Apparatus and method for providing a product stream of food products on a product substrate with mutual alignment

Abstract

An apparatus and method for providing a product stream with mutually aligned food products on a product substrate are described. According to the apparatus and method, a first conveyor belt is used for supply transport and mutual lateral alignment of the food products, a second conveyor belt is adjacent in the transport direction at a gap-like belt transition and can be controlled individually for discharge transport and mutual longitudinal alignment of the food products, and a substrate placement device is used for supplying a product substrate from below through the belt transition in front of / below the food products being transported through the belt transition, respectively. This enables alignment and substrate placement at a single belt transition in a particularly compact and reliable configuration.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for providing a product flow having mutually aligned food on a product substrate. Background Technology

[0002] It is known that food products, especially fresh products such as hamburger patties, minced meat, or cream cheese portions, can be produced on production lines with several machines arranged on conveyor belts, with packaging machines or post-processing belts at the ends of the conveyor belts. The food product often has to be handled on a conveyor belt. This is due to the shape and consistency of the food. Before processing (such as frying, deep-frying, or deep-freezing), food typically has a relatively soft and easily yielding consistency, meaning it is dimensionally unstable during handling and can be plastically deformed.

[0003] Due to the characteristics of these products and the need to place food onto the conveyor belt, their transverse placement can vary significantly, necessitating correction before further processing to achieve sufficiently uniform lateral alignment. The longitudinal alignment of the food items (i.e., the conveyor spacing between them) can also vary considerably, making automated further processing impeded or infeasible without correcting the conveyor spacing. This correction is known to be achieved by arranging conveyor belts with variable conveyor speeds.

[0004] A fundamental challenge in handling food is reliably transferring it from one conveyor belt to the next. To achieve this, the specific characteristics of the food and the features of the equipment must be considered, such as the diameter of the deflection rollers at the beginning and end of the conveyor belts, the appropriate safety distances between conveyor belts, the alignment of the conveyor belts relative to each other, and any speed differences that may exist between consecutive conveyor belts. Therefore, belt transitions are potential sources of failure in the production process.

[0005] On the other hand, certain process steps require associated belt transition sections, such as aligning food on a conveyor belt and supplying sheet-like product substrates, such as paper carriers, to individual products.

[0006] For example, a device 200 for aligning food LP in the transverse direction QR relative to the conveying direction TR and in the longitudinal direction LR parallel to the conveying direction. Figure 2The diagram is shown schematically and by way of example. For this purpose, the apparatus 200 includes at least one first conveyor belt 201 and an adjacent second conveyor belt 202, wherein the deflection rollers on the exit side of the first conveyor belt 201 are adjustable in the lateral direction QR, and the conveying speed of the second conveyor belt 202 is variable. For this purpose, the end 201a on the exit side of the first conveyor belt 201 is adjusted for each food LP, thereby obtaining a product flow PS of food LPs that are substantially identically aligned in the lateral direction QR, such as... Figure 2 As illustrated. Furthermore, the conveying speed of the second conveyor belt 202 varies for each food LP so that the food LPs in the resulting product stream PS have substantially the same conveying interval. As is known, in this respect, it is necessary, for example, to detect the individual lateral and longitudinal positions of the upstream food LPs (not shown) by imaging on the upstream conveyor belt 203.

[0007] It is also known to be a device 300 for supplying sheet-like product substrate PU through a belt transition section 303 formed between a first conveyor belt 301 and an adjacent second conveyor belt 302, the device 300 being in Figure 3 The diagram is shown schematically and by way of example. For this purpose, the apparatus 300 includes a substrate placement device 304 having an extraction device 305 for extracting the strip-shaped carrier material TM and a separation unit 306 for separating the product substrate PU by continuously cutting it from the strip-shaped substrate material TM. The individual product substrates PU are supplied synchronously from below directly in front of the food LP at the same conveying speed as the food LP, such that each food LP travels onto the product substrate PU and is conveyed away on the product substrate PU by a second conveyor belt 302.

