APPARATUS FOR MOVING PORTIONS

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for moving portions that comprise at least one slice cut off from a food product, in particular by means of a slicing apparatus, in particular by means of a high-sped slicer, having a plurality of individually movable transport movers or transport movers respectively movable as a combined unit for the transport of the portions, having a path system for the transport movers in which the transport movers are movable along at least one predefined path in a direction of transport; and having a control device for controlling the movements of the transport movers in the path system, wherein the transport movers each comprise at least one rotor cooperating with the path system and at least one carrier for portions attached to the rotor; and wherein the path system comprises a plurality of receiver tracks for a multi-track reception of portions in a portioning region and at least one placement track that is associated with a plurality of reception tracks for the placement of portions in a placement region.

Claims

1. An apparatus for moving portions that each comprise at least one slice cut off from a food product, having a plurality of individually movable transport movers or transport movers respectively movable as a combined unit to transport the portions; having a path system for the plurality of transport movers in which the plurality of transport movers are movable in a direction of transport along at least one predefined path; and having a control device for controlling the movements of the plurality of transport movers in the path system, wherein the plurality of transport movers each comprise at least one rotor cooperating with the path system and at least one carrier for portions attached to the rotor; and wherein the path system comprises a plurality of receiver tracks for a multi-track reception of portions in a portioning region and at least one placement track that is associated with at least some of the plurality of receiver tracks for placing down portions in a placement region.

2. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plurality of receiver tracks are of different lengths.

3. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plurality of receiver tracks are consecutively merged with one another; or wherein the plurality of receiver tracks are respectively merged groupwise onto at least one intermediate track and the intermediate tracks are subsequently merged onto the at least one placement track.

4. The apparatus in accordance with claim 3, wherein the merging of the plurality of receiver tracks always takes place from the same side.

5. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising points that merge the plurality of receiver tracks.

6. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one placement track splits into a plurality of receiver tracks subsequent to the placement region; and/or wherein points are provided that split the at least one placement track.

7. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plurality of receiver tracks and the at least one placement track are components of a closed round line of the path system that leads from the portioning region into the placement region and back to the portioning region.

8. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the path system comprises at least one buffer region that has a higher path density than regions disposed directly upstream and downstream of the buffer region and/or that is formed by a single-track or multi-track buffer line whose length amounts to a multiple of the shortest distance between the start and the end of the buffer region.

9. A method for the continuous supply of portions to a packaging apparatus having an apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plurality of transport movers receive portions in a plurality of receiver tracks in the portioning region; the plurality of transport movers are consecutively led together onto the same placement track from at least some of the plurality of receiver tracks; and the portions are placed down from the placement track in the placement region.

10. The method in accordance with claim 9, wherein respectively predefined or predefinable intervals are set between the plurality of transport movers during and/or after the leading together of the transport movers.

11. The method in accordance with claim 9, wherein a respective predefined or predefinable order of the plurality of transport movers is set during and/or after the leading together of the plurality of transport movers.

12. The method in accordance with claim 9, wherein a transport mover is only moved from the portioning region in the direction of the placement region when it is loaded.

13. A coupling apparatus for coupling a plurality of part lines of a track system on which a plurality of individually movable transport movers or transport movers respectively movable as a combined unit are provided that are movable by means of a control device along at least one predefined track in a direction of transport and that each comprise at least one rotor cooperating with the path system and at least one carrier attached to the rotor, wherein the coupling apparatus comprises at least one path module having line sections that can be at least partly integrated into the part lines and comprises connection sections that extend between the part lines.

14. The coupling apparatus in accordance with claim 13, wherein the coupling apparatus is for an apparatus or in combination with an apparatus in accordance with claim 1.

15. The coupling apparatus in accordance with claim 13, wherein the part lines are functional lines that each lead from a portioning region to a placement region and back.

16. The coupling apparatus in accordance with claim 13, wherein part lines coupled by means of the path module comprise a respective forward run and a backward run, with the path module being able to be integrated into the path system such that transport movers moved through the path module change from forward run to forward run or from backward run to backward run to change part lines.

17. The coupling apparatus in accordance with claim 13, wherein the line sections comprise integration sections that can be integrated into the part lines and short-cut sections that connect the integration sections and shorten the path of the respective part line.

