Apparatus for slicing food products and method of providing intermediate sheets

Abstract

An apparatus for slicing food products includes a product feed and an interleaver. The product feed is operable to supply products to a cutting plane in a plurality of tracks running in parallel next to one another. At least one cutting blade is moved in the cutting plane. The interleaver has a conveying device for each track that is operable to convey a front end region of an interleaved sheet material web through the cutting plane in each track to provide the front end region in the respective track as an interleaved sheet between cut-off product layers. The interleaver is operable individually per track and each conveying device is configured such that it conveys the respective front end region of the respective interleaved sheet material web through the cutting plane individually per track in dependence on an angular position of the cutting blade.

Claims

1. An apparatus for the slicing of food products, comprising: a product feed (5) by means of which products (3) can be supplied in a plurality of tracks (S1, S2, S3) running next to one another to a cutting plane (S) in which a cutting blade (7) rotates through a revolution (U) about a central axis (M); and an interleaver (17) which has a conveying device (19) for each track (S1, S2, S3) by means of which a front end region (27) of an interleaved sheet material web (21) can be conveyed in the respective track (S1, S2, S3) through the cutting plane (S) to provide the front end region (27) as an interleaved sheet between cut-off product layers (13) in the respective tracks (S1, S2, S3), wherein: the interleaver (17) is operable individually per track and each conveying device (19) is configured to convey the respective front end region (27) of the respective interleaved sheet material web (21) through the cutting plane (S) individually per track based on an angular position () of the cutting blade (7) with respect to the revolution (U); in each track (S1, S2, S3), the conveyance of the front end region (27) through the cutting plane (S) is started and/or stopped individually per track and based on the angular position () of the cutting blade (7); in a first one of the plurality of tracks (S1, S2, S3), the conveyance of the front end region (27) through the cutting plane (S) is started at a first value of the angular position () of the cutting blade (7); in a second one of the plurality of tracks (S1, S2, S3), the conveyance of the front end region (27) through the cutting plane (S) is started at a second value of the angular position () of the cutting blade (7); and the second value of the angular position () of the cutting blade (7) is different than the first value of the angular position () of the cutting blade (7).

2. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a high-performance slicer.

3. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cutting blade (7) moves in a rotating and/or circulating manner.

4. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein each cut-off product layer (13) is an individual slice or a portion formed from a plurality of slices.

5. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein each conveying device (19) is configured to start and/or stop conveying the respective front end region (27) of the respective interleaved sheet material web (21) through the cutting plane (S) individually per track based on the angular position () of the cutting blade (7).

6. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein each conveying device (19) is configured to start conveying the respective front end region (27) of the respective interleaved sheet material web (21) individually per track as soon as the angular position () of the cutting blade (7) corresponds to an angular position value which is or can be predefined for the respective conveying device (19).

7. The apparatus in accordance with claim 6, wherein with at least one conveying device (19), the angular position value corresponds at least approximately to the angular position () at which the cutting blade (7) in the respective track (S1, S2, S3) releases a cross-sectional region disposed in the cutting plane (S) through which the front end region (27) of the respective interleaved sheet material web (21) is conveyed.

8. The apparatus in accordance with claim 6, wherein with at least one conveying device (19), the angular position value corresponds at least approximately to the angular position (), at which the cutting blade (7) has completely cut off a slice (13) of one of the cut-off product layers (13).

9. The apparatus in accordance with claim 6, wherein a different angular position value is or can be predefined for each conveying device (19).

10. The apparatus in accordance with claim 6, wherein the respective angular position value is dependent on the cutting blade (7) and/or on a cutting blade head.

11. The apparatus in accordance with claim 6, wherein the respective angular position value is dependent on the speed of rotation of the blade and/or on the cutting speed.

12. The apparatus in accordance with claim 6, wherein the respective angular position value is dependent on the respective product (3).

13. The apparatus in accordance with claim 12, wherein the respective angular position value is dependent on the shape, on the height and/or on the width of the product (3).

14. The apparatus in accordance with claim 6, wherein the respective angular position value is dependent on the arrangement of the cutting blade (7) relative to the tracks (S1, S2, S3) and/or to the products (3).

