Device for crushing and / or compressing food portions, a slicing device and a method for crushing and / or compressing a food portion

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for crushing and / or compressing (7) food portions (3a, 3b), in particular food slices, comprising at least one conveyor belt (10) for transporting the food portions (3a, 3b) along a conveyor path, characterized in that the device (7) has a stop element (8) which can be moved into the conveyor path and a lifting element (9) which lifts the food portions (3a, 3b) perpendicularly to the conveyor belt (10).

Description

[0001] Device for upsetting and / or compressing food portions, a cutting device and a method for upsetting and / or compressing a food portion

[0002] The invention relates to a device for upsetting and / or compressing food portions, as well as a slicing device for slicing food into food portions and upsetting and / or compressing one or more food portions. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for upsetting and / or compressing a food portion.

[0003] Slicing devices are primarily used in the industrial processing of food, where the slicing device can cut food, especially food bars, into individual portions. For this purpose, the slicing devices comprise a cutting blade and a drive unit, the cutting blade slicing the food into portions. These portions fall onto a product tray and are simply conveyed further.

[0004] In the food industry, particularly for sliced ​​foods, there is sometimes a requirement to present and, if necessary, package food portions in a folded, compressed, or squashed form. It is already known that food slices can be turned or folded by the targeted arrangement and movement of two conveying devices. For this purpose, a first conveying device can place the food slices onto a second conveying device, with the second conveying device having a conveying direction opposite to that of the first. Especially in the industrial application of such a device and the associated potentially high volumes of food portions, either the reversal of the respective conveying devices negatively impacts efficiency, or the increased complexity resulting from the arrangement of the two conveying devices relative to each other does.The two conveying systems thus move in opposite directions, requiring either a complex rerouting of the food portions or increased space requirements. For example, a first conveying system transports the food portions away from a cutting blade, while the second conveying system, by reversing direction, moves them back towards the cutting blade. The folded food portions are then preferably packaged, but the packaging machine cannot be positioned below the cutting blade, meaning the food portions would have to be rerouted, at least slightly, on the second conveying system. This can negatively affect the stability of the folded, compressed, or pinched food portions, increasing the likelihood of them reopening.When unfolded, the likelihood increases that the food portion will no longer fit into the intended packaging.

[0005] Against this background, the task arises to provide a device for the efficient and more stable upsetting and / or compression of food portions.

[0006] The problem is solved by a device for upsetting and / or compressing food portions, in particular food slices, with at least one conveyor belt for transporting the food portions along a conveyor path, characterized in that the device has a stop element movable into the conveyor path and a lifting element that lifts the food portions perpendicular to the conveyor belt.

[0007] The method according to the invention has the advantage that the device can efficiently and with low complexity compress and / or shrink portions of food. Furthermore, the device is a particularly space-saving device for compressing and / or shrinking food portions, and in particular, no reversal of direction of a conveyor belt is required. The stop element and the lifting element can either be designed as separate components or as a combined stop and lever element, in which both the stop element and the lifting element are integrated.

[0008] According to the invention, the device for upsetting and / or compressing food portions comprises at least one conveyor belt. This conveyor belt transports one or more food portions along a conveying path. A food portion can consist of one or more food slices or the like, wherein the food portions consist in particular of sausage, meat, cheese, or vegetarian or vegan substitute products. According to the invention, the device comprises a stop element movable into the conveying path and a lifting element that raises the food portions perpendicular to the conveyor belt. The food portion can be upset, folded, or compressed by the stop element, with the lifting element, in conjunction with the conveyor belt, further folding the food portion.Preferably, the movable stop element is either pivotable about an axis of rotation or movable essentially perpendicular to the conveying path. More preferably, the lifting element is movable essentially perpendicular to the conveying path. In the integrated variant, in which the stop element and the lifting element are integrated into a common stop and lever element, the stop and lifting element is pivotable into and out of the conveying path.

[0009] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the device is configured to move the movable stop element or the stop and lever element into the conveying path of a food portion, while the conveyor belt remains movable. The stop element or the stop and lever element can preferably be moved into the conveying path in such a way that it serves as a front stop for the food portions. Advantageously, the stop element or the stop and lever element is arranged and / or moved in such a way that the conveyor belt does not need to be stopped to move the stop element or the stop and lever element, or can continue running. Preferably, the stop element or the stop and lever element is arranged in the conveying path, with the conveyor belt continuing to convey the food portions toward, and in particular against, the stop element or the stop and lever element.Thus, the food portion can be compressed at the stop element or the stop and lever element, resulting in a folding of the food portions.

