System and a method for processing meat pieces

Abstract

A system for processing meat pieces includes a radiation inspection apparatus configured to receive a primary stream of meat pieces conveyed by a conveyor and to detect trim products containing undesired objects; a reject device; a control unit configured to operate the reject device using the detected undesired objects as an operation parameter such that the meat pieces containing the undesired objects are separated from the primary stream of trim products; an object remover configured to remove the undesired objects from the meat pieces separated from the primary stream of trim products; and a recirculation apparatus configured to receive the meat pieces after undergoing the object remover and recirculate it as a secondary stream into the radiation inspection apparatus. The secondary stream is separated from the primary stream, and the radiation inspection is configured to detect whether any remaining undesired objects are in the secondary stream.

Claims

1. A system for processing meat pieces, comprising: a radiation inspection apparatus configured to receive a primary stream of meat pieces and to detect undesired objects in the primary stream; a first reject device; a control unit configured to operate the first reject device using the detection of the undesired objects as an operation parameter such that meat pieces containing the undesired objects are rejected from the primary stream; a recirculation apparatus comprising one or more conveyor devices configured to receive and recirculate the rejected meat pieces as a secondary stream of meat pieces into the radiation inspection apparatus, the radiation inspection apparatus further being configured to detect undesired objects in the secondary stream of meat pieces; and a second reject device, operated by the control unit using the detection of the undesired objects in the secondary stream as an operation parameter, the second reject device being configured to reject the undesired objects from the secondary stream of meat pieces; wherein the radiation inspection apparatus is configured to simultaneously detect undesired objects in both in the primary stream and secondary stream.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first reject device cooperates with a cutting device positioned between the radiation inspection apparatus and the first reject device, where the cutting device is configured to cut parts from the primary stream, where the meat pieces containing the undesired objects are the cut parts.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the first reject device further comprises a spacer for creating a temporal spacing adjacent to a cutting plane of the cutting device so as to allow the cut parts to be rejected simultaneous to the cutting.

4. The system according to claim 1, further comprising an object remover configured to remove undesired objects from the rejected meat pieces prior to entering radiation inspection apparatus as the secondary stream.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the recirculation apparatus comprises a distributing apparatus configured to generate the secondary stream as a substantially even stream or a stream of separated rejected meat pieces.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the distributing apparatus comprises an auger device.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the radiation inspection apparatus comprises at least one X-ray apparatus.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the remaining meat pieces in the primary stream and the secondary stream are conveyed to a common receiving area by at least one conveyor.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the primary stream of meat pieces is conveyed by a first conveyor device and the secondary stream by a second conveyor device.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more conveyors including at least one horizontal arranged conveyor, or at least one vertical arranged conveyor, or an askew arranged conveyor, or a combination thereof.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Embodiments of the invention will be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings, in which

(2) FIGS. 1 and 2 show two embodiments of an embodiment of a system according to the present invention for processing meat pieces,

(3) FIGS. 3 and 4 show perspective views of another embodiment of a system according to the present invention for processing meat pieces,

(4) FIGS. 5 and 6 show two different perspective views of another embodiment of a system according to the present invention for processing meat pieces,

(5) FIG. 7 shows a top view of FIGS. 5 and 6,

(6) FIG. 8 shows a part of the recirculation apparatus according to the present invention,

(7) FIG. 9 shows a perspective and isolated view of the recirculation apparatus (in the absence of housings),

(8) FIG. 10 shows a back/side view of FIG. 9,

(9) FIG. 11 shows a zoomed up view of a second reject device according to the present invention,

(10) and

(11) FIG. 12 shows a flowchart of a method according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(12) FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a system 100 according to the present invention for processing meat pieces. The system comprises a radiation inspection apparatus 101, e.g. an X-ray apparatus, showed here in an absence of a housing (which among other things acts as a shield and absorbs radiation), configured to receive a primary stream 102 of meat pieces conveyed by a conveyor 105 and conveyed in a conveying direction as indicated by arrow 150 and to detect undesired objects 117 in the primary stream. The undesired objects may e.g. include bones or bone fragments, pieces of cartilage or other objects such as pieces of metal, glass, plastic, blood stains, abscess, or infections, etc.

(13) The primary stream 102 is shown as a continuous layer having an essentially even thickness. This may be achieved using a funnel-shaped arrangement, or as shown in FIGS. 1-4 in WO2013023778 disclosing a meat layer shaping means arranged for shaping incoming meat pieces into an essentially continuous layer having an essentially even thickness. The meat layer shaping means may be in the form of an inclined conveyor belt or the like, which serves to even out incoming meat pieces and furthermore serves to compress the meat pieces into a substantially uniform layer. Other means may be used as well, such as any type of a funnel shape arrangement made by any type of guide plate arrangement resulting in that the meat pieces are shaped into a layer or stream of meat pieces having an essentially uniform and rectangular sectional shape, which corresponds to the working capability of the radiation inspection apparatus. Hereby, the capacity of the radiation inspection apparatus will be used in an optimal manner.

