DEVICE AND METHOD FOR REMOVING LEAF LARD FROM SLAUGHTERED ANIMALS

Abstract

A tool for removing leaf lard from an animal carcass includes a mandrel to wind a leaf lard. The mandrel includes a suction cavity with a round opening to engage with a part of the leaf lard. A first air device is located inside the mandrel for aspirating and blowing air into and away from the suction cavity. The mandrel can comprise at least one pushing device to loosen and push away a leaf lard wound around the mandrel, and at least one pushing element located inside and/or in front of the pushing device to be directed underneath a leaf lard. The tool may be used in a method for loosening or removing leaf lard from an animal carcass. The tool may be part of a system for automatic loosening or removing leaf lard from an animal carcass, the system may comprise robot arms, identification system and controlling system.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. A tool for loosening or removing leaf lard from at least a part of an animal carcass, the tool comprising a winding mandrel configured to wind a leaf lard around it, the mandrel comprising: a suction cavity located inside the mandrel and with a rounded opening arranged on an outer surface of the mandrel, the suction cavity being configured to engage with a part of the leaf lard, at least one first air device located inside the mandrel for alternately aspirating and blowing air into and away from the suction cavity via the rounded opening to respectively pull the engaged part of the leaf lard into the suction cavity and blow off the engaged part of the leaf lard from the suction cavity.

17. The tool according to claim 16, further comprising: at least one pushing device configured to loosen and push away a leaf lard wound around the mandrel and/or at least one pushing element located inside and/or in front of the pushing device and configured to be directed underneath a leaf lard wound around the mandrel.

18. The tool for loosening or removing leaf lard from at least a part of an animal carcass, the tool comprising a winding mandrel configured to wind a leaf lard around it, the tool further comprising: at least one pushing device configured to loosen and push away a leaf lard wound around the mandrel, at least one pushing element located inside and/or in front of the pushing device and configured to be directed underneath a leaf lard wound around the mandrel.

19. The tool according to claim 18, further comprising: a suction cavity located inside the mandrel and with a rounded opening arranged on an outer surface of the mandrel, the suction cavity being configured to engage with a part of the leaf lard, and/or at least one first air device located inside the mandrel for alternately aspirating and blowing air into and away from the suction cavity via the rounded opening to respectively pull the engaged part of the leaf lard into the suction cavity and blow off the engaged part of the leaf lard from the suction cavity.

20. The tool according to claim 16, wherein the tool further comprising a clamping mechanism located in the suction cavity and being capable to clamp at least a part of the leaf lard aspirated into the suction cavity.

21. The tool according to claim 16, wherein the mandrel has an incurvature of the surface next to the opening of the suction cavity in the direction towards the base end of the mandrel.

22. The tool according to claim 21, wherein the mandrel has a deflection of the surface on the opposite side of the location of the incurvature.

23. The tool according to claim 16, wherein the mandrel at its outer surface comprises engaging members such as spikes configured to engage with the leaf lard.

24. The tool according to claim 16, wherein the mandrel comprises at least one rail recess located along the length of the mandrel, such as at least two rail recesses each located about 90 degrees away from a center line of the opening of the suction cavity, the center line being parallel to a center line from the base end to the front end of the mandrel.

25. The tool according to claim 17, wherein the at least one pushing element is located at least partly in the at least one rail recess and being configured to be entered beneath and/or to push on a leaf lard wound around the mandrel and optionally the pushing element is inclined towards the mandrel surface in the direction towards the front end of the mandrel.

26. A system for automatic loosening or removing leaf lard from at least a part of an animal carcass, the system comprising: a) at least one robot arm comprising at least one tool as described in claim 16, b) an identification system configured to identify the location of a part of an animal carcass and/or the location of a leaf lard to be removed from a part of an animal carcass, c) a processing system configured to receive and process information of at least a location of an animal, a location of an animal part, and/or a location of a leaf lard connected to at least a part of an animal carcass, d) a controlling system being in communication with at least the processing system and the at least one robot arm, the controlling system being configured to control the at least one robot arm with the tool for loosening or removing leaf lard to a. engage with a leaf lard located in the abdominal wall of at least a part of an animal carcass, b. wind the mandrel such that the leaf lard is wound around the mandrel hereby loosening the main part of the leaf lard from the abdominal wall or removing the leaf lard from the abdominal wall of the carcass, and c. remove the tool from the leaf lard leaving the leaf lard connected by a small part to the abdominal wall or directing the loose leaf lard to a deposition area.

