PROCEDE PERMETTANT DE DECOUPER DES PRODUITS ALIMENTAIRES EN TRANCHES

A METHOD FOR THE SLICING OF FOOD PRODUCTS

Abrégé français

L'invention concerne un procédé de classification de portions. Ce procédé consiste à enregistrer les surfaces de coupe de chaque tranche à découper dans le produit à l'aide d'une unité optoélectronique et à évaluer les images de surfaces de coupe en termes de structure interne du produit. Les tranches ayant une structure interne identique dans des limites de tolérance prédéterminées sont réunies en portions d'une certaine classe.

Abrégé anglais

The invention relates to a method for classifying portions in which the cut
surfaces of the slices to be removed from a product are
detected by an optoelectronic unit, and the images of cut surfaces are
evaluated with regard to the inner structure of the product. Slices of
the product which have identical inner structures within predeterminable
tolerance limits are combined to form portions of a defined grade.

Revendications

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CLAIMS,
1. A method for the slicing of food products having a
non-uniform inner structure, such as sausage, ham and the
like, in which said food products are cut into slices and
shingled portions or stack portions are formed and
transported away from a slicing region by means of a
conveyor system, wherein cut surfaces of each of said slices
to be separated from the product are detected by an opto-
electronic unit and an evaluation of said cut surfaces or
signals representing said cut surfaces takes place with
respect to an inner structure of the product, with product
slices having the same inner structure within pre-settable
tolerance limits being collected together in portions of a
specific grade, characterized in that weighting factors are
provided for different components of said food products.
2. A method in accordance with claim 1, characterized
in that respective portions of different components relating
to a cut surface are detected and evaluated with respect to
the product inner structure.
3. A method in accordance with claim 2, characterized
in that meat portions or lean portions and fat portions are
detected as said different components.
4. A method in accordance with claim 2, characterized
in that color distributions are detected with respect to the
product inner structure.
5. A method in accordance with claim 1, 2, 3 or 4,
characterized in that different tolerance limits are pre-set
for different components.

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6. A method in accordance with claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5,
characterized in that weighting factors are provided and
take into consideration respective slice thickness.
7. A method in accordance with claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or
6, characterized in that the portions associated with
specific graders are electronically marked portion-wise.
8. A method in accordance with claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
or 7, characterized in that conveyor means are associated
with a portion forming region provided at a cutting station,
said conveyor means transporting product slices belong to a
specific grade, or part portions formed from these product
slices, alternately between a product forming region and
parking positions and away therefrom.
9. A method in accordance with claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
6, 7 or 8, characterized in that portions of at least one
specific grade are formed from a product and product slices
outside the pre-set tolerance range, or the pre-set
tolerance ranges, are sorted out and led away.
10. A method in accordance with claim 9, characterized
in that a further sorting criterion is used when a minimum
size of the surface of a product slice is not reached.

Description

CA 02367518 2004-04-29
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A METHOD FOR THE SLICING OF FOOD PRODUCTS
The invention relates to a method for the slicing of food
products having a non-uniform inner structure.
When slicing food products, it is not only important to
achieve portions which are of as constant a weight as
possible and which consist of shingled or stacked slices,
but it is frequently also desired to ensure that the inner
io structure of the product slices within the individual
portions, for example the fat portion and the lean portion
in sausage slices or ham slices, is as equal as possible.
Portions with an inner structure of the same kind do not
just produce an optimum appearance, but also result in
defined values, that is, classifications are possible which
also allow different pricings and enable a differentiation
between portions of a higher value and portions of a lower
value.
2o This so-called grading of portions has previously been
carried out by a manual sorting of portions produced in the
slicing of products, with this grading or classification
only being able to be carried out very roughly by persons
due to the speed of the portion formation and due to the
fact that, in a finished stacked portion, only the topmost
slice is visible and, with a shingled portion, only regions
of the slices are visible. This required labor effort is
moreover unwanted and uneconomical.
3o A classification method of food products is known from EP-A-
0 449 512.
It is the object of the invention to provide a method for
the slicing of food products in a manner such that an
3s automatic classification or an automatic grading can be

CA 02367518 2004-04-29
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achieved and with it being ensured, even at high cutting
speeds, that the deviations in the inner structure of the
individual slices of a portion always lie in a defined, pre-
settable tolerance range and that thus a very differentiated
s classification can be ensured.
According to the above object, from a broad aspect, the
present invention provides a method for slicing food
products having a non-uniform inner structure, such as
io sausage, ham and the like, in which the food products are
cut into slices and shingled portions or stack portions are
formed and transported away from a slicing region by a
conveyor system. The cut surfaces of each of the slices to
be separated from the product are detected by an opto-
i5 electronic unit and an evaluation of the cut surfaces or
signals representing the cut surfaces, takes place with
respect to an inner structure of the product. Product
slices having the same inner structure within pre-settable
tolerance limits are collected together in portions of a
2o specific grade. The method is characterized in that
weighting factors are provided for different components of
the food products.
The respective portions of different components relating to
2s the surface are preferably detected with respect to the
product inner structure, with the meat portions or the lean
portions and the fat portions, for example, being able to be
selected as the components.
3o Since the proportions of different components can also have
different effects on the quality or value of the respective
product, different tolerance limits are also preferably pre-
set for different components.

CA 02367518 2004-04-29
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The respective slice thickness can also be taken into the
weighting factors since the slice thickness is changed
within a portion in a number of slicing procedures with
respect to the achievement of portions of constant weight.

CA 02367518 2001-10-05
15-03-2001 EP 000002504
3
If the individually formed portions are associated with specific grades, then
these graded portions formed successively, optionally in an irregular order,
can
be electronically marked such that the corresponding marking or characterizing
can take place in a simple manner in the packaging of the respective portions.
As a rule, portions of at least one specific grade are formed from a certain
product and product slices outside the pre-set tolerance range, or the pre-set
tolerance ranges, are sorted out or led away, which can be done by a
corresponding control of the conveying means associated with the product
formation region or can, for example, take place by pivoting a conveying unit
into the stream of formed slices.
When a minimum size of the surface of the respective product slice is not
reached, this can also be used as a further sorting criterion for the formed
slices.
A conveyor system is preferably associated with the portion forming region
provided at the cutting station by means of which its product slices belonging
to
a specific grade, or part portions formed from these product slices, can
alternately be moved between the product forming region and individual parking
positions and can be transported away after completion of the respective
portion. Appropriate blank cuts can be carned out in order to have sufficient
time available for the moving operations in each case, also with fast-running
slicing procedures.
AMENDED SHEET