Product conveying device and system

Abstract

The invention relates to a product conveying device (100), in particular for food products, comprising a plurality of product receiving units (131), wherein each product receiving unit (131) is configured to receive at least one product (P) at least partially on a receiving section (160) thereof and to convey it substantially along a conveying direction (T) from a product receiving side of the product conveying device (100) to a product discharge side of the product conveying device (100), and wherein at least some of the plurality of product conveying units (131) are adjustable along an offset direction (V) in order to additionally influence a position of the at least one product (P) along the offset direction (V) during conveying of the at least one product (P) along the conveying direction (T), wherein the receiving section (160) of a respective product receiving unit (160) has a support surface (164) which is designed and intended toto be oriented towards at least one product (P), wherein the support surface (164) is formed by a plurality of spaced-apart projections (166). The invention further relates to a system (300).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a product conveying device, in particular for food products, comprising a plurality of product receiving units, wherein each product receiving unit is configured to receive at least one product at least partially on a receiving section thereof and to convey it substantially along a conveying direction from a product receiving side of the product conveying device to a product discharge side of the product conveying device, and wherein at least some, preferably each, of the plurality of product conveying units are adjustable along an offset direction in order to additionally influence a position of the at least one product along the offset direction during conveying of the at least one product along the conveying direction.

[0002] In order to assemble products, for example by means of a slicing machine, in particular a slicer, sliced ​​slices or portions from one or more slices of a foodstuff, and to be able to process them further by means of a downstream device, for example by means of a packaging device, it is known to move the products by means of a product conveying device of the type mentioned above not only along the conveying direction, but also to shift their position at least partially along the offset direction, in order to transfer the products, for example, from a slicing machine with a first predetermined number of product tracks to a packaging machine with a second predetermined number of product tracks, which is less or more than the first predetermined number of product tracks.If the first predetermined number of product traces is less than the second predetermined number of product traces, experts usually refer to this as distributing the products. If, however, the first predetermined number of product traces is greater than the second number of product traces, this is often referred to as arranging.

[0003] All of this also applies to the product conveying device according to the invention.

[0004] A disadvantage here is that the pickup of a product from a conveying device upstream of the product conveying device and / or the transfer of a product to a conveying device downstream of the product conveying device is often difficult, since the product pickup units may, for example, be arranged on an endlessly circulating conveying unit with opposing deflection axes, which can result in a gap extending in the conveying direction between the product conveying device and the conveying device upstream and / or between the product conveying device and the conveying device downstream. This can adversely affect the transfer or...the handover of the products, especially sensitive and easily deformable products such as the aforementioned slices and / or portions, may be affected, as they may become deformed or damaged, or their position may change in an undesirable way.

[0005] It is therefore an object of the present invention to remedy this situation, in particular by providing a product conveying device in which improved transfer of products from a conveying device upstream in the conveying direction and / or improved transfer of products to a conveying device downstream in the conveying direction can be achieved.

[0006] This problem is solved according to the invention by a product conveying device of the type mentioned at the outset, in which the receiving section of a respective product receiving unit has a support surface which is designed and intended to be directed towards the at least one product, wherein the support surface is formed by a plurality of spaced-apart projections.

[0007] Since, according to the invention, the receiving section of a respective product receiving unit has the support surface which is formed by the plurality of spaced-apart projections, the receiving of a respective product from a conveying device upstream of the product conveying device in the conveying direction and / or the transfer of a respective product to a conveying device downstream of the product conveying device in the conveying direction can be improved.According to the invention, this is achieved by arranging conveying units, such as conveyor belts or conveyors, of the conveying device upstream and / or downstream in the conveying direction, at least partially overlapping the projections of the product receiving units when viewed in a direction substantially orthogonal to the conveying direction. This minimizes, and preferably eliminates, any gap formed between the product conveying device according to the invention and the conveying device upstream and / or between the product conveying device according to the invention and the conveying device downstream in the conveying direction. The conveying units of the conveying device upstream and / or downstream in the conveying direction can at least partially immerse themselves in the spaces between the projections of the product receiving units.

[0008] Furthermore, due to the fact that the products only rest on the support surface formed by the majority of spaced-apart protrusions during transport, the hygiene properties of the product conveying device can be improved and comparatively easy cleaning can be made possible.

