Maintenance and safety system for a food article slicing machine
First Claim
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1. A food article slicing machine, comprising:
- a slicing station comprising a knife blade and a knife blade drive driving the blade in a cutting plane;
a machine base that includes panels that encloses electronic equipment and includes a base top panel;
a food article feed apparatus supporting one or more food articles for longitudinal movement along one or more corresponding food article paths intersecting the cutting plane, wherein the food article feed apparatus is moveable between a raised position, in which the one or more food article paths have an inclined orientation with an elevated end raised above the machine base and a lower end adjacent to the cutting plane, and a lowered position, in which the elevated end is lower than when in the raised position;
a light beam emitting device connected to and moveable with the food article feed apparatus, wherein the light beam emitting device generates a safety curtain by a sweep of light beams across an arc, the safety curtain of light beams oriented to substantially cover a vertical space between the food article paths and the machine base with the food article feed apparatus in both the raised position and the lowered position on at least one lateral side of the machine;
a sensor connected to and moveable with the food article feed apparatus, wherein the sensor is responsive to intrusions by an object into the safety curtain,wherein when a light beam is incident on the object, the light beam is reflected back and received by the sensor, and the sensor calculates the time between sending the light beam and receiving the reflection to calculate the distance of the object to determine the presence of an intrusion; and
a housing for protecting said emitting device and said sensor, and wherein said emitting device and said sensor are positioned inside the housing;
said housing having an open position, in which said emitting device and said sensor are exposed to environment external of the housing, a closed position, in which said emitting device and said sensor are enclosed within the housing and lack exposure to the environment external of the housing, and a device for urging said housing to said closed position, and an opening mechanism for overcoming said device for urging said housing.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A slicing apparatus and a weighing and classifying conveyor combination with cleanup position wherein, the elevated food article feed mechanism can be collapsed to a maintenance position, the weighing and classifying conveyor is oriented at a distance from the slicing apparatus and the slicing head cover is automatically lifted to an open cleanup position. The machine has laser intrusion detectors that are used to shut down systems when an unwanted intrusion by a person or object is detected.
134 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A food article slicing machine, comprising:
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a slicing station comprising a knife blade and a knife blade drive driving the blade in a cutting plane; a machine base that includes panels that encloses electronic equipment and includes a base top panel; a food article feed apparatus supporting one or more food articles for longitudinal movement along one or more corresponding food article paths intersecting the cutting plane, wherein the food article feed apparatus is moveable between a raised position, in which the one or more food article paths have an inclined orientation with an elevated end raised above the machine base and a lower end adjacent to the cutting plane, and a lowered position, in which the elevated end is lower than when in the raised position; a light beam emitting device connected to and moveable with the food article feed apparatus, wherein the light beam emitting device generates a safety curtain by a sweep of light beams across an arc, the safety curtain of light beams oriented to substantially cover a vertical space between the food article paths and the machine base with the food article feed apparatus in both the raised position and the lowered position on at least one lateral side of the machine; a sensor connected to and moveable with the food article feed apparatus, wherein the sensor is responsive to intrusions by an object into the safety curtain, wherein when a light beam is incident on the object, the light beam is reflected back and received by the sensor, and the sensor calculates the time between sending the light beam and receiving the reflection to calculate the distance of the object to determine the presence of an intrusion; and a housing for protecting said emitting device and said sensor, and wherein said emitting device and said sensor are positioned inside the housing; said housing having an open position, in which said emitting device and said sensor are exposed to environment external of the housing, a closed position, in which said emitting device and said sensor are enclosed within the housing and lack exposure to the environment external of the housing, and a device for urging said housing to said closed position, and an opening mechanism for overcoming said device for urging said housing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A food article slicing machine, comprising:
