WO2018202722A1 - Gripping device for gripping blocks of food to be sliced, slicing device for blocks of food, product-detecting device for a gripping device, method - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a gripping device (20) for gripping blocks of food (2) to be sliced, the gripping device (20) comprising a product-detecting device (1), the product-detecting device (1) having at least one ejector (3), characterized in that the product-detecting device (1) comprises a flowmeter (4) operatively connected to the ejector (3). The invention further relates to a slicing device for blocks of food (2), the slicing device comprising at least one gripping device (20). The invention further relates to a corresponding product-detecting device (1) and to a corresponding method.

Description

 DESCRIPTION

title

Gripper device for gripping food bars to be sliced, food slicer, product identification device for a gripper device, method

State of the art

The present invention is based on a gripper device for gripping food bars to be sliced, the gripper device having a

Product identification device, wherein the product recognition device comprises at least one ejector.

Such gripper devices are known from the prior art and are used in particular in slicing devices in order to grasp and fix or fix food bars, for example sausage, ham, meat and cheese bars. Such slicers are also referred to as "slicers" or "high performance slicers."

To detect a food bar to be sliced, a gripping mechanism is typically brought into contact with or penetrates the food bar locally. This requires a way to detect or detect when the gripper device is positioned sufficiently close to a food bar, so that the gripping mechanism can be triggered at the right moment. In the following, the food bar can then be cut open.

Typically, the food bar is detected by a rising in the course of mechanical contact between the gripper device and food bar torque. However, such and similar gripping devices and methods have the disadvantage that a comparatively large force acts on the food bar until it is detected / detected. On the one hand, this can lead to food bars being damaged or even destroyed. Furthermore It may cause soft and / or light food levels to be pushed away. Furthermore, it is disadvantageous in such methods and machines that (in particular, soft) food bars can not always be recognized even after optimization of the process parameters, which leads to the

Partially disruptive cutting process.

Disclosure of the invention

It is an object of the present invention a gripper device

to provide a reliable and fast gripping for slicing food bars.

The object of the present invention is achieved by a gripper device for gripping food bars to be sliced, wherein the

Gripper device comprises a product recognition device, wherein the

Product identification device comprises at least one ejector, characterized in that the product recognition device comprises a flow meter in operative connection with the ejector.

This makes it possible according to the invention that different types of

Food bars, for example, both hard and soft food bar, can be accurately detected or detected. It is possible according to the invention that the product recognition (ie the detection of a cut up

Food bar) with the aid of a pusher, which is part of a product recognition device, and a

Flowmeter is completed. For this purpose, the ejector stands in particular in an interaction with the flowmeter. According to the invention it is possible that even soft food bars can be reliably detected and subsequently fixed and cut open. The second of the

Gripping a food bar according to the invention can be reduced in an advantageous manner, for example, to less than 50 milliseconds, which brings a considerable advantage over known from the prior art devices and allows the slicing of food bars of different composition fast and cost-effective manner. The In particular, the active connection comprises a fluid connection, so that the product recognition device is in particular connected to the ejector in FIG

Fluid connection standing flowmeter includes.

Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention are the

Subclaims, as well as the description with reference to the drawings removable.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is provided that the flowmeter is designed to detect a volume flow caused by a movement of the ejector, in particular relative to a guide component of the gripper device.

This makes it in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention

Invention possible that the flowmeter for detecting a

Volumetric flow of at least one fluid and / or fluid mixtures, in particular of at least one gas and / or gas mixtures, preferably of air, is formed. Typically, an approach of the gripper device (or an approach of a part of the gripper device) to a food bar to be sliced takes place first. According to an embodiment of the invention, when the ejector of the gripper device comes into contact with the food bar, the relative movement between the ejector and the food bar is made

mechanically stopped and the ejector moves instead (along with the food bar) relative to other components of the gripper device (for example, relative to a guide component of the gripper device in which the ejector can be arranged to be movable). Due to the relative movement of the ejector with respect to other components of the gripper device, in particular after a mechanical contact between ejector and food bar has arisen, according to one embodiment of the invention, a volume flow is generated, which by the flow meter (or

Volumetric flow meter) is measurable or detectable. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is provided that by means of the detected volume flow, a movement of the ejector is measurable.

