Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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PRODUCT SLICER
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 15/042,172,
filed
February 12, 2016 and U.S. Patent Application No. 15/042,179, filed February
12, 2016. The
entire content of each application is incorporated by reference herein.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR
DEVELOPMENT
This invention was not made as part of a federally sponsored research or
development
project.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present disclosure relates generally to adjustable thickness slicers and,
more
particularly, to food product slicers and the components associated with
adjusting a gauge
plate.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Typical reciprocating slicers have a rotatable, circular or disc-like slicing
blade, an
adjustable gauge plate for determining the thickness of the slice and a
carriage for supporting
the product as it is moved back and forth past the cutting edge of the knife
during slicing. The
gauge plate is situated along the edge of the knife toward the front of a
slicing stroke and is
laterally movable with respect to the knife for determining the thickness of
the slices to be
cut. A mechanism such as an adjustment handle for setting a spacing between
the plane of the
gauge plate surface and the plane of the knife edge for the purpose of slicing
is also typically
provided so that operators can select a thickness of slices to be produced.
Movement of the
gauge plate is generally a linear movement of the plane of the gauge plate
relative to the
plane of the knife edge. Thus, movement of the adjustment handle moves the
gauge plate in a
manner to make slice thickness adjustments.
Conventional gauge plate adjustment systems are plagued by backlash, or the
ability
to rotate the adjustment handle without producing any movement of the gauge
plate, as well
as coarse adjustability control when the gauge plate is nearest the plane of
the knife, where it
would ideally offer the finest adjustability control. Embodiments of the
present invention
address these weaknesses of conventional gauge plate adjustment systems.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A product slicer haying an adjustable gauge plate precisely positioned by the
unique
cooperation of a cam plate and a cam follower.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Without limiting the scope of the present invention as claimed below and
referring
now to the drawings and figures:
FIG. 1 shows an isometric view of a product slicer embodiment;
FIG. 2 shows a partial isometric view of a product slicer;
FIG. 3 shows an isometric view of a cam plate, a slider assembly, an
adjustment
handle and a partial housing;
FIG. 4 shows an isometric view of a cam plate, a slider assembly, an
adjustment
handle, a knife cover, a gauge plate and a partial housing;
FIG. 5 shows an exploded isometric view of a cam plate, a slider assembly, an
adjustment handle and a partial housing;
FIG. 6 shows an exploded isometric view of a cam plate, a slider assembly, an
adjustment handle, a gauge plate and a partial housing;
FIG. 7 shows another exploded isometric view of a cam plate, a slider
assembly, an
adjustment handle and a partial housing;
FIG. 8 shows a front elevation view of a cam plate embodiment;
FIG. 9 shows a cross sectional view of a cam plate embodiment;
FIG. 10 shows front and side elevation views of a cam follower embodiment;
FIG. 11 shows an isometric view of a slider assembly embodiment;
FIG. 12 shows an exploded isometric view of a slider assembly embodiment;
FIG. 13 shows an exploded isometric view of an embodiment having a cam-to-
follower biasing mechanism, a cam plate and a slider assembly;
FIG. 14 shows embodiment of cam follower having a cam follower channel and
another cross sectional view of a cam plate embodiment having a cam plate
projection;
FIG. 15 shows another front elevation view of a cam plate embodiment;
FIG. 16 shows another front elevation view of a cam plate embodiment; and
FIG. 17 shows another front elevation view of a cam plate embodiment.
These drawings are provided to assist in the understanding of the exemplary
embodiments of the invention as described in more detail below and should not
be construed
as unduly limiting the invention. In particular, the relative spacing,
positioning, sizing and
dimensions of the various elements illustrated in the drawings are not drawn
to scale and may
have been exaggerated, reduced or otherwise modified for the purpose of
improved clarity.
Those of ordinary skill in the art will also appreciate that a range of
alternative configurations
have been omitted simply to improve the clarity and reduce the number of
drawings.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention enables a significant advance in the state of the art.
The
preferred embodiments of the invention accomplish this by new and novel
arrangements of
elements, materials, relationships, and methods that are configured in unique
and novel ways
and which demonstrate previously unavailable but preferred and desirable
capabilities. The
description set forth below in connection with the drawings is intended merely
as a
description of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and is
not intended to
represent the only form in which the present invention may be constructed or
utilized. The
description sets forth the designs, materials, functions, means, and methods
of implementing
the invention in connection with the illustrated embodiments. It is to be
understood, however,
that the same or equivalent functions, features, and material properties may
be accomplished
by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the
spirit and
scope of the invention. The present disclosure is described with reference to
the
accompanying drawings with preferred embodiments illustrated and described.
The
.. disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not
be construed
as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are
provided so that
this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope
of the
disclosure to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements
throughout the
disclosure and the drawings. In the figures, the thickness of certain lines,
layers, components,
elements or features may be exaggerated for clarity. Broken lines illustrate
optional features
or operations unless specified otherwise. All publications, patent
applications, patents, and
other references mentioned herein are incorporated herein by reference in
their entireties..
FIG. 1 represents an embodiment of a product slicer (100) having a housing
(200)
that acts as external shell of the product slicer (100). Furthermore, the
housing (200) provides
a mounting foundation onto which various product slicer (100) components are
attached.
Some components may attach to other assemblies and parts which ultimately
connect to a
portion of the housing (200), thus reference to components "mounted to" or
"attached to" to
the housing (200) simply means that the components are ultimately supported
via the housing
(200), which need not be a direct connection to the housing (200) but may be
via connection
.. to, or interaction with, other components.
In addition to the housing (200) the product slicer (100) has a circular knife
(300)
mounted to the housing (200) which rotates about a knife axis (310) located in
the center of
the knife (300). Additionally, the knife (300) has a knife cutting edge (320)
that is located
around the knife's (300) perimeter which defines a knife cutting plane. The
knife (300) may
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be covered by a knife cover (330), as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, during use in
order to prevent
injury to the end user.
The product slicer (100) has a carriage assembly (400) is configured for
reciprocating
motion past the knife cutting edge (320) and is slidably attached by a
carriage assembly arm
(420) to the housing (200). The carriage assembly (400) may include a carriage
assembly
handle (410) which provides a hold point for the end user, as seen in FIG. 1.
During use, the
carriage assembly (400) cradles the product being sliced while reciprocating
motion is
provided manually by a user, or automatically by an electric motor, pneumatic
motion
system, or electromagnetic motion system.
The variability of product slice thickness is obtained through the use of an
adjustable
gauge plate (500), which in some embodiments has a gauge plate mount (510) and
a gauge
plate mount nut (520). The gauge plate mount (510) joins the adjustable gauge
plate (500) to
a slider assembly (900), which may have a cooperating gauge plate receiver
(940), as
illustrated in FIGS. 2-7. In some embodiments the gauge plate receiver (940)
mates with the
gauge plate mount (510) and are attached together by the gauge plate mount nut
(520). FIG. 6
shows an embodiment where the gauge plate mount (510) is a post extending from
the gauge
plate (500), which may pass through a portion of the housing (200), and the
gauge plate
receiver (940) is an aperture located on the slider assembly (900). In an
alternative
embodiment, not shown, the gauge plate mount (510) may receive a post
extending from the
slider assembly (900). The cam follower (800), the slider assembly (900), and
the adjustable
gauge plate (500) may each be separate and distinct components as illustrated
in the figures,
however the cam follower (800) may be an integral piece formed in the slider
assembly
(900), and the slider assembly (900) may be an integral portion of the
adjustable gauge plate
(500); in other words they need not be three separate and distinct pieces.
