EP2708337B1 - Method for cutting bread and associated device - Google Patents

Description

1. a) Ein in einem Einlegebereich befindlicher Brotlaib wird mittels einer Vorschubeinrichtung auf eine Schneideinrichtung zu vorgeschoben, wobei die Schneideinrichtung eine um eine erste Drehachse drehbare Schwinge und ein an der Schwinge um eine zweite Drehachse rotierbar gelagertes Kreismesser aufweist, wobei die zweite Drehachse sich innerhalb eines Schneidquerschnitts bewegt und das Kreismesser und die Schwinge durch einen Schneidspalt hindurch treten, der sich zwischen dem Einlegebereich und einem Entnahmebereich befindet.
2. b) Von dem Brotlaib werden während des Vorschiebens an einem vorderen Ende mittels der Schneideinrichtung sukzessive Scheiben abgeschnitten.
3. c) Eine im Entstehen begriffene oder bereits vollständig abgeschnittene Scheibe wird an ihrer einem Boden des Entnahmebereichs zugewandten Unterseite mittels eines in einer Stützstellung befindlichen Stützelements abgestützt.
4. d) Im Zuge einer Bewegung der Schwinge entlang des Schneidspalts wird das Stützelement mittels der Schwinge von der Stützstellung in eine Freigabestellung verdrängt, wobei das Stützelement bei fortgesetzter Bewegung der Schwinge automatisch wieder die Stützstellung einnimmt.
5. e) Die abgeschnittenen Scheiben werden in dem Entnahmebereich gesammelt.

The invention relates to a method for slicing bread with the following process steps:

1. a) located in a loading area loaf is advanced by means of a feed device to a cutting device, wherein the cutter has a rotatable about a first axis of rotation and a swing arm about a second axis rotatably mounted circular blade, wherein the second axis of rotation within a cutting cross-section moves and the circular blade and the rocker pass through a cutting gap, which is located between the insertion area and a removal area.
2. b) successive slices are cut from the loaf during advancement at a front end by means of the cutting device.
3. c) A disc which is emerging or has already been completely cut off is supported on its underside facing a bottom of the removal area by means of a support element located in a support position.
4. d) In the course of a movement of the rocker along the cutting gap, the support member is displaced by means of the rocker from the support position into a release position, wherein the support element automatically assumes the support position with continued movement of the rocker.
5. e) The cut slices are collected in the withdrawal area.

• a) einem Einlegebereich, in den ein Brotlaib einlegbar ist,
• b) einer Schneideinrichtung, die eine um eine erste Drehachse drehbare Schwinge und ein an der Schwinge um eine zweite Drehachse rotierbar gelagertes Kreismesser aufweist, wobei die zweite Drehachse sich innerhalb eines Schneidquerschnitts bewegt,
• c) einer Vorschubeinrichtung, mit der ein in dem Einlegebereich befindlicher Brotlaib so auf die Schneideinrichtung zu vorschiebbar ist, dass an einem vorderen Ende des Brotlaibs von der Schneideinrichtung sukzessive Scheiben abschneidbar sind,
• d) einem Entnahmebereich, in dem die abgeschnittenen Scheiben aufnehmbar sind,
• e) einem zwischen dem Einlegebereich und dem Entnahmebereich befindlichen Schneidspalt, durch den das Kreismesser und die Schwinge hindurchtreten,
• f) einem den Schneidspalt zumindest teilweise verschließenden Stützelement, mit dem eine im Entstehen begriffene oder bereits vollständig abgeschnittene Scheibe an ihrer einem Boden des Entnahmebereichs zugewandten Unterseite abstützbar ist, wobei das Stützelement im Zuge der Bewegung der Schwinge von einer Stützstellung in eine Freigabestellung verdrängbar ist und bei fortgesetzter Bewegung der Schwinge wieder die Stützstellung einnimmt.

In addition, the invention relates to a device for sliced bread with

• a) a loading area into which a loaf of bread can be placed,
• b) a cutting device which has a rocker rotatable about a first axis of rotation and a circular blade rotatably mounted on the rocker about a second axis of rotation, wherein the second axis of rotation moves within a cutting cross-section,
• c) a feed device with which a loaf of loaf located in the infeed area can be advanced toward the cutting device in such a way that successive slices can be cut off from the cutting device at a front end of the loaf of bread,
• d) a removal area in which the cut-off discs can be received,
• e) a cutting gap between the loading area and the removal area, through which the circular blade and the rocker pass,
• f) a the cutting gap at least partially closing support member with which a emerging or already completely cut disc is supported on its bottom of the removal region facing underside, wherein the support member in the course of movement of the rocker from a support position is displaced into a release position and with continued movement of the rocker again assumes the support position.

