Pressing Device

Abstract

A pressing device for pressing meat products, in particular frozen and/or partly frozen meat products, preferably fresh meat products and/or bacon, comprises a pressing chamber into which a product to be pressed can be inserted by an insertion device. The insertion device comprises a conveyor that is configured to convey the product transversely to a longitudinal direction of the pressing chamber to an insertion section, wherein the conveyor is supported at a housing of the pressing device, and wherein the conveyor is movable relative to the housing between an insertion position, in which the insertion section adjoins the conveyor, and an inactivity position in which the insertion section does not adjoin the conveyor.

Claims

1.-30. (canceled)

31. A pressing device for pressing meat products, comprising a pressing chamber which extends along a longitudinal direction and into which a product to be pressed can be inserted by an insertion device, wherein the insertion device comprises a first conveyor that is configured to convey the product transversely to the longitudinal direction of the pressing chamber to an insertion section, wherein the first conveyor is supported at a housing of the pressing device, and wherein the first conveyor is movable relative to the housing between an insertion position, in which the insertion section adjoins the first conveyor, and an inactivity position in which the insertion section does not adjoin the first conveyor.

32. A pressing device in accordance with claim 31, wherein the insertion section is arranged in alignment with the pressing chamber with respect to the longitudinal direction or is arranged in the pressing chamber.

33. A pressing device in accordance with claim 31, wherein the first conveyor projects transversely to the longitudinal direction from the housing in the insertion position.

34. A pressing device in accordance with claim 31, wherein the first conveyor is arranged behind the housing in the longitudinal direction in the inactivity position.

35. A pressing device in accordance with claim 31, wherein the first conveyor is pivotable between the insertion position and the inactivity position.

36. A pressing device in accordance with claim 31, wherein the first conveyor has a plurality of chambers, wherein at least one product can be inserted into each of the chambers.

37. A pressing device in accordance with claim 31, wherein the first conveyor is supported at the housing via a support strut in the insertion position.

38. A pressing device in accordance with claim 31, wherein, at a transfer section facing the insertion section, the first conveyor has a sensor for detecting the product.

39. A pressing device in accordance with claim 31, wherein the first conveyor is automatically lockable in the insertion position by moving the first conveyor from the inactivity position into the insertion position.

40. A pressing device in accordance with claim 31, wherein the pressing device has a detection device that is configured to detect the first conveyor in the insertion position.

41. A pressing device in accordance with claim 31, wherein a drive for driving the first conveyor is arranged in the housing, wherein the first conveyor is configured to couple to the drive as a result of a movement from the inactivity position into the insertion position.

42. A pressing device in accordance with claim 41, wherein the first conveyor is configured to couple to a driven shaft, which is supported at the housing and which can be driven by the drive, as a result of a movement from the inactivity position into the insertion position.

43. A pressing device in accordance with claim 42, wherein the first conveyor has a drive shaft, wherein the drive shaft is configured to enter into a rotationally fixed connection with the driven shaft as a result of the movement of the first conveyor from the inactivity position into the insertion position.

44. A pressing device in accordance with claim 43, wherein a first coupling element is arranged at the drive shaft and wherein a second coupling element is arranged at the driven shaft, wherein the first coupling element is configured to come into engagement with the second coupling element as a result of the movement of the first conveyor from the inactivity position into the insertion position.

45. A pressing device in accordance with claim 44, wherein the second coupling element is arranged in at least one of a deflectable manner or a gimballed manner at the driven shaft.

46. A pressing device in accordance with claim 41, wherein a second conveyor is arranged in the insertion section and is configured to convey the product in the insertion section transversely to the longitudinal direction, wherein the second conveyor can be driven by the drive.

47. A pressing device in accordance with claim 46, wherein, in the insertion position, the first conveyor can be driven by a rotation of a motor shaft in a first direction of rotation and has a freewheel with respect to a rotation of the motor shaft in a second direction of rotation opposite the first direction of rotation, wherein the second conveyor can be driven by a rotation of the motor shaft in the second direction of rotation and has a freewheel with respect to a rotation of the motor shaft in the first direction of rotation.

48. A pressing device in accordance with claim 46, wherein the second conveyor can be driven by a second driven shaft driven by the drive, wherein the drive is configured to set the driven shaft and the second driven shaft into opposite rotations.

49. A pressing device in accordance with claim 46, wherein the second conveyor is configured to convey the product in the insertion section against an abutment.

