A device for gutting a fish, a feeding system, and a method of feeding a fish

Abstract

A device for gutting a fish, an infeed for a fish processing device and a method of feeding fish into a fish processing device. To provide fast and correct positioning of the fish relative to sequentially moving conveying features, e.g., tail grippers, the device and infeed comprise a feeding conveyor moving the fish to a predetermined position and releases the fish and thereby drops the fish vertically into a feeding receptacle where it is gripped by the conveying features.

Description

[0001] A DEVICE FOR GUTTING A FISH, A FEEDING SYSTEM, AND A METHOD OF FEEDING A FISH

[0002] INTRODUCTION

[0003] The invention relates to a device for gutting a fish, to a feeding system suitable for feeding a processing machine such as a gutting device, and to a method of feeding a fish into a processing device, particularly a gutting device.

[0004] BACKGROUND

[0005] When feeding fish processing machines, and particularly gutting devices, it is important that the fish is correctly located. Often, gutting devices use tail clamp conveyors comprising a row of tail clamps each configured to grab the tail part of the fish and drag the fish by its tail through a gutting process.

[0006] In this procedure, it is important to properly position the fish such that it can correctly be gripped by the tail clamp. As opposed to a traditional endless-belt conveying process, the tail clamp process is a sequential process in which the tail clamps arrive at a certain frequency -typically a fixed frequency. If a tail clamp misses to grip a fish, a void space is generated through the gutting process and the performance of the gutting device is reduced. Moreover, if the tail clamp grips the tail at a non-optimal spot, such as at the end part, there is a risk of the clamp losing the grip during the gutting process, resulting in an unreliable process and in loss of performance of the gutting device.

[0007] Finally, since the tail clamp process is sequential, correct placement of a fish at the position where it is clamped must wait until a fish already being present in that position is gripped and dragged into the processing machine. This potentially reduces the throughput.

[0008] SUMMARY

[0009] It is an object of embodiments of the disclosure to improve the performance of fish processing machines, particularly processing machines with means for sequentially conveying fish into the machine, e.g. machines with tail clamp conveyors.

[0010] Particularly it is an object to improve gutting devices. Particularly, it is an object to ensure that each sequential conveying feature, e.g. each tail clamp, is occupied with a fish and thereby allows the machine to consistently deliver fish at the right location and at the right time.

[0011] For these and other objects, the invention, in a first aspect, provides a device for gutting a fish according to claim 1.

[0012] Due to the claimed structures, the feeding of the fish is split into a two-step process in which correct longitudinal positioning takes place in the feeding conveyor and the gripping takes place in the feeding receptacle. As a result, the infeed can deliver the fish at the right time and location. Particularly, aligning the fish before it is dropped into the feeding receptacle provides a process where a correct position is established away from the position where the actual gripping by the process conveyor, e.g., gripping by the tail, takes place. As a result, more time can be spent on each step compared to a process where the same steps are executed at the same location. Therefore, a more reliable tail gripping operation is established, enabling a higher number of fish being gripped correctly.

[0013] As the fish is in the correct position before it is dropped into the feeding receptacle where it can be engaged by the conveying features of the process conveyor, more precise positioning may be ensured in a fast, controllable and efficient manner.

[0014] The gutting device could be for any species such as salmon, trout, mackerel, arctic char, sea bream, sea bass, or herring etc. Preferably the gutting device is for salmon.

[0015] The gutting device may include a gutting structure of the kind known in the art. Particularly, the gutting device comprises a process conveyor with sequentially moving conveying features, herein referred to as sequential conveying features. These sequential conveying features are configured to engage the fish at an engagement-position in the feeding receptacle.

[0016] The process conveyor pulls the fish through a gutting process in which gutting tools, such as spoon like tools and / or suction tools, remove the entrails of the fish while it is conveyed.

[0017] The conveying features may particularly be configured for gripping the fish, and they may particularly be tail grippers attached to an endless belt, and which therefore arrive sequentially to the feeding receptacle where they each grip a fish at the engagement-position and pull the fish through the process. The role of the feeding conveyor is to position the fish in a correct position above the engagement-position such that, when released from the feeding conveyor, it will enter the feeding receptacle exactly in the correct position to be engaged by the conveying features of the process conveyor. In the context of this invention, the term "feeding conveyor" can also be understood as a feeding conveyor structure comprising multiple conveyors, such as for example 2 or more conveyors side by side.