State of the art

The devices described above are mostly used in bakeries when a customer wishes to have their sliced bread sliced when buying a loaf of bread. In machines that are placed on the floor, the rocker usually performs a circumferential rotational movement, in which case usually the circular blade has such a size that it penetrates only less than half of its cross-sectional area in the cross section of the loaf, so that the rocker even the cutting cross section does not go through at all. Such a cutting machine is for example from the DE 103 12 301 A1 known.

If such provided with an orbital knife drive bread slicing machines designed as table machines, the rocker performs only a swinging motion, that is, it does not rotate by 360 degrees but oscillating only by an angular range of usually less than 90 degrees. In this way, the height can be reduced and the suitability of the machine for installation on a table can be achieved. Further, to reduce the size in these cases, the diameter of the circular blade is reduced, which requires that the axis of rotation of the circular blade move within the cutting cross-section, that is, the rocker penetrates into the loaf during the cutting process.

In this case, special measures must be taken, which does not damage the bread during the cutting process by the comparison with the pure circular blade thickness significantly greater thickness of the rocker. In addition, the cutting gap between the insertion area and the removal area has a comparatively large width, which results in a risk that windows that are just emerging or cut off are pulled through the gap into the interior of the machine.

Table machines of the type described above are for example from the DE 37 06 485 A1 and the DE 198 20 492 C1 known.

In the known bread cutting machines of the aforementioned type, the support element for the discs usually consists of a plate-shaped element made of plastic, which is mounted below the bottom of the removal area in a groove or pocket and horizontally displaceable in the feed direction or counter to the feed direction. In the course of the movement of the rocker along the cutting gap this exerts on the interaction with inclined surfaces from a lateral pressure on the support element, which is displaced in the feed direction in the groove or receiving pocket in this way and thus creates the space required for the entry of the rocker. When displacing the support element arranged in the groove or receiving pocket spring element is stretched, which ensures after a retraction of the rocker that the support element automatically returns to the support position.

The problem with the above-described type of storage and actuation of the support element is the fact that in the groove or receiving pocket into the area of the Spring element breadcrumbs or flour collect, which are hard to remove from these hard to reach and very small areas. This leads in connection with the ongoing movement of the support element within the groove or receiving pocket to a regular grinding or crushing the breadcrumbs, which increasingly aggravates the cleaning problem. As a result, in the said areas of the cutting machine hygienically harmful residues, which in turn form a source of microbial load on the sliced bread.

task

The present invention has for its object to propose a method and an apparatus for sliced bread in which the hygienic problems caused by the mounting of the support member for the resulting slices are avoided.

solution

Based on the method of the type described above, the underlying object is achieved in that the support element is elastically deformed in a transition from the support position to the release position of the rocker in it.

In contrast to a displacement, as occurs in the known support elements, the invention provided elastic deformation of the support member allows a very "free" storage of the same, without the need grooves, bags, o. Ä. Should be provided. While in the prior art, the support elements are designed to be rigid and in itself of the rocker not elastically deformable, the invention selects the way to specifically exploit the elasticity of the support element by appropriate selection of the material and the geometry in such a way that the support element of although the rocker, that is to say of which this actively moving drive means, is elastically sufficiently deformable to allow movement of the rocker in the cutting gap. Equally well, the elasticity of the support element is sufficiently small, that is, the rigidity in a direction perpendicular to the bottom of the removal region to sufficiently large that a nascent or just completely separated disc does not cause elastic deformation of the support element or at least not to the extent can that the support function of the Support element would be lost. The deformation energy that must be applied to an elastic deformation of the support element according to the invention is thus sufficiently large to reliably fulfill the support task, but small enough to drive the rocker without excessive load under the action of normal and frictional forces between rocker and support element to be applied continuously.

Preferably, the support element is subjected to a transition from the support position to the release position on bending. In the case of a bending load, the concretely required rigidity of the support element can be set comparatively easily in order to combine the two aforementioned properties. In principle, however, it would also be conceivable within the scope of the invention that the support element is compressed during the transition from the support position to the release position and expands again at an opposite transition.

