EP0812766A1 - Unité d'emballage pour produits alimentaires, procédé et dispositif de fabrication de ladite unité - Google Patents

Unité d'emballage pour produits alimentaires, procédé et dispositif de fabrication de ladite unité Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0812766A1
EP0812766A1 EP96109614A EP96109614A EP0812766A1 EP 0812766 A1 EP0812766 A1 EP 0812766A1 EP 96109614 A EP96109614 A EP 96109614A EP 96109614 A EP96109614 A EP 96109614A EP 0812766 A1 EP0812766 A1 EP 0812766A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
set forth
food stuff
bodies
food
cutting
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP96109614A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Stephan Simbürger
Klaus Wernecke
Uwe Marder
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Kraft Foods R&D Inc USA
Original Assignee
Kraft Jacobs Suchard R&D Inc USA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Kraft Jacobs Suchard R&D Inc USA filed Critical Kraft Jacobs Suchard R&D Inc USA
Priority to EP96109614A priority Critical patent/EP0812766A1/fr
Priority to CA002207006A priority patent/CA2207006A1/fr
Priority to AU24892/97A priority patent/AU2489297A/en
Publication of EP0812766A1 publication Critical patent/EP0812766A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D77/00—Packages formed by enclosing articles or materials in preformed containers, e.g. boxes, cartons, sacks or bags
    • B65D77/003—Articles enclosed in rigid or semi-rigid containers, the whole being wrapped
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
    • B26D—CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING
    • B26D3/00—Cutting work characterised by the nature of the cut made; Apparatus therefor
    • B26D3/18—Cutting work characterised by the nature of the cut made; Apparatus therefor to obtain cubes or the like
    • B26D3/185—Grid like cutters
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
    • B26D—CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING
    • B26D5/00—Arrangements for operating and controlling machines or devices for cutting, cutting-out, stamping-out, punching, perforating, or severing by means other than cutting
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
    • B26D—CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING
    • B26D7/00—Details of apparatus for cutting, cutting-out, stamping-out, punching, perforating, or severing by means other than cutting
    • B26D7/01—Means for holding or positioning work
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
    • B26D—CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING
    • B26D7/00—Details of apparatus for cutting, cutting-out, stamping-out, punching, perforating, or severing by means other than cutting
    • B26D7/01—Means for holding or positioning work
    • B26D7/018—Holding the work by suction
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
    • B26D—CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING
    • B26D7/00—Details of apparatus for cutting, cutting-out, stamping-out, punching, perforating, or severing by means other than cutting
    • B26D7/06—Arrangements for feeding or delivering work of other than sheet, web, or filamentary form
    • B26D7/0608—Arrangements for feeding or delivering work of other than sheet, web, or filamentary form by pushers
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
    • B26D—CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING
    • B26D7/00—Details of apparatus for cutting, cutting-out, stamping-out, punching, perforating, or severing by means other than cutting
    • B26D7/06—Arrangements for feeding or delivering work of other than sheet, web, or filamentary form
    • B26D7/0625—Arrangements for feeding or delivering work of other than sheet, web, or filamentary form by endless conveyors, e.g. belts
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
    • B26D—CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING
    • B26D7/00—Details of apparatus for cutting, cutting-out, stamping-out, punching, perforating, or severing by means other than cutting
    • B26D7/08—Means for treating work or cutting member to facilitate cutting
    • B26D7/088—Means for treating work or cutting member to facilitate cutting by cleaning or lubricating
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
    • B26D—CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING
    • B26D7/00—Details of apparatus for cutting, cutting-out, stamping-out, punching, perforating, or severing by means other than cutting
    • B26D7/18—Means for removing cut-out material or waste
    • B26D7/1818—Means for removing cut-out material or waste by pushing out
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
    • B26D—CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING
    • B26D7/00—Details of apparatus for cutting, cutting-out, stamping-out, punching, perforating, or severing by means other than cutting
    • B26D7/27—Means for performing other operations combined with cutting
    • B26D7/30—Means for performing other operations combined with cutting for weighing cut product
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
    • B26D—CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING
    • B26D7/00—Details of apparatus for cutting, cutting-out, stamping-out, punching, perforating, or severing by means other than cutting
    • B26D7/27—Means for performing other operations combined with cutting
    • B26D7/32—Means for performing other operations combined with cutting for conveying or stacking cut product
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B25/00—Packaging other articles presenting special problems
    • B65B25/06—Packaging slices or specially-shaped pieces of meat, cheese, or other plastic or tacky products
    • B65B25/068—Packaging slices or specially-shaped pieces of meat, cheese, or other plastic or tacky products of cheese

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a food packaging unit and more particularly to a cheese packaging unit.
