DE102020111586A1 - Device and method for slicing food products - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for slicing food products, with a product feed for single or multi-lane feeding of food products to be sliced to a cutting plane of a rotating cutting knife, with a product passage, the product passage having at least one opening for receiving a food product, a first being the opening section-defining section is movable relative to a second section defining the opening section-wise, and wherein a drive is provided to move the first section relative to the second section, and with a control unit for the drive, the control unit being designed to operate in Operation of the device to control the drive in such a way that the at least one opening is adapted to at least one parameter, in particular a geometric parameter such as an outer circumference, of the food product to be sliced.

Description

The invention relates generally to a device for slicing food products with a product feed for single or multi-lane feeding of food products to be sliced to a cutting plane of a rotating cutting knife.

Such devices for slicing food products generally include so-called cutting glasses, i.e. a product passage defining an opening through which the food product to be sliced is passed immediately before slicing. The cutting glasses serve to support the food product to the side and downwards and thus prevent the food product to be sliced from being able to avoid the cutting knife when it is sliced.

Rigid, one-piece cutting glasses are known to the applicant, the opening of which cannot be changed in terms of its size. In addition, the applicant is familiar with cutting glasses in which the opening is formed by two mutually movable cutting glasses parts. One of the cutting glasses parts is stationary and the other cutting glasses part can be moved away from the stationary cutting glasses part against a spring force applied by a pneumatic cylinder, so that the cutting glasses can automatically adjust to a diameter of the product.

These cutting glasses known to the applicant have several disadvantages. The one-piece cutting glasses cannot be adapted to different products or their sizes and therefore usually has to be exchanged if another food product with a different geometry is to be sliced with the same slicing machine. In the case of industrially manufactured sausage, ham and cheese products, external dimensions can also be determined and reasonably precisely adhered to through previous processes. However, different product geometries are normal for natural products, typically bacon. The cutting is often preceded by processes, for example the so-called compression molding, in order to bring the natural products to a more or less uniform external geometry and, in particular, the same cross-section as possible. When cutting very irregular products, for example products containing bones, the presetting of the product passage on a cutting machine is therefore always a compromise.

The cutting glasses described with a spring-loaded cutting glasses part, on the other hand, have the disadvantage that in cutting glasses with two parallel openings, only one of the two openings can be made variable and the other opening has to be made rigid due to the lack of installation space. In addition, complex tests are required in order to adjust the restoring force generated by the pneumatic cylinder appropriately. If the restoring force is set too weakly, the food product will not be sufficiently fixed laterally. If, on the other hand, the restoring force is set too strong, the cutting glasses generate too much friction on the food product. This can lead to poor cutting results.

It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the disadvantages of the prior art and thus to provide a device for slicing food products by means of which the slicing result can be further improved.

The object is achieved by a device for slicing food products according to claim 1 and in particular in that the device has a product passage, the product passage having at least one opening for receiving a food product, a first section defining the opening in sections relative to a second the Opening section-defining section is movable, and wherein a drive is provided to move the first section relative to the second section. In addition, the device has a control unit for the drive, the control unit being designed to control the drive during operation of the device in such a way that the at least one opening is connected to at least one parameter, in particular a geometric parameter such as an outer circumference, of the food product to be sliced is adjusted.

The invention is based on the general idea of actively controlling the product passage, ie by means of an actively controllable drive, in order to actively adapt a size and / or shape of the opening of the product passage to a parameter of a food product to be sliced. In this way, the friction applied by the product passage to the food product can be minimized and at the same time it can be ensured that the food product is securely supported by the product passage while it is being sliced. In other words, the invention enables the food product to be optimally held in the opening and cutting forces to be well introduced into the sections defining the opening in sections. In addition, the food product is prevented from shifting or evading, which leads to more even cuts or slices. Another advantage is that the product guidance, especially with Natural products with individual dimensions, is improved, and thereby a load on a product holder at the rear end of the food product is reduced.

In addition, the risk of the food product being torn out of the product holder is minimized.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention can be found in the subclaims, the description and the drawings.

