Patent ID: 6845697
Filing Date: 2005-01-25
Classification: B26D,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A control system and a food product slicer including a rotatable slicing knife and a food product carriage mounted for movement back and forth past the slicing knife, the control system comprising: a motor having a rotating output; a multi-link drive arrangement connected between the rotating output of the motor and the food product carriage for moving the carriage during motor operation, a pivot link of the multi-link drive arrangement having a stationary axis, the pivot link pivoting back and forth about the stationary axis during motor operation; an encoder arrangement associated with the pivot link and including a mask element, a light source and a photo-detector, the mask element including a plurality of window regions distributed thereon, the light source positioned for directing light at the window regions of the mask element sequentially during pivoting movement of the pivot link and the photo-detector positioned to receive light directed at the window regions by the light source, the photo-detector providing output signals responsive to receipt/non-receipt of light emitted by the light source; and a controller receiving the photo-detector output signals and responsively tracking movement of the food product carriage.