EP2543485B1 - Device for cutting a food product - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a device for slicing food products, in particular sausage, meat or cheese according to the preamble of claim 1. Furthermore, the invention relates to a feeder according to the preamble of claim 12.

Devices for slicing food products are also referred to as slicers or slicers. In known devices with a feed device, with which at least one product can be conveyed in a conveying direction and fed to a feed device downstream cutting blade, wherein the feed device has at least one carriage on which at least one product holder cooperating with the product is arranged, and wherein the carriage along the conveying direction is movable, the drive of the feed device is designed as a spindle which is driven in rotation. The spindle is thus a rotating drive for the slide. In this case, the carriage is coupled by means of a threaded on the spindle nut with the spindle, so that the rotating movement of the spindle can be converted into a translational movement of the carriage and the carriage can be moved along the conveying direction. The realized via the spindle drive for the carriage is relatively complex, also in terms of the protection or cleaning of the spindle required measures.

The de 2 154 131 A1 describes a device according to the preambles of claims 1 and 12. Further prior art is known from DE 10 2009 020 633 A1 . WO 00/59689 A1 . US 5,989,116 ,

The present invention is based on the object to provide an improved feeding, which can be realized with little effort and by means of which the carriage can be driven in a simple and reliable manner.

The object is achieved by a device having the features of claim 1.

In the apparatus according to the invention, the carriage is driven by a linear drive. This can be easily integrated into the slicing device compared to a spindle drive. In addition, the linear drive contaminates less than the spindle drive or the linear drive is easier to clean.
It is also advantageous that the linear drive directly generates a linear drive movement for the carriage, so that it is not necessary - as in a spindle - to implement a rotational movement in a linear movement for the carriage. Nevertheless, the linear drive allows the transmission of sufficiently large forces and the execution of high-precision and reproducible feed movements.

In a variant not according to the invention, the linear drive has an electromagnetic linear motor with a stator extending along the conveying direction and a rotor movable along the stator, which rotor is formed by the carriage. Such electromagnetic linear motors are also referred to as traveling-field motors.

By an electromagnetic linear motor, the linear drive can be realized in a particularly simple and relatively inexpensive. In addition, such linear motors can be easily operated and controlled by electrical means. In particular, an exact control and adjustment of the linear motor can be easily realized for example by means of a, in particular digital, control and / or regulation.

In the variant not according to the invention, the carriage preferably comprises at least one magnet, in particular permanent magnets, and at least one energizable coil for generating a magnetic field interacting with the magnet is provided on the stator, by means of which the carriage can be moved along the stator. The magnetic field can be generated, for example, so that it moves along the stator and thereby - in itself in an electromagnetic linear motor known manner - pulls the magnetic slide with it. At permanent magnets provided on the slide is particularly advantageous that no electrical power lines must be guided to the carriage, which therefore also do not have to be carried during the process of the carriage.

According to a further embodiment of the variant not according to the invention, the carriage comprises at least one energizable coil and along the stator magnets, in particular permanent magnets, can be arranged, which cooperate with the magnetic field generated by the coil such that the carriage can be moved along the stator. In this embodiment, it is thus necessary that the coil of the carriage is energized, while the magnets of the stator can be energized.

According to the invention, the linear drive has at least one driver which can be moved along the conveying direction and which is coupled in a non-contact manner to the carriage such that the carriage follows a movement of the driver along the conveying direction.

According to the invention, the driver is coupled to the carriage via at least one, in particular permanent, magnetic field. The contactless coupling between the driver and the carriage can be realized particularly easily by means of the magnetic field. It is also possible to generate strong magnetic fields relatively easily.

Particularly preferably, the driver and / or the carriage each comprise at least one magnet, in particular a permanent magnet. For example, by a magnet attached to the driver or forming the driver and a counter-magnet mounted on the slide, the magnetic field for coupling the driver to the slide can be generated particularly easily. The use of permanent magnets has the particular advantage that they are inexpensive and trouble-prone and thus a permanent magnetic field can be generated.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the linear drive comprises at least one double-acting hydraulic cylinder whose piston is formed by the driver and wherein the carriage can be moved along the hydraulic cylinder. The driver is thus arranged within the hydraulic cylinder and can be acted upon by hydraulic fluid from both sides due to the double action of the hydraulic cylinder. Thereby, the position of the driver can be adjusted both in the conveying direction and against the conveying direction by means of hydraulic fluid present in the hydraulic cylinder with high accuracy.

