Slicing machine

Abstract

A slicing machine for preferably elongated food may include a blade driven by a motor and a deposit table arranged in a deposit area with a deposit plate, which can be moved, motor-driven, linearly in a horizontal direction via a belt drive. In order to manufacture the slicing machine as compactly as possible with a small overall height, it is proposed that the belt drive has at least two deflection rollers and a driving roller, which guide the drive belt in endless rotation in a horizontal plane, and that the driving roller is arranged in a perpendicular projection between the first deflection roller and the second deflection roller.

Claims

1. Slicing machine for elongated product to be sliced, with a driving motor which is housed in a machine housing and which drives a blade mounted on or in the machine housing, in order to cut slices off the elongated product to be sliced, wherein the machine housing comprises a deposit table arranged in a deposit area with a deposit plate carrier and a deposit plate, which can be removed therefrom, for depositing cut slices and a table drive mechanism with a horizontal drive mechanism, in order to move at least one of the deposit table or the deposit plate, motor-driven, linearly in at least one horizontal direction, wherein the horizontal drive mechanism has a belt drive with a drive belt, wherein the belt drive has at least two deflection rollers and a driving roller, which guide the drive belt in endless rotation in a horizontal plane, and wherein the driving roller is arranged offset from a plane that intersects a first deflection roller of the at least two deflection rollers and a second deflection roller of the at least two deflection rollers.

2. Slicing machine according to claim 1, wherein the deposit plate is spaced apart from the deposit plate carrier in a vertical direction, with the result that the deposit table has an installation space arranged between the deposit plate carrier and the deposit plate and at least one of the belt drive or the drive belt at least one of is arranged in the installation space or encroaches into the installation space.

3. Slicing machine according to claim 1, wherein the deposit plate carrier has at least two holders, which extend in a vertical direction starting from the deposit plate carrier and which releasably hold the deposit plate, the deposit plate at least one of (i) being able to be placed on the holders from above or (ii) being able to be at least one of releasably connected or coupled to one or more of the holders.

4. Slicing machine according to claim 3, wherein the belt drive has a housing which encloses the drive belt and the at least two deflection rollers and the driving roller.

5. Slicing machine according to claim 1, wherein the belt drive has a tensioning device for adjusting the tension of the drive belt with a third deflection roller and a fourth deflection roller, wherein at least one of the position of the third deflection roller or the position of the fourth deflection roller can be adjusted relative to the drive belt via a tensioning screw.

6. Slicing machine according to claim 4, wherein the table drive mechanism comprises a vertical drive mechanism, in order to alter, motor-driven, height of the deposit plate relative to the machine housing.

7. Slicing machine according to claim 6, wherein the vertical drive mechanism has a telescopic carrier and the housing of the belt drive is connected to the machine housing via the telescopic carrier, wherein the vertical drive mechanism has a vertical driving motor which is connected to the telescopic carrier such that the length of the telescopic carrier can be altered by a given motor.

8. Slicing machine according to claim 7, wherein the horizontal drive mechanism has a horizontal driving motor which is connected to the driving roller of the belt drive via a shaft, wherein the shaft is guided inside the telescopic carrier, and wherein the shaft is formed as a telescopic shaft.

9. Slicing machine according to claim 7, wherein the horizontal driving motor and the vertical driving motor are arranged underneath the deposit plate and housed in an internal space of the machine housing.

10. Slicing machine according to claim 1, wherein the deposit table has a support profile for holding the deposit carrier, and the deposit plate carrier is secured directly to the support profile, or wherein the deposit plate carrier is formed as one piece with the support profile.

11. Slicing machine according to claim 1, wherein the deposit table comprises a support profile and a load cell connected to the support profile and the deposit plate carrier is connected to a force application side of the load cell.

12. Slicing machine according to claim 11, wherein a central area of the deposit plate carrier has an upwardly directed bulge and the load cell is arranged such that the load cell at least partially encroaches into the space formed by the bulge.

13. Slicing machine according to claim 10, wherein the support profile is mounted on a housing of the belt drive so that the support profile can be displaced in a horizontal direction by means of two rods which are arranged spaced apart from each other in a vertical direction and running in parallel.

14. Slicing machine according to claim 13, wherein the upper rod is formed as a slide rod and is connected to a run of the drive belt and the lower rod is formed as a torque rod which absorbs or braces against a torque and which is mounted, so that the lower rod can be displaced, in a recess of a linear guide supported on the housing of the belt drive.

