Meat-attached matter removal device and meat-attached matter removal method

Abstract

To provide a meat-attached matter removal device and a meat-attached matter removal method which can improve the commercial value of a meat while automating the removal process of an attached matter attached to the deboned meat.SOLUTION: A meat-attached matter removal device 1 includes: a detection unit that detects the posture of a chicken thigh meat M and the position of an attached matter H attached to the chicken thigh meat M relative to the posture of the chicken thigh meat M; a pair of gripping arms 11a and 11b; and an arm driving unit 10. The pair of gripping arms 11a and 11b grips a base of the attached matter H, which is attached to the chicken thigh meat M, from both sides and raises the attached matter H from the chicken thigh meat M. The arm driving unit 10 drives the pair of gripping arms 11a and 11b. The arm driving unit 10 includes: a block driving part 14 which moves the pair of gripping arms 11a and 11b closer and further away to / from the chicken thigh meat M; and an arm opening / closing driving part 13 which performs an opening / closing operation of the pair of gripping arms 11a and 11b by moving the pair of gripping arms 11a and 11b closer and further away to / from each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for removing meat deposits. [Background technology]

[0002] In order to move away from manual processing and toward automated processing using machines in the butchering of chickens and other poultry carcasses, an automatic deboning device that debones bone-in chicken thighs has been disclosed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This device transports bone-in chicken thighs intermittently between multiple processing stations while suspending them from a clamping device. Automatic deboning is made possible by sequentially carrying out steps such as de-striating the bone-in chicken thighs and separating the meat from the bone at each station.

[0003] Chicken thigh meat on the bone has a knee joint, and cartilage is attached to this knee joint. When butchering chicken thigh meat on the bone, it is necessary to select whether to attach the cartilage to the chicken thigh meat or to the bone, depending on the needs of the processor. A technology has been disclosed that allows such a selection to be made efficiently without manual labor, simply by conveying the chicken thigh meat on the bone along the conveying path (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

[0004] Since the cartilage itself has commercial value, cartilage is removed from the chicken thigh meat or bones in both cases where the cartilage is attached to the chicken thigh meat and where the cartilage is attached to the bone. Since the task of removing cartilage from bones requires skill, cartilage is often removed from chicken thigh meat, which is easier than removing it from bones. Various techniques have been disclosed for the process of removing cartilage from chicken thigh meat in order to move from manual processing to automated processing using machines.

[0005] For example, a technique has been disclosed in which deboned chicken thighs are placed on a tray device attached to a conveyor, the cartilage of the chicken thighs is clamped between the capture member of the leg member and the plate of the tray, and the leg member is moved along with the conveyor by a cylinder (see, for example, Patent Document 3). In this technique, the cartilage then passes through a wedge-shaped opening of the jaw device, and the meat is scraped off and carried to a container by the conveyor. The cartilage is released from the leg member and falls into the container when the conveyor reverses. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2013-507101 [Patent Document 2] JP 2019-110830 A [Patent Document 3] Special Publication No. 2-12541 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] When removing cartilage from chicken thighs with cartilage still attached, it will result in contamination if the cartilage is not completely removed from the meat. Anything other than cartilage that is attached to the chicken thigh will result in contamination. When removing cartilage (attachment) from chicken thighs, if a large amount of the meat around the cartilage is scraped off, a hole will form in the meat. If this hole is large, the commercial value of the chicken thigh will decrease.

[0008] As in the above-mentioned Patent Document 3, if one tries to simply scrape off the chicken thigh meat from the cartilage, there is a possibility that a large amount of meat surrounding the cartilage will be scraped off as well, which leads to a problem that the commercial value of the chicken thigh meat will decrease.

[0009] The present invention provides a meat deposit removal device and a meat deposit removal method that enable easy and accurate removal of deposits adhering to deboned meat and improve the commercial value of the meat. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to solve the above problems, according to a first aspect of the present invention, an apparatus includes a detection unit that detects the posture of deboned meat and the position of attachments attached to the meat relative to the posture of the meat, a pair of gripping arms that are moved to the position of the attachments based on the detection results of the detection unit and grip the attachments on both sides of the attachments and from the base of the meat, causing the attachments to rise up from the meat, and a drive unit that drives the pair of gripping arms, wherein the drive unit includes a approaching and separating drive unit that moves the pair of gripping arms towards and away from the meat, and an opening and closing drive unit that opens and closes the pair of gripping arms by moving the pair of gripping arms towards and away from each other.

[0011] In this way, the pair of gripping arms lifts up the adhering matter, so that after lifting it, the adhering matter can be easily removed from the meat using, for example, a cutter. When removing the adhering matter, it is possible to minimize the amount of meat around the adhering matter remaining on the side of the adhering matter. This makes it possible to remove the adhering matter with precision, and improves the commercial value of the meat.

[0012] According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the meat deposit removal device according to the first aspect of the present invention, the pair of gripping arms extend from the drive unit along a direction intersecting the gripping direction, and at least one of the pair of gripping arms may be provided with a protrusion at a tip end of the gripping arm to prevent the gripping arm from mis-gripping the deposit.

[0013] With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the object grasped by the pair of gripping arms from escaping from the tips of the gripping arms, thereby preventing the pair of gripping arms from mis-grasping the object and enabling the pair of gripping arms to reliably grasp the object.

[0014] According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the meat deposit removal device according to the second aspect of the present invention, the convex portion is provided on a first gripping arm of one of the pair of gripping arms and extends from a tip end of the first gripping arm toward a second gripping arm of the other of the pair of gripping arms along the gripping direction, a connection portion between the first gripping arm and the convex portion is bent and formed to follow a shape of the deposit, and a tip end of the second gripping arm may be bent and formed to match the shape of the connection portion so as to overlap with and follow the connection portion in the approaching and separating direction of the pair of gripping arms when the pair of gripping arms are in a state where they are close to each other.

[0015] With this configuration, only the deposits can be pushed up by the pair of gripping parts, and the pair of gripping parts can prevent the meat around the deposits from being pushed up together with the deposits.

[0016] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the meat deposit removal device according to the third aspect of the present invention, the connection portion may be formed linearly across the first gripping arm and the convex portion and inclined with respect to the extension direction of the first gripping arm and the extension direction of the convex portion.

[0017] With this configuration, the connecting portion can be easily fitted to the deposit, so that only the deposit can be more reliably pushed up by the pair of gripping portions.

[0018] According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the meat adhesion removal device according to the third aspect of the present invention, the meat is chicken thigh meat and the adhesions are cartilage and a fat body adhering to the cartilage, the pair of gripping arms are arranged so that the ankle of the chicken thigh meat and the base of the chicken thigh meat are located on either side of the pair of gripping arms in the gripping direction, and the connection portion may be curved so that the side of the base of the chicken thigh meat is convex.

[0019] With this configuration, the connecting portion can be more easily fitted to the deposit, so that only the deposit can be more reliably pushed up by the pair of gripping portions.

[0020] According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the meat deposit removal device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects of the present invention, the pair of gripping arms may extend from the drive unit in a direction intersecting the gripping direction and may comprise arm escape prevention units provided on the base end sides of the gripping arms to prevent the adhesions from escaping from the base ends of the gripping arms.

[0021] With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the object grasped by the pair of gripping arms from escaping from the base ends of the gripping arms, thereby preventing the pair of gripping arms from mis-grasping the object and allowing the pair of gripping arms to reliably grasp the object.

[0022] According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the meat deposit removal device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects of the present invention, the pair of gripping arms extend from the drive unit along a direction intersecting the gripping direction, and a flared portion may be formed at the base ends of the pair of gripping arms so that the distance between them increases as the gripping arms extend outward in the longitudinal direction.

[0023] With this configuration, when the pair of gripping arms grip an attached object, the gap between the gripping arms at the base ends of the pair of gripping arms can be prevented from becoming narrow. In other words, when the pair of gripping arms grip an attached object, the gap between the gripping arms can be secured at the base ends of the pair of gripping arms. This makes it possible to prevent the pair of gripping arms from gripping the attached object and at the same time pinching the meat at the base ends of the gripping arms. This makes it possible to prevent the meat from being damaged by the gripping arms, and further improve the commercial value of the meat.

[0024] According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the meat deposit removal device according to any one of the first to seventh aspects of the present invention, the pair of gripping arms may extend from the drive unit along a direction intersecting the gripping direction, and a crank portion may be provided at a base end of the pair of gripping arms so as to be bent away from the side opposite to the side on which the meat is placed.

[0025] With this configuration, the base ends of the pair of gripping arms can be separated from the meat. This prevents the pair of gripping arms from gripping the meat at the same time that they grip the attached object. This prevents the meat from being damaged by the gripping arms, further improving the commercial value of the meat.

[0026] According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the meat deposit removal device according to any one of the first to eighth aspects of the present invention, the pair of gripping arms extend from the drive unit along a direction intersecting the gripping direction, and a cross-sectional shape of the pair of gripping arms in the short side direction may have a first arcuate surface formed between the side where the meat is placed and the opposite side to the opposing sides, a first vertical wall surface extending from the opposing side ends of the first arcuate surface toward the opposite side to the side where the meat is placed, a first upper wall surface extending from the opposite end of the first arcuate surface toward the opposing sides, and a first inclined surface connecting the first vertical wall surface and the first upper wall surface and inclining so that the distance between the pair of gripping arms gradually becomes shorter from the first upper wall surface toward the first vertical wall surface.

[0027] With this configuration, when the pair of gripping arms are pressed against the meat, damage to the meat can be prevented by the arcuate surface. When the pair of gripping arms pinch (hold) the adhering matter, the upper wall surface and the inclined surface make it easy to push the adhering matter up onto the pair of gripping arms. For example, by running a cutter along the vicinity of the upper wall surface, the adhering matter can be removed without leaving as much meat around the adhering matter on the side of the adhering matter as possible.

[0028] According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the meat deposit removal device according to any one of the first to ninth aspects of the present invention, the pair of gripping arms extend from the drive unit along a direction intersecting the gripping direction, and a cross-sectional shape in the short side direction of the pair of gripping arms includes a second arcuate surface formed between the side where the meat is placed and the opposite side to the opposing sides, a second inclined surface extending from the opposing side ends of the second arcuate surface toward the opposite side to the side where the meat is placed, a second upper wall surface extending from the opposite end of the second arcuate surface toward the opposing sides, and a second vertical wall surface connecting the second inclined surface and the second upper wall surface, and each of the second inclined surfaces is inclined such that the distance between the pair of gripping arms gradually decreases from an end of the second arcuate surface toward an end of the second vertical wall surface, and in the cross-sectional shape in the short side direction of the pair of gripping arms, a length of the second inclined surface may be longer than a length of the second vertical wall surface.

