Food cutting and dishing system and food cutting and dishing method

Abstract

To keep capacity of a cutting device high even when the number of food pieces forming an aggregate of food pieces such as sliced meat and length of the aggregate are changed.SOLUTION: A food cutting and dishing system includes: a length receiving unit 21 that receives aggregate length that is length of an aggregate along an arrangement direction of food pieces; a number-of-pieces receiving unit 22 that receives the number of food pieces that is the number of food pieces forming the aggregate; a correlation data storage unit 23 that stores correlation data in which the aggregate length and the number of food pieces are associated with cutting speed of a cutting device; and a cutting speed control unit 24 that controls the cutting speed of the cutting device 100 based on the aggregate length received by the length receiving unit 21, the number of food pieces received by the number-of-pieces receiving unit 22, and the correlation data stored in the correlation data storage unit 23.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a food cutting and serving system and a food cutting and serving method for serving sliced ​​meat, for example, cut from a block of meat, on a container such as a tray. [Background technology]

[0002] One such system, as shown in Patent Document 1, is configured to form a group of sliced ​​meat (hereinafter also referred to as "scalded meat") by stacking multiple slices of meat cut by a cutting blade and shifting them at a specified pitch, and then scooping up the scalded meat with a serving robot and serving it on a tray.

[0003] More specifically, on the slicer side where the cutting blade is provided, multiple slices of meat are stacked to form scaly meat, and the scaly meat is transported repeatedly, and each scaly meat is sent to the serving robot.

[0004] On the other hand, the serving robot is configured to repeat a series of operations including waiting at a waiting position, scooping up the scaly meat sent to a predetermined position, and serving the scaly meat on a tray.

[0005] Therefore, if the slicer's cutting speed is too fast, the scallops will be transported to the plating robot one after another, and the plating robot will not be able to keep up with the series of operations. Therefore, the slicer's cutting speed is limited to a speed that takes into account the time required for the plating robot to perform the series of operations (hereinafter referred to as takt time).

[0006] Here, some conventional slicers have a function of automatically changing the number of slices of meat that form the scaly meat depending on the size of the chunk of meat, in order to make the weight of the scaly meat uniform.

[0007] In a slicer having the functions described above, to examine the case where the number of slices of sliced meat forming the scale-like meat increases, as an example, the case where the sliced meat forming the scale-like meat is switched from 4 slices to 5 slices will be taken up and explained.

[0008] In this case, if the cutting speed of the slicer is the same, the time required to form the scale-like meat with 5 slices and then send out that scale-like meat should be longer by the time it takes to cut out one slice of sliced meat than the time required to form the scale-like meat with 4 slices and then send out that scale-like meat.

[0009] That is, if the time required to send out the scale-like meat is longer than the tact time before the increase in the number of slices when the cutting speed is the same, it should naturally be longer than the tact time after the increase in the number of slices. In view of this, after the increase in the number of slices, even if the cutting speed is increased, there is a possibility that the series of operations of the plating robot can keep up.

[0010] Nevertheless, if the cutting speed is kept limited to a constant speed, a situation may occur where the ability of the slicer is unnecessarily suppressed after the increase in the number of slices.

[0011] Note that such a situation can occur not only when the number of slices of sliced meat forming the scale-like meat increases, but also commonly when, for example, the length of the scale-like meat becomes shorter due to a change to a smaller tray.

[0012] This is because when the length of the scale-like meat becomes shorter, the tact time becomes shorter, so again, even if the cutting speed is increased, there is a possibility that the series of operations of the plating robot can keep up.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0013]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0014] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to keep the performance of the cutting device high even when the number of food pieces forming an aggregate such as sliced meat or the length of the aggregate changes.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0015] That is, a food cutting and serving system according to the present invention cuts food with a cutting device, arranges a plurality of cut food pieces so that a part of them overlaps each other to form an aggregate, and scoops up this aggregate with a serving robot and serves it at a predetermined location. The food cutting and serving system includes a length receiving unit that receives an aggregate length, which is the length along the arrangement direction of the food pieces in the aggregate; a number receiving unit that receives the number of food pieces, which is the number of food pieces forming the aggregate; a correlation data storage unit that stores correlation data associating the aggregate length, the number of food pieces, and the cutting speed of the cutting device; and a cutting speed control unit that controls the cutting speed of the cutting device based on the aggregate length received by the length receiving unit, the number of food pieces received by the number receiving unit, and the correlation data stored in the correlation data storage unit.

