Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a device for embossing, imprinting, cutting or stamping dough pieces, and the device includes a positioning unit and a tool. The tool includes at least one stamp adapted to be brought into engagement with a dough piece. When the dough pieces are arranged in an undefined position on a flat support, the positioning unit is capable of detecting at least a position of one dough piece, and the tool is adapted to be centered at a target position above the one dough piece.
Claims
1. A device for embossing, imprinting, cutting or stamping dough pieces, the device comprising: a positioning unit; and a tool including a stamp adapted to be brought into engagement with a dough piece; wherein when the dough pieces are arranged in an undefined position on a flat support, the positioning unit is operable to detect at least a position of one dough piece, and the tool is adapted to be centered at a target position above the one dough piece.
2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the target position is determinable based on surface center of gravity or geometric center of gravity of the one dough piece.
3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the stamp is arranged along a central axis of the tool extending perpendicular to the support, wherein, by means of a stroke movement, the stamp is configured to be moved substantially perpendicular to an upper side of the one dough piece and brought into engagement.
4. The device according to claim 1, wherein by means of a horizontal movement, the stamp is configured to be brought into engagement and moved substantially horizontally to an upper side of the one dough piece.
5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the stamp is configured to be brought into engagement with the one dough piece and moved rotationally about the central axis of the tool.
6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the positioning unit includes a control unit, and wherein engagement depth and/or dwell time of the stamp in the one dough piece is controllable depending on shape, weight, consistency and/or degree of proofing of the one dough piece.
7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the positioning unit includes a handling device capable of moving the tool along a lengthwise extension of the support.
8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the handling device is capable of moving the tool transversely to a lengthwise extension of the support.
9. The device according to claim 7, wherein the stamp is pivotable angularly by the handling device.
10. The device according to claim 7, wherein making use of a tool changing device, the tool is configured to be fixed to the handling device in an exchangeable manner.
11. The device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of tools, which are positionable independently of one another, is configured to be fixed to the positioning unit.
12. The device according to claim 1, wherein the positioning unit includes an image sensor system with an evaluation unit, by which the positioning unit is configured to detect at least the position of the one dough piece on the support.
13. The device according to claim 1, wherein the support comprises a conveyor belt on which the dough pieces are conveyable.
14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the conveyor belt is configured to be driven continuously.
15. The device according to claim 13, wherein the positioning unit includes a handling device capable of moving the tool along a lengthwise extension of the support, and wherein a speed at which the handling device moves the tool along the lengthwise extension of the conveyor belt and a speed of the conveyor belt are configured to be synchronized.
16. The device according to claim 1, wherein the tool has a downholder, wherein, at a position of rest, the downholder projects beyond the stamp in a direction of the support and wherein, at a position of engagement of the stamp, the downholder is configured to be brought into contact with the one dough piece on a side thereof.
17. The device according to claim 16, wherein the downholder is configured to be arranged in a spring-mounted manner on a lower surface of the tool in spaced relationship with the stamp.
18. The device according to claim 16, wherein the downholder is annular in shape and may surround the stamp in a contact-free manner.
19. A method of embossing, imprinting, cutting or stamping a dough piece making use of a positioning unit and a tool, the method comprising: conveying the dough piece to a stamping station; detecting a position of the dough piece on a support; positioning the tool above the dough piece; moving the tool until a downholder and/or a stamp enter into contact with the dough piece; bringing the stamp into engagement with the dough piece at a target position; the forming a pattern into the dough piece; lifting the stamp until the dough piece and the stamp are released from each other; and lifting the tool.
20. The method according to claim 19, wherein an image sensor system with an evaluation unit detects the position of the dough piece on the support and transmits the position of the dough piece to a control unit of the positioning unit.
21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the support comprises a conveyor belt, and wherein simultaneously with the movement of the tool, the tool is displaced with a handling device along the conveyor belt such that a continuous operation of the conveyor belt is possible.
22. The method according to claim 19, wherein the support comprises a conveyor belt, and wherein the downholder fixes the dough piece on the conveyor belt while the stamp is being lifted.
Description
[0034] In the figures following hereinafter, embodiments of a device according to the present disclosure used for stamping a dough piece are sketched.
[0035] FIG. 1 shows, in a view from above, a first conveyor belt with round dough pieces;
[0036] FIG. 2 shows, in a side view, the first conveyor belt with round dough pieces;
[0037] FIG. 3 shows, in a view from above, an alternative conveyor belt with dough pieces kneaded into an elongate shape;
[0038] FIG. 4 shows, in a side view, the alternative conveyor belt with dough pieces kneaded into an elongate shape;
[0039] FIG. 5 shows, in a side view, a tool of a device according to the present disclosure; and
[0040] FIG. 6 shows, in a side view, a device according to the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0041] FIG. 1 shows, in a view from above, a support 05 of a device according to the present disclosure for stamping dough pieces 01, wherein the support 05 according to the embodiment shown is a conveyor belt 08 driven along the lengthwise extension in the conveying direction 10. The dough piece 01 can be placed on the support 05 in an arbitrary undefined position. The kneading of the dough pieces from a flat dough sheet is used in particular in continuous mass production and can advantageously take place directly on conveyor belts, whereby further conveying and/or handling processes can be dispensed with. The dough pieces 01 deposited in an arbitrary manner on the support 05 are detected by means of an image sensor system with an evaluation unit, whereby the position deviation x,y of the dough pieces 01 from a reference position in an ideal raster 11 can be determined. This allows the tool 03 to move to a target position on the dough piece 01 and to align the stamping with the center of the round dough piece 01. After stamping, the dough piece 01 has a pattern 12, depending on the respective tool 03 used. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the pattern 12 may comprise, for example, a snail shape (above) or the pattern 12 of a classic Kaiser roll (below).
