Line with Freely Programmable Trays

Abstract

A line having a food processing apparatus and a packaging machine between which a placement and transport apparatus is provided that has a plurality of tablet trays on which food products are placed and with which the food products are transported towards the packaging machine, the tablet trays move in a contact-free manner along a closed transport surface; a method for producing packaged food slices using the line, the food products are deposited onto the tablet trays and then transported towards the packaging machine; a method for cleaning the line, the tablet trays are lifted from the transport surface and the transport surface is cleaned with a cleaning liquid; and a method for cleaning the line, the tablet trays are removed from the transport surface and cleaned in a cleaning machine.

Claims

1. A line having a food processing apparatus and a packaging machine between which a placement and transport apparatus is provided that has a plurality of tablet trays on which food products are placed and with which the food products are transported towards the packaging machine, the tablet trays move in a contact-free manner along a closed transport surface.

2. The line according to claim 1, wherein a path that the tablet trays are transported along the closed transport surface is freely programmable.

3. The line according to claim 1, wherein a distance between the tablet trays and a surface of the closed transport surface can be adjusted.

4. The line according to claim 1, wherein the tablet trays can be grouped together as a group or as a temporary group.

5. The line according to claim 1, wherein the tablet trays are rotatable about a vertical and/or at least one or two horizontal lines.

6. The line according to claim 1, wherein the tablet trays have a movable surface.

7. The line according to claim 1, wherein a respective tablet tray is embodied as a support for one or a plurality of packaging trays.

8. A method for producing packaged food slices using the line according to claim 1, wherein the food products are deposited onto the tablet trays and then transported towards the packaging machine.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the food products are arranged on the tablet trays in stacks and/or shingles.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein that the tablet trays are moved while the stacks or shingles are being formed.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein a plurality of food products are cut simultaneously in a plurality of lanes, wherein a tablet tray is arranged beneath each lane and/or a tablet tray extends across a plurality of lanes.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the stacks or shingles are placed into the packaging from the tablet tray.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein empty tablet trays are transported along the transport surface towards a cutting apparatus.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein the food products are weighed on the tablet trays.

15. A method for cleaning the line according to claim 1, wherein the tablet trays are lifted from the transport surface and the transport surface is cleaned with a cleaning liquid.

16. A method for cleaning the line according to claim 1, wherein the tablet trays are removed from the transport surface and cleaned in a cleaning machine.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0053] The invention is explained in the following using FIGS. 1-2. These explanations are merely by way of example and do not limit the general inventive idea. The explanations apply equally for all subject matters of the present invention.

[0054] FIG. 1 illustrates a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0055] FIG. 2 illustrates the inventive apparatus with a particle catcher.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] FIGS. 1 und 2 illustrate one embodiment of the inventive line that has a food processing apparatus 1, in the present case a cutting apparatus, and a packaging machine 2, for example a tray-sealer. Provided therebetween is a placement and transport apparatus 10 that transports food products from the food processing apparatus 1 to the packaging machine. The packaging machine 2 is preferably embodied as a tray-sealer or thermoformer. The placement and transport apparatus 10 has a completely closed transport surface, for example a stainless steel surface, along which tablet trays 5 move in a contact-free manner along a freely programmable lane. The tablets are suspended and also moved by means of a magnetic field. The food product 6 is deposited onto the tablet trays and preferably arranged in a portion 7, in this case a stack. As soon as the food product has been placed or the portion is configured, the tablet tray 5 is transported towards the packaging machine 2. A loader, for example a robot, can remove the products or portions 7 from the tablet tray and place them in a packaging 8, which is then sealed with a cover film. The packagings are preferably arranged in a format, in this case 3?3, that is jointly filled and sealed with the cover film at the same time. Alternatively, a packaging tray or packaging surface onto which the product 6 or the portion 7 is deposited can also be arranged on the tablet tray. This filled packaging tray/packaging surface is then sealed with a cover film in the packaging machine.

[0057] As may be seen in particular in FIG. 2, in the present case the food processing apparatus has a plurality of lanes, in this case three lanes, that produce food products 6, in this case food slices 6, simultaneously in that they cut these slices from a food product. Consequently, a plurality of tablet trays, in this case three tablet trays, are provided as a group 11 that receive the food products 6 and then transport them together towards the packaging machine. This group can be broken up on the return path and then re-formed in the region of the food processing apparatus.

REFERENCE LIST

[0058] 1 Food processing apparatus [0059] 2 Packaging machine [0060] 3 Loader [0061] 4 Transport surface [0062] 5 Tablet tray [0063] 6 Food product, food slices [0064] 7 Portion, product stack, stack of food slices [0065] 8 Packaging [0066] 9 Format [0067] 10 Placement and transport apparatus [0068] 11 Group of tablet trays [0069] 12 Food product