Portioning accuracy analysis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10869489-B2
Application number	US-201916556951-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2019
Priority date	Aug 31, 2018
Publication date	Dec 22, 2020
Grant date	Dec 22, 2020

Abstract

Workpieces WP are scanned at a scanning station (14) while being transported on a conveyor (12). A control system (18) analyzes the scanning data to develop a three-dimensional model of the workpiece WP and determine how to portion or trim the workpiece as desired. The cutting/trimming paths made through the workpiece is compared with the predetermined cutting paths to quantify the correspondence (or deviance) of the actual cutting paths from the predetermining cutting paths. This information is reviewed to determine whether the system (10) is operating property. If the alignment of the actual cutting/trimming paths with the predetermined cutting/trimming paths are not within a predetermined set point, the control system (18) seeks to determine the cause of the deviation as well as determine what remedial steps to take to restore the alignment of the actual cutting/trimming paths with the predetermined cutting/trimming paths.

First claim

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. An apparatus to acquire and analyze product specific data for food product cutting and trimming, comprising:
(a) a conveyance system having a transport surface for transporting a stream of separated food products in transport direction;
(b) a scanner for acquiring food product specific physical data as the food products are being transported on the conveyance system;
(c) a control system operably connected to the scanner and designed and configured to receive and analyze the food product specific physical data from the scanner and based on the food product specific physical data, determining how to cut the food products into desired shapes and sizes or determining how to trim the food products as desired, including predetermining the cutting or trimming paths to be used;
(d) a cutter controlled by the control system to cut or trim the food products along the cutting or trimming paths previously determined by the control system as the food products are being transported on the conveyance system; and
(e) a vision [optical/camera] system operably connected to the control system to capture visually specific data of the food products after cutting or trimming, including the actual cutting or trimming paths traveled by the cutter;
(f) wherein the control system compares the actual cutting or trimming paths with the predetermined cutting or trimming paths and analyzes the extent of alignment of the actual cutting or trimming paths with the predetermined cutting or trimming paths thereby providing an indication of whether the cutter is operating within present physical parameters.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein if the alignment of the actual cutting or trimming paths with the predetermined cutting or trimming path are not within a predetermined set point, the control system seeks to determine the cause of the deviation.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein if the alignment of the actual cutting or trimming paths with the predetermined cutting or trimming paths are not within a predetermined set point, the control system seeks to determine remedial steps to restore the alignment of the actual cutting or trimming paths with the predetermined cutting or trimming paths within the predetermined set point.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control system selects specific food products from the stream of food products for the vision [optical/camera] system to capture the actual cutting or trimming paths of the cutters or trimmers.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein specific food products are selected from the stream of food products for capture of the actual cutting or trimming paths based on one or more of the following:
(a) physical data of the food products from the scanner;
(b) physical data of the food products and/or the cutting paths captured by the vision [optical/camera] system;
(c) instructions from operational or monitoring personnel; and
(d) a sampling program being followed by the control system.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the system operational or monitoring personnel selects the individual food products from the stream of food products for capturing the actual cutting or trimming paths (1) after scanning and before cutting or trimming, or (2) after cutting or trimming.

7. A system for monitoring the operation of a food portioning/trimming system, the food portioning/trimming system including a conveyor system for conveying food products in a stream along a conveying direction, a scanner for scanning the food products to ascertain physical characteristics of the food products, a cutter for portioning/trimming the food products, the monitoring system comprising:
a control system receiving data from the scanner pertaining to the physical characteristics of the food products and determining how to portion/trim the food products as desired including predetermining the cutting paths of the cutter, the monitoring system;
a vision [optical/camera] system operably connected to the control system to capture visually specific data of the food products after portioning or trimming, including the actual cutting paths of the cutter through the food products; and
wherein the control system compares the actual cutting paths of the cutter with the predetermined cutting paths to thereby ascertain whether the food product portioning/trimming system is operating within desired parameters.

8. The monitoring system of claim 7 , wherein if the food portioning/trimming system is not operating within desired parameters, the control system seeks to determine potential remedial action needed to restore operation of the food portioning/trimming system within operational parameters.

9. The monitoring system of claim 7 , wherein the control system selects specific food products from the stream of food products and instructs the vision system to capture the actual cutting paths of the cutter of the selected food products.

10. The monitoring system of claim 7 , wherein selection of the food product from the stream of food products for capture of the actual cutting paths by the vision system is based on one or more of the following:
(a) physical data of the food products from the scanner;
(b) physical data of the food products and/or cutting paths of the cutter captured by the vision system;
(c) instructions from operational or monitoring personnel; and
(d) a sampling program being followed by the control system.

11. The monitoring system of claim 10 , wherein the selection made by the operational/monitoring personnel occurs either before or after the portioning/trimming of the selected food product.

12. A method for cutting or trimming food products, comprising:
(a) conveying a stream of individual food products on a conveyance system along a conveyance direction;
(b) scanning the food products for food product specific physical data as the food products are being transported on the conveyance system;
(c) transmitting the food product specific physical data from a scanner to a control system that is designed and configured to receive and analyze the food product specific physical data from the scanner and using such food product physical data to determine how to cut the food product into desired shapes or sizes or how to trim the food product as desired, including predetermining the cutting/trimming paths of the cutters used to cut/trim the food products;
(d) cutting or trimming the food product with cutters controlled by the control system to travel along the cutting/trimming paths previously determined by the control system, as the food products are being transported by the conveyance system;
(e) visually capturing the actual cutting/trimming paths of the cutters through the food products and comparing such actual cutting/trimming paths with the control system predetermined cutting/trimming paths and analyzing the extent of alignment of the actual cutting/trimming paths with the predetermined cutting/trimming paths; and
(f) if the extent of alignment of the actual cutting/trimming paths with the predetermined cutting/trimming path is not within a predetermined set point level, seeking to determine the cause of the misalignment.

13. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising taking remedial steps to restore alignment of the actual cutting/trimming paths within a preselected range of alignment with the predetermined cutting or trimming paths.

14. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising the control system instructing a vision [optical/camera] system to ca

Assignees

• John Bean Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Blaine George R
• Strong John R
• Falkoski Matthew
• Stockard Richard D

Classifications

• A22C17/0086 Primary

  Calculating cutting patterns based on visual recognition · CPC title

• G05B2219/37336

  Cutting, machining time · CPC title

• Y02P90/02

  Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] · CPC title

• G05B2219/37555

  Camera detects orientation, position workpiece, points of workpiece · CPC title

• G05B19/4166

  Controlling feed or in-feed (G05B19/4163 takes precedence) · CPC title