Method, apparatus and system for measuring poultry slaughter products

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for measuring poultry slaughter products using a measuring device arranged stationary along a transport path defined by a transport device having a plurality of successive carriers each holding a slaughter product, wherein the transport device in use transports the slaughter products held by the carriers of the plurality of successive carriers in a transport direction along the transport path through the measuring device. The method includes: a) measuring, using a non-contact distance meter of the measuring device, the distance between the distance meter and the slaughter product at at least three different locations of the slaughter product; and b) determining a parameter of the slaughter product from the measured distances of step a).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for measuring poultry slaughter products. The present invention also relates to an apparatus and a system for measuring such poultry slaughter products. The present invention further relates to a computer program and a computer-readable storage medium.

Background Art

[0002] WO2017 / 188812 A1 relates to a system and method for measuring the shoulder joint position of the breast portion of slaughtered poultry. The shoulder joint is the joint that connects the wing of the poultry to the body in a live poultry. The shoulder joint position indicates the overall size of the breast portion. The position is measured by a mechanical contact member that engages the shoulder joint.

[0003] Known systems and methods actually function well enough, but there is still room for further improvement.

[0004] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved method, apparatus, and system for measuring poultry slaughter products. Therefore, another object of the present invention is to provide a method, apparatus, and system for measuring poultry slaughter products held by a carrier of a transport device, the method, apparatus, and system having fewer restrictions regarding the orientation of the poultry slaughter product being measured. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method, apparatus, and system for measuring poultry slaughter products, the method, apparatus, and system being such that the measurement is performed in a more hygienic manner. A further object of the present invention is to provide a method, apparatus, and system for measuring poultry slaughter products, the method, apparatus, and system being such that the measurement data can be used for more purposes.

Summary of the Invention

[0005] One or more objectives are achieved by the method and / or apparatus and / or system according to the present invention. The present invention provides a method for measuring poultry slaughter products using a measuring device arranged stationary along a transport path defined by a transport device having a plurality of successive carriers each holding a slaughter product. During use, the transport device transports the slaughter products held by the carriers of the plurality of successive carriers in a transport direction along the transport path through the measuring device. The method comprises a) measuring, using a non-contact distance meter of the measuring device, the distance between the distance meter and the slaughter product at at least three different locations of the slaughter product; b) determining a parameter of the slaughter product from the measured distances of step a) and includes. The present invention further provides an apparatus defined in claim 13 and a system defined in claim 14.

[0006] The effect of the method, apparatus and system according to the present invention is that the parameters of the slaughter product can be determined in an efficient and relatively simple manner using a non-contact distance meter. The measurement is also more hygienic due to its non-contact nature. Also, the at least three measured distances can be used for various purposes as such measured values can be used, for example, to determine the outer shape of the product passing through the measuring device, for example, to provide information on the size of the product, or the condition or quality of the product. Further, since the measurement is non-contact, the exact orientation of the slaughter product during measurement is less relevant.

[0007] The carrier may be, for example, a holder for the front half of a poultry, such as a so-called cone, or a shackle for hanging a slaughtered poultry. The carrier may be rotatably provided so as to be able to change the orientation of the poultry slaughter product during transport. In one embodiment, the transport device is arranged such that the poultry slaughter product passes through the measuring device in the vertical direction, preferably head-down.

[0008] In one embodiment, said step a) of the measurement is carried out using a laser distance meter. That is, the non-contact distance meter of the measuring device can be a laser distance meter or can at least have a laser distance meter. The laser distance meter can be configured as a point laser meter or as a line laser meter, and / or can use a red laser beam, and thus has a wavelength in the range from 630 nm to 670 nm.