18. The coupling apparatus in accordance with claim 13, wherein part lines coupled by means of the path module each comprise a forward run and a backward run, with the path module comprising functional sections provided pairwise and in each pair the one functional section is associated with the forward run and the other functional section is associated with the backward run of a respective part line.

19. The coupling apparatus in accordance with claim 13, wherein part lines coupled by means of the path module extend at least substantially in parallel with one another, with the path module being at least essentially of T shape and comprising two connection sections two integration sections and two short-cut sections that each extend at least substantially in parallel with one another.

20. The coupling apparatus in accordance with claim 13, wherein a separate control, a control corresponding to the path system and/or an apparatus for connection to the control device of the path system is/are provided for the path module.

Description

[0052] The invention will be described in the following by way of example with reference to the drawings. There are shown:

[0053] FIG. 1 a schematic plan view of an embodiment of a movement apparatus in accordance with the invention;

[0054] FIG. 2 a schematic plan view of a further embodiment of a movement apparatus in accordance with the invention;

[0055] FIG. 3 a schematic plan view of an embodiment of a movement apparatus with a coupling apparatus in accordance with the invention; and

[0056] FIG. 4 a schematic plan view of a further embodiment of a movement apparatus with a coupling apparatus in accordance with the invention.

[0057] It must first be noted that the embodiments shown are of a purely exemplary nature. The number of tracks and part lines can in particular vary. The features of an embodiment can also be combined as desired with features of another embodiment.

[0058] FIG. 1 shows a path system 10 configured as a round line and having a portioning region 12 and a placement region 14. Transport movers, not shown, can be moved on the path system 10.

[0059] One or more portioning apparatus, e.g. slicing apparatus or conveyor units, having a respective one or more tracks can be provided in the portioning region 12. A separate receiver track 16, 18, 20, 22 is associated with each track of the portioning apparatus. Each of the four receiver tracks 16, 18, 20, 22 is first supplied to a track of the portioning apparatus. A transport mover moved on this receiver track 16, 18, 20, 22 receives a portion in so doing.

[0060] The transport movers can all be led past the positioning apparatus with the same longitudinal alignment. Alternatively, one or more receiver tracks 16, 18, 20, 22 can also extend at least partly transversely thereto to be able to receive a portion having a different orientation on the transport mover.

[0061] The receiver tracks 16, 18, 20, 22 are successfully led together and thus merged via points 24. The receiver tracks 16, 18, 20, 22 are of different lengths. The shortest receiver track 16 is thus first merged via points 24 with the second-shortest receiver track 18. After one path segment 26, the receiver tracks 18 and 20 are led together via further points 24. A further path segment 26 follows before the receiver tracks 20 and 22 are merged. The path segments 26 between the points 24 can be of the same construction and in particular of the same length. A buffering of the transport movers can take place between the points 24 due to the path segments 26.

[0062] Once the receiver tracks 16, 18, 20, 22 have been merged, a single placement track 28 remains. The portions are placed from this placement track 28 in a placement region 14, for example to a packaging apparatus or to a conveyor unit, e.g. to a feed belt. Subsequent to the placement region 14, the placement track 28 is led back again and is split into the receiver tracks 16, 18, 20, 22 via points 30.

[0063] In accordance with the invention, empty transport movers are first guided in one track out of the placement region 14 in the direction of the portioning region 12. The transport movers are distributed over the receiver tracks 16, 18, 20, 22 via the points 30 in the positioning region 12. The transport movers branch onto these secondary lines to receive portions. The transport movers are subsequently gradually led together onto the same placement track 28. The receiver tracks 16, 18, 20, 22 are merged by the points 24 for the leading together. Path segments 26 can serve as buffers in this process. The order and/or the spacing between the transport movers can be fixed on the leading together.

[0064] FIG. 1 additionally shows a possibility of how, when required, an additional functional region can be provided, here a buffer region 54 disposed in front of the placement region 14, simply by an intelligent line guidance. A region is created by a line guidance that comprises a plurality of bows and is so-to-say meandering and that has a relatively higher path density or line density than regions of the path system 10 disposed directly upstream and downstream. The buffer line consequently has a length that is substantially larger than the shortest distance between the start and end of the buffer region 54. In the example shown, the path is formed in one track in the buffer region 54. Alternatively, to multiply the buffer capacity for the buffer region 54, a multi-track line guidance can be provided that is integrated into the otherwise single-track path by points at the input side and at the output side.

