Retaining Finger Ring for Wear-Compensated Mincing Cutters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing meat-processing apparatuses face significant wear and maintenance challenges when processing products with bones or sinewy materials due to insufficient lubricating films between cutting elements, leading to inefficient operation and high maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus incorporates a displaceable retaining finger ring that maintains a consistent gap between stationary and rotating cutting elements, compensating for wear by allowing pre-tensioning and resilient support, ensuring a stable and reproducible product quality without the need for frequent adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the spacing between perforated plates is reduced to form a thin lubricating film, then the conveying effect is improved, but the wear on cutting elements increases significantly when processing hard products
Solution Approach 1:
The invention makes the spacing between perforated plates dynamically adjustable during operation. The spacing can be reduced to 0.02-0.04 mm for soft products to improve conveying effect, and increased to several millimeters for hard products to reduce wear. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to adapt to different product types and maintain optimal performance without excessive wear.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical parameter of spacing between perforated plates based on product characteristics. By providing adjustable spacing mechanisms, the system can modify the gap dimension from a fixed small value to a variable parameter that can be optimized for each specific product type, thereby resolving the contradiction between conveying effect and wear resistance.
2Reliability
If the spacing between perforated plates is increased to reduce wear, then the wear resistance is improved, but the conveying effect deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs dynamic spacing adjustment that allows the gap between perforated plates to be optimized for each operating condition. For hard products requiring wear resistance, larger spacing is maintained. For soft products requiring good conveying effect, smaller spacing is used. This eliminates the need to permanently compromise either wear resistance or conveying effect.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention allows preliminary adjustment of the spacing between perforated plates before processing begins. Operators can set the appropriate spacing based on the anticipated product type, ensuring optimal performance from the start of operation without experiencing excessive wear or poor conveying effect.
3Manufacturing precision
If the cutting elements are reground to maintain precision, then the manufacturing precision is maintained, but the maintenance time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention incorporates preliminary compensation features in the form of adjustable spacing mechanisms and wear-compensating design elements. Instead of requiring regrounding to maintain precision, the system can be re-adjusted to compensate for wear, significantly reducing maintenance time and allowing in-house maintenance without specialized grinding equipment.
4Manufacturing precision
If the spacing between perforated plates is made adjustable using a servomotor, then the spacing precision is improved, but the device complexity and risk of failure increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention provides dynamic adjustability through mechanically simple means such as handwheels, eccentric mechanisms, or adjustable spacers rather than complex servomotor systems. This achieves sufficient spacing precision for different product types while keeping the adjustment mechanism simple, reliable, and easy to operate without requiring sophisticated electronic control systems.
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
This design reduces wear on cutting elements, maintains product quality, and simplifies maintenance by allowing assembly adjustments to compensate for wear, thus enhancing operational stability and hygiene compliance.
Implementation Method 1
The resilient support, viewed in the axial direction, has a support surface which is supported resiliently against the cutting housing or the infeed housing
Implementation Method 2
The stationary and the rotating perforated plates are thus almost touching and are separated only by a very thin lubricating film, which is formed by the product itself
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for mincing a product to be minced, particularly for the meat-processing industry, includes at least one fixed perforated plate (7) and a cutting element (10, 25) rotating in front of said perforated plate and connected for conjoint rotation to a shaft (6), which are accommodated in a cutting housing (2), a retaining finger ring (9), which is axially displaceable in the direction of the shaft (6), and arranged between the cutting housing (2), the fixed perforated plate (7) and the rotating cutting element (10, 25).