Transport device

Abstract

A transport device for moving food, in particular food portions, comprising at least one slice severed from a food product, in particular by a high-speed slicer, comprises a drive module having a drive surface, at least one transport mover that can be moved over the drive surface in a predefined or predefinable path, a control device for activating the movement of the transport mover, and a protective device for protecting the drive surface against soiling. The protective device has at least one strip-like covering web, in particular a film, which is tensioned at least in sections over the drive surface.

Description

[0001] Weber Food Technology GmbH W29090PWO - Dm

[0002] Transport device

[0003] The invention relates to a transport device for moving foodstuffs, in particular food portions with at least one slice separated from a food product – in particular by a high-speed slicer. The transport device comprises a drive module with a drive surface, at least one transport mover movable above the drive surface in a predetermined or predefinable path, and a control device for controlling the movement of the transport mover.

[0004] Transport devices with movable transport movers are generally known to those skilled in the art and are described, for example, in DE 10 2014 106 400 A1 or DE 10 2020 125 269 A1.

[0005] For example, such transport devices can be used to move food along a predetermined or predetermined path using a transport mover, and to supply the food to various workstations on a processing line. The transport mover can, in particular, include a carrier on which the food can be positioned.

[0006] In particular, such transport movers can first be moved into the portioning area of ​​a high-speed slicer, so that slices cut from a supplied food product by the high-speed slicer can be collected on a carrier of the transport mover, forming a food portion. The food portion can then be moved by the transport mover across the drive surface and, for example, to a packaging machine, from which the prepared food portions can be picked up and packaged. For this purpose, so-called picker robots can be used, for example, to remove the food portions from the transport mover and place them in packaging stations provided by the packaging machine.

[0007] However, moving the transport mover along a predetermined or predetermined path also offers the possibility, for example, of feeding the transport mover to further workstations before transferring the food to the packaging machine. This allows for further processing of the portions and / or the successive completion of portions by placing different components of the portion onto the transport mover at various workstations. Furthermore, such transport systems can, in principle, include multiple transport moves to transport several food items simultaneously and increase the product throughput of a processing line.

[0008] While such transport devices enable the flexible transport of food, and especially individual portions, the processing of food products inherently presents the challenge of maintaining high hygiene standards and preventing or immediately removing any soiling or contamination of transport routes. However, when transporting food on a food mover, parts of portions or even entire portions may fall off, or—depending on the food being transported—liquid or fat may drip from the mover, potentially soiling the drive surface and requiring frequent cleaning. Such cleaning processes can lead to undesirably frequent operational interruptions and are also undesirably time-consuming with conventional transport devices.

[0009] Therefore, it is an object of the invention to create a transport device of the type mentioned, which enables more hygienic operation and offers improved cleaning possibilities.

[0010] This problem is solved by a transport device having the features of claim 1.

[0011] The transport device has a protective device to protect the drive surface from contamination, wherein the protective device has at least a band-like cover, in particular a film, which is stretched at least section by section over the drive surface.

[0012] By incorporating such a protective device into the transport system, it is particularly important to prevent any contamination from food components falling from the transport mover from coming into direct contact with the drive surface. Instead, such contamination can be effectively trapped by the cover, which, compared to the drive surface, is easier to clean and / or replace to meet hygiene requirements in the food industry. Specifically, the transport mover can be configured with a runner and a carrier, allowing the food to be positioned on the carrier during transport.Furthermore, a motor for generating electromagnetic radiation can be arranged in the drive surface. This radiation interacts with the transport mover's rotor to drive the transport mover along a predetermined or predetermined path. The aforementioned cover layer also prevents motor components or electromagnetic components of the drive surface from coming into contact with contaminants such as dripping liquid or grease, which could otherwise lead to complicated and time-consuming cleaning or even damage to the electromagnetic components of the drive surface.

[0013] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the drive surface can also be modular and, for example, have a tile-like structure with several drive sections that abut each other at their respective boundaries. At such boundaries, the drive surface may therefore have depressions or edges where dirt can accumulate and which can make cleaning the drive surface more difficult.

[0014] By stretching a cover over the drive surface, a particularly flat protective layer can be positioned above the drive surface, which can be easily cleaned and, for example, wiped down. Furthermore, the cover can also be designed as a protective layer that is easy and inexpensive to replace, such as a plastic film, so that a soiled cover can be easily replaced with a clean one, which can be taken from a hygienic supply unit. The cover removed from the drive surface can also be, for example, recyclable or cleaned in a separate cleaning unit in order to be returned to the supply unit.In particular, stretching the cover over the drive surface can – unlike, for example, gluing an additional layer – allow for easy removal and application of the cover, enabling such processes to be carried out quickly and easily.

[0015] Furthermore, as explained in more detail below, some embodiments may also provide for the cover layer to be movable over the drive surface, allowing, for example, the replacement of a soiled or used section of the cover layer with a subsequent unused and therefore clean section. The cover layer can generally be formed, for example, by a plastic film. Alternatively, however, a paper web – possibly coated – may also be used. Furthermore, the cover layer can be elastic, for example, to facilitate tensioning over the drive surface and to prevent tearing.

[0016] Further embodiments are explained in the dependent claims, the description and with reference to the drawings.

[0017] In general, the transport device can include several transport movers.

[0018] Furthermore, it can generally be provided that the cover sheet is arranged directly above active components of the drive surface of the drive module and, for example, directly above tile-shaped drive sections of the drive surface, so that the cover sheet stretched over the drive surface can, in corresponding embodiments, be in direct contact with the drive surface and, in particular, with tile-shaped drive sections of the drive surface.

[0019] However, in some embodiments, a flat (especially full-surface) and particularly thin cover, made of, for example, stainless steel or plastic, may be arranged over the active components of the drive surface of the drive module and, for example, over tile-shaped drive sections of the drive surface. The cover strip may be stretched over such a cover. In such embodiments, the cover strip can thus offer additional protection for the drive surface and—as explained in more detail below—may, for example, be movable and / or replaceable. In such embodiments, the cover strip can therefore ultimately be understood as indirectly covering the active components of the drive surface, and the cover strip stretched over the drive surface may, for example, be in direct contact with the flat cover.

[0020] In some embodiments, the drive surface can have a flat cover, for example made of stainless steel or plastic, whereby the cover strip can be stretched over the drive surface having the flat cover. The cover can, for example, provide a flat and edgeless drive surface by covering edges or gaps between individual tile-shaped drive sections, while the cover strip in turn protects the cover and thus the drive surface from contamination.

[0021] In some embodiments, the transport mover can be electromagnetically coupled to the drive surface, and the transport device can be designed to move the transport mover in a magnetic levitation state above the drive surface along the track, with the cover track being arranged in a gap between the drive surface and the transport mover.

[0022] For example, the transport mover can have a permanent magnet as a runner and a carrier on which food items to be transported can be positioned. The drive surface can be designed to generate alternating magnetic fields in order to propel the transport mover along a predetermined or predetermined path. The transport mover can be suspended above the drive surface in a state of magnetic levitation, allowing a gap to exist between the drive surface and the moving transport mover. Since a gap already exists between the drive surface and the transport mover, this gap can be cleverly used for the arrangement of the cover strip without altering the relative position between the drive surface and the transport mover.

[0023] Furthermore, in some embodiments, a gap can exist between the cover sheet and the transport mover, and the transport mover can be moved across the cover sheet in a magnetic levitation state. In such embodiments, the transport mover cannot come into mechanical contact with the cover sheet during movement, so that no frictional forces act between the transport mover moving along the drive surface and the cover sheet, which could lead to wear or damage to the cover sheet.

[0024] In some embodiments, the cover layer can be made of a material permeable to electromagnetic radiation and / or a non-magnetic material. In particular, this prevents the cover layer from shielding electromagnetic radiation generated in the drive surface, thus allowing the transport mover to be controlled unchanged even when the cover layer is stretched over the drive surface. In some embodiments, the transport device can be designed as a planar drive device, and the drive surface can comprise several tile-shaped drive sections, with the cover layer spanning at least two of these tile-shaped drive sections.

[0025] Such planar drive devices are generally known to those skilled in the art and can, in particular, be designed modularly with respective electromagnetic drive sections for driving at least one transport mover, wherein the drive surface is formed by corresponding surfaces of the several drive sections and can thus be composed in a tile-like manner. However, since the cover membrane can span at least two of the tile-shaped drive sections and, in particular, a plurality of tile-shaped drive sections and / or all drive sections of the drive surface, the cover membrane can, in particular, span a boundary between the drive sections in order to cover existing edges or gaps on the tile-like composed drive surface and thereby prevent the adhesion of contaminants.

[0026] In some embodiments, the cover sheet can be moved across the drive surface. In particular, such embodiments may also include a drive for moving the cover sheet, or alternatively, manual movement of the cover sheet may be provided.

[0027] Because the cover sheet can be moved over the drive surface, a section of the cover sheet located above the drive surface can be moved away from the drive surface when it becomes soiled, in order to position a new and unused section of the cover sheet and / or a new cover sheet over the drive surface. For example, such movement of the cover sheet can therefore occur after a predetermined or predeterminable time to regularly position clean sections of the cover sheet or a new cover sheet over the drive surface and ensure that a cover sheet meeting hygiene requirements is always stretched over the drive surface, enabling the transport mover to move over a hygienic surface.

