Patent Grant
10675775
This application is a U.S. National Phase application under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Application No. PCT/EP2016/080066, filed on Dec. 7, 2016, and claims benefit to German Patent Application No. DE 10 2015 121 457.1, filed on Dec. 9, 2015. The International Application was published in German on Jun. 15, 2017 as WO 2017/097830 under PCT Article 21(2).
The invention relates to a transport device for a cutting machine, in particular a chain track frame.
A chain track frame of this kind is known from DE 100 17 157 B4. The chain track frame is mounted on a cutting machine and aligned transversely to a cutting blade of the cutting machine. The chain track frame receives the slices of material that are separated by the cutting blade in order to transport them transversely with respect to the cutting plane. The chain track frame has a sturdy frame to which individual components are attached. So, for example, a pressure roller is pivotably mounted on the frame to receive individual slices of material. Also attached to the frame are guide rollers, over which transport chains are guided circumferentially. The frame itself is made up of a plurality of individual parts which are riveted or bolted together.
In an embodiment, the present invention provides a transport device, in particular a chain track frame, for a cutting machine, for receiving slices separated from the material to be cut by a cutting blade and for transporting the slices from the cutting blade to a deposit region, comprising: a frame on which the following components are mounted: a receiving apparatus configured to receive separated slices; a plurality of guide rollers arranged so as to be spaced apart from each other; a drive device configured to drive a plurality of transport chains or transport belts extending in parallel with each other, the transport chains or transport belts being guided in a closed circulating manner by the drive device via the guide rollers; and a coupling configured to connect the drive device to a drive, wherein the frame comprises a single part.
The present invention will be described in even greater detail below based on the exemplary figures. The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments. Other features and advantages of various embodiments of the present invention will become apparent by reading the following detailed description with reference to the attached drawings which illustrate the following:
According to the invention, the transport device has a frame which is designed as a single part. The frame forms a mechanically stable rack to support individual components of the transport device or the chain track frame. “Single part” here means that the frame is formed of a single integral workpiece. As a result, additional manufacturing steps are avoided in the manufacture of the transport device, such as the joining or the connection of a plurality of individual parts to a mechanically stable frame. Designing the frame as a single part in the sense of a single integral workpiece also provides a mechanically stable structure because joints, which can represent weaknesses per se, are avoided from the outset. Also, manufacturing errors are avoided, which can be caused, for example, by a joining process or a welding process or a screwing or riveting process. Preferably, “designed as a single part” in this sense means formed as a single part or monolithically. The frame is preferably formed as a workpiece made of a single material. A plurality of individual parts that are joined to a frame is not necessary. Foreign material inclusions such as those produced by welding or soldering are not present. The frame is constructed from a single material and can therefore be easily recycled or disposed of after it has reached the end of its lifespan.
Preferably, the transport device is designed as a chain track frame to receive from a cutting machine, preferably a food slicer, individual slices that are separated from the material to be cut directly in the cutting region of a cutting blade and to transport them to a deposit region. A receiving apparatus is mounted on the frame for this purpose and receives the slices from the cutting blade and passes them to a plurality of parallel transport chains or transport belts of the frame. The plurality of transport chains arranged in parallel with one another on the frame are guided at one end over guide rollers and at the other end through a drive device which drives the transport chains or transport belts for transporting the slices. The drive device can be connected to a drive of a cutting machine via a coupling.
Transport chains are in particular closed-loop chains. They have a plurality of interconnected chain links, spikes for skewering slices of material being arranged on individual chain links.
Transport belts are in particular closed-loop belts, which have spaced-apart spikes for the purpose of skewering slices of material.
In particular, elongated food products, such as sausage or cheese or meat products, can be used as the material to be cut, of which individual slices are separated and transported by the transport device.
Advantageously, the frame can be designed as a single part from a flat plate, preferably from a metal plate or a plastics plate.
In particular, the frame may have a plurality of functional units formed together as a single integral piece. For example, the frame, in addition to a rack for holding the guide rollers, can also comprise a hand guard and/or intervention guard and/or a scraper. The frame may have, as a single part, a rack for supporting the guide rollers that is integrally formed with a hand guard and/or intervention guard and/or a scraper.
In the production of the transport device, the procedure is preferably such that, to produce the frame, a part corresponding to a two-dimensional flat pattern of the frame is first of all cut out or punched out of a flat plate. A rectangular frame is then formed by folding over two opposing longitudinal sides. The flat pattern of the frame can be cut out, for example, by laser cutting or water jet cutting. As a plate, preferably a metal plate or a plastics plate may be used. In particular, an aluminum plate or a stainless-steel plate is used as the starting material for the production of the frame, on the one hand to achieve the necessary mechanical stability and on the other hand to ensure a hygienic surface.
