Patent Publication Number: US-2017368707-A1

Title: Integrally bonded gripper

Description:
The present invention relates to a gripper for use in a cutting machine, in particular a high-performance cutting machine, which gripper can reversibly be brought into engagement with one end of a food product. 
     Such grippers are known from the prior art, for instance from EP 2 095 918, EP 2 095 920 and EP 2 095 919, are used in high-performance cutting machines in which food product, for example meat, sausage and/or cheese blocks, are cut into food slices. Before or during the slicing of the food product, the gripper is brought into engagement with the end of said food product in order, for instance, to guide, to stabilize this end piece during the slicing process, and/or in order to dispose of an end piece which cannot be further sliced or is not intended to be sliced. The grippers according to the prior art have the drawback, however, that the food product is compressed during the gripping process, and/or that there remains a comparatively large remnant which can no longer be reprocessed, into saleable food portions. 
     The object of the present invention was therefore to provide a gripper which does not have the drawbacks of the prior art. 
     The object is achieved with a gripper for use in a cutting machine, in particular a high-performance cutting machine, which gripper, before and/or during the slicing of a food product, is at least periodically, and reversibly, engaged with the end of the food product, wherein the gripper is connected in an integrally bonded manner to the end of the food product. 
     The statements made with respect to this subject of the present invention apply equally to the other subjects of the present invention, and vice versa. 
     The present invention relates to a gripper for use in cutting machines, in particular a high-performance cutting machine, in which food products are cut into food slices. This gripper is reversibly engaged with a food product, for instance with one end thereof, and fixes and/or guides this same, in particular during the slicing of the last food slices of the food product. Furthermore, the gripper holds the remnant and guides it, for instance, over a disposal shaft, where it is released from the gripper and falls into a disposal shaft. 
     Preferably, the gripper has one or more contact surfaces, against which the food product bears. Preferably, the shape of the respective contact surface, at least in some sections, is matched to the shape of the food product against which the gripper bears. 
     Preferably, the gripper, in particular the part which is connected in an integrally bonded manner to the food product, is provided from a material having a low thermal capacity, so that this part can be rapidly cooled and rapidly warmed. For instance, this part is produced from plastic and/or aluminum. 
     According to the invention, this gripper is now connected in an integrally bonded manner to the food product, in particular to the rear end thereof, wherein the material bond is preferably provided such that it is reversible. The material bond between the gripper and the food product is realized before and/or during the slicing of the food product, wherein, in order to save time, at least the completion of the material bond is preferred to be realized once a cut has already taken place. Following the slicing, the material bond is broken and/or the remaining remnant is mechanically released from the gripper, for instance with an ejector. 
     Preferably, the material bond is realized by a phase change of a bonding substance, in particular water, which is provided between the gripper and the food product. This bonding substance is provided in the liquid and/or pasty state between the gripper, in particular the contact surface(s) thereof, and hardens there. The material bond between the gripper and the food product is thereby formed. The bonding substance can be brought between the gripper and the food product by spraying, condensation/separation, brushing and/or atomization. For instance, liquid water is applied to the gripper and/or the food product and freezes there, so that an integrally bonded joint between the gripper and the food product materializes. As the bonding agent, an adhesive which is approved for use under food legislation, and/or gelatin, is also suitable, however. 
     Preferably, a means for providing the bonding substance between the gripper and the food product is provided on the slicing device, in particular the gripper. 
     The food product, for instance sausage, cheese or ham, can be frozen or have a temperature&gt;0° C. during the slicing process. 
     According to a preferred embodiment, the gripper and/or the food product is/are provided so as to be coolable. This cooling facility can be connected, for instance, directly or indirectly, to the gripper/food product. The energy transfer between the cold source and the gripper/product can be realized by radiation, conductance and/or convection. The cooling induces the phase change of the bonding substance, in this case from gaseous and/or liquid to solid. The gripper thereby joins in an integrally bonded manner to the food product to be sliced. 
     Preferably, the cooling is realized by a liquid gas, in particular liquid nitrogen. 
     It is also possible, however, that in particular the food product and/or, where appropriate, the gripper, is/are sufficiently cold that, when the bonding substance is touched by at least one of the two parts to be bonded, it hardens and produces the integrally bonded joint between the gripper and the food product. 
     According to a preferred embodiment, the gripper and/or the food product is/are provided so as to be warmable. This warming facility can be connected, for instance, directly or indirectly, to the gripper/food product. The heat transfer between the heat source and the gripper/product can be realized by radiation, conductance and/or convection. The warming induces the phase change of the bonding substance, in this case from solid to liquid and/or gaseous. As a result, the remnant detaches itself from the gripper. Preferably, the heating facility is an electric heater, in particular having a very low thermal capacity and a very short response time, in particular in the millisecond range. For instance, the heating can be realized by IR and/or NIR radiation, in particular with a carbon emitter. 
     Preferably, the gripper additionally has a positive locking and/or non-positive locking means, preferably a claw, a cutter and/or a spike. This means can also serve to enlarge the contact area between the gripper and the food product and to thereby improve the material bond. 
     The gripper according to the invention has the advantage that only a very small remnant cannot be sliced, whereby the number of cut-off food slices per food product is increased. Given the material bond between the gripper and the food product, no, or only very small forces are exerted on the food product, so that the shape thereof does not change, which in particular in the case of scanned products which are to be sliced to an exact weight, is very advantageous. 
     A further subject of the present invention is a slicing device having at least one gripper according to the invention. 
     The statements made with respect to this subject of the present invention apply equally to the other subjects of the present invention, and vice versa. 
     Preferably, the slicing device has a plurality of tracks, i.e. at least periodically a plurality of food products are sliced simultaneously, side by side. In this case, each track preferably has a gripper, which respectively grips a food product, in particular the end thereof. The grippers are preferably individually drivable, so that the food products in the individual tracks can be sliced at different speeds. 
     A further subject of the present invention is a method for slicing a food product, in which the end of the food product, before and/or during the slicing, is brought into contact with a gripper, and in which a material bond is formed between the end of the food product and the gripper. 
     The statements made with respect to this subject of the present invention apply equally to the other subjects of the present invention, and vice versa. 
     According to the invention, before and/or during the cutting of the food product into food slices, the gripper is connected in an integrally bonded manner to the food product, in particular the end thereof. For this, the gripper is moved, for instance, in the direction of the rear end of the food product. Before and/or during this movement and/or while the gripper is already bearing against the food product, a bonding agent is provided between the food product and the gripper, which bonding agent then solidifies there and produces the material bond. As soon as the cutting of the food product is ended, the remnant remaining from the food product is released again from the gripper. This can be realized by a warming of the gripper and/or of the remnant, and/or in that the remnant is separated from the gripper with a mechanical force which surpasses the force of the material bond. After this, the gripper is brought back into its starting position and herein, and/or subsequently, prepared again for the material bond with the next food product, for instance in that the gripper as a whole, and/or the contact surfaces thereof, is/are, in particular, cooled again. 
     Preferably, the end of the food product is frozen to the gripper. The water needed for this and/or the moisture needed for this can be applied to the gripper, in particular the contact surfaces thereof, and/or to the food product, for instance by condensation/separation, spraying, atomization, coating, immersion. In the case of frozen food products, the end can, however, also be briefly thawed, so that moisture which is on the surface thereof thaws and then, upon contact with the gripper, solidifies again and thereby produces the material bond between gripper and food product. 
    
