JP2010263830A - Method and apparatus for removing bone of meat animal - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and an apparatus for removing bones of meat animals. <P>SOLUTION: The method for dressing meat and removing the bones, including carrying out the dressing and bone-removing treatment of the body part having the backbone and the ribs in the process for dressing the meat and removing the bones of the meat animals, includes a step for holding the whole lump of the meat by the backbone by clamping the backbone with a backbone-clamping part for clamping the backbone so that the backbone may coincide with the setting of a cutting plane, a step for cutting and separating the backbone along the set cutting plane with a cutter blade for cutting at a backbone-cutting part for cutting the backbone, and a step for removing the ribs by exposing the rib tip parts on the backbone side after cutting and separating the backbone, fixing the backbone sides of the ribs, incising both side faces of the ribs from the backbone side by a rib side-incising unit, thereafter tying the ribs with ropes from the backbone side by a rope-tying unit, and tearing off the ribs. The apparatus therefor is also provided. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a deboning method and apparatus for separating and removing bone from meat chunks of carnivorous animals such as pigs, cows, horses, and sheep, and more specifically, in demolition deboning work for meat. In particular, the present invention relates to a spine and / or rib deboning method and apparatus capable of mechanizing and automating the deboning process of the spine and / or rib. The present invention makes it possible to shorten the working time, build a more sanitary and highly improved working environment, improve the freshness of meat, etc. by mechanizing and automating the rib removal process in the meat demolition deboning work The present invention provides a new technique related to a deboning method and a deboning apparatus.

  In recent years, our eating habits have changed significantly. By improving production sites, which are the source of food products such as agricultural products and livestock products, and improving food processing methods, storage methods, and transportation methods, various foods can be easily obtained. It is increasing year by year. In addition, the form of food itself is changing and diversifying, as exemplified by the westernization of food.

  As food changes and demand increases, the demand for meat, which is the main ingredient, has been increasing year by year. According to statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the annual meat consumption in Japan in 1960 was about 330,000 t (3.5 kg per capita), compared to 2007 (Heisei 19). Domestic meat consumption has increased to about 3.6 million tons (28.3 kg per capita). This figure is the total of beef, pork and chicken, which are the main products of meat, but among these three types, pork is the top consumption in Japan. In this way, while meat consumption is increasing year by year, the environment and production technology of the processing production site have been reviewed.

  Currently, most of the work to dismantle meat is done manually. In order to maintain the quality and hygiene of the meat, it is necessary to work in a cold place for a long time. In the separation work of meat and bone, the separation of the ribs is a great effort to peel off from the meat. The work environment is very harsh because the use of a knife makes it easy to get injured. Moreover, in the spine separation work, skilled techniques are required, and it takes time and cost to raise the engineers.

  In this way, at the dismantling site, meat is processed and shipped through many processes. And the current dismantling work flow is to slaughter living pigs and other living organisms, remove unnecessary parts such as the head and extremities of the carcass, epidermis, viscera, etc., and wash (remove this unnecessary part) The carcass is called carcass), the carcass is divided into half (called half-round carcass), and the carcass that is divided into half is divided into three parts: shoulder, rose and loin, and three parts. In each part, bone and meat are separated, and shaping, slicing, packaging, etc. (commercialization) are performed, and meat is shipped through these steps.

  Most of these processing operations are performed manually by humans, and each operation requires skilled skills. In addition, since the object of work is food, the work environment is harsh because the work is performed in a cold place of 10 ° C. or lower for the convenience of maintaining quality and hygiene. For example, the bone and meat separation work (bone removal work) requires about 10 minutes for shoulder meat, about 15 minutes for rose and loin meat (pork trunk), and about 10 minutes for thigh meat. This is a case of a skilled engineer, and it takes two to three times as long for a general person.

  In this way, the meat dismantling and deboning work is a work that requires a lot of force, and because it always handles the blade, it is a dangerous work, and in order to maintain the freshness of the meat, You have to work for a long time in a cold room, while the ribs are of high-grade meat quality, and if the meat is damaged during removal, the commercial value will be reduced, and therefore the meat will not be damaged. As such, skilled work is required, so that it takes time to develop human resources.

  Conventionally, as a method and an apparatus related to a meat demolition deboning operation, for example, a beef pork belly bone extractor (Patent Document 1), an apparatus for extracting bone from a meat piece (Patent Document 2), a rib removing apparatus (Patent Document 3), bone meat Separation method (Patent Document 4), bone removal device (Patent Document 5), residual bone removal device for meat chunks and bone removal device for slaughter animal half (Patent Document 6), device for removing spine from half body and its removal A method (Patent Document 7) and the like have been proposed.

  Furthermore, for example, an automatic loin deboning machine stab detachment and rib joint deboning device (Patent Document 8), a rib and rib rib deboning method and system (Patent Document 9), meat slaughter of pigs, sheep, etc. Body deboning method and its meat carcass conveying deboning system (Patent Document 10), Meat carcass processing method and processing device (Patent Document 11), Slaughtering method (Patent Document 12), Meat processing method And its system (Patent Document 13), etc. have been proposed.

  Among these prior arts, for example, there are cases where attempts are also being made to improve meat demolition deboning work. However, in the conventional method, in the process of meat demolition and deboning, the above-mentioned various problems can be surely solved, and it is possible to form a high working environment in the meat demolition and deboning process. In fact, there is no development example of the deboning method and deboning apparatus in this field, and in this technical field, the above various problems are surely solved and a highly improved working environment is constructed. Therefore, there has been a strong demand to develop a new deboning method and deboning apparatus.

