CUTTING MACHINE FOR STRAY-SHAPED FOODS

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The invention relates to a slicing machine for commercial purposes, with which bread, but also cheese, sausage, and similar string-shaped food products can be mechanically sliced ​​into slices of any thickness. The slicing machine according to the invention can be, in particular, a circular blade slicing machine, but can also, in principle, be a gate slicing machine. STATE OF THE ART

[0002] DE 198 20 004 C2 discloses a circular knife machine for cutting a food strand into slices. This cutting machine has a circular cutting blade that can rotate around its central axis and also pivot in a circular path. During this pivoting movement, it is guided through the strand-shaped food to be sliced. The strand-shaped food is fed to the cutting blade in a channel-like shaft and cut into slices. The cut slices are stored upright on a storage area arranged downstream of the cutting blade in the conveying direction.

[0003] DE 20 2006 013 561 U1 discloses a gate cutting machine for food products, particularly bread. The gate cutting machine has a motorized drive for a feed bar, which pushes a food product through a cutting device consisting of two blade gates. This motorized drive operates continuously, ensuring that the bread is transported through the cutting device at a constant speed.

[0004] The cutting machines known in the prior art generally have a packaging device to facilitate the packaging of the sliced ​​package. For this purpose, the package of slices is placed on a plate-shaped tray. A bag or pouch can then be placed over the tray and the sliced ​​package, and the food item can be pushed off the tray along with the bag or pouch. The tray is usually located outside the housing of the cutting machine to facilitate the most convenient packaging of the food item.

[0005] DE 10 2014 000 297 A1 discloses a cutting machine in which a comparable packaging device is located in the removal area and / or the insertion area. The packaging device is located within the housing of the cutting machine. This arrangement of the packaging device allows the slice package to be packaged within the cutting machine. However, the packaging of the slice package must still be carried out by the cutting machine operator, i.e., possibly by the end customer.

[0006] DE 10 2011 075 132 A1 discloses a cutting machine in which a web of packaging film is held ready in a packaging station. This web of packaging film is used to form a packaging bag around the slice package, the side seams of which are then gradually welded.

[0007] DE 93 10 344 U1 discloses a cutting machine in which a stack of bags is located adjacent to the chute area. The cut slices can be inserted manually or automatically into the top bag of this stack of bags. For this purpose, the top bag of the stack of bags is held open by a fan.

[0008] The packaging options described above for the cut slice package within the cutting machine either only allow manual packaging within the housing or involve significant structural effort. Therefore, automated packaging options for cutting machines have not yet become established on the commercial market. PRESENTATION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Based on this prior art, the invention is based on the object of providing an improved cutting machine for strand-shaped food products, in which automated packaging of the cut slice package can be carried out as simply and reliably as possible within the cutting machine.

[0010] The cutting machine according to the invention is defined by the features of main claim 1.

[0011] The cutting machine according to the invention has a housing with an insertion area for the strand-shaped foodstuff, a cutting blade for the strand-shaped foodstuff, and a removal area for the cut strand-shaped foodstuff. Furthermore, a shaft for receiving the strand-shaped foodstuff is provided. The longitudinal direction of the shaft corresponds to the feed direction of the strand-shaped foodstuff. Within the housing, a packaging device for the cut strand-shaped foodstuff is provided. The packaging device has at least one bag opener and at least one storage area for bags. The bag opener can hold a bag provided by the storage area for bags at least in the area of ​​the bag opening. The storage area for bags is provided in the immediate vicinity of the cutting blade so that the cut slices can be gradually inserted into the bag.According to the invention, the shaft is angled. A movable disc holder is located behind the bag, as seen in the feed direction, through which the bag can be compressed longitudinally.

[0012] This way, the sliced ​​package forms directly inside the bag. This eliminates the need to manually or mechanically insert the package into the bag, which could result in the sliced ​​package partially falling over and not being able to be packaged as a whole. Because the sliced ​​package forms gradually inside the bag, crumb formation in this area of ​​the cutting machine is also reduced. This is visually advantageous and also preferable from a hygienic point of view.

[0013] Depending on the design of the cutting machine, the insertion area and the removal area may be two different areas of the cutting machine. However, it is also possible for the removal area to correspond to the insertion area of ​​the cutting machine.

[0014] The bags can be made of various materials, such as plastic film or paper. A combination of several materials is also conceivable. The shape and size of the bags can be adapted to the different food items being packaged.

[0015] If the insertion area for the string-shaped food and the removal area for the slice package are located on different sides of the cutting unit, the storage area for the bags can be arranged freely accessible above the shaft.

[0016] The bag opener can, for example, have a blower that inflates the bag so that the cut slices or the complete package of slices can be inserted into the bag.

[0017] In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the bag to be opened can have a stiffened edge region. This stiffened edge region can lie on top of one another in the manner of a flat parallelogram when the bag is closed. This stiffened edge region can be opened by the bag opener so that the cut slices or even the complete package of slices can be pushed into the bag. In this embodiment, the bag opener does not necessarily have to have a blower to inflate the bag. The bag opener could, for example, have a gripping element or a suction element by which part of the edge region can be lifted in order to open the bag. Such a suction element could lift the stiffened edge region safely and gently. The bag is not damaged in the process, and as soon as the negative pressure of the suction element is released, the bag can be easily removed from the cutting machine.The customer doesn't have to loosen a complicated anchoring mechanism, which would lead to operating errors. Alternatively, the bag opener could have a folding element or a sliding element, for example, through which the side sections of the stiffened edge area could be raised. The stiffened edge area of ​​the bag can also be held by a retaining element in the area of ​​the shaft floor, thus securing it in position from below.