[0029] With this configuration, when the pair of gripping arms are pressed against the meat, damage to the meat by the second arc surface can be prevented. When the pair of gripping arms pinch (hold) the adhering matter, the adhering matter can be reliably pushed up onto the second upper wall surface. For example, by running the cutter along the vicinity of the second upper wall surface, the adhering matter can be removed without leaving as much meat around the adhering matter on the side of the adhering matter as possible.

[0030] According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the meat deposit removal device according to any one of the first to tenth aspects of the present invention, the deposit may be cartilage and a fat body attached to the cartilage.

[0031] In this manner, the meat adhering material removal device can be suitably used when removing cartilage and fat pads adhering to the cartilage from meat.

[0032] According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, a meat adhesion removal method is a method for removing the adhesion from the meat using the above-mentioned meat adhesion removal device, comprising a pressing step of pressing the pair of gripping arms on both sides of the adhesion so that a constant pressure is applied to the meat, and a lifting step of gripping the base of the adhesion on the meat side after the pressing step and lifting the adhesion from the meat with the pair of gripping arms.

[0033] By using this method, when the pair of gripping arms grip the adhering matter, the gripping arms can push the adhering matter up from the meat. After this, the base of the adhering matter is cut off with a cutter, so that when the adhering matter is removed from the meat, it is possible to minimize the amount of meat around the adhering matter remaining on the meat. This makes it possible to automate the process of removing the adhering matter from the deboned meat while improving the commercial value of the meat.

[0034] According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, the method for removing meat deposits according to the twelfth aspect of the present invention may further include, after the lifting step, a lifting step of lifting the deposits by the pair of gripping arms.

[0035] By using this method, meat other than the attached matter gripped by the pair of gripping arms hangs down under its own weight, which further prevents meat around the attached matter from remaining on the attached matter side.

[0036] According to a 14th aspect of the present invention, in the meat deposit removal method according to the 12th or 13th aspect of the present invention, the pair of gripping arms extend from the drive unit along a direction intersecting a gripping direction, the meat is chicken thigh meat, and the deposit is cartilage and a fat pad adhered to the cartilage, and the method may further include a gripping arm orientation adjustment step of adjusting an orientation of the pair of gripping arms before the pressing step so that an ankle of the chicken thigh meat and a base of the chicken thigh meat are positioned on either side of the pair of gripping arms in the gripping direction.

[0037] By using this method, the adhesion can be easily gripped by the pair of gripping arms.

[0038] According to a 15th aspect of the present invention, in the meat deposit removal method according to the 14th aspect of the present invention, in the gripping arm orientation adjustment step, when viewed from the opposite side of the chicken thigh meat across the pair of gripping arms, a distance between the gripping arm on the ankle side of the chicken thigh meat and the deposit may be shorter than a distance between the gripping arm on the base side of the chicken thigh meat and the deposit.

[0039] In the linear direction connecting the ankle side and the base side of the chicken thigh (hereinafter referred to as the height direction of the chicken thigh), the shape of the cartilage among the attachments is asymmetric with respect to the fat pad. In other words, in the height direction of the chicken thigh, the shape of the cartilage is closer to the base side with respect to the fat pad. Therefore, by using the above-mentioned method, a larger space can be secured between the attachment and the gripping arms on the side where the cartilage is located than the center of the attachment. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent the pair of gripping arms from pressing down on the particularly hard part of the attachment, i.e., the cartilage, during the pressing process. Effect of the Invention

[0040] According to the above-mentioned meat deposit removal device and meat deposit removal method, when the deposits are removed from the meat by the cutter, it is possible to minimize the amount of meat around the deposits remaining on the side of the deposits. Therefore, it is possible to automate the process of removing the deposits from the deboned meat and improve the commercial value of the meat. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0041] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a meat deposit removal device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the cartilage lifting unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention, viewed from below. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the cartilage raising unit in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is an operation flow diagram of the meat deposit removal device in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between chicken thigh meat and a pair of gripping arms in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the meat deposit removal device in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the meat deposit removal device in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the meat deposit removal device in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the meat deposit removal device in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the meat deposit removal device in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a modified example of the gripping arm in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a meat deposit removal device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] 13 is a perspective view of an object lifting unit having a gripping arm for the left foot in a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 15] 13 is a perspective view of an object lifting unit having a gripping arm for the right foot in a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 16] 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XVI-XVI in FIG. 14. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XVII-XVII in FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a cutter unit and an auxiliary cutter unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] FIG. 11 is a top view of a cutter unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0042] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0043] [First embodiment] <Meat deposit removal device> FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a meat deposit removal device 1. FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the meat deposit removal device 1 is a device that removes deposits H from chicken thigh meat M placed on a belt conveyor B. The chicken thigh meat M is thigh meat that has been deboned from a poultry carcass. The deposits H are cartilage C attached to the chicken thigh meat M and fat pads F attached to the chicken thigh meat M and cartilage C. The fat pads F are fat lumps. The detailed structure of the deposits H will be described later.

[0044] The meat deposit removal device 1 includes a deposit lifting unit 2 and a cutter unit 3 arranged on a belt conveyor B. The deposit lifting unit 2 and the cutter unit 3 are arranged on the belt conveyor B in a plane direction of the belt conveyor B and facing each other in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the belt conveyor B (the X direction in FIG. 1).

[0045] Hereinafter, the surface direction of the belt conveyor B is assumed to be along the horizontal direction. That is, the object lifting unit 2 and the cutter unit 3 are arranged facing each other in the horizontal direction. In the object lifting unit 2 and the cutter unit 3 that are in a usable position, the facing direction is sometimes referred to as the Y direction, and the direction perpendicular to the Y direction and along the horizontal direction (the conveying direction of the belt conveyor B) is sometimes referred to as the X direction. The vertical and horizontal directions are sometimes referred to as the vertical and horizontal directions.

[0046] <Cutter unit> The cutter unit 3 cuts off any extraneous matter H from the chicken thigh meat M. The cutter unit 3 is fixed at a certain position on the belt conveyor B. The cutter unit 3 includes a circular blade 4 and a cutter drive unit 5 that drives and rotates the circular blade 4. The circular blade 4 includes a disk-shaped circular blade body 6 and a cutter shaft 7 that has one end fixed to the circular blade body 6 and is arranged concentrically.

[0047] The cutter driving unit 5 includes a shaft support part 8 that rotatably supports the cutter shaft 7, and a cutter driving unit main body 9 that is provided integrally with the shaft support part 8. The cutter driving unit main body 9 includes a motor part (not shown) and a transmission shaft that transmits the rotation of the motor part to the cutter shaft 7. The cutter driving unit main body 9 rotates the cutter shaft 7 around the central axis J1.

[0048] <Debris lifting unit> FIG. 2 is a plan view of the deposit lifting unit 2 as viewed from below. The deposit lifting unit 2 lifts the deposit H from the chicken thigh meat M. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the adhesion lifting unit 2 comprises an arm driving unit (an example of a driving section in the claims) 10 and a pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b (first gripping arm 11a, second gripping arm 11b) attached to the arm driving unit 10.

[0049] <Arm drive unit> An arm drive unit (an example of a drive unit in the claims) 10 drives a pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b. The arm drive unit 10 includes a movable block 12, an arm opening / closing drive unit (an example of an opening / closing drive unit in the claims) 13 attached to the movable block 12, and a block drive unit (an example of a contact / separation drive unit in the claims) 14.

[0050] <Movable block> The movable block 12 has a plate-shaped base portion 15. The plate thickness direction of the base portion 15 coincides with the vertical direction. The base portion 15 is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed in the vertical direction. A pressing block 16 is integrally provided on the lower surface 15a of the base portion 15 on the cutter unit 3 side. The pressing block 16 prevents the chicken thigh meat M from floating up around the attached matter H when the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b are pressed against the chicken thigh meat M (details will be described later).

[0051] The pressing block 16 includes a plurality of legs 17 (for example, two in the first embodiment) protruding downward from the base portion 15, and a plate-shaped pressing plate 18 integrally molded with the lower ends of the legs 17. The thickness direction of the pressing plate 18 coincides with the up-down direction. The pressing plate 18 is formed in a rectangular shape that is long in the X direction when viewed from the up-down direction.

[0052] One of the two legs 17 is provided with an escape prevention plate 19 that protrudes toward the cutter unit 3. The escape prevention plate 19 serves to prevent uncut adhesion H from escaping midway when the adhesion H is cut by the circular blade body 6 (details will be described later). The escape prevention plate 19 is disposed at a position downstream (right side in FIG. 1) of the central axis J1 of the circular blade body 6 in the rotation direction toward the adhesion lifting unit 2. An arm opening / closing drive unit 13 is attached to the base portion 15 of the movable block 12 on the opposite side to the cutter unit 3 than the pressing block 16 on the lower surface 15a.

[0053] <Arm opening / closing drive unit> The arm opening / closing drive unit 13 includes a drive unit body 21 and a pair of sliders 22 provided on the lower part of the drive unit body 21 and to which the gripping arms 11a, 11b are fixed, respectively. The pair of sliders 22 are driven by the drive unit body 21. In the standby position, the pair of sliders 22 move toward and away from each other in the X direction. The standby position refers to a position in which the material lifting unit 2 and the cutter unit 3 are ready for use and before starting the operation of removing the material H from the chicken thigh meat M. In the following explanation, unless otherwise specified, the material lifting unit 2 and the cutter unit 3 in the standby position will be explained.

[0054] The driving unit body 21 is configured, for example, by an air cylinder using compressed air as a driving source. The slider 22 is attached to the piston rod of the air cylinder. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the driving unit body 21 may be configured in any way as long as it can drive the pair of sliders 22 to move toward and away from each other. For example, it may be configured using a ball screw or the like.

[0055] A bracket 23 is provided on the upper surface 15b of the base portion 15, closer to the opposite side to the cutter driving unit 5 than the center in the Y direction. The block driving unit 14 is attached to the bracket 23.

[0056] <Block drive unit> The block driving unit 14 is a so-called multi-joint robot. The block driving unit 14 moves the movable block 12 in the up-down direction, the diagonal up-down direction, and the horizontal direction. The block driving unit 14 rotates the movable block 12 around a central axis J2 that is parallel to the up-down direction. Since the belt conveyor B is disposed below the movable block 12, the up-down movement of the movable block 12 coincides with the direction in which the movable block 12 moves toward and away from the chicken thigh meat M. The central axis J2 is parallel to the up-down direction, in other words, it is parallel to the direction in which the movable block 12 moves toward and away from the belt conveyor B (chicken thigh meat M).

