Poultry Skinner Gripper Cleaning Roller Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing poultry skinning machines are inefficient and require significant manual intervention and water usage for cleaning, leading to inconsistent results and increased operational costs.
Innovation Solution
An automated poultry skinning apparatus with a conveyor system, gripper, and cleaning roller that adjusts vertically to accommodate different poultry sizes, and a cleaning roller with radially extending fins to efficiently remove skin without the need for high water pressure, allowing for incremental adjustments to maintain clearance and operate without additional cleaning means.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a conventional poultry skinning machine is used, then skin removal is automated, but significant water usage is required for cleaning the gripper
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cleaning function from the water spray system by introducing a separate cleaning roller that mechanically removes skin and debris from the gripper fins. This extraction allows the system to maintain automated skin removal while eliminating the need for high water pressure cleaning, directly resolving the contradiction between productivity and water consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning roller acts as an intermediary component between the gripper and the skin removal process. Instead of using water as the cleaning medium, the cleaning roller with its radially extending fins provides a mechanical intermediary that transfers skin and debris from the gripper fins, enabling efficient operation with minimal water usage.
2Reliability
If the gripper fins accumulate skin and waste matter, then cleaning is required, but additional cleaning means increase device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the cleaning function into the existing gripper structure by positioning the cleaning roller to work in conjunction with the gripper fins. The cleaning roller's radially extending fins combine with the gripper's fins to create an integrated cleaning mechanism that removes skin and debris without requiring separate complex cleaning systems, thus maintaining reliability while minimizing device complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the conveyor does not adjust vertically, then the structure is simple, but it cannot accommodate different poultry sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by enabling the conveyor to adjust its vertical position dynamically based on the size of the poultry product being processed. The conveyor's selective vertical movement allows the system to adapt to different poultry sizes while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and device complexity.
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 apparatus achieves efficient skin removal with reduced water usage, maintaining operational efficiency and minimizing manual intervention, resulting in higher production rates and lower operational costs.
Implementation Method 1
the rapidly rotating fins of the cleaning roller strip poultry skin from the gripper
Implementation Method 2
eject the skin downwardly into a collection bin
Implementation Method 3
direct the poultry product in a path toward the discharge outlet
Implementation Method 4
pull the outer skin from its attachment to the underlying meat portions
Data Source
AI summary
A poultry skinner including a conveyor having ribs aligned to engage the upper surface of a poultry product. A rotatably mounted gripper has a plurality of radially extending fins adapted to engage the lower surface of the poultry passing between the gripper and the conveyor. An arcuate surface is mounted in closely spaced relationship to the arcuate path traveled by the rotating gripper fins and defines an opening for trapping the skin attached to the poultry product. The skin is trapped between the arcuate surface and the outer end of a rotating fin to pull the skin from the poultry product. A rotatably mounted cleaning roller having a plurality of fins is positioned in a close clearance relationship with the gripper. The rapidly rotating fins of the cleaning roller strip the poultry skin from the fins of the gripper and eject it into a collection bin below.