Now referring to FIGS. 3, 5, 11-13, the slider assembly (900) may include a
slide rail
(910) and a slide rail bias spring (912) that is located around the perimeter
of the slide rail
(910). The slide rail bias spring (912) biases the slider assembly (900),
thereby preventing
movement of the adjustable gauge plate (500) after the user selects a desired
slice setting. The
slide rail (910) is slidably coupled to the other components of the slider
assembly (900) with
mount brackets (920), which may include mount bracket bearings (922). The
mount bracket
bearings (922) allow for smooth low force linear travel of the slide rail
(910) during the
adjustment of the product slicer (100). The slider assembly (900) also has a
set of gauge plate
adjustment screws (950) that allows the gauge plate (500) to be aligned, or
zeroed out, with
the knife (300) cutting plane and establish the gauge plate initial position.
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The gauge plate (500) may have a gauge plate bearing surface (530) onto which
sliceable product rest while cradled in the carriage assembly (400). The
bearing surface (530)
need not be flat. Furthermore, the gauge plate (500) is configured so that the
gauge plate
bearing surface (530) is substantially parallel to the knife cutting plane.
Additionally, the
adjustable gauge plate (500) is adjustable in an adjustment direction, which
in the figures is
parallel to the knife axis (310), from a gauge plate initial position, with
the gauge plate
bearing surface (530) that is substantially in the knife cutting plane, to a
gauge plate (500)
slicing position where the gauge plate bearing surface (530) is offset from
the knife cutting
plane. The adjustment direction need not be parallel to the knife axis (310).
The gauge plate
(500) slicing position is not limited to one specific thickness but can be
varied based upon the
sliceable product and its intended use. For instance, a ham may be sliced in a
thickness of less
than half of a millimeter to created what is called shredded ham; the ham may
be sliced at 1
to 3 millimeters to create sandwich slices; additionally, the ham may be
sliced at 7
millimeters or more to created ham steaks.
In order to adjust the gauge plate (500) with respect to knife cutting plane,
the product
slicer (100) has an adjustment handle (600) rotably mounted to the housing
(200), as seen in
FIGS. 1, 2 and 4. The adjustment handle (600) may be connected to a cam plate
(700)
through an opening in the housing (200) by an adjustment handle shaft (610),
as seen in
FIGS. 3, 5 - 7, or vice versa, so that the cam plate (700) rotates in
conjunction with the
adjustment handle (600). The connection of the adjustment handle (600) to the
cam plate
(700) need not be a direct connection, rather it may include other components
so that they are
rotably connected (physically, electronically, pneumatically, or
hydraulically), which need
not need be in unison and may include a geared relationship, a belt-drive
relationship, a
chain-drive relationship, a friction drive relationship, or even a turn-by-
wire relationship.
Thus, references to the adjustment handle (600) need not be a handle in the
traditional sense
and may include touchscreen controls, touchpad controls, and/or buttons/keys
that control the
activation of a power drive system that in turn rotates the cam plate (700) to
achieve the
desired movement of the gauge plate (500). Therefore, all references to the
rotation of the
adjustment handle (600) to cause rotation of the cam plate (700) are equally
disclosed with
respect to entry of a command via touchscreen controls, touchpad controls,
and/or
buttons/keys. Further, one embodiment includes a gauge plate location sensor
system that
senses the location of the gauge plate (500); and a user may enter, or select,
a desired
thickness from the touchscreen controls, touchpad controls, and/or
buttons/keys causing a
drive system to rotate the cam plate (700) until the sensor system senses the
desired
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thickness. In one embodiment the gauge plate location sensor system includes a
sensor
measuring the location of the gauge plate (700) in relation to the circular
knife (300) or knife
axis (310), and feeds the location data to a gauge plate controller in
communication with the
thickness input device (i.e. the touchscreen controls, touchpad controls,
and/or buttons/keys),
as well as the drive system, wherein the controller instructs the operation of
the drive system
to achieve the desired thickness.
Now referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, the cam plate (700) may include a cam plate
diameter
(710), a cam plate thickness (720), a cam plate hub (730) with a cam plate hub
thickness
(732) and a cam plate hub diameter (734), a cam plate center axis (760), a cam
plate center
axis (760), and a cam plate turn limit (770). The cam plate hub (730) provides
an attachment
area for the adjustment handle shaft (610), alternatively the adjustment
handle (600) may
include a hub that proves an attachment area for a cam plate shaft. As the
adjustment handle
(600) is rotated, the cam plate (700) rotates about the cam plate's center
axis (760). The cam
plate (700) may include a cam plate turn limit (770), as illustrated in FIG.
7, to prevent
damage to the product slicer (100) from overturning of the cam plate (700),
and more
specifically to prevent the cam follower (800) from getting to either end of
the cam plate
channel (740) and exit the cam plate channel (740), particularly in
embodiments having
angled cooperating surfaces on the cam plate channel (740) and the cam
follower (800).
Further, the cam plate (700) may include a cam plate channel (740), as seen in
FIG. 9, or a
cam plate projection (780), as seen in FIG. 14.
Now with reference to FIG. 10, in some embodiments the product slicer (100)
has a
cam follower (800) having a cam follower head (810) which engages the cam
plate channel
(740), as seen in FIG. 3. The cam follower (800) may include a cam follower
stem (820),
having a cam follower stem length (822), a cam follower stem proximal end
(824), a cam
follower stem distal end (826), a cam follower stem diameter (828), and a cam
follower
attachment engager (829). Furthermore, the cam follower (800) may be connected
to the
slider assembly (900) in a cam follower mounting bracket (930) with a cam
follower retainer
attachment (830) that engages the cam follower retainer attachment engager
(829) located on
the cam follower stem distal end (826), as seen in FIGS. 10-12. In turn, the
slider assembly
(900) is connected to the adjustable gauge plate (500).
Now referring to FIG. 15, when the product slicer (100) is in the initial
gauge plate
position the cam follower head (810) engages the cam plate channel (740) at an
initial cam
head position (860). Rotation of the adjustment handle (600) causes rotation
of the cam plate
(700) thereby moving the cam follower head (810) within the cam plate channel
(740) to a
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slicing cam head position (870). As a result, the repositioned cam follower
(800) moves the
slider assembly (900) and the adjustable gauge plate (500) to the gauge plate
slicing position.