JP-A-56-85236 JP 58-146231 A Japanese Patent Publication No. 60-192541 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-281029 JP-A-1-312962 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-135890 JP-A-8-228667 JP-A-10-179014 JP-A-10-179015 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-286057 JP 2001-258467 A JP 2003-164253 A JP 2004-097204 A

  Under such circumstances, in view of the prior art, the present inventors have made it possible to mechanize and automate the work relating to the removal of the spine and / or the ribs, among the demolition deboning work. And / or as a result of intensive research aimed at developing a bone deboning method and apparatus thereof, in particular, a method for incising the fascia covering the rib surface, a method for grasping the spine for efficiently exposing the rib, In addition, the present inventors have found that the intended purpose can be achieved by executing a rib removing method for efficiently deboning the rib using a specific method and apparatus, and the present invention has been completed.

  In the present invention, in order to keep the freshness of the meat in the meat demolition and deboning work, the worker who is always working in a low temperature environment of room temperature of 10 degrees C. is freed from a severe environment, and the safety of the worker is improved. To improve, improve the work environment, free workers from hard work when removing the spine and / or ribs, shorten the time required for human resource development, free from skilled work, high-grade around the ribs Provided is a new deboning method and apparatus capable of avoiding damage at the time of rib removal and a decrease in commercial value, reducing work time, preventing miscellaneous growth, etc. It is for the purpose.

The present invention for solving the above-described problems comprises the following technical means.
(1) In the meat dismantling and deboning method, in the demolition deboning process of carnivores, the deboning process of the torso with the spine and ribs is performed.
Clamping the spine to match the setting of the cut surface at the spine clamp part that clamps the spine, and holding the whole meat mass with the spine,
A process of cutting and separating the spine along the cutting plane set by the cutter blade for cutting at the spine cutting part for cutting the spine;
After cutting and separating the spine, expose the distal end of the rib on the spine side, fix the spine side, and make incisions on both sides of the rib with the rib side incision unit from the spine side. Rib removal process to lace and pull off with a pull unit,
A method for deboning meat, which is characterized by comprising:
(2) The method according to (1) above, wherein the rib cutting device and the string pulling unit have a structure that can be articulated and slide left and right.
(3) The method according to (1), wherein the spine is cut and separated while moving the clamp unit at a spine cutting unit that cuts the spine.
(4) The method according to (1) above, wherein a cutter blade for cutting is fixed at a certain angle along the spine cutting surface and moved at a spine cutting unit that cuts the spine.
(5) The method according to (1), wherein, based on the rib position, the rib side cut unit cuts both sides of the rib to cut the fascia.
(6) The string set in the string pulling unit is inserted into the spine side processing end of the rib, the end is gripped, the string is pulled from the spine side, and the rib is separated. Method.
(7) The spine clamp that clamps the spine, the spine cutting part that cuts and separates the spine, the rib tip on the spine side is exposed, the rib spine side is fixed, and the ribs are tied off from the spine side and peeled off. A deboning device comprising a rib deboning unit having a deboning means for deboning and deboning a joint.
(8) The device according to (7), wherein the spine clamp unit includes a clamp unit that is movably disposed on the spine cutting unit.
(9) The device according to (7), wherein the spine cutting unit has a structure for cutting and separating the spine while moving a clamp unit that clamps the spine.
(10) The device according to (7), further including a rib side cut unit that cuts into both sides of the rib.
(11) The device according to (7), further comprising a string pulling unit that inserts a string into the spine side processing end of the rib, grasps the rib end after cutting the spine side, performs a string pulling operation, and separates the rib. Equipment.
(12) The device according to any one of (7) to (11), which has a function of continuously performing a processing operation in each step based on spine and / or rib position and shape information.

Next, the present invention will be described in more detail.
In the meat demolition deboning process, the work targeted by the present invention is a deboning work for a trunk of pork or the like (hereinafter referred to as pork trunk). For the shoulder and thigh parts, deboning devices such as an automatic deboning robot WANDAS II (Wandas II) and an automatic deboning robot HAMDAS (Humdas) have already been commercialized. Also for the pork torso, a spine deboning device called a three-dimensional measuring deboning device wedge cutter V has been commercialized. However, the rib deboning device, which is the main deboning work for the pork trunk, has not yet been commercialized.

  If the existing method of the operation | work of the pork trunk which is the object of this invention is demonstrated, the deboning work process of a pork trunk will be the following procedures. That is, the abdominal fat and remaining organs are removed, the fillet is separated, the ribs and the cartilage are separated with a knife, and the end of the rib is exposed (this end is called the distal end of the rib). Remove the fat film called eel skin adhering to the ribs and meat surface using a metal stick, make a cut with a knife on the side of the ribs, put the cotton thread on the rib tip, pull the cotton thread from the rib tip side to the spine side, Separate the ribs and meat and twist the ribs.

  Cut the loin and roses with a knife, and move the knife along the shape of the bone and the spine and spine processes by moving the knife along the bone shape. In the loin and rose, each fat is shaved off (the thickness is within 8 mm by default), processed and packaged, and commercialized.

  In these operations, 1) The separation of the ribs is a force operation using cotton thread and may cause tendonitis. 2) The removal of the spine is different from the shoulder, and the bone shape is extremely uneven. Therefore, it requires complicated knife handling, and not only is there many injuries, but it is necessary to separate only by the feel of the bone transmitted to the knife, so it takes time to train the technician. 3) Complex bone shape Therefore, it is difficult to separate bone and meat, and the yield is difficult to stabilize. 4) Since expensive loin meat is included, there is a problem that the yield greatly affects profits.

