Food Slicer Sliding Carriage Cleaning Position Mechanism

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing slicing machines require complex and heavy pivoting mechanisms for cleaning, which occupy significant space and are difficult to maneuver, especially when trying to reach areas outside the cutting area for thorough cleaning.

Innovation Solution

The carriage and support plate are moved parallel to the x-direction away from the cutting device by a displacement distance L into a cleaning position, allowing for easier access and rotation about a second axis of rotation z, eliminating the need for pivoting and enabling comprehensive cleaning without stability issues.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a pivoting mechanism is used to move the support plate into a cleaning position, then the support plate can be moved out of the cutting area, but the mechanism becomes complex and heavy, occupying significant space

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning accessibilityVSAvoidpivoting mechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The support plate is extracted from its fixed position on the carriage and can be independently removed. This allows the carriage to be moved to a cleaning position without the support plate, simplifying the overall mechanism and eliminating the need for complex pivoting mechanisms while maintaining cleaning accessibility

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The support plate transitions from a rigidly fixed state to a removable state, enabling dynamic reconfiguration. This allows the plate to be positioned for cleaning when needed and securely fixed during operation, resolving the contradiction between cleaning accessibility and mechanism complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Ease of operation

If a pivoting mechanism is used to move the support plate, then cleaning access is improved, but the mechanism requires significant space and is difficult to maneuver

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning accessibilityVSAvoidspace occupied by mechanism
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The support plate is extracted as a separate removable component, allowing the carriage to be compact while still providing full cleaning access when the plate is removed. This eliminates the need for space-consuming pivoting mechanisms

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of moving the support plate in a pivoting arc within the same plane, the plate is completely removed and set aside in a different spatial dimension, eliminating the need for maneuverable pivoting space

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Reliability

If the carriage is made stable for cleaning in the cleaning position, then cleaning thoroughness is improved, but the carriage may become unstable during cutting operations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning position stabilityVSAvoidcutting operation stability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The carriage and support plate system dynamically transitions between two stable states: securely fixed during cutting operations and removable/free-positioned during cleaning. This resolves the contradiction by providing context-dependent stability rather than a fixed configuration

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The support plate is segmented from the carriage, allowing independent positioning and stabilization. This enables the carriage to remain stable during cutting while the plate can be independently removed and positioned for stable cleaning operations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3278942B1Food slicer with a sliding carriage which can be moved into a cleaning position
Publication Date: 2018.09.26 BIZERBA GMBH & CO KG
  • EP3278942B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3278942B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3278942B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An electric disc cutting machine (101) comprising a cutting device (102) with a circular blade (103) rotating in a cutting plane (E) about a first axis of rotation (x), with a stop plate (105) movable in the x-direction for adjusting the cutting thickness, with a carriage (111) carrying a support plate (113) with a support surface (114) arranged in a horizontal plane (A) perpendicular to the cutting plane, which is linearly movable on a slide rail (109) parallel to the plane (A) of the support plate (113) and parallel to the cutting plane in a y-direction perpendicular to the x-direction, wherein the carriage is movable in the y-direction into a cleaning position and can be locked in the working position by means of a carriage locking mechanism (112), is characterized in thatthat the carriage, including the support plate, in the unlocked state, can be moved parallel to the x-direction away from the cutting device by a displacement distance L into a cleaning position on a support device (110) mounted on the machine housing (108). This allows for easy cleaning with a compact design, the cleaning area is particularly easy to access from the outside, and the carriage with the support plate can be stably stored in its cleaning position during cleaning and moved back into its working position.