27. The system according to claim 26, comprising at least two robot arms each with at least one tool and/or at least one robot arm each with two tools, which robot arms are controlled by the controlling system to drive the mandrels in similar directions or in mirrored directions to remove leaf lard from two half carcasses being from similar animal parts or from a left and a right half carcass part from an animal, such as two half carcasses from one animal.

28. A method for loosening or removing leaf lard from at least a part of an animal carcass with a tool according to claim 16, the method comprising the steps of: a) contacting the mandrel with one end part of a leaf lard located in at least a part of an animal carcass, b) winding the mandrel and simultaneously moving the mandrel along the leaf lard such that the leaf lard loosened from the carcass part and wound around the mandrel until at least a main part or the entire part of the leaf lard is wound around the mandrel, c) disengaging the mandrel and the wound-around leaf lard.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein during step a) securing the leaf lard to the mandrel by suction and/or clamping, such as suction a minor leaf lard part into the suction cavity of the mandrel and/or clamping a minor leaf lard part at the suction cavity of the mandrel.

30. The method according to claim 28, wherein during step c) pushing off the wound around leaf lard from the mandrel, the pushing device is directed from the base end of the mandrel towards the front end of the mandrel and the pushing device is pushing onto the leaf lard and optionally the at least one pushing element is directed together with the pushing device from the base end of the mandrel towards the front end of the mandrel and is hereby performing a lifting process of the leaf lard wound around the mandrel.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0070] FIG. 1 illustrates a first perspective view of a tool for removing or loosening a leaf lard.

[0071] FIG. 2 illustrates a second perspective view of a tool for removing or loosening a leaf lard.

[0072] FIG. 3 illustrates a third perspective view of a tool for removing or loosening a leaf lard.

[0073] FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view from the front of a tool for removing or loosening a leaf lard.

[0074] FIG. 5 illustrates a longitudinal section through a tool for removing or loosening a leaf lard and where the clamping mechanism is in a closed position.

[0075] FIG. 6 illustrates an enlarged view of part of the longitudinal section through a tool for removing or loosening a leaf lard where the clamping mechanism is in an open position.

[0076] FIG. 7 illustrates the position of leaf lard aspirated into the suction cavity while the clamping mechanism is in an open position.

[0077] FIG. 8 illustrates a possible location of the tool when engaging with a leaf lard.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0078] FIG. 1 illustrates a tool 1 for removing or loosening a leaf lard. A longitudinal mandrel 2 with a base end 3 and a front end 4 has a suction cavity 5 with an opening 6. Inside the opening a clamping mechanism 18 is positioned. At the base end 3 of the mandrel a pushing device 7 is located encircling the mandrel 2. Illustrated is part of a piston 8 capable of directing the pushing device 7 from the base end 3 towards the front end 4. The surface 9 of the mandrel 2 is illustrated with engaging members 10. The mandrel 2 is conically shaped with a larger perimeter at the base end 3 than at the front end 4. Engaging members 10 are illustrated as pointed spikes which are askew and with the tips of the spikes pointing towards the front end 4 of the mandrel 2. Illustrated is also the location of a pushing element 11 inside a ring-shaped part of pushing element 15.

[0079] FIG. 2 illustrates a second side view of a tool for removing or loosening a leaf lard. The tool 1 is seen from a side when related to the position in FIG. 1. In the mandrel 2 a suction cavity 5 with an opening 6 is seen where the opening is closed by a clamping mechanism 18. At the base end 3 a pushing device 7 is located. Inside the pushing device 7 is a pushing element 11, where at part of the pushing element 11 is located in a rail recess 12 located from the base end 3 to the front end 4 of the mandrel 2 in a region where the suction opening 6 is not located. The piston 8 is capable of directing the pushing device 7 and the pushing element 11 from the base end 3 of the mandrel 2 and towards the front end 4 of the mandrel 2 where the pushing element 11 is guided in and by the rail recess 12 such that the inclined pushing element 11 can be directed underneath a leaf lard (not shown) wound around the mandrel 2. Illustrated is also an incurvature 13 of the mandrel 2 located close to the opening 6 of the suction cavity 5. The incurvature 13 is located on the side—in the longitudinal direction—of the opening 6 which is towards the base end 3 of the mandrel 2. On the opposite side of the mandrel 2 and just opposite to the incurvature 13 a deflection 14 is illustrated. Also illustrated is that the suction opening 6 is slightly protruding from the overall boundary of the mandrel 2 illustrated with an overall tapered design.