[0057] <Grabbing arm> The pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b have the role of gripping any attached matter H on the chicken thigh meat M (details will be described later). The pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b are fixed to one side of each of the opposing sides of a pair of sliders 22 provided on the arm opening / closing drive unit 13. That is, the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b are disposed opposite each other in the X direction, and approach and separate (open and close) each other along the X direction. Figs. 1 and 2 show the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b in a separated state (open state).

[0058] Of the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b, the first gripping arm 11a is disposed at a position upstream (left side in FIG. 1) in the rotation direction toward the deposit lifting unit 2 side of the central axis J1 of the circular blade body 6 provided in the cutter unit 3. Of the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b, the second gripping arm 11b is disposed at a position downstream (right side in FIG. 1) in the rotation direction toward the deposit lifting unit 2 side of the central axis J1 of the circular blade body 6 provided in the cutter unit 3.

[0059] The pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b are configured to be line-symmetrical about the Y direction, so in the following description, the first gripping arm 11a of the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b will be described. The second gripping arm 11b will be given the same reference numeral as the first gripping arm 11a and description thereof will be omitted. The second gripping arm 11b will be described as necessary.

[0060] The first gripping arm 11a is a rod extending from the slider 22 toward the cutter unit 3. More specifically, the first gripping arm 11a has a fixed arm portion 31 fixed to the slider 22, a horizontally bent arm portion (an example of a flared portion in the claims) 32 integrally molded at the end of the fixed arm portion 31 on the cutter unit 3 side, and a gripping arm main body portion 33 integrally molded at the end of the horizontally bent arm portion 32 on the cutter unit 3 side.

[0061] The fixed arm portion 31 extends along the Y direction from the end of the slider 22 opposite the cutter unit 3 to a position slightly closer to the cutter unit 3 than the drive unit body 21. The horizontally bent arm portion 32 extends diagonally and horizontally from the fixed arm portion 31 toward the cutter unit 3 so as to gradually move toward the second grip arm 11b. A pressing plate 18 is disposed at a portion of the fixed arm portion 31 that protrudes toward the cutter unit 3 side beyond the drive unit body 21, and above the horizontally bent arm portion 32. Small gaps are formed between the pressing plate 18 and each of the gripping arms 11a, 11b.

[0062] The gripping arm main body 33 extends in the Y direction from the cutter unit 3 side end of the horizontally bent arm part 32 so as to protrude further toward the cutter unit 3 side than the pressing plate 18. Between the gripping arm main body 33 and the escape prevention plate 19 provided on the pressing block 16, a gap S1 is formed which allows the circular blade body 6 of the cutter unit 3 to pass through.

[0063] The gripping arm main body 33 grips the attachment H on the chicken thigh meat M (details will be described later). That is, the cutter unit 3 side end of the gripping arm main body 33 corresponds to the tip of the gripping arms 11a, 11b in the claims, and the arm opening / closing drive unit 13 side of the gripping arm main body 33 (horizontally bent arm portion 32, fixed arm portion 31) corresponds to the base end of the gripping arm main body 33 in the claims.

[0064] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the gripping arm main body 33, in a cross section along the vertical direction and the X direction, has an arcuate surface (an example of a first arcuate surface in the claims) 33a, a vertical wall surface (an example of a first vertical wall surface in the claims) 33b continuing to the arcuate surface 33a, an upper wall surface (an example of a first upper wall surface in the claims) 33c, and an inclined surface (an example of a first inclined surface in the claims) 33d spanning the vertical wall surface 33b and the upper wall surface 33c. The arc surface 33a is formed from the lower portion (the side where the chicken thigh M is placed) to the opposite side to the second gripping arm 11b (the opposite side to the side where the gripping arms 11a, 11b face each other).

[0065] The vertical wall surface 33b, the upper wall surface 33c, and the inclined surface 33d are formed by cutting out an imaginary circle V passing through the arc surface 33a. That is, the vertical wall surface 33b extends upward from the end of the arc surface 33a on the second grip arm 11b side. The vertical wall surfaces 33b of the grip arms 11a, 11b are parallel to each other. The vertical wall surface 33b is located closer to the second grip arm 11b than the center Vc of the imaginary circle V.

[0066] The upper wall surface 33c extends horizontally from the end of the arc surface 33a opposite to the second gripping arm 11b toward the second gripping arm 11b. The upper wall surface 33c is located above the center Vc of the imaginary circle V. The upper wall surfaces 33c of the gripping arms 11a, 11b are located on the same plane. In the following description, the center Vc of the imaginary circle V will be referred to as the center Vc of the grip arm main body portion 33.

[0067] The inclined surface 33d straddles the upper end of the vertical wall surface 33b and the end of the upper wall surface 33c on the second gripping arm 11b side. The inclined surface 33d is inclined so as to gradually approach the second gripping arm 11b side as it goes from the upper wall surface 33c to the vertical wall surface 33b. In other words, the inclined surface 33d is inclined so that the distance between the pair of gripping arm main bodies 33 becomes gradually shorter as it goes from the upper wall surface 33c to the vertical wall surface 33b.

[0068] 1 and 2, the gripping arm main body 33 of the first gripping arm 11a is longer than the gripping arm main body 33 of the second gripping arm 11b. That is, the gripping arm main body 33 of the first gripping arm 11a protrudes further toward the cutter unit 3 than the gripping arm main body 33 of the second gripping arm 11b. A fall prevention bar (an example of a convex portion in the claims) 34 is integrally provided on the tip of this protruding gripping arm main body 33 of the first gripping arm 11a.

[0069] The fall-prevention bar 34 is a rod extending from the tip of the gripping arm main body 33 toward the second gripping arm 11b along the X direction. The length of the fall-prevention bar 34 is such that the tip of the fall-prevention bar 34 is located at the tip of the gripping arm main body 33 of the second gripping arm 11b when the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b are in an open state (the state in FIGS. 1 and 2).

[0070] 4 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the adhesion lifting unit 2, showing a state in which the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b are closest to each other (closed state). FIG. 4 corresponds to FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, when the pair of sliders 22 are moved toward each other by the arm opening / closing drive unit 13 (see arrow D1 in FIG. 4), the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b are moved integrally therewith and brought closer to each other.

[0071] When the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b are closest to each other (closed state), the gripping arm main bodies 33 face each other in the X direction via a gap S2 without contacting each other. The size of the gap S2 is small enough to lift up the attached matter H from the chicken thigh meat M when the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b grips the attached matter H on the chicken thigh meat M (details will be described later).

[0072] Each of the gripping arms 11a, 11b has a horizontally bent arm portion 32 on the base end side of the gripping arm main body portion 33. The horizontally bent arm portion 32 extends obliquely from the fixed arm portion 31 toward the cutter unit 3 so as to gradually move toward the second gripping arm 11b. Therefore, the pair of horizontally bent arm portions 32 widen from the base end of the gripping arm main body portion 33 toward the opposite side from the cutter unit 3. Therefore, even when the gripping arm main bodies 33 are closest to each other, a sufficient distance K is ensured between the fixed arm portions 31.

[0073] <Operation of meat adhesion removal device> Next, the operation of the meat deposit removal device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. Fig. 5 is an operation flow diagram of the meat deposit removal device 1. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the chicken thigh meat M and the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b. Figs. 7 to 11 are operation explanatory diagrams of the meat deposit removal device 1, showing each step. A control unit (not shown) controls the drive of the adhering material lifting unit 2 and the cutter unit 3 that constitute the meat adhering material removal device 1. The operation flow shown in Fig. 5 is a flow of the adhering material lifting unit 2 and the cutter unit 3 that are operated based on control signals from the control unit (not shown), but in the following explanation, a description of the output signals from the control unit will be omitted.

[0074] Although not shown in the figures, a process prior to the meat deposit removal device 1 is a process for detecting the posture of the deboned chicken thigh M and the position of the deposit H. In this process, the posture of the deboned chicken thigh M and the position of the deposit H are detected based on the results of imaging by a camera (not shown). The detection result is output as a signal to a control unit that controls the drive of the meat deposit removal device 1.

[0075] The chicken thighs M transported on the belt conveyor B are always placed with the skin side facing the belt conveyor B, and the side that has been cut open and has the attached material H exposed faces upward. The chicken thighs M are placed on the belt conveyor B so that their length direction is approximately along the transport direction (X direction).

[0076] 1 and 5, first, chicken thigh meat M is moved below meat deposit removing device 1 on belt conveyor B (step S101 in FIG. 5). At this point, deposit lifting unit 2 is in a standby position. 1, 5, and 7, the block driving unit 14 operates the movable block 12 to lower it from the standby position, and the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b contacts the chicken thigh M (step S102 in FIG. 5). In the standby position, the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b are open.

[0077] The positional relationship between the chicken thigh meat M and the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b at the time when the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b come into contact with the chicken thigh meat M will be described with reference to Figs. As shown in FIG. 1, the block driving unit 14 rotates the movable block 12 around the central axis J2, and changes the orientation of the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b so that the ankle of the chicken thigh M and the base of the chicken thigh M are positioned on either side of the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b (gripping arm orientation adjustment process).

[0078] At this time, the attachment H is positioned between the gripping arm main body parts 33 of the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b. The opposing direction of the pair of gripping arm main body parts 33 (the direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the gripping arms 11a, 11b and along the horizontal direction) is aligned with the height direction of the chicken thigh meat M. The ankle and base of the chicken thigh meat M are aligned in a predetermined direction. For example, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the ankle of the chicken thigh meat M is positioned on the first gripping arm 11a side, and the base of the chicken thigh meat M is positioned on the second gripping arm 11b side. In the following, the posture of the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b and the chicken thigh meat M will be described as being the posture shown in FIG. 6.

[0079] In the gripping arm orientation adjustment process, the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b are moved so that, when viewed from the top-bottom direction, the distance L1 between the gripping arm main body 33 of the first gripping arm 11a and the center Hc of the attachment H is shorter than the distance L2 between the gripping arm main body 33 of the second gripping arm 11b and the center Hc of the attachment H. In other words, a large space is secured between the gripping arm main body 33 of the second gripping arm 11b and the center Hc of the attachment H.

[0080] This is because the shape of the cartilage C of the attachment H is asymmetric with respect to the fat body F in the height direction of the chicken thigh meat M (see FIG. 7, etc.). That is, in the height direction of the chicken thigh meat M, the shape of the cartilage C is closer to the root side (lower right in FIG. 7) with respect to the fat body F. Therefore, by ensuring a large space between the gripping arm main body 33 of the second gripping arm 11b and the center Hc of the attachment H, it is possible to ensure a large space between the second gripping arm 11b and the attachment H on the side where the cartilage C is located rather than the center Hc of the attachment H. As a result, when the attachment H is gripped by the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b, it is possible to prevent the gripping arms 11a, 11b from pressing down a particularly hard part of the attachment H (i.e., the cartilage C). Therefore, when the cartilage C is gripped by the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b, the attachment H can be reliably raised from the chicken thigh meat M by the gripping arms 11a, 11b.

