EP3386692A1

EP3386692A1 - Cutting food products

Info

Publication number: EP3386692A1
Application number: EP17701708.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Erfindernennung liegt noch nicht vor Die
Original assignee: Textor Maschinenbau GmbH
Current assignee: Textor Maschinenbau GmbH
Priority date: 2016-02-01
Filing date: 2017-01-27
Publication date: 2018-10-17
Anticipated expiration: 2037-01-27
Also published as: ES2898847T3; EP3888864A1; WO2017133977A1; EP3386692B1; US20190152084A1; DE102016101753A1; EP3900899A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for cutting food products, in particular a high performance slicer, having a working area consisting of a cutting area and a transport area provided with a product conveying system. Said product conveying system conveys the products to be cut to the cutting area on one or more tracks and at the end of the cutting area, a cutting blade moves, in particular, rotatingly and/or in a circular manner, in the cutting plane. Said device comprises a contact-free sensing device for detecting at least one part of the outer contour of the product to be cut. The scanning device for detecting the contours comprises at least one compact sensor arranged in the working area.

Description

CUTTING FOOD PRODUCTS

The invention relates to a device for slicing food products, in particular a high-performance slicer, with a working area comprising a cutting area and a transport area with a product feed, wherein the product feed feeds products to be cut single or multi-track to the cutting area and at the end of the cutting area itself in a cutting plane, a cutting blade, in particular rotating and / or rotating, moves.

Such slicing devices, which are also simply referred to as slicers, are basically known. For example, with planetary rotating and additionally rotating circular blades or with only rotating sickle blades, which have speeds of several 100 to several 1000 revolutions per minute during operation, discs are separated from the food products at a constant cutting frequency. In practice, in many applications, it is desirable that either the individual slices or portions formed from a plurality of slices have a predetermined weight. Since the cutting frequency is constant, the weight of the individual disks is preferably influenced by varying the thickness of the disks. This is done by a corresponding control of the product feed: the farther the product is advanced beyond the cutting plane between two successive cuts of the knife, the greater the thickness of the subsequently separated product slice. The slice thickness is just a parameter that determines the weight of the disc in question. The slice weight is determined by the slice volume and the average density of the slice, the slice volume being the slice thickness and the slice density. Sealing contour of the disc results. From the total weight of the product determined before slicing by means of a balance and from the total volume of the product determined by the outer surface contour of the entire product, its average density can be determined.

If weight-constant product slices or portions of product slices are to be obtained, therefore, knowledge of the outer contour of the products to be sliced is required for this purpose. The contour is also called a profile.

The above-explained relationships as well as so-called product scanners, which serve to detect the outer contour of food products to be sliced, are known in principle to the person skilled in the art. By way of example, reference is made to DE 196 04 254 A, WO 2000/062983 A, EP 2 644 337 A and DE 10 2009 036 682 A for this purpose.

In practice, the product scanners are usually separate machines, each of which precedes the slicer as part of an entire production line. The products pass through a tunnel-like scan housing, in which the outer product contour is detected by scanning. The electrical and electronic or optoelectronic devices used for the scanning are arranged comparatively open and unprotected within the scan housing. This is possible because laser radiation of a higher protection class can be used due to the surrounding scan housing. In addition, it is not necessary to subject the interior of the scan housing of a high-pressure or steam jet cleaning, which is why the electrical or electronic devices must meet no particularly high demands on the degree of protection or protection class. A disadvantage of the product scanners used hitherto in practice are the high additional costs and the increased space requirement, since a product scanner designed as a separate machine requires comparatively much space and, in particular, significantly increases the length of a production system.

Depending on the product, moreover, a longer transport and handling distance between a separate, upstream product scanner and the cutting area is unfavorable, since the product on its way to the cutting area unintentionally falls outside its outer dimensions, i. its outer contour, can be changed. This can e.g. done by mechanical influence or by the fact that temperature effects show effect.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, reliable, cost-effective and space-saving option for determining the outer contour of food products to be cut open.

The solution of this object is achieved by the features of claim 1.

According to the invention, the slicing device comprises a non-contact scanning device for detecting at least part of the outer contour of the products to be sliced, wherein the scanning device for contour detection comprises at least one compact sensor arranged in the working area.

The invention represents a fundamental departure from the previous procedure, which is to use large and expensive product scanners in the form of separate machines for contour detection and to pre-store the slicing device. The invention makes use of the knowledge that a contour detection with compact sensors is possible, which can be arranged in the working area of the slicing device itself, ie within the slicer. This overcomes the prejudice prevailing in the prior art, according to which Non-contact contour detection of sliced food products is not possible under the conditions that are given in the transport area and cutting area of a high-speed food liqueur, ie under conditions that are characterized in particular by the presence of dirt, heat and moisture. This is due to the presence of cutting debris, cutting dust and cutting dust in the area of a food slicer, and all components of a food slicer must be subjected to regular cleaning with water or steam under high pressure and at high temperatures. In addition, it plays a role that, in the case of the use of laser radiation for contour detection, care must be taken to ensure that safety regulations are adhered to and, in particular, eye safety for the operating personnel is ensured.

