Product conveying device and cutting machine

Abstract

The invention relates to a product conveying device (100) for food products (S, P), comprising a product conveying unit (102) configured to receive at least one food product (S, P) on a receiving section (106) thereof and conveying it substantially along a conveying direction (F) from a product receiving side (I) of the product conveying device (100) to a product discharge side (O) of the product conveying device (100), and a drive unit (104) comprising a drive element (108) rotatable about a drive axis (R), wherein the drive element (108) is operationally connected to an output element (110) of the product conveying unit (102) and is configured to drive the output element (110) rotating about an output axis (A) thereof in order to move the receiving section (106) of the product conveying unit (102) in or against the conveying direction (F).wherein the drive axis (R) of the drive element (108) is substantially parallel, preferably coaxial, to the output axis (A) of the output element (110).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a product conveying device for food products, comprising a product conveying unit configured to receive at least one food product 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 a drive unit comprising a drive element rotatable about a drive axis, wherein the drive element is operationally connected to an output element of the product conveying unit and is configured to drive the output element in a rotating manner about an output axis thereof in order to move the receiving section of the product conveying unit in or against the conveying direction. The invention further relates to a slicing machine comprising at least one such product conveying device.

[0002] In order to assemble food products, for example by means of a slicing machine, in particular a slicer, sliced ​​slices or portions from one or more slices of a food, and to be able to process them further by means of a downstream device, for example by means of a packaging machine, it is known to obtain the food products from the slicing machine by means of a product conveying device of the type mentioned above and to transfer them in the conveying direction first to another product conveying device or directly to the packaging machine.

[0003] The product conveying device can also be used as a portioning device, as it can also be configured to form the portions described above and / or to align portions that have already been formed and, for example, arranged side by side and / or one behind the other in the conveying direction, along the conveying direction and / or essentially perpendicular to each other. Furthermore, the product conveying unit can additionally or alternatively be used as a feeding unit in the slicing machine described above, configured to feed food products, particularly in the form of product calibers, along a feed direction to a cutting unit of the slicing machine.

[0004] All of this also applies to the product conveying device according to the invention.

[0005] A disadvantage of known product conveying devices is that the drive force or torque provided by the drive unit usually has to be transmitted to the product conveying unit, for example, a conveyor belt, via one or more transmissions, such as a belt drive, a gear drive, or a chain drive. This results in known product conveying devices requiring a relatively large installation space due to the numerous components arranged between the drive unit and the product conveying unit, and they are also highly susceptible to maintenance and / or operational malfunctions. Furthermore, such an arrangement can lead to a delayed response, i.e., a delayed reaction of the product conveying unit to a drive movement from the drive unit, which can make production processes, particularly in the food industry, less reliable and less efficient.It is also known that the efficiency of the product conveying device is reduced by the provision of a multiple drive force transmission elements, such as the aforementioned gears.

[0006] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a product conveying device of the type mentioned at the outset, which can remedy this by eliminating at least some of the aforementioned disadvantages.

[0007] This problem is solved according to the invention by a product conveying device of the type mentioned at the outset, in which the drive axis of the drive element is essentially parallel, preferably coaxial, to the output axis of the output element.

[0008] Since, according to the invention, the drive axis of the drive element is essentially parallel, preferably coaxial, to the output axis of the output element, a particularly compact arrangement can be achieved, requiring less installation space compared to known product conveying devices of the type mentioned above. Furthermore, the drive element of the drive unit can be connected to the output element as directly as possible, preferably with a minimum of interposed drive force transmission elements or directly, which ensures a particularly responsive, low-maintenance, and efficient drive force transmission between the drive unit and the product conveying unit. In other words, the solution according to the invention can essentially provide a direct drive for the product conveying unit.

[0009] The at least one food product is preferably a food product, for example, made from sausage, cheese, pressed meat, or whole meat, or the like. Furthermore, the at least one food product can be a food portion, which preferably comprises one or more slices, which may be separated from a food product of a certain caliber, for example, by means of a slicing machine, preferably a slicer.

[0010] The product conveying device according to the invention can preferably be designed and intended for use as a portioning device in a slicing machine and be configured to form food portions and / or to align portions already formed, and arranged, for example, side by side and / or one behind the other in the conveying direction, along the conveying direction and / or substantially orthogonally to each other. Additionally or alternatively, the product conveying unit can be designed and intended for use as a feeding unit in a slicing machine, which is configured to feed the food products, in particular in the form of product calibers, along a feeding direction to a cutting unit of the slicing machine.