  • this food packaging unit comprising at least one carrier member having a carrier surface and a plurality of food product bodies and more particularly cheese bodies being positioned in at least one layer with their respective bottom faces on the carrier surface.
  • the food stuff bodies are allowed to have body contact with each other by respective side faces.
  • the food stuff or food product bodies have a body structure of sufficient stability for maintaining their respective shape during packing, shipping, distribution and use, substantially until the time of human consumption.
  • the food stuff bodies have a surface structure preventing substantial coherence of mutually contacting side faces.
  • the food product bodies are covered and secured with respect to the carrier surface by a covering film.
  • This food packaging unit allows the industrial production of the food product bodies in such a way that the food product bodies can be easily handled even if there is a long way from the food product manufacturer to the final consumer.
  • the food product bodies when coming in the hands of the final consumer, still are arranged in good order on the carrier member and thus have a considerable sales appeal.
  • the food stuff bodies can easily be handled by party service organizations who want to offer them e. g. at a cocktail party. They can also easily be handled by a housewife who wants to use the cheese bodies e. g. as an additive to a spaghetti preparation. It is easily possible to remove the cheese bodies from the carrier member and to spread them over the respective food preparation.
  • the carrier member If all the food stuff bodies on the carrier are to be spread on the food preparation, this can easily be done by tilting the carrier member. If only a part of the food stuff bodies on the respective carrier member is to be used as an additive for a respective food preparation, one can remove the food stuff bodies, e. g. by a knife engaging one or several rows of food stuff bodies and shift these rows along the carrier surface to one of the edges of the carrier surface so that they can fall from the possibly inclined carrier surface onto the respective food preparation.
  • the covering film may have several functions. One function is to secure the food stuff bodies on the carrier member during shipping and distribution. In view of this purpose, the covering film is preferably in intimate contact with at least the top faces of the food stuff bodies so that they are maintained in the vicinity of the carrier surface even when the carrier member is tilted or turned. A further function of the covering film is to protect the food stuff bodies against contamination. A still further purpose of the covering film may be to provide a cavity around the food stuff bodies which prevents fast exchange of the surrounding atmosphere and possibly even allows to maintain a protecting atmosphere for the food stuff bodies.
  • the covering film may be made of a large variety of usual materials like paper, plastic film, metal foil, or combinations thereof.
  • the food stuff bodies are preferably shaped with substantially planar top and bottom faces and further with side faces extending in a substantially orthogonal direction with respect to the carrier surface. Such an arrangement of faces is not only helpful for easy packing, but also helpful for easily manufacturing the food stuff bodies by cutting techniques.
  • the side faces of the food stuff bodies may be substantially planar and arranged in a prismatic relationship with respect to each other. Such, it is possible to fully cover the carrier surface with a closed layer of food stuff bodies.
  • While mutually adjacent side faces can define substantially right angles therebetween, it is also possible to provide food stuff bodies with polygonal circumference or even food stuff bodies with complicated cross-sectional circumference, e. g. fish-like circumference as frequently used in pavement designs. It is also possible to use different shapes of food stuff bodies on one carrier member. In this case, the food stuff bodies may be shaped like the elements of a puzzle which are different from each other but in combination provide a closed surface.
  • the dimension of the food stuff bodies is selected according to the expected use.
  • Food stuff bodies to be used as cocktail snacks e. g. may have a cube edge length of 10 to 20 mm, whereas food stuff cubes to be spread over a food preparation may have a cube edge length of 5 to 10 mm.
