PICKLING MACHINE WITH DETECTION DEVICE

Abstract

The invention relates to a pickling machine having a detection device for detecting a blocked, damaged and/or broken needle.

Claims

1. A pickling machine for injecting liquid into a pickled product, comprising: a needle bar (6); a plurality of injection needles (3) arranged on the needle bar; and a detection device (7) for detecting a blocked, damaged and/or broken needle among the plurality of injection needles, said detection device having at least one sensor (1) whose measured values are obtained from movement of at least one of the plurality of needles relative to the sensor (1).

2. The pickling machine according to claim 1, wherein each needle of the plurality of injection needles (3) is associated with one sensor (1) per needle.

3. The pickling machine according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor (1) is arranged on or in a hold-down plate (2) of the pickling machine that serves to hold down the pickled product when the needles (3) are being pulled out.

4. The pickling machine according to claim 3, wherein the hold-down plate (2) is divided into two parts, and the sensor (1) is arranged between the two parts of the hold-down plate (2).

5. The pickling machine according to claim 1, wherein the sensor (1) is an inductive sensor, wherein a change in induction field of the inductive sensor is correlated with a blocked, damaged and/or broken needle (3) in respect of the needle with which the sensor is associated among the plurality of injection needles (3).

6. The pickling machine according to claim 2, wherein the sensors (1) are divided into groups (5), thus forming a test matrix, and wherein sensors of each group are series-connected, and wherein the series-connected sensors (1) of adjacent groups (5) are positioned at a prescribed distance from each other.

7. The pickling machine according to claim 6, wherein adjacent needles (3) of the plurality of injection needles are spaced apart a first distance, and wherein the prescribed distance between the series-connected sensors (1) of adjacent groups (5) corresponds to at least twice the first distance between adjacent needles (3).

8. The pickling machine according to claim 6, further comprising a control unit that, during each detection procedure, activates only one sensor (1) per group (5).

9. The pickling machine according to claim 1, wherein, in a distance measurement, the measured value of the sensor (1) serves to determine the specific needle stroke movement.

10. The pickling machine according to claim 1, further comprising an evaluation device for analyzing measured values of the sensor (1) to correlate with a quantity of liquid that is flowing through the needle (3).

11. The pickling machine according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is a contactless sensor.

12. The pickling machine according to claim 11, wherein the contactless sensor is selected from the group consisting of: optical sensors, capacitive sensors and inductive sensors.

13. A method for detecting needle defects in a pickling machine, comprising: penetrating a product with injection needles to inject a liquid into the product, wherein the injection needles pass through a hold down plate, and wherein each needle is associated with at least one sensor whose measured values are obtained from movement of such needle relative to the sensor; detecting by the sensor when a front part of the needle passes through the hold down plate associated with the pickling machine; and determining changes in movement of the needle relative to the hold down plate as predictive of a needle defect.

14. A method for detecting needle defects in a pickling machine, comprising: penetrating a product with injection needles to inject a liquid into the product, wherein the injection needles pass through a hold down plate, and wherein each needle is associated with at least one inductive sensor; detecting by the sensor a change in induction field; and correlating such change in induction field with a needle defect.

15. The method for detecting needle defects according to claim 14, wherein the needles are spaced apart a first distance and wherein the inductive sensors are arranged in groups, and such groups are spaced apart so that a distance between series-connected sensors of adjacent groups is at least twice as far as the first distance between adjacent needles.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] The figures show the following:

[0030] FIG. 1 a possible embodiment of a pickling machine according to the invention, with a detection device in a schematic depiction, and

[0031] FIG. 2 an arrangement of needles in groups in a test matrix, likewise in a schematic depiction.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0032] The pickling machine according to FIG. 1 serves to inject brine into a pickled product. It has a needle bar 6 and a plurality of hollow injection needles 3 arranged on it by means of a needle bridge 8. The needles 3 are preferably made of stainless steel. The needle bridge 8 is moved up and down together with the hollow needles 3 by means of a needle drive device. The pickled product is transported on a conveyor belt.

[0033] The needles 3 are passed through a hold-down plate 2 that holds the pickled product down on the bed of the conveyor belt while the needles 3 are being pulled out. The hold-down plate 2 can be moved up and down by means of a drive device, independently of the movement of the hollow needles 3 and of the needle bridge 8.

