Slicing-Machine Transverse Transfer for Forming-Trough Loading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing slicing machines face difficulties in loading and adjusting forming tubes due to their high positioning and the need for variable-sized pressing punches, which complicates the cutting process for products with varying dimensions.
Innovation Solution
A loading device for slicing machines that includes a transfer mechanism to move the forming tube horizontally, allowing easy access and positioning, and adjustable side walls to accommodate different product cross-sections, along with a synchronized mechanism for precise alignment with the cutting plane.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the forming tube is positioned at high working height to enable cutting operations, then the cutting unit can operate at optimal position, but manual loading of the forming tube becomes very difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a transfer device that moves the forming tube in a horizontal dimension between loading position and working position, rather than requiring vertical manipulation. This dimensional change allows operators to load products horizontally at a convenient height, then transfer the tube to the cutting position without manual handling at high altitude.
Solution Approach 2:
The transfer device acts as an intermediary mechanism between the loading area and the cutting unit. It carries the forming tube from the loading position where manual operation is easy, to the working position where cutting occurs, eliminating the need for direct manual manipulation at high working height.
2Adaptability or versatility
If variable-sized pressing punches are provided to accommodate different product cross-sections, then the machine can handle diverse product dimensions, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of providing multiple static pressing punches of different sizes, the patent employs adjustable side walls that can be dynamically repositioned to match different product cross-sections. This dynamic adjustment mechanism allows a single pressing punch to adapt to various dimensions, reducing the need for multiple specialized components.
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustable side wall mechanism provides universal functionality, allowing a single pressing punch assembly to handle multiple product sizes and shapes. The side walls can be reconfigured to match different cross-sections, making one pressing device capable of performing the function of multiple fixed-size punches.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the forming tube channel width is made adjustable to accommodate different product cross-sections, then the machine can process varying product dimensions, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The side walls are designed with adjustable mechanisms that allow dynamic reconfiguration of the forming tube channel width. This dynamic capability enables the channel to adapt to different product cross-sections without requiring multiple fixed-channel configurations, simplifying the overall system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The forming tube channel is segmented into adjustable side walls that can be independently repositioned. This segmentation allows flexible configuration of the channel width to match different product dimensions, providing adaptability while maintaining a relatively simple modular structure.
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 1c
AI summary
In order to correctly load the very steeply angled, longitudinally open-ended and upward-facing form tube trough (1U), by checking and, if necessary, changing the position of the product piece (100) in the form tube trough (1U), instead of the previous method of sliding the new product piece (100) from the outside along a support plate to the form tube trough (1U) in the machine and dropping it into the form tube trough (1U), the entire form tube trough (1U) is moved from the cutting position outwards to a loading position, the product piece (100) is placed there, and the entire transfer device (16) in the form of one or more slides (18, 19) is moved back to the cutting position and locked there.