Meat deposit removal device and meat deposit removal method

Abstract

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

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a meat deposit removal device and a meat deposit removal method. [Background technology]

[0002] In order to advance the transition from manual processing to automated processing in the butchering of chicken and other poultry carcasses, an automatic deboning device for deboning bone-in chicken thighs has been disclosed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This device transports bone-in chicken thighs intermittently between multiple processing stations while hanging them from a clamping device. At each station, steps such as scoring the bone-in chicken thighs and separating the meat from the bone are carried out in sequence, making automatic deboning possible.

[0003] Bone-in chicken thighs have a knee joint, and cartilage is attached to this knee joint. When butchering bone-in chicken thighs, processors must choose whether to attach the cartilage to the chicken thigh or to the bone, depending on their needs. A technology has been disclosed that allows for efficient switching without manual labor, simply by transporting the bone-in chicken thighs along a transport path (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

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

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

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

[0007] When removing cartilage from chicken thighs while it is still attached, if the cartilage is not completely removed from the meat, foreign matter will be introduced. Anything other than cartilage attached to the chicken thigh will also be considered foreign matter. When removing cartilage (attachment) from chicken thighs, if a large amount of meat around the cartilage is removed, a hole will form in the meat. If this hole is large, the commercial value of the chicken thigh will decrease.

[0008] As in Patent Document 3, simply scraping the chicken thigh meat from the cartilage can result in scraping off a large amount of meat surrounding the cartilage, which can reduce the commercial value of the chicken thigh meat.

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

[0010] In order to solve the above problems, according to a first aspect of the present invention, a device includes a detection unit that detects the posture of deboned meat and the position of any attachments adhering to the meat relative to the posture of the meat, a pair of gripping arms that are moved to the position of the attachments based on the detection results of the detection unit, and that grasp the attachments on both sides of the attachments and from the base of the meat, causing the attachments to rise up from the meat, and a drive unit that drives the pair of gripping arms, wherein the drive unit includes a moving-away drive unit that moves the pair of gripping arms toward and away from the meat, and an opening / closing drive unit that moves the pair of gripping arms toward and away from each other, causing the pair of gripping arms to open and close.

[0011] In this way, the pair of gripping arms lifts up the deposits, making it possible to easily remove the deposits from the meat using, for example, a cutter. When removing the deposits, it is possible to minimize the amount of meat surrounding the deposits remaining on the side of the deposits. This makes it possible to remove the deposits accurately and improve the commercial value of the meat.

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

[0013] This configuration prevents the material gripped by the pair of gripping arms from escaping from the tips of the gripping arms, thereby preventing the pair of gripping arms from mis-grasping the material and ensuring that the material is gripped reliably by the pair of gripping arms.

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

[0015] With this configuration, the pair of gripping parts can lift up only the deposits, and the pair of gripping parts can prevent the meat around the deposits from being lifted up along with the deposits.

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

[0017] This configuration makes it easier to fit the connecting portion to the deposit, so that the pair of gripping portions can more reliably lift up only the deposit.

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

[0019] This configuration makes it easier to fit the connecting portion to the deposit, so that the pair of gripping portions can more reliably lift up only the deposit.

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

[0021] This configuration prevents the material grasped by the pair of gripping arms from escaping from the base ends of the gripping arms, thereby preventing the pair of gripping arms from mis-grasping the material and ensuring that the material is grasped reliably by the pair of gripping arms.

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

[0023] This configuration prevents the gap between the gripping arms from narrowing at their base ends when the pair of gripping arms grips an attached object. In other words, when the pair of gripping arms grip an attached object, the gap between the gripping arms can be maintained at their base ends. This prevents the pair of gripping arms from pinching the meat at the base ends while gripping the attached object. This prevents the meat from being damaged by the gripping arms, further improving the commercial value of the meat.

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

[0025] This configuration allows the base ends of the pair of gripping arms to be spaced apart from the meat, preventing the pair of gripping arms from pinching the meat while gripping the attached object. This prevents the meat from being damaged by the gripping arms, further improving the commercial value of the meat.

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

[0027] This configuration prevents damage to the meat caused by the arcuate surfaces when the pair of gripping arms press against the meat. When the pair of gripping arms pinch (grasp) the adhering matter, the upper wall surface and the inclined surfaces allow the adhering matter to easily rise up onto the pair of gripping arms. For example, by running the cutter along the vicinity of the upper wall surface, the adhering matter can be removed while leaving as little meat around the adhering matter as possible on the side of the adhering matter.

