RU2729351C1 - Fish fillet cutting device - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: food industry.SUBSTANCE: invention relates to fish industry, namely to the field of automated equipment for fish fillet cutting into slices. Proposed device comprises feed and discharge devices furnished with drives composed of two conveyor lines, cutting device, measuring device, computer unit and cutting working elements. Device is additionally equipped with a device for measuring the consistency of fish fillet installed after the measurement appliance above the feeding appliance and connected to the computing unit. Device is additionally equipped with a rotor with replaceable working elements installed on it. Rotor is fixed on the discharge device and is equipped with a separate drive connected to the computing unit. Cutting device is installed on the supply device and is equipped with a separate drive connected to the computing unit, which provides movement of the cutting device for change of the working element. Shaft of drive of cutting device is made hollow and equipped with clamping device for installation and fixation of shaft of working element.EFFECT: invention usage will allow to enhance quality of fish fillet cut.1 cl, 8 dwg

Description

The invention relates to the fishing industry, and more specifically, to the field of automated equipment for cutting fish fillets into slices, and can find application in coastal fish processing enterprises and fishing vessels.

Currently, one of the most demanded products of the fishing industry is skinned fish fillets. It is economically advantageous to make portioned fillets cut into slices. The most attractive and affordable for consumers are fillet slices of low thickness and low weight.

The initial raw material is skinned fish fillets obtained by machine filleting of fish and skinning fillets. The finished product is fish fillet slices intended for further packaging, cooling, transportation and sale to the consumer. The process of cutting fillets into slices has a significant impact on the quality and consumer value of the finished product. Cutting fillets by hand is a very laborious and traumatic process, which requires appropriate technological equipment. Thus, technological capabilities, efficiency and quality of equipment for cutting fish fillets into slices are of great importance.

The quality of the finished product significantly depends on the magnitude of the mechanical effect on the muscle tissue of the fish, since under power loads the water-holding capacity of fillets decreases, the elasticity and strength of tissues decreases, weight loss increases during storage, the nitrogen content of volatile bases increases, and organoleptic assessments of meat quality deteriorate. Along with the flowing out muscle juice during processing and storage of fish, taste and nutrients (proteins, nitrogenous and mineral substances) are lost.

Resistance to knife movement, as a resultant force opposing the uniform movement of the blade in the product, arises from the dynamic interaction between the surface of the knife and the muscle tissue of the fillet. The cutting resistance force depends on the geometric shape of the blade profile and the rheological parameters of the raw material. With the same mass of the knife and a given cutting speed, the required driving force will be the greater, the greater the resistance force, since both of these forces are opposing. Other things being equal, the consumed drive power and the quality of the cut surface entirely depend on the resistance forces. Therefore, with an increase in cutting resistance and an increase in cut roughness, product quality deteriorates, weight loss occurs due to a decrease in the water-holding capacity of the fabric, operating costs increase, the cost of fish products increases, and the profitability of production decreases. At the same time, for a given fillet consistency, there is the best shape of the cutter profile, at which the resistance forces are minimal. Thus, to ensure resource saving when cutting fish, it is necessary to use a cutting tool with the best profile shape, which provides the minimum cutting resistance for the given rheological parameters of the raw material.

Known device for cutting fish fillets into slices (RU No. 1621834, IPC A22C 25/18, publ. 23.01.1991), including a loading device, a drum with cells and a knife shaft, recruited from circular knives installed with a constant pitch.

A decisive disadvantage limiting the use of this device is the cutting of fish fillets into slices of only one predetermined thickness. Changing the thickness of the slices requires dismantling and replacing the cutterblock. In addition, the quality and cutting speed are low because the fillets are pressed against the circular knives only by the force of the fillet weight. The device does not provide devices for measuring the size and consistency of raw materials.

Known device and method for butchering meat, in particular fish (US No. 8968059, IPC A22C 25/18, publ. 03.03.2015), designed for cutting fish into pieces of a given thickness. The device contains a cutting tool, a drive unit connected to the cutting tool to move it from the initial position to the processing position, and a control device connected to the drive unit to control the cutting tool. The drive unit contains two pneumatic cylinders with separate control loops.

