APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING FOOD PRODUCTS

Abstract

An apparatus for processing food products comprises a product conveyor having a frame and a conveyor unit for conveying products along a conveying direction, wherein the conveyor unit is arranged laterally projecting at the frame with respect to the conveying direction and comprises a work unit which is associated with the processing of the conveyed products and which is arranged at least partly beneath the projecting conveyor unit of the product conveyor.

Provision is made that the frame of the product conveyor is supported or held at the work unit via a mechanical connection or extends into a free space defined by the work unit.

Claims

1. An apparatus for processing food products, comprising: a product conveyor having a frame and a conveyor unit for conveying products along a conveying direction, wherein the conveyor unit is arranged at the frame projecting laterally with respect to the conveying direction; and an automatic packaging machine which is associated with the processing of the conveyed products and arranged at least partly vertically beneath the projecting conveyor unit of the product conveyor, the conveyor being configured for feeding the products, being conveyed by the product conveyor, into respective packaging units provided by the automatic packaging machine; the automatic packaging machine having a holding frame, the holding frame in direct contact with a ground or floor surface; the frame of the product conveyor fixed to the holding frame of the automatic packaging machine with a mechanical connection and supported at the holding frame of the automatic packaging machine in a vertical direction so that the product conveyor is completely carried by the automatic packaging machine such that no part of the frame of the product conveyor is in contact with the ground or floor.

2. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the frame of the product conveyor is supported both at a base on which the automatic packaging machine is supported and at the automatic packaging machine, and/or wherein the frame of the product conveyor provides a stiffness and stability to carry and operate the conveyor unit together with the automatic packaging machine.

3. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein a protective cover of the automatic packaging machine is movable together with the conveyor unit.

4. The apparatus in accordance with claim 3, wherein the protective cover provides an operating function of the automatic packaging machine in an operating position and simultaneously provides an operating function of the conveyor unit.

5. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the frame of the product conveyor engages beneath or engages around the automatic packaging machine at a bottom side of the automatic packaging machine.

6. An apparatus for processing food products, comprising: a product conveyor having a frame and a conveyor unit for conveying products along a conveying direction, wherein the conveyor unit is arranged at the frame projecting laterally with respect to the conveying direction; and a deep-drawing device for providing packaging depressions in a plastic film web which is associated with the processing of the conveyed products and arranged at least partly vertically beneath the projecting conveyor unit of the product conveyor, the product conveyor being configured for feeding the products, being conveyed by the product conveyor, into the packaging depressions provided by the deep-drawing device; the deep-drawing device having a holding frame, the holding frame in direct contact with a ground or floor surface; the frame of the product conveyor fixed to the holding frame of the deep-drawing device with a mechanical connection and supported at the holding frame of the deep-drawing device in a vertical direction so that the product conveyor is completely carried by the deep-drawing device such that no part of the frame of the product conveyor is in contact with the ground or floor.

7. The apparatus in accordance with claim 6, wherein the frame of the product conveyor is supported both at a base on which the deep-drawing device is supported and at the deep-drawing device, and/or wherein the frame of the product conveyor provides a stiffness and stability to carry and operate the conveyor unit together with the deep-drawing device.

8. The apparatus in accordance with claim 6, wherein a protective cover of the deep-drawing device is movable together with the conveyor unit.

9. The apparatus in accordance with claim 8, wherein the protective cover provides an operating function of the deep-drawing device in an operating position and simultaneously provides an operating function of the conveyor unit.

10. The apparatus in accordance with claim 6, wherein the frame of the product conveyor engages beneath or engages around the deep-drawing device at a bottom side of the deep-drawing device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] FIG. 1 shows an arrangement designed in accordance with the prior art composed of a product conveyor and of a work unit, wherein a conveyor unit of the product conveyor is located in a lowered operating position;

[0034] FIG. 2 shows the arrangement in accordance with FIG. 1, wherein the conveyor unit is located in a raised maintenance position;

[0035] FIG. 3 shows an apparatus for processing food products in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention, wherein a conveyor unit of a product conveyor of the apparatus is located in a lowered operating position;