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

[0029] This configuration prevents the meat from being damaged by the second arcuate surface when the pair of gripping arms press against the meat. When the pair of gripping arms pinch (grasp) the adhering matter, the adhering matter can be reliably pushed up onto the second upper wall surface. For example, by running the cutter along the vicinity of the second upper wall surface, the adhering matter can be removed while leaving as little meat around the adhering matter as possible on the side of the adhering matter.

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

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

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

[0033] By using this method, when the pair of gripping arms grasp the adhering matter, these gripping arms can lift the adhering matter away from the meat. The root of the adhering matter is then cut with a cutter, minimizing the amount of meat remaining around the adhering matter when removing the adhering matter from the meat. This automates the process of removing adhering matter from deboned meat while improving the commercial value of the meat.

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0040] The above-described meat deposit removal device and method can minimize the amount of meat remaining around the deposit when removing the deposit from the meat with a cutter, thereby automating the process of removing the deposit from the deboned meat and improving the commercial value of the meat. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0057] <Gripping arm> The pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b has the role of gripping extraneous matter H on the chicken thigh meat M (details will be described later). The pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b are fixed to one side of each of the opposing sides of a pair of sliders 22 provided on the arm opening / closing drive unit 13. That is, the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b are arranged opposite each other in the X direction, and move toward and away from each other (open and close) along the X direction. FIGS. 1 and 2 show the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b in a spaced-apart state (open state).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0077] 1 and 6, the positional relationship between the chicken thigh M and the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b when the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b come into contact with the chicken thigh M will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the block driving unit 14 rotates the movable block 12 around the central axis J2, changing the orientation of the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b so that the ankle and the base of the chicken thigh M are positioned on either side of the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b (gripping arm orientation adjustment process).

[0078] At this time, the attachment H is positioned between the gripping arm main bodies 33 of the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b. The opposing direction of the pair of gripping arm main bodies 33 (a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the gripping arms 11a, 11b and along the horizontal direction) is aligned with the height direction of the chicken thigh M. The ankle and base of the chicken thigh M are aligned in a predetermined direction. For example, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the ankle of the chicken thigh M is positioned on the first gripping arm 11a side, and the base of the chicken thigh M is positioned on the second gripping arm 11b side. In the following description, it is assumed that the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b and the chicken thigh M are positioned as shown in FIG. 6.

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

[0080] This is because the shape of the cartilage C of the attachment H is asymmetric with respect to the fat pad F in the length direction of the chicken thigh M (see FIG. 7, etc.). That is, in the length direction of the chicken thigh M, the shape of the cartilage C is closer to the base side (lower right in FIG. 7) of the fat pad F. Therefore, by ensuring a large space between the gripping arm main body 33 of the second gripping arm 11b and the center Hc of the attachment H, a large space can be ensured between the second gripping arm 11b and the attachment H on the side where the cartilage C is located relative to the center Hc of the attachment H. As a result, when the attachment H is gripped by the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b, these gripping arms 11a, 11b can be prevented from pressing down on a particularly hard portion of the attachment H (i.e., the cartilage C). Therefore, when the cartilage C is gripped by the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b, these gripping arms 11a, 11b can reliably lift the attachment H from the chicken thigh M.

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

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

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

[0084] In Figure 7, the fat pad F and the chicken thigh meat M are shown as if there is a clear boundary therebetween, but this is for ease of explanation; in reality, the boundary between the chicken thigh meat M and the fat pad F becomes unclear as the tissues become entangled with each other. Therefore, the root Hn of the attachment H includes the area around the boundary between the attachment H and the chicken thigh meat M. In a broad sense, the root Hn of the attachment H refers to the portion of the chicken thigh meat M that is cut when the attachment H is cut, by scraping off the chicken thigh meat M other than the attachment H, so as not to create a hole in the chicken thigh meat M.

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

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

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

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

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

[0090] 1, 5, and 10, the block driving unit 14 lifts the adhering object H while the pair of gripping arm main bodies 33 grip the adhering object H (lifting step; step S105 in FIG. 5). As a result, the chicken thigh M around the adhering object H hangs down due to its own weight. As a result, the adhering object H is exposed on the upper wall surface 33c of the gripping arm main body 33 around the gripping arm main body 33. In other words, the chicken thigh M is the only part of the chicken thigh M present on the upper wall surface 33c of the gripping arm main body 33 other than the adhering object H.

