U-Shaped Guide Body Cutting Device for Variable Thickness Materials

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cutting devices for foamed, ligneous, or fibrous materials struggle with maintaining blade alignment and cutting precision, especially when dealing with products of varying thicknesses, and often have unsafe handling mechanisms and limited adaptability.

Innovation Solution

A cutting device featuring a U-shaped guide body with a central support and end wings that sandwich the product, along with a cutting member with a blade that slides through aligned slots, ensuring precise guidance and adjustable positioning for different thicknesses, and an ergonomic handle for safe operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a simple handle and blade structure is used, then ease of operation is improved, but cutting precision deteriorates due to blade deviation and tilting

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of operationVSAvoidcutting precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces guide rails as an intermediary component between the handle and the cutting blade. These guide rails constrain the blade's movement path, preventing deviation and tilting while maintaining the simplicity of the handle operation. The guide rails act as a mediator that translates the user's pulling motion into precise linear blade movement through the material.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the structural parameters of the cutting device by adding guide rails with specific geometric constraints. The guide rails have defined widths and positioning that correspond to the blade dimensions, creating a parameter-matched guidance system that maintains cutting precision without complicating the overall operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of manufacture

If non-retractable blades are used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but safety deteriorates due to exposed blades during non-use periods

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of manufactureVSAvoidsafety
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a retractable blade mechanism where the cutting blade can be retracted into the handle body when not in use. The blade is nested within the handle structure, concealed by a cover that closes over the blade housing. This nesting principle maintains manufacturing simplicity while eliminating the safety hazard of exposed blades during storage or transport.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Manufacturing precision

If a fixed cutting platform is used, then manufacturing precision is improved, but adaptability deteriorates when cutting products of different thicknesses

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecutting precisionVSAvoidadaptability
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transforms the fixed cutting platform into a dynamic, adjustable system. The guide rails are positioned on the cutting platform in a manner that allows accommodation of various material thicknesses. The guide body can be adjusted or repositioned to maintain proper alignment and guidance for blades cutting through materials of different thicknesses, thereby providing both precision and adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

4Manufacturing precision

If adequate guidance is provided for thick products, then cutting precision is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecutting precisionVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the guidance function into distinct components: guide rails mounted on the cutting platform and a separate guide body that follows the blade. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific guidance function independently, providing adequate guidance for thick products while keeping the overall device structure modular and manageable rather than overly complex.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3511133B1Device for cutting products
Publication Date: 2020.03.18 SOPREMA SA
  • EP3511133B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3511133B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3511133B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention relates to a device (1) for cutting products (2) in the form of sheets or panels. This device (1) comprises, on the one hand, a base body (3), on the other hand, a guide body (4) which is removably engaged with the base body (3) and extends over the product to be cut (2), and finally, a cutting member (5) comprising a blade (6) and a handling handle (6'). The device (1) is characterized in that the guide body (4) has a general U-shape, allowing products (2) of different thicknesses to be sandwiched and clamped between the base body (3) and the guide body (4), which have slots (9 and 9') that are mutually aligned and coincident when the two bodies (3 and 4) are assembled, and in that the blade (6) of the cutting member (5) has sufficient length to slide through both slots (9 and 9').