Slicer and slicer program

Abstract

To enable the appropriate setting of upper and lower limits for the acceptable thickness range of food pieces such as sliced ​​meat, without changing the standard thickness value. [Solution] In a slicer 100 for cutting food pieces from a block of food, a lower limit setting unit 42 is provided that receives and sets a first threshold value indicating the lower limit of the allowable range of food piece thickness, and an upper limit setting unit 43 is provided that receives and sets a second threshold value indicating the upper limit of the allowable range of food piece thickness, independently of the first threshold value.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to, for example, a slicer for cutting sliced meat from块状 meat, and a slicer program used for this slicer.

Background Art

[0002] As this type of slicer, as shown in Patent Document 1, in order to make the total weight of a plurality of sliced meat groups placed on a tray uniform for each tray to a certain extent, the number of slices and the thickness of the sliced meat forming the sliced meat group are automatically adjusted according to the size of the块状 meat. There is a slicer with a constant penetration function. [[ID=, 14]]

[0003] Such a slicer can set a reference value for the thickness of the sliced meat and a tolerance range (for example, about ± ten or more percent) with respect to this reference value, and the thickness of the sliced meat is adjusted so as to fall within this tolerance range.

[0004] By the way, when the sliced meat becomes too thin, problems such as not being cut out in a beautiful shape or the loading robot for loading on the tray not being able to scoop up the sliced meat beautifully occur.

[0005] Therefore, for example, in a process center or the like, when the sliced meat becomes too thin and the above-described problems start to occur, usually, the set reference value is raised so that the sliced meat does not become too thin.

[0006] However, depending on the process center, there may be a case where, combined with the fact that the reference value is largely displayed on the display, there is a preference not to change the set reference value. In this case, in order to prevent the sliced meat from becoming too thin, a measure to narrow the tolerance range can be considered, but then the adjustment margin for the slice thickness becomes small, so another problem occurs that the above-described constant penetration function cannot be fully exerted.

[0007] Furthermore, if the sliced ​​meat is too thick, it can result in a loss of texture. In this case, if the standard value is not changed, the acceptable range will be narrowed, and as mentioned above, another problem will arise: the weight-controlling function will not be fully realized. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-147955 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to enable the appropriate setting of upper and lower limits for the allowable thickness range of food pieces such as sliced ​​meat without changing the standard value for the thickness of the food pieces. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In other words, the slicer according to the present invention is a slicer for cutting food pieces from a block of food, and is characterized by comprising: a lower limit setting unit that receives and sets a first threshold value indicating the lower limit of the allowable range of the thickness of the food piece; and an upper limit setting unit that receives and sets a second threshold value indicating the upper limit of the allowable range of the thickness of the food piece, independently of the first threshold value.

[0011] With the present invention configured in this way, the first threshold and the second threshold can be set independently, so that the upper and lower limits of the tolerance range can be appropriately set without changing the reference value used to determine the tolerance range. This makes it possible to prevent sliced ​​meat from becoming too thin or too thick, even in processing centers that are particular about not changing their standard values.

[0012] It is preferable to include a display control unit that displays on a display a first threshold display area where the first threshold is displayed, and a second threshold display area, which is separate from the first threshold display area, where the second threshold is displayed. With this approach, the first and second thresholds can be visually monitored and independently set to appropriate values.

[0013] Preferably, the first threshold and the second threshold are values ​​set relative to a reference value, and the display control unit displays a reference display area on the display in addition to the first threshold display area and the second threshold display area, in which the reference value is displayed. This allows us to visually confirm that the baseline value has not changed.

[0014] Preferably, the system further includes an upper and lower limit calculation unit, where the first threshold and the second threshold are ratios of the upper and lower limits of the allowable range to a reference value, and the upper and lower limits are calculated using these first and second thresholds. Thus, using the ratio of the upper and lower limits relative to the reference value as the first and second thresholds is more effective in suppressing variations in texture due to variations in thickness than using the difference between the upper and lower limits relative to the reference value as the first and second thresholds.

[0015] It is preferable that the upper limit or lower limit can be set to a value equal to the reference value. This allows for greater flexibility in setting standard values ​​and tolerances. For example, while maintaining a preference for a standard value not falling below 1.5 mm, it becomes possible to set a lower limit of 1.5 mm to prevent poor scooping of food pieces such as sliced ​​meat.

