JP2013255471A - Apparatus and method for deboning dark meat with bone - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To automate deboning processing of separating dark meat with the bone into a leg part and a thigh part and separating the thigh part into thigh meat and thigh bone, and to improve meat yield in cutting to enhance the quality of boneless meat.SOLUTION: A knee joint length Lis measured at a workpiece supply portion (0ST) of a first processing station 1ST, and cuts are formed in a thigh meat part Y based on the measured knee joint length Lat a second processing station 2ST. At the same time, the entire length of the workpiece w is measured, and a knee joint length Lis computed from the past collection data on the basis of the measured entire length of the workpiece. In a subsequent station, a cutting blade and a meat separator are positioned based on these values to cut tendons attached to knee joints h and to strip thigh meat m1. In a tenth processing station 10ST, a thigh bone j is separated from a leg part X.

Description

  The present invention relates to a deboning apparatus and a deboning method used for deboning processing of bone-in leg pieces such as chicken carcasses.

  Conventionally, the deboning process of bone-in leg of meat for livestock such as poultry carcasses has been developed for the purpose of saving labor, improving yield and stabilizing the shape of the meat. Since the thigh meat with bone has muscles and tendons that firmly connect the bone portion and the meat portion near the knee joint, it is necessary to cut them accurately. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique that automates the creasing process for bone-in leg of meat of a poultry carcass.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a deboning technique that automates the peeling of thighs with the existing deboning means or thighs with bone that has been deboned from the ankle to the knee joint by hand. ing. Patent Document 3 discloses a deboning technique previously developed by the present inventors. This deboning technique is to separate the bone and meat parts separately while keeping the ankle, lower leg bone and femur together, from the feeding of bone-in peach meat such as chicken carcasses to bone meat separation Is fully automated. When automatically deboning boned thigh meat, it is usually possible to hang bone thigh meat on the clamping device via the ankle and perform multiple deboning processes while moving the boned thigh meat with the clamping device. , Trying to automate and save labor.

JP 11-333894 A JP 2002-10732 A International Publication WO2011 / 121899

  FIG. 12 shows bone-in leg of chicken carcass. The boned thigh meat of the poultry carcass consists of the lower leg X and thigh Y including the ankle f. The crus bone k and the femur j are connected by a knee joint h. In Japan, a deboning method in which the bone part including the ankle f, the lower leg bone k, and the femur j and the meat part m of the lower leg part X and the thigh part Y are separated separately is common. On the other hand, as shown in the figure, the lower leg X and the thigh Y are separated separately, and the thigh Y is separated into the femur j and the thigh meat m1, as shown in the figure. It is standard that the meat m1 is used for different purposes as a true meat.

  In the case of the deboning method shown in FIG. 12, the conventional deboning method employs a method of forcibly removing the femur from the thigh after cutting the lower leg and the thigh. Therefore, the amount of meat remaining in the femur increases, the meat yield decreases, and the femur remains in a cylindrical shape, so that the appearance and quality as a true meat are reduced and cooking is difficult. There is. In addition, the lower leg and thigh cannot be accurately cut at the position of the knee joint, and the lower leg and the thigh become uneven, thereby reducing the yield of the lower leg and the thigh. There is a problem.

  In view of the problems of the prior art, the present invention separates the thigh with bone into the lower leg and the thigh and performs the deboning process for separating the thigh into the thigh and the femur. The object is to realize a deboning process that can increase the yield of meat at the time of cutting and enhance the quality and commercial value as a form that looks good. It is another object of the present invention to realize a deboning apparatus that automates the deboning process.

  In order to achieve such an object, the bone-removed thigh meat deboning device of the present invention includes a plurality of clamp devices and a plurality of clamp devices for suspending bone-in thigh meat composed of a lower leg and a thigh via an ankle. And a feeding device that sequentially conveys to the processing section of the bone, and the bone-in leg from the introduction to the separation of the bone-in leg by moving to a plurality of processing parts while suspending the bone-in leg from the clamp device Can be automated.

  The bone removal processing unit of the present invention is based on a knee joint length measuring unit that measures the knee joint length from the clamp position of the bone-in leg thigh clamping device to the knee joint, and the joint length measured by the knee joint length measuring unit. Position the muscle insertion start point, position the cutting position based on the thigh muscle insertion part that inserts the thigh from the knee joint to the femoral head in the longitudinal direction, and the joint length measured by the knee joint length measurement part, A thigh part that cuts the lower leg meat and thigh meat at the knee joint, and a thigh that positions the meat separator based on the joint length measured by the knee joint length measurement unit and peels the thigh from the thighbone A meat separation part and a femur separation part for cutting the femur from the lower leg part are provided.

  In the present invention, since the thigh is muscle inserted from the knee joint to the femoral head in the longitudinal direction at the thigh muscle insertion portion, the separated thigh meat is not in a cylindrical shape and is in a deployed state. As a result, it is possible to enhance the quality and commercial value. Moreover, since the position of the bracing blade and the cutting blade with respect to the thigh with bone is positioned in each processing unit based on the joint length measured by the knee joint length measuring unit, the bracing blade and the cutting blade can be accurately positioned. Therefore, the crus and thighs do not have irregular shapes, and the yield of the crus and thighs can be improved.

  In the device of the present invention, the knee joint length measurement unit includes a bending member that bends the bone-in leg from the knee joint, a measurement member that descends from the clamping position of the clamping device to the inner portion of the knee joint that is bent by the bending member, and measurement. It is good to have a measuring means which measures the amount of descent of a bar. Thus, the knee joint length can be easily measured by setting the knee position to be bent and measuring the bent portion while using the clamp position as a reference.

  In the device according to the present invention, the feeding device has a mechanism that allows the clamp device to be moved up and down, and the knee joint length measurement unit is a measurement member that comes into contact with the surface of the thigh meat with bone, and the measurement that varies depending on the lifting and lowering of the clamp device. Measure the lower end position of the bone-in leg from the two-dimensional coordinates of the member, and measure the total length of the bone-in leg from the clamp position of the clamp device and the lower end position of the bone-in leg. It is preferable to have knee joint length calculating means for calculating the knee joint length from the collected data relating to the total length of the bone-in leg and the ratio between the length of the lower leg and the length of the thigh.