According to one embodiment, the product passage is arranged in a front end region of a feed path of the device, i.e. adjacent to the cutting plane, in order to support the food product to be sliced against a force exerted on the food product by the cutting knife. The product passage is preferably designed at least partially as a shearbar for the cutting knife. As a result, the product passage can be placed in the immediate vicinity of the cutting plane and thus support the food product particularly well.

The at least one opening is preferably actively adapted to a geometric parameter such as an outer circumference of the food product to be sliced, i.e. actively adjusted as a function of the geometric parameter. Alternatively or additionally, the at least one opening can also be actively adapted on the basis of other parameters, such as temperature, strength, rigidity, product type or combinations thereof.

In addition to the product passage, further guide elements can also be designed to be actively adjustable. For example, the device for slicing food products can have an upper product guide, for example a product conveyor belt arranged above the food product to be sliced. This upper product guide can be actively adjustable relative to the support surface for the food product to be sliced in order, for example, to adapt the distance between the upper product guide and the support surface to a height of the food product to be sliced. As an alternative or in addition, the device for slicing food products can have side stops, the spacing of which can be actively adjusted in order to adapt their spacing, for example, to a width of the food product to be sliced.

The at least one opening of the product passage can have an open or closed cross section. In other words, the opening can be partially or completely defined by the product passage. According to one embodiment, the product passage defines a U-shaped inner edge of the opening, i.e. an opening which is designed to be open at the top in the installation position.

The geometric parameter of the food product to be sliced, to which the at least one opening is adapted, is preferably characteristic of the external shape of the food product to be sliced. For example, the geometric parameter can be or be based on one of the following parameters: width, height, radius, diameter or outer circumference. The geometric parameter can also be formed from several of the parameters mentioned above.

The first section and the second section of the product passage are preferably mounted so as to be movable relative to one another in order to change a size of the opening and / or a shape formed by an inner edge of the opening by means of the drive. Preferably, at least one of the sections of the product passage defining the opening in sections, i.e. the first or the second section of the product passage, is mounted so as to be linearly movable.

According to an embodiment that is particularly easy to implement, the sections defining the opening in sections are designed as at least two separate rigid segments, i.e. segments that cannot be deformed by the drive. Alternatively, it would also be conceivable that the first and the second section are defined by a single element which can be deformed by the drive and which makes it possible to change the shape and / or size of the opening of the product passage. For example, the product passage could be formed by a tube with an open cross section, which is bent open by the drive to change the size and shape of the opening.

The device preferably has detection means for determining the, in particular geometric, parameter of the food product to be sliced. The detection means can include, for example, a scanner or a camera. Alternatively or additionally, the detection means can comprise a thermometer or a force measuring device for measuring a parameter of the food product.

In order to be able to actively adjust the opening of the product passage over the entire slicing period, the, in particular geometric, parameter can be determined over essentially the entire length of the part of the food product to be sliced. In other words, the detection means can be designed and set up to measure the parameter of the To determine food product over substantially the entire length of the part of the food product to be cut.

According to one embodiment, the detection means are connected to the control unit for the drive by means of data transmission means in order to transmit information on the, in particular geometric, parameters of the food product to be sliced to the control unit.

In order to determine the, in particular geometric, parameter as hygienically as possible, the detection means can be designed as contactless detection means. For example, the detection means can be designed as a laser scanner or X-ray scanner in order to determine a geometric parameter without contact. The use of optical sensors is alternatively or additionally conceivable, e.g. image capture on at least one product side with the greatest dimensional variation, multiple camera arrangements or the use of at least one TOF camera. The detection means are preferably located in the slicing device itself, i.e. in the feed area in front of the cutting plane, in a device preceding the slicing device or in the product conveying path upstream of the slicing device.

In order to enable position-accurate regulation, the drive can be designed as a servo drive and, in particular, as an electric servo motor.

According to one embodiment, the control unit is designed and set up to control the drive during operation of the device in such a way that the at least one opening is in the product passage over a slicing period of the food product, in particular geometrical parameters, for example an outer circumference located section of the food product is adjusted. In other words, a control of the product passage can be programmed in such a way that the opening of the product passage is continuously and actively adapted to the portion of the food product which is currently located in the opening of the product passage over the slicing period of the food product.

