Individual transport of food portions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10350780-B2
Application number	US-201515524371-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2015
Priority date	Nov 7, 2014
Publication date	Jul 16, 2019
Grant date	Jul 16, 2019

Abstract

The invention relates to a system comprising at least one slicing apparatus, in particular a high-performance slicer, for slicing food products; a conveying apparatus for moving portions that each comprise at least one slice cut off from a food product; and at least one packaging apparatus for packaging the portions, wherein the conveying apparatus comprises a plurality of individually movable transport movers for the transport of portions; a path system for the transport movers in which the transport movers are movable along at least a predefined path in a direction of transport; and 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 conveying apparatus is configured for moving the portions from the slicing apparatus to the packaging apparatus.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising
at least one slicing apparatus for slicing food products;
a conveying apparatus for moving portions that each comprise at least one slice cut off from a food product; and
at least one packaging apparatus for packaging the portions,
wherein the conveying apparatus comprises
a plurality of individually movable transport movers for the transport of portions;
a path system for the transport movers in which the transport movers are movable in a direction of transport along at least one predefined path; and
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 conveying apparatus is configured for moving the portions from the slicing apparatus to the packaging apparatus,
wherein a plurality of slicing apparatus and exactly one packaging apparatus are provided, the plurality of slicing apparatus each comprising a dedicated track, the dedicated track in communication with a common track, each common track terminating at a shared endpoint for the plurality of packaging apparatus, and
wherein the number of portions that can be generated or packaged per unit of time is greater with the slicing apparatus than the packaging apparatus.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1 ,
wherein exactly one slicing apparatus and a plurality of packaging apparatus are provided.

3. The system in accordance with claim 1 ,
wherein at least two packaging apparatus differ from one another, such that one packaging apparatus generates a different number of portions or packages per unit than another packaging apparatus.

4. The system in accordance with claim 1 ,
wherein the path system comprises a buffer configured for receiving at least one transport mover for each packaging apparatus.

5. The system in accordance with claim 1 ,
wherein the path system comprises a buffer configured for receiving at least one transport mover for at least one packaging apparatus and does not comprise a buffer for at least one packaging apparatus.

6. The system in accordance with claim 1 ,
wherein the control device controls the transport movers such that uniform portions are packaged by at least one packaging apparatus and mixed portions of a combination of part portions are packaged using at least one packaging apparatus.

7. The system in accordance with claim 1 ,
wherein at least one transport mover having a part portion is branched off from a path section that leads to a first packaging device.

8. The system in accordance with claim 6 ,
wherein the combination of part portions comprises a plurality of part portions, wherein all the part portions respectively originate from a buffer.

9. The system in accordance with claim 6 ,
Wherein the combination of part portions comprises a plurality of part portions, wherein at least a first part portion originates from a buffer; and wherein at least a second part portion does not originate from a buffer.

10. The system in accordance with claim 1 ,
wherein the control device controls the transport movers such that, in dependence on a criterion, they are not moved directly to a slicing apparatus at least temporarily and/or are moved to a packaging.

11. The system in accordance with claim 1 ,
wherein the control device controls the transport movers such that, in dependence on a criterion, they are not moved directly to a slicing apparatus at least temporarily.

12. The system in accordance with claim 1 ,
wherein exactly one slicing apparatus and exactly one packaging apparatus are provided.

13. The system in accordance with claim 12 ,
wherein the path comprises at least one set of distribution points that splits at least one track coming from the slicing apparatus into a plurality of functional tracks.

14. The system in accordance with claim 1 ,
wherein the path system comprises at least one set of connection points that combines a plurality of functional tracks to at least one track leading to the packaging apparatus.

15. The system in accordance with claim 13 ,
wherein each functional track comprises a buffer configured for receiving at least one transport mover or is configured as a buffer.

16. The system in accordance with claim 13 ,
wherein at least one functional track comprises a buffer configured for receiving at least one transport mover or is configured as a buffer, with at least one functional track not comprising a buffer and not being configured as a buffer.

17. The system in accordance with claim 13 ,
wherein a plurality of functional tracks are configured for the transport, for the processing, for the combining and/or for the buffering of portions or part portions of different sorts.

18. The system in accordance with claim 1 ,
wherein the path system comprises at least one passing line that bridges a path section that leads to at least one of a slicing apparatus and a packaging apparatus.

19. The system in accordance with claim 1 ,
wherein the path system comprises at least one return transport line that branches of from a path section that leads from a slicing apparatus to a packaging apparatus; and opens into the path section again upstream.

20. The system in accordance with claim 19 ,
wherein the return transport line is configured to supply a transport mover to the slicing apparatus again; to channel a transport mover for the part covering of the path system onto the path section; and/or to channel a transport mover having slicing residues or faulty portions out of the path section.

21. The system in accordance with claim 1 ,
wherein a robot device is provided for transferring portions from the conveying apparatus to the packaging apparatus.

22. The system in accordance with claim 1 ,
wherein the path system has at least one unloading track that leads through an unloading region in which at least one packaging apparatus is arranged.

23. The system in accordance with claim 22 ,
wherein the unloading track extends at least section-wise in parallel with a transfer region of a packaging apparatus.

24. The system in accordance with claim 22 ,
wherein the unloading track leads through the unloading region a multiple of times.

25. The system in accordance with claim 22 ,
wherein the unloading track comprises a plurality of unloading tracks, the plurality of unloading tracks leading through all the transfer regions of the packaging apparatus.

26. The system in accordance with claim 22 ,
wherein, the unloading track comprises a plurality of unloading tracks wherein at least one unloading track leads through a plurality of transfer regions of the packaging apparatus and at least one unloading track does not lead through at least one transfer region of a packaging apparatus.

Assignees

• Weber Maschb Gmbh

Inventors

• Horst Theodor

Classifications

• B26D2210/02

  for cutting food products, e.g. food slicers · CPC title

• B65G54/02

  electrostatic, electric, or magnetic · CPC title

• B26D7/32 Primary

  for conveying or stacking cut product (means for removing cut-out material or waste B26D7/18) · CPC title

• B26D5/00

  Arrangements for operating and controlling machines or devices for cutting, cutting-out, stamping-out, punching, perforating, or severing by means other than cutting · CPC title

• B65G2201/0202

  Agricultural and processed food products · CPC title