This makes it possible according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, that based on the detected volume flow, a conclusion on the relative movement of the ejector in the case of contact to a

Food bar can be pulled (or using the detected

Volume flow the relative movement of the ejector can be determined) and thus on the presence of a mechanical contact between the ejector and the food bar. In this way, it is possible, in particular, in the case of comparatively small forces, which act on the ejector, to detect the contact between the food bar and the ejector. This leads in particular to a reliable recognition of the food bars and at the same time enables high process speeds. In particular, it is thereby possible that even soft food bars are only slightly deformed (due to the fact that only a small force is necessary for the detection of the food bar) and are nevertheless reliably recognizable.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is provided that the ejector is part of the gripper device, in particular part of a gripping mechanism of the gripper device.

Thereby, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is possible for the ejector itself to have a mechanism

(For example, a pneumatic or mechanical), which, after detection of the contact between ejector and food bar, at least part of

Gripping mechanism is by means of which the food bar gripped (or

determined / held).

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is provided that a means for evaluating a measured variable of

Flow meter and for controlling a gripping mechanism of the Gripper device is provided.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is provided that - with the aid of the means - the gripping mechanism of the gripper device is designed for gripping the food bar, in particular when exceeding a definable threshold value of the measured variable.

In this way, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to evaluate the measured volume flow with the aid of the means for evaluating a measured variable of the flowmeter and for controlling a gripping mechanism. In particular, it is possible that with the aid of the means for evaluating a measured variable of the

Flow meter and for controlling a gripping mechanism of the measured value of the volume flow is compared with a definable threshold.

This makes it possible that, upon detection of exceeding the

Threshold, a gripping mechanism of the gripping device is activated and the detected food bar grips or holds. For this purpose, it is possible, in particular, that the means for evaluating a measured variable of the

Flow meter and for controlling a gripping mechanism

Includes control element, by means of which the gripping mechanism can be controlled and activated and optionally also deactivated.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is provided that the movement of the ejector is caused by the contact with a food bar, wherein the ejector is designed such that the ejector - in the case of contact with the food bar - reduces a volume, said Reduction of the volume at least partially the

Volume flow conditionally.

In this way, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is advantageously possible for the ejector, as soon as it comes into contact with a food bar to be sliced, to be relative to others

Components of the gripper device is moved while being introduced / moved into a volume (for example, relative to the guide components Gripper device, which may be designed in particular for guiding the ejector), which is thereby reduced in size. This makes it possible for a fluid or fluid mixture (for example air), which is arranged in the volume, to be at least partially displaced. Advantageously, it is thus possible that a volume flow is set in motion, which can be detected / measured by means of the flow measuring device.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is provided that the flowmeter is at least partially disposed on and / or in a supply line of the volume.

This makes it possible according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention advantageously that an active compound or a

There is an interaction between the ejector and the flowmeter.

Another counterpart of the present invention is a

Slicing device for food bars, wherein the slicing device comprises at least one product feeder for feeding the food bar and a gripper device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The slicing device according to the invention has, analogously to all the advantages already explained in connection with the gripper device according to the invention described above, with respect to the prior art. In particular, it is advantageously possible that the slicing device comprises a product feeder by means of which the food bar in the slicing device

can be introduced, so that the gripper device can grab the food bars to be cut down below.

Another counterpart of the present invention is a

Product recognition device for a gripper device for gripping food bars to be sliced, the product recognition device comprising at least one ejector, characterized in that the Product detection device comprises a flowmeter operatively connected to the ejector.

The product recognition device according to the invention has, compared to the prior art, analogous advantages already explained in connection with the gripper device according to the invention described above.

Furthermore, a further subject of the present invention is a method for gripping a food bar to be sliced by means of a gripper device for slicing food bars, wherein the gripper device a

Product identification device, wherein the product recognition device has at least one ejector, characterized in that the

Product identification device comprises a flowmeter operatively connected to the ejector.

The method according to the invention has, analogously to the prior art, all the advantages already explained in connection with the gripper device according to the invention described above. In particular, it is possible according to the invention that the detection of food bars to be sliced is made possible in a particularly fast and cost-effective manner, it being possible to apply these to the food bars during the detection or the following

Cutting force to hold comparatively low.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is provided that by means of the flow meter, a volume flow caused by a movement of the ejector, in particular relative to a guide component of the gripper device, is detected.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is provided that a means for evaluating a measured variable of

Flow meter and for controlling a gripping mechanism of the

Gripper device is provided, wherein the gripper device at least partially performs a relative movement in the direction of food bar, in particular with the aid of a means for driving, wherein the relative movement in sequence a detection of an exceeding of a definable threshold value is stopped by the measured variable.

