EP3702118A1 - Balanced slicing device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for slicing food products, in particular high-performance slicers, with at least one unbalanced cutting knife rotating around an axis of rotation, in particular sickle-shaped knife, a rotary drive for the cutting knife, and a counterweight comprising at least one balancing mass to compensate for the unbalanced cutting knife .

Description

The invention relates to a device for slicing food products, in particular a high-performance slicer, with at least one unbalanced cutting knife rotating around an axis of rotation, a rotary drive for the cutting knife which is arranged on a drive side of the cutting knife, and a counterweight comprising at least one balancing mass to compensate for the imbalance of the cutting knife.

With such slicing devices, which are also referred to as slicers, sickle knives can be used, which rotate at a speed of around 600 to around 2,500 revolutions per minute.

With a sickle knife, the products are cut using the geometry of the knife. A planetary movement of the knife, as for example with a circular knife, is not necessary.

For this purpose, the sickle knife has a contour that is asymmetrical with respect to the axis of rotation. The center of gravity of the knife, ie the center of mass of the knife, is thus shifted relative to the axis of rotation. According to the knife mass, the knife shape and / or the knife contour, an imbalance with a certain imbalance mass or unbalance position results. In order to ensure a vibration-free run of the knife, especially at the high speeds that occur, such a cutting device must be balanced in all planes.

It is known to arrange counterweights both in front of the knife and behind the knife. Balancing in a radial plane and in an axial plane can thereby be ensured. In this way, wobbling of the knife can be suppressed.

The WO 2010/011237 A1 shows in FIG. 44 B two counterweights, of which one counterweight is arranged in front of the knife and one counterweight behind the knife, viewed in the axial direction.

The disadvantage of this is that replacement of the knife, which is often necessary in practice, makes it necessary to dismantle the counterweights. The counterweight in particular, which is located in front of the knife, has to be removed every time it is changed and then reassembled. This is associated with a considerable expenditure of time and is therefore uneconomical and unergonomic.

The DE 10 2008 019 776 A1 describes a knife with a large central opening. For assembly, the knife is pushed over a counterweight of a knife holder. In the cutting position, the counterweight is therefore in front of the cutting knife. The production of such a slicing device and the corresponding knives is, however, comparatively cost-intensive due to the complex construction.

In the following, the term “unbalance” also generally means an unbalanced mass, an unbalanced position and / or an unbalanced mass, depending on the context to understand the rotation due to the unbalanced mass effective force in terms of magnitude and direction.

Unless otherwise specified, axial distances, i.e. distances measured along the axis of rotation of the knife, relative to a cutting knife relate to a cutting plane defined by the knife, while the axial position of a balancing mass or imbalance relates to a plane that runs perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the knife and in which the center of gravity of the balance mass or imbalance lies. In general, information on the position or direction of action of a balancing mass also relate here, unless otherwise stated, to the imbalance generated by the balancing mass or by the component or assembly in which the balancing mass in question is integrated.

If an integration of a balancing mass in a component or assembly of the device is understood in the sense of a targeted addition of an additional mass, then it is clear to the person skilled in the art that this is synonymous with a targeted removal of material from a component or assembly, mathematically speaking with a targeted addition of a "negative balancing mass", that is to say generally with the targeted generation of an imbalance on or in the relevant component or assembly.

It is an object of the invention to compensate for an imbalance in a cutting knife of a slicing device in a simple and inexpensive manner, the handling of the device in particular being particularly favorable from a hygienic point of view.

This object is achieved by a device with the respective features of the independent claims. The invention includes several independent aspects according to the independent claims, which are explained in more detail below and which can in principle also be combined with one another as required within the scope of the invention. Protection is also claimed for combinations of these aspects.

According to one aspect of the invention, the counterweight is arranged exclusively on one side of the cutting knife.

In particular, according to the invention, all balancing masses are only arranged on one side of the cutting knife, i.e. the invention means a departure from balancing concepts known from the prior art in which the counterweight is divided between both knife sides, that is, at least one balancing mass is arranged in front of and at least one further balancing mass is arranged behind the knife. The advantages resulting from the balancing concept according to the invention will be discussed in greater detail below.

Depending on the respective slicer concept, the side on which the counterweight is located can be the drive side of the knife. But this is not mandatory. The side of the counterweight can also be the knife side from which the products are fed to the knife. Depending on the structure of the respective slicer, this feed side can be identical to the drive side, although this is not mandatory. In particular, it is provided according to the invention that all balancing masses are not located on the side of the knife which is intended for dismantling the knife, ie, viewed from the dismantling side of the knife, all balancing masses are on the other side of the knife. If the knife has to be removed forwards, for example, all the balancing masses are located behind the knife, so that no balancing mass has to be moved to dismantle the knife.

