OPERATING METHOD FOR A SLICING MACHINE AND SLICING MACHINE SUITABLE THEREFOR

Abstract

In a slicer, in which a number of service operations, such as cleaning operations, maintenance operations, etc., are to be carried out before and after slicing operation, it is possible according to the invention for the operator to switch from a normal slicing mode to a service mode, within which a control unit automatically and triggered by a specific start event initiates defined actions, for example after opening a specific protective door as a start event, to move moving working parts located behind it, such as a feed conveyor, into a cleaning and changing position.

Claims

1. An operating method for operating a slicing machine, in particular a slicer, for slicing calibers into slices and, if required, creating shingled or stacked portions from slices, wherein the operating method can be switched between a slicing mode and a service mode, the service mode comprises several service programs aimed at different purposes, after switching to the service mode at least one, in particular exactly one, service program is automatically selected and optionally started, triggered by at least one start event occurring and detected, usually at a protective part of the machine.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein after switching to the service mode and a start event detected by the control unit, the control unit offers the operator a number of possible service programs for selection.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the part, in particular protective part, of the machine at which the at least one start event occurs is a movable protective part, the start event is a detected movement of the protective part.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein a service program in spatial terms comprises as a preset at least one movement, in particular a stepwise movement sequence, of a movable working part of the machine, namely in the case of a working part movable over an endless path of movement its movement by a defined distance, its approach to a defined position, in the case of a working part movable only along a limited path of movement, its approach to a defined position, in particular an end position, of the limited movement path.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a service program comprises in temporal terms as a preset a time duration and/or a start time and/or a time window (define) and/or a repetition number for a movement or the movement sequence of at least one movable working part.

6. The according to claim 1, wherein a service program in the case of several specifications, contains a prioritization of the specifications and/or contains a detectable target event or a target event to be reported by the operator to the controller, which defines the end of the service program.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein for enabling a cleaning of the machine as purpose of the service program, this comprises the approaching of a cleaning position of one or more movable working parts of the machine or for enabling a repair or conversion of the machine as purpose of the service program, this comprises the approaching of a repair position or conversion position of one or more movable working parts of the machine, or for enabling a loading of the machine with a new caliber as purpose of the service program, this comprises the approaching of a loading position of one or more movable working parts of the machine, in particular of the feed conveyor, in particular including detection of the presence of a caliber in the machine or for enabling a removal of an end piece of a caliber from a gripper and discharge from the machine as a purpose of the service program, this comprises the approaching of an end piece removal position of one or more movable working parts of the machine, in particular of the gripper.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the start event can comprise several partial events, in particular occurring in a specific sequence, in particular separate start events for the individual processes of a service measure, which must take place one after the other within a cycle, but in which, in particular in between, the operator must carry out activities, in the context of the start or completion of which start events again occur.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first event occurring at the movable protective parts of the machine after switching to the service mode or the last event occurring before that is interpreted as the start event.

10. A slicing machine, in particular slicer, for slicing calibers into slices and creating shingled or stacked portions from slices, comprising: a cutting unit, a feeding unit for feeding at least one caliber to the cutting unit, a discharge unit with at least one portioning belt, a control unit including an operating unit for controlling movable parts of the slicing machine, wherein the control unit is designed to be able to perform the operating method described in the claim 1, the control unit comprises a change-over switch for switching between cutting mode and service mode M, sensors are present on the machine, which are designed to detect a potential start event and report it to the control unit.

11. The slicing machine according to claim 10, wherein the sensor is a motion sensor or position sensor for monitoring moving parts, in particular protective parts, in particular a moving protective door, of the machine at which a start event can occur.

12. The slicing machine according to claim 10, wherein the machine, in particular the operating unit, comprises at least one display element for displaying which process mode is active and/or which service program is active and/or which start event was the triggering event for the currently active service program and/or at which point of the motion sequence the currently active service program is located and/or which action is expected from the operator and/or which inputs on the operating unit are currently available to the operator and/or which input is expected from the operator at the operating unit.