According to one embodiment of the method according to the invention, it is provided that the support member is deformed in the transition from the support position to the release position so that it is aligned in the release position at least partially parallel to a plane of the circular blade. The aforementioned alignment of a particular plate-shaped or strip-shaped support element causes an increase in the resistance torque against deformation in the direction of the bottom of the removal shaft, so that the support effect is particularly good at such a type of deformation.

It is further provided according to a development of the invention that a free end portion of the support member forming and consisting of a food-safe plastic material bar is deformed at a transition from the support position to the release position on the respective supported disc. By such a bulge of the bar the support effect is favored again.

The inventive method further ausgestaltend, it is provided that the support member is slightly elastically deformed during the support of a disc, and preferably in a direction opposite to the present at a deformation of the support position in the release position direction.

Starting from a device of the type explained above, the object is achieved in terms of device technology in that the support element in a transition from the support position into the release position of the rocker is elastically deformable. With such a device, the advantages that have already been explained in detail in procedural terms arise.

An embodiment of the device according to the invention has a support element in the form of a strip made of a food-safe plastic material, wherein the strip has a connecting portion connected to a bottom of the removal region and a protruding into the gap region Kragabschnitt which is elastically deformable at a transition from the support position to the release position , In the region of the connecting portion, there is thus neither a relative movement between the support element and the bottom of the removal region or other components of the device, nor does an elastic deformation take place there. In the manner of a Kragblakens the connecting portion serves as a rigid storage area where, however, takes place only in the Kragabschnitt under load, the deformation.

It has also been found to be particularly advantageous that the Kragabschnitt a perpendicular to a plane of the circular blade extending length between 10 mm and 40 mm, preferably between 20 mm and 30 mm, has. The connecting portion should preferably have at least as long a length and for reasons of ease of manufacture also consist of the same material.

Further, the cantilever portion should have a thickness of between 2 mm and 4 mm, preferably between 2.5 mm and 3.5 mm, extending parallel to a plane of the circular blade.

If the Kragabschnitt of the support member in the support position of the removal region from looking towards the insertion area increases, leads by such a "pre-deformation" even a low load-related lowering of the Kragabschnitts during the exercise of the support function to no geometrically deteriorated effect in preventing the retraction a slice. Rather, the Kragabschnitt then even under load then aligned approximately horizontally and closes the gap area reliably.

Finally, it is also proposed according to the invention that the support element extends on at least one side of the removal region with a bent end section into a gap region between a respective side wall of the removal region and a respective associated side wall of the insertion region. In particular, in the case of the "vertical" gap region facing the pivot axis of rotation, there is the risk at the beginning of cutting off a new pane that the pane will also be drawn into such a substantially vertical gap in the horizontal direction, which is why the expansion of the support element also makes sense in such an area , As well as the rest of the support element and the bent end portion is so elastically deformable in itself, that the rocker provides itself in its oscillating movement, the required space itself.

The support element should be designed so that it leaves a free space for the passage of the cutting blade in the support position, so that regardless of the nature and speed of deformation in the course of the swing motion is always imperative clearance of the circular blade is given, so in particular damage to the support element is not to be feared by a Zerspannungswirkung of the circular blade.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the device according to the invention comprises an insert part, which forms a portion of a surface of the rocker, wherein the insert part during movement of the rocker with the support member into frictional contact, wherein preferably at least one surface of the insert part of a Material is formed, which has a static friction coefficient of at most 0.1, preferably at most 0.05, at a friction of two frictional partners formed by this material.

The insert described is based on the consideration that during each cutting operation, that is, at each cycle of the rocker, the same comes into contact with the support element, wherein both parts, that is, the rocker and the support member, rub against each other. Such friction inevitably leads to wear of the participating friction partners in the long run. Although the mechanism as such, that is, the friction of two parts and the associated displacement of the elastically deformable support member, is unavoidable, nevertheless, the operation of the device from this wear be made independent. Thus, the insert has a thickness whose removal due to the friction of the same with the support element takes so long that a lifetime of the insert exceeds that of the entire device. To accomplish this, the insert should be placed on the rocker in such a way that during a cutting cycle relative to the rocker, only the insert (or a surface thereof) will be in frictional contact with the support member. The thickness of the insert should be at least 0.5 mm, preferably 1.0 mm.