Furthermore, the product slicer (100) has an initial head-to-cam-center
distance (862), which
is defined as the distance from the center of the initial cam head position to
the cam plate
center axis (760). The initial head-to-cam-center distance (862) is greater
than a slicing head-
to-cam-center distance (872), which is defined as the distance from the center
of the slicing
cam head position to the cam plate center axis (760). The reduction in length
of the initial
head-to-cam-center distance (862) to the slicing head-to-cam-center distance
(872), as the
adjustable gauge plate (500) moves from the gauge plate initial position to
the gauge plate
slicing position, with the gauge plate bearing surface (530) offset from the
knife cutting
plane, is opposite of conventional thinking and thereby provides improved
performance and
control of the placement of the adjustable gauge plate (500) when it is needed
most,
specifically as it initially starts to move away from the gauge plate initial
position. In other
words, rotation of the cam plate (700) results in the cam follower (800)
moving from the
initial cam head position (860) toward the cam plate center axis (760) to the
slicing cam head
position (870), as the gauge plate slicing position offset increases. Not only
does this unique
direction of travel provide increased fine level control of the position of
the adjustable gauge
plate (500) but it also tends to reduce backlash, characterized as the ability
to rotate the
adjustment handle (600) without producing corresponding movement of the gauge
plate
(500). Thus, reducing or eliminating backlash ensures that rotation of the
adjustment handle
(600) immediately results in movement of the gauge plate (500). One skilled in
the art will
appreciate that FIG. 15 illustrates the cam follower (800) moving
circumferentially about the
cam plate center axis (760) simply for ease in illustrating the key
relationships, when in
actuality it is the cam plate (700) that rotates causing the cam follower
(800) to translate in a
single direction.
Tables 1 and 2 below illustrate an embodiment of the relationship of the
initial head-
to-cam-center distance (862) and the slicing head-to-cam-center distance
(872), for various
rotations of the cam plate (700). The delta (A) column for each specific
rotation value of the
cam plate (700) is the initial head-to-cam-center distance (862) minus the
slicing head-to-
.. cam-center distance (872). The delta (A) values are always positive because
the cam follower
(800) moves from the initial cam head position (860), toward the cam plate
center axis (760),
to the slicing cam head position (870), unlike traditional systems that move
in the opposite
direction at the sacrifice of performance and fine-tuning control. In another
embodiment in
which adjustment handle (600) and the cam plate (700) are directly connected
in a 1:1
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relationship, Tables 1 and 2 below illustrate an embodiment of the
relationship of the initial
head-to-cam-center distance (862) and the slicing head-to-cam-center distance
(872), for
various rotations of the adjustment handle (600).
00 45 90 135 180
(862) (872) (A) (872) (A) (872) (A) (872)
(A)
1.748" 1.670" 0.078" 1.591" 0.157" 1.513" 0.235"
1.434" 0.314"
Table 1
0 225 270 315 360
(862) (872) (A) (872) (A) (872) (A) (872)
(A)
1.748" 1.355" 0.393" 1.277" 0.471" 1.198" 0.550"
1.120" 0.628"
Table 2
An advantage of this unique configuration is that a significant rotation of
the cam
plate (700), or adjustment handle (600), is required to produce a meaningful
displacement of
the adjustable gauge plate (500) from the gauge plate initial position to the
gauge plate slicing
position. In some embodiments the delta (A) value, which is the difference
between the initial
head-to-cam-center distance (862) and the slicing head-to-cam-center distance
(872), directly
correlates to the change in distance of the adjustable gauge plate (500) from
the gauge plate
initial position to the gauge plate slicing position. In one particular
embodiment rotation of
the adjustment handle (600) through any 45 degrees produces a change from the
gauge plate
initial position to the gauge plate slicing position of no more than 0.100
inch, and results in
the slicing head-to-cam-center distance (872) being 2-8% less than the initial
head-to-cam-
center distance (862); and a further embodiment produces a change from the
gauge plate
initial position to the gauge plate slicing position of no more than 0.080
inch, and results in
the slicing head-to-cam-center distance (872) being 3-6% less than the initial
head-to-cam-
center distance (862). In a further embodiment rotation of the adjustment
handle (600)
through any 90 degrees produces a change from the gauge plate initial position
to the gauge
plate slicing position of no more than 0.200 inch, and results in the slicing
head-to-cam-
center distance (872) being 4-16% less than the initial head-to-cam-center
distance (862); and
a further embodiment produces a change from the gauge plate initial position
to the gauge
plate slicing position of no more than 0.160 inch, and results in the slicing
head-to-cam-
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center distance (872) being 6-12% less than the initial head-to-cam-center
distance (862). In
yet an even further embodiment wherein rotation of the adjustment handle (600)
through any
180 degrees produces a change from the gauge plate initial position to the
gauge plate slicing
position of no more than 0.400 inch, and results in the slicing head-to-cam-
center distance
(872) being 8-32% less than the initial head-to-cam-center distance (862); and
a further
embodiment produces a change from the gauge plate initial position to the
gauge plate slicing
position of no more than 0.320 inch, and results in the slicing head-to-cam-
center distance
(872) being 12-24% less than the initial head-to-cam-center distance (862).
The relative change in position of the cam plate (700) to the cam follower
(800) from
the initial cam head position (860) to the slicing cam head position (870) is
a travel length
(880), illustrated in FIG. 16. In one embodiment the preferential control is
achieved when the
travel length (880) is relatively long compared to the difference from the
initial head-to-cam-
center distance (862) to the slicing head-to-cam-center distance (872), or
delta (A) value; in
other words, when an travel-delta ratio of the travel length (880) to the
delta (A) value is high
and the delta (A) value is positive. Similarly, preferential control is
achieved when the travel
length (880) is relatively long compared to rotation of the cam plate (700);
in other words,
when an travel-rotation ratio of the travel length (880) to the degrees of
rotation of the cam
plate (700), or slicing angle, associated with the movement from the initial
cam head position
(860) to the slicing cam head position (870), is high. Table 3 illustrates
characteristics of this
embodiment through the first 10 degrees of rotation of the cam plate (700).
For Figure 16
00 2.5 50 7.50 10
(862) (872) (A) (872) (A) (872) (A) (872)
(A)
1.748" 1.744" 0.004" 1.739" 0.009" 1.735" 0.013" 1.731" 0.017"
(880) 0.076" 0.152" 0.228"
0.304"
(880) / (A) 19.00 16.89 17.54
17.88
(880) / (
0.030 0.030 0.030
0.030
Table 3
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As seen in Table 3, in this embodiment the initial cam head position (860) is
at 0
degrees and has an initial head-to-cam-center distance (862) of 1.748". Once
the cam plate
(700) has rotated 2.5 degrees to a first slicing cam head position (870), a
first slicing head-to-
cam-center distance (872) is 1.744", and therefore a first delta (A) value is
a positive 0.004",
meaning that the rotation of the cam plate (700) results in the cam follower
(800) moving
closer to the cam plate center axis (760). Additionally, the relative motion
of the center of the
cam follower (800) and the cam plate (700) results in a first travel length
(880) of 0.076",
which produces a first travel-delta ratio of 19.00 and a first travel-rotation
ratio of 0.030.