This makes it in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention

Invention advantageously possible that the gripper device (or at least a portion of the gripper device), for example in the sense of a search process, is moved towards the food bar (so there is a relative movement between the food bar and the gripper device). For this purpose, it is possible that a means for driving is present, which is the gripper device or the

Food bar is assigned or on the gripper device or the

Food bar is arranged, wherein the relative movement between the gripper device and the food bar is performed with the aid of the means for driving. In particular, it is possible that the approximation

(Relative movement) using the means for evaluating a measured variable of the

Flow meter and for controlling a gripping mechanism of the

Gripper device is stopped as soon as the measured variable of the flowmeter exceeds a definable threshold and the means for evaluating a measured variable of the flowmeter and for controlling a gripping mechanism of the gripper device and / or the flowmeter detects this overshoot.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is provided that the gripping mechanism of the gripper device the

Food bar in consequence of the detection of the exceeding of the definable threshold value by the measured variable engages.

This makes it in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention

Invention advantageously in that the gripping mechanism is activated and the food latch engages after it is festglellt using the means for evaluating a measured variable of the flowmeter and for controlling a gripping mechanism that the measured variable of the flowmeter exceeds a definable threshold. In particular, it is possible that the gripping mechanism of the gripper device grips the food bar after and / or while the movement of the gripper device in the direction of the food bar is stopped. Further details, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the drawings, as well as from the following description of preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. The drawings illustrate only exemplary embodiments of the invention, which do not limit the essential inventive idea.

Brief description of the drawings

Figure 1 shows schematically a gripper device according to a

 exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments of the invention

FIG. 1 shows schematically a gripper device 20 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The gripper device 20 is for gripping food bars 2 to be sliced as part of a

Slicing or slicing machine for food bar 2 (also called "slicer" or "high-performance slicer") provided. The gripper device 20 comprises a product recognition device 1, wherein the

 Product recognition device 1 comprises a pusher 3. It is also conceivable that the product recognition device 1 has a plurality of ejectors 3. Furthermore, the product recognition device 1 comprises a flow meter 4, which is in operative connection with the ejector 3. In order to fix or grasp a food bar 2 to be sliced, the gripper device 20 is first moved towards the food bar 2 (or the food bar 2 is moved towards the gripper device 20), in particular by means for driving, which the gripper device 20 or the food bar 2 is assigned or is arranged on the gripper device 20 or the food bar 2. This process is represented by the arrow 2, which symbolizes the relative movement (relative movement) between the food bar 2 and the gripper device 20. Once a mechanical contact between the food bar 2 and the ejector 3 of the gripper device 20 (or the product recognition device 1 of the gripper device 20) is present, the ejector 3 by the

Food bar 2 moved into or pushed into the volume 6 (since the food bar 2 and the gripper device 20 are initially moved towards each other). The prerequisite for this is that the ejector 3 is for this at least partially extended, so there is the possibility that the ejector 3 is hineinbewegbar in the volume 6. As soon as the ejector 3 is moved into the volume 6, air is displaced from the smaller volume 6 or one Air movement from the volume 6 through the supply line 7 (ie, a flow rate 10) set in motion. The volume flow 10 is shown schematically in FIG. 2 by the dashed arrows 10. This set flow rate 10 is in

Subsequently detected by the flowmeter 4. In particular, the flowmeter 4 makes measurements continuously or at a fixed measurement frequency during the process. A means 5 for the evaluation of a

Measured variable of the flowmeter 4 and for controlling a

Gripping mechanism 8 of the gripper device 20 evaluates the measured

Volumetric flow 10 and detects in particular whether a threshold is exceeded. This threshold can be set and is definable. He is

especially for different types of food bars 2

adaptable / selectable / optimized. If the means 5 for evaluating a measured variable of the flow measuring device 4 and for controlling a gripping mechanism 8 of the gripper device 20 detects an exceeding of the threshold value by the measured variable of the flow measuring device 4, the relative movement between the

Food bar 2 and the gripper device 20 stopped or controlled continued over an adjustable time and / or an adjustable path, (in particular with the aid or by the means 5). The food bar 2 and the gripper device 20 are therefore not, or controlled adjustable on

moved towards each other. Furthermore, the means 5 for evaluating a measured variable of the flow measuring device 4 and for controlling a

Gripping mechanism 8, when exceeding the threshold value and / or complete the defined trailing movement, a gripping operation. In this gripping operation, the gripping mechanism 8 of the gripper device 20 is activated and the

Food bar 2 thus seized and found or fixed. Of the

Gripping mechanism 8 may include, for example, terminals, grippers and / or means for penetrating into the food bar 2, which penetrate into food bar 2 during the gripping process or are moved up to the food bar 2. Other gripping mechanisms 8, however, also possible. For example, it is possible that the gripping mechanism 8 is provided as a pneumatic gripping mechanism 8 and the food rigle 2 can be fixed by the generation of a negative pressure. After the food bar 2 is gripped or fixed, the actual cutting process of the food bar 2 can begin. According to the invention it is possible in an advantageous manner that by the product recognition 1 under With the aid of a flowmeter 4 (or volumetric flow meter) food gel 2 with comparatively very little force (which is caused by the

Ejector 3 acts on it) can be detected. This leads in particular to the fact that the slicing process can be completed faster and that even soft food bars 2 can be reliably detected without damage or slippage.