  The present invention has been developed to solve these problems, and in the meat demolition deboning process, particularly when performing deboning work around the ribs, a process of clamping the spine, along the ribs. The process of tearing the fascia, the step of exposing the distal end of the rib (spine side distal end) using an appropriate gripping means, the exposed rib is gripped, the spine side is fixed, and the distal end of the rib (spine side) is It is characterized in that the bone is removed by a process of grasping, applying a string, and peeling off the rib.

  Specifically, the present invention is a meat dismantling and deboning method that performs a deboning and deboning process for the pork torso with the spine and ribs in the meat demolition deboning process, and clamps the spine to match the setting of the cut surface. , The process of holding the whole meat mass with the spine, the process of cutting and separating the spine along the cutting plane set by the cutter blade for cutting, the process of cutting in the side of the rib and cutting the fascia covering the surface of the rib, It comprises a step of fixing the spine side and exposing the distal end of the spine side rib, and a step of applying a string to the exposed rib to peel off the rib and deboning.

  The present invention is suitable for disassembling meat from carnivorous animals such as pigs, cows, horses and sheep, particularly when separating and removing the spine and / or ribs. It is applied as a deboning means. In the present invention, in the meat dismantling and deboning process, first, the spine is clamped so as to match the setting of the cut surface, the entire mass of meat is held by the spine, and then the cut surface set by the cutter blade for cutting is used. Cut and separate the spine along.

  Next, the operation of tearing the fascia covering the surface of the rib is performed using the rib side surface cutting device. In this case, the fascia is cut by introducing a tool, such as a knife, provided in the rib side cutting device to the top and / or side of the bone. The rib position in the meat around the rib is estimated from the measured data of the spine, or the rib position is confirmed visually. In the present invention, it is possible to add a protection means for protecting the high-quality meat around the ribs so as not to damage the meat chunk when the fascia is torn.

  As the rib side cutting device, for example, if it has a function capable of breaking the fascia without cutting the fascia and damaging the meat mass, it should be used without being limited to its type. Can do. Moreover, in this invention, the apparatus provided with the robot function which controls and operates tools, such as a knife, a leather knife, and a water jet, can be used as said rib side surface cutting device, for example.

  Next, the spine side portion of the obtained spine is fixed to a fixture, and is held and pushed down to expose the distal end of the spine side rib. Next, one, a plurality, or all of the exposed rib tips are gripped by a rib gripping tool, a string is pulled from the spine side, and the ribs are peeled off.

  The above-mentioned radius tip exposure and radius tip gripping rotation processing includes a fixture for fixing the spine side of the meat block, a tip gripper for gripping the radius tip portion (spine side), and a radius for grasping the exposed rib and deboning processing. This is performed by using a grasping tool and a rib removal system including a deboning means for removing the bone by pulling a string from the rib root (backbone side).

  As described above, in the present invention, in order to effectively tear the fascia covering the rib surface, the fascia is cut along the rib. Furthermore, in the present invention, a distal end processing tool that exposes the distal end of the radius and its operating means, and a radial gripping tool that grips the distal end of the radius and deboners, and a radial removal system including the operating means are used. The specific configuration of these means is not particularly limited as long as it has a function of performing each processing operation described above, and these may be arbitrarily selected according to the purpose of use, type, and size. Can be designed. In addition, in the present invention, some or all of the steps can be automated so that the above-described processes can be performed continuously.

  As described above, the rib removal system is used in the present invention, and in the rib removal system, the rib tip exposure process, the meat mass tip grasping process, and the deboning process are executed. In the present invention, before the deboning, it is extremely important to perform a rib tip exposure process that exposes the spine side tip of the rib in order to mechanize and automate the rib removal process.

  Next, in the tip gripping, a process is performed in which the exposed spine side rib is gripped by the rib gripping tool, and the ribs are strapped from the spine side to remove the bone. In the above rib removal system, the specific configurations of the above-mentioned meat mass root fixing tool, tip gripping tool, rib gripping tool, their operating means, processing procedure, control system and the like are not particularly limited, and processing It can be arbitrarily designed according to the scale of the equipment, the processing amount, and the like.

  In the present invention, the configuration of the above-described spine clamping processing procedure, radial position confirmation processing procedure, fascial tear processing means, and radial removal processing procedure by the radial removal system is important, and these processing procedures should be adopted. Thus, it is possible to mechanize and automate the rib removal work, thereby performing the bone removal work efficiently, safely and with high accuracy. It is impossible to perform such deboning work without any of the above processing procedures, and the present invention is a basic process that makes it possible to mechanize and automate the rib removal work in the meat dismantling work. The technology will be established, and it will be possible to mechanize and automate the entire processing process of meat dismantling work.

  Since carnivorous animals such as pigs, cows, horses, and sheep are living organisms, there are differences in individual weights, sizes, shapes, and the like (individual differences). In order to design a deboning machine, it is necessary to consider the influence on the size, drive range, structure, mechanism, etc. of the device due to individual differences. Further, for example, it is necessary to consider the influence on the pork torso due to the shift of the cutting position in the process before being cut into the pork torso, that is, the carcass half-division and the 3-division process.

  As an example, the shape of a pork trunk and a simplified diagram are shown in FIGS. The meat shown in the figure is a state where belly fat and fillet are separated. As shown in the figure, this part is composed of loin and roses as meat, ribs and spine as bones, and bones in contact with the spine (transverse processes, spinous processes, bones embedded in meat: papillary processes). Also, the pork torso is cut away from the shoulder while avoiding the scapula, and the original separating position is cut off at the tailbone.

  The ribs, which are the main bones of the pork torso, gradually change from one shoulder to the other. Some bones are greatly curved. The spine is formed of a bone composed of the spine body, spinous processes, papillary processes, and transverse processes. Since the back side of the spine has a complex shape with severe irregularities and is an invisible part when actually dismantling, skilled techniques are required for separation of bone and meat.