The contact of the rocker with the support element as such is of particular importance insofar as the support member from a cutting plane in which the circular blade acts, must be displaced before the circular blade itself reaches the support element and this destroyed. The insert is advantageously advantageously designed so that it displaces the support element in time from a cutting plane of the circular blade. This is achieved in particular by the fact that the insert part extends so far laterally into a cross section of the support element that it displaces it, wherein due to the stiffness of the support element, the same is not only locally deformed or displaced, but rather the part region of the support element which is deformed directly by means of the insert part also affects a remaining part that is not in direct contact with the insert element.

In order to keep the wear of both the insert part and the support element particularly low, it is particularly preferable to form at least the insert part, preferably further at least one top layer of the support element, of a material which, upon friction with itself, has a static friction coefficient of at most 0 , 1, preferably at most 0.05. The material used is preferably polytetrafluoroethylene, which has a coefficient of static friction of 0.04 (PTFE on PTFE).

embodiment

The method according to the invention will be explained in more detail below on an exemplary device which is shown in the drawing.

Fig. 1:

Eine perspektivische Darstellung einer erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung mit Blick auf die Schwinge nach Demontage des Entnahmebereichs,

Fig. 2:

eine Draufsicht auf die Vorrichtung mit Darstellung sowohl des Einlegebereichs als auch des Entnahmebereichs,

Fig. 3:

einen Vertikalschnitt durch die Vorrichtung mit Blickrichtung von der Rückseite,

Fig. 4:

einen Vertikalschnitt durch die Vorrichtung mit Blickrichtung von der Vorderseite,

Fig. 5:

einen Vertikalschnitt durch die Vorrichtung mit Blickrichtung von dem Entnahmebereich her,

Fig. 6a bis 6c:

die Schwinge in einer Draufsicht, Seitenansicht sowie perspektivischen Ansicht,

Fig. 7:

eine Detailansicht der Schwinge in einer Ecke des Entnahmebereichs,

Fig. 8:

einen Vertikalschnitt durch einen Boden des Entnahmebereichs sowie durch ein Stützelement,

Fig. 9:

wie Figur 8, jedoch in einer um 90° gedrehten Ansicht,

Fig. 10:

eine perspektivische Ansicht des Bodens des Entnahmebereichs sowie der daran befestigten Stützeinrichtung,

Fig. 11 bis 13:

unterschiedliche perspektivische Ansichten der durch die Schwinge verformten Stützeinrichtung,

Fig. 14:

eine perspektivische Darstellung einer erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung mit Blick auf eine Schwinge mit einem Einsatzteil,

Fig. 15:

einen Vertikalschnitt durch die Vorrichtung mit Blickrichtung von dem Entnahmebereich her und

Fig. 16a bis 16b:

ein Detail der Schwinge mit dem Einsatzteil.

It shows:

Fig. 1:

A perspective view of a device according to the invention with a view of the rocker after disassembly of the removal area,

Fig. 2:

a top view of the device with representation of both the loading area and the removal area,

3:

a vertical section through the device viewed from the back,

4:

a vertical section through the device viewed from the front,

Fig. 5:

a vertical section through the device as seen from the removal area,

6a to 6c:

the rocker in a top view, side view and perspective view,

Fig. 7:

a detail view of the rocker in a corner of the removal area,

Fig. 8:

a vertical section through a bottom of the removal area and by a support element,

Fig. 9:

as FIG. 8 but in a 90 ° rotated view,

Fig. 10:

a perspective view of the bottom of the removal area and the support means attached thereto,

11 to 13:

different perspective views of the deformed by the rocker support,

Fig. 14:

a perspective view of a device according to the invention with a view of a rocker with an insert part,

Fig. 15:

a vertical section through the device looking in the direction of the removal area forth and

FIGS. 16a to 16b:

a detail of the swingarm with the insert.

One in the FIGS. 1 to 5 In various views illustrated device 1 for slicing bread into slices, has an insertion area 2 in the form of an approximately cubic shaft into which a loaf of conventional dimensions can be inserted. Within the insertion area 2 there is a known from the prior art feed device 3, which via a gripping device with gripper hook for fixing a rear end of the loaf, a linear guide for advancing the fixed loaf of bread along a bottom 4 of the loading area 2 and a drive means, not shown both for the feed and for fixing the gripper hook has.

Furthermore, the device 1 has a shaft-like removal area 5, which, viewed in the feed direction 6 , is located linearly adjacent to the loading area 2 and is separated therefrom by a cutting device 7 .