A hydraulic cylinder is advantageous because, due to the low compressibility of the hydraulic fluid, the position of the driver along the hydraulic cylinder can be adjusted with extremely high accuracy, so that any desired motion profile for the slide can be realized with high accuracy. In addition, comparatively high forces can be transmitted to the driver by means of the hydraulic fluid.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the driver is arranged in a longitudinal direction of the conveying direction, in particular cylindrical, cavity. As mentioned above, in prior art devices, a spindle is provided to drive the carriage. It is necessary in particular for reasons of hygiene and to protect the spindle from contamination that the spindle is housed in a housing. In contrast, can account for an additional housing by the inventive arrangement of the driver in the cavity. The same applies to the above-mentioned hydraulic cylinder. This reduces the manufacturing cost of the device. In addition, the device can be made more compact, since no additional space for a housing must be provided on the device.

According to a development of the invention, the driver divides the cavity into a first cavity section and a second cavity section, which, viewed in the conveying direction, lies behind the first cavity section, wherein at least one cavity section can be acted upon by hydraulic fluid in order to move the driver. The cavity section can thus be designed, for example, in the manner of a single-acting or a double-acting hydraulic cylinder, so that the driver can be moved along the conveying direction by means of hydraulic fluid.

Preferably, both cavity sections are filled with hydraulic fluid and in each case connected to a supply / discharge line for hydraulic fluid, can be directed by means of the hydraulic fluid into the respective cavity section or removed from the respective cavity section.

The hydraulic fluid may be food grade oil or water.

Preferably, the linear drive is at the same time designed as a guide for the carriage. Drive and guide merge into a single unit so that the slicing device can be made more compact.

The guide may comprise a tube whose longitudinal axis extends in the conveying direction.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the carriage on a sleeve, in particular a sliding sleeve, on, by means of which the carriage is movably disposed on the tube, wherein the sleeve surrounds the tube and the driver is disposed within the tube.

A control may be provided by means of which the position of the carriage can be adjusted and / or a predetermined movement or speed profile for the carriage along the conveying direction can be realized. The controller may be coupled to or integrated with the actual control of the slicing apparatus.

The product can be conveyed by means of the carriage in the conveying direction. The feeder may also comprise a per se known endless conveyor belt on which the product rests and with the Product is promoted. The carriage and the product holder can thus be moved along with the product, for example, without the product being conveyed through the carriage or the product holder in order, for example, to bring the product holder into engagement with the product only towards the end of the slicing process.

The term "product holder" is to be interpreted broadly. It can not just be a device that holds the product. Rather, it can also be understood as meaning a device which can somehow be brought into contact with the product and / or by means of which the product can be handled - however it may be. The product holder may be, for example, a product pusher or a product depressor.

The product holder can also be designed as a product gripper, which has at least one gripping jaw, which can engage in particular in the rear, remote from the cutting blade end of the product. Due to the intervention in the product this can be moved not only in the conveying direction, but also against the conveying direction of the product holder. For example, the carriage with the product holder designed as a product gripper may be provided for moving the uncut rear end of the product away from the cutting blade following the slicing process, ie moving it counter to the conveying direction in order to then dump this product residue into a residual container.

The invention also relates to a feeding device for a device for slicing food products. The feeder is defined in claim 12.

Fig. 1

eine hintere Ansicht einer erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung zum Aufschneiden von Lebensmittelprodukten,

Fig. 2

eine seitliche Ansicht der Vorrichtung von Fig. 1,

Fig. 3

eine obere Ansicht der Vorrichtung von Fig. 1,

Fig. 4

eine perspektivische, teilgeschnittene Ansicht einer Zuführeinrichtung der Vorrichtung von Fig. 1, und

Fig. 5

eine obere Ansicht einer nicht-erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung zum Aufschneiden von Lebensmittelprodukten.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. They show, in each case in a schematic representation,

Fig. 1

a rear view of an apparatus according to the invention for slicing food products,

Fig. 2

a side view of the device of Fig. 1 .

Fig. 3

an upper view of the device of Fig. 1 .

Fig. 4

a perspective, partially sectioned view of a feeder of the device of Fig. 1 , and

Fig. 5

an upper view of a non-inventive device for slicing food products.

The in the Fig. 1 to 4 illustrated device 1 is provided for slicing food products 3. In the device 1 are simultaneously two products 3, which rest on a product support 5, lying side by side, ie in two tracks, in a conveying direction I a cutting blade 7 and cut from this. The device 1 has a feed device 9, which comprises a carriage 11, on which two product holders 13 designed as product grippers are arranged. Each product holder 13 has gripping elements with a rear end of the product arranged in the respective track 3 can be brought into engagement with the cutting blade 7.

The feeding device 9 also has two guides 15 extending in the conveying direction I, by means of which the carriage 11 is guided along the conveying direction I. In this case, each guide 15 has a tube 15a, whose longitudinal axis runs in the conveying direction I. The carriage 11 is arranged by means of a respective sliding sleeve 17 on each tube 15a, so that the carriage 11 can slide along the tubes 15a and thus can be moved along the conveying direction I.