[0028] Furthermore, by enabling the cover sheet to be moved, particularly by a drive mechanism, the aforementioned procedure for moving the cover sheet can be automated and / or triggered by a user command, eliminating the need for manual intervention. This also simplifies and accelerates the hygienic handling and / or cleaning of the transport device. For example, a time interval after which the cover sheet moves can be set via a user interface or permanently stored in the control unit. In some embodiments, the transport device can also include a contamination sensor. Upon receiving a signal from the sensor, the drive mechanism moves the cover sheet when contamination is detected, ensuring that a clean section is positioned above the drive surface.Furthermore, manual movement of the cover sheet may be provided if operating personnel detect contamination, for example by pulling the cover sheet across the drive surface or by turning a rotary wheel around which the cover sheet is wound. In principle, it is also possible to move the cover sheet continuously to achieve a continuous renewal of the cover sheet by means of clean sections.

[0029] In some embodiments, the movement of the cover sheet can occur along a direction of movement leading from uncontaminated sections of the cover sheet to contaminated sections (or to used sections and thus to sections with at least expected contamination). In particular, such movement can ensure that contaminants present on the contaminated sections are, in effect, carried away and do not come into contact with uncontaminated sections of the cover sheet. This prevents uncontaminated sections opposite the direction of movement from coming into contact with the contaminants. Instead, as a result of the movement of the cover sheet, uncontaminated sections of the cover sheet can be positioned above the drive surface.

[0030] In some embodiments, the covering device can comprise a first cover sheet and a second cover sheet, each stretched over a respective portion of the drive surface, with the first and second cover sheets overlapping each other by a corresponding overlapping section. In particular, such an overlap prevents a gap from remaining between the two cover sheets, through which direct contamination of the drive surface could occur. Furthermore, such an overlapping arrangement of the cover sheets can reliably protect even relatively large drive surfaces, which cannot be covered by a single cover sheet, from potential contamination.

[0031] In some embodiments, the first and second cover layers can be formed with the same material composition, thickness, and / or width. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the first and second cover layers can also differ from each other with regard to their respective material composition, thickness, and / or width.

[0032] For example, the drive surface can be divided into different areas by the two cover strips, allowing for the operation of transport movers carrying various products. By selecting different cover strips for the various areas of the drive surface, it is possible to specifically address the types of contamination expected in each area and choose a suitable cover strip. For instance, if contamination is expected from dripping liquid, a liquid-impermeable cover strip can be selected, whereas if contamination is expected from sharp-edged components, a particularly tear-resistant or cut-resistant cover strip could be chosen.However, it is also possible, in principle, to arrange corresponding cover strips overlapping each other in order to protect the entire drive surface from contamination in the same way.

[0033] In some embodiments, the first cover layer and the second cover layer can be movable over the drive surface, wherein the first cover layer and the second cover layer can be moved synchronously over the drive surface or wherein the first cover layer and the second cover layer can be moved individually (i.e. independently of each other).

[0034] As previously explained, moving the cover sheets in this way makes it possible, in particular, to regularly or as needed position clean cover sheets over the drive surface, thus ensuring hygienic handling of the transport device. Synchronous movement of the two cover sheets can, in particular, provide uniform protection for the entire drive surface or at least for the sections of the drive surface covered by the two cover sheets, whereas individual movement of the cover sheets allows for individual handling of different areas of the drive surface, for example, to address expected or detected contamination in different areas of the drive surface.

[0035] In some embodiments, the transport mover can be moved along a main conveying direction across the drive surface, with the cover strip being stretched across the drive surface transversely to the main conveying direction. In particular, the drive surface can also extend primarily along the main conveying direction, so that the main conveying direction can, for example, correspond to the direction along which the transport mover travels the longest distance to transfer received food products to a downstream unit. Furthermore, the downstream unit can be located downstream of the unit from which the transport mover receives or takes the food products, in the main conveying direction.

[0036] In some embodiments, the cover layer can be angled, at least in sections, relative to the drive surface. Such an angled orientation of the cover layer relative to the drive surface can, in particular, prevent dirt from adhering to the cover layer. Specifically, the cover layer can span any depressions in the drive surface completely, so that the cover layer can be designed without depressions in which dirt could accumulate. This can also facilitate cleaning of the cover layer.

[0037] In some embodiments, the transport device may include an application device for applying the cover sheet to the drive surface. The application device may, in particular, include a suction device – preferably with at least one suction opening in an edge section of the drive surface and / or with at least one suction opening at a transition between two drive sections of the drive surface – or an electrostatic device.

[0038] In particular, such an application device can achieve direct contact of the cover sheet with the drive surface in order to achieve, in addition to tensioning the cover sheet, the most even contact possible and to prevent any creases or ridges from forming on the cover sheet with which the transport mover could come into contact.

[0039] Particularly when the application device is equipped with a suction unit, an edge section and / or existing transitions between different drive sections of the drive surface can be used to provide suction openings for drawing in the cover sheet. Sufficient installation space can be available in the edge section, and the track along which the transport mover travels cannot, in particular, extend over the edge section, so that no contamination is to be expected there. Even if the cover sheet is drawn into a suction opening located at the edge section, there is therefore no risk of contamination becoming trapped in any depression that may be formed in the cover sheet. For example, the edge section can be formed by a mounting frame enclosing several drive sections, so that the transport mover does not travel over the edge section.Furthermore, transitions between drive sections can already necessitate a structured drive surface, so that an intake opening located at such a transition does not require the creation of an additional structured area where contaminants could potentially adhere. An electrostatic device, for example, can also be integrated into the drive module of the transport device, which is already equipped with electromechanical components.

[0040] In some embodiments, the protective device may include a tensioning device designed to hold the cover strip laterally below the drive surface on both sides and to tension it over the drive surface.

[0041] In particular, in such embodiments, the transport mover can be movable above the drive surface, whereas the tensioning device can hold and thereby tension the cover strip laterally below the drive surface, i.e., on a side of the drive surface opposite the transport mover, on both sides. Therefore, in such embodiments, the cover strip can be tensioned over the drive surface with a force parallel to the drive surface and perpendicular downwards relative to the drive surface, in order to achieve, in particular, a flat contact with the drive surface.

[0042] In some embodiments, the tensioning device may include a clamping device designed to clamp the tensioned cover strip on both sides of the drive surface.

[0043] For example, the clamping device can have respective clamping elements on both sides of the drive surface, which, for example, after the cover strip has been picked up, can be moved laterally away from the drive surface and / or downwards in order to tension the cover strip.

[0044] In some embodiments, the clamping device can be opened to replace the cover strip, particularly manually and / or automatically. Alternatively or additionally, the clamping device can also be closed to clamp a replacement cover strip inserted into the clamping device.

[0045] In such embodiments, it can therefore be provided, in particular, that the cover sheet stretched over the drive surface can be selectively removed by opening the clamping device and replaced by inserting a replacement cover sheet into the clamping device if, for example, the cover sheet is contaminated. The clamping device can then be closed to securely receive the replacement cover sheet and, for example, moved laterally outwards and / or downwards to tension the replacement cover sheet. To facilitate this, the transport device can also, in some embodiments, include a hygienic supply of cover sheets from which the replacement cover sheet can be taken. The cover sheet removed from the clamping device can, for example, be disposed of, cleaned, and / or recycled.

[0046] Furthermore, in some embodiments the clamping device can be raised and lowered in order to raise the clamping device, for example to remove the cover sheet and / or to insert a subsequent cover sheet, into a convenient position above the drive surface and to lower it again to tension the cover sheet (and / or the subsequent cover sheet).

[0047] In some embodiments, the protective device may have a first deflection roller and a second deflection roller, wherein the cover sheet may be guided over the two deflection rollers and stretched between the two deflection rollers.

[0048] In some embodiments, the second deflection roller can be driven, and the cover sheet can be moved and / or tensioned by driving the second deflection roller.

[0049] Furthermore, in some embodiments it may be provided that both deflection pulleys are driveable.

[0050] By making at least the second deflection pulley driveable, a force can be transmitted to the cover sheet by driving the second deflection pulley. This allows, for example, the tensioning of a cover sheet held against the first deflection pulley, or the movement of a cover sheet released from the first deflection pulley across the drive surface. Furthermore, the two deflection pulleys can be driven in opposite directions of rotation, for example, to tension the cover sheet between the deflection pulleys. This, too, can thus enable simple tensioning of the cover sheet over the drive surface. The deflection pulleys can therefore also form part of the aforementioned tensioning device.

[0051] In some embodiments, a drive device for driving the second deflection pulley may be provided, which is designed to drive the second deflection pulley intermittently or continuously. Alternatively or additionally, the second deflection pulley may also be manually driven in some embodiments.

[0052] In some embodiments, a drive device for powering the second deflection roller can be provided, enabling, in particular, automatic movement of the cover sheet across the drive surface by driving the second deflection roller. The drive device can therefore, in particular, include the aforementioned drive for moving the cover sheet.

