A skinning device for removing skin from an animal carcass as the animal carcass is conveyed through a conveying apparatus

Abstract

The invention relates to a system and method for skinning and / or de-fatting an animal carcass while the animal carcass is being conveyed through a suspension rail system comprising a plurality of carabiners carrying the carcass, the method comprising: sensing the incoming animal carcass by means of a sensing device; using the resulting sensing data from the sensing device as control data by a control unit in controlling the movement of a first device while skinning and / or de-fatting the carcass by the first device, wherein the controlled movement comprises: setting the first device to an initial angular position and engaging the skin and / or fat of the incoming animal carcass at an engagement position; moving the first device along the animal carcass in a movement direction comprising a movement direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, while following the outer contour of the surface of the carcass and while adapting the angular position of the first device to the shape of the carcass so as to ensure a partial removal of the skin and / or fat.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a skinning device for removing a skin or fat layer from an animal carcass while the animal carcass is conveyed through a conveying arrangement, and to a method of performing the same operation using such a skinning device. BACKGROUND

[0002] A skinning device for removing a skin or fat layer from an animal carcass, in particular pork, is one of the challenges in the field of meat processing.

[0003] In the past decades, considerable development has been made in this field, wherein skinning machines such as the one disclosed in EP14780522.0, which relates to a skinning device rotatably mounted to a rotating mechanism for automatically removing a skin from an animal carcass while the animal carcass is conveyed through a suspended rail system and pulled over the skinning device in a horizontal direction. During the skinning process, the rotating mechanism rotates the skinning device from a first angular position, in which the skinning device engages the skin of an incoming carcass, to a second angular position, while the carcass is positioned on the skinning machine and pulled in a horizontal direction by the suspended rail system. This results in the skin of only one side of the carcass being removed.

[0004] Although this skinning machine is an improvement over prior art skinning machines, there is still a substantial part of the skin, especially the less exposed skin, which cannot be removed in addition to the remaining skin which is not removed. This skin therefore needs to be manually removed by an operator. Since a relatively large amount of manual labor is required to complete the skinning process, this not only reduces the yield of the skinning process, but also endangers the safety of the skinning operation.

[0005] The inventors of the present invention have realized that there is a need to provide an improved skinning process with a higher yield and significantly less manual labor, and have therefore designed the present invention. SUMMARY

[0006] It is an object of embodiments of the present invention to provide an improved skinning process which increases the yield of the skinning process and no longer requires or at least reduces the need for manual labor. It is a further object of embodiments of the present invention to provide a skinning device. Generally speaking, the present invention preferably seeks to mitigate, alleviate or eliminate one or more of the above-mentioned deficiencies in the art singly or in any combination. In particular, it can be seen as an object of embodiments of the present invention to provide a skinning system which solves one or more of the above-mentioned problems or other issues.

[0007] To better address one or more of these problems, in a first aspect of the invention, a skinning and / or degreasing system is provided for removing skin and / or fat from an animal carcass as it is conveyed via a suspension track system, the suspension track system comprising a plurality of hooks carrying the carcass, the skinning and / or degreasing system comprising:

[0008] • A first device for skinning and / or defatting a carcass, the first device comprising:

[0009] The first motor drives the toothed roller.

[0010] a first support structure, the first support structure surrounding at least a portion of the first toothed roller, and

[0011] The first cutting blade is positioned between the support structure and the toothed roller.

[0012] • A sensing device used to sense the incoming carcass.

[0013] • Control unit, which receives sensing data from the sensing device.

[0014] • A moving mechanism, controlled by a control unit based on received sensing data, configured to move the first device in a controlled manner.

[0015] Controlled movement includes:

[0016] The first device is positioned at an initial angular position, and the skin and / or fat of the carcass are engaged at the engagement position, where the skin and / or fat layer is pulled between the first support structure and the first toothed roller.

[0017] The first device is moved along the carcass in a direction of movement perpendicular to the conveying direction, while following the outer contour of the carcass surface and adapting the angular position of the first device to the shape of the carcass, so as to ensure that the skin and / or fat portions are pulled between the first support structure and the first toothed roller, thereby allowing the skin and / or fat to be partially removed from the animal carcass at the same time.

