Cutting device

The invention relates to a cutting device for slicing food products, comprising a driven circular blade rotating about a blade axis revolving on a track about a center axis, and a cover element rotatable relative to the circular blade on the side of the circular blade facing away from a product to be sliced. A holding device is provided that is designed for counteracting the self-rotation of the cover element about the blade axis.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a national stage application of International Application No. PCT/EP2010/000851, filed Feb. 11, 2010, entitled “Cutting Device,” and claims priority to German Patent Application No. DE 10 2009 011 398.3, filed Mar. 3, 2009, both of which are fully incorporated herein by reference.

The present invention relates to a cutting apparatus for slicing food products, in particular to a high-performance slicer, having a drivable circular blade which rotates about a blade axis which revolves on an orbit about a center axis and having a cover element provided at the side of the circular blade remote from a product to be sliced and rotatable relative to the circular blade.

The cover element in such cutting apparatus serves to prevent a disturbing adhesion of cut-off product slices to the circular blade. The product slices come into contact with the cover element and are scraped off thereat. Relatively soft food products can thus also be sliced at a high cutting rate in this manner. A cutting apparatus having a cover element is described in EP 0 169 399 B1, for example.

The cover element, which can be provided, for example, as a disk coaxial with the circular blade, tends toward a self rotation about the blade axis during the operation of the cutting apparatus. A self rotation of the cover element can have unfavorable effects since there is the risk that cut-off product slices are taken along by the rotating cover disk and are hurled away in an uncontrolled manner.

It is therefore an object of the invention to improve cutting apparatus of the named kind with respect to the product slice placement.

The object is satisfied by a cutting apparatus having the features of claim1. In accordance with the invention, a holding apparatus is provided which is designed to counter a self rotation of the cover element about the blade axis, in particular to prevent a self rotation of the cover element about the blade axis. It can be achieved by the holding apparatus that the cover element is not taken along by the rotational movement of the circular blade, but is rather stationary or only carries out relatively slight self rotational movements. It is thereby achieved that the product slices cut off by the rotating circular blade are reliably scraped off at the cover disk. An exact and reproducible placement position of the product slices can be achieved by this orderly scraping off. Food products which are soft and difficult to slice can also in particular be reliably processed.

Further developments of the invention are set forth in the dependent claims, in the description and in the drawing.

The holding apparatus can in particular be designed to hold the cover element firmly. A separate drive for the cover element is therefore not necessary; it is rather sufficient to fix it with respect to the environment by simple measures.

The holding apparatus preferably cooperates with the side of the cover element remote from the circular blade. The cover element is easily accessible from this side and can be held at a suitable engagement point.

The holding apparatus can couple the cover element with a fixed element, in particular with a frame or with a housing of the cutting apparatus. The cover element is therefore fixed at a component fixed with respect to the frame so that a secure standstill is ensured.

In accordance with an embodiment, the holding apparatus includes an articulated arm arrangement. Since the cover element is always in communication with the circular blade, it runs about the center axis during the operation of the cutting apparatus. An articulated arm arrangement makes it possible to fix the cover element to a component fixed with respect to the frame despite this revolutionary movement.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the articulated arm arrangement includes a first articulated arm and a second articulated arm which are movable relative to one another, in particular pivotable relative to one another about a pivot axis extending parallel to the blade axis. The second articulated arm can in this respect be pivotally connected to the fixed element and the first articulated arm can be rotationally fixedly connected to the cover element. The first articulated arm thus holds the cover element firmly with respect to the environment, whereas the second articulated arm serves for the connection of the first articulated arm to the fixed element. The variable spacing of the revolving cover element from the fixed element can be equalized by the pivotability of the articulated arms.

The first articulated arm is preferably connected to the cover element at two mutually spaced apart points. It is ensured in this manner that the cover element is reliably held firmly by the articulated arm and that no rotation of the articulated arm relative to the cover element is possible about the blade axis even under a larger load.

The first articulated arm can have two limbs which, starting from the second articulated arm, run apart and are in particular at an acute angle relative to one another, with the one end of said limbs being connected to the cover element in each case. The first articulated arm can, for example, be a V-shaped component having an apical section and two free-standing ends. The apical section can be pivotally connected to the second articulated arm, while the free-standing ends can be connected to the cover element. Such a component can be made light and nevertheless stable.

The articulated arm arrangement preferably defines pivotal connection points which are substantially in a plane extending parallel to a cutting plane of the circular blade. The articulated arms thus move in a common plane during the cutting movement and do not require any additional construction space along the blade axis. Due to the revolutionary movement of the circular blade and of the cover element in communication with it, slight oscillation movements of the cover plate can occur with respect to the environment in such a configuration; however, they are not critical with respect to the placement of the product slices.

In accordance with an alternative or additional embodiment, the holding apparatus includes a torsionally stiff coupling bar. Such a coupling bar can in particular be led from the side directly toward the cover element and can be fastened thereto. This variant is characterized by great simplicity.

The coupling bar is preferably of variable length in order also to ensure a permanent coupling of the cover element and a fixed element when the coupling bar is fastened to the fixed element to the side of the center axis and thus the spacing between the two fastening points of the coupling bar varies during the revolutionary movement of the cover element. The spacing variation is compensated by the length variability of the coupling bar.

The coupling bar can be rotationally fixedly in engagement with the cover element and with the fixed element by means of two connection joints. Any self rotation of the cover element about the blade axis can be prevented in this variant, that is in particular also the above-mentioned slight oscillation movements.

In accordance with a further development, the coupling bar can be rotatingly drivable about its longitudinal axis to bring about a rotation of the cover element at any desired speed. An adjustable rotation of the cover element relative to the circular blade about the blade axis can be sensible depending on the application in order, for example, to directly influence the positioning of the product to be sliced.