[0018] The feeding conveyor comprises an actuator configured for changing between the closed configuration where the fish can be carried in the feeding conveyor and be positioned correctly above the engagement position, and the open configuration where the fish falls vertically through a gap in the feeding conveyor.

[0019] The actuator may e.g., change from the closed configuration to the open configuration based on a position of the fish in the feeding conveyor and a position of the sequential conveying features of the process conveyor such that it is checked whether the fish has the correct position above the engagement-position, and whether the release of the fish matches the sequentially arriving conveying features in the feeding receptacle.

[0020] The feeding conveyor may comprise a right-side conveyor and a left-side conveyor arranged in a V-configuration in which the right-side conveyor forms an angle, a, with respect to a virtual, vertical centre plane extending between the right-side conveyor and the left-side conveyor, and in which the left-side conveyor forms an angle, 0, with respect to the vertical centre plane. The gap is formed by changing at least one of the angles a or 0, and the actuator is configured to change from the closed to the open configuration by changing a least one, and preferably both angles a and 0.

[0021] The actuator may be configured to change the angles a or 0 synchronously, i.e., simultaneously and / or equally in opposite directions. That may facilitate that the fish falls vertically down without rolling and changing orientation.

[0022] The actuator may be configured to change from the closed to the open configuration when a fish is stationary at the predetermined position, or alternatively, the actuator is configured to change from the closed to the open configuration while the feeding conveyor moves the fish towards the predetermined position.

[0023] The feeding receptacle may be vertically below the feeding conveyor such that the feeding conveyor and the feeding receptacle both share a vertical centre plane, and / or they are both symmetric about the same vertical centre plane. The sequential conveying features of the process conveyor may arrive at the engagementposition at a fixed engagement-element-frequency. In one example, the conveying features are tail grippers attached with a fixed mutual distance to an endless conveyor belt running with a fixed speed. This fixed distance and fixed speed then defines the fixed engagement-element-frequency.

[0024] The actuator may define a fixed actuator frequency based on the engagement-element-frequency.

[0025] In another example, the sequential conveying features of the process conveyor may arrive at the engagement-position at a variable engagement-element-frequency. In one example, the conveying features are tail grippers being moved at a variable speed depending on the processing of the fish. This variable engagement-element-frequency could be relevant inter alia when the processing of the fish has a variable duration, e.g., depending on variables of the fist etc. In this case the actuator may define a variable actuator frequency based on the engagement-element-frequency, e.g., based on a signal received from the process conveyor, e.g. a sequential or continuous signal defining when the conveying features arrive in the feeding receptacle.

[0026] The change from the closed configuration to the open configuration may be based partly or completely on the fixed or variable actuator frequency. Particularly, the fixed actuator frequency may be equal to the engagement-element frequency.

[0027] The actuator may determine presence of the fish at the predetermined position of the feeding conveyor and the change from the closed configuration to the open configuration may be based partly or completely on the presence of the fish.

[0028] The actuator may change from the closed configuration to the open configuration based on the fixed or variable actuator frequency and based on the presence of the fish at the predetermined position.

[0029] The feeding conveyor may be configured for continuous movement and may comprise a physical stop preventing movement of the fish beyond the predetermined position. In this embodiment, the fish will then slide relative to the feeding conveyor.

[0030] If the process conveyor is a conveyor with clamps rotating at a fixed frequency, where the clamps therefore also close at a fixed frequency, the fish arrives in the feeding conveyor which moves continuously. When the fish physically hits the end stop it slides relative to the belt, and the feeding conveyor opens at a fixed frequency which is synchronised with the fixed frequency of the clamps. This is a very simple control requiring only the synchronisation between the process conveyor and the actuator.

[0031] The device may comprise a sequential conveying feature position sensor which is configured to provide a sequential conveying feature position signal indicative of a position of a sequential conveying feature in the feeding receptacle. The changing from the closed to the open configuration may be based on the sequential conveying feature position signal. This would provide a simple and efficient way of controlling the infeed and may potentially further reduce the downtime and conveying errors.