It has surprisingly been found that, in comparison to the dimensions of a typical food slicer, very small, compact sensors can be provided which allow reliable contour detection with sufficiently high accuracy and at the same time can be made robust enough to be resistant to electrical or optoelectronic devices Conditions within the working range of a food slicer.

Possible embodiments of the compact sensors used according to the invention as well as advantageous properties of these compact sensors are explained below and indicated in the dependent claims. Such a compact sensor may comprise in a common housing as a light source a laser for emitting laser radiation in a scanning plane and a camera which can receive the image of a line which is generated by the emitted radiation in the scanning plane on a product to be scanned. Such sensors may have an integrated electronics system without the need for an additional controller. Furthermore, such ge sensors against external light or stray light insensitive. In addition, very high resolutions in the range of a few hundredths of a millimeter as well as very high data or signal output rates of up to 6 kHz are possible. The sensors can be equipped with an integrated Gigabit LAN port.

Such compact sensors thus form quasi self-sufficient units that need only be connected to a power supply and data acquisition. In one possible embodiment, such a compact sensor has a width of about 300 mm, a maximum height of about 100 mm and a thickness of about 40 mm. Such sensors are available, for example, from the company wenglorMEL GmbH. The housing of these sensors can be improved in such a way that the sensors meet high equipment protection classes and are absolutely insensitive to dust and cleaning with water and steam under high pressure and at high temperatures. Another advantage of such sensors is that they can be operated with laser radiation of a low protection class and thus are harmless to the human eye.

Such compact sensors can consequently be positioned freely and openly in the working area of a food slicer at any desired location. Due to their small size, the compact sensors require little space and can thus be placed variably depending on the particular structural conditions of the slicer and on the contour of the products to be scanned. Several compact sensors can be arranged independently in the slicer. The acquisition data of several sensors can be computationally combined in the data evaluation.

According to the invention, the compact sensors preferably operate according to the so-called light-section method in order to detect a contour or a profile. This measuring principle is known in principle to the person skilled in the art. Reference is also made to the above-mentioned patent literature on the prior art. In principle, however, other scanning principles such as, for example, light transit time measurements can also be used according to the invention. When using the light-cutting method, the generation of the continuous or even broken lines on the products to be scanned in principle can be done in any way. Thus, for example, by means of a line laser and optionally using a suitable optics, such as a cylindrical lens, a light line can be emitted. Alternatively, a single laser beam may be periodically deflected within a high scan rate scan angle range.

The invention also relates to a method for detecting at least part of the outer contour of food products to be sliced by means of a slicing device, in particular a slicing device of the type described herein, wherein the contour is detected within the slicing device by means of a non-contact compact sensor of a scanning device. Furthermore, the invention relates to the use of at least one compact sensor, which is arranged in the working area of a slicing device of the type described herein, for performing one or more additional tasks by detecting at least one contour belonging to at least one functional unit of the device. Preferred embodiments of the invention are described above and below and also emerge from the drawing and the associated description and from the claims. Preferably, the compact sensor is arranged in a separate sealed sensor housing, wherein the compact sensor defines within the working range of the slicing a scanning range for the products, which is located outside of the sensor housing. While according to the previous practice - as already mentioned above - the products have to pass through the scanner housing, it is provided according to the invention, as it were, for the scanner to access the products and the manner of their handling in the slicer and in particular their transport path through the slicer has judged. Due to the compactness and the general insensitivity of the sensors according to the invention such integration into the slicer is easily possible.

The sensor housing can be designed such that it meets a national or international, standardized protection class, according to which dust tightness, complete protection against contact and protection against water in high pressure / steam jet cleaning are given, in particular the protection class IP6K9K or IP69 according to DIN 40 050 Part 9 or DIN EN 60529, or an equivalent protection class.

In particular, an encapsulated compact sensor or a compact sensor can be provided with a sealed sensor housing.

Preferably, the compact sensor comprises a transmitter for emitting scanning radiation in a scanning region and a receiver for receiving radiation from the scanning region, wherein the transmitter and the receiver are arranged in a common sensor housing of the compact sensor. In particular, the scanning range represents that volume of space in which the Transmitter coverage of the transmitter and the receiving range of the receiver overlap.

