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EP-4735361-A1 - DEVICE FOR THE MULTI-TRACK TRANSPORTING OF SLICES OF FOOD

EP4735361A1EP 4735361 A1EP4735361 A1EP 4735361A1EP-4735361-A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (1) for the multi-track transporting of slices of food along a transport direction (T) with a first transport carriage (11) and a second transport carriage (22), wherein the first transport carriage (11) and the second transport carriage (22) are connected to one another by means of a pneumatic device (3) and can be moved relative to one another along a transverse direction (Q) perpendicular to the transport direction, wherein the first transport carriage (11) and the second transport carriage (22) are connected to one another by means of a safety coupling (13), wherein the safety coupling (13) can be reversibly released if a predefined force is exceeded.

Inventors

  • FIKENTSCHER, Maximilian

Assignees

  • Gea Food Solutions Germany GmbH

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20240606

Claims (13)

  1. 1. Device (1) for multi-lane transport of food slices along a transport direction (T) with a first transport carriage (11) and a second transport carriage (22), wherein the first transport carriage (11) and the second transport carriage (22) are connected to one another by means of an actuator (3) and can be moved relative to one another along a transverse direction (Q) arranged perpendicular to the transport direction (T), wherein the first transport carriage (11) and the second transport carriage (22) are connected to one another by means of a safety coupling (13), wherein the safety coupling (13) can be reversibly released when a predefined force is exceeded.
  2. 2. Device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the actuator (3) is connected via a first end to the first transport carriage (11) by means of a fixed connection, wherein the actuator (3) is detachably connected via a second end to the second transport carriage (22) by means of a detachable connection.
  3. 3. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the safety coupling (13) is designed as a magnetic coupling.
  4. 4. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the second end of the actuator (3) has a housing (5) which comprises a magnet (7) arranged within the housing (5), wherein the magnet (7) is designed as a permanent magnet.
  5. 5. Device (1) according to claim 4, wherein the safety coupling (13) has the magnet (7) and a coupling element (9) corresponding to the magnet (7), wherein the coupling element (9) is formed on the second transport carriage (22).
  6. 6. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the predefined force is adjustable.
  7. 7. Device (1) according to claim 6, wherein the housing (5) comprises a cover (10), wherein a position of the magnet (7) in the housing (5) and a distance between the magnet (7) and the coupling element (9) are adjustable via a thread in the cover (10), wherein the distance determines the force.
  8. 8. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the actuator (3) is designed as a pneumatic device, servo motor or servo drive.
  9. 9. Device (1) according to claim 8, wherein the magnet (7) is screwed to a cylinder rod (32) of the actuator (3) designed as a pneumatic device.
  10. 10. Device (1) according to one of claims 5 to 9, wherein the coupling element (9) is designed as a separate component which is detachably screwed to the second transport carriage (22).
  11. 11. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein, in the case of an odd number of tracks, food slices can be provided by the first and the second transport carriage (11, 22) in a centrally arranged track.
  12. 12. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein in order to maintain parallelism between the first transport carriage (11) and the second transport carriage (22), the two transport carriages (11, 22) are connected to one another by means of at least one telescopic rail.
  13. 13. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a broken connection between the first transport carriage (11) and the second transport carriage (22) can be restored by means of the safety coupling (13).

Description

DESCRIPTION title Device for multi-lane transport of food slices State of the art The invention is based on a device for multi-lane transport of food slices along a transport direction with a first transport carriage and a second transport carriage. Food sticks such as cheese or sausage are cut into slices using slicing devices - so-called high-performance slicers - and then transported and packaged. Such devices are generally known from the state of the art. The automated processing of food slices and their transport may require that the number of tracks for subsequent units be adjusted, in particular increased. In order to increase the number of tracks, transport trolleys can be used that can move transversely to the transport direction of the food slices or can divide/fork them. In this way, the number of tracks can be increased from two to three, for example. If transport trolleys are moved across the direction of transport, a gap or space initially forms between the transport trolleys. This space can pose a danger to bystanders, as limbs are at risk of injury when the transport trolleys move together, i.e. when the transport trolleys are returned to their original position. Due to the risk of crushing, the state of the art shields such devices or at least danger spots with a separate safety area or enclosure. However, separate safety areas and enclosures take up additional space and make access to the device and its components more difficult. Furthermore, if there are an odd number of lanes, the problem can arise that slices of food are distributed unevenly across the downstream lanes. This results in the problem that certain lanes have to be approached by several transport trolleys, which can lead to collisions between the transport trolleys and thus damage to the device. In addition, objects can fall into the space between the transport trolleys, which can also result in damage. disclosure of the invention It is therefore the object of the present invention to avoid the disadvantages mentioned in connection with the prior art and to provide a device of the type mentioned at the outset in which the risk of injuries and/or damage to the machine can be completely avoided or at least reduced. The object of the present invention is achieved by a device for multi-lane transport of food slices along a transport direction with a first transport carriage and a second transport carriage, wherein the first transport carriage and the second transport carriage are connected to one another by means of an actuator and are movable relative to one another along a transverse direction arranged perpendicular to the transport direction, wherein the first transport carriage and the second transport carriage are connected to one another by means of a safety coupling, wherein the safety coupling can be reversibly released when a predefined force is exceeded. The device according to the invention has the advantage over the prior art that the risk of injuries to limbs when the first and second transport carriages move together is eliminated or at least significantly reduced, since if a predefined force is exceeded, the safety coupling is released and the movement together is prevented. In this way, crushing injuries can be avoided or their effects reduced. Furthermore, damage to property, in particular to the device and/or its components, can be avoided. Overall, a shielded safety area or an enclosure of the danger area can be dispensed with, thus saving costs. The device according to the invention also has the advantage that it can be used as an intermediate or distribution station. The actuator can be designed in particular as a pneumatic device and have a cylinder and a cylinder rod, wherein the cylinder and the cylinder rod can be moved relative to one another, in particular translationally. The cylinder rod can be moved into the cylinder and out of the cylinder. The direction of movement of the cylinder and the cylinder rod is arranged parallel to the transverse direction. The pneumatic device and the safety clutch, which can also be referred to as an overload clutch, can be connected in series. The safety clutch can also be released or opened in the transverse direction. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the actuator is connected to the first transport carriage via a first end by means of a fixed connection, wherein the actuator is detachably connected to the second transport carriage via a second end by means of a detachable connection. The device can be firmly connected to the first transport carriage via the first end, in particular by means of a screw connection. The detachable connection between the device and the second transport carriage via the second end can be realized in particular by means of the safety coupling. The first end can be formed on the cylinder of the device. Furthermore, the second end can be formed on the cylinder rod. According to a further preferred embodiment o