  In this way, by allowing the clamp device to move up and down, the bone removal process can be performed while the height of the cutting blade and the meat separator is fixed in each processing unit. Therefore, the control device that controls the operation of the cutting blade and the meat separator in each processing unit can be simplified and reduced in cost. Further, by controlling the height of the clamp device, it is possible to accurately position the thigh with bone. In addition, since the knee joint length and overall length of bone-in leg can be accurately measured, these measured values can be used for positioning the cutting blade and meat separator in the subsequent process, so that the lower leg and thigh after separation can be used. Can improve the meat yield.

  In the device of the present invention, the femoral separation unit sets the start point and the end point of the meat separator from the total length of the thigh with bone measured by the full length measuring means and the knee joint length obtained by the knee joint length calculating means. There should be. Thereby, since the start point and end point of the meat separator can be accurately positioned, the thigh can be separated without any trouble.

  In the device according to the present invention, the femoral separation unit fixes the pedestal with bone in a state where the femur is bent with respect to the crus, and the boned peach meat placed on the pedestal is fixed from both sides. It is preferable to have a fixing member and a cutting blade that travels between the fixing member and the pedestal and cuts the femur from the thigh with bone. Thus, since the femur is cut in a state where the thigh meat with bone is fixed by the base and the fixing member, the femur can be cut accurately.

  The deboning method for bone-in leg thighs of the present invention is to perform the deboning process while hanging the bone-in leg thighs composed of the lower leg and thighs through the ankles. The knee joint length measurement process that measures the knee joint length from the clamp position of the clamp device to the knee joint, and the muscle insertion start point is positioned based on the knee joint length measured in the knee joint length measurement process, and the thigh is positioned at the knee joint The position of the cut is determined based on the knee joint length measured in the knee joint length measurement process and the knee joint length measurement process. The meat cutting process for cutting, the position of the meat separator based on the knee joint length measured in the knee joint length measurement process, the thigh separation process for peeling the thigh from the thighbone, and the thigh bone in the lower leg And a femur separation step of cutting from the above.

  In the method of the present invention, the thigh is inserted into the thigh muscle insertion part from the knee joint to the femoral head in the longitudinal direction, so that the separated thigh meat is not in a cylindrical shape and is in a deployed state, It can be made to look good and can improve quality and commercial value. Moreover, since the position of the bracing blade and the cutting blade with respect to the thigh with bone is positioned in each processing unit based on the joint length measured by the knee joint length measuring unit, the bracing blade and the cutting blade can be accurately positioned. Therefore, the crus and thighs do not have irregular shapes, and the yield of the crus and thighs can be improved.

  In the method of the present invention, the knee joint length measuring step includes a bending step of bending the bone-in leg from the knee joint, and lowering the measurement bar from the clamp position of the clamp device to the inner part of the knee joint, And a measurement step for measuring the amount of descent. Thus, the knee joint length can be easily measured by setting the knee position to be bent and measuring the bent portion while using the clamp position as a reference.

  In the method of the present invention, the knee joint length measuring step includes the first step of bringing the measuring member into contact with the surface of the bone-in leg, and the two-dimensional coordinates of the measuring member that change as the clamp device moves up and down. A second step of measuring the lower end position, a third step of measuring the total length of the thigh with bone from the clamp position of the clamp device and the lower end position of the measured thigh with bone, and the total length of the thigh with bone measured, The fourth step of calculating the knee joint length from the collected data on the ratio between the length of the lower leg and the length of the thigh is a fourth step for calculating the knee joint length and the knee joint length measurement step. It should be done at the same time as raising the meat.

  As a result, the processing steps can be simplified, and the knee joint length and the total length of the thigh with bone can be accurately measured. By using these measured values for positioning the cutting blade and meat separator in the subsequent process, it is possible to eliminate unevenness of the lower leg and thigh after separation and to improve the meat yield.

  In the method of the present invention, the meat part cutting step may include a step of cutting a tendon that connects the knee joint inner region and the thigh meat. There is a strong tendon that joins the knee joint inner part and the thigh meat at the knee joint inner part. By cutting this tendon, it is easy to cut the lower leg and thigh. become.

  According to the present invention, since the thigh is muscularized from the knee joint to the femoral head, the separated thigh is not in a cylindrical shape and is in an expanded state. The value can be increased and the cutting blade and meat separator can be accurately positioned in each processing step. Therefore, the crus and thighs do not have irregular shapes, and the yield of the crus and thighs can be improved. Moreover, the apparatus which fully automated the deboning process shown in FIG. 12 is realizable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a whole block diagram which shows typically the deboning apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment which applied this invention to the deboning process of the thigh meat with a bone of a chicken carcass. It is a perspective view which shows a part of deboning apparatus which concerns on the said embodiment. It is a front view of the raising / lowering axis | shaft of the deboning apparatus which concerns on the said embodiment. It is the side view seen from the A direction in FIG. It is sectional drawing which follows the BB line in FIG. It is process drawing which shows a part (front part) of the deboning process of the said embodiment. It is process drawing which shows a part (middle part) of the deboning process of the said embodiment. It is process drawing which shows a part (rear part) of the deboning process of the said embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the knee joint length measuring apparatus of the 1st processing station of the deboning apparatus which concerns on the said embodiment. It is a front view of the 2nd processing station of the deboning apparatus concerning the embodiment. It is a top view of the 2nd processing station of the deboning apparatus concerning the embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows operation | movement in the 6th process station of the deboning apparatus which concerns on the said embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the femur cutting device of the 7th process station of the deboning apparatus which concerns on the said embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the separation method of the thigh meat with a bone. It is explanatory drawing which shows the deboning process of patent document 3. FIG.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, and the like of the component parts described in this embodiment are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to that unless otherwise specified.

