Food slicer

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problems of improving the yield of food products cut in a food slicer that uses a band saw to cut food products, and of making it easier to set the thickness of the sliced pieces.　A gripping mechanism 31 of a loading device 3 of a food slicer 1 has an end portion gripping body 43 for gripping the feed trailing-end side of a food product, and a push plate 42 that abuts the feed trailing-end side of the food product. The slicer 1 comprises: a backing plate 17 that faces the push plate 42 and that can abut the feed leading-end side of the food product; a backing plate drive mechanism 5 that moves the backing plate 17 forward and backward in a food product feed direction to adjust a backing plate opening amount; and a control means 113 that, in a final cutting stage of the food product, causes the end portion gripping body 43 to move away from the food product, and in this state causes the food product to be sandwiched between the backing plate 17 and the push plate 42 and causes a cutting device 2 to cut the food product. The configuration is such that the control performed by the control means 113 allows the backing plate opening amount to be changed during the period from the initial cutting stage to the final cutting stage of the food product.

Description

food slicer

[0001] The present invention relates to a food slicer that uses a band saw to slice food such as a frozen meat block.

[0002] Conventionally, a slicer for sequentially cutting a frozen block of meat with a band saw to obtain sliced ​​pieces of meat is well known. In this type of slicer, a feeder that feeds the frozen block of meat toward the band saw is provided with a gripping mechanism having claws that grip the end of the feed of the frozen block of meat (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] In this case, the claws of the gripping mechanism are inserted into the end of the feed of the frozen block of meat to grip the frozen block of meat, and then the frozen block of meat is fed in predetermined amounts in the direction of the band saw by the feeding device, so that the frozen block of meat is cut off successively by the band saw from the start of the feed.

[0004] However, in the conventional configuration, the frozen block of meat is cut while being pinched or gripped by the claws of the gripping mechanism, which makes it easy for large pieces to remain uncut, resulting in a very poor yield of frozen block of meat when cutting into slices.

[0005] To solve this problem, the applicant has proposed a configuration in which, in the final cutting stage of the food, the end gripping body is moved away from the food, the food is clamped between a backing plate and a pressure plate, and the food is cut by the cutting device (see, for example, Patent Document 3).

[0006] Korean Patent Registration No. 1592482 Korean Patent Publication No. 2021-0115311 International Publication No. 2023 / 188343

[0007] However, in the conventional configuration, it is cumbersome to adjust the position of the backing plate, which is fixed in position relative to the cutting device, and there is room for improvement.

[0008] The technical object of the present invention is to provide a food slicer that has been improved by considering the current situation as described above.

[0009] The present invention provides a food slicer that includes a cutting device that cuts food into slices and a feed device that feeds the food toward the cutting device at a predetermined food feed rate. The feed device includes a gripping mechanism that includes an end gripper that grips the end of the food feed and a pusher plate that abuts against the end of the food feed. The food slicer also includes a backing plate that faces the pusher plate and can abut against the start of the food feed, a backing plate drive mechanism that moves the backing plate back and forth in the food feed direction to adjust the backing plate opening amount, which is the distance between the backing plate and the cutting device blade, and control means that, in the final cutting stage of the food, moves the end gripper away from the food, clamps the food between the backing plate and the pusher plate, and cuts the food with the cutting device. The food slicer of the present invention is configured so that the control means can drive the backing plate drive mechanism to change the amount of backing plate opening between the first cutting stage and the final cutting stage of the food gripped by the gripping mechanism.

[0010] Here, the operation of the feed-in device may be temporarily stopped between the start of the first cutting stage and the completion of the final cutting stage for the food held by the gripping mechanism.

[0011] In the food slicer of the present invention, the control means may control the backing plate drive mechanism to position the backing plate at a cutting stage prior to the final cutting stage so that the backing plate opens at a position greater than the food feed amount to prevent the food from coming into contact with the backing plate, and to position the backing plate at a position at the final cutting stage so that the backing plate opens at a position equal to the food feed amount.

[0012] In addition, when the amount of food feed is changed between the first cutting stage and the last cutting stage for the same food, the control means may operate the backing plate drive device in accordance with the change to change the amount of backing plate opening.

[0013] In addition, a contact detection sensor may be provided to detect displacement of the backing plate in the food feed direction, and the control means may detect contact of the food with the backing plate based on a change in the electrical signal of the contact detection sensor.

[0014] Furthermore, the backing plate drive mechanism may include an actuator that moves the backing plate back and forth in the food feed direction by driving a servo motor, and the control means may use the servo motor as the contact detection sensor and detect the contact of the food with the backing plate by a change in the electrical signal generated in the servo motor when the food comes into contact with the backing plate.

[0015] The feeder device may also include a table on which the food is placed, a feed guide mechanism that moves the end gripper back and forth on the table in the food feed direction, and a reciprocating guide mechanism that moves the table upstream of the cutting device in the food feed direction between a front position and a rear position relative to the blade. The food slicer of the present invention may also include a backing plate slide drive mechanism that moves the backing plate in the reciprocating direction of the table. The control means may operate the backing plate slide drive mechanism in the final cutting stage to move the backing plate toward the front, so that the protruding length of the backing plate relative to the blade is longer than in cutting stages prior to the final cutting stage.

[0016] Furthermore, a drop prevention member for preventing the sliced ​​pieces from dropping may be provided below the backing plate, and the drop prevention member may be provided at a position not located forward of the blade body in the final cutting stage.

[0017] In addition, when cutting the food, the control means may be configured to reciprocate the table at a speed equal to or less than a predetermined speed when the gripping mechanism is separated from the blade by a predetermined distance or more.

[0018] The gripping mechanism may also include a mid-way gripping body that grips the mid-way portion of the food being fed, and a mid-way gripping body moving mechanism that moves the mid-way gripping body forward and backward in the food feed direction relative to the push plate.

[0019] Furthermore, the control means may use the intermediate gripping body moving mechanism to position the intermediate gripping body at a position relatively far from the push plate, and when the portion of the food being fed that the intermediate gripping body is holding approaches the cutting device, move the intermediate gripping body away from the food, and then use the intermediate gripping body moving mechanism to position the intermediate gripping body at a position relatively close to the push plate, and then grip and move the intermediate gripping body.

[0020] According to the present invention, in the final cutting stage of the food, the edge gripping bodies are moved away from the food, and the food is clamped between the backing plate and the pusher plate, and the food is cut by the cutting device. This significantly reduces the amount of food left uncut compared to cutting while the food is still clamped or gripped by the claws of the gripping mechanism, thereby improving food yield. Furthermore, according to the present invention, the amount of backing plate opening can be changed from the first cutting stage to the final cutting stage of the food gripped by the gripping mechanism, so the amount of backing plate opening can be adjusted so that slices of the desired thickness are cut in the final cutting stage.

[0021] 1 is a plan view of a slicer according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a front view of the embodiment; FIG. 3 is a left side view of the embodiment; FIG. 4 is a right side view of the embodiment; FIG. 5 is a rear view of the embodiment; FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the embodiment as viewed from the upper left front; FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the embodiment as viewed from the upper right rear; FIG. 8 is a plan view of the embodiment with the cutting device and the surrounding member omitted; FIG. 9 is a plan view of the embodiment with the cutting device and the guide case of the left-right guide mechanism omitted; FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the case door of the cutting device in an open state; FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the backing plate drive mechanism and its periphery as viewed from the upper right rear; FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the backing plate and its periphery as viewed from the upper right front; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the backing plate drive mechanism, where (A) is a right side view and (B) is a front view; FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the carry-in as viewed from the upper right rear; FIG. 15 is a right side view showing the carry-in; FIG. 16 is a top perspective view and (B) is a bottom perspective view showing the gripping mechanism; FIG. 17 is a front view of the gripping mechanism, where (A) shows the intermediate upper jaw in a retracted position and (B) shows the intermediate upper jaw in an advanced position; and FIG. 18 is a functional block diagram of a pneumatic circuit and a controller. (a), (b), (c), and (d) are diagrams illustrating an example of a procedure for cutting a frozen block of meat. (e), (f), (g), and (h) are diagrams illustrating an example of a procedure for cutting a frozen block of meat. (i), (j), (k), and (l) are diagrams illustrating an example of a procedure for cutting a frozen block of meat. (m), (n), (o), and (p) are diagrams illustrating an example of a procedure for cutting a frozen block of meat. A modified example of the gripping mechanism is shown, with (A) being a front view and (B) being a right side view. The same gripping mechanism is shown, with (A) being an upper perspective view and (B) being a lower perspective view. (a), (b), and (c) are diagrams illustrating an example of the final cutting stage of the frozen block of meat using the same gripping mechanism.

[0022] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. An overview of a food slicer 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as "slicer 1") will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. In the following description, terms indicating specific directions or positions (e.g., "front," "back," "left," "right," etc.) are used, but these are based on the orientation of the operator using slicer 1. These terms are used for convenience of explanation and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

[0023] As shown in Figures 1 to 7, the slicer 1 of this embodiment includes a cutting device 2 that cuts a frozen block of meat M (see Figure 19), which is an example of a food product, into slices, a carrying-in device 3 that feeds the frozen block of meat M toward the cutting device 2 at a predetermined food feed rate, and a carrying-out device 4 that transports the cut pieces of meat S to a subsequent process.