Preferably, it is provided that the compact sensor emits laser radiation and is designed such that it meets a national or international, standardized laser protection class, according to which the laser radiation is harmless to the human eye, in particular the laser protection class 1 or 2 according to DIN EN 60825-1, or an equivalent laser protection class. In particular, the compact sensor is designed to emit scanning radiation in a scanning plane. This scanning radiation generates on a product to be scanned a line which can be detected by means of a receiver and evaluated as to its course for determining the product contour in the scanning plane, the optical axis of the receiver being inclined with respect to the scanning plane, i. the receiver "looks" at the line created on the product surface at an angle to the scanning plane.

It is preferably provided that a scanning plane of the compact sensor extends at least substantially perpendicularly or at an angle of more than approximately 45 ° to a direction of movement of the products through the scanning plane.

Preferably, the compact sensor is designed as a laser scanner. As a scanner here are referred to both those sensors in which a continuous or broken line is emitted, as well as sensors in which a point-shaped laser beam emitted and periodically deflected.

Preferably, the compact sensor operates according to the light section method. As already mentioned, such a scanning principle for contour or profile recognition is basically known. The compact sensor is preferably designed to generate a continuous or interrupted line on a product to be scanned by means of a light source, in particular a laser source, and to record an image containing the line by means of a camera. As a camera, for example, a photodiode or a CCD device can serve.

Preferably, the compact sensor is supported or held on a support frame or frame of the slicing device, of which also the cutting region and the transport region of the slicing device are supported. In particular due to its comparatively low weight, the compact sensor according to the invention can be positioned in basically any manner in the working area. Comparatively light and filigree mounts or suspensions for the compact sensor can be used. The compact sensor can also be attached, for example, to existing components of the slicing device.

The compact sensor can be arranged in or on the cutting area. It is also possible to arrange the compact sensor in the product supply area. In particular, the compact sensor can be arranged in the region of a front product stop of the product supply. A possible distance of the compact sensor from a front stop plane of the product stop is for example about 5 to 20 mm. In one possible embodiment, the compact sensor, viewed in the feed direction of the products, is located at a distance of approximately 30 to 400 mm from the cutting plane.

If the positioning or orientation of the compact sensor is mentioned, this is understood in particular to mean the position or orientation of a scanning plane of the sensor. As an alternative to the aforementioned possibilities, the compact sensor can be arranged in an area of the transport area upstream of the product feed.

The compact sensor can be arranged, for example, in the region of a transfer device, by means of which the products are transferred to the product supply. The transfer device may have a pivotable product support, wherein the compact sensor - seen in the transport direction of the products - is arranged in front of the pivotable product support. In one embodiment, the compact sensor may be arranged in the region of a transition between two conveying devices of a transport path of the transport region. If the compact sensor is arranged below the transport path, for example, a gap between two successive belt conveyors can be used to scan the products from below.

Furthermore, it can be provided that the compact sensor is arranged in a product entry region of the device, in particular in an entrance plane defined immediately before or immediately behind a support plane or a frame of the device.

Since the compact sensor in principle is freely placeable in the slicing device due to its small size, it can be ensured according to one embodiment that the compact sensor is arranged outside a contamination area of the working area. A cleaning of the slicing device is not unnecessarily difficult. In particular, it can be provided that the compact sensor is arranged at a distance from the product and / or the product supply. Furthermore, it can be provided according to the invention that different scanning positions for the compact sensor are predetermined in the work area. This means, on the one hand, that the contour detection of the products in the slicing device can always be done at different sampling points. Above, examples of different sampling points have been given. In particular, however, it can also be provided that the different sampling positions belong to a common sampling point. This means that when the scanning position of the compact sensor changes, the scanning point at which the contour detection takes place on the products within the slicing device is not changed, but that the position of the compact sensor can only be changed at the scanning point. For example, the compact sensor can be moved a little further to the front or a little further backwards - as viewed in the direction of movement of the products. Alternatively or additionally, the angular position of the compact sensor can be changed around the direction of movement. In this way, for example, depending on the type or nature of the respective products, the contour detection can be optimized by optimizing the geometrical relationships of the scanning by a different positioning of the compact sensor. As a result, the scanning device according to the invention can react flexibly to conversions or retrofits of the slicing device, which change its structural conditions.

Even in cases where the slicing device itself is not or only slightly upgraded or modified and at least substantially only a change of product type or product type, can such a change quickly and reliably by a product-dependent adjustment or adjustment or a product-dependent Reconstruction of the compact sensor to be responded. The different scanning positions are in particular so clearly defined that the compact sensor can only be placed in a single position and orientation. As a result, no adjustments or teach-in operations are required when repositioning the compact sensor.

