Segmented Knife Assembly for Large-Amplitude Food Cutting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food cutting equipment struggles to produce shaped food products with large amplitudes, such as sliced, shredded, and strip-cut products exceeding 0.1 inch (2.5 mm) in amplitude, as they often result in uniformity and production capacity issues.
Innovation Solution
The development of knife assemblies with individual 'tabs' attached to the peaks and valleys of shaped knives, which are metallurgically joined and designed for phase alignment or offset alignment to produce large-amplitude shaped food products, allowing for varied included angles and intentional gaps between knives to create specific shapes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If existing cutting equipment uses standard knife assemblies, then uniform slicing is achieved, but the amplitude of shaped food products is limited to less than 0.1 inch
Solution Approach 1:
The knife assembly is segmented into multiple individual knives (first knife, second knife, third knife, fourth knife) arranged in a specific sequence around the cutting head. Each knife is positioned at a specific angular interval (e.g., 90 degrees apart) to create multiple cutting planes that work together to form complex three-dimensional shapes with large amplitudes while maintaining uniformity through precise angular positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from traditional single-plane or two-plane cutting to multi-plane cutting in three dimensions. By arranging knives at different angular positions around the cutting head circumference and positioning them at different radial distances from the center, the system creates complex 3D shapes (such as diamonds, octagons, and other geometric forms) with amplitudes exceeding 0.1 inch while maintaining precise dimensional control.
2Shape
If knives are arranged to produce large-amplitude shaped products, then shape variety is increased, but production capacity may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting head rotates continuously through multiple cutting planes formed by the arranged knives. As the food product passes through the cutting head, all knives operate simultaneously or in rapid succession during a single rotation cycle, creating complex shapes in one continuous action rather than requiring multiple separate cutting operations, thereby maintaining high production capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The periodic rotation of the cutting head brings different knife combinations into position to create various shapes. By optimizing the angular spacing and radial positioning of knives, the system can produce different geometric shapes (diamonds, octagons, custom profiles) through different phase relationships of the rotating knives, enabling shape variety without sacrificing productivity.
Data Source
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AI summary
Knife assemblies and methods therefor that are adapted to be used with a cutting apparatus capable of producing a variety of shaped food products having large amplitudes, for example, sliced, shredded, and strip-cut food products. The knife assembly is adapted for cutting food product includes a knife having a corrugated shape to produce a large-amplitude food product slice having a periodic shape and at least one julienne tab metallurgically joined to the knife adapted to cut the food product slice into strips.