Patent Application
20250073938
This application claims priority to German Patent Application No. DE 102023123878.7 filed on Sep. 5, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated in its entirety by reference herein.
The invention relates to slicing machines, in particular so-called slicers, which are used in the food industry to slice strands of an only slightly compressible product such as sausage or cheese. The invention further relates to a method for slicing at least one product caliber, in particular by means of a slicing machine according to the invention.
Since these strands can be produced with a cross-section that maintains its shape and dimensions well over their length, i.e. remains substantially constant, they are called product calibers.
In most cases, several product calibers arranged parallel to one another on individual tracks are cut side by side at the same time by cutting one slice at a time by the same blade, which moves in a transverse direction to the longitudinal direction of the product caliber.
The product calibers are moved forwards by a feed conveyor of a feed unit towards the blade of the cutting unit, usually on a downwardly inclined feed conveyor, and are guided in each case through the product openings of a plate-type so-called cutting frame, at whose front ends the part of the product caliber projecting beyond it is cut off as a slice by the blade immediately in front of the cutting frame.
During slicing, the product calibers are usually held at their rear end facing away from the cutting frame by a gripper which is equipped with corresponding gripper claws to prevent uncontrolled downward movement of the product calibers.
Before cutting a product caliber into slices, it is customary to make a so-called first cut at the end of the product caliber facing towards the cutting unit, i.e. to cut off an end piece of the product caliber, since the product calibers are usually tapered at their ends, which can reduce the dimensions of the product calibers in the end regions, at least in the height direction. Without making a first cut, therefore, at least some of the first slices cut from a product caliber would have a slice height that is too small, i.e., for example, in the case of a substantially circular product caliber, a slice diameter that is too small, so that at least these slices, including their corresponding packaging, would have to be sorted out as rejects.
With known slicing machines, a first cut length in the throughput direction for the product caliber in question is usually entered manually at a control unit of the slicing machine, so that the slicing machine can initially make the first cut, i.e. a thicker slice of the product caliber in the throughput direction, from the end of the product caliber facing towards the cutting unit.
Since, however, product calibers can have different shapes to one another and therefore different first cut lengths, the first cut length specified at the slicing machine is usually slightly greater in order to ensure that even a product caliber that requires a comparatively long first cut length is still cut in such a way that the slices subsequently sliced have the desired dimensions.
However, especially in the case of product calibers with a short first cut length, this means that an excessively large end piece of such product calibers is often sliced off as a first cut, leading to an unnecessarily large reduction in the possible number of slices per product caliber and ultimately to food wastage. Also, if the length of the first cut is too great, the slicing machine has to be loaded more frequently with new product calibers, which can ultimately increase the cycle time of the slicing machine and, in particular, of a downstream packaging machine.
It is therefore the task according to the invention to provide a slicing machine, in particular a slicer, which can overcome these problems, in particular by enabling first cuts to be made from product calibers as appropriate in each case. It is also the task of the invention to provide a corresponding method.
This task is solved by the features of claims 1 and 13. Advantageous embodiments result from the dependent claims.
A generic multi-track slicing machine, such as a slicer, for slicing at least one product caliber into slices and creating portions from the slices typically comprises
According to the invention, the slicing machine further comprises a measuring device which is in signal connection with the control unit and is adapted to measure at least one dimension of the product caliber in the height direction of the product caliber, in particular automatically.
Consequently, it is possible to use the dimension of the product caliber measured by the measuring device in the height direction to determine at which point on the end of the product caliber facing towards the cutting unit a first cut is to be made, i.e. an end piece of the product caliber is to be cut off, in order to ensure that the slices to be subsequently cut from this product caliber by the slicing machine have at least a predetermined height, for example in the case of a substantially circular product caliber at least a predetermined slice diameter, so that as far as possible no slices are cut which—possibly including their corresponding packaging—would have to be sorted out as rejects.
For example, while the product caliber is being moved in the feed direction by means of the feed conveyor, the measuring device can be used to monitor the dimension of the product caliber in the height direction at a suitable position in front of the cutting unit and the first cut can be made approximately, preferably exactly, at the point at which the product caliber has the predetermined dimension in the height direction. The measuring unit is preferably adapted to determine the dimension in the height direction at the cutting unit, in particular at a position of the blade arranged substantially in the cutting plane of the blade. Consequently, the blade can make the first cut as soon as the predetermined dimension of the product caliber in the height direction of the product caliber has been reached, preferably for the first time.
The measuring device can preferably also be adapted to measure a height profile of the product caliber over a length of the product caliber in the feed direction.