[0024] In this embodiment, the carry-in device 3 is disposed on the left side of the machine base 15, the carry-out device 4 is disposed on the front right side, and the cutting device 2 is disposed on the rear right side. In this case, the food to be cut is mainly meat (especially frozen meat blocks M), but this does not exclude semi-thawed meat blocks, raw meat, meat with bones, processed meat, etc. The slicer 1 can also be used for foods other than meat, such as frozen fish and crustaceans.

[0025] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the cutting device 2 includes a saw wheel case 11 erected on the right rear side of the machine base 15, a pair of upper and lower saw wheels 12, 13 rotatably arranged within the saw wheel case 11, and a band saw 14 mounted on the pair of upper and lower saw wheels 12, 13. The band saw 14 is endless and flexible. A saw blade (not shown) for cutting is formed at the rear end of the band saw 14. The band saw 14 constitutes the blade body of the cutting device 2.

[0026] The saw wheel case 11 is formed in a hollow, generally U-shape. An upper saw wheel 12 is rotatably supported within the upper part of the saw wheel case 11, and a lower saw wheel 13 is rotatably supported within the lower part of the saw wheel case 11. A portion of the band saw 14 is exposed in a recess 16 (see also FIG. 12 ) located midway between the top and bottom of the saw wheel case 11. The exposed portion of the band saw 14 cuts the frozen meat block M.

[0027] As shown in Figure 4, a saw wheel motor 18 is housed below the discharge device 4 inside the machine base 15. The motor shaft of the saw wheel motor 18 is operatively connected to the support shaft of the lower saw wheel 13 via a pulley belt transmission system 19. Driving the saw wheel motor 18 causes the lower saw wheel 13 to rotate, causing the band saw 14 to rotate. In this case, the exposed portion of the band saw 14 moves downward from above. The saw wheel motor 18 constitutes a cutting drive actuator that drives the blade (band saw 14) of the cutting device 2. In this embodiment, the lower saw wheel 13 is the driving side, and the upper saw wheel 12 is the driven side.

[0028] Although not shown, the saw wheel case 11 has an open bottom. An upward-opening collection box 20 for collecting meat scraps (cut meat chips) and the like is located below the opening. A collection box door 25 that can open and close and covers the right side of the collection box 20, and a collection box door open / close sensor 126 that detects the open / close state of the collection box door 25, are provided on the right side of the machine base 15. Scrapers 21, 21 (see FIG. 10 ) are attached inside the saw wheel case 11 and contact or are close to the outer periphery of the corresponding saw wheel 12, 13. Each scraper 21, 21 slides against the outer periphery of the rotating saw wheel 12, 13 to scrape off meat scraps and the like adhering to the outer periphery. The scraped off meat scraps and the like fall into the collection box 20 through the bottom opening of the saw wheel case 11, where they are accumulated and collected.

[0029] 3 and 5, a backing plate 17 that can come into contact with the feed start end of the frozen cut meat M is disposed at the rear side of the recessed portion 16 of the saw wheel case 11. The backing plate 17 is supported by an L-shaped backing plate support frame 151 that is erected at the rear side of the machine base 15 via a backing plate drive mechanism 5 and a backing plate slide drive mechanism 6. The backing plate support frame 151 connects the rear frame of the machine base 15 to the saw wheel case 11.

[0030] 10 to 13, the backing plate drive mechanism 5 moves the backing plate 17 back and forth in the feed direction (left and right direction) of the frozen cut meat M to adjust the backing plate opening amount, which is the distance between the backing plate 17 and the band saw 14. In other words, the position of the backing plate 17 is configured to be adjustable in the left and right direction by operation of the backing plate drive mechanism 5. The backing plate drive mechanism 5 includes a pair of left and right elongated thickness adjustment guide bars 91, a thickness adjustment slider 92 fitted over the pair of thickness adjustment guide bars 91, a reciprocating linear-type thickness adjustment electric actuator 94 arranged parallel to the pair of thickness adjustment guide bars 91, and a thickness adjustment motor 94a.

[0031] The guide bar pair 91 is attached to the underside of a guide support bracket 152 fixed to the upper, rearward portion of the backing plate support frame 151. The electric actuator 94 is attached to an actuator bracket 153 fixed to the lower, rearward portion of the guide support bracket 152 and to the upper portion of the vertical frame of the support frame 151. The guide bar pair 91 and slider 92 are housed in a thickness adjustment guide cover 95 connected to the bracket 152. The electric actuator 94 is housed in a thickness adjustment actuator cover 96 connected to the bracket 152 and the support frame 151.

[0032] The thickness adjustment arm 93, which is fixed to the underside of the pair of front and rear sliders 92 and extends forward, protrudes forward from a longitudinal slot 97 formed in the front surface of the guide cover 95. The backing plate 17 is attached to the protruding portion via the backing plate slide drive mechanism 6. The slider 92 and the arm 93 are operatively connected to an electric actuator 94. Drive of the thickness adjustment motor 94a causes the slider 92 and the arm 93 to move back and forth along the pair of guide bars 91, thereby moving the backing plate 17 attached to the arm 93 and the backing plate slide drive mechanism 6 back and forth. This adjusts the backing plate opening amount, which is the distance between the backing plate 17 and the band saw 14 (see FIG. 13B). The plan view of FIG. 8 shows the backing plate 17 in the maximum backing plate opening amount, while the plan view of FIG. 9 shows the backing plate 17 in the minimum backing plate opening amount.

[0033] As shown in Figures 10 to 13, the backing plate slide drive mechanism 6 moves the backing plate 17 back and forth in a direction (front-rear direction) perpendicular to the feed direction (left-right direction) of the frozen meat block M to change the length of the backing plate 17's protrusion toward the front relative to the band saw 14. As can be seen from Figure 13(A), the backing plate 17 is configured to be movable by operation of the backing plate drive mechanism 5 between a normal position in which the front end of the backing plate 17 overlaps the band saw 14 and a protruding position in which the backing plate 17 moves forward from the normal position and a central portion of the backing plate 17 overlaps the band saw 14. The backing plate slide drive mechanism 6 includes a protruding guide bar 131 that is longitudinal in the front-rear direction, a protruding slider 132 fitted over the guide bar 131, and a protruding cylinder 134 with a rod 135 protruding toward the front. The protruding cylinder 134 is pneumatic and includes a pair of guide bars 135a that sandwich the rod 135.

[0034] The cylinder body 136 of the protrusion cylinder 134 is attached to an upper portion of the left side surface of a cylinder bracket 137 that hangs down from the front end of the thickness adjustment arm 93 of the backing plate drive mechanism 5. The backing plate 17 is arranged to cover the left side of the protrusion cylinder 134. A backing plate bracket 133, which is erected on the right side surface of the backing plate 17, is fixed to the tips of the rod 135 and the pair of guide bars 135a of the protrusion cylinder 134. The protrusion cylinder 134 is arranged opposite an upper portion of the right side surface (back surface of the backing plate) of the backing plate 17. The protrusion guide bar 131 is attached to a lower portion of the right side surface of the backing plate 17. The protrusion slider 132 is attached to a lower portion of the left side surface of the cylinder bracket 137, below the cylinder body 136 of the protrusion cylinder 134.

[0035] The backing plate 17, backing plate bracket 133, and guide bar 131 move forward and backward as the protruding cylinder 134 extends and retracts. As shown in FIG. 13A , when the protruding cylinder 134 retracts, the backing plate 17 is positioned in a normal position (see solid line position) where the front end of its left side (main surface of the backing plate) faces the band saw 14. When the protruding cylinder 134 extends, the backing plate 17 is positioned in a protruding position (see dashed double-dashed line position) where a portion of its left side closer to the center faces the band saw 14. This changes the protruding length of the backing plate 17 relative to the band saw 14. The plan view in FIG. 8 shows the backing plate 17 in the normal position, and the plan view in FIG. 9 shows the backing plate 17 in the protruding position. While the protruding cylinder 134 in this embodiment is pneumatic, it may alternatively be, for example, an electric actuator.

[0036] 11 to 13, a fall prevention member 17a for preventing the slices from falling is provided below the backing plate 17. The fall prevention member 17a protrudes leftward from the lower end of the backing plate 17. Furthermore, the fall prevention member 17a is located so as not to be positioned in front of the band saw 14 when, in the final cutting stage described below, the protruding cylinder 134 extends and a portion of the backing plate 17 near the center of its left side is positioned facing the band saw 14 (see the position indicated by the two-dot chain line).

[0037] In this embodiment, the fall prevention body 17a is positioned lower than the table 30 of the carry-in device 3. Therefore, even if the fall prevention body 17a is positioned overlapping the right end of the table 30 (below the right end of the table 30) in a plan view, it does not impede the back-and-forth reciprocating movement of the table 30. In addition, although the fall prevention body 17a is integrally formed with the backing plate 17 in this embodiment, it may be formed separately from the backing plate 17 and attached to the lower part of the backing plate 17. The leftward protrusion length of the fall prevention body 17a relative to the backing plate 17 is not particularly limited and may be, for example, equal to or longer than the maximum backing plate opening amount. Increasing the leftward protrusion length of the fall prevention body 17a reliably prevents sliced ​​pieces from falling. The fall prevention body 17a may also have an opening or slit formed therein to allow meat scraps or liquid to fall through.

