Product Gate Assembly for Heavy Food Block Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional food product slicing machines face issues with the gripper failing to retain heavy food product blocks, leading to uncontrolled movement and potential damage to the machine components due to the weight of the falling blocks.
Innovation Solution
A product gate assembly with actuators, cam plates, and a bridge mechanism that ensures stable retention and alignment of food product blocks during slicing, using a camming motion to securely hold the blocks in place until slicing is complete.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a gripper is used to retain the food product block, then the block can be held and moved, but the gripper fails under the significant weight of the block causing uncontrolled movement
Solution Approach 1:
A product gate assembly acts as an intermediary mechanism between the food product block and the slicing blade. The gate assembly includes a gate body with a retention surface that contacts the block, and an actuator that moves the gate between retained and released positions. This intermediary structure distributes the block's weight across multiple contact points (retention surface and side surfaces) rather than relying on a single gripper, enabling reliable handling of heavy blocks up to 500 pounds or more.
2Device complexity
If the food product block is held by the gripper only, then the structure remains simple, but the block may fall or advance forward out of control damaging machine components
Solution Approach 1:
The retention function is segmented into multiple independent contact surfaces on the gate assembly: a primary retention surface that contacts the rear of the block, and side surfaces that contact the sides of the block. These segmented contact points work together to distribute forces and prevent uncontrolled movement. The actuator independently controls the gate's movement between retained and released positions, providing precise control without requiring complex multi-component mechanisms.
3Productivity
If the product gate is lowered to release the block, then slicing can proceed, but without proper alignment mechanisms the block may become misaligned inhibiting operation
Solution Approach 1:
The gate assembly is positioned and configured in advance to perform preliminary alignment actions on the food product block. The retention surface and side surfaces are geometrically configured to guide the block into proper alignment with the slicing blade before the cutting operation begins. This preliminary alignment ensures the block is correctly positioned when the gate is lowered and slicing proceeds, maintaining manufacturing precision without requiring additional active alignment mechanisms during operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A food product slicing apparatus includes a frame, a tray mounted on the frame and configured to support food product blocks, a product gate assembly mounted on the frame and configured to support front ends of the food product blocks, and a gripper assembly mounted on the frame and configured to grip rear ends of the food product blocks. The product gate assembly is moved from an up position to a down position using a camming action.