[0016] It is preferable that the display control unit displays, separately from the first threshold display area and the second threshold display area, an upper limit display area on the display in which the upper limit of the allowable range is displayed, and a lower limit display area in which the lower limit of the allowable range is displayed. If so, in addition to the percentage set as the threshold value, the upper and lower limits of the allowable range are displayed as numerical values (upper limit value and lower limit value), making it easier to intuitively understand the allowable range.

[0017] As one aspect in which the effects of the present invention are more significantly exhibited, it is preferable to have a constant penetration function of bringing the actual weight of a group of food pieces composed of a plurality of the food pieces closer to a predetermined target weight by adjusting the thickness of the food pieces according to the size of the块状 food. If so, by setting the allowable range of the thickness of the food pieces as wide as possible, the adjustment margin of the thickness of the food pieces becomes wider, and the constant penetration function can be accurately exhibited.

[0018] As another aspect in which the effects of the present invention are more significantly exhibited, it is preferable to further include a loading robot that picks up a plurality of the food pieces and loads them into a predetermined area. With such a configuration, by appropriately setting the lower limit of the thickness of the food pieces to prevent them from becoming too thin, the loading robot can load the food pieces neatly.

[0019] The slicer program according to the present invention is a program used for a slicer that cuts out food pieces from a块状 food. In the program, a lower limit setting unit that receives and sets a first threshold value indicating the lower limit of the allowable range of the thickness of the food pieces, and an upper limit setting unit that receives and sets a second threshold value indicating the upper limit of the allowable range of the thickness of the food pieces independently of the first threshold value, and causes a computer to exhibit functions as such. According to such a slicer program, the same effects as those of the slicer described above can be achieved.

Effects of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention configured as described above, it is possible to appropriately set the upper and lower limits of the allowable range of the thickness without changing the reference value of the thickness of food pieces such as sliced meat.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021] [Figure 1] Schematic configuration diagram of a slicer according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Schematic diagram showing the configuration of the cutting part of the embodiment. [Figure 3] Schematic diagram showing the configuration of the loading robot of the embodiment. [Figure 4] Diagram showing the display content of the display of the embodiment. [Figure 5] Functional block diagram showing the functions of the slicer-side controller of the embodiment. [Figure 6] Diagram showing the display content of the display of the embodiment.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a slicer according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0023] The slicer cuts out thin片状 food pieces from块状 food, and in this embodiment, it cuts out sliced meat from块状 meat.

[0024] <000,0114>As shown in FIG. 1, this slicer 100 includes a cutting part 10 that cuts out a large number of sliced meat pieces from块状 meat, a conveying part 20 that conveys the cut sliced meat, a loading robot 30 that loads the conveyed sliced meat into a container Z such as a tray, a slicer-side controller 40 that controls the operations of the cutting part 10 and the conveying part 20, and a robot controller 50 that controls the operation of the loading robot 30.

[0025] The slicer 100 of this embodiment is configured to form a group of sliced meat (hereinafter also referred to as overlapping meat M) in which the sliced meat cut by the cutting part 10 is shifted by a predetermined pitch and overlapped by the conveying part 20, and to load this overlapping meat M into the container Z by the loading robot 30.

[0026] However, the slicer 100 does not necessarily need to be equipped with a serving robot 30 or a robot controller 50; the sliced ​​meat being transported by the conveying unit 20 can be manually placed into the container Z by an operator.

[0027] As shown in Figure 2, the cutting unit 10 includes a meat box 11 for containing chunks of meat, a drive source 13 such as a motor for swinging the meat box 11 up and down around a pivot axis 12, and a cutting blade 14 such as a band knife for slicing chunks of meat.

[0028] However, the configuration of the cutting section 10 is not limited to this; for example, the meat box 11 does not need to swing up and down, and the cutting blade 14 may use a round blade instead of a band knife.

[0029] As shown in Figure 1, the conveying unit 20 conveys the sliced ​​meat cut from the cutting unit 10, and is a belt conveyor having, for example, an endless conveying belt 21 and a drive source (not shown) such as a servo motor that drives the conveying belt 21.

[0030] In the configuration described above, a control signal output from the slicer-side controller 40 controls the drive source (not shown), which drives the conveyor belt 21, stacking multiple slices of meat while shifting them by a predetermined pitch to form a row of meat M. The row of meat M is then conveyed toward a pre-set picking position P downstream of the conveyor belt 21 in the conveying direction, and is scooped up by the serving robot 30, which will be described later.

