a bone e.g. a poultry leg, and the recess may comprise at least one tendon trap (5) to improve the positioning of especially one-legged carcass parts. Improved positioning can be obtained by producing a tendon trap in the recess. The tendon trap and its dimensions e.g. together with other dimensions of the recess improve positioning of one-legged or one-bone carcass parts by positioning the tendon in the tendon trap. Hereby improved deboning can be obtained corresponding to decreased meat loss at the deboning line.