[0009] The measurement distances at at least three different locations can be measured continuously in time by the non-contact distance meter. Thus, in a related embodiment, said step a) includes continuously measuring said distances at said at least three different locations of the slaughtered product as a result of the measuring device passing through the slaughtered product during its transport by the transport device. In this way, the non-contact distance meter of the measuring device can be configured to continuously perform at least three distance measurements on the same poultry slaughtered product passing through the measuring device. As a result of the slaughtered product moving through the measuring device with the execution of the continuous measurements, a plurality of measurements on the same straight line can be made. The amount of measurement of one product can depend on the frequency of measurement by the measuring device and the speed at which the poultry product passes through the measuring device in the transport direction. Thus, in an embodiment, the amount of measurement of one product ranges from dozens to thousands of measurements. The greater this amount, the smaller the role played by any interpolation between two consecutive measurement values in the determined parameters, and thus a more accurate outer shape of the product can be measured. Therefore, in one embodiment, the transport device may be operatively connected to the control unit of the measuring device for the purpose of providing information related to the carrier speed to the control unit. In one embodiment, the carrier speed can be given and set to the control unit, for example, if such speed is constant over time.

[0010] Alternatively, the at least three distances may be measured simultaneously by a non-contact distance meter configured to measure at least three different points of the product, as in the case of using a line laser meter.

[0011] In one embodiment, step a) can be triggered by the measured distance falling below a predetermined upper distance threshold. In such an embodiment, the measuring device can perform measurements continuously, and the upper distance threshold, which can be the distance between the distance meter and a position of the carrier, triggers the measurement of step a). The upper distance threshold can further form a reference value against which the measured distance can be compared for the purpose of determining a parameter.

[0012] In one embodiment, for the purpose of step b), the parameter is a size-related parameter regarding the size of the slaughtered product. The size-related parameter is preferably related to the cross-sectional area of the slaughtered product, preferably parallel to the transport direction. The larger the cross-sectional area, the larger the size. The plurality of distances measured using such a laser distance meter forms a very suitable basis for determining such a size-related parameter related to the cross-sectional area of the slaughtered product. Alternatively, the parameter can be a functional parameter such as a quality-related parameter.

[0013] In one embodiment, said step b) includes determining a size-related parameter that at least partially depends on a predetermined reference parameter related to the size of the carrier holding the slaughtered product, preferably the cross-sectional area of the carrier. In such an embodiment, the reference parameter can be subtracted from the aforementioned size-related parameter determined during step b), and as a result, a parameter related to the size of such a poultry slaughtered product, preferably the cross-sectional area, can be determined. Such a predetermined reference parameter related to the carrier can be determined by passing an empty carrier through the measuring device, performing a measurement similar to the measurement of step a), and determining said predetermined reference parameter therefrom.

[0014] In one embodiment, among continuous parameter ranges, at least two classes, preferably three or more classes such as five classes, are defined, and the method further includes step d) of determining to which of the at least two classes the slaughter product belongs based on the parameter determined according to step b). The classes may represent various sizes, for example, including "small", "medium", and "large" of the slaughter product. By doing so, the measured slaughter product can be assigned to any class. For example, processing operations such as skinning, cutting, and taking slices can be adjusted according to various classes so as to improve the quality or effectiveness of the processing operation.

[0015] In one embodiment, step a) is performed using a plurality of, preferably two or three, said non-contact distance meters, preferably laser distance meters, and preferably each of the plurality of non-contact distance meters is oriented at a different angle with respect to the transport direction with respect to the slaughter product. In one embodiment, step a) is performed using at least two laser distance meters, the first of the at least two laser distance meters being oriented at an angle having a component in the transport direction, and the second of the at least two laser distance meters being oriented at an angle having a component opposite to the transport direction. Thereby, the accuracy of the measured value, in other words, the determined parameter, can be improved.

[0016] In one embodiment, the measuring device is arranged upstream of the processing device along the transport track, and the downstream measuring device is arranged downstream of the processing device along the transport track, and the method is a1) measuring the distance between the downstream distance meter and the slaughter product at at least three different locations on the slaughter product, preferably at the same locations as the purpose of step a), using the downstream non-contact distance meter of the downstream measuring device; b1) determining the parameters of the slaughter product from the measured distances of step a1); and further includes The method further includes c) determining quality-related parameters of the slaughtered product related to the execution of the processing operation of the slaughtered product by the processing device, wherein the quality-related parameters depend at least in part on the respective parameters determined in steps b) and b1).