[0053] Continuous movement of the cover sheet by the drive unit can, for example, allow a section of the cover sheet stretched across the drive surface to be continuously replaced by a subsequent, and especially clean, section of the cover sheet by advancing the second deflection roller. In contrast, intermittent operation of the second deflection roller can, for example, allow a section of the cover sheet stretched across the drive surface to be replaced at predetermined or predeterminable intervals by advancing the cover sheet and exchanging it for a clean successor section. This effectively renews the portion of the cover sheet stretched across the drive surface at regular intervals and prevents the build-up of contaminants above the drive surface.

[0054] In some embodiments, the transport device may include a contamination sensor, and the drive device may be configured to drive the second deflection roller depending on a signal from the contamination sensor.

[0055] The drive unit can have a control unit or be coupled to the control unit, which is also designed to control the transport mover, wherein the (respective) control unit can be designed to control the drive unit depending on a signal from the contamination sensor to drive the second deflection roller.

[0056] By enabling the drive unit to actuate the second deflection roller based on a signal from the contamination sensor, the cover sheet can, for example, be advanced when the contamination sensor detects contamination or when the contamination detected by the sensor exceeds a predefined level. As previously explained, this allows an uncontaminated section of the cover sheet to be moved over the drive surface, enabling subsequent food products transported by the conveyor mover to be guided over an uncontaminated area. A contamination sensor can, for example, include a camera and an image processing unit to detect contamination on the cover sheet.

[0057] In general, in some embodiments, the control device can be designed to move the cover sheet depending on a signal from a contamination sensor.

[0058] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the surface of the cover sheet can be structured in such a way that contamination is easily detectable by the contamination sensor. For example, the cover sheet can have a surface of a color against which expected contamination stands out clearly and is therefore easily recognizable. Depending on the food being transported, a white or black surface could therefore be provided, for example.

[0059] The contamination sensor can therefore, for example, include a camera and the control unit an image evaluation unit.

[0060] Alternatively or additionally, in some embodiments, the surface of the cover sheet can also have a pattern, whereby contamination can be detected as a deviation of the image of the cover sheet, as detected by the contamination sensor, from the pattern expected on an uncontaminated cover sheet, exceeding a predefinable tolerance limit. In other words, contamination that necessitates the replacement of the cover sheet or a cover section of the cover sheet located above the drive surface can thus be detected when the pattern is no longer fully or with a predefinable degree of completeness detectable by the contamination sensor.

[0061] Furthermore, in some embodiments, cover sheets with surfaces that are active to a certain extent may be provided, which, for example, upon contact with liquid and / or grease, may undergo a change of state, such as a change of color, in order to easily detect such contamination.

[0062] As an alternative to automatically moving the cover sheet based on a signal from the contamination sensor, some embodiments may also include a warning device designed to issue a notification to replace and / or move the cover sheet in response to a signal from a contamination sensor. This notification may be, for example, audible and / or visual. Such a notification can, in particular, alert operating personnel to the need to replace and / or move the cover sheet due to detected contamination.

[0063] In some embodiments, the first deflection roller can have a roll-off stop, and the cover sheet can be tensioned between the first and second deflection rollers by driving the second deflection roller and actuating the roll-off stop of the first deflection roller. For example, such a roll-off stop can include a rotational resistance or a spring load. Furthermore, the roll-off stop can be controllable. Generally, it can be provided that by activating such a roll-off stop, rotation of the first deflection roller, and thus movement of the cover sheet as a result of driving the second deflection roller, is blocked, so that the cover sheet can be tensioned between the two deflection rollers via the drive surface when the roll-off stop is activated. In some embodiments, this can also be achieved by enabling or controlling the first deflection roller to rotate in the opposite direction to that of the second deflection roller.

[0064] In some embodiments, a supply section of the cover web can be wound onto the first deflection roller, and a cover section of the cover web can be stretched across the drive surface between the first and second deflection rollers. Furthermore, a used section of the cover web can be wound onto and / or rewound onto the second deflection roller.

[0065] In such embodiments, the first deflection roller can thus function as a kind of storage for the supply section of the cover web, whereas previously used sections of the cover web, which may be particularly dirty, can be wound onto the second deflection roller. A cover section stretched between the first and second deflection rollers across the drive surface can also form a currently used section of the cover web, over which at least one transport mover can move and which can protect the drive surface from contamination during such movements.

[0066] For example, if contamination of the cover section is detected, the current cover section can be wound onto the second deflection roller – and, if necessary, the first – as a used section by driving the second deflection roller. During this process, a portion of the replacement section can be unwound from the first deflection roller and positioned above the drive surface, allowing the transport mover to subsequently move over a clean cover (or a clean cover section of the cover). As already explained, such driving of the second deflection roller can be continuous and / or intermittent, in order to achieve a continuous renewal of the cover section or an intermittent renewal of the cover section.

[0067] In some embodiments, the cover section can be moved away from the drive surface by driving the second deflection roller and wound onto the second deflection roller, whereby a partial section of the feed section can be arranged above the drive surface by unwinding the feed section from the first deflection roller.

[0068] This section can then form a new cover section to cover the drive surface and be tensioned between the two deflection pulleys (after or when the movement of the second deflection pulley stops).

[0069] In some embodiments, the cover strip can be guided circumferentially over the drive surface, the two deflection rollers and an underside of the drive module facing away from the drive surface.

[0070] In such embodiments, the cover sheet can thus be guided as a virtually endless, circulating sheet, whereby, as explained in more detail below, cleaning of the cover sheet can, for example, take place on the underside. This can make it possible, by driving the second deflection roller, to bring a section of the cover sheet cleaned on the underside over the drive surface and tension it over the drive surface, while a section of the cover sheet previously tensioned above the drive surface can be guided to the underside of the drive module and cleaned there, for example. This, too, can offer a convenient way to hygienically handle the transport device.

[0071] In some embodiments, a cover section of the cover strip, stretched between the first and second deflection rollers across the drive surface, can be moved away from the drive surface by driving the second deflection roller. Furthermore, by moving the cover section away, another section of the cover strip can be positioned above the drive surface.

[0072] In some embodiments, the transport device may include a cleaning device for the drive surface and / or the cover strip. In particular, the cleaning device may be configured to clean the cover strip on an upper surface above the drive surface or on an underside of the drive module opposite the drive surface.

[0073] In addition, in some embodiments the cleaning device can be arranged on an underside of the drive module facing away from the drive surface and be designed to clean a section of the cover sheet guided on the underside of the drive module.

[0074] Such a cleaning device thus enables, in particular, the cleaning of the cover sheet and, for example, a section of the cover sheet that became soiled during previous use, so that a cleaned section can subsequently be used again to cover the drive surface. In particular, a cleaning device arranged on the underside of the drive module can also be provided in embodiments in which the cover sheet is guided circumferentially over the two aforementioned deflection rollers and the drive surface, as well as around the underside of the drive module, so that the respective section of the cover sheet guided below the drive surface can be cleaned directly and subsequently, by driving the second deflection roller, the cleaned section of the cover sheet can be positioned again over the drive surface.

[0075] In general, the cleaning device can be designed to clean the cover sheet, but it is also possible to use the cleaning device – for example, after removing the cover sheet – to clean the drive surface in order to remove any residual contamination on the drive surface.

[0076] In some embodiments, the cleaning device may include a scraper, a brush, a UV irradiation device, at least one nozzle for applying a cleaning or disinfecting agent, a cleaning bath and / or a drying device, in particular a blower.

[0077] In embodiments with a cleaning bath, in some embodiments a section of the cover sheet to be cleaned can also be moved through the cleaning bath by driving the second deflection roller.

[0078] Furthermore, in some embodiments, elements of the cleaning device can be movable relative to the cover sheet and / or the drive surface in order to clean the cover sheet and / or the drive surface and / or to be brought into contact with the moving cover sheet. In some embodiments, the cleaning device can include at least one scraper for removing dirt from the drive surface and / or the cover sheet. In addition, the cleaning device can, for example, be configured to move such a scraper across the drive surface and / or the cover sheet in order to pick up and remove accumulated dirt from the drive surface and / or the cover sheet.

[0079] In some embodiments, the scraper can be moved into a waiting position located outside the path of the transport mover, in particular by means of a scraper drive of the cleaning device.

[0080] In particular, the wiper can thus be positioned in operating situations where no cleaning takes place, in such a way that the wiper does not obstruct the movements of the transport mover along the predetermined or predetermined path.

[0081] In some embodiments, the scraper can be movable in one cleaning direction for cleaning the drive surface and / or the cover strip. Opposite the scraper in the cleaning direction, a dirt collection element can be arranged to collect dirt scraped from the drive surface and / or the cover strip by the scraper. Such a dirt collection element can be designed, in particular, like a dustpan, or function accordingly to collect the accumulated dirt. Furthermore, the cleaning device can, for example, be designed to transfer dirt transferred to the dirt collection element into a dirt collection container by appropriately moving the dirt collection element.