  In the present invention, factors such as the total length, full width, and total height of the pork torso necessary for determining the size of the device, the thickness and width of the bone necessary for determining the drive range of the device and the mechanism of the deboning device, The arrangement interval of the was measured. An example of the measurement result is shown in Table 1. From the measurement results, items that were particularly fluctuating were fat thickness and rib spacing. The thickness of the fat is a minimum of 1 turn and the maximum is 40 [mm], and there is a big difference in the data. Regardless of the individual, the fat thickness is dorsal (loose side)> ventral side (rose side) , Shoulder side> thigh side thickness variation tends to occur. The arrangement interval of the ribs is longer as it is closer to the shoulder side, and the variation also varies from individual to individual.

  Next, the ribs were measured. The length and height of the ribs were measured when undisassembled. In addition, regarding the width and thickness of the rib, the value varies depending on the measurement position even in the same rib, so three points were measured at the distal end of the rib (rose side), the middle portion, and the spine side (loose side), respectively. An example of the measurement result is shown in Table 2.

  From this result, the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value, the rib length is about 85 m times, and the rib height is about 42 [mm]. This is because the rib at a position closer to the shoulder side is larger than the thigh side, and the size of the rib is in the relationship of shoulder side> thigh side. Further, the width of the radius and the thickness of the radius are also seen in the data, and the distal end portion of the radius is a joint portion connected to the costal cartilage, and therefore tends to be thicker than the intermediate portion and the spine side.

  Next, the spine was measured. An example of the measurement result is shown in Table 3. Not only differences due to individual differences, but also due to the effect of deviation from the central axis of the spine when the carcass is divided in half, there are variations in the data as a whole, and the maximum and minimum difference of 17 [mm] in the thickness of the spine However, in the spinous process, a difference of 90 [mm] occurs. In particular, the spinous process is greatly affected by half-division, and some individuals have almost no bone remaining.

  Next, the rib removal unit (including the residual process) moves to the processing area in a state where the meat after the spine cutting and removal is placed, and performs bone removal such as rib removal and residual process. The operation steps are: 1) make the meat itself suitable for deboning, 2) cut the ligament near the rib cutting edge, and 3) make cuts on both sides of the rib with the rib side cutting unit. 4) Insert the string of the unit with the string into the processing end of the spine side, grasp the end, 5) perform the string pulling operation to separate the rib, 6) remove the remaining projections, 7) the spinous process, Finishing by manually processing the heel transverse process and shark cartilage.

  In the present invention, a method of pulling the debonation of the ribs from the spine side is used, but this makes it possible to reduce the meat loss, simplify the device, reduce the manufacturing cost, and reduce the maintenance in the spine cutting. Regarding the spinal cutting, the shape is complicated, and until now, even if the yield is somewhat low, cutting that ignores or scans the shape and moves the cutter in a complicated manner has been performed.

  Explaining the conditions and mechanisms that enable the pulling of the spine from the spine side. In rib deboning, the spine cutting position is cut completely at the spinal process such as the spinous process and the joint part by cutting the rib head part of the spine connection part of the rib. To separate. Cut the ligament under the spine side cut end and the rib nodule, and at the same time, make an incision reaching the bone surface around the rib, and an incision reaching the rib surface on the side of the rib, and the string between the bone and the bone The string can be pulled by the apparatus by the method of inserting and pulling.

  As a condition for enabling the pulling of the ribs, a notch that reaches the rib surface is made around and at the side of the end of the rib, and the gap between the bone and the bone is pulled. There is ligament attachment on the costal cartilage side of the rib, and in the conventional method, cutting is necessary before lacing, but in the present invention, the fiber direction of ligament attachment is reversed, so separation is possible only by lacing. Is possible.

  Regarding the purpose and effect of the incision, the end treatment incision prevents the ligaments and muscles from being caught by the incision reaching the rib surface around the rib at the rib cutting end, and the string is directly applied to the bone surface Is possible. The rib side cut makes it possible to prevent the bone from getting caught and to ensure a meat stepped finish.

  The conventional ligament pulling from the side of the cartilage side stops in the middle of the rib even when the ligament is pulled using the auxiliary device due to the shape of the rib and the attached state (strength) of the ligament / muscle. Meat adheres to the ligament attached to the ribs. Further, when cutting the side of the rib manually, it is necessary to twist the knife in order to cut off the end adhering band on the cartilage side.

  In the present invention, the spine shape is corrected in order to simplify spine cutting. This forced spine correction method makes it possible to cut a complex-shaped spine with a simple cutting device. In the cutting and deboning of the spine, the ideal cutting for securing and improving the yield is to correct the spinal cutting surface into a flat shape (forced correction), and by simply operating the cutting blade or meat linearly, It makes it possible to perform ideal cutting.

  As a result, the mechanism of the apparatus is simplified (reducing the measuring / processing apparatus, the control axis for cutting, etc.) and the apparatus cost is reduced, and at the same time, maintenance management such as maintenance is reduced. In the case of a circular saw used in a general apparatus, the shape of the cut surface of the spine is a flat surface. However, in the present invention, even if the cut surface is a curved surface, the yield is maximized according to the cutting method of the apparatus. Thus, it is possible to correct the spine shape.

The following effects are exhibited by the present invention.
(1) The work environment in the meat breaking and deboning process can be improved qualitatively and highly.
(2) Since it can be deboned without damaging the meat, it is possible to obtain high-quality meat, and it is possible to supply high-quality meat whose market value does not decrease.
(3) Since no piece of meat remains on the bone after deboning, waste is reduced and yield is improved.
(4) Since human power is not required, the worker can be released from a harsh working environment and work requiring skill.
(5) Since the worker does not directly touch the meat in the rib removing work, more sanitary work and meat production are possible.
(6) By mechanizing and automating the rib removal process, it is possible to shorten the working time and maintain the freshness of the meat.
(7) The operator's safety can be improved.