[0008] The disadvantages of the aforementioned devices 200, 300 and the methods performed therewith are that multiple conveyor belts 201, 202, 301, 302, and possibly arranged upstream, intermediate, and / or downstream are required to perform the corresponding process steps. Besides the undesirable high equipment complexity and space requirements, this also results in numerous belt transition sections being potential sources of failure and potentially requiring adaptation to different food LPs and / or the inability to reliably handle certain food LPs.

[0009] Therefore, there is a need for improved apparatus and methods for providing a product flow in which individual food items are properly aligned with each other in both the transverse and longitudinal directions, and in which the food items can be further processed on a sheet-like product substrate. Summary of the Invention

[0010] The proposed objective is achieved by the apparatus according to technical solution 1 and the method according to technical solution 8. Preferred embodiments are specified in the dependent technical solutions.

[0011] The apparatus according to the invention is used to provide a product flow consisting essentially of food items aligned with each other on a product substrate. For this purpose, the apparatus includes: a first conveyor belt for supplying and conveying the food items and for lateral alignment with each other; a second conveyor belt, abutting in the conveying direction at a gap-like belt transition and individually controllable at a variable speed, for unloading and conveying the food items and for longitudinal alignment with each other; and a substrate placement device for supplying the product substrate from below, passing through the belt transition in front of / below the food items correspondingly conveyed through it. The conveyor speed of the first conveyor belt can also be configured to be variable and controllable independently of the second conveyor belt.

[0012] To align the food and serve it on the product substrate, only a single transition section and a substrate placement device associated with the transition section are required. In this way, the complexity of the equipment, space requirements, and the total number of transition sections needed, as well as their potential interference, can be minimized.

[0013] Foods possess a particularly malleable consistency. For example, due to the effect of the food's own weight on its shape, the food's shape can be adapted to, for example, a supporting surface or supporting shape, making plastic deformation possible. Foods are especially prone to plastic deformation in fresh, portioned products, such as meat products, dairy products, or dough.

[0014] Product substrates should be understood as sheet-like carrier materials, particularly sheet-like carrier materials made of paper, film, or nonwoven fabric, or composite materials made of at least two of the above materials. When product substrates are placed adjacent to each other in packaging, one on top of another, and / or stacked, the product substrates serve as, for example, a base layer and / or intermediate layer for food applications.

[0015] The gap-shaped belt transition section is formed by at least one deflecting roller on the exit side of a first conveyor belt with a gap therebetween and at least one deflecting roller on the inlet side of an adjacent second conveyor belt.

[0016] By definition, lateral alignment occurs in the lateral direction that is substantially orthogonal to the conveying direction, and longitudinal alignment occurs in the longitudinal direction that is parallel to the conveying direction.

[0017] The exit end of the first conveyor belt can preferably be motorized / by a motor to be adjusted laterally to different lateral alignment positions in the conveying direction so that the food is individually aligned with the substrate placement device and the provided product substrate. The inlet end (head end) of the first conveyor belt or both ends of the conveyor belt can also be moved to different lateral alignment positions by a motor.

[0018] For this purpose, the device includes at least one actuator by which at least the exit end of the first conveyor belt can be moved laterally to different alignment positions, for example, by lateral horizontal displacement transverse to the conveying direction. The starting point (the inlet end) of the first conveyor belt can be configured in a laterally fixed position, i.e., transverse to the conveying direction. Therefore, the lateral offset of each food item relative to the target conveying path at the starting point of the first conveyor belt or immediately upstream therefrom can be reduced to an allowable deviation or eliminated at the exit end of the first conveyor belt.

[0019] Using a single associated actuator, the first conveyor belt can be displaced as a whole in the lateral direction to an aligned position. Using separate actuators for the inlet and outlet ends of the first conveyor belt, they can be displaced in a particularly variable manner in terms of the location and timing of the lateral alignment of the food. The maximum relative lateral offset between the inlet and outlet ends can also be adapted in a controlled manner to the corresponding lateral elasticity of the first conveyor belt. For example, the inlet end can be laterally offset by a smaller degree than the outlet end.

[0020] Lateral offset on the inlet side can be determined, for example, by imaging, from a sensor at the starting point of the first conveyor belt or upstream of it.