It is conceivable that a plurality of gripper devices 20 or gripper mechanisms 8 for gripping a food bar 2 are present. It is also conceivable that a plurality of gripper devices 20 are present in a slicing device and a plurality of food bars 2 (simultaneously or sequentially) can be detected and fixed. In this regard, it is possible for a slicing apparatus to include a plurality of tracks having a plurality of gripper devices 20.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 product identification device

2 food bars

 3 ejectors

 4 flow meter

 5 funds

 6 volumes

 7 supply line

 8 gripping mechanism

 9 guiding component

 10 flow rate

 20 gripper device

Claims

1 . Greifervornchtung (20) for gripping aufzuschneidenden  Food bar (2), wherein the gripper device (20) a  Product recognition device (1), wherein the  Product identification device (1) comprising at least one ejector (3), characterized in that the product recognition device (1) comprises a flow meter (4) operatively connected to the ejector (3). 2. gripper device (20) according to claim 1, wherein the flow meter (4) is adapted to a by a movement of the ejector (3), in particular relative to a guide component (9) of the gripper device (20), caused volume flow (10) detect. 3. gripper device (20) according to claim 2, wherein by means of the detected  Volume flow (10) a movement of the ejector (3) is measurable. 4. gripper device (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the ejector (3) part of the gripper device (20), in particular part of a  Gripping mechanism (8) of the gripper device (20), is. 5. gripper device (20) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a means (5) for evaluating a measured variable of the flowmeter (4) and for controlling a gripping mechanism (8) of the gripper device (20) is provided. 6. gripper device (20) according to claim 5, wherein - with the aid of the means (5) - the gripping mechanism (8) of the gripper device (20) for  Gripping the food bar (2) is formed, in particular at  Exceeding a definable threshold value of the measurand. 7. gripper device (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the movement of the ejector (3) by the contact with a Food bar (2) is conditional, wherein the ejector (3) in such a way  is formed so that the ejector (3) - in the case of contact with the food bar (2) - a volume (6) reduced, wherein the reduction of the volume (6) at least partially due to the volume flow (10). 8. gripper device (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the flowmeter (4) at least partially on and / or in a  Supply line (7) of the volume (6) is arranged. 9. slicing device for food bar (2), wherein the  Slicing device comprises at least one product feed for feeding the food bar (2) and a gripper device (20) according to one of claims 1 to 8. A product detection apparatus (1) for a gripper device (20) for gripping food bars (2) to be sliced, wherein the  Product identification device (1) comprising at least one ejector (3), characterized in that the product recognition device (1) comprises a flow meter (4) operatively connected to the ejector (3). 1 1 .Method for gripping a food bar to be sliced (2)  by means of a gripping device (20) for food bars (2) to be sliced, the gripper device (20) comprising a product recognition device (1), the product recognition device (1) having at least one ejector (3), characterized in that the  Product recognition device (1) with the ejector (3) in  Active connection standing flowmeter (4) comprises. 12. A method for gripping a food bar (2) to be sliced according to claim 1 1, wherein by means of the flow meter (4) by a movement of the ejector (3), in particular relative to a guide component (9) of the gripper device (20), caused volume flow ( 10) is detected. 13. A method for gripping a sliced food bar (2) according to any one of claims 1 1 or 12, wherein a means (5) for evaluating a measured variable of the flowmeter (4) and for controlling a  Gripping mechanism (8) of the gripper device (20) is provided, wherein the gripper device (20) at least partially performs a relative movement in the direction of the food bar (2), in particular with the aid of a means for driving, wherein the relative movement as a result of detection of exceeding a definable Threshold is stopped by the measured variable, or controlled by adjustable parameters, such as time or distance is continued. 14. A method for gripping a food bar (2) to be sliced according to claim 13, wherein the gripping mechanism (8) of the gripper device (20) the food bar (2) as a result of detecting the exceeding of the definable threshold and running of the thereby adjustable  Trailing path through the measured variable takes effect.