  One embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a deboning process of a bone-in leg of a poultry carcass will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating the overall configuration of the deboning apparatus 10. The deboning apparatus 10 is an automatic deboning apparatus having a configuration capable of performing the deboning method disclosed in Patent Document 3 (hereinafter referred to as “deboning method 1”) and the deboning method of the present invention. Each processing station for performing from bone-in thigh meat (hereinafter referred to as “work”) to the final process is composed of a single assembly arranged in a circle and at equal intervals. The workpiece w is clamped at the ankle f by the clamp device 12 and moves between the processing stations while being suspended from the clamp device 12.

  The deboning apparatus 10 in the present embodiment is a left foot deboning apparatus, and each processing station is sequentially arranged from the first processing station 1ST in the direction of arrow a. On the other hand, in the case of the right foot deboning device, the devices are sequentially arranged in the direction of the arrow b from the first processing station 1ST.

The workpiece w is loaded into the loading device 14 (0 station) provided in the first processing station 1ST. The feeding device 14 includes a rotating body 16 that rotates intermittently about a vertical axis 16 a, four suspension brackets 18 arranged at equal intervals of 90 ° on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body 16, and a side facing the clamping device 12. And a pusher 20 provided in the. The rotating body 16 performs intermittent rotation that rotates by 90 °, and its movement is synchronized with the intermittent step of the clamping device 12. The suspension bracket 18 has a recess 18a that opens outward, and the ankle f of the workpiece w is inserted into the recess 18a. The means for suspending the workpiece w in the recess 18a may be performed manually by an operator or may be performed by an automatic mounting device.

The suspension bracket 18 from which the workpiece w is suspended is provided with a knee joint length measuring device 80 at a position rotated by 90 °, and the knee joint length measuring device 80 has a length (knee) from immediately below the clamp position of the ankle f to the knee joint h. The joint length L _N ) is measured. In addition, when performing the deboning method 1, the measurement of the knee joint length _LN is not performed here, but only the operation | movement which transfers the workpiece | work w to the clamp apparatus 12 is performed.

Next, the workpiece w is rotated by 90 ° and transferred to the clamping device 12. The workpiece w suspended by the clamp device 12 moves from the first processing station 1ST to the second processing station 2ST. In the second processing station 2ST, a creasing blade is positioned based on the measured knee length L _N, concurrently with providing creasing thigh Y of the workpiece w, performs overall length measurement of the workpiece w. On the other hand, when performing the deboning method 1, the muscle insertion over the entire length of the workpiece from the position immediately below the clamp position to the femoral head and the total length measurement of the workpiece w are performed.

In the present embodiment, the third processing station 3ST and the fourth processing station 4ST do not perform any processing on the workpiece w, and pass these processing stations. When performing the deboning method 1, the tendon around the ankle just below the clamp position is cut at the third processing station 3ST. In the fourth processing station 4ST, the ossicular muscle attached to the outer periphery of the crus bone k is cut. In the fifth processing station 5ST, the present embodiment cuts the knee joint medial muscle. When performing the deboning method 1, the work w is pulled up to expose the knee joint h while pressing the meat part with the meat separator.

In the present embodiment, the work w is passed through the sixth processing station 6ST without performing any processing on the work w. When performing the deboning method 1, the knee joint position is measured here, and the X muscle attached to the knee joint h is cut. In the seventh processing station 7ST and the eighth processing station 8ST, the present embodiment cuts the knee joint lateral muscle and cartilage. When performing the deboning method 1, the meat part m is peeled off from the knee joint h with a meat separator while similarly cutting the external muscle and cartilage of the knee joint.

In the ninth processing station 9ST, in the present embodiment, the femur m1 is separated from the femur j and discharged. When performing the deboning method 1, the meat part is separated from the femur j. In the tenth processing station 10ST, in the present embodiment, the femur j is separated from the crus bone k, and the separated crus X and femur j are discharged. When performing the deboning method 1, the remaining bone portion (one in which the ankle, the lower leg bone k, and the femur j are integrated) is dropped from the clamp device 12 and discharged.

  Next, the configuration of the deboning apparatus 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 2, the clamping device 12 is attached to the lower end portion of the lifting shaft 50. The elevating shaft 50 is attached to circular feed rings 22 and 42 provided at the upper and lower parts of the deboning device 10. The feed rings 22 and 42 intermittently rotate in the direction of arrow a around the rotation center O (see FIG. 1) of the deboning apparatus 10. Therefore, the clamp device 12 moves between the processing stations while drawing a circular locus around the rotation center O, and temporarily stops at each processing station. The clamping device 12 is moved up and down at each processing station by a servo motor 24 provided at each processing station.

  A circular support girder 26 is provided on the upper and lower parts of the deboning device 10, and a support frame 28 is attached to the support girder 26. A servo motor 24, an outer plate 32, and the like are attached to the support frame 28. The outer plate 32 is provided with a guide groove 30 on which an elevating roller 52 provided on the elevating shaft 50 travels. The clamp device 12 is attached to the lower end of the rotation shaft 54 that constitutes the lifting shaft 50. The clamp device 12 includes a clamp portion 12a having a groove 12b into which the ankle f of the workpiece w is inserted, and a chuck 12c that opens and closes the groove 12b. The opening / closing operation of the chuck 12c is controlled by a controller 150 (see FIG. 8) that controls the operation of the deboning apparatus 10.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the elevating shaft 50 has a pair of guide bars 56 whose upper ends are coupled to the feed ring 22, and a slide that is loosely fitted to the guide bars 56 and can slide along the guide bars 56. The bracket 58 and a rotation shaft 54 that is loosely fitted in a hole formed in the sliding bracket 58 and is rotatable with respect to the sliding bracket 58 are configured. The clamp device 12 is attached to the lower end of the rotating shaft 54. The rotating shaft 54 moves up and down together with the sliding bracket 58. A circular feed ring 42 similar to the feed ring 22 is provided at the lower portion of the deboning apparatus 10, and the lower end of the guide bar 56 is attached to the feed ring 42 via a fixture 60. The feed rings 22 and 42 are intermittently rotated by a predetermined angle by a driving device (not shown).

