Patent Application
20160069762
Slicing assemblies are used in the baking industry to slice various baked goods. The slicing assemblies include one or more band blades for slicing the various baked goods. The band blades are mounted to the slicing assemblies and an optimal amount of tension is applied to the band blades to maximize slicing efficiency and the life of the band blade. Tension measurements may be conducted when changing the distance between band blades (e.g., slice width) and when replacing a band blade.
In an example embodiment, a method of computing a tension value is provided. A strain gauge output signal generated by a strain gauge is received. A strain value is determined from the received strain gauge output signal. A pair of calibration points is identified that bound the strain value. A tension-strain equation is determined from the identified pair of calibration points. A tension value is calculated for the band blade using the determined tension-strain equation and the strain value. The calculated tension value is output.
In another example embodiment, a computer-readable medium is provided having stored thereon computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a tension calculator to perform the method of computing a tension value.
In yet another example embodiment, an electronic tension gauge system is provided. The electronic tension gauge system includes, but is not limited to, a tension gauge assembly and a tension calculator. The tension gauge assembly includes, but is not limited to, a housing, a first arm mounted to extend from the housing in a first direction, a beam mounted to extend from the housing in the first direction, and a strain gauge mounted to the beam. The beam is deflectable at a first end in a second direction relative to the housing. The second direction is perpendicular to the first direction. The strain gauge is configured to generate a strain gauge output signal based on the deflection of the beam at the first end when a band blade is positioned between the first arm and the beam. The tension calculator is operably coupled to the strain gauge to receive the strain gauge output signal. The tension calculator includes, but is not limited to, a processor and a computer-readable medium operably coupled to the processor. The computer-readable medium has instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the tension calculator, cause the tension calculator to perform the method of computing a tension value.
Other principal features of the disclosed subject matter will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following drawings, the detailed description, and the appended claims.
Illustrative embodiments of the disclosed subject matter will hereafter be described referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals denote like elements.
With reference to
Slicing system 100 includes any type of slicing assembly 102 which includes one or more band blades mounted on the assembly and which is configured to perform a slicing operation using the band blade(s) to cut, chop, saw, shave, slice, etc. a desired object (e.g., metal, wood, food, meat, bone, baked good, etc.) As used herein, the term “mount” includes join, unite, connect, couple, associate, insert, hang, hold, affix, attach, fasten, bind, paste, secure, bolt, screw, rivet, solder, weld, glue, form over, form in, layer, mold, rest on, rest against, abut, and other like terms. The phrases “mounted on”, “mounted to”, and equivalent phrases indicate any interior or exterior portion of the element referenced. These phrases also encompass direct mounting (in which the referenced elements are in direct contact) and indirect mounting (in which the referenced elements are not in direct contact, but are connected through an intermediate element). Elements referenced as mounted to each other herein may further be integrally formed together, for example, using a molding or thermoforming process as understood by a person of skill in the art. As a result, elements described herein as being mounted to each other need not be discrete structural elements. The elements may be mounted permanently, removably, or releasably unless specified otherwise.
With reference to
With reference to
The tension gauge assembly 106 may include a support body 310 and a strain gauge assembly 312 mounted to the support body 310. The support body 310 may include a handle portion 314 and a blade mounting portion 316 mounted to the front end of the handle portion 314. The handle portion 314 may include a base panel 317 and a plurality of walls 318, 319 and 321. The base panel 317 and walls 318, 319 and 321 define a cavity in which the strain gauge assembly 312 is mounted and partially enclosed. The handle portion 314 may be configured in a variety of ways to allow the tension gauge assembly 106 to be readily grasped by a user when attaching the tension gauge assembly 106 to the band blade 302 and detaching the tension gauge assembly 106 from the band blade 302.