[0081] Next, as shown in FIGS. 1, 5 and 8, the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b are pressed against the chicken thigh M by the block driving unit 14 so that a certain pressure is applied to the chicken thigh M (pressing process; step S103 in FIG. 5). At this time, the arcuate surface 33a formed on the lower part of the gripping arm main body 33 is pressed against the chicken thigh M. Since the arcuate surface 33a is pressed against the chicken thigh M, damage to the chicken thigh M by the gripping arm main body 33 is prevented.

[0082] A pressing plate 18 is disposed at a portion of the fixed arm portion 31 that protrudes toward the cutter unit 3 side beyond the drive portion main body 21, and above the horizontally bent arm portion 32 with a small gap therebetween. When the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b are pressed against the chicken thigh meat M, the meat at the crushed portion escapes to the periphery of the gripping arms 11a, 11b, and the chicken thigh meat M tends to float up around the attached matter H. However, the pressing plate 18 prevents the chicken thigh meat M from floating up around the attached matter H (hereinafter simply referred to as the chicken thigh meat M floating up).

[0083] The pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b are pressed against the chicken thigh meat M so as to reliably apply a constant pressure to the chicken thigh meat M while preventing the chicken thigh meat M from floating up. The certain pressure is a force (hereinafter referred to as the pressing force of the gripping arms 11a, 11b) pressing the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b against the chicken thigh meat M so that the center Vc of the gripping arm main body 33 is positioned lower (on the belt conveyor B side) than the root Hn (see FIG. 7; hereinafter simply referred to as the root Hn of the attachment H) embedded on the chicken thigh meat M side of the attachment H. In other words, the value of the certain pressure changes depending on the state of the chicken thigh meat M. For example, the hardness of the chicken thigh meat M changes depending on the place of origin of the chicken thigh meat M. When the chicken thigh meat M is hard, the pressing force of the gripping arms 11a, 11b is greater than when the chicken thigh meat M is soft.

[0084] In Fig. 7, the fat body F and the chicken thigh meat M are shown as if there is a clear boundary therebetween, but this is for the sake of ease of explanation, and in reality, the boundary between the chicken thigh meat M and the fat body F becomes unclear as their tissues become entangled. Therefore, the root Hn of the attachment H includes the periphery of the boundary between the attachment H and the chicken thigh meat M. In a broad sense, the root Hn of the attachment H refers to the portion of the chicken thigh meat M that is cut when the attachment H is cut, by scraping off the chicken thigh meat M other than the attachment H, so that no hole is made in the chicken thigh meat M.

[0085] 1, 5, and 9, the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b are closed by the arm opening / closing drive unit 13 (lifting process; step S104 in FIG. 5). At this time, only the gap S2 is secured between the pair of gripping arm main bodies 33. When the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b are closed, each gripping arm main body 33 lifts up so as to push out the attached matter H upward.

[0086] The gripping arm main bodies 33 are formed with a vertical wall surface 33b, an upper wall surface 33c, and an inclined surface 33d on the side where the gripping arm main bodies 33 approach each other. Therefore, when the gripping arm main bodies 33 approach each other, the attached matter H is easily pushed upward along the inclined surface 33d. The attached matter H is easily pushed up onto the upper wall surface 33c, which is located below the imaginary circle V (see FIG. 3) in a shape where the imaginary circle V is cut away.

[0087] In the gripping arm orientation adjustment process, the distance L1 between the gripping arm main body 33 of the first gripping arm 11a and the center Hc of the attachment H is set shorter than the distance L2 between the gripping arm main body 33 of the second gripping arm 11b and the center Hc of the attachment H. Therefore, the space on the base side of the center Hc of the attachment H, which is harder than the ankle side of the center Hc of the attachment H, is larger. This larger space prevents the gripping arms 11a and 11b from pressing down on the cartilage C. Therefore, the attachment H can be reliably raised.

[0088] A horizontally bent arm portion 32 is formed on the base end side of each gripping arm main body portion 33. These horizontally bent arm portions 32 become wider from the base end of the gripping arm main body portion 33 toward the opposite side to the cutter unit 3. Therefore, even when the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b are closed, a sufficient gap K is secured between the fixed arm portions 31 (see FIG. 4). Therefore, while the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b grip the attached object H, the gripping arms 11a, 11b do not pinch any part of the chicken thigh meat M other than the attached object H.

[0089] A fall prevention bar 34 is integrally provided at the tip of the gripping arm main body 33 of the first gripping arm 11a. Therefore, when the attachment H is gripped by the pair of gripping arm main bodies 33, the attachment H is prevented from escaping from the tips of the gripping arm main bodies 33, resulting in mis-gripping. The same is true for the base end side of the gripping arm main body 33. That is, a pressing block 16 is disposed on the base end side of the gripping arm main body 33. A side surface 16a (see FIG. 1) of the pressing block 16 functions as an arm escape prevention section that prevents the attachment H from escaping from the base end side of the gripping arm main body 33, resulting in a gripping error.

[0090] 1, 5, and 10, the block driving unit 14 lifts the attached object H while the attached object H is being gripped by the pair of gripping arm main bodies 33 (lifting step; step S105 in FIG. 5). Then, the chicken thigh meat M around the attached object H hangs down by its own weight. As a result, the attached object H is exposed on the upper wall surface 33c of the gripping arm main body 33 around the gripping arm main body 33. In other words, only the attached object H exists on the upper wall surface 33c of the gripping arm main body 33 as chicken thigh meat M.

[0091] Next, in this state, the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b are moved closer to the cutter unit 3 by the block driving section 14 (step S106 in FIG. 5). At this time, the circular blade 4 is rotated in advance by the cutter driving section main body 9.

[0092] 1, 5, and 11, the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b are moved by the block driving unit 14 to pass the circular blade body 6 of the circular blade 4 over the upper wall surface 33c of the gripping arm body 33. When passing the circular blade body 6 over the upper wall surface 33c, the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b are moved horizontally (along a direction perpendicular to the cutter shaft 7). Then, the circular blade body 6 passes while pressing the root Hn of the attachment H, and the attachment H is cut at the root Hn (step S107 in FIG. 5). Since the upper wall surface 33c extends horizontally, the circular blade body 6 can pass close to the root Hn of the attachment H.

[0093] When cutting the adhesion H while pressing the circular blade body 6 against the root Hn of the adhesion H, the chicken thigh meat M is soft, so there is a possibility that the adhesion H that has not been completely cut will escape from the circular blade body 6 midway (hereinafter referred to as the escape of the adhesion H). However, since the escape prevention plate 19 is provided on the movable block 12, the escape of the adhesion H is prevented by the escape prevention plate 19. Since a gap S1 is formed between the escape prevention plate 19 and the second gripping arm 11b, the escape prevention plate 19 does not obstruct the passage of the adhesion H over the upper wall surface 33c of the circular blade body 6. Therefore, the adhesion H can be reliably cut at the root Hn of the adhesion H.

[0094] Subsequently, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b are moved back in the horizontal direction from the cutter unit 3 by the block driving unit 14 (step S108 in FIG. 5). Then, the deposit lifting unit 2 is returned to the standby position (step S109 in FIG. 5), whereby the operation of the meat deposit removal device 1 is completed.

[0095] In this way, the above-mentioned meat adhesion removal device 1 comprises a pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b that grip the adhesion H adhering to the deboned chicken thigh M from both sides and from the base Hn of the adhesion H and push the adhesion H up from the chicken thigh M, an arm opening / closing drive unit 13 and a block drive unit 14 that drive the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b, and a round blade main body 6 that cuts the base Hn of the adhesion H that has pushed up from the chicken thigh M.

[0096] Since the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b lifts up the attached matter H and then the root Hn of the attached matter H is cut by the circular blade body 6, when the attached matter H is removed from the chicken thigh meat M by the circular blade body 6, it is possible to minimize the amount of meat around the attached matter H remaining on the side of the attached matter H. This makes it possible to automate the process of removing the attached matter H attached to the deboned chicken thigh meat M and improve the commercial value of the chicken thigh meat M.

[0097] The device for driving the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b is made up of a block driving unit 14 that moves the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b, and an arm opening / closing driving unit 13 that opens and closes the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b. Therefore, the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b can grip the attached matter H with a simple structure, and further the attached matter H can be lifted up from the chicken thigh meat M.

[0098] The block driving unit 14 rotates the movable block 12 not only in the vertical direction (the direction approaching or moving away from the chicken thigh M), but also around a central axis J2 parallel to the vertical direction. This makes it possible to change the orientation of the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b relative to the attachment H. Changing the orientation of the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b makes it easier for the gripping arms 11a, 11b to grip the attachment H from both sides.

[0099] A fall prevention bar 34 is integrally provided at the tip of the gripping arm main body 33 of the first gripping arm 11a. Therefore, when the adhering matter H is gripped by the pair of gripping arm main bodies 33, it is possible to prevent the adhering matter H from escaping from the tips of the gripping arm main bodies 33, resulting in mis-gripping. Therefore, the adhering matter H can be reliably gripped by the gripping arms 11a, 11b. Once the adhering matter H is gripped by the gripping arms 11a, 11b, it is possible to reliably remove the adhering matter H from the chicken thigh meat M.

[0100] The movable block 12 is equipped with a pressing block 16. A side surface 16a of the pressing block 16 functions as an arm escape prevention portion that prevents the attached matter H from escaping from the base end side of the gripping arm main body portion 33, resulting in a gripping error. This allows the attached matter H to be gripped reliably by the gripping arms 11a, 11b. Once the attached matter H is gripped by the gripping arms 11a, 11b, the attached matter H can be reliably removed from the chicken thigh meat M.

[0101] The movable block 12 is provided with an escape prevention plate 19. Therefore, when the attachment H is cut by the circular blade body 6 of the cutter unit 3, it is possible to prevent the attachment H from escaping halfway through the cutting, resulting in poor cutting of the attachment H. A horizontally bent arm portion 32 is formed on the base end side of each gripping arm main body portion 33. These horizontally bent arm portions 32 become wider from the base end of the gripping arm main body portion 33 toward the opposite side to the cutter unit 3. Therefore, while the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b grip the attachment H, it is possible to prevent the gripping arms 11a, 11b from pinching the chicken thigh meat M at a location other than the attachment H. As a result, it is possible to prevent the cutter unit 3 from scraping off the chicken thigh meat M at a location other than the attachment H. This makes it possible to improve the yield of the chicken thigh meat M.