  From the first processing station 1ST to the tenth processing station 10ST, each processing station is arranged at an equal angle with respect to the rotation center O. Although only one clamping device 12 is shown in FIG. 2, in the actual device, a plurality of lifting shafts 50 are provided on the feed rings 22 and 42 so that one clamping device 12 is arranged at each processing station. Are attached at equal intervals.

  A coil spring 62 is wound around the upper end of the rotating shaft 54, and a peristaltic roller 66 is attached to the rotating shaft 54 via an arm 64 at a position directly below the coil spring 62. One end of the coil spring 62 is coupled to a clasp 68 formed integrally with the sliding bracket 58. As a result, the elastic force of the coil spring 62 is biased to the rotating shaft 54 so as to maintain the current position.

  An elevating roller 52 is attached to the sliding bracket 58 at a position below the swing roller 66. A guide groove 30 is formed in the outer plate 32 between the processing stations, and the guide groove 30 is a traveling path on which the elevating roller 52 travels. When the clamp device 12 moves between the processing stations, the vertical position of the clamp device 12 is determined by the elevating roller 52 traveling in the guide groove 30.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, a bearing 70 is provided on the upper surface of the feed ring 42, and a brake shoe 72 is mounted on the bearing 70 so as to be rotatable around a pin 72a. The brake shoe 72 is disposed slightly obliquely above the base portion 72b. A coil spring 74 is interposed between the base 72 b and the upper surface of the feed ring 42, and the brake shoe 72 is pressed against the surface of the rotating shaft 54 by the elastic force of the coil spring 74. When the lifting roller 52 is not traveling in the guide groove 30, the brake shoe 72 is pressed against the surface of the rotating shaft 54 by the elastic force of the coil spring 74, thereby preventing the clamp device 12 from falling.

  In FIG. 2, the means for raising the workpiece w at each processing station includes a servo motor 24, a screw shaft 34 provided in the vertical direction and rotated by the servo motor 24, and a lifting block 36 screwed to the screw shaft 34. It consists of The lifting block 36 is moved up and down by the rotation of the screw shaft 34. The elevating roller 52 that has traveled through the guide groove 30 and reached the upper surface of the elevating block 36 rises together with the elevating block 36 by the rotation of the screw shaft 34. When the raising / lowering roller 52 is raised, the sliding bracket 58 and the rotating shaft 54 integral with the raising / lowering roller 52 are raised, and the clamping device 12 and the workpiece w connected to the rotating shaft 54 are raised. The amount of lifting of the workpiece w is determined according to the rotation speed of the servo motor 24.

  While the rotating shaft 54 is rising, the elastic force of the coil spring 74 acts on the brake shoe 72 and the brake shoe 72 presses against the surface of the rotating shaft 54, so that the rotating shaft 54 can be prevented from falling. A roller 76 is provided above the base 72b. A guide rail 38 is attached to the support beam 28 in a region where the guide groove 30 is formed in a direction in which the guide groove 30 descends in the moving direction (arrow a direction) of the clamp device 12. When the elevating roller 52 travels in the guide groove 30 in this region, the roller 76 enters the lower surface of the guide rail 38 before the elevating roller 52 enters the guide groove 30, and the base portion 72 b is pushed downward by the guide rail 38. The brake shoe 72 is separated from the surface of the rotating shaft 54 by the base 72b being pushed down. As a result, the rotating shaft 54 can freely descend, and the elevating roller 52 can travel in the guide groove 30.

Next, the processing steps in each processing station will be specifically described. As shown in FIG. 6A, the knee joint length measuring device 80 is provided at the position ( _LN measuring section) where the suspension bracket 18 is rotated 90 ° from the workpiece suspension position in the workpiece input section (0ST) before the first processing station. It has been. The knee joint length measuring device 80 measures the length from the clamp position of the ankle f to the knee joint h (the knee joint length L _N ).

  As shown in FIG. 7, the knee joint length measuring device 80 includes a measuring arm 82, a presser plate 84, and a bending bar 86. The measurement arm 82 is connected to the piston rod 90 of the air cylinder 88. The measuring arm 82 is driven in the vertical direction by an air cylinder 88. The shaft 92 is connected to the piston rod 90 and moves up and down together with the piston rod 90. By measuring the lift amount of the shaft 92 (that is, the lift amount of the piston rod 90) with the encoder 94, the lift amount of the measurement arm 82 can be measured. The holding plate 84 and the bending bar 86 are advanced and retracted in the direction of the arrow by the driving device 96.

6A, in the _LN measurement unit, the presser plate 84 presses the lower leg X of the work w, and the bending arm 86 bends the thigh Y upward. At the same time, the measurement arm 82 disposed in the vicinity of the height of the suspension bracket 18 is lowered, and the measurement arm 82 is pressed against the inner part of the knee joint of the workpiece w. A difference L _N between the height of the measurement arm 82 at the pressing position and the height of the suspension bracket 18 is measured, and the measured value L _N is set as the knee joint length. Since the suspension bracket 18 and the clamp device 12 are arranged at the same height, and the suspension bracket 18 and the clamp device 12 are configured to clamp the same portion of the ankle f, the measured value L _N is the clamp device 12. And the difference in height between the measurement arm 82 and the measurement arm 82. The measured value L _N is input to the controller 150.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the suspension bracket 18 from which the workpiece w is suspended is further rotated by 90 ° and faces the clamp device 12. Here, the groove 12b of the clamping device 12 is in an open state. The workpiece w is pushed out to the clamping device 12 by the pusher 20 and transferred to the clamping device 12. After the workpiece w is transferred to the clamping device 12, the chuck 12c closes the inlet of the groove 12b by the controller 150. Thereafter, the clamping device 12 moves to the second processing station 2ST. In the second processing station 2ST, the thigh Y is placed and the total length of the workpiece w is measured. This processing step will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 6A, 8, and 9.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the workpiece w is temporarily pulled down along the path of moving the workpiece w from the first processing station 1ST to the second processing station 2ST. After the workpiece w reaches the second processing station 2ST, the lifting amount of the workpiece w is determined based on the knee joint length _LN measured at the first processing station 1ST. The workpiece w is lifted based on this lifting amount, and the bracing knife 148 is aligned with the bracing start point (knee joint h). At the same time, the measuring plate 132 is brought into contact with the workpiece surface. By pulling up the workpiece w in this state, the muscle insertion and the total length measurement for lowering the muscle insertion knife 148 from the knee joint h along the surface of the femur j in the direction of arrow c (see FIG. 8) are simultaneously performed. Based on the total length measurement value, the knee joint length L _N is calculated from the collected data regarding the ratio of the length of the lower leg X and the length of the thigh Y. Based on the knee joint length _LN obtained here, the height of the workpiece w after the third processing station 3ST is positioned.

