METHOD AND AN APPARATUS FOR GRINDING MEAT

Abstract

A method to grind meat in a grinder, includes: providing the meat to the grinder via a hopper where the hopper includes a feeder worm for feeding the meat to a process unit. The process unit has a rotating processing worm and a cutting set. The rotating processing worm can receive the meat from the feeder worm and convey it to the cutting set, which grinds the meat. The method involves automatically adjusting the revolutions per minute of the rotating processing worm in response to a pressure creation in the process unit.

Claims

1. A method to grind meat in a grinder, comprising: providing the meat to the grinder via a hopper where the hopper includes a feeder worm for feeding the meat to a process unit, where the process unit comprises a rotating processing worm and a cutting set, the rotating processing worm being configured to receive the meat from the feeder worm and convey it to the cutting set which grinds the meat, wherein the method further comprises: automatically adjusting the revolutions per minute of the rotating processing worm in response to a pressure creation in the process unit; wherein the pressure created in the process unit is measured by a pressure sensor.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of adjusting the RPM of the rotating processing worm comprises either increasing or decreasing the RPM while remaining the conveying direction of the rotating processing worm.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of adjusting the RPM of the rotating processing worm comprises reducing the RPM down to zero followed by temporarily reversing the direction of rotation of the rotating processing worm.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the temporal reversing is applied for a pre-defined time period, subsequently followed by a full power operation of the processing worm.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the step of temporal reversing followed by a full power operation of the processing worm is repeated until the pressure creation in the process unit is below a pressure target value.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pressure created in the process unit is detected by the power consumption of the motor device driving the rotation processing worm.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pressure sensor is positioned in the vicinity of the cutting set.

8. A method to grind meat in a grinder, comprising: providing the meat to the grinder via a hopper where the hopper includes a feeder worm for feeding the meat to a process unit, where the process unit comprises a rotating processing worm and a cutting set, the rotating processing worm being configured to receive the meat from the feeder worm and convey it to the cutting set which grinds the meat, wherein the method further comprises: wherein the pressure creation in the process unit is utilized as an indicator in distinguishing between whether the meat is a frozen meat or a fresh meat; wherein the pressure created in the process unit is measured by a pressure sensor.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the grinder further comprises a bone/sinew/gristle separator system connected to the cutting set by a valve operated by a control until, where operating the valve comprises: opening the valve if the presence of fresh meat in the process unit is detected thus allowing removing bone and/or/sinew and/or gristle from the process unit, closing the valve if the presence of frozen meat in the process unit is detected.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the infeed of said meat into said hopper is performed by a single infeed device.

11. The method according to claim 8, automatically adjusting the revolutions per minute of the rotating processing worm in response to a pressure creation in the process unit.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the pressure created in the process unit is also detected by the power consumption of the motor device driving the rotation processing worm.

13. A meat grinder for grinding meat, comprising: a hopper configured to receive the meat, a feeder worm comprised in the hopper for feeding the meat to a process unit, where the process unit comprises a processing worm configured to rotate, and a cutting set, the rotatable processing worm being configured to receive the meat from the feeder worm and convey it to the cutting set which grinds the meat, wherein the meat grinder further comprises: a control unit configured to automatically adjust the revolutions per minute of the rotatable processing worm in response to a pressure creation in the process unit; a bone/sinew/gristle separator system connected to the process unit via a valve, the valve operated by a control unit in response to the pressure creation in the process unit, where the pressure creation is utilized in distinguishing whether the meat is a frozen meat or a fresh meat, where the control unit is configured to open the valve if the presence of fresh meat in the process unit is detected thus allowing removing bone and/or/sinew and/or gristle from the process unit, and closing the valve if the presence of frozen meat in the process unit is detected; wherein the pressure created in the process unit is measured by a pressure sensor.

14. The meat grinder according to claim 13, further comprising an infeed device for feeding said meat into said hopper from a single location.

15. The meat grinder according to claim 14, wherein the infeed device is selected from: a conveyor apparatus positioned above said hopper, or a lifting infeed apparatus for receiving the meat in a first position, followed by lifting the meat from the first position upwards and along the grinder followed by shoveling the meat into said hopper.

16. The meat grinder according to claim 13, wherein the pressure created in the process unit is also detected by the power consumption of the motor device driving the rotation processing worm.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Embodiments of the invention will be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings, in which

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a flowchart of a method according to the present invention,

[0030] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a meat grinder according to the present invention,

[0031] FIG. 3 shows a simplified cross sectional view of the grinder in FIG. 2 with a bone/sinew/gristle separator system, and

[0032] FIG. 4 depicts a zoomed up view of one embodiment of such a bone/sinew/gristle separator system.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0033] FIG. 1 shows a flowchart of an embodiment of a method according to the present invention, i.e. a method to grind meat in a grinder.