The cutting device 7 has a rocker 9 which is oscillatably mounted so as to oscillate in a manner oscillating about a first axis of rotation 8 and on which a circular blade 11 which can be driven rotationally about a second axis of rotation 10 is mounted. The drive for the oscillating movement of the rocker 9 and for the continuous rotation of the circular blade 11 relative to the rocker 9 take place by means of a common drive device 12, which consists of the vertical section in FIG. 3 can be seen and is arranged below the bottom 4 of the insertion area 2 . The rocker 9 has a rocker housing 13, in the interior of which is not visible in the figures, a transmission device in the form of a belt drive for driving the circular blade 11 is located. Such a drive device 12 both to drive the rocker 9 and the circular blade 11 is for example from the DE 37 06 485 A1 known.

In an interior of a rocker housing 13 is a transmission device in the form of a belt drive, which provides regardless of the state of motion of the rocker 9 even in the cutting operation of the device 1 for a uniform rotational movement of the circular blade at high speed.

The rocker 9 and the rocker housing 13 are in the FIGS. 6a to 6c explained in more detail. Out FIG. 6b shows that the rocker housing in a thickening region 14 has a conspicuously large, measured in the direction of the axis of rotation 10 of the circular blade 11 thickness 15 , which is 23 mm in the specific case. Looking at the contour of the rocker starting from a tip 15 ' on which a longitudinal section plane intersects the peripheral edge of the rocker housing 13 , this first has a wedge-shaped section 16 , to which then a section of constant thickness adjoins, which forms the thickening region 14 . This is followed, behind a transition 17 in the form of a recess, by a section 18 of reduced thickness, which in the present case is 16.5 mm. The distance 19 of the transition 17 between the reduced thickness portion 18 of the thickening portion 14 is about 40% of the radius of the circular blade.

As turn out in particular from FIG. 6b shows, the thickness 15 in the thickening region 14 is significantly larger (6.5 mm in the present case) than would actually be required to cover the transmission device located in the interior of the rocker housing 13 . The minimum required thickness 20 is present in the region 18 of reduced thickness and, as already mentioned above, is 16.5 mm. At this distance from the in FIG. 6b left side of the rocker housing 13 is an imaginary line 21 is shown in dashed form. Right of this line 21 is located within the rocker housing 13, a free space 22, which was created solely to achieve in conjunction with the wedge-shaped portion 16, the increased thickness 15 of the rocker housing 13 and thus to achieve particularly good cutting properties. In order to keep the oscillating mass of the rocker 9, which also enters that of the rocker housing 13 , small, the space 22 should remain hollow.

With view on FIGS. 6a and 6c It is clear that the rocker housing 13 in an annular cover 23 deliberately has a much larger radius 24 , as in an adjoining region in which the radius 25 - as is customary in the prior art - is dimensioned so that the transmission device inside the Swing housing 13 is completely covered to form a wedge-shaped portion. Through the creation of the cover 23, a free, non-covered area 26 is greatly reduced between the cutting edge 27 of the circular blade 11 and the part-circular outer edge 28 of the swing body 13 in the covering 23rd This in turn leads to a significantly reduced friction between the rapidly rotating circular blade 11 and the just emerging bread slice, so that the force effects on the disc and the risk of damage to the same are minimized.

In other words, a radially measured distance 36 between the edge 28 of the rocker housing 13 in the cover area 23 and the cutting edge 27 of the circular blade 11 in the cover area 23 is smaller than a difference between a radius 30 of the circular blade 11 and a minimum half width 31 of the rocker housing 13 within an overlapping area of the swing casing 13 with the circular blade 11. Actually there would namely by the procedure according to the prior art no need to vibrate the housing 13 through the swing width dimension defined by the addition, to enlarge. However, this has proven to be extremely effective in minimizing friction and improving cutting quality.

Out FIG. 6a can be seen that the approximately hammerhead-shaped cover portion 23 extends over an angular range 32 of about 140 °. A core region of the cover region 23, in which the radius 24 has its largest dimension and is constant, extends over an angular range 33 of approximately 90 °. A central axis 34 of the cover region 23 extends at an angle to a longitudinal axis 35 of the rocker 9, which connects the two axes of rotation 8 and 10 with each other, of approximately 130 °. In the present case, the distance 36 between the radius 30 of the circular blade 11 and the radius 24 in the cover region 23 is about 14 mm.