The measuring device can further be adapted to measure a dimension of the product caliber in the width direction of the product caliber. This can be advantageous particularly if the product caliber also has a dimension that varies over the length of the product caliber in the width direction of the product caliber, which differs significantly from the variation in the at least one dimension in the height direction of the product caliber.
It is also conceivable to make the first cut a few millimeters in the throughput direction, for example at most 50 mm, in particular at most 25 mm, preferably at most 10 mm or less, after a point of the product caliber at which the product caliber first has the predetermined dimension in the height direction, in particular starting from an end of the product caliber facing towards the cutting unit, in order to nevertheless maintain a certain buffer if the product caliber has, for example, varying dimensions over the circumference, i.e. is not symmetrical, and the dimension in the height direction is only measured at one point of the circumference, for example from above. In such a case, the predetermined dimension in the feed direction could, at least potentially, be reached earlier on a side of the product caliber facing towards the measuring device than on a side of the product caliber facing away from the measuring device.
According to a preferred exemplary embodiment, the control unit can be adapted to determine a first cut length of the product caliber in the throughput direction, preferably automatically, from the measured at least one dimension, in particular at least from a first dimension and a second dimension, in the height direction of the product caliber. Preferably, the first dimension can be smaller than the second dimension. Consequently, the control unit can, for example, use the at least one dimension, preferably automatically, to determine at which point, starting from a front end of the product caliber facing towards the cutting unit, the product caliber first has the at least one dimension of the product caliber in the height direction, and then control the cutting unit in such a way that a first cut is made at this point. If the control unit takes the first dimension and the second dimension of the product caliber into account, the first dimension can correspond to the front end of the product caliber facing towards the cutting unit and the second dimension can be a desired dimension in the height direction of the product caliber, which can, for example, correspond to a target slice height in the height direction.
In principle, the measuring device can be located at any suitable point on the slicing machine. Preferably, however, the measuring device is
In the first alternative embodiment mentioned above, it is conceivable that the measuring device is connected to the upper and/or lower product guide or is a component thereof. Thus, the control unit can be able, for example, to derive the dimension of the product caliber in the height direction from a position and/or a status of the upper and/or lower product guide.
In a further development of the first alternative embodiment, it is further conceivable that the measuring device is adapted to determine the dimension of the product caliber in the height direction from a pivot angle or a change in the pivot angle in particular of an end facing towards the cutting unit of the upper and/or lower product guide about a predetermined pivot axis. The predetermined pivot axis can be a substantially horizontal pivot axis. When using the slicing machine, the upper and/or lower product guide can first be pivoted about the predetermined pivot axis so that it is at a predetermined inclination angle to the feed direction of a respective product caliber. When the respective product caliber is then fed by the feed unit along the feed direction, the upper and/or lower product guide can realign itself substantially parallel to the feed direction as soon as the product caliber has at least the predetermined dimension in the height direction of the product caliber, for example at least a predetermined slice diameter. The first cut length can be determined by monitoring a feed distance of the product caliber in the feed direction which is traveled from a start time of a first change in the pivot angle to an end time at which the upper and/or lower product guide is aligned substantially parallel to the feed direction.
It is also possible to take only the change in the pivot angle into account, it being assumed, for example, that the product caliber has the predetermined dimension precisely when the pivot angle no longer changes as the product caliber continues to be fed in the feed direction. The first cut length can also be determined by monitoring a feed distance of the product caliber in the feed direction which is traveled from a start time of a first change in the pivot angle to an end time after which no further change in the pivot angle takes place as the product caliber continues to be fed in the feed direction.
In the two exemplary embodiments mentioned above, the feed distance can be monitored by the control unit of the slicing machine. Furthermore, an angle sensor which is in signal connection with the control unit can be fitted to the upper and/or lower product guide in order to determine the pivot angle.
Moreover, the measuring device may additionally or alternatively comprise a sensor, in particular a distance sensor such as a laser or similar, which is attached to the upper and/or lower product guide.
In the aforementioned second alternative embodiment, the measuring device can, for example, be arranged upstream, preferably directly upstream, of the upper and/or lower product guide with respect to the feed direction, i.e. it can be configured as a component separate from the respective product guide with a separate sensor, in particular a distance sensor such as a laser or similar. Consequently, in particular according to the second alternative embodiment, the upper and/or the lower product guide can, for example, be configured as a rigid product guide or does not necessarily have to be movable in the height direction of the product caliber or pivotable about an axis running substantially parallel to a width direction of the product caliber.