[0038] As shown in Figure 10, the rear side of the saw wheel case 11 is an openable and closable case door 23. A case door open / close sensor 122 is attached to the case door 23 to detect whether it is open or closed. A backing plate cover 23a that covers the upper and right side of the backing plate 17 is integrally formed on the case door 23. When the case door 23 is opened, the pair of upper and lower saw wheels 12, 13 and the band saw 14 are visible, as well as the backing plate slide drive mechanism 6 and the backing plate 17.

[0039] 7 and 10, a rear cover 154 that covers the upper, left side, and rear of the backing plate drive mechanism 5 and the covers 95, 96 is attached to the backing plate support frame 151 of the machine base 15. Below the backing plate drive mechanism 5 and the backing plate slide drive mechanism 6, an upward-opening box-shaped collection tray 24 that receives meat waste (meat scraps) and the like is detachably disposed on the machine base 15.

[0040] As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the carry-in device 3 includes a gripping mechanism 31 arranged on a table 30 on which the frozen block of meat M is placed, a left-right guide mechanism 32 that reciprocates the gripping mechanism 31 in the left-right direction (the feed direction of the frozen block of meat M) toward and away from the cutting device 2 and the carry-out device 4, and a front-rear guide mechanism 33 that reciprocates the table 30, the gripping mechanism 31, and the left-right guide mechanism 32 in the front-rear direction, which is the cutting direction of the band saw 14.

[0041] 14 and 15 , the longitudinal guide mechanism 33 includes a crank body 71 and a pair of longitudinal bars 72 arranged on the upper left surface of the machine base 15, a lower slider 73 fitted over the pair of longitudinal bars 72, and a reversible longitudinal guide motor 74 (see FIGS. 3 and 9 ) arranged on the left side inside the machine base 15. The longitudinal guide motor 74 is operatively connected to the crank body 71 via a speed reducer 75, and the crank body 71 is operatively connected to the lower slider 73. The table 30, the gripping mechanism 31, and the left-right guide mechanism 32 are supported on the lower slider 73. When the longitudinal guide motor 74 is driven, the lower slider 73 reciprocates longitudinally along the pair of longitudinal bars 72 via the crank body 71, causing the table 30, the gripping mechanism 31, and the left-right guide mechanism 32 supported on the lower slider 73 to reciprocate longitudinally.

[0042] The left-right guide mechanism 32 includes a pair of longitudinal left-right bars 61, an upper slider 62 fitted over the pair of left-right bars 61, a linear-type electric left-right guide actuator 64 that is reciprocatable and aligned parallel to the pair of left-right bars 61, and a left-right guide motor 64a. The pair of left-right bars 61, the upper slider 62, and the electric left-right guide actuator 64 are housed in a guide case 65 connected to the rear of the table 30. In this embodiment, a servo motor is used as the left-right guide motor 64a.

[0043] An arm 63 extending forward from the upper slider 62 protrudes forward from a left-right longitudinal guide groove 66 formed on the front surface of the guide case 65, and a gripping mechanism 31 is attached to the protruding portion. The upper slider 62 and the arm 63 are interlocked and connected to a left-right guide electric actuator 64. When the left-right guide motor 64a is driven, the upper slider 62 reciprocates left and right along the left-right bar pair 61, causing the gripping mechanism 31 attached to the arm 63 fixed to the upper slider 62 to reciprocate left and right.

[0044] In this embodiment, a cutting saw blade (not shown) is formed at the rear end of the band saw 14. Therefore, from a safety standpoint, a vertically long safety cover 67 with an L-shaped cross section is attached to the right end of the guide case 65 to enclose the saw blade side of the exposed portion of the band saw 14. When viewed from the rear side of the slicer 1, the exposed portion of the band saw 14 overlaps the safety cover 67. Therefore, the presence of the safety cover 67 reduces the risk of an operator being injured by inadvertently touching the saw blade of the exposed portion of the band saw 14, thereby improving safety.

[0045] The safety cover 67 is attached to the guide case 65, and is reciprocated in the front-rear direction together with the gripping mechanism 31 and the like by the front-rear guide mechanism 33. The L-shaped tip side of the safety cover 67 plays a role in pushing the cut pieces of meat S forward from between the band saw 14 and the backing plate 17 when cutting the frozen block of meat M, so that the cut pieces of meat S do not get caught between the band saw 14 and the backing plate 17 and fall onto the discharge conveyor 81 of the discharge device 4.

[0046] 14 to 17, the gripping mechanism 31 includes a pair of front and rear end upper claws 43 that can rotate up and down to grip and release the feeding end portion of the frozen block meat M on the table 30 from above, an intermediate upper claw 47 that can rotate up and down to grip and release the feeding midpoint portion of the frozen block meat M from above, and an end lower claw 51 that can reciprocate left and right to grip and release the feeding end portion of the frozen block meat M from below. The pair of front and rear end upper claws 43 form an end gripping body that grips the feeding end side of the food (frozen block meat M), and the intermediate upper claw 47 forms a midpoint gripping body that grips the feeding midpoint portion of the food.

[0047] A U-shaped push plate frame 55 with a downward opening when viewed from the front is fixed to the base plate 41 fixed to the arm 63 of the upper slider 62. A pair of front and rear end upper claws 43 are attached to the upper surface of the push plate frame 55. The end lower claws 51 are attached to the lower surface of the base plate 41. The intermediate upper claws 47 are attached to the upper surface of the base plate 41 via intermediate upper claw moving cylinders 57 that move the intermediate upper claws 47 back and forth in the left-right direction relative to the push plate 42. The intermediate upper claw moving cylinders 57 constitute a mid-gripping body moving mechanism.

[0048] The right side surface of the push plate frame 55 constitutes the push plate 42 that abuts against the feeding end of the frozen block meat M. The upper and lower middle portions of the left side surface of the push plate 42 are fixed to the right end of the base plate 41. The push plate 42 has a number of long grooves that are long in the vertical direction. The long grooves of the push plate 42 prevent the feeding end of the frozen block meat M that contacts the right side surface of the push plate 42 from shifting in the front-to-rear direction.

[0049] A downwardly protruding piercing claw is formed on the tip side of each upper end claw 43. The base end side of each upper end claw 43 is pivotally supported by the push plate frame 55. An upper end claw cylinder 44 with a rod 45 protruding diagonally downward to the right is attached to each upper end claw 43. An opening is formed in the middle of each upper end claw 43. A corresponding upper end claw cylinder 44 is inserted into the opening of each upper end claw 43. The middle part of the upper end claw 43 is pivotally supported by the cylinder body 46 of the upper end claw cylinder 44. The rod 45 of each upper end claw cylinder 44 is pivotally supported by the push plate frame 55.

[0050] The corresponding upper end claw 43 rotates up and down due to the extension and contraction of each upper end claw cylinder 44. In this case, when each upper end claw cylinder 44 contracts, the corresponding upper end claw 43 rotates downward to grip the feeding end of the frozen block meat M, and when each upper end claw cylinder 44 extends, the corresponding upper end claw 43 rotates upward to move away from the feeding end of the frozen block meat M.

[0051] Similar to the end upper claws 43, a downwardly protruding piercing claw is formed on the tip side of the intermediate upper claw 47. The base end side of the intermediate upper claw 47 is journaled on an intermediate upper claw bracket 56 that is provided on the base plate 41 so that it can move back and forth in the left-right direction. An intermediate upper claw cylinder 48 is attached to the intermediate upper claw 47, with a rod 49 protruding diagonally upward to the right. The middle portion of the intermediate upper claw 47 is journaled on the rod 49 of the intermediate upper claw cylinder 48. A cylinder body 50 of the intermediate upper claw cylinder 48 is journaled on the upper surface of the push plate frame 55.

[0052] The intermediate upper claws 47 rotate up and down due to the extension and contraction of the intermediate upper claw cylinder 48. In this case, when the intermediate upper claw cylinder 48 extends, the intermediate upper claws 47 rotate downward to grip the midway portion of the frozen block meat M being fed, and when the intermediate upper claw cylinder 48 contracts, the intermediate upper claws 47 rotate upward to move away from the midway portion of the frozen block meat M being fed.

[0053] The intermediate upper jaw bracket 56 moves back and forth in the left-right direction by the extension and contraction of an intermediate upper jaw moving cylinder 57 attached to the upper surface of the base plate 41. A cylinder body 59 of the intermediate upper jaw moving cylinder 57 is attached to a portion near the left end of the upper surface of the base plate 41, with a rod 58 protruding to the right, through an opening formed in the left side surface of the push plate frame 55. The intermediate upper jaw moving cylinder 57 is pneumatic and equipped with a pair of guide bars 58a that sandwich the rod 58.

[0054] The intermediate upper claw bracket 56 has an L-shaped configuration in a front view, with a left-right longitudinal upper surface portion and a right side surface portion hanging down from the right end of the upper surface portion. The right side surface portion of the bracket 56 is fixed to the tip end of the rod 135 and the pair of guide bars 135a through a left-right longitudinal opening formed in the upper surface of the push plate frame 55. The upper surface portion of the bracket 56 is located above the cylinder body 59.