Similarly, once the cam plate (700) has rotated 5 degrees to a second slicing
cam head
position (870), a second slicing head-to-cam-center distance (872) is 1.739",
and therefore a
second delta (A) value is a positive 0.009". Additionally, the relative motion
of the center of
the cam follower (800) and the cam plate (700) results in a second travel
length (880) of
0.152", which produces a second travel-delta ratio of 16.89 and a second
travel-rotation ratio
of 0.030. Likewise, once the cam plate (700) has rotated 7.5 degrees to a
third slicing cam
head position (870), a third slicing head-to-cam-center distance (872) is
1.735", and therefore
a third delta (A) value is a positive 0.013". Additionally, the relative
motion of the center of
the cam follower (800) and the cam plate (700) results in a third travel
length (880) of 0.228",
which produces a third travel-delta ratio of 17.54 and a third travel-rotation
ratio of 0.030.
Finally, once the cam plate (700) has rotated 10 degrees to a fourth slicing
cam head position
(870), a fourth slicing head-to-cam-center distance (872) is 1.731", and
therefore a fourth
delta (A) value is a positive 0.017". Additionally, the relative motion of the
center of the cam
follower (800) and the cam plate (700) results in a fourth travel length (880)
of 0.304", which
produces a fourth travel-delta ratio of 17.88 and a fourth travel-rotation
ratio of 0.030.
As previously touched upon, in some embodiments preferential control is
achieved
when the delta (A) value is a positive, the travel-delta ratio is high, or
when an travel-rotation
ratio is high, or a combination thereof To appreciate the meaning of a high
travel-delta ratio
or a high travel-rotation ratio one must take a cursory look at embodiments
wherein the delta
(A) value is negative, meaning that rotation of the cam plate (700) causes the
cam follower
(800) to move away from the cam plate center axis (760) as the cam follower
(800) goes from
the initial cam head position (860) to the slicing cam head position (870), as
seen in FIG. 17.
Table 4 illustrates characteristics of such a negative delta (A) value
embodiment through the
first 10 degrees of rotation of the cam plate (700).
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For Figure 17
00 2.5 50 7.50 10
(862) (872) (A) (872) (A) (872) (A) (872)
(A)
0.334" 0.339" -0.005" 0.343" -0.009" 0.348" -0.014" 0.352" -0.018"
(880) 0.0129 0.01867 0.02827
0.03808
(880) / (A) -2.58 -2.07 -2.02 -2.12
(880) / (
0.0052 0.0037 0.0038 0.0038
Table 4
As seen in Table 4, in this negative delta (A) value embodiment the initial
cam head
position (860) is at 0 degrees and has an initial head-to-cam-center distance
(862) of 0.334".
Once the cam plate (700) has rotated 2.5 degrees to a first slicing cam head
position (870), a
first slicing head-to-cam-center distance (872) is 0.339", and therefore a
first delta (A) value
is a negative 0.005", meaning that the rotation of the cam plate (700) results
in the cam
follower (800) moving away from the cam plate center axis (760). Additionally,
the relative
motion of the center of the cam follower (800) and the cam plate (700) results
in a first travel
length (880) of 0.0129", which produces a first travel-delta ratio of -2.58
and a first travel-
rotation ratio of 0.0052. Comparing these values with those of the positive
delta (A) value
embodiment of Table 3 illustrates that the same 2.5 degrees of cam plate (700)
rotation yields
(a) a first travel length (880) in Table 3 that is 5.89 times greater than the
first travel length
(880) in Table 4, (b) a first travel-delta ratio in Table 3 that is 7.36 times
greater than the first
travel-delta ratio in Table 4, and (c) a first travel-rotation ratio in Table
3 that is 5.77 times
greater than the first travel-rotation ratio in Table 4. For the sake of
brevity a similar
discussion of the values at 5 degrees, 7.5 degrees, and 10 degrees of rotation
in Table 4 is
omitted.
In a first series of positive delta (A) value embodiments preferred control is
achieved
when the first 10 degrees of rotation of the cam plate (700) from the initial
cam head position
(860) has a travel length (880) that is at least 0.075", while in a further
embodiment it is at
least 0.150", and in an even further embodiment it is at least 0.225". In a
further series of
embodiment the first 10 degrees of rotation of the cam plate (700) from the
initial cam head
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position (860) also produces a travel length (880) that is less than 0.600",
while in a further
embodiment it is less than 0.500", and in an even further embodiment it is
less than 0.400".
In a second series of positive delta (A) value embodiments preferred control
is
achieved when the first 10 degrees of rotation of the cam plate (700) from the
initial cam
head position (860) has an travel-delta ratio that is positive and at least
3.0 throughout the
entire 10 degree range, while in a further embodiment it is at least 5.0, and
in an even further
embodiment it is at least 10Ø In a further series of embodiments the first
10 degrees of
rotation of the cam plate (700) from the initial cam head position (860) has
an travel-delta
ratio that is positive and less than 40, while in a further embodiment it is
less than 30, and in
an even further embodiment it is less than 25.
In a third series of positive delta (A) value embodiments preferred control is
achieved
when the first 10 degrees of rotation of the cam plate (700) from the initial
cam head position
(860) has an travel-rotation ratio that is at least 0.010 throughout the
entire 10 degree range,
while in a further embodiment it is at least 0.015, and in an even further
embodiment it is at
least 0.020. In a further series of embodiments the first 10 degrees of
rotation of the cam plate
(700) from the initial cam head position (860) has an travel-rotation ratio
that is less than
0.100, while in a further embodiment it is less than 0.075, and in an even
further embodiment
it is less than 0.050.
In additional embodiments the relationships of the travel-rotation ratio and
the travel-
delta ratio disclosed with respect to "throughout the entire 10 degree range",
are also true
throughout at least 45 degrees, and throughout at least 90 degrees in further
embodiments,
and throughout at least 180 degrees in even further embodiments, and
throughout at least 360
degrees in a final series of embodiments.
In a fourth series of positive delta (A) value embodiments preferred control
is
achieved when for the first 45 degrees of rotation of the cam plate (700) from
the initial cam
head position (860), each slicing head-to-cam-center distance (872) is at
least 25% of the cam
plate diameter (710), while it is at least 30% in another embodiment, and at
least 35% in yet
another embodiment. In a fifth series of positive delta (A) value embodiments
preferred
control is achieved when for the first 90 degrees of rotation of the cam plate
(700) from the
initial cam head position (860), each slicing head-to-cam-center distance
(872) is at least 25%
of the cam plate diameter (710), while it is at least 30% in another
embodiment, and at least
35% in yet another embodiment. In a sixth series of positive delta (A) value
embodiments
preferred control is achieved when for the first 180 degrees of rotation of
the cam plate (700)
from the initial cam head position (860), each slicing head-to-cam-center
distance (872) is at
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least 20% of the cam plate diameter (710), while it is at least 25% in another
embodiment,
and at least 30% in yet another embodiment.
Such embodiments having long travel lengths (880) compared to the rotation of
the
cam plate (700), and thus the difference from the initial head-to-cam-center
distance (862) to
the slicing head-to-cam-center distance (872), or delta (A) value, and the
criticality of the
associated ranges and ratios, produce unexpected performance improvements
characterized
by finer and more accurate control, with reduced backlash and improved
repeatability, in part
because for a particular angular rotation of the cam plate (700) the travel
length (880) is
significantly increased over conventional systems, which is apparent when
comparing FIGS.