13. The slicing machine according to claim 10, wherein the operating unit comprises a selector switch for selecting a specific service program in the service mode.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0081] Embodiments according to the invention are described in more detail below by way of example and with reference to the figures, which show:

[0082] FIGS. 1a, b: a slicing machine in the form of a slicer according to the prior art in different perspective views, with the feed belt folded up into the slicing position,

[0083] FIG. 2a: a simplified side view of the slicer, with some of the cladding parts removed, so that the individual conveyor belts can be seen more clearly, but with protective housing, loaded with a product caliber,

[0084] FIG. 2b: a side view as in FIG. 2a, but with the feed belt folded down into the loading position and the product caliber sliced up to a caliber end piece, also with protective housing,

[0085] FIG. 3: the slicer according to FIGS. 2a, b in top view,

[0086] FIG. 4a: a flow chart of the operating procedure of the machine, and

[0087] FIG. 4b: a flow chart of some service programs of the machine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0088] FIGS. 1a, 1b show different perspective views of a multi-track slicer 1 for simultaneous slicing of several product calibers K on a respective path PF1 to PF4 next to each other and depositing in shingled portions P each consisting of several slices S with a general direction of passage 10* through the slicer 1 from right to left.

[0089] FIG. 2a showswith the caliber K inserteda side view of this slicer 1 omitting covers and other parts not relevant to the invention, which are attached to the base frame 2 as are all other units, so that the functional parts, especially the conveyor belts, can be seen more clearly. The longitudinal direction 10 is the feed direction of the calibers K to the slicing unit 7 and thus also the longitudinal direction of the calibers K lying in the slicer 1.

[0090] It can be seen that the basic structure of a slicer 1 according to the state of the art is that a slicing unit 7 with blades 3 rotating about a blade axis 3, such as a sickle blade 3, has several, in this case four, product calibers K lying next to one another transversely to the feed direction 10 on a feed conveyor 4 with spacers 15 of the feed conveyor 4 between them which are fed by this feed unit 20, from the front ends of each of which the rotating blade 3 cuts off a slice S with its cutting edge 3a in one operation, i.e., almost simultaneously.

[0091] For slicing the product calibers K, the feed conveyor 4 is in the slicing position shown in FIGS. 1a-2a, which is oblique in side view with a low-lying cutting-side front end and a high-lying rear end, from which it can be folded down about a pivot axis 4 running in its width direction, the first transverse direction 11, which is located in the vicinity of the cutting unit 7, into an approximately horizontal loading position as shown in FIG. 2b.

[0092] The rear end of each caliber K lying in the feed unit 20 is held positively by a gripper 14a-d with the aid of gripper claws 16, as shown in FIG. 2a. These grippers 14a-14d, which can be activated and deactivated with respect to the position of the gripper claws 16, are attached to a common gripper carriage 13, which can be moved along a gripper guide 18 in the feed direction 10.

[0093] Both the feed of the gripper carriage 13 and of the feeder 4 can be driven in a controlled manner, but the actual feed speed of the calibers K is effected by a so-called upper and lower product guide 8, 9, which are also driven in a controlled manner and which engage on the upper side and lower side of the calibers K to be sliced in their front end regions near the cutting unit 7:

[0094] The front ends of the calibers K are guided each through a so-called product opening 6a-d of a plate-shaped cutting frame 5, the cutting plane 3 running directly in front of the front, obliquely downward-pointing end face of the cutting frame 5, in which cutting plane the blade 3 rotates with its cutting edge 3a and thus cuts off the protrusion of the calibers K from the cutting frame 5 as a slice S. The cutting plane 3 runs directly in front of the front, obliquely downward-pointing end face of the cutting frame 5. The cutting plane 3 runs perpendicular to the upper run of the feed conveyor 4 and/or is spanned by the two transverse directions 11, 12 to the feed direction 10.

[0095] The inner circumference of the product openings 6a-d serves as a counter cutting edge of the cutting edge 3a of the blade 3.

[0096] Since both product guides 8, 9 can be driven in a controlled manner, in particular independently of each other and/or possibly separately for each track SP1 to SP4, they determine thecontinuous or clockedfeed speed of the calibers K through the cutting frame 5.

[0097] The upper product guide 8 is displaceable in the second transverse direction 12which is perpendicular to the surface of the upper run of the feed conveyor 4for adaptation to the height H of the caliber K in this direction. Furthermore, at least one of the product guides 8, 9 can be designed so as to be pivotable about one of its deflection rollers in order to be able to change the direction of the run of its guide belt resting against the caliber K to a limited extent.