[0021] The device preferably includes an electronic control unit configured to adjust the inlet and / or outlet ends to corresponding lateral alignment positions while the first conveyor belt is traveling, prior to the contact of the food with its associated product substrate and / or second conveyor belt. This prevents food twisting and / or undesirable displacement of the food relative to the associated product substrate.

[0022] The control device is preferably configured to maintain the lateral alignment position on the exit side at least until the food items that have been aligned therefrom have completely left the first conveyor belt. This also facilitates the correct positioning of the food items on their respective product substrates.

[0023] The control device is preferably configured to change the conveying speed of the first and / or second conveyor belts to longitudinally align the food when the food has been fully received by the second conveyor belt from the first conveyor belt and / or through the associated product substrate, and / or when the corresponding associated product substrate is present in a separated form. Therefore, the common longitudinal alignment of the food and the product substrate can be achieved in a manner independent of the forward movement of the product substrate, particularly immediately after the above conditions are met, so as to achieve maximum uniformity in the conveying intervals.

[0024] Once the food is no longer placed on the corresponding upstream conveyor belt / conveying device, that is, once it has completely left the conveyor belt / conveying device, the food has been fully received in terms of transportation. It goes without saying that the food is now mainly placed on the receiving conveyor belt, meaning that the geometric center of gravity of the food is therefore above the receiving conveyor belt.

[0025] The product substrate is preferably separated by being continuously cut from the strip-shaped carrier material, but in principle it can also be provided in a separate form by being stacked in a box present at the substrate placement device.

[0026] The control device is preferably configured to determine the forward conveying speeds of the first and second conveyor belts and the product substrate, and / or temporarily match the forward speed profiles of the first and second conveyor belts and the product substrate to supply the product substrate in front of / below the food. This means that the first and second conveyor belts and the substrate placement device thus temporarily operate at the same conveying and forward speeds used for individual supply and substrate placement, respectively. This enables precise and reliable supply of the product substrate in front of and below the respective food items.

[0027] The substrate placement device is preferably configured to separate the product substrate from the strip-shaped carrier material, and the forward speed of the substrate placement device can be adapted to the conveying speed of the first and / or second conveyor belts, particularly for cutting the product substrate, provided that the corresponding associated food has not yet been fully placed on the second conveyor belt. Thus, the length of the product substrate (its dimension in the conveying direction) can be adapted to the corresponding food and created in a reproducible manner.

[0028] The forward speed can differ, at least temporarily, from the upstream and / or downstream conveying speeds. For example, the forward movement of the carrier material used to separate / cut the product substrate can be briefly interrupted or slowed down. In principle, the length of the product substrate can be variably adjusted, for example, in such a way that two food items can be placed on a product substrate of a corresponding length, or the product substrate can be folded over the food items to place another food item on top of them.

[0029] The method according to the invention is used to provide a product flow consisting of food products, particularly those with a plastically deformable consistency, aligned on a product substrate. For this purpose, the food products are fed onto a first conveyor belt and aligned laterally due to the motorized adjustment of the first conveyor belt. Additionally, the product substrate is supplied from below at the end of the first conveyor belt on the exit side, and the food products are received and transported, particularly individually, by a second conveyor belt adjacent in the transport direction, passing over the supplied product substrate. By adjusting the speed of the second conveyor belt, particularly relative to the first conveyor belt, the food products are aligned longitudinally, and in particular, the transport intervals between the food products are equalized. Thus, the advantages described with respect to technical solution 1 are achieved. The transport speed of the first conveyor belt can also be adjusted / varied to support uniformity in the transport intervals between the individual products on the exit side.

[0030] Preferably, the food is automatically aligned during food transport by dynamically adjusting the end of the exit side of the first conveyor belt to a separate lateral alignment position relative to the supplied product substrate in the transport direction, always before the food comes into contact with the product substrate and / or the second conveyor belt. Conversely, it is not necessarily necessary to adjust the starting point (the end on the inlet side) of the first conveyor belt in the lateral direction, although this can in principle be achieved by a shared or separate actuator. Thus, lateral offset at the starting point of the belt between individual food items can be eliminated or at least minimized by selectively moving to a separate alignment position at the end of the belt.