[0080] FIG. 3 illustrates a third side view of a tool for removing or loosening a leaf lard. Features are as described in relation to FIGS. 1 and 2. Focus in this figure is on the pushing device 7 and the pushing element 11. The pushing device 7 encircles a ring-shaped part 15 of the pushing element 11. The ring-shaped part 15 of the pushing element 11 can rotate inside of the ring-shaped pushing device 7 during the rotation of the mandrel 2. Hereby during rotation of the mandrel 2, the ring-shaped part 15 of the pushing device 7 rotates together with the mandrel 2, while the pushing element 11 of the pushing device 7 does not rotate.

[0081] FIG. 4 illustrates a front view of a tool for removing or loosening a leaf lard. Illustrated is the front end 4 of the mandrel 2 and a look from this point towards the base end 3 of the mandrel 2. Two rail recesses 12 are illustrated opposite of each other on each longitudinal side of the mandrel 2 and outside the region of the opening 6 of the suction cavity (not visible). Engaging members 10 are illustrated being located in rows along the longitudinal direction of the tapered mandrel 2. In the rail recesses 12 pushing elements 11 are located and surrounding the base end of the mandrel 2 is the ring-shaped part 15 of the pushing device 7 and the pushing element 11, which together are controlled by the piston 8 such that the pushing device 7, the pushing elements 11 and the ring-shaped part 15 can be directed from the base end 3 towards the front end 4 and returned again.

[0082] FIG. 5 illustrates a longitudinal section through a part of a tool 1 for removing or loosening a leaf lard. Inside the mandrel 2 is seen a first air device 16 and a second air device 17 located from the base end 3 to the suction cavity 5. The first air device 16 is controlled to aspirate leaf lard into the suction cavity 5 and to blow the leaf lard out of the suction cavity 5. The second air device 17 controls the function of the clamping mechanism 18, which is shown in a closed position. The air control is performed by directing air through the second air device 17 towards the suction cavity 5 and into the pressure chamber 26 to direct the clamping mechanism 18 located inside the suction cavity 5 towards the opening 6 of the suction cavity 5, hereby getting the clamping mechanism 18 into a closed position. Air by aspirating in the second air device 17 may be used to get the clamping mechanism 18 in an open position or air flow towards the pressure chamber is stopped.

[0083] FIG. 6 illustrates an enlarged view of part of the longitudinal section through a tool for removing or loosening a leaf lard. Features are as described in relation to FIG. 5. In this figure the clamping mechanism 18 is shown in an open position where the upper part of the clamping mechanism 18 is located away from the suction opening 6 making it possible to aspirate leaf lard into the suction cavity 5. The pressure chamber 26 is ‘small’ or in its starting position as no air is directed through the second air device 17 toward the pressure chamber 26.

[0084] FIG. 7 illustrates a suction cavity 5 in an open position where the clamping mechanism 18 is located away from the suction opening 6 a section of a leaf lard 21 is illustrated aspirated into the suction cavity. When the clamping mechanism 18 is directed towards the suction opening 6 with the leaf lard 21 in this position, the leaf lard 21 will be clamped inside the suction cavity 5. Shown is also the pressure chamber 26 in its starting position before air is directed through the second air device 17 into the pressure chamber 26.

[0085] FIG. 8 illustrates a possible location of the tool when engaging with a leaf lard. The figure illustrates part of an animal carcass including an abdominal wall 19 with spinal column 23, ribs 24 where part of some are located behind the leaf lard 21, the cut open abdominal wall 20 and the leaf lard 21 located in the abdominal wall 19. This illustration may simulate a part of a half pig carcass hanging in its hind leg i.e. with head down. A tool 1 as described herein is directed towards the leaf lard 21 and with the front end of the tool 1 pointing partly to the ground. The opening 6 of the suction cavity is illustrated with a dotted line to indicate it is located in the tool 1 at the side directed towards the leaf lard 21. The opening 6 is engaged with the leaf lard 21 in the pointed end 22 of the leaf lard 21, which is the lower part of the leaf lard 21 for carcass parts hanging in hind legs. The arrows 25 indicate the turning direction of the mandrel of the tool 1 for winding the leaf lard 21 around the mandrel.

[0086] It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.