[0082] In some embodiments, the dirt collection element can be moved, in particular pivoted, from an inactive position to a working position. Specifically, the dirt collection element can be moved synchronously with the movement of the scraper from a waiting position to a cleaning position. Therefore, the dirt collection element can also be positioned outside the path of the transport mover, particularly when the drive surface and / or the cover sheet are not being cleaned by the scraper.

[0083] In some embodiments, the wiper can be designed to perform a wiping function. For example, the wiper can be connected to and / or equipped with a liquid reservoir to supply liquid for cleaning the cover sheet and / or the drive surface during wiping. Generally, it can also be provided that the cleaning takes place, at least substantially, in the direction of the second deflection roller. As already explained, the second deflection roller can, in particular, be driven so that a used and / or soiled section of the cover sheet can, for example, be wound onto the second deflection roller or discharged via the second deflection roller.By performing cleaning operations in the direction of the second deflection roller, dirt located on the cover sheet can also be moved in the direction of the second deflection roller and thus in the direction of used sections of the cover sheet, and not in the direction of still uncontaminated sections of the cover sheet wound on the first deflection roller and / or fed via the first deflection roller.

[0084] In some embodiments, the control unit can be configured to move the transport mover into a parking section of the drive surface outside a first cleaning section before a cleaning process is to be carried out by the cleaning unit. Furthermore, the cleaning unit can be configured to clean the first cleaning section after the transport mover has been moved into the parking section. In particular, the control unit can be configured to move the transport mover into the first cleaning section after the first cleaning section has been cleaned, and the cleaning unit can be configured to clean the parking section after the transport mover has been moved into the first cleaning section.

[0085] In particular, the control unit and the cleaning unit can communicate with each other and / or the control unit can be designed to control the cleaning unit in order to enable the coordination between the transport mover and the cleaning unit as explained above.

[0086] In some embodiments, the cleaning device may include a blower and be configured to generate a cleaning airflow along the drive surface and / or the cover strip. Alternatively or additionally, in some embodiments, the cleaning device may include a suction device and be configured to vacuum the drive surface and / or the cover strip.

[0087] For example, such a blower and / or cleaning device can also be movable along the drive surface and / or cover sheet to achieve thorough cleaning. Furthermore, the cleaning airflow can be directed, in particular, towards the second deflection roller to prevent contamination of clean supply sections of the cover sheet that may be provided on the first deflection roller, as explained above.

[0088] In some embodiments, the cleaning device can optionally be moved into a cleaning position relative to the drive module, in particular by pivoting, retracting, placing, and / or attaching it. Alternatively or additionally, the cleaning device can optionally be detached from the drive module.

[0089] In such embodiments, the cleaning device can thus be available as a supplementary cleaning module, which, for example, during regular operation of the food transport device, can be moved into an inactive position relative to the drive module to allow, for instance, the freest possible access to the transport device and the transport mover, for example in the event of malfunctions. Alternatively, the cleaning device can be moved into the cleaning position to allow, in particular, the cleaning of the cover sheet and / or the drive surface.

[0090] In some embodiments, the control device can be designed to tilt, and in particular pivot, the drive surface relative to the horizontal, especially for cleaning the drive surface or the cover strip.

[0091] In particular, the control device can be designed to pivot the drive surface about a horizontal axis. Furthermore, by tilting the drive surface in this way, the drive surface and / or the cover sheet can also be brought into the effective range of the cleaning device, in order to enable cleaning of the drive surface and / or the cover sheet.

[0092] Moving the drive surface to an inclined position can generally improve access to the drive surface for maintenance and / or cleaning work. In particular, cleaning can be facilitated by arranging the drive surface at an angle, as any dirt can slide off the cover and / or the drive surface, or at least the adhesion of dirt to the cover is reduced, thus simplifying the removal of the dirt.

[0093] In some embodiments, the control device can alternatively or additionally be configured to selectively raise or lower the drive surface. Alternatively or additionally, in some embodiments, the control device can be configured to move the drive surface laterally (with at least one horizontal movement component) and, in particular, to move it laterally in a horizontal direction.

[0094] Furthermore, the control device can generally be designed to move the drive surface between a working position, in which the transport mover can be moved along the predetermined path, and a cleaning position, in which the drive surface is accessible for cleaning. In particular, the drive surface can be moved into the cleaning position and thus into the effective area of ​​a cleaning device of the transport system.

[0095] To enable such movement of the drive surface, in some embodiments the drive surface may further comprise a mounting frame in which individual drive sections of the drive surface, and in particular individual modules forming tiles of the drive surface, may be inserted, whereby drive sections or modules of the drive surface inserted into the mounting frame may be movable together. The mounting frame may also be supported on the ground by a frame of the transport device.

[0096] Such mobility of the drive surface makes it possible, in particular, to easily transfer the drive surface into the working area of ​​a cleaning device or to position it for cleaning or other maintenance operations, whereas during regular operation of the transport device the drive surface may be installed, for example, between different workstations, so that access for maintenance personnel or a cleaning device may be difficult.

[0097] Since the mobility of the drive surface thus creates a possibility to improve access to a transport device integrated in regular operation, for example between different workstations, in order to be able to maintain and / or clean the transport device and in particular its drive surface, this mobility also constitutes an independent aspect of the present disclosure.

[0098] The invention therefore generally relates to a transport device for moving foodstuffs, in particular food portions with at least one slice separated from a food product – especially by a high-speed slicer – which comprises a drive module with a drive surface, at least one transport mover movable above the drive surface in a predetermined or predefinable path, and a control device for controlling the movement of the transport mover. The control device of the transport device is also configured, in accordance with this aspect, to move the drive surface, in particular the drive module, between a first position and a second position.

[0099] The first and second positions can refer, in particular, to the aforementioned work position and the aforementioned cleaning position, respectively. Generally, the first position can also differ from the second position.

[0100] The control device can generally be configured to pivot, raise, lower, and / or laterally move the drive surface and / or the drive module. Furthermore, the control device can also be configured to rotate the drive surface, in particular about a horizontally or vertically oriented axis of rotation. Specifically, the drive surface can be moved between the first position and the second position by such movements.

[0101] Furthermore, in embodiments according to this aspect, the drive surface can be formed by several drive sections and in particular in a tile-like manner, wherein the several drive sections can be held in a common mounting frame and wherein the control device can be configured to move the mounting frame with the drive sections held therein in order to move the drive surface between the first position and the second position.

[0102] Furthermore, according to this aspect, the transport device may have a drive controllable by the control unit for moving the drive surface and / or the drive module.

[0103] In the transport device according to this aspect of the invention, one or more of the features described in the present disclosure, primarily in connection with a transport device with a protective device, may also be implemented – in principle, even in isolation and without the need for a protective device. For example, according to this aspect, the transport device may also include a cleaning device for cleaning the drive surface, which may have one or more of the features disclosed herein relating to a cleaning device.

[0104] Furthermore, the control unit can, in principle, be modularly structured within the scope of this disclosure, with individual modules of the control unit being designed and / or intended to perform various functions of the control unit described herein. For example, the control unit can include individual CPUs or microcontrollers for this purpose. Individual modules of the control unit can be, but need not be, interconnected. However, it is also possible for a central control unit to be designed both to control the movement of the transport mover and to control other functions of the transport device disclosed herein.

[0105] Again, particularly with regard to the transport device with a protective device disclosed herein, the control device in some embodiments can be configured to set the transport mover into a spin-off rotation for the purpose of removing product residues. In particular, the spin-off rotation can be performed about an axis oriented perpendicular to the drive surface in order to fling off any residual contamination from a carrier of the transport mover and collect it on the cover sheet. Such flung-off contamination can then be removed, for example, by the aforementioned cleaning device during a cleaning process.

[0106] In some embodiments, the transport device may include at least one cleaning mover, which is designed to clean the drive surface and / or the cover strip arranged above the drive surface.

[0107] In particular, the control device can be configured to move the cleaning mover along the drive surface in order to clean the drive surface and / or the cover track arranged above the drive surface. The cleaning mover can therefore, in particular, be controllable like at least one transport mover and have a runner, for example a permanent magnet, to be movable along the drive surface in a magnetic levitation state.

[0108] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the cleaning mover can function as a transport mover during regular operation, but be designed to perform at least one additional function: cleaning the drive surface and / or the cover. For example, in addition to a food carrier, the cleaning mover can have a cleaning element and / or a cleaning device, such as a brush, a scraper, a suction device, a wiping device, and / or a blower. Alternatively, the cleaning mover can also be designed as a special mover that is movable over the drive surface and controlled by the control unit, solely for performing the cleaning function without also serving to transport food. For example, such a cleaning-only mover can be designed without a food carrier.

[0109] In some embodiments, the cleaning mover may have a cleaning element, in particular a wiper, a scraper lip and / or a brush - in particular one that can be rotated.

[0110] In some embodiments, the cleaning element can also be formed around an edge of the cleaning mover or on at least one cleaning section of the edge of the cleaning mover. Alternatively or additionally, in some embodiments, the cleaning element can project laterally beyond the cleaning mover. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the cleaning element can alternatively or additionally be oriented at least partially obliquely to the drive surface.

