S-Shaped Food Cutting Block With Inclined Middle Blade
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cutting blocks for food products, such as potatoes, primarily produce rectilinear or wave-shaped fragments, failing to offer a consistent 'S' shape and uniform thickness, which limits their application in uniform cooking and presentation, particularly for French-fries.
Innovation Solution
A cutting block design featuring elongate supports with 'S' shaped blades, where each blade consists of straight outer portions and an inclined middle portion with curved ends, arranged in pairs along the support's height, allowing for the cutting of 'S' shaped fragments with uniform thickness across their length.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional cutting blocks with straight or wave-shaped blades are used, then simple shapes (rectilinear or wave-shaped) are produced, but diverse and consistent 'S' shaped fragments with uniform thickness cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The blade is divided into three distinct segments: a first straight outer portion, a second straight outer portion, and a third inclined middle portion with curved ends. This segmentation allows each portion to contribute differently to the cutting action, enabling the blade to produce 'S' shaped fragments with uniform thickness by coordinating the functions of each segment during the cutting process
Solution Approach 2:
The third middle portion of the blade features curved ends that connect the two straight outer portions. This curvature element is essential for creating the 'S' shape in the fragments, as the curved portion of the blade directly imprints the characteristic curved edges onto the cut surfaces of the food product
2Manufacturing precision
If blades are arranged in pairs along the support height, then consistent 'S' shaped fragments can be produced, but the device complexity increases compared to single-row blade arrangements
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple blade pairs are arranged along the height of the support, with each blade pair configured identically with the same three portions (first straight outer portion, second straight outer portion, and third inclined middle portion). This universal configuration allows each blade pair to perform the same function of producing 'S' shaped fragments with uniform thickness, achieving shape consistency through repetition of a proven effective design rather than through complex variations
3Manufacturing precision
If the third middle portion is inclined relative to the outer portions, then 'S' shaped fragments with uniform thickness are achieved, but the blade manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The third middle portion of the blade is designed with a specific inclination angle relative to the first and second straight outer portions. This parameter change (the inclination angle) is the key factor that enables uniform fragment thickness, as the inclined configuration ensures that the cutting edges remain equidistant from the blade centerline throughout the cutting stroke. While this requires precise manufacturing, it can be achieved through standard machining processes or by fabricating the blade as an integral piece with the specific geometry built-in
Data Source
Figure 1~1A
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A cutting block and method for cutting food products is provided. The cutting block includes a plurality of parallel blades secured to a support. The blades extend in a direction along the breadth of the support and are arranged in pairs. Each pair of blades is positioned along the height of the support. Each blade in each pair is aligned along the height of the support and spaced apart along the length of the support. Each blade includes a straight first outer portion, a straight second outer portion, and a third middle portion joining the first outer portion to the second outer portion. The third middle portion is inclined relative to the first and second outer portions. The third middle portion includes first and second curved ends connected by a straight portion, wherein the first and second curved ends are each connected to a different one of the first and second outer portions.