  The configuration of the scoring and full length measuring apparatus 100 provided in the second processing station 2ST will be described with reference to FIGS. A posture holding plate 102 having a flat surface is provided in the vertical direction so as to block the moving path of the workpiece w. The workpiece w suspended from the clamp device 12 moves from the first processing station 1ST and stops in contact with the posture holding plate 102. An air cylinder 108 is fixed to a support plate 106 fixed to the base 104, and a pusher 110 is attached to a piston rod 108 a of the air cylinder 108.

  On the left side of the posture holding plate 102, an air cylinder 116 is fixed to a support plate 114 fixed to the support frame 112. A pusher 118 is provided on the piston rod 116 a of the air cylinder 116. A pusher 120 is provided below the pusher 110, and the pusher 120 is rotatably supported on the rotation shaft 122. The rotation shaft 122 is rotated by an air cylinder (not shown) to move the pusher 120 toward or away from the workpiece w. When the work w comes into contact with the posture holding plate 102 and stops, the pushers 110, 118, and 120 approach the work w and press the work w from three directions.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the presser plate 124 is arranged in the vertical direction at a position facing the posture holding plate 102. The presser plate 124 is connected to the drive device 130 via an arm 128 and is rotatable about a shaft 126. The arm 128 is driven in a direction of rotating the shaft 126 by the driving device 130. When the workpiece w comes into contact with the posture holding plate 102 and stops, the presser plate 124 rotates from the position 124 ′ toward the workpiece w, presses one flat surface of the workpiece w, and moves the other flat surface of the workpiece w. Press and fix to the posture holding plate 102.

  As shown in FIG. 8, a measurement plate 132 is provided below the pusher 110. The measurement plate 132 is attached to the arm 136 via the arm 134. The arm 136 is configured to be rotatable about a rotation shaft 140 provided on the support plate 138. The other end of the arm 136 is connected to a piston rod 142 a of an air cylinder 142 fixed to the support plate 138. The measurement plate 132 is driven in a direction to approach or separate from the workpiece w by the air cylinder 142. A branch arm 144 is integrally provided on the arm 136 via a rotating shaft 140, and a non-contact sensor 146 is provided below the branch arm 144. Further, the line insertion knife 148 is arranged in the vertical direction at a position facing the posture holding plate 102.

  In such a configuration, when the workpiece w stops in contact with the posture holding plate 102, the pushers 110, 118 and 120 approach the workpiece w and press the workpiece w from three directions. At the same time, the presser plate 124 rotates toward the workpiece w, presses the flat surface of the workpiece w, and presses and fixes the other flat surface of the workpiece w to the posture holding plate 102. Thereafter, the muscle insertion knife 148 is inserted into the knee joint h of the workpiece w, and the workpiece w rises together with the clamp device 12. As a result, as shown by an arrow c in FIG. 7, the braiding knife 148 descends along the surface of the femur j and cuts the femur m1.

Further, after fixing the workpiece w to the posture holding plate 102, the measuring plate 132 approaches the workpiece w,
Abuts against the workpiece w. As the workpiece w rises, the measuring plate 132 moves forward while tracing the surface of the workpiece w. When the measurement plate 132 reaches the lower end of the workpiece w, the branch arm 144 is configured to be closest to the non-contact sensor 146. When the measurement plate 132 is closest to the non-contact sensor 146, that is, the time when the measurement plate 132 reaches the lower end of the workpiece w is detected by the non-contact sensor 146, this time signal is detected by the workpiece total length measuring unit of the controller 150. 152.

On the other hand, the rotation speed of the servo motor 24 is detected by the encoder 24 a, and this detection signal is sent to the workpiece total length measuring unit 152. From this detected value, the height (rising stroke) of the lifting roller 52 is known. In the workpiece total length measuring unit 152, when the non-contact sensor 146 detects the branch arm 144, that is, when the measurement plate 132 reaches the lower end of the workpiece w, the height of the lifting roller 52 at that time The total length of the workpiece w is obtained from the difference between the two. The storage unit 156 of the controller 150 stores data collected in advance regarding the ratio between the length of the crus X and the length of the thigh Y. The knee joint length calculation unit 154 calculates the knee joint length L _N from the workpiece total length obtained by the workpiece total length measurement unit 152 and the data.

  The ascending stroke determination unit 158 determines whether the workpiece total length obtained by the workpiece total length measurement unit 152 belongs to one of the large, medium, and small classifications. Then, an ascending stroke corresponding to the determined classification is determined, and at the ninth processing station 9ST (final peeling), the clamping device 12 is raised by the ascending stroke, and the thigh m1 is peeled off from the femur j. In the case of performing the deboning method 1, the muscle insertion knife 148 is positioned immediately below the clamp position, and the muscle insertion is performed over the entire length of the work from the ankle immediately below the clamp position to the femoral head. The total length of the workpiece w is measured by operation.