In particular, it can be provided that the compact sensor is adjustable between the scanning positions and / or convertible. The compact sensor can for example be pivoted or displaced, for which purpose, for example, forced guides and end stops can be provided in order to produce an advantageous uniqueness of the positioning of the compact sensor.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, it is provided that a plurality of parallel product tracks of the slicing device are simultaneously covered by one or more compact sensors. It is thus not necessary to provide a separate compact sensor for each product in a multi-lane operation of the slicing device. The number of compact sensors can thus be smaller than the number of tracks, it being possible, but not mandatory, that all tracks are detected by a single compact sensor. It has been found that a sufficiently large scanning range of the compact sensor can be provided without having to accept any adverse effects, in particular with regard to the positionability of the compact sensor within the slicing apparatus. The reference can then be made for example by filtering the respective desired signal in an associated control device. According to a further embodiment of the invention, it is provided that a plurality of compact sensors for common contour detection are arranged at a scanning point. It can therefore be arranged at a sampling multiple compact sensors, which cooperate in the contour detection. Depending on the outer shape of the products to be sliced, a single compact sensor per sampling point may be sufficient to provide the product contour with for the to detect respective invention of sufficient accuracy. In other applications it may be advantageous to use several compact sensors per sampling point. These can be arranged distributed in the circumferential direction around the movement or transport direction of the products around. Thus, for example, two compact sensors can be provided which scan the product obliquely from above. Alternatively, a single compact sensor can be provided above the products, which is supported by two compact sensors scanning diagonally from below, which are arranged below the products.

When the compact sensors operate with scanning planes, it is possible, but not essential, for all the scanning planes of the compact sensors to lie in a single common plane. Rather, it is possible that the scanning planes are slightly offset from each other in the transport direction of the products. As a result, the establishment of a scanning point is considerably simplified, since no complex adjustments of the compact sensors relative to each other are required. It has been found in connection with compact sensors operating according to the light-section method that a spacing of the scanning lines on a product of only a few millimeters still enables a reliable detection and evaluation of the scanning lines by the associated compact sensor. In other words, it has been found that the compact sensors do not interfere with each other.

The above-mentioned example is a possibility for a general preferred concept of the invention, according to which the scanning of the products can take place spatially offset by at least two compact sensors at one scanning point. Alternatively or in addition to a spatial offset, it is possible to perform a time-offset scan in that the compact sensors are not active simultaneously but alternately. For example, pulsed operation with compact sensors operating according to the light-section method can prevent can be disturbed that the camera of the one sensor is disturbed by the scan line generated by the other sensor on the product.

Furthermore, it can be provided that the scanning takes place at two sampling points by two compact sensors oriented in opposite directions. In this way, a location or area on the outside of a product can be detected from different directions. In the case of strongly irregularly shaped products, this is particularly advantageous because areas not to be detected are prevented, for example due to undercuts or depressions.

According to a further embodiment it can be provided that the scanning device is designed to carry out one or more additional tasks. This can be done by detecting at least one contour by means of the compact sensor belonging to at least one functional unit of the device. In this case, the compact sensor can at least temporarily be used to scan a functional unit of the device. For example, if the compact sensor is located in the region of the product feed, a product gripper or other product holder engaging during feed of a product at the rear product end may be scanned as it passes the sampling location of the compact sensor during product feed. In this way, for example, it can be checked whether the product gripper or product holder is correctly aligned or whether a product test piece to be thrown off in normal operation is still on the product gripper or product holder when it is moved back to a starting position for the preparation of the slicing of a subsequent product, and thereby Probe again happened. It would also be possible, for example, to check by means of a compact sensor whether appropriate side stops are ever added to the product parameters set on the slicer or whether existing side stops are each set to the correct position. In general, therefore, the compact sensor, due to the fact that it is located inside the slicing apparatus, can additionally be used to monitor a proper configuration as well as a proper operation of one or more functional units of the slicing apparatus.

As already mentioned, the contour detection by means of one or more compact sensors within the slicing device serves, in particular, to obtain weight-constant product slices or portions of product slices.

Against this background, a control device can be provided which is designed to calculate control data using detected product contours and to operate the device, in particular the product feed, using the control data.

As far as the method according to the invention is concerned, the use of one or more compact sensors within the slicing device makes it possible to adapt the contour detection to already occurring processes in the handling of the products within the slicing device. Thus, for example, a possible slicing device can be operated in such a way that a product transferred to the product feed is securely gripped by a product gripper acting on the rear product end, so that the product is pressed by means of the product gripper against a product stop which is temporarily in the feed path. Subsequently, the product is retracted by a certain, relatively short distance by means of the now correctly in the intended manner cross-product gripper, whereupon the product stop is moved away to release the feed path to the cutting plane. The product is then moved towards the cutting plane by the product gripper and then through the cutting plane. Problematic in this context It may be the case that the product pressed against the product stop deforms during the gripping process, but does not completely relax during the subsequent retraction. Depending on the respective product type, a plastic deformation can consequently take place and thus a permanent deformation occurs, as a result of which the outer product contour changes during gripping. This can lead to errors in the control of the product feed, if the controller assumes an outer product contour due to an upstream scanning process, which is no longer present after the gripping process due to a non-elastic deformation of the front product area.