15. Slicing machine according to claim 1, wherein the slicing machine has a conveyor for the cut slices, in order to transport the cut slices, starting from the blade, in a horizontal direction transverse to a slicing plane defined by the blade, and at least one of an adjustable or programmable control device is connected to the horizontal drive mechanism and the conveyor and actuates the horizontal drive mechanism and the conveyor, to automatically deposit two-dimensional depositing shapes.

16. The slicing machine of claim 1, wherein the slicing machine is for food.

17. The slicing machine of claim 3, wherein the at least two holders includes three holders or four holders.

18. The slicing machine of claim 4, wherein at least one of the housing or the drive belt and the at least two deflection rollers and the driving roller are arranged in a horizontal plane flush with the at least two holders.

19. The slicing machine of claim 9, wherein the horizontal driving motor and the vertical driving motor are connected to each other via a common motor carrier and secured to the machine housing.

20. The slicing machine of claim 12, wherein the load cell is arranged with its upper edge inside the space formed by the bulge.

21. The slicing machine of claim 15, wherein the conveyor is formed as a chain frame with a flick ejector, and wherein the at least one of an adjustable or programmable control device is connected to and actuates the vertical drive mechanism.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further embodiments and features of the invention are shown in the figures and explained in the description of the figures. There are shown in:

(2) FIG. 1: a schematic view of a slicing machine according to the invention

(3) FIG. 2: a part of the table drive mechanism in a perspective representation

(4) FIG. 3: a part of the table drive mechanism in top view in a first end position

(5) FIG. 4: a part of the table drive mechanism in top view in a second end position

(6) FIG. 5: a part of the deposit table with table drive mechanism in a perspective representation viewed from below

(7) FIG. 6: a sectional representation of the deposit table in the area of the table drive mechanism

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(8) In FIGS. 1 to 6 an embodiment example of the slicing machine 1 according to the invention in the form of a vertical slicer is represented. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the slicing machine 1 has a machine housing 11 with a motor tower 12. A motor, not shown, for driving the blade 2 is housed in the motor tower 12. The blade 2 is covered, in the area of its cutting edge, by a C-shaped blade guard ring 21, in order to prevent unintentional contact with the cutting edge of the blade.

(9) The blade 2 is formed as a rotating circular knife and arranged in a slicing plane. The area of the blade 2 left free by the blade guard ring 21 defines the slicing area. In front of the slicing area a stop plate 16 which can be displaced in parallel to the blade 2 is mounted on the machine housing 11. Via a handle 61 the stop plate 16 can be adjusted in parallel to the slicing plane in order to set the cutting thickness, and thus to set a desired slice thickness.

(10) A sliding carriage 14 which can be displaced in parallel to the slicing plane is arranged in the area in front of the blade 2. The sliding carriage 14 is mounted, so that it can be displaced linearly, via a slide foot 15 in the machine housing 11. In the front area, the sliding carriage 14 has a hand guard 17. Product to be sliced is raised onto the surface of the sliding carriage 14 and fed to the blade 2 by movement of the sliding carriage 14 back and forth. The hand guard 17 arranged in the front area of the sliding carriage is designed to be partially transparent, in order to guarantee a view into the slicing area.

(11) The slices cut by the blade 2 are received, behind the blade, by a chain frame 18 and conveyed transverse to the slicing plane. Via a pivotable flick ejector 181 the cut slices are removed from the chain frame 18 and deposited on the deposit plate 31 of the deposit table 3 in the deposit area 19. The deposit plate 31 is arranged above a base 13 of the machine housing 11. The base 13 of the machine housing 11 is formed substantially rectangular and to all intents and purposes forms the frame of the machine housing 11. Height-adjustable machine feet, not shown, with which the slicing machine 1 can be positioned on a support, are arranged on the underside of the machine housing 11, thus in the area of the base 13. On the inside, the machine housing 11 has a receiving space for receiving individual components, such as for example driving motors and/or control devices. The base 13 of the machine housing is sealed to the top and has a removable cover plate on the underside. Starting from the base 13, the motor tower 12 extends upwards in a vertical direction. The driving motor and a control, not shown, for the slicing machine are arranged in the motor tower 12. An operating and/or display device 121 with operating elements and a display are arranged on the top of the drive tower or motor tower 12. Via this operating and/or display device, the slicing machine 1 can be adjusted or programmed and operated.