[0034] The pickled product is transported on a conveyor belt through the injection device. The hold-down plate 2 has holes through which the needles 3 pass. During the injection procedure, the conveyor belt stops and the needles 3 pass through the hold-down plate 2 and penetrate into the pickled product in order to inject it. Subsequently, the injected pickled product is transported further.

[0035] In the embodiment presented here, the hold-down plate 2 is divided into two parts. As set forth in the invention, a one-part or multi-part hold-down plate 2 is also possible.

[0036] In the embodiment described here, a detection device 7 for detecting damage or blockage of the needles 3 has a sensor 1. Each needle 3 can be associated with a sensor 1 so that all of the needles 3 arranged on the needle bridge 8 are monitored by means of the detection device. The sensor 1 is located in the two-part hold-down plate and is arranged along the circumference on each associated needle 3, as can be seen in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. It can also be provided that the sensors 1 are cast together with the hold-down plate 2; in particular, epoxy resin can be used for fixation purposes.

[0037] During each injection procedure, the needles 3 penetrate the pickled product (not shown here), so that the front part of the needles 3 pass through the hold-down plate 2 and can be detected by the sensor 1 arranged in the hold-down plate 2. A measured value registered by the sensor 1 is derived from the movement of the needle 3 relative to the sensor 1. In this manner, damage to the needle 3, especially a broken needle, can be immediately identified. When a defective needle 3 is detected, the machine and the conveyor belt are stopped. The affected pickled product is then transported further on the conveyor belt by only a few injection cycles. The needle 3 in question can then be replaced and the contaminated pickled product can be removed.

[0038] The above-mentioned embodiment makes use of an inductive sensor, but an optical or capacitive sensor or else a combination of various sensors can also be provided. A change in the induction field of the inductive sensor 1 is correlated with a blocked, damaged and/or broken needle 3, so that in this case, the sensor 1 issues an error signal and the machine is stopped.

[0039] Normally, the needles 3 are spaced very densely. As already mentioned, each needle 3 should be monitored by one sensor 1, as a result of which there is a large number of sensors 1, which are thus likewise arranged in very close proximity to each other. If all of the sensors 1 were to be activated in the measuring mode at the same time, the close proximity of the sensors 1 might cause the induction fields to interfere with each other, and this would result in erroneous measurements.

[0040] In order to prevent this, the sensors 1 are activated by a control unit, thus forming a test matrix. Such an arrangement can be seen in FIG. 2. For example, four adjacent needles 3 are each combined to form a group 5. Each sensor 1 of a group 5 is series-connected to one sensor 1 of the other groups 5.

[0041] If the distance between the sensors 1 that are in the measuring mode is not sufficient to avoid a reciprocal influence of the inductive fields because of the great density of the sensors 1, then the sensors are arranged in such a way that the distance between the series-connected sensors 1 of adjacent groups 5 is at least twice as much as the distance between adjacent needles 3. This ensures that there is enough distance between the active sensors 1 so that the induction fields do not interfere with each other.

[0042] As set forth in the invention, it is also possible to determine the stroke of the needle 3. If the measured stroke deviates from a value that, whenever possible, is prescribed in an evaluation device, then this could indicate damage to the needle 3.

[0043] Moreover, it is also conceivable to use the evaluation device to measure the quantity of brine flowing through the needle 3. The brine contains salt and is thus conductive. Owing to this conductivity, the flow situation in the needle 3 can be detected by the sensors 1. On the one hand, the momentary flow quantity through a needle 3 is determined and on this basis, a blockage or an impending blockage of the needle 3 can immediately be ascertained. Moreover, the evaluation device can determine the total quantity that has flowed through within a specific period of time, for example, since the needle 3 was placed into the needle bar 6 or else per batch of pickled product.

[0044] Moreover, it is also conceivable to determine the temperature of the needles 3 by means of the sensors 1. After all, the temperature is correlated with a change in the inductivity.

[0045] Additional objectives, advantages, features and application possibilities of the present invention can be gleaned from the description herein. In this context, all of the described and/or depicted features, either on their own or in any meaningful combination, constitute the subject matter of the present invention, also irrespective of their compilation in the claims or in the claims to which they refer back.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0046] 1 sensor [0047] 2 hold-down plate [0048] 3 needle [0049] 4 test matrix [0050] 5 group [0051] 6 needle bar [0052] 7 detection device [0053] 8 needle bridge