Tomato Slicing Apparatus with Oscillating Blades and Pusher Fins
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing slicing machines for fruits and vegetables, particularly tomatoes, often cause bruising and juice loss due to improper cutting and handling, and are limited in size range and uniformity, leading to inefficiencies in food preparation and presentation in fast food chains.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that gently cuts tomatoes into uniform slices by using oscillating parallel cutting blades with pusher fins to stabilize and guide the tomatoes, separates end slices from intermediate slices, and transfers the intermediate slices to a tray in an edge-standing orientation to minimize bruising and juice loss, allowing for efficient packaging and delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a force is applied by cutting implements to cut tomatoes into uniform slices, then slicing uniformity is improved, but the tomato slices become bruised and juice is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting blades oscillate back and forth dynamically rather than moving in a straight line, allowing the blades to cut through tomatoes gently while maintaining uniform slice thickness. The oscillating motion reduces impact forces that cause bruising while preserving slicing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
Pusher fins are introduced as intermediary elements that guide tomatoes through the cutting blades. The fins apply gentle stabilizing forces to keep tomatoes centered and oriented correctly during cutting, reducing erratic movements that lead to bruising while maintaining slice uniformity.
2Productivity
If sliced tomatoes are dropped from one operation to another during packaging, then packaging efficiency is improved, but the tomato slices become misaligned and juices are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The transfer tray is positioned in a vertical dimension above the shipping tray, allowing slices to be deposited gently from height rather than horizontally dropped. This vertical dimension change enables gravity-assisted placement that maintains alignment while reducing impact forces that cause misalignment and juice loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The transfer tray pre-positions slices in the correct orientation and alignment before final deposition into the shipping tray. This preliminary positioning action ensures slices are properly arranged and stabilized before the final packaging step, preventing misalignment and juice loss during transfer.
3Adaptability or versatility
If reciprocating cutting blades are used to slice tomatoes, then cutting capability is improved, but the blades bend or twist and may damage the tomatoes
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting blades oscillate in a controlled dynamic motion rather than reciprocating in a rigid back-and-forth movement. This dynamic oscillation allows the blades to flex slightly with tomato variations while maintaining cutting effectiveness, reducing blade bending and twisting that could lead to damage or malfunction.
Solution Approach 2:
Pusher fins serve as intermediary elements that stabilize tomatoes during the cutting process. By keeping tomatoes centered and properly oriented, the fins reduce erratic forces on the oscillating blades, preventing blade bending and twisting while maintaining cutting capability and tomato integrity.
Data Source
AI summary
Tomatoes are placed on cutting blades (20) in article openings (46) of an article positioning plate (44). The blades are moved as article pushers (24) move downwardly and engage the upper facing surfaces of the tomatoes, pushing the tomatoes through parallel cutting blades (20). The end slices (30 and 40) are gathered in end collectors (96) and discarded while the intermediate slices (42) are received in transfer tray (72). Gathering plates (100) urge the intermediate slices of the several tomatoes to gather in one accumulation of tomato slices, and the transfer tray (72) is lowered to a position immediately above shipping containers (74) and tilted to deposit the tomatoes in the containers.