In one embodiment, the frame can have an integrated handle. A further cost reduction in production can be obtained by also cutting out or punching out a cutout and/or contour forming the handle when cutting out or punching out the two-dimensional flat pattern of the frame.
The handle is preferably formed in one cycle during the folding process. The handle can be formed by folding a hand guard and by folding a longitudinal side. This ensures that the frame already comprises a handle that has been integrated into the frame as a single part, without additional operational steps being necessary, such as screwing on a separate handle part or welding on a separate handle piece.
In one embodiment, it is intended in particular for the frame to have a substantially rectangular design by virtue of the frame having a flat base plate and two opposing longitudinal sides being bent so that they are parallel to each other and at right angles to the base plate. Longitudinal sides are those sides of the frame which, in the position of use on a cutting machine, extend transversely with respect to the cutting plane. The end face refers to the side which, in the position of use of the transport device, extends in parallel with a cutting plane and is on the side of the frame facing away from the cutting blade.
In the production of the transport device or the chain track frame, it is in particular provided, after the completion of the folding operational step, for other components to be attached to the frame. For example, the receiving apparatus for receiving slices and the plurality of guide rollers that are arranged at a distance from one another and the drive device for driving a plurality of transport chains or transport belts that extend in parallel with each other are fastened to the frame, preferably screwed and/or riveted. This means that the frame is formed from a single workpiece first by cutting and folding. Thereafter, further components of the transport device are attached to the frame to complete the chain track frame or the transport device.
In one embodiment, in order to ensure an ergonomically favorable operation and reliable operator protection, the handle may have a handle contour extending along a longitudinal side of the frame with a rounded or wavy shape and a hand guard extending out from the base plate that is angled toward a transport chain or transport belt. The wave-shaped handle contour allows an operator to have a secure grip on the frame when he grasps it and not slip off accidentally. The hand guard prevents an operator from accidentally reaching into the transport chain or transport belt.
In addition, the operator safety can be increased by the frame, in one embodiment, having on one longitudinal side an extension in the form of a first intervention-guard plate, which is angled relative to one longitudinal side in such a way that it is inclined toward the opposite longitudinal side. In addition, the frame may have, on the end face thereof, a second intervention-guard plate that extends at an angle relative to the base plate, preferably at a right angle. During operation of the transport device, the intervention-guard plates prevent an operator from accidentally reaching into the transport region of the transport chains or the transport belts. As a result, the risk of injury when operating the transport device is significantly reduced.
In order to give an operator a good view into the transport device, one of the intervention-guard plates or both intervention-guard plates can have cutouts in the form of slots. In particular, the intervention-guard plates have a plurality of parallel narrow slots that are narrow enough that an operator cannot reach through a slot with a finger. Another advantage is that these cutouts or slots reduce the weight of the frame. This contributes to savings of material and also allows easier manipulation of the transport device.
Advantageously, the transport device has an upper intervention guard arranged on the frame and/or a lateral intervention guard. For easy handling, the frame may also have a handle. In particular, the frame is designed as a single part with the upper intervention guard and/or the lateral intervention guard and/or the handle. In particular, made of a single material. In addition to simple production of the transport device, this also allows for increased dishwasher resistance of the transport device, since the frame dispenses with a material mix made up of different materials.
The transport device according to the invention is preferably used on a cutting machine for cutting off slices from an, in particular, elongated material to be cut. Cutting machines of this kind are used as slicing machines for food. For example, cutting machines of this kind are used in the sale of fresh sausage or cheese products in order to cut and put together portions sold at the request of the customer.
Cutting machines of this kind are known in practice as vertical cutting units, i.e. designed having a vertically extending cutting plane, and have a machine housing on which a drive motor and a cutting blade rotationally driven thereby in a cutting plane are mounted. Furthermore, a linearly displaceable carriage for supporting material to be cut is arranged in the region in front of the cutting blade.
In particular, the machine housing can removably support the transport device in a region behind the cutting blade. Since the transport device is removably mounted on the machine housing, the transport device can be easily removed for cleaning purposes and be cleaned as a whole unit in a dishwasher. After cleaning, the transport device can be attached to the cutting machine or the machine housing again. Simple interchangeability of the transport device for maintenance or repair purposes can thus also be achieved.
In one embodiment, the transport device can be a part of a modular system, the modular system in addition to the transport device comprising a plurality of different types of cutting machines. Each of the cutting machines of the modular system is designed to detachably support the transport device.