[0031] Preferably, the alignment position of the exit side end of the first conveyor belt for each individual food item is individually maintained, at least until the associated food item has completely left the first conveyor belt. This facilitates the correct positioning of the product substrate and the food item relative to each other.

[0032] When the corresponding food has been fully received by the first conveyor belt and / or by the associated product substrate to the second conveyor belt and / or the associated product substrate is in a separated manner in terms of conveying, and especially once the corresponding food has been fully received by the first conveyor belt and / or by the associated product substrate to the second conveyor belt and / or the associated product substrate is in a separated manner in terms of conveying, it is preferable to dynamically adjust the conveying speed of the first and / or second conveyor belts for the longitudinal alignment (gap adjustment) of the food relative to each other. In particular, when adjusting the gap, the food may be primarily rested, and especially completely rested, on the corresponding conveyor belt used for gap adjustment via the associated product substrate.

[0033] The speeds and / or speed profiles of the first and second conveyor belts and the forward speed of the product substrate are preferably temporarily matched / synchronized with each other for supplying the product substrate.

[0034] Preferably, the product substrate is individually separated from the strip-shaped carrier material below the first and / or second conveyor belts, and its conveying speed is adjusted, for example, temporarily in sync with the speed of the first and / or second conveyor belts. Thus, the product substrate is guided from below through the belt transition formed between the first and second conveyor belts to the front of the associated food, such that the food at the starting point of the second conveyor belt travels onto the product substrate, aligns with it in the longitudinal direction, and is conveyed away on the second conveyor belt. The synchronized supply of speed for the product substrate facilitates precise dimensionaling and positioning of the product substrate in the conveying direction and reliable transport of the product substrate with the arriving food. Separation can also be performed, for example, during temporary interruptions in the belt advance (of the carrier material), even without simultaneous speed synchronization.

[0035] Preferably, the product substrate is cut from the strip carrier material before the associated food is fully placed on the second conveyor belt.

[0036] Lateral offset and conveying interval of the food items on the inlet side to be corrected are preferably detected by sensors located upstream of the first conveyor belt and / or at the starting point of the first conveyor belt (the end on the inlet side), and compensated or equalized by the first and second conveyor belts. Lateral offset between the individual food items determined in this manner can be advantageously corrected automatically by laterally adjusting the ends of the first conveyor belt (inlet and / or outlet sides). Similarly, longitudinal offset or uneven conveying intervals between the food items determined in this manner can be corrected by adjusting the compensation speed of the second conveyor belt and optionally the first conveyor belt.

[0037] This method is preferably performed by a consistent, continuous conveying motion of the food. The device is preferably configured for the lateral and longitudinal alignment of the food and for supplying a product substrate during each such continuous conveying. Attached Figure Description

[0038] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0039] Figure 1 The device according to the invention is shown in schematic side and top views;

[0040] Figure 2 The alignment device known from the prior art is shown schematically in side and top views; and

[0041] Figure 3 The substrate placement apparatus known from the prior art is shown in schematic side and top views. Detailed Implementation

[0042] Figure 1As can be seen from the preferred embodiment, the apparatus 100 according to the invention for providing a product flow PS consisting of mutually aligned food LPs on a product substrate PU comprises: a first conveyor belt 1 for supplying the food LPs at a preferably variable first conveying speed V1 and for aligning the food LPs relative to each other in the transverse direction QR; a second conveyor belt 2 adjacent to each other in the conveying direction TR and driven separately at a variable second conveying speed V2 for aligning the food LPs relative to each other in the longitudinal direction LR and for conveying the food LPs walking on the product substrate PU; and a substrate placement device 3 for supplying the product substrate PU in front of / below the food LPs input by the first conveyor belt 1 and aligned in the transverse direction QR, respectively, between the first conveyor belt 1 and the second conveyor belt 2.