[0031] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, upstream of the sampling position P on the conveyor belt 21 of the conveyor unit 20, an imaging region A is set up where the conveyed scaled meat M is imaged, and above this imaging region A, a camera C, which is an imaging means for imaged the scaled meat M, is provided.

[0032] In this configuration, camera C is positioned in the center of the width direction of the conveyor belt 21 in a plan view, and is configured to simultaneously image the first row of meat scales M and the second row of meat scales M that have been conveyed to the imaging area A using a common camera C.

[0033] As shown in Figure 1, the plating robot 30 scoops up the scaled meat M being transported by the transport unit 20 and places it on a tray or other container Z. In this example, the plating robot 30 is positioned to the left of the transport unit 20, but it is not limited to this position; it may be positioned to the right, or on both sides. Furthermore, the plating robot 30 is not limited to scooping up the scaled meat M; it may also pick up the scaled meat M in various ways, such as by gripping and lifting it.

[0034] Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, this plating robot 30 is mounted on a base 33 fixed to the floor of a processing plant, and multiple movable parts 31 such as an arm, wrist, and hand are connected to each other via joints 32.

[0035] In such a configuration, the movable part 31 may be configured to be rotatable or pivotable around an axis provided in the joint part 32, or to be configured to move back and forth in the left-right direction (X-axis direction), front-back direction (Y-axis direction), or up-down direction via the joint part 32.

[0036] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the serving robot 30 of this embodiment has a flat hand H which is the part that scoops up the meat with scales M. This hand H moves along the upper surface of the conveyor belt 21 from the upstream side to the downstream side of the conveyor unit 20 (i.e., from the negative side to the positive side in the Y-axis direction), thereby scooping up the meat with scales M.

[0037] More specifically, once the scaled meat M is transported to the aforementioned collection position P, the plating robot 30 moves from a predetermined standby position and scoops up the scaled meat M at the collection position P. The plating robot 30 then places the scooped-up scaled meat M into a container Z such as a tray, and then returns to the predetermined standby position.

[0038] The slicer-side controller 40 controls the operation of the cutting unit 10 and the transport unit 20 described above, and is a general-purpose or dedicated computer equipped with a CPU, memory, etc.

[0039] The robot controller 50 controls the operation of the serving robot 30 described above, and is a general-purpose or dedicated computer equipped with a CPU, memory, etc.

[0040] Here, the slicer controller 40 and the robot controller 50 are treated as separate computers, but the functions of both the slicer controller 40 and the robot controller 50 may be performed by a single common computer.

[0041] The slicer 100 of this embodiment is equipped with a function (hereinafter referred to as the constant weight function) that brings the actual weight of the scaled meat M to be placed in a single container Z closer to a predetermined target weight.

[0042] This constant weight function adjusts the thickness of the sliced ​​meat that forms the scaled meat M according to the size of the block of meat, thereby bringing the actual weight of the scaled meat M closer to the target weight and keeping the actual weight within an acceptable range (e.g., ±10%) of the target weight.

[0043] More specifically, the cutting unit 10 described above is equipped with a shape measuring means 15 for measuring the shape of the block of meat, as shown in Figure 2. Using the measurement data from this shape measuring means 15, the unit performs a constant weight function by automatically adjusting the number of slices of meat that form the scale rows M as needed, while keeping the thickness of the sliced ​​meat within a preset tolerance range.

[0044] This shape measurement means 15 utilizes a laser sensor. Specifically, it projects laser light onto a block of meat and calculates the distance to numerous reflection points on the outer circumference of the block of meat, thereby obtaining the cross-sectional profile of the block of meat (including the shape and size of the cross-section, as well as its height and width). The cross-sectional profile, which is the measurement data obtained by the shape measurement means 15, is then sequentially output to the slicer-side controller 40.

[0045] In the configuration described above, the slicer-side controller 40 has several settings pre-programmed into it, as shown in Figure 4.

[0046] The settings here include, as shown in Figure 4, the target weight of the meat slices M to be placed in one container Z (e.g., 150g), the standard number of slices to form the meat slices M, the slicing capacity which is the number of slices of meat cut per unit time (e.g., 55 times / min), the standard slice thickness which is the standard thickness of the slices forming the meat slices M (e.g., 1.5mm), and the tolerance range for the standard thickness of the slices (e.g., ±15%).

