DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CUTTING UP FOOD PRODUCTS

• US 20150202786A1
• Filed: 07/30/2013
• Published: 07/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TEXTOR MASCHINENBAU GMBH
• Original Assignee: TEXTOR MASCHINENBAU GMBH
• Inventors: Mayer, Josef, Schmeiser, Jorg, Maier, Wilfried, Salmen, Mathias, Herzberger, Holger
• Granted Patent: US 10,307,927 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 2210/02 for cutting food products, e.g. food slicers
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/01 Means for holding or positioning work
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/02 with clamping means B26D7/018 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/06 Arrangements for feeding or delivering work of other than sheet, web, or filamentary form feeding or discharging sheets, webs, or filaments B65H
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/0625 by endless conveyors, e.g. belts
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/0683 specially adapted for elongated articles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/04 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/6572 With additional mans to engage work and orient it relative to tool station

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for cutting up food products, particularly a high-performance slicer, having a product feed which comprises at least one conveying device. By means of said product feed, at least one product may be fed to a cutting plane in which at least one cutting tool is moving, particularly in a rotating or circulating manner. The cutting device further comprises at least one multifunctional working unit for at least intermittently handling the product. The working unit can be displaced into a contact position, in which the working unit presses the product which is movable in the conveying direction against a lower product bearing surface and/or a side product bearing surface, and into a locking position. In the locking position, the working unit prevents any movement of the product in the conveying direction.

Claims

1-33. -33. (canceled)

34. An apparatus for slicing food products comprising

a product feed which comprises at least one conveying device with which at least one product can be fed to a cutting plane in which at least one cutting blade moves;

and

at least one multifunctional work unit for the at least time-wise handling of the product, wherein the work unit can be adjusted into a contact position, in which the work unit presses the product, which is movable in the conveying direction in this respect, toward at least one of a lower product support and a lateral product contact, and into a blocking position in which the work unit counteracts a movement of the product in the conveying direction.

35. The apparatus in accordance with claim 34,

in which the work unit located in the blocking position is active in dependence on the operating situation as an abutment for the front product end or as a deflector for a product end piece to be sliced.

36. The apparatus in accordance with claim 34,

in which the work unit located in the blocking position is configured as yielding with respect to a force applied in the conveying direction.

37. The apparatus in accordance with claim 34,

in which the work unit located in the blocking position is movable with a component in the conveying direction by a force exceeding a threshold value and applied in the conveying direction.

38. The apparatus in accordance with claim 37,

in which the movement of the work unit is at least a part of an adjustment movement of the work unit into the contact position.

39. The apparatus in accordance with claim 34,

in which the work unit is adjustable from the blocking position directly into the contact position and vice versa.

40. The apparatus in accordance with claim 34,

in which the work unit is adjustable, starting from the blocking position, without a movement component directed against the conveying direction.

41. The apparatus in accordance with claim 40,

in which the work unit is adjustable, starting from the blocking position, with a component in the conveying direction into a position releasing the path for the product.

42. The apparatus in accordance with claim 34,

wherein an adjustment movement of the work unit comprises a pivot movement.

43. The apparatus in accordance with claim 34,

in which the work unit comprises at least one adjustable holding section which exerts a contact function in the contact position and a blocking function for the product in the blocking position.

44. The apparatus in accordance with claim 43,

wherein the holding section has a holding surface which is at least substantially planar and which faces the product.

45. The apparatus in accordance with claim 34,

in which the position of the work unit can be varied.

46. The apparatus in accordance with claim 34,

in which an adjustment movement of the work unit and a movement for varying the position of the work unit are independent of one another.

47. The apparatus in accordance with claim 34,

in which an adjustment movement of the work unit and a movement for varying the position of the work unit are positively coupled to one another.

48. The apparatus in accordance with claim 34,

in which the work unit comprises a base and at the base a holding section for the product, wherein the position of the base is variable and the holding section is adjustable.

49. The apparatus in accordance with claim 48,

in which the holding section is movable relative to the base.

50. The apparatus in accordance with claim 48,

in which a movement of the base to vary the position and an adjustment movement of the holding section can be effected independently of one another.

51. The apparatus in accordance with claim 48,

in which a movement for varying the position of the base and an adjustment movement of the holding section can be derived from a single movement of the work unit.

52. The apparatus in accordance with claim 34,

in which the work unit is configured as an at least time-wise effective drive for the product.

53. The apparatus in accordance with claim 34,

in which the product feed is of multi-track design to slice a plurality of products simultaneously, wherein the work unit is operable individually per track

54. The apparatus in accordance with claim 53,

in which the work unit comprises an adjustable holding section for each track which exerts a contact function in a contact position and a blocking function for the product in a blocking position, wherein the holding sections are operable independently of one another.

55. The apparatus in accordance with claim 54,

in which the holding sections are attached to a common base of the work unit and are adjustable relative to the base independently of one another.

56. The apparatus in accordance with claim 55,

in which the position of the base is variable.

57. An apparatus for slicing food products comprising

a product feed which comprises at least one conveying device with which at least one product can be fed to a cutting plane in which at least one cutting blade moves;

and

at least one work unit for the at least time-wise handling of the product which is active as an abutment for the front product end in a blocking position, wherein the work unit located in the blocking position is configured as yielding with respect to a force applied in the conveying direction; and

/or

wherein the work unit located in the blocking position is movable by a force exceeding a threshold value and applied in the conveying direction with a component in the conveying direction.

58. The apparatus in accordance with claim 57,

in which the product feed is of multi-track design to slice a plurality of products simultaneously, wherein the work unit is operable individually per track

59. The apparatus in accordance with claim 58,

in which the work unit comprises an adjustable holding section for each track which exerts a blocking function for the product in a blocking position, wherein the holding sections are operable independently of one another.

60. The apparatus in accordance with claim 57,

in which the work unit is multifunctional, wherein the work unit is adjustable into a contact position, in which the work unit presses the product, which is movable in the conveying direction in this respect, toward a lower product support and/or toward a lateral product contact, and into the blocking position in which the work unit counteracts a movement of the product in the conveying direction.

61. A method for the slicing of food products, wherein

at least one product is fed to a cutting plane in which at least one cutting blade moves by means of a product feed which comprises at least one conveying device;

and

at least one multifunctional work unit is adjusted in dependence on the operating situation into a contact position, in which the work unit presses the product moving in the conveying direction toward at least one of a lower product support and a lateral product contact, or into a blocking position in which the work unit counteracts a movement of the product in the conveying direction.

62. The method in accordance with claim 61,

wherein the work unit is adjusted into the blocking position before the start of the slicing to serve as an abutment for the front product end on an action on the rear product end by means of a product holder of the conveying device, and the work unit is subsequently adjusted into the contact position to press the product toward at least one of the product support and the product contact during the slicing and is adjusted back into the blocking position again after the slicing to at least assist a discarding of a product end piece.

63. The method in accordance with claim 61,

wherein the work unit is in contact with the product at least during an adjustment movement from the blocking position into the contact position.

64. The method in accordance with claim 61,

wherein the product is fed to the cutting plane during an adjustment movement of the work unit from the blocking position into the contact position.

65. The method in accordance with claim 62,

wherein the product holder remains in its position or is moved in the conveying direction during an adjustment movement of the work unit from the blocking position into the contact position.

66. The method in accordance with claim 62,

wherein the product holder is moved against the conveying direction during the adjustment movement of the work unit from the contact position into the blocking position.