In order to deposit the separated slices, the machine housing in particular has a dislodging device comprising a depositing grille that is pivotable about a pivot axis extending in parallel with a longitudinal side of the frame and engages between the transport chains or transport belts and during its pivoting detaches slices from the transport device and takes them to a deposit region. In order to increase the operator safety, the width of the first intervention-guard plate can be dimensioned so as to be equal to or greater than the largest pivot path of the removal grille. This prevents an operator from accidentally intervening in the space between removal grille and transport chains or transport belts when the depositing grille is pivoted out. Otherwise, there would be a risk that when the removal grille is pivoted back, the hand of the operator could be caught between the removal grille and the transport chains or transport belts.
In particular, the width of the second intervention-guard plate on the end face is also equal to or greater than the maximum pivot path of the depositing grille, or the second intervention-guard plate covers a circle segment which extends over an angular range that is equal to or greater than the maximum pivot angle of the depositing grille.
In
Mounted on the frame 5 is a plurality of transport chains 42 that are parallel to each other. The transport chains 42 comprise individual interconnected chain links, which in turn have spikes for skewering the separated slices of material. The transport chains 42 are guided in an endlessly circulating manner by guide rollers 41 mounted on the frame 5. The separated slices are received by the pressure rollers 62 and transported to the transport chains 42. The slices are removed from the pressure rollers 62 and slipped onto the transport chains 42 by means of the allocator 61.
The frame 5 holds, as a further component, a drive device (also referred to as a driver) 43. The drive device 43 has a drive roller 431 to drive the transport chains 42 and to transport the slices of material transversely with respect to a cutting plane. The transport chains 42 are continuously circulating via the drive roller 431 at one end and guide rollers 41 at the other end.
The guide rollers 41 are attached to the chain track frame 5 in parallel with and at a distance from each another via a retaining web 412. Each guide roller 41 has a rocker 411 which supports the guide roller 41 and connects to the web 412.
As can be seen from
At the top side, the frame 5 has an upper intervention guard 51o designed as a single part with the frame 5. The intervention guard is formed as an angled extension of the upper longitudinal side of the frame 5 and has a plurality of slots 51a extending in parallel with each other.
On its end face, the frame 5 also has a lateral intervention guard 52s formed integrally therewith as a single part. Also arranged in the lateral intervention guard 52s is a plurality of cutouts 52a extending in parallel with each other.
In the region of the upper longitudinal side, the frame 5 has an integrated handle 55. This handle 55 comprises a handle contour 551 formed in the frame 5 and a hand guard 552. From the back of the frame 5, an operator can grasp the handle in order to lift the transport device 4 or to transport the transport device 4 or to connect it to a cutting machine 1.
When the transport device 4 is connected to the cutting machine, a frictional connection is produced between a drive of the cutting machine 1 and the drive device 43 via a coupling 432. The coupling 432 is arranged on the underside of the frame 5 and is rotatably connected to the drive roller 431 via a shaft. The shaft extends through a cutout in the lower longitudinal side of the frame 5 and connects the coupling 432 to the drive shaft 43 in a rotationally fixed manner.
The cutting blade 2 is covered in the region of the cutting edge thereof by a C-shaped circular blade guard 22 in order to prevent inadvertent contact with the cutting edge of the cutting blade 2. The front of the cutting blade 2 is covered in a planar manner with a blade cover 21 in order to prevent contact with the flat side of the rotary cutting blade 2 during the cutting operation.
In the region in front of the cutting blade 2, a stop plate 12 that is displaceable in parallel with the cutting blade 2 is mounted on the machine housing 11. By means of an adjustment knob 13, the stop plate 12 can be adjusted in order to set a desired cutting thickness. The stop plate 12 is adjustable perpendicular to a cutting plane of the blade 2.
Furthermore, the machine housing 11 supports a carriage 3 which is displaceable in the direction parallel to the cutting plane. The carriage 3 has a carriage foot 34, via which the carriage 3 is mounted in a linearly displaceable manner on the machine housing 11 via a linear guide 17. The carriage 3 comprises a support plate 31 for supporting material to be cut and a hand guard 32 and a material holder 33. Both the material holder 33 and the hand guard 32 are made partially transparent in order to give an operator a view into the carriage 3 or into the cutting region.
