Method for grabbing and disposing of the end of a food product

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a device according to claim 1, the preamble being defined according to WO 2005 037 501 A2.

[0002] The ejector is preferably a fork with one or more, in particular two, prongs, which particularly preferably interact with the food bar on one side of the circumference. According to the invention, the ejector is a stripper, in particular a stripper that has no power supply whatsoever, such as electrical power, pneumatics, and / or hydraulics, which serves in particular to release the end piece from the gripper. The ejector preferably also has no means for storing energy, such as a spring.

[0003] According to a further preferred or inventive embodiment of the present invention, the ejection is provided to be movable along a stationary link.

[0004] According to a preferred embodiment, the force-locking and / or positive-locking means is provided on a preferably driveless carriage. This carriage preferably has a round, square, or rectangular cross-section, wherein the height of the carriage preferably corresponds to the height of the food product. The respective height is the respective vertical extension measured from a support. The carriage can be transferred from a parking position, in which it is not engaged with the food product, to a slicing position, in which the positive-locking and / or force-locking means are engaged with the rear end of the food product. In the slicing position, the carriage is preferably moved by the food product itself or a lower and / or upper traction belt provided on the slicing device along the respective track towards and away from the cutting blade.The carriage is preferably connected to the respective traction belt by frictional engagement.

[0005] Preferably, in the parked position, and particularly preferably at least temporarily in the slicing position, the carriage is connected to a movement means which transfers the carriage from the parked to the slicing position and which particularly preferably has a guide, in particular a linear guide, along which the carriage can move relative to the guide means in the direction of the cutting blade and away from it. This guide is designed, for example, as a plain bearing. Preferably, the linear guide is designed such that it can at least absorb gravitational forces, so that the carriage does not automatically detach from the movement means in the parked position. Such a guide has, for example, an undercut and is designed, for example, as a dovetail guide.The carriage is guided by the guide, preferably as long as it does not yet have sufficient overlap with one of the traction belts to adequately absorb forces transverse to the transport direction of the food product.

[0006] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the force-locking and / or form-locking means and / or the carriage is movable linearly, in particular at an angle > 0° and < 90° relative to a transport direction of the food product.

[0007] The engagement of the form-fitting and / or frictional locking means preferably occurs while the food product is moving toward the cutting blade. Preferably, the movement of the form-fitting and / or frictional locking means, which leads to engagement with the rear end of the food product, is coordinated with the movement of the food product along the track.

[0008] A gripper can preferably grip several food products, which in particular are cut open at least temporarily simultaneously.

[0009] Preferably, the positive and / or non-positive engagement between the positive and / or non-positive engagement means and the end piece of the food product is released during the transfer of the carriage from the slicing to the parking position. The ejector is preferably designed as a substantially rigid element that prevents the end piece from moving together with the positive and / or non-positive engagement means. This results in a relative movement between the end piece and the positive and / or non-positive engagement means, which leads to the end piece being stripped off the positive and / or non-positive engagement means.

[0010] Preferably, the device comprises a stationary guide in which the ejector is guided and moves, in particular without its own drive, when the movement means and / or the carriage move from the parking position to the slicing position and back. Preferably, a roller is provided at one end of the ejector, which moves in the guide.

[0011] The slicing device has a product support that transports the food product in the direction of the cutting blade and / or that carries the food product. Preferably, the product support has a lower traction belt and a loading belt, wherein the loading belt is preferably part of a loading rocker. Preferably, the loading rocker transports the food products transversely to their conveying direction during slicing. A gap is preferably provided between the two belts, through which an end piece can be disposed of. Preferably, the gap can be reversibly enlarged, in particular before and / or while the end piece is ejected. Preferably, the enlargement takes place by rotating and / or pivoting the loading rocker about a rotation / pivot axis. For this purpose, the rotation / pivot axis or shaft of the loading rocker is preferably provided below the lower traction belt with respect to the vertical.