[0018] The fact that the first automated device moves relative to the carcass while simultaneously skinning and / or degreasing facilitates access to less exposed or "difficult" areas on the carcass's surface, thereby ensuring that the entire skinning area covered by the first device is removed. The fact that the carcass is carried by hooks means that it can be partially or preferably completely suspended freely, exposing the entire surface of the carcass, which translates to complete accessibility to the carcass's outer surfaces (front, rear, inner, and outer sides). This allows the skinning process to be repeated multiple times in different areas until all the skin and / or fat has been removed. As an example, this can be accomplished by adjusting the relative angular position between the first device and the carcass, for example, by rotating the hooks and / or by rotating the position of the first device.

[0019] Preferably, a support device, such as any type of structure, is provided on the opposite side of the carcass to ensure proper stability of the carcass during the skinning and / or defatting process.

[0020] Furthermore, the fact that less manpower is required or none at all makes peeling and / or degreasing more economical and accidents less serious.

[0021] According to the present invention, the term "animal carcass" can also be understood as a part of an animal carcass, such as from a slaughtered pig, a pig half-carcass, a pig leg part, a pig ham and a pig shoulder part, or any other part of a slaughtered tetrapod.

[0022] In one embodiment, the control unit is further configured to control the rotational speed of the first motor-driven toothed roller, including setting the rotational speed of the first motor-driven toothed roller to an initial rotational speed and then gradually adjusting the rotational speed according to its position on the carcass, for example, increasing the rotational speed, decreasing the rotational speed, or maintaining a constant rotational speed. A lower initial speed of the first motor-driven toothed roller facilitates initial skin capture, thereby ensuring subsequent skinning and / or defatting of the carcass. In one embodiment, the control unit is further configured to adjust the rotational speed according to the position of the first device. This can increase subsequent movement of the first device and thus increase the yield of skinning and / or defatting processing.

[0023] In one embodiment, the system further includes a support structure positioned on the side of the carcass opposite to the first device to provide a force opposing the thrust supplied through the first device during skinning and / or defatting. This ensures complete stability of the carcass during skinning, which improves the skinning and / or defatting process.

[0024] In one embodiment, the system further includes a second device for skinning and / or defatting the carcass, the second device comprising:

[0025] o The second motor drives the toothed roller.

[0026] o A second support structure, the second support structure surrounding at least a portion of the second toothed roller, and

[0027] The second cutting blade is positioned between the support structure and the second toothed roller.

[0028] The moving mechanism is further configured to move the first and second devices simultaneously, performing skinning and / or degreasing in different areas of the carcass. The internal distance between the first and second skinning devices allows the carcass to be held between them. This not only increases the yield of skinning and / or degreasing but also ensures the stability of the carcass during the increased skinning and / or degreasing process. Therefore, the second device can also be considered as the support structure.

[0029] In one embodiment, the first device and the support structure move at a horizontal speed substantially the same as the carcass conveying speed using a suitable moving mechanism. When the support structure includes a second device, during the skinning and / or defatting process, the first and second devices move at the same horizontal speed parallel to the movement of the carcass, wherein after one movement on the carcass, for example, one movement from top to bottom, the first and second devices move away from the carcass back to the starting position, where the skinning and / or defatting process is repeated for subsequent carcasses.

[0030] In one embodiment, the moving mechanism includes at least one manipulator arm, which, as an example, may be an automated manipulator arm operated by an automated manipulation system and capable of movement along, for example, three degrees of freedom or even up to six degrees of freedom, wherein a control unit may be part of the automated manipulation system. In another embodiment, the moving mechanism includes a track structure to which a device for peeling and / or degreasing is slidably attached. Thus, the moving mechanism can be understood as any type of mobile device capable of performing the controlled movement of the first device.

[0031] In one embodiment, the control unit is also configured to utilize additional data indicating which portion of skin and / or fat needs to be removed. This can be based on a customer order, where, for example, in a batch, the middle portion of the carcass will be left with skin while the remaining portion is peeled, or only the lower portion of the carcass will be peeled and / or degreased, or only one side of the carcass will be peeled and / or degreased. This can also be based on information about the incoming carcass, such that for certain carcasses with certain characteristics, different or additional control data can be triggered during the control of the first and / or second devices, the incoming carcass preferably always being tracked and / or monitored, and these characteristics—such as image, color, quality, size, etc.—can be captured by any type of sensor.

[0032] In a second aspect of the invention, a method is provided for skinning and / or defatting an animal carcass as it is being transported via a suspended track system, the suspended track system comprising a plurality of hooks carrying the carcass, the method comprising:

[0033] • The incoming animal carcass is detected by a sensing device;

[0034] • During the control of the movement of the first device, the control unit uses the sensing data obtained from the sensing device as control data, while the first device performs skinning and / or degreasing on the carcass, wherein the controlled movement includes:

[0035] The first device is positioned at the initial angle, and the skin and / or fat of the animal carcass are engaged at the engagement position.