No balancing mass is therefore provided on the dismantling side of the knife. Any components located on this side, for example part of a hub or fastening means, e.g. Screws are only used to fasten the cutting knife or for other purposes, but not to compensate for the imbalance of the cutting knife. The side of the knife free from balancing masses, in particular the dismantling side, can be identical to the side on which the cut products are transported away, although this is not mandatory and depends on the respective slicer concept. There are slicer concepts in which the drive side and the dismantling side of the knife are on the same knife side and thus opposite the product feed side.

Since no counterweight is required on one side of the cutting plane - i.e. in particular on the dismantling side of the cutting knife - no components serving as unbalanced masses have to be removed in a complex manner, for example by using tools, to dismantle the knife. The downtimes, e.g. due to maintenance work, are thus significantly reduced, which means that costs can be saved.

In general, the counterweight is adapted to the knife mass or knife shape, which determines the imbalance of the cutting knife.

In addition, the complete arrangement of the counterweight according to the invention, i.e. all the balancing masses provided, enables or facilitates particularly advantageous balancing concepts only on one side of the knife, which are discussed in more detail below in connection with further independent aspects of the invention.

According to one aspect of the invention, the cutting knife is removably attached to a knife holder. The knife holder forms a balancing mass and has an asymmetrical rotational geometry with respect to the axis of rotation.

In this case, it is the knife holder itself that forms a balancing mass used to balance the knife. This concept makes it possible to position the required balancing mass on the one hand axially close to the knife and on the other hand relatively far outside in the radial direction, which makes a particularly efficient balancing concept possible overall. Due to the asymmetrical design of the knife holder, a sufficiently large imbalance can be generated with a relatively low total weight of the knife holder.

This shape of the knife holder, which is asymmetrical with respect to the axis of rotation, means a departure from concepts known from the prior art for the knife holder, in which it is crucial to provide a knife holder with a rotational geometry that is symmetrical with respect to the axis of rotation, in particular with a circular outer contour concentric to the axis of rotation , which is required to seal a correspondingly circular opening in a housing or frame of the slicer or to form a narrow annular gap with this opening.

In favor of a balancing mass lying as far radially outward as possible, the knife holder can, according to the invention, deviate extremely from a circular outer contour and, to a certain extent, be very top-heavy - based on the radial direction - that is, have a relatively large imbalance or imbalance mass, for example - figuratively speaking - like a rotating hammer.

The knife holder can e.g. comprise a first section and a second section, wherein the first section forms the largest radius of the knife holder, the axis of rotation extends through the second section, and the center of mass of the first section is located radially further out than the center of mass of the second section. Overall, the knife holder can e.g. be shaped at least approximately in the manner of an anchor, a relatively heavy circular ring section being arranged radially on the outside on a comparatively light central section through which the axis of rotation runs. Depending on the size of the imbalance required, the outer circular ring section can extend, for example, over at least 1/7, 1/6, 1/5, 1/4 or 1/3 of the outer circumference of the knife holder.

Because the knife holder itself forms a balancing mass, the construction is particularly simple. In this way, the balancing mass is also particularly close to the cutting plane axially. A further, separate balancing mass in the axial vicinity of the cutting knife is therefore not necessary. The knife holder thus fulfills a double function, since on the one hand it carries the knife and on the other hand it compensates for at least part of the imbalance of the cutting knife.

When a knife is exchanged for a knife with a different diameter and thus a different imbalance, only the knife holder needs to be replaced. The slicing device can thus be adapted particularly easily to different applications. Knives of different sizes can thus be used in a simple manner.

Because only the knife holder has to be exchanged, the other components of the slicing device can be retained become. In particular, a possibly additionally provided further balancing mass can remain in the same position.

According to one aspect of the invention, the balancing mass or one of the balancing masses is formed by the rotary drive, in particular by a drive pulley or a hub that can be set in rotation by means of a drive motor via a drive belt.

In this way, the rotary drive fulfills a double function, since on the one hand it sets the cutting knife in rotation and, on the other hand, it compensates at least part of the imbalance of the cutting knife.