[0055] The intermediate upper claw bracket 56, the intermediate upper claw 47, and the intermediate upper claw cylinder 48 move back and forth in the left-right direction by the extension and retraction of the intermediate upper claw moving cylinder 57. When the protruding cylinder 134 is extended (see FIG. 17(A)), the intermediate upper claw 47 can press down even the midway portion of the feeding of the frozen block meat M from above at a position farther from the push plate 42 than when the protruding cylinder 134 is retracted (see FIG. 17(B)). Note that the intermediate upper claw 47 only needs to be configured to grip and release a position of the frozen block meat M that is farther from the feeding end portion than the end upper claw 43.

[0056] In this embodiment, a set of intermediate upper claws 47 and intermediate upper claw cylinders 48 is arranged to be movable left and right between the sets of end upper claws 43 and end upper claw cylinders 44. The cylinder bodies 46 of the end upper claw cylinders 44 are pivotally supported on the base plate 41, while the cylinder bodies 50 of the intermediate upper claw cylinders 48 are pivotally supported on the intermediate upper claws 47. Therefore, when gripping and releasing a frozen block of meat M, the extension and contraction relationships between both end upper claw cylinders 44 and the intermediate upper claw cylinders 48 are set in opposite directions.

[0057] A cylinder body 54 of a lower end claw cylinder 52, with a rod 53 protruding to the right, is attached to the underside of the base plate 41. The base end of a lower end claw 51 is fixed to the rod 53 of the lower end claw cylinder 52. An upwardly protruding piercing claw is formed on the tip end of the lower end claw 51. The lower end claw 51 moves in and out of the left and right directions as the lower end claw cylinder 52 extends. In this case, when the lower end claw cylinder 52 extends, the lower end claw 51 moves in a protruding motion to grip the feeding end of the frozen block meat M, and when the lower end claw cylinder 52 retracts, the lower end claw 51 moves in a retracting motion to move away from the feeding end of the frozen block meat M.

[0058] The lower end claws 51 are formed in a comb-like shape corresponding to a plurality of table grooves 30a arranged in the front-rear direction on the upper surface of the table 30. The table grooves 30a are open upward and extend in the left-right direction. As can be seen from Figure 15, each lower end claw 51 fits into the corresponding table groove 30a, thereby restricting the front-rear movement of the lower end claws 51 and reducing the front-rear load applied to the lower end claw cylinder 52 when the carry-in device 3 reciprocates in the front-rear direction.

[0059] A sliding contact member 51a that comes into sliding contact with the bottom surface of the table groove 30a is attached to the underside of the front-most lower end claw 51. The sliding contact member 51a restricts downward movement of the lower end claw 51, preventing contact between the bottom surface of the table groove 30a and the lower end claw 51.

[0060] 16(A) and 17(B), the gripping mechanism 31 is configured to allow attachment of an optional push plate member 60. When the optional push plate member 60 is attached to the gripping mechanism 31, an optional push plate 60a is positioned to the right of the push plate 42 (toward the cutting device 2). The left-right distance (e.g., 20 mm) between the optional push plate 60a and the tip of the lower end claw 51 in the protruding position is smaller than the left-right distance (e.g., 40 mm) between the push plate 42 and the tip of the lower end claw 51 in the protruding position. Therefore, when the optional push plate member 60 is attached, the length of the frozen block of meat M to be cut in the final cutting stage, which will be described later, can be shortened.

[0061] In this embodiment, the upper end claw cylinders 44, the upper middle claw cylinders 48, the lower end claw cylinders 52, and the upper middle claw movement cylinders 57 are all pneumatic. The front and rear pairs of upper end claws 43 and upper middle claws 47 are normally rotated upward (rotated apart), and the lower end claw 51 is normally protruding to the right. Needless to say, the arrangement patterns of the sets of upper end claws 43 and upper end claw cylinders 44, the sets of upper middle claws 47 and upper middle claw cylinders 48, and the lower end claws 51 and lower end claw cylinders 52 are not limited to those in the above embodiment.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 2 and other figures, the discharge device 4 includes an output conveyor 81 disposed on the front right side of the machine base 15 (in front of the cutting device 2) and a reversible conveyor motor 82 that drives the output conveyor 81. In this embodiment, the output conveyor 81 is a belt conveyor. A motor shaft of the conveyor motor 82 is interlocked with a support shaft of a drive roller 83 of the output conveyor 81 that is located closer to the input device 3 via a speed reduction mechanism (not shown). The conveyor motor 82 is housed inside the machine base 15, between the cutting device 2 and the input device 3. Drive of the conveyor motor 82 rotates the drive roller 83, causing the endless belt 84 of the output conveyor 81 to rotate. The conveyor motor 82 constitutes an output drive actuator that drives the output conveyor 81.

[0063] In the above configuration, the frozen block meat M gripped by the gripping mechanism 31 is moved a predetermined distance to the right by the left-right guide mechanism 32, causing the portion of the frozen block meat M to be cut to extend beyond the table 30 to the right, and the frozen block meat M in this state is moved from the back to the front by the front-rear guide mechanism 33. As a result, the exposed portion of the rotating band saw 14 cuts off the portion of the frozen block meat M to be cut (the portion extending beyond the table 30) to a set thickness (which may be a thickness corresponding to a set weight), and the cut pieces of meat S fall onto the discharge conveyor 81. By repeating this procedure, the frozen block meat M is cut into slices and separated into a plurality of pieces of meat S, which are accumulated on the discharge conveyor 81 and transported to a subsequent process.

[0064] An operation panel 100 is disposed on the machine base 15 on the front side of the carry-in device 3 (on the left front side of the machine base 15). The operation panel 100 is provided with a start switch 101 for starting the cutting operation of the frozen block meat M, a stop switch 102 for stopping the cutting operation of the frozen block meat M, a pair of left and right claw switches 103, 104 for vertically rotating the pair of front and rear end upper claws 43 and the middle upper claw 47, and an operation unit 105 such as a touch panel that can be operated by an operator. A power switch 106 for turning the power of the entire slicer 1 on and off, an emergency stop switch 107 for forcibly stopping the operation of the entire slicer 1, and the like are provided below the operation panel 100 on the front side of the machine base 15.

[0065] In this embodiment, the start switch 101 and the stop switch 102 are disposed between a pair of left and right claw switches 103, 104. The pair of left and right claw switches 103, 104 are disposed spaced apart from each other so that an operator can operate them with both hands. The pair of left and right claw switches 103, 104 constitute a pair of switch means for gripping and operating the end gripping body (end upper claw 43) and the middle gripping body (middle upper claw 47).

[0066] When the front and rear pairs of end upper claws 43 and middle upper claws 47 are rotated upward (released), and the operator presses both claw switches 103, 104 with both hands, the front and rear pairs of end upper claws 43 and middle upper claws 47 rotate downward (grab and rotate). When the front and rear pairs of end upper claws 43 and middle upper claws 47 are rotated downward, and the operator presses either the left or right claw switch 104 (or 103), the front and rear pairs of end upper claws 43 and middle upper claws 47 rotate upward.

[0067] With this configuration, when rotating the pair of front and rear end upper claws 43 and intermediate upper claws 47 downward, there is no risk that the worker will inadvertently bring his or her hands or arms close to the pair of front and rear end upper claws 43 or intermediate upper claws 47, which provides excellent safety.

[0068] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 , the slicer 1 includes an enclosure 10 erected on the periphery of the machine base 15. The enclosure 10 includes left and right front covers 161 erected near the left and right ends of the front edge of the machine base 15, an upper right cover 162 connecting the upper right edge of the right front cover 161 to the upper right edge of the saw wheel case 11, a left front cover 163 erected on the front portion of the left edge of the machine base 15, a left rear panel 164 erected from the left front cover 163 toward the rear left corner of the machine base 15, and a rear panel 165 closing the gap between the left rear panel 164 and the backing plate support frame 151. The front cover 161 is detachable by tightening or loosening a hand screw. The enclosure 10 is provided with a front cover attachment sensor 127 that detects whether the front cover 161 is attached or detached.

[0069] The enclosure 10 also includes a left-right hinged platform door 166 that opens and closes the space between the left and right front covers 161. A platform door guide 169 is provided between the top of the upper right cover 162 and the top of the left front cover 163, suspending and supporting the left and right platform doors 166 so that they can move left and right. The door guide 169 includes a platform door open / close sensor 168 that detects the open / close state of the platform door 166, and a platform door cylinder 167 that operates to open the platform door 166. The door cylinder 167 and the open / close sensor 168 are provided for each of the left and right platform doors 166. A platform door lower rail 170 is provided near the front edge of the platform 15, guiding the lower end of the platform door 166 in the left-right direction in front of the table 30 of the carry-in device 3.

[0070] Next, the pneumatic circuit structure and control structure of the slicer 1 will be described with reference to Figure 18. The pneumatic circuit 110 of the slicer 1 includes a pair of upper end jaw cylinders 44, an upper middle jaw cylinder 48, a lower end jaw cylinder 52, and an upper middle jaw movement cylinder 57 in the gripping mechanism 31, a protrusion cylinder 134 in the backing plate slide drive mechanism 6, a machine base door cylinder 167 in the machine base door guide section 169, and a compressor 111 that supplies high-pressure air to these cylinders 44, 48, 52, 57, 134, and 167. Each of the cylinders 44, 48, 52, 57, 134, and 167 is connected to the compressor 111 via a switching solenoid valve 112.