Furthermore, the measuring device can be configured as a contacting measuring device which is adapted to come into contact with the product caliber in order to be able to determine the at least one dimension of the product caliber in the height direction. In such a case, the measuring device can come into contact with the product caliber and, depending on this, determine at least the dimension of the product caliber in the height direction. Although appropriate installation space must be provided for the measuring device so as to be able to arrange it in the area of the movement path of the product caliber, a contacting measuring device usually has lower risk compared to a contactless, for example optical, measuring device whose measuring accuracy may be disturbed due to operational fouling or similar.
In a further development of this exemplary embodiment, the measuring device can preferably comprise a mechanical measured value recording unit, in particular a displacement measuring cylinder, and a caliber contact element, in particular a sensing rod, which is connected to the measured value recording unit, wherein the caliber contact element can be adapted to come into contact with the product caliber directly or indirectly. The measured value recording unit can thus be arranged away from the feed conveyor so that it does not interfere with the movement path of the product caliber, while only the caliber contact element should be able to come into contact with the product caliber directly or indirectly, for example via a sliding element or a rolling element such as a roller. The caliber contact element can be configured, for example, to be movable so as to follow the outer contour of the product caliber.
Further preferably, the caliber contact element, in particular the sensing rod, can be attached to the slicing machine, in particular to a frame, so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis. Consequently, by means of the mechanical measured value recording unit, from a pivot angle or a change in the pivot angle of the caliber contact element, for example, it is possible to draw conclusions about the dimension of the product caliber in the height direction by evaluating the pivot angle or the change in the pivot angle. “Mechanical” in this case means that a movement of the caliber contact element leads to a corresponding measurable movement on the mechanical measured value recording unit. The mechanical measured value recording unit, for example the displacement cylinder, can also comprise a sensor system arranged inside or outside the measured value recording unit whereby a movement and/or position of the mechanical measured value recording unit, for example a piston rod of the displacement cylinder, can be evaluated.
Particularly preferably, the caliber contact element, in particular the sensing rod, can have a first end, which is connected to the mechanical measured value recording unit, in particular the displacement measuring cylinder, and a second end opposite the first end, wherein the second end
As a result, the caliber contact element can contact the product caliber directly or indirectly and follow the height profile, i.e. a respective height of the product caliber in the height direction of the product caliber. Alternatively, the second end can be connected to the upper or lower product guide so that a movement and/or position of the upper and/or lower product guide can be monitored by the control unit of the slicing machine and corresponding conclusions can be drawn about the height of the product caliber in the height direction.
According to a further exemplary embodiment, the measuring device can be configured as a contactless, in particular optical measuring device. It is also conceivable that the measuring device is configured as a combination of a contactless measuring device, as described below, and a contacting measuring device, as described above.
In principle, the contactless measuring device can work with any contactless measuring principle that is suitable for determining at least one dimension of the product caliber in the height direction. Preferably, the contactless measuring device can comprise a contactless, in particular optical, measured value recording unit, in particular a laser, which faces towards the feed conveyor, the contactless measured value recording unit preferably being adapted to determine a distance between the optical measured value recording unit and the product caliber.
Additionally or alternatively, it is also conceivable that the contactless measuring device comprises an, in particular optical, sensor unit which faces towards the upper and/or lower product guide and can be adapted to determine the pivot angle and/or the change in the pivot angle of the upper and/or lower product guide. The at least one dimension of the product caliber in the height direction can again be determined from the pivot angle and/or the change in the pivot angle in the same way as described above. In this context, the contactless measuring device is thus preferably arranged adjacent to the upper and/or lower product guide and is not part of the upper and/or lower product guide.
If the slicing machine is configured as a multi-track slicing machine with multiple tracks, the slicing machine can preferably comprise at least one measuring device described above for each of the multiple tracks.
It should be added that the feed unit can comprise a gripper carriage, which can carry one gripper for one product caliber per track, and a carriage guide along which the gripper carriage can be moved in a controlled manner in the feed direction.
Furthermore, the slicing machine can preferably comprise a discharge unit with a discharge conveyor, in particular a portioning belt, for the slices.
A generic method for slicing at least one product caliber into slices and for producing portions from the slices, in particular by means of a slicing machine, preferably a slicer according to the invention, comprises the following steps:
According to the invention, before the slices are cut off from the front end of the at least one product caliber, at least one dimension of the product caliber is measured in the height direction of the product caliber, in particular by means of a measuring device.
It should be noted at this point that all the statements, advantages and effects described for the slicing machine according to the invention also apply to the method according to the invention and vice versa.