In other words, according to one aspect of the invention, the rotary drive due to the balancing mass or the imbalance together with the cutting knife forms a mass system that can be designed in terms of dimensioning and arrangement such that the overall center of gravity of the rotating system is on that side of the cutting knife on which the rotary drive is also located. In other words, this center of gravity is "pulled" to its side by the imbalance in the rotary drive. Consequently, it is possible to also arrange a further balancing mass on this side of the cutting knife, so that all balancing masses are only on one side of the cutting knife. By allowing the overall center of gravity to "wander" to the side of the rotary drive, it is no longer necessary to arrange balancing masses on both sides of the knife or the imbalance of the knife.

In relation to the axial length of the overall arrangement - measured between the cutting plane and the plane of the rotary drive - the balancing mass of the rotary drive can be at a large axial distance from the cutting plane to be ordered. This results, so to speak, in a relatively large leverage effect of the balancing mass, which therefore only needs to have a comparatively low weight, which in turn facilitates its integration into the rotary drive or even enables it in the first place.

In combination with a balancing mass formed by the knife holder and thus located axially extremely close to the cutting plane, the balancing mass formed by the rotary drive can bring about optimal balancing of the entire rotating system in all planes, both statically and dynamically, and this with an extremely compact design of the Overall arrangement.

Another advantage is that by modifying the rotary drive, for example by replacing the drive pulley or the hub, a knife with a different size and thus a different imbalance can be balanced. A knife holder itself, which may serve as a balancing mass in addition to the rotary drive, does not necessarily have to be exchanged, but it is possible to change both the knife holder and the drive disk or hub when changing a knife, the latter in particular if this is not possible or not it is desired to compensate for the change in the imbalance to be compensated associated with a knife change exclusively by exchanging the knife holder.

The drive pulley can be, for example, a toothed belt pulley which is set in rotary motion by a motor-driven toothed belt. The drive pulley can, for example, drive a shaft which carries the knife holder and thus the knife and is set in rotation and which is rotatably mounted in a stationary hub. Alternatively, instead of a drive pulley, a particularly hollow cylindrical one Hub can be provided, which is set in rotation, for example via a motor-driven toothed belt, and which carries the knife holder and thus the knife and sets it in rotation, the hub being rotatably mounted on a shaft or spindle which is itself rotatable relative to the knife. The driven shaft or the driven hub can carry the knife holder designed as a separate component or can itself be designed as a knife holder. If a rotationally driven hub is designed as a knife holder at the same time, the hub can each contain a balancing mass at at least two axially spaced locations or act as an imbalance in order to compensate for the imbalance of the knife. The counterweight formed by the imbalance masses or the imbalances is provided by a single component - namely the hub that is rotationally driven on the one hand and the hub carrying the knife that is affected by the imbalance on the other hand - which is arranged on one side of the knife, so that in this variant all of the balancing masses or imbalances provided to compensate for the knife imbalance only need to be arranged on one side of the knife.

The rotary drive is in particular axially spaced from the cutting knife, for example in a range between 150 mm and 500 mm, preferably from 150 mm to 300 mm.

In all of the aspects of the invention mentioned here, it is provided in particular that the counterweight does not just comprise a single balancing mass, but rather several balancing masses that are axially spaced from one another. In particular, exactly two balancing masses are provided. In a particularly preferred embodiment, provision is made for a balancing mass to be arranged axially close to the knife, for example in the form of a correspondingly asymmetrically designed knife holder, and a further balancing mass to be positioned at a greater axial distance from the knife, for example in the rotary drive or as part of the rotary drive.

The concept of several, especially two, balancing masses in addition to the imbalance of the knife can, with appropriate dimensioning and arrangement of the balancing masses depending on the knife imbalance, advantageously make use of the fact that the center of gravity of the imbalance on the one hand and the centers of gravity of the individual balancing masses on the other hand strive for a common focus of the entire rotating system.

According to one aspect of the invention, a counterweight is provided to compensate for the imbalance of the cutting knife, which counterweight comprises at least two axially spaced apart balancing masses. A first balancing mass and the unbalance of the cutting knife are effective at least approximately in opposite radial directions, while a second balancing mass is effective at least approximately in the same radial direction as the unbalance of the cutting knife. The first balancing mass is arranged closer to the cutting knife in the axial direction than the second balancing mass.

Due to the geometric arrangement of the balancing masses, a system that is balanced in all planes, both statically and dynamically, can also be implemented with a comparatively compact and relatively simply constructed slicer.