50. A pressing device in accordance with claim 31, wherein the pressing chamber has a pressing member that is movable in the longitudinal direction and that can be moved in the direction of a counter-element in order to compress the product in the pressing chamber, and wherein the insertion device has a third conveyor that is configured to convey the product from the insertion section along the longitudinal direction into the pressing chamber, wherein the third conveyor is configured to convey the product over the pressing member into the pressing chamber.

Description

[0063] The invention will be explained in the following purely by way of example with reference to an embodiment and to the drawings.

[0064] There are shown:

[0065] FIGS. 1A to 1C perspective views of a pressing device and a plan view of the pressing device;

[0066] FIGS. 2A and 2B a perspective view and a perspective detailed view of a first conveyor of an insertion device of the pressing device for inserting products to be pressed into a pressing chamber;

[0067] FIG. 2C a longitudinal sectional representation of a front section of the first conveyor;

[0068] FIGS. 3A and 3B a perspective front view and a perspective rear view of a drive for driving the first conveyor; and

[0069] FIG. 4 a detailed view of a coupling element which is connected to a driven shaft drivable by the drive and via which the first conveyor may be connected to the drive.

[0070] FIG. 1A shows a pressing device 11 that is configured to compress meat products and in particular frozen and/or partly frozen meat products. For example, the pressing device 11 may be provided for pressing fresh meat products and/or bacon.

[0071] The pressing device 11 has a pressing chamber 13 which extends along a longitudinal direction L and into which a product, not shown, may be inserted for pressing. To be able to compress the product in the pressing chamber 13, the pressing chamber comprises a first pressing member 81 that is movable along the longitudinal direction L towards a first counter-element 87 to be able to compress the product in the longitudinal direction L. In this respect, the longitudinal direction L is in particular defined by that direction along which the pressing chamber 13 has the greatest extent. Furthermore, the longitudinal direction L may be oriented in the horizontal.

[0072] The pressing chamber 13 furthermore comprises a second movable pressing member 83 that is movable transversely to the longitudinal direction L and in the horizontal in the direction of a second counter-element 89. A product may consequently be compressed transversely to the longitudinal direction 11 by the second pressing member 83. Furthermore, the pressing chamber 13 comprises a third movable pressing member 85 that is movable vertically downwardly in the direction of a third counter-element 91 to be able to also compress a product in the vertical direction. The third counter-element 91 in particular forms a pressing plane on which a product is disposed during the pressing in the pressing chamber 13. Furthermore, the pressing chamber 13 has an output 92 through which a completely pressed product may be moved out of the pressing chamber 13 in the longitudinal direction L.

[0073] Such a pressing device 11 may thus be provided to compress meat products into a predefined and/or desired shape in order to, for example, package the compressed meat products and offer them for sale. For example, bacon pieces pressed into an approximately parallelepiped shape may be output by the pressing device and may then be offered for sale in this shape. However, provision may preferably be made that the pressing device 11 is provided as part of a processing line so that further apparatuses for processing meat products may be arranged downstream of the pressing device 11. For example, provision may be made to cut the products pressed by the pressing device 11 into slices by a slicing apparatus and to form portions from these slices that may then be transferred to a packaging machine and packaged portion-wise. In such a processing, provision may also be made to be able to cut off uniform slices from the product, wherein the slice shape may in particular be determined by a controlled pressing process.

[0074] In particular if the pressing device 11 is provided as part of a processing line, the duration required for processing the products may in particular depend on cycle times of the pressing device 11. To be able to press products by the pressing device 11, they, however, first have to be inserted into the pressing chamber 13, which usually takes place manually. However, this may slow down the process and, in a pressing process that may not have been properly stopped, there may furthermore be hazards for a user reaching into the pressing chamber 13.

[0075] To enable a safe and fast operation of the pressing device 11, the pressing device 11 illustrated in FIGS. 1A to 1C, in contrast, has an insertion device 15 that is configured to insert products into the pressing chamber 13. Thus, the products do not have to be manually inserted into the pressing chamber, but may be automatically moved into the pressing chamber 13 by the insertion device 15.

[0076] To enable an insertion of the products, the insertion device 15 has a first conveyor 17 that is configured to convey the products transversely to the longitudinal direction L of the pressing chamber 13 to an insertion section 19. In this respect, the first conveyor 17 comprises a conveyor band 25 and projects transversely to the longitudinal direction L away from a housing 21 of the pressing device 11.