[0010] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the device is configured such that the lifting element or the stop and lever element partially lifts the food portion, while the conveyor belt remains movable. The lifting element or the stop and lever element can at least partially lift the food portion, with a remainder of the food portion remaining in direct contact with the conveyor belt. The lifting element or the stop and lever element is configured such that it lifts a portion of the food portion in such a way that this portion is no longer in direct contact with the conveyor belt. Furthermore, the device is preferably designed such that the conveyor belt remains movable during the lifting of the food portion. Thus, the portion of the food portion can advantageously be lifted by the conveyor belt.The unlifted portion of the food portion, which is connected to the conveyor belt, continues to be conveyed along the conveyor path. The key advantage is that the lifted portion can no longer be conveyed by the conveyor belt, at least temporarily, and is stationary along the conveyor path, while the other portion continues to be transported and is folded or guided beneath the food portion. Folding, bunching, and / or compressing beneath the food portion can create good adhesion between the food portions and reduce the likelihood of them unfolding. This results in a more stable fold that preferably does not come undone over longer transport distances. The lifted portion of the food portion includes, in particular, the front end and an intermediate section.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the device is configured such that the lifting element or the stop and lever element partially lifts the food portion, provided that the food portion is positioned with a front end against the stop element or the stop and lever element and / or the food portion is at least partially compressed. The advantage lies in the fact that a front end of the food portion, particularly along the conveying path, is positioned against the stop element or the stop and lever element and / or that the front end and the intermediate region of the food portion are compressed.The initial folding, upsetting, and / or compression can thus take place at the stop element or the stop and lever element. Lifting, in conjunction with the further conveyance of the food portion by the conveyor belt, enables the folding, upsetting, or compression to occur beneath the food portion. This allows for the efficient and simple folding of a food portion, which, by folding the rear end underneath, also exhibits greater robustness compared to unfolding during transport. This ensures that the food portion fits into a predetermined packaging size.

[0012] Preferably, the lifting element is arranged upstream of the stop element. The food portions are preferably conveyed along the lifting element to the stop element. More preferably, after being compressed and / or uplifted by the device, the food portion is conveyed further downstream of the stop element, particularly in a direction opposite to that of the lifting element.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the device is configured such that several food portions are compressed and / or folded along a conveying path. The stop element and / or the lifting element can be moved cyclically and repeatedly, so that, in particular, several individual food portions can be folded, compressed and / or folded one after the other along the conveying path.

[0014] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the food portion has a front end, a rear end, and an intermediate section along a conveying direction, wherein the lifting element or the stop and lever element is configured such that it lifts the front end and the intermediate section of the food portion from the conveyor belt. The lifting element or the stop and lever element is configured such that the front end of the food portion is lifted in such a way that at least a portion of the food portion remains on the conveyor belt, in particular the rear end. The device preferably has a conveying direction, wherein the conveying direction extends along the conveying path and, in particular, along the lifting element towards the stop element.The rear end can be defined as the portion of the food portion that remains in contact with the conveyor belt after the front portion has been lifted by the lifting element or the stop and lever element. The front end and the intermediate section can be the portion of the food portion that is lifted by the lifting element or the stop and lever element. It is also conceivable that an intermediate section or area exists between the front and rear ends of the food portion, whereby this intermediate section or area is neither in direct contact with the conveyor belt nor directly lifted by the lifting element or the stop and lever element.

[0015] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the conveyor belt has a conveying plane, wherein the food portion is substantially arranged on the conveying plane, and wherein the food portion is, in particular, partially lifted above the conveying plane by the lifting element or the stop and lever element. Preferably, the movable stop element or the stop and lever element can be configured such that it extends through the conveying plane. More preferably, the lifting element or the stop and lever element can be configured such that it extends through the conveying plane and partially lifts the food portion from the conveying plane. For this purpose, the lifting element or the stop and lever element can be arranged below the conveying plane, in particular substantially parallel to the conveying plane, and move through the conveying plane, preferably substantially perpendicularly.According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the lifting element or the stop and lever element is configured such that, when the food portion is lifted by the lifting element or the stop and lever element, the rear end of the food portion is at least partially positioned on the conveyor belt, and in particular, the rear end of the food portion can be transported further in the conveying direction by means of the conveyor belt. Thus, the rear end can be folded, compressed, and / or pinched under the food portion, resulting in a more robust fold. In particular, the folding and / or pinching of the rear end under the food portion, in conjunction with the food portion's own weight, reduces the likelihood of the food portion unfolding during further transport on the conveyor belt.