  In the present embodiment, the third processing station 3ST and the fourth processing station 4ST do nothing for the work w, and the work w passes through these processing stations. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 13, in the case of performing the deboning method 1, at the third processing station 3ST, the pair of round blade cutters 160 arranged in the horizontal direction is directly below the work w clamp position (the position of the arrow a). ) Cut the tendon around the ankle (ankle cut). Further, in the fourth processing station 4ST, the clamp device 12 is pulled up while pressing the meat part of the lower leg X from above with the meat separator 162 including the fixed separator 164 and the movable separator 166. At the same time, the cuticle is cut with the round blade cutter 168 (position of arrow b). As a result, the lower leg meat is peeled off from the lower leg bone k.

As shown in FIG. 6B, in the fifth processing station 5ST, in the present embodiment, the knee joint inner muscle is cut. That is, based on measurements of the knee joint length L _N obtained by the second processing station 2ST, it determines the raising amount of the work w, raise the workpiece w. As shown in FIG. 1, the meat at the inner part of the knee joint h is cut with a round blade cutter 176 while pressing the workpiece w from both sides with a fixed separator 172 and a meat separator 170 including a movable separator 174. There is a strong tendon connecting the knee joint h and the thigh m1 in the inner part of the knee joint h, which is cut with a round blade cutter 176. Based on measurements of the knee joint length L _N obtained by the second processing station 2ST, because it determines the pulling amount of the work w, is possible to match the knee h of the workpiece w exactly installation position of the circular blade cutter 176 it can. On the other hand, when performing the deboning method 1, the work w is pulled up to expose the knee joint h while pressing the meat part with the meat separator 170 at the fifth processing station 5ST.

  In the present embodiment, in the sixth processing station 6ST, the processing is not performed here and the work w is passed. When performing the deboning method 1, as shown in FIG. 1, the work w is pulled up here, and the position of the knee joint h is measured by the measuring tool 178 during this operation, and the X muscle at the knee joint h is measured by the cutter 180. Is cut (position of arrow C in FIG. 13).

In the seventh processing station 7ST, in the present embodiment, based on the knee joint length L _N obtained by the second processing station 2ST, determines the raising amount of the work w, raise the workpiece w. The knee joint muscle outside the knee joint h is cut with the round blade cutter 188 while pressing the workpiece w from both sides with the meat separator 182 including the fixed separator 184 and the movable separator 186. Here, the number of the round blade cutters 188 is three, and the cartilage can be attached to the thigh meat m1 by cutting the front and side surfaces of the knee joint. On the contrary, the number of round blade cutters 188 is set to two, avoiding cutting of the knee joint front, and cutting only the side of the knee joint, the cartilage can be attached to the femur j.

On the other hand, when performing the deboning method 1, the lifting amount of the workpiece w is determined from the position of the knee joint h measured at the sixth processing station 6ST, and the workpiece w is pulled up while pressing the meat portion m with the meat separator 182. As a result, the knee joint h is exposed, and the muscle adhering to the exposed knee joint h is cut with the three round blade cutters 188 (the position indicated by the arrow D in FIG. 13).

In the eighth processing station 8ST, in the present embodiment, raising the workpiece w on the basis of the knee joint length L _N obtained by the second processing station 2ST. Then, while pressing the workpiece w with the meat separator 190 composed of the fixed separator 192 and the movable separator 194, the muscle attached to the portion 3 mm below the boundary between the cartilage and the meat of the knee joint h is cut with the round blade cutter 196. This facilitates the separation of the thigh meat m1 from the femur j. When performing the deboning method 1, the lifting amount of the workpiece w is determined from the position of the knee joint h measured at the sixth processing station 6ST, and the workpiece w is pulled up while pressing the meat portion m with the meat separator 190. Then, the same position as that of the present embodiment (the position indicated by the arrow E in FIG. 13) is cut by the round blade cutter 196.

  As shown in FIG. 6C, in the present embodiment, the thigh meat m1 is finally peeled off at the ninth processing station 9ST. The workpiece w is pulled up while pressing the thigh m1 with the meat separator 198 composed of the fixed separator 200 and the movable separator 202. The lifting amount is determined based on the measured value of the total work length obtained at the second processing station 2ST. A cam plate 44 is attached to the outer plate 32 of the ninth processing station 9ST. As shown in FIG. 10, the cam plate 44 is formed with a cam surface 44a for the peristaltic roller 66 to contact and rotate by a set angle. A rotation mechanism 67b is constituted by the peristaltic roller 66, the coil spring 62, the cam plate 44, and the like.

  In FIG. 10, S01 indicates the upstream side in the movement direction of the clamping device 12, and S04 indicates the downstream side in the movement direction of the clamping device 12. When the peristaltic roller 66 comes into contact with the cam surface 44a, the clamping device 12 can be rotated by 90 °. Thereafter, the peristaltic roller 66 returns to the original position by the elastic force of the coil spring 62. During this operation, the tendon attached to the femoral head of the femur j can be cut with the round blade cutter 204. In this way, the thigh m1 can be peeled off from the femur j. The separated thigh m1 falls into a discharge path (not shown) and is discharged. When performing the deboning method 1, the same operation is performed here, and the tendon attached to the femoral head of the femur j is cut with the round blade cutter 204 during the rotation of the workpiece w (position indicated by an arrow in FIG. 13) . In the deboning method 1, the meat part m is peeled off and dropped here.

  In the deboning apparatus 10, a cam plate 40 having the same configuration as the cam plate 44 is attached to the outer plate 32 of the second processing station 2ST, and a rotation mechanism 67b is configured by the peristaltic roller 66, the coil spring 62, the cam plate 40, and the like. doing. In the case of performing the deboning method 1, in the second processing station 2ST, muscle insertion is performed over the entire work length from the ankle immediately below the clamp position to the femoral head. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, when the muscle insertion shown in the line d is performed along the surface of the lower leg bone k and the muscle insertion knife 148 is lowered to the position of the knee joint h, the peristaltic roller 66 moves the cam of the cam plate 40. The clamp device 12 is rotated by a predetermined angle by contacting the surface. As a result, the bracing knife 148 is turned from the inside of the knee joint h to the back side. That is, the line d → e → c shown in FIG. As a result, the tendon attached to the knee joint h can be reliably cut.