[0077] The configuration of the insertion device 15 with such a first conveyor 17 projecting away from the housing 21 firstly enables a user not to have to insert the products directly into the pressing chamber 13, but to be able to place them onto the conveyor band 25. The first conveyor 17 has a plurality of upwardly open chambers 27 that are each configured in the manner of a compartment and that are separated from one another by webs 29, wherein at least one product may be inserted into each of the chambers 27. This may in particular enable a controlled conveying of the products and prevent a slipping off of the products when the products are conveyed along a conveying direction F that extends obliquely upwardly.

[0078] The first conveyor 17 is furthermore supported at the housing 21 via a support strut 31, but does not have its own support on the ground. Due to the support strut 31, torques that are transmitted to the first conveyor 17 by products loaded onto the conveyor band 25 may in particular be led off into the housing 21. Since the first conveyor 17 is not itself supported on the ground, a compact configuration of the pressing device 11 may be achieved.

[0079] As already explained, the first conveyor 17 is configured to convey products to an insertion section 19. As can be seen from FIG. 1B, in which the pressing device 11 is shown without a housing section 20, this insertion section 19 is arranged within the housing 21. The first conveyor 17 may thus in particular be configured to convey products transversely to the longitudinal direction L of the pressing chamber 13 and/or along a conveying direction F into the housing 21 of the pressing device 11.

[0080] A second conveyor 63 is arranged in the insertion section 19 and is configured to convey products arranged in the insertion section 19 further transversely to the longitudinal direction L of the pressing chamber 13. The second conveyor 63 is in particular configured as a band unit 67 and likewise comprises a conveyor band so that the second conveyor 63 may be inserted into the housing 21 of the pressing device 11 as a compact module in the form of the band unit 67.

[0081] The second conveyor 63 is furthermore configured to convey a product conveyed into the insertion section 19 transversely to the longitudinal direction L against an abutment 75. This may make it possible to precisely align the product in the insertion section 19 to enable a subsequent insertion into the pressing chamber 13.

[0082] In addition to the first conveyor 17 and the second conveyor 63, the insertion device 15 furthermore comprises a third conveyor 77 that is configured to convey a product from the insertion section 19 along the longitudinal direction L into the pressing chamber 13. In the embodiment shown, the third conveyor 77 is configured as a product pusher 79 that has a pushing surface and that is linearly displaceable in a guide along the longitudinal direction L. The product pusher 79 may thereby engage at an end of a product facing away from the pressing chamber 13 to push the product into the pressing chamber 13. Furthermore, to enable such a pushing of a product along the longitudinal direction L into the pressing chamber 13, the insertion section 19 is oriented in alignment with the pressing chamber 13 with respect to the longitudinal direction L. For example, the third conveyor 77 may be movable along the longitudinal direction L by a spindle drive and/or may be drivable by an electric motor, in particular a servomotor. Furthermore, it can be seen from FIG. 1B that the third conveyor 77 is configured to convey a product across the first pressing member 81 into the pressing chamber 13. The third conveyor 77 may furthermore also be movable against the longitudinal direction L to also be able to convey a product subsequently inserted into the insertion section 19 into the pressing chamber 13.

[0083] By the insertion device 15, products may thus be comfortably inserted into the pressing chamber 13 without a manual intervention into the pressing chamber 13 and/or a manual loading of the pressing device 11 being necessary. Rather, products may be comfortably inserted into the chambers 27 of the first conveyor 17 and may then automatically be successively guided into the pressing chamber 13 by the insertion device 15. Since the first conveyor 17 further has a plurality of chambers 27, the first conveyor 17 may also act as a store or a buffer for a plurality of products so that any delays due to a merely slow manual loading of the pressing chamber 13 may be avoided.

[0084] However, it can also be seen from FIGS. 1A and 1B that in an insertion position A, in which products may be conveyed to the insertion section 19 by the first conveyor 17 and the insertion section 19 adjoins the first conveyor 17 in the conveying direction F, the conveyor 17 projects transversely from the housing 21 and thereby for example impedes an access to the insertion section 19, for instance for cleaning or maintenance purposes. Furthermore, in this insertion position A, the first conveyor 17 projects into a path leading from the output 92 of the pressing chamber 13 to an opposite end of the pressing device 11 so that the first conveyor 17 may also impair a passage in this direction.

[0085] To, among others, address this problem and nevertheless enable a comfortable and automatic insertion of products into the pressing chamber 13, the first conveyor 17 is movable between the insertion position A shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, in which the insertion section 19 adjoins the first conveyor 17, and an inactivity position I illustrated in FIG. 1C. In the inactivity position I, the first conveyor 17 is arranged behind the housing 21 of the pressing device 11 with respect to the longitudinal direction L so that the pressing chamber 13, the insertion section 19, and the first conveyor 17 are located behind one another with respect to the longitudinal direction L. In this inactivity position I, the first conveyor 17 thus does not project from the housing 21, but provides a passage and access to the insertion section 19.