[0016] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the device has several substantially parallel conveying tracks, each conveying track transporting a food portion and comprising at least one conveyor belt, a stop element, and a lifting element or a stop and lever element. A conveying track can comprise a conveyor belt, a stop element, and a lifting element or a stop and lever element, and is preferably suitable for upsetting, compressing, and / or folding a food portion. By means of several substantially parallel conveying tracks, several food portions can advantageously be upsetting, compressing, and / or folding substantially simultaneously or sequentially, thus providing a space-saving device.The individual stop elements, lifting elements, stop and lever elements, and / or conveyor belts of a conveyor track can be controlled individually, in groups, or simultaneously. Preferably, the conveyor tracks are arranged equidistant from one another. Thus, the individual conveyor tracks can, for example, compress and / or shrink food portions essentially independently of the other conveyor tracks. Advantageously, this allows for uniform compression and / or shrinking of the food portions on the different conveyor tracks. Alternatively, it is conceivable that the food portions are compressed and / or shrunk essentially simultaneously by means of the multiple conveyor tracks. Furthermore, it is preferred that the conveyor belts of the multiple conveyor tracks are controlled in such a way that the food portions are compressed and / or shrunk and / or folded essentially simultaneously.Thus, any offset that might occur during the cutting of the food portions can be compensated for by the conveyor belts. Preferably, a conveyor track has several conveyor belts, in particular two, wherein the conveyor belts are spaced apart perpendicular to the conveying path such that the movable stop element and / or the lifting element and / or the stop and lever element can be moved into the conveying path through a gap between the conveyor belts. Advantageously, this prevents the conveyor belt from being loaded by the stop element and / or the lifting element and / or the stop and lever element. Furthermore, the lifting element and / or the stop and lever element can partially lift the food portion from the conveyor belt. Additionally, the stop element and / or the stop and lever element can serve as a stop for the food portion.Advantageously, this allows the conveyor belt to continue operating even though the stop element and / or the lifting element and / or the stop and lever element interfere with the conveying path.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the conveyor belt is designed as an endless belt and has a load side and an idle side, wherein the movable stop element and / or the stop and lever element is arranged below the conveyor belt, between the load side and the idle side, or above the conveyor belt, and / or the lifting element and / or the stop and lever element is arranged between the load side and the idle side or below the conveyor belt. Preferably, the lifting element and / or the stop element and / or the stop and lever element is arranged at a height between the load side and the idle side and at a distance between two conveyor belts of a conveying track.

[0018] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the stop element and the lifting element are designed as a single module and, in particular, are movable together, for example, as an integrated stop and lever element. The lifting element and the stop element are preferably movable as a single module. This further reduces the complexity of the device and advantageously requires only one control unit. Furthermore, the module can be more compact. Alternatively, it is conceivable that the stop element is formed as part of the lifting element or is arranged on the lifting element, or vice versa. It is also conceivable that it is movable separately. The lifting element preferably performs an adjustment movement substantially perpendicular to the conveying path, with the stop element also performing the adjustment movement and, alternatively or additionally, being pivotable.

[0019] The stop and / or lever element is designed, in particular, as L-shaped fingers that can be pivoted into and out of the conveying path. It is conceivable that the L-shaped fingers are pivoted through openings, especially slots, in a base plate.

[0020] Preferably, a plurality of stop and lever elements are fixedly connected to a common shaft and pivotable with it. The shaft is preferably driven into a pivoting motion by a laterally arranged linear motor, in particular via a rocker arm. The linear motor can be attached to a side wall of the device.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the movable stop element, the lifting element and / or the stop and lever element is pivotable or movable through the conveying plane.

[0022] Preferably, the stop and lever element has an elongated stop and lever element extending substantially along the conveying path, wherein the stop and lever element can be pivoted into and out of the conveying path about an axis of rotation perpendicular to the conveying path.

[0023] Preferably, the stop and lever element has an upwardly projecting stop area at the free end facing away from the axis of rotation, against which the front end of the food portion transported along the conveying path abuts when the stop and lever element is in the position pivoted into the conveying path, wherein the stop area is the stop element.