[0011] In principle, the drive unit can be any type of drive unit, which can be actuated pneumatically, fluidically, or in any other way. Preferably, the drive unit is an electric motor, more preferably a servo motor. This allows for a particularly short response time of the drive unit, especially when activating or deactivating the drive unit and / or when changing the direction of rotation.

[0012] Additionally or alternatively, the drive unit can be arranged directly adjacent to a housing or integrated into a housing designed to accommodate at least one bearing unit, and optionally one or more sealing elements, of the output element. As a result, the drive unit, at least the bearing unit, and optionally the one or more sealing elements of the output element can be arranged directly next to each other or integrated into a common housing, allowing for an even more compact arrangement.

[0013] In principle, the drive unit and / or the product conveying unit could include a gearbox, for example, an integrated gearbox, in particular a reduction gearbox or the like. However, it is preferably proposed that the drive unit and / or the product conveying unit, preferably the entire product conveying device, be free of a gearbox, preferably a reduction gearbox, in particular a belt drive, a chain drive, or a gear drive. This can lead to a further improved response time and / or further reduce the susceptibility of the product conveying device to malfunctions and / or wear and / or the maintenance requirements of the product conveying device.It should be noted that the inventors have overcome the technical prejudice that the use of drive units of the type described herein always requires a gearbox, such as a reduction gearbox, to provide sufficient torque for driving the product conveying unit. The inventors have recognized, however, that comparatively compact drive units, particularly in the form of electrically operated servo motors, can now also provide sufficient torque or power for a direct drive.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the drive element can be designed as a drive shaft and the output element as an output shaft. To ensure easy assembly and disassembly of the product conveying device, it is further proposed that one end of the drive shaft be operationally connected to the end of the output shaft facing that end.

[0015] To further facilitate assembly and / or disassembly, according to a further development of this embodiment, the end of the drive shaft and the end of the output shaft facing this end can form an axial coupling, wherein preferably the end of the drive shaft and the end of the output shaft facing this end can be connected and / or separated from each other by a relative movement essentially along the drive axis and / or the output axis.

[0016] If the product conveying device includes the axial coupling, according to a further preferred embodiment, the end of the drive shaft can form a first axial coupling part, preferably a first jaw coupling part, and the end of the output shaft facing this end can form a second axial coupling part, preferably a second jaw coupling part, which can be configured to engage with the first axial coupling part, preferably the first jaw coupling part.

[0017] To minimize wear of the drive unit, including the drive element, and / or the product conveying unit, including the output element, even in the event of abrupt and / or frequent reversals of the direction of rotation of the drive unit, a further preferred embodiment of the product conveying device may also include a damping unit configured to act between the drive element and the output element, wherein the damping unit may preferably be made at least partially of an elastomer. The elastomer may, for example, be made of a rubber-like material or the like.

[0018] If the product conveying device comprises the drive shaft, the output shaft, and the damping unit described above, a further development proposes that the damping unit act between the end of the drive shaft and the end of the output shaft facing that end. Furthermore, the damping unit can have a shape corresponding to the first axial coupling part and / or the second axial coupling part, preferably being essentially star-shaped. This allows, for example, for easy replacement of the damping element should this be necessary at intervals for maintenance or similar purposes.

[0019] Furthermore, the product conveying unit can, in a manner known per se, comprise at least one conveyor belt which may be configured to rotate in and / or against the conveying direction, preferably continuously. In principle, the product conveying unit, particularly when used in conjunction with a multi-lane slicing machine, can also comprise several conveyor belts arranged side by side, essentially orthogonal to the conveying direction. These conveyor belts can be driven jointly or separately by means of the drive unit and optionally by means of one or more further drive units, each of which may be designed analogously to the drive unit described above.

[0020] To achieve a particularly compact arrangement of the product conveying device, it is finally proposed that the at least one conveyor belt comprise at least two oppositely arranged deflection units, preferably deflection rollers or deflection cylinders, wherein each of the at least two deflection units can have a deflection axis, and wherein at least one deflection axis of the at least two deflection units can coincide with the output axis of the output element. As a consequence, the output axis of the output element can simultaneously form a deflection axis of one of the at least two deflection units. Each deflection axis of the at least two deflection units can preferably run substantially orthogonal to the conveying direction.