[0086] In the embodiment shown, the first conveyor 17 may in particular be pivoted from the insertion position A into the inactivity position I—and vice versa. This enables a comfortable and quick change between the insertion position A and the inactivity position I. As FIG. 1C illustrates, the first conveyor 17 is, however, also connected to and supported at the housing 21 in the inactivity position I. Thus, the first conveyor 17 does not have to be separated from the housing 21 to enable access to the insertion section 19 or an undisturbed moving past the pressing device 11.

[0087] The first conveyor 17 is in particular pivotable about a pivot axis S that is formed by two pins 23 fastened to the housing and arranged vertically above one another at a spacing. The first conveyor 17 is connected to the pins 23 via respective pivot arms 24 to be able to bridge the spacing between the pins 23 and the end of the pressing device on a pivoting of the first conveyor from the insertion position A into the inactivity position I and to be able to arrange the first conveyor 17 behind the housing 21 in the inactivity position I.

[0088] Furthermore, it can be seen from FIGS. 1A to 1C that the first conveyor 17 does not have any supply lines, such as electric cables, and also does not have a drive arranged externally with respect to the housing 12 to enable a movement of products. Rather, the first conveyor 17 is configured to be driven by a drive 45 arranged behind a housing closure 97, as explained below with reference to FIGS. 2A to 4.

[0089] FIG. 2A shows a view of the first conveyor 17 and FIG. 2B shows a detailed view of an end of the first conveyor 17 facing the insertion section 19 in the insertion position A. The first conveyor 17, for example, has a tensioning device 37 to be able to tension the conveyor band 25. Furthermore, a sensor 35 is arranged at the end facing the insertion section 19 and is configured to detect a product in a transfer section between the first conveyor 17 and the insertion section 19. The sensor 35 may in particular be configured to detect a rear product end and to transmit a corresponding signal to a control device 41 of the pressing device (cf. FIGS. 1A and 1B), wherein the control device 41 may, for example, be configured to stop the first conveyor 17. A plurality of products may thereby be prevented from being simultaneously conveyed to the insertion section 19. In contrast, the control device 41 may be configured to drive the second conveyor 63 in response to a signal of the sensor 35 in order to enable a movement of the product in the insertion section 19 against the abutment 75.

[0090] FIGS. 2A and 2B furthermore show that a comb 34 is arranged at the housing 21, via which comb the products may be conveyed into the insertion section 19.

[0091] However, the interrupted webs 29 may dip between the comb 34 when the conveyor band 25 is moved onward. Furthermore, the webs 29 may serve as a support surface for the products during the transfer to the insertion section 19.

[0092] FIGS. 3A and 3B show the drive 45 already mentioned for the first conveyor 17 that is arranged in the housing 21 and that not is externally or directly arranged at the first conveyor 17. The drive 45 comprises a motor 70, in particular an electric motor and/or a servomotor, that is configured to set a motor shaft 69 into a rotation along a first direction of rotation D1 and along a second direction of rotation D2. The first direction of rotation D1 and the second direction of rotation D2 are opposite one another in this respect. The motor shaft 69 is connected to a driven shaft 47 and to a further driven shaft 65 via a belt. The belt furthermore runs around a deflection 73.

[0093] Due to the connection of the driven shaft 47 and the second driven shaft 65 to the motor shaft 69 via the belt 63, it may be achieved that the driven shaft 47 and the second driven shaft 65 always rotate oppositely to one another. Thus, the driven shaft 47 always rotates along the same direction of rotation D1 or D2 as the motor shaft 69, while the second driven shaft 65 always rotates in the opposite direction.

[0094] As FIG. 3B shows, a coupling element 55 is arranged at the driven shaft 47. The coupling element 55 is in particular connected to the driven shaft 47 via a gimbal holder 61 and has a plurality of axial coupling recesses.

[0095] As FIGS. 2A to 2C show again, a first coupling element 53, which has a plurality of axial coupling prolongations, is arranged at the drive shaft 49 of the first conveyor 17. The first coupling element 53 is in this respect configured to engage at the second coupling element 55 of the driven shaft 47 as a result of a movement of the first conveyor 17 into the insertion position. Consequently, as a result of a movement into the insertion position, the drive shaft 49 of the first conveyor 17 may automatically enter into a rotationally fixed coupling with the driven shaft 47 to be able to be driven by the drive 45.