[0016] According to the food cutting and serving system configured as described above, since the cutting speed of the cutting device is controlled based on the correlation data associating the aggregate length, the number of food pieces, and the cutting speed of the cutting device, it is possible to keep the performance of the cutting device high even when the aggregate length or the number of food pieces changes.

[0017] Preferably, the correlation data is set such that when the aggregate length is the same, the cutting speed is higher when the number of food pieces is larger than when it is smaller. In this case, when the number of food pieces forming the aggregate increases, the cutting speed of the cutting device can be switched to a high speed, and the performance of the cutting device can be kept high.

[0018] It is preferable that the correlation data is set such that, when the number of food pieces is the same, the cutting speed is higher when the length of the aggregate is shorter than when it is longer. If this is the case, when the length of the aggregate becomes shorter, the cutting speed of the cutting device can be switched to a higher speed, and the performance of the cutting device can be maintained at a high level.

[0019] By the way, as an embodiment for forming the above-described aggregate, a configuration in which a plurality of food pieces cut by a cutting device are intermittently fed out at a predetermined pitch can be cited. In such a configuration, for example, as the number of food pieces increases and the cutting speed is increased, the time interval for feeding out the food pieces cut at that cutting speed at a predetermined pitch also becomes shorter. As a result, before the cut food pieces are fed out at a predetermined pitch, the scooping up of the aggregate by the plating robot may not be completed, and there is a risk of missing the aggregate. Therefore, in a configuration in which the aggregate is formed by intermittently feeding out a plurality of food pieces cut by the cutting device at a predetermined pitch, the cutting speed equal to or higher than a predetermined speed in the correlation data is such that the previously formed aggregate is scooped up by the plating robot Before that, it is preferably set to a speed at which the food pieces forming the subsequent aggregate are not cut by the cutting device and fed out at the predetermined pitch. If this is the case, it is possible to surely complete the scooping up of the aggregate by the plating robot before the cut food pieces are fed out at a predetermined pitch.

[0020] For example, depending on the thickness, quality, type, etc. of the sliced meat, if one tries to scoop it up quickly, the shape of the aggregate may be easily disrupted. Therefore, it is preferable that the correlation data storage unit stores correlation data for standard use for operating the plating robot at a predetermined standard speed and correlation data for low speed for operating the plating robot at a speed lower than the standard speed. With such a configuration, by switching the correlation data to be used from the standard correlation data to the low-speed correlation data, it is possible to lift the aggregate while slightly reducing the speed, and maintain the high performance of the cutting device while considering its tact time.

[0021] Moreover, the food cutting and placing method according to the present invention is a food cutting and placing method in which food is cut by a cutting device, a plurality of cut food pieces are arranged so that a part of them overlaps each other to form an aggregate, and this aggregate is lifted by a placing robot and placed at a predetermined location. The method includes: a step of receiving an aggregate length, which is the length along the arrangement direction of the food pieces of the aggregate; a step of receiving the number of food pieces, which is the number of food pieces forming the aggregate; a step of storing correlation data associating the aggregate length, the number of food pieces, and the cutting speed of the cutting device; and a step of controlling the cutting speed of the cutting device based on the aggregate length, the number of food pieces, and the correlation data. According to such a food cutting and placing method, the same operational effects as those of the above-described food cutting and placing system can be achieved.

Advantages of the Invention

[0022] According to the present invention configured as described above, even if the number of food pieces forming an aggregate of food pieces such as sliced meat or the length of the aggregate changes, the performance of the cutting device can be maintained at a high level.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

[0024] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a food cutting and serving system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 1, the food cutting and plating system 1 of this embodiment comprises a cutting device 100 that slices block food, a first conveying device 200 that transports the food pieces cut out from the cutting device 100, a food plating device 300 that arranges the food pieces transported by the first conveying device into a container Z such as a tray, and a second conveying device 400 that carries out the container Z such as a tray on which the food pieces are arranged.