The decisive disadvantage limiting the use of this device is the inability to change the working body. The design does not provide a measuring device for obtaining information about the size of the fillet and its consistency. In addition, the device has a low performance due to the design of the drive unit and the low speed of the pneumatic cylinders.

The closest technical solution is a device for cutting food products (RU No. 2671900, IPC А22С 25/18, publ. 07.11.2018), containing a feed device and a discharge device equipped with drives, a cutting device, a measuring unit consisting of a laser source and photodetector, as well as a computing unit. The cutting device includes at least two crescent-shaped cutting tools fixed with the possibility of counter movement with mutual crossing of the cutting edges. The supply and discharge devices are made in the form of two conveyor lines.

The disadvantage of this device is that the fillet is cut into slices by working bodies with one profile shape. The device does not have a device for measuring the consistency of raw materials, and therefore the rheological state of the product is not taken into account during processing. This leads to a decrease in the quality of the cut surface and a waste of energy due to an increase in cutting resistance forces when the consistency of the product changes.

The invention solves the problem of improving the cut quality of fish fillets and reducing power consumption by reducing the cutting resistance forces by measuring the consistency and determining the rheological properties of the raw materials received for processing and selecting the optimal working body.

To achieve the technical result, a device for cutting fish fillets, including supplied and outgoing devices equipped with drives in the form of two conveyor lines, a cutting device, a measuring device, a computing unit, cutting tools, is proposed to additionally be equipped with a device for measuring the consistency of fish fillets installed after the measuring device above a feeding device and associated with a computing unit. In addition, it is proposed to additionally equip the device with a rotor with replaceable working bodies installed on it, while fixing the rotor on a diverting device and providing it with a separate drive associated with the computing unit. Install the cutting device on the feeding device and provide a separate drive connected to the computing unit, which ensures the movement of the cutting device to change the working body. The drive shaft of the cutting device is proposed to be hollow and provided with a clamping device for installing and fixing the shaft of the working body.

Replaceable working bodies have profile shapes that correspond to different ranges of rheological parameters of raw materials, which are determined using a device for measuring the consistency of fish fillets. As a result of obtaining information about the rheological parameters of muscle tissue, the current range of their values is determined, which best corresponds to a certain shape of the profile of the cutting organ. When the range of values of the consistency of the raw material changes and this range does not correspond to the working body in operation, it is automatically changed to a body with a more efficient profile, which makes it possible to significantly minimize the cutting resistance forces.

The consistency meter contains a freely falling stem which is connected to a position sensor and located inside the inductor. When lowering the stem to the surface of the fish fillet, as a result of mechanical interaction, the stem bounces upward to a height, the value of which is determined by the consistency of the raw material. By means of an inductor, the stem is set to its original position and held until the next fillet sample arrives. The range of values of rheological parameters is determined by the computing unit after a series of measurements of several fillet samples, and depends on the temperature of the raw material, storage time, preliminary technological processing, etc.

The description of the invention is illustrated by the attached diagrams, where:

figure 1 - the proposed device for cutting fish fillets, General view from the side of the cutting device;

fig. 2 - the proposed device for cutting fish fillets, general view from the side of the computing unit;

fig. 3 - the proposed device for cutting fish fillets, left side view;

fig. 4 - the proposed device for cutting fish fillets, right side view;

fig. 5 - the proposed device for cutting fish fillets, top view;

fig. 6 - rotor and cutting devices;

fig. 7 - knife, front view, left view, back view;

fig. 8 - knife profiles.

The following designations are adopted on the diagrams:

1 - conveyor of the feeding device;

2 - conveyor of the diverting device;

3, 4 - conveyor drive;

5 - measuring device;

6 - light source;

7 - device for measuring the consistency of fish raw materials;

8 - rod of the device for measuring the consistency of fish raw materials;

9 - fish fillet;

10 - fillet slice;

11 - cutting device drive;

12 - hollow shaft of the cutting device drive;

13, 14, 15, 16 - knife;

17 - guide of the cutting device;

18 - rotor;

19 - computing unit;

20 - clamping device;

21 - pin;

22 - clamping device groove;

23 - rotor guide;

24 - rotor groove;

25 - linear motion drive;

26 - rotor drive;

27 - counterweight;

28 - knife shaft;

29 - support frame.