[0032] The device may comprise a fish position sensor configured to provide a fish detection signal indicative of a fish at the predetermined position, and wherein the changing from the closed configuration to the open configuration is based on the fish detection signal. Even though an additional sensor may increase complexity, the sensor could potentially reduce errors by only opening the feeding conveyor when the fish is in a correct position. Moreover, it may potentially increase throughput, e.g., by allowing the movement to an open configuration while the fish is still moving. That could be enabled by a sensor providing the fish position irrespective of the fish moving or not.

[0033] The right-side conveyor and the left-side conveyor may each comprise an endless belt and may work like a traditional conveyor.

[0034] To allow the right-side and left-side conveyors to run continuously, the belts may have a relatively low friction coefficient and thus be sufficiently slippery to allow the fish to slide against the belts when it reaches a physical stop. This may allow a very easy control, where the belts run continuously and the actuator changes between the closed and open configuration based on the frequency at which the process conveyor conveys the conveying features, e.g. the tail clamps.

[0035] The sequential conveying features may, as mentioned be clamps for clamping a part of the fish, and particularly, it may be tail clamps configured for gripping a tail of the fish.

[0036] Alternatively, or additionally, the conveying features could be hooks, or grippers of any kind configured for engaging the fish and feeding it through the process in question.

[0037] The device may comprise an intake for entering the fish into the feeding conveyor from an intake position in the same horizontal plane as the feeding conveyor, or for entering the fish into the feeding conveyor from an intake position above the feeding conveyor. The feeding receptacle may comprise a reject structure configured to reject fish, e.g., into a reject bin should it not be considered suitable, e.g., if it is not suitable for the gutting. The reject structure comprises a structure configured for removing the fish from the feeding receptacle.

[0038] The device may comprise a quality parameter sensor configured to determine a quality parameter of the fish and based thereon to control the reject structure. The quality parameter may e.g., define a weight, a length, a width, or a height of the fish. A reference value may be provided in the system such that the quantity parameter can be compared to the reference value and rejected based on the difference between the quality parameter and the reference value.

[0039] The quality parameter may be determined by a sensor, e.g. a scale for determining weight, and / or a vision system with a camera configured to detect other parameters.

[0040] In a second aspect, the invention provides an infeed comprising a feeding conveyor and a feeding receptacle below the feeding conveyor. The feeding conveyor is configured for moving the fish to a predetermined position of the feeding conveyor, and the feeding conveyor comprises an actuator configured for receiving an engagement-element-frequency signal and for changing between a closed configuration where the fish can be carried in the feeding conveyor and an open configuration where the fish can fall vertically through a gap in the feeding conveyor.

[0041] The actuator is configured for changing from the closed configuration to the open configuration based partly or completely on a fixed frequency synchronised with the engagement-element-frequency signal.

[0042] The actuator may be configured for changing from the closed configuration to the open configuration based partly on sensing of a fish at the predetermined position.

[0043] The feeding conveyor may comprise a right-side conveyor and a left-side conveyor arranged in a V-configuration in which the right-side conveyor forms an angle, a, with respect to a vertical centre plane extending between the right-side conveyor and the left-side conveyor, and in which the left-side conveyor forms an angle, 0, with respect to the vertical centre plane, wherein the gap is formed by changing at least one of the angles a or 0, and wherein the actuator is configured to change from the closed to the open configuration by changing a least one of the angles a or 0. In a third aspect, the invention provides a method of feeding fish into a fish processing device by use of an infeed according to the second aspect.

[0044] The feeding conveyor is changed from the closed configuration to the open configuration based on a position of the fish in the feeding conveyor and a synchronisation signal received e.g., from the processing device to thereby facilitate movement of the fish from the feeding conveyor to the feeding receptacle through the gap depending on the synchronisation signal.

[0045] The fish can be moved from the feeding conveyor to the feeding receptacle without reorienting the fish.

[0046] Particularly, the fish could be gutted by the processing device.