[0111] In some embodiments, the cleaning mover can be tilted relative to the drive surface, whereby the cleaning element can be brought into contact with the drive surface and / or the cover surface by tilting the cleaning mover. In particular, this can make it possible to move the non-tilted cleaning mover in a magnetic levitation state above the drive surface, so that the cleaning mover can, for example, function as a conventional transport mover for transporting food and can only be used optionally to perform a cleaning function by tilting the cleaning mover relative to the drive surface.

[0112] In some embodiments, the cleaning mover may have an actively controlled cleaning device, which may include, in particular, a suction device, a blowing device, a UV irradiation device, a spraying device for spraying a cleaning and / or disinfecting agent, and / or a wiping device. For example, such a wiping device may include rotating wiping pads and a liquid reservoir for wiping the cover and / or the drive surface. In general, the cleaning device may also be optionally connected to the cleaning mover, for example, a cleaning mover functioning as a transport mover in regular operation, or be permanently attached to the cleaning mover.In some embodiments, the transport device may include a storage station for the cleaning device, and the control unit may be configured to selectively move the transport mover into the storage station and to control the storage station for attaching the cleaning device to the transport mover. The transport mover with the attached cleaning device may also be configured to function as a cleaning mover for cleaning the drive surface and / or the cover strip arranged above the drive surface.

[0113] In such embodiments, it can be provided that the transport mover can optionally be transferred to the storage station in order to equip it with the cleaning device, so that the transport mover can subsequently function as a cleaning mover and clean the drive surface and / or the cover track. For example, the cleaning device can be mounted on a transport mover that has been guided into the storage station and / or on a carrier of the transport mover for the food products, in order to equip the transport mover with the cleaning device. The control unit can also be designed to move the transport mover back into the storage station after cleaning has been completed and to control the storage station to remove the cleaning device from the transport mover. The storage station can, for example, include a robot for attaching or removing the cleaning device.

[0114] Due to this flexible possibility of using a transport mover as a cleaning mover, the invention therefore also generally relates to a transport device for moving foodstuffs, in particular food portions with at least one slice separated from a food product – especially by a high-speed slicer – which comprises a drive module with a drive surface, at least one transport mover movable above the drive surface in a predetermined or predefinable path, and a control device for controlling the movement of the transport mover. According to this aspect of the invention, the transport device also has a storage station for a cleaning device, and the control device is configured to selectively move the transport mover into the storage station and to control the storage station for attaching the cleaning device to the transport mover.

[0115] The transport mover with attached cleaning device can also be configured to function as a cleaning mover for cleaning the drive surface and / or the cover track arranged above the drive surface. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the control unit can be configured to transfer the transport mover with the attached cleaning device to the storage station after a cleaning process and to control the storage station for removing the cleaning device from the transport mover.

[0116] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the storage station can be designed to clean and / or empty the transport mover and / or the cleaning device.

[0117] In some embodiments, the cleaning mover (or the optionally attachable cleaning device) can be equipped with a suction device and a dirt collection container for collecting the suctioned-up dirt. In a sense, the cleaning mover can thus be moved along the drive surface like a vacuum cleaner to vacuum up any accumulated dirt.

[0118] In some embodiments, the cleaning mover (or the optionally attachable cleaning device) may have a suction port for connecting an external suction device. In such embodiments, the suction port of the external suction device can thus be connected to the cleaning mover, so that the cleaning mover can ultimately be used to move the suction port in order to bring it into contact with various sections of the drive surface and / or the cover sheet.

[0119] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the cleaning mover may have a liquid tank.

[0120] In some embodiments, the cleaning mover may also have an electrical energy source designed to provide electrical energy for the cleaning mover to perform cleaning functions.

[0121] Such cleaning functions can include, for example, suction of dirt, rotation of a brush, generation of an airflow, suction of air and contaminants, rotation of a mop, spraying of a cleaning and / or disinfecting agent, or tilting of the cleaning mover to bring the drive surface and / or the cover sheet into contact with a cleaning element. Since the cleaning mover can have an electrical power source to provide the necessary electrical energy for performing cleaning functions, it can be designed and provided as a self-sufficient cleaning module. In some embodiments, the control unit can be configured to selectively feed the cleaning mover and / or the transport mover to a cleaning station, which is designed to clean and / or empty the cleaning mover and / or the transport mover.In some embodiments, the cleaning station can form part of the aforementioned storage station.

[0122] In some embodiments, the cleaning station can be designed to clean the cleaning mover and / or the transport mover on a top, a bottom and / or an outside.

[0123] In some embodiments, the cleaning station may also include a scraper lip, a brush, a cleaning bath and / or at least a nozzle for introducing a cleaning fluid flow.

[0124] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the cleaning station can optionally be moved into an active position relative to the drive module. In particular, this can be achieved by pivoting, retracting, placing, and / or attaching the cleaning station. Alternatively or additionally, in some embodiments, the cleaning station can optionally be detached from the drive module.

[0125] In some embodiments, the transport device can be switched from transport mode to cleaning mode by moving the cleaning station into the activity position. In particular, moving the cleaning station into the activity position can, for example, directly trigger a command to move the transport mover and / or the cleaning mover into the cleaning station.

[0126] In some embodiments, the transport device may include a robot, wherein the control device may be configured to control the robot to transfer the transport mover and / or the cleaning mover to the cleaning station and / or to transfer a cleaned transport mover and / or cleaning mover to the drive surface.

[0127] Furthermore, in some embodiments, a charging station for the cleaning mover and / or an electrical power source for the cleaning mover may be provided, and the control unit may be configured to selectively control the robot to transfer the cleaning mover to the charging station to enable charging. Additionally, in such embodiments, the control unit may be configured to control the robot to transfer a charged cleaning mover to the drive surface.

[0128] In some embodiments, the transport device may further include a sorting unit for removing defective food items, and the control unit may be configured to feed a transport mover containing a defective food item to the sorting unit. The sorting unit may be configured to remove the defective food item from the transport mover. For this purpose, the sorting unit may, for example, include a robot that can remove the defective food item from a carrier of the transport mover and transfer it to a collection container, after which the transport mover can again be used to transport subsequent food items.

[0129] The sorting facility may also include an inspection device for identifying defective food products. This inspection device may, for example, include a camera and image processing unit and / or a scale to detect defective food products. Defective food products may include, for example, underweight, damaged, or substandard food products, or end pieces of food products.

[0130] The invention further relates to a food processing line for processing foodstuffs, comprising at least two workstations for processing the foodstuffs and a transport device of the type disclosed herein, which is configured to transport the foodstuffs from one workstation to the other workstation. In particular, the at least two workstations can be configured as: a slicing station (especially a high-speed slicer) configured to slice supplied food products and form food portions (especially on a carrier of the transport mover) comprising at least one slice, and a packaging machine for packaging the food portions.

[0131] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the food processing line may include a weighing station for weighing the food, a scanner for scanning the transported food, and / or one or more (additional) transfer stations to, for example, successively assemble portions containing different food items on the transport mover. In some embodiments, the transport device may also form a sorting, conveying, and / or buffer section.

[0132] Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for operating such a food processing line, in which food is sliced ​​by a slicing station and food portions are formed comprising at least one slice, and in which the food portions are loaded onto a respective transport mover (in particular formed directly on a carrier of the transport mover), transported to a packaging machine and placed on packaging stations provided by the packaging machine.

[0133] In some embodiments of this method, the cover sheet can be moved, cleaned and / or replaced during an operational interruption, in particular for loading a food item to be sliced ​​onto the slicing station.

[0134] In such embodiments, operational interruptions can therefore be cleverly used to ensure that an uncontaminated cover sheet is subsequently positioned above the drive surface of the transport device, without requiring a separate operational interruption for moving, cleaning, or replacing the cover sheet. For example, operational interruptions can occur during the loading of the cutting station with subsequent products and can be used accordingly.

[0135] In some embodiments, the cover layer can be moved, cleaned and / or replaced depending on a signal from a contamination sensor.

[0136] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the cover sheet can be moved, cleaned, and / or replaced manually, particularly by an operator. In other embodiments, the cover sheet can be moved, cleaned, and / or replaced automatically after a predetermined or predefinable time interval, and thus ultimately in cycles. Alternatively, continuous automatic movement or cleaning of the cover sheet is also possible.

[0137] In some embodiments, the cover sheet can further be cleaned by a cleaning device and / or by a cleaning mover of the transport device, wherein the cleaning device can be moved into a cleaning position relative to the drive module, particularly for carrying out the cleaning. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the cleaning mover and / or the transport mover can be fed to and cleaned by a cleaning station.

[0138] Furthermore, the process may incorporate one or more of the steps already explained above in connection with the transport device and / or the food processing line according to the invention.

[0139] The invention is explained below by way of example with reference to the drawings.

[0140] They show:

[0141] Fig. 1 shows a food processing line with a slicing station for

[0142] Cutting food products and forming food portions comprising at least one slice separated from the food product, a packaging machine for packaging the food portions, and a transport device with several transport movers to transport the food portions from the cutting station to the packaging machine.

[0143] Fig. 2 shows a top view of the transport device, which has a drive surface over which the transport movers can be moved, and which also has a protective device with a band-like cover strip stretched over the drive surface.