[0036] The first device is moved along the animal carcass in a direction of movement that includes a direction of movement perpendicular to the conveying direction, while following the outer contour of the carcass surface, and simultaneously adapting the angular position of the first device to the shape of the carcass, so as to ensure partial removal of skin and / or fat.

[0037] In one embodiment, the carcass has a pre-cut portion on its upper side that defines an engagement position, and wherein the direction of movement perpendicular to the conveying direction is downward from the pre-cut portion.

[0038] In one embodiment, a second device is provided for peeling and / or degreasing, which is used to partially peel and / or degrease the carcass while the first device is partially peeling and / or degreasing it. The second device operates simultaneously with the first device, and the controlled movement further includes:

[0039] The second skinning device is positioned at the initial angle, and the skin and / or fat of the animal carcass are engaged at the engagement position.

[0040] The second skinning device is moved in a direction that includes a movement direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the animal carcass, while following the outer contour of the carcass surface and adapting the angular position of the second skinning device to the outer shape of the carcass, so as to ensure partial removal of skin and / or fat.

[0041] In this embodiment, the movement of the first and second skinning devices continues, while the internal distance between the first and second skinning devices ensures that the carcass is held between the skinning devices during skinning and / or defatting. In one embodiment, the engagement position of the second device is at the same height level as the engagement position of the first device. In another embodiment, the engagement position of the second device is at a different height level than the engagement position of the first device.

[0042] In one embodiment, after the first movement of the first and second devices, subsequent skinning and / or defatting movements are performed on the carcass at different angular locations on the carcass.

[0043] Generally, various aspects of the present invention can be combined and combined in any possible manner within the scope of the invention. These aspects, features and / or advantages of the invention, as well as other aspects, features and / or advantages, will become apparent from and be elucidated with reference to the embodiments described below. Attached Figure Description

[0044] Embodiments of the present invention will be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0045] Figure 1 Embodiments of a skinning and / or degreasing system according to the present invention are depicted, the system being used to remove skin and / or fat from an animal carcass as it is conveyed via a suspended track system.

[0046] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 In another embodiment, a second device for skinning and / or defatting the carcass is additionally provided.

[0047] Figure 3 and Figure 4 Another embodiment of the system according to the invention is shown, illustrating the frame structure, and

[0048] Figure 5 An embodiment of a manipulator arm carrying a device for peeling and / or degreasing is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0049] Figure 1An embodiment of a skinning and / or degreasing system 100 according to the present invention is depicted, the system 100 being used to remove skin and / or fat from an animal carcass 110 as it is conveyed via a suspension track system comprising a plurality of hooks 11 that carry the carcass. The system includes a first device, a sensing device (S_D) 105, a control unit (C_U) 106, and a moving mechanism (M_M) 107, the first device being used for skinning and / or degreasing the carcass 110.

[0050] The first device includes a first motor-driven toothed roller 102, a first support structure 103, and a first cutting blade 104. The first support structure 103 surrounds at least a portion of the first toothed roller, and the first cutting blade 104 is positioned between the support structure and the toothed roller.

[0051] The sensing device 105 is configured to sense incoming animal carcasses, and the sensing device 105 may include any type of sensor, such as a camera, a laser sensing device, a mechanical sensing device, etc.

[0052] The control unit 106 is configured to receive and utilize sensing data from the sensing device and to control the moving mechanism 107 for moving the first device in a controlled manner.

[0053] As illustrated graphically here, the controlled movement includes setting the first device 101 to an initial angular position and engaging the skin and / or fat of the animal carcass at engagement position 108, where the skin and / or fat layer 140 is pulled between the first support structure and the first toothed roller by means of the rotational movement 112 of the first toothed roller. This engagement position may be a pre-cut portion, such as a 360-degree pre-cut portion adjacent to the hook 111 on the upper side of the carcass 110.

[0054] The controlled movement also includes moving the first device along the animal carcass in a movement direction 112, which is perpendicular to the conveying direction 113, while following the outer contour of the carcass surface and adapting the angular position of the first device to the shape of the carcass, as illustrated in t1 to t4, so as to ensure that the skin and / or fat portions are pulled between the first support structure and the first toothed roller, thereby causing the skin and / or fat to be partially removed from the animal carcass at the same time.