15. The apparatus in accordance with claim 14, wherein the respective angular position value is dependent on the arrangement of an axis of rotation (M, D) of the cutting blade (7) or of a blade head.

16. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein each conveying device (19) is configured to stop the respective conveying device individually per track as soon as the angular position () of the cutting blade (7) corresponds to a further angular position value which is or can be predefined for the respective conveying device.

17. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein each conveying device (19) is configured to convey the respective front end region (27) of the respective interleaved sheet material web (21) for a length of time which is predefined or which can be predefined.

18. The apparatus in accordance with claim 17, wherein the length of time is predefined or can be predefined individually per track.

19. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cutting blade (7) is a circular knife orbiting in a planetary motion.

20. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cutting blade (7) is a scythe-like blade rotating about a central axis (D) of the cutting blade (7).

21. A method of providing interleaved sheets on multitracks, wherein food products (3) are sliced in a plurality of tracks (S1, S2, S3) running in parallel next to one another by a cutting blade (7) rotating in a cutting plane (S) through a revolution (U) about a central axis (M), in each track (S1, S2, S3) a front end region (27) of an interleaved sheet material web (21) is conveyed by a conveying device of an interleaver through the cutting plane (S) based on an angular position () of the cutting blade (7) with respect to the revolution (U) and independently of the other tracks (S1, S2, S3) to provide the front end region (27) of the interleaved sheet material web as an interleaved sheet between cut-off product layers (13), in each track (S1, S2, S3), the conveyance of the front end region (27) through the cutting plane (S) is started and/or stopped individually per track and based on the angular position () of the cutting blade (7), in a first one of the plurality of tracks (S1, S2, S3), the conveyance of the front end region (27) through the cutting plane (S) is started at a first value of the angular position () of the cutting blade (7), in a second one of the plurality of tracks (S1, S2, S3), the conveyance of the front end region (27) through the cutting plane (S) is started at a second value of the angular position () of the cutting blade (7), and the second value of the angular position () of the cutting blade (7) is different than the first value of the angular position () of the cutting blade (7).

22. The method in accordance with claim 21, wherein each cut-off product layer (13) is an individual slice or a portion formed by a plurality of slices.

23. The method in accordance with claim 21, wherein in each track (S1, S2, S3), the conveyance of the front end region (27) through the cutting plane (S) is started as soon as the angular position () of the cutting blade (7) corresponds to an angular position value which is or can be predefined individually per track.

24. The method in accordance with claim 23, wherein the conveyance of the front end region (27) through the cutting plane (S) is started when the angular position value corresponds at least approximately to the angular position () at which the cutting blade (7) in the respective track (S1, S2, S3) releases a cross-sectional region disposed in the cutting plane (S) through which the front end region (27) of the respective interleaved sheet material web (21) is conveyed; and/or when the angular position value corresponds at least approximately to the angular position () at which the cutting blade (7) has completely cut off a slice (13) of one of the cut-off product layers (13) in the respective track (S1, S2, S3).

25. The method in accordance with claim 21, wherein in each track (S1, S2, S3), the angular position value is set based on the cutting blade (7) and/or on a cutting blade head.

26. The method in accordance with claim 21, wherein in each track (S1, S2, S3), the angular position value is set based on the speed of rotation of the blade and/or on the cutting speed.

27. The method in accordance with claim 21, wherein in each track (S1, S2, S3), the angular position value is set based on the respective product (3).

28. The method in accordance with claim 27, wherein in each track (S1, S2, S3), the angular position value is set based on the shape, on the height and/or on the width of the product (3).

29. The method in accordance with claim 21, wherein in each track (S1, S2, S3), the angular position value is set based on the arrangement of the cutting blade (7) relative to the tracks (S1, S2, S3) and/or to the products (3).

30. The method in accordance with claim 29, wherein the angular position value is set based on the arrangement of an axis of rotation (M, D) of the cutting blade (7) or of a blade head.