16 and 17. Increasing the travel length (880) increases the contact area of
the cam plate (700)
and cam follower (800) throughout a given range of motion, which leads to
smoother
operation and reduction of the impact of any initial lurch that occurs upon
initial rotation of
the cam plate (700) when the initial resistance to rotation is overcome. For
instance, if the
initial lurch upon overcoming friction is 10% of the cam follower proximal
head width (816)
the impact is less in embodiments having longer travel lengths (880). Further,
the increased
travel length (880) reduces the likelihood of deformation of the cam plate
(700) within the
region of most common use. For instance, most food product slicing occurs with
the
adjustable gauge plate (500) moving from a gauge plate initial position, with
the gauge plate
bearing surface (530) that is substantially in the knife cutting plane, to a
slicing position
where the gauge plate bearing surface (530) is offset from the knife cutting
plane by less than
0.125". Therefore, this is where it is desirable to have the greatest level of
control, and results
in a region on the cam plate (700) that is most commonly in contact with the
cam follower
(800). Repetitive contact in this region may lead to wear and deformation,
which is further
compounded as the travel length (880) becomes more abbreviated.
One embodiment obtains such performance improving relationships through the
use
of a cam plate channel (740), as seen in FIGS. 8 and 9, or a cam plate
projection (780), as
seen in FIG. 14, that include a portion of a two-dimensional spiral. The
portion of the spiral
may include a logarithmic spiral, Archimedean spiral, Euler spiral, hyperbolic
spiral, lituus,
Fabonacci spiral, spiral of Theodorus, and/or the involute of a circle. In
another embodiment
the performance improving relationships are achieved through the use of a cam
plate channel
(740) or a cam plate projection (780) that simply includes a portion of a
curve that varies in
distance from the cam plate center axis (760). In one embodiment the portion
of the spiral, or
the portion of the curve, extend throughout at least 90 degrees of the cam
plate (700), while
in a further embodiment it extends throughout at least 180 degrees of the cam
plate (700),
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while in an even further embodiment it extends throughout at least 225 degrees
of the cam
plate (700), and in yet another embodiment it extends throughout at least 270
degrees of the
cam plate (700), and in still a further embodiment it extends throughout at
least 315 degrees
of the cam plate (700). Another embodiment achieves the performance improving
relationships through the use of a cam plate channel (740) or a cam plate
projection (780) that
incorporates a portion of a straight line, or multiple straight line segments,
that varies in
distance from the cam plate center axis (760).
Additional performance improvements are achieved with embodiments
incorporating
unique cooperating geometries of the cam plate channel (740), or cam plate
projection (780),
and the cam follower (800) to further promote smooth operation and reduce
backlash. Such
cooperating geometries provide improved performance of both positive delta (A)
value
embodiments, such as that seen in FIG. 16, and negative delta (A) value
embodiments, such
as that seen in FIG. 17. For instance, in one embodiment, seen in FIG. 9, the
cam plate
channel (740) has a first channel sidewall (742), with at least a portion
oriented at a first
sidewall angle (743) greater than zero, and a second channel sidewall (744),
with at least a
portion oriented at a second sidewall angle (745) greater than zero. In such
an embodiment
the cam plate channel (740) may have a channel exterior width (748), a channel
interior width
(750), and in some embodiments a cam plate channel floor (746). Further, the
cam follower
(800) may have a cam follower head (810) with at least a portion of the cam
follower head
(810) having an angled head surface oriented at a cam follower pitch (818)
that is greater than
zero. The cam follower head (810) engages the cam plate channel (740), as seen
in FIG. 3.
The combination of a cam plate channel (740) having pitched sidewalls (742,
744) and the
mating cam follower head (810) having with a corresponding cam follower pitch
(818)
allows for the compensation of cam plate channel (740) and cam follower head
(810) due to
wear, thereby reducing backlash.
Conversely, conventional straight walled cam plate channels and a pin-type cam
follower suffer from wear to the cam plate channel and cam follower resulting
in unwanted
movement, or more precisely lack of movement ¨ also referred to as backlash,
in the gauge
plate (500) due to additional play, or slop, between the cam plate channel and
pin-type cam
follower. Such conventional systems have a gap between the straight walled cam
plate
channels and the pin-type cam follower from the outset, and the gap increases
overtime with
use thereby increasing the undesirable attributes that plague such systems. In
the current
embodiment, wear to the cam plate channel (740) and cam follower head (810)
reduces or
eliminates backlash thereby producing movement in the gauge plate (500) with
any rotation
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of the adjustment handle (600). As the surfaces of the cam plate channel (740)
and/or cam
follower head (810) wear, the pitched configuration of the cam plate channel
(740) walls and
cam follower head (810) compensate.
In a further embodiment the cam plate channel (740) has a first channel
sidewall
(742), with at least a portion oriented at a first sidewall angle (743)
greater than five degrees,
and a second channel sidewall (744), with at least a portion oriented at a
second sidewall
angle (745) greater than five degrees. In still a further embodiment at least
a portion of the
cam follower head (810) has a cam follower pitch (818) that is within 2.5
degrees of the first
sidewall angle (743) and the second sidewall angle (745). The combination of a
cam plate
channel (740) having pitched sidewalls (742, 744) and the mating cam follower
head (810)
having with a cam follower pitch (818) that is within 2.5 degrees of the first
sidewall angle
(743) and the second sidewall angle (745) allows for the compensation of cam
plate channel
(740) and cam follower head (810) wear and further reduces backlash. A still
further
embodiment incorporates a cam plate channel (740) with at least a portion
oriented at a first
sidewall angle (743) of 5-45 degrees, and at least a portion oriented at a
second sidewall
angle (745) of 5-45 degrees. Likewise, in this embodiment, the cam follower
(800) has a cam
follower head (810) with at least a portion of the cam follower head (810)
having an angled
head surface oriented at a cam follower pitch (818) of 5-45 degrees to further
compensate for
wear of the cam plate channel (740) and cam follower (800). Another embodiment
has a cam
plate channel (740) with a first channel sidewall (742) having at least a
portion oriented at a
first sidewall angle (743) of 10-45 degrees, and a second channel sidewall
(744) having at
least a portion oriented at a second sidewall angle (745) of 10-45 degrees, as
well as a cam
follower (800) having a cam follower head (810) with at least a portion of the
cam follower
head (810) having an angled head surface oriented at a cam follower pitch
(818) of 10-45
degrees. Still further, another embodiment has a cam plate channel (740) with
a first channel
sidewall (742) having at least a portion oriented at a first sidewall angle
(743) of 15-45
degrees, and a second channel sidewall (744) having at least a portion
oriented at a second
sidewall angle (745) of 15-45 degrees, as well as a cam follower head (810)
with at least a
portion of the cam follower head (810) having an angled head surface oriented
at a cam
follower pitch (818) of 15-45 degrees; while another embodiment has a cam
plate channel
(740) with a first channel sidewall (742) having at least a portion oriented
at a first sidewall
angle (743) of 20-30 degrees, and a second channel sidewall (744) having at
least a portion
oriented at a second sidewall angle (745) of 20-30 degrees, as well as a cam
follower head
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(810) with at least a portion of the cam follower head (810) having an angled
head surface
oriented at a cam follower pitch (818) of 20-30 degrees.
