Slicing device

Abstract

A slicer having at least one cutting blade, in particular a scythe-like blade, rotating about an axis of rotation and having an imbalance. Also included is a rotary drive for the cutting blade. Further included is a counterweight having at least one balance mass for compensating the imbalance of the cutting blade.

Claims

1. An apparatus for the slicing of food products comprising: at least one cutting blade rotating about a single axis of rotation and having an imbalance with respect to its rotational movement about the single axis of rotation; a rotary drive for the at least one cutting blade; and a single counterweight that is the only counterweight of the apparatus and consists of a plurality of balance masses rotationally fixed to a rotor shaft and axially spaced apart from one another, each of the balance masses defining a circumferential and radial weight distribution that is static with respect to the rotor shaft, the plurality of balance masses being configured and arranged for compensating the imbalance of the at least one cutting blade with respect to its rotational movement; wherein the plurality of balance masses includes a first balance mass and a second balance mass that are arranged only at one side of the at least one cutting blade, and wherein an axial spacing between the second balance mass and the at least one cutting blade is at least double an axial spacing between the first balance mass and the at least one cutting blade.

2. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the imbalance of the first balance mass is larger than the imbalance of the at least one cutting blade.

3. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first balance mass and the imbalance of the at least one cutting blade act in opposite radial directions, whereas the second balance mass acts in the same radial direction as the imbalance of the at least one cutting blade.

4. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first balance mass and the second balance mass are arranged at different sides of a fixed-position rack part or frame part.

5. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein one of the balance masses is formed by the rotary drive.

6. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one cutting blade is adjustable in an axial direction for carrying out blank cuts and/or for setting a cutting gap, with each of the plurality of balance masses being adjustable together with the at least one cutting blade.

7. An apparatus for the slicing of food products comprising: at least one cutting blade rotating about a single axis of rotation and having an imbalance with respect to its rotational movement about the single axis of rotation; a rotary drive for the at least one cutting blade; and a single counterweight that is the only counterweight of the apparatus and consists of a plurality of balance masses rotationally fixed to a rotor shaft and axially spaced apart from one another, each of the balance masses defining a circumferential and radial weight distribution that is static with respect to the rotor shaft for compensating the imbalance of the at least one cutting blade, the plurality of balance masses comprising a first balance mass and a second balance mass, the axial distance between the first balance mass and the second balance mass being constant during slicing operation of the apparatus, wherein an axial spacing between the second balance mass and the at least one cutting blade is at least double an axial spacing between the first balance mass and the at least one cutting blade, and wherein the first balance mass and the imbalance of the at least one cutting blade act in opposite radial directions, whereas the second balance mass acts in the same radial direction as the imbalance of the at least one cutting blade.

8. The apparatus in accordance with claim 7, wherein the counterweight is arranged only at one side of the at least one cutting blade.

9. The apparatus in accordance with claim 7, wherein the imbalance of the first balance mass is larger than the imbalance of the at least one cutting blade.

10. The apparatus in accordance with claim 7, wherein the first balance mass and the second balance mass are arranged at different sides of a fixed-position rack part or frame part.

11. The apparatus in accordance with claim 7, wherein one of the balance masses is formed by the rotary drive.

12. The apparatus in accordance with claim 7, wherein the at least one cutting blade is adjustable in an axial direction for carrying out blank cuts and/or for setting a cutting gap, with each of the at least two balance masses being adjustable together with the at least one cutting blade.

13. An apparatus for the slicing of food products comprising: at least one cutting blade rotating about an axis of rotation and having an imbalance with respect to its rotational movement; a rotary drive for the at least one cutting blade; and a single counterweight that is the only counterweight of the apparatus and consists of a plurality of balance masses rotationally fixed to a rotor shaft and axially spaced apart from one another, each of the balance masses defining a circumferential and radial weight distribution that is static with respect to the rotor shaft, the plurality of balance masses arranged only at one side of the at least one cutting blade, the plurality of balance masses including a first balance mass and a second balance mass being configured and arranged for compensating the imbalance of the at least one cutting blade with respect to its rotational movement; wherein a spacing between the second balance mass and the at least one cutting blade is at least double a spacing between the first balance mass and the at least one cutting blade, wherein the at least one cutting blade is removably attached to a blade mount which forms the first balance mass the blade mount having an asymmetrical rotation geometry with respect to the axis of rotation, at least a portion of the first balance mass being arranged at a radial spacing from the axis of rotation which amounts to at least 75% of a smallest radius of the at least one cutting blade, the smallest radius part of an outer circumference of the at least one cutting blade.

14. An apparatus for the slicing of food products comprising: at least one cutting blade rotating about a single axis of rotation and having an imbalance with respect to its rotational movement about the single axis of rotation; a rotary drive for the at least one cutting blade, the rotary drive comprising a drive disk and a rotor shaft, the drive disk interacting with a drive motor via a drive belt, the drive disk in direct interaction with the drive belt, the rotor shaft connected between the drive disk and the at least one cutting blade; and a counterweight comprising a plurality of balance masses axially spaced apart from one another, the axially spaced balance masses being configured and arranged for compensating the imbalance of the at least one cutting blade with respect to its rotational movement; wherein one of the axially spaced balance masses is formed by the drive disk of the rotary drive which can be set into rotation by means of the drive motor via the drive belt.