In the proposed technical solution, the introduction of a device for measuring the consistency of raw materials makes it possible to transfer information about the rheological parameters of fillets to the computing unit for choosing the optimal working body. Improving the quality of the product cut and reducing energy consumption is achieved by automatically removing from the set of cutting tools and fixing the working body in the cutting device, the profile of which best matches the consistency of the raw material in terms of minimizing cutting resistance forces. The ability to move the cutting attachment and rotate the rotor from separate drives allow for automatic removal and installation of the working body. The presence of the clamping device allows you to keep the body on the drive of the cutting device in the working position. The setting of the optimal working body significantly reduces the cutting resistance forces, which creates the best cutting conditions and improves the surface quality of the slices.

In the proposed device for cutting fish fillets, the conveyor 1 of the feeding device and the conveyor 2 of the outlet device are connected to a fixed support frame 29. A drive 3 is connected to the conveyor 1, a drive 4 is connected to the conveyor 2. A measuring device 5, a light source 6, a device are attached to the conveyor 1. 7 for measuring the consistency of raw materials and a computing unit 19. In the device 7 for measuring the consistency of raw materials, a rod 8 is fixed with the ability to move. Also, on the conveyor 1, a guide 17 of the cutting device is fixed, connected to a linear drive 25. In the guide 17, the drive 11 of the cutting device is fixed for movement, the shaft 12 of which is hollow. The drive 11 of the cutting device is connected to the drive of the linear movement 25. In the hollow shaft 12 of the drive 11 of the cutting device, by means of the clamping device 20, the shaft 28 of the knife 13 is fixed. In the clamping device 20, a groove 22 is made, in which the pin 21 is movably fixed, connected to the hollow shaft 12 drive 11 cutting device. On the conveyor 2, a drive 26 with a rotor 18 is fixed. In the rotor 18, there are grooves 24 and guides 23, in which knives 14, 15, 16 are fixed with the ability to move. Counterweights 27 are fixed on the knives 13, 14, 15, 16. Knives 13, 14 , 15, 16 have different profiles corresponding to different parameters of raw material consistency. The computing unit 19 is connected to the drive 3 of the conveyor 1, drive 4 of the conveyor 2, the measuring device 5, the light source 6, the device for measuring the consistency of raw materials 7, the drive 11 of the cutting device, the linear drive 25, the drive 26 of the rotor 18.

Description of the operation of the device for cutting fish fillets into slices.