Now with reference to FIG. 10, in one embodiment the preceding geometric
relationships are achieved by a cam follower (800) having a frustoconical cam
follower head
(810) having a cam follower distal head width (814) and a cam follower
proximal head width
(816), and wherein the cam follower distal head width (814) is at least 20%
less than the cam
follower proximal head width (816), while in a further embodiment the cam
follower distal
head width (814) is 20-60% less than the cam follower proximal head width
(816), and in an
even further embodiment the cam follower distal head width (814) is 30-50%
less than the
cam follower proximal head width (816). In another embodiment the cam follower
proximal
head width (816) is greater than the channel exterior width (748), as seen in
FIG. 9, while in a
further embodiment the cam follower proximal head width (816) is at least 10%
greater than
the channel exterior width (748), further accommodating wear while also
ensuring the cam
follower (800) does not bottom out in the cam plate channel (740) and
introduce additional
friction into the system. A further embodiment ensures a preferred contact
between the cam
follower (800) and the cam plate channel (740) by having a cam follower distal
head width
(814) is less than the channel interior width (750). Still another embodiment
reduces the risk
of bottoming out by incorporating a cam plate channel (740) having both a
channel depth
(752) and a channel converging sidewall depth (753), and the cam follower head
(810) has a
cam follower head length (812) that is less than the channel depth (752),
while in a further
embodiment the channel converging sidewall depth (753) is less than the cam
follower head
length (812). Preferential contact and reduced stress, while controlling
friction and reduced
backlash potential, are further achieved in an embodiment having a channel
converging
sidewall depth (753) that is at least 30% of the channel depth (752), while in
another
embodiment the channel converging sidewall depth (753) is at least 50% of the
channel depth
(752), and in yet a further embodiment the channel converging sidewall depth
(753) is 30-
75% of the channel depth (752). In one embodiment the channel exterior width
(748) is
0.125"-0.500", while in a further embodiment it is 0.175"-0.450", and in an
even further
embodiment it is 0.200"-0.400". Additionally, in another embodiment the
channel depth
(752) is 0.125"-0.500", while in a further embodiment it is 0.175"-0.450", and
in an even
further embodiment it is 0.200"-0.400".
In one embodiment the channel exterior width (748) is no more than 15% of the
cam
plate diameter (710), and the channel depth (752) of FIG. 9, or the cam plate
projection
length (782) of FIG. 14, which is discussed in detail below, is no more than
60% of the cam
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plate thickness (720). In a further embodiment the channel exterior width
(748) is no more
than 10% of the cam plate diameter (710) and the channel depth (752), or the
cam plate
projection length (782), is no more than 50% of the cam plate thickness (720).
In yet another
embodiment the distance between adjacent cam plate channels (740), or
projections (780),
along the surface of the cam plate (700) and within a section passing through
the cam plate
center axis (760), it at least 50% of the channel exterior width (748) or the
cam plate
proximal projection width (786). Further, in another embodiment the distance
between
adjacent cam plate channels (740), or projections (780), along the surface of
the cam plate
(700) and within a section passing through the cam plate center axis (760), it
50-150% of the
channel exterior width (748) or the cam plate proximal projection width (786),
while in
another embodiment it is 75-125% of the channel exterior width (748) or the
cam plate
proximal projection width (786). In another embodiment the cam plate hub
thickness (732) is
at least 50% of the cam plate thickness (720), while in a further embodiment
the cam plate
hub thickness (732) is 50-150% of the cam plate thickness (720), and in yet
another
embodiment the cam plate hub thickness (732) is 75-125% of the cam plate
thickness (720).
These relationships achieve preferred stress distribution throughout the cam
plate (700) and
increase durability by reducing areas of high stress concentration.
All of the previously described performance improvements achieved via the
unique
cooperating geometries of the cam plate channel (740) are also applicable to
the cam plate
.. projection (780) and the cam follower (800), as seen in FIG. 14. Thus, all
of the disclosed
relationships disclosed herein in relation to a cam plate channel (740), and
movement of the
cam follower (800), apply equally to cam plate projection (780) embodiments,
which is also
true of FIG. 8 and section line 9-9, which can be thought of as section line
14-14 in cam plate
projection (780) embodiments such as that illustrated in FIG. 14. Here again
these geometries
and relationships promote smooth operation of the cam plate (700) and cam
follower (800)
interface, and reduce backlash. The cam plate projection (780) has a cam plate
projection
length (782), a cam plate distal projection width (784), a cam plate proximal
projection width
(786) and a cam plate projection pitch (788). As the adjustment handle (600)
is rotated, the
cam plate (700) rotates about the cam plate's center axis (760). In this
embodiment the cam
follower (800) has a cam follower head (810) that has a slotted configuration,
as seen in FIG.
14. The cam follower head (810) has a cam follower channel (840) having a cam
follower
first channel sidewall (842), which has a cam follower first sidewall angle
(843), a cam
follower second channel sidewall (844), which has a cam follower second
sidewall angle
(845), and in some embodiments a cam follower channel floor (846).
Furthermore, the cam
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follower channel (840) further includes a cam follower channel exterior width
(848), a cam
follower channel interior width (850), a cam follower channel depth (852), and
a cam
follower channel converging sidewall depth (853).
In one embodiment the cam follower first channel sidewall (842) has at least a
portion
with a cam follower first sidewall angle (843) greater than zero, and the cam
follower second
channel sidewall (844) has at least a portion with a cam follower second
sidewall angle (845)
greater than zero. Further, the cam plate projection (780) may have a portion
with an angled
projection surface oriented at a cam plate projection pitch (788) that is
greater than zero. The
combination of a cam follower (800) having pitched sidewalls (842, 844) and
the mating cam
plate projection (780) having with a corresponding cam plate projection pitch
(788) allows
for the compensation for wear and reduction of backlash. In the current
embodiment, wear to
the cam plate projection (780) and/or the cam follower (800) does not result
in unwanted
movement in the gauge plate (500). As the surfaces of the cam plate projection
(780) and/or
cam follower (800) wear, the pitched configuration of the sidewalls (842, 844)
and the
corresponding cam plate projection pitch (788) compensate.
In a further embodiment at least a portion of the cam follower first channel
sidewall
(842) is oriented at a cam follower first sidewall angle (843) of greater than
five degrees, and
at least a portion of the cam follower second channel sidewall (844) is
oriented at a cam
follower second sidewall angle (845) of greater than five degrees. In still a
further
embodiment at least a portion of the cam plate projection (780) has a cam
plate projection
pitch (788) that is within 2.5 degrees of the cam follower first sidewall
angle (843) and the
cam follower second sidewall angle (845). In a further embodiment at least a
portion of the
cam follower first channel sidewall (842) is oriented at a cam follower first
sidewall angle
(843) of 5-45 degrees, and at least a portion of the cam follower second
channel sidewall
(844) is oriented at a cam follower second sidewall angle (845) of 5-45
degrees. Likewise, in
this embodiment, at least a portion of the cam plate projection (780) has a
cam plate
projection pitch (788) of 5-45 degrees. Another embodiment has at least a
portion of the cam
follower first channel sidewall (842) is oriented at a cam follower first
sidewall angle (843)
of 10-45 degrees, and at least a portion of the cam follower second channel
sidewall (844) is
oriented at a cam follower second sidewall angle (845) of 10-45 degrees.