(14) The system further comprises a first reject 160 device operated by a control unit 104 using the detection of the undesired objects as an operation parameter such that the meat pieces containing the undesired objects may be rejected from the primary stream 102.

(15) The first reject device 160 shown here comprises a cutting device 130 operated by the control unit 104 using the detection of the undesired objects as an operation parameter. The cutting device 130 is positioned downstream the radiation inspection apparatus and is configured to cut parts from the primary stream 102 containing the undesired objects. As shown here, the cutting device comprises a rotating cutting knife 131, e.g. a sword knife or the like, arranged in a direction that is essentially transverse to the transport direction 150 of the primary stream such that only a part (e.g. a slice) containing the undesired object(s) is cut from the primary stream.

(16) The rotating cutting knife 131 may be position between two adjacent conveyors placed in an end-to-end arrangement, where the gap 170 there between defines the cutting plane of the rotating cutting knife.

(17) Other cutting arrangement may of course be utilized such as, but not limited to, high pressure water jet, laser cutter, robotic operated cutter etc.

(18) The first reject device 160 comprises in this embodiment a reject unit 106 comprising two adjacent conveyors 118, 119 placed in an end-to-end arrangement, where the reject unit 106 is operated, as shown in the zoomed up view, such that the end of the upstream conveyor 118 is temporarily withdrawn causing a temporal opening there between allowing the rejected meat parts 117 to fall down and be removed from the primary stream 102.

(19) The reject unit 106 may operate in accordance with any known way of rejecting objects from a conveyor. It may e.g. comprise a pivotable conveyor or conveyor part, a rejector, or a gripper, a picker, or other devices known for this purpose, i.e. something the removes the rejected meat parts from the primary stream.

(20) The system 100 further comprises a recirculation apparatus 109 configured to recirculate the rejected meat pieces 117 as a secondary stream 103, which as shown here is in a form of separated meat pieces into the radiation inspection apparatus 101.

(21) In this embodiment, the recirculation apparatus 109 comprises a conveyor arrangement comprising a first conveyor device 109a positioned below the reject unit 106 configured to receive the rejected meat piece 107 and convey it in a direction as indicated by the arrow 151 opposite to the direction 150 of the primary stream 102 to a conveyor device 109b, which is arranged essentially perpendicular to the conveying direction 151. Conveyor 109b is capable of operating in back and forth direction as indicated by the arrow 152, where one direction may be a reject into a reject area 110 where a particular meat part may be completely rejected (e.g. metal, glass etc.), whereas the other direction is towards a second conveyor device, which may also be referred to as a vertical conveyor 109c. The vertical conveyor 109c is configured to receive the remaining rejected meat parts, convey them upwards as indicated by the arrow 153 onto a flat conveyor section 109d that may positioned such that the release of the rejected meat parts define the secondary stream.

(22) As shown here, the rejected meat parts may also be released onto a processing table 111, where an operator 140 may manually removes undesired objects that may be visible, before generating the secondary stream by means of releasing the pre-processed meat parts 112, i.e. after removing the undesired objects therefrom, via an opening 113. The released pre-processed meat parts define a secondary stream 103 that is conveyed in a conveying direction as indicated by arrow 154, parallel to the primary stream and through the radiation inspection apparatus 101. The radiation inspection apparatus 101 is further configured to detect whether any remaining undesired objects are in the secondary stream. As shown here, the primary stream does not need to be stopped during this recirculation.

(23) The conveyor carrying the primary and the secondary streams may in one embodiment comprise a dual lane conveyor where one lane conveyor conveys the primary stream and the other lane conveyor conveys the secondary stream. These conveyors are arranged in an end-to-end arrangement of conveyors, respectively, where respective one of the two end-to-end arrangements are operably connected to a moving mechanism for e.g. making the temporary opening for the primary stream as discussed above, and for the secondary stream as will be discussed in more details below.

(24) Those meat parts in the secondary stream containing undesired object 120 may be automatically rejected by a second reject device 108, similar as discussed above, using the detection of the undesired objects in the secondary stream as an operation parameter. This may e.g. be done by making a temporal opening via the above mentioned end-to-end arranged conveyors 161, 162 carrying the secondary stream as shown in the zoomed up view. As shown here, one end of the upstream conveyor 162 is temporarily withdrawn causing a temporal opening 163 there between allowing the undesired object 120 or meat part 120 containing undesired object to be dropped to a reject location.

(25) Removal may generally be carried out in any known way of removing objects from a conveyor, including by manual operation where an operator is notified and removes the meat part manually from the secondary stream.