In order to be able to set a width of the opening, the first section defining the opening in sections is preferably movable in a horizontal direction relative to the second section defining the opening in sections during operation of the device. According to an embodiment that is easier to construct, only the width of the opening is adjustable, i.e. the first section defining the opening in sections can be movable exclusively in a horizontal direction relative to the second section defining the opening in sections during operation of the device.

In order to be able to set a height of the opening, the first section defining the opening in sections or another section defining the opening in sections in the operation of the device in a vertical direction relative to the second section defining the opening in sections or another section defining the opening in sections be movable. According to a variant that is easy to construct, the first section defining the opening in sections can be movable exclusively in a vertical direction relative to the second section defining the opening in sections during operation of the device.

In order to be able to adapt the opening as well as possible to a circumferential shape of a food product to be sliced, the width and the height of the opening can be adjustable. For this purpose, four sections defining the opening in sections can be provided, each of which can be moved in a horizontal and / or vertical direction. For example, four sections each defining the sides of the opening can be provided so that a section defining the upper side is moved relative to a section defining the lower side to adjust the height and a section defining the right boundary is moved relative to the left boundary for setting the width defining section is moved. Alternatively, four sections defining the corners of the opening can be provided, so that in order to adjust the height and width, two adjacent sections are moved relative to the sections opposite them.

In general, it can therefore be advantageous if the first section defining the opening in sections and the second section defining the opening in sections are each designed to be movable and are operatively connected to at least one common drive or two separate drives.

So that a position of a central axis or a center point of the opening does not change due to the adjustment of the opening, ie so that the center axis or the center point of the opening always remains in the same place, the first section defining the opening in sections and the second the opening section-defining section can be coupled to the at least one drive in such a way that the sections in operation synchronous movements in opposite directions Take directions. “Synchronous movements” means that the sections defining the opening in sections move simultaneously and at the same speed. Furthermore, all movable sections can be moved synchronously with one another in such a way that a central axis or a center point of the opening do not shift.

The movable sections defining the opening in sections can preferably be driven jointly by a single drive, i.e. the sections are all coupled to the same drive. As a result, the device can be manufactured in a particularly cost-effective and compact manner.

In general, it is conceivable that a section defining the opening in sections is designed to be immovable, i.e. stationary. This means that this section cannot be adjusted.

According to one embodiment, the opening can be formed by at least four separate sections. Of these four separate sections, two opposing sections can be designed to be movable. In addition, two sections each arranged between the movable sections can be designed to be immovable. Preferably, the two movable sections delimit the opening laterally during operation and are designed to be movable horizontally. The two immovable sections can then limit the opening upwards and downwards. The immovable sections preferably serve as bearings for the movable sections.

In order to be able to cut several food products at the same time, the device can comprise at least two lanes for food products and the product passage can accordingly have at least two openings. In such a case, it is advantageous if the control unit is designed and set up to control the drive during operation of the device in such a way that the at least two openings are individually tracked to a respective, in particular geometrical, Parameters of the portions of the food products located in the product passage are adapted.

In order to be able to actively adapt the at least two openings of the product passage independently of one another, it is advantageous if a separate drive, i.e. actuating drive, is provided for each of the openings. The drives of the two openings of the product passage are preferably each arranged on the outer sides of the product passage in order to keep the installation space between the two openings small. All of the features described above or below can only be present in one of the two openings or in both openings.

In order to be able to adapt as well as possible to food products with a round cross section, the first section and / or the second section preferably form a concave inside facing the opening. In addition, the first section and / or the second section can have an insertion bevel on their inner side facing the opening, so that the food product to be sliced can be more easily inserted into the opening.

The invention also relates to a method for setting a product passage, in particular a counter-blade for a cutting knife. This method is preferably carried out with an embodiment of the device described above or below.

• Ermitteln zumindest eines Parameters, insbesondere geometrischen Parameters, eines aufzuschneidenden Lebensmittelprodukts; und automatisches aktives Anpassen zumindest einer Öffnung eines Produktdurchlasses an den, insbesondere geometrischen, Parameter des aufzuschneidenden Lebensmittelprodukts.