According to one exemplary embodiment, a first cut can be made a few millimeters in the throughput direction, for example at most 50 mm, in particular at most 25 mm, preferably at most 10 mm or less, after a point of the product caliber at which the product caliber first has the predetermined dimension in the height direction, in particular starting from an end of the product caliber facing towards the cutting unit.
Preferably, a first cut length of the product caliber in the throughput direction is determined, in particular by means of a control unit of the slicing machine, from the measured at least one dimension, in particular a measured first dimension and a measured second dimension, in the height direction of the product caliber. Preferably, the first dimension can be smaller than the second dimension.
The at least one dimension of the product caliber in the height direction of the product caliber can preferably be measured by contacting or contactless, in particular optical, means.
Embodiments according to the invention are described in more detail below by way of example. The following are shown:
It can be seen that the basic structure of a slicer 1 according to the prior art consists in the fact that several, in this case four, product calibers K lying adjacent to one another on a feed conveyor 4 lying transversely to the feed direction 10 with spacers 15 of the feed conveyor 4 arranged between them are fed by this feed unit 20 to a cutting unit 7 with a blade 3, such as a sickle blade 3, rotating about an axis of rotation 3′, from whose front ends the rotating blade 3 cuts off a slice S with its cutting edge 3a in a single operation, i.e. almost simultaneously.
For slicing the product caliber K, the feed conveyor 4 is in the inclined slicing position shown in
According to
The feed of both the gripper carriage 13 and the feed conveyor 4 can be driven in a controlled manner, but the actual feed speed of the calibers K is determined by so-called upper and lower driven product guides 8, 9, which are also driven in a controlled manner, in the form of circulating belts that engage the upper and lower sides of the caliber K to be sliced in their front end portions close to the cutting unit 7.
The front ends of the calibers K are each guided through a so-called product opening 6a-d of a plate-type cutting frame 5, the cutting plane 3″ in which the blade 3 rotates with its cutting edge 3a—and thus cuts off the end of the calibers K projecting from the cutting frame 5 as a slice S—running immediately in front of the front, downwardly inclined end face of the cutting frame 5. The cutting plane 3″ runs perpendicularly to the upper run of the feed conveyor 4 and/or is spanned by the two transverse directions 11, 12 to the feed direction 10.
The inner circumference of the product openings 6a-d serves as a counter-edge of the cutting edge 3a of the blade 3.
Since both product guides 8, 9 can be driven in a controlled manner, in particular independently of each other and/or possibly separately for each track SP1 to SP4, these determine the—continuous or timed—feed speed of the caliber K through the cutting frame 5.
The upper product guide 8 can be displaced in the second transverse direction 12—which runs perpendicularly to the surface of the upper run of the feed conveyor 4—in order to adapt to the height H of the caliber K in this direction. Furthermore, at least one of the product guides 8, 9 can be configured to be pivotable about one of its pulleys in order to be able to change, to a limited extent, the direction of the run of its guide belt in contact with the caliber K.
Below the feed unit 20 there is usually a roughly horizontal end-piece conveyor 21 which starts with its front end below the cutting frame 5 and immediately below or behind the discharge unit 17, and transports end-pieces falling onto it away towards the rear with its upper run, via the drive of one of the discharge conveyors 17 against the throughput direction 10*.
The slices S standing obliquely in the space while they are being cut fall onto a conveyor unit 17 which starts below the cutting frame 5 and runs in the throughput direction 10* and which in this case consists of a plurality of discharge conveyors 17a, b, c arranged with their upper runs approximately in alignment one after the other in the throughput direction 10*, of which the first conveyor 17a in the throughput direction 10* can be configured as a portioning belt 17a and/or of which one can also be configured as a weighing unit.
The slices S can arrive on the discharge unit 17 individually and spaced apart from one another in the general throughput direction 10* of the products through the machine or, by appropriate control of the portioning belt 17a of the discharge unit 17—whose movement, like almost all moving parts, is controlled by the control unit 1*—can form shingled or stacked portions P through stepwise forward movement of the portioning belt 17a.
As can be seen in
To overcome this problem, the slicing machine 1 according to the invention is provided with the measuring device 30a which is in signal connection with the control unit 1* and is adapted to measure at least the dimensions h, H of the product caliber K in the height direction 12 of the product caliber K. As a result, it is possible to use the dimensions h, H of the product caliber K measured by the measuring device 30a in the height direction 12 to determine at which point on the end of the product caliber K facing towards the cutting frame 5 the first cut is to be made, i.e. the end piece is to be cut off.