Further developments of the invention can also be found in the dependent claims, the description and the accompanying drawings. According to one embodiment, a first balancing mass is arranged at an axial distance from the cutting knife which is many times smaller than the axial distance between a second balancing mass and the cutting knife.

The first balancing mass is in particular very close to the cutting knife and can e.g. be integrated into a knife holder, be part of the knife holder or be formed by the knife holder.

Due to a comparatively large axial distance between the second balancing mass and the cutting knife, the second balancing mass can be selected to be relatively small due to the relatively great leverage that this creates. As a result, only a small mass needs to be accelerated or set in rotation.

According to a further embodiment, a first balancing mass (or its imbalance or the imbalance of a component or assembly comprising the first balancing mass) is at an axial distance of a maximum of 50 mm, 40 mm, 35 mm, 30 mm or 25 mm, preferably a maximum 20 mm, arranged from the cutting knife. A second balancing mass (or its imbalance or the imbalance of a component or assembly comprising the second balancing mass) is at an axial distance of 100 mm to 2,000 mm, in particular from 150 mm to 500 mm, particularly preferably from 150 mm to 300 mm, arranged by the cutting knife.

The distance between the first balancing mass and the second balancing mass can for example be at least 50 mm, 75 mm, 100 mm, 150 mm, 200 mm, 300 mm, 500 mm, 1,000 mm, 1,500 mm or 2,000 mm.

According to a further embodiment, a first balancing mass or its imbalance is greater than the imbalance of the cutting knife. In particular, the sum of the imbalance of the cutting knife and a second balancing mass or its imbalance is equal to or approximately equal to the first balancing mass or its imbalance.

According to a further embodiment, a first balancing mass extends up to a radial distance from the axis of rotation which is at least 75%, in particular 90% and preferably at least approximately 100% of the smallest radius of the cutting knife, in particular the first balancing mass being arranged closer to the cutting knife in the axial direction is as a second balancing mass.

According to a further embodiment, the largest radius of the knife holder is at least 75%, in particular 90% and preferably at least approximately 100% of the smallest radius of the cutting knife. According to the invention, the knife holder can consequently extend at least in a partial area of its circumference in the radial direction to the smallest radius of the cutting knife, which is impossible with arrangements known from the prior art due to an overall concept that is fundamentally different from the invention. This is e.g. then the case when the knife holder has to close a comparatively small housing or frame opening and must therefore have a circular shape with a relatively small radius, or when the knife has a comparatively large opening for attaching the knife holder.

In this way, the first balancing mass is located radially relatively far outside, that is, it is spaced relatively far from the axis of rotation of the cutting blade. As a result, the first balancing mass can be made comparatively small become. This in turn makes it possible to place the first balancing mass in the axial direction comparatively close to the unbalance of the knife and thus close to the cutting plane. In this way, a second balancing mass can also be selected to be comparatively small, and this in particular the more the further the second balancing mass is axially away from the cutting knife.

Such an arrangement of the balancing masses means that only relatively small masses have to be moved. This is particularly advantageous both for the rotary movement of the knife and for an axial knife movement that may be required during the rotary operation, in particular for a clocked axial movement for performing blank cuts. This also allows the dimensioning and control of the rotary and axial drives to be optimized.

In terms of construction, such a balancing concept can be implemented in a particularly simple and yet effective manner according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, in that the first balancing mass is formed by a knife holder and the second balancing mass by the rotary drive of the knife.

According to a further embodiment, a knife holder and the rotary drive are arranged on different sides of a stationary frame or frame part. The frame or frame part serves in particular for the axially spaced fastening of the knife holder via a hub through which a drive shaft extending from the rotary drive to the knife holder is passed.

In a possible further development, the knife receptacle is consequently spaced apart from the frame or frame part in the axial direction. In this way there is a gap between the knife holder and the frame or frame part.

According to a further embodiment, a first balancing mass and a second balancing mass are arranged on different sides of a stationary frame or frame part.

According to a further embodiment, the frame or frame part forms at least part of an outer wall of a drive housing for the rotary drive that faces the cutting knife.

The "second balancing mass" referred to above, which is located axially further away from the cutting knife than the other balancing mass, is preferably arranged in a hygienically uncritical area, for example in a drive housing.

The device according to the invention is preferably designed such that what is known as fine balancing can be carried out in order to be able to balance the system as precisely as possible. The fine balancing can e.g. by adding or removing small weights, in particular on or in the area of at least one balancing mass that is provided anyway.