From the FIGS. 11 to 13 , which show different perspective illustrations of the rocker 9 , it can be seen that between the bottom 4 of the insertion area 2 and a bottom 37 of the removal region 5, a cutting gap 38 is formed, through which both the rocker 9 with its rocker housing 13 and the circular blade 11th pass through. While the circular blade 11 is located at a very small distance from a front edge 39 of the bottom 4 of the insertion region 2 , so that the front edge 39 serves as a counter-blade, the distance to a front edge 40 of the bottom 37 of the removal region 5 is much greater due to the cutting gap 38 ,

In order to eliminate the risk that in the gap region 38 during the cutting of a disc or immediately thereafter a disc due to the rotation of the circular blade 11, whose direction of rotation is illustrated by an arrow 41 , pulled in, the cutting gap 38, starting from the bottom 37 of Removal area 5 closed by a support member 42 . The support member 42 has the shape of a over the Whole width of the removal region 5 (and even beyond) extending strip of a food-safe, elastic plastic material and is attached to a later explained in more detail manner on the underside of the bottom 37 of the removal region 5 .

From the FIGS. 11 to 13 It can be seen that the support element 42 has such a distance from the front edge 39 of the bottom 4 of the insertion area 2 , that it leaves a sufficient clearance for the circular blade 11 even in a straight line stretched state. Therefore, a collision between the circular blade 11 and the support element 42 can not occur under any circumstances. By contrast, the thickness 20 of the rocker housing 13 in the region 18 of reduced thickness (see FIGS. 6b and 6c ) larger than the remaining space between the support member 42 and the front edge 39 of the bottom 4 of the insertion area 2. For this reason, the support member 42 deformed by the rocker housing 13 in this section 18, the right and left adjacent each in a wedge-shaped area 43rd expires 44, in accordance with the swing motion in the cutting gap 38. in the section 18, in which the thickness is thus greater than the edges of the swing frame 13, the elastic deformation of the support member 42 is maximum. There it comes to an approximately vertical curvature of the free edge of the support member 42, which thus includes at this point approximately a right angle with the bottom 37 of the removal region 5 . Due to the oscillating movement of the rocker 9 , the deformed portion of the support member 32 as described above moves continuously along the length of the support member 42 from one end to the other end thereof. In the FIGS. 11 to 13 a middle position of the rocker 9 is shown, in which the circular blade 11 has a distance from both a side wall 45 and a side wall 46 each of the insertion area 2 . The bead-shaped bulge of the serving as a kind of sealing lip support member 42 thus migrates continuously along the width of the removal region 5 back and forth.

In the undeformed, approximately parallel to the bottom 37 of the removal region 5 aligned portions of the support member 42 , this is in a support position in which it prevents the just emerging in emerging discs in its located below the support member 42 machine interior can pass. Starting from this support position, the support member 42 by the rocker 9, by the frictional contact with the surface of the rocker housing 13 and thereby caused Normal forces, displaced in a release position, so that the rocker 9 can perform their oscillating movement. In the release position, the support member 42 is subjected to bending and resiliently biased so that it automatically returns to the support position in the course of a continued movement of the rocker 9 as soon as the space previously occupied by the rocker housing 13 in the cutting gap 38 released at the appropriate location again has been.

FIG. 7 shows in a detailed view that the rocker 9 extends with the overlap region 23 to a small front part in a gap between the side wall 45 of the insertion region 2 and an opposite side wall 47 of the removal region 5 inside. The same applies, of course, to the cutting edge 27 of the circular blade 11, which protrudes radially further outwards by a small amount. In this way, it is ensured that even in a corner region 48 of the insertion region 2 an optimal cutting of the discs in the sense of a complete and clean separation of the remaining loaf is ensured. The overlapping region 23 of the rocker housing 13 also extends with a small part below the bottom 4 of the insertion region 2, so that even with a cutting in the corner region 48 a very far reaching coverage of the relevant sector of the side surface of the circular blade 11 is given even under Considering a certain height offset between the bottom 4 of the loading area 2 and the bottom 37 of the removal area 5 (see in particular in FIG. 11 ). Out FIG. 11 It can also be seen that the oscillating housing 13 interacts with its support member 42 during its oscillating movement through the cutting gap 38 with only its portion 18 having reduced thickness (compared to the thickening area 14 ).