[0009] A product can be arranged on a single product receiving unit or on several adjacent product receiving units simultaneously.

[0010] The at least one product is preferably a foodstuff, for example, made from sausage, cheese, pressed meat, or whole meat, or the like. Furthermore, the at least one product can be a food portion, which preferably comprises one or more slices, which may be cut from a foodstuff of a certain caliber, for example, by means of a slicing machine, preferably a slicer.

[0011] Preferably, the product receiving units are essentially plate-shaped, with the exception of the support surface. Each product receiving unit can accordingly be designed as an essentially plate-shaped conveyor for products, which can also be referred to as a support plate.

[0012] Each of the product conveying units can preferably be adjustable in both the positive offset direction and the negative offset direction.

[0013] In principle, the offset direction can run at any angle, for example transversely, relative to the conveying direction. However, according to one embodiment, it is proposed that the offset direction run essentially orthogonally to the conveying direction. The offset direction and the conveying direction can lie in a substantially horizontal conveying plane of the product conveying device. This is particularly suitable for the distribution and / or arranging of products described above.

[0014] Furthermore, the majority of projections on the support surface can be spaced apart from each other in the conveying direction and / or in the offset direction. Spacing in the conveying direction can facilitate the movement of the product receiving units in the offset direction, while spacing in the offset direction can facilitate an arrangement of conveying units, such as conveyor belts or conveyor belts, a conveying device upstream and / or a conveying device downstream, that at least partially overlaps with the projections of the product receiving units in the conveying direction.

[0015] Additionally or alternatively, the majority of projections on the support surface can be arranged substantially aligned with one another in the conveying direction and / or in the offset direction. The majority of projections can preferably be arranged in a matrix-like pattern.

[0016] Preferably, each of the multiple protrusions can have an essentially pin-like, especially cylindrical, shape. This allows for a particularly precise and simple transfer of products. Furthermore, any hygienic risk is reduced, as the products rest only on the pin-like protrusions, thus minimizing the resulting contact area between a product and its respective receiving unit.

[0017] Furthermore, it is proposed that each of the plurality of projections has a height in the range of 5 mm to 50 mm, preferably in the range of 10 mm to 30 mm, and / or has a diameter or width, particularly in the transport direction and / or in the offset direction, in the range of 3 mm to 20 mm, preferably in the range of 5 mm to 10 mm.

[0018] To drive the product receiving units along the conveying direction, the product conveying device can further comprise a conveying unit, preferably a conveyor belt, which is configured to rotate in the conveying direction, preferably endlessly, with the majority of product receiving units being operationally connected to the conveying unit. The conveying unit can comprise at least two oppositely arranged deflection units, for example, deflection rollers or guide rollers, around which the majority of product receiving units can rotate. At least one of the at least two deflection units can be assigned a drive unit, which can preferably be integrated into at least one of the at least two deflection units.

[0019] To reliably move the product receiving units along the offset direction, the product conveying device can further include an offset unit configured to influence the position of a particular product receiving unit or a plurality of product receiving units in or against the offset direction. The offset unit preferably comprises a guide, preferably one or more guide rails, configured to interact with a corresponding guide projection formed on the respective product receiving unit. The guide projection can be a guide pin that can follow a path defined by the respective guide, in particular by the respective guide rail, to adjust the position of the respective product receiving unit in the offset direction.In principle, each product receiving unit can additionally or alternatively be assigned an adjustment unit, for example a servo motor or the like, in order to influence the position along the offset direction.

[0020] Finally, the product conveying device can be configured to transfer products from a device arranged upstream of the product conveying device in relation to the conveying direction, in particular a slicing machine, with a first predetermined number of product tracks to a device arranged downstream of the product conveying device in relation to the conveying direction, in particular a packaging machine, with a second predetermined number of product tracks, which is less or more than the first predetermined number of product tracks.

[0021] According to another point of view, the invention relates to a system comprising the product conveying device according to one of the preceding claims, and a slicing machine, in particular a slicer, which is arranged upstream of the product conveying device with respect to the conveying direction, and / or a packaging machine, which is arranged downstream of the product conveying device with respect to the conveying direction.

[0022] It should be noted at this point that all statements, advantages and effects described for the product conveying device according to the invention also apply to the system according to the invention and vice versa.

[0023] The slicing machine is preferably configured to slice at least one product caliber and feed the slices to the product conveying device.