The simplified explanatory drawing of a pork trunk is shown. The photograph of a pork trunk is shown. In the figure, circle 1 is the full length, circle 4 is the length of the rib area, and circle 5 is the arrangement interval of the ribs. The photograph of the cross section of a pork trunk is shown. In the figure, circle 2 is the total height, circle 3 is the full width, and circle 6 is the fat thickness. An explanatory view of a spine removal device having a spinal correction fixture and a cutting device is shown. An explanatory view of a cutting blade is shown. It is explanatory drawing which shows the cutting position of a spine. It is explanatory drawing which shows the cutting position of a spine. An example of a rib removing device and a tip portion structure that move according to the height, length, width, thickness, and bending width of the rib is shown. An example of the deboning apparatus which has the meat lump fixing device, the spine removing device, the rib side surface cutting device, and the rib peeling device used in the deboning step of the present invention is shown. An example is shown in a rib removal device having a meat fixture, a linear actuator (X axis), a linear actuator (Y axis), and a rib peeling unit. An example (type 1 member without a freedom degree) of a rib peeling unit is shown. Fig. 2 shows a type 2 member with flexibility with a mechanism corresponding to the width of the two joints and the radius tip. The explanatory view of operation which moves a rib peeling unit so that the shape of a rib may be traced, and acquires the drive track of a device (teaching) is shown. An example of the measurement result of the rib peeling force by the difference of three types of string-like members is shown. The measurement result of the rib peeling force with and without the degree of freedom is shown. An example of the structure of the front-end | tip of a variable radius osteotomy unit which changes according to a radius width is shown.

  EXAMPLES Next, although this invention is demonstrated concretely based on an Example, this invention is not limited at all by the following Examples.

  In this example, in the clamp part that clamps the spine, the spine of the pork torso is clamped to match the setting of the cutting surface, the whole meat mass is held with the spine, and the cutting set with the cutter blade for cutting The work of cutting and separating the spine along the surface was performed, and the evaluation experiment of the effectiveness of the clamp and the cutting blade was performed.

(1) Clamp experiment of loin and loose meat with spine The deboning method and deboning apparatus of the present invention clamp the spine and loose meat with spine and fix the spine and cut the spine and separate it from the meat. It consists of a spine cutting part and a rib deboning part that separates the ribs from the meat after spine cutting / removal. In the spine clamp portion that clamps and fixes the loin / loin meat, the spine was clamped to match the setting of the cut surface.

The operation was performed by the following steps.
1) Positioned by pressing from the peach side with the shoulder cut surface as a reference.
2) In the height direction, the lower surface of the roses and roses was lifted up to the reference surface from above.
3) The clamp unit movably disposed on the spine cutting part was disposed in parallel to the table.
4) With the spine clamp side advanced in a state of being almost horizontal, the spine was clamped individually to each clamp unit, and then the clamp unit was pulled in and fixed at each set position, and the spinal cut surface was set in a straight line.
5) In the clamped state, the lifting unit on the lower surface was lowered, and the whole meat was held only by the spine.
6) The clamp part was moved to the spine cutting part of the next process by motor / screw rod drive.

(2) Spine cutting experiment Next, in the spine cutting part, the spine was cut while moving the clamp unit. The operation was performed by the following steps.
1) A shutter was arranged at the boundary of each process to prevent cutting waste.
2) The cutter blade for cutting had an angle along the spinal cut surface, and the angle was basically fixed.
3) The cutter is an adjustment mechanism that is movable only in the X direction.
4) The clamp unit of the clamp part was driven by a motor / screw rod and sent to the cutting part, and the cutter itself was fixed.
5) The table unit of the rib deboning part was moved to the cutting part and made to wait.
6) Upon cutting, the meat was separated from the gripped spine and dropped onto the standby table.

(3) Evaluation of cutting blades Selection of blades used for spine removal, blade rotation speed, and blade feed speed were examined. Since the spine has a complex shape with severe irregularities, it was considered difficult to imitate the current manual work, and we examined a method that can be removed more simply and with good yield. An existing cutter has been commercialized as a device for removing the spine.

  Therefore, an original deboning method was examined. Table 4 shows the difference from existing cutters. First, in the case of an existing cutter, the spine is cut and removed with the natural body placed on the table, but in this embodiment, the spine is pressed against an L-shaped angle and straightened, and then the spine is removed. I bite with a spike and fixed it. Next, in the existing cutter, the blade is inserted into the rib side and the carcass half split surface side from two directions, and the spine is cut and removed, but in this embodiment, the blade is penetrated from the carcass half split surface side to the rib side. The spine was removed with a single cut.

  When cutting the spine, an existing cutter cuts a suitable position with a robot arm based on the three-dimensional data of meat measured in advance in order to cope with the three-dimensional bending of the spine. In this embodiment, the position of the blade was adjusted by a total of four linear actuators and four blade angle adjustment motors. However, when cutting, the blade position and angle are fixed in accordance with the spine. In this case, only the feed rate in the longitudinal direction (full length direction) of the spine was controlled.

(4) Device configuration In the spine removal experiment, it is possible to remove suitable spine cutting conditions such as blade rotation speed, position, angle, feed rate, etc., fixing method procedures, and finally necessary elements. The elements were examined. A simplified diagram of the device and the drive of the device are shown in FIG. The spine correction fixture consisted of an L-type fixture that straightens and fixes the spine, a spine correction press air cylinder that presses meat against the L-type fixture, and a height adjustment jack that adjusts the overall height of the meat. .