[0144] Figs. 3A to 3C show respective representations to illustrate embodiments of the protective device,

[0145] Figs. 4A and 4B show respective representations of components of a cleaning device and a cleaning mover for cleaning the drive surface or a cover sheet stretched over it.

[0146] Fig. 5 shows another schematic representation of the processing line, wherein the

[0147] The drive surface of the transport device is moved into a cleaning position and transferred into an area of ​​operation of a cleaning device, and Fig. 6 shows a schematic top view of a transport device, wherein the transport device also has a storage station to optionally equip transport movers with a cleaning device for cleaning the drive surface and / or the cover sheet stretched over it.

[0148] Fig. 1 schematically shows a processing line 133 for processing food products, wherein the food products are first cut into slices 14 by a slicing station 15, which may in particular include a high-speed slicer 21. The slices 14 are stacked on a transport mover 27 of a transport device 11 and completed to form a food portion 13, which comprises at least one, but in particular several, of the separated slices 14.

[0149] The transport device 1 1 comprises a drive module 23 supported on a frame 57 and a control unit 29, which is designed to move the transport mover 27, together with the food portion 13 stored on it, along a predetermined or predefinable path on a top surface 93 of the drive module 23 via a drive surface 25. The food portion 13, as a food item 135, can therefore be fed by the transport mover 27 to a packaging machine 17, which, like the slicing station 15, forms a workstation 19 of the processing line 133, so that the food portions 13 can be placed into packaging stations 125 provided by the packaging machine 17. In particular, the transport mover 27 can therefore be moved along a main conveying direction F, which leads from the slicing station 15 to the packaging machine 17.

[0150] In order to place the food portions 13 into the packaging stations 125, the processing line 133 or the transport device 11 includes a robot 127, in particular a picking robot, which is designed to remove the food portions 13 provided by the transport mover 27 from the transport mover 27 and place them into the packaging stations 125. The packaging machine 17 can in particular be designed as a thermoforming packaging machine, so that the packaging stations 125 can be provided as troughs drawn into a material web.

[0151] As can already be seen from Fig. 1, the transport device 11 is designed as a planar drive device 37, so that several drive sections 39, in particular those forming the drive surface 25 in a tile-like manner, can be provided in the drive module 23 (see Fig. 2). The drive sections 39 are designed to generate electromagnetic radiation so that the transport mover 27 can be moved over the drive surface 25 in a magnetic levitation state M. For this purpose, the transport mover 27 can in particular have a permanent magnet which can be moved by electromagnetic radiation generated by the drive module 23 and its drive sections 39.

[0152] Due to this type of movement of the transport mover 27, a gap 35 exists between the top surface 93 of the drive module 23, and thus between the drive surface 25 and the transport mover 27. As illustrated in Fig. 2, a cover strip 33 of a protective device 31 is arranged in this gap 35 and stretched over the drive surface 25 by a tensioning device 61, the cover strip 33 being, in particular, a film. For the sake of clarity, the protective device 31 is not shown in Fig. 1; however, it is understood by those skilled in the art that such a cover strip 33 can be arranged in the gap 35 visible in Fig. 1, and in particular such that a gap 35 still exists between the transport mover 27 and the cover strip 33, and the transport mover 27 does not come into mechanical contact with the cover strip 33 during its movement along the drive surface 25.

[0153] By providing the transport device 1 1 with such a protective device 31 with a cover strip 33, it is particularly possible to prevent any contaminants falling from the transport mover 27 or the transported food portion 13 from coming into direct contact with the drive surface 25 and / or the drive module 23 and its electromechanical components. Instead, such contaminants can be caught by the cover strip 33, which, due to its stretching over the drive surface 25, is arranged in a particularly flat position, is not touched by the underside of the transport mover 27, and is therefore easy to clean.

[0154] Furthermore, Fig. 2 illustrates that the transport device 11 can also have a positioning device 49 with suction openings 51 located in an edge section 53 of the transport device 11 and at a transition 59 between adjacent drive sections 39, in order to be able to suction and fix the cover sheet 33 to the drive surface 25 in addition to being clamped by the clamping device 61. Alternatively or additionally, the positioning device 49 can also be designed with an electrostatic device for positioning the cover sheet 33 against the drive surface 25.

[0155] Furthermore, Fig. 2 shows by way of example that the protective device 31 illustrated therein is a first

[0156] The cover layer 43 and a second cover layer 45 are included, which overlap each other in an overlap area 47 in order to achieve complete coverage of the drive surface 25.

[0157] Furthermore, Fig. 2 shows that the drive sections 39 form a tile-shaped arrangement, but are held in a common mounting frame 55. This makes it possible, in particular, to move the transport device 1 1 and especially the drive module 23 formed by the various drive sections 39 in a simple manner, for example, to move it into the working area of ​​a cleaning device 89.

[0158] Figure 5 illustrates in particular that the control device 29 can, for example, be configured to raise and / or pivot the drive surface 25 by actuating a corresponding drive 100, thereby bringing it into an inclined orientation. Furthermore, by such actuation of the drive 100, the drive surface 25 can be moved into the effective range of the cleaning device 89, so that the cleaning device 89 can clean the drive surface 25. In particular, such an inclined arrangement of the drive surface 25 during cleaning can also allow any soiling to slide off or run off, thereby simplifying and accelerating the cleaning process.

[0159] While Fig. 5 illustrates only the lifting and tilting of the drive surface 25 as an example, it can also be provided that the drive surface 25 is optionally movable horizontally laterally and / or can be raised and / or lowered completely vertically in order to be moved from a first position P1 (e.g. working position) to a second position P2 (e.g. cleaning position) in order, for example, to optionally provide improved access for cleaning or other maintenance work.

[0160] As can be seen again in Fig. 1, the transport device 11 can include a contamination sensor 77, for example designed as a camera, to detect contamination of the drive surface 25 and / or the cover 33 arranged above it. Furthermore, in the embodiment according to Fig. 1, a cleaning device 89 is provided that is movable between a waiting position W and a cleaning position S, illustrated by dashed lines in Fig. 1. This cleaning device can be moved into the cleaning position S, for example, depending on a signal sent from the contamination sensor 77 to the control unit 29, and can be activated to clean the drive surface 25 or the cover 33 stretched above it. In particular, the cleaning device can have a blower 101 and a suction device 103 to blow or vacuum up contamination, for example, from the drive surface 25 or the cover 33.

[0161] Furthermore, in the embodiment of the processing line 133 and the transport device 11 according to Fig. 1, the transport device 11 includes a sorting station 123, wherein the control unit 29 can be configured to move the transport mover 27 to the sorting station 123 when the transport mover 27 receives a defective food portion 13 that must therefore be sorted out. In particular, the sorting station 123 can include the aforementioned robot 127, which can be configured to place a food portion 13 to be sorted out into a sorting container 129 and not to transfer it to the packaging machine 17.

[0162] Figures 3A to 3C show different embodiments of the transport device 11 and their respective protective device 31.

[0163] According to the embodiment illustrated with reference to Fig. 3A, the protective device 31 can, in particular, be provided that it has a first deflection roller 69 and a second deflection roller 71, wherein the cover strip 33 is guided over the first deflection roller 69 and the second deflection roller 71. Furthermore, the second deflection roller 71 can be driven by a drive 41 of a drive unit 73, which is connected to the control unit 29, while the first deflection roller 69 has a roll-off stop 75 to selectively block rotation of the first deflection roller 69. This makes it possible to tension the cover strip 33 over the drive surface 25 by driving the second deflection roller 71 while simultaneously activating the roll-off stop 75.

[0164] Furthermore, it can be provided, in particular, that a supply section 81 of the cover sheet 33 is wound onto the first deflection roller 69, while a cover section 83 of the cover sheet 33 is stretched over the drive surface 25. A used section 85 of the cover sheet 33, on the other hand, is wound onto the second deflection roller 71. By driving the second deflection roller 71, the supply section 81 can therefore be unwound from the first deflection roller 69 and, as a new cover section 83, optionally positioned above the drive surface 25, whereas the previous cover section 83, as a used section 85, can be wound onto the second deflection roller 71 when rotation of the first deflection roller 69 is enabled by the unwinding stop 75.For example, such an advantage for the cover sheet 33 can occur if the contamination sensor 77 detects that a cover section 83 currently located above the drive surface 25 is contaminated, so that it can be easily replaced by a clean feed section 81. The roll-off barrier 75 can therefore be selectively activated or deactivated by the control unit 29 to allow tensioning or movement of the cover sheet 33.

[0165] In the embodiment according to Fig. 3B, the cover strip 33 is further guided circumferentially over the first deflection roller 69, a top surface 93 of the drive surface 25, the second deflection roller 71, and between the deflection rollers 69 and 71 on a bottom surface 83 of the drive module 23. In addition, a cleaning device 89 with a cleaning bath 91 is arranged on the bottom surface 83, so that a section of the cover strip 33 guided along the bottom surface 83 can be passed through the cleaning bath 91 and cleaned. This also makes it possible, in the event of contamination of a section of the cover strip 33 arranged above the drive surface 25, to replace this contaminated section with a section of the cover strip 33 cleaned on the bottom surface 83 by moving the cover strip 33 further, and to again stretch a clean section of the cover strip 33 over the drive surface 25.