    
     
       Below, the invention is explained with reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 . These elucidations are merely illustrative and do not restrict the general inventive concept. The statements apply equally to all subjects of the present invention. 
         FIG. 1  shows the slicing device according to the invention, 
         FIG. 2  shows the slicing device according to the invention and the method according to the invention. 
     
    
    
       FIG. 1  shows a slicing device  5 . The slicing device  5  has a cutting blade  11 , which cuts a food product  2  into food slices  12 . To this end, each food product  2  is transported with a conveying means  4 , in this case two conveyor belts  4 , continuously or intermittently in the direction of the cutting plane  6  of the blade  11 . The lower conveyor belt  4  is at the same time a product support. The cutting blade  11  is fastened to a rotating blade holder  3  and cooperates for cutting purposes with a cutting edge  9  provided, for instance, on the front end of a product support  4 , which jointly define the cutting plane  6 . Present between the blade  11  and the cutting edge  9  is a so-called blade clearance, which should be as small as possible, yet must be sufficiently large that the blade does not touch the cutting edge. This clearance must be regularly adjusted. This can be realized by a movement of the blade and/or of the cutting edge. Moreover, the cutting edge must be oriented parallel to the blade. Following the separation, the food slices fall generally onto a delivery table 1, which is provided with transporting means, for instance a conveyor or conveyor belt, on which they are configured to respectively form a portion  14 , in this case a stack. The finished portions  14  are next transported out of the cutting blade region and subsequently packed. The slice thickness derives from the feed distance of the food product between two cuts. Given constant blade rotation speed, the slice thickness is regulated via the feed rate of the food product. The slicing device has for each feed line  7  a gripper  8 , which grips the rear end  13  of the food product  2  before and/or during the slicing and stabilizes this during the slicing, in particular toward the end of the slicing, and disposes of the end piece which cannot be sliced. Each gripper is preferably provided on a gripper carriage (not represented), which moves the grippers back and forth, in particular parallel to the direction of feed of the food product. Each gripper is preferably, at least periodically, individually drivable. 
     Preferably, the slicing device is provided in multitrack form, i.e. a plurality of food products  2  are sliced by a blade, in particular at least periodically simultaneously or at least periodically sequentially. For this, the device has for each food product a dedicated track  7 , along which it is transported in the direction of the blade  11 . 
     According to the invention, the gripper is connected in an integrally bonded manner to the food product. This material bond is preferably realized by solidification/freezing of water or moisture, present between the gripper and the food product, before and/or after the gripper has been led up to the food product and/or brought into contact with this same. Preferably, the slicing device according to the invention and/or the gripper according to the invention has/have a cooling device and/or a heating device, which cause the water or moisture to solidify and thaw or unfreeze again. 
       FIG. 2  shows a preferred embodiment of the gripper according to the invention. In the present case, this has claws, hooks and/or cutters  16 , which, in addition to the material bond, can also produce a form closure and/or force closure. However, the means  16  can also serve merely to enlarge the contact area between the gripper and the food product  2  in order to improve the material bond. 
     REFERENCE SYMBOL LIST 
       1  delivery table 
       2  food product 
       3  blade holder 
       4  support surface, transport means of a track  7   
       5  slicing device 
       6  cutting plane 
       7  track 
       8  gripper 
       9  cutter bar, cutting edge 
       10  product guide 
       11  blade, cutting blade, circular blade, sickle-shaped blade 
       12  food slices 
       13  rear side of the food product 
       14  portion, food portion 
       15  integrally bonded joint between gripper and product 
       16  integrally bonded, positive locking and/or non-positive locking joint between the gripper and the product