[0024] The slicing machine can further be designed to slice foodstuffs, particularly in the form of so-called product calibers, into slices from which preferably shingled or stacked portions can be formed. The product calibers can be made, for example, from sausage, cheese, whole meat, pressed meat, and the like. A feeding unit of the slicing machine, by means of which the product calibers can be fed to a cutting unit of the slicing machine, can be designed, for example, as a continuously circulating belt conveyor or the like. By means of a knife, which can be rotatably mounted on the cutting unit about a pivot axis, the slices can be cut from one end of each product caliber facing the cutting unit.

[0025] The packaging machine can be designed, for example, as a thermoforming packaging machine and / or a vacuum packaging machine.

[0026] The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments shown in the accompanying drawing. The drawings depict: Fig. 1 a perspective view of a system according to the invention with a product conveying device according to the invention in the form of a support plate line distributor according to an exemplary embodiment, Fig. 2 a guide for a product conveying device according to Fig. 1 according to an exemplary embodiment, Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 a switching switch with a switching element according to an exemplary embodiment, Fig. 5a an embodiment of a product receiving unit of the product conveying device according to the invention in a side view, Fig. 5b a top view of the product receiving unit according to Fig. 5a, Fig. 6 a top view of a product receiving unit according to Fig. 5b, which is arranged at least partially overlapping with a conveying device downstream in the conveying direction, and Fig. 7 A schematic partial top view of a system according to the invention in an exemplary embodiment.

[0027] In Fig. Figure 1 shows a system 300 according to the invention with a product conveying device 100 according to the invention in the form of a support plate line distributor according to an exemplary embodiment in perspective view.

[0028] The carrier plate line distributor 100 comprises a conveying unit 101. The conveying unit 101 can be designed as a conveyor belt 101, which in turn can be configured as a continuously circulating conveyor belt and on whose upper surface product receiving units 131, preferably in the form of carrier plates 131, can receive at least one product P (e.g., a foodstuff, such as a food portion P consisting of several slices S of a foodstuff) from a feeding device 141. The feeding device 141 can be a conveying device located upstream of the carrier plate line distributor 100 in the conveying direction T. Furthermore, the feeding device 141 can be, for example, a conveyor belt or the like.

[0029] The support plate line distributor 100 further comprises an offset unit with a guide 105 along which the support plates 131 can be guided by means of a guide element 132 (e.g., a pin or mandrel on a side opposite a product-bearing side of the support plates 131). This allows the support plates 131 to be adjusted in or against an offset direction V in order to additionally influence the position of the at least one product P along the offset direction V during conveying of the at least one product P along the conveying direction T. For this purpose, the conveyor belt 101 of the support plate line distributor 100 can have a series of spaced-apart elements, wherein the support plates 131 can be arranged on these spaced-apart elements such that the guide projection 132 can project into the guide 105 through the space between the elements.

[0030] The conveyor belt 101 can be moved in the conveying direction T by means of a drive element 182, such as a servo drive, so that the support plates 131 can move along with the conveyor belt 101. The guide projections 132 can be arranged in the guide 105 such that vertical movement of a support plate 131 perpendicular to a transport plane that includes the conveying direction T is not possible. This can be achieved, for example, by an encompassing design of the guide 105 that engages the guide projections 132 inserted into the guide 105 in such a way that they cannot be moved in a vertical direction.

[0031] The guide 105 can have a length in the conveying direction T that is shorter than the length of the conveyor belt 101 in the conveying direction T. Here, the length of the conveyor belt 101 in the conveying direction T is the length over which the conveyor belt extends, for example, between the feed device 141 and the discharge devices 142 to 144 shown here in the conveying direction T.

[0032] The support plate line distributor 100 is designed to transfer support plates 131 from a single-track section 151 of the guide 105 to a multi-track section 152 of the guide 105, so that the support plates are distributed transversely to the conveying direction T in the multi-track section 152 onto different tracks 153, 154 and 155. From the different tracks 153 to 155, the product P can then be transferred from the support plates 131 to the downstream transport devices 142 to 144.