[0034] In step (S1) 101, a meat is provided to the grinder via a hopper where the hopper includes a feeder worm for feeding the meat to a process unit, where the process unit comprises a rotating processing worm and a cutting set, the rotating processing worm being configured to receive the meat from the feeder worm and convey it to the cutting set which grinds the meat.

[0035] In step (S2) 102, the revolutions per minute (RPM) of the rotating processing worm is automatically adjusted in response to a pressure creation in the process unit.

[0036] In an embodiment, the step of automatically adjusting the RPM of the rotating processing worm comprises either increasing or decreasing the RPM while remaining the conveying direction of the rotating processing worm. A common “normal” working conditions of such a meat grinder is to run at approx. 125 rpm approx. 60 Hz Torque app. 4500 Nm. Accordingly, if the product is a frozen meat clump having e.g. high lean/fat ratio, which is very difficult to grind, then according to the present invention, the frequency will automatically be adjusted to e.g. 50 Hz (or below) while running at 102 rpm, which increases the torque to a maximum torque, of around 8500 Nm. Via such an automatic operation the rotating processing worm has an optimal torque at all times. If on the other hand the pressure creation is reduced, e.g. now a fresh meat is fed into the meat grinder, the frequency will automatically be increased again and thus the capacity will be maximized.

[0037] In another embodiment, the step of adjusting the RPM of the rotating processing worm comprises reducing the RPM down to zero followed by temporarily reversing the direction of rotation of the rotating processing worm. The load pressure is commonly highest at the vicinity of the cutting set, but results have shown that by temporarily reversing the rotating processing worm in an automatic way, such an overload may be overcome. The temporal reversing may, in one embodiment, be applied for a pre-defined time period, subsequently followed by a full power operation of the processing worm. This may be repeated until the pressure creation in the process unit is below a pressure target value.

[0038] Said pressure creation may be detected by the power consumption of the motor device driving the rotating processing worm, and/or be measured by a pressure sensor, where the pressure sensor is positioned in the vicinity of the cutting set.

[0039] In one embodiment, the present invention further comprises a step (S3) 103, namely to adjust the rpm and thus the torque of the rotating processing worm so as maintain an optimal pressure at the cutting set and so as to maintain an optimal quality of the grinded meat.

[0040] FIG. 2 shows a meat grinder 200 for grinding meat 205, 206, comprising a hopper 201 configured to receive the meat to the grinder, a feeder worm 202 comprised in the hopper for feeding the meat to a process unit 207. The process unit comprises a rotating processing worm 203 and a cutting set 204, the rotating processing worm being configured to receive the meat from the feeder worm and convey it to the cutting set which grinds the meat. The meat grinder further comprises a control unit configured to automatically adjust the revolutions per minute (RPM) of the rotating processing worm in response to a pressure creation in the process unit. The cutting set 204 may also be referred to as a knife housing comprising repetition of at least one rotating knife and at least one of the hole-plates arranged downstream of the rotating knife.

[0041] FIG. 3 shows a simplified cross sectional view of the grinder 200 in FIG. 2, where the infeed of the meat into the grinder occurs on one side of the grinder. In the embodiment shown here, a lifting infeed apparatus 305 is provided comprising a shovel like device 302 where meat is received in e.g. combos. Instructions may be received by a control unit 304 for lifting the shovel like device 302 upwards followed by shoveling the meat 303 into the grinder.

[0042] In the embodiment shown here, the grinder further comprises a bone/sinew/gristle separator system 301 connected to the cutting set 204 via a valve 306 operated by a control unit 304 in response to the pressure creation in the process unit. The pressure creation is utilized in distinguishing whether the meat is a frozen meat or a fresh meat, where the control unit is configured to open the valve if the presence of fresh meat in the process unit is detected thus allowing removing bone and/or/sinew and/or gristle from the process unit, and closing the valve if the presence of frozen meat in the process unit is detected.

[0043] FIG. 4 shows a zoomed up view of the bone/sinew/gristle separator system 301 arranged in proximity of a rotating knife 405, showing a first hollow rod 401 (or similar) extending from an opening in the cutting set, where said valve 306 may be in an open position (if meat is fresh meat) thus allowing it to pass there through and to a second hollow rod 404 where the bones/sinews/gristles are passed there through.

[0044] While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive; the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Other variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.