[0043] The starting point (end on the inlet side) of the first conveyor belt 1 is formed by a deflection roller 1a on the inlet side, which is configured to be stationary in the transverse direction QR or optionally to be laterally movable, and the end of the first conveyor belt 1 (on the outlet side) is formed by a deflection roller 1b on the outlet side, which can be moved substantially horizontally in the transverse direction QR by a motor.

[0044] The deflection roller 1b on the exit side and optionally the deflection roller 1a on the inlet side can be adjusted in the lateral direction QR by at least one actuator 1c (illustrated only). For example, a separate actuator 1c (not shown) can be correspondingly associated with the deflection roller 1a on the inlet side. It is also conceivable that a common actuator 1c (not shown) for both deflection rollers 1a and 1b could be used, for example, to displace the first conveyor belt 1 together in the lateral direction QR.

[0045] The device 100 includes an electronic control unit 4 for controlling / regulating at least one actuator 1c to move the deflection rollers 1a, 1b of the first conveyor belt 1 to individual alignment positions 5 for individual food items LP on the inlet side and / or outlet side.

[0046] In the alignment position 5 on the exit side of the first conveyor belt 1, the corresponding food LP is preferably centered relative to the substrate placement device 3 and / or relative to the product substrate PU in the transverse direction QR.

[0047] Using at least one actuator 1C and control device 4, the lateral offset 6 of each food LP can be eliminated or reduced to a predetermined degree. The lateral offset 6 of a single food LP exists on the inlet side of the first conveyor belt 1 or immediately upstream therefrom and is defined, for example, by alignment with the central target of the product flow PS. The alignment position 5 is moved to thereby compensate for the lateral offset 6 of each food LP on the inlet side at the end of the outlet side of the first conveyor belt 1.

[0048] As with the other control functions described, a device suitable for this control 4 can be implemented in a manner known in principle by using appropriate hardware and software, and therefore it is not described in detail.

[0049] The control device 4 is also configured to independently set the conveying speed V1 of the first conveyor belt 1, the conveying speed V2 of the second conveyor belt 2, and the forward speed V3 of the substrate placement device 3, and is configured to temporarily match them to each other in time synchronization.

[0050] For this purpose, the first conveyor belt 1, the second conveyor belt 2, and the substrate placement device 3 each include a separate drive motor (not shown) for conveying or advancing the belts. These may be, for example, servo motors.

[0051] The substrate placement device 3 preferably includes a separation device 7, which allows each product substrate PU to be cut and separated from, for example, a strip of carrier material TM disposed on a roll.

[0052] Alternatively, in principle, it is also conceivable to arrange the product substrate PU as a stack that is already in a separate form in the box of the substrate placement device 3 (not shown).

[0053] Further schematically illustrated, the product substrate PU is supplied from below, i.e. mainly vertically, through the gap-shaped belt transition section 8 formed between the deflection roller 1b on the exit side of the first conveyor belt 1 and the deflection roller 2a on the inlet side of the second conveyor belt 2.

[0054] A separate product substrate PU is supplied in front of the corresponding input food LP, allowing the food LP to travel onto the corresponding product substrate PU. The product substrate PU is then bent as it travels over the transition section 8 and placed onto the second conveyor belt 2 in a manner known in principle. Thus, the product substrate PU and the food LP resting on it can be received by the second conveyor belt 2 and transported together.

[0055] The first conveyor belt 1, the second conveyor belt 2, and the substrate placement device 3 are preferably controlled / regulated by the control device 4 in the following manner:

[0056] When the food LP is aligned in the transverse direction QR, that is, orthogonal to the conveying direction TR, as long as the food LP is still completely placed on the first conveyor belt 1, the compensatory lateral movement of the deflection roller 1b on the exit side of the first conveyor belt 1 to the alignment position 5 is preferably completed.

[0057] When the food LP first comes into contact with the associated product substrate PU and / or the second conveyor belt 2, the lateral alignment of the corresponding food LP is already completed. This prevents the food LP from twisting and / or from undergoing undesirable displacement off-center on the associated product substrate PU.