The procedure for adjusting the product passage includes the following steps:

• Determining at least one parameter, in particular a geometric parameter, of a food product to be sliced; and automatic active adaptation of at least one opening of a product passage to the, in particular geometric, parameters of the food product to be sliced.

Automatic means here that, for example, no input by a user is necessary in order to adapt the at least one opening of the product passage to the, in particular geometric, parameters of the food product to be sliced. Active is understood to mean that there is an actuator that adapts the opening, i.e. adjusts at least a section of the product passage that defines the opening. Active also means an automatic adjustment during the slicing of a product, a presetting before the start of slicing on a product and / or before or during a product batch.

According to one embodiment, the determination of the at least one parameter of the food product to be sliced is carried out by means of sensors. As already mentioned, laser scanners or X-ray scanners are suitable for this purpose, for example.

The automatic active adaptation of the at least one opening of the product passage to the, in particular geometric, parameters of the food product to be sliced is preferably carried out while a cutting knife is moved relative to the product passage. The automatic active adaptation of the at least one opening of the product passage to at least one, in particular geometric, parameter of the food product to be sliced is preferably carried out while a food product to be sliced is being sliced.

So that the opening is always adapted to the part of the food product to be sliced that is located in the product passage, the automatic active adaptation can be carried out over a slicing period of the food product to be sliced.

Detection means preferably determine at least one, in particular geometric, parameter of the food product to be sliced. The detection means can determine the at least one parameter without contact. So that the method can run completely automatically, it is advantageous if the parameter is determined automatically.

After the parameter of the food product to be sliced has been determined, in particular detected, corresponding data on the at least one, in particular geometric, parameter of the food product to be sliced can be provided to a control unit for driving the product passage.

Additionally or alternatively, data relating to a feed speed of the food product to be sliced can be provided to the control unit. In this way it can be determined in a simple manner when and how the sections have to be moved relative to one another in order to adapt the opening to the parameter of the food product currently present in the opening. Furthermore, parameters from the portioning area can also be included in order to take into account the placement behavior of the slices in the control and optimization process, in particular on the supply side.

If the product passage is equipped with at least two openings, the method can include determining, in particular geometric, parameters of two food products to be sliced at least in sections at the same time. In addition, the method can include an automatic, active adaptation of the at least two openings of the product passage to the at least one, in particular geometric, parameter of the respective food product to be sliced. In other words, each of the at least two openings is adapted to the respective food product to be sliced. The openings are advantageously adapted to the respective food product to be sliced on a track-by-track basis, i.e. independently of one another.

• 1 eine seitliche Prinzipskizze einer erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung gemäß einer ersten Ausführungsform;
• 2 eine seitliche Prinzipskizze einer erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung gemäß einer zweiten Ausführungsform;
• 2A eine Detailansicht der Vorrichtung von 2;
• 2B eine Ansicht aus einer Zuführrichtung Z eines ersten erfindungsgemäßen Produktdurchlasses;
• 3A einen zweiten erfindungsgemäßen Produktdurchlass mit einer Öffnung;
• 3B einen dritten erfindungsgemäßen Produktdurchlass mit zwei Öffnungen; und
• 4 eine schematische Skizze eines erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens.

The invention is described below using purely exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Show it:

• 1 a lateral schematic diagram of a device according to the invention according to a first embodiment;
• 2 a side schematic diagram of a device according to the invention according to a second embodiment;
• 2A a detailed view of the device of 2 ;
• 2 B a view from a feed direction Z of a first product passage according to the invention;
• 3A a second product passage according to the invention with an opening;
• 3B a third product passage according to the invention with two openings; and
• 4th a schematic sketch of a method according to the invention.

In the 1 and 2 is each a device 10 for slicing food products 12th with one product feed 14th for single or multi-lane feeding of the food products to be sliced 12th in one feed direction Z to a cutting plane 16 shown. The product feed 14th includes a product holder 18th to hold one in the feed direction Z seen rear end area 12a of the food product 12th . The product holder 18th has a spindle nut 19th on which together with a spindle 26th a linear drive for the product holder 18th forms to the product holder 18th along the feed direction Z to drive and thus the food product to be sliced 12th the cutting plane 16 to feed. In addition, the product holder is 18th on a guide rail (not shown) in the feed direction Z linearly displaceable to the product holder 18th statically determined to be stored.