[0021] According to another point of view, the invention relates to a slicing machine which comprises at least one product conveying device as described above according to the invention.

[0022] Regarding the advantages and effects of the slicing machine according to the invention, reference is made to the advantages and effects of the product conveying device according to the invention. All features, advantages, and effects described in relation to the product conveying direction according to the invention also apply to the slicing machine according to the invention, and vice versa.

[0023] The slicing machine is preferably configured to slice at least one product caliber and feed it to the product conveying device as food products. Furthermore, the slicing machine can be designed to slice food products, particularly in the form of so-called product calibers, from which preferably shingled or stacked portions can be formed. The product calibers can be, for example, sausage, cheese, whole meat, pressed meat, and the like. The product conveying unit of the slicing machine can serve as a feeding unit configured to feed the food products, particularly in the form of product calibers, along a feed direction to a cutting unit of the slicing machine. The feeding unit can, for example, be designed as a continuously circulating belt conveyor or the like.The cutting unit can, for example, be designed as an electrically driven cutting unit. Preferably, the cutting unit is arranged downstream of the feed unit with respect to the feed direction. By means of a knife, which can be mounted on the cutting unit, preferably rotatably about a pivot axis, the discs can be cut from one end of a respective product caliber facing the cutting unit.

[0024] The slicing machine may also be associated with a packaging machine, which may be arranged downstream of the product conveying device in relation to the conveying direction.

[0025] 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 several product conveying devices arranged one behind the other in a conveying direction, in accordance with the prior art. Fig. 2 a perspective partial view of a product conveying device according to the invention in an exemplary embodiment, Fig. 3a a perspective exploded view of the product conveying device according to Fig. 2, Fig. 3b a perspective detail exploded view of the product conveying device according to Fig. 2, Fig. 4 a perspective exploded view of the product conveying device according to Fig. 2, Fig. 5a a perspective view of a slicing machine according to an exemplary embodiment, and Fig. 5b a side view of the slicing machine according to Fig. 5a.

[0026] In Fig. Figure 1 shows several product conveying devices arranged one behind the other in a conveying direction F according to the prior art, of which, by way of example, a product conveying device furthest away in the conveying direction F is identified by reference numeral 100'. The product conveying device 100' comprises a product conveying unit 102', which is configured to convey at least one food product, for example in the form of one or more slices S or one or more portions P from several slices S (see Figure 1). Fig. 5b) to take up and convey substantially along the conveyance direction F

[0027] A drive unit 104' of the product conveying device 100' is arranged such that a drive axis R' of the drive unit 104 runs essentially orthogonally to an output axis S', which designates a rotation axis of an output element of the product conveying unit 102'. Fig. Figure 1 shows that the arrangement of several such drive units 104' side by side, which drive several product conveying devices 100' arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction F, results in some problems with regard to the available installation space, since adjacent drive units 104' must be aligned in a comparatively complex manner to prevent collisions between them. Furthermore, each in Fig. The drive unit 104' shown in Figure 1 is further assigned a gearbox 105', for example in the form of a reduction gearbox, which exacerbates the previously mentioned problem with regard to the available installation space.

[0028] In Fig. 2, on the other hand, is a product conveying device according to an embodiment of the present invention, generally characterized by the reference numeral 100. As the product conveying device 100' according to Fig. The product conveying device 100 according to the invention also includes a product conveying unit 102, which is configured to receive at least one product, which, as described above, can be designed as one or more slices S or one or more portions P, on a receiving section 106 thereof and to convey it substantially along the conveying direction F from a product receiving side I to a product discharge side O. The slices S can, for example, be formed from a foodstuff such as sausage, cheese, whole or pressed meat, or the like.