(12) The deposit table 3 has a table drive mechanism via which the deposit table or the deposit plate 31 can be moved in a horizontal direction in parallel to the slicing plane and also in a vertical direction towards the chain frame or away from the chain frame. The table drive mechanism and the deposit table, in each case with individual ones of their components, are represented in FIGS. 2 to 6.

(13) The deposit table 3 comprises, in addition to the deposit plate 31, a deposit plate holder 32, which is releasably connected to the deposit plate 31 via four holders 331, 332, 333, 334. Further, the deposit table 3 comprises a support profile 34, on which a load cell 7 is arranged. The deposit plate holder 32 is connected to the force application side of the load cell 7. The load cell is formed as a strain gage load cell. It has a rectangular box-shaped bending beam made from an aluminum alloy. One end of the load cell 7 is fixed, formed as a so-called ground side 71. The opposite end of the load cell is the force application side 72 of the load cell. In the middle between the ground side 71 and the force application side 72, the load cell 7 has a weakening zone 73. The strain gage sensors are arranged in the area of the weakening zone 73 in order to measure a weight-proportional deformation of the load cell 7.

(14) The horizontal drive mechanism 4 of the table drive mechanism 6 has a belt drive 47 with a housing 46. The deposit table 3 is held on the housing 46 of the belt drive 47, by the support profile 34 being mounted, so that it can be displaced linearly, via two parallel rods 351, 352 on the housing 46 of the belt drive 47. The housing 46 of the belt drive 47 is mounted, height-adjustable, via a telescopic carrier 52 on the base 13 of the machine housing 11.

(15) The table drive mechanism 6 has, as represented in FIG. 5 among others, a horizontal driving motor 41 and a vertical driving motor 51. The two driving motors 41 and 51 are connected to each other and to the machine housing 11 via a common motor carrier 61. As can be seen in FIG. 6, the telescopic carrier 52 starts from the motor carrier plate 61, passes through a wall of the machine housing 11 and mounts the housing 46 of the belt drive 47 on its top.

(16) The deposit table 3 and the deposit plate 31 are height-adjustable via the vertical drive mechanism 5. The vertical drive mechanism 5 comprises the vertical driving motor 51 as well as the telescopic carrier 52, which is length-adjustable via the vertical driving motor.

(17) Via the horizontal drive mechanism 4 represented for example in FIGS. 2 to 4, the deposit table 3 or the deposit plate 31 can be moved from a first end position, which is represented in FIG. 3, to a second end position, which is represented in FIG. 4. In FIG. 2, the horizontal drive mechanism is shown in a three-dimensional representation, wherein the cover of the housing 46 has been removed for the sake of clarity. In FIGS. 2-5, the removable deposit plate 31 has been removed for the sake of clarity.

(18) The support profile 34 is mounted, so that it can be displaced linearly, via the two slide rods 351, 352 arranged spaced apart from each other vertically, on the housing 46 of the belt drive 47. The two rods 351 and 352 are offset relative to each other in a horizontal direction, wherein the upper slide rod 351 is connected to a run of the drive belt 45 of the belt drive 47 and the lower rod 352 is formed as a torque-absorbing rod, by the latter being braced, via a linear guide 36, outwardly against the housing 46 of the belt drive 47. The linear guide 36 has, on its underside, a recess 361 which is adapted to the contour of the rod 352 and in which the latter is guided so that it can be displaced linearly. The recess 361 grips around the rod 352 on three sides, as can be seen from FIG. 6. Shear forces can thereby be absorbed via the linear guide 36, with the result that torsion of the deposit table 3 is prevented.

(19) The support profile 34 is further connected to the fixed side, or ground side, of the load cell 7. The load cell 7 is screwed on the support profile 34 with its ground side. The movable side, or force application side, of the load cell 7 carries the deposit plate carrier 32, by the latter being screwed to the force application side. The load cell 7 represents the only force-fit connection between the support profile 34 on the one hand and the deposit plate carrier 32 or the deposit plate 31 on the other hand. Force shunts, which could negatively affect the weighing result supplied by the load cell 7, are thereby avoided. In order to avoid such force shunts and additionally to cut down on weight, it is provided that the deposit plate carrier 32 has two slotted holes 321 and 322.

(20) The deposit plate carrier 32 carries the holders 331, 332, 333, 334 and connects them to each other. The deposit plate carrier 32 is formed as a contoured, preferably folded, flat plate. In the middle, the deposit plate carrier 32 has an upwardly directed bulge 323, in which the load cell 7 is at least partially arranged.