To the food product 12th cutting into slices comprises the device 10 a cutting knife rotating during operation 28 , for example a circular or sickle knife, which performs a corresponding cutting movement during operation and moves along the cutting plane 16 emotional. In addition, the device comprises a product passage 20th , which is a shearbar 21 for the cutting knife 28 forms. The product passage 20th is for this purpose in a front end area of a feed path 32 arranged. The device also includes 10 a portioning area with a portioning belt 30th on which cut slices of the food product 12th be filed.

The device 10 furthermore has detection means 34 by means of which a parameter 35 , preferably a geometric parameter 35 , of the food product to be sliced 12th is detectable. As in the 1 and 2 shown, the detection means 34 be arranged so that the parameter 35 of the food product to be sliced 12th is detectable before the food product 12th by means of the product feed 14th the cutting plane 16 is fed. For example, the parameter 35 of the food product to be sliced 12th can be detected while the food product to be sliced 12th on one of the product feeders 14th upstream transport device 36 lies. The parameter 35 of the food product 12th can be determined along substantially its entire length, namely by the food product 12th from the transport device 36 on the detection means 34 is moved past.

Alternatively, the detection means 34 be arranged so that the parameter 35 of the food product to be sliced 12th is detectable while the food product 12th by means of the product feed 14th the cutting plane 16 is fed.

The detection means 34 are preferably contactless detection means 34 such as a laser scanner or X-ray scanner, ie the detection means 34 touch the food product 12th at no point in time during the determination of the at least one parameter 35 . The detection means 34 are by means of data transmission means 38 with a control unit 24 for one in the 1 and 2 drive not shown 22nd of the product passage 20th connected to the determined data to the control unit 24 to send. The means of data transmission 38 can, as in 1 shown a cable 38 include, which differs from the detection means 34 to the control unit 24 extends. Alternatively, the data transmission means can be designed as wireless data transmission means 38 'and have a transmitter and a receiver, as shown in FIG 2 is shown.

2A shows a section of the device 10 in the area of the cutting plane 16 . The product passage 20th surrounds the food product to be sliced 12th only partially so that an upper part 12A of the cross section of the food product to be sliced 12th via the product passage 20th survives. Alternatively, however, it would also be conceivable that the product passage 20th only the upper part 12A of the cross section of the food product to be sliced 12th laterally or that the product passage 20th the food product to be sliced 12th completely along the perimeter of the food product 12th surrounds.

One such, the food product 12th Product passage completely surrounding the circumference 20th is in 2 B shown. The product passage 20th includes a C-shaped first section 42 and a C-shaped second section 44 which each by means of the drive 22nd (not shown) in a horizontal drive direction X are designed to be linearly movable. In addition, the product passage includes 20th a third section 46 and a fourth section 48 , which is fixed, ie immobile, on a bracket 50 are attached. The first paragraph 42 , the second section 44 , the third section 46 and the fourth section 48 together define an inner circumference 52 an opening 40 for holding the food product to be sliced 12th . In other words, the first to fourth sections define 42-48 each section of the opening 40 through which the food product 12th is passed through. The third section 46 and the fourth section 48 each form a linear guide 54 for the first section 42 and the second section 44 to move the sections 42 , 44 to lead in the horizontal direction. So a central axis 56 the opening 40 does not shift and so essentially symmetrical products can be cut evenly, the first section can 42 and the second section 44 be controlled in such a way that they are moved synchronously away from the central axis and towards the central axis, around the opening 40 to zoom in or out. If, on the other hand, unsymmetrical products such as natural products with bone content are to be cut open, it is advantageous if the first section 42 and the second section 44 are each coupled to a separate drive and can therefore be adjusted independently of one another, ie also asynchronously to one another.