[0098] The slices S standing obliquely in the space during separation fall onto a discharge device 17 which begins outside the cutting frame 5 and runs in the passage direction 10* and which in this case consists of several discharge units 17a, b, c arranged one behind the other in the passage direction 10* with the upper runs of their conveyor belts approximately aligned, of which the first discharge unit 17a in the passage direction 10* can be designed as a portioning belt unit 17a and/or can also be designed as a weighing unit.

[0099] The slices S can hit the portioning belt unit 17a individually and spaced apart from each other in the passage direction 10*, or they can form shingled or stacked portions P by appropriate control of the portioning belt 17a of the discharge device 17the movement of which, like almost all moving parts, is controlled by the control unit 1*by stepwise forward or backward movement of the portioning belt 22.

[0100] Below the feed unit 20 there is usually an approximately horizontal end piece conveyor 21, which starts with its front end below the cutting frame 5 and directly below or behind the discharge unit 17 and with its upper run thereonby means of the drive of one of the discharge conveyors 17 against the passage direction 10*transports falling end pieces to the rear.

[0101] FIG. 3 shows the sliceranalogous to FIGS. 2a, b with the protective housing 30 closed for safety reasonsin top view.

[0102] It is best seen that the protective enclosure 30, viewed from above, surrounds the entire machine 1 in a rectangular shape and consists of a frame with upright posts 28 and cross-members 29 connecting the upper ends of the posts 28, whereby the area between two adjacent posts from the floor to the cross-member 29 is covered by protective doors 23.2 to 23.13, which can be pivoted about vertical pivot axes on posts 28, to such an extent that no hand can be inserted into the interior of the protective enclosure 30 through the remaining gaps.

[0103] The protective doors 23.2 to 23.13 can be swung open to the outside to provide access to the machine 1 over a large area.

[0104] For example, the protective doors 23.4 and 23.5 must be opened on the operator side B to allow access to the folded-down feed conveyor 4 from the operator side, for example to load or clean it.

[0105] Furthermore, a pivoting protective hood 23.1 is symbolically shown, which can be pivoted about a pivot axis 23.1 lying inclined in the passage direction 10 and which, in the pivoted-down state, covers the rotating blade 3 as far as possible.

[0106] Each of these movable protective parts 23.1-23.13 is assigned an event sensor 27.1-27.13, which is attached to an adjacent, usually fixed, component such as the frame of the protective housing 30 or the housing of the cutting unit 7. The event sensor is usually a position sensor which detects the closed position of the respective protective part and reports this to the control unit 1 and, if the protective part is not completely closed, emits an alarm signal to the control unit 1* which is interpreted by the latter as a start event in service mode SM if this is already activated or is activated by the operator immediately after the start event.

[0107] FIG. 4a shows on the basis of the flow chart of the operating method that there the operator first selects between the cutting mode CM and the service mode SM of the machine 1 by means of a changeover switch 25which is usually present on the operating unit of the machine 1 not shown:

[0108] To carry out a work order, he switches to the slicing mode CM, which usually comprises several slicing programs AP1, AP2, etc., and selects the slicing program suitable for his current work order, for example on the basis of the type of product to be sliced or the portions to be produced, for example the slicing program AP2, and slices the product pieces or calibers K.

[0109] If service work has to be carried out on machine 1which may also be indicated to the operator by control 1* of machine 1 with regard to the time, and may therefore also be necessary in the middle of the running work orderthe operator switches to service mode SM by means of changeover switch 25, whereupon the slicing operation is aborted or at least interrupted.

[0110] If the service work to be performed requires the protective door 23.1 to be opened, for example, the operator opens this protective door 23.1, which is registered by an event sensor 27.1 mounted therefor example a position sensor that detects that the protective door 23.1 is now no longer in the closed positionand reported to the control 1*.

[0111] If the opening of this protective door 23.2 is stored in the control system as a start event for only one specific service program, for example the cleaning program SP1, the control system 1* then usually starts this service program SP1 immediately.