  The whole meat was pressed with an air cylinder, the spine was pressed against the L-shaped fixture, the height was adjusted with a jack, the spine was straightened, and the spine was bitten and fixed with a spike. The cutting device determined the cutting position by a total of four actuators, a linear actuator for each of the XYZ axes and a cutting blade angle adjustment motor.

  The strokes of the linear actuators for the XYZ axes are X axis: 680 [mm], Y axis 280 [mm], Z axis 280 [mm], and the angle of the cutting blade is 0 ° at a position parallel to the Y axis. As a result, it was adjusted from −50 to 70 °. In addition, in order to prevent the meat from shifting when the spine is fixed and when the spine is cut, a slip prevention spike is attached to the spine correction pressing air cylinder.

(5) Experimental method The procedure of spine cutting experiment is shown below. Place the meat on the fixed base, adjust the height with a jack so that the top surface of the L-shaped fixture and the half-splitting surface of the meat are almost parallel, push the meat's back fat by hand, The line was pressed and straightened. Drive the spine correction pressing air cylinder, grasp the whole meat, adjust the height of the meat again with a jack, bring the spine half-split surface into close contact with the L-shaped fixture, and drive the spine biting air cylinder The spine was bitten and fixed.

  Drive the angle adjustment motor to a predetermined angle, drive the Z-axis linear actuator, move the cutting device to a position where it does not touch the meat (this position is set as the retracted position), rotate the cutting blade, and perform a predetermined cutting To the position, the Y-axis and Z-axis linear actuators were driven, the X-axis linear actuators were driven, and the spine was cut. In this experiment, four types of cutting blades shown in FIG. 5 were used and their performances were compared. The diameter of the blade is 200 [mm] for (a) to (c), and 203 [mm] for (d).

(6) Experimental results 1) Cutting blade With regard to the spine cutting result with the cutting blade, first, when the spine was cut with a normal round blade, the blade slipped on the bone surface and the bone could not be cut. Next, cutting was attempted using a U-shaped grooved blade. Compared with a normal round blade, the U-shaped groove part bite into the bone, and it was possible to cut several mm, but the spine could not be cut completely. Next, cutting was attempted using a saw blade. The bite to the bone was better than the two blades, but the spine could not be cut.

  As a cause, it is a matter common to the three conventional blades, but the shape of the blade is a shape in which the blade thickness becomes thinner from the center of the round blade toward the blade edge, and when cutting the spine, It was thought that the pressure increased against the increase in resistance, and as a result, the blade stopped. Therefore, in consideration of this point, an attempt was made to cut with a saw blade with a tip whose blade thickness is thicker than the center of the blade. The bite to the bone was good, and the spine could be cut almost without stopping the rotation of the blade. Thus, it has been found that it is preferable to use a saw blade with a tip for cutting.

2) Cutting blade rotation speed An experiment was conducted to evaluate which rotation speed was suitable for spine cutting by changing the rotation speed of the cutting blade. The number of rotations of the cutting blade was changed between 500 [rpm] and 1100 [rpm] for cutting. As the evaluation, an appropriate number of rotations was evaluated from the amount and state of bone powder adhering to the cross section after the spine cutting, the state of bone powder scattered at the time of cutting, and the state of bone powder adhering to the cutting blade.

  Ideally, the state of the bone powder is to be scattered in a dispersed state without being hardened, and that the cutting powder is not attached to the cutting blade as much as possible. Since the chips are sucked and removed at the same time as the cutting, they are easily removed by scattering in a state where the bone powder is scattered. The reason for avoiding adhesion to the cutting blade is to reduce resistance as much as possible by avoiding adhesion as much as possible in consideration of the influence on the sharpness of the blade.

  In the case of 500 [rpm] to 700 [rpm], the bone powder after cutting often remained in a solid state. Further, regarding the cutting blade, bone powder remained considerably between the blades. Attempts were made to cut the spine at higher rotation speeds. In the case of 800 [rpm] or more, the bone powder after cutting remained in a dispersed state, and the amount of bone powder remaining on the cutting blade was small. Thus, it was found that the rotation speed is preferably set to 800 [rpm] or more and cutting is performed.

3) Cutting position In the spine cutting, a preferable cutting surface is a state in which the bones of the ribs, papillary processes, spinous processes, and transverse processes are separated without being connected. An evaluation experiment was performed in order to obtain this suitable cutting position. The cutting position was determined by the three elements of the cutting angle θ of the cutting blade shown in FIG. 6, the position Y in the spine width direction from the reference point, and the position Z in the spine thickness direction. These elements are adjusted and determined by the linear actuator and the motor of the cutting device, respectively, and are not the actual cut amount in the spine width direction and the cut amount in the spine thickness direction.

  Table 5 shows information on the cutting positions when the ribs, papillary processes, spinous processes, and transverse processes are completely separated. The actually cut spine width and spine thickness are the amounts shown in FIG. The actually cut spine width is about 47 [mm] on average, the spine thickness is about 24 [mm], and the angle of the cutting blade is 55 [°] constant in the shoulder to thigh section.

  When the spine was cut under this cutting condition, each bone was separated without being connected to other bones. If the cut width, thickness, and cutting blade angle of the spine were shallower than this, the middle of the spine was cut or the bones remained connected. Depending on the individual, the spine was thick and remained slightly connected, but almost all bones could be separated at the cutting positions shown in Table 5 as a whole. This proved that these cutting positions are appropriate.