The cover element preferably includes a disk which is coaxial to the circular blade and which extends radially up to the region of the cutting edge of the circular blade. The cut-off product slices thus come largely fully into contact with the cover element, whereby a reliable scraping off is made possible without adhesion problems at the circular blade.

The cover element is preferably supported on the circular blade. No separate drive is thus required for the revolutionary movement of the cover element following the circular blade.

The cover element is preferably provided with elevated portions at the side remote from the circular blade. Such elevated portions can further improve the placement of product slices since an unwanted adhesion to the stationary cover element is prevented.

In accordance withFIG. 1, a disk-shaped circular blade10is rotatably supported and is connected to a drive, not shown, which is able to drive the circular blade10rotatingly about a blade axis M. An eccentric arm14furthermore has the effect that the circular blade10revolves in a planetary motion on a circular orbit about a center axis Z. It is possible to provide a common drive motor for the rotational movement about the blade axis M and for the revolutionary movement about the center axis Z. It is alternatively also possible to provide a separate drive motor for each axis M, Z.

A cover element24is supported coaxially to the circular blade10and is here formed as a cover disk arched in a hood-like or plate-like manner. The cover disk24is rotatable relative to the circular blade10about the blade axis M and extends radially up to and into the region of the cutting edge26of the circular blade10. A side of the circular blade10is thus almost completely fully covered by the cover element24.

To prevent a self rotation of the cover plate24about the blade axis M, a holding apparatus is provided which is formed in the embodiment in accordance withFIG. 1as an articulated arm arrangement30. The articulated arm arrangement30includes a first articulated arm32and a second articulated arm34which are pivotable relative to one another about a pivot axis extending parallel to the blade axis M. A first end36of the second articulated arm34is pivotally connected to a frame38of the cutting apparatus, only shown schematically, and a second end40of the second articulated arm34is pivotally connected to the first articulated arm32. The first articulated arm32has two limbs42and43which are connected to one another at an apical section44and, starting from this, run apart at an acute angle W. The second end40of the second articulated arm34is pivotally connected to the apical section14. Both limbs42,43are fixedly connected, for example screwed or riveted, to the cover disk24at an end section45of the first articulated arm32opposite to the apical section44. The corresponding fastening points46,47are to the side of the blade axis M. To stabilize the first articulated arm32, a connection crosspiece48curved in a semicircular manner is furthermore provided which extends about the blade axis M and which connects the two limbs42,43to one another at the end section45. The pivotal connection points49,50defined by the articulated arm arrangement30and the fastening points46,47at the cover disk24are in a common plane which extends parallel to the cutting plane of the circular blade10and only slightly offset therefrom. During the revolutionary movement of the circular blade10, the pivotal connection points49,50and the fastening points46,47are always in the common plane.

During the operation of the cutting apparatus, the circular blade10on its revolutionary orbit approaches, as is shown inFIG. 2A, a product bar55to be sliced which is on a product feed11and is automatically advanced by means of a controlled drive, not shown. In the further course of the planetary revolutionary movement, the cutting edge26of the circular blade10in accordance withFIG. 2Bcuts a product slice58from the product bar55. The cover disk24provides that the cut-off product slice58does not adhere to the circular blade10, but is rather scraped off at the surface of the cover disk24. The convex arch of the cover disk24supports the controlled scraping off of the product slice58. Peripheral elevated portions59at the surface of the cover disk24are provided for the further improvement of the scraping off process.

The cover disk24is fixed to the frame38by the articulated arm arrangement30. The varying spacing between the cover disk24revolving with the circular blade10and the frame38is in this respect compensated by the pivot movement of the two articulated arms32,34, as can also be recognized inFIGS. 2A and 2B. A slight, oscillating rotation of the cover disk24about the blade axis M results during the revolutionary movement due to the changing angular position of the two articulated arms32,34. This oscillation movement, however, only has an extremely slight stroke and is therefore not detrimental to an exact product slice placement. The cut-off product slice58falls in an exact position from the cover disk24and can be further processed in any desired manner, in particular supplied to an automatic placement line, transport line and/or packaging line.

InFIG. 3, a cutting apparatus in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention is shown, with equivalent components being designated by the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment. The holding apparatus for holding the cover plate24firmly is here made as a torsionally stiff and length variable coupling bar60. The coupling bar60is rotationally fixedly in engagement with the cover disk24and with the frame38of the cutting apparatus by means of two connection joints62,64. Since the connection joints62,64are made with rotational stiffness, the cover disk24cannot rotate with the circular blade10, but remains stationary during the revolutionary movement. The coupling bar50engages in the region of the blade axis M at the cover element24and describes a conical surface during the revolutionary movement of the cover element24, as can also be seen fromFIGS. 4A and 4B.

An advantage of the cutting apparatus in accordance with the second embodiment is that, if required, a drive can be provided for the coupling bar60to allow a direct rotation of the cover disk24in a predefined direction and at a defined speed. A defined relative rotation between the circular blade10and the cover disk24can be brought about using such a drive. Such a relative rotation can be used for the direct influencing of the placement behavior of the cutting apparatus. The braking effect exerted by the cover disk24on the cut-off product slice58on each cut can be directly preset by the selection of the speed of the relative rotation so that a particularly exact placement of the respective product slice58is possible.

Overall, a substantial improvement in the placement behavior of the associated cutting apparatus can be achieved by the principle of the holding firm of the cover disk34. In particular soft food products which are otherwise difficult to cut can thus be sliced without problem.

REFERENCE NUMERAL LIST