(21) The linear guide 36 is formed as a cylinder and, starting from the housing 46 of the belt drive 47, passes through a slotted hole 322 of the deposit plate carrier 32. The slotted hole 322 is dimensioned such that contact between the linear guide 36 and the deposit plate carrier 32 cannot occur in any of the horizontal positions.

(22) The deposit plate 31 is designed substantially as a flat, rectangular plate. It has a flat surface for receiving the cut slices and/or stacks of slices. The deposit plate 31 is releasably connected to the deposit plate carrier 32 via the four holders 331, 332, 333, 334. The holders 331, 332, 333, 334 are in each case arranged in a corner of the deposit plate 31. They are formed as spacers in the form of cylindrical pins and extend in a vertical direction starting from the deposit plate carrier 32 to the deposit plate 31. The holders 331, 332, 333, 334 form an installation space B between the deposit plate 31 and the deposit plate carrier 32, as can be seen from FIG. 6. The holders 331, 332, 333, 334 in each case form releasable connections between the deposit plate 31 and the deposit plate carrier 32. The releasable connection can be formed as a magnetic coupling, snap-in coupling, plug-in coupling or screw coupling, or can have one of these. The connection between holder and deposit plate can thus be released without tools and in a short time.

(23) The housing 46 of the belt drive 47 encroaches into the installation space of the deposit table defined by the holders. The housing 46 of the belt drive 47 encroaches directly between at least two of the holders 331, 334 of the four holders 331, 332, 333, 334. In each case one holder 331, 334 lies directly opposite a housing narrow side of the housing 46, as can be seen from FIGS. 3 and 4. In the first end position of the deposit table represented in FIG. 3, the holder 334 lies immediately neighboring and at only a short distance from the housing narrow side of the housing 46 lying opposite it. In the second end position represented in FIG. 4, the second holder 331 lies immediately neighboring and at only a short distance from the housing side lying opposite it. The deposit table 3 is moved by the horizontal drive mechanism 4 until one of the holders 331, 334 is located on a lateral housing narrow side of the housing 46 or rests against this.

(24) As can be seen from FIG. 2 in a three-dimensional representation and from FIGS. 3 and 4 in the top view, the housing 46 of the belt drive 47 holds individual components of the horizontal drive mechanism 4. The driving roller 42, which is drive-connected to the horizontal driving motor 41 via the shaft 421, is mounted in the housing 46. The driving roller 42 meshes with the drive belt 45, which is guided in a T-shaped rotation inside the housing 46. A run of the drive belt 45 runs in parallel to the upper slide rod 351 and is drive-connected with the latter. A first deflection roller 431 and a second deflection roller 432, which guide the drive belt 45 in parallel to the upper slide rod 351, are mounted in the housing 46. Between the first deflection roller 431 and the second deflection roller 432, a tensioning device 44 for adjusting the belt tension is housed in the housing 46. The tensioning device 44 has a carrier plate, on which a third deflection roller 441 and a fourth deflection roller 442 are arranged, over which the drive belt 45 is likewise guided. The third and the fourth driving rollers 441, 442 can be adjusted together via a tensioning screw 443, in order to set the tension of the belt 45.

(25) The housing 46 encloses these components of the horizontal drive mechanism 4 on all sides and has a removable cover, which has been removed in FIGS. 3 and 4 for the sake of clarity and thus is not represented.

(26) The housing 46 has a passage opening for the slide rods 351 in each case on its two opposite housing sides. A sliding bushing which seals the opening and which guides the slide rods 351 so that they can be displaced linearly is arranged in this passage opening. Soiling is thereby effectively prevented from entering the belt drive 47.

(27) As can be seen from FIG. 6, the belt drive 47 or the drive belt 45 encroaches into the installation space B arranged between the removable deposit plate 31 and the deposit plate carrier 32 and thus forms a compact and space-saving drive solution for the deposit table 3. As can further be seen from FIG. 6, the belt drive 47 or the housing 46 of the belt drive with the drive belt 45 is arranged in a plane flush with the holders 331, 332, 333, 334. The top or underside of the housing 46 runs in parallel to the deposit plate 31 and is arranged immediately underneath the latter, i.e. at a small distance from the deposit plate 31. A compact, driven deposit table is thus achieved which, despite the integrated drive components and load cell, has an overall height that is as small as possible.