[0047] Then, the slicer controller 40 determines the thickness and number of slices that will form one row of meat M, based on the target weight of the meat M, the allowable thickness of the sliced ​​meat, and the cross-sectional profile, which is measurement data received from the shape measuring means 15.

[0048] To explain in more detail, let's consider the setting values ​​in Figure 4. First, the length L of the block of meat corresponding to the target weight of the scaled meat M (for example, 150g) is determined from the cross-sectional profile. Next, the provisional number of slices N' is obtained by dividing this length L by the target thickness m' of the sliced ​​meat (for example, 1.5mm). Then, the actual number of slices N is calculated by rounding or truncating the decimal part of this provisional number N', and the actual thickness m of the sliced ​​meat is calculated by dividing the length L by the actual number of slices N. In this way, the number and thickness of the sliced ​​meat are automatically adjusted so that each of the N slices of meat has an actual thickness m.

[0049] The shape measurement means 15 may be laser sensors provided on the top and bottom of the block of meat, an imaging device that images the cut surface of the block of meat, or the camera C described above. The slicer-side controller 40 may also be configured to use the total weight or specific gravity of the block of meat to determine the number of meat pieces that form the aggregate.

[0050] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the slicer 100 of this embodiment is equipped with a height detection means S that presses down on a block of meat from above to detect its height, and this height detection means S may also be used as a shape measuring means 15.

[0051] Therefore, the slicer 100 is configured so that the upper and lower limits of the acceptable range of slice thickness can be set independently of each other.

[0052] More specifically, the slicer controller 40 is configured to function as a reference setting unit 41, a lower limit setting unit 42, and an upper limit setting unit 43, as shown in Figure 5, through the cooperation of the CPU and its peripheral devices according to the slicer program stored in the memory.

[0053] The reference setting unit 41 receives and sets a reference value that serves as the basis for the allowable range of slice thickness. As shown in Figure 5, it receives the reference value input via an input means IN, such as a touch panel, mouse, or keyboard.

[0054] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the slicer-side controller 40 of this embodiment further includes a display control unit 44 that controls the display content of the display D. This display control unit 44 displays a reference display area A1 on the display D and displays a reference value received by the reference setting unit 41 in this reference display area A1.

[0055] The reference value is a value that can be arbitrarily set and changed, and is one of the parameters used to calculate the acceptable range of thickness for sliced ​​meat.

[0056] The lower limit setting unit 42 receives and sets a first threshold value that indicates the lower limit of the allowable range of the thickness of the sliced ​​meat. As shown in Figure 5, it receives the first threshold value input via an input means IN such as a touch panel, mouse, or keyboard.

[0057] Here, the display control unit 44 described above displays the first threshold display area A2 on the display D, as shown in Figure 4, and displays the first threshold value received by the lower limit setting unit 42 in this first threshold display area A2.

[0058] The first threshold is a value that can be arbitrarily set and changed relative to the reference value, and is one of the parameters used to calculate the acceptable range of thickness for sliced ​​meat.

[0059] The first threshold here is a ratio (percentage) to the reference value. However, the first threshold can also be the difference (absolute value) to the reference value.

[0060] To change the first threshold, touch the first threshold display area A2 and operate the increase button B1 or decrease button B2 to change the first threshold to any value. Here, as shown in Figure 6, you can input "0" as the first threshold. In this case, the lower limit of the acceptable range for the thickness of the sliced ​​meat will match the reference value.

[0061] The upper limit setting unit 43 receives and sets a second threshold value, which indicates the upper limit of the allowable range of the thickness of the sliced ​​meat, independently of the first threshold value. As shown in Figure 5, the second threshold value is received via the input means IN described above.

[0062] Here, as shown in Figure 4, the display control unit 44 displays a second threshold display area A3 on the display D separately from the first threshold display area A2, and displays the second threshold value received by the upper limit setting unit 43 in this second threshold display area A3.

[0063] The second threshold is a value that can be arbitrarily set and changed relative to the reference value, and is one of the parameters used to calculate the acceptable range.

[0064] The second threshold here is a ratio (percentage) to the reference value. However, the second threshold can also be the difference (absolute value) to the reference value.

[0065] To change the second threshold, touch the second threshold display area A3 and operate the increase button B1 or decrease button B2 to change the second threshold to any desired value. Although not shown in the diagram, you can enter "0" as the second threshold. In this case, the upper limit of the acceptable thickness range for sliced ​​meat will match the reference value.

