Suction tool and device and method for gutting fish opened at the abdominal cavity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10609934-B2
Application number	US-201616096041-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2016
Priority date	Apr 26, 2016
Publication date	Apr 7, 2020
Grant date	Apr 7, 2020

Abstract

The invention relates to a suction tool ( 10 ), configured and adapted for gutting fish ( 11 ) opened at the abdominal cavity, comprising a suction pipe ( 13 ) forming a main channel ( 12 ), wherein the suction pipe ( 13 ) has a connection ( 14 ) for a vacuum unit ( 15 ) at a free end and a suction opening ( 16 ) at the opposing end facing the abdominal cavity in the operating state, wherein the suction opening ( 16 ) laterally passes out of the suction pipe ( 13 ) and is thereby oriented radially in relation to the central axis M of the suction pipe ( 13 ), characterized in that an additional pipe element ( 23 ) for forming an auxiliary air channel ( 24, 31 ) is arranged in the region of the suction opening ( 16 ) of the suction pipe ( 13 ), wherein the pipe element ( 23 ) is arranged and adapted in such a way that a continuous suction air volume flow is maintained in the operating state of the suction tool ( 10 ). The invention also relates to an apparatus ( 17 ) and a method for gutting fish ( 11 ) opened at the abdominal cavity.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A suction device configured and adapted for gutting fish whose abdominal cavity is open, said suction device comprising:
a suction pipe having a main channel and one end being connectable to a vacuum source via a connector;
a suction opening arranged on another end of the suction pipe and being configured to face the abdominal cavity during an operating state;
said suction opening being oriented in a radial direction relative to a central axis of the suction pipe;
a pipe having an air channel and being arranged in a region of the suction opening,
wherein the pipe functions to maintain a continuous suction air volume flow during operation of the suction device.

2. The suction device of claim 1 , wherein the pipe has one end located adjacent a mouth of the suction opening and a portion located outside the suction pipe.

3. The suction device of claim 1 , wherein the pipe has one end located inside the suction opening and a portion located outside the suction pipe.

4. The suction device of claim 1 , wherein the pipe has one end located outside the suction opening and a portion located outside the suction pipe.

5. The suction device of claim 1 , further comprising a closing mechanism configured to close off the main channel of the suction pipe.

6. The suction device of claim 5 , wherein the closing mechanism comprises at least one slide element for closing the suction opening and a pneumatic cylinder for actuating said at least one slide element.

7. The suction device of claim 1 , further comprising a closing mechanism movable from a position wherein the main channel of the suction pipe is open to a closing position.

8. The suction device of claim 1 , wherein the pipe functions as a passive auxiliary air channel, whereby, in an operating state, an aperture area of the suction opening is coupled to an atmospheric environment of the suction pipe.

9. The suction device of claim 1 , wherein the pipe comprises a curved pipe portion having a downward facing opening whose central axis is parallel to the central axis of the suction pipe.

10. The suction device of claim 9 , wherein one portion of curved pipe portion protrudes into the main channel.

11. The suction device of claim 10 , wherein another portion of curved pipe portion has a central axis that is parallel to a central axis of the suction opening.

12. The suction device of claim 1 , wherein the pipe is configured to couple an aperture area of the suction opening to the vacuum source.

13. The suction device of claim 1 , wherein the pipe is configured to couple an aperture area of the suction opening to the suction pipe at a location downstream of the vacuum source.

14. The suction device of claim 1 , wherein the pipe has one end located inside an aperture area of the suction opening, said one end being oriented radially in relation to the central axis of the suction pipe and being in alignment with the suction opening.

15. The suction device of claim 14 , wherein the pipe has another end coupled to the vacuum source.

16. The suction device of claim 1 , wherein the pipe has one end that protrudes out from the suction opening.

17. The suction device of claim 1 , wherein the pipe has one end located adjacent a lower edge of the suction opening.

18. An apparatus configured and adapted for gutting fish whose abdominal cavity is open, comprising:
a transport conveyor transporting fish tail-first in transport direction T;
at least one receptacle for receiving fish lying on their backs;
at least one suction device according to claim 1 being configured to suck out internal organs of said fish;
said at least one suction device being movable from a standby position outside the abdominal cavity to a working position inside the abdominal cavity and back;
at least one vacuum source connected to the at least one suction device;
at least one measuring device configured to detect specific fish data; and
at least one control configured to operate the apparatus.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the at least one vacuum source comprises at least first and second separate vacuum sources, wherein the first vacuum source is connected to the suction pipe and the second vacuum source is connected to the pipe.

20. A method of gutting fish whose abdominal cavity is open using the apparatus of claim 18 , the method comprising:
transporting fish lying on their backs tail-first in transport direction T utilizing the transport conveyor;
detecting specific fish data utilizing the measuring device;
sucking out the internal organs into the opened abdominal cavity utilizing the suction device; and
controlling movement of the suction device utilizing the control,
wherein, during the sucking out of the internal organs, the internal organs pass through the main channel.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein, during operation of the apparatus, auxiliary air is provided to the main channel utilizing an auxiliary air channel of the pipe, whereby a continuous suction air volume flow is maintained in the main channel.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein, during operation of the apparatus, auxiliary air is provided to the main channel passively as ambient air at atmospheric pressure via the pipe, whereby the auxiliary air is sucked in through the main channel in an aperture area of the suction pipe.

23. The method of claim 20 , wherein, during operation of the apparatus, auxiliary air is provided to the main channel actively as suction air at negative pressure via the pipe, whereby a suction air volume flow is generated via an auxiliary air channel of the pipe in addition to a suction air volume flow via the main channel.

Assignees

• Nordischer Maschinenbau

Inventors

• Hensel Rene Lukas
• Paulsohn Carsten

Classifications

• A22C25/147 Primary

  Eviscerating by means of vacuum or suction devices · CPC title

• A22C25/14 Primary

  Beheading, eviscerating, or cleaning fish {(combined with removing fish-bone, skinning and filleting A22C25/14; hand tools A22C25/006)} · CPC title