The blade mounting portion 316 may be configured in a variety of ways to allow the tension gauge assembly 106 to be mounted to the band blade 302. For example, as shown in the illustrative embodiment, the blade mounting portion 316 may include a first arm 320 and a second arm 322 mounted to opposite sides of a front end of the handle portion 314. First arm 320 and second arm 322 extend substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the handle portion 314. The arms 320, 322 may be mounted to the handle portion 314 through a crossbar 336 mounted to the handle portion 314 and oriented perpendicular to the arms 320, 322. Each arm 320, 322 may include a contact area configured to engage with an area on a blade surface of the band blade 302. For example, as shown in the illustrative embodiment, the first arm 320 may include a first contact area 324 formed in a top surface of a front end of the first arm 320 that is configured to engage with a first area on the bottom blade surface 309 as well as a first portion of the spine edge 306. Similarly, the second arm 322 may include a second contact area 326 formed in a top surface of a front end of the second arm 322 that is configured to engage with a second area on the bottom blade surface 309 as well as a second portion of the spine edge 306. The support body 310 is sized and shaped to allow the tension gauge assembly 106 to fit within a desired slicing assembly.
The strain gauge assembly 312 may include a beam 328 and a beam housing 330 mounted to the beam 328. The beam housing 330 may include a ceiling panel 332, a right side wall 402, a left side wall 404 (with reference to
As shown in the illustrative embodiment, the strain gauge assembly 312 may be mounted to the support body 310 such that the beam 328 is positioned between the first arm 320 and the second arm 322 and extends substantially parallel to the arms 320, 322. The strain gauge assembly 312 may be pivotably mounted to the support body 310 via a first pivot point fastener 338 and a second pivot point fastener 340 to allow the strain gauge assembly 312 to pivot within the handle portion 314 of the support body 310 about the first pivot point fastener 338 and the second pivot point fastener 340. The first pivot point fastener 338 may include a first threaded end 342 that mounts to a first threaded hole 344 defined in the wall 318 of the handle portion 314. The first pivot point fastener 338 may further include a first rod end 346 that is inserted in a first hole 348 defined in the right side wall 402 of the beam housing 330. Similarly, the second pivot point fastener 340 may include a second threaded end 350 that mounts to a second threaded hole 352 in the wall 319 of the handle portion 314. The second pivot point fastener 340 may further include a second rod end 354 that engages with a second hole (not shown) defined in the left side wall 404 of the beam housing 330. A first travel stop 360 and a second travel stop (not shown) may be mounted to the base panel 317 of the handle portion 314 via a first hole 362 and a second hole 364 defined in the base panel 317. The travel stops may be positioned and configured to limit the amount of bending of the beam 328 in the strain gauge assembly 312 towards the base panel 317. The upward extent of the first travel stop 360 and the second travel stop may be adjustable by insertion of an adjustment tool (e.g. screw driver) into the first hole 362 and the second hole 364.
The beam 328 may also include a contact area 334 formed in a bottom surface 410 of a front end of the beam 328. Contact area 334 is configured to engage with an area on the top blade surface 308 as well as a third portion of the spine edge 306. As a result, the band blade 302 is positioned longitudinally between the first arm 320, the second arm 322, and the beam 328.
With reference to
With reference to
The strain gauge 408 may be any device configured to measure strain in an object on which the strain gauge 408 is mounted by converting the mechanical deformation induced by an applied force on the object into an electronic signal, i.e., a strain gauge output signal. A variety of types of strain gauges may be used, e.g., a full Wheatstone bridge strain gauge such as those sold by Omega Engineering Inc. in Stamford, Conn. The tension gauge assembly 106 is further configured to generate the strain gauge output signal from the strain gauge 408 when the tension gauge assembly 106 is mounted to the band blade 302 under tension. The strain gauge output signal is proportional to a magnitude of the tension applied to the band blade 302.
With reference to
In the illustrative embodiment, a thickness of the beam 328 may not be uniform along its longitudinal length and may include a relatively thin portion 512 between a first thick portion 510a and a second thick portion 510b. The strain gauge 408 may be mounted to the relatively thin portion 512. Such a configuration allows the beam 328 to deform (flex) more easily when a force is applied to the contact area 334 at the front end of the beam 328. The specific dimensions and materials used for the beam 328 may depend upon the type of strain gauge selected because strain gauges are generally matched to the modulus of elasticity and yield strength of the material of the object (i.e., the beam 328) to which they are mounted and because the strain gauge output signal depends upon this material and the cross-sectional area of the object. The beam 328 may be formed of aluminum, stainless steel, etc.
