AUTONOMOUSLY ELECTROMAGNETIC TRANSPORT CARRIER OF FOOD PORTIONS

• US 20170050332A1
• Filed: 04/22/2015
• Published: 02/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Weber Food Technology GmbH
• Original Assignee: Weber Maschinenbau GmbH Breidenbach (Weber Food Technology GmbH)
• Inventors: Bauer, Sigfrid, Burk, Alexander, Horst, Theodor, Kuhmichel, Christoph, Lehmann, Stefan, Schroder, Jens, Zecher, Steffen, Eckhardt, Christoph, Lischinski, Gerd, Nispel, Thomas, Rother, Ingo, Von Keudell, Leopold
• Granted Patent: US 10,737,403 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01J 27/00 After-treatment of cheese; Coating the cheese
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 17/0033 Cutting slices out of a piece of meat slicing machines B26D1/143
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 17/0093 Handling, transporting or packaging pieces of meat
• CPC Class Codes: A23C 19/14 Treating cheese after having reached its definite form, e.g. ripening, smoking preservation A23C19/097
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 2210/02 for cutting food products, e.g. food slicers
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/30 for weighing cut product
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/32 for conveying or stacking cut product means for removing cut-out material or waste B26D7/18
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 13/003 Crossings; Points
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 13/03 Electric propulsion by linear motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2201/0202 Agricultural and processed food products
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/647 the axis being perpendicular to the conveying direction
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/682 from a single conveyor lane consisting of one conveyor or several adjacent conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/71 the articles being discharged or distributed to several distinct separate conveyors or to a broader conveyor lane
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 54/02 electrostatic, electric, or magnetic

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for moving portions, which each comprise at least one slice cut from a food product, in particular by means of a slicing device, in particular a high-speed slicer, comprising a plurality of individually movable transport movers each for at least one portion, a track system for the transport movers, in which track system the transport movers can be moved along at least one specified track in a transport direction, and a control apparatus for controlling the movements of the transport movers in the track system, wherein the transport movers each comprise at least one runner that interacts with the track system and at least one carrier for at least one portion, the at least one carrier being attached to the runner by means of a retainer, and wherein the drive for each transport mover is formed by the runner and the track system, which together form an electromagnetic drive for the transport mover.

Claims

1-61. -61. (canceled)

62. An apparatus for moving portions which each comprise at least one slice cut off from a food product,

having a plurality of individually movable transport movers each for at least one portion;

having a track system for the plurality of individually movable transport movers in which the plurality of individually movable transport movers are movable in a direction of transport along at least one predefined track; and

having a control device for controlling the movements of the plurality of individually movable transport movers in the track system,

wherein the plurality of individually movable transport movers each comprise at least one rotor cooperating with the track system and at least one carrier for at least one portion attached to the rotor by means of a holder; and

wherein the drive for each one of the plurality of individually movable transport movers is formed by the at least one rotor and by the track system which together form an electromagnetic drive for each one of the plurality of individually movable transport movers.

63. The apparatus in accordance with claim 62,

wherein the at least one rotor is a component of a linear synchronous motor.

64. The apparatus in accordance with claim 62,

wherein the track system is configured for a multi-lane operation.

65. The apparatus in accordance with claim 62,

further comprising a loading region of the track system, with the loading region being configured to receive slices falling under the effect of gravity and/or slices coming directly from an apparatus for slicing food products by means of the plurality of individually movable transport movers.

66. The apparatus in accordance with claim 62,

further comprising a loading region of the track system, with the loading region being configured to receive portions coming from a conveyor system by means of the plurality of individually movable transport movers.

67. The apparatus in accordance with claim 62,

wherein the track system comprises at least one functional line for the plurality of individually movable transport movers in addition to at least one normal line.

68. The apparatus in accordance with claim 62,

wherein at least one functional line is configured as a rejection line or expulsion line via which at least some of the plurality of individually movable transport movers whose portions satisfy or do not satisfy at least one predefined or predefinable criterion can be led out of a normal line.

69. The apparatus in accordance with claim 62,

wherein the track system comprises a functional region at which a plurality of tracks are led together temporarily and which is configured to carry out an additional function for the plurality of individually movable transport movers and/or the portions.

70. The apparatus in accordance with claim 62,

wherein a track section is configured to be adjusted transversely to the direction of transport in a plane extending at least approximately horizontally;

and/or wherein a track section is configured to be at least approximately adjustable in the vertical direction.

71. The apparatus in accordance with claim 62,

further comprising at least one functional mover movable in the track system, with the at least one functional mover comprising a rotor cooperating with the track system and at least one functional means which provides a function different from the transport function of the plurality of individually movable transport movers.