[0102] In a cross section along the up-down direction and the X direction, the gripping arm main body 33 has an arcuate surface 33a, a vertical wall surface 33b and an upper wall surface 33c continuing to the arcuate surface 33a, and an inclined surface 33d spanning the vertical wall surface 33b and the upper wall surface 33c. Therefore, when the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b are pressed against the chicken thigh M, damage to the chicken thigh M by the arcuate surface 33a can be prevented.

[0103] When the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b pinch (hold) the adhesion H, the upper wall surface 33c and the inclined surface 33d can easily push the adhesion H up onto the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b. By placing the circular blade body 6 along the vicinity of the upper wall surface 33c, the adhesion H can be removed without leaving as much meat around the adhesion H as possible on the adhesion H side.

[0104] In this manner, the meat deposit removal device 1 described above can be suitably used to remove deposits H from chicken thigh meat M.

[0105] A method for removing adhesions H from chicken thigh meat M using meat adhesion removal device 1 includes a pressing process in which a pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b press down so that a constant pressure is applied to the chicken thigh meat M, and a lifting process in which, after the pressing process, a base Hn of the adhesions H is gripped by the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b and the adhesions H are lifted up from the chicken thigh meat M.

[0106] By using this method, when the attachment H is gripped by the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b, the attachment H can be raised from the chicken thigh meat M by these gripping arms 11a, 11b. After that, the root Hn of the attachment H is cut by the round blade main body 6, so that when the attachment H is removed from the chicken thigh meat M, it is possible to minimize the amount of meat around the attachment H remaining on the attachment H side. Therefore, it is possible to automate the process of removing the cartilage C attached to the deboned chicken thigh meat M, and improve the commercial value of the chicken thigh meat M.

[0107] Between the lifting step and the cutting step, a lifting step is performed in which the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b lifts the attached object H. Therefore, the part of the chicken thigh meat M other than the attached object H gripped by the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b sags down by its own weight. As a result, it is possible to further prevent meat around the attached object H from remaining on the attached object H side.

[0108] Prior to the pressing step, a gripping arm orientation adjustment step is performed to adjust the orientation of the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b so that the ankle and the base of the chicken thigh M are positioned on either side of the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b in the X direction (gripping direction). This makes it easier for the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b to grip the attachment H.

[0109] In the gripping arm orientation adjustment process, the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b are moved so that, when viewed from the top-bottom direction (when viewed from the opposite side of the chicken thigh meat M across the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b), the distance L1 between the gripping arm main body 33 of the first gripping arm 11a and the center Hc of the attachment H is shorter than the distance L2 between the gripping arm main body 33 of the second gripping arm 11b and the center Hc of the attachment H. Therefore, when the attachment H is gripped by the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b, the attachment H can be reliably raised up from the chicken thigh meat M by these gripping arms 11a, 11b.

[0110] In the above-described first embodiment, a case has been described in which the pressing block 16 is provided on the lower surface 15a of the base portion 15. When the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b are pressed against the chicken thigh meat M, the pressing block 16 functions to prevent the chicken thigh meat M from floating up around the attached matter H, and the side surface 16a functions as an arm escape prevention portion that prevents the attached matter H from escaping from the base end side of the gripping arm main body portion 33, resulting in a gripping error. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the arm escape prevention portion may be provided separately from the pressing block 16.

[0111] In the above-described first embodiment, the case where the escape prevention plate 19 is provided on one of the two legs 17 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and any structure can be used as long as it can prevent the uncut adhesion H from escaping midway when the adhesion H is cut by the circular blade body 6 of the cutter unit 3. For example, instead of providing the escape prevention plate 19, the leg 17 may be extended toward the cutter unit.

[0112] [Modification of the first embodiment] In the above-described first embodiment, a horizontally bent arm portion 32 is formed on the base end side of each gripping arm main body portion 33. This widens the width of the gripping arm main body portion 33 from the base end toward the opposite side to the cutter unit 3, thereby preventing the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b from pinching the chicken thigh meat M at a location other than the attached matter H. However, this is not limited to the above, and each gripping arm 11a, 11b may be configured as follows.

[0113] 12 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of each of the gripping arms 11a, 11b. In the following description, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same aspects as those in the above-described embodiment, and description thereof will be omitted. 12, each of the gripping arms 11a, 11b may have an up-down bent arm portion (an example of a crank portion in the claims) 232 instead of the horizontally bent arm portion 32. The up-down bent arm portion 232 extends obliquely upward from the base end of the gripping arm main body portion 33. In other words, it is bent and extended so as to gradually move away from the belt conveyor B (chicken thigh meat M) as it moves from the base end of the gripping arm main body portion 33 toward the fixed arm portion 31.

[0114] With this configuration, the base ends of the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b can be separated from the chicken thigh meat M. Therefore, while the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b grip the attached matter H, it is possible to prevent the gripping arms 11a, 11b from pinching the chicken thigh meat M at a location other than the attached matter H. Therefore, the same effect as in the above-described embodiment can be achieved.

[0115] [Second embodiment] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 13 to 19. The same aspects as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a meat deposit removal device 201 in the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 13, a meat deposit removal device 201 of the second embodiment is basically the same as that of the first embodiment described above, including a deposit lifting unit 202 and a cutter unit 3 disposed on a belt conveyor B.

[0116] The difference between the first embodiment and the second embodiment is that the configuration of the deposit lifting unit 2 in the first embodiment is different from the configuration of the deposit lifting unit 202 in the second embodiment. The difference between the first embodiment and the second embodiment is that the first embodiment is provided with a cutter unit 3 as a means for cutting the deposit H, whereas the second embodiment is provided with an auxiliary cutter unit 50 in addition to the cutter unit 3 as a means for cutting the deposit H. The cutter unit 3 in the second embodiment has an additional configuration. This will be described in detail below.

[0117] <Debris lifting unit> <Grabbing arm> FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the deposit lifting unit 202. As shown in FIG. 13 and 14, the pair of gripping arms 211a, 211b in the deposit lifting unit 202 includes a vertically bent arm portion 235. Unlike the vertically bent arm portion 232 in the above-described modified example, the vertically bent arm portion 235 extends in the up-down direction. A gripping arm main body portion 233 extends in the Y direction from the lower end of the vertically bent arm portion 235.

[0118] In the first gripping arm 211a, a connection portion 36 between the gripping arm main body 233 and the fall prevention bar 34 is curved in an arc shape so as to be convex toward the opposite side to the second gripping arm 211b. An arc-shaped bent portion 37 is formed at the tip of the gripping arm main body 233 in the second gripping arm 211b. The shape of the bent portion 37 follows the shape of the connection portion 36.

[0119] As a result, when the pair of gripping arms 211a, 211b are closest to each other (closed state), the connection portion 36 of the first gripping arm 211a and the bent portion 37 of the second gripping arm 211b overlap in the horizontal direction. When the pair of gripping arms 211a, 211b are closed to each other, the bent portion 37 is aligned along the connection portion 36.

[0120] The convex direction of the connecting portion 36 and the bent portion 37 varies depending on whether the chicken thigh M is a right leg or a left leg. More specifically, the connecting portion 36 and the bent portion 37 are curved so that the base side of the chicken thigh M is convex. That is, in the object lifting unit 202 shown in Fig. 13 and Fig. 14, the base of the chicken thigh M is disposed on the first gripping arm 211a side.

[0121] 13 and 14 are used when the chicken thigh M is a left leg. In the following description, the pair of gripping arms 211a, 211b used when the chicken thigh M is a left leg will be referred to as the gripping arms 211a, 211b for the left leg. In contrast, the pair of gripping arms 211a, 211b used when the chicken thigh M is a right leg will be referred to as the gripping arms 211a, 211b for the right leg.

[0122] The gripping arms 211a, 211b for the left foot have the same relationship of distances L1, L2 as in the first embodiment in the gripping arm direction adjustment process. That is, in the second embodiment, the pair of gripping arms 211a, 211b are moved in the gripping arm direction adjustment process so that the distance L1 between the gripping arm main body 233 of the second gripping arm 211b and the center Hc of the attachment H is shorter than the distance L2 between the gripping arm main body 233 of the first gripping arm 211a and the center Hc of the attachment H.

[0123] Fig. 15 is a perspective view of the deposit lifting unit 202 equipped with the gripping arms 211a and 211b for the right foot. Fig. 15 corresponds to Fig. 14 described above. As shown in FIG. 15, the gripping arms 211a and 211b for the right foot are symmetrical with respect to the gripping arms 211a and 211b for the left foot with respect to the Y direction.

[0124] In this case as well, the base of the chicken thigh M is placed on the side of the first gripping arm 211a. In the gripping arm orientation adjustment process, the pair of gripping arms 211a, 211b are moved so that the distance L1 between the gripping arm main body 233 of the second gripping arm 211b and the center Hc of the attachment H becomes shorter than the distance L2 between the gripping arm main body 233 of the first gripping arm 211a and the center Hc of the attachment H.

[0125] The other configurations of the adhesion lifting unit 202 equipped with the gripping arms 211a, 211b for the left foot and the adhesion lifting unit 202 equipped with the gripping arms 211a, 211b for the right foot are the same. Therefore, in the following, the adhesion lifting units 202 will not be distinguished from each other and will be simply described as adhesion lifting units 202.

[0126] Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XVI-XVI in Fig. 14. Fig. 16 corresponds to Fig. 3 described above. The cross-sectional shapes of each gripping arm main body 233 along the up-down direction and the X direction are configured to be line-symmetrical with respect to the Y direction. For this reason, in the following description, only the gripping arm main body 233 of the first gripping arm 211a will be described. The gripping arm main body 233 of the second gripping arm 211b will be denoted by the same reference numerals as those of the first gripping arm 211a, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0127] As shown in FIG. 16, the gripping arm main body 233, in a cross section along the vertical direction and the X direction, has an arcuate surface (an example of the second arcuate surface in the claims) 233a, an inclined surface (an example of the second inclined surface in the claims) 233b continuing to the arcuate surface 233a, an upper wall surface (an example of the second upper wall surface in the claims) 233c, and a vertical wall surface (an example of the second vertical wall surface in the claims) 233d spanning the inclined surface 233b and the upper wall surface 233c.

[0128] The arc surface 233a is formed from the lower portion (the side where the chicken thigh M is placed) to the opposite side to the second gripping arm 211b (the opposite side to the side where the gripping arms 211a, 211b face each other).