[0071] Each switching electromagnetic valve 112 is electrically connected to a controller 113 serving as control means disposed within the machine base 15. Each switching electromagnetic valve 112 is configured to be driven to switch between an extension position where the corresponding cylinder 44, 48, 52, 57, 134, 167 is extended and a retraction position where the corresponding cylinder 44, 48, 52, 57, 134, 167 is retracted based on a command from the controller 113.

[0072] The controller 113 is electrically connected not only to the switching solenoid valves 112 for each cylinder 44, 48, 52, 57, 134, 167, but also to the saw wheel motor 18, the front / rear guide motor 74, the left / right guide motor 64a, the conveyor motor 82, the thickness adjustment motor 94a, the start switch 101, the stop switch 102, the pair of left and right claw switches 103, 104, the operation unit 105 such as a touch panel, the power switch 106, the emergency stop switch 107, the case door opening / closing sensor 122, the machine base door opening / closing sensor 168, the recovery box door opening / closing sensor 126, the front cover attachment sensor 127, etc.

[0073] Next, an example of a procedure for cutting a frozen block of meat M using the slicer 1 will be described with reference to Figures 19 to 22. Figures 19 to 22 show simplified configurations of the various parts of the slicer 1.

[0074] First, the operator operates the operating unit 105 to set the desired slice thickness. The controller 113 activates the thickness adjustment motor 94a of the backing plate drive mechanism 5 to move the backing plate 17 left and right to a position where the backing plate opening amount corresponds to the set thickness value. In this embodiment, the backing plate 17 is positioned so that the backing plate opening amount is larger than the set thickness value by a predetermined amount (e.g., 2 mm). This is to prevent the leading end of the frozen block meat M, which is fed to the right at a feed amount equal to the set thickness value, from contacting the backing plate 17 during each cutting stage performed sequentially on the frozen block meat M.

[0075] The operator also sets the reciprocating speed (number of slices per unit time) of the carry-in device 3. When the case door open / close sensor 122, the collection box door open / close sensor 126, and the front cover attachment sensor 127 detect that the case door 23 or the collection box door 25 is open or that the front cover 161 is not attached, the controller 113 prompts the operator to perform an appropriate operation via the operation unit 105 or a separately provided notification member.

[0076] After setting the thickness value and speed, the operator places the frozen block of meat M on the table 30 so that the feeding end of the frozen block of meat M abuts against the push plate 42 and is inserted into the lower end claws 51 (see FIG. 19( a)). Next, the operator presses both claw switches 103, 104 with both hands, causing the pair of front and rear upper end claws 43 to rotate downward by the contraction of the corresponding upper end claw cylinders 44. As a result, the frozen block of meat M is gripped by the pair of front and rear upper end claws 43 and lower end claws 51. After confirming that the gripping state is appropriate, the operator presses both claw switches 103, 104 with both hands. This pressing operation causes the middle upper claw 47 to rotate downward by the extension of the middle upper claw cylinder 48. As a result, the frozen block of meat M is gripped by the pair of front and rear upper end claws 43, 47, and lower end claws 51 (see FIG. 19( b)).

[0077] With this configuration, not only is the feeding end of the frozen block meat M gripped by the front and rear pairs of upper end claws 43 and lower end claws 51, but the intermediate upper claws 47 can also press down from above the midway portion of the frozen block meat M. Therefore, regardless of the shape of the frozen block meat M, the gripping mechanism 31 can firmly grip the frozen block meat M, preventing it from floating up or shifting. The operator does not need to manually press down the frozen block meat M (re-gripping is not required), which avoids the risk of a decrease in the efficiency of the cutting operation of the frozen block meat M. Furthermore, pressing down the midway portion of the frozen block meat M with the intermediate upper claws 47 is effective in preventing the frozen block meat M from shifting during cutting. The presence of the intermediate upper claws 47 is particularly effective when the frozen block meat M is long in the feeding direction.

[0078] Here, before pressing the claw switches 103, 104, the operator can operate the operating unit 105 to select the left or right position of the intermediate upper claw 47 of the gripping mechanism 31. The controller 113 controls the intermediate upper claw moving cylinder 57 according to the selected left or right position of the intermediate upper claw 47 to position the intermediate upper claw 47 at the left position (see FIG. 17A) or the right position (see FIG. 17B). The state in which the intermediate upper claw 47 is positioned at the right position is particularly effective when the frozen block meat M is long in the feeding direction, because the intermediate upper claw 47 presses down on the midway portion of the feeding of the frozen block meat M at a position farther away from the push plate 42.

[0079] Next, when the operator closes the left and right machine base doors 166, the machine base door open / close sensors 168 provided on each of the left and right machine base doors 166 detect the closed state of the machine base doors 166. The operator presses the start switch 101 to drive the saw wheel motor 18 and start the rotation of the band saw 14. The machine base door cylinder 167 locks the left and right movement of the machine base doors 166. Note that if the closed state of the machine base doors 166 is not detected, the band saw 14 will not start rotating even if the start switch 101 is pressed.

[0080] When the band saw 14 starts rotating, the table 30, the gripping mechanism 31, the frozen block meat M, etc. are moved toward the rear by the front-rear guide motor 74, and then moved rightward by the left-right guide motor 64a, so that the feed start end of the frozen block meat M abuts against the backing plate 17 (see FIG. 19(c)). In this embodiment, the initial position of the gripping mechanism 31 and the position of the backing plate 17 (the position corresponding to the thickness setting value) are known, so the feed direction thickness of the frozen block meat M can be calculated based on the drive amount of the left-right guide motor 64a when the feed start end of the frozen block meat M abuts against the backing plate 17. If the feed direction thickness of the frozen block meat M is known, the number of slices to be obtained from the frozen block meat M and the feed direction excess thickness of the feed start end of the frozen block meat M can be calculated by subtracting the feed direction thickness of the frozen block meat M to be cut in the final cutting stage from the feed direction thickness of the frozen block meat M and dividing the result by the thickness setting value.

[0081] Here, one possible method for detecting contact of the frozen block of meat M with the backing plate 17 is to monitor changes in the load on the left-right guide motor 64a. However, foreign matter such as meat scraps present on the table 30 acts as resistance when the gripping mechanism 31 moves to the right, causing the load on the left-right guide motor 64a to increase before the frozen block of meat M contacts the backing plate 17, resulting in an erroneous detection of contact of the frozen block of meat M with the backing plate 17.

[0082] Therefore, in this embodiment, the backing plate drive mechanism 5 is provided with a thickness adjustment electric actuator 94 that drives a thickness adjustment motor 94a (servo motor) to move the backing plate 17 back and forth in the feed direction of the frozen green meat M. The controller 113 uses the thickness adjustment motor 94a as a contact detection sensor that detects the displacement of the backing plate 17 in the feed direction of the frozen green meat M, and detects the contact of the frozen green meat M with the backing plate 17 from a change in the electrical signal generated in the thickness adjustment motor 94a when the frozen green meat M comes into contact with the backing plate 17.

[0083] When the contact plate 17 is pushed to the right by contact with the frozen green meat M, the rotor of the thickness adjustment motor 94a (servo motor) of the contact plate drive mechanism 5, which is operatively connected to the contact plate 17, rotates, causing a change in the electrical signal of the position detector (encoder) in the thickness adjustment motor 94a. The controller 113 can reliably detect the contact of the frozen green meat M with the contact plate 17 based on the change in the electrical signal generated in the thickness adjustment motor 94a, regardless of the presence of foreign matter such as meat scraps on the table 30. Note that a contact detection sensor capable of detecting the displacement of the contact plate 17 in the feed direction of the frozen green meat M may be provided separately from the thickness adjustment motor 94a. However, using the thickness adjustment motor 94a (servo motor) as the contact detection sensor is advantageous in terms of the number of parts and manufacturing costs.

[0084] After the feed start end of the frozen block of meat M is brought into contact with the contact plate 17, the left / right guide motor 64a moves the gripping mechanism 31 and therefore the frozen block of meat M to the left, so that the portion of the frozen block of meat M to be cut extends to the right from the table 30 as shown in Figure 19 (d) (more specifically, the excess thickness Mr in the feed direction extends to the right from the band saw 14).

[0085] Then, the table 30, gripping mechanism 31, and left-right guide mechanism 32 are moved from the back to the front by the front-rear guide motor 74 together with the frozen block of meat M in the state shown in Figure 19(d), and the exposed portion of the rotating band saw 14 cuts off the feed direction excess thickness Mr at the feed start end of the frozen block of meat M (see Figure 20(e)). Here, the L-shaped tip side of the safety cover 67 pushes the feed direction excess thickness Mr towards the front from between the band saw 14 and the backing plate 17, ensuring that it falls onto the discharge conveyor 81. In addition, the fall prevention body 17a of the backing plate 17 prevents the feed direction excess thickness Mr from falling to the back side of the discharge conveyor 81. When the cut-off excess thickness Mr in the feed direction falls onto the discharge conveyor 81, the conveyor motor 82 rotates the drive roller 83 in the forward direction, and the endless belt 84 of the discharge conveyor 81 transports the excess thickness Mr in the feed direction away from the feed device 3.