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

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

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

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

[0095] As described above, the meat deposit removal device 1 includes a pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b that grip the deposits H adhering to the deboned chicken thigh M from both sides and from the base Hn of the deposits H, causing the deposits H to rise from the chicken thigh M, an arm opening / closing drive unit 13 and a block drive unit 14 that drive the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b, and a round blade body 6 that cuts the base Hn of the deposits H that have risen from the chicken thigh M.

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0102] In a cross section along the vertical and X directions, the gripping arm main body 33 has an arcuate surface 33a, a vertical wall surface 33b and an upper wall surface 33c that are continuous with the arcuate surface 33a, and an inclined surface 33d that spans the vertical wall surface 33b and the upper wall surface 33c. Therefore, when the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b press against the chicken thigh M, damage to the chicken thigh M by the arcuate surface 33a can be prevented.

[0103] When the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b pinch (hold) the deposit H, the upper wall surface 33c and the inclined surface 33d allow the deposit H to easily rise up onto the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b. By placing the circular blade body 6 along the vicinity of the upper wall surface 33c, the deposit H can be removed while leaving as little meat around the deposit H as possible on the deposit H side.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0114] With this configuration, the base ends of the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b can be separated from the chicken thigh M. Therefore, the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b can grip the attached matter H, and at the same time, these gripping arms 11a, 11b can prevent the chicken thigh M from being pinched at a location other than the attached matter H. Therefore, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be achieved.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0142] FIG. 19 is a top view of the cutter unit 3. FIG. 18 and 19, the cutter unit 3 in the second embodiment is provided with a scattering prevention wall 60. In Fig. 13 and Fig. 17, the scattering prevention wall 60 is not shown for ease of understanding. The scattering prevention wall 60 includes a bracket 61 fixed to the shaft support portion 8 and a cover body 62 supported by the bracket 61.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0153] The gripping arm main bodies 233 are formed with an inclined surface 233b and a vertical wall surface 233d on the side where the gripping arm main bodies 233 approach each other. An upper wall surface 233c is formed on the upper part of the gripping arm main bodies 233. Therefore, when the gripping arm main bodies 233 approach each other, the inclined surface 233b prevents excess meat from being pushed upward. Only the deposits H are easily pushed upward via the vertical wall surface 233d. The deposits H are easily pushed onto the upper wall surface 233c, which is positioned below the imaginary circle V2 (see FIG. 16) in a shape that is obtained by cutting away the imaginary circle V2.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0164] When the pair of gripping arms 211a, 211b clamp (hold) the adhesion H, the inclined surface 233b, the upper wall surface 233c, and the vertical wall surface 233d allow the adhesion H to be easily and reliably pushed up onto the pair of gripping arms 211a, 211b.

[0165] The meat deposit removal device 201 includes an auxiliary cutter unit 50. The cutting direction of the auxiliary circular blade body 53 of the auxiliary cutter unit 50 is perpendicular to the cutting direction of the circular blade body 6 of the cutter unit 3. The auxiliary circular blade body 53 is positioned so that deposits H pass between the auxiliary circular blade body 53 and the circular blade body 6, and the deposits H are cut from the chicken thigh meat M by the auxiliary circular blade body 53 and the circular blade body 6. This reliably prevents the circular blade body 6 from failing to cut the deposits H from the chicken thigh meat M. In other words, the auxiliary circular blade body 53 can reliably cut the deposits H from the chicken thigh meat M.

[0166] The auxiliary cutter unit 50 is disposed upstream of the cutter unit 3 in the direction D2 in which the gripping arms 211a and 211b pass. Therefore, the auxiliary circular blade body 53 can make a cut from above near the extraneous matter H on the chicken thigh meat M before the circular blade body 6 can do so. Thereafter, the circular blade body 6 can cut the extraneous matter H from the chicken thigh meat M. This allows the extraneous matter H to be removed from the chicken thigh meat M more reliably.

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

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

[0169] In the cutting step, the two cutters, the circular blade body 6 and the auxiliary circular blade body 53, make incisions in the chicken thigh meat M. Therefore, the extraneous matter H can be reliably removed from the chicken thigh meat M.

