Closure module and method for closing and/or separating filled sausage casings connected via a sausage neck

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11330823-B2
Application number	US-201916460644-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2019
Priority date	Jul 2, 2018
Publication date	May 17, 2022
Grant date	May 17, 2022

Abstract

A closure module and a method for closing and/or separating filled sausage casings connected via a sausage neck, comprising, in at least one example, a first electrode and a second electrode located opposite the first one, the electrodes being arranged such that a sausage neck can be placed therebetween and being adapted to be moved relative to each other and towards the sausage neck to such an extent that a current can flow from the first electrode into the sausage neck and via the sausage neck into the second electrode.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A closure module for closing and/or separating filled sausage casings connected via a sausage neck, comprising:
a first electrode and a second electrode located opposite the first electrode, the first electrode and the second electrode being arranged such that a sausage neck is placed therebetween, and wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are adapted to be moved relative to each other and towards the sausage neck, so that a current can flow from the first electrode into the sausage neck and via the sausage neck into the second electrode.

2. The closure module according to claim 1 , wherein the closure module further comprises a first stamp element as well as an oppositely disposed second stamp element, wherein the first stamp element and the second stamp element are adapted to be moved relative to and towards one another such that the sausage neck is clamped between the opposed stamp elements.

3. The closure module according to claim 2 , wherein the closure module further comprises a first stamp pair with two juxtaposed, spaced-apart stamp elements as well as an oppositely disposed second stamp pair with two juxtaposed, spaced-apart stamp elements, wherein the first stamp pair and the second stamp pair are adapted to be moved relative to and towards one another such that the sausage neck is clamped between the first stamp pair and the second stamp pair, wherein respective electrodes are arranged between stamp elements of each of the first stamp pair and the second stamp pair.

4. The closure module according to claim 1 , wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are movable towards one another only up to a minimum distance, when seen in a direction of movement.

5. The closure module according to claim 1 , wherein juxtaposed stamp elements of a stamp element pair are configured as spreading elements that are laterally movable apart and away from the electrodes, and wherein the stamp elements are moveable apart before the stamp elements clamp the sausage neck.

6. The closure module according to claim 5 , wherein the stamp element pair is provided with a guide unit, which is configured such that, when the opposed stamp elements are moved towards one another, the stamp elements are, at least sectionwise, laterally moveable away from one another.

7. The closure module according to claim 1 , wherein stamp elements of at least one stamp element pair are supported such that they are freely rotatable about an axis extending substantially along a longitudinal direction and transversely to a direction of movement of the electrodes and/or are freely rotatable about an axis extending substantially transversely to a longitudinal direction of the closure module and transversely to the direction of movement of the electrodes.

8. The closure module according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one stamp element pair, wherein the at least one stamp element pair comprises a spring-loaded linear guide.

9. The closure module according to claim 1 , wherein the closure module comprises two closure units, which are movable towards each other, a first closure unit of the two closure units comprising the first electrode and a first stamp element pair and a second closure unit of the two closure units comprising the second electrode and a second stamp element pair.

10. The closure module according to claim 9 , wherein at least one closure unit of the two closure units is supported such that it is rotatable about an axis in a longitudinal direction and/or an axis transversely to the longitudinal direction and transversely to a direction of movement.

11. The closure module according to claim 1 , wherein the first electrode and the second electrode and respective stamp elements are movable relative to and towards one another manually or by means of a positioning drive.

12. The closure module according to claim 11 , wherein the positioning drive is a pneumatic or an electric positioning drive.

13. The closure module according to claim 1 , wherein the closure module is configured as a hand-held device with a handle area that comprises two spaced-apart, opposed handle elements, which are movable relative to and towards each other and which are each coupled with respective opposed electrodes, or electrodes and stamp elements such that, when the handle elements are moved towards each other, also the respective opposed electrodes and stamp elements will move towards each other.

14. A method for closing and/or separating filled sausage casings connected via a sausage neck, comprising the following steps:
placing a sausage neck between a first electrode and a second electrode located opposite the first electrode, the first electrode and the second electrode being spaced-apart from rounded sausage ends of the filled sausage casings such that the first electrode and the second electrode do not contact the filled sausage casings,
moving the first electrode and the second electrode relative to each other onto the sausage neck such that a current will flow from the first electrode into the sausage neck and via the sausage neck into the second electrode, whereby the filled sausage casings are closed preferably separated from one another.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein during closing, the sausage neck is clamped by at least two opposed stamp elements while the electrodes are moved relative to and towards each other only up to a minimum distance.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the sausage neck is clamped by opposed stamp element pairs each comprising two stamp elements having a respective electrode arranged therebetween.

17. The method according to claim 14 , wherein during a first period of time t 1 , an amount of energy per unit time is supplied through the first electrode and the second electrode such that the sausage neck is heated and closed, and wherein preferably during a second period of time t 2 , the amount of energy per unit time is increased, in particular in a peaklike manner, such that the sausage neck will decompose and will be cut off.

18. The method according to claim 14 , wherein a sausage casing of the filled sausage casing is an electrically conductive sausage casing.

19. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the current is a high-frequency current, in particular in a frequency range of 300 kHz to 500 kHz.

20. The method according to claim 14 , wherein a voltage in a range of 50-500 V is applied to the first electrode and the second electrode.

Assignees

• Handtmann Albert Maschf

Inventors

• Strohm Kurt
• Schliesser Gerhard
• Baechtle Manfred
• Winghart Robert
• Osswald Florian
• Merk Jochen

Classifications

• A22C11/006

  Separating linked sausages · CPC title

• A22C11/125 Primary

  by clipping; Removal of clips · CPC title

• A22C13/0009

  End closures therefor · CPC title

• A22C11/10 Primary

  Apparatus for twisting {or linking} sausages {(subdividing filled flexible tubes to form packages, involving displacement of contents B65B9/12, by applying pressure and heat successively B65B51/26)} · CPC title