[0086] Next, as shown in Figure 20(f), the gripping mechanism 31 and therefore the frozen block of meat M are moved leftward by the left-right guide motor 64a until the leading end surface F of the frozen block of meat M coincides with the right-end reference position of the table 30, and the table 30, gripping mechanism 31, and left-right guide mechanism 32 are moved from the front to the rear by the front-rear guide motor 74 together with the frozen block of meat M. Then, as shown in Figure 20(g), the gripping mechanism 31 and therefore the frozen block of meat M are moved rightward by the left-right guide motor 64a, so that the frozen block of meat M protrudes to the right by an amount equal to the feed direction thickness Ms (corresponding to the meat piece S) from the band saw 14. At this time, the backing plate 17 is positioned so that the backing plate opening amount is greater than the thickness setting amount, and therefore the frozen block of meat M does not come into contact with the backing plate 17.

[0087] Next, the table 30, gripping mechanism 31, and left-right guide mechanism 32 are moved from the back to the front by the front-rear guide motor 74, together with the frozen block of meat M in the state shown in Figure 20(g), and the exposed part of the rotating band saw 14 cuts off the frozen block of meat M to a thickness Ms in the feed direction, resulting in meat pieces S of a set thickness (which may be a thickness corresponding to a set weight), which fall onto the discharge conveyor 81 (see Figure 20(h)). Here again, the L-shaped tip of the safety cover 67 pushes the frozen block of meat M to a thickness Ms in the feed direction toward the front from between the band saw 14 and the backing plate 17, ensuring that it falls onto the discharge conveyor 81. In addition, the fall prevention body 17a prevents the meat pieces S from falling toward the back of the discharge conveyor 81.

[0088] When the cut-off meat pieces S with a feed direction thickness Ms, i.e., cut into slices, fall onto the discharge conveyor 81, the conveyor motor 82 reverses the drive roller 83, and the endless belt 84 of the discharge conveyor 81 causes the meat pieces S to fall (lay down, see FIG. 21(i)) onto the endless belt 84. By repeating this procedure, the frozen block of meat M is cut into slices and divided into a plurality of meat pieces S, and the plurality of meat pieces S are placed on the endless belt 84 in a scale-like pattern, with each subsequent meat piece S overlapping a part of the preceding meat piece S, without the need for an operator to arrange them by hand one by one.

[0089] The steps shown in Figures 20(f) to 20(h) constitute the first cutting stage for the frozen block meat M. Here, the forward movement (see Figure 20(f)) of moving the frozen block meat M or the like from the front to the rear by operating the front-rear guide motor 74, and the return movement (see Figure 20(h)) of moving the frozen block meat M or the like from the rear to the front are performed based on the set reciprocating speed set by the operation unit 105. In this embodiment, when the gripping mechanism 31 is located a predetermined distance or more away from the band saw 14 (the frozen block meat M is long in the thickness direction), the table 30 is reciprocated at a speed equal to or less than a predetermined speed. In other words, even when the set reciprocating speed is set higher than the predetermined speed, the table 30 is reciprocated at the predetermined speed when the gripping mechanism 31 is located a predetermined distance or more away from the band saw 14. This is effective in preventing the frozen block meat M from shifting during cutting when the gripping mechanism 31 is gripping a long frozen block meat M. The same applies to the second and subsequent cutting stages.

[0090] Thereafter, the second and subsequent cutting stages are repeated, and the cutting of the frozen block of meat M progresses to a certain extent. The gripping mechanism 31 and therefore the frozen block of meat M are moved a predetermined amount to the right by the left-right guide motor 64a, and the frozen block of meat M protrudes to the right from the band saw 14 by the feed direction thickness Ms. When the intermediate upper claw 47 reaches a predetermined position close to the band saw 14 (see Figure 21 (j)), only the intermediate upper claw 47 rotates upward (away) due to the contraction of the intermediate upper claw cylinder 48 (see Figure 21 (k)).

[0091] With this configuration, the intermediate upper claw 47, which has played the role of pressing down the midway portion of the frozen block meat M from above, rotates upward and moves away from the frozen block meat M. Therefore, even if the cutting of the frozen block meat M progresses thereafter, the presence of the intermediate upper claw 47 does not get in the way, and the cutting operation of the frozen block meat M can be continued smoothly.

[0092] Here, when the intermediate upper claw 47 separated from the frozen block meat M is positioned to the right side of the gripping mechanism 31 by the intermediate upper claw moving cylinder 57 (see FIG. 17(B)), the intermediate upper claw 47 may be moved to the left side by the intermediate upper claw moving cylinder 57, and then rotated downward (gripping rotation) by extending the intermediate upper claw cylinder 48, so that the intermediate upper claw 47 grips a portion of the frozen block meat M midway in the feeding direction (see FIG. 17(A)). As a result, the frozen block meat M is gripped by the pair of front and rear end upper claws 43, 47, and end lower claw 51, preventing the frozen block meat M from floating up or shifting during cutting. Thereafter, as the cutting stage progresses and the intermediate upper claw 47 reaches a predetermined position approaching the band saw 14, the intermediate upper claw 47 is rotated upward (release rotation) by retracting the intermediate upper claw cylinder 48.

[0093] The table 30, gripping mechanism 31, and left-right guide mechanism 32 are moved from the back to the front by the front-rear guide motor 74, and the frozen block of meat M in the state shown in Figure 21(k) is cut off to the feed direction thickness Ms of the frozen block of meat M by the exposed part of the rotating band saw 14, leaving meat pieces S of the set thickness, which are pushed forward by the L-shaped end of the safety cover 67 from between the band saw 14 and the backing plate 17 and fall onto the discharge conveyor 81 (see Figure 21(l)). When the meat pieces S fall onto the discharge conveyor 81, the conveyor motor 82 reverses the drive roller 83, and the endless belt 84 of the discharge conveyor 81 causes the meat pieces S to fall (lay down) onto the endless belt 84. Next, the left-right guide motor 64a moves the gripping mechanism 31 and therefore the frozen block of meat M to the left until the tip surface F of the frozen block of meat M coincides with the right-end reference position of the table 30, and the front-rear guide motor 74 moves the table 30, the gripping mechanism 31 and the left-right guide mechanism 32 together with the frozen block of meat M from the front to the back.

[0094] Thereafter, as the cutting of the frozen block of meat M progresses further and the final cutting stage is reached, the thickness adjustment motor 94a of the backing plate drive mechanism 5 moves the backing plate 17 leftward so that the backing plate opening amount becomes equal to the thickness setting value (see FIG. 22(m)). Also, the protruding cylinder 134 of the backing plate slide drive mechanism 6 moves the backing plate 17 forward, so that the protruding length of the backing plate 17 on the front side relative to the band saw 14 is longer than in the cutting stages prior to the final cutting stage (see the position indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 13(A)).

[0095] Next, the gripping mechanism 31 and therefore the frozen block meat M are moved a predetermined distance to the right by the left-right guide motor 64a, so that the tip surface F of the frozen block meat M is brought into contact with the backing plate 17 of the saw wheel case 11, and the frozen block meat M is sandwiched between the push plate 42 of the gripping mechanism 31 and the backing plate 17 of the saw wheel case 11 (see FIG. 22(n)). At this time, the torque (rotational force) of the thickness adjustment motor 94a when maintaining the backing plate opening amount may be reduced to prevent the frozen block meat M from being sandwiched with excessive force.

[0096] 22(o), the pair of front and rear upper end claws 43 are rotated upward (separated) by extending each upper end claw cylinder 44, and the gripping mechanism 31 is once moved slightly leftward by the left-right guide motor 64a, and then the lower end claw cylinder 52 is contracted to retract the lower end claw 51 so as to move away from the feed end of the frozen block meat M. Then, the gripping mechanism 31 and the frozen block meat M are once again moved a predetermined distance rightward by the left-right guide motor 64a, so that the tip surface F of the frozen block meat M is brought into contact with the backing plate 17, and the frozen block meat M is clamped between the push plate 42 of the gripping mechanism 31 and the backing plate 17 of the saw wheel case 11. Then, the table 30, the gripping mechanism 31, and the left-right guide mechanism 32 are moved from the back to the front by the front-rear guide motor 74, together with the frozen block of meat M in the state shown in Figure 22(o). The frozen block of meat M is cut into two pieces by the exposed portion of the rotating band saw 14, and the pieces of meat S fall onto the discharge conveyor 81 and are then transported to the subsequent process (see Figure 22(p)). Here, since an uncut portion Re on the left side of the two cut frozen block of meat M may remain in an upright position on the right edge of the table 30, the lower end claw 51 may be extended to the right by extending the lower end claw cylinder 52, thereby pushing the uncut portion Re rightward and ensuring that it falls onto the discharge conveyor 81. Furthermore, after cutting of the meat pieces S is completed in the final cutting stage, the backing plate 17 may be moved rightward so that the backing plate opening amount becomes greater than the thickness setting value, ensuring that the uncut portion Re falls.

[0097] With this configuration, in the final cutting stage, the pair of front and rear upper end claws 43 and lower end claws 51 are moved away from the frozen block of meat M, so the frozen block of meat M can be cut without being hindered by the pair of front and rear upper end claws 43 and lower end claws 51. In other words, compared to cutting while gripping with the pair of front and rear upper end claws 43 and lower end claws 51, the uncut portion Re can be made extremely small, improving the yield of the frozen block of meat M. In this embodiment, the thickness of the uncut portion Re is about half or less of that when a conventional device is used (for example, about 40 mm).