  In the tenth processing station 10ST, in this embodiment, a femur cutting device 210 for separating the femur j is provided here. Hereinafter, the configuration of the femur cutting device 210 will be described with reference to FIG. On both sides of the workpiece w moved to the tenth processing station 10ST, a pressing plate 212 and a Y-shaped Y-bar 216 for holding the workpiece are arranged. A cylindrical base 212a formed integrally with the lower portion of the presser plate A212 is provided with a long hole 212b through which a cutting blade 222, which will be described later, protrudes and penetrates. The holding plate 212 protrudes forward by the air cylinder 214.

  The Y-shaped bar 216 is disposed to face the presser plate 212 and is fixed to the support frame 218. A presser plate 220 is attached to the support bar 216 a of the Y-shaped bar 216 slightly behind the Y-shaped bar 216. A flat cutting blade 222 is disposed in the horizontal direction below the presser plate 212 and the Y-shaped bar 216. The cutting blade 222 can protrude forward by an air cylinder 224. A pedestal 226 is provided below the presser plate 212 and the Y-shaped bar 216. The pedestal 226 has a receiving surface 226a that is inclined upward toward both sides so that the workpiece w can be stably placed. The pedestal 226 is attached to a shaft 230 that is rotatably attached to the frame 228. The shaft 230 is connected to the air cylinder 234 via the arm 232. When the workpiece w moves to the tenth processing station 10ST, the pedestal 226 is at the position 226 ', and the receiving surface 226a faces upward.

  When the workpiece w moves above the pedestal 226, the clamp device 12 is opened by the controller 150. At the same time, the pedestal 226 is raised and the presser plate 212 is advanced together with the base 212a, and the femur j is bent in an L shape with respect to the crus X by the pedestal 226, the presser plate 212 and the Y-shaped bar 216. Fix it. In this state, the cutting blade 222 advances to cut the knee joint h. The cutting blade 222 enters the long hole A212b after cutting the femur j. Next, the cutting blade 222 moves backward, the base 212a moves backward, and the pedestal 226 rotates 90 °. As a result, the separated crus X and femur j fall. A bone discharge guide 213 is provided on the upper side of the presser plate 212. When the crus X remains in the clamp device 12 without falling, the crus X is dropped from the clamp device 12 by the bone discharge guide 213 while the clamp device 12 moves to the first processing station 1ST. .

  In the case of performing the deboning method 1, in the tenth processing station 10ST, the clamp device 12 is opened, and the bone part remaining on the clamp device 12 is dropped.

According to the deboning apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, a deboning method for separating the lower leg X, the thigh meat m1 and the thigh bone j, and a deboning method 1 for separating the work w into the bone section and the meat section. And two kinds of deboning processes can be performed. In addition, since the thigh B is incised at the second processing station 2ST, the thigh m1 after separation does not have a cylindrical shape, but has an expanded shape, so that it can have a shape that looks good as a true meat, Quality and commercial value can be increased. In addition, the knee joint length _LN is measured relatively easily using the knee joint length measuring device 80 at the work input unit of the first processing station 1ST, and the muscles at the second processing station 2ST are measured based on the measured values. The insertion knife 148 can be accurately positioned.

Further, in the second processing station 2ST, the total length of the workpiece w and the knee joint length L _N are obtained at the same time, and the positioning of the cutting blade and the meat separator in the subsequent process is performed from the accurate total length of the workpiece and the knee joint length L _N obtained here. Since this is done, the crus X and Y can be accurately separated at the knee joint h. Therefore, the crus X and the thigh Y do not have irregular shapes, and the yield of the crus and thighs can be improved.

  Further, in the present embodiment, by allowing the clamp device 12 to move up and down, the deboning process can be performed while fixing the height of the cutting blade and the meat separator at each processing station. Therefore, the control of the cutting blade and the meat separator at each processing station can be performed with a simple and low-cost mechanism. Moreover, the workpiece w can be accurately positioned by controlling the height of the clamping device 12.

  Further, in the fifth processing station 5ST, the strong tendon that connects the knee joint inner part and the thigh meat m1 is cut, so that the crus X and the thigh m1 can be easily cut. Further, in the seventh processing station 7ST, the cartilage can be attached to the femur m1 or the femur j by changing the number of round blade cutters 188 and selecting cutting or non-cutting of the front face of the knee joint. This makes it possible to enrich the variety of true meat.