[0026] In this embodiment, sliced ​​meat sliced ​​from a block of meat will be described as the food piece to be served. Specifically, the cutting device 100 slices the block of meat and sends the sliced ​​meat in one or more rows to the first conveying device 200. In the first conveying device 200, a sliced ​​meat group M (hereinafter also referred to as scalloped meat M) is formed by stacking a plurality of sliced ​​meat pieces while shifting them by a predetermined pitch, and this scalloped meat M is served on a container Z such as a tray by a food serving device 300 described later.

[0027] In the following, for ease of explanation, in a plan view of the device, the X-axis is set along a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the scaly meat M by the first conveying device 200, and the Y-axis is set along the conveying direction, and when viewed from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction, the right side is the positive side of the X-axis, the left side is the negative side of the X-axis, the downstream side in the conveying direction is the positive side of the Y-axis, and the upstream side in the conveying direction is the negative side of the Y-axis (see Figure 1).

[0028] (Cutting device 100) As shown in FIG. 2, the cutting device 100 includes a meat box 101 for storing chunks of meat, a drive source 103 such as a motor for swinging the meat box 101 up and down around a swing axis 102, a cutting blade 104 such as a band knife for slicing the chunks of meat, and a slicer-side controller 105 for controlling the operation of the drive source 103, the cutting blade 104, etc.

[0029] The cutting device 100 of this embodiment is further equipped with a shape measurement means 106 that measures the shape of the chunk of meat, and has a function of automatically adjusting the number of sliced ​​meat that form the scaly meat M using the measurement data from this shape measurement means 106.

[0030] This shape measuring means 106 utilizes a laser sensor, and specifically, it projects laser light toward the chunk of meat and calculates the distance to a number of reflection points on the periphery of the chunk of meat to obtain a cross-sectional profile of the chunk of meat (including the shape and size of the cross section, or the height and left and right width dimensions).The cross-sectional profile, which is the measurement data obtained by the shape measuring means 106, is then sequentially output to the slicer-side controller 105.

[0031] The slicer-side controller 105 is previously input with a target weight (eg, 100 g) of the scalloped meat M to be served on one tray and an allowable range of thickness of the sliced ​​meat forming the scalloped meat M (eg, 2 mm±5%).

[0032] Then, the slicer-side controller 105 determines the number of sliced ​​meat sheets that form one piece of scaly meat M based on the target weight of the scaly meat M, the allowable range of the thickness of the sliced ​​meat, and the cross-sectional profile, which is the measurement data received from the shape measurement means 106.

[0033] However, the specific configuration of the cutting device 100 is not limited to the above, so long as it has a function of automatically adjusting the number of sliced ​​meat.

[0034] For example, as the shape measurement means 106, a laser sensor provided above and below the bulk meat may be used, or an imaging device that images the cut surface of the bulk meat may be used. Further, as the slicer side controller 105, it may be configured to use the total weight, specific gravity, etc. of the bulk meat in determining the number of slices of meat pieces that form the aggregate. Furthermore, a height detection means for pressing the bulk meat from above and detecting the height may be provided, and this height detection means may be used as the shape measurement means 106, or the camera C described later may be used as the shape measurement means 106.

[0035] (First conveyor 200) As shown in FIG. 1, the first conveyor 200 conveys the sliced meat cut out from the cutting device 100, and is, for example, a belt conveyor having an endless conveyor belt 201 and a drive source (not shown) such as a servo motor that drives the conveyor belt 201.

[0036] In the above-described configuration, the drive source is controlled by a control signal output from the slicer side controller 105, the conveyor belt 201 is driven, and a plurality of sliced meat slices are stacked while being shifted by a predetermined pitch to form the shingled meat M. Then, the shingled meat M is conveyed toward a collection position P set in advance on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the conveyor belt 201.

[0037] When the shingled meat M is conveyed to the collection position P, the conveyor belt 201 temporarily stops, and in this stopped state, the shingled meat M at the collection position is scooped up by the food serving device 300 described later.

[0038] (Second conveyor 400) As shown in FIG. 1, the second conveyor 400 conveys a container Z such as a tray to a serving position facing the conveyance end of the first conveyor 200, and is, for example, a chain conveyor having an endless chain (not shown) and a drive source (not shown) such as a motor that drives the chain. However, the second conveyor 400 may be a belt conveyor that uses an endless belt.