[0047] LIST OF DRAWINGS

[0048] Fig. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a device 1 for gutting fish;

[0049] Fig. 2 illustrates the infeed of the device;

[0050] Fig. 3 illustrates further details of the feeding conveyor;

[0051] Fig. 4 illustrates schematically method steps of feeding a fish into the gutting process;

[0052] Fig. 5 illustrates tail grippers arriving in the feeding receptacle,

[0053] Fig. 6 illustrates the infeed in combination with a gutting device, and

[0054] Figs. 7-8 illustrate a feeding receptacle with a reject mechanism and a reject bin.

[0055] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] Fig. 1 illustrates in a perspective view, an infeed 1 for a processing device, e.g., a device for gutting fish. Fig. 2 illustrates a sideview of the infeed.

[0057] The infeed comprises a feeding conveyor 2 and a feeding receptacle 3 below the feeding conveyor 2. The processing device including e.g., a gutting structure, is indicated simply by an arrow 4 and comprises a process conveyor with movable sequential conveying features 5, illustrated schematically as sequential arrow. The sequential conveying features 5 could be a tail gripper of a kind well known in the art. Such tail grippers engage a tail part of the fish at a position in the feeding receptacle 3 which is herein referred to as an engagement-position 6, marked by the star 6. From this engagement-position 6, the fish is pulled out of the feeding receptacle and through the process in question.

[0058] Fig. 1 illustrates the feeding conveyor 2 in the closed configuration. In this configuration, the feeding conveyor moves the fish to a predetermined position at which the feeding conveyor 2 is moved to the open configuration and the fish is released from the feeding conveyor and falls by gravity down to the feeding receptacle 3. The predetermined position of the fish is defined by the end stop 7. The end stop is, in the illustrated embodiment be shaped to receive a fish tail, but it could, alternatively receive the head of the fish. As an alternative to a physical end stop, or in addition to the physical end stop, the infeed may comprise a sensor (not shown) registering the position of the fish.

[0059] The feeding conveyor comprises two belt conveyors 8, 9 each having an endless conveyor belt driven by a motor 10, 11.

[0060] The two belt conveyors are arranged in a V-shaped configuration and thereby define a trough which supports a relatively fixed position of the fish, e.g., in a belly up and tail forward position.

[0061] In this embodiment, the feeding receptacle 3 is made of two plate shaped receptacle members 12, 13 arranged in a V-shape such that a fish can be cradled while liquids are allowed to drip through the gap in the bottom of the feeding receptacle.

[0062] Fig. 3 illustrates an end view of the feeding conveyor 2 and more clearly illustrates the V-configuration in which the right-side conveyor 8 forms an angle, a, with respect to a vertical centre plane 30 extending between the right-side conveyor 8 and the left-side conveyor 9, and in which the left-side conveyor 9 forms an angle, 0, with respect to the vertical centre plane 30.

[0063] The feeding conveyor comprises an actuator which can change a gap between the conveyors, i.e., a gap in the bottom of the V-shape. This gap is changed by changing at least one of the angles a or 0, and typically by changing both a or 0 in a synchronous manner where both angles mirror each other. When the two conveyor belts, in this manner, moves simultaneously away from each other, the fish can fall more straight down into the feeding receptacle, typically without changing the orientation of the fish. Since the fish is not only in the correct position before it is dropped down to the feeding receptacle but also remains in the correct orientation, errors in gripping the fish in the feeding receptacle can be minimized.

[0064] The conveyor belts move in a hinge like manner away from the fish. While the fish in the feeding receptacle, waiting to be engaged by the process conveyor, the waiting time is used to position the next fish in the correct position in the feeding conveyor such that it is ready to be dropped into the feeding receptacle once the feeding receptacle has been emptied.

[0065] The fish is released into the feeding receptacle once it arrives at the predetermined position. At this point in time, the fish could be stopped before it is released, or, if the feeding receptacle is already empty, it could be released while it is still moving. In this case, the release may occur prior to arriving at the predetermined position to thereby allow the fish to continue its movement while it falls into the feeding receptacle.

[0066] The feeding receptacle 3 may, optionally, include a reject mechanism defined by the optional actuator 31 arranged to move one or both plate shaped receptacle members 12, 13 and thereby allow the fish to fall through the feeding receptacle. The reject mechanism may e.g., be used when a fish is rejected, e.g., based on a quality parameter, e.g., based on weight, length, width, or height of the fish being outside an acceptable range, or due to other defects of the fish. The infeed may include a sensor to determine such a quality parameter, e.g., a scale determining the weight of the received fish and rejecting it if the weight is outside an acceptable range.