Further, in the eighth processing station 8ST (final peel), the total length and the knee joint length L _N of the workpiece w obtained in the second processing station 2ST, since setting the start and end points of meat separator 184, thigh The part Y can be separated without any trouble. When the femur j is cut using the femur cutting device 210 at the ninth processing station 9ST, the work w is fixed on the pedestal 226 using the presser plate 212 and the Y-shaped bar 216. Therefore, the femur j can be easily cut. In addition, after the clamp of the clamp device 12 is released, the work w is pushed obliquely with the Y-shaped bar 216, and the femur j is cut with the ankle f removed from the clamp device 12. The portion X and the femur j can be dropped and discharged smoothly. In addition, an automatic deboning apparatus that separates the workpiece w from the lower leg X and the thigh m1 can be realized.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the deboning technique which can debonate the thigh meat with a bone, and can provide the thigh with a bone and the thigh meat with high quality and commercial value is realizable.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Deboning device 12 Clamping device 12a Clamping part 12b Groove 12c Chuck 14 Loading device 16 Rotating body 16a Vertical shaft 18 Suspension bracket 18a Recess 20, 110, 118, 120 Pusher 22, 42 Feed ring 24 Servo motor 26 Supporting girder 28, 112 218 Support frame 30 Guide groove 32 Outer plate 34 Screw shaft 36 Elevating block 38 Guide rail 40, 44 Cam plate 40a Cam surface 50 Elevating shaft 52 Elevating roller 54, 122, 140 Rotating shaft 56 Guide bar 58 Sliding bracket 60 Fixed Tool 62, 74 Coil spring 64, 128, 134, 136, 232 Arm 66 Peristaltic roller 67 Rotating mechanism 68 Stopper 70 Bearing 72 Brake shoe 72a Pin 72b Base 76 Roller 80 Knee joint length measuring device 82 Measuring arm 84 124, 202, 220 Presser plate 86 Bending bar 88, 108, 116, 142, 214, 234 Air cylinder 90, 108 a, 116 a, 142 a Piston rod 92 Shaft 94 Encoder 96, 130 Drive device 100 Streaking and total length measuring device 102 Posture holding plate 104 Base 106, 114, 138 Support plate 126, 230 Shaft 144 Branch arm 146 Non-contact sensor 148 Muscle insertion knife 150 Controller 152 Work length measurement unit 154 Knee joint length calculation unit 156 Storage unit 158 Ascending stroke determination unit 160 , 168, 176, 188, 196, 204 Round blade cutter 162, 170, 182, 190, 198 Meat separator 164, 172, 184, 192, 200 Fixed separator 166, 174, 186, 194, 2 2 movable separator 178 measuring instrument 180 cutter 210 femoral cutting device 212 holding plate A212a base A212b long hole 213 bone discharge guide 216 Y-shaped bars 216a support bar 222 cutting blade 226, 226 'pedestal 226a receiving face 228 frames L _N knee length X lower leg Y thigh f ankle h knee joint j femur k lower leg bone m flesh m1 thigh w work

Claims (9)

A clamping device for suspending a bone-in leg made of a lower leg and a thigh through an ankle,
A feeding device that sequentially conveys the clamping device to a plurality of processing units;
A knee joint length measuring unit for measuring the knee joint length from the clamp position of the clamp device of the bone-in leg thigh to the knee joint;
Positioning the muscle insertion start point based on the joint length measured by the knee joint length measurement unit, the thigh muscle insertion part for muscle insertion from the knee joint to the femoral head in the longitudinal direction,
Positioning the cutting position based on the knee joint length measured by the knee joint length measuring unit, and cutting the lower leg meat and thigh meat at the knee joint part,
Positioning the position of the meat separator based on the knee joint length measured by the knee joint length measuring unit, and separating the femur from the femur;
A thighbone deboning apparatus comprising a thighbone separating unit that cuts the thighbone from the lower leg. The knee joint length measurement unit is
A bending member that bends the bone-in leg from the knee joint;
A measuring member that descends from the clamping position of the clamping device to the inner part of the knee joint folded by the folding member;
2. The deboning device for thighs with bone according to claim 1, further comprising measuring means for measuring a descending amount of the measuring bar. The feeding device has a mechanism that allows the clamping device to be raised and lowered,
The knee joint length measurement unit is
A measuring member that comes into contact with the surface of the bone-in leg,
The lower end position of the thigh meat with bone is measured from the two-dimensional coordinates of the measurement member that varies depending on the elevation of the clamp device, and the total length of the thigh meat with bone is measured from the clamp position of the clamp device and the lower end position of the thigh meat with bone. A total length measuring means to
A knee joint length calculating means for calculating the knee joint length from the total length of the thigh meat with bone measured by the full length measuring means and the collected data relating to the ratio between the length of the lower leg and the length of the thigh. The deboning apparatus for thighs with bone according to claim 1.   The femoral separation unit sets a start point and an end point of the meat separator from the total length of the thigh meat with bone measured by the full length measuring unit and the knee joint length obtained by the knee joint length calculating unit. The deboning apparatus for thigh meat with bone according to claim 3. The femoral separation part is
A pedestal on which thigh bones with bones are placed with the thighbone folded against the lower leg,
A fixing member for fixing the boned thigh meat placed on the pedestal from both sides;
2. The deboning apparatus for bone-in leg muscles according to claim 1, further comprising a cutting blade that travels between the fixing member and the pedestal and cuts the femur from the bone-in leg bones. 3. . In the deboning method of the bone-in peach meat, the bone-in peach meat comprising the lower leg and the thigh is subjected to the deboning process while being suspended through the ankle.
A knee joint length measuring step for measuring the knee joint length from the clamp position of the clamp device of the boned thigh meat to the knee joint;
Positioning the muscle insertion start point based on the knee joint length measured in the knee joint length measurement step, the thigh muscle insertion step of muscle insertion from the knee joint to the femoral head in the longitudinal direction,
Positioning the cutting position based on the knee joint length measured in the knee joint length measuring step, meat part cutting step of cutting the lower leg meat and thigh meat at the knee joint part,
Positioning the position of the meat separator based on the knee joint length measured in the knee joint length measurement step, and thigh separation step of peeling the thigh from the femur;
A thighbone deboning method comprising a thighbone separation step of cutting the thighbone from the lower leg. The knee joint length measuring step includes
A bending step of bending the bone-in leg from the knee joint;
The bone-shaped peach according to claim 6, further comprising a measurement step of lowering the measurement bar from the clamp position of the clamp device to the inner part of the knee joint bent, and measuring the amount of descent of the measurement bar. How to debon meat. The knee joint length measuring step includes
A first step of bringing the measuring member into contact with the surface of the bone-in leg,
A second step of measuring the lower end position of the thigh with bone from the two-dimensional coordinates of the measurement member that varies with the elevation of the clamping device;
A third step of measuring the total length of the bone-in leg from the clamp position of the clamp device and the measured lower end position of the bone-in leg;
A fourth step of calculating the knee joint length from the measured total length of the bone-in leg meat and the collected data on the ratio between the length of the lower leg and the length of the thigh,
The method for deboning bone-in leg muscles according to claim 6, wherein the thigh muscle placing step and the knee joint length measuring step are simultaneously performed while raising the bone-in leg muscles.   The said meat part cutting process includes the step of cutting the tendon which connects a knee joint inner side part and a thigh meat, The deboning method of the thigh meat with a bone of Claim 6 characterized by the above-mentioned.

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