[0055] In one embodiment, the control unit is further configured to control the rotational speed of the first motor-driven toothed roller 102, including setting the rotational speed of the first motor-driven toothed roller 102 to an initial rotational speed and then gradually adjusting the rotational speed thereafter. The control unit may also be configured to adjust the rotational speed according to the position of the first device.

[0056] In the embodiment shown here, system 100 also includes a support structure 109 positioned on the side of the carcass 100 opposite to the first device to provide a force opposite to the thrust supplied by the first device during skinning and / or degreasing.

[0057] After the skin and / or fat portion 140 is removed, the first device 101 moves away from the carcass 110 (t5) and returns to its original position, where the treatment is repeated, for example, on a subsequent carcass.

[0058] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 In another embodiment, a second device 201 for skinning and / or degreasing the carcass is additionally provided. This second device is preferably identical to the first device 101. The second device includes a second motor-driven toothed roller, a second support structure, and a second cutting blade. The second support structure surrounds at least a portion of the second toothed roller, and the second cutting blade is positioned between the support structure and the second toothed roller. In this embodiment, the moving mechanism 107 is also configured to move the first device 101 and the second device 102 while simultaneously performing skinning and / or degreasing in different areas of the carcass. The internal distance between the first and second skinning devices ensures that the carcass is held between the skinning devices during movement.

[0059] Furthermore, this movement can result in an altitude level similar to that shown here, where the starting position is at the same or similar altitude level. In this case, the altitude level is similar during the movement from t1 to t6 (which is, of course, a continuous movement, with t1 to t6 illustrating different points in time).

[0060] However, the starting positions may not be the same, and therefore, the illustrations shown here in which the first and second devices are at similar height levels during the peeling and / or degreasing process are not applicable.

[0061] exist Figure 1 and Figure 2 In this process, the direction of movement of the skinning and / or defatting device also includes a horizontal movement component, which is the same as the direction of carcass transport.

[0062] Figures 3 to 5 Another embodiment of the system according to the invention is shown, illustrating a frame structure and a suspension track system 322 attached to the frame structure, a single hook 323, and two pairs of first and second peeling devices 440 and 441, the first pair 440 being 101a and 102a, wherein a first movement occurs, such as in Figure 2The text describes a "stroke", and another pair of 441 are 101b and 102b, wherein subsequent strokes occur at different positions on the carcass, which can be achieved, for example, by means of a hook or ring carrying the carcass rotating 90 degrees.

[0063] Devices 101 and 202 are mounted to a control arm 321, which is slidably attached to a track structure 442 to allow the devices 101 and 102 for skinning and / or degreasing to follow the movement of the carcass during the skinning process, as previously described. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The control arm discussed can also be an automated control arm, to which devices 101 and 102 are attached, wherein the automated control arm is operated by an automated control system.

[0064] As can be shown here, the internal height position of the paired devices 440 differs from that of the paired devices 441 because different portions of skin and / or fat are being removed. If the carcass is a portion such as the hind thigh, the skin on the side to be removed may be in a different position than the skin on the opposite side of the hind thigh.

[0065] Figure 5 It shows the effect of in Figure 3 and Figure 4 A closer look at the manipulator shown in the figure reveals in more detail the device for peeling and / or degreasing, which includes the motor-driven toothed roller 102, the support structure 103, and the cutting blade 104. The support structure 103 surrounds at least a portion of the first toothed roller, and the cutting blade 104 is positioned between the support structure and the toothed roller.

[0066] The moving mechanism includes a rotating device 510 for operating the angular adjustment of one or more devices 101 / 102 for peeling and degreasing. The rotating device 510 may be electrically or pneumatically driven, wherein the angular position of devices 101, 201 is simultaneously adjusted by means of adjusting the cylinder 510.

[0067] The moving mechanism may also include an actuator 321, which is similar to a rotating mechanism, and may be electrically or pneumatically driven, and allows the manipulator arm to follow the outer surface of the carcass during skinning and / or defatting.

[0068] As already discussed, the moving mechanism may also include an automated manipulator that can move along three or even up to six degrees of freedom.

[0069] While the invention has been described in detail in the accompanying drawings and the foregoing description, these descriptions should be considered illustrative or exemplary, not restrictive; the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Other variations of the disclosed embodiments can be understood and implemented by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention through a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite articles "a" or "an" do not exclude a plural. The fact that certain measures are referenced in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used advantageously.