[0017] By doing so, it can be determined whether the execution of the processing operation by the processing device has been carried out as expected, in other words, for example, whether the criteria regarding quality have been met. Also, it may be determined whether carrier-related characteristics, such as the possibility of the carrier rotating during processing, function as expected.

[0018] Optionally, the quality-related parameters of step c) are determined based at least in part on predetermined reference quality parameters related to the execution of the processing operation of the slaughtered product by the processing device. The predetermined reference quality parameters may be interrelated with the associated size-related parameter ranges. The parameters of steps b) and b1) may be size-related parameters. The parameters of steps b) and b1) may be related to the outer shape of the slaughtered product.

[0019] In one embodiment, a plurality of product processing operations such as cutting and skinning are defined, each of the operations being assigned to an associated size-related parameter range, and the method further includes determining to which of the plurality of product processing operations the slaughtered product belongs based on the parameters determined according to step b). By doing so, it can be determined whether a particular operation has been correctly performed or, for example, whether it has been performed at all.

[0020] In one embodiment, the method further comprises setting at least one processing parameter of a processing device upstream or downstream of the measuring device based on the parameters determined during step b). In this way, one or more settings of the processing device may be pre-adjusted so that a more optimal processing operation can be performed, or such settings may be adjusted when a quality-related parameter related to the processing operation of the processing device is determined downstream, for example, to be below a certain threshold.

[0021] The present invention also relates to a measuring device for measuring poultry slaughter products. During use, the measuring device is stationary and arranged along a transport path defined by a transport device having a plurality of continuous carriers, each holding a slaughter product. During use, the transport device transports the slaughter products held by the carriers of the plurality of continuous carriers in a transport direction along the transport path through the measuring device. The measuring device a) measures the distance between the distance meter and the slaughter product at at least three different locations of the slaughter product using a non-contact distance meter of the measuring device, b) determines the parameters of the slaughter product from the measured distances, and comprises a control unit arranged for this purpose.

[0022] Furthermore, the present invention is a system for measuring poultry slaughter products, a transport device having a plurality of continuous carriers, each holding a slaughter product, which during use transports the slaughter products held by the carriers of the plurality of continuous carriers in a transport direction along a transport path defined by the transport device, and a measuring device according to the present invention for measuring poultry slaughter products, which is stationary and arranged along the transport path such that the slaughter products held by the carriers are transported through the measuring device, and is provided with The measuring device a) measures the distance between the distance meter and the slaughter product at at least three different locations of the slaughter product using a non-contact distance meter of the measuring device, b) determining the parameters of the slaughter product from the measured distance and having a control unit arranged therefor.

[0023] In each embodiment of the device and system according to the invention, the control unit is arranged to carry out the method according to the invention as described above.

[0024] The effects of the measuring device and system are the same as or at least similar to the effects described above in connection with the method according to the invention. Embodiments of the method according to the invention are applied in a similar way to the device and system according to the invention, and vice versa.

[0025] The invention also relates to a computer program which, when executed, comprises instructions for causing a device for measuring a poultry slaughter product, preferably the device according to the invention, preferably a computer of the device, to carry out the method according to the invention.

[0026] Finally, the invention relates to a computer-readable storage medium comprising the computer program according to the invention.

[0027] The effects when the storage medium and the computer program are executed are the same as or at least similar to the effects described above in connection with the method according to the invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0028] The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying highly schematic drawings, in which embodiments of the invention are shown and like reference numerals denote identical or similar elements.