[0067] Fig. 4 illustrates a two-lane infeed with an intake 40 arranged upstream the feeding conveyor. The intake is configured for entering the fish into the feeding conveyor from an intake position above the feeding conveyor. In this view, the actuators 41, 42 form part of the actuator for changing the angles a and / or 0, and the air cylinders 43, 44 are for releasing the hatches 45 (only one is visible in Fig. 4), and thus releasing a fish into the feeding conveyor 2.

[0068] The device comprises a controller illustrated by the CPU symbol 46 controlling the actuators and cylinders. The following control principle may particularly apply.

[0069] a) the motors 10, 11 are driven continuously with no control signal.

[0070] b) the air cylinders 43 or 44 are operated based on a signal indicating that the feeding conveyor 2 is empty. This opens the hatch 45 (or the corresponding hatch of the other lane) and a fish is released into the feeding conveyor. c) in the feeding conveyor, the fish is feed forward until it is retained by physical contact with the end stop 7.

[0071] d) the actuators 41, 42 are triggered at a constant frequency, but only when a fish is sensed at the end stop 7.

[0072] e) when the actuators 41, 42 are triggered, the fish will be released into the feeding receptacle 3.

[0073] Accordingly, the control is very simple and limited only to the activation of the air cylinders and the actuators based on a fixed frequency and a signal from at most one sensor registering a fish and its position in the feeding conveyor.

[0074] As mentioned in step d) the actuator may be controlled by a fixed actuator frequency. This frequency could be based on an engagement-element-frequency defining the frequency by which the engagement elements arrive in the feeding receptacle. This frequency could be hardcoded into the controller, it could be entered via a man-machine interface by an operator, or the infeed could be in communication with the subsequent process and receive the frequency of the engagement-elements from that subsequent process. Alternatively, or additionally, the infeed may include a sensor, e.g., a vision system capable of detecting arrival of an engagement-element and to control the actuators based thereon.

[0075] In Fig. 2, the engagement-elements are illustrated in a stylistic manner by arrows 5.

[0076] Typically, and particularly in combination with gutting processes, the engagement-elements may be constituted by tail clamps rotating with a fixed speed on a tail clamp band and therefore arriving in the feeding receptacle at a fixed frequency.

[0077] Fig. 5 illustrates the feeding receptacle 3 and the process conveyor with the sequential conveying features 5, in this case tail grippers being conveyed by a chain 50. Since the chain moves with a fixed speed and the tail grippers are attached to the chain with fixed distance, the tail grippers arrive in the feeding receptacle 3 at a fixed frequency. Accordingly, the actuator may change between the closed and the open configuration and the same frequency to thereby insert a fish into the feeding receptacle in the correct engagement-position at the same frequency.

[0078] The process conveyor comprises a sequential conveying feature position sensor 51 configured to provide a sequential conveying feature position signal indicative of a position of a sequential conveying feature in the feeding receptacle 3. In this case the sensor 51 reads the position magnetically. Fig. 6 illustrates in a perspective view, a device for gutting fish and comprising the infeed 1 known from Figs. 1-4. The processing device 60 comprises a gutting structure located behind the safety shield 61 and a process conveyor with the chain 50 with movable sequential conveying features 5 which conveys the fish from the feeding receptacle to the gutting process. The conveying features 5 are tail grippers which, in the feeding receptacle engage a tail part of the fish and pull the fish by its tail through the gutting process and delivers the gutted fish at the outlet 62.

[0079] Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate an embodiment of feeding receptacles 3 including a reject mechanism defined by the optional actuator 31. When certain criteria are not fulfilled, the fish is rejected into the reject bin 70.