[0166] As shown in Fig. 3C, the aforementioned clamping device 61 can also include a clamping device 63 with two clamping elements 65 to tension the cover 33 over the drive surface 25. For example, the clamping elements 65 can be selectively openable or closeable to allow the cover 33 to be removed or clamped. Furthermore, the clamping elements 65 can be raised and / or lowered, for example, manually or by a signal from the control device 29, to allow, for example, the cover 33 to be released for removal or the cover 33 to be tensioned over the drive surface 25.Furthermore, in this embodiment a cover sheet supply 67 with unused, hygienic cover sheets 33 is provided, so that a soiled cover sheet 33 can be replaced, for example, by taking a new cover sheet from the cover sheet supply 67 and clamping the new cover sheet 33 in the clamping device 63.

[0167] Fig. 4A further shows another possibility for cleaning the drive surface 25 and / or the cover 33 arranged above it with a cleaning device 89, which here by way of example has a scraper 95 and, opposite the scraper 95, a dirt collection element 97, which can collect dirt gathered by the scraper 95 in the manner of a dustpan. In particular, the scraper 95 can be moved by a scraper drive 99 along a cleaning direction R towards the dirt collection element 97 in order to push away any dirt accumulating on the drive surface 25 or the cover 33 positioned above it.

[0168] Furthermore, the scraper 95 is pivotable about an axis B between the cleaning position A shown in Fig. 4A and a waiting position I, in which the scraper 95 is not in contact with the drive surface 25 or the drive module 23, so that the drive surface 25 can be fully used for movements of the transport mover 27. The dirt collection element 97 can also be moved by a drive 98 either into the working position shown or into a retracted inactivity position, whereby the movement of the dirt collection element 97 can, in particular, be synchronized with a movement of the scraper 95 into the cleaning position A. In embodiments with two deflection rollers 69 and 71, the removal of contaminants can also take place in the direction of the second deflection roller 71, on which already used and, in particular, soiled sections of the cover sheet can be wound or deflected.

[0169] Furthermore, Fig. 4A shows that the control device 29 can also be designed to put the transport mover 27 into a spin-off rotation 105 in order to be able to selectively spin off any dirt remaining on the transport movers 27 so that it can then be removed by means of the cleaning device 89 (or by a cleaning mover 107 which will be explained below).

[0170] Fig. 4B further illustrates that the transport device 11 can also include the aforementioned cleaning mover 107, which is designed to clean the drive surface 25 and / or the cover track 33 positioned above it. In particular, a scraper 109 is provided on the cleaning mover 107 for this purpose, and the cleaning mover 107 can optionally be tilted about an axis of inclination N in order to bring the scraper 109 into mechanical contact with the drive surface 25 or the cover track 33 arranged above it and to perform cleaning. Such optional tilting of the cleaning mover 107 can also make it possible to use the cleaning mover 107 in its non-tilted state as a conventional transport mover 27 for transporting food portions 13, which can be moved over the drive surface 25 in the magnetic levitation state M.

[0171] Another possibility for cleaning the drive surface 25 and, in particular, the cover 33 stretched over it, is illustrated in Fig. 6. According to this embodiment, the transport device 11 has a storage station 131, and the control unit 29 is configured to selectively feed the transport movers 27 to the storage station 131. In particular, one or more different cleaning devices 111 can be stored in the storage station 131, and the storage station 131 can be configured to selectively equip a fed transport mover 27 with the cleaning device 111.

[0172] As an example, one of the transport movers 27 is equipped with a cleaning device 111 designed as a suction unit 113, which also includes a dirt collection container 115. The transport mover 27 is also equipped with an electrical power source 121 to supply the coupled cleaning device 111 with electrical energy. This allows the transport mover 27, now functioning as a cleaning mover 107, to move along the drive surface 25 and vacuum the dirt, collecting it in the dirt collection container 113. After cleaning, the cleaning mover 107 can, for example, be moved back into the storage station 131, whereupon the cleaning device 111 is detached from the transport mover 27, and the transport mover 27 can again be used in the conventional manner for transporting food portions 13.In addition, the storage station 131 can also be designed to clean the transport mover 27 beforehand, so that the storage station 131 can also function as a cleaning station 132 for the transport mover 27.

[0173] Furthermore, Fig. 6 illustrates that the storage station 131 can, for example, also be configured to optionally equip a transport mover 27 with a suction port 117 as a cleaning device 111, wherein the suction port 117 is connected to an external suction device 119. This, too, can make it possible to vacuum the drive surface 25 or the cover sheet 33 stretched over it by moving the suction port 117 using the transport mover 27, which thus functions as a cleaning mover 107.

[0174] List of references

[0175] II Transport device

[0176] 13 food portions

[0177] 14 discs

[0178] 15 cutting stations

[0179] 17 Packaging machine

[0180] 19 workstations

[0181] 21 High-speed slicers

[0182] 23 Drive module

[0183] 25 Drive area

[0184] 27 transport movers

[0185] 29 Control unit

[0186] 31 Protective device

[0187] 33 Cover sheet

[0188] 35 gap

[0189] 37 Planar drive device

[0190] 39 Drive section

[0191] 41 Drive

[0192] 43 first cover layer

[0193] 45 second cover layer

[0194] 47 Overlap section

[0195] 49 Docking facility

[0196] 51 Intake opening

[0197] 53 marginal section

[0198] 55 mounting frames

[0199] 57 frame

[0200] 59 Transition

[0201] 61 Clamping device

[0202] 63 Clamping device

[0203] 65 clamping element

[0204] 67 Cover sheet stock

[0205] 69 first pulley

[0206] 71 second pulley

[0207] 73 Drive unit

[0208] 75 Roll-off barrier

[0209] 77 Pollution sensor

[0210] 81 Supply section

[0211] 83 Cover section

[0212] 85 used section

[0213] 87 Underside

[0214] 89 Cleaning equipment

[0215] 91 Cleaning bath

[0216] 93 Top

[0217] 95 wipers

[0218] 97 Dirt collection element

[0219] 98 Drive

[0220] 99 Wiper drive

[0221] 100 drive

[0222] 101 Cleaning unit blower

[0223] 103 Cleaning device

[0224] 105 Spin-off rotation

[0225] 107 cleaning mowers

[0226] 109 wipers

[0227] III Cleaning device

[0228] 113 Suction unit 115 Dirt collection container

[0229] 117 Suction port

[0230] 119 external suction device

[0231] 121 electrical energy source

[0232] 123 Sorting facility

[0233] 125 packing stations

[0234] 127 robots

[0235] 129 sorting containers

[0236] 131 Storage station

[0237] 133 processing line

[0238] 135 food items

[0239] A cleaning position

[0240] B axis

[0241] F Main conveying direction

[0242] I Waiting position

[0243] M Magnetic levitation state

[0244] N axis of inclination

[0245] P1 first position, working position

[0246] P2 second position. Cleaning position

[0247] R Cleaning direction

[0248] S Cleaning position

[0249] W waiting position

Claims

1. Weber Food Technology GmbH W29090PWO - Dm Claims 1. Transport device (11) for moving foodstuffs (135), in particular food portions (13) with at least one slice (14) separated from a food product - in particular by a high-speed slicer (21) - comprising a drive module (23) with a drive surface (25); at least one transport mover (27) movable above the drive surface (25) in a predetermined or predeterminable path; a control device (29) for controlling the movement of the transport mover (27); and a protective device (31) for protecting the drive surface (25) from contamination, wherein the protective device (31) has at least a band-like cover (33), in particular a film, which is stretched at least section by section over the drive surface (25).

2. Transport device (11) according to claim 1, wherein the transport mover (27) can be electromagnetically coupled to the drive surface (25) and wherein the transport device (11) is designed to move the transport mover (27) in a magnetic levitation state (M) above the drive surface (25) along the track, wherein the cover track (33) is arranged in a gap (35) between the drive surface (25) and the transport mover (27).

3. Transport device (11) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the transport device (11 ) is designed as a planar drive device (37) and wherein the drive surface (25) comprises several tile-shaped drive sections (39), wherein the cover sheet (33) spans at least two of the tile-shaped drive sections (39).

4. Transport device (11) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cover sheet (33) is movable over the drive surface (25), wherein in particular a drive (41) is provided for moving the cover sheet (33).

5. Transport device (11) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the protective device (31) has a first cover sheet (43) and a second cover sheet (45) which are stretched over a respective partial area of ​​the drive surface (25), wherein the first cover sheet (43) and the second cover sheet (45) overlap each other with a respective overlap section (47).

6. Transport device (11) according to claim 5, wherein the first cover sheet (43) and the second cover sheet (45) are formed with the same material composition, thickness and / or width; or wherein the first cover sheet (43) and the second cover sheet (45) differ from each other with respect to their respective material composition, thickness and / or width.

7. Transport device (11) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the transport mover (27) is movable along a main conveying direction (F) over the drive surface (25), wherein the cover sheet (33) is stretched transversely to the main conveying direction (F) over the drive surface (25).

8. Transport device (11) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cover sheet (33) is at least partially inclined to the drive surface (25) above the drive surface (25).