While fine balancing has hitherto always been carried out in the vicinity of the cutting knife, according to a preferred development of the invention, in the case of providing two balancing masses, fine balancing be carried out on or in the area of the balancing mass located axially further away from the cutting knife, which is in particular the above as "second balancing mass" is the balancing mass.

A possible advantage here is that with a corresponding arrangement of the second balancing mass, the fine balancing can take place in a hygienically uncritical area.

According to a further embodiment, the rotating cutting knife can be adjusted in the axial direction by means of an axial drive to carry out at least one additional function, in particular to carry out blank cuts and / or to adjust the cutting gap. All balancing masses can be adjusted together with the cutting knife.

In particular in the case of an axial clocking of the knife, all balancing masses are thus clocked with in order to maintain an optimally balanced system in every axial position of the knife. The rotating system is therefore always balanced in all planes in every axial position.

According to a further embodiment, the cutting knife is detachably attached to a rotor shaft which can be driven by means of the rotary drive and which carries a knife holder for the cutting knife or is designed as a knife holder, the rotor shaft being passed through a stationary frame or frame part, on one side of which the rotary drive and on the other side of which the cutting knife is arranged.

According to a further development, the rotor shaft is mounted on a hub which is carried by the stationary frame or frame part.

It can be provided that the hub is open to the outside and the bearing between the hub and rotor shaft is sealed off from the environment. The seal can, for example, be a dragging one Act seal, for example made of a rubber material. This open arrangement does not exclude the presence of a protective hood which at least partially surrounds the cutting area.

According to a further embodiment, the hub extends in the axial direction between the stationary frame or frame part and the cutting knife.

According to the invention, the imbalance of the cutting knife can be compensated for by a special geometric arrangement of several balancing masses, preferably two balancing masses, which can also be integrated into components of the slicer that are already present. The balancing concepts according to the invention also have the advantage, among many other things, that no material with a high density, for example tungsten or lead, is necessary for balancing. Because of the geometric arrangement, comparatively small balancing masses can be used and consequently standard materials such as Stainless steel can be used.

Fig. 1

teilweise eine Seitenansicht einer Ausführungsform einer erfindungsgemäßen Aufschneidevorrichtung,

Fig. 2

ein Sichelmesser,

Fig. 3

eine Schnittansicht der Aufschneidevorrichtung gemäß Fig. 1,

Fig. 4

eine Perspektivansicht der Aufschneidevorrichtung gemäß Fig. 1, und

Fig. 5

eine Draufsicht auf die Messeraufnahme der Aufschneidevorrichtung gemäß Fig. 1.

The invention is described below by way of example with reference to the drawings. Show it:

Fig. 1

partially a side view of an embodiment of a slicing device according to the invention,

Fig. 2

a sickle knife,

Fig. 3

a sectional view of the slicing device according to Fig. 1 ,

Fig. 4

a perspective view of the slicing device according to Fig. 1 , and

Fig. 5

a plan view of the knife holder of the slicing device according to Fig. 1 .

Fig. 1 shows a part of a slicer, also referred to as a knife or cutting head, for slicing food products, in particular sausage, ham or cheese.

A sickle knife 10 (see also Fig. 2 ) is mounted rotatably about an axis of rotation D on a rotor shaft 12, which can be arranged inclined to the horizontal at least in the cutting operation. The sickle knife 10 defines a cutting plane 14 which runs perpendicular to the axis of rotation D.

The sickle knife 10 is fixed to a knife holder 20 with the aid of screws 18. The sickle knife 10 is non-rotatably connected to the rotor shaft 12 via the knife holder 20. The rotor shaft 12, in turn, is rotatably mounted in a rotor hub 22 and is connected to a rotary drive 24 at its end facing away from the knife 10. The drive takes place by means of a toothed belt pulley 26 as the drive pulley, which is set in rotation via a drive belt 28 and is connected to the rotor shaft 12 in a rotationally fixed manner. The belt 28 is driven by a motor, not shown. A frame or frame part (not shown here) of the slicer to which the hub 22 is fastened serves as a holder.

The axial distance between the cutting plane 14 and the plane of the rotary drive 24 is bridged by the rotor shaft 12 and the rotor hub 22 which rotatably supports the rotor shaft 12.

The sickle knife 10, which in particular has a weight of around 8 to 15 kg, is not rotationally symmetrical in shape and consequently has an imbalance UM (cf. Fig. 2 and 4th ). The knife 10 has a smallest radius r and a largest radius R.