[0129] The inclined surface 233b, the upper wall surface 233c, and the vertical wall surface 233d are formed by cutting out the imaginary circle V2 passing through the arc surface 233a. That is, the inclined surface 233b is inclined so as to gradually approach the second gripping arm 211b side as it goes upward from the end of the arc surface 233a on the second gripping arm 211b side. In other words, the inclined surface 233b is inclined so that the distance between the pair of gripping arm main bodies 233 gradually becomes shorter as it goes upward. The inclined surface 233b is located closer to the second gripping arm 211b than the center Vc2 of the imaginary circle V2.

[0130] The upper wall surface 233c is located above the center Vc2 of the imaginary circle V2. The upper wall surface 233c extends horizontally from the upper end of the arc surface 233a (the end opposite to the second gripping arm 211b) toward the second gripping arm 211b. The upper wall surfaces 233c of the gripping arms 211a, 211b are located on the same plane.

[0131] The vertical wall surface 233d is located closer to the second gripping arm 211b than the center Vc2 of the imaginary circle V2. The vertical wall surface 233d extends in the vertical direction from the end of the upper wall surface 233c on the second gripping arm 211b side to the upper end of the inclined surface 233b. The vertical wall surfaces 233d of the gripping arms 211a, 211b are parallel to each other. In a cross section along the up-down direction and the X direction of the grip arm main body 233, the length of the inclined surface 233b is longer than the length of the vertical wall surface 233d.

[0132] FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XVII-XVII in FIG. 13, 14 and 17, in addition to the above, the deposit lifting unit 202 includes a lift-up prevention part 39 fixed to the drive part main body 21 via a bracket 38. The lift-up prevention part 39 includes a fixed block 41 fixed to one end side of the bracket 38 in the X direction, and a plate-shaped lift-up prevention bar 42 extending from the fixed block 41 in the X direction.

[0133] The plate thickness direction of the lift-up prevention bar 42 coincides with the Y direction. The side (tip side) of the lift-up prevention bar 42 opposite the bracket 38 is disposed on the grip arm main body 233. In other words, the tip side of the lift-up prevention bar 42 is disposed closer to the grip arm main body 233 (the cutter unit 3 side) than the vertically bent arm portions 235 of the pair of grip arms 211a, 211b.

[0134] A recess 43 is formed in a portion of the lift-up prevention bar 42 that is on the gripping arm main body portion 233. The recess 43 is formed on a first side surface 42a opposite the vertically bent arm portion 235 of the lift-up prevention bar 42. The recess 43 is formed in an arc shape when viewed from the up-down direction. A gap S3 is formed between the lift-up prevention bar 42 and the gripping arm body 233, allowing the circular blade body 6 of the cutter unit 3 to pass through. A gap S4 is formed between the lift-up prevention bar 42 and the vertically bent arm 235, allowing the auxiliary circular blade body 53 of the auxiliary cutter unit 50, which will be described later, to pass through.

[0135] <Auxiliary cutter unit> Fig. 18 is a perspective view of the cutter unit 3 and the auxiliary cutter unit 50. In the following description, the passing direction D2 (see Fig. 18) of the pair of gripping arms 211a, 211b driven by the block driving unit 14 (see Fig. 1) relative to the cutter unit 3 (circular blade body 6) is referred to as the passing direction D2 of the gripping arms 211a, 211b. In the second embodiment, the passing direction D2 of the gripping arms 211a, 211b is parallel to the X direction.

[0136] 13, 17, and 18, the auxiliary cutter unit 50 is disposed upstream of the passing direction D2 of the gripping arms 211a, 211b with respect to the cutter unit 3. The auxiliary cutter unit 50 includes an auxiliary circular blade 51 and an auxiliary cutter drive section 52 that rotates the auxiliary circular blade 51. The auxiliary circular blade 51 includes a disk-shaped auxiliary circular blade main body 53 and a cutter shaft 54 ​​that has one end fixed to the auxiliary circular blade main body 53 and is disposed concentrically therewith.

[0137] The auxiliary cutter driving unit 52 includes a shaft support part 55 that rotatably supports the cutter shaft 54, and a cutter driving unit main body (not shown) that is provided integrally with the shaft support part 55. The cutter driving unit main body includes a motor part (not shown) and a transmission shaft that transmits the rotation of the motor part to the cutter shaft 54. The auxiliary cutter driving unit 52 rotates the cutter shaft 54 ​​about the central axis J3.

[0138] The central axis J3 of the cutter shaft 54 ​​is perpendicular to the central axis J1 of the cutter unit 3. In other words, the auxiliary circular blade body 53 is disposed so as to be perpendicular to the circular blade body 6. The lowermost portion of the cutting edge of the auxiliary circular blade body 53 is at the same height as the cutting edge of the circular blade body 6 when viewed from the X direction, and is disposed at a position overlapping with the cutting edge of the circular blade body 6 in the X direction.

[0139] The portion of the cutting edge of the auxiliary circular blade body 53 that is located at the lowest end is a portion that cuts off the adhered matter H. Hereinafter, this portion is referred to as a cutting portion 53a of the auxiliary circular blade body 53. The rotation direction D3 of the auxiliary circular blade body 53 is a direction in which the rotation direction of the auxiliary circular blade body 53 at the cutting portion 53a is opposite to the passing direction D2 of the gripping arms 211a and 211b.

[0140] <Cutter unit> The portion of the circular blade body 6 of the cutter unit 3 that cuts the deposit H is a portion adjacent to the cutting portion of the auxiliary circular blade body 53. In other words, it is a position that overlaps with the cutting portion 53a of the auxiliary circular blade body 53 in the X direction. Hereinafter, this portion will be referred to as the cutting portion 6a of the circular blade body 6.

[0141] In other words, the cutting portion 6a of the circular blade body 6 is a portion of the cutting edge of the circular blade body 6 that is located on a straight line T1 that passes through the central axis J1 of the cutter unit 3 and is parallel to the central axis J3 of the auxiliary cutter unit 50. The cutting portion 6a of the circular blade body 6 is a portion that is located closest to the deposit lifting unit 202 on the straight line T1. The rotation direction D4 of the circular blade body 6 is a direction in which the rotation direction of the circular blade body 6 at the cutting portion 6a is the same as the passing direction D2 of the gripping arms 211a, 211b.

[0142] FIG. 19 is a top view of the cutter unit 3. FIG. As shown in Figures 18 and 19, the cutter unit 3 in the second embodiment is provided with a scattering prevention wall 60. In Figures 13 and 17, the scattering prevention wall 60 is omitted for ease of understanding. The scattering prevention wall 60 includes a bracket 61 fixed to the shaft support portion 8 and a cover body 62 supported by the bracket 61 .

[0143] The bracket 61 is formed in an L-shape. That is, the bracket 61 includes a horizontal wall 61a extending from the upper surface of the shaft support portion 8 toward the opposite side to the auxiliary cutter unit 50, and a vertical wall 61b bending and extending downward from the end of the horizontal wall 61a opposite to the auxiliary cutter unit 50. The cover main body 62 is fixed to the lower part of the vertical wall 61b.

[0144] The cover body 62 has a plate-shaped base 63 located on the circular blade body 6 on the opposite side of the cutter shaft 7 to the cutting portion 6a of the circular blade body 6. The base 63 is a plate-shaped member that is long in the X direction and whose plate thickness direction coincides with the Y direction. Of both ends of the base 63 in the X direction, a first prevention wall 64 is integrally formed on the downstream side in the passing direction D2 of the gripping arms 211a, 211b.

[0145] The first prevention wall 64 is a plate-like member formed in an arc shape so as to be positioned concentrically with the circular blade body 6 when viewed from the top-bottom direction. The first prevention wall 64 extends parallel to the X direction from the base 63 to a point on the base 63 side beyond a straight line T2 (on the same plane as the auxiliary circular blade body 53) passing through the cutting portion 6a of the circular blade body 6.

[0146] The rotation direction D4 of the circular blade body 6 is a direction in which the rotation direction of the circular blade body 6 at the cutting point 6a is the same as the passing direction D2 of the gripping arms 211a, 211b. Therefore, it can be said that the first prevention wall 64 extends so as to cover the downstream side of the cutting point 6a of the circular blade body 6 in the rotation direction D4 of the circular blade body 6. When viewed from the top-bottom direction, a gap S5 is formed between the first prevention wall 64 and the circular blade body 6, through which the extraneous matter H removed from the chicken thigh meat M by the circular blade body 6 can pass.

[0147] Of both ends of the base 63 in the X direction, a second prevention wall 65 is integrally formed on the upstream side in the passing direction D2 of the gripping arms 211a, 211b. It is a plate-like member formed in an L-shape when viewed from the up-down direction. That is, the second prevention wall 65 includes a bottom wall 65a extending from the base 63 and a side wall 65b extending from the end of the bottom wall 65a opposite the base 63.

[0148] The bottom wall 65a extends from the base 63 in the X direction toward the side opposite the first prevention wall 64. The side wall 65b extends and curves in the Y direction from an end of the bottom wall 65a opposite the base 63 toward the auxiliary circular blade body 53. The tip side of the side wall 65b is curved so as to gradually turn toward the side opposite the first prevention wall 64 as it approaches the tip.

[0149] <Operation of meat adhesion removal device> Next, a description will be given of the operation of the meat deposit removal device 201. In the meat deposit removal device 201 described below, it is assumed that the left leg gripping arms 211a, 211b or the right leg gripping arms 211a, 211b are used depending on whether the chicken thigh M is a right leg or a left leg. The operation of the meat deposit removal device 201 is similar to that of the meat deposit removal device 1 in the first embodiment described above. That is, after the gripping arm orientation adjustment process, the pressing process, the lifting process, and the lifting process, the deposit H is cut from the chicken thigh meat M in the cutting process.

[0150] In the gripping arm orientation adjustment process, the base of the chicken thigh M is positioned on the first gripping arm 211a side, and the ankle of the chicken thigh M is positioned on the second gripping arm 211b side. In the gripping arm orientation adjustment process, the pair of gripping arms 211a, 211b are moved so that, when viewed from the top-bottom direction, a distance L1 between the gripping arm main body 233 of the second gripping arm 211b and the center Hc of the attachment H is shorter than a distance L2 between the gripping arm main body 233 of the first gripping arm 211a and the center Hc of the attachment H. In other words, a large space is secured between the gripping arm main body 233 of the first gripping arm 211a and the center Hc of the attachment H.

[0151] In the pressing process, the lift-up prevention bar 42 prevents the chicken thigh meat M from lifting up on the side opposite the drop-off prevention bar 34 (the base side of the gripping arm main body 233) with the attached material H sandwiched therebetween. Since the lift-up prevention bar 42 has a recess 43 formed therein, the lift-up prevention bar 42 is prevented from pressing down the attached material H itself.