When using the tension gauge assembly 106, the spring 356 applies the predetermined force on the strain gauge assembly 312. The specific dimensions and material used for the spring 506 may depend upon the predetermined force. When the tension gauge assembly 106 is mounted to the band blade 302, the spring 356 applies a deflection force against the force applied to the contact area 334 by the top surface 308 of the band blade 302. The force applied to the contact area 334 by the top surface 308 of the band blade 302 is proportional to the amount of tension on the band blade 302. The force applied to the contact area 334 by the top surface 308 of the band blade 302 bends the beam 328 in a z+ direction indicated by a first arrow 514, thereby generating a strain gauge output signal from the strain gauge 408. The amount of force applied to the contact area 334 by the top surface 308 of the band blade 302 is proportional to the amount of tension on the band blade 302. The force applied to the contact area 334 by the top surface 308 of the band blade 302 deforms the beam 328 relative to an initial position in which no force is applied to the contact area 334 and only the spring 356 is providing a force to the beam 328.
As shown in the illustrative embodiment of
With reference to
With reference to
Input interface 600 provides an interface for receiving information from a user for processing by tension calculator 108 as known to those skilled in the art. Input interface 600 may interface with various input technologies including, but not limited to, a button 612, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch screen, a track ball, a keypad, etc. to allow the user to enter information into tension calculator 108 or to make selections presented in a user interface displayed on display 614. Tension calculator 108 may have one or more input interfaces that use the same or different input interface technology.
Output interface 602 provides an interface for outputting information for review by a user of tension calculator 108. For example, output interface 602 may interface with various output technologies including, but not limited to, display 614, a speaker, a printer, etc. Tension calculator 108 may have one or more output interfaces that use the same or a different output interface technology.
Communication interface 604 provides an interface for receiving and transmitting data between devices using various protocols, transmission technologies, and media as known to those skilled in the art. The communication interface may support communication using various transmission media that may be wired and/or wireless. Tension calculator 108 may have one or more communication interfaces that use the same or different communication interface technology. In the illustrative embodiment of
Computer-readable medium 606 is an electronic holding place or storage for information so the information can be accessed by processor 608 as understood by those skilled in the art. Computer-readable medium 606 can include, but is not limited to, any type of random access memory (RAM), any type of read only memory (ROM), any type of flash memory, etc. such as magnetic storage devices (e.g., hard disk, floppy disk, magnetic strips, . . . ), optical disks (e.g., compact disc (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD), . . . ), smart cards, flash memory devices, etc. Tension calculator 108 may have one or more computer-readable media that use the same or a different memory media technology. For example, computer-readable medium 606 may include different types of computer-readable media that may be organized hierarchically to provide efficient access to the data stored therein as understood by a person of skill in the art. As an example, a cache may be implemented in a smaller, faster memory that stores copies of data from the most frequently/recently accessed main memory locations. Tension calculator 108 also may have one or more drives that support the loading of a memory media such as a CD, DVD, an external hard drive, etc. One or more external hard drives further may be connected to tension calculator 108 using communication interface 604.
Processor 608 executes instructions as understood by those skilled in the art. The instructions may be carried out by a special purpose computer, logic circuits, or hardware circuits. Processor 608 may be implemented in hardware and/or firmware. Processor 608 executes an instruction, meaning it performs/controls the operations called for by that instruction. The term “execution” is the process of running an application or the carrying out of the operation called for by an instruction. The instructions may be written using one or more programming language, scripting language, assembly language, etc. Processor 608 operably couples with input interface 600, with output interface 602, with communication interface 604, and with computer-readable medium 606 to receive, to send, and to process information. Processor 608 may retrieve a set of instructions from a permanent memory device and copy the instructions in an executable faun to a temporary memory device that is generally some form of RAM. Tension calculator 108 may include a plurality of processors that use the same or a different processing technology.