[0033] To determine which support plate 131 must be distributed across which of the tracks 153 to 155, each support plate 131 may include an identification element 190 (e.g., an optical or magnetic marker, such as an RFID tag) that uniquely identifies the respective support plate 131. A suitable detection device or sensor 181 (e.g., an optical sensor or a sensor for reading information encoded in a magnetic code, such as an RFID tag) can read this information and transmit a corresponding signal to a control unit 180.

[0034] The control unit 180 (for example, a computer with a processor and associated memory) can be designed and configured to distribute the support plates to the individual tracks 153 to 155 based on the identification. However, this is not mandatory. Alternatively, no identification elements 190 (and consequently no recognition device 181) may be provided, and the distribution of the respective support plates 131 to tracks 153 to 155 can be carried out by the control unit, for example, based on a scheme stored in the control unit (e.g., in associated memory).

[0035] The Fig. Figure 2 shows an embodiment of a guide 105, as it is described in Fig. 1 has been generally described. In Fig. 2 The guide 205 includes the single-track section 151, which is arranged upstream of the multi-track section 252 with the individual tracks 253 to 255 in the conveying direction T. While three tracks 253 to 255 are shown here in the multi-track section 252, more or fewer tracks (e.g., only two, four, or more tracks) can also be provided in the multi-track section, onto which the in Fig. The product P can be distributed between two support plates (not shown) and those on which it is arranged.

[0036] Furthermore, the guide 205 can include a switching switch 261, which is shown schematically here as the area in which the distribution of the support plates 131 from the single-track area 151 to the individual tracks 253 to 255 is realized. In the Fig. In the embodiment of guide 205 shown in Figure 2, the branches to the various tracks 253 to 255 are located essentially in the same position in the conveying direction T. In this embodiment, the switching switch 261 further comprises a switching element 270 which, in this area, can, for example, be controlled by the control unit 180 to distribute the support plates 131 to the individual tracks 253 to 255. It can be provided that the switching switch 261 can effect the distribution of the support plates 131 to the tracks of the multi-track area by exerting an electromagnetic force either on the support plates 131 themselves and / or on the switching element 270 of the switching switch 261.

[0037] In the Fig. In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the guide 205 comprises only a branch from the single-track section 151. However, it can also be provided that one or more of the tracks 253 to 255 branch again in the conveying direction T. The embodiment described here is also applicable to corresponding further branches.

[0038] The Fig. 3 and Fig. Figure 4 shows an embodiment of a switching switch with a switching element comprising a rocker arm 470. Preferably, this embodiment can be equipped with a guide accordingly. Fig. The combination of the two components is not limited to this. The rocker arm 470 is preferably rotatably mounted about a pivot axis R and allows the guidance of a guide projection 132 of a support plate 131. The rocker arm 470 is rotatably mounted such that it can face any of the tracks of the multi-track area. The rocker arm 470 can include a guide area 491 into which the guide projection 132 of a support plate 131 can be inserted. By appropriately positioning the rocker arm 470, the direction of movement of the support plate 131 is then changed from the single-track area 151 to a track of the multi-track area 152.

[0039] In the Fig. In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the rocker arm 470 is arranged, for example, such that the support plate 131 is transferred from the single-track area 151 into the track 153, which here only exemplarily maintains the essentially same direction of movement of the support plate 131. If the rocker arm 470 is rotated in the plane of the image about the axis of rotation R, the support plate 131 can be transferred into one of the other tracks.

[0040] It can be provided that the rocker arm 470 is positioned before a support plate 131, and in particular the guide projection 132, enters the guide area 491 such that the exit of the guide area 491, from which the support plate 131 or the guide projection 132 leaves the rocker arm in the conveying direction T, is aligned in the direction of the track to which the support plate 131 is to be fed. Alternatively, it can also be provided that the orientation of the rocker arm 470 only changes once a support plate 131, and in particular the guide projection 132, has entered the guide area 491 of the rocker arm. This avoids undesirable tilting or blocking of the single-track area 151 due to the rocker arm's dimensions.

[0041] An electromechanical drive element, in particular a servo motor or an actuator, 472, can be provided to actuate the rocker arm 470. The control unit 180 can control the electromechanical drive element 472 to cause the rocker arm 470 to rotate about the axis of rotation R, thereby controlling the positioning of the rocker arm 470 and thus the division of the support plate onto one of the tracks of the multi-track area 152. As already mentioned, this division and thus the control of the electromechanical drive element can be carried out either based on a specific, e.g., preset, scheme or individually based on identification elements that can be assigned to the respective support plates.

