Poultry Tenderloin Clipper Wishbone Separation Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manual harvesting of poultry breast tenderloins is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and associated with potential injuries and inconsistencies, while also resulting in low product yields and high labor costs.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus comprising a cutting station with a fixed wishbone blade and a rotary tendon slicer, positioned on a poultry cone line, which efficiently separates the wishbone and tendons from the carcass, allowing for easy manual removal of the tenders.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual harvesting of tenderloins is performed, then flexibility and adaptability are maintained, but productivity is low and labor costs are high
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus segments the tenderloin harvesting process into distinct functional stations: a wishbone separating station that divides the wishbone from the tenderloin, and a tendon severing station that cuts the tendon. This segmentation allows each station to be optimized for its specific task, increasing overall productivity while maintaining a semi-automated system that requires minimal manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary mechanical structures including a wishbone cradle that holds and positions the wishbone, and a tendon holder that secures the tendon during severing. These intermediaries facilitate the transition from fully manual to automated operation by providing stable reference points and consistent positioning, enabling faster processing without requiring complete automation.
2Manufacturing precision
If manual preparation steps are performed, then adaptability to different carcass variations is maintained, but manufacturing precision and consistency are low
Solution Approach 1:
The wishbone cradle performs preliminary action by pre-positioning and securing the wishbone in a consistent orientation before the tenderloin separation process begins. This preliminary positioning ensures that subsequent cutting operations are performed at precise, repeatable locations, significantly improving manufacturing precision and consistency across different carcasses without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The wishbone cradle incorporates curved and contoured surfaces that conform to the natural shape of the wishbone and tenderloin anatomy. These curved surfaces automatically guide and position the tissue in the correct orientation, ensuring consistent separation results across varying carcass shapes while keeping the device structure relatively simple through form-fitting design rather than complex mechanical adjustments.
3Reliability
If manual tendon severing is performed, then flexibility is maintained, but the risk of harmful factors increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the dangerous tendon severing function from manual operation and transfers it to an automated blade mechanism. The blade is mounted on a movable arm that can be precisely controlled to sever the tendon at the correct location, eliminating the risk of operator injury from manual knife work while maintaining a relatively simple device structure through the use of a single actuated cutting component.
Solution Approach 2:
A tendon holder serves as an intermediary device that secures the tendon in a fixed position during the automated severing process. This intermediary structure allows the blade to cut precisely without requiring manual manipulation of the tissue near the cutting edge, thereby eliminating injury risk while keeping the overall device complexity low through the use of a simple clamping or holding mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method for preparing a poultry carcass for the removal of breast tenderloins therefrom. The apparatus includes a support frame positioned adjacent a conventional cone line that conveys poultry carcasses along a product path in a downstream direction. A cutting blade is mounted to the support frame and extends into the product path. The cutting blade has a piercing tip and a sharp edge that pierce and sever the connective tissue and tendon that connect a lower portion of a wishbone to a carcass that is conveyed along the blade. A separating fin extends from a top of the cutting blade for engaging the severed wishbone and folding it upwardly, away from the tenders of the carcass. A rotary tendon slicer is mounted to the support frame downstream from the cutting blade and extends into the product path for severing tendons that attach the tenders to the carcass.