In order to compensate for the knife imbalance UM and in particular to prevent the knife 10 from wobbling during the rotation about the axis of rotation D, two axially spaced balancing masses 32, 34 are provided, each of which is integrated into an already provided slicer component in such a way that overall with a low total weight of the counterweight formed by the balancing masses 32, 34 and, with optimal use of space, a compensation of the knife imbalance UM is achieved.

The knife holder 20 includes the first balancing mass 32 and thus causes a first imbalance U1 (see also FIG Fig. 3 and 4th ). The first balancing mass 32 is arranged on the opposite side of the unbalance UM of the knife 10 with respect to the axis of rotation D (cf. Fig. 4 ) and radially spaced so far from the axis of rotation D that the radially outermost contour of the knife holder 20 formed by the balancing mass 32 lies in the vicinity of the smallest radius r of the knife 10. Thus, the largest radius of the knife holder 20 in relation to the smallest radius r of the knife is significantly larger than in the case of knife holders known from the prior art, which have a symmetrical rotational geometry with respect to the axis of rotation, in particular a circular outer contour.

The center of mass of the knife holder 20 is consequently relatively far radially outward, the radial position of the center of mass - based on the largest radius of the knife holder 20 - as a function of is selected depending on the specific circumstances and is specifically located at a relevant distance from the axis of rotation D.

The knife holder 20, which forms the first balancing mass 32 or is provided with the first balancing mass 32, is designed in such a way that a plane containing the center of gravity of the knife holder 20 and running perpendicular to the axis of rotation D is axially no more than 20 mm from the cutting plane 14, for example. A preferred range for this distance L1 (see also Fig. 3 ) extends approximately from 10 mm to 25 mm.

The second balancing mass 34 is integrated into the toothed belt pulley 26. As a result, the second balancing mass 34 is axially spaced significantly further from the cutting plane 14 than the first balancing mass 32 (see also FIG Fig. 3 ). Both balancing masses 32, 34 are located with respect to the cutting plane 14 on the back of the cutting knife 10, i.e. on the side that coincides with the side of the rotary drive 24 here and is not the dismantling or assembly side of the cutting knife 10: The dismantling of the cutting knife 10 takes place in Fig. 1 to the left, while the balancing masses are 32, 34 in Fig. 1 are arranged to the right of the cutting knife 10.

Fig. 3 shows a sectional view according to Fig. 1 . This shows that the second balancing mass 34 or its imbalance U2 is located on the same side with respect to the axis of rotation D and in approximately the same angular position as the imbalance UM of the knife 10. The second unbalance U2 is thus arranged rotated by approximately 180 ° with respect to the axis of rotation D with respect to the first unbalance U1 of the knife holder 20 provided with the first balancing mass 32 (see also FIG Fig. 4 ).

The distances of the individual imbalances UM of the knife 10, U1 of the first imbalance 32 and U2 of the second imbalance 34, measured in each case from the cutting plane 14, are shown in FIG Fig. 3 labeled LM, L1 and L2. It can be seen that L2 is a multiple of L1 and a multiple of LM and that LM and L1 are approximately of the same order of magnitude.

A rubbing seal 36 is provided to seal the bearings 35, which are used for the rotatable mounting of the rotor shaft 12 in the rotor hub 22.

Fig. 4 FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the slicing device according to FIG Fig. 1 . The sickle knife 10 and the toothed belt pulley 26 each have pockets or recesses 38, 40, whereby on the one hand the weight is reduced and on the other hand the mass distribution is specifically influenced. In Fig. 4 the vectors that illustrate the knife imbalance UM and the imbalances U1, U2 of the balancing masses 32, 34 are also drawn in.

Fig. 5 shows the knife holder 20 with the sickle knife 10 removed. The knife holder 20 comprises screw holes 42 to which the sickle knife 10 is attached by means of screws 18 (cf. Fig. 1 ), and screw holes 54 at which the knife holder 20 is attached to the rotor shaft 12 on the front side.

In this exemplary embodiment, the radial displacement of the center of gravity of the knife holder 20 is achieved relatively far outward by an anchor-like or hammer-shaped design. A relatively heavy section 44 in the form of a partial circular ring that forms the balancing mass 32 and extends around around one third of the outer circumference of the knife holder 20 extends, has a larger outer radius A than a comparatively lighter central section 46 with an outer radius a, which is also significantly thinner than the outer partial circular ring section 44. With regard to the mass distribution in the radial direction, the knife holder 20 can be compared to a hammer, that is, strongly top-heavy with radially outer head formed.