[0024] Preferably, the stop and lever element has a support surface for the food portion extending substantially along the main extension direction of the stop element between the stop area and the axis of rotation. The front end and the intermediate area of ​​the food portion rest on this support surface when the stop and lever element is in the position pivoted into the conveying path, wherein the support surface is the lifting element, and preferably the support surface and the stop area are angular and, in particular, perpendicular to each other.

[0025] Preferably, the stop and lever element has a folding edge for the rear end of the food portion, over which the rear end of the food portion can fold downwards towards the conveyor belt when the stop and lever element is in the position pivoted into the conveying path, wherein the folding edge is formed between the support surface and the axis of rotation.

[0026] A further object of the invention is a slicing device for slicing food into food portions and upsetting and / or compressing one or more food portions, wherein the slicing device comprises a conveying unit, a cutting blade, and a device for upsetting and / or compressing according to one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the conveying unit is arranged upstream of the cutting blade and the device is arranged downstream of the cutting blade. Downstream of the device for upsetting and / or compressing the food portions, a packaging machine for packaging the upset and / or compressed food portions can be arranged.

[0027] A further object of the invention is a method for upsetting and / or compressing a food portion, wherein the method comprises the inventive device for upsetting and / or compressing, wherein, during the transport of the food portion by means of the conveyor belt, the movable stop element or the stop and lever element is moved into the conveying path of the food portion and, in particular following a first folding and / or upsetting and / or compression of the food portion by the stop element or the stop and lever element, the food portion is partially lifted by the lifting element or the stop and lever element and the conveyor belt transports a remainder of the food portion further along the conveying path. The conveyor belt can transport the food portions along the conveying path in the direction of the stop element.The lifting element can be arranged upstream of the stop element, and a packaging unit is arranged downstream of the stop element. During the transport of the food portions by means of the conveyor belt, the movable stop element or the stop and lever element is moved into the conveying path of the food portion. The stop element or the stop and lever element can compress the food portions and / or create a first fold in the food portions, wherein the lifting element or the stop and lever element partially lifts the food portion, particularly after the compression and / or first fold. The lifting element or the stop and lever element preferably lifts a portion of the food portions, particularly a leading end in the conveying direction, so that the remainder of the food portions remains in direct contact with the conveyor belt.The lifting by the lifting element or the stop and lever element and the compression by the stop element or the stop and lever element preferably occur essentially simultaneously. More preferably, the food portion is first compressed by the stop element or the stop and lever element and subsequently lifted by the lifting element or the stop and lever element. Advantageously, the conveyor belt can continue moving so that the remaining portion of the food portion on the conveyor belt can be transported further and, in particular, folded and / or guided underneath the food portion.

[0028] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the food portion has a front end, a rear end, and an intermediate section along a conveying direction, wherein the lifting element or the stop and lever element lifts the food portion such that the rear end and / or the intermediate section of the food portion is positioned on the conveyor belt. The conveying direction preferably extends along the lifting element towards the stop element and preferably further downstream of the stop element. The front end of the food portion is preferably positioned at the front in the conveying direction. The lifting element or the stop and lever element more preferably lifts only the front end and / or the intermediate section of the food portion, with the rear end remaining on the conveyor belt.Lifting can be understood as the lifting of the food portion from the conveyor belt, in particular by the lifting element or the stop and lever element. The lifting preferably takes place in such a way that a portion, especially the rear end of the food portion, remains on the conveyor belt.

[0029] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the conveyor belt is stopped when the movable stop element or the stop and lever element is moved out of the conveying path of the food portion and / or the lifting element is lowered. After the folding, upsetting, and / or compression process, which preferably consists of compression by the stop element or the stop and lever element, lifting by the lifting element or the stop and lever element, and further conveying of the remainder of the food portion by the conveyor belt, the stop element and / or the lifting element or the stop and lever element can be moved out of the conveying path again. Thus, the upset and / or compressed food portion can be conveyed further.According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the device has several substantially parallel conveying tracks, wherein a conveying track has at least one conveyor belt, a movable stop element and a lifting element or a stop and lever element, wherein, in particular, a portion of food is compressed and / or squeezed simultaneously by means of the conveying track.

[0030] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that several portions of food are compressed and / or pressed essentially simultaneously or at different times by means of the several essentially parallel conveyor tracks.

[0031] The same advantages and effects can be achieved in the slicing device and the method for upsetting and / or compressing a food portion as have already been described in connection with the device for upsetting and / or compressing according to the invention. The advantageous embodiments and features described in connection with the device for upsetting and / or compressing according to the invention can also be applied to the slicing device and the method for upsetting and / or compressing a food portion, alone or in combination.