[0065] The portions are subsequently placed down in the placement region 14 and e.g. packed. In accordance with the invention, a continuous portion stream to the packaging apparatus is made possible in this manner.

[0066] The path system 10 in accordance with FIG. 2 differs from the path system of FIG. 1 with respect to the manner of the leading together of the receiver tracks 16, 18, 20 and 22 onto the placement track 28. The receiver tracks are here not merged individually one after the other, but rather groupwise onto a respective intermediate track 27. The group formed by the receiver tracks 16 and 18 and the group formed by the receiver tracks 20 and 22 are merged in parallel so that two intermediate tracks 27 are present. After running through a respective buffer region 54 in accordance with the embodiment of FIG. 1, the two intermediate tracks 27 are merged onto the placement track 28 before the placement region 14.

[0067] FIG. 3 shows a path system 10 having three adjacent part lines 32, 34, 36 that are connected to one another via a central coupling apparatus 38 that is emphasized by a thicker line in FIG. 3.

[0068] The part lines 32, 34, 36 can each comprise a portioning region 12 in which portions each move onto the transport movers by a slicing apparatus 40 and a placement region 14 in which the portions are each placed at a packaging apparatus 42.

[0069] The coupling apparatus 38 comprises a path module 44 having line sections 46 that comprise integration sections 48 that are integrated into the part lines 32, 34, 36 and short-cut sections 50 that connect the integration sections 48 and shorten the respective part lines 32, 34, 36.

[0070] The path module 44 furthermore comprises connection sections 52 that extend between the part lines 32, 34, 36 and connect them to one another. A connection can be established to adjacent part lines 32, 34, 36 in this manner.

[0071] Starting from the part line 36, a connection section 52 branches off via points between the portioning region 12 and the placement region 14. This connection section 52 serves as a supply to the adjacent part line 34. The connection section 52 opens into this part line 34 in the route from the placement region 14 to the portioning region 12, and indeed in the upstream direction in front of the short-cut section 50 viewed in the direction of the portion flow.

[0072] The short-cut section 50 is located within the part line 34 and forms a parallel line or bypass of the route to the portioning region 12. The short-cut section 50 opens via points into the integration section 48 that leads to the placement region 14 of the part line 34.

[0073] A further parallel short-cut section 50 that bypasses the placement region 14 of the part line 34 branches off from this integration section 48. The short-cut section 50 opens into the integration section 48 coming from the placement region 14. Further points, from which a second connection section 52 branches off and leads back to the part line 36 again, is located downstream therefrom viewed in the direction of the portion flow. The opening takes place between the portioning region 12 and the placement region 14.

[0074] The part lines 34 and 32 can correspondingly also be connected to one another. The portioning region 12 and the placement region 14 can also be swapped over.

[0075] The coupling apparatus in accordance with the invention can also connected any desired part lines to one another. The part lines are consequently not necessarily lines between a portioning region 12 and a placement region 14. Any other products in addition to foods can thus also be transported between functional regions of any configuration.

[0076] The embodiment in accordance with FIG. 4 shows that the number of slicing apparatus 40 does not have to correspond to the number of packaging apparatus 42. The portions produced by means of the slicing apparatus 40 at the bottom in FIG. 4 can be channeled into the part liens 32, 34 of the other two slicing apparatus 40. Transport movers can be channeled out of these part lines 32, 34 and supplied to the lower slicing apparatus 40. The two part lines 32, 34 and the lower slicing apparatus 40 are connected by a coupling apparatus 38 that is indicated by a surrounding dashed line in FIG. 4 and that generally corresponds to the coupling apparatus 38 of FIG. 3 with respect to design and operation.

REFERENCE NUMERAL LIST

[0077] 10 path system [0078] 12 portioning region [0079] 14 placement region [0080] 16, 18, 20, 22 receiver track [0081] 24 points [0082] 26 path segment [0083] 27 intermediate track [0084] 28 placement track [0085] 30 points [0086] 32, 34, 36 part line [0087] 38 coupling apparatus [0088] 40 slicing apparatus [0089] 42 packaging apparatus [0090] 44 path module [0091] 46 line section [0092] 48 integration section [0093] 50 short-cut section [0094] 52 connection section [0095] 54 buffer region