Robotic Storage for Cured Meats Using Pin Bars
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing method for storing pork meats like hams and salami on racks results in contact between products on opposite sides of a bar, hindering proper curing due to restricted air circulation, and requires manual handling or spacer supports to prevent contact.
Innovation Solution
A robotic system that picks up bars with pins from a conveyor chain, positions them in a storage structure, and transfers products onto the pins, ensuring even spacing to prevent contact and facilitate air circulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If pork meats are hung on both sides of a bar on a rack, then the storage capacity is improved, but the products come into contact with one another causing incorrect curing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a longitudinal dimension to the rack structure by adding a third bar parallel to the first bar, creating a multi-dimensional storage space. This allows products to be arranged in three dimensions (width, depth, height) rather than just two dimensions, increasing storage capacity while maintaining proper spacing through the longitudinal separation provided by the third bar
2Ease of operation
If manual handling or gripper devices are used to hang pork meats on pins, then the operation is simple, but the process is time-consuming and less efficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-arranging products on the conveyor chain in the correct orientation and spacing before they reach the rack. The conveyor system prepares the products in advance, so that when they are transferred to the rack, they are already positioned for optimal placement, eliminating the need for manual adjustment and significantly speeding up the loading process
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical handling with an automated robotic system that uses sensors and controlled movement to transfer products from the conveyor to the rack. This substitution of mechanical automation for manual operation maintains ease of operation through automated control while dramatically increasing productivity through faster, more consistent product placement
3Reliability
If spacer supports are used to prevent product contact, then curing quality is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing the rack bars to serve multiple functions: they provide structural support for hanging products, maintain spacing between products through their longitudinal arrangement, and create a modular framework that can be configured for different product sizes. The bars themselves become multi-functional elements that eliminate the need for separate spacer components, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining curing quality
Data Source
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AI summary
The method comprises: a first step, in which a robot (6) picks up from a store (3), by means of a first organ (26a), a first bar (21) that has a plurality of pins (22); a second step, in which the robot (6), by means of the first bar (21), hooks onto the bar (21) itself a plurality of products (2) hanging on hooks (18) of a conveyor chain (17); a third step, in which the robot (6) places the bar (21) in a storage structure (3); a fourth step, in which the robot (6), by means of a second organ (26b), picks up from the chain (17) a plurality of further products (2) hanging on the hooks (18); and a fifth step, in which the robot (6) transfers the plurality of further products (2) in the structure (3) by hanging the plurality of further products (2) onto the pins (22) with which the bar (21) just placed in the structure (3) is provided.