[0012] The device preferably has a lower and an upper traction belt, which transport the food product and / or the carriage along the respective track toward and away from the knife. If so-called empty cuts are to be performed, in which the knife rotates but no slices are to be cut from the food product, the traction belts remain stationary or even move at least the front end of the food block facing the knife away from the knife. Preferably, pressure is exerted on the circumference of the food product and / or the carriage with the upper traction belt.

[0013] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the slicing device comprises a receiving container for an end piece, which is particularly preferably provided between the traction belt and the loading belt and below them.

[0014] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the upper linear traction band can be transferred from a traction position to a locking position.

[0015] The upper traction belt preferably has a linear drive with which it can be reversibly moved towards the lower traction belt, for example while the end piece is being ejected and / or while a new food product is being loaded. This prevents the end piece from coming into the area of ​​the knife and / or the new food product from unintentionally moving towards the knife. In the lowered position, the upper traction belt can also serve as a stop for the front end of the food product, for example in order to have a defined starting position for the food product. As soon as a new food product is loaded, the upper traction belt is raised again so that it can enter into frictional engagement with the upper circumference of the food product. A pivoting or rotating movement of the upper traction belt preferably does not take place.

[0016] A further solution to the stated problem is a method according to claim 12 for disposing of an end piece of a food product, wherein the end piece is reversibly connected to at least one form-fitting and / or force-fitting means, in which the form-fitting and / or force-fitting means is transferred from a parking position into a slicing position and back, and in which the end piece is stripped off during the backward movement.

[0017] In the following, the invention is described with reference to Figures 1 - 16 These explanations are merely exemplary and do not limit the scope of protection. The explanations apply equally to all subject matter of the present invention. Figure 1 shows a cutting device. Figures 2 -16 show the inventive objects of the present invention

[0018] Figure 1shows a slicing device 5. The slicing device 5 has a cutting knife 11 that cuts a food product 2 into food slices 12. For this purpose, each food product 2 is transported continuously or intermittently in the direction of the cutting plane 6 of the knife 11 by a conveyor 4, here two conveyor belts 4. The lower conveyor belt 4 also serves as a product support. The cutting knife 11 is attached to a rotating knife holder 3 and interacts with a cutting edge 9, which is provided, for example, at the front end of a product support 4 and which together define the cutting plane 6. Between the knife 11 and the cutting edge 9 there is a so-called cutting gap, which should be as small as possible, but must be large enough that the knife does not touch the cutting edge. This gap must be adjusted regularly. This can be done by moving the knife and / or the cutting edge.In addition, the cutting edge must be aligned parallel to the knife. After cutting, the food slices typically fall onto a storage table 1 equipped with transport means, such as a conveyor belt or conveyor belt, where they are configured into a portion 14, in this case a stack. The finished portions 14 are then removed from the cutting knife area and subsequently packaged.

[0019] A shim plate can be provided beneath the conveyor of the storage table, in particular to prevent the conveyor from becoming excessively long. The slice thickness results from the feed path of the food product between two cuts. At a constant blade rotation speed, the slice thickness is controlled via the feed speed of the food product. The slicing device can have a gripper 8 per feed path, which grips the rear, back end 13 of the food product 2 before or during slicing and stabilizes it during slicing, in particular towards the end of slicing, and discards the end piece that cannot be sliced. Each gripper is preferably provided on a gripper carriage (not shown), which moves the grippers back and forth, in particular parallel to the feed direction of the food product.

[0020] Preferably, the slicing device is provided with multiple tracks, i.e., several food products 2 are sliced ​​by one knife, in particular at least temporarily simultaneously or at least temporarily sequentially. For this purpose, the device has a separate track 7 for each food product, along which it is transported toward the knife 11.

[0021] The Figures 2 - 16 show the gripper or device according to the invention and show the gripping of the rear end of a food product, the ejection of the end piece and the reloading of the slicing device.