31. The method in accordance with claim 21, wherein in each track (S1, S2, S3), the conveyance of the front end region (27) through the cutting plane (S) is stopped as soon as the angular position () of the cutting blade (7) corresponds to an angular position value which is or can be predefined individually per track.

32. The method in accordance with claim 21, wherein in each track (S1, S2, S3), the conveyance of the front end region (27) through the cutting plane (S) is carried out for a length of time which is provided or which can be predefined individually per track.

33. The method in accordance with claim 21, wherein the conveyance of the front end region (27) through the cutting plane (S) is automatically adapted based on the speed of rotation of the cutting blade (7).

34. The method in accordance with claim 21, wherein the central axis (M) is parallel to and spaced apart from a central axis (D) of the cutting blade (7).

35. The method in accordance with claim 21, wherein the cutting blade (7) is a circular knife orbiting in a planetary motion.

36. The method in accordance with claim 21, wherein the cutting blade (7) is a scythe-like blade rotating about a central axis (D) of the cutting blade (7).

Description

(1) The invention will be described in the following by way of example with reference to the enclosed, Figures. There are shown, schematically in each case,

(2) FIG. 1 a lateral cross-sectional view of an apparatus in accordance with the invention for the multitrack slicing of food products; and

(3) FIGS. 2a-2c front views of a cutting plane of the apparatus of FIG. 1 in which different angular position locations of a cutting blade revolving in the cutting plane are shown.

(4) The shown slicing apparatus 1 has a product feed 5 by means of which a product 3 respectively lying on a product support 9 can be conveyed along a conveying direction F and can be supplied to a cutting plane S in a plurality of tracks disposed in parallel next to one anotherhere three tracks S1, S2, S3 (cf. also FIGS. 2a-2c). A product gripper 11 of the product feed 5 is associated with each track S1, S2, S3; it engages into the rear end of the respective product 3 and can be traveled along the conveying direction F for conveying the respective product 3.

(5) A cutting blade 7 has a blade edge 35 disposed in the cutting plane S. The revolving cutting blade 7 cuts off slices 13 from the respective front end of the products 3 with its blade edge 35, the slices falling onto a product placement area 15. The cutting blade 7 is a so-called circular blade or orbital blade. The cutting blade 7 has a central opening for a blade mount 31 via which it is fastened to a rocker 33 arranged at a blade head.

(6) In cutting operation, the cutting blade 7 is driven such that it rotates about a blade axis D. Furthermore, the rocker 33 is rotated about a central axis M in cutting operation. The cutting blade 7 thus carries out a revolution U about the central axis M in addition to its own rotation about the blade axis D. A relative movement between the cutting blade 7 and the products 3 is thereby generated which is required for the cutting off of the slices 13.

(7) The revolution can have an angular position associated with it to specify the position of the cutting blade 7 with respect to the revolution U. The angular position can in this respect be given relative to the axis A1 disposed in the cutting plane S and extending perpendicular to the product support 9. The angular position could, however, just as easily be given with respect to any other axis disposed in the cutting plane S, e.g. with respect to the horizontally extending axis A2.

(8) FIGS. 2a-2c show different angular position locations of the cutting blade 7 relative to the three products 3. In the described example, the cutting process starts in accordance with FIG. 2a at an angular position of approximately 90 degrees. The blade edge 35 of the cutting blade 7 in this respect penetrates into the left hand product 3 which lies in the track S1. The respective front ends of the continuously or intermittently supplied products 3 were previously moved beyond the cutting plane 17 and project beyond the cutting plane S by a degree corresponding to the respectively desired slice thickness. In the described example, the cutting process ends after an angular position of somewhat more than 180 degrees sinceas FIG. 2b showsthe blade edge 35 exits the product 3 disposed in the track S3 at this angular position and a slice was separated from all three products 3 at this time, i.e. at this angular position .

(9) As can furthermore be seen from FIGS. 2a-2c, the respective track-specific cutting process starts and ends earlier for the product 3 provided in track S1, that is at smaller angular positions , than for the products 3 disposed in the tracks S2 and S3. Correspondingly, the track-specific process for the product 3 provided in track S2 starts and ends earlier than the track-specific cutting process for the product 3 disposed in the track S3.