[0066] As shown in Figure 4, the display control unit 44 of this embodiment displays the reference display area A1, the first threshold display area A2, and the second threshold display area A3 as separate areas on the display D. In addition, it also displays the target weight display area A4 where the target weight is displayed, the reference number display area A5 where the reference number of slices is displayed, and the slicing capacity display area A6 where the slicing capacity is displayed.

[0067] Here, the display control unit 44 constantly displays the reference display area A1, the target weight display area A4, the reference number of slices display area A5, and the slicing capacity display area A6 on the setting screen shown in Figure 4.

[0068] On the other hand, the display control unit 44 displays the first threshold display area A2 and the second threshold display area A3 in a manner that allows switching between displaying and hiding them in the setting screen shown in Figure 4.

[0069] Specifically, the display control unit 44 displays the setting window W, which displays the first threshold display area A2 and the second threshold display area A3, in a manner that allows switching between showing and hiding it. For example, as shown in Figure 4, the setting window W can be displayed by pressing the setting button B3, and the setting window W can be hidden by pressing the setting button B3 again or by pressing the cancel button B4.

[0070] Here, as shown in Figure 5, the slicer-side controller 40 of this embodiment is further equipped with the function of an upper and lower limit calculation unit 45, which acquires a reference value received by the reference setting unit 41, a first threshold value received by the lower limit setting unit 42, and a second threshold value received by the upper limit setting unit 43, and uses these values ​​as parameters to calculate the upper and lower limits of the allowable range of the thickness of the sliced ​​meat.

[0071] This upper and lower limit calculation unit 45 calculates a lower limit value based on a calculation formula that includes a reference value and a first threshold value as parameters, and calculates an upper limit value based on a calculation formula that includes a reference value and a second threshold value as parameters.

[0072] In this configuration, as shown in Figure 4, the display control unit 44 displays an upper limit display area A7 and a lower limit display area A8 separately from the first threshold display area A2 and the second threshold display area A3, and displays the upper limit calculated by the upper and lower limit calculation unit 45 in the upper limit display area A7, and displays the lower limit calculated by the upper and lower limit calculation unit 45 in the lower limit display area A8.

[0073] The display control unit 44 of this embodiment is configured to display the upper limit display area A7 and the lower limit display area A8 in a manner that allows switching between displaying and hiding them, similar to the first threshold display area A2 and the second threshold display area A3. Specifically, these upper limit display area A7 and lower limit display area A8 are displayed in the setting window W described above.

[0074] By the way, in order to calculate the thickness and number of slices of meat so that the weight-controlling function can be utilized, as mentioned above, first the length L of the block of meat corresponding to the target weight is determined from the cross-sectional profile, and this length L is divided by the target thickness m' of the sliced ​​meat.

[0075] In this embodiment, the first threshold and the second threshold can be set independently of each other with respect to the reference value, so the reference value is not necessarily the midpoint of the upper and lower limits. For example, if the first threshold is set to 0, the reference value will coincide with the lower limit of the acceptable range. Nevertheless, if the reference value is used as the target thickness m' to calculate the thickness and number of slices of meat, it will lead to a decrease in the accuracy of weight consistency.

[0076] Therefore, the slicer-side controller 40 of this embodiment is configured to calculate the median (average value) of the upper and lower limits, rather than using a preset reference value as the target thickness m', and to use this median as the target thickness m'.

[0077] However, the target thickness m' is not necessarily limited to the use of the median value; for example, it may also be a value calculated using a formula that includes a reference value, a first threshold, and a second threshold as parameters.

[0078] (Effects and effects of the slicer according to this embodiment) With the slicer 100 configured as described above, the first threshold and the second threshold can be set independently, so that the upper and lower limits of the tolerance range can be appropriately set without changing the reference value for determining the tolerance range. This makes it possible to prevent sliced ​​meat from becoming too thin or too thick, even in processing centers that are particular about not changing their standard values.

[0079] The display control unit 44 displays the first threshold value in the first threshold display area A2 and the second threshold value in a second threshold display area A3, which is separate from the first threshold display area A2. This allows the user to visually check both the first and second threshold values ​​and set each of them independently to an appropriate value.

[0080] Since the display control unit 44 displays the reference value in a reference display area A1 separate from the first threshold display area A2 and the second threshold display area A3, the first and second thresholds can be set while visually confirming that the reference value has not changed.