Claims

1. A skinning and / or degreasing system for removing skin and / or fat from an animal carcass as it is conveyed via a suspended track system, the suspended track system comprising a plurality of hooks carrying the animal carcass, the skinning and / or degreasing system comprising: • A first apparatus for skinning and / or defatting the animal carcass, the first apparatus comprising: o The first motor drives the toothed roller. o A first support structure, the first support structure surrounding at least a portion of the first motor-driven toothed roller, and o A first cutting blade, the first cutting blade being positioned between the first support structure and the first motor-driven toothed roller. • A sensing device for sensing incoming animal carcasses. • Control unit, which receives sensing data from the sensing device. • A moving mechanism, controlled by the control unit based on the received sensing data, configured to move the first device in a controlled manner. Controlled movement includes: o The first device is positioned at an initial angle, and the skin and / or fat of the incoming animal carcass is engaged at an engagement position, wherein the skin and / or fat is pulled between the first support structure and the first motor-driven toothed roller at the engagement position. The first device is moved along the animal carcass in a first moving direction, following the outer contour of the animal carcass surface, and simultaneously adapting the angular position of the first device to the shape of the animal carcass, so as to ensure that the skin and / or fat portion is pulled between the first support structure and the first motor-driven toothed roller, thereby simultaneously partially removing the skin and / or fat from the animal carcass, wherein the first moving direction includes a moving direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. The skinning and / or defatting system further includes a second device for skinning and / or defatting the animal carcass, the second device comprising: o The second motor drives the toothed roller. o A second support structure, the second support structure surrounding at least a portion of the second motor-driven toothed roller, and o The second cutting blade is positioned between the second support structure and the second motor-driven toothed roller. The moving mechanism is further configured to move the first device and the second device while performing skinning and / or degreasing in different areas of the animal carcass, wherein the internal distance between the first device and the second device allows the animal carcass to be held between the first device and the second device.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The control unit is further configured to control the rotational speed of the first motor-driven toothed roller, including setting the rotational speed of the first motor-driven toothed roller to an initial rotational speed and thereafter gradually adjusting the rotational speed.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein, The control unit is also configured to adjust the rotation speed according to the position of the first device.

4. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a support structure positioned on the side of the carcass opposite to the first device to provide a force opposite to the thrust supplied through the first device during skinning and / or degreasing.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein, During the skinning process, the support structure, and / or the first and second devices, advance at the same speed as the conveying speed of the animal carcass.

6. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The moving mechanism includes at least one control arm.

7. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The moving mechanism includes a track structure to which the first and second devices for peeling and / or degreasing can be slidably attached.

8. A method for skinning and / or defatting an animal carcass while it is being conveyed via a suspended track system, the suspended track system comprising a plurality of hooks carrying the animal carcass, the method comprising: • The incoming animal carcass is detected by a sensing device; • During the control of the movement of the first device, the control unit uses the sensing data obtained from the sensing device as control data, while the first device performs skinning and / or degreasing on the animal carcass, wherein the controlled movement includes: o Position the first device at the initial angle and engage the skin and / or fat of the incoming animal carcass at the engagement position. The first device is moved along the animal carcass in a first device movement direction, following the outer contour of the animal carcass surface, and simultaneously adapting the angular position of the first device to the shape of the animal carcass, in order to ensure partial removal of the skin and / or fat, wherein the first device movement direction includes a movement direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. The device includes a second means for skinning and / or degreasing, which is used to partially skin and / or degrease the animal carcass while the first means is partially skinning and / or degreasing. The second means operates simultaneously with the first means, and the controlled movement further includes: o Position the second device at the initial angle and engage the skin and / or fat of the incoming animal carcass at the engagement position. The second device is moved in a second device movement direction, simultaneously following the outer contour of the animal carcass surface and adapting the angular position of the second device to the outer shape of the animal carcass, in order to ensure partial removal of skin and / or fat, wherein the second device movement direction includes a movement direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the animal carcass. The movement of the first and second devices continues, while the internal distance between the first and second devices ensures that the animal carcass is held between the first and second devices during the skinning and / or defatting process.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, The animal carcass has a pre-cut portion on its upper side, the pre-cut portion defining the joining position, and wherein the direction of movement perpendicular to the conveying direction is downward from the pre-cut portion.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein, The engagement position of the second device is at the same height level as the engagement position of the first device.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein, The engagement position of the second device is at a different height level than the engagement position of the first device.

12. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein, After the first movement of the first and second devices, subsequent skinning and / or defatting movements are performed on the animal carcass at different angular locations.

13. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein, The animal carcass was obtained from a four-legged slaughtered animal.

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