In such a case, the invention can avoid errors in that the product contour is detected only then and especially shortly before cutting, after the previously compressed due to a gripping operation in the product supply product has relaxed again, and it is without disadvantage if the product is only partially relaxed and residual deformation remains. For example, it is possible according to the invention to arrange one or more compact sensors in the region of the mentioned product stop. The contour detection can thus take place with or shortly after the start of the actual product feed and thus the actual slicing operation. The scanning of the product thus begins, in particular, only when the product is advanced towards the cutting plane by means of the product holder.

It has been found that in many applications, for sufficient accuracy, it is not necessary to begin slicing a product until after the product has been completely scanned. It is therefore possible that a middle and / or rear portion of the product is scanned only when the slicing of the product has already begun. Such use of the scanning device according to the invention also does not lead to an impairment of the working speed of the slicing device. It has been found that the quality, and in particular the accuracy, of the contour detection is not impaired if the product is scanned in two scanning phases at different feed rates during the scanning process, as is the case after a gripping operation during a fast feed phase towards the cutting plane and then in a cutting feed phase at a relatively slower feed rate is moved through the cutting plane. It is then scanned a front product section at a relatively higher feed rate and then the remaining product section at a relatively slower feed rate by means of the compact sensor. Again, the contour detection can thus take place with or shortly after the start of the actual product supply and thus the actual slicing operation.

As already mentioned, according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention it can be provided that control data is calculated using the recorded product contours and the slicing device, in particular the product feed, is operated using the control data, in particular for the purpose of weight-constant product slices or portions of To win product slices.

A possible embodiment of the method according to the invention is characterized in that one or more additional tasks are performed by means of the scanning device. For this purpose, it can be provided that at least one contour belonging to at least one functional unit of the device is detected by means of the compact sensor.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the drawings. Show it: 1 shows a schematic side view of a food slicer according to the invention, FIG. 2 shows two views of a compact sensor according to the invention, and FIG

3 to 5 each schematically a possible arrangement of several inventive compact sensors.

According to FIG. 1, a food slicer 10 according to the invention has, in a manner known per se, a load-bearing structure as a frame-like frame 35 with a plurality of supporting supports and struts. The working area of the slicer 10 located for the most part within this support frame 35 comprises a front cutting area 11 and a transport area 13 with a product feed 15.

The cutting area 1 1 comprises a cutting frame 22 carried on the frame 35, in which, in particular, a drive (not shown) for a cutting blade 21 designed here as a circular blade is arranged. The defined by the cutting blade 21 cutting plane 19 is inclined at about 45 ° to the vertical. With a dashed line the axis of rotation 20 of the cutting blade 21 is indicated. During operation, the cutting blade 21 rotates about its own axis of rotation 20 and also runs around a direction indicated by a dash-dotted line drive shaft 24, with respect to which the cutting blade 21 is arranged eccentrically and thus rotates planetary.

The product support comprises a support plane extending perpendicularly to the cutting plane 19 and thus likewise inclined by 45 ° to the vertical, along which food products 17 to be sliced are fed to the cutting plane 19 with the aid of a product holder 49 acting on the rear product end. Before the cutting area 1 1 below the cutter head 22, a movable product stopper 16 is provided. As explained in the introductory part, in a gripping operation, the respective product 17 is pressed by means of the product holder 49 against the product stopper 16 in order to ensure a reliable gripping of the product 17. Then, when the actual product feed to the cutting plane 19 begins, the product stopper 16 is moved out of the path of movement of the product 17 to release the path to the cutting plane 19. In the illustration of FIG. 1, the product 17 rests on a pivotable product support 39 of the product feed 15. The product support 39 belongs to a transfer device 37, which will be discussed in more detail below. The product support 39 may be formed, for example, as a freely running endless belt or have a sliding surface for the products 17.

In the raised state according to FIG. 1, the pivotable product support 39 together with a front conveyor 61, which may be, for example, a conveyor belt or a passive sliding support, forms a product support on which the product 17 rests during the advance.

The front conveyor 61 is adjoined by a cutting edge 63, with which the cutting blade 21 cooperates when separating slices 53 from the products 17. On a portioning belt 65 portions 55 are formed from the separated slices 53, which are then transferred to a further conveyor belt 67 and then fed to a further processing, in which the portions 55 are weighed in particular. A balance may be integrated into the conveyor 67.

A central control device 51 is shown schematically in Fig. 1, which inter alia with the cutting head 22 and the product holder 49 of the product feeder 15th connected is. In addition, the control device 51 communicates with the other functional units of the slicer 10, in particular with a scanning device explained in more detail below, which comprises a plurality of compact sensors 23 for which four different scanning points A, B, C, D and E within the slicer 10 are indicated for illustrative purposes are.

