DEVICE FOR SHREDDING STRIP-SHAPED MATERIAL AND METHOD FOR ITS OPERATION

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a device for shredding strip-shaped material comprising a housing with at least one feed opening for the strip-shaped material and a discharge opening for the shredded material, a blade holder which is mounted to be rotatable about an axis within the housing, at least one blade which is attached to the blade holder, at least one counter blade which is attached to the housing, and a drive configured to rotate the blade holder in a first direction of rotation and a second direction of rotation, opposite to the first direction of rotation, about the axis. The disclosure further relates to a method for operating a device for shredding strip-shaped material. Under the method, at least one blade holder mounted to be rotatable in a first direction of rotation, as well as in a second direction of rotation, is employed by the device.

Claims

1. A device for shredding strip-shaped material, comprising a housing with at least one feed opening for the strip-shaped material and a discharge opening for material shredded therefrom, a blade holder which is mounted to be rotatable about an axis within the housing, at least one blade which is attached to the blade holder, at least one counter blade which is attached to the housing, and a drive configured to rotate the blade holder in a first direction of rotation and a second direction of rotation, opposite to the first direction of rotation about the axis.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one blade has a cutting edge that forms a cutting plane, which is disposed perpendicular to the axis, by a rotation of the blade holder about the axis.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein a cutting gap between the at least one blade and the at least one counter blade is variable.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least one blade and/or each of the at least one counter blade have/has at least two cutting edges.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein each cutting edge is formed to be straight, serrated, concave, and/or convex, at least in sections.

6. The device according to claim 4, wherein the at least two cutting edges comprise a first cutting edge and a second cutting edge, and wherein the first cutting edge and the second cutting edge are configured to be different or identical.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one counter blade comprises two counter blades that are arranged on a circumference of a feed opening of the at least one feed opening.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein cutting edges of the two counter blades are configured to be different or identical.

9. The device according to claim 7, wherein the two counter blades are arranged substantially symmetrical to an imaginary center line which divides the feed opening into two regions of equal size.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one counter blade is attached to the housing to be adjustable in height and/or tiltable.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein negative pressure is applicable to the discharge opening.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one blade is attached to the blade holder in a releasable manner, and the at least one counter blade is attached to the housing in a releasable manner.

13. A packaging machine comprising the device according to claim 1.

14. A food processing line comprising the packaging machine according to claim 13.

15. A method for operating a device for shredding strip-shaped material, the method comprising employing, by the device, at least one blade holder mounted to be rotatable in a first direction of rotation as well as in a second direction of rotation opposite to the first direction of rotation for shredding the strip-shaped material.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising changing speed of rotation of the at least one blade holder by way of a control device for adjusting size of a shredded material.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the control device stores operating parameters of the device in a data memory.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the operating parameters comprise direction of rotation and/or speed of rotation.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] An advantageous embodiment of the disclosure is illustrated in more detail hereafter with reference to a drawing, where:

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a deep-drawing packaging machine;

[0026] FIG. 2 shows a sectional illustration of an embodiment of a device for shredding strip-shaped material;

[0027] FIG. 3 shows a sectional illustration of the embodiment of the device;

[0028] FIG. 4 shows a detailed sectional illustration of the embodiment of the device;

[0029] FIG. 5 shows a perspective sectional illustration of the embodiment of the device;

[0030] FIG. 6 shows a perspective sectional illustration of the embodiment of the device; and

[0031] FIG. 7 shows a schematic illustration of a food processing line.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] FIG. 1 schematically shows an embodiment of a deep-drawing packaging machine 100. Deep-drawing packaging machine 100 comprises a forming station 101, a sealing station 102, a transverse cutting station 103, and a longitudinal cutting station 104, as well as a device 1 for shredding strip-shaped material 2. They are arranged in the sequence mentioned in a direction of transport T on a machine frame 105.

[0033] Provided on machine frame 105 on the inlet side is a feed roll 106 from which a first film 107, the so-called base film, is drawn off. Provided in the region of sealing station 102 is a second roll 108 from which a second film 109, the so-called top film, is drawn off. Provided on the outlet side at deep-drawing packaging machine 100 is a conveyor belt 110 with which finished and separated packagings 111 are transported away. Furthermore, deep-drawing packaging machine 100 has an advancing device, not shown, which can grip base film 107 and transport it onward intermittently in direction of transport T, preferably in a main work cycle. The advancing device can be realized, for example, by laterally arranged transport chains, preferably clamp chains.

[0034] As shown in the embodiment illustrated, forming station 101 is configured as a deep-drawing station. In the latter, one or more packaging trays 113 are formed into first film 107 by deep-drawing.

[0035] Forming station 101 can be configured such that several packaging trays 113 can be formed next to one another in a direction perpendicular to direction of transport T. A loading stretch 112 is provided in direction of transport T downstream of forming station 101. Packaging trays 113 formed in base film 107 are there filled with products (not illustrated).

[0036] In sealing station 102, an atmosphere in packaging trays 113 can be removed prior to sealing, for example, by vacuuming and/or be replaced with a replacement gas or with a replacement gas mixture by gas flushing. Or sealing station 102 only closes packaging trays 113 with top film 109 without changing the atmosphere inside packaging trays 113.

[0037] Transverse cutting station 103 is configured to sever base film 107 and top film 109 in a direction transverse to direction of transport T between adjacent packaging trays 113. Transverse cutting station 103 is configured such that base film 107 is not separated across the entire width, rather is not severed at least in an edge region. This enables the film composite to be transported onward in a controlled manner by the advancing device.