[0080] In use, a fish having a specific weight may be received by the feeding conveyor. The feeding conveyor conveys the fish to the predetermined position, e.g., the position of an end stop 7. At least one quality parameter is recorded before, during, or after the fish is released into the feeding receptacle. A controller determines based on the quality parameter whether the fish is suitable for being processed further, e.g. in a subsequent gutting process. In a simple implementation, the suitability criteria is the weight of the fish. In this case the controller may have a threshold value of a certain weight, if that threshold is not reached, the reject mechanism is triggered, and the fish is released from the feeding receptacle. Such released fish may e.g., be released into a reject bin, e.g., for being processed in an alternative way.

[0081] In a more advanced implementation, the suitability criteria is the shape, size, colour, or general appearance of the fish. This could be determined inter alia by a vision system. The appearance is compared with a desired appearance and unsuitable fish are rejected.

[0082] Fig. 8 illustrates a system with two parallel infeed systems and thus two parallel feeding receptacles. In this embodiment, the reject bin 70 is placed between the feeding receptacles.

[0083] LIST OF ELEMENTS

[0084] 1 Infeed

[0085] 2 Feeding conveyor

[0086] 3 Feeding receptacle

[0087] 4 Arrow

[0088] 5 Sequential conveying features

[0089] 6 Engagement-position

[0090] 7 End stop

[0091] 8 Belt conveyor

[0092] 9 Belt conveyor

[0093] 10 Motor motor

[0094] Plate shaped receptacle member Plate shaped receptacle member Reject mechanism

[0095] intake

[0096] Actuator

[0097] Actuator

[0098] Air cylinder

[0099] Air cylinder

[0100] Hatch

[0101] Controller

[0102] Chain

[0103] Position sensor

[0104] Processing device

[0105] Safety shield

[0106] Outlet

[0107] Reject bin

Claims

CLAIMS1. A device for gutting a fish, the device comprising an infeed (1) and a gutting structure (4), the infeed (1) comprising a feeding conveyor (2) and a feeding receptacle (3) below the feeding conveyor (2), and the gutting structure (4) comprising a process conveyor with sequential conveying features (5) configured to engage the fish at an engagement-position (6) in the feeding receptacle (3) and to pull the fish through a gutting process,wherein the feeding conveyor (2) is configured for moving the fish to a predetermined position of the feeding conveyor (2),wherein the feeding conveyor (2) comprises an actuator configured for changing between a closed configuration where the fish can be carried in the feeding conveyor (2) and an open configuration where the fish can fall vertically through a gap in the feeding conveyor (2), andwherein the actuator is configured for changing from the closed configuration to the open configuration based on a position of the fish in the feeding conveyor (2) and a position of the sequential conveying features (5) of the process conveyor to thereby facilitate movement of the fish from the feeding conveyor (2) to the feeding receptacle (3) through the gap depending on a position of the sequential conveying feature.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the feeding conveyor (2) comprises a right-side conveyor (8) and a left-side conveyor (9) arranged in a V-configuration in which the rightside conveyor (8) forms an angle, a, with respect to a vertical centre plane extending between the right-side conveyor (8) and the left-side conveyor (9), and in which the left-side conveyor (9) forms an angle, 0, with respect to the vertical centre plane, wherein the gap is formed by changing at least one of the angles a or 0, and wherein the actuator is configured to change from the closed to the open configuration by changing a least one of the angles a or 0.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the actuator is configured to change the angles a and 0 synchronously.

4. The device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the actuator is configured to change from the closed to the open configuration when a fish is stationary at the predetermined position.

5. The device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the feeding receptacle (3) is vertically below the feeding conveyor (2).

6. The device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the sequential conveying features (5) of the process conveyor arrive at the engagement-position (6) at a fixed engagement-element-frequency.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the actuator defines a fixed actuator frequency based on the engagement-element-frequency and wherein the change from the closed configuration to the open configuration is based partly or completely on the fixed actuator frequency.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the actuator determines presence of the fish at the predetermined position of the feeding conveyor (2) and wherein the change from the closed configuration to the open configuration is based partly on the presence of the fish.

9. The device according to claims 7 and 8, wherein the actuator changes from the closed configuration to the open configuration both based on the fixed actuator frequency and based on the presence of the fish at the predetermined position.

10. The device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the feeding conveyor (2) is configured for continuous movement and comprises a physical stop preventing movement of the fish beyond the predetermined position.