The slicer 10 may in principle be designed for one-track operation or for a multi-lane transport, feeding and slicing of food products 17. For each track, the product feeder 15 then has a pivotable product support 39 and a product holder 49. In particular, the slicer 10 can be designed for a completely individual track operation in which the tracks can be operated completely independently of each other and the common cutting blade 21 is shared. The products 17 to be sliced are placed manually or automatically in a loading area 69 on a further conveyor 44, which can be counted to the transport area 13 of the slicer 10 and the loaded products 17 through a rear product entry area 45, which defines an entrance level 47, further conveyors 41st , 43 of the transport area 13 feeds. The conveying path formed by the conveying devices 41, 43, 44, which may in particular be endless belt conveyors, rises slightly from the rear to the front, so that the products 17 are already located at a specific height within the slicer 10 before the transfer device 37 and Thus, in the loading area 69, the loading height is comparatively low, whereby in particular a manual loading is facilitated.

In order to achieve at least substantially constant weight portions 55, the product feed takes place in the product feed 15 inter alia on the basis of the cross-sectional areas of the products 17, which can be calculated from the outer product contour. To capture the product contour, the already mentioned smoothly operating scanning device, which comprises an arrangement of compact sensors 23 at at least one scanning point within the slicer 10.

A possible sampling point A is located immediately in front of the product stop 16 in the product feed 15 inclined to the vertical and thus perpendicular to the cutting plane 19. The compact sensors 23 are thus arranged such that their scanning planes 33 are parallel to the cutting plane 19 and thus perpendicular to the product longitudinal extension and thus perpendicular extend to the product feed direction. The compact sensors 23 are here arranged such that their scanning planes 33 lie in a common plane. Alternatively, the scanning planes 33 of the compact sensors 23 may be offset from each other.

The individual compact sensors 23 are so small that they can be regarded as quasi punctiform compared to the dimensions of the slicer 10. The slicer 10 has, for example, a length of about 2.70 m without the loading area 69, that is to the entrance level 47, a height of about 2.50 m up to the upper struts of the support frame 35, and a width of about 1 m. This means that even with a comparatively compact design of the slicer, in which a plurality of functional units are integrated in a comparatively small space, there is still sufficient space for optimum positioning of the small compact sensors 23. As mentioned in the introductory part, the compact sensors 23 can thus be largely freely positioned and attached due to their low weight with little mechanical effort directly to existing functional units of the slicer 10 or brackets on these functional units or on the support frame 35. In addition, a power supply and a signal line for transmitting the acquired contour data to the central control device 51 suffice for the compact sensors 23 in each case. In principle, a wireless data transmission and a Batterieiebzw. Battery operation of the compact sensors 23 possible, which further simplifies their integration into the slicer 10. A further possible sampling point B is located in front of the transfer device 37 which, when the product support 39 is swung down, which is indicated by dashed lines in FIG. 1, the products 17 from the front conveyor 41 feed the products 17 via the "tail" of the slicer 10 Transport device takes over. The scanning planes 33 of the compact sensors 23 lie in the region of the transition between the conveyor 41 and the swung-down product support 39. Consequently, the products 17 can be scanned while being transferred to the transfer device 37.

An alternative sampling point C is located in the region of the transition between the two successive conveyors 41, 43 of the transport device. Another possibility for positioning the compact sensors 23 shows the sampling D. The scanning planes 33 of the compact sensors 23 are located immediately behind the entrance plane 47 of the Slicers 10 and again in the transition region of two conveyors 43, 44. The sampling E shows yet another positioning option. The compact sensors 23 are arranged directly in front of the product inlet region 45. In this case, the conveyor line may be interrupted at this sampling point E, if necessary, and e.g. two consecutive sponsors.

In Fig. 1, the compact sensors 23 at the respective sampling points A, B, C, D and E are shown only schematically. The enlarged view in FIG. 1 shows a side view on the left and a front view of a possible compact sensor 23 according to the invention on the right to illustrate how the compact sensors 23 designed in accordance with this embodiment can be oriented in the slicer 10. In this context, reference is also made to FIG. 2. The compact sensors 23 each comprise a sealed sensor housing 25, in each of which a laser source 29 as a transmitter and a camera 31 are arranged as a receiver. The laser source 29 emits scanning radiation in a scanning plane 33, which in the slicer 10, as already mentioned, is perpendicular to the longitudinal extension and thus perpendicular to the respective direction of movement of the products 17.

In a predetermined by the respective configuration of the compact sensor 23 distance from the sensor housing 25 intersects a cone-shaped detection area 59 of the camera 31 with an optical axis 57 which is inclined to the scanning plane 33, the V-shaped scanning plane 33. This overlap region forms the scanning 27 (see Fig. 5) of the compact sensor 25th

As already mentioned, according to a possible embodiment of the compact sensor 23 may have a width b of about 300 mm, a smaller height h of about 60 mm, a greater height H of about 80 mm and a thickness d of about 40 mm.