[0152] In the lifting step, when the pair of gripping arms 211a, 211b are closed, the adhesion H is lifted by each gripping arm main body portion 233 so as to be pushed upward. A connection portion 36 is formed on the first gripping arm 211a of the pair of gripping arms 211a, 211b. The connection portion 36 is curved in an arc shape so as to be convex toward the opposite side to the second gripping arm 211b. This shape conforms to the shape of the attachment H. Therefore, in the lifting process, excess material around the attachment H is prevented from being lifted up together with the attachment H. Only the attachment H is lifted up by the pair of gripping arms 211a, 211b.

[0153] The gripping arm main body 233 has an inclined surface 233b and a vertical wall surface 233d formed on the side where the gripping arm main body 233 approaches each other. An upper wall surface 233c is formed on the upper part of the gripping arm main body 233. Therefore, when the gripping arm main body 233 approaches each other, the inclined surface 233b suppresses the pushing of excess meat upward. Only the attached matter H is easily pushed upward via the vertical wall surface 233d. The attached matter H is easily pushed up onto the upper wall surface 233c which is located below the imaginary circle V2 (see FIG. 16) in a shape where the imaginary circle V2 is cut away.

[0154] A fall prevention bar 34 is integrally provided at the tip of the gripping arm main body 233 of the first gripping arm 211a. Therefore, when the attachment H is gripped by the pair of gripping arm main bodies 233, the attachment H is prevented from escaping from the tips of the gripping arm main bodies 233, resulting in mis-gripping. The same can be said about the base end side of the gripping arm main body part 233. That is, a lift-up prevention bar 42 is provided on the base end side of the gripping arm main body part 233. The lift-up prevention bar 42 also functions as an arm escape prevention part that prevents adhesion H from escaping from the base end side of the gripping arm main body part 233 and causing a gripping error.

[0155] As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, in the cutting step, the circular blade 4 is rotated in advance by the cutter driving unit main body 9, and the auxiliary circular blade 51 is rotated in advance by the auxiliary cutter driving unit 52. Next, the pair of gripping arms 211a, 211b are moved by the block driving unit 14 (see FIG. 1) to pass the circular blade body 6 of the circular blade 4 over the upper wall surface 233c of the gripping arm body 233. At this time, the auxiliary circular blade body 53 passes between the lift-up prevention bar 42 and the vertically bent arm portion 235.

[0156] The space between the lift-up prevention bar 42 and the vertically bent arm portion 235 is open on the side that receives the auxiliary circular blade 51. Meanwhile, a fixed block 41 that supports the lift-up prevention bar 42 is disposed between the lift-up prevention bar 42 and the vertically bent arm portion 235 on the side opposite to the side that receives the auxiliary circular blade 51. This allows the auxiliary circular blade 51 to pass smoothly between the lift-up prevention bar 42 and the vertically bent arm portion 235. The fixed block 41 does not impede the auxiliary circular blade 51 from passing between the lift-up prevention bar 42 and the vertically bent arm portion 235.

[0157] The attached matter H passes between the circular blade body 6 and the auxiliary circular blade body 53. The auxiliary cutter unit 50 is disposed upstream of the passing direction D2 of the gripping arms 211a, 211b with respect to the cutter unit 3. Therefore, the cutting portion 53a of the auxiliary circular blade body 53 makes a cut from above near the attached matter H of the chicken thigh meat M before the circular blade body 6 does. Thereafter, the cutting portion 6a of the circular blade body 6 cuts the root Hn of the attached matter H (see FIG. 7, etc.) in the horizontal direction from the cutter unit 3 side.

[0158] In this way, the attachment H is cut from both sides in the Y direction by the circular blade body 6 and the auxiliary circular blade body 53. It can also be said that the auxiliary circular blade body 53 sandwiches the attachment H and cuts in the opposite direction to the cutting direction of the circular blade body 6. It can be said that the lift-up prevention bar 42 is disposed so that the auxiliary circular blade body 53 can pass along the second side surface 42b opposite to the first side surface 42a. In other words, the second side surface 42b of the lift-up prevention bar 42 is the side surface of the lift-up prevention bar 42 opposite to the side where the circular blade body 6 cuts into the adherent object H.

[0159] As shown in FIG. 19, after the extraneous matter H is cut from the chicken thigh meat M, the extraneous matter H is scattered by the rotation of the circular blade body 6. Specifically, the extraneous matter H is scattered toward the downstream side in the rotation direction D4 of the circular blade body 6 (see arrow D5 in FIG. 19). A first prevention wall 64 is provided downstream of the cutting portion 6a of the circular blade body 6 in the rotation direction D4 of the circular blade body 6. Therefore, the extraneous matter H scattered from the circular blade body 6 hits the first prevention wall 64. A gap S5 through which the extraneous matter H can pass is formed between the first prevention wall 64 and the circular blade body 6. Therefore, the extraneous matter H that hits the first prevention wall 64 is discharged downward from between the first prevention wall 64 and the circular blade body 6.

[0160] After the extraneous matter H is cut from the chicken thigh meat M, the pair of gripping arms 211a, 211b are moved back in the horizontal direction from the cutter unit 3 and the auxiliary cutter unit 50 by the block driving unit 14. The extraneous matter lifting unit 202 is returned to the standby position, whereby the operation of the meat extraneous matter removal device 201 is completed.

[0161] In this way, the above-described second embodiment provides the same effects as the first embodiment described above. In addition, in the first gripping arm 211a, a connection portion 36 between the gripping arm main body 233 and the fall-off prevention bar 34 is curved in an arc shape so as to be convex toward the opposite side to the second gripping arm 211b. This shape is a shape that follows the shape of the attachment H. An arc-shaped bent portion 37 is formed at the tip of the gripping arm main body 233 in the second gripping arm 211b. The shape of the bent portion 37 follows the shape of the connection portion 36.

[0162] This makes it possible to prevent an unnecessary space from being formed between the pair of gripping arms 211a, 211b and the attached matter H. As a result, the pair of gripping arms 211a, 211b can lift only the attached matter H from the chicken thigh meat M. The pair of gripping arms 211a, 211b can prevent the unnecessary meat around the attached matter H from being lifted up together with the attached matter H.

[0163] In a cross section along the vertical direction and the X direction, the gripping arm main body 233 has an arcuate surface 233a, an inclined surface 233b and an upper wall surface 233c continuing to the arcuate surface 233a, and a vertical wall surface 233d spanning the inclined surface 233b and the upper wall surface 233c. Therefore, when the pair of gripping arms 211a, 211b are pressed against the chicken thigh M, damage to the chicken thigh M by the arcuate surface 233a can be prevented.

[0164] When the attachment H is sandwiched (held) by the pair of gripping arms 211a, 211b, the inclined surface 233b, the upper wall surface 233c, and the vertical wall surface 233d can easily and reliably lift the attachment H up onto the pair of gripping arms 211a, 211b.

[0165] The meat deposit removal device 201 includes an auxiliary cutter unit 50. The cutting direction of the auxiliary circular blade body 53 in the auxiliary cutter unit 50 is perpendicular to the cutting direction of the circular blade body 6 in the cutter unit 3. The auxiliary circular blade body 53 is disposed at a position where the deposit H passes between the auxiliary circular blade body 53 and the circular blade body 6, and the deposit H is cut from the chicken thigh meat M by the auxiliary circular blade body 53 and the circular blade body 6. This can reliably prevent the circular blade body 6 from failing to cut the deposit H from the chicken thigh meat M. In other words, the auxiliary circular blade body 53 can reliably cut the deposit H from the chicken thigh meat M.

[0166] The auxiliary cutter unit 50 is disposed upstream of the cutter unit 3 in the passing direction D2 of the gripping arms 211a, 211b. Therefore, the auxiliary circular blade body 53 can make a cut from above near the attached matter H on the chicken thigh meat M before the circular blade body 6 can make a cut. Then, the attached matter H can be cut from the chicken thigh meat M by the circular blade body 6. Therefore, the attached matter H can be removed from the chicken thigh meat M more reliably.

[0167] The meat deposit removal device 201 includes a lift-up prevention bar 42. The lift-up prevention bar 42 is disposed so that the auxiliary circular blade body 53 can pass along the second side surface 42b opposite to the first side surface 42a. Therefore, the auxiliary circular blade body 53 can prevent the chicken thigh meat M from escaping from the auxiliary circular blade body 53 when making an incision into the chicken thigh meat M. This can prevent the auxiliary circular blade body 53 from insufficiently cutting into the chicken thigh meat M.

[0168] The meat deposit removal device 201 includes a scattering prevention wall 60. The scattering prevention wall 60 includes a first prevention wall 64 that extends to cover the downstream side of the cutting portion 6a of the circular blade body 6 in the rotation direction D4 of the circular blade body 6. A gap S5 is formed between the first prevention wall 64 and the circular blade body 6, through which the deposit H removed from the chicken thigh meat M by the circular blade body 6 can pass. Therefore, the scattering prevention wall 60 (first prevention wall 64) can prevent the deposit H from scattering due to the rotation of the circular blade body 6. The deposit H can be reliably discharged downward from between the first prevention wall 64 and the circular blade body 6.

[0169] In the cutting process, the chicken thigh meat M is cut by two cutters, the circular blade body 6 and the auxiliary circular blade body 53. Therefore, the extraneous matter H can be reliably removed from the chicken thigh meat M.

[0170] In the above-described second embodiment, the connection portion 36 of the first gripping arm 211a is curved in an arc shape so as to be convex toward the opposite side to the second gripping arm 211b. The case where an arc-shaped bent portion 37 is formed at the tip of the gripping arm main body 233 of the second gripping arm 211b has been described. However, this is not limited thereto, and the connection portion 36 may be formed so as to follow the shape of the attachment H. The tip of the gripping arm main body 233 of the second gripping arm 211b may be bent in accordance with the shape of the connection portion 36 so as to overlap with the connection portion 36 and to follow the connection portion 36 when the pair of gripping arms 211a, 211b are closed.

[0171] For example, the connection part 36 may be formed in a straight line so as to straddle the gripping arm main body part 233 and the fall-off prevention bar 34, and inclined with respect to the extension direction of the gripping arm main body part 233 (first gripping arm 211a) and the extension direction of the fall-off prevention bar 34 (see connection part 36' in FIG. 14). A bent part 37' corresponding to the connection part 36' may be formed at the tip part of the gripping arm main body part 233.