[0039] This second conveyor device 400 is arranged on the terminal side of the first conveyor device 200, and its conveying direction is set to be orthogonal to the conveying direction of the first conveyor device 200 in a plan view.

[0040] In such a configuration, the second conveyor device 400 stops the container Z at the above-described filling position until the filling of the scale meat M into the container Z by the food filling device 300 is repeated a set number of times and completed. Then, after the filling of the scale meat M into the container Z is completed, it is driven to carry out the filled container Z and send out the next empty container Z to the filling position.

[0041] (Camera C) Also, as shown in FIG. 1, an imaging area A where the conveyed scale meat M is imaged is set upstream of the sampling position P on the conveyor belt 201 of the first conveyor device 200, and above this imaging area A, a camera C as an imaging means for imaging the scale meat M is provided.

[0042] The camera C here is arranged at the center in the width direction of the conveyor belt 201 in a plan view, so that the first row of scale meat M and the second row of scale meat M conveyed to the imaging area A can be simultaneously imaged by the common camera C.

[0043] (Food filling device 300) The food filling device 300 scoops up the scale meat M conveyed by the first conveyor device 200 and fills it into the container Z conveyed by the second conveyor device 400. Here, the food filling device 300 is arranged on the left side of the first conveyor device 200, but it is not limited to this position and may be arranged on the right side.

[0044] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, this food filling device 300 includes a filling robot 10 that picks up the conveyed scale meat M and a robot controller 20 that controls the filling robot 10.

[0045] (Configuration of the filling robot 10) The loading robot 10 is attached to a base 13 fixed to the floor of a processing factory or the like, and a plurality of movable parts 11 such as an arm, a wrist, and a hand are connected to each other via a joint part 12.

[0046] In such a configuration, as the movable part 11, there are those configured to be rotatable or turnable around an axis provided in the joint part 12, those configured to be able to advance and retreat in the left - right direction (X - axis direction), the front - rear direction (Y - axis direction), or the up - down direction via the joint part 12, and the like.

[0047] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, in the loading robot 10 of the present embodiment, the hand H, which is the part for scooping up the scale - lined meat M, is flat - plate - shaped, and this hand H moves so as to crawl on the upper surface of the conveyor belt 201 from the upstream side to the downstream side (that is, from the minus side in the Y - axis direction to the plus side) of the first conveyor device 200, thereby scooping up the scale - lined meat M.

[0048] More specifically, when the scale - lined meat M is conveyed to the above - described collection position P, the loading robot 10 starts moving from a predetermined standby position and scoops up the scale - lined meat M at the collection position P. Then, the loading robot 10 loads the scooped - up scale - lined meat M into the container Z, and then returns to the predetermined standby position.

[0049] Note that the standby position where it waits before scooping up the scale - lined meat M and the standby position where it returns after loading the scale - lined meat M do not necessarily have to be the same position. Specifically, for example, if it is configured to determine whether the scale - lined meat M to be scooped up next is the one in the first row or the second row based on the imaging data of the above - described camera C, the standby position where it waits before scooping up the scale - lined meat M in the first row and the standby position where it waits before scooping up the scale - lined meat M in the second row may be different.

[0050] Here, the time required for a series of operations of the above-described serving robot 10, that is, the time required for the serving robot 10 to start moving from the standby position, scoop up the scale meat M, serve the scale meat M, and then return to the standby position again, is hereinafter referred to as the tact time. Note that the serving robot 10 of the present embodiment is configured such that, among the above-described series of operations, the operation of scooping up the scale meat M is slower than the operations of moving from the standby position toward the scale meat M, moving toward the container Z after scooping up the scale meat M, and moving toward the standby position after serving the scale meat M into the container Z.

[0051] (Function of robot controller 20) And the robot controller 20 is configured to control the cutting speed of the cutting device 100 while considering the above-described tact time.

[0052] Specifically, the robot controller 20 is a computer including a CPU, a memory, etc. that exchange various data with the above-described slicer-side controller 105. When the serving device program stored in the memory operates and the CPU and its peripheral devices cooperate, as shown in FIG. 4, it functions as a length reception unit 21, a number reception unit 22, a correlation data storage unit 23, and a cutting speed control unit 24.