[0032] Further details and advantages of the invention will be explained below with reference to the exemplary embodiments shown in the figures. These show:

[0033] Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of an embodiment of a cutting device;

[0034] Figures 2a, b, c, d, e show a schematic representation of a first embodiment of the device according to the invention for upsetting and / or compressing food portions and the method according to the invention;

[0035] Figure 3 is a schematic representation of a multi-lane

[0036] Conveyor unit and product support of a cutting device;

[0037] Figures 4 and 5 show schematic views of a second

[0038] Exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention.

[0039] Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a slicing device 1 for slicing foodstuffs 2 into food portions 3a, 3b. The foodstuffs 2 are preferably designed as food bars and are cut into food slices. One or more food slices preferably constitute a food portion 3a, 3b. Depending on the requirements, it may be desirable to fold, crimp, and / or compress the food portions 3a, 3b. Figure 1 shows that the slicing device 1 comprises, in addition to a conveying unit 6 and a cutting blade 4, a device 7 for crimping and / or compressing the food portions 3a, 3b. The conveying unit 6 is arranged upstream of the cutting blade 4, and the device 7 for crimping and / or compressing is arranged downstream of the cutting blade 4.The cutting blade 4 is preferably driven by a drive unit 5 and produces food portions 3a, 3b from the food 2. The food 2 can be transported to the cutting blade 4 via the conveying unit 6, and in particular such that the food 2 crosses a cutting plane of the cutting blade 4. The produced food slices or food portions 3a, 3b fall onto the device for upsetting and / or compressing 7, where the food portions 3a, 3b can advantageously be upset, folded, and / or compressed. Further downstream of the device for upsetting and / or compressing 7, a packaging machine can be arranged, wherein the packaging machine packages the upset, folded, and / or compressed food portions 3a, 3b.

[0040] Figures 2a to 2e show a schematic representation of a device according to the invention for upsetting and / or compressing food portions 3a, 3b according to a first embodiment. According to the invention, the device 7 has at least one conveyor belt 10 which moves the food portion 3a or several food portions 3a, 3b along a conveying path. The conveying direction x of the conveyor belt 10 preferably extends along the lifting element 9 and further downstream over the stop element 8. A movable stop element 8 can be moved into the conveying path and, in particular, can function as a stop for the food portion 3a. Furthermore, the device 7 has a lifting element 9, wherein the lifting element 9 can lift the food portions 3a, 3b perpendicular to the conveyor belt 10. For this purpose, the lifting element 9 is designed to be adjustable or movable perpendicular to the conveyor belt 10.Advantageously, the device 7 represents a simple structure for upsetting and / or compressing food portions 3a, 3b, which can produce a particularly robust folding result.

[0041] Figures 2a, b, c, d, e show, in addition to the device 1 for upsetting and / or compressing 7, a method for upsetting and / or compressing food portions 3a, 3b. Figure 2a shows that the food portion 3a is transported along the conveying path by means of the conveyor belt 10 in the direction of the stop element 8 and the lifting element 9. The conveying direction is indicated by x and an arrow. Figure 2b shows that during the transport of the food portion 3a by means of the conveyor belt 10, the movable stop element 8 is moved into the conveying path. The movable stop element 8 can, in particular, be pivoted or rotated and / or moved substantially perpendicular to the conveying path. The stop element 8 can have a stop position and a starting position, wherein in the stop position the stop element 8 is arranged in the conveying path.In its initial position, the stop element 8 can be positioned outside the conveying path, and it can be moved between the initial position and the stop position. The stop element 8 can be located above, below, or between the conveyor belt 10.

[0042] In particular, while the stop element 8 is in the conveying path, the conveyor belt 10 remains movable. The stop element 8 preferably does not block the conveyor belt 10.

[0043] Figure 2b shows that the stop element 8 serves as a stop for the front end of the food portion 3a. The food portion 3a, 3b can have a front and a rear end, particularly with regard to the conveying direction x. The food portion 3a strikes the stop element 8, and the conveyor belt 10 preferably transports the food portion 3a further in the direction of the stop element 8, so that the food portion 3a is compressed or folded. The folding or compression of the food portion 3a is clearly shown in Figure 2b.