[0172] In the above-mentioned second embodiment, the auxiliary cutter unit 50 is arranged so that the cutting direction of the auxiliary circular blade body 53 and the cutting direction of the circular blade body 6 are perpendicular to each other. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the auxiliary cutter unit 50 may be arranged at a position where the adhering matter H can pass between the auxiliary cutter unit 50 and the circular blade body 6 and cut the adhering matter H from the chicken thigh meat M by the circular blade body 6 and the auxiliary circular blade body 53. It is preferable that the cutting direction of the circular blade body 6 and the cutting direction of the auxiliary circular blade body 53 intersect. By configuring in this way, it is possible to arrange the cutter unit 3 and the auxiliary cutter unit 50 efficiently in a space-saving manner.

[0173] In the above-described second embodiment, the cover body 62 of the shatter prevention wall 60 is described as being integrally formed with the base 63, the first prevention wall 64, and the second prevention wall 65. However, this is not limited thereto, and the cover body 62 may be provided with at least the first prevention wall 64. By configuring in this manner, the same effects as those of the above-described second embodiment can be achieved.

[0174] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and includes various modifications to the above-described embodiment without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0175] In the above embodiment, the case has been described in which the adhering material lifting unit 2 and the cutter unit 3 are arranged on the belt conveyor B, and adhering material H on the chicken thigh meat M transported by the belt conveyor B is removed. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a fixed meat processing stand may be used instead of the belt conveyor B. In this case, the position of the chicken thigh meat M placed on the meat processing stand may be detected by a camera (not shown) or the like, and the meat adhering material removal device 1 may be operated based on the detection result.

[0176] In the above embodiment, the block driver 14 is a so-called articulated robot. The block driver 14 moves the movable block 12 in the vertical direction, the diagonal vertical direction, and the horizontal direction. The block driver 14 rotates the movable block 12 around the central axis J2 parallel to the vertical direction. The pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b, 211a, 211b pushes up the attachment H from the chicken thigh M, and then the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b, 211a, 211b moves toward the circular blade body 6 to cut the root Hn of the attachment H.

[0177] However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the block driving unit 14 may have a function as a moving-away driving unit that moves at least one pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b, 211a, 211b toward and away from the chicken thigh meat M. In this case, the cutter unit 3 and the auxiliary cutter unit 50 may be configured to move toward the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b, 211a, 211b.

[0178] Preferably, the block driving unit 14 has a function as a rotation driving unit that rotates the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b, 211a, 211b about the central axis J2. With this configuration, the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b, 211a, 211b can be oriented in a desired direction with respect to the chicken thigh meat M, so that the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b, 211a, 211b can easily lift up the attached matter H from the chicken thigh meat M.

[0179] In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which the anti-fall-off bar 34 is integrally provided at the tip of the gripping arm main body 33, 233 of the first gripping arm 11a, 211a. However, this is not limited to this, and it is sufficient if, when the attachment H is gripped by the pair of gripping arm main body parts 33, 233, it is possible to prevent the attachment H from escaping from the tip of the gripping arm main body parts 33, 233 and causing a gripping error.

[0180] For example, in the above-described first embodiment, a fall-off prevention bar 34 may be provided at the tip of the gripping arm main body 33 of the second gripping arm 11b. Instead of a rod body such as the fall-off prevention bar 34, a protrusion having a shorter protruding length than the fall-off prevention bar 34 may be provided.

[0181] In the above embodiment, the meat adhesion removal device 1,201 is used to remove adhesion H attached to chicken thigh meat M. However, this is not limited to this, and the meat adhesion removal device 1,201 can be used to remove various adhesions such as bone chips attached to chicken thigh meat M other than adhesion H. The configuration of the meat adhesion removal device 1,201 can be adopted to remove adhesions attached to various meats instead of chicken thigh meat M. [Explanation of symbols]

[0182] 1,201…Meat deposit removal device 2,202…Debris lifting unit 10...Arm drive unit (drive section) 11a, 211a...First gripping arm (gripping arm) 11b, 211b...Second gripping arm (gripping arm) 12...Movable block 13...Arm opening / closing drive unit (opening / closing drive unit) 14...Block drive unit (approach / separation drive unit, rotation drive unit) 16...Pressing block (arm escape prevention part) 16a…Side of the holding block (arm escape prevention part) 31…Fixed arm section 32...Horizontal bent arm section (flared section) 33, 233...Grasp arm main body (grasp arm) 33a...Arc surface (first arc surface) 33b…Vertical wall surface (first vertical wall surface) 33c...Top wall surface (first top wall surface) 33d…Slope surface (first slope surface) 34…Fall prevention bar (convex part) 36…Connection 37…Bend 39…Floating prevention part 60…Scatter prevention wall 64…First prevention wall (scattering prevention wall) 232...Up and down bending arm part (crank part) 233a...Arc surface (second arc surface) 233b…Slope surface (second slope surface) 233c...Top wall surface (second top wall surface) 233d…Vertical wall (second vertical wall) C...Cartilage (attachment) F: Fat body (attachment) Hn...root H: Adhesion J2…Center axis line M: Chicken thigh (meat)

Claims

1. A detection unit that detects the posture of the deboned meat and the position of any adhering matter adhering to the meat relative to the posture of the meat; A pair of gripping arms that are moved to the position of the adhesion based on the detection result of the detection unit, grip the adhesion on both sides of the adhesion and from the base of the meat side, and lift the adhesion from the meat; A drive unit that drives the pair of gripping arms; Equipped with The drive unit is A drive unit for moving the pair of gripping arms toward and away from the meat; an opening / closing drive unit that opens and closes the pair of gripping arms by moving the pair of gripping arms closer to and farther from each other; Equipped Meat deposit removal device.

2. The pair of gripping arms extend from the drive unit along a direction intersecting a gripping direction, At least one of the pair of gripping arms is provided at a tip end thereof with a protrusion for preventing the gripping arm from mis-grasping the attached object.

2. The meat deposit removal device according to claim 1.

3. the protrusion is provided on a first gripping arm of the pair of gripping arms, and extends from a tip end of the first gripping arm toward a second gripping arm of the other of the pair of gripping arms along the gripping direction, a connection portion between the first gripping arm and the protruding portion is bent to conform to the shape of the attachment, The tip end of the second gripping arm is bent to match the shape of the connecting portion so as to overlap the connecting portion in the approaching / separating direction of the pair of gripping arms when the pair of gripping arms are in a state where the pair of gripping arms are close to each other and to extend along the connecting portion.

3. The meat deposit removal device according to claim 2.

4. The connection portion is formed linearly across the first gripping arm and the protruding portion and inclined with respect to the extending direction of the first gripping arm and the extending direction of the protruding portion.

4. The meat deposit removal device according to claim 3.

5. The meat is chicken thigh meat, and the attachment is cartilage and a fat body attached to the cartilage, The pair of gripping arms are arranged such that the ankle of the chicken thigh and the base of the chicken thigh are located on either side of the pair of gripping arms in the gripping direction, The connecting portion is curved so that the side of the base of the chicken thigh meat is convex.

4. The meat deposit removal device according to claim 3.

6. The pair of gripping arms extend from the drive unit along a direction intersecting a gripping direction, The gripping arm has a base end portion provided thereon, the base end portion being configured to prevent the attachment from escaping from the base end portion of the gripping arm. The meat deposit removing device according to claim 1 or 2.

7. The pair of gripping arms extend from the drive unit along a direction intersecting a gripping direction, The pair of gripping arms have base ends formed with flared portions such that the distance between them increases toward the outside in the longitudinal direction of the gripping arms. The meat deposit removing device according to claim 1 or 2.

8. The pair of gripping arms extend from the drive unit along a direction intersecting a gripping direction, The base end of the pair of gripping arms is provided with a crank portion that is bent so as to move away from the side on which the meat is placed. The meat deposit removing device according to claim 1 or 2.

9. The pair of gripping arms extend from the drive unit along a direction intersecting a gripping direction, The cross-sectional shape of the pair of gripping arms in the short side direction is A first arcuate surface is formed between the side where the meat is placed and the opposite side to the opposing sides; A first vertical wall surface extending from the opposing side ends of the first arc surface toward a side opposite to the side on which the meat is placed; A first upper wall surface extending from an end of the first arcuate surface opposite to the side where the meat is placed toward the opposing sides; a first inclined surface that connects the first vertical wall surface and the first upper wall surface and is inclined so that the distance between the pair of gripping arms gradually decreases from the first upper wall surface toward the first vertical wall surface; have 2. The meat deposit removal device according to claim 1.

10. The pair of gripping arms extend from the drive unit along a direction intersecting a gripping direction, The cross-sectional shape of the pair of gripping arms in the short side direction is A second arcuate surface is formed between the side where the meat is placed and the opposite side to the opposing sides; A second inclined surface extending from the opposing side ends of the second arc surface toward the side opposite to the side on which the meat is placed; A second upper wall surface extending from an end of the second arcuate surface opposite to the side where the meat is placed toward the opposing side; a second vertical wall surface connecting the second inclined surface and the second upper wall surface; having Each of the second inclined surfaces is inclined such that the distance between the pair of gripping arms gradually becomes shorter from an end of the second arcuate surface toward an end of the second vertical wall surface, In a cross-sectional shape of the pair of gripping arms in a short side direction, a length of the second inclined surface is longer than a length of the second vertical wall surface.

2. The meat deposit removal device according to claim 1.

11. The attachments are cartilage and fat pads attached to the cartilage. The meat deposit removing device according to claim 1 or 2.

12. A method for removing meat deposits from meat using the meat deposit removal device according to claim 1, A pressing step of pressing the pair of gripping arms on both sides of the adhesion so that a certain pressure is applied to the meat; a lifting step of gripping the base of the adhesion on the meat side after the pressing step and lifting the adhesion from the meat by the pair of gripping arms; have How to remove meat deposits.

13. After the lifting step, a lifting step of lifting the adhesion by the pair of gripping arms is provided. The method for removing meat deposits according to claim 12.

14. The pair of gripping arms extend from the drive unit along a direction intersecting a gripping direction, The meat is chicken thigh meat, and the attachment is cartilage and a fat body attached to the cartilage, A gripping arm direction adjustment step is performed before the pressing step, in which the direction of the pair of gripping arms is adjusted so that the ankle and the base of the chicken thigh are positioned on either side of the pair of gripping arms in the gripping direction. The method for removing meat deposits according to claim 12.

15. In the gripping arm direction adjustment step, when viewed from an opposite side of the chicken thigh meat with the pair of gripping arms therebetween, a distance between one of the pair of gripping arms on an ankle side of the chicken thigh meat and the attached object is shorter than a distance between one of the pair of gripping arms on a base side of the chicken thigh meat and the attached object. The method for removing meat deposits according to claim 14.

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