In the 3A is a second variant of the product passage 20th the device 10 from the feed direction Z shown. The product passage 20th has an opening that is open to the top 40 for holding the food product to be sliced 12th on. More precisely, the opening takes place 40 a slicing end portion of the food product to be sliced 12th on. The opening 40 is essentially semicircular and is formed by a linearly movable first section 42 of the product passage 20th and a stationary second section 44 of the product passage 20th educated. The first paragraph 42 is in one drive direction X which transversely, in particular perpendicular, to the feed direction Z is arranged, movably mounted to a size, in particular width, of the opening 40 to change. To the first section 42 The drive can drive in a precisely controlled manner 22nd be designed as a servo motor. The drive 22nd is designed such that it has the first section 42 in two opposite directions X can adjust, ie that he can adjust the first section 42 towards the second section 44 move can and the first section 42 in the opposite direction from the second section 44 can move away.

In 3B is a variant of the product passage 20th shown with two openings 40A, 40B. A stationary second section is located between the openings 40A, 40B 44 arranged, which separates the two openings 40A, 40B from one another. In addition, the product passage includes 20th two first sections 42A, 42B, which are each coupled to a drive 22A, 22B assigned to them. By means of the drives 22A, 22B, which are preferably both designed as servomotors, the first sections 42A, 42B are each on the second section 44 to and from the second section 44 movable away in order to actively adapt a size, in particular width, of the openings 40A and 40B.

4th shows a flowchart of a method 100 according to the invention for setting a size or shape of at least one opening 40 of the product passage 20th . The method can be carried out with the device described above and below 10 be performed.

The method comprises the step 102: determining at least one parameter 35 , in particular the geometric parameter, of a food product to be sliced 12th . Determining the parameter 35 is for example by means of appropriate detection means 34 carried out. The at least one parameter is preferably determined 35 carried out contactless, so that the detection means 34 not with the food product to be sliced 12th come into contact.

The determined parameter 35 is then in a second step 104 by means of the data transmission means 38 to the control unit 24 of the drive 22nd of the product passage 20th sent. In addition, data can be provided on a feed speed of the food product to be sliced 12th to the control unit 24 be sent.

In a third step 106 there is an automatic active adjustment of the at least one opening 40 of the product passage 20th the, in particular geometric, parameters of the food product to be sliced 12th carried out. For this purpose, the transmitted data are used by the control unit 24 used to the opening 40 set so that, for example, an inside diameter of the opening 40 as precisely as possible to an outside diameter of the food product 12th is equivalent to. So that the product flow 20th over the entire slicing period of the food product to be sliced 12th the food product 12th the best possible support is the opening 40 over the entire slicing period of the food product to be sliced 12th constantly on the respective parameters 35 , for example the outside diameter of the food product 12th adapted to the one in the product passage 20th located section of the food product to be sliced 12th having.

The method is also applicable when multiple food products 12th are cut open at least partially at the same time next to one another, ie in parallel, and the product passage has several openings 40A, 40B (see FIG 3B) . Then each of the two food products is sliced 12th at least one parameter 35 determined these parameters 35 to the respective control units 24 sent and the openings 40A, 40B each independently of one another to the respective parameters 35 customized.

List of reference symbols

10

contraption

12th

Food product

12a

rear end area

14th

Product feed

16

Cutting plane

18th

Product holder

19th

Spindle nut

20th

Product passage

21

Shearbar

22nd

drive

24

Control unit

26th

spindle

28

Cutting knife

30th

Portioning belt

32

Feed line

34

Detection means

35

parameter

36

Transport device

38

Means of data transmission

40

opening

42

first section

44

second part

46

third section

48

fourth section

50

bracket

52

Inner circumference

54

Linear guide

56

Central axis

X

Drive direction

Z

Feed direction

Claims (20)