72. The apparatus in accordance with claim 62,

wherein the carrier of at least one of the plurality of individually movable transport movers is rotatable relative to the at least one rotor.

73. The apparatus in accordance with claim 62,

wherein the carrier of at least one of the plurality of individually movable transport movers comprises a plurality of carrier segments which are movable relative to one another.

74. The apparatus in accordance with claim 62,

wherein the carrier of at least one of the plurality of individually movable transport movers is releasably attached to the at least one rotor or to the holder.

75. The apparatus in accordance with claim 62,

wherein the carrier of at least one of the plurality of individually movable transport movers is provided with means which are configured to cooperate with a handling device configured for moving the carrier.

76. The apparatus in accordance with claim 62,

further comprising at least one transfer point, with the at least one transport point being configured to hand over and/or take over at least some of the plurality of individually movable transport movers or their carriers at a vertically extending track section.

77. The apparatus in accordance with claim 62,

further comprising at least one transfer point, with the at least one transport point being configured to hand over and/or take over at least some of the plurality of individually movable transport movers or their carriers at a functional region of the track system configured for flipping over the portions.

78. The apparatus in accordance with claim 62,

wherein at least one of the plurality of individually movable transport movers or at least one functional mover is configured for taking up energy from the track system.

79. The apparatus in accordance with claim 62,

wherein the carrier of at least one of the plurality of individually movable transport movers comprises a conveyor device for a portion or is configured as a conveyor device.

80. The apparatus in accordance with claim 62,

wherein the carrier of at least one of the plurality of individually movable transport movers is configured to cooperate with a handling device for the portions.

81. The apparatus in accordance with claim 62,

wherein the carrier is configured to be moved relative to the holder by means of the handling device or to be removed from the holder, at least temporarily.

82. The apparatus in accordance with claim 62,

wherein at least one transport mover is provided with a display device for at least one piece of information relating to a property of the transport mover or of a portion.

83. The apparatus in accordance with claim 62,

wherein the track system comprises at least one functional region in which, in addition to at least one normal line, at least one overtaking line, waiting line or parking line is provided which branches off from the normal line at one point and opens into the normal line again at another point.

84. The apparatus in accordance with claim 62,

wherein the control device is configured to carry out a portioning operation and/or a portion completing operation in at least one region of the track system associated with a slicing apparatus and having at least one transport mover.

85. The apparatus in accordance with claim 62,

wherein, in a portioning and/or portion completion mode of operation, the respective transport mover or the carrier of the respective transport mover or a placement region of the carrier is movable in and/or against the direction of transport coordinated with the operation of the slicing apparatus.

86. The apparatus in accordance with claim 62,

wherein the plurality of individually movable transport movers can be arranged in a predefined format relative to one another in the functional region, with the format comprising at least one row, at least one column or at least one n×

m array (where n, m>

1).

87. The apparatus in accordance with claim 62,

wherein at least one transport mover and/or one track section is configured to determine the weight of a portion which is located on said transport mover or on a transport mover located in the track section, with at least one transport mover being provided with an integrated scale by means of which the weight of the portion can be determined.

88. The apparatus in accordance with claim 62,

wherein a weighing device is integrated in at least one track section of the track system.

89. The apparatus in accordance with claim 62,

wherein the control device is configured to monitor the track system for the presence of problems.

90. A method of moving portions which each comprise at least one slice cut off from a food product,

in which the portions are moved by means of a plurality of individually movable transport movers which are moved along at least one predefined track in a track system by means of a control device;

and

in which the plurality of individually movable transport movers are respectively moved by means of an electromagnetic drive which is formed together by a rotor of each of the plurality of individually movable transport movers and the track system.

91. The method in accordance with claim 90,

in which the portions are each formed on a carrier of a transport mover.

92. The method in accordance with claim 90,

in which the portions are each discharged directly from a carrier of a transport mover into a packaging.

93. The method in accordance with claim 90,

in which a relative movement between at least one track section and at least one mover moved in the track section is converted into an additional function.

94. A system for processing food products,

having at least one apparatus for slicing food products;

and

having a transport system comprising an apparatus for moving portions which each comprise at least one slice cut off from a food product,

having a plurality of individually movable transport movers each for at least one portion;

having a track system for the plurality of individually movable transport movers in which the plurality of individually movable transport movers are movable in a direction of transport along at least one predefined track; and

having a control device for controlling the movements of the plurality of individually movable transport movers in the track system,

wherein the plurality of individually movable transport movers each comprise at least one rotor cooperating with the track system and at least one carrier for at least one portion attached to the rotor by means of a holder; and

wherein the drive for each one of the plurality of individually movable transport movers is formed by the at least one rotor and by the track system which together form an electromagnetic drive for each one of the plurality of individually movable transport movers.