Likewise, in this
embodiment, at least a portion of the cam plate projection (780) has a cam
plate projection
pitch (788) of 10-45 degrees. Still further, another embodiment has at least a
portion of the
cam follower first channel sidewall (842) is oriented at a cam follower first
sidewall angle
(843) of 15-45 degrees, and at least a portion of the cam follower second
channel sidewall
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(844) is oriented at a cam follower second sidewall angle (845) of 15-45
degrees. Likewise,
in this embodiment, at least a portion of the cam plate projection (780) has a
cam plate
projection pitch (788) of 15-45 degrees; while another embodiment has a cam
follower first
sidewall angle (843) of 20-30 degrees, and a cam follower second sidewall
angle (845) of 20-
30 degrees. Likewise, in this embodiment, at least a portion of the cam plate
projection (780)
has a cam plate projection pitch (788) of 20-30 degrees.
With continued reference to FIG. 14, in one embodiment the preceding geometric
relationships are achieved by a cam plate projection (780) having a cam plate
distal
projection width (784) and a cam plate proximal projection width (786), and
wherein the cam
plate distal projection width (784) is at least 20% less than the cam plate
proximal projection
width (786), while in a further embodiment the cam plate distal projection
width (784) is 20-
60% less than the cam plate proximal projection width (786), and in an even
further
embodiment the cam plate distal projection width (784) is 30-50% less than the
cam plate
proximal projection width (786). In another embodiment the cam plate proximal
projection
width (786) is greater than the cam follower channel exterior width (848),
while in a further
embodiment the cam plate proximal projection width (786) is at least 10%
greater than the
cam follower channel exterior width (848), further accommodating wear while
also ensuring
the cam plate projection (780) does not bottom out in the cam follower channel
(840) and
introduce additional friction into the system. A further embodiment ensures a
preferred
contact between the cam follower (800) and the cam plate projection (780) by
having a cam
plate distal projection width (784) is less than the cam follower channel
interior width (850).
Still another embodiment reduces the risk of bottoming out by incorporating a
cam follower
channel (840) having both a cam follower channel depth (852) and a cam
follower channel
converging sidewall depth (853), and the cam plate projection (780) has a cam
plate
projection length (782) that is less than the cam follower channel depth
(852), while in a
further embodiment the cam follower channel converging sidewall depth (853) is
less than
the cam plate projection length (782). Preferential contact and reduced
stress, while
controlling friction and reduced backlash potential, are further achieved in
an embodiment
having a cam follower channel converging sidewall depth (853) that is at least
30% of the
cam follower channel depth (852), while in another embodiment the cam follower
channel
converging sidewall depth (853) is at least 50% of the cam follower channel
depth (852), and
in yet a further embodiment the cam follower channel converging sidewall depth
(853) is 30-
75% of the cam follower channel depth (852).
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Wear accommodation, and backlash reduction, may be further reduced in
embodiments incorporating a cam-to-follower biasing mechanism (1000) to bias
the cam
follower head (810) and the cam plate (700) against one another, as seen in
FIGS. 12 and 13.
In such embodiments, as the surfaces of the cam plate (700) and/or cam
follower (800) wear,
the pitched configuration of the sidewalls and the cam follower head
compensate to ensure
there is always contact between them. In one embodiment the cam-to-follower
biasing
mechanism (1000) includes a cam follower biasing mechanism (1010) that exerts
a biasing
force to force the cam follower (800) against the cam plate (700), as seen in
FIG. 12. In
another embodiment the cam-to-follower biasing mechanism (1000) includes a cam
plate
biasing mechanism (1020) that exerts a biasing force to force the cam plate
(700) against the
cam follower (800), as seen in FIG. 13. Yet a further embodiment incorporates
both a cam
follower biasing mechanism (1010) and a cam plate biasing mechanism (1020).
Ensuring a
relatively consistent force to bias the cam follower head (810) and the cam
plate (700) against
one another accommodates wear of the components and reduces the amount of play
in the
system thereby enhancing the control and reducing backlash. In one particular
embodiment
the biasing force is at least 2 lbf, while in a further embodiment the biasing
force is less than
12 lbf, and in an even further embodiment the biasing force is 4-10 lbf, with
is further
narrowed in another embodiment to 6-8 lbf. In some embodiments the cam-to-
follower
biasing mechanism (1000) is adjustable so that the biasing force may be fine-
tuned upon
assembly, adjusted to a user's preference, and/or adjusted for component wear
over time. For
instance, as seen in FIG. 12, the position of the cam follower (800), and thus
the cam
follower head (810), is adjustable, which changes the amount that the cam
follower biasing
mechanism (1010) is compressed, thereby changing the biasing force. This is
also true for
embodiments having a cam plate biasing mechanism (1020). In one embodiment the
.. adjustable cam-to-follower biasing mechanism (1000) is capable of changing
the biasing
force by at least 1 lbf; while in another embodiment is may change the biasing
force by 1-8
lbf; and in yet a further embodiment it may change the biasing force by 2-4
lbf. Further, in
one embodiment the biasing force is at least 2 lbf and is adjustable 1 lbf;
while in another
embodiment the biasing force is 2-12 lbf and is adjustable 6 lbf; and in yet
a further
embodiment the biasing force is 4-10 lbf and is adjustable 3 lbf. These
biasing forces and
ranges achieve a delicate balance to provide the previously discussed benefits
while not
adding too much friction to the interface to cause binding of the components
and allow for
consistent smooth operation throughout the rotation of the cam plate (700),
while
accommodating for wear that is common during the life of a product slicer.
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Smooth operation is further achieved in some embodiment through the use of
dissimilar materials for the cam plate (700) and the cam follower (800) to
further control
where the wear occurs, achieve greater reduction of friction in the system,
and improved
durability. In one such embodiment at least one of the cam plate (700) and the
cam follower
(800) are formed of metallic material, and one of the cam plate (700) and the
cam follower
(800) are formed of non-metallic material. In one particular embodiment
majority of the cam
plate (700) is formed of a non-metallic material and the portion of the cam
follower (800) in
contact with the cam plate (700) is formed of a metallic material.
In one embodiment the non-metallic component is formed of a non-metallic
material
having a non-metallic material density of less than 2 grams per cubic
centimeter and a tensile
modulus of at least 4500 IVIPa (ISO 527-1/-2 test standard); while in a
further embodiment
the non-metallic material density of less than 1.5 grams per cubic centimeter
and a tensile
modulus of at least 5000 IVIPa (ISO 527-1/-2 test standard). In yet a further
embodiment the
non-metallic material has a non-metallic material tensile strength of at least
85 megapascal
(ISO 527-1/-2 test standard), and a non-metallic material strain at break of
at least 3.0% (ISO
527-1/-2 test standard); while in an even further embodiment the non-metallic
material tensile
strength of at least 90 megapascal (ISO 527-1/-2 test standard), and a non-
metallic material
strain at break of at least 4.0% (ISO 527-1/-2 test standard). In yet a
further embodiment the
non-metallic component tensile modulus is at least 2 percent of metallic
component tensile
modulus and the metallic material density is at least 3 times the non-metallic
material density.