(26) FIG. 2 shows the embodiment in FIG. 1, but where the recirculation apparatus comprises a distributing apparatus 201 configured to generate the secondary stream as a substantially even stream, or as shown here, a stream of separated rejected meat pieces 204. In this embodiment, the distributing apparatus is a conveyor device comprising an auger device 203 that is configured to receive, from the flat conveyor section 109d, the rejected meat pieces 202 and advance the rejected meat pieces in a direction as indicated by arrow 205 where the secondary stream is created.

(27) FIGS. 3 and 4 show two different perspective views of another embodiment of a system 300 according to the present invention for processing meat pieces. Shown here is also a meat pump, or a meat grinder, or a pre-grinder 308 which may be considered as an optional feature, where meat pieces such as fresh and/or frozen meat blocks are fed therein, and where the meat e.g. the pre-grinded meat pieces 402 are fed through a funnel/nozzle 401 preferably as an even stream into the system 300 as a primary stream. As will be discussed in more details in relation to FIGS. 5 to 11, the primary stream 402 is conveyed by a first (primary) conveyor device that conveys it in a conveying direction as indicated by arrow 403 through a radiation inspection apparatus 301, typically an X-ray apparatus, where undesired objects in the primary stream are detected. The detected undesired objects are then used as an operation parameter by a control unit to reject meat pieces by a first reject device 360 containing the undesired objects from the primary stream.

(28) In the embodiment shown here, the first reject device 360 comprises a cutting device 302 similar as e.g. discussed in relation to FIGS. 1 and 2, for cutting a meat strip around the undesired objects, and a reject unit 306 for rejecting the meat strip onto an underlying recirculation apparatus driven by at least one motor unit 307 that receives and recirculates the rejected meat pieces as a secondary stream into the radiation inspection apparatus. As will be discussed in more details later, the radiation inspection apparatus is further configured to detect undesired objects in the secondary stream and automatically reject the detected undesired objects in the secondary stream via a second reject device. As shown here, a chute 309 or the like may be arranged below the reject to receive and guide the reject to a reject area 303. From the reject area, the reject may be conveyed by a conveyor device such as an auger 304 to a further processing area 305 where an operator 318 may manually remove the undesired objects therefrom and place the remaining meat pieces back into e.g. the secondary stream via e.g. an opening 404. This may then be repeated in case additional undesired objects are detected.

(29) FIG. 5 shows a zoomed up view of the first reject device 360 showing a conveyor arrangement, also referred to as a first conveyor device, for conveying the primary stream of meat pieces, and the reject unit.

(30) The conveyor arrangement comprises several end-to-end arranged conveyors, or as shown here, a conveyor 510 passing through the radiation inspection apparatus 301, a conveyor 501 where the space 504 between the ends of these two conveyors defines the cutting plane of the knife 509 of the cutting device 302, and a conveyor 503 arranged in an end-to-end arrangement with conveyor 501, where the end-to-end arrangement defines a reject unit 306. As shown here, walls 505, 506 are provided to ensure that the primary stream of meat pieces is preserved on the first conveyor device.

(31) In another embodiment not shown here, a reject unit could also be arranged adjacent the end of conveyor 510 such that a temporal space is created between the end of the conveyor 510 such that impact from the cutting knife 509 causes the cut parts from the primary stream to immediately drop down and be rejected from the primary stream. By doing so, the overall size/length of the system may be reduced because the conveyor 501 may in that sense not be necessary and instead, conveyor 503 may be arranged adjacent to conveyor 510 and thus act as a take-away conveyor.

(32) Shown is also a second conveyor device 502 for the secondary stream of meat pieces comprising two or more end-to-end arranged conveyors, where walls 507, 508 are provided to ensure that the secondary stream of meat pieces is preserved on the second conveyor device.

(33) FIG. 6 shows where the reject unit 306 in FIG. 5 creates a temporal opening 601 by advancing, via an advancing mechanism connected to the end of conveyor 501 facing conveyor 503, the end of conveyor 501 backwards against the conveying direction of the primary stream as indicated by the arrow 610 to allow meat pieces, typically a strip of meat cut by the knife 509 containing the undesired objects, to be rejected from the primary stream onto the underlying recirculation apparatus.

(34) FIG. 7 shows a top view of FIGS. 5 and 6 showing in more details the side-by side arranged first and second conveyor devices 501, 502 showing the first conveyor device 501 in the open position as shown in FIG. 6.

(35) The second conveyor device 502 comprises a conveyor 705 that conveys the secondary stream through the radiation inspection apparatus 301, conveyor 706 is arranged in an end-to-end arrangement with conveyor 705.