  • the volume of the food stuff bodies is preferably between 350 and 16000 mm 3 and most preferably in a range of 1000 to 2000 mm 3 .
  • edge length is preferably in a range of 8 mm to 25 mm and most preferably in a range of 10 to 12 mm.
  • Natural cheese includes e. g. Emmentaler cheese, Gouda cheese, or Edamer cheese.
  • Process cheese includes e. g. a cheese as frequently offered as "Scheibletten", a product of Kraft Jacobs Suchard.
  • Fresh cheese includes e. g. the well-known Philadelphia cheese of Kraft Jacobs Suchard.
  • the respective food product has sticky surface structure
  • at least a part of the bottom, top, and side faces of the food stuff bodies is provided with a layer of an anticoherence agent or anticaking agent.
  • This anticoherence agent should be physiologically acceptable and neutral in taste.
  • agents are used which simultaneously have an anticoherence and a spicing effect.
  • a most effective anticoherence agent may be powder-shaped or fibre-shaped. It is, however, not excluded that also liquid anticoherence agents are applied and more particularly such anticoherence agents which are subject to a quick hardening effect after application in liquid status.
  • the carrier member may comprise side walls along at least part of the circumference of the carrier surface. These side walls may have the purpose of strengthening the structure of the carrier elements at a minimum of material and cost consumption in manufacturing the carrier elements. This is particularly true when manufacturing the carrier members from plastics materials.
  • a further purpose of the side walls may be to better secure the food stuff bodies on the carrier surface, possibly in combination with the covering film.
  • a further purpose of the side walls may be to maintain adjacent food stuff bodies in mutual contact so as to avoid acceleration and friction and deterioration of the surface structure as a result thereof.
  • the height of possible side walls is smaller than the height of the food stuff bodies above the carrier surface.
  • This dimensioning of relative height is of importance for the final consumer for easily removing the food stuff bodies from the carrier surface, particularly in situations in which only a part of the food stuff bodies lying on the carrier surface is to be removed from the carrier surface.
  • the final consumer e. g. a housewife, may engage the food stuff bodies to be removed along a separation line between two subsequent rows of food stuff bodies with a knife entering between said subsequent rows with a knife entrance depth corresponding to the height difference between the food stuff bodies and the side walls. Then, it is easily possible to shift the food stuff bodies to be removed from the carrier surface beyond a respective side wall.
  • the height of the side walls is about 50 to 80 % and more preferably about 75 % of the height of the food stuff bodies above the carrier surface. This is regarded as a good compromise between securing the food stuff bodies, on the one hand, and facilitating removal of the food stuff bodies from the carrier member, on the other hand.
  • the carrier member and the side walls may be shaped as a tray, which tray may have a circumferential side wall arrangement along its total circumference.
  • the side walls may be inclined with respect to the carrier surface, e. g. such that they define an angle of more than 90° and preferably less than 110° or 120° with respect to the carrier surface. This inclination is still sufficient to laterally secure the food stuff bodies on the respective carrier member. On the other hand, this inclination facilitates the introduction of the food stuff bodies into the respective tray. Moreover, the removal of the food stuff bodies from the carrier surface is facilitated by this inclination, especially in cases in which - as stated above - the height of the food stuff bodies is larger than the height of the side walls.
  • the side walls may have outwardly extending flange means at their respective upper edges.
  • flanges may have e. g. a width in a direction parallel to the carrier surface of 1 to 3 mm and more preferably of about 2 mm.
  • the flanges may also help to stiffen the carrier member in case of being made from flexible plastics material.
  • a further possibility of stiffening the carrier member is to provide outwardly projecting ribs on respective outer surfaces of the walls. These ribs may also be useful, when the carrier members are stacked before being loaded with food stuff bodies. The ribs can prevent or limit an excessive engagement of two subsequent trays, such as to facilitate removal of a respective tray from a stack of trays during a tray loading operation. Moreover, the ribs may also be helpful when conveying the trays to a loading station and when conveying the loaded trays from the loading station to a wrapping station.
  • the carrier members can be easily made from plastics foil material, e. g. by thermoforming such as by a deep-drawing operation. This deep-drawing operation easily allows the formation of flanges and/ or ribs.