The operator turns on the computing unit 19 and places the fish fillets 9 on the conveyor 1 of the feeding device. The computing unit 19 sends switching commands to the drive 3 of the conveyor 1, drive 4 of the conveyor 2, the measuring device 5, the light source 6, the device 7 for measuring the consistency of raw materials. The conveyor 1 is driven by the drive 3, the conveyor 2 is driven by the drive 4. The fish fillet 9 moves in the field of view of the measuring device 5 and is illuminated by the light source 6. The measuring device 5, made, for example, in the form of a video camera, forms a video image of the fish fillet 9 and transfers it to the computing unit 19. Next, the fish fillet 9 is moved by the conveyor 1 to the device 7 for measuring the consistency of the raw material. At the command of the computing unit 19, the rod 8 of the device 7 for measuring the consistency of raw materials falls on the fish fillet and rebounds. The value of the rebound height of the rod 8 is transmitted by the device 7 for measuring the consistency of raw materials to the computing unit 19. According to the data received from the measuring device 5 and the device 7 for measuring the consistency of the raw materials, the computing unit 19 determines the geometric shape and dimensions of the fish fillet 9, as well as its consistency. According to the data on the geometric shape and dimensions of the fish fillet 9, the computing unit calculates the required coordinates of the cutting lines and the time of switching on the drive 11 of the cutting device. Further, the fish fillet 9 moves to the drive 11 of the cutting device. The computing unit 19 gives a command to the drive 11 of the cutting device, which makes a predetermined number of rotations. As a result, the knife 13 cuts the fish fillet 9 into slices 10, which are transferred to the conveyor 2 of the diverting device and removed from the device. If the profile of the knife 13 does not correspond to the consistency parameters of the fish fillet 9 after measuring several fillets, the computing unit 19 automatically changes the knife 13. For this, after measuring the consistency of the fish fillets 9, the computing unit sends a stop command to the drive 3 of the conveyor 1 and the drive 4 of the conveyor 2. Further, the computing unit 19, if necessary, sends a command to the drive 26 of the rotor 18, as a result of which the rotor 18 rotates until an empty groove 24 of the rotor 18 appears opposite the drive 11 of the cutting device. Also, the computing unit 19 sends a command to the drive 11 cutting device, as a result of which the drive 11 rotates until the knife 13 takes the lowest position. After stopping the rotor 18 and the drive 11 of the cutting device, the computing unit 19 sends a command to the linear drive 25, which moves the drive 11 of the cutting device to the rotor 18. As a result of the movement of the drive 11 in the guide 17 of the cutting device, the shaft 28 of the knife 13 enters the guide 23 and the slot 24 of the rotor 18 and is held in it in the lower vertical position. Further, the computing unit 19 sends a command to the drive 11 of the cutting device. Since the knife 13 is held in the respective guide 23 and slot 24 of the rotor 18, when the cutter drive 11 is turned, the pin 21 moves in the slot 22 of the jig 12. As a result, the jig 12 no longer holds the shaft 28 of the blade 13 in the hollow shaft 12 of the cutter drive 11. After turning and stopping the drive 11 of the cutting device, the linear displacement drive 25, at the command of the computing unit 19, removes the drive 11 of the cutting device from the rotor 18, and the knife 13 remains fixed in the groove 24 of the rotor 18. According to the results of a series of measurements of the consistency of fish fillet 9 by means of the device 7, the computing unit 19 selects from knives 14, 15, 16, the knife 14 with the best profile. At the command of the computing unit 19, the drive 26 turns the rotor 18 until the required knife 14 with the optimal profile corresponding to the range of measured parameters of the consistency of the raw material is opposite the drive 11 of the cutting device. After stopping the rotor 18, the linear drive 25, at the command of the computing unit 19, moves the drive 11 of the cutting device to the rotor 18, as a result of which the shaft 28 of the knife 13 enters the hollow shaft 12 of the drive 11. At the command of the computing unit 19, the drive 11 rotates, the pin 21 moves into groove 22 of the jig 20, and the jig 20 begins to hold the knife shaft 28 in the hollow shaft 12 of the cutter drive 11. Next, the computing unit 19 sends a command to the linear movement drive 25, which removes the drive 11 of the cutting device with the knife 14 attached to it from the rotor 18. After that, the computing unit sends a command to turn on the drive 3 of the conveyor 1 and drive 4 of the conveyor 2 and the fish fillet cutting cycle 9 is repeated.

Thus, when using the proposed device, in comparison with the device described in the closest analogue, an improvement in the quality of cutting slices and a decrease in energy consumption when cutting fish fillets are provided. Industry studies show that electricity consumption is reduced by 25%. The number of rejects is reduced by 40%. This allows for resource saving in production.

The device provides high-quality cutting of fish fillets into slices, which eliminates labor-intensive manual processing operations, improves consumer qualities of the finished product, and also reduces the number of personnel in production.

Claims (1)

A device for cutting fish fillets, including supplied and outgoing devices equipped with drives in the form of two conveyor lines, a cutting device with a working body, a measuring device, a computing unit, characterized in that the device is additionally equipped with a device for measuring the consistency of fish fillets, installed after the measuring device above the feeding device and connected to the computing unit, in addition, the device is additionally equipped with a rotor with replaceable working bodies installed on it, while the rotor is fixed on the withdrawal device and equipped with a separate drive associated with the computing unit, the cutting device is installed on the feeding device and equipped with a connected a computing unit with a separate drive that ensures the movement of the cutting device to change the working member, and the drive shaft of the cutting device is hollow and equipped with a clamping device for installing and fixing it in ala working body.

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