[0053] The length reception unit 21 receives the aggregate length, which is the length of the aggregate along the arrangement direction of the food pieces. In this embodiment, the scale length, which is the length of the scale meat M along the arrangement direction of the sliced meat, is received as the aggregate length.

[0054] Here, for example, the scale length can be set in the slicer-side controller 105 via an input means such as a touch panel, a keyboard, or a mouse. Note that the scale length is determined according to the size of the container Z in which the scale meat M is served. Instead of directly inputting the scale length itself, the scale length corresponding to the size of the container Z can be set by inputting the size of the container Z.

[0055] The set scale row lengths are successively output from the slicer-side controller 105 to the robot controller 20 as shown in FIG. 4, and the length receiving unit 21 successively receives the output scale row lengths.

[0056] As a result, even after a change in setup, such as changing the size of a tray, the length receiving unit 21 can receive the changed scale row length in real time.

[0057] However, the scale row length may be directly input to the robot controller 20, and the input scale row length may be received by the length receiving unit 21.

[0058] The number receiving unit 22 receives the number of food pieces, which is the number of food pieces that form the aggregate, and in this embodiment, the number of scaled pieces, which is the number of sliced ​​meat that forms the scaled meat M, is received as the number of food pieces.

[0059] Here, as described above, the slicer-side controller 105 is configured to sequentially determine the number of scale rows, and as shown in Figure 4, this determined number of scale rows is sequentially output from the slicer-side controller 105 to the robot controller 20, and the number receiving unit 22 sequentially receives this output number of scale rows.

[0060] As a result, even if, for example, the chunk of meat becomes smaller and the slicer side controller 105 increases the number of scales to ensure the target weight of the scale meat, the number receiving unit 22 receives the increased number of scales in real time.

[0061] The correlation data storage unit 23 is set in a predetermined area of ​​the memory, and stores correlation data that correlates the scale row length and the number of scale rows with the cutting speed of the cutting device, as shown in Fig. 5. In this embodiment, the cutting speed set as the correlation data is the number of cuts per minute. However, the cutting speed may also be, for example, the rocking speed of the meat box or the number of rotations of the motor that rocks the meat box.

[0062] The correlation data in this embodiment is a lookup table in which the cutting speed is associated with each combination of the scale row length and the scale row number. Note that the correlation data may be a calculation formula for the cutting speed that includes the scale row length and the scale row number as parameters.

[0063] This correlation data is set so that, for the same scale row length, the cutting speed is faster when the number of scale rows is large than when the number is small, as shown in Fig. 5. Note that A in Fig. 5 is a predetermined reference value, for example, about 10 to 30 sheets.

[0064] Also, as shown in FIG. 5, this correlation data is set so that, if the number of scale rows is the same, the cutting speed is faster when the scale row length is short than when it is long.

[0065] Here, if the cutting speed is made too fast as the number of scaly pieces increases (i.e., as the number of slices increases in the table of FIG. 5), the time interval until the sliced ​​meat cut at that cutting speed is sent out at the specified pitch also becomes too short. As a result, the serving robot 10 may not finish scooping up the scaly meat M before the cut sliced ​​meat is sent out at the specified pitch, and may miss scooping up the scaly meat M.

[0066] Therefore, in this embodiment, the cutting speed in the correlation data is set to a speed (hereinafter referred to as the limit speed) at which the sliced ​​meat forming the subsequent scaly meat M is not cut by the cutting device 100 and sent out a predetermined pitch before the previously formed scaly meat M is scooped up by the serving robot 10.

[0067] In other words, the speed limit is set so that the time required for the serving robot 10 to start moving from the standby position and finish scooping up the scaly meat M is shorter than the time required for the cutting device to start cutting the chunk of meat at the speed limit and for the cut sliced ​​meat to be sent out at a specified pitch. Note that the white characters in Fig. 5 indicate the speed at which the speed limit is set.

[0068] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, the correlation data storage unit 23 of the present embodiment stores a plurality of types of correlation data in a selectable manner.

[0069] Specifically, this correlation data storage unit 23 stores, in a selectable manner, correlation data for standard use (upper part of FIG. 5) for operating the packing robot 10 at a predetermined standard speed and correlation data for low speed (lower part of FIG. 5) for operating the packing robot at a speed lower than the standard speed.