[0098] Furthermore, in the cutting stages prior to the final cutting stage, the backing plate 17 is positioned by the thickness adjustment motor 94a so that the backing plate opening amount is greater than the thickness setting value, which prevents foreign matter such as meat scraps from adhering from the backing plate 17 to the tip end surface F of the frozen block of meat M. Furthermore, in the final cutting stage, the backing plate 17 is positioned by the thickness adjustment motor 94a so that the backing plate opening amount is the same as the thickness setting value, so that meat pieces S having the same feed direction thickness Ms as the thickness setting value are obtained from the frozen block of meat M sandwiched between the push plate 42 and the backing plate 17, thereby improving yield.

[0099] Furthermore, in the final cutting stage, the protruding cylinder 134 moves the backing plate 17 toward the front, making the protruding length of the backing plate 17 toward the band saw 14 longer than in the previous cutting stage, thereby lengthening the time that the frozen block of meat M being cut is sandwiched between the push plate 42 and the backing plate 17. This suppresses rotation of the frozen block of meat M about the yaw axis, preventing the pieces of meat cut into two in the final cutting stage from scattering.

[0100] The timing at which the backing plate 17 is displaced by the thickness adjustment motor 94a and the protruding cylinder 134 in the final cutting stage is not particularly limited, as long as it occurs between immediately after the feed direction thickness Ms of the frozen block meat M is cut off in the cutting stage immediately before the final cutting stage and until the frozen block meat M is sandwiched between the press plate 42 and the backing plate 17 in the final cutting stage. The timing at which the backing plate 17 is displaced toward the front by the operation of the protruding cylinder 134 may occur while the frozen block meat M is being cut in the final cutting stage. That is, the backing plate 17 is not displaced toward the front before the frozen block meat M is sandwiched between the press plate 42 and the backing plate 17. In the final cutting stage, the backing plate 17 may be displaced toward the front while the sandwiched frozen block meat M is being cut, thereby lengthening the protruding length of the backing plate 17 toward the front, thereby lengthening the time that the frozen block meat M is sandwiched between the press plate 42 and the backing plate 17. For example, after the frozen block of meat M is clamped, if the gripping mechanism 31 etc. is moved toward the front to cut the frozen block of meat M in the latter half of the operation, the backing plate 17 can be moved toward the front at a speed similar to the speed at which the gripping mechanism 31 moves toward the front, thereby reducing friction between the frozen block of meat M and the backing plate 17.

[0101] When all of the frozen meat blocks M on the table 30 have been cut, the left and right guide motor 64a moves the gripping mechanism 31 back to the initial position shown in Figure 19(a). After the gripping mechanism 31 has moved back to the initial position shown in Figure 19(a), pressing the stop switch 102 stops the saw wheel motor 18 and stops the rotation of the band saw 14. In this embodiment, the machine base door 166 is opened by the machine base door cylinder 167.

[0102] However, there is a demand for varying the thickness of the cut meat pieces S (slices) for each portion of the frozen block meat M (each portion in the food feed direction) between the first and last cutting stages of the same frozen block meat M. Therefore, when the stop switch 102 (or another switch such as a pause switch displayed on the operation unit 105) is pressed between the first and last cutting stages, the cutting stage in progress is terminated, and the left-right guide motor 64a moves the gripping mechanism 31 back to the initial position shown in FIG. 19( a), enabling the thickness setting to be changed using the operation unit 105. After the operator changes the thickness setting (or does not need to change it), the thickness adjustment motor 94a adjusts the position of the backing plate 17 in the left-right direction so that the backing plate opening amount corresponds to the thickness setting. Then, the front-rear guide motor 74 moves the table 30, the gripping mechanism 31, and the left-right guide mechanism 32 together with the frozen block meat M to the rear side, and then the left-right guide motor 64a moves them rightward, so that the feed start end of the frozen block meat M abuts against the contact plate 17 (see FIG. 19(c)). Thereafter, after the cutting step of the excess thickness Mr in the feed direction, the left-right guide motor 64a feeds the frozen block meat M to the cutting device 2 at a feed amount of the frozen block meat M according to the thickness set value, and the cutting step of cutting meat pieces S of the thickness set value from the frozen block meat M is repeated.

[0103] In this way, when the feed amount of the frozen block meat M is changed between the first cutting stage and the last cutting stage for the same frozen block meat M, the controller 113 changes the amount of opening of the backing plate by moving the backing plate 17 left and right using the left and right guide motor 64a of the backing plate drive mechanism 5 in accordance with the change, so that the thickness of the meat piece S to be cut can be changed without having to re-gripping the gripping mechanism 31 for the same frozen block meat M, which is user-friendly.

[0104] Furthermore, when cutting the frozen block meat M, a desired thickness setting value (thickness value of the cut meat pieces S) may be set in advance for each portion in the feed direction of the frozen block meat M. In this case, the feed amount of the frozen block meat M and the opening amount of the backing plates are adjusted by the left-right guide motor 64a and the thickness adjustment motor 94a according to the thickness setting value at each cutting stage, even if the operator does not operate the switches 101, 102 or the operation unit 105, from the first cutting stage to the last cutting stage.

[0105] In the embodiment, the configuration in which meat pieces S are cut out without the feed start end of the frozen block meat M contacting the backing plate 17 in the cutting stages prior to the final cutting stage has been described. However, this does not exclude a configuration in which meat pieces S are cut out while the feed start end of the frozen block meat M is in contact with the backing plate 17. For example, meat pieces S may be cut out while the feed start end of the frozen block meat M is in contact with the backing plate 17 from the first cutting stage to the final cutting stage. In a configuration in which the feed start end of the frozen block meat M is in contact with the backing plate 17 when cutting meat pieces S from the frozen block meat M, the thickness adjustment motor 94a adjusts the left-right position of the backing plate 17 so that the backing plate opening amount is the same as the thickness setting value. In this case, the torque (rotational force) of the thickness adjustment motor 94a may be reduced when maintaining the backing plate opening amount to prevent the frozen block meat M from being clamped with excessive force and reduce friction between the frozen block meat M and the backing plate 17. In addition, the feed amount of the frozen block meat M may be set larger than the opening amount of the contact plate 17 so that the feed start end of the frozen block meat M can be reliably brought into contact with the contact plate 17 .

[0106] Next, a modified example of the gripping mechanism 31 will be described with reference to Figures 23 and 24. In the description of this embodiment, the same components as those in the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted. In Figures 23(A) and 24(A), the front end upper claw 43 and the vertical cylinder 44A are shown by phantom lines.

[0107] In the gripping mechanism 31 of this embodiment, the lower end claws 51 are fixed to the base plate 41, and the push plate 42 is provided so as to be able to move back and forth left and right relative to the lower end claws 51. The upper end claws 43 are provided so as to be able to move up and down by driving a vertical cylinder 44A attached to the base plate 41. An upper intermediate claw bracket 56A, which rotatably supports the base end side of the upper intermediate claw 47, is fixed to the base plate 41.

[0108] A pair of front and rear vertical cylinders 44A are attached to a base plate 41 fixed to the arm 63 of the upper slider 62 (see Figures 14, 15, etc.) of the left-right guide mechanism 32. The vertical cylinder 44A is pneumatic and includes a pair of guide bars 45a sandwiching a rod 45A. The rod 45A and the pair of guide bars 45a protrude downward from a cylinder body 46A of the vertical cylinder 44A, and their tips are fixed to the base plate 41. An upper end claw 43 is connected to a metal upper claw bracket 43a fixed to the cylinder body 46A. The upper end claw 43 is disposed above a lower end claw 51. When the vertical cylinder 44A contracts, the upper end claw 43 moves downward to grip the feeding end of the frozen block meat M. When the vertical cylinder 44A extends, the lower end claw 51 moves upward to move away from the feeding end of the frozen block meat M.

[0109] An intermediate upper jaw cylinder 48 with a rod 49 protruding rightward is attached to the intermediate upper jaw 47. A midpoint of the intermediate upper jaw 47 is journaled on the rod 49 of the intermediate upper jaw cylinder 48. A cylinder body 50 of the intermediate upper jaw cylinder 48 is journaled on a metal intermediate upper jaw bracket 56A that journals the base end side of the intermediate upper jaw 47.

[0110] A cylinder body 39 of a push plate cylinder 37, with a rod 38 protruding to the right, is attached to the underside of the base plate 41. The push plate cylinder 37 is pneumatic and includes a pair of guide bars 38a sandwiching the rod 38. A push plate bracket 42a, which is U-shaped in plan view, is fixed to the rod 38 and the pair of guide bars 38a of the push plate cylinder 37. The push plate bracket 42a is made of metal and is roughly U-shaped with an opening facing right, surrounding the lower claw support portion 41a hanging down from the right end of the base plate 41. The left surface of the push plate bracket 42a is connected to the rod 38 and the pair of guide bars 38a of the push plate cylinder 37, and the front and rear ends of the push plate 42 are fixed to the right ends of the front and rear side portions of the push plate bracket 42a. The push plate 42 moves left and right as the push plate cylinder 37 extends and retracts. In this case, when the push plate cylinder 37 extends, the push plate 42 moves forward approaching the lower end claw 51, and when the push plate cylinder 37 contracts, the push plate 42 moves backward away from the lower end claw 51.