[0042] The Fig. Figure 4 shows an embodiment of the rocker arm 470 with the associated electromechanical drive element 472. In the embodiment shown here, the rocker arm comprises the guide area 491, which, by way of example, is bounded to the left and right in the conveying direction T by guide jaws 492 and 493. The guide jaws 492 and 493 can extend at least partially vertically upwards and at least partially accommodate a guide projection 132 of a support plate 131, so that they can guide the movement of the guide projection 132 and thus of the support plate.

[0043] In the embodiment shown here, the rocker arm 470 is rotatably mounted about the axis of rotation R, with the electromechanical drive element 472 arranged below the rocker arm 470 and rotatably connected to the axis of rotation R. Such an embodiment is particularly advantageous when using an actuator or servo motor, since the rotary motion produced by these drives can be directly transmitted to the axis of rotation to adjust the position of the rocker arm 470. This allows the rocker arm 470 to be set in rotation. Instead of connecting the axis of rotation R to the electromechanical drive element 472, this connection can also be made indirectly, e.g., via a gearbox, in order to transmit the rotary motion of at least part of the electromechanical drive element 472 to the axis of rotation R and thus to the rocker arm 470 according to a required transmission ratio.

[0044] In Fig. 5a is now a product receiving unit 131 in the form of a support plate 131, as used in the support plate line distributor according to the invention. Fig. 1 can be used, schematically illustrated. The support plate 131 comprises a receiving section 160, which is configured to receive at least one product P, at least partially, and to convey it substantially along the conveying direction T from a product receiving side to a product discharge side of the support plate line distributor 100. A special feature of the invention is that the receiving section 160 of the product receiving unit 161 further comprises a support surface 164, which is designed and intended to face the product P, wherein the support surface 164 is formed by a plurality of spaced-apart projections 166. The projections 166 are located in the Fig. Numbers 1 to 4 are not shown for clarity.

[0045] The at least one product P can be a portion P, which may be formed from one or more slices S of a foodstuff, such as sausage, cheese, pressed or grown meat, or the like.

[0046] As in the Fig. 5a and Fig. As can be seen in Figure 5b, the majority of projections 166 can be spaced apart from each other in the direction T and / or in the offset direction V. Particularly preferably, the majority of projections 166 can additionally or alternatively be arranged substantially aligned with each other in the conveying direction T and / or in the offset direction V, preferably in a matrix-like arrangement. It should be noted that the illustration in the Fig. 5a and Fig. 5b is merely schematic in nature and the projections 166 can, if desired, be aligned exactly to each other in the manner described above.

[0047] As also in Fig. 5a and Fig. As can be seen in Figure 5b, each of the plurality of projections 166 can have a substantially pin-like shape, in the illustrated embodiment a cylindrical pin-like shape. In principle, however, the projections 166 can also have any other shape, for example a polygonal shape such as a quadrilateral, in particular rectangular or square, or triangular shape. Furthermore, each of the projections 166 can have a predetermined height H, as shown in Fig. 5a marked and / or a predetermined diameter D as in Fig. 5b marked. The height H and / or the diameter D or, in the case of an angular shape of the projections 166, a width in the transport direction T and / or in the offset direction V can be adapted to a specific application of the support plate line distributor 100.

[0048] As in Fig. As can be seen from Figure 6, the arrangement of the projections 166 according to the invention allows for a particularly advantageous transfer of the at least one product P from a respective support plate 131 to a transport device 242 downstream of the support plate 131, since the support plate 131 and the downstream transport device 242 can be arranged to overlap at least partially in the conveying direction T. The transport device 242 can be arranged in the Fig. The transport device 142 shown in Figure 1 corresponds to the transport device 142 shown in Figure 1. Similarly, the other transport devices 143 and 144 can also be like those shown in Figure 1. Fig. 6. Transport device 242 shown.

[0049] The transport device 242 according to Fig. In the illustrated embodiment, 6 is designed as a so-called finger conveyor or knife conveyor, such that the individual fingers or knives 244 of the transport device 242 can at least partially immerse themselves in the spaces 168 between the projections 166. Each of the fingers or knives 244 can have a conveyor belt that is relatively narrow in the offset direction V, which is deflected by deflection axes U1 and U2, which are located in Fig. 6, which are also only shown schematically, can be driven continuously in or against the transport direction T. For this purpose, one or more corresponding drive units can be provided for the transport device 242, which are in Fig. However, for the sake of clarity, figure 6 is not shown in detail. Furthermore, each finger or knife can be assigned 244 separate deflection rollers that rotate around the deflection axes U1 and U2.