[0038] Like in the embodiment illustrated, longitudinal cutting station 104 is configured as a rotating circular blade assembly with which base film 107 and top film 109 are severed between adjacent packaging trays 113 and at the lateral edge of base film 107, as a result of which individual packagings 111 are present downstream of longitudinal cutting station 104. Initially, only so-called edge strips, which are present as strip-shaped material 2, remain in the advancing device. In the end region of deep-drawing packaging machine 100, they are conveyed out of the advancing device and supplied to device 1.

[0039] Deep-drawing packaging machine 100 furthermore contains a control device 14 which has a data memory 15. Control device 14 is configured to control and/or monitor the processes running in deep-drawing packaging machine 100. In addition, a display and operating device 114 is provided preferably with control elements (not shown) and set up to visualize or influence process sequences in packaging machine 100 for or by an operator.

[0040] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of device 1 according to the disclosure in a sectional illustration in a top view. Disposed at the center of a housing 3 is a blade holder 7 mounted to be rotatable and which is equipped with two blades 9 in this embodiment. First direction of rotation r1 or second direction of rotation r2, which is directed opposite to the first one, can be specified. Blades 9 each have two cutting edges 9a, 9b. Cutting edges 9a, 9b are there aligned such that cutting edges 9a are directed in first direction of rotation r1 and cutting edges 9b are directed in second direction of rotation r2. In addition, device 1 has a total of four counter blades 10, two of which are placed at feed openings 4. Counter blades 10 are arranged at feed openings 4 such that they are each disposed symmetrically with respect to a center line 12 which extends through a center point M of feed opening 4. In the embodiment shown, counter blades 10 have only one cutting edge 10a, 10b. A counter blade 10 with a cutting edge 10a and a counter blade 10 with a cutting edge 10b are each placed at a feed opening 4. And are arranged such that a strip-shaped material 2 (shown in FIG. 5) can be supplied through feed opening 4 and is shredded by cutting edges 9a, 10a when first direction of rotation r1 is selected and is shredded by cutting edges 9b, 10b when second direction of rotation r2 is selected.

[0041] FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of device 1 according to the disclosure in a sectional illustration in a side view. A drive 11 (e.g., an electric motor provided with or without an associated controller or control device) drives blade holder 7 which is mounted to be rotatable about an axis 8. Housing 3 has two feed openings 4 and one discharge opening 5.

[0042] FIG. 4 shows a detailed view of a region of blades 9 and counter blades 10 of an embodiment of the device according to the disclosure. A cutting plane 13 runs perpendicular to axis 8 and through cutting edges 9a, 9b of blades 9. A cutting gap d forms between cutting plane 13 and cutting edges 10a of counter blades 10. Cutting gap d between cutting edges 9a, 10a can differ from a cutting gap d′ of cutting edges 9b, 10b.

[0043] FIG. 5 shows a sectional illustration of an embodiment of device 1 according to the disclosure in a perspective view. Strip-shaped material 2 is conveyed through feed opening 4 by way of negative pressure applied to discharge opening 5. Strip-shaped material 2 is there still held by the advancing device and a respective length of strip-shaped material 2 is released with each main work cycle of the deep-drawing packaging machine. Due to the rotation of blade holder 7 about axis 8, strip-shaped material 2 is shredded into shredded material 6 by a cutting process using blades 9 and counter blades 10. Shredded material 6 is conveyed out through discharge opening 5 by the negative pressure applied.

[0044] FIG. 6 shows a sectional illustration of an embodiment of the device according to the disclosure. In this embodiment, cutting edges 9a, 10a are formed as straight cutting edges and cutting edges 9b, 10b as serrated cutting edges. When blade holder 7 rotates in first direction of rotation r1, the cutting process is executed by the interaction of cutting edges 9a and cutting edges 10a; when blade holder 7 rotates in second direction of rotation r2, the cutting process is executed by the interaction of cutting edges 9b and cutting edges 10b. Cutting edges 9b, 10b in a serrated embodiment are typically particularly suitable for cutting thin and tough packaging material, and cutting edges 9a, 10a in a straight embodiment are particularly suitable for cutting thick and brittle packaging material.

[0045] FIG. 7 shows a schematic illustration of an embodiment of a food processing line 600. It comprises a food slicing machine 200, a transport system 300, deep-drawing packaging machine 100, handling modules 400, and a final packaging system 500.

[0046] As those skilled in the art will understand, the control device 14, the drive 11, as well as any other controller, unit, component, module, system, subsystem, sensor, device, or the like described herein may individually, collectively, or in any combination comprise appropriate circuitry, such as one or more appropriately programmed processors (e.g., one or more microprocessors including central processing units (CPU)) and associated memory, which may include stored operating system software, firmware, and/or application software executable by the processor(s) for controlling operation thereof and for performing the particular algorithm or algorithms represented by the various methods, functions and/or operations described herein, including interaction between and/or cooperation with each other. One or more of such processors, as well as other circuitry and/or hardware, may be included in a single Application-Specific Integrated Circuitry (ASIC) or Electronic Control Unit (ECU), or several processors and various circuitry and/or hardware may be distributed among several separate components, whether individually packaged or assembled into a System-on-a-Chip (SoC).

TABLE-US-00001 REFERENCE CHARACTERS 1 device 2 strip-shaped material 3 housing 4 feed opening 5 discharge opening 6 shredded material 7 blade holder 8 axis 9 blade 9a, 9b blade cutting edges 10 counter blade 10a, 10b counter blade cutting edges 11 drive 12 center line 13 cutting plane 14 control device 15 data memory 100 deep-drawing packaging machine 101 forming station 102 sealing station 103 transverse cutting station 104 longitudinal cutting station 105 machine frame 106 feed roll 107 base film 108 second roll 109 top film 110 conveyor belt 111 packaging 112 loading stretch 113 packaging tray 114 display unit d, d′ cutting gap r1 first direction of rotation r2 second direction of rotation