Shrimp Deveining via Vacuum Suction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for removing veins from shrimp are inefficient, time-consuming, and can lead to contamination and damage to the meat, resulting in non-uniform products and waste.
Innovation Solution
A deveining system featuring an endless deveining wall with snagging tabs and a rotating drum that uses a vacuum effect created by water to efficiently remove veins from shrimp, preserving the meat's appearance and quantity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If automated deveining devices use cutting blades to remove veins, then deveining efficiency is improved, but the meat is damaged leading to reduced appearance quality and quantity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful cutting action from the deveining process and replaces it with a suction-based extraction mechanism. The vein is removed by suctioning it through a perforation in the deveining wall, rather than cutting it with blades, thereby eliminating meat damage while maintaining deveining efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical cutting system with a fluid-based suction system. Instead of using cutting blades that mechanically tear into the meat, the invention uses water flow and pressure differentials to suction the vein through a perforation, substituting mechanical cutting with fluid dynamics
2Manufacturing precision
If manual vein removal is performed, then meat damage is minimized, but processing time increases leading to reduced productivity and higher costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a self-regulating suction mechanism where the water flow automatically adjusts to the vein's position and resistance. The system self-adjusts the suction force and positioning without manual intervention, combining the gentleness of manual handling with automated processing speed
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces water as an intermediary medium between the worker's hands and the shrimp. The water flow carries the vein away through suction, acting as a gentle mediator that removes the vein without direct mechanical contact, thus preserving meat integrity while enabling continuous automated processing
3Productivity
If automated devices process shrimp continuously, then productivity is improved, but contamination risk increases due to prolonged processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses hydraulic principles with water flow to create a controlled processing environment. The continuous water flow serves both as a cleaning medium and a carrier for removing veins, reducing contamination risk while maintaining high processing throughput through automated continuous operation
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively removes veins while minimizing meat loss and ensuring uniformity, reducing contamination risks and processing time.
Implementation Method 1
uses a vacuum effect created by water to efficiently remove veins from shrimp
Data Source
AI summary
A deveining system efficiently removes veins from shrimp while preserving the meat of the shrimp in both appearance and quantity. The deveining system comprises an endless deveining wall having outwardly-extending snagging tabs. Water flooding a deveining region creates a vacuum effect to pull exposed veins through openings formed by the snagging tabs, followed by separation of the body of the shrimp from the veins.