  • the carrier members are preferably provided with a rectangular and more particularly with a square-shaped circumference. Due to square-shaped or rectangular circumference the handling of the carrier members is further facilitated and the construction of the handling equipment is simplified. Moreover, rectangular and square-shaped circumference allows tight loading of the respective carrier members, when the food stuff bodies are in accordance with a most common embodiment also of rectangular cross-section.
  • the carrier surface of the carrier member has e. g. a surface area of 6000 to 35000 mm 2 .
  • the smaller values of this range are used for smaller food stuff body volumes and vice versa.
  • the surface area of the carrier surface is preferably square-shaped and has a side length of 70 to 180 mm.
  • the covering film may be made of flexible plastics material and preferably transparent material.
  • Transparent material gives the advantage of making the food stuff bodies visible for the buying public and also for quality control purposes.
  • the covering film may be fixed to the upper edges of the side walls, especially in cases in which the side walls are provided with flanges. This allows a smooth and aesthetic package unit, especially when the covering film is stretched on the top side of the food stuff bodies.
  • the covering film is made as a wall portion of a bag completely encapsulating the carrier member and the food stuff bodies.
  • This embodiment has the advantage that the plastics film can easily completely be removed from the carrier member. Complete removal of the plastics film from the carrier member is helpful for facilitating subsequent removal of the food stuff bodies from the carrier surface beyond possible side walls.
  • the removal of the bag is possible without substantial damage to the body of the bag, e. g. by using scissors or by providing easy-opening features such as weakening lines in the body of the bag material. Then, the bag can be opened in such a way as to be further useful for covering a possible rest of food stuff bodies, when this rest of food stuff bodies is to be brought into a refrigerator.
  • the bag can be constructed in a usual way, e. g. as used in packing the above-mentioned "Scheibletten".
  • the bag is made of a tubular film section closed at two opposite ends by welding seams substantially parallel to respective edges of the carrier member.
  • the tubular film may be shaped as a seamless tubular film section cut e. g. from a tubular film extruded from a circular nozzle.
  • the tubular film section may be made from flat film material by at least one longitudinal welding seam.
  • the bag is preferably constructed with such dimensions as to secure the food stuff bodies on the carrier surface by contact of the top faces of the food stuff bodies with the bag material.
  • the covering film may be made of usual plastics materials such as polyethylene, polypropylene or copolymers thereof.
  • plastics materials such as polyethylene, polypropylene or copolymers thereof.
  • the selection of the respective plastics material is dependent on the requirements, e. g. the requirements of gas-permeability or -impermeability.
  • the food stuff bodies may be accommodated within a closed cavity containing a protective gas.
  • the closed cavity should substantially prevent exchange of the protective gas with the surrounding air.
  • the closed cavity principle may be solved by confining the food stuff bodies between the carrier member and the covering film. Alternatively, it may be solved by using a separate bag for obtaining the closed cavity.
  • the protective gas may be one of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and mixtures thereof.
  • the food stuff bodies may be arranged in one single layer on the carrier surface. Alternatively, it is also possible to provide a plurality of layers one above the other on the carrier surface. The various layers may be stacked one above the other in direct food stuff contact between subsequent layers. Alternatively, a thin separation foil may be provided between subsequent layers contained within one single package. The use of the above-mentioned separating agents allows, however, to avoid such separating layers.
  • a packaging unit comprises a circumferential group of food stuff bodies. These food stuff bodies of the circumferential group are laterally positioned with respect to the carrier members by a circumferential side wall arrangement of the carrier member. Further food stuff bodies within a central field are surrounded by the circumferential group of food stuff bodies and are laterally secured by the circumferential group of food stuff bodies.
  • a multilayer cheese package may be assembled by a plurality of cheese packages as described before. These cheese packages within a multiple layer cheese package may be stacked one above the other with substantially mutually aligned circumferential edges.
  • the plurality of cheese packages may be accommodated within an outer container which secures the individual food stuff packages with respect to each other in stacked relationship.
  • the outer container may be e. g. a cardboard box or preferably again a bag, as described before in connection with packing of the individual packaging units.
