Synchronous V-Shape Meat Cutting Apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cutting apparatuses for meat products often result in staggered and asymmetrical cuts due to offset circular knives, leading to twisting and inconsistent cutting quality, and require additional mass movement for adjustment.
Innovation Solution
A cutting apparatus with synchronously adjustable circular knives, where the central axes of rotation are offset-free, ensuring simultaneous and symmetrical cutting by coupling the knife units through a common drive sprocket and curved positioning rails, allowing precise adjustment of the angle between the knives.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If circular knives are arranged offset to each other in transport direction, then the cutting apparatus can process meat products, but the knives strike the product one after the other resulting in staggered and asymmetrical cuts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the positioning of both circular knives to a common reference line (transport direction) and uses a single adjustable reference line that controls both knives simultaneously. This ensures both knives strike the meat product at the same time and position, creating symmetrical V-shaped cuts while maintaining processing capability.
2Productivity
If circular knives are arranged offset to each other, then cutting can be performed, but the meat product twists on the transport conveyor due to torque applied by offset knives
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the reference lines for both knives into a single common reference line that is adjustable together with both knives. This ensures the knives remain symmetrically positioned relative to the transport direction, eliminating torque-induced twisting while maintaining cutting functionality.
3Adaptability or versatility
If circular knives can be pivoted independently of each other, then adjustment flexibility is provided, but the contact point position varies and asymmetrical V-shapes result
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the adjustment mechanism of both knives by providing a single adjustable reference line that controls the position of both knives simultaneously. This ensures both knives maintain consistent relative positioning and strike at the same contact point, achieving symmetrical cuts while preserving adjustability through the common reference line.
4Ease of operation
If additional drives are arranged on the knife carrier for adjusting knife units, then knife adjustment is enabled, but additional mass must be moved during adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the adjustment system into a single common reference line that controls both knives. This consolidates the adjustment mechanism, reducing the number of separate drives needed and minimizing the mass that must be moved during knife unit adjustment while maintaining full adjustability.
Data Source
AI summary
A cutting apparatus for cutting an essentially V-shaped strip from meat products fed in a transport direction has a knife carrier to which two knife units are assigned. Each knife unit has a circular knife and a drive for rotationally driving the circular knife about a central axis of rotation. The two circular knives are set substantially in a V-shape to each other in a position enclosing an angle. An adjustable arrangement of the knife units provides for setting of the size of the angle. The offset of the two central axes of rotation to each other is equal to zero in the transport direction and the two knife units are adjustable exclusively synchronously with each other. A corresponding apparatus and method for cutting an essentially V-shaped strip from meat products fed in transport direction is also provided.