Apparatus and method for slicing food products

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9975264-B2
Application number	US-201414577137-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2014
Priority date	Dec 20, 2013
Publication date	May 22, 2018
Grant date	May 22, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus for slicing food products is configured to supply products to be sliced to a cutting blade to slice the products into individual slices. The apparatus comprises a portioning unit for forming portions from slices falling down and comprises an engagement apparatus which is arranged in the region of the falling path of the slices and which is configured to influence the falling movement of the slices at least at times in order hereby to bring about a placement of the slices on the portioning unit in accordance with a desired placement shape. The engagement apparatus is adjustable during the slicing operation between a first configuration, in which it brings about a placement of the slices falling down in accordance with a first placement shape, and a second configuration, in which it brings about a placement of the slices falling down in accordance with a second placement shape differing from the first placement shape.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for slicing food products which is configured to supply products to be sliced on one track or on multiple tracks to a cutting blade moving in a cutting plane to slice the products into individual slices, comprising a portioning unit for forming portions from slices falling down and comprising an engagement apparatus which is arranged in the region of the falling path of the slices and which is configured to influence the falling movement of the slices at least at times in order hereby to bring about a placement of the slices on the portioning unit in accordance with a desired placement shape,
the engagement apparatus being adjustable during the forming of a portion, the forming of a portion comprising arranging a plurality of slices, the engagement apparatus adjustable at least between a first configuration, in which it brings about a placement of the slices falling down in accordance with a first placement shape, and a second configuration, in which it brings about a placement of the slices falling down in accordance with a second placement shape differing from the first placement shape,
the first configuration being an active configuration in which the engagement apparatus influences the slices falling down, whereas the second configuration is an inactive configuration in which the engagement apparatus does not influence the slices falling down, and a control device of the apparatus configured to adjust the engagement apparatus at least once from the active configuration into the inactive configuration, or vice versa, during the forming of a portion;
in which the engagement apparatus comprises an engagement rotor rotatable about an axis of rotation, the engagement apparatus having an outer diameter varying in at least one of a peripheral direction and an axial direction.

2. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 ,
in which the engagement apparatus is adjustable from the first configuration into the second configuration or vice versa between two consecutive cuts of the cutting blade.

3. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 ,
in which the engagement apparatus is adjustable between the first configuration and the second configuration in dependence on the temporal progress of the cutting movement of the cutting blade.

4. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 ,
in which the engagement apparatus is configured to influence the falling movement of the slices in at least one configuration such that a folded placement of the slices on the portioning unit takes place.

5. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 ,
in which the portioning unit comprises a portioning conveyor for transporting away the slices in a removal direction, wherein a control device of the portioning conveyor is configured to vary at least one of a conveying speed and a conveying direction of the portioning conveyor in dependence on the configuration of the engagement apparatus.

6. An apparatus for slicing food products which is configured to supply products to be sliced on one track or on multiple tracks to a cutting blade moving in a cutting plane to slice the products into individual slices, comprising a portioning unit for forming portions from slices falling down and comprising an engagement apparatus which is arranged in the region of the falling path of the slices and which is configured to influence the falling movement of the slices at least at times in order hereby to bring about a placement of the slices on the portioning unit in accordance with a desired placement shape,
the engagement apparatus being adjustable during the forming of a portion, the forming of a portion comprising arranging a plurality of slices, the engagement apparatus adjustable at least between a first configuration, in which it brings about a placement of the slices falling down in accordance with a first placement shape, and a second configuration, in which it brings about a placement of the slices falling down in accordance with a second placement shape differing from the first placement shape,
the first configuration being an active configuration in which the engagement apparatus influences the slices falling down, whereas the second configuration is an inactive configuration in which the engagement apparatus does not influence the slices falling down, and a control device of the apparatus configured to adjust the engagement apparatus at least once from the active configuration into the inactive configuration, or vice versa, during the forming of a portion;
in which the engagement apparatus comprises an engagement rotor rotatable about an axis of rotation, in which at least one eccentric cam element is provided at the engagement rotor.

7. The apparatus in accordance with claim 6 ,
in which the engagement apparatus is adjustable from the first configuration into the second configuration or vice versa between two consecutive cuts of the cutting blade.

8. The apparatus in accordance with claim 6 ,
in which the engagement apparatus is adjustable between the first configuration and the second configuration in dependence on the temporal progress of the cutting movement of the cutting blade.

9. The apparatus in accordance with claim 6 ,
in which the engagement apparatus is configured to influence the falling movement of the slices in at least one configuration such that a folded placement of the slices on the portioning unit takes place.

10. The apparatus in accordance with claim 6 ,
in which the portioning unit comprises a portioning conveyor for transporting away the slices in a removal direction, wherein a control device of the portioning conveyor is configured to vary at least one of a conveying speed and a conveying direction of the portioning conveyor in dependence on the configuration of the engagement apparatus.

11. An apparatus for the multitrack slicing of food products which is configured to supply products to be sliced on multiple tracks to a cutting blade moving in a cutting plane to slice the products into individual slices, comprising a portioning unit for forming total portions from slices falling down in the individual tracks, and comprising at least one engagement apparatus in each track which is arranged in the region of the falling path of the slices and which is configured to influence the falling movement of the slices in the respective track at least at times in order hereby to bring about a placement of the slices on the portioning unit in accordance with a desired placement shape,
an engagement apparatus adopting a first configuration in at least one first track during the forming of a first partial portion, the forming of the first partial portion comprising arranging a first plurality of slices, the first configuration of the engagement apparatus providing a placement of the first plurality of slices of the respective track falling down in accordance with a first placement shape; and an engagement apparatus adopting a second configuration in at least one second track during the forming of a second partial portion, the forming of the second partial portion comprising arranging a second plurality of slices, the first partial portion and the second partial portion forming a total portion, the second configuration of the engagement apparatus providing a placement of the second plurality of slices of the respective track falling down in accordance with a second placement shape differing from the first placement shape,
the first configuration being an active configuration in which the engagement apparatus influences the slices falling down, whereas the second configuration is an inactive configuration in which the engagement apparatus does not influence the slices falling down,

Assignees

• Weber Maschb Gmbh

Inventors

• Weber Tobias
• Gaerber Thomas

Classifications

• Y10T83/2218

  Abutment interposed in path of free fall or flight of product · CPC title

• Y10T83/0448

  With subsequent handling [i.e., of product] · CPC title

• B26D7/0683

  specially adapted for elongated articles · CPC title

• B26D7/32 Primary

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

• B26D2210/02

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