[0070] Among these correlation data, those preselected by the user will be used for controlling the cutting speed by the cutting speed control unit 24 described later.

[0071] In addition, the correlation data storage unit 23 stores combinations of the above-described correlation data for standard use and correlation data for low speed, for example, according to the method of packing scaly meat.

[0072] Specifically, corresponding to each of the packing methods of bending both ends of the scaly meat M and packing, bending only one end of the scaly meat M and packing, or packing the scaly meat M without bending, correlation data with different cutting speeds (more specifically, combinations of correlation data for standard use and correlation data for low speed) are stored.

[0073] Among these correlation data, the correlation data corresponding to the packing method preselected by the user is used for controlling the cutting speed by the cutting speed control unit 24 described later.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 4, the cutting speed control unit 24 controls the cutting speed of the cutting device 100 based on the scaly length received by the length reception unit 21, the number of scales received by the number reception unit 22, and the correlation data stored in the correlation data storage unit 23.

[0075] More specifically, the cutting speed control unit 24 sequentially acquires the scale row length accepted by the length accepting unit 21 and the number of scale rows accepted by the number accepting unit 22, and each time either of these is changed, it refers to pre-selected correlation data to acquire the cutting speed corresponding to the changed scale row length and changed number of scale rows.

[0076] Then, the cutting speed control unit 24 sequentially outputs the acquired cutting speeds to the slicer-side controller 105, as shown in FIG.

[0077] When the slicer-side controller 105 receives the cutting speed output from the cutting speed control unit 24, it controls a drive source 103, such as a motor that rocks the meat box 101, in accordance with the cutting speed, so that the chunk of meat is cut at that cutting speed.

[0078] (Food serving and cutting system operation) Next, an example of the operation of the food cutting and serving system 1 configured as above will be described with reference to the flow chart of FIG.

[0079] First, the user presets or selects the target weight of the scallop meat M, the allowable range of slice thickness, the scallop length (or the size of the tray), the serving method, and the scooping speed (standard or slow) (S1).

[0080] Then, when the system 1 is operated, the above-mentioned shape measuring means 106 measures the cross-sectional profile of the chunk of meat (S2).

[0081] Next, the slicer-side controller 105 determines the number of scale rows that will ensure the target weight and the allowable range of slice thickness based on the target weight and the allowable range of slice thickness set in S1 and the cross-sectional profile measured in S2 (S3).

[0082] As described above, this number of scale rows is successively transmitted from the slicer-side controller 105 to the robot controller 20 (S4).

[0083] In the robot controller, the length receiving unit receives the scale row length set or selected in S1, and the number receiving unit receives the number of scale rows transmitted from the slicer-side controller in S4.

[0084] Then, the robot controller 20 refers to the correlation data corresponding to the serving method and scooping speed selected in S1, and acquires the cutting speed corresponding to the received scale row length and number of scale rows (S5).

[0085] As described above, this cutting speed is successively transmitted from the robot controller 20 to the slicer-side controller 105 (S6).

[0086] Thereafter, the slicer side controller 105 receives the cutting speed transmitted from the robot controller 20 in S6, and cuts the chunk of meat at that cutting speed while cutting out the number of slices of meat determined in S3 to form one slice of meat M (S7).

[0087] Thereafter, steps S1 to S7 are repeated until the serving of the scaly meat M into the set number of containers Z is completed.

[0088] (Effects of the food cutting and serving system 1 according to the present invention) According to the food cutting and serving system 1 configured in this manner, the cutting speed of the cutting device 100 is controlled based on correlation data relating the scale row length and number of scale rows to the cutting speed of the cutting device 100, so that the capacity of the cutting device 100 can be maintained high even if the scale row length or number of scale rows changes.

[0089] Specifically, the correlation data is set so that if the scale row length is the same, the cutting speed is faster when the number of scale rows is large than when the number of scale rows is small, so that when the number of scale rows increases, the cutting speed of the cutting device 100 can be switched to a faster speed.

[0090] Furthermore, the correlation data is set so that if the number of scale rows is the same, the cutting speed is faster when the scale row length is short than when it is long, so that when the scale row length becomes shorter, the cutting speed of the cutting device 100 can be switched to a faster speed.