The carriage 11 can be driven by a linear drive, which is configured as follows in the device 1. The linear drive has drivers 19, wherein in each case a driver 19 is arranged in the interior of a tube 15a and along the cavity formed by the respective tube 15a is movable. In this case, each driver 19 is coupled to the carriage 11 via a magnetic field such that the carriage 11 follows the movement of the driver 19.

In particular, the driver 19 divides the cavity in the interior of a tube 15a into a first cavity section 21a and a second cavity section 21b. It lies, how from the Fig. 2 and 3 it can be seen, the second cavity portion 21b viewed in the conveying direction I behind the first cavity portion 21 a. Both cavity portions 21 a, 21 b of a pipe 15 a are connected to a supply / discharge line 23 for hydraulic fluid, via the hydraulic fluid and can be discharged.

Each tube 15a thus forms a double-acting hydraulic cylinder whose piston is formed by the driver 19. As mentioned, everyone is the two drivers 19 coupled via a magnetic field with the carriage 11 such that the carriage 11 is taken away by the drivers 19 and thus driven when the drivers 19 are moved along the tubes 15 a. The magnetic field can be generated, for example, by arranging permanent magnets on each driver 19 and on the carriage 11, in particular in the region of the sliding sleeves 19, which generate a sufficiently strong magnetic field by which the carriage 11 can be pulled along by the drivers 19.

As mentioned above, the cavity portions 21a, 21b of each tube 15a are filled with hydraulic fluid, which can be supplied via the supply / discharge lines 23. At this time, for example, the inflow / outflow 23 of the cavity portion 23a may be connected to the inflow / outflow 23 of the cavity portion 21b of the same tube 15a via a hydraulic line 25, so that hydraulic fluid is connected through an interposed pump 27 between the cavity portions 21a, 21b of the same tube 15a can be pumped back and forth. The hydraulic line 25 and the pump 27 are in Fig. 3 shown by way of example for one of the two tubes 15a.

In operation, the drivers 19 in the two tubes 15a are thereby moved in the conveying direction I, that in each tube 15a hydraulic fluid from the second cavity portion 21b is pumped into the first cavity portion 21a. Due to the magnetic coupling of the carriage 11 is pulled along by the drivers 19, so that the carriage 11 and thus the product holder 13 also move in the conveying direction I. In order to move the drivers 19 and thus the carriage 11 and the product holder 19 counter to the conveying direction I, the hydraulic fluid in each tube 19 is pumped in the reverse direction from the first cavity portion 21a into the second cavity portion 21b.

In order to adjust the position of the driver 19 or to drive off a respective desired movement profile along the respective tube 15a, a controller, not shown, may be provided, which is coupled, for example, with sensors in order to determine the instantaneous position of the driver 19. The controller can then control the pump 27 such that the driver 19 is moved according to a desired speed or movement profile. The controller can thus implement the product supply in a conventional manner according to the particular application.

The carriage 11 and the product holder 13 may be provided for conveying the products 3. However, the product support 5 can also be formed by an endless conveyor belt with which the products 3 are conveyed. In this case, the carriage 11 and the product holder 13 may be provided, in particular, to move the remaining, not cut ends of the products 3 away from the conveying direction I of the cutting blade 7 after the slicing process and to supply them to a residual container.

In the Fig. 5 illustrated device 1 'differs in particular by the design of the linear drive of the device 1 of Fig. 1 to 4 , In the device 1 ', the carriage 11 is coupled to a linear drive which comprises a linear electromagnetic motor which has a stator 29 extending along the conveying direction I and a rotor 31 movable along the stator 29, which is designed as part of the carriage 11.

In the device 1 ', the rotor 31 is arranged at a transverse to the conveying direction I end of the carriage 11. At the opposite End of the carriage 11, a sliding sleeve 33 is arranged around a tubular guide 35, by means of which the carriage 11 is guided along the conveying direction I.

The rotor 31 includes permanent magnets, not shown. Along the stator 29 also not shown electric coils are arranged, through which a magnetic field can be generated, which interacts with the magnetic field of the permanent magnets of the rotor 31 such that the rotor 31 along the conveying direction I can be moved. In particular, a magnetic field traveling along the stator 29 can be generated by the coils, through which the rotor 31 is entrained. In this case, the carriage 11 can be moved in the conveying direction I or counter to the conveying direction I, depending on the energization of the coils. In addition, it is possible to keep the carriage 11 at a certain position along the conveying direction I.

Alternative modifications of the apparatus 1 'described above are also readily possible. For example, the stator 29 may comprise permanent magnets and the rotor 31 may comprise energizable coils by means of which a magnetic field can be generated which interacts with the permanent magnets such that the rotor 31 can be moved along the conveying direction I.