4) Feeding speed of cutting blade The feeding speed at the time of cutting was changed from 5 [mm / s] to 15 [mm / s]. In the case of 5 [mm / s], the cutting blade could be advanced with almost no stop during cutting, but in the case of 15 [mm / s], the cutting blade frequently stopped. The reason why the cutting blade stops is that not only the bone but also the muscles of the meat and joints are cut, so it was considered that the blade stopped in such a way as to bite into these. In this connection, since the blade shape is a saw blade, there is no problem with cutting the bone, but it is not suitable for meat, and the cutting method has been devised to solve these problems. Was given.

  After proceeding with a certain amount of incision, cutting was repeated by repeating the method of once advancing or slightly reversing and then proceeding with incision again. The reason for stopping once and moving backward is to reduce the resistance to the blade by releasing the muscles and the muscles of the joints clinging to the blade once. When cutting was attempted by this method, cutting was completed even at 15 [mm / s] when the cutting blade stopped. In previous experiments, the feed rate was set to 15 [mm / s], but it was found that the feed rate can be increased by improving the structure of the apparatus and increasing the motor output accordingly.

(7) Results From the above results, with regard to the pork trunk clamping method and cutting method examined in this example, it is possible to separate the spine, ribs, spinous processes, papillary processes, self-lateral transverse processes, With regard to the effectiveness and the shape of the cutting blade, it has been found that by devising the motor output and the cutting method, meat, muscles, etc. can be cut without any problems. As for the cutting position, it is necessary to finely adjust the cutting width position, cutting thickness position, and cutting blade angle for each individual, but it is possible to separate the bone at the position and angle applied in this experiment as a whole. I understood that. In this experiment, it was found that the rotation speed can be cut to 1100 [rpm], and the state of bone powder after cutting is also good.

In this example, as a rib removal basic experiment, a selection experiment of a pulling thread, measurement of a force necessary for rib removal, and a comparison experiment of a structure of a rib deboning tip member were performed.
(1) Basic experiment for rib removal Cotton thread pulling has low durability and may have high friction, so it was thought that it was not suitable for rib separation in mechanization of deboning work. Stainless steel and nylon pull yarns are highly durable and have the same maximum load. However, when viewed comprehensively, nylon has a lower load and ribs are peeled off. When broken, it is considered that it is appropriate to use a nylon pulling string for peeling the ribs because the fragments may enter the mouth.

  Next, using the pull thread, an evaluation experiment was conducted for simple and multi-joint tools. The articulated tool showed a sufficient response to the bending of the ribs, and the load could be reduced to nearly 30% of the simple tool. It has been found that a rib deboning device requires a mechanism that can sufficiently handle individual differences, such as an articulated tool.

  Based on the above experimental results, a rib removal device was manufactured. In this device, the location reflecting the above results is the distance of the rib side cut in the rib length direction, the cut down distance of the rib side cut in the rib height direction, and the rib side cut in the rib thickness direction. FIG. 8 collectively shows the cutting blade, the variable width of the cutting blade in the width direction of the rib, the slide of the tip portion with respect to the bending width of the rib, and the like. In addition, this experiment was performed in the procedure which cuts a side surface with a rib side surface cutting unit, removes a rib edge part with a rib gripping unit, and separates a rib with a rib peeling unit after spine removal.

(2) Experimental results When starting cutting with the rib side cutting unit, the end of the rib after cutting the spine is pinched with the blade at the tip of the cutting unit, and then the air cylinder is driven for cutting. The unit was lowered and pulled, and a cut was made on the side of the rib. Since the incision unit has a multi-joint and variable tip width structure studied in the rib removal basic experiment, it was possible to make an incision following the shape of the rib.

  Next, the ribs were grasped by the rib edge portion gripping unit, and the ribs started to be peeled by the rib peeling unit. Similarly to the cutting unit, this has a structure that can follow the ribs with a multi-joint structure. It was found that after the ribs were removed, excess meat did not adhere to the ribs, and the surface after rib removal was also clean.

  In this experiment, there was a place where the cut was partially deep, or when the ribs were removed, the peeling line might break, but with regard to these, the apparatus was provided with a degree of freedom, and the line and peeling unit It was found that the problem can be solved by chamfering the end part that contacts the tip and making it difficult to break.

In the present example, elements and mechanisms necessary for the deboning device were examined, and a deboning process and device including a meat block fixing device, a spine removing device, a rib side cutting device, and a rib peeling device were constructed. FIG. 9 shows a schematic diagram of an example thereof.
(1) Construction of process and device The meat mass fixing device is necessary to prevent the meat from shifting during the operation because the meat is very easily deformed. The spine removal device and the rib peeling device are Needed to remove bone. The rib side cutting device is necessary for reducing the load when the rib removal is performed by the rib peeling device.

Bone removal using these devices was performed by the following steps.
1) Meat was provided in a meat lump fixing device and fixed so that no shift occurred during the work.
2) The spine was cut and removed by the spine removal device.
3) A cut was made on the side of the rib with the rib side cutting device.
4) The ribs were removed by the rib peeling device.

(2) Fundamental experiment for rib removal The rib removal work is considered the most heavy labor in the deboning of the pork torso. Therefore, in this example, the load was measured to determine how much force is required to separate the ribs from the meat, and the mechanism and separation method necessary for rib removal were examined.

(3) Configuration of apparatus FIG. 10 shows a schematic diagram of an example of an apparatus used in the experiment. The apparatus has a structure in which a vertical (Y-axis) linear actuator is attached to a horizontal (X-axis) linear actuator, and a rib peeling unit is attached to a drive block of the Y-axis linear actuator. The linear actuator can output up to 300% (123 [kgf]) with 41 [kgf] as 100%, and can measure the load with the attached control software. In this example, the force was measured by using a meat fixture so as not to cause a deviation as much as possible.