[0091] Furthermore, the speed limit in the correlation data, which is equal to or higher than a predetermined speed, is set to a speed at which the sliced ​​meat that forms the subsequent scaly meat M is not cut by the cutting device 100 and sent out a predetermined pitch before the scaly meat M is scooped up by the presentation robot 10, so that the presentation robot 10 can reliably finish scooping up the scaly meat before the cut sliced ​​meat is sent out a predetermined pitch.

[0092] Furthermore, since the correlation data storage unit 23 stores standard correlation data and low-speed correlation data, by switching the correlation data used for control from the standard correlation data to the low-speed correlation data, the lump meat can be scooped up at a slightly slower speed while taking into account the takt time and still maintaining the capacity of the cutting device 100 high.

[0093] (Another embodiment of the food cutting and serving system 1 according to the present invention) It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

[0094] For example, in the above embodiment, A in FIG. 5 is described as being, for example, about 10 to 30 sheets, but it may be less than 10 sheets or more than 30 sheets.

[0095] In addition, in the correlation data in Fig. 5, for example, the cutting speed is set to the same when the number of scale rows is 4 and when it is 5, but the cutting speed may be set to be faster when the number of scale rows is 5 than when it is 4. This is also true when the number of scale rows is 6 and when it is 7.

[0096] Incidentally, when changing the number of scale rows or the scale row length and reducing the cutting speed from, for example, "A + 43" to "A + 22", the actual cutting speed of the cutting device 100 does not instantaneously switch to "A + 22", but becomes the speed during the transitional period between "A + 43" and "A + 22".

[0097] As a result, the scale row meat M formed immediately after the cutting speed control unit 24 transmits a new cutting speed to the slicer side controller 105 is formed in a shorter time than being cut at the target cutting speed of "A + 22", so there may arise a problem that the scale row meat M is missed in scooping because it cannot keep up with the tact time of the loading robot 10.

[0098] Therefore, as the cutting speed control unit 24, when switching the cutting speed from the first speed to the second speed slower than the first speed, it may be configured to output a third speed, which is lower than the second speed by a predetermined speed, to the slicer side controller 105 and then output the second speed to the slicer side controller 105.

[0099] With such a configuration, the scale row meat M formed immediately after the cutting speed control unit 24 transmits a new cutting speed to the slicer side controller 105 will be cut at a cutting speed close to the second speed between the first speed and the third speed, so it is possible to prevent the scale row meat M from being missed in scooping.

[0100] On the other hand, when increasing the cutting speed due to a change in the number of scale rows or the scale row length, the actual cutting speed of the cutting device 100 also does not instantaneously switch, but becomes slightly slower than the target cutting speed, meaning that the capabilities of the cutting device 100 are not fully utilized.

[0101] Therefore, as the cutting speed control unit 24, when switching the cutting speed from the first speed to the second speed faster than the first speed, it may be configured to output a third speed, which is higher than the second speed by a predetermined speed, to the slicer side controller 105 and then output the second speed to the slicer side controller 105.

[0102] With such a configuration, the scale meat M formed immediately after a new cutting speed is transmitted from the cutting speed control unit 24 to the slicer side controller 105 is cut at a cutting speed close to the second speed between the first speed and the third speed, and it becomes possible to further draw out the capabilities of the cutting device 100.

[0103] Also, in the configuration where the cutting device 100 sends out sliced meat in plural rows as in the above embodiment, when the number of scale pieces of the scale meat M formed in each row is different, it is preferable for the slicer side controller 105 to output the largest number among those numbers to the robot controller 20. Note that, if the slicer side controller 105 is configured to transmit the number of scale pieces in each row to the robot controller 20, the number receiving unit 22 may be configured to receive only the largest number, or the cutting speed control unit 24 may acquire the cutting speed corresponding to the largest number.

[0104] The correlation data is not limited to a look-up table, and may be various calculation formulas for calculating the cutting speed described also in the above embodiment, or may be, for example, a learning model generated by machine learning that inputs the scale length and the number of scale pieces and outputs the cutting speed.

[0105] In addition, if the speed at which the serving robot 10 scoops up is fast enough, it is not always necessary to set a limit speed in the correlation data.