In an even further embodiment a strain ratio of the metallic material strain
at break to the
non-metallic material strain at break is less than 25, while in an even
further embodiment the
strain ratio is less than 20. Conventional thinking would be to make the non-
metallic
component as strong as possible, which leads to a part formed of material
having a high
ultimate tensile strength, but one that is generally plagued by a strain at
break of 2.5% or less,
leading to a large strain ratio and resulting in durability issues. Focusing
on unique strain
relationships, rather than simply ultimate tensile strength, provide enhanced
durability. Such
a multi-material interface possessing these unique relationships among the
materials achieves
the desired durability and wear control, while promoting smooth operation of
the interface.
In one embodiment the metallic component is formed of a metallic material
having a
metallic material density of greater than 4 grams per cubic centimeter and a
tensile modulus
of at least 150 GPa (ISO 527-1/-2 test standard); while in a further
embodiment the metallic
material density of at least 6 grams per cubic centimeter and a tensile
modulus of at least 175
GPa (ISO 527-1/-2 test standard). In yet a further embodiment the metallic
material has a
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metallic material tensile strength of at least 400 megapascal, and a metallic
material strain at
break of at least 50%; while in an even further embodiment the metallic
material tensile
strength of at least 450 megapascal, and a metallic material strain at break
of at least 60%.
In a further embodiment the non-metallic component material includes a
lubricating
agent so that the non-metallic component is self-lubricating. In one
embodiment the non-
metallic component has a specific wear rate against steel of less than 10 (10-
6 mm-3/Nm),
wherein the specific wear rate was measured at low speed (0.084 m/s) with a
contact pressure
of 0.624 MPa in a reciprocating motion (total sliding distance: 4.25 km),
while in a further
embodiment the non-metallic component has a specific wear rate against steel
of less than 7
(10-6 mm-3/Nm), and in an even further embodiment the non-metallic component
has a
specific wear rate against steel of less than 4 (10-6 mm-3/Nm). In another
embodiment the
non-metallic component material has a dynamic coefficient of friction against
steel is less
than 0.50, wherein the coefficient of friction was measured at a high speed
(0.5 m/s) with a
load of 10 N in a sliding motion (Block-on-Ring), while in a further
embodiment the dynamic
coefficient of friction against steel is less than 0.40, and less than 0.30 in
an even further
embodiment.
In one embodiment the non-metallic component is an engineering thermoplastic.
In
another embodiment the non-metallic component is composed primarily of a
material
selected from polyoxymethylene (POM), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA),
acrylonitrile
butadiene styrene (ABS), polyamide, polylactic acid (polylactide),
polybenzimidazole (PBI),
polycarbonate (PC), polyether sulfone (PES), polyether ether ketone (PEEK),
polyetherimide
(PEI), polyethylene (polyethene, polythene, PE), polyphenylene oxide (PPO),
polyphenylene
sulfide (PPS), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC),
polybutylene
terephthalates (PBT), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), and semi-crystalline
engineering
resin systems that meet the claimed mechanical properties. In one embodiment
the non-
metallic material is a polyoxymethylene (POM) homopolymer, which in a further
embodiment is an acetal resin. Further, the non-metallic material may be fiber
reinforced. In
one such embodiment the non-metallic material includes at least 5% fiber
reinforcement. In
one such embodiment the fiber reinforcement includes long-glass fibers having
a length of at
least 10 millimeters pre-molding and produce a finished component having fiber
lengths of at
least 3 millimeters, while another embodiment includes fiber reinforcement
having short-
glass fibers with a length of at least 0.5-2.0 millimeters pre-molding.
Incorporation of the
fiber reinforcement increases the tensile strength of the component, however
it may also
reduce the strain at break therefore a careful balance must be struck to
maintain sufficient
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elongation and ensure durability of the non-metallic component. Therefore, one
embodiment
includes less than 50% fiber reinforcement, while in an even further
embodiment has 5-40%
fiber reinforcement, and yet another embodiment has 10-30% fiber
reinforcement. Long fiber
reinforced non-metallic materials, and the resulting melt properties, produce
a more isotropic
.. material than that of short fiber reinforced non-metallic materials,
primarily due to the three-
dimensional network formed by the long fibers developed during injection
molding. Another
advantage of long-fiber material is the almost linear behavior through to
fracture resulting in
less deformation at higher stresses.
Some examples of metals and metal alloys that can be used to form the metallic
component include, without limitation, magnesium alloys, aluminum/aluminum
alloys (e.g.,
3000 series alloys, 5000 series alloys, 6000 series alloys, such as 6061-T6,
and 7000 series
alloys, such as 7075), titanium alloys (e.g., 3-2.5, 6-4, 5P700, 15-3-3-3, 10-
2-3, or other
alpha/near alpha, alpha-beta, and beta/near beta titanium alloys), carbon
steels (e.g., 1020 or
8620 carbon steel), stainless steels (e.g., 304, 410, 416 stainless steel), PH
(precipitation-
hardenable) alloys (e.g., 17-4, C450, or C455 alloys), copper alloys, and
nickel alloys. Some
examples of polymers that can be used to form the non-metallic component
include, without
limitation, thermoplastic materials (e.g., polyethylene, polypropylene,
polystyrene, acrylic,
PVC, ABS, polycarbonate, polyurethane, polyphenylene oxide (PPO),
polyphenylene sulfide
(PPS), polyether block amides, nylon, and engineered thermoplastics),
thermosetting
.. materials (e.g., polyurethane, epoxy, and polyester), copolymers, and
elastomers (e.g., natural
or synthetic rubber, EPDM, and compounds thereof). In one particular
embodiment the
metallic material has Rockwell hardness value of at least 25, while a further
embodiment has
a Rockwell hardness value of at least 28, while an even further embodiment has
a Rockwell
hardness value of 30-40, thereby further promoting smooth operation of the
interface and
desired wear tendencies.
Numerous alterations, modifications, and variations of the preferred
embodiments
disclosed herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art and they are all
anticipated and
contemplated to be within the spirit and scope of the instant invention. For
example, although
specific embodiments have been described in detail, those with skill in the
art will understand
that the preceding embodiments and variations can be modified to incorporate
various types
of substitute and or additional or alternative materials, relative arrangement
of elements, and
dimensional configurations. Accordingly, even though only few variations of
the present
invention are described herein, it is to be understood that the practice of
such additional
modifications and variations and the equivalents thereof, are within the
spirit and scope of the
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invention as defined in the following claims. The corresponding structures,
materials, acts,
and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims
below are intended
to include any structure, material, or acts for performing the functions in
combination with
other claimed elements as specifically claimed.
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