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a slicing station comprising a knife blade and a knife blade drive driving the blade in a cutting plane; a machine base that includes panels that encloses electronic equipment and includes a base top panel; a food article feed apparatus supporting one or more food articles for longitudinal movement along one or more corresponding food article paths intersecting the cutting plane, the one or more food article paths having an inclined orientation with an elevated end raised above the machine base and a lower end adjacent to the cutting plane; a light beam emitting device that generates a safety curtain by a sweep of light beams across an arc, the safety curtain of light beams oriented to substantially cover the vertical space between the food article paths and the machine base on at least one lateral side of the machine; a sensor responsive to intrusions by an object into the curtain, wherein when a light beam is incident on the object, the light beam is reflected back and received by the sensor, and the sensor calculates the time between sending the light beam and receiving the reflection to calculate the distance of the object to determine the presence of an intrusion; and a housing for protecting said emitting device and said sensor, and wherein said emitting device and said sensor are positioned inside the housing; said housing having an open position, in which said emitting device and said sensor are exposed to environment external of the housing, a closed position, in which said emitting device and said sensor are enclosed within the housing and lack exposure to the environment external of the housing, and a device for urging said housing to said closed position, and an opening mechanism for overcoming said device for urging said housing. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. A food article slicing machine, comprising:
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a slicing station comprising a knife blade and a knife blade drive driving the blade in a cutting plane; a food article feed apparatus supported from a machine base and supporting one or more food articles for longitudinal movement along corresponding food article paths intersecting the cutting plane, an end of the food article feed apparatus remote from the cutting plane being elevated above the machine base, a first side safety sensor that emits a first sweep of light beams across an arc to detect an external, laterally directed intrusion on a first longitudinal lateral side of the machine and a second side safety sensor that emits a second sweep of light beams across an arc to detect an external, laterally directed intrusion on an opposite second longitudinal lateral side of the machine, wherein the first and second side safety sensors are elevated and direct the first and second sweeps of light beams downwardly between the food article feed apparatus and the machine base; wherein each of said first and second safety sensors comprises a light beam emitter and a light beam receiver mounted in a common housing that operate together to calculate distances of objects that are impinged by light beams emitted by the emitter on a time-of-flight basis to detect said respective external, laterally directed intrusions; wherein the first sweep of light beams of the first side safety sensor is substantially parallel to the food article paths; and a housing for protecting the first side safety sensor, and wherein the first side safety sensor is positioned inside the housing, wherein said housing has an open position, in which said first side safety sensor is exposed to environment external of the housing, a closed position, in which, said first side sensor is enclosed within the housing and lacks exposure to the environment external of the housing, and a device for urging said housing to said closed position, and an opening mechanism for overcoming said device for urging said housing. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A food article slicing machine, comprising:
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a frame having a front, a back, a first longitudinal side, an opposite second longitudinal side and a machine base top wall, a slicing station connected to the frame comprising a knife blade and a knife blade drive driving the blade along a cutting path in a cutting plane; a food article feed apparatus connected to the frame supporting one or more food articles for longitudinal movement along corresponding food article paths intersecting the cutting plane, an end of the food article feed apparatus remote from the cutting plane being elevated above the top wall;
a safety guard system for detecting an external intrusion into the operating area of the machine, the safety guard system comprising an emitter projecting beams through an angle of sweep from the emitter to form a sensing curtain and a receiver for detecting an intrusion into the sensing curtain, said emitter and said receiver both located adjacent an apex of said sensing curtain, wherein the emitter is elevated and directs the projecting beams downwardly between the food article feed apparatus and the machine base top wall, and wherein the beams are emitted through an angle of sweep of about 270 degrees; anda housing for protecting said emitter and said receiver, and wherein said emitter and said receiver are positioned inside the housing; said housing having an open position, in which said emitter and said receiver are exposed to environment external of the housing, a closed position, in which said emitter and said receiver are enclosed within the housing and lack exposure to the environment external of the housing, and a device for urging said housing to said closed position, and an opening mechanism for overcoming said device for urging said housing. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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Specification