[0058] Once the food LP that has just been aligned has completely left the first conveyor belt 1, the deflection roller 1b on the exit side of the first conveyor belt 1 initially returns to the uniform starting position or moves directly to the next alignment position 5 for subsequent food LPs. This is also used to achieve the most accurate possible lateral alignment and central positioning of the food LP on the associated product substrate PU.

[0059] To adjust the spacing, when each food LP has been substantially fully received by the first conveyor belt 1 and / or the second conveyor belt 2, and especially once the food LPs have been substantially fully received by the first conveyor belt 1 and / or the second conveyor belt 2, the food LPs are preferably aligned with each other in the longitudinal direction LR, i.e., in the conveying direction TR, or opposite to the conveying direction TR. This prevents longitudinal alignment on the one hand, and on the other hand, prevents the separation and supply of product substrates from interfering with each other. A fully received food LP is currently understood to mean that it is no longer resting on the conveyor belts or similar conveying devices arranged immediately upstream, and therefore has completely left the conveying devices arranged immediately upstream in terms of transport.

[0060] The forward speed V3 of the product substrate PU, the conveying speed V1 of the first conveyor belt 1, and the conveying speed V2 of the second conveyor belt 2 are preferably matched by the control device 4 from at least the point in time when the corresponding food LP first comes into contact with the associated product substrate PU. Then, the control device 4 also triggers the associated separation with an appropriate time delay, i.e., cutting the individual product substrate PU from the strip carrier material TM.

[0061] The synchronous conveying / forward speeds V1, V2, and V3 can be constant or have appropriate speed curves.

[0062] The control device 4 triggers separation, for example, such that the product substrate PU is cut off when the corresponding food LP is mainly and particularly completely placed on the second conveyor belt 2 and the associated product substrate PU.

[0063] The product substrates (PUs) are preferably separated at the point in time when they are already sandwiched between the second conveyor belt 2 and the associated food PU, and thus can be pulled by the second conveyor belt 2. From this point onward, it is no longer necessary to actively supply each product substrate PU via the substrate placement device 3, allowing the product substrate PU to separate from the appropriately advancing carrier material TM. Thus, the length of the product substrate PU can be flexibly created to match each food LP and / or to create the length of the product substrate PU according to specific production needs.

[0064] On the other hand, the separation preferably occurs so early that the rear end of the cut product substrate PU passes through the distance between the separation point (i.e., the blade used to cut the carrier material TM) and the second conveyor belt 2 at a good time that matches the rear end of the food LP being conveyed above. This prevents the product substrate PU from being of inappropriate length.

[0065] In addition to the lateral offset 6 of each food LP at the inlet side relative to the central target alignment of the product flow PS, the conveying interval 9 between each food LP at the inlet side is also detected by sensors, for example by... Figure 1 The diagram schematically illustrates a camera 10, a distance sensor, etc. The conveyor interval 9 at the entrance side can also be detected at the entrance side of the first conveyor belt 1.

[0066] By adapting the speeds of the first conveyor belt and / or the second conveyor belt 2, the process-related non-uniform conveying intervals 9 between food LPs on the inlet side are corrected to a substantially uniform conveying interval 11 on the outlet side. For this purpose, the second conveyor belt 2 is preferably configured to convey one food LP at a time, such that each food LP can be configured independently of each other, and a uniform conveying interval 11 is achieved on the outlet side starting from the first food LP in the product flow PS through correspondingly associated speed adjustments of the second conveyor belt 2.

[0067] The feed conveyor belt 12 and the discharge conveyor belt 13 are also shown by way of example and are connected to the first conveyor belt 1 and the second conveyor belt 2 in a manner known in principle.

[0068] To facilitate individual adjustment of the first conveyor belt 1 in the lateral direction QR at the inlet and / or outlet sides, the first conveyor belt 1 may, for example, consist of several circular belts arranged adjacent to each other and traveling parallel to each other. However, in principle, the first conveyor belt 1 may also include at least one elastic flat belt.