[0036] FIG. 4 shows the arrangement in accordance with FIG. 3, wherein the conveyor unit is located in a raised maintenance position;

[0037] FIG. 5 shows the apparatus in accordance with FIG. 4, wherein a functional unit of a work unit of the apparatus is moved together with the conveyor unit into the raised maintenance position;

[0038] FIG. 6 shows an apparatus for processing food products in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention, wherein a conveyor unit of a product conveyor of the apparatus is located in a lowered operating position;

[0039] FIG. 7 shows the arrangement in accordance with FIG. 6, wherein the conveyor unit is located in a raised maintenance position;

[0040] FIG. 8 shows the apparatus in accordance with FIG. 7, wherein a functional unit of a work unit of the apparatus is moved together with the conveyor unit into the raised maintenance position;

[0041] FIG. 9 shows an apparatus for processing food products in accordance with a third embodiment of the invention, wherein a conveyor unit of a product conveyor of the apparatus is located in a lowered operating position; and

[0042] FIG. 10 shows the arrangement in accordance with FIG. 9, wherein the conveyor unit is located in a raised maintenance position;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] The apparatus for processing food products shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and designed in accordance with the prior art comprises a product conveyor 11 and a work unit 13 in the form of an automatic packaging machine. The product conveyor 11 comprises a base rack or a frame 15 and a conveyor unit 17 fixed to the frame 15. The conveyor unit 17 comprises one or more belt or strap conveyors and is, as shown, arranged laterally projecting at the frame 15. The work unit 13 is located beneath the conveyor unit 17 and likewise comprises a base rack or a frame 19 which is here composed of cross members 21 having section-like side carriers 23 attached thereto. A supply and control unit 24 in the form of a switch cabinet is attached to the side of the frame 19 of the work unit 13 at the right in FIG. 1. Both the product conveyor 11 and the work unit 13 are positioned on the floor 27 by means of feet.

[0044] The apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is integrated into a production line for packaged foods and serves to package product portions sliced by a high-performance slicer, not shown, by format set. The product conveyor 11 is accordingly provided to convey delivered product portions in a conveying direction extending at a right angle to the plane of the drawing and to feed them into an arrangement of packagings provided by the work unit 13. The work unit 13 provides an arrangement of packaging depressions at a transfer section 28 of a provided plastic film web by means of a deep-drawing process. After the feeding of the product portions, the packaging depressions are closed by a likewise provided plastic film web. A protective cover 29 is located above the transfer section 28.

[0045] To ensure an easy and safe access to the work unit 13 for conversion work, repair work or servicing work, a housing 30 of the conveyor unit 17 is supported at the frame 15 pivotable about a pivot axis S. It can thus be pivoted, starting from the lowered operating position shown in FIG. 1, into the raised maintenance position shown in FIG. 2.

[0046] In the apparatus in accordance with the invention for processing food products shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the product conveyor 31 and the work unit 13 are not designed as machines to be installed separately, but are rather merged into one unit. Specifically, the frame 35 of the product conveyor 31 is fastened, as shown, to the work unit 13 at a spacing from the base 27. This means that the product conveyor 31 is completely carried by the work unit 13 and is supported thereat both in the horizontal direction and in the vertical direction. The mass and the stiffness of the work unit 13 is sufficient to give the total unit stability. The conveyor unit 37 of the product conveyor 31 is likewise pivotable in the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 between a lowered operating position and a raised maintenance position. The conveyor unit 37 is here, however, configured as a conveyor belt unit in which the shafts of the corresponding belt conveyor or strap conveyor are supported. A pivotable housing of the conveyor unit 37 can thus be dispensed with.

[0047] As in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a protective cover 39 is arranged above the transfer section 28 of the work unit 13. As required, the protective cover 39 can, however, be fastened or fastenable to the lower side 40 of the conveyor unit 37 so that it is pivotable together with the latter between the operating position and the maintenance position (FIG. 5). In the maintenance case, a workstep can thus be saved. The protective cover 39 in the apparatus in accordance with the invention shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 additionally serves as a collection apparatus for collecting those particles which fall down from the conveyor unit 37. The work unit 13 is thus also protected against cleaning fluid when the product conveyor 31 has to be cleaned intensively at regular intervals for hygiene reasons.