[0050] In Fig. Figure 7 shows a schematic partial top view of the system 300 according to the invention. As in Fig. As can be seen in Figure 7, a portion P can be conveyed by means of a respective support plate 131, which is arranged at least partially overlapping with the downstream transport device 242, to a packaging machine 350 of the system 300, which in Fig. Figure 7 is shown schematically by dashed lines. The packaging machine 350 can be arranged downstream of the product conveying device 100 with respect to the conveying direction T. With additional reference to Fig. 1. The packaging machine 350 can be configured as a three-lane packaging machine with lanes S1*, S2*, and S3*. The packaging machine can, of course, also be configured with more or fewer than three lanes. As in Fig.As also schematically indicated in Figure 1, the system 300 can further comprise a slicing machine 340, which can be arranged upstream of the product conveying direction 100 with respect to the conveying direction T. In the illustrated embodiment, the slicing machine 340 is designed as a single-track slicing machine with track S1, but it can also be designed as a multi-track slicing machine.

Claims

[1] Product conveying device (100), in particular for food products, comprising a plurality of product receiving units (131), wherein each product receiving unit (131) is configured to receive at least one product (P) at least partially on a receiving section (160) thereof and to convey it substantially along a conveying direction (T) from a product receiving side of the product conveying device (100) to a product discharge side of the product conveying device (100), and wherein at least some, preferably each, of the plurality of product conveying units (131) are adjustable along an offset direction (V) in order to additionally influence a position of the at least one product (P) along the offset direction (V) during conveying of the at least one product (P) along the conveying direction (T), characterized by, that the receiving section (160) of a respective product receiving unit (160) has a support surface (164) which is designed and intended to face the at least one product (P), wherein the support surface (164) is formed by a plurality of spaced-apart projections (166). [2] Product conveying device according to claim 1, characterized by , that the offset direction (V) is essentially orthogonal to the conveying direction (T). [3] Product conveying device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that the majority of projections (166) of the support surface (164) are spaced apart from each other in the conveying direction (T) and / or in the offset direction (V). [4] Product conveying device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the majority of projections (166) of the support surface (164) are arranged substantially in alignment with each other in the conveying direction (T) and / or in the offset direction (V). [5] Product conveying device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that each of the plurality of projections (166) has a substantially pin-like, in particular cylindrical pin-like, shape. [6] Product conveying device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that each of the plurality of projections (166) has a height (H) in a range of 5 mm to 50 mm, preferably in a range of 10 mm to 30 mm, and / or has a diameter (D) or width in a range of 3 mm to 20 mm, preferably in a range of 5 mm to 10 mm. [7] Product conveying device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the product conveying device (100) further comprises a conveying unit (101) which is designed to rotate in the conveying direction (T), preferably endlessly, wherein the majority of product receiving units (131) are operationally connected to the conveying unit (101). [8] Product conveying device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the product conveying device (100) further comprises an offset unit which is configured to influence the position of a respective product receiving unit (131) of the plurality of product receiving units (131) in or against the offset direction (V), wherein preferably the offset unit comprises a guide (105), in particular one or more guide rails (105) which are configured to cooperate with a corresponding guide projection (132) which is formed on the respective product receiving unit (131). [9] Product conveying device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the product conveying device (100) is configured to transfer products (P) from a device (340), in particular a slicing machine, arranged upstream of the product conveying device (100) with respect to the conveying direction (T), with a first predetermined number of product tracks (S1), to a device (350), in particular a packaging machine, arranged downstream of the product conveying device (100) with respect to the conveying direction (T), with a second predetermined number of product tracks (S1*, S2*, S3*), which is less or more than the first predetermined number of product tracks (S1). [10] System (300), comprising the product conveying device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, and a slicing machine (340), in particular a slicer, which is arranged upstream of the product conveying device (100) with respect to the conveying direction (T), and / or a packaging machine (350) which is arranged downstream of the product conveying device (100) with respect to the conveying direction (T).

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