[0106] Also, part or all of the functions of the length receiving unit 21, the number receiving unit 22, the correlation data storage unit 23, and the cutting speed control unit 24 may be provided in the slicer side controller 105. However, when attaching the serving robot 10 to the existing cutting device 100 later, it is advantageous in that less modification of the existing program of the slicer side controller 105 is required if the above-described functions are provided in the robot controller 20 as in the above embodiment.

[0107] Furthermore, the functions of the length receiving unit 21, the number of sheets receiving unit 22, the correlation data storage unit 23, and the cutting speed control unit 24 do not necessarily have to all be provided in the robot controller 20, and as long as they are provided within the present system 1, some of them may be provided in a computer other than the robot controller 20, such as a server cloud or a portable terminal.

[0108] Furthermore, although the cutting device in the above embodiment is equipped with a band knife as a cutting blade, it may be equipped with a round blade, a magatama blade, a push-cutting blade, or the like as a cutting blade.

[0109] In the above embodiment, the scaly meat is formed by intermittently feeding the sliced ​​meat cut by the cutting device at a predetermined pitch, but the scaly meat may be formed by continuously feeding the sliced ​​meat cut by the cutting device. In this case, an example of an embodiment for spacing the adjacent scaly meats is to move the chunk of meat backward to provide a time for the cutting blade to idle without cutting the chunk of meat.

[0110] In the above embodiment, the food to be served has been described as scalloped meat M, but it may also be, for example, a single thick slice of meat, or it may be processed foods such as ham or cheese, seafood such as fish fillets, various vegetables, or even flexible or viscous food dough.

[0111] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0112] 1. Food cutting and serving system M...Scale row meat Z...container 100...Cutting device 105 Slicer side controller 200 First conveying device 300 ··· Food placing device 400 ··· Second conveying device 10 ··· Placing robot 20 ··· Robot controller 21 ··· Length receiving part 22 ··· Quantity receiving part 23 ··· Correlation data storage part 24 ··· Cutting speed control part

Claims

1. A food cutting and serving system that cuts food with a cutting device, arranges a plurality of cut food pieces so that a part of them overlaps each other to form an aggregate, and scoops up this aggregate with a serving robot and serves it at a predetermined location, comprising: a length receiving unit that receives an aggregate length, which is the length along the arrangement direction of the food pieces of the aggregate; a number receiving unit that receives the number of food pieces, which is the number of food pieces forming the aggregate; a correlation data storage unit that stores correlation data associating the aggregate length and the number of food pieces with the cutting speed of the cutting device; a cutting speed control unit that controls the cutting speed of the cutting device based on the aggregate length received by the length receiving unit, the number of food pieces received by the number receiving unit, and the correlation data stored in the correlation data storage unit. The food cutting and serving system is characterized by comprising these components.

2. The food cutting and serving system according to claim 1, wherein the correlation data is set such that when the aggregate length is the same, the cutting speed is higher when the number of food pieces is larger than when it is smaller.

3. The food cutting and serving system according to claim 1, wherein the correlation data is set such that when the number of food pieces is the same, the cutting speed is higher when the aggregate length is shorter than when it is longer.

4. In a configuration where the aggregate is formed by intermittently feeding each of the plurality of food pieces cut by the cutting device at a predetermined pitch, the cutting speed above a predetermined speed in the correlation data is set to a speed at which the food pieces forming the subsequent aggregate are not cut by the cutting device and fed at the predetermined pitch before the previously formed aggregate is scooped up by the serving robot. The food cutting and serving system according to claim 1 is characterized by this.

5. The food cutting and serving system according to claim 1, wherein the correlation data storage unit stores standard correlation data for operating the serving robot at a predetermined standard speed and low-speed correlation data for operating the serving robot at a speed lower than the standard speed.

6. A food cutting and serving method that cuts food with a cutting device, arranges a plurality of cut food pieces so that a part of them overlaps each other to form an aggregate, and scoops up this aggregate with a serving robot and serves it at a predetermined location, comprising: Receiving a length of the assembly, which is the length along the arrangement direction of the food pieces of the assembly; Receiving the number of food pieces, which is the number of food pieces forming the assembly; Storing correlation data associating the length of the assembly and the number of food pieces with the cutting speed of the cutting device; And controlling the cutting speed of the cutting device based on the length of the assembly, the number of food pieces, and the correlation data. A method for packaging cut food is characterized by comprising the above steps.

Images