Description

(1) The invention will be described in the following by way of example with reference to the drawings. There are shown:

(2) FIG. 1 in part a side view of an embodiment of a slicing apparatus in accordance with the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 a scythe-like blade;

(4) FIG. 3 a sectional view of the slicing apparatus in accordance with FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 4 a perspective view of the slicing apparatus in accordance with FIG. 1; and

(6) FIG. 5 a plan view of the blade mount of the slicing apparatus in accordance with FIG. 1.

(7) FIG. 1 shows a part of the slicing apparatus (slicer) also called a blade head or cutting head for slicing food products, in particular sausage, ham or cheese.

(8) A scythe-like blade 10 (cf. also FIG. 2) is attached rotatable about an axis of rotation D to a rotor shaft 12 which can be arranged inclined obliquely to the horizontal at least in cutting operation. The scythe-like blade 10 defines a cutting plane 14 which extends perpendicular to the axis of rotation D.

(9) The scythe-like blade 10 is fixed to a blade mount 20 with the aid of screws 18. The scythe-like blade 10 is rotationally fixedly connected to the rotor shaft 12 via the blade mount 20. The rotor shaft 12 is in turn rotatably supported in a rotor hub 22 and is connected at its end remote from the blade 10 to a rotary drive 24. The drive takes place by means of a toothed belt disk 26 as a drive disk which is set into rotation via a drive belt 28 and which is rotationally fixedly connected to the rotor shaft 12. The belt 28 is driven by means of a motor 29. A rack part or frame part 31 of the slicer to which the hub 22 is fastened serves as a holder.

(10) The axial spacing between the cutting plane 14 and the plane of the rotary drive 24 is bridged by the rotor shaft 12 and by the rotor hub 22 rotatably supporting the rotor shaft 12.

(11) The scythe-like blade 10, which in particular has a weight of approximately 8 to 15 kg, is not rotationally fixedly shaped and consequently has an imbalance UM (cf. FIGS. 2 and 4). The blade 10 has a smallest radius r and largest radius R.

(12) To compensate the blade imbalance UM and in particular to prevent a wobbling of the blade 10 during the rotation about the axis of rotation D, two axially spaced apart balance masses 32, 34 are provided which are each integrated into an anyway provided slicer component such that a compensation of the blade imbalance UM is achieved overall, with a small total weight of the counterweight formed by the balance masses 32, 34 and with an ideal utilization of space.

(13) The blade mount 20 comprises the first balance mass 32 and thus effects a first imbalance U1 (cf. also FIGS. 3 and 4). The first balance mass 32 is arranged at the oppositely disposed side of the imbalance UM of the blade 10 with respect to the axis of rotation D (cf. FIG. 4) and is spaced apart so far radially from the axis of rotation D that the contour of the blade mount 20 which is formed by the balance mass 32 and which is the furthest outwardly radially lies in the vicinity of the smallest radius r of the blade 10. The largest radius of the blade mount 20 is thus substantially larger in relation to the smallest radius r of the blade than in blade mounts which are known from the prior art and which have a symmetrical rotation geometry, in particular a circular outer contour, with respect to the axis of rotation.

(14) The center of mass of the blade mount 20 is consequently relatively far radially outwardly, with the radial position of the center of mass being selectedwith respect to the largest radius of the blade mount 20in dependence on the respective specific circumstances and is directly disposed at a relevant spacing from the axis of rotation D.

(15) The blade mount 20 forming the first balance mass 32 or provided with the first balance mass 32 is configured overall such that a plane which includes the center of mass of the blade mount 20 and which extends perpendicular to the axis of rotation D, e.g. is no more than 20 mm axially remote from the cutting plane 14. A preferred region for this spacing L1 (cf. also FIG. 3) extends from approximately 10 mm to 25 mm.

(16) The second balance mass 34 is integrated into the toothed belt disk 26. The second balance mass 34 is hereby spaced apart substantially further axially from the cutting plane 14 than the first balance mass 32 (cf. also FIG. 3). Both balance masses 32, 34 are located at the rear side of the cutting blade 10 with respect to the cutting plane 14, that is at the sidehere coinciding with the side of the rotary drive 24which is not the removal side or installation side of the cutting blade 10. The removal of the cutting blade 10 takes place to the left in FIG. 1, while the balance masses 32, 34 are arranged to the right of the cutting blade 10 in FIG. 1.

(17) FIG. 3 shows a sectional view in accordance with FIG. 1. It can be seen in this that the second balance mass 34 or its imbalance U2 is located at the same side and in approximately the same angular position as the imbalance UM of the blade 10 with respect to the axis of rotation D. The second imbalance U2 is thus arranged rotated by approximately 180 with respect to the axis of rotation D with respect to the first imbalance U1 of the blade mount 20 provided with the first balance mass 32 (cf. also FIG. 4).