[0069] The conveying speed V2 of the second conveyor belt 2 and optionally the conveying speed V1 of the first conveyor belt 1 can be controlled in a manner known in principle, such that the conveying interval 9 between each food item LP on the inlet side can be changed by temporarily increasing or decreasing the corresponding conveying speeds V1 and V2. The possible interval correction range for generating the conveying interval 11 on the outlet side depends on the length of the food item LP, the length of the corresponding conveyor belts 1 and 2, and the range of variation of the conveying speeds V1 and V2 of the conveyor belts.

[0070] The substrate placement device 3 can operate in a manner known in principle, such that, at the latest when the food LP reaches the upwardly protruding starting point (the end pointing in the conveying direction) of the product substrate PU, the forward speed V3 of the substrate placement device 3 is adapted to the conveying speeds V1 and V2 of the conveyor belts 1 and 2. Once the product substrate PU has been received by the second conveyor belt 2 for conveying and the food LP has been placed on the product substrate and has reached the desired length of the product substrate PU, the product substrate PU is cut from the strip carrier material TM.

[0071] Product substrates PU are supplied from below through the transverse gaps formed at the belt transition section 8, which can be formed between the first conveyor belt 1 and the second conveyor belt 2 in a manner known in principle.

[0072] By appropriately positioning the deflection roller 1b on the exit side of the first conveyor belt 1 to a separate alignment position 5 in a time-controlled / regulated manner, then immediately separating and supplying the associated product substrate PU, and then immediately readjusting the individual speed of the second conveyor belt 2, during the continuous (uninterrupted) transport of the food LP, in the area of ​​the individual belt transition section 8 and the associated conveyor belts 1, 2, the processing operations for the combination of lateral and longitudinal alignment of the food LP relative to each other and their placement on the product substrate PU can be performed with relatively low equipment complexity and low fault sensitivity.

Claims

1. An apparatus (100) for providing a product flow (PS) of mutually aligned food (LP) on a product substrate (PU), comprising: The first conveyor belt (1) is used for supplying and conveying the food and for lateral alignment of the two belts; the second conveyor belt (2) is adjacent to the gap-shaped belt transition section (8) in the conveying direction (TR) and can be individually controlled at a variable conveying speed (V2) for unloading and conveying the food and for longitudinal alignment of the two belts. The gap-shaped transition section (8) is formed by at least one deflecting roller (1b) on the exit side of the first conveyor belt (1) and at least one deflecting roller (2a) on the inlet side of the second conveyor belt (2), with a gap between them. And a substrate placement device (3) for supplying the product substrate from below, in front of / below, the food that has been conveyed through the belt transition section. The device (100) further includes at least one actuator (1C) for moving the end of the first conveyor belt (1) on the exit side in a direction transverse to the conveying direction (TR) to different alignment positions (5), thereby aligning the food (LP) individually relative to the substrate placement device (3).

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The first conveyor belt (1) has a variable conveying speed (V1).

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 further includes at least one actuator (1C), by means of which the end on the inlet side can be displaced laterally to different alignment positions (5) in the conveying direction (TR), thereby aligning the food (LP) individually relative to the substrate placement device (3).

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, having a control device (4) configured to terminate movement to the corresponding alignment position (5) during the travel of the first conveyor belt (1) before the corresponding food contact associated product substrate (PU) and / or the second conveyor belt (2).

5. The apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, having a control device (4) configured to maintain the alignment position (5) at least until the food (LP) that has been aligned therefrom has completely left the first conveyor belt (1).

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, comprising a control device (4) configured to automatically increase the conveying speed (V1) of the first conveyor belt (1) and / or the conveying speed (V2) of the second conveyor belt (2) when the food (LP) has been fully received by the first conveyor belt or by the associated product substrate (PU) through the second conveyor belt (2) to longitudinally align the food (LP).

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, The control device (4) is configured to automatically increase the conveying speed (V1) of the first conveyor belt (1) and / or the conveying speed (V2) of the second conveyor belt (2) once the food (LP) has been fully received by the first conveyor belt or by the associated product substrate (PU) and / or when the associated product substrate is present in a separate manner, in order to longitudinally align the food (LP).