In addition, a further guide can also be provided on the side of the feed device 9, along which the stator 29 extends, so that the carriage 11 can be guided on both sides. Accordingly, also on the side of in Fig. 5 a further electromagnetic linear motor having a stator extending along the conveying direction I and a rotor formed as part of the carriage 11 may be provided (not shown). The carriage 11 can therefore also be driven at its two transverse to the conveying direction I ends by means of a respective electromagnetic linear motor.

In addition, it is possible that the linear motors arranged on either side of the carriage 11 simultaneously serve to guide the carriage 11, so that the in Fig. 5 shown, separate guide 35 can be omitted.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1, 1 '

contraption

3

product

5

product support

7

cutting blade

9

feeding

11

carriage

13

product holder

15

guide

15a

pipe

17

sliding sleeve

19

takeaway

21a

first cavity section

21b

second cavity section

23

Supply / discharge

25

hydraulic line

27

pump

29

stator

31

runner

33

sliding sleeve

35

guide

Claims (12)

1. An apparatus for slicing food products, in particular sausage, meat or cheese, comprising
   a feed device (9) by which at least one product (3) can be conveyed in a conveying direction (1) and can be fed to a cutting blade (7) disposed downstream of the feed device (9),
   wherein the feed device (9) has at least one carriage (11); and wherein the carriage (11) is movable along the conveying direction (I);
   wherein the carriage (11) is coupled to a linear drive by means of which the carriage (11) is movable along the conveying direction (I), characterised in that
   at least one product holder (13) cooperating with the product (3) is arranged at the carriage; and in that the linear drive has at least one driver (19) which can be moved along the conveying direction (I) and which is coupled to the carriage (11) via at least one magnetic field in a contactless manner such that the carriage (11) follows a movement of the driver (19) along the conveying direction (I).
2. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1,
   characterised in that
   the magnetic field is a permanent magnetic field.
3. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 or claim 2,
   characterised in that
   the driver (19) and/or the carriage (11) each comprises/comprise at least one magnet, in particular a permanent magnet.
4. An apparatus in accordance with any one of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that
   the driver (19) and/or the carriage (11) is/are formed at least partly from magnetic material or from magnetisable material.
5. An apparatus in accordance with any one of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that
   the linear drive comprises a dual-action hydraulic cylinder whose piston is formed by the driver (19), with the carriage (11) being able to be moved along the hydraulic cylinder.
6. An apparatus in accordance with any one of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that
   the driver (19) is arranged in a hollow space (21a, 21b), in particular a cylindrical hollow space, extending along the conveying direction (I).
7. An apparatus in accordance with claim 6,
   characterised in that
   the driver (19) divides the hollow space into a first hollow space section (21a) and into a second hollow space section (21 b) which lies behind the first hollow space section (21 a) viewed in the conveying direction (I), with at least one hollow space section (21a, 21 b) being able to be acted on by hydraulic fluid to move the driver (19).
8. An apparatus in accordance with claim 7,
   characterised in that
   both hollow space sections (21a, 21 b) are filled with hydraulic fluid and are each connected to an inflow/outflow line (23) for hydraulic fluid by means of which hydraulic fluid can be conducted into the respective hollow space section (21a, 21 b) or can be removed from the respective hollow space section (21a, 21b).
9. An apparatus in accordance with at least one of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that
   the linear drive is simultaneously formed as a guide (15) for the carriage (11), with the guide (15) in particular comprising a pipe (15a) whose longitudinal axis extends in the conveying direction (I).
10. An apparatus in accordance with claim 9,
    characterised in that
    the carriage has a sleeve (17), in particular a sliding sleeve, by means of which the carriage (11) is movably arranged at the pipe (15a),
    wherein the sleeve (17) surrounds the pipe (15a) and the driver (19) is arranged within the pipe (15a).
11. An apparatus in accordance with at least one of the preceding claims,
    characterised in that
    a control is provided by means of which the position of the carriage (11) and/or a predefined movement profile or speed profile for the carriage (11) along the conveying direction can be set or realized.
12. A feed device for an apparatus (1, 1') for slicing food products (3), wherein the feed device (9) has a carriage (11) which is movable along a conveying direction (I), with the carriage (11) being coupled to a linear drive by means of which the carriage (11) can be moved along the conveying direction (I),
    characterised in that
    at least one product holder (13) is arranged at the carriage (11) and can cooperate with a product (3), wherein the linear drive has at least one driver (19) which can be moved along the conveying direction (I) and which is coupled to the carriage (11) via at least one magnetic field in a contactless manner such that the carriage (11) follows a movement of the driver (19) along the conveying direction (I).

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