[0044] Fig. 2c shows the movement of the lifting element 9. The device 7 is configured such that the lifting element 9 partially lifts the food portion 3a, while the conveyor belt 10 remains movable. The lifting element 9 can partially lift the food portion 3a from the conveyor belt 10. The lifted portion of the food portion 3a can thus be lifted from the conveyor belt 10 by the lifting element 9, with the remainder of the food portion 3a, in particular the rear end, remaining on the conveyor belt 10. During the lifting action by the lifting element 9, the conveyor belt 10 can continue to convey the remainder of the food portion 3a towards the stop element 8, whereby the rear end, or at least a portion of the remainder of the food portion 3a, is folded, compressed, and / or guided under the food portion 3a. This creates an advantageous and, in particular, robust folding of the food portion 3a.The folding of the rear end, or at least a portion thereof, of the food portion 3a beneath the food portion 3a can also be understood as compression or upsetting, since the food portion 3a can preferably be stationary at its front end or at the raised portion, and the conveyor belt 10 transports the remainder of the food portion 3a further in this direction. The figures shown in Figures 2b and 2c may have a slight time difference between them. This allows for a particularly fast process. After an initial folding of the food portion 3a by the stop element 8 in conjunction with the conveyor belt 10, the food portion 3a can be partially lifted by the lifting element 9.

[0045] The conveyor belt 10 can have a conveying level, wherein the food portion 3a, or food portions 3a, 3b, are arranged on the conveying level and can be transported on it. The lifting element 9 can lift the food portion 3a above the conveying level. Furthermore, the stop element 8 can be moved through the conveying level.

[0046] It is conceivable that the stop element 8 and the lifting element 9 can be moved separately and, in particular, controlled separately. Alternatively, it is conceivable that the stop element 8 and the lifting element 9 are designed as a single module and move together (see Figures 4 and 5). This has a particularly positive effect on the complexity of the device 1 for upsetting and / or compressing.

[0047] Figures 2d and 2e show the movement of the lifting element 9 and the stop element 8 out of the conveying path. The conveyor belt 10 can be stopped, in particular, when the stop element 8 and / or the lifting element 9 is moved out of the conveying path or when the stop element 8 and / or the lifting element 9 is lowered. This ensures that the compressed and / or folded food portion 3a does not change shape again. Once the stop element 8 and / or the lifting element 9 has been moved out of the conveying path, the conveyor belt 10 can continue transporting the compressed and / or folded food portion 3a, 3b.

[0048] Figure 3 shows several conveyor tracks 11 arranged essentially parallel to one another. Each conveyor track 11 preferably comprises at least one conveyor belt 10, a movable stop element 8, and a lifting element 9. Thus, each conveyor track 11 can fold a food portion 3a simultaneously. Figure 3 clearly shows that the conveyor track 11 has two conveyor belts 10, the conveyor belts 10 being spaced apart from each other such that the stop element 8 and the lifting element 9 can be moved between the conveyor belts 10 into the conveying path of the food portion 3a.

[0049] This is advantageous because, in particular, the stop element 8 and the lifting element 9 do not exert any additional load on the conveyor belt 10. Furthermore, it is possible for the conveyor belt 10 to continue moving even though the stop element 8 and / or the lifting element 9 are in direct contact with the food portion 3a, 3b.

[0050] Furthermore, it is conceivable that the conveyor tracks 11 have as little distance z between them as possible, so that the device for upsetting and / or compressing 7 can be designed to be as compact as possible.

[0051] It is conceivable that a conveyor track 11 has several conveyor belts 10, in particular three, several stop elements 8, and several lifting elements 9. This would be particularly desirable for wider food portions 3a, especially perpendicular to the conveyor path, in order to achieve optimal folding results in conjunction with the stop element 8. For example, a conveyor track 11 could have three conveyor belts 10, in particular arranged equidistant from each other, with a stop element 8 and a lifting element 9 arranged between each of the three conveyor belts 10.

[0052] Figure 4 illustrates a schematic perspective view of the device 1 for upsetting and / or compressing foodstuffs 3a, 3b according to a second embodiment. The device 1 essentially corresponds to the device 1 described with reference to Figures 2a to 2e, wherein the stop element 8 and the lifting elements 9 are each integrated into a common stop and lever element 8, 9. The stop and lever element 8, 9 comprises an elongated stop and lever element 8, 9 extending essentially along the conveying path, which can be pivoted into and out of the conveying path about a pivot axis 15 perpendicular to the conveying path.

[0053] The illustrated stop and lever element 8, 9 is designed such that it has an upwardly projecting stop area 18 at the free end facing away from the axis of rotation 15. The front end of the food portion 3a, 3b transported along the conveyor path strikes this stop area when the stop and lever element 8, 9 is in the position pivoted into the conveyor path. The stop area 18 thus functions as a stop element 8, as in the first embodiment.