[0029] Furthermore, the product conveying device 100 comprises a drive unit 104, which has a drive element 108 rotatable about a drive axis R. The drive unit 104 can, for example, be designed as an electric motor, preferably as a servo motor. The drive axis R is also shown in the sectional view according to Fig. 4. The drive element 108 can be operationally connected to an output element 110, which is rotatable about an output axis A in order to move the receiving section 106 of the product conveying unit 102 in or against the conveying direction F. According to the invention, the drive axis R of the drive element 104 is essentially parallel, and in the illustrated embodiment coaxial, to the output axis A of the output element 110. This allows the Fig. The problem described in section 1 regarding insufficient installation space is significantly reduced, since the drive unit 104 is directly connected to the product conveying unit 102 and, in particular, no longer requires an intermediate gearbox 105'. Therefore, if, for example, several product conveying devices 100 according to the invention are arranged in the conveying direction F, analogous to... Fig. Since the product conveying units 104 are to be arranged one behind the other, this can be done in a significantly simplified manner, as a collision between adjacent drive units 104 becomes considerably less likely. It should be noted that the product conveying units 102 are, in principle, analogous to the product conveying devices 100 adjacent to those in the conveying direction F, arranged in a significantly simplified manner. Fig. 1. may have different dimensions in the conveying direction F, such as also Fig. 5b is recognizable.

[0030] As especially in the Fig. 2 and Fig. As can be seen in Figure 4, according to the illustrated embodiment, the drive unit 104 is arranged directly adjacent to a housing 112, which is configured to accommodate at least one bearing unit 114 of the output element 110. If the output element 110 is designed as an output shaft, as in the present embodiment, the bearing unit 114 can, for example, be a rolling bearing or the like. The housing 112 can optionally also be configured to accommodate sealing elements 116a and 116b, which are intended to prevent the ingress of dirt into the bearing unit 114. Since particularly high hygiene standards must be maintained in the food industry, the sealing elements 116a and 116b can also be designed to prevent the escape of grease or the like from the bearing unit 114 towards the receiving section 106 for the food products.

[0031] Analogous to the drive shaft 110, the drive element 108 can also be designed as a drive shaft. In the illustrated embodiment, one end 108a of the drive element 108 is operationally connected to an end 110a of the output shaft 110 facing this end.

[0032] The end 108a of the drive shaft 108 and the end 110a of the output shaft 110 form an axial coupling according to the illustrated embodiment. Preferably, the end 108a and the end 110a can be connected and / or disconnected by a relative movement along the drive axis R and / or the output axis A, which can significantly facilitate the assembly and disassembly of the drive unit 104 on the product conveying unit 102.

[0033] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 4, the end 108a particularly preferably forms a first axial coupling part 108a1, preferably a first jaw coupling part, and the end 110a facing this end forms a second axial coupling part 110a1, preferably a second jaw coupling part. The first axial coupling part 108a1 and the second axial coupling part 110a1 can be engaged to transmit a rotary motion generated by the drive unit 104 about the axis of rotation R to the product conveying unit 102, resulting in a rotation of the output shaft 110 about the output axis A. A damping unit 118, which can be star-shaped, for example (see also Figure 4), can also be provided between the end 108a and the end 110a, in particular between the first axial coupling part 108a1 and the second axial coupling part 110a1. Fig. 3b) and / or may be made at least partially of an elastomer, for example a rubber or the like.

[0034] It should also be added that the product conveying unit 102 can comprise at least one conveyor belt 120, or, in the illustrated embodiment, several conveyor belts 120 arranged side by side, essentially transverse to the conveying direction F, wherein each conveyor belt 120 can be configured to circulate in and / or against the conveying direction F, preferably continuously. In the illustrated embodiment, this continuous circulating is achieved by at least two oppositely arranged deflection units in the form of a first deflection roller 122 and a second deflection roller 124. The first deflection roller 122 has a first deflection axis U1, while the second deflection roller 124 has a second deflection axis U2, as, for example, in Fig. 2 schematically represented. In the illustrated embodiment, the first deflection axis U1 coincides with the output axis A of the output element 110 in the form of the output shaft.

[0035] Fig. Figure 5a shows an embodiment of a slicing machine 1 according to the invention with several product conveying devices 100 according to the invention arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction F. The drive units of the product conveying devices 100 are located in the Fig. 5a and Fig. 5b is not shown in detail for the sake of clarity and is in Fig. 5b merely indicates one possible arrangement position of a drive unit schematically by reference numeral 104. In the illustrated embodiment, the slicing machine 1 is designed as a multi-lane slicer 1, which is configured to simultaneously slice several product calibers K side by side on separate lanes SP1 to SP4 and deposit them in shingled portions P, each consisting of several slices S. A general direction of travel 10* through the slicer 1 is indicated by the arrow with reference numeral 10*, which runs essentially parallel to the conveying direction F.

