CUTTING LAND CONFIGURED TO BE USED IN RELATION WITH A SLICER APPARATUS AND SLICING METHOD

Abstract

A cutting land is configured to be used in relation with a slicer apparatus for slicing food items, where the food items are conveyed by a conveying means along a conveying path, where a gap is provided extending across the conveying path, and where the cutting land is configured to be arranged in and along the gap. The cutting land comprises a recess facing at least one cutting blade such that during cutting the at least one cutting blade at least partly extends into the recess. The recess is defined by elongated and opposingly arranged flexible materials arranged in relation to each other such that during cutting the flexible materials exert elastic forces onto the at least one cutting blade causing the flexible materials and thus a width of the recess to follow the thickness of the at least one cutting blade.

Claims

1.-8. (canceled)

9. A cutting land configured to be used in relation with a slicer apparatus for slicing food items, where the food items are conveyed by a conveying means along a conveying path, where a gap is provided extending across the conveying path, and where the cutting land is configured to be arranged in and along the gap, where the cutting land comprises a recess facing at least one cutting blade such that during cutting the at least one cutting blade at least partly extends into the recess, wherein the recess is defined by elongated and opposingly arranged flexible materials arranged in relation to each other such that during cutting the flexible materials exert elastic forces onto the at least one cutting blade causing the flexible materials and thus a width of the recess to follow a thickness of the at least one cutting blade.

10. The cutting land according to claim 9, wherein the flexible materials comprise a rubber or plastic material.

11. The cutting land according to claim 9, wherein the cutting land is attached to a rotation drive mechanism configured to automatically adjust an angular position in relation to adjusted angular position of the at least one cutting blade.

12. The cutting land according to claim 9, wherein the cutting land is made of rubber, or plastic material, or composite material.

13. A slicer apparatus for slicing food items, comprising: a conveying means for conveying a food item to be cut, where the food item is conveyed along a conveying path, where a gap is provided extending across the conveying path, at least one cutting blade, a cutting land arranged in and along the gap, the cutting land comprising a recess such that during cutting the at least one cutting blade at least partly extends into the recess, a first moving means connected to the at least one cutting blade for moving the at least one cutting blade in distance relative to the cutting land, wherein the recess of the cutting land is defined by elongated and opposingly arranged flexible materials arranged in relation to each other such that during cutting the flexible materials exert elastic forces onto the at least one cutting blade causing the flexible materials and thus a width of the recess to follow a thickness of the at least one cutting blade.

14. The slicer apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising: a second moving means connected to the at least one cutting blade for moving the at least one cutting blade angularly relative to the conveying path.

15. The slicer apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising: a third moving means connected to the cutting land for adjusting at least an angular position of the cutting land around its longitudinal axis, wherein the third moving means is configured to independently adjust the at least angular position of the cutting land around its longitudinal axis.

16. A method of slicing food items with a slicer apparatus using a cutting land, where the food items are conveyed by a conveying means along a conveying path, where a gap is provided extending across the conveying path, and where the cutting land is configured to be arranged in and along the gap, where the cutting land comprises a recess facing at least one cutting blade such that during cutting the at least one cutting blade at least partly extends into the recess, wherein the recess is defined by elongated and opposingly arranged flexible materials arranged in relation to each other such that during cutting the flexible materials exert elastic forces onto the at least one cutting blade causing the flexible materials and thus a width of the recess to follow a thickness of the at least one cutting blade.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Embodiments of the invention will be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings, in which

[0026] FIG. 1 depicts a prior art slicer apparatus which are particularly suitable for cutting fish fillets into thin slices,

[0027] FIG. 2 depicts a prior art cutting land used in relation to the slicer apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and

[0028] FIGS. 3 and 4 depicts a cutting land according to the present invention configured to be used in relation to a slicer apparatus such as the one shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0029] FIG. 3 depicts a cutting land 302 according to the present invention configured to be used in relation to a slicer apparatus 100 such as the one shown in FIG. 1 for slicing food items 301 while the food items are conveyed by a conveying means 104a,b along a conveying path, where a gap 105 is provided extending across the conveying path, and where the cutting land 302 is configured to be arranged in and along such a gap.

[0030] The cutting land according to the present invention comprises a recess 307 facing at least one cutting blade 303 such that during cutting the at least one cutting blade at least partly extends into the recess. The recess is defined by elongated and opposingly arranged flexible materials 305a,b, e.g. rubber, or plastic material, or composite material, arranged in relation to each other such that during cutting the flexible materials exert elastic forces 410a,b as shown in FIG. 4 onto the at least one cutting blade 303 causing the flexible materials and thus the width of the recess to follow the thickness of the at least one cutting blade. The elastic forces exerting on the cutting blade ensure that difficult tissues 411 will be cut as shown in FIG. 4, instead of e.g. following the movement of the cutting blade as shown in FIG. 1.

[0031] 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.