  • a further object of the present invention is to provide a method for industrially manufacturing a food stuff package with a plurality of food stuff bodies and more particularly cheese bodies which are available e. g. as snacks or as an additive for food preparations.
  • the method comprises:
  • the disc-shaped preproduct may be provided by cutting from a food stuff bar in a disc cutting station and may be transferred from said disc cutting station to the upstream face of the cutting grid.
  • the weight of the food product provided for loading a respective carrier member may be corrected to the desired value. This may be done by controlling the thickness of the disc-shaped preproducts in the disc cutting station.
  • the thickness of the disc-shaped preproduct may be selected in response to weight measuring of preceding disc-shaped preproducts.
  • the weight measuring may be performed along a way of the preceding disc-shaped preproducts from the disc cutting station to the cutting grid.
  • the thickness of the preproduct disc may be selected by conveying a food stuff bar with a leading end portion thereof against abutment means, and the position of these abutment means in conveying direction with respect to a disc cutting knife may be controlled in response to measuring the weight of the preceding disc-shaped preproduct or preproducts cut from the food stuff bar.
  • the food stuff bodies may be provided on at least part of their respective top, bottom and side faces with an anticoherence agent or anticaking agent.
  • the food stuff bodies may be treated with a powder- or fibre-shaped anticoherence agent.
  • the anticoherence agent may be provided on at least one of said top and bottom faces by treating at least one of the main faces of the respective disc-shaped preproduct.
  • the treatment of the at least one main face may be performed during the transfer of the respective disc-shaped preproduct to the cutting grid. This may be done e. g. during the passage of a respective disc-shaped preproduct through a powder fog chamber.
  • the side faces may be treated with anticoherence agent by applying the anticoherence agent onto the knife sections of the cutting grid after ejection of a group of food stuff bodies from the cutting grid and before positioning a subsequent disc-shaped preproduct onto the cutting grid.
  • a powder- or fibre-shaped anticoherence agent may be applied to the knife sections by dipping the cutting grid into a bed of powder- or fibre-shaped anticoherence agent.
  • Cutting residues obtained at the cutting grid may be removed from the cutting grid periodically, preferably after each cutting step performed by the cutting grid.
  • the cutting residues may be removed e. g. by a cleaning gas jet and possibly collected in a residue receiving container.
  • Surplus treating agent may be removed from the knife sections after applying the anticoherence agent thereto.
  • the surplus anticoherence agent may be removed by a cleaning gas jet and may be, possibly, collected in a collector vessel.
  • the cutting grid may be one of a group of cutting grids mounted on a moving carrier.
  • This moving carrier may be used for transferring each of said group of cutting grids one after the other to a plurality of stations including a preproduct inlet station, a first pressing station comprising said first uninterrupted pressing face and a second pressing station comprising said slotted pressing face.
  • the food stuff bodies lying on the carrier surface may be covered after having been positioned on the carrier surface by a covering film.
  • This covering film may be applied as part of a bag enclosing both the carrier member and the food stuff bodies.
  • the food stuff bodies may be accommodated within a packaging cavity substantially closed with respect to surrounding atmosphere, and this packing cavity may be filled with a protective gas.
  • the food stuff packages may be arranged in groups of food stuff packages. These groups of food stuff packages may be encapsulated within an outer common container.
  • the food stuff bodies may be positioned on the carrier surface with mutual lateral contact. This lateral contact may be obtained or maintained by using a carrier member with downwardly and inwardly inclined side walls.
  • the preproduct may be conveyed on a powder-permeable conveyor through a powder fog chamber for applying the anticoherence agent to the main faces of the preproduct.
  • an apparatus for manufacturing a food stuff package comprises at least one carrier member having a carrier surface and a plurality of food stuff bodies having respective top, bottom and side faces.
  • the food stuff bodies are positioned in at least one layer with their respective bottom faces on the carrier surface.
  • the apparatus comprises:
  • Encapsulating means are provided in the encapsulating station for encapsulating the food stuff bodies positioned on the carrier member.