[0112] If the opening of this protective door 23.2 is stored in the control 1* as the only or primary start event for different service programs, for example SP2.1 and SP2.2in this case two different repair programs for the repair of, for example, different components of the machine 1then two cases must be distinguished:

[0113] If the opening of this protective door 23.2 is the only stored start event for both service programs SP2.1 and SP2.2 in question, the operator must inform the control 1* by means of a selector switch 26which is also usually present on the service unit 22which specific one of the two service programs in question in this case he wishes to execute.

[0114] For this purpose, the control unit 1* usually offers him only these two service programs SP2.1 and SP2.2 for selection after opening the protective door 23.1. Only after the selection can the control unit start the selected service program, for example SP 2.1.

[0115] If, according to FIG. 4b, the opening of the protective door 23.2 is the primary start event SE2 for both SP2.1 and SP2.2, but a second secondary start event SE2.1 or SE2. 2 is stored in the control unit, the operator must first additionally cause one of these two different secondary start events, whereby he indirectly selects one of the two, e.g., the service program SP2.2, without further input at the operating unit 22, and this service program SP2.2 is then started by the control unit 1*.

[0116] Of course, the secondary start event, like the primary start event, is usually an operation that the operator must perform anyway in order to perform the desired service work.

[0117] If the movement of a working part 24 of the machine 1 or sequence of movements of one or more working parts 24 of the machine 1 stored in a service program already poses a risk of injury to the operator, [0118] the operator can be indicated by a warning signal, for example a signal lamp, in particular directly at the working part to be moved by the movement sequence, when the working parts are in the service position and the operator may start the service work or [0119] the working part 24 to be moved into the service position, for example the blade 3, is protected by a further, still closed protective part 23, for example the cover 23.1, which only opens when the movement or sequence of movements of the working parts 24 stored in the service program has been completed.

[0120] The latter can be achieved, for example, by opening a protective door 23.2which represents the start eventonly a small gap at first, which does not yet allow an arm to be pushed through, and this protective door 23.2 can only be opened furtheras is necessary for carrying out the service workafter the corresponding service program SP has moved the working parts 24 concerned into the service position.

[0121] When the service work is completedwhich may require one or more corresponding completion messages from the operator at the control unit 22, but in any case a final closing of all guard parts 23, which is detected by the corresponding event sensors 27the control unit 1* emits a signal that the machine 1 can now be switched back to the cutting mode CM.

LIST OF REFERENCES

[0122] 1 slicing machine, slicer [0123] 1* control [0124] 2 base frame [0125] 3 blades [0126] 3 rotation axis [0127] 3 blade plane, cutting plane [0128] 3a cutting edge [0129] 4 feeding conveyor, feeding belt [0130] 5 cutting frame [0131] 6a-d product opening [0132] 7 cutting unit [0133] 8 upper product guide, upper guide belt [0134] 8.1 contact run, lower run [0135] 8a gland-side deflection roller [0136] 8b gland-averted deflection roller [0137] 9 lower product guide, lower guide belt [0138] 8.1 contact run, upper run [0139] 9a gland-side guide roller [0140] 9b gland-averted deflection pulley [0141] 10 transport direction, longitudinal direction, axial direction [0142] 10* passage direction through machine [0143] 11 1.sup.st transverse direction (width slicer) [0144] 12 2.sup.nd transverse direction (height direction caliber) [0145] 13 gripper unit, gripper slide [0146] 14,14 a-d gripper [0147] 15 spacer [0148] 15 support surface [0149] 16 gripper claw [0150] 17 discharge conveyor unit [0151] 17a, b, c portioning belt, discharge conveyor [0152] 18 gripper guide [0153] 19 height sensor [0154] 20 feeding unit [0155] 21 end piece conveyor [0156] 22 operating unit [0157] 23 protective part, protective door, protective hood [0158] 24 working part [0159] 25 change-over switch [0160] 26 selector switch [0161] 27.1/.2/.3 sensor, event sensor [0162] 28 post [0163] 29 crossbar [0164] 30 protective enclosure [0165] AP1, AP2 slicing program [0166] CM slicing mode [0167] SM service mode [0168] K product, product caliber [0169] KR end piece [0170] PF1/2/3 path [0171] S slice [0172] P portion [0173] SP1, SP2.1 service program