Sleeve-Coupling Slot Design for Secure Poultry Plucker Mounting

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing poultry feather plucking devices require complex constructions and auxiliary instruments for secure mounting and dismounting on drive-shafts, complicating the process and increasing the risk of accidental displacement.

Innovation Solution

The device features a sleeve-coupling with a circumferentially extending slot for a radially extending pin on the drive-shaft, allowing secure and balanced mounting, and a recess with a slope for easy dismounting, potentially utilizing magnetic materials for enhanced security and ease of use.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a complicated construction with opposing side clamps and locking bolt recesses is used to secure the device to the drive-shaft, then the secure mounting is improved, but the device complexity increases and auxiliary instruments are required for mounting and dismounting

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecure mountingVSAvoidconstruction complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the mounting and dismounting function from the main device body by using a separate sleeve-coupling component. This allows the device to be easily attached to and removed from the drive-shaft without requiring complex clamps or auxiliary tools, resolving the contradiction between secure mounting and device complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of using a locking mechanism that requires tools to engage and disengage, the invention inverts the approach by using a slot-extremity design where the pin naturally engages at one extremity for secure mounting and can be easily released by pushing at the opposite extremity. This eliminates the need for auxiliary instruments while maintaining secure attachment

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Reliability

If a complicated construction with opposing side clamps is used to secure the device to the drive-shaft, then the secure mounting is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to requirement of auxiliary instruments

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecure mountingVSAvoidmounting and dismounting ease
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The sleeve-coupling design allows the device to be mounted and dismounted without auxiliary instruments. The pin engages automatically when brought to the slot, and can be released by simple manual manipulation at the slot-extremity opening, making the operation self-service and eliminating the need for additional tools

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The invention inverts the traditional locking mechanism by placing the opening at the slot-extremity opposite to the engagement side. This allows the pin to be easily pushed through from the opening side for quick dismounting, while still maintaining secure engagement when the pin is at the other extremity, thus improving ease of operation without compromising mounting security

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Ease of manufacture

If the sleeve-coupling edge thickness is uniform, then the manufacturing is simplified, but the secure mounting is reduced compared to variable thickness design

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesleeve-coupling manufacturingVSAvoidsecure mounting
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The sleeve-coupling edge is designed with variable thickness where specific regions (such as near the slot-extremity opening) are thicker to provide structural strength and secure mounting, while other regions are thinner to reduce material usage and simplify manufacturing. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction between ease of manufacture and secure mounting

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP2172111B1Device for picking or plucking poultry-feathers and an apparatus for driving such a device
Publication Date: 2012.01.18 MEIJN FOOD PROCESSING TECH
  • EP2172111B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2172111B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2172111B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Device for picking or plucking poultry-feathers comprising a sleeve-coupling (7) and connected or connectable thereto a plucking plate (2) with receptacles (3) for plucking fingers, which sleeve-coupling is mountable on a drive-shaft for the plucking plate. The sleeve-coupling is provided with a circumferentially extending slot (8) for receipt of a radially extending pin (9) that is provided on the drive-shaft (6), and that the circumferentially extending slot has an opening (10) between the slot-extremities (8',8'') to allow said pin to enter and to exit. the slot, so as to cause that. with the pin being located at one of the slot-extremities the sleeve-coupling is securely mounted on the drive-shaft.