[0018] The stiffened edge of the bag is preferably made of cardboard or a cardboard-containing material. To facilitate the sealing of the bag with the packaged slices, the stiffened edge of the bag can be connected to the rest of the bag via a predetermined breaking point. The stiffened edge can thus be easily separated, facilitating the sealing of the bag—for example, by tying a knot.

[0019] The stiffened edge of the bag should preferably have a roughly square cross-section when opened. This allows for the largest possible opening when opened, allowing the slice pack to be inserted without difficulty and not get caught on the edge of the bag. At the same time, the stiffened edge can form an extremely flat parallelogram when the bag is closed. This allows the bags to be easily stacked, allowing for space-saving storage and cost-effective transport.

[0020] The holding element in the area of ​​the shaft base, which serves to secure the lower bag base, can have, for example, a bracket or a clamp under which the stiffened edge area is pushed. The stiffened edge area can be widened outwards in the area of ​​the bag base and have a cantilever edge. This cantilever edge can then be pushed under the holding element. When removing the filled bag, the stiffened edge area is automatically pulled slightly backwards by the customer, so that the cantilever edge is pulled away from under the holding element and the bag can be removed without difficulty. Alternatively or additionally, the holding element in the area of ​​the shaft base can have at least one suction element to fix the stiffened edge area in the area of ​​the bag base.

[0021] When using the machine, the strand-shaped food is first inserted into a chute of the cutting machine. The strand-shaped food is then guided past the cutting blade in the feed direction and cut into a package of slices. The cut slices are packaged in a bag within the cutting machine. According to the invention, the cut slices are gradually pushed into the bag during the cutting process, forming a package of slices within the bag. In this case, the chute of the cutting machine can be approximately horizontal in front of the cutting blade and inclined behind the cutting blade. The chute thus has a kink.

[0022] The cutting machine according to the invention can be either a circular knife machine or a gate cutting machine. In a circular knife machine, the cutting blade can be designed, for example, as a circular blade or a sickle blade. In a gate cutting machine, the cutting blade can be designed accordingly as a gate cutting machine.

[0023] Further advantages and features of the invention can be found in the features further specified in the claims and in the following exemplary embodiments. SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0024] The invention is described and explained in more detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings. They show: Fig. 1 a schematic side view of the bent shaft of a cutting machine according to the invention with inserted, uncut food strand and Fig. 2 a side view corresponding Fig. 1 with partially sliced ​​food and sliced ​​package forming inside the bag. WAYS TO CARRY OUT THE INVENTION

[0025] In the present example, the cutting machine according to the invention is designed as a circular knife machine with a circular blade. The circular blade is coupled in the usual way to a blade drive, which ensures the rotation of the circular blade and its movement through the food to be cut. In the present example, the food to be cut is bread. The housing of the cutting machine can usually be closed with a transparent flap. For safety reasons, the cutting process can only be started when the flap is closed.

[0026] The cutting machine according to the invention has a shaft 10.4, the longitudinal direction of which corresponds to the feed direction of the inserted food item 12. In the present example, the shaft 10.4 is angled. The first, right-hand shaft section 14.4 is arranged approximately horizontally, while the second, left-hand shaft section 16.4 runs diagonally downward.

[0027] The two shaft areas 14.4, 16.4 are separated from each other by a slot 18. Driven by the knife drive, the circular knife (not shown here) moves through this slot 18, so that the food item 12 present in the area of ​​the slot 18 is cut at this point. Referring to the drawing, a food slice 20 is then created to the left of this slot 18. To the right of the slot 18, the food item 12 is still uncut. For cutting, the food item 12 is pushed towards the slot 18 by a transport gripper 22. For this purpose, the transport gripper 22 has several adjacent claws that pierce the end of the food item 12 from above during the cutting process.

[0028] A bag 30.4 is arranged in the feed direction directly behind the slot 18 between the two shaft areas 14.4, 16.4. The bag 30.4 is held open by a bag opener 86, shown only schematically here.

[0029] In the feed direction behind the bag 30.4 there is a disc holder 88. The disc holder 88 is located at the beginning of the cutting process (see Fig. 1 ) near the slot 18, so that the bag 30.4 is compressed in its longitudinal extent by the slice holder 88. In the present example, the slice holder 88 is mounted so as to be longitudinally displaceable and can be displaced in the direction of the shaft end 90 by the food slices 20 gradually falling into the bag 30.4. In this case, the bag 30.4 can gradually expand more and more (see Fig. 2 ), so that a complete disc package 24 can be formed within the bag 30.4.

Claims

1. Slicing machine for strand-shaped foodstuffs (12), - having a housing with an introduction region for the strand-shaped foodstuff (12) and with a removal region for the sliced strand-shaped foodstuff (24), - having a cutting knife for the strand-shaped foodstuff (12), - having a shaft (10.4) for receiving the strand-shaped foodstuff (12), the longitudinal direction of which corresponds to the feeding direction of the strand-shaped foodstuff (12), - having a packaging device for the sliced strand-shaped foodstuff (12), which is present inside the housing, - wherein the packaging device has at least one bag opener (86) and at least one store for bags (30.4) - wherein a bag (30.4) provided by the store for bags is able to be kept open by the bag opener (86) at least in the region of the bag opening (32), - wherein the store for bags (30.4) is arranged in the immediate vicinity of the cutting knife, such that the sliced slices (20) are able to be inserted bit by bit into the bag (30.4), - characterized in that - the shaft (10.4) is of an angular design, - when viewed in the advancing direction, a displaceable slice holder (88) is present behind the bag (30.4), and - the bag (30.4) in terms of its longitudinal extent is compressible by the slice holder (88).