[0096] Since the second coupling element 55 is held in a gimballed manner at the driven shaft 47, a tolerance compensation may in particular be achieved in that the second coupling element 55 may be deflected with respect to the driven shaft 47. Furthermore, the first coupling element 53 may also be deflected at the drive shaft 49 of the first conveyor 17 in that the latter is axially preloaded by a spring 93.

[0097] As FIG. 3B further shows, a plug-in coupling 95 is formed at the second driven shaft 65. Said plug-in coupling 95 is provided to bring the second driven shaft 65 into a rotationally fixed coupling with a second drive shaft 66 by which the second conveyor 63 may be driven. Consequently, the drive 45 is configured to drive both the first conveyor 17 and the second conveyor 45.

[0098] Furthermore, the driven shaft 47 and the further driven shaft 65 always rotate in opposite directions of rotation D1 or D2 due to the guide belt 71. The first conveyor 17 further has a freewheel with respect to a rotation of the motor shaft 69 along the second direction of rotation D2 so that the first conveyor 17 or the conveyor band 25 is stationary during a rotation of the motor shaft along the second direction of rotation D2. The second conveyor 63, in contrast, has a freewheel with respect to a rotation of the motor shaft 69 along the first direction of rotation D1. The first conveyor 17 may be driven by a rotation of the motor shaft along the first direction of rotation D1 and the second conveyor 63 may be driven by a rotation of the motor shaft along the second direction of rotation D1.

[0099] This may make it possible to intentionally convey products into the insertion section 19 and against the abutment 75 by the common drive 45 in that the motor shaft 69 is first driven along the first direction of rotation D1 and the product is conveyed to the insertion section 19 by the first conveyor 17. However, as soon as the product reaches the insertion section 19, the motor shaft 69 may be driven in the second direction of rotation D2 so that the product may be conveyed against the abutment 75 by the second conveyor 63, but no further product is conveyed into the insertion section 19. As soon as the product has been conveyed into the pressing chamber 13 by the third conveyor 77 and the third conveyor 77 has been moved back against the longitudinal direction L again, the motor shaft 69 may be driven along the first direction of rotation D1 again in order to convey a subsequent product to the insertion section 19 by the first conveyor 17.

[0100] FIGS. 1A and 1B further show that a locking member 39 for the first conveyor 17 is provided at the housing 12 in the insertion position A. Such a locking member 39 is also provided in the inactivity position I, as FIG. 1C shows. The first conveyor 17 may thereby in particular be secured against unintentional movements.

[0101] The pressing device 11 further comprises a detection device 43 that is configured to detect the first conveyor 17 in the insertion position A. The detection device 43 may in particular be configured to report to the control device 41 when the first conveyor 17 is in the insertion position A. The control device 41 may, for example, be configured to drive the conveyor 17 by the drive 45 only when the detection device 43 reports that the first conveyor 17 is correctly located in the insertion position A. For this purpose, the detection device 43 may, for example, comprise a contact sensor.

REFERENCE NUMERAL LIST

[0102] 11 pressing device [0103] 13 pressing chamber [0104] 15 insertion device [0105] 17 first conveyor [0106] 19 insertion section [0107] 20 housing section [0108] 21 housing [0109] 23 pin [0110] 24 pivot arm [0111] 25 conveyor band [0112] 27 chamber [0113] 29 web [0114] 31 support strut [0115] 33 transfer section [0116] 34 comb [0117] 35 sensor [0118] 37 tensioning device [0119] 39 locking member [0120] 41 control device [0121] 43 detection device [0122] 45 drive [0123] 47 driven shaft [0124] 49 drive shaft [0125] 51 deflection roller [0126] 53 first coupling element [0127] 55 second coupling element [0128] 57 coupling prolongation [0129] 59 coupling recess [0130] 61 gimbal holder [0131] 63 second conveyor [0132] 65 second driven shaft [0133] 66 second drive shaft [0134] 67 band unit [0135] 69 motor shaft [0136] 70 motor [0137] 71 belt [0138] 73 deflection [0139] 75 abutment [0140] 77 third conveyor [0141] 79 product pusher [0142] 81 first pressing member [0143] 83 second pressing member [0144] 85 third pressing member [0145] 87 first counter-element [0146] 89 second counter-element [0147] 91 third counter-element [0148] 92 output [0149] 93 spring [0150] 95 plug-in coupling [0151] 97 housing closure [0152] A insertion position [0153] D1 first direction of rotation [0154] D2 second direction of rotation [0155] F conveying direction [0156] I inactivity position [0157] L longitudinal direction [0158] S pivot axis