The attachment of the support member 42 results from the FIGS. 8 to 10 It can be seen that the bottom 37 of the removal region 5 is slightly angled upwards in an end section 49 . Below the bottom 37 there is a connecting portion 50 of the support member 42 which is clamped by means of a clamping bar 51 and screws 52 (which cooperate with non-visible welding nuts on the bottom of the bottom 37 ). A Kragabschnitt 53 of the support member 42 projects with a portion 54 over a front edge 55 of the angled end portion 49 of the bottom 37 and is thus located in the cutting gap 38. By the inserted from below into the cutting gap 38 Rocker 9 , the cantilever portion 43 is deformed, with only a slight deformation up to the underside of the bottom 37 can bring about zoom in the overlapping region between the inclined end portion 49 of the bottom 37 and the cantilever portion 43 . In contrast, the portion 54 is completely free and can be elastically deformed up to a nearly vertical orientation of its edge. Out FIG. 9 in turn, the height offset between the bottom 5 of the insertion region 2 and the bottom 37 of the removal region 5 can be seen.

In a further embodiment, in the Figures 14 and 15 is shown, the device 1 is equipped with a rocker 57 . This rocker 57 differs from the previously shown rocker 9 by an insert 56 which is mounted on the rocker 57 . This insert 56 is particularly well the detailed representation of FIGS. 16a and 16b removable.

The insert part 56 is arranged on a side of the rocker 57 facing the removal region 5 of the device 1 . It has in the example shown here a thickness of about 1.0 mm and is made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, "Teflon®"). The insert member is placed on the rocker arm 57 so as to make frictional contact with the support member 42 as the rocker member 57 moves. This is especially good FIG. 15 removable, which shows the insert 56 in engagement with the support member 42 . The insert 56 is particularly suitable for deforming the support element 42 , so that the support element 42 is "pushed out" from a cutting plane in which the circular blade 11 acts. This "pushing out" of the support member 42 is tuned such that the support member 42 at no time comes into contact with the circular blade 11 , that is, has already been pushed out of the cutting plane before the circular blade 11 can reach the support member 42 .

The formation of the insert 56 made of PTFE is particularly advantageous in that PTFE has a particularly low coefficient of friction. Advantageously, in addition to the insert member 56 and the support member 42 is coated at least with PTFE. This leads to a wear of both the insert part 56 and the support member 42 is particularly low and a lifetime of the support member 42 can be significantly increased over other designs. Besides using PTFE for the insert 56 , as well good another material conceivable. By compared to a coating large thickness of the insert part 56 , this is particularly well suited to withstand the frictional contact with the support member 42 long. Nonetheless, the insert 56 is advantageously formed of a material that has a particularly low coefficient of friction.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

contraption

2

loading area

3

feeder

4

ground

5

removal area

6

feed direction

7

cutter

8th

first axis of rotation

9

wing

10

second axis of rotation

11

circular blade

12

driving means

13

swing housing

14

thickening area

15

thickness

15 '

top

16

wedge-shaped section

17

crossing

18

section

19

distance

20

thickness

21

line

22

free space

23

coverage

24

radius

25

radius

26

Area

27

cutting edge

28

outer edge

29

distance

30

radius

31

width

32

angle range

33

angle range

34

central axis

35

longitudinal axis

36

radius difference

37

ground

38

cutting gap

39

leading edge

40

leading edge

41

arrow

42

support element

43

Area

44

Area

45

Side wall

46

Side wall

47

Side wall

48

corner

49

end

50

connecting portion

51

terminal block

52

screw

53

collar portion

54

part Of

55

leading edge

56

insert

57

wing

α

angle

β

angle

Claims (14)

1. A method for cutting bread into slices comprising the following method steps:

   a) A loaf of bread located in an insertion area (2) is fed forward towards a cutting device (7) by means of a feed device (3), wherein the cutting device (7) encompasses a rocker (9), which can be rotated about a first axis of rotation (8), and a circular knife (11), which is supported at the rocker (9) so as to be rotatable about a second axis of rotation (10), wherein the second axis of rotation (10) moves within a cutting cross section and the circular knife (11) and the rocker (9) pass through a cutting gap (38), which is located between the insertion area (2) and a removal area (5).

   b) Successive slices are cut off the loaf of bread during the feeding at a front end by means of the cutting device (7).