[0054] The stop and lever element 8, 9 further comprises, between the stop area 18 and the axis of rotation 15, a support surface 17 extending substantially along the main direction of extension of the stop element 8 for the food portion 3a, 3b. The front end and the intermediate portion of the food portion 3a, 3b rest on this support surface 17 when the stop and lever element 8, 9 is in the position pivoted into the conveying path, so that the front end and the intermediate portion of the food portion 3a, 3b are lifted accordingly. The support surface 17 thus functions as the lifting element 9, as in the first embodiment. Here, for example, the support surface 17 and the stop area 18 are configured at right angles to each other. However, smaller or larger angles are also conceivable.

[0055] The stop and lever element 8, 9 further comprises a folding edge 19 for the rear end of the food portion 3a, 3b, over which the rear end of the food portion 3a, 3b can fold downwards towards the conveyor belt 10 and, in particular, onto the conveyor belt 10 when the stop and lever element 8, 9 is in the position pivoted into the conveying path. The folding edge 10 is formed between the support surface 17 and the axis of rotation 15.

[0056] The stop and lever element 8, 9 can be designed, in particular, as an L-shaped finger which can be pivoted through slot-like openings in a base plate 13 into the transport path of the conveyor tracks 11. The majority of the fingers shown are driven by a common drive to move between the raised position illustrated in Figure 4 and the lowered position (not shown). The drive 12 is, in particular, a laterally arranged linear drive, one end of which is attached to a fixed side wall 14 of the device 1, while the other end is connected via a joint to a rocker arm 16, which is rotationally fixed to the plurality of stop elements 8 via a shaft 15.

[0057] Figure 5 shows a schematic side view of the device illustrated in Figure 4. It can be seen that the shaft 15 runs below the base plate 13 and transversely to the conveying direction x. Actuation of the drive 12 transmits a rotary motion to the shaft 15 via the rocker arm 16, thereby raising or lowering the stop elements 8, which are designed as L-shaped fingers, into or out of the conveying path. Reference numeral list

[0058] 1 - Cutting device

[0059] 2 - Food

[0060] 3a, 3b - Food portions

[0061] 4 - Cutting blades

[0062] 5 - Drive unit

[0063] 6 - Conveyor unit

[0064] 7 - Device for upsetting and / or compressing

[0065] 8 - Stop element

[0066] 9 - Lifting element

[0067] 10 - Conveyor belt

[0068] 11 - Conveyor track

[0069] 12 - Drive

[0070] 13 - Base plate

[0071] 14 - Side cheek

[0072] 15 - Wave

[0073] 16 - Swingarm

[0074] 17 - Contact surface

[0075] 18 - Stop area

[0076] 19 - Drop-down edge a - Raised part of the food portion b - Remainder of the food portion x - Conveyor direction y - Distance between conveyor belts z - Distance between conveyor tracks

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS 1. Device (7) for upsetting and / or compressing food portions (3a, 3b), in particular food slices, with at least one conveyor belt (10) for transporting the food portions (3a, 3b) along a conveyor path, characterized in that the device (7) has a stop element (8) movable into the conveyor path and a lifting element (9) lifting the food portions (3a, 3b) perpendicular to the conveyor belt (10).

2. Device (7) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the stop element (8) and the lifting element (9) are designed as separate components or are integrated into a common stop and lever element (8, 9).

3.

4. Device (7) according to one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the device (7) is configured to move the movable stop element (8) and / or the stop and lever element (8, 9) into the conveying path of a food portion (3a, 3b), wherein the conveyor belt (10) is further movable. Device (7) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device (7) is configured such that the lifting element (9) and / or the stop and lever element (8, 9) partially lifts the food portion (3a, 3b), while the conveyor belt (10) remains movable.

5. Device (7) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the food portion (3a, 3b) has a front end, a rear end and an intermediate area along a conveying direction, and a stop element, wherein the lifting element (9) and / or the stop and lever element (8, 9) is configured such that the lifting element (9) and / or the stop and lever element (8, 9) lifts the front end and the intermediate area of ​​the food portion (3a, 3b) from the conveyor belt (10).