[0036] Fig. Figure 5b shows a side view of slicer 1 with product caliber K inserted, omitting covers and other parts attached to a base frame 2, so that the functional parts, especially the conveyor belts, are more clearly visible. The longitudinal direction 10 is the feed direction of the product calibers K to a cutting unit 7 of slicer 1 and thus also the longitudinal direction of the product calibers K lying in slicer 1.

[0037] In this process, several, in this case four, product calibers K lying side by side on a feeder 4, with projections 15 of the feeder 4 rising from a support surface as spacers between them, can be fed to the cutting unit 7 of the slicer 1 with a knife 3 rotating about a rotational axis R, for example a sickle knife 3, from a feeder unit 20, from the front ends of which the rotating knife 3 with its cutting edge 3a can cut off a disc S with each revolution about the rotational axis R.

[0038] For cutting the product caliber K, the feeder 4 is located in the Fig. 5a shows an inclined cutting position with a low-lying, cutting-side front end and a high-lying rear end, from which it can be folded down into an approximately horizontal loading position about a pivot axis running in its width direction, the first transverse direction 11, which is located near the cutting unit 7, as shown in Fig. 5b is shown.

[0039] The rear end of each product caliber K located in the feed unit 20 is positively held by a gripper 14 or 14a-d by means of gripper claws 16. These grippers 14 or 14a-14d, which can be activated and deactivated with respect to the position of the gripper claws 16, are attached to a common gripper unit 13, which can be moved along a gripper guide 18 in the feed direction 10.

[0040] In this system, both the feed of the gripper unit 13 and the feeder 4 can be driven in a controlled manner, but the specific feeding speed of the product calibers K can be achieved by a so-called upper and / or lower product guide 8, 9, which is also driven in a controlled manner and which engages the top and bottom of the product calibers K to be cut in their front end areas near the cutting unit 7.

[0041] The leading ends of the product calibers K are each guided through a product opening 6a-d of a plate-shaped cutting frame 5. The cutting plane 3" runs directly in front of the front, downward-sloping end face of the cutting frame 5. The knife 3 rotates within this plane with its cutting edge 3a around the axis of rotation R, thereby cutting off the excess product caliber K from the cutting frame 5 as a disc S. The cutting plane 3" runs orthogonally to the upper run of the feeder 4 and / or is spanned by the two transverse directions 11, 12 to the feed direction 10. The inner circumference of the product openings 6a-d serves as the counter-edge for the cutting edge 3a of the knife 3.

[0042] Since both product guides 8, 9 can be driven in a controlled manner, in particular independently of each other and / or possibly separately for each track SP1 to SP4, these determine a - continuous or clocked - feed rate of the product calibers K through the cutting frame 5.

[0043] The upper product guide 8 is displaceable in the second transverse direction 12, which runs orthogonally to the surface of the upper run of the feeder 4, to adapt to a height of the product caliber K in this direction. Furthermore, at least one of the product guides 8, 9 can be pivotable about one of its deflection rollers in order to be able to change the direction of a guide belt of the product guide 8 and / or 9 that rests against the respective product caliber K to a limited extent.

[0044] The slices S, which are positioned obliquely in space during separation, fall onto a portioning unit 117 arranged below the cutting frame 5. The portioning unit 117 is formed from several product conveying devices 100 according to the invention in the form of a portioning and / or weighing belt 100a and further discharge conveyors 100b and 100c arranged one behind the other in the direction of flow 10*. The direction of flow 10* can correspond to the conveying direction F of the portioning unit 117. The portioning unit 117 is accordingly configured to form the portions P from the slices S cut by the cutting unit 7 and is configured to convey the portions P along the conveying direction F.

[0045] The slices S can hit the portioning and / or weighing belt 100a individually and spaced 10* apart in the direction of travel, and / or, by appropriate control of the portioning and / or weighing belt 100a, whose movement, like almost all moving parts, is controlled by a control unit 1* of the slicer 1, shingled or stacked portions P can be produced (see Fig. 5b) are formed. The portions P can be formed, for example, by a stepwise forward movement of the portioning and / or weighing belt 100a in the conveying direction F.

[0046] Below the feed unit 20, in the illustrated embodiment, there is a substantially horizontal residual conveyor 21, which begins with its front end below the cutting frame 5 and directly below or behind the portioning unit 117 and can transport residual material falling onto it to the rear with its upper run.

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