   c) A slice, which is about to be created or which has already been cut off completely, is supported at its bottom side, which faces a bottom (37) of the removal area (5), by means of a support element (42), which is located in a support position.

   d) In the course of a movement of the rocker (9) along the cutting gap (38), the support element (42) is displaced from the support position into a release position by the means of the rocker (9), wherein the support element (42) automatically assumes the support position again in response to a continued movement of the rocker (9).

   e) The cut slices are collected in the removal area (5),

   characterized by the following method step:

   f) The support element (42) is deformed elastically by the rocker (9) in response to a transition from the support position into the release position.
2. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the support element (42) is subject to bending in response to a transition from the support position into the release position.
3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, in response to the transition from the support position into the release position, the support element (42) is deformed such that it is at oriented at least partially parallel to a plane of the circular knife (11) in the release position.
4. The method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a free end section of a strip, which forms the support element (42) and which consists of a food safe plastic material, is deformed towards the respective supported slice in response to a transition from the support position into the release position.
5. The method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the support element (42) is also, deformed slightly elastically while a slice is supported, namely preferably in a direction, which is opposite the direction, which is at hand in response to a deformation form the support position into the release position.
6. A device (1) for cutting bread into slices comprising

   a) an insertion area (2), into which a loaf of bread can be placed,

   b) a cutting device (7), which encompasses a rocker (9), which can be rotated about a first axis of rotation (8), and a circular knife (11), which is supported at the rocker so as to be rotatable about a second axis of rotation (10), wherein the second axis of rotation (10) moves within a cutting cross section,

   c) a feed device (3), by means of which a loaf of bread, which is located in the insertion area (2), can be fed towards the cutting device (7) such that the cutting device (7) can cut off successive slices at a front end of the loaf of bread,

   d) a removal area (5), in which the cut slices can be accommodated,

   e) a cutting gap (38) located between the insertion area (2) and the removal area (5), through which the circular knife (11) and the rocker (9) pass,

   f) a support element (42), which at least partially closes the cutting gap (38), by means of which a slice, which is about to be created or a slice, which has already been cut off completely, can be supported at its bottom side, which faces a bottom of the removal area (5), wherein the support element (42) can be displaced from a support position into a release position in the course of the movement of the rocker (9) and assumes the support position again in response to a continued movement of the rocker (9),

   characterized in that

   g) the support element (42) can be deformed elastically by the rocker (9) in response to a transition from the support position into the release position.
7. The device according to claim 6, characterized in that the support element (42) is a strip of a food safe plastic material, wherein the strip encompasses a connecting section (50), which is connected to a bottom (37) of the removal area (5), and a cantilever section (53), which protrudes into the cutting gap (38) and which can be deformed elastically in response to a transition from the support position into the release position.
8. The device according to claim 7, characterized in that the cantilever section (53) has a length of between 10 mm and 40 mm, preferably between 20 mm and 30 mm, which extends vertically to a plane of the circular knife (11).
9. The device according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the cantilever section (53) has a thickness of between 2.0 mm and 4.0 mm, preferably between 2.5 mm and 3.5 mm, which extends parallel to a plane of the circular knife (11).
10. The device according to one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that, in its support position viewed from the removal area (5), the cantilever section (53) of the support element (42) increases in the direction of the insertion area (2).
11. The device according to one of claims 6 to 10, characterized in that, on at least one side of the removal area (5), the support element (42) extends with a bent end section into a gap area between a respective side wall (46) of the removal area (5) and a respective assigned side wall (45/47) of the insertion area (2).
12. The device according to one of claims 6 to 11, characterized by an insert (56), which forms a partial area of a surface of the rocker (57), wherein the insert (56) comes into frictional contact with the support element (42) during a movement of the rocker (57), wherein the insert (56) is made of a material, which, in response to a friction of two friction partners, which are made of this material, has a coefficient of friction of maximally 0.1, preferably maximally 0.05, preferably at least on a surface.
13. The device according to claim 12, characterized in that at least the surface of the insert (56), preferably the entire insert, is made of polytetrafluoroethylene.
14. The device according to one of claims 6 to 13, characterized in that at least one surface of the support element (42), which, during the movement of the rocker (9, 57), comes into frictional contact with the latter, is made of a material, which, in response to a friction of two friction partners, which are made of this material, has a coefficient of friction of maximally 0.1, preferably maximally 0.05, further preferably is made of polytetrafluoroethylene.

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