(18) The respective spacings of the individual imbalances UM of the blade 10, U1 of the first imbalance 32 and U2 of the second imbalance 34, measured from the cutting plane 14, are designated by LM, L1 and L2 respectively. It can be recognized that L2 amounts to a multiple of L1 and to a multiple of LM and that LM and L1 are disposed in approximately the same order of magnitude.

(19) A slipping seal 36 is provided to seal the bearings 35 which serve for the rotatable support of the rotor shaft 12 in the rotor hub 22.

(20) FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the slicing apparatus in accordance with FIG. 1. The scythe-like blade 10 and the toothed belt disk 26 each have pockets or cut-outs 38, 40, whereby the weight is reduced, on the one hand, and the mass distribution is directly influenced, on the other hand. In FIG. 4, the vectors are additionally drawn which illustrate the blade imbalance UM and the imbalances U1, U2 of the balance masses 32, 34.

(21) FIG. 5 shows the blade mount 20 with a removed scythe-like blade 10. The blade mount 20 comprises boreholes 42 at which the scythe-like blade 10 is fastened by means of screws 18 (cf. FIG. 1) and boreholes 54 at which the blade mount 20 is fastened to the rotor shaft 12 at the end face.

(22) In this embodiment, the radial displacement of the center of mass of the blade mount 20 is reached relatively far to the outside by an anchor-like or hammer-like embodiment A relatively heavy section 44, which forms the balance mass 32, in the form of a part circular ring<which extends around about a third of the outer periphery of the blade mount 20 has a larger outer radius A than a comparatively light central section 46 having an outer radius a which is moreover substantially thinner than the outer part circular ring section 44. The blade mount 20 is so-to-say comparable with a hammer with respect to the mass distribution in the radial direction, i.e. it is very top-heavy with a radially outwardly disposed head.

(23) It can inter alia in particular be seen from FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 that the axial spacing between the two balance masses 32, 34 or the imbalances U1 and U2 is larger by a multiple than the axial spacing L1 between the first balance mass 32 or its imbalance U1 and the cutting plane 14.

(24) It can already be seen from this that the invention is in particular based in the embodiment described here on a balance concept which is in particular characterized as follows by a combination of individual aspects: A first balance mass 32 is integrated into a blade mount 20 having a relatively large radial extent and can therefore be arranged axially very close to the blade 10, on the one hand, and radially relatively far to the outside, on the other hand. The first balance mass 32 can thereby be selected as comparatively small. A second balance mass 34 is arranged axially far remote from the blade 10 in comparison with the first balance mass 32. The second balance mass 32 can thereby also be selected as relatively small and much smaller than the first balance mass 32. This in turn allows the integration of the second balance mass 34 into the rotary drive 24 of the blade 10.

(25) A combination of all these aspects or measures can be particularly advantageous in dependence on the specific circumstances of the respective slicer, but is not compulsory for the invention. Advantageous effects can also be achieved if not all of the measures described here are implemented together. Each aspect per se also brings about advantages.

(26) The rotary drive 24 can be arranged in a housing which has a housing wall as a fixed-position rack part or frame part 31 which extends axially close to the rotary drive 24 perpendicular to the axis of rotation D at the side of the rotary rive 24 facing the blade 10. An axial drive L which is only indicated by a double arrow and which can generally be configured as desired can engage at the rotor shaft 12 and can be supported at this housing wall or at another point of the rack or frame 31.

(27) If the scythe-like blade 10 is, for example, to be axially adjusted for carrying out blank cuts, the axial drive L is activated. The scythe-like blade 10 together with the blade mount 20 as well as all balance masses 32, 34 are in this respect adjusted together with the rotor shaft 12 relative to the housing wall or to the rack or frame and relative to the rotor hub 22. The drive belt 28 is slightly obliquely deflected on this movement.

(28) The slicing apparatus in accordance with the invention is thus also always perfectly balanced and is balanced in all relevant planes and thus statically and dynamically on an axial movement of the blade 10. The arrangement in accordance with the invention of the balance masses 32, 34 also allows an extremely compact and thus space-saving construction of the rotor and of the slicing apparatus.

REFERENCE NUMERAL LIST

(29) 10 scythe-like blade 12 rotor shaft 14 cutting plane 18 screw 20 blade mount 22 rotor hub 24 rotary drive 26 toothed belt disk, drive disk 28 drive belt 32 first balance mass 34 second balance mass 35 bearing 36 seal 38 pocket 40 cut-out 42 borehole 44 first section 46 second section 54 borehole D axis of rotation R largest radius r smallest radius A radius of the first section a radius of the second section L axial drive UM imbalance of the blade U1 imbalance of the first balance mass 32 U2 imbalance of the second balance mass 34 LM spacing UM from the cutting plane 14 L1 spacing U1 from the cutting plane 14 L2 spacing U2 from the cutting plane 14