  • the preproduct provision means may comprise bar conveyor means moving a food stuff bar along a conveying direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the food stuff bar towards movable abutment means.
  • a bar cutting knife movable in a direction substantially orthogonal with respect to the conveying direction of the bar conveyor means, and actuating means for actuating the bar cutting knife and the abutment means in a predetermined time sequence may be provided.
  • the distance of the abutment means and of the bar cutting knife along the conveying direction of the bar conveyor means may be variable. This distance may be variable in response to weight measuring of preceding disc-shaped preproducts cut from the bar.
  • Preproduct weighing means may be provided between the bar conveyor means and the preproduct subdividing means, said weighing means being operatively connected with distance control means controlling the distance between the bar cutting knife and the abutment means.
  • Main face treatment means may be provided between the preproduct provision means and the preproduct subdividing means. This main face treating means may be used for applying an anticoherence agent to the main faces.
  • These main face treating means may comprise a powder fog chamber, and the said first conveyor means may extend through the powder fog chamber.
  • the first conveyor means may comprise a powder-permeable preproduct supporting face adapted to expose both main faces of a disc-shaped preproduct to powder fog treatment.
  • the preproduct subdividing means may comprise a cutting grid and pressure means for urging the disc-shaped preproduct through the cutting grid.
  • the cutting grid may be mounted on a movable grid carrier. Then, the cutting grid may be movable by the grid carrier through a plurality of stations including a preproduct inlet station in which the disc-shaped preproduct is positioned on the cutting grid, a grid entrance station in which the preproduct is pressed into cutting cells of the cutting grid and a food stuff body ejecting station in which the food stuff bodies are located on the carrier surface of the carrier member.
  • a carrier supply conveyor may be provided for conveying the carrier members from a carrier member supply to the food stuff body ejecting station.
  • the carrier supply conveyor may join the second conveyor means.
  • the plurality of stations may further comprise a cutting grid treatment station for applying a treatment agent to the cutting grid so that the treatment agent may be hereupon transferred from the cutting grid to side faces of the food stuff bodies.
  • the plurality of stations may further comprise a grid cleaning station for cleaning the cutting grid by removing cutting residues of the food stuff.
  • Gas filling means may be allocated to the encapsulating station for introducing protective gas into the food stuff package.
  • the apparatus may further comprise a stacking station for stacking a plurality of at least and preferably two food stuff packages and securing the stacked food stuff packages with respect to each other.
  • a carrier member shaped as a tray is designated by 10.
  • This tray comprises a carrier surface 12 and a side wall arrangement 14.
  • the side walls 14 are inclined with respect to the carrier surface 12 by an angle ⁇ .
  • the upper edges of the side walls 14 are provided with flanges 16 directed substantially parallel to the carrier surface 12 in outward direction with respect to the tray 10.
  • the side walls 14 are provided on their outer faces with ribs 18 corresponding to recesses 19 on the inner faces of the side walls.
  • the tray 10 is manufactured from a stiff plastics film by a punching and deep-drawing operation during which the ribs 18 and the flanges 16 are obtained.
  • the tray 10 is to be loaded with a layer 20 of individual cheese bodies 22 having cubic shape. One of these cubic cheese bodies 22 is shown in Fig.
  • the cheese bodies have a structural stability which is sufficient for maintaining the shape of the cheese bodies during preparation, loading, shipping, distributing, and preparation for final consumption.
  • the cubic cheese bodies 22 are provided with a surface structure consisting of respective layers 24 of granular or fibrous anticoherence agent, such as microcristalline cellulose or starch. This layers of anticoherence agent allow the cubic cheese bodies 22 to be brought into intimate contact with each other as shown in Fig. 1 without the risk of sticking to each other in a substantial degree.
  • the layer 20 can be dimensioned such as to fully cover the carrier surface 12 of the carrier member 10 without separation of the cheese bodies from each other.
  • the side faces of the cubic cheese body 22 are designated by 26, whereas the top face and the bottom face are designated by 28 and 30, respectively.
  • the bottom face 30 may also be covered by a layer of anticoherence agent so as to prevent a sticking of the cubic cheese body to the carrier surface 12.