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

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

[0172] In the second embodiment described above, the auxiliary cutter unit 50 is arranged so that the cutting direction of the auxiliary circular blade body 53 and the cutting direction of the circular blade body 6 are perpendicular to each other. However, this is not limited to this, and the auxiliary cutter unit 50 may be arranged in any position so that the attached matter H can pass between the auxiliary cutter unit 50 and the circular blade body 6 and be cut from the chicken thigh meat M by the circular blade body 6 and the auxiliary circular blade body 53. It is desirable that the cutting direction of the circular blade body 6 and the cutting direction of the auxiliary circular blade body 53 intersect. This configuration allows the cutter unit 3 and the auxiliary cutter unit 50 to be arranged efficiently in a space-saving manner.

[0173] In the second embodiment described above, the cover body 62 of the scattering prevention wall 60 is described as being integrally formed with the base 63, the first prevention wall 64, and the second prevention wall 65. However, this is not limited to this, and the cover body 62 only needs to include at least the first prevention wall 64. With this configuration, the same effects as those of the second embodiment described above can be achieved.

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

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

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

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

[0178] Preferably, the block driver 14 functions as a rotation driver that rotates the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b, 211a, 211b about the central axis J2. With this configuration, the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b, 211a, 211b can be oriented in a desired direction relative to the chicken thigh M, making it easier for the pair of gripping arms 11a, 11b, 211a, 211b to lift up the adhering matter H from the chicken thigh M.

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

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

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

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

Claims

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

2. the pair of gripping arms extend from the drive unit along a direction intersecting a gripping direction, At least one of the pair of gripping arms has a protrusion at the tip end of the gripping arm to prevent the gripping arm from mis-grasping the attached object. The meat deposit removal device according to claim 1.

3. the protrusion is provided on a first gripping arm that is one of the pair of gripping arms, and extends from a tip end of the first gripping arm toward a second gripping arm that is the other of the pair of gripping arms along the gripping direction, a connection portion between the first gripping arm and the protrusion is bent to fit the shape of the attachment, The tip end of the second gripping arm is bent to match the shape of the connecting portion so as to overlap the connecting portion in the direction in which the pair of gripping arms approach and move away from each other when the pair of gripping arms are in a state in which the pair of gripping arms approach each other and to follow the connecting portion. The meat deposit removal device according to claim 2.

4. The connecting portion is formed linearly across the first gripping arm and the protrusion, and is inclined with respect to the extending direction of the first gripping arm and the extending direction of the protrusion. The meat deposit removal device according to claim 3.

5. the meat is chicken thigh meat, and the attachment is cartilage and a fat pad attached to the cartilage; The pair of gripping arms are arranged so that the ankle of the chicken thigh and the base of the chicken thigh are located on either side of the pair of gripping arms in the gripping direction, The connecting portion is curved so that the base side of the chicken thigh is convex. The meat deposit removal device according to claim 3.

6. the pair of gripping arms extend from the drive unit along a direction intersecting a gripping direction, an arm escape prevention portion provided on the base end side of the gripping arm to prevent the attached matter from escaping from the base end of the gripping arm; The meat adhering material removal device according to claim 1 or 2.

7. the pair of gripping arms extend from the drive unit along a direction intersecting a gripping direction, The base ends of the pair of gripping arms are formed with flared portions such that the distance between them increases outward in the longitudinal direction of the gripping arms. The meat adhering material removal device according to claim 1 or 2.

8. the pair of gripping arms extend from the drive unit along a direction intersecting a gripping direction, The base ends of the pair of gripping arms are provided with crank portions that are bent away from the side where the meat is placed. The meat adhering material removal device according to claim 1 or 2.

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

10. the pair of gripping arms extend from the drive unit along a direction intersecting a gripping direction, The cross-sectional shape of the pair of gripping arms in the short side direction is A second arcuate surface formed between the side where the meat is placed and the opposite side from the opposing sides; second inclined surfaces extending from the opposing side ends of the second arcuate surfaces toward the side opposite to the side on which the meat is placed; a second upper wall surface extending from an end of the second arcuate surface opposite to the side where the meat is placed toward the opposing side; a second vertical wall surface connecting the second inclined surface and the second upper wall surface; and Each of the second inclined surfaces is inclined so that the distance between the pair of gripping arms gradually becomes shorter from the end of the second arcuate surface toward the end of the second vertical wall surface, In a cross section of the pair of gripping arms in the short side direction, the length of the second inclined surface is longer than the length of the second vertical wall surface. The meat deposit removal device according to claim 1.

11. The attachments are cartilage and fat pads attached to the cartilage. The meat adhering material removal device according to claim 1 or 2.

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

13. After the lifting step, a lifting step is performed in which the adhering object is lifted by the pair of gripping arms. The method for removing meat deposits according to claim 12.

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

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

Images