APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SETTING A CUTTING GAP AT A CUTTING APPARATUS

• US 20120060659A1
• Filed: 03/03/2010
• Published: 03/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Weber Maschinenbau GmbH Breidenbach (Weber Food Technology GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Weber Maschinenbau GmbH Breidenbach (Weber Food Technology GmbH)
• Inventors: Weber, Günther
• Application Number:
  US13/254,736
• Publication Number:
  US 20120060659A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 83/13
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 1/143 rotating about a stationary axis B26D1/20 - B26D1/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 2210/02 for cutting food products, e.g. food slicers
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 5/02 Means for moving the cutting member into its operative position for cutting
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/2635 for circular cutters
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/04 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/141 With means to monitor and control operation [e.g., self-regulating means]

Abstract

The invention relates to a device and to a method for adjusting a blade clearance on a cutting device for slicing a product, in particular a food product (18), wherein the cutting device has a cutting blade (14) which can be rotatably driven in a cutting plane (12), a cutting edge (24) and an adjustment apparatus (28) by which the cutting blade (14) and the cutting edge (24) can be moved relative to each other perpendicular to the cutting plane (12).

Claims

1-15. -15. (canceled)

16. An apparatus for setting a cutting gap (Δ

x) at a cutting apparatus for slicing a product, wherein the cutting apparatus has a blade (14) rotatingly drivable in a cutting plane (12), a cutting edge (24) and an adjustment device (28) by which the blade (14) and the cutting edge (24) can be moved relative to one another perpendicular to the cutting plane (12), wherein a detection means (34) for detecting vibrations produced by the rotating blade (14) and a control unit (32) connected to the detection means (34) for controlling the adjustment device (28) in dependence on the detected vibrations.

17. An apparatus in accordance with claim 16, wherein the detection means (34) is designed for detecting sound waves, and/or wherein the detection means (34) includes a sound sensor.

18. An apparatus in accordance with claim 16, wherein the detection means (34) is designed for detecting structure-borne sound waves.

19. An apparatus in accordance with claim 18, wherein the detection means includes at least one structure-borne sound sensor.

20. An apparatus in accordance with claim 16, wherein the detection means (34) is arranged in the region of the cutting edge (24).

21. An apparatus in accordance with claim 16, wherein the detection means (34) is attached to a carrier structure (26) for the cutting edge (24).

22. An apparatus in accordance with claim 21, wherein the detection means is let into the carrier structure (26).

23. An apparatus in accordance with claim 16, wherein the control unit (32) is designed to evaluate the detected vibrations with respect to their amplitude and/or frequency and/or to determine a zero distance between the blade (14) and the cutting edge (24).

24. A method for setting a cutting gap (Δ

x) at a cutting apparatus for slicing a product, wherein the cutting apparatus has a blade (14) rotatingly drivable in a cutting plane (12), a cutting edge (24) and an adjustment device (28) by which the blade (14) and the cutting edge (24) can be moved relative to one another perpendicular to the cutting plane (12), wherein vibrations produced by the rotating blade (14) are detected by means of a detection means (34) and the adjustment device (28) is controlled in dependence on the detected vibrations by means of a control unit (32) connected to the detection means.

25. A method in accordance with claim 24, wherein sound waves produced by the rotating blade (14) are detected by means of the detection means (34).

26. A method in accordance with claim 25, wherein structure-borne sound waves produced by the rotating blade (14) are detected by means of the detection means (34).

27. A method in accordance with claim 25, wherein the vibrations are detected in the region of the cutting edge (24).

28. A method in accordance with claim 26, wherein the structure-borne sound waves are detected in the region of the cutting edge (24).

29. A method in accordance with claim 25, wherein a reference vibration pattern is recorded while the blade (14) is spaced apart from the cutting edge (24).

32. A method in accordance with claim 25, wherein a zero spacing of the blade (14) from the cutting edge (24) is determined in that the spacing between the blade (14) and the cutting edge (24) is reduced after the taking of a reference vibration pattern until a significant difference of the detected vibrations from the reference vibration pattern is detected.

33. A method in accordance with claim 32, wherein a significant difference is detected when the amplitudes of detected vibrations exceed the amplitudes of the reference vibration pattern by a predetermined amount.

34. A method in accordance with claim 32, wherein the spacing between the blade (14) and the cutting edge (24) for setting the cutting gap (Δ

x) is enlarged starting from the determined zero spacing.

30. A method in accordance with claim 30, wherein the reference vibration pattern is recorded while the blade (14) is accelerated from a stationary state.

31. A method in accordance with claim 30, wherein the reference vibration pattern is recorded while the spacing between the blade (14) and the cutting edge (24) is being reduced.

35. Use of a structure-borne sound sensor (34) for determining a zero spacing between the blade (14) and the cutting edge (24) in the setting of a cutting gap (Δ

x) at a cutting apparatus for slicing a product, which has a blade (14) rotatingly drivable in a cutting plane (12), a cutting edge (24) and an adjustment device (28) by which the blade (14) and the cutting edge (24) can be moved relative to one another perpendicular to the cutting plane (12).