8. The apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, having a control device (4) configured to temporarily match the conveying speed (V1) / speed curve of the first conveyor belt (1) and the conveying speed (V2) / speed curve of the second conveyor belt (2) with the forward speed (V3) of the product substrate (PU) to supply the product substrate (PU) and place the food (LP).

9. The apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein, The substrate placement device (3) is configured to separate the product substrate (PU) from the strip carrier material (TM), and the forward speed (V3) of the substrate placement device is adaptable to the conveying speed (V1) of the first conveyor belt (1) and / or the conveying speed (V2) of the second conveyor belt (2).

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein, The forward speed (V3) of the substrate placement device is adapted to cut the product substrate before the correspondingly associated food (LP) is fully placed on the second conveyor belt.

11. A method for providing a product stream (PS) of mutually aligned food (LP) on a product substrate (PU) using the apparatus (100) as described in any one of claims 1-10, wherein, The food items are input onto a first conveyor belt (1) and aligned relative to each other in the transverse direction (QR) by motor adjustment of at least one deflection roller of the first conveyor belt, wherein the product substrate is supplied from below at the end on the exit side of the first conveyor belt, and the food items are received and conveyed away by a second conveyor belt (2) adjacent in the conveying direction via the supplied product substrate, and wherein the food items are aligned relative to each other in the longitudinal direction (LR) by adjusting the speed of the first conveyor belt and / or the speed of the second conveyor belt. During the transport of the food (LP), the end of the first conveyor belt (1) on the exit side is dynamically adjusted to move laterally to a separate alignment position (5) in the transport direction (TR), thereby aligning the food with respect to the supplied product substrate (PU), and this adjustment is completed before the food comes into contact with the product substrate and / or the second conveyor belt (2).

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The food product (LP) has a consistency that allows for plastic deformation.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein, By adjusting the speed of the first conveyor belt and / or the speed of the second conveyor belt, the conveying intervals (11) between the food items are made equal.

14. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein, Before the food comes into contact with the product substrate and / or the second conveyor belt (2), the end of the inlet side of the first conveyor belt (1) is dynamically adjusted to a separate alignment position (5) relative to the supplied product substrate (PU) by means of transverse to the conveying direction (TR), further aligning the food (LP) during the conveying of the food.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein, The alignment position (5) of the end of the exit side of each of the food items (LP) is set individually and maintained at least until the associated food item has completely left the first conveyor belt (1).

16. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein, When the corresponding food has been fully received for transport by the first conveyor belt or by the second conveyor belt via the associated product substrate (PU) and / or the associated product substrate is present in a separated manner, the conveying speed (V1) of the first conveyor belt (1) and / or the conveying speed (V2) of the second conveyor belt (2) for longitudinal alignment / spacing adjustment of the food (LP) are dynamically adjusted.

17. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein, Once the corresponding food has been fully received for transport by the first conveyor belt or by the second conveyor belt via the associated product substrate (PU) and / or the associated product substrate is present in a separated manner, the conveying speed (V1) of the first conveyor belt (1) and / or the conveying speed (V2) of the second conveyor belt (2) for longitudinal alignment / spacing adjustment of the food (LP) are dynamically adjusted.

18. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein, The conveying speed (V1) / speed curve of the first conveyor belt (1) and the conveying speed (V2) / speed curve of the second conveyor belt (2) are temporarily matched with the forward speed (V3) of the product substrate (PU) for supplying the product substrate (PU).

19. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein, The product substrate (PU) made of strip carrier material (TM) is separated below the first conveyor belt (1) and / or the second conveyor belt (2).

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein, The product substrate (PU) is supplied in a manner synchronized with the speed of the first conveyor belt (1) and / or the second conveyor belt (2).

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein, Before the corresponding food (LP) is fully placed on the second conveyor belt (2), the product substrate (PU) is cut from the strip carrier material (TM).

22. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein, The lateral offset (6) and conveying interval (9) of the food (LP) to be corrected on the inlet side are detected by sensors upstream of and / or at the starting point of the first conveyor belt (1) and are compensated or equalized by the first conveyor belt (1) and the second conveyor belt (2).

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