Ultrasonic Knife Blade With U-Shaped Coupling Element
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial cutting devices, particularly in the food industry, face challenges such as high costs, contamination, limited adaptability, space inefficiency, and complexity due to rotating cutting discs, and require multiple vibration generators for effective cutting, which complicates their use and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A knife utilizing ultrasonic energy with a single blade that incorporates a U-shaped coupling element for efficient energy transmission, allowing for both longitudinal and transverse vibrations without the need for separate generators, enabling precise cutting and mixing of various materials with reduced manufacturing complexity and increased throughput.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If rotating cutting discs are used for cutting, then cutting function is achieved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical rotating cutting disc system with an ultrasonic vibration-based cutting system. The knife blade is excited by ultrasonic vibrations through piezoelectric elements or electromagnetic actuators, transforming the mechanical rotation mechanism into a vibration-based mechanism. This substitution eliminates the need for complex rotation drives, bearings, and balancing systems, thereby reducing device complexity and manufacturing cost while maintaining effective cutting capability.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If rotating cutting discs are used, then cutting is performed, but material contamination occurs due to particle loosening
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs ultrasonic mechanical vibrations at high frequency (typically 20-100 kHz) to perform cutting. The knife blade oscillates with small amplitudes at ultrasonic frequencies, creating a scraping or shearing action that separates material without the violent impacts and particle loosening associated with rotating discs. This vibration-based mechanism achieves clean cuts with minimal contamination while maintaining high cutting speed and productivity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If cutting discs are adapted to different products, then cutting precision improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables adaptability to different products through dynamic control of the ultrasonic vibration parameters. By adjusting the amplitude, frequency, and duty cycle of the ultrasonic vibrations, the same knife blade can effectively cut various materials with different properties (soft bread, firm cheese, meat products). This dynamic parameter adjustment replaces the need for multiple specialized cutting discs, reducing device complexity while maintaining high product adaptability and cutting precision.
4Productivity
If multiple vibration generators are used for ultrasonic cutting, then cutting effectiveness improves, but device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple vibration generation functions into a single integrated ultrasonic source. Instead of using separate vibration generators for different vibration modes, the invention employs one or more piezoelectric elements or electromagnetic actuators that can generate complex vibration patterns including both longitudinal and transverse components. This unified approach reduces the number of separate components, simplifies the device structure, and decreases space requirements while maintaining effective cutting performance.
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 knife achieves precise cutting and mixing with minimal vibration, reducing material deformation and contamination, and can handle products of varying consistency and size, enhancing operational efficiency and space utilization.
Implementation Method 1
an energy converter, which typically has piezoelectric elements, converts the electrical energy into mechanical energy, which causes the blade to vibrate
Implementation Method 2
a knife for dividing, in particular for cutting or atomizing process material using ultrasonic energy
Data Source
Figure 1a~1c
Figure 2a~2c
Figure 3a~3c
AI summary
The cutter (1A; 1B; 1C; 1D; 1E) which is used to divide, in particular to cut or atomize, a processed product using ultrasound energy comprises a blade (10) having at least one blade wing (10) which narrows at the front to form a cutting edge (1011) and is connected at the rear to a blade back (103) which has mutually opposing larger side faces (103U, 103O) and smaller end faces (103F) at the exposed ends. According to the invention, there is provided on the blade back (103) or an extremity (1030) formed thereon a mounting face (105) on which there is welded a first end piece (1811) of at least one coupling element (181; 182) which extends in an arcuate manner and is preferably U-shaped, the second end piece (1812) of which coupling element (181; 182) has a connecting element (18121), preferably a threaded bore, which is connectable to an energy transducer that is used to supply ultrasound energy.