6. Device (7) according to claim 5, characterized in that the lifting element (9) and / or the stop and lever element (8, 9) is configured such that when the food portion (3a, 3b) is lifted by the lifting element (9) and / or the stop and lever element (8, 9), the rear end of the food portion (3a, 3b) remains at least partially on the conveyor belt (10), wherein in particular the rear end of the food portion (3a, 3b) can be transported further in the direction of conveyance by means of the conveyor belt (10).

7. Device (7) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the stop and lever element (8, 9) has an elongated stop and lever element (8, 9) extending substantially along the conveying path, wherein the stop and lever element (8, 9) is pivotable into the conveying path and pivotable out of the conveying path about a rotation axis (15) extending perpendicular to the conveying path.

8. Device (7) according to claim 7, wherein the stop and lever element (8, 9) has an upwardly projecting stop area (18) at the free end facing away from the axis of rotation (15), against which the front end of the food portion (3a, 3b) transported along the conveying path abuts when the stop and lever element (8, 9) is in the position pivoted into the conveying path, wherein the stop area (18) is the stop element (8).

9. Device (7) according to claim 8, wherein the stop and lever element (8, 9) has a support surface (17) for the food portion (3a, 3b) extending substantially along the main extension direction of the stop element (8) between the stop area (18) and the axis of rotation (15), on which the front end and the intermediate area of ​​the food portion (3a, 3b) rests when the stop and lever element (8, 9) is in the position pivoted into the conveying path, wherein the support surface (17) is the lifting element (9), wherein preferably the support surface (17) and the stop area (18) are formed at an angle and in particular at right angles to each other.

10. Device (7) according to claim 9, wherein the stop and lever element (8, 9) has a folding edge (19) for the rear end of the food portion (3a, 3b) over which the rear end of the food portion (3a, 3b) can fold downwards in the direction of the conveyor belt (10) when the stop and lever element (8, 9) is in the position pivoted into the conveying path, wherein the folding edge (10) is formed between the support surface (17) and the axis of rotation (15).

11. Device (7) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device (7) has several substantially parallel has conveyor tracks (11), wherein a conveyor track (11) transports a food portion (3a, 3b) and comprises at least one conveyor belt (10), a stop element (8) and / or a lifting element (9), wherein in particular each conveyor track (11) has two conveyor belts (10), between which a stop and lever element (8, 9) is arranged.

12. Device (7) according to claim 11, characterized in that a plurality of stop and lever elements (8, 9) are movable by means of a common drive (12), wherein a drive force of the drive (12) is translated into a rotary movement of the plurality of stop and lever elements (8, 9) about the axis of rotation (15) by means of a laterally arranged rocker arm (16) and / or a shaft (15) extending parallel to the axis of rotation (15).

13. Slicing device (1) for slicing foodstuffs (2) into food portions (3a, 3b) and upsetting and / or compressing one or more food portions (3a, 3b), wherein the slicing device (1) comprises a conveying unit (6), a cutting blade (4) and a device for upsetting and / or compressing (7) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the conveying unit (6) is arranged upstream of the cutting blade (4) and the device (7) is arranged downstream of the cutting blade (4).

14. Method for upsetting and / or compressing a food portion (3a, 3b), wherein the method comprises a device for upsetting and / or compressing (7) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, stop element characterized in that during the transport of the food portion (3a, 3b) by means of the conveyor belt (10) the movable stop element (8) and the movable lifting element (9) or the movable stop and lever element (8, 9) is moved into the conveying path of the food portion (3a, 3b) and, in particular following a first folding and / or upsetting of the food portion (3a, 3b) by the stop element (8), the food portion (3a, 3b) is partially lifted by the lifting element (9) and the conveyor belt (10) transports a remainder of the food portion (3a, 3b) further along the conveying path.

15. Method according to claim 14, characterized in that the food portion (3a, 3b) has a front end, a rear end and an intermediate area along a conveying direction, wherein the lifting element (9) and / or the stop and lever element (8, 9) lifts the front end and the intermediate section of the food portion (3a, 3b) such that the rear end of the food portion (3a, 3b) remains on the conveyor belt (10).

16. Method according to one of claims 14 or 15, characterized in that the The conveyor belt is stopped if the movable stop element (8) and / or stop and lever element (8, 9) is moved out of the conveying path of the food portion (3a, 3b) and / or the lifting element (9) and / or the stop and lever element (8, 9) is lowered.

17. Method according to one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that the device (7) has several substantially parallel conveying tracks (11), wherein several food portions (3a, 3b) are compressed and / or compressed substantially simultaneously by means of the several substantially parallel conveying tracks (11).

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