In particular from the Fig. 1 , 3 and 4th It can be seen, among other things, that the axial distance between the two balancing masses 32, 34 or the unbalances U1 and U2 is many times greater than the axial distance L1 between the first balancing mass 32 or its unbalance U1 and the cutting plane 14.

• Eine erste Wuchtmasse 32 ist in eine eine relativ große radiale Ausdehnung besitzende Messeraufnahme 20 integriert und kann daher zum einen axial sehr nahe am Messer 10 und zum anderen radial relativ weit außen angeordnet werden. Dadurch kann die erste Wuchtmasse 32 vergleichsweis klein gewählt werden.
• Eine zweite Wuchtmasse 34 ist im Vergleich zur ersten Wuchtmasse 32 axial weit entfernt vom Messer 10 angeordnet. Dadurch kann auch die zweite Wuchtmasse 32 relativ klein und deutlich kleiner als die erste Wuchtmasse 32 gewählt werden. Dies wiederum ermöglich die Integration der zweiten Wuchtmasse 34 in den Rotationsantrieb 24 des Messers 10.

It can already be seen from this that the invention, in particular in the embodiment described here, is based on a balancing concept which is characterized in particular by a combination of individual aspects as follows:

• A first balancing mass 32 is integrated into a knife holder 20 having a relatively large radial extent and can therefore be arranged axially very close to knife 10 on the one hand and radially relatively far out on the other. As a result, the first balancing mass 32 can be selected to be comparatively small.
• A second balancing mass 34 is arranged axially far away from the knife 10 compared to the first balancing mass 32. As a result, the second balancing mass 32 can also be selected to be relatively small and significantly smaller than the first balancing mass 32. This in turn enables the integration of the second balancing mass 34 into the rotary drive 24 of the knife 10.

A combination of all of these aspects or measures can, depending on the specific circumstances of the respective slicer, particularly be advantageous, but is not mandatory for the invention. Advantageous effects can also be achieved if not all of the measures described here are implemented together. Every aspect in itself also has advantages.

The rotary drive 24 can be arranged in a housing which has a housing wall as a fixed frame or frame part which extends axially close to the rotary drive 24 perpendicular to the axis of rotation D on the side of the rotary drive 24 facing the knife 10. An axial drive L, which is only indicated by a double arrow and is basically arbitrarily configured, can engage the rotor shaft 12 and be supported on this housing wall or at another point on the frame or frame.

If the sickle knife 10 is to be adjusted axially, for example to carry out blank cuts, the axial drive L is activated. The sickle knife 10 together with the knife holder 20 as well as all balancing masses 32, 34 are adjusted together with the rotor shaft 12 relative to the housing wall or the frame or frame and relative to the rotor hub 22. The drive belt 28 is deflected slightly obliquely during this movement.

The slicing device according to the invention is thus always perfectly balanced in all relevant planes and thus statically and dynamically, even with an axial movement of the knife 10. The arrangement according to the invention of the balancing masses 32, 34 also enables an extremely compact and thus space-saving construction of the rotor and the slicing device as a whole.

List of reference symbols

10

Sickle knife

12

Rotor shaft

14th

Cutting plane

18th

screw

20th

Knife holder

22nd

Rotor hub

24

Rotary drive

26th

Toothed belt pulley, drive pulley

28

Drive belt

32

first balancing mass

34

second balancing mass

35

camp

36

poetry

38

bag

40

Recess

42

Screw hole

44

first section

46

second part

54

Screw hole

D.

Axis of rotation

R.

largest radius

r

smallest radius

A.

Radius of the first section

a

Radius of the second section

L.

Axial drive

AROUND

Knife imbalance

U1

Imbalance of the first balancing mass 32

U2

Imbalance of the second balancing mass 34

LM

Distance UM from cutting plane 14

L1

Distance U1 from cutting plane 14

L2

Distance U2 from cutting plane 14

Claims (15)