The material to be cut is placed on the surface of the support plate 31 and held by the material holder 33. During the cutting process, the material to be cut is conveyed to the cutting blade 2 by means of the material holder 33. By means of the back and forth movement of the carriage 3, individual slices are separated from the elongated material by means of the cutting blade 2. These separated slices are taken up behind the cutting blade 2 by the transport device 4 and are conveyed transversely with respect to the cutting plane. The slices are detached from the transport device 4 and deposited in a deposit region 16 by means of a dislodging device 14 comprising a pivotable removal grille 14a. The pivotable removal grill (or depositing grille) 14a is pivotable about a pivot axis extending in parallel with a longitudinal side of the frame 5 and engages between the transport chains 42 and during its pivoting detaches slices from the transport device 4 and takes them to the deposit region 16. In order to increase the operator safety, the width of the upper intervention-guard plate 51 can be dimensioned so as to be equal to or greater than the maximum pivot path of the removal grille 14a. This prevents an operator from accidentally intervening in the space between removal grille 14a and transport chains 42 when the removal grille 14a is pivoted out. Otherwise, there would be a risk that when the removal grille 14a is pivoted back, the hand of the operator could be caught between the removal grille 14a and the transport chains 42 belts.
The transport device 4 is detachably mounted on the machine housing 11 and in a simple manner can be removed or connected to the machine housing 11 via the handle 55.
In
In the production of the frame 5 of the transport device 4, the two-dimensional flat pattern 5f shown in
The flat pattern 5f of the frame 5 is produced in a first step starting from a flat plate either by punching it out or by cutting it out, for example by laser cutting or water jet cutting. Subsequently, the flat part 5f is formed into a cuboid frame 5 by folding along prefabricated bending lines and is shown in
After folding and producing the substantially cuboid three-dimensional frame 5, the transport device 4 is completed by attaching the other components of the transport device to the frame 5.
The frame 5 is designed as a single part, which already comprises an upper intervention guard 51o and a lateral intervention guard 52s and also a handle 5. Thus, a material mix is avoided, as is customary in the prior art, for example, in that transparent plastics plates or plastics handles are typically used as intervention guards. As a result, in addition to better recycling, the dishwasher resistance is also improved in the transport device according to the invention.
On its side opposite the end face, the frame 105 has a scraper 56 that is integrally joined to the base plate 105b. The scraper 56 is connected to the base plate 105b via a bending region BB. After the flat pattern is cut out, the scraper is bent forward, the bending region obtaining a curvature having a predetermined bending radius.
When the frame 105 is mounted on the cutting machine 1, the scraper 56 is located in the region behind the cutting blade 2. Said scraper is only at a short distance from the cutting blade 2 or touches it. The slices are detached from the cutting blade 2 by the scraper 56 during the cutting process and passed to the receiving apparatus 6.
While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive. It will be understood that changes and modifications may be made by those of ordinary skill within the scope of the following claims. In particular, the present invention covers further embodiments with any combination of features from different embodiments described above and below. Additionally, statements made herein characterizing the invention refer to an embodiment of the invention and not necessarily all embodiments.
The terms used in the claims should be construed to have the broadest reasonable interpretation consistent with the foregoing description. For example, the use of the article “a” or “the” in introducing an element should not be interpreted as being exclusive of a plurality of elements. Likewise, the recitation of “or” should be interpreted as being inclusive, such that the recitation of “A or B” is not exclusive of “A and B,” unless it is clear from the context or the foregoing description that only one of A and B is intended. Further, the recitation of “at least one of A, B and C” should be interpreted as one or more of a group of elements consisting of A, B and C, and should not be interpreted as requiring at least one of each of the listed elements A, B and C, regardless of whether A, B and C are related as categories or otherwise. Moreover, the recitation of “A, B and/or C” or “at least one of A, B or C” should be interpreted as including any singular entity from the listed elements, e.g., A, any subset from the listed elements, e.g., A and B, or the entire list of elements A, B and C.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2015 121 457 | Dec 2015 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2016/080066 | 12/7/2016 | WO | 00 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2017/097830 | 6/15/2017 | WO | A |
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|---|---|---|---|
| 3583452 | Muller | Jun 1971 | A |
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| 6170645 | Mitchell | Jan 2001 | B1 |
| 20060054473 | Spoors | Mar 2006 | A1 |
| 20160325456 | Wangler | Nov 2016 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 3644716 | Jul 1988 | DE |
| 10017157 | Oct 2001 | DE |
| 60315864 | May 2008 | DE |
| 102009011883 | Sep 2010 | DE |
| 0456634 | Nov 1991 | EP |
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| Engineering Exchange, 11 Principles and Guidelines in Design for Manufacturing and Assembly, https://www.engineeringexchange.com/profiles/blogs/11-principles-and-guidelines-in-design-for-manufacturing-and (Year: 2014). |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20180304487 A1 | Oct 2018 | US |