For this purpose, the measuring device 30a, which in the example shown is arranged upstream of the upper product guide 8 of the slicing machine 1, can comprise a mechanical measured value recording unit 32, for example in the form of a displacement measuring cylinder 32, as shown in
Furthermore, the sensing rod 36 can have a first end 36a, which is connected to the displacement measuring cylinder 32, and a second end 36b opposite the first end 36a, the second end 36b being arranged so as to come into contact with the product caliber K.
According to an alternative exemplary embodiment, not shown, the second end 36b can instead be connected to the upper product guide 8 or the lower product guide 9, so that a movement, such as a pivoting movement and/or a translatory movement, or a position of the product guide 8 and/or 9 can be monitored by means of the control unit 1* of the slicing machine 1 and corresponding conclusions can be drawn about the dimensions h, H of the product caliber K in the height direction 12.
Since the sensing rod 36 can be mounted on the slicing machine 1 so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis 36′, in particular on a frame of the slicing machine 1 not shown in
In the present exemplary embodiment, the signals received from the measuring device 30a are used to determine a first cut length L, which can correspond to a length in the feed direction 10 between the front end of the product caliber K facing towards the cutting frame 5 and a point of the product caliber K at which the product caliber K first reaches the dimension H. In other words, the first cut length L can correspond to the distance between the dimensions h and H of the product caliber K shown in
Furthermore, the slicing machine 1 can be adapted to make the first cut in the throughput direction several millimeters, for example at most 50 mm, in particular at most 25 mm, preferably at most 10 mm or less, after the point of the product caliber K at which the product caliber K first reaches the dimension H in the height direction 12.
The measuring device 30b can preferably be configured as a contactless, in particular optical, measuring device 30b. In particular, it is also conceivable that the measuring device is configured as a combination of a contactless measuring device 30b described below and a contacting measuring device 30a as described above in order to further optimize the measuring accuracy of the measuring device and thus the operation of the slicing machine 1.
The contactless measuring device 30b can comprise a contactless, in particular optical, measured value recording unit 42, which in the illustrated exemplary embodiment is configured as a laser 42 facing towards the feed conveyor 4. The laser 42 can be configured to determine a distance between the laser 42 and the product caliber K. From this, the control unit 1* can determine the first dimension h or the second dimension H of the product caliber K in the height direction 12, i.e. how high the product caliber K is in the height direction 12, if, for example, the distance between the laser 42 and a support surface of the feed conveyor 4 has previously been determined or is known.
When using the contactless measuring device 30b, it is also possible to determine the first cut length L in that the control unit 1* detects, by means of the measuring device 30b, when the front end of the product caliber K is first detected by the laser 42, and detecting on this basis by what amount the product caliber K must be advanced in the feed direction 10, starting from the first detection of the front end, until the product caliber K has at least the predetermined dimension H in the height direction 12, which can be substantially constant.
As shown in
When using the slicing machine 1, the upper product guide 8 can first be pivoted about the predetermined pivot axis S* starting from a position in which the upper product guide 8 is aligned substantially parallel to the feed direction 10, so that it is at the predetermined inclination angle α to the feed direction 10 of the product caliber K. The pivoted position of the upper product guide 8 is only shown schematically with dashed lines in
When the respective product caliber K is then fed by the feed unit 20 along the feed direction 10 and the product caliber K begins to be in contact with the upper product guide 8, the pivot angle α changes until the upper product guide 8 is preferably aligned substantially parallel to the feed direction 10 again. The first cut length L can be determined by monitoring a feed distance of the product caliber K in the feed direction 10 which is traveled from a start time of a first change in the pivot angle α to an end time at which the upper product guide 8 is aligned substantially parallel to the feed direction 10.
It is also possible to take only the change in the pivot angle α into account, it being assumed, for example, that the product caliber K has the predetermined dimension H precisely when the pivot angle α no longer changes as the product caliber K continues to be fed in the feed direction 10. The first cut length L can also be determined by monitoring a feed distance of the product caliber K in the feed direction 10 which is traveled from a start time of a first change in the pivot angle α to an end time after which no further change in the pivot angle α takes place as the product caliber K continues to be fed in the feed direction 10.
The feed distance can be monitored by the control unit 1* of the slicing machine 1. Furthermore, to determine the pivot angle α, the measuring device 30c can comprise an angle sensor (not shown) which is attached to the upper product guide 8 and can be in signal connection with the control unit 1 *.
It should be added that the slicing machine 1 can comprise at least one measuring device 30a and/or 30b and/or 30c described above for each of the plurality of tracks SP1-SP4, in order to determine the dimensions h, H for each individual track for each product caliber K and to be able to make a corresponding first cut, preferably with a track-specific first cut length L, in each case.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 102023123878.7 | Sep 2023 | DE | national |