  • the loaded carrier member 10 is encapsulated by a plastics material bag 32.
  • This bag 32 is made from a section 34 of a tubular film which has been closed at both ends thereof by welding seams 36 parallel to opposite flanges 16.
  • the tubular material is made from a flat material which has been welded along a welding seam 38 in longitudinal direction of the tubular material.
  • the packaging unit as shown in Fig. 3 is designated by 40 in Fig. 3.
  • FIG. 4 one can see two packaging units 40a and 40b as shown in Fig. 3.
  • the two packaging units 40a and 40b are stacked one above the other and are wrapped by an outer container 42.
  • This outer container 42 has the same construction as the bag 32 shown in Fig. 3.
  • the two packaging units 40a and 40b are secured in the position as shown in Fig. 4 with respect to each other.
  • the cubic cheese bodies are secured on the carrier surface 12 by the bag 32.
  • the bag 32 is dimensioned such as to prevent separation of the cubic cheese bodies 22 from the carrier surface 12.
  • the bag 32 is substantially completely closed and contains a protective atmosphere of e. g. nitrogen.
  • a bar conveyor 44 comprising rollers 46 and a belt 48.
  • the bar conveyor 44 is intended for conveying a cheese bar 50 along the bar axis 52.
  • the cheese bar 50 is urged by the bar conveyor 44 against two abutment plates 54.
  • the abutment plates 54 are pivotally mounted by pivot shaft 56; they can swing along the arrows 58.
  • a disc cutting knife 60 is allocated to the abutment plates 54 in a distance therefrom which is indicated as a in Fig. 5.
  • the disc cutting knife 60 is movable along the arrows 62 through the cheese bar 50 down to the upper surface of the conveyor belt 48 such that a disc-shaped preproduct 64 can be cut from the cheese bar 50.
  • the abutment plates 54 swing along the arrows 58 thus allowing the transfer of the disc-shaped preproduct 64 by a transferring mechanism 66 to a further belt conveyor 68.
  • the further belt conveyor 68 is constituted by rollers 70 and two narrow conveyor belts 72.
  • the transferring mechanism 66 comprises a vacuum gripper 74 which transfers by a linear movement 76 and two rotational movements 78,80 the disc-shaped preproduct 64 from the cutting position to the position on the belt conveyor 68.
  • Subsequent disc-shaped preproducts 64 are moved on the belt conveyor 68 in direction of the arrow 82.
  • the narrow belts 72 are supported by a weighing apparatus 84 which is adapted for weighing the average weight of the disc-shaped preproducts 64.
  • the weighing mechanism 84 is operatively connected with an adjusting mechanism 86.
  • This adjusting mechanism 86 moves the pivoting shaft 56 along arrow 88 for adjusting the width a of the disc-shaped preproduct.
  • the width a is adjusted such that the weight of the disc-shaped preproduct 64 is maintained at a predetermined value, irrespective of irregularities of the cheese bar 50.
  • Fig. 6 one can recognize a downstream portion of the conveyor 68 with the narrow belts 72.
  • This powder fog chamber 90 is provided with an upper powder sprayer unit 92 and a lower powder sprayer unit 94.
  • the upper powder sprayer unit 92 is completely covered by the walls of the chamber 90.
  • the lower powder sprayer unit 94 may be covered in a similar way by walls not shown.
  • the main faces 64a and 64b as shown in Fig. 5 of the disc-shaped preproduct 64 are exposed to anticoherence powder sprayed from the powder sprayer units 92 and 94.
  • the upstream and downstream walls of the powder fog chamber 90 are provided with flexible doors 96 and 98 which allow the disc-shaped preproducts 64 to pass through the powder fog chamber without substantial loss of powder fog to the atmosphere.
  • a rotary table 100 joins a rotary table 100.
  • the rotary table 100 is rotatable about an axis B and is provided with six cutting grids 102I to 102VI.
  • the cutting grids 102I to 102VI are located in Fig. 7 in six mutually subsequent stations Stat. I to Stat. VI.
  • Stat. I a disc-shaped preproduct 64 has been loaded on the cutting grid 102I, as one can see from Fig. 8.