[0029]

Figure 1A

Figure 1B

Figure 1C

Figure 2A

Figure 2B

Figure 3A

Figure 3B

Figure 3C

Figure 4

Figure 5

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] Figure 1A shows a system 1 for measuring a poultry slaughter product 2. In the example shown, the product 2 is the front half from which the feathers have already been removed. The system 1 includes a transport device 4 having a plurality of continuous carriers 6, each holding a slaughter product 2, as is common in poultry slaughter product processing, as shown in Figures 2A and 2B. The carrier 6 is shown only very schematically in Figure 1A. The continuous carrier can be driven by a transport chain. The transport device 4 transports the slaughter products 2 respectively held by one of the continuous carriers 6 in a transport direction 8 along a transport track 10 defined by the transport device 4. The system also includes a measuring device 12 for measuring the poultry slaughter product 2. The measuring device 12 is arranged stationary along the transport track 10 such that the slaughter product 2 held by the carrier 6 is transported through the measuring device 12.

[0031] Each carrier 6 may have a poultry product holder 20 rotatable about a horizontal axis of rotation, the rotation being indicated by reference numeral 22, and the axis of rotation being perpendicular to the transport direction 8. The rotation may be provided by driving the gear 24 with suitable drive means. The carrier 6 further has a support device 26 arranged to move along the rail 28 of the transport device.

[0032] The measuring device 12 has a control unit 14 arranged to measure the distance d between the distance meter 16 and the slaughtered product 2 at at least three different locations l1, l2, l3 of the slaughtered product 2 using the non-contact laser distance meter 16 of the measuring device 12. Referring to Figure 3B, the measured distances are represented by dashed lines. As a result of the slaughtered product 2 passing through the measuring device 12 in the transport direction 8 by the transport device 4, the previous measurement l1 has already been made, while the measurement specified at l2 is just being measured. The subsequent measurement l3 still needs to be made. The laser distance meter 16 is a point laser meter, but alternatively, it may be a line distance meter whose measurement plane is preferably oriented in the vertical direction, i.e., perpendicular to the transport direction.

[0033] The control unit 14 is further arranged to determine a size-related parameter related to the size of the slaughtered product 2 from each of the measured distances d at the positions l1, l2, l3. The size-related parameter is related to the cross-sectional area A of the slaughtered product 2 parallel to the transport direction 8. In practice, more measurements are made on the same poultry slaughtered product 2. The number of measurements depends on the frequency of measurement by the measuring device and the speed at which the poultry product passes through the measuring device in the transport direction. The control unit 14 is arranged to execute the method according to the present invention, as will be described later.

[0034] In an alternative system 101 shown in FIG. 1B similar to system 1, two of such rangefinders 116a, 116b of each measuring device 112a, 112b are used. The measuring devices 112a, 112b operate in the same manner as the measuring device 12. The two laser rangefinders are oriented at different angles a1, a2 with respect to the transport direction 8 for the slaughter product 2. As shown, the first 116a of the two laser rangefinders is oriented at an angle a1 having a component in the transport direction 8, and the second 116b of at least the two laser rangefinders is oriented at an angle a2 having a component opposite to the transport direction 8. By doing so, a wider field of view can be obtained, and in particular, higher measurement accuracy can be achieved with respect to the forward and backward zones (seen in the transport direction) of the product being measured.

[0035] An embodiment of the method according to the invention for measuring a poultry slaughter product 2 using the measuring device 12 described above comprises at least a) measuring the distance d between the rangefinder 16 (or for example 116a, 116b) of the measuring device 12 and the slaughter product 2 at at least three different locations l1, l2, l3 of the slaughter product 2 using a non-contact rangefinder 16 of the measuring device 12; b) determining a parameter A of the slaughter product 2 from the measured distance d in step a); and.

[0036] See also FIG. 5 where the steps of the optional method are shown in dashed lines.

[0037] The measuring device 12 may be arranged to continuously measure the distance, which does not only mean when the carrier passes through the measuring device. Step a) is triggered by the measured distance d falling below a predetermined upper distance threshold dT. As shown in FIG. 3A, the threshold dT may be the distance to a predetermined position of the carrier 6. In this way, by being automatically detected when the carrier passes through the measuring device 12, the measurement in the sense of step a) above can be started. As described above, the parameter A may be a size-related parameter related to the cross-sectional area of the slaughter product 2 parallel to the transport direction 8.

