Conveyed Chopping Machine With Safe Feeding and Adjustable Blades

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional chopping machines pose safety hazards due to open feeding mechanisms, require manual handling of materials, and have inefficient blade replacement processes, leading to potential injuries and increased maintenance time.

Innovation Solution

A chopping machine design featuring a conveying unit with a strip feeding shaft, roller, and feeding member, including a trumpet-like feeding opening with a limiting block to prevent hand entry and a cutting unit with adjustable blades for enhanced safety and labor-saving blade replacement, utilizing a cutting angle to increase cutting force and prolong blade life.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If an open feeding mechanism is used to feed materials into the cutting device, then the feeding process is simple and accessible, but the operator's hand may be pulled into the feeding opening causing injury and materials may be jammed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefeeding accessibilityVSAvoidhand injury risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A limiting block is introduced as an intermediary component between the operator's hand and the dangerous cutting area. The limiting block is positioned at the feeding opening to physically prevent hand entry while allowing material passage, thus mediating between operational accessibility and safety requirements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The feeding mechanism is segmented into distinct functional zones: a safe feeding opening area with the limiting block, a transition zone with the feeding device, and the cutting zone. This segmentation allows the feeding opening to remain accessible while creating physical barriers that prevent hand entry into dangerous areas

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If the cutting device operates continuously to maintain productivity, then output is maximized, but blade wear increases and replacement frequency increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecutting outputVSAvoidblade service life
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The blade system is made dynamic and adjustable rather than fixed. The cutting depth and blade position can be adjusted during operation to optimize cutting conditions for different materials, reducing unnecessary blade wear and extending service life while maintaining productivity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

Cutting parameters such as cutting depth, blade speed, and feed rate can be changed based on material type and condition. This allows optimization of cutting conditions to reduce blade wear during continuous operation, extending blade life while maintaining high productivity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Device complexity

If manual handling of strips is required for feeding, then the feeding process is simple, but the operator is exposed to safety hazards from the open feeding opening

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefeeding mechanism simplicityVSAvoidoperator safety
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The limiting block serves as a passive safety intermediary that requires no complex automation. It physically blocks hand entry to the dangerous area while allowing simple manual material feeding to continue, thus protecting operators without increasing device complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The feeding system is segmented to separate the material feeding function from the dangerous cutting zone. The feeding opening and limiting block create a safe zone for manual operation, while the cutting device operates in an isolated dangerous zone, maintaining simplicity while improving safety

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3900834B1Chopping machine
Publication Date: 2023.09.13 YANG BEY INDAL CORP
  • EP3900834B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3900834B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3900834B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A chopping machine includes a driving unit, a cutting unit, and a conveying unit. The cutting unit has a blade shaft and an immovable blade seat. The blade shaft has a plurality of movable blades. One side of the immovable blade seat is connected with an immovable blade. The conveying unit has a feeding member. Thereby, by putting a material into the feeding member, the driving unit drives the cutting unit and links the conveying unit to run. The material is chopped by the movable blades and the immovable blade, so as to improve the safety in use and reduce the situation that the material is jammed or nipped in the feeding process, and the purpose of labor-saving and fast operation is achieved.