[0022] Figure 2 shows the gripper 8 according to the invention, which has a form-locking and / or frictional connection means 16, here a gripper fork, which is reversibly provided on a carriage 22. The carriage 22, in turn, is provided on a movement means 21, with which it can be moved from a Figure 2shown parking position into a cutting position, which is in the Figures 4 - 9 can be seen. For this purpose, the movement means has a drive, which in the present case is designed as a linear drive by means of a movable piston 19, which is provided in a guide 20. Furthermore, the gripper 8 has an ejector 23, which in the present case is designed as a rod, plate or the like, one of which is provided with a roller that is guided in a link 24 that is fixedly provided on the slicing device. This rod, plate or the like is guided in a linear guide that is provided at least on the carriage 22. In the Figure 2 In the parking position shown, the ejector 23 projects so far into the area of ​​the form-fitting and / or force-locking means 16 that a sufficient form-fitting and / or force-locking between the form-fitting and / or force-locking means 16 and an end piece 26 is not possible.

[0023] The slicing device according to the invention has a product support 4, which in the present case is formed by a lower traction belt 18, which is preferably provided adjacent to a cutting bar 9, and a loading belt 15 located upstream of it with respect to the transport direction 30 of the product. Furthermore, an upper traction belt 10 is provided, with which the food product 2 and / or the carriage 22 can be pressed against the lower traction belt. The two traction belts 10, 18 transport the food product in the direction of the cutting blade and thus adjust the slice thickness to be cut. A further traction belt 17 can be provided optionally. The parking position of the carriage 22 is then preferably located between the upper traction belts 10, 17.

[0024] As in particular the Figures 3 and 4can be removed, the carriage 22 is moved from the parking position to the slicing position by means of the movement means 21 as soon as the slicing of the food bar or the transport of the food bar in the direction of the knife has progressed so far that the rear end 13 is located in the area of ​​the forming and / or force-locking means 16. By transferring from the parking position to the slicing position, the forming and / or force-locking means 16 come into contact with the circumference 31 of the rear end 13 of the food product and then penetrate the cross-section of the product at least partially in such a way that a resilient form-fit and / or force-fit connection is created between the food product and the carriage 22.

[0025] In the slicing position, the carriage 22 is then first pulled by the product in the direction of the cutting blade and is guided by a guide 34 provided on the drive means 21. Thereafter, as shown in particular in the Figures 5-7 As can be seen, the carriage is also transported by the lower and upper traction belts by means of frictional engagement. The upper and lower traction belts also ensure that the carriage 22 can absorb the transverse forces or torques that occur during slicing, thus enabling a controlled slicing of the remaining piece of the food product.

[0026] If the food product is then cut open, for example, to such an extent that contact between the cutting blade and the form and / or force-locking means 16 is imminent, the end piece 26, as shown in Figure 8shown, is retracted and the carriage 22 re-engages with the guide 34. As soon as the carriage has reached its final position relative to the moving means 21 (compare Figure 9 ) The carriage 22 is returned to its parking position by means of the movement means 21. Before and / or during this, the upper traction belt 10 is displaced linearly in the direction of the lower traction belt, thereby blocking access to the cutting plane 6, so that the end piece 26 cannot accidentally come into contact with the cutting blade.

[0027] During the transfer of the carriage from the cutting to the parking position, the overlap of the ejector 23 with the form and / or force-locking means 16 increases again, so that the end piece 26, as in Figure 10 shown is stripped off by the form and / or force-locking means 16 and then falls into a receiving container 26.

[0028] As also in Figure 10As can be seen, parallel to the ejection of the end piece 26, the loading belt can be lowered from a cutting position to a loading position if the loading belt 15 is designed as a loading oscillator, as shown in the figures. By selecting the pivot point 27 of the loading oscillator, which is located below the lower traction belt, the gap 35 through which the end piece falls into the container 29 can be enlarged when the loading oscillator is lowered; that is, when it rotates clockwise.