[0038] Step b) includes determining a size-related parameter that depends at least in part on a predetermined reference parameter A1 related to the cross-sectional area of the carrier 6 holding the slaughter product 2. This is shown in Figure 3A, where, as a reference measurement, the empty carrier 6 is measured by the measuring device 12. This means that the size-related parameter A can be determined by subtracting parameter A1 from parameter A2, and as shown in Figure 3B, parameter A2 represents the measurement of the carrier holding the slaughter product 2. Thus, parameter A2 is related to the cross-sectional area of the combination of the carrier 6 holding the slaughter product 2 and the product 2 itself. The resulting parameter A, obtained by subtracting A1 from A2, is related to the cross-sectional area of such a slaughter product 2, as represented in Figure 3C.

[0039] The determination of such a parameter A can be performed in a similar manner using the system 101 described above.

[0040] In one embodiment, the method may further include an optional additional step d), in which at least two classes C1, C2 of a continuous parameter range are defined. During such step d), based on the parameter determined according to step b), it is determined to which of the at least two classes the slaughter product belongs.

[0041] Figure 1C shows an embodiment of a system according to the invention, having a poultry processing device 40. This can be, for example, a fillet extraction device. The measuring device 12 is arranged upstream of the processing device 40 along the transport track 10. The system also has a downstream measuring device 12' arranged downstream of the processing device 40 along the transport track 10. The device 12' also has a laser distance meter 16' and a control unit 14' and operates in the same manner as the device 12. The method, in addition to steps a) and b) described above, a1) measuring the distance d between the downstream laser distance meter 16' and the slaughter product 2 at at least three different locations of the slaughter product using the downstream laser distance meter 16' of the downstream measuring device 12'; b1) determining the parameters of the slaughter product, preferably the size-related parameters as described above, from the measured distance in step a1); comprising.

[0042] The latter at at least three different locations measured during step a1) is preferably the same as that in step a), or at least a measurement at the same vertical height so that a directly comparable cross-sectional area of the poultry slaughter product can be determined in steps b) and b1). The method further comprises c) determining quality-related parameters of the slaughter product related to the execution of the processing operation of the slaughter product by the processing device, the quality-related parameters being at least partially dependent on the respective parameters determined in steps b) and b1). An example of such a quality-related parameter can be a parameter regarding the presence or absence of fillets in the poultry slaughter product. After the fillets are removed using the processing device 40, the cross-sectional shape of the poultry slaughter product is completely different from before. Such a shape with the fillets removed is shown in FIG. 4, and its cross-section is specified by A3. The outer shape of the product before being processed by the processing device is indicated by the dashed line. Therefore, its shape is measured using the upstream measuring device 12. As a result of the fillet collection, the substantially reduced outer shape is measured using the downstream measuring device 12'. In this way, for example, it can be determined whether both fillets are correctly removed and / or what the size of the removed fillets was, both of which constitute quality-related parameters.

[0043] Optionally, the determination in step c) may depend on predetermined reference quality parameters related to the execution of the processing operation of the slaughter product by the processing device. Such predetermined reference quality parameters can be set, for example, using multiple measured values of products inspected manually.

[0044] Furthermore, the parameters determined during step b) can be used as an input for the processing parameters of the processing device upstream or downstream of the measuring device. For example, if the parameter indicates that the product in question is a "small" product, the cutter of the downstream cutting processing device can be adjusted for that purpose. If the parameter indicates that the fillet may not be completely removed from the breast meat of the poultry slaughter product, for example, the collection tool such as the scraper of the upstream processing device can be adjusted, and then the parameters determined for a plurality of processed products are re-evaluated, and in some cases, additional repetitions of adjusting some tools of the upstream processing device occur.