Device (10) for slicing food products (12), with a product feed (14) for single or multi-lane feeding of food products (12) to be sliced to a cutting plane (16) of a rotating cutting knife (28), with a product passage (20), wherein the product passage (20) has at least one opening (40) for receiving a food product (12), wherein a first section (42) defining the opening (40) in sections is movable relative to a second section (44) defining the opening (40) in sections, and wherein a drive (22) is provided for relative to the first section (42) to move to the second section (44), and with a control unit (24) for the drive (22), wherein the control unit (24) is designed to control the drive (22) during operation of the device (10) in such a way that the at least one opening (40) is connected to at least one parameter (35), in particular a geometric parameter such as an outer circumference , of the food product (12) to be sliced is adapted. Device (10) according to Claim 1 , wherein the product passage (20) is at least partially designed as a counter blade (21) for the cutting knife (28). Device (10) according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein the device (10) has detection means (34) for determining the, in particular geometric, parameter (35) of the food product (12) to be sliced. Device (10) according to Claim 3 , wherein the detection means (34) are connected to the control unit (24) for the drive (22) by means of data transmission means (38) in order to send information on the, in particular geometric, parameters (35) of the food product (12) to be sliced to the control unit (24) ) transferred to. Device (10) according to Claim 3 or 4th , wherein the detection means (34) are designed as contactless detection means, in particular as laser scanners, X-ray scanners or cameras. Device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the drive (22) is designed as a servo drive and in particular as an electric servomotor. Device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit (24) is designed and set up to control the drive (22) during operation of the device (10) in such a way that the at least one opening (40) over a cutting period of the Food product (12) away to the, in particular geometric, parameter (35), for example an outer circumference, of a portion of the food product located in the product passage (20). Device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first section (42) defining the opening (40) in sections in operation of the device (10) in a horizontal direction relative to the second section (44) defining the opening (40) in sections is movable. Device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first section (42) defining the opening (40) in sections and the second section (44) defining the opening (40) in sections are each designed to be movable and connected to at least one drive (22) are. Device (10) according to Claim 9 , wherein the first section (42) defining the opening (40) in sections and the second section (44) defining the opening (40) in sections are coupled to the at least one drive in such a way that the sections (42, 44) are synchronous or in operation make asynchronous movements in opposite directions. Device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one section (44; 46, 48) defining the opening (40) in sections is designed to be immovable. Device (10) according to Claim 11 , wherein the opening (40) is formed by at least four separate sections (42, 44, 46, 48), of which two opposing sections (42, 44) are designed to be movable and two in each case between the movable sections (42, 44) arranged sections (46, 48) are immovable. Device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the product passage (20) has at least two openings (40A, 40B), and wherein the control unit (24) is designed and set up to drive the drive (22 ) to control in such a way that the at least two openings (40A, 40B) track-individually to a respective, in particular geometric, parameter (35) of the sections located in the product passage (20) over a slicing period of two food products (12) to be sliced at least partially at the same time of the food products (12). Method (100) for setting a product passage (20), in particular with a device according to one of the preceding claims, with the following steps: determining (102) at least one parameter (35), in particular geometric parameter, of a food product (12) to be sliced; and automatic active adaptation (106) of at least one opening (40) of a product passage (20) to the, in particular geometric, parameter (35) of the food product (12) to be sliced. Method (100) according to Claim 14 , wherein the product passage (20) forms a counter blade (21) for a rotating cutting knife (28) in operation. Method (100) according to Claim 14 or 15th wherein the active adaptation (106) of the at least one opening (40) of the product passage (20) to the at least one, in particular geometric, parameter (35) of the food product (12) to be sliced is carried out over a slicing period of the food product (12) to be sliced . Method (100) according to at least one of the Claims 14 until 16 wherein detection means (34), in particular contactlessly, determine the, in particular geometric, parameter (35) of the food product (12) to be sliced. Method (100) according to at least one of the Claims 14 until 17th wherein data on the at least one, in particular geometric, parameter (35) of the food product (12) to be sliced are provided (104) to a control unit (24) for a drive (22) of the product passage (20). Method (100) according to at least one of the Claims 14 until 18th wherein data relating to a feed speed of the food product (12) to be sliced are provided to a control unit (24) for a drive (22) of the product passage (20). Method (100) according to at least one of the Claims 14 until 19th with the following steps: determining (102), in particular geometric, parameters (35) of two food products (12) to be sliced at least in sections at the same time; and automatic active adaptation (106) of at least two openings (40A, 40B) of the product passage (20) to the at least one, in particular geometric, parameter (35) of the respective food product (12) to be sliced.

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