[0042] FIG. 2 shows, in a side view, the conveyor belt 08, which is driven along the lengthwise extension in the conveying direction 10, and the dough pieces 01 according to FIG. 1. It can be seen that the dough pieces 01 exhibit deviations z from a reference height, which, however, can be compensated by the control of the tool 03. The necessary data is transmitted by the image sensor system, which includes the evaluation unit, to the control unit of the positioning unit 02.
[0043] FIG. 3 shows a conveyor belt 08 with dough pieces 01 kneaded into an elongate shape, the conveyor belt 08 being driven along the lengthwise extension in the conveying direction 10. In contrast to the previous representation with round dough pieces 01, the position of the dough pieces 01 may not only deviate in two directions x,y from the reference position on the ideal raster 11, but the dough pieces 01 may also be rotationally displaced by an angle α relative to the ideal raster 11. This rotational displacement of the dough pieces 01 kneaded into an elongate shape is detected by the image sensor system including the evaluation unit and the tool 03 is brought into engagement by the positioning unit 02 in the optimum position. This makes it possible to impart an identical pattern 12 to the dough pieces 01 distributed randomly on the support 05. As shown, the pattern 12 may here consist, e.g., of two or three incisions (above) made obliquely in a transverse direction with a sharp stamp 04, as known from baguette rolls, or of one incision (below) extending centrally over the full length, as known from bread rolls. If the incisions are not to extend straight, as shown, but, e.g., in the form of a wave, it is possible to move the stamp 04 horizontally and/or rotationally about the center axis of the tool 03.
[0044] FIG. 4 shows a side view of the conveyor belt 08, which is driven along the lengthwise extension in the conveying direction 10, and of the dough pieces 01 kneaded into an elongate shape according to FIG. 3. It can be seen that the dough pieces 01 may have different heights z due to the stress to which they were subjected in the upstream processes and/or the degree of their proofing. In order to be able to ensure a uniform design of the dough pieces 01, it will be necessary that, on the one hand, the image sensor system including the evaluation unit detects not only the position but also the height of the dough pieces 01 and that, on the other hand, the engagement depth and/or the dwell time of the stamp 04 in the dough piece 01 can be regulated by the control unit of the positioning unit 02 depending on the shape, the degree of proofing, the weight and/or the consistency of the dough piece 01.
[0045] FIG. 5 shows a sketch of an advantageous embodiment of a tool 03 of the device according to the present disclosure. According to this embodiment, the tool 03 has a downholder 09 that has been brought into contact with the upper side of the dough piece 01. The downholder 09 serves to fix the dough piece 01 on the support 05 and the conveyor belt 08, respectively, when the stamp 04 is withdrawn from the dough piece 01. This will, in particular, be necessary, if the dough piece 01 has an exceptionally tough and/or sticky consistency due to the composition of the dough or due to the degree of proofing. For easily and gently fixing the dough piece 01 on the support 05, the downholder 09 is spring-mounted on the lower surface of the tool 03 in spaced relationship with the stamp 04 and is annular in shape, so to as to distribute the necessary hold-down force as evenly as possible on the dough piece 01. By providing a tool changing device 07, the tool 03 shown can exchangeably be attached to a handling device 06 of the positioning unit 02. The operator will thus be able to easily changeover the production lines for different patterns 12 by simply changing between different tools 03.
[0046] FIG. 6 shows a sketch of an embodiment for a device according to the present disclosure. The device consists of a tool 03 and a positioning unit 02, which comprises a handling device 06 and a control unit, not shown, as well as an image sensor system, not shown, with an evaluation unit. By means of the handling device 06, the tool 03 has already been moved to the target position above the dough piece 01, so that in the next step the stamp 04 of the tool 03 can be brought into engagement. For fixing the dough piece 01 on the support 05, the tool 03 includes a spring-mounted downholder 09, which, together with the stamp 04, is brought into contact with the dough piece 01. In the embodiment shown, a round dough piece 01 is intended to be stamped, but, by providing a tool changing device 07, the tool 03 can easily be changed for stamping a dough piece 01 of a different shape or a different pattern 12. In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the support 05 is a continuously driven conveyor belt 08 for use in the mass production of dough products. For this purpose, the tool 03 is moved by the handling device 06 in the conveying direction 10 of the conveyor belt 08, the speed of the conveyor belt 08 and the speed at which the handling device 06 moves the tool 03 being synchronized.