(10) The slicing apparatus 1 has an interleaver 17 which associates a respective conveying device 19 with each track S1 to S3 to extract a respective interleaved sheet material web 21 from an interleaved sheet material web roll 25 by means of a plurality of rollers 23 and to convey a front end region 27 of the interleaved sheet material web 28 beneath the respective product 3 through the cutting plane S. In this respect, the front end region 27 can be provided in the respective track S1 to S3 as an interleaved sheet likewise cut off by the cutting blade 7 between individual slices 13 and/or between portions formed by a plurality of slices. The total portion 29 thus formed on the product placement area 15 from slices 13 and interleaved sheets 27 can then be conveyed further in the conveying direction F and can, for example, be supplied to a downstream packaging machine (not shown) to package the total portion 29.

(11) The interleaver 17 can be operated individually per track so that each conveying device 19 can convey the respective front end region 27 as required independently of the other conveying devices 19 and can provide it as an interleaved sheet between cut-off slices 13. In this respect, each conveying device 19 is configured such that it carries out the conveying process of the respective front end region 27 through the cutting plane S individually per track in dependence on the angular position of the cutting blade 7. In the slicing apparatus 1, the provision of the interleaved sheets in each track S1 to S3 can thus be matched to the respective track-specific cutting process.

(12) In this respect, in particular the time at which the respective conveying process of a front end section 27 is started can be set or predefined at a control, not shown, for the conveying devices, individually per track in dependence on the angular position of the cutting blade 7. Each conveying device 19 can thus start the respective conveying process individually per track as soon as the angular position of the cutting blade 7 corresponds to an angular position value predefined for the respective conveying device 19.

(13) In accordance with a variant, the angular position value in each track can correspond to that angular position at which the cutting blade 7 just exits the product 3 disposed in the respective track. In FIG. 2c, this case is shown for the product 3 in the track S3 since, at the shown angular position of approximately 270 degrees, the blade body of the cutting blade 7 has just completely exited the product 3 in the track S3 again. In accordance with this variant, the conveying device 19 associated with each track S3 thus starts the conveying process of the front end section 27 as soon as the cutting blade 7 has reached the shown angular position location of =270 degrees.

(14) In contrast, the conveying device 19 associated with the tracks S1 and S2 already start the respective conveying process at a respective track-specific smaller angular position sinceas FIG. 2c showsthe cutting blade 7 has already completely exited the products 3 disposed in these tracks at smaller angular positions.

(15) In accordance with another variant, the angular position value in each track can correspond to that angular position at which the cutting blade 7 releases the cross-sectional region disposed in the cutting plane S through which the respective front end section 27 is conveyed. In other words: The conveying process for the respective front end section 27 is started individually per track at that angular position at which the cutting blade 7 just no longer blocks the respective conveying path of the respective front end section 27 during its revolution U.

(16) For example, the cutting blade 7 just releases the conveying path for the front end section 27 of the track S1 at the angular position of the cutting blade 7 shown in FIG. 2b. In the angular position location shown in FIG. 2, the conveying device 19 associated with the track S1 can thus start the conveying process for providing the next interleaved sheet.

(17) In contrast, the cutting blade 7 in accordance with FIG. 2b still blocks the conveying path for the front end section 27 of the track S2 so that, in the angular position location shown in FIG. 2b, the conveying process for the next interleaved sheet to be provided in the track S2 cannot yet be started.

(18) In addition, in the angular position location in accordance with FIG. 2b, a provided front end section 27 is just separated by the cutting blade 7 in the track S3. In this respect, the cutting blade 7 blocks the conveying path for the front end section 27 so that the conveying process for the next interleaved sheet provided in the track S3 can likewise not yet be started.

(19) In accordance with another variant, the angular position value in each track can correspond to that angular position at which the cutting blade 7 has just completely cut off a slice 13 from the product disposed in the respective track. In FIG. 2b, this case is shown for the product 3 in the track S3. In accordance with this variant, the conveying device 19 associated with the track S3 thus starts the conveying process of the front end section 27 as soon as the cutting blade 7 has reached the angular position location shown in FIG. 2b of somewhat more than =180 degrees.