[0081] Since the first and second thresholds are ratios of the upper and lower limits relative to the reference value, variations in texture due to variations in thickness can be suppressed more effectively than using the difference between the upper and lower limits relative to the reference value as the first and second thresholds.

[0082] Since the upper or lower limit can be set to the same value as the standard value, for example, even if you have a strong preference not to let the standard value fall below 1.5 mm, you can set the lower limit to 1.5 mm without changing the standard value in order to prevent poor scooping of food pieces such as sliced ​​meat. This increases the flexibility in setting standard values ​​and tolerance ranges.

[0083] The display control unit 44 displays the upper and lower limits of the acceptable range numerically (upper and lower limits) in addition to the percentage display set as the first and second thresholds, making it easier to intuitively understand the acceptable range.

[0084] (Another embodiment of the slicer) However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above.

[0085] For example, the display control unit 44 may be configured to display the reference value for the thickness of the sliced ​​meat in a larger font size than the first and second thresholds, or to display it using a different font, in order to make the reference value stand out more than the first and second thresholds.

[0086] Furthermore, the display control unit 44 may also continuously display the first threshold, the second threshold, the upper limit, and the lower limit on the setting screen.

[0087] In the embodiment described above, the slicer 100 according to the present invention was used to cut sliced ​​meat from a block of meat. However, it is not limited to cutting raw meat. It may also be used to cut processed foods such as ham and cheese, seafood such as fish fillets, various vegetables, or food doughs that have flexibility or viscosity.

[0088] Furthermore, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from its spirit. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0089] 100 slicers 10...cutting section 11...meat box 12 ···Oscillating axis 13 ···Power source 14...cutting blade 15. Shape measurement means S ···Height detection means C ···Camera 20 ···Transportation Section 21... Conveyor belt P...Collection position 30 ··Serving robot 31...Movable part 32 ···Joints 40 ···Slicer-side controller 41...Standard setting section 42 ···Lower limit setting section 43 ···Upper Limit Setting Section 44 ···Display Control Unit 45 ... Upper and lower limit calculation section IN ···Input method D ·· Display A1...Reference display area A2 ···First threshold display area A3...Second threshold display area A4...Target weight display area A5...Standard number of sheets display area A6... Slicing capacity display area A7 ···Upper limit display area A8 ···Lower limit display area B1... Increase button B2... Decrease button W... Settings window B3... Cancel button 50 ···Robot Controller Z...container M...scale meat

Claims

1. In a slicer that cuts food pieces from a block of food, A lower limit setting unit that receives and sets a first threshold value indicating the lower limit of the allowable thickness range of the food piece, A slicer characterized by comprising an upper limit setting unit that independently receives and sets a second threshold indicating the upper limit of the allowable range of the thickness of the food piece, separate from the first threshold.

2. The slicer according to claim 1, characterized in that it includes a display control unit that displays on a display a first threshold display area on which the first threshold is displayed, and a second threshold display area separate from the first threshold display area on which the second threshold is displayed.

3. The first threshold and the second threshold are values ​​set relative to a reference value, The slicer according to claim 2, characterized in that the display control unit displays a reference display area on the display in addition to the first threshold display area and the second threshold display area, in which the reference value is displayed.

4. The slicer according to claim 1, further comprising an upper and lower limit calculation unit that calculates the upper and lower limits using the first and second thresholds, wherein the first and second thresholds are ratios of the upper and lower limits of the allowable range to a reference value.

5. The slicer according to claim 4, characterized in that the upper limit or lower limit can be set to a value equal to the reference value.

6. The slicer according to claim 2, characterized in that the display control unit displays on the display, separately from the first threshold display area and the second threshold display area, an upper limit display area where the upper limit of the allowable range is displayed and a lower limit display area where the lower limit of the allowable range is displayed.

7. The slicer according to claim 1, characterized in that it has a constant weight function that adjusts the thickness of the food pieces according to the size of the lump of food, thereby bringing the actual weight of a group of food pieces consisting of multiple food pieces closer to a predetermined target weight.

8. The slicer according to claim 1, further comprising a serving robot that picks up multiple pieces of the food and arranges them in a predetermined area.

9. In a program used in a slicer that cuts food pieces from a block of food, A lower limit setting unit that receives and sets a first threshold value indicating the lower limit of the allowable thickness range of the food piece, A slicer program characterized by having a computer perform the function of an upper limit setting unit that independently receives and sets a second threshold indicating the upper limit of the allowable range of the thickness of the food piece, separate from the first threshold.

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