[0111] By positioning the press plate 42 in a retracted position away from the lower end claws 51, the lower end claws 51 and the upper end claws 43 can grip the feeding end portion of the frozen block meat M. In this embodiment, a press plate stopper 40 that restricts the retraction of the press plate 42 is detachably attached to the base plate 41. The press plate stopper 40 is disposed opposite the left side surface of the press plate bracket 42a. When the press plate cylinder 37 is retracted, the press plate bracket 42a comes into contact with the press plate stopper 40, restricting leftward movement, thereby restricting leftward movement (retraction) of the press plate 42. By appropriately changing the attachment position of the press plate stopper 40 to the base plate 41, the distance between the press plate 42 and the lower end claws 51, i.e., the thickness of the uncut portion Re (see FIG. 25 ) of the frozen block meat M, can be appropriately changed. The push plate stopper 40 contacts the push plate bracket 42a when restricting the retracted position of the push plate 42, but may be configured to contact the push plate 42. The attachment position of the push plate stopper 40 can be changed as appropriate, for example, to the underside of the base plate 41, the rear end, or the right end.

[0112] Next, an example of a procedure for cutting a frozen block of meat M using a slicer 1 equipped with a gripping mechanism 31A will be described with reference to Figure 25. Figure 25 is a diagram illustrating an example of the final cutting stage of a frozen block of meat using the gripping mechanism. Figure 25 shows a simplified configuration of each part of the slicer 1.

[0113] 19 to 21, the frozen block of meat M is gripped by the front and rear pairs of upper end claws 43, upper middle claws 47, and lower end claws 51, and then the meat pieces S are sequentially obtained. When the final cutting stage is reached, the gripping mechanism 31 is moved by the left-right guide motor 64a to a position where the frozen block of meat M extends to the right by an amount corresponding to the feed direction thickness Ms (corresponding to the meat pieces S) of the frozen block of meat M when the push plate 42 is moved to the right (see FIG. 25(a)).

[0114] In the final cutting stage, the backing plate 17 is moved leftward by the thickness adjustment motor 94a of the backing plate drive mechanism 5 so that the backing plate opening amount becomes smaller than the thickness setting value (see FIG. 25(a)). In the final cutting stage, the movement of the gripping mechanism 31 by the left-right guide motor 64a and the movement of the backing plate 17 by the thickness adjustment motor 94a may be performed simultaneously (in parallel), or one of the operations may be performed first and then the other.

[0115] Next, the vertical cylinder 44A is raised to release the upper end claws 43 from the frozen block of meat M, and then, during or after the vertical cylinder 44A has lifted, the push plate cylinder 37 is extended to push the frozen block of meat M to the right toward the backing plate 17. The extension of the push plate cylinder 37 begins during the lift of the vertical cylinder 44A, eliminating the waiting time.

[0116] The push plate cylinder 37 continues to extend even after the frozen block of meat M comes into contact with the backing plate 17. At this time, the torque (rotational force) of the thickness adjustment motor 94a is reduced when maintaining the backing plate opening amount, and the push plate cylinder 37 continues to extend until the push plate 42 approaches the lower end claw 51. The frozen block of meat M moves to the right while pushing the backing plate 17 to the right, and the frozen block of meat M protrudes to the right from the band saw 14 by an amount equal to the feed direction thickness Ms (corresponding to the meat piece S) (see FIG. 25(b)).

[0117] While controlling the thickness adjustment motor 94a to maintain the position of the backing plate 17 shown in Figure 25(b), the table 30, gripping mechanism 31, and left-right guide mechanism 32 are moved from the back to the front by the front-rear guide motor 74 together with the frozen block of meat M. As a result, the frozen block of meat M is cut into two pieces at the exposed part of the band saw 14, resulting in a piece of meat S and an uncut portion Re, which fall onto the discharge conveyor 81 (see Figure 25(c)). After cutting, the gripping mechanism 31 may be moved rightward by the left-right guide motor 64a to ensure that the uncut portion Re falls onto the discharge conveyor 81. Alternatively, after cutting, the thickness adjustment motor 94a may be used to move the backing plate 17 to the right to increase the opening amount so that the backing plate 17 does not obstruct the fall of the uncut portion Re.

[0118] In the final cutting stage, the backing plate 17 may be displaced toward the front by the operation of the protruding cylinder 134 during or before cutting the frozen block of meat M, thereby increasing the protruding length of the backing plate 17 on the front side. This increases the time that the frozen block of meat M is sandwiched between the push plate 42 and the backing plate 17 in the final cutting stage, thereby preventing the cut meat pieces S and the uncut portion Re from scattering. In particular, after the frozen block of meat M has been sandwiched, if the gripping mechanism 31 and the like are moved toward the front to cut the frozen block of meat M, for example, in the latter half of the operation, the backing plate 17 is moved toward the front at a speed similar to the speed at which the gripping mechanism 31 moves toward the front, the frozen block of meat M can be cut into two pieces of meat while reducing friction between the frozen block of meat M and the backing plate 17.

[0119] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be embodied in various forms. For example, various types of actuators, such as pneumatic cylinders and electric motors, may be used for operating the various components of the slicer 1. The configuration of each component is not limited to the illustrated embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0120] 2 Cutting device, 3 Carrying-in device, 4 Carrying-out device, 5 Backing plate drive mechanism, 6 Backing plate slide drive mechanism, 14 Band saw (blade body), 17 Backing plate, 17a Fall prevention body, 30 Table, 31 Gripping mechanism, 32 Left-right guide mechanism (feed guide mechanism), 33 Front-rear guide mechanism (reciprocating guide mechanism), 42 Push plate, 43 End upper claw (end fixing body), 47 Middle upper claw (middle gripping body), 94a Thickness adjustment motor (servo motor), 113 Controller (control means), M Frozen meat block (food)

Claims

1. A food slicer comprising a cutting device that cuts food into slices, and a feed device that feeds the food toward the cutting device at a predetermined food feed amount, wherein the feed device's gripping mechanism comprises an end gripping body that grips the end of the food feed, and a push plate that abuts against the end of the food feed, the food slicer also comprises a backing plate that faces the push plate and can abut against the start of the food feed, a backing plate drive mechanism that moves the backing plate back and forth in the food feed direction to adjust the backing plate opening amount, which is the distance between the backing plate and the blade of the cutting device, and control means that, in the final cutting stage of the food, moves the end gripping body away from the food, and sandwiches the food between the backing plate and the push plate, causing the food to be cut by the cutting device, and the control means controls the backing plate drive mechanism to change the backing plate opening amount between the first cutting stage and the final cutting stage of the food gripped by the gripping mechanism. Food slicer.

2. The food slicer according to claim 1, wherein the control means controls the backing plate drive mechanism to position the backing plate at a position where the backing plate opening amount is greater than the food feed amount in a cutting stage prior to the final cutting stage to prevent the food from contacting the backing plate, and to position the backing plate at a position where the backing plate opening amount is the same as the food feed amount in the final cutting stage.

3. The food slicer according to claim 1, wherein when the amount of food feed is changed between the first cutting stage and the last cutting stage for the same food, the control means operates the backing plate drive device to change the amount of backing plate opening in accordance with the change.

4. The food slicer according to claim 1, further comprising a contact detection sensor that detects displacement of the backing plate in the food feed direction, and wherein the control means detects contact of the food with the backing plate by a change in an electrical signal generated in the contact detection sensor.

5. The food slicer according to claim 4, wherein the backing plate drive mechanism comprises an actuator that moves the backing plate back and forth in the food feed direction by driving a servo motor, and the control means uses the servo motor as the contact detection sensor and detects contact of the food with the backing plate by a change in the electrical signal generated in the servo motor when the food comes into contact with the backing plate.

6. A food slicer as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the feed device comprises a table on which the food is placed, a feed guide mechanism which moves the end gripper back and forth on the table in the food feed direction, and a reciprocating guide mechanism which moves the table upstream of the cutting device in the food feed direction between a front position and a rear position relative to the blade, and the food slicer comprises a backing plate slide drive mechanism which moves the backing plate in the reciprocating direction of the table, and the control means operates the backing plate slide drive mechanism in the final cutting stage to move the backing plate towards the front side, making the protruding length of the backing plate relative to the blade longer than in cutting stages prior to the final cutting stage.

7. The food slicer according to claim 6, wherein a drop prevention member for preventing sliced ​​pieces from falling is provided below the backing plate, and the drop prevention member is located at a position not located forward of the blade body during the final cutting stage.

8. The food slicer according to claim 6, wherein, when cutting the food, the control means causes the table to reciprocate at a speed equal to or less than a predetermined speed when the gripping mechanism is spaced apart from the blade by a predetermined distance or more.

9. A food slicer as described in claim 1, wherein the gripping mechanism comprises a midway gripping body that grips a midway portion of the food being fed, and a midway gripping body moving mechanism that moves the midway gripping body in the food feeding direction relative to the push plate.

10. A food slicer as described in claim 9, wherein the control means uses the intermediate gripper moving mechanism to position the intermediate gripper at a position relatively distant from the push plate, moves the intermediate gripper away from the food when the portion of the food being gripped by the intermediate gripper approaches the cutting device, and uses the intermediate gripper moving mechanism to position the intermediate gripper at a position relatively close to the push plate, and then grips and moves the intermediate gripper.

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