  The rib peeling unit includes a member having no degree of freedom (type 1) (see FIG. 11) and a member having degree of freedom (type 2) having a mechanism corresponding to the widths of two joints and the distal end of the radius (see FIG. 12). ), And the load was measured in each. For rib peeling, separation was performed using a string-like member that can be traced along the bone shape, as in the current manual operation. Three types were used: Teguz (fishing line, material: nylon), cotton thread, and stainless steel.

(4) Experimental method The rib peeling experiment was performed according to the following procedure.
1) Meat was placed on a meat fixture, and the meat was pressed and fixed with a meat presser.
2) The position of the upper 50 mm of the meat surface was moved so as to trace the shape of the ribs, and the drive trajectory of the device was acquired (teaching). (See Figure 13)
3) In the same manner as in the actual manual work, the side of the rib was cut with a knife.
4) The device was moved based on the trajectory data obtained by teaching. At this time, the total length of the track was divided into six, the load factor (expressed in%) at each point was recorded, and the peeling force was examined.
5) The above was performed on all ribs.

(5) Experimental result An example of the measurement result of the rib peeling force by the difference of three types of string-like members is shown in FIG. It can be seen that among the three types of members, Tegs has the least load on the rib removal. In addition, cotton yarn breaks in the middle, which is considered to have been cut off due to overload due to errors in trajectory data during teaching and load caused by being caught by a small protrusion in the middle of the rib. .

  In the case of stainless steel, a large load is applied as a whole. However, compared with the other two types of members, stainless steel does not easily return to its original shape once deformed. This is probably because the shape cannot be followed. Although not shown here, if the bone cannot be followed due to the misalignment of the teaching and the unit is intruded into the meat, the limit load of the linear actuator is 300% (123 [kgf]) But I knew I couldn't move and stopped.

  Next, the measurement result of the rib peeling force depending on the presence / absence of freedom is shown in FIG. As can be seen from the figure, when the degree of freedom is added, the force required for peeling the ribs is suppressed to less than half compared to the case where there is no degree of freedom. In the case of a unit that has a degree of freedom in bending the ribs, it is considered that extra force was not applied because it was flexibly followed, and the displacement due to teaching was absorbed to some extent by making it multi-joint. .

From the above experiment, the following results were obtained.
1) A multi-joint structure corresponding to the bending of the rib is effective for the side cutting unit and the peeling unit of the rib.
2) A variable structure corresponding to a change in the width of the rib is effective for the unit tip width (see FIG. 16).
3) By adopting a multi-joint structure, it is possible to flexibly follow the deboning trajectory with different rib shapes and sizes for each individual.
4) Since the rib peeling force can be greatly reduced by using a multi-joint structure, the life of the string member can be extended without applying a large load to the string member.
5) With the above structure, the force required for rib removal can be reduced to 20 [kgf].

  As described above in detail, the present invention relates to a deboning method and a deboning apparatus for carnivores, and according to the present invention, it is possible to mechanize and automate the rib removal work in the meat demolition deboning work. New deboning method and apparatus can be provided. Since this dismantling system does not require a large installation space, it can be introduced at any time into a meat dismantling factory using the current human naval tactics. The present invention is capable of improving the safety at the meat dismantling work site, improving the quality of the work environment, shortening the work time, mechanizing / automating the deboning work, etc. It is useful as something that can be obtained by high-precision deboning work.

Claims (12)

In the meat dismantling and deboning process, the dismantling and deboning process of the backbone and the torso with ribs in the meat dismantling and deboning process of carnivorous animals,
Clamping the spine to match the setting of the cut surface at the spine clamp part that clamps the spine, and holding the whole meat mass with the spine,
A process of cutting and separating the spine along the cutting plane set by the cutter blade for cutting at the spine cutting part for cutting the spine;
After cutting and separating the spine, expose the distal end of the rib on the spine side, fix the spine side, and make incisions on both sides of the rib with the rib side incision unit from the spine side. Rib removal process to lace and pull off with a pull unit,
A method for deboning meat, which is characterized by comprising:   The method according to claim 1, wherein the rib cutting device and the string pulling unit have a multi-joint structure and a structure capable of sliding left and right.   The method according to claim 1, wherein the spine is cut and separated while moving the clamp unit at a spine cutting unit that cuts the spine.   The method according to claim 1, wherein a cutter blade for cutting is fixed and moved at a certain angle along the spine cutting plane at a spine cutting portion for cutting the spine.   The method according to claim 1, wherein, based on the rib position, the rib side cutting unit cuts the fascia by making cuts on both sides of the rib.   The method according to claim 1, wherein a string installed in a string pulling unit is inserted into a processing end portion of the rib on the spine side, the end portion is gripped, and a string pulling operation is performed from the spine side to separate the rib.   Expose the spine clamp part that clamps the spine, the spine cut part that cuts and separates the spine, and the distal end of the rib on the spine side, fix the spine spine side, and then pull the rib away from the spine side and pull it off to remove the joint A deboning apparatus comprising a rib deboning section having a deboning means for deboning and deboning.   The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the spinal clamp portion has a clamp unit movably disposed on the spinal cut portion.   The device according to claim 7, wherein the spine cutting unit has a structure for cutting and separating the spine while moving a clamp unit that clamps the spine.   The device according to claim 7, comprising a rib side incision unit for making cuts on both sides of the rib.   The apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a string pulling unit that inserts a string into a spine side processing end of the rib, grasps the rib end after cutting the spine side, performs a string pulling operation, and separates the rib. The apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 11, which has a function of continuously performing a processing operation in each step based on spine and / or rib position and shape information.