9. Transport device (11) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the transport device (11) has an application device (49) for applying the cover sheet (33) to the drive surface (25), wherein the application device (49) in particular has a suction device - preferably with at least one suction opening (51) in an edge section (53) of the drive surface (25) and / or with at least one suction opening (51) at a transition (59) between two tile-shaped drive sections (39) of the drive surface (25) - or an electrostatic device.

10. Transport device (11) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the protective device (31) has a tensioning device (61) which is designed to hold the cover sheet (33) laterally below the drive surface (25) on both sides and to tension it over the drive surface (25).

11. Transport device (11 ) according to claim 10, wherein the tensioning device (61 ) comprises a clamping device (63) which is designed to clamp the tensioned cover sheet (33) on both sides of the drive surface (25).

12. Transport device (11) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the protective device (31) has a first deflection roller (69) and a second deflection roller (71), wherein the cover sheet (33) is guided over the two deflection rollers (69, 71) and is stretched between the two deflection rollers (69, 71).

13. Transport device (11) according to claim 12, wherein the second deflection roller (71) is driveable, wherein the cover sheet (33) is movable and / or tensionable by driving the second deflection roller (71).

14. Transport device (11) according to claim 13, wherein a drive device (73) with a drive (41) for driving the second deflection roller (71) is provided, which is configured to drive the second deflection roller (71) intermittently or continuously; and / or wherein the second deflection roller (71) can be driven manually.

15. Transport device (11) according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the transport device comprises a contamination sensor (77), wherein the drive device (73) is configured to drive the second deflection roller (71) depending on a signal from the contamination sensor (77).

16. Transport device (11) according to one of claims 13 to 15, wherein the first deflection roller (69) has a roll-off stop (75), wherein the cover sheet (33) can be tensioned between the first deflection roller (69) and the second deflection roller (71) by driving the second deflection roller (71) and by actuating the roll-off stop (75) of the first deflection roller (69).

17. Transport device (11) according to one of claims 12 to 16, wherein a supply section (81) of the cover sheet (33) is wound on the first deflection roller (69), wherein a cover section (83) of the cover sheet (33) is stretched between the first deflection roller (69) and the second deflection roller (71) over the drive surface (25), and wherein a used section (85) of the cover sheet (33) is wound on the second deflection roller (71).

18. Transport device (11) according to one of claims 12 to 17, wherein the cover sheet (33) is guided circumferentially over the drive surface (25), the two deflection rollers and on an underside (87) of the drive module (23) facing away from the drive surface (25).

19. Transport device (11) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the transport device (11) has a cleaning device (89) for the drive surface (25) and / or the cover sheet (33), wherein the cleaning device (89) is in particular designed to clean the cover sheet (33) on a top side (93) above the drive surface (25) or on a bottom side (87) of the drive module (23) opposite the drive surface (25).

20. Transport device (11) according to claim 19, wherein the cleaning device (89) comprises a scraper (109), a brush, a UV irradiation device, at least one nozzle for applying a cleaning or disinfecting agent, a cleaning bath (91) and / or a drying device, in particular a blower (101).

21. Transport device (11) according to claim 19 or 20, wherein the cleaning device (89) has at least one scraper (95) for removing dirt from the drive surface (25) and / or the cover sheet (33).

22. Transport device (11) according to claim 21, wherein the wiper (95) is movable in a cleaning direction (R) for cleaning the drive surface (25) and / or the cover sheet (33), wherein a dirt collection element (97) is arranged opposite the wiper (95) for collecting dirt wiped off the drive surface (25) and / or the cover sheet (33) by the wiper (95).

23. Transport device (11) according to claim 22, wherein the dirt collection element (97) is movable, in particular pivotable, from an inactivity position to a working position, wherein the dirt collection element (97) is particularly movable synchronously with a movement of the wiper (95) from a waiting position (I) to a cleaning position (A) from the inactivity position (I) to the working position (A).

24. Transport device (11) according to one of claims 19 to 23, wherein the control device (29) is configured to move the transport mover (27) into a parking section of the drive surface (25) outside a first cleaning section before a cleaning process to be carried out by the cleaning device (89), and wherein the cleaning device (89) is configured to clean the first cleaning section after moving the transport mover (27) into the parking section, wherein the control device (29) is in particular configured to move the transport mover (27) into the first cleaning section after cleaning the first cleaning section, and wherein the cleaning device (89) is in particular configured to clean the parking section after moving the transport mover (27) into the first cleaning section.

25. Transport device (11) according to one of claims 19 to 24, wherein the cleaning device (89) has a blower (101) and is configured to generate a cleaning airflow along the drive surface (25) and / or the cover sheet (33); and / or wherein the cleaning device (89) has a suction device (113) and is configured to vacuum the drive surface (25) and / or the cover sheet (33).

26. Transport device (11) according to one of claims 19 to 25, wherein the cleaning device (89) can be selectively brought into a cleaning position (S) relative to the drive module (23), in particular by pivoting, retracting, placing and / or attaching; and / or wherein the cleaning device (89) can be selectively detached from the drive module (23).

27. Transport device (11) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the control device (29) is configured to tilt the drive surface (25) relative to the horizontal, in particular for cleaning the drive surface (25) and / or the cover sheet (33), in particular to pivot it; and / or wherein the control device (29) is configured to selectively raise or lower the drive surface (25); and / or wherein the control device (29) is configured to move the drive surface (25) laterally with at least one horizontal movement component, in particular to move it laterally in a horizontal direction.

28. Transport device (11) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the control device (29) is configured to move the drive surface (25) between a working position (P1) in which the transport mover (27) can be moved along the predetermined path and a cleaning position (P2) in which the drive surface (25) is accessible for cleaning, in particular wherein the drive surface (25) can be brought into an effective area of ​​a cleaning device (89) by moving it into the cleaning position (P2).

29. Transport device (11) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the control device (29) is configured to place the transport mover (27) into a spin-off rotation (105) for spinning off product residues.

30. Transport device (11) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the transport device (11) has at least one cleaning mover (107) which is designed to clean the drive surface (25) and / or the cover sheet (33) arranged above the drive surface (25).

31. Transport device (11 ) according to claim 30, wherein the cleaning mover (107) has an actively controllable cleaning device (11 1 ), wherein the actively controllable cleaning device (11 1 ) in particular has a suction device (1 13), a blowing device, a UV irradiation device, a spraying device for spraying a cleaning and / or disinfecting agent and / or a wiping device.

32. Transport device (11) according to claim 31, wherein the transport device (11) has a storage station (131) for the cleaning device (11 1), wherein the control device (29) is configured to selectively move the transport mover (27) into the storage station (131) and to control the storage station (131) for attaching the cleaning device (11 1) to the transport mover (27), wherein the transport mover (27) with the cleaning device (1 11) attached is configured to function as a cleaning mover (107) for cleaning the drive surface (25) and / or the cover sheet (33) arranged above the drive surface (25).

33. Transport device (11) according to one of claims 30 to 32, wherein the cleaning mover (107) or the cleaning device (111) is designed with a suction device (113) and has a dirt collection container (115) for collecting suctioned dirt.

34. Transport device (11) according to one of claims 30 to 33, wherein the cleaning mover (107) or the cleaning device (111) has a suction port (117) for connecting an external suction device (119).

35. Transport device (11) according to one of claims 30 to 34, wherein the cleaning mover (107) has an electrical energy source (121) which is configured to provide electrical energy for the performance of cleaning functions by the cleaning mover (107).

36. Transport device (11) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a sorting device (123) for sorting out defective foodstuffs (135), wherein the control device (29) is configured to feed a transport mover (27) with a defective foodstuff (135) to the sorting device (123), and wherein the sorting device (123) is configured to remove the defective foodstuff (135) from the transport mover (27).

37. Food processing line (133) for processing food (135), comprising at least two workstations (19) for processing the food (135), and a transport device (11) according to one of the preceding claims, which is configured to transport the food (135) from one workstation (19) to the other workstation (19), wherein the at least two workstations (19) are in particular configured as: a slicing station (15), which is configured to slice supplied food products into slices (14) and to form food portions (13) comprising at least one slice (14), and a packaging machine (17) for packaging the food portions (13).

38. Method for operating a food processing line (133) according to claim 37, wherein: Foodstuffs (135) are cut into slices (14) by a slicing station (15) and food portions (13) are formed, each comprising at least one slice (14), the food portions (13) are loaded onto a respective transport mover (27) and transported to a packaging machine (17), and the food portions (13) are placed on packaging stations (57) provided by the packaging machine (17).

39. Method according to claim 38, wherein the cover sheet (33) is moved, cleaned and / or replaced during an interruption of operation, in particular for loading a food item (135) to be cut.

40. Method according to claim 38 or 39, wherein the cover sheet (33) is moved, cleaned and / or replaced depending on a signal from a contamination sensor (77).

41. Method according to one of claims 38 to 40, wherein the cover sheet (33) is cleaned by a cleaning device (89) and / or by a cleaning mover (107) of the transport device (11), wherein the cleaning device (89) is moved into a cleaning position (S) relative to the drive module (23) in particular to carry out the cleaning.

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