The mentioned scanning region 27 (see Fig. 5) begins in this embodiment approximately in a measured along the scanning plane 33 distance from the housing 25 of the compact sensor 23 of about 300 mm. The scanning region 27 ends approximately after a further 700 mm and thus only at a distance of about 1 m from the sensor housing 25. The width of the work area is at the beginning, ie at a distance of about 300 mm, about 280 mm and at the end, ie in a distance of about 1, 000 mm, about 830 mm. The average spatial resolution is within the scanning range - depending on the direction - between 45 and 200 μιτι. The laser source can be operated with a red laser (wavelength 660 nm) or with a blue laser (wavelength 405 nm). Possible relative arrangements of several compact sensors at a scanning point are shown purely by way of example in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5.

According to FIG. 3, two compact sensors 23 are arranged above a product 17, each of which samples the product 17 at an angle of approximately 45 ° from above. The scanning planes 33 each extend perpendicular to the direction of movement of the product 17 and thus lie in the plane of the drawing of FIG. 3. The scanning planes 33 overlap so that the top side of the product 17 illuminates simultaneously from different directions and also the side edges of the product 17 at least substantially can be fully recorded.

An alternative arrangement is shown in FIG. 4. Approximately centrally above the product 17, a compact sensor 23 is arranged. Two further compact sensors 23 are located on both sides below the product 17 and capture the product contour from obliquely below.

Fig. 5 shows an example of an arrangement in which two in the direction of movement of the product 17 successively arranged compact sensors 23 are provided, which are oriented opposite to each other. Such an arrangement makes it possible to detect such areas of products 17, which in particular have strongly irregularly shaped surfaces, also on those surface areas which would not be visible by means of a single sensor 23.

Several such double arrangements of compact sensors 23 can be arranged distributed around the product 17 in the circumferential direction. LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10 slicer, slicer

1 1 cutting area

13 transport area

15 product feed

16 product stop

17 product

19 cutting plane

20 axis of rotation

21 cutting blades

22 cutting head

23 compact sensor

24 drive axle

25 sensor housing

27 scanning range

29 transmitter, light source, laser

31 receivers, camera

33 scanning plane

35 supporting frame or frame

37 transfer device

39 product edition

41 conveyor

43 conveyor

44 conveyor

45 product entry area

47 entry level

49 product holder

51 control device

53 product disc

55 serving

57 optical axis

59 detection area

61 conveyors

63 cutting edge

65 portioning tape

67 conveyor belt

69 loading area

A sampling point

B sampling point

C sampling point

D sampling point

Claims

claims

Device (10) for slicing food products, in particular high-performance slicers,

with a working area, which comprises a cutting area (11) and a transport area (13) with a product feed (15), wherein the product feed (15) feeds products (17) to be cut to the cutting area (1 1) in single track or multiple lanes and at the end of the Cutting region (1 1) in a cutting plane (19) a cutting blade (21), in particular rotating and / or rotating, moves, and

with a non-contact scanning device for detecting at least part of the outer contour of the products to be sliced (17),

wherein the scanning device for contour detection comprises at least one in the work area (1 1, 13) arranged compact sensor (23).

Device according to claim 1,

characterized,

in that the compact sensor (23) is arranged in its own closed sensor housing (25) and defines, within the working area (11, 13), a scanning area (27) for the products (17) located outside the sensor housing (25).

Device according to claim 2,

characterized,

the sensor housing (25) is designed such that it complies with a national or international, standardized protection class according to which dust-tightness, complete protection against contact and protection against in the case of high pressure / steam jet cleaning, in particular the protection class IP6K9K or IP69 according to DIN 40 050 part 9 or DIN EN 60529, or an equivalent protection class.

Device according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

in that the compact sensor (23) comprises a transmitter (29) for emitting scanning radiation into a scanning region (27) and a receiver (31) for receiving radiation from the scanning region (27), the transmitter (29) and the receiver (31 ) are arranged in a common sensor housing (25) of the compact sensor (23).

Device according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

that the compact sensor (23) emits laser radiation and is designed such that it satisfies a national or international, standardized laser protection class according to which the laser radiation is harmless to the human eye, in particular the laser protection class 1 or 2 according to DIN EN 60825-1, or one equivalent laser protection class.

Device according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

in that the compact sensor (23) is designed to emit scanning radiation in a scanning plane (33).

Device according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

in that a scanning plane (33) of the compact sensor (23) is at least substantially perpendicular or at an angle of more than approximately 45 ° to an ner movement direction of the products (17) through the scanning plane (33) extends.