(20) In contrast, the conveying devices 19 associated with the tracks S1 and S2 already start the conveying process at a respective track-specific smaller angular position sinceas FIG. 2b showsa slice 13 is completely cut off from the respective product 3 at smaller angular positions in the tracks S1 and S2.

(21) The respective angular position value individual per track could also be specified differently than in the described variants. In addition, at least two of the described variants could also be used in parallel. For example, the conveying device 19 associated with the track S1 could start the conveying process for the front end section 27 as soon as the cutting blade 7 reaches the angular position , at which it releases the conveying path for the end section 27 for the track S1. The conveying devices 19 associated with the other two tracks could in contrast start the conveying process individually per track as soon as the cutting blade 7 reaches the respective angular position at which the cutting blade 7 has completely cut off a slice.

(22) The respective conveying process can e.g. be carried out individually per track for a predefined length of time. In this respect, the front end section 27 is conveyed at a substantially constant speed by the respective conveying device 19. An interleaved sheet with a desired length can thus be provided by a suitable selection of the length of time for the conveying process.

(23) The respective conveying process can also be carried out individually per track for so long until the cutting blade 7 has reached a respective further angular position value lying behind the angular position value for the start.

(24) As can be seen with regard to FIGS. 2a-2c, the track-specific respective angular position value of the cutting blade 7, from which onward the conveying process for providing the interleaved sheet is begun in the respective track during the revolution of the cutting blade 7 can depend on the cutting blade 7. The respective angular position value can in particular depend on the diameter of the cutting blade 7.

(25) In addition, the angular position value can depend on the cutting blade type, that is in particular on whether a circular blade or a scythe-like blade is used. A further parameter, on which the respective angular position value can depend, is the speed of rotation of the blade or the cutting speed.

(26) The respective angular position value or a correction value for the angular position value can depend on the respective product 3, in particular on its shape, height and/or width. This is in particular the case in the variant in which the angular position value individual per track for the start of the conveying process corresponds to the angular position , at which the cutting blade 7 completely exits the product 3 disposed in the respective track since in this variant the product dimensions have an effect on the respective angular position value.

(27) The respective angular position value can also be dependent on the arrangement of the cutting blade 7 relative to the tracks S1, S2 and S3. For example, the central axis M could be adjustable along the axes A1 and A2 so that the alignment of the orbit of the cutting blade 7 can be varied relative to the tracks S1 to S3. The orbit of the cutting blade 7 can in particular be aligned with respect to an ideal cutting process. The orbit can in this respect be set such that the front end regions 27 are each cut off by the cutting blade 7 from the side, whereby a clean cut is facilitated. It can be seen in this respect that an adjustment of the central axis M along the axis A1 and/or along the axis A2 also effects a change of the angular position values individual per track which can be used as a criterion for the start or the stop of the respective conveying process for providing the interleaved sheets.

(28) In the embodiment shown, a circular blade is used as the cutting blade 7. A so-called scythe-like blade or spiral blade can, however, also be used which does not revolve in a planetary motion, but only rotates about the blade axis D. An exemplary scythe-like blade is described in WO 2009/027080 A1.

(29) With a scythe-like blade, it is the shape of the blade which generates the relative movement between the blade edge of the blade and the products required for cutting off slices. On a use of a scythe-like blade, the angular position taken into account in accordance with the invention for the respective conveying process of the respective end region 27 is related to the revolution of the scythe-like blade about the blade axis D. Otherwise, the above statements made with respect to the circular blade apply accordingly.

REFERENCE NUMERAL LIST

(30) 1 apparatus 3 product 5 product feed 7 cutting blade 9 product support 11 product gripper 13 slice 15 product placement area 17 interleaver 19 conveying device 21 interleaved sheet material web 23 roller 25 interleaved sheet material web roll 27 end region/interleaved sheet 29 total portion 31 blade mount 33 rocker 35 blade edge S1, S2, S3 track F conveying direction S cutting plane D blade axis M central axis U revolution A1, A2 axis angular position