[0048] A variant of this embodiment is indicated by a broken line in FIG. 3. This variant is not shown for reasons of simplicity in FIGS. 4 and 5. In accordance with this variant, the frame 35 has an arm 67 configured as a horizontally projecting frame region. The arm 67 starts from the vertically extending frame region at the one side of the work unit 13, extends along the lower side of the work unit 13 to the oppositely disposed side and is fixed there. The work unit 13 is gripped around, in particular in the form of a clamp, by the frame 35 in this manner. With this support or holding of the product conveyor 31 at the work unit 13, a particularly uniformly distributed force introduction via the frame 35 of the product conveyor 31 into the work unit 13 can be achieved in an advantageous manner. Additional feet are also not required in this variant.

[0049] FIGS. 6 to 8 show an alternative embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with the invention for processing food products. The apparatus likewise comprises a product conveyor 41 as well as a work unit 13, but differs from the above-described embodiment to the extent that the frame 45 of the product conveyor 41 is configured as a carrying rack. The frame 45 of the product conveyor 41 specifically comprises a vertical carrier section 47 as well as a horizontal standing section 49. The frame 45 therefore has, as can be recognized in the Figures, a substantially L-shaped cross-section. The width of the standing section 49 is greater than the width of the laterally projecting conveyor unit 37 so that a sufficient stability is ensured for the product conveyor 41. The stand section 49, however, only has a small construction height so that it can be arranged reaching into the free space 60 formed between the feet 25 of the work unit 13. Although the product conveyor 41 is stable per se, the width of the total apparatus can be reduced with respect to the arrangement shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. If required, the standing section 49 can be fastened to the work unit 13 for additional stabilization.

[0050] As in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the conveyor unit 37 is also configured as a conveyor belt unit in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 and is pivotable between a lowered operating position (FIG. 6) and a raised maintenance position (FIGS. 7 and 8). In accordance with FIG. 8, the protective cover 39 is in turn fastened or fastenable to the lower side 40 of the conveyor unit 37.

[0051] In the embodiment of an apparatus for processing food products in accordance with the invention shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the frame 55 of the product conveyor 51 is supported both at the floor 27 and at the work unit 13. The frame 55 is specifically fastened to one of the side carriers 23 by means of a connection element 65, for example is screwed thereto. Due to this fastening, the frame 55 does not necessarily have to be stable per se so that it can be designed correspondingly lighter and smaller. The conveyor unit 37 is also configured as a conveyor belt unit in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 and is pivotable between a lowered operating position (FIG. 9) and a raised maintenance position (FIG. 10). The protective cover 39 can in turn, as required, be fastened to the lower side 40 of the conveyor unit 37, which is, however, not shown in FIGS. 9 and 10.

[0052] A substantially lighter and more compact construction for the processing apparatus as a whole can be achieved by the inclusion of the work unit 13 to be arranged beneath the conveyor unit 37 into the support construction of the frame 35, 45, 55 of the product conveyor 31, 41, 51—whether in the form of a direct mechanical support connection and/or by direct utilization of a free space defined by the work unit 13.

REFERENCE NUMERAL LIST

[0053] 11 product conveyor [0054] 13 work unit [0055] 15 frame of the product conveyor [0056] 17 conveyor unit [0057] 19 frame of the work unit [0058] 21 cross member [0059] 23 side carrier [0060] 24 supply and control unit [0061] 25 foot [0062] 27 base, floor [0063] 28 transfer section [0064] 29 protective cover [0065] 30 housing [0066] 31 product conveyor [0067] 35 frame of the product conveyor [0068] 37 conveyor unit [0069] 39 protective cover [0070] 40 lower side of the conveyor unit [0071] 41 product conveyor [0072] 45 frame of the product conveyor [0073] 47 carrier section [0074] 49 standing section [0075] 51 product conveyor [0076] 55 frame of the product conveyor [0077] 60 free space [0078] 65 connection element [0079] 67 frame region, arm [0080] S pivot axis