Device for slicing food products, in particular high-performance slicers, with
at least one cutting knife (10), in particular sickle knife, rotating about an axis of rotation (D) and having an imbalance (UM), a rotary drive (24) for the cutting knife (10), and one several, in particular exactly two, axially spaced apart balancing masses (32 , 34) comprehensive counterweight to compensate for the imbalance (UM) of the cutting knife (10),
wherein all balancing masses (32, 34) of the counterweight are arranged exclusively behind the cutting knife (10), namely not on the side of the cutting knife (10) which is provided for dismantling the cutting knife (10). Device according to claim 1,
characterized in that
a first balancing mass (32), in particular its unbalance (U1), is arranged at an axial distance (L1) from the cutting knife (10), in particular from the cutting plane (14), which is many times smaller than the axial distance (L2 ) a second balancing mass (34), in particular its imbalance (U2), from the cutting knife (10), in particular from the cutting plane (14). Device according to claim 1 or 2,
characterized in that
a first balancing mass (32), in particular its unbalance (L1), at an axial distance (L1) of a maximum of 35 mm, preferably of a maximum of 25 mm, particularly preferably of 10 mm to 25 mm, from the cutting knife (10), in particular from the Cutting plane (14), is arranged, and / or a second balancing mass (34), in particular its imbalance (L2), at an axial distance (L2) of 100 mm to 2,000 mm, in particular from 150 mm to 500 mm, particularly preferably of 150 mm to 300 mm, from the cutting knife (10), in particular from the cutting plane (14). Device according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
the imbalance (U1) of a first balancing mass (32) greater than the imbalance (UM) of the cutting knife (10) and in particular equal to or approximately equal to the sum of the imbalance (UM) of the cutting knife (10) and the imbalance (U2) of a second Balancing mass (34) and / or that a first balancing mass (32) and the unbalance (UM) of the cutting knife (10) are effective at least approximately in opposite radial directions, while a second balancing mass (34) is at least approximately in the same radial direction is as effective as the unbalance (UM) of the cutting knife (10), in particular the first balancing mass (32) being arranged closer to the cutting knife (10) in the axial direction than the second balancing mass (34). Device according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
a first balancing mass (32) is arranged at a radial distance from the axis of rotation (D) which is at least 75%, in particular 90% and preferably at least approximately 100% of the smallest radius (r) of the cutting knife (10), the first being in particular Balancing mass (32) is arranged closer to the cutting knife (10) in the axial direction than a second balancing mass (34). Device according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
the cutting knife (10) is detachably attached to a knife holder (20), the knife holder (20) forming a first balancing mass (32). Device according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
a knife holder (20) has an asymmetrical rotational geometry with respect to the axis of rotation (D), and / or that the largest radius of a knife holder (20) is at least 75%, in particular 90% and preferably at least approximately 100% of the smallest radius (r) of the cutting knife ( 10), and / or that a knife holder (20) comprises a first section (44) and a second section (46), the first section (44) forming the largest radius of the knife holder (20), the axis of rotation (D) runs through the second section (46), and the center of mass of the first section (44) lies radially further out than the center of mass of the second section (46), and / or that a knife holder (20) is completely on one side of the cutting knife (16 ) is arranged. Device according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
a knife holder (20) and the rotary drive (24) are arranged on different sides of a stationary frame or frame part, in particular the knife holder (20) being spaced apart from the frame or frame part in the axial direction. Device according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
a first balancing mass (32) and a second balancing mass (34) are arranged on different sides of a stationary frame or frame part. Device according to claim 8 or 9,
characterized in that
the frame or frame part forms at least part of an outer wall of a drive housing for the rotary drive (24) facing the cutting knife (10). Device according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
a balancing mass (34) is formed by the rotary drive (24), in particular by a drive pulley (26) or hub which can be set in rotation by means of a drive motor via a drive belt (28). Device according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
the rotating cutting knife (10) can be adjusted in the axial direction by means of an axial drive (L) for performing at least one additional function, in particular for performing blank cuts and / or for setting the cutting gap, with all balancing masses (32, 34) together with the cutting knife (10) are adjustable. Device according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
the cutting knife (10) is detachably attached to a rotor shaft (12) which can be driven by means of the rotary drive (24) and which carries a knife holder (20) for the cutting knife (10) or is designed as a knife holder (20), the rotor shaft (12) is passed through a fixed frame or frame part, on one side of which the rotary drive (24) and on the other side of which the cutting knife (10) is arranged, in particular the rotor shaft (12) being mounted on a hub (22) which is supported by the stationary frame or frame part, or wherein the hub (22) is open to the outside and the bearing (35) between the hub (22) and rotor shaft (12) is sealed against the environment. Device according to claim 13,
characterized in that
the hub (22) extends in the axial direction between the fixed frame or frame part and the cutting knife (10). Device according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
the device is designed such that fine balancing can be carried out, in particular on or in the area of at least one balancing mass (34), in particular wherein the fine balancing is on or in the area of an axially further from the cutting knife (10) than a first balancing mass (32) second balancing mass (34) can be carried out,

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