8. Device according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

that the compact sensor (23) is designed as a laser scanner.

9. Device according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

in that the compact sensor (23) operates according to the light-section method.

10. Device according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

in that the compact sensor (23) is designed to generate a line on a product (17) to be scanned by means of a light source (29) and to record an image containing the line by means of a camera (31).

1 1. Device according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

in that the compact sensor (23) is supported or held on a supporting frame or frame (35) of the device, of which also the cutting region (11) and the transport region (13) are carried.

12. Device according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

in that the compact sensor (23) is arranged in or on the cutting area (11).

13. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized

in that the compact sensor (23) is arranged in the region of the product feed (15).

14. Device according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

in that the compact sensor (23) is arranged in the region of a front product stop (16) of the product feed (15), in particular in the feed direction at a distance of approximately 5 to 20 mm from a stop plane of the product stop (16).

15. Device according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

in that the compact sensor (23) is arranged in the feed direction at a distance of approximately 30 to 400 mm from the cutting plane (19).

16. Device according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

in that a scanning plane (27) of the compact sensor (23) runs at least substantially parallel or at an angle of less than approximately 45 ° to the cutting plane (19).

17. Device according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

in that the compact sensor (23) is arranged in an area of the transport area (13) arranged upstream of the product feed (15).

18. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized

in that the compact sensor (23) is arranged in the region of a transfer device (37) by means of which the products (17) are transferred to the product supply (15).

19. Device according to claim 18,

characterized,

the transfer device (27) has a pivotable product support (39) and the compact sensor (23) is arranged in front of the pivotable product support (39) as seen in the transport direction.

20. Device according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

in that the compact sensor (23) is arranged in the region of a transition between two conveying devices (41, 43) of the transport region (13).

21. Device according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

in that the compact sensor (23) is arranged in a product entry region (45) of the device, in particular in an entrance plane (47) defined immediately before or immediately behind a support frame or frame (35) of the device.

22. Device according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

in that the compact sensor (23) is arranged outside a contamination area of the working area (11, 13).

23. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized

in that different scanning positions for the compact sensor (23) are predetermined in the working area (1 1, 13), the scanning positions in particular belonging to a common scanning point (A, B, C, D, E).

24. Device according to claim 23,

characterized,

in that the scanning positions differ from one another with regard to their position in the transport direction of the products (17) and / or with regard to their position around the transport direction.

25. Device according to claim 23 or 24,

characterized,

in that the compact sensor (23) is adjustable and / or convertible between the scanning positions.

26. Device according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

in that at least one compact sensor (23) simultaneously covers a plurality of parallel product tracks of the device.

27. Device according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

a plurality of compact sensors (23) for common contour detection are arranged at a scanning point (A, B, C, D, E). Device according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

in that sampling takes place spatially and / or temporally offset by at least two compact sensors (23) at a scanning point (A, B, C, D, E).

Device according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

that at a sampling point (A, B, C, D, E), the sampling is effected by two compact sensors (23) oriented opposite to one another.

Device according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

in that the scanning device is designed to carry out one or more additional tasks by detecting at least one contour belonging to at least one functional unit (49) of the device by means of the compact sensor (23). Device according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

in that a control device (51) is provided which is designed to calculate control data using detected product contours and to operate the device, in particular the product feed (15), using the control data, in particular for obtaining weight-constant product slices (53) or portions (55) of product slices (53).

Method for detecting at least part of the outer contour of food products (17) to be sliced by means of a slicing device (10), in particular according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the contour within the slicing device (10) by means of a contactless compact sensor (23) of a scanning device is detected.

33. The method according to claim 32,

characterized,

the contour of the products (17) is detected in each case after the product (17) previously compressed in the product feed (15) due to a gripping operation has at least partially relaxed again. 34. The method according to claim 32 or 33,

characterized,

in that the contour of the products (17) is detected after a gripping operation in the product feed (15) by first during a fast feed phase towards the cutting plane (19) a front product section at a relatively faster feed and then during a cutting feed phase by the cutting plane (19) through the remaining product portion is scanned at relatively slower feed by means of the compact sensor (23). 35. The method according to any one of claims 32 to 34,

characterized,

in that control data is calculated using detected product contours and the cutting device (10), in particular the product feed (15), is operated using the control data, in particular for obtaining weight-constant product slices (53) or

Portions (55) of product slices (53). Method according to one of claims 32 to 35,

characterized,

that one or more additional tasks are carried out by means of the scanning device, by detecting at least one contour belonging to at least one functional unit (49) of the device by means of the compact sensor (23).

Use of at least one compact sensor (23) which is arranged in the working area (1 1, 13) of a slicing device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 31,

to perform one or more additional tasks by detecting at least one belonging to at least one functional unit (49) of the device (10) contour.