[0029] Because the carriage 22 is in the parking position, the respective lane is free again to slice a new food product. Reloading the lane with a new food product is Figures 14 - 16shown. For this purpose, the loading arm is rotated from its parking position to the slicing position, here counterclockwise, preferably until the food product hits the rear traction belt 17. Then, the upper traction belt 10 is returned to its slicing position, so that the path towards the cutting bar or cutting knife is cleared and the food product is sliced, which is shown in the illustration according to Figure 16 The slicing is then continued until the rear end 13 of the food product is in the area of ​​the form and / or force-locking means and then the procedure is repeated according to Figure 3 . List of reference symbols:

[0030] 1 Storage table 2 Food product 3 Knife holder 4 Product support 5 Slicing device 6 Cutting level 7 Track 8 Gripper 9 Cutting bar, cutting edge 10 Upper traction belt 11 Knife, cutting knife, circular knife, sickle knife 12 Food slices 13 Back of the food product 14 Portion, food portion 15 Loading belt, rear support, pivoting support 16 Positive and / or non-positive locking means, gripping fork 17 Rear upper traction belt 18 Front support 19 Gripper drive 20 Guide, vertical guide, drive guide 21 Carriage movement means 22 Carriage 23 Ejector, scraper 24 Ejector guide, link 25 Roller 26 End piece 27 Pivot point, rotation axis 28 Pivot point, rotation axis 29 Receptacle 30 Transport direction during slicing 31 Circumference of the food product 32 Parking position 33 Cutting position 34 Guide, linear guide 35 Gap, distance

Claims

1. Device (5) for slicing one or more food products (2), in particular sausage, ham and / or cheese, wherein, for each food product (2), provision is made for in each case one track (7) along which it is transported in the direction of a moving blade (11) which cuts off food slices from the front end of the food product, wherein said device has a gripper for fixing the rear end (13) of a food product (2) and / or for disposing of an end piece (26), with at least one form-fit and / or force-fit means (16) which is able to be reversibly brought into engagement with the periphery (31) of the rear end (13) of a food product (2), characterized in that said device has an ejector (23), which is a scraper having no drive of its own and no energy supply, wherein the form-fit and / or force-fit means (16) is transferable from a parking position into a slicing position and back and the end piece is scraped off during the reverse movement.

2. Device (5) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the ejector is provided so as to be movable along a positionally fixed guide slot.

3. Device (5) according to either of Claims 1-2, characterized in that the force-fit and / or form-fit means are provided at a preferably drive-free carriage (22).

4. Device (5) according to Claim 3, characterized in that one of the carriages (22) is mounted movably on a guide (21).

5. Device (5) according to one of Claims 1-4, characterized in that the force-fit and / or form-fit means (16) and / or the carriage are / is movable linearly, in particular at an angle > 0° and < 90° relative to a transport direction of the food product.

6. Device (5) according to one of Claims 1-5, characterized in that said device has a gripper, in particular for each track.

7. Device (5) according to either of Claims 5 and 6, characterized in that said device has, as a product support (4), a lower traction belt (18) and a loading belt (15), wherein the loading belt is preferably part of a loading rocker arm.

8. Device (5) according to one of Claims 1-7, characterized in that said device has a lower and an upper traction belt (18, 10), which transport the food product and / or the carriage.

9. Device (5) according to either of Claims 7 and 8, characterized in that said device has a receiving container (29) for an end piece (26), which receiving container is provided between the traction belt (18) and the loading belt (15).

10. Device (5) according to Claim 9, characterized in that the loading belt (15) is part of a loading rocker arm whose point of rotation (27) is provided, in relation to the vertical, below the lower traction belt (18).

11. Device according to one of Claims 8-10, characterized in that the upper linear traction belt is transferable from a traction position into a blocking position.

12. Method for disposing of an end piece (26) of a food product (2), wherein the end piece (26) is connected reversibly to at least one form-fit and / or force-fit means (16), characterized in that the form-fit and / or force-fit means (16) is transferred from a parking position (32) into a slicing position (33) and back, characterized in that the end piece (26) is scraped off during the reverse movement.