Rotating Holder Body for Sausage Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing transferring devices are not suitable for elongate food products like sausages, as they are vulnerable and require precise handling to prevent damage during directional changes from longitudinal to transverse orientation, while maintaining hygiene and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A rotatable holder body with recessed receiving spaces aligned parallel to the rotation axis, allowing for controlled longitudinal feed and transverse displacement, featuring displaceable side walls and optional spray nozzles for alignment and cleaning, and a method involving intermittent rotation to manage infeed depth and resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing transferring devices are used for elongate food products, then the transfer speed can be maintained, but the food products will be damaged due to improper handling and mechanical stress
Solution Approach 1:
The holder body is divided into multiple receiving spaces, each capable of independently holding one elongate food product. This segmentation allows simultaneous handling of multiple products during rotation, enabling high-speed transfer while maintaining gentle individual handling through dedicated receiving spaces for each product
Solution Approach 2:
The receiving spaces act as intermediary structures that temporarily hold the elongate food products during transfer. These spaces provide a controlled environment that protects the vulnerable products from direct mechanical contact and stress during the directional change from longitudinal to transverse orientation
2Productivity
If the holder body rotates continuously at high speed, then productivity increases, but the infeed depth control deteriorates leading to product misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The holder body performs intermittent rotation with periodic pauses at specific positions. During these pause moments, the receiving spaces are stationary, allowing precise control of infeed depth as products are loaded. The periodic motion pattern enables both high overall transfer speed and precise moment-to-moment positioning for accurate product placement
3Manufacturing precision
If an end stop is used to prevent products from over-entering receiving spaces, then infeed depth is controlled, but the vulnerable outer ends of products suffer deformation from impact
Solution Approach 1:
The receiving spaces are designed with cushioning features that absorb impact energy before it reaches the product. The gradual engagement design allows products to be gently guided into the receiving spaces without sudden impacts, preventing deformation of vulnerable outer ends while still controlling infeed depth
4Ease of manufacture
If the holder body is designed with simple structure, then ease of manufacture increases, but the ability to control infeed depth and rotation speed deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The holder body incorporates adjustable and variable elements that allow dynamic control of rotation speed and infeed depth without complex overall structure. The design enables adaptation to different product types and transfer requirements while maintaining relatively simple construction through modular and adjustable components
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
The invention relates to a device (2) for transferring longitudinally supplied elongate food products (4), such as for instance sausages. The sausages are placed here in a recess (10) of a rotatable holder body (9) and subsequently set down in lateral direction. The invention further relates to an assembly (1) of such a transfer device and a feed conveyor (3) for sausages connecting to the transfer device. The invention moreover relates to a method for transferring elongate food products such as sausages.