(36) The second reject device 701 in the embodiment comprises a moving mechanism connected to the free end of e.g. conveyor 705 for moving the free end in a direction as indicated by arrow 704 when rejecting undesired objects, or meat pieces containing undesired objects, automatically from the secondary stream via the opening (not shown here), similar as discussed in relation to FIGS. 1 and 2. Said chute 309 receives the reject and guides it to said reject area 303 as discussed in relation to FIGS. 3 and 4. The reject, which typically is still some meat pieces containing undesired objects such as bones, are then recirculated as discussed in relation to FIG. 3.

(37) In this embodiment, a further second reject device 702 is provided downstream in relation to the second reject device 701 but to sole purpose of this reject is to reject undesired objects such as metal or glass, that are not allowed to be recirculated into the system and instead to be removed immediately from the system. This second reject may work in a similar way, namely by moving the free end of the conveyor in a direction as indicated by arrow 703. Otherwise, the meat pieces in the secondary stream are received by conveyor 503 that acts as a common take-away conveyor for the first and second conveyor devices.

(38) FIG. 8 shows a part of the recirculation apparatus where the rejected meat pieces from the primary stream containing the undesired objects are guided to a first conveyor device, in this case an auger 801 that is driven by the motor 307 in a back and forth direction as indicated by arrow 802. The direction to the left in the view shown here is the recirculation direction, whereas the opposite direction is no recirculation but an immediate reject, e.g. because the rejected meat pieces contain glass, metal etc. as discussed in relation to FIG. 7 where undesired objects are rejected by the further second reject device 702 into a guiding member or a chute 804 that guides the reject out of the system. This immediate reject feature with the further second reject device 702 may however be considered as being an optional feature.

(39) FIG. 9 shows a perspective and isolated view of the recirculation apparatus 909 discussed in relation to the embodiment of FIGS. 3 to 8 in the absence of the housings shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. As shown here, the recirculation apparatus 900 comprises the auger 801 from FIG. 8, that conveys the rejected meat pieces containing the undesired objects from the primary stream to a second auger 901 positioned vertical (or askew). The second auger 901 receives the rejected meat pieces and conveys them upwards to a receiving facility 903. At the receiving facility 903 the received rejected meat pieces may slide downwards to a distributing apparatus 904 that generates the secondary stream as a substantially even stream or a stream of separated rejected meat pieces. These are released as indicated by the vertical arrow 905 onto said second (secondary) conveyor device and defines said secondary stream. Shown is also said chute 309 shown in FIG. 3 arranged below the second reject device (not shown).

(40) FIG. 10 shows a back/side view of FIG. 9, showing the distributing apparatus 904 in more details in the absence of the housing, where the distributing apparatus 904 comprises a horizontally arranged auger 1001 that is preferably fully controllable and that receives the rejected meat pieces from the receiving facility 903 and conveys it in a horizontal direction as indicated by the horizontal arrow 1004 to a receiving area 1002, which may comprise a vertically arranged funnel or chute or the like arranged above said second conveyor device 502, that releases the rejected meat pieces on the second conveyor device as indicated by the vertical arrow 1003. Shown in this backside view is also said first conveyor device 501.

(41) FIG. 11 shows a zoomed up view of the second reject device 701 second conveyor device 502 discussed in particular in relation to FIG. 7, where the rejected undesired objects from the secondary stream is released through the opening between said conveyors 705, 706 using the detection of the undesired objects in the secondary stream as an operation parameter. Shown is also said further second reject device 702 discussed in relation to FIG. 7.

(42) FIG. 12 shows a flowchart of an embodiment of a method according to the present invention of processing meat pieces.

(43) In step (S1) 1201 a primary stream of meat pieces are received, typically such that the primary stream essentially forms a continuous layer having an essentially even thickness.

(44) In step (S2) 1202, the primary stream is conveyed though a radiation inspection apparatus, e.g. an X-ray, where meat pieces containing undesired objects are detected.

(45) In step (S3) 1203, the detection of the undesired objects is used as an operation parameter in rejecting the meat pieces containing the undesired objects from the primary stream of trim products. In one embodiment, this may comprise cutting a piece from the primary stream, e.g. a slice that contains the undesired object(s). The separation may include dropping the cut part containing the undesired object(s) onto e.g. an underlying conveyor, or any kind of separation device may be used, e.g. a robotic system.

(46) In step (S4) 1204, the rejected meat pieces are recirculated into the radiation inspection apparatus as a secondary stream meaning that two parallel streams, i.e. the primary and the secondary streams are conveyed through the radiation inspection apparatus. This recirculation may be performed as discussed in relation to FIGS. 1 to 11.

(47) In step (S5) 1205, undesired objects are detected in the secondary stream and preferably automatically removed therefrom, e.g. via the second reject device discussed in relation to FIG. 1.

(48) 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.