Tension calculation application 610 performs operations associated with processing the strain gauge output signal generated by the tension gauge assembly 106 to calculate the tension value on the band blade 302. Some or all of the operations described herein may be controlled by instructions embodied in tension calculation application 610. The operations may be implemented using hardware, firmware, software, or any combination of these methods. With reference to the example embodiment of
The tension gauge assembly 106 and the tension calculator 108 may be integrated into a single device, e.g., the tension calculator 108 may be implemented as a component of the tension gauge assembly 106. Alternatively, the tension gauge assembly 106 and the tension calculator 108 may be implemented in separate devices and may be connected using communication interface 604.
With reference to
In an operation 701, a strain value is determined from the strain gauge output signal. The determined strain value indicates an amount of deflection of the beam at the first end when a band blade is positioned between the first arm 320 and/or the second arm 322 and the beam 328. As an example, the strain gauge output signal may be a value of a voltage that is converted to the strain value by a scale that defines the relationship between the voltage and the strain.
In an operation 702, a pair of calibration points is identified based on the received strain gauge output signal from a set of calibration points. A first calibration point in the pair may be characterized by a first strain value x1 and a first tension value y1, and a second calibration point in the pair may be characterized by a second strain value x2 and a second tension value y2. The pair of calibration points may be identified by comparing the strain value from the received strain gauge output signal to the strain values in the set of calibration points and determining which two strain values x1 and x2, and thus, which two calibration points x1, y1 and x2, y2, the strain gauge output signal falls between. The two strain values x1 and x2 of the identified pair of calibration points bound the strain value.
In an illustrative embodiment, the set of predetermined calibration points are determined for a minimum tension setting for the band blade, a maximum tension setting for the band blade, and a middle value of an optimum tension range for the band blade. For example, the minimum tension setting for the band blade may be at 40 pounds with an associated strain value read from the strain gauge 408 to define a first calibration point in the set of predetermined calibration points. The middle value of an optimum tension range of 65 to 75 pounds for the band blade may be set at 75 pounds with an associated strain value read from the strain gauge 408 to define a second calibration point in the set of predetermined calibration points. The maximum tension setting for the band blade may be at 110 pounds with an associated strain value read from the strain gauge 408 to define a third calibration point in the set of predetermined calibration points. A fewer or a greater number of calibration points may be used, for example, to provide a more accurate tension value.
In an operation 704, a tension-strain equation is determined from the identified pair of calibration points, x1, y1 and x2, y2. The tension-strain equation may be determined by calculating a slope m using m=(y1−y2)/(x1−x2) and an intercept b using b=y1−mx1.
In an operation 706, a tension value for the band blade mounted to the tension gauge assembly 106 is calculated using the determined tension-strain equation y=mx+b determined in operation 704, where y is the tension value, m is the slope determined in operation 704, x is the determined strain value, and b is the intercept from operation 704.
With reference to
Display 614 and button 612 are mounted to the front panel 802. A second connector plug 812 is mounted to a top wall 804 of the tension calculator 108. The second connector plug 812 is configured to operably couple to the connector plug 414 of the tension gauge assembly 106 to receive the strain gauge output signal.
In the illustrative embodiment, the electronic tension gauge system 104 may be used to repeatedly and reliably calculate tension values in the range from about 40 pounds to about 199 pounds for band blades characterized by a thickness in the range of from about 0.0160 inches to about 0.018 inches. The components of the electronic tension gauge system may be modified to calculate tension values outside this tension value range from band blades having thicknesses outside this thickness range.
Components of the system electronic tension gauge system 104 may be made from any type of material having sufficient strength, rigidity, and/or flexibility for the described application.
The word “illustrative” is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any aspect or design described herein as “illustrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs. Further, for the purposes of this disclosure and unless otherwise specified, “a” or “an” means “one or more”. Still further, using “and” or “or” in the detailed description is intended to include “and/or” unless specifically indicated otherwise.
The foregoing description of illustrative embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and of description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of the invention. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the invention and as practical applications of the invention to enable one skilled in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents.
