Slicing Machine External Carriage Guide Sealing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing slicing machines for food products are not compact, lack effective splash water protection, and have hygiene and maintenance issues due to exposed carriage guides and inadequate contamination prevention.

Innovation Solution

A slicing machine design with a locking disc and push rod mechanism that seals the machine housing against splash water, separates the carriage guide from the food region, and allows for easy cleaning and maintenance, using a separating wall and a spring-loaded bolt to ensure reliable safety locking and hygiene.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If an external carriage guide is used, then the carriage can be easily guided and positioned, but the guide is exposed to contamination and splash water, compromising hygiene

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecarriage guidanceVSAvoidcontamination and splash water exposure

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The carriage guide is extracted from the general environment and placed within a dedicated guide space that is sealed off from the food region, allowing it to maintain its guidance function while being protected from contamination

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

A separating wall acts as an intermediary structure that creates a guide space between the food region and the carriage guide, mediating between the need for easy carriage guidance and the need to protect against contamination

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the machine housing is sealed to protect against splash water, then hygiene is improved, but access for cleaning and maintenance becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesplash water protectionVSAvoidcleaning and maintenance access

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The machine housing is segmented into distinct regions (food region and guide space) separated by a separating wall, allowing the guide space to be sealed for hygiene while maintaining access points for cleaning and maintenance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The separating wall and guide space design allow for dynamic access during cleaning and maintenance operations, while maintaining a sealed configuration during normal operation to protect against splash water

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of repair

If the carriage base can be tilted for cleaning, then maintenance is improved, but safety is compromised without proper locking mechanisms

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning accessVSAvoidsafety during operation

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of repairVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The locking disc and push rod mechanism are designed to automatically lock the carriage base in its operational position before cleaning or maintenance begins, ensuring safety is established in advance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The locking disc acts as an intermediary mechanism between the carriage base and the tilting motion, mediating the transition between locked and tilted positions while ensuring safety through the push rod mechanism

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Volume of moving object

If a compact design is achieved, then the machine occupies less space, but the carriage guide and safety mechanisms may become crowded and harder to access

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemachine sizeVSAvoidaccess to guide and safety mechanisms

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The guide space is positioned in a specific spatial dimension within the machine housing, allowing compact overall dimensions while providing accessible pathways for maintenance and cleaning operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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 solution provides a compact, hygienic, and safe slicing machine with improved protection against splash water and contamination, simplifying maintenance and cleaning, and ensuring the quality of sliced products.

Implementation Method 1

a spring-loaded bolt to ensure reliable safety locking

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSpring: Spring

Implementation Method 2

the machine housing has a separating wall extending at least partially between the support plate and the carriage base, which, on the side thereof facing away from the support plate, partially encloses a guide space in which the sliding rail is disposed

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhysical containment: Physical Containment

Implementation Method 3

the carriage is guided parallel to the cutting plane by means of a carriage base along a sliding rail rigidly connected to the machine housing

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Data Source

PatentUS9327420B2Slicing machine having an external carriage guide and knife locking

Publication Date: 2016.05.03 BIZERBA GMBH & CO KG

AI summary

The slicing machine according to claim 12, characterized in that the device (18; 28) for setting the cutting thickness of the product to be sliced can be actuated via an adjusting device disposed in the installation space (B; B′), wherein the passage region of the device (18; 28) through the machine housing (11; 21) is sealed at least against splash water.