[0045] The foregoing description provides embodiments of the present invention by way of example only. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims. One or more objects of the present invention are achieved by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for measuring poultry slaughter products using a measuring device stationary along a transport path defined by a transport device having a plurality of consecutive carriers each holding a slaughter product, wherein during use, the transport device transports the slaughter product held by the carriers of the plurality of consecutive carriers in a transport direction along the transport path through the measuring device, The method comprising: a) measuring the distance between the distance meter and the slaughter product at at least three different locations of the slaughter product using a non-contact distance meter of the measuring device; b) determining a parameter of the slaughter product from the measured distances of step a). A method as described above.

2. The step a) of the measurement is performed using a laser distance meter. The method according to claim 1.

3. The step a) includes: continuously measuring the distances at the at least three different locations of the slaughter product as a result of the slaughter product passing through the measuring device during transportation by the transport device. The method according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The step a) is triggered by the measured distance being below a predetermined upper distance threshold. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. For the purpose of step b), the parameter is a size-related parameter related to the size of the slaughter product. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The size-related parameter is related to the cross-sectional area of the slaughter product parallel to the transport direction. The method according to claim 5.

7. The step b) includes: determining a size-related parameter that at least partially depends on a predetermined reference parameter related to the size of the carrier holding the slaughter product, preferably the cross-sectional area of the carrier. The method according to claim 5 or 6.

8. At least two classes of a continuous parameter range are defined, The method further comprising: d) determining to which of the at least two classes the slaughter product belongs based on the parameter determined according to step b). The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The step a) is performed using a plurality, preferably two or three, of the non-contact distance meters, preferably laser distance meters. Each of the plurality of non-contact distance meters is preferably oriented at an angle with respect to the transport direction that is different for the slaughter product. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. Step a) is performed using at least two laser distance meters, a first of the at least two laser distance meters being oriented at an angle having a component in the transport direction, and a second of the at least two laser distance meters being oriented at an angle having a component opposite to the transport direction. The method according to claim 9.

11. The measuring device is arranged upstream of the processing device along the transport track. The downstream measuring device is arranged downstream of the processing device along the transport track. The method comprises a1) measuring, using a downstream non-contact distance meter of the downstream measuring device, the distance between the downstream distance meter and the slaughter product at at least three different locations of the slaughter product; b1) determining a parameter of the slaughter product from the measured distances of step a1); and further comprising The method further comprises c) determining a quality-related parameter of the slaughter product related to the execution of the processing operation of the slaughter product by the processing device, the quality-related parameter being at least partially dependent on the respective parameters determined in step b) and step b1). The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. further comprising setting at least one processing parameter of a processing device upstream or downstream of the measuring device based on the parameter determined during step b). The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. A measuring device for measuring poultry slaughter products, which, during use, is arranged stationary along a transport track defined by a transport device having a plurality of successive carriers each holding a slaughter product, and the transport device in use transports the slaughter product held by the carriers of the plurality of successive carriers in a transport direction along the transport track past the measuring device. The measuring device a) measures, using a non-contact distance meter of the measuring device, the distance between the distance meter and the slaughter product at at least three different locations of the slaughter product; b) determines a parameter of the slaughter product from the measured distances; and is provided with a control unit arranged for this purpose. Preferably, the control unit is a measuring device arranged to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. A system for measuring poultry slaughter products, a transport device having a plurality of successive carriers each holding a slaughter product, which during use transports the slaughter product held by the carriers of the plurality of successive carriers in a transport direction along a transport path defined by the transport device, said transport device; a measuring device according to claim 13 for measuring poultry slaughter products, said measuring device being arranged stationary along the transport path such that the slaughter product held by the carrier is transported through the measuring device; comprising said measuring device a) measures the distance between the distance meter and the slaughter product at at least three different locations of the slaughter product using a non-contact distance meter of the measuring device; b) determines a parameter of the slaughter product from the measured distance, and having a control unit arranged for system.

15. A computer program which, when executed, comprises instructions configured to cause an apparatus for measuring poultry slaughter products, preferably the apparatus according to claim 13, to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

16. A computer-readable storage medium comprising the computer program according to claim 15.

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