Robotic Basket Motion Control to Prevent Food Sticking During Frying

Solution Overview

Problem

Collaborative robots in the food service industry face challenges in preventing food materials from sticking together during frying, which increases takt time and risks musculoskeletal disorders and oil spillage due to the need for manual separation.

Innovation Solution

A primary frying method using a collaborative robot that involves a hand robot portion holding a basket assembly with doors, immersing food materials in oil, and moving the basket in specific axial directions to individually separate the food items using collisions and oil flow.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If humans manually separate food materials during frying, then food materials can be individually separated, but takt time increases and musculoskeletal disorders occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveindividual separation of food materialsVSAvoidtakt time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables self-service separation where the basket assembly automatically separates food materials through its own movement and vibration during the frying process, eliminating the need for manual intervention. The basket's reciprocating motion and vibration cause food items to separate individually without human assistance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The basket assembly is designed with dynamic movement capabilities, including reciprocating motion and vibration, to actively separate food materials during frying. This dynamic approach replaces static manual separation with automated mechanical motion that continuously maintains separation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If humans manually separate food materials during frying, then food materials can be individually separated, but the danger of oil spillage increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveindividual separation of food materialsVSAvoidoil spillage risk

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables self-service separation where the basket assembly automatically separates food materials through its own movement and vibration during the frying process, eliminating the need for manual intervention. The basket's reciprocating motion and vibration cause food items to separate individually without human assistance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the manual mechanical separation process with an automated robotic system that uses programmed motion and vibration to separate food materials. This substitution eliminates human exposure to hot oil while achieving the same separation function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Extent of automation

If collaborative robots are used for frying, then dangerous and repetitive tasks are automated, but food materials still stick together without separation mechanism

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautomation of frying taskVSAvoidprevention of food material sticking

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The basket assembly is designed with dynamic movement capabilities, including reciprocating motion and vibration, to actively separate food materials during frying. This dynamic approach replaces static manual separation with automated mechanical motion that continuously maintains separation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The basket assembly performs periodic reciprocating motion and vibration during the frying process to continuously separate food materials. This periodic action prevents sticking by repeatedly disrupting any bonding between food items throughout the frying cycle.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

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

Reduces takt time and minimizes the risk of musculoskeletal disorders by effectively separating food materials during frying, enhancing operational efficiency and safety.

Implementation Method 1

the hand robot portion individually separates the plurality of food materials by moving the basket assembly in at least any one direction of the X-axial direction, the Y-axial direction, and the Z-axial direction during the step (b)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCollision: Impact Force

Data Source

PatentUS20250318554A1Primary frying method using collaborative robot

Publication Date: 2025.10.16 NEUROMEKA

AI summary

(a) a step in which a hand robot portion grips a basket assembly having a pair of doors arranged to rotatably move in the same direction and open both openings, and inputs the basket assembly into a fryer containing oil; (b) a step of dipping a plurality of food materials accommodated in the basket assembly into the oil contained in the fryer, to fry the plurality of food materials with oil; and (c) a step in which, when a direction in which the basket assembly is input into and withdrawn from the fryer is a Z-axis direction and a plane perpendicular to the Z-axis direction is an XY plane, the hand robot portion moves the basket assembly in at least one of an X-axial line direction, a Y-axial line direction, and a Z-axial line direction during step (b), to individually separate the plurality of food materials.