11. The device according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a sequential conveying feature position sensor configured to provide a sequential conveying feature position signal indicative of a position of a sequential conveying feature in the feeding receptacle (3), and wherein the changing from the closed to the open configuration is based on the sequential conveying feature position signal.

12. The device according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a fish position sensor configured to provide a fish detecting signal indicative of a fish at the predetermined position, and wherein the changing from the closed configuration to the open configuration is based on the fish detection signal.

13. The device according to any of claims 2-12, wherein the right-side conveyor (8) and the left-side conveyor (9) each comprises an endless belt.

14. The device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the sequential conveying feature is a clamp for clamping a part of the fish.1515. The device according to any of the preceding claims, comprising an intake for entering the fish into the feeding conveyor (2) from an intake position in the same horizontal plane as the feeding conveyor (2).

16. The device according to any of claims 1-14, comprising an intake for entering the fish into the feeding conveyor (2) from an intake position above the feeding conveyor (2).

17. The device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the feeding receptacle (3) comprises a reject structure configured to reject fish.

18. The device according to claim 17, comprising a quality parameter sensor configured to determine a quality parameter of the fish and based thereon control the reject structure.

19. An infeed for feeding fish into a fish processing device, the infeed comprising a feeding conveyor (2) and a feeding receptacle (3) below the feeding conveyor (2),wherein the feeding conveyor (2) is configured for moving the fish to a predetermined position of the feeding conveyor (2),wherein the feeding conveyor (2) comprises an actuator configured for receiving an engagement-element-frequency signal; andfor changing between a closed configuration where the fish can be carried in the feeding conveyor (2) and an open configuration where the fish can fall vertically through a gap in the feeding conveyor (2), andwherein the actuator is configured for changing from the closed configuration to the open configuration based partly or completely on a fixed frequency synchronised with the engagement-element-frequency signal.

20. An infeed comprising a feeding conveyor (2) and a feeding receptacle (3) below the feeding conveyor (2),wherein the feeding conveyor (2) is configured for moving the fish to a predetermined position of the feeding conveyor (2),wherein the feeding conveyor (2) comprises an actuator configured for changing between a closed configuration where the fish can be carried in the feeding conveyor (2) and an open configuration where the fish can fall vertically through a gap in the feeding conveyor (2), andwherein the actuator is configured for receiving a synchronisation signal from a fish processing device, and configured for changing from the closed configuration to the open configuration based on a position of the fish in the feeding conveyor (2) and the16synchronisation signal to thereby facilitate movement of the fish from the feeding conveyor (2) to the feeding receptacle (3) through the gap depending on the synchronisation signal.

21. The infeed according to claim 19 or 20, wherein the actuator is configured for changing from the closed configuration to the open configuration based partly on sensing of a fish at the predetermined position.

22. The infeed according to claims 19 or 20, wherein the feeding conveyor (2) comprises a right-side conveyor (8) and a left-side conveyor (9) arranged in a V-configuration in which the right-side conveyor (8) forms an angle, a, with respect to a vertical centre plane extending between the right-side conveyor (8) and the left-side conveyor (9), and in which the left-side conveyor (9) forms an angle, 0, with respect to the vertical centre plane, wherein the gap is formed by changing at least one of the angles a or 0, and wherein the actuator is configured to change from the closed to the open configuration by changing a least one of the angles a or 0.

23. The infeed according to any of claims 19 or 20, wherein the feeding receptacle (3) comprises a reject structure configured to reject fish.

24. A method of feeding fish into a fish processing device by use of an infeed according to claims 19-23, wherein the feeding conveyor (2) is changed from the closed configuration to the open configuration based on a position of the fish in the feeding conveyor (2) and the synchronisation signal from the processing device to thereby facilitate movement of the fish from the feeding conveyor (2) to the feeding receptacle (3) through the gap depending on the synchronisation signal.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the fish is moved from the feeding conveyor (2) to the feeding receptacle (3) without reorienting the fish.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein fish is gutted by the processing device.

27. The method according to any of claims 24-26, wherein the fish processing device comprises a process conveyor with sequential conveying features (5) configured to engage the fish at an engagement-position (6) in the feeding receptacle (3) and to pull the fish, and wherein the synchronisation signal is based on a position of the sequential conveying features.

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