  • Loading blades 104a and 104b are provided above the cutting grid 102I.
  • the disc-shaped preproduct 64 moves on the belt conveyor 68 onto the loading blades 104a and 104b into contact with stoppers 106a and 106b (see Fig. 6).
  • the loading blades 104a and 104b move outwards with respect to the center of the cutting grid 102I in the direction of the arrows 108a and 108b.
  • the disc-shaped preproduct 64 is loaded on the upper face 110 of the cutting grid 102I, as shown in Fig. 8 in more detail.
  • the rotary table 100 is rotated in angular steps of 60°.
  • Fig. 9 corresponding to Stat. II the disc-shaped preproduct 64 is located below a first cutting block 112 which has a plane, uninterrupted pressing face 114.
  • the cutting block 112 moves downward, until the pressing face 114 abuts the upper face of the cutting grid 102I.
  • the disc-shaped preproduct 64 is pressed into the cutting cells 116 which are separated from each other by knife sections 118.
  • Fig. 10 corresponding to Stat. III.
  • Possible residues of the preproduct which might have collected at the upper face 110 are removed in Stat. III by a cleaning jet 120 into a residue collector pan 122. This cleaning action is, however, avoidable, if no substantial residues are found on the upper face 110.
  • Fig. 11 corresponding to Stat. IV, the cutting grid 102I has been located below a second cutting block 124.
  • This cutting block 124 has a pressing face 126.
  • This pressing face 126 is provided with slots 128 aligned with the knife sections 118.
  • the cutting block 124 smakes a downward and upward movement according to arrow 130.
  • Fig. 11 shows the status after the cutting block has made a downward and an upward movement such that cheese bodies 22 have been loaded on the carrier surface 12 of the tray 10.
  • Fig. 7 shows the status after the cutting block has made a downward and an upward movement such that cheese bodies 22 have been loaded on the carrier surface 12 of the tray 10.
  • a transfer mechanism 132 equipped with a suction plate 134 from a tray supply 136 and is continued by an empty tray conveyor 138 leading to Stat. IV.
  • the trays 10 are delivered to a further conveyor 140 the upstream end of which is located below Stat. IV as shown in Fig. 11.
  • the loaded trays 10 are moved by the conveyor 140 in the direction of arrow 142 through an encapsulating station 144 and a sealing and separating station 146 as seen in Fig. 7 to a delivery station (not shown) where the loaded and encapsulated trays may be packed into further containers for shipping.
  • Surplus anticoherence powder may be removed from the knife sections 118 by a gas jet 119. This may be done in a separate station. E. g. the cleaning operation of Station III may be avoided such that a separate station of totally six stations becomes available for the removing of surplus anticoherence powder subsequent to the dipping station.
  • the encapsulating station 144 is shown in Fig. 14.
  • a wrapping film 162 is introduced between the upper face of the conveyor 140 and the lower main face 64b of the respective disc-shaped preproduct 64.
  • the wrapping film 162 is folded by folding blades 164 into a circularly closed bag 32, such as shown in Fig. 3.
  • the bag is longitudinally closed by a welding seam 38.
  • a welding beam 166 and a welding roller 168 are provided.
  • a gas filling tube or a gas flushing tube 170 is provided for filling a protective gas into the bag 32.
  • the bag 32 is closed by a welding beam 172 at the ends thereof, thus obtaining the welding seams 36 as shown in Fig. 3.
  • the welding beam 172 is combined with a separating knife 174 for separating subsequent packaging units 40 from each other.
  • the belt conveyor 140 as shown in Fig. 14 brings the packaging units 40 to a delivery station in the direction of arrow 176.
  • rotary tables 100A and 100B are stacked one above the other in a stacking and packaging station 178 in which the double packaging units 42, as shown in Fig. 4, are assembled and encapsulated.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Forests & Forestry (AREA)
  • Packging For Living Organisms, Food Or Medicinal Products That Are Sensitive To Environmental Conditiond (AREA)
EP96109614A 1996-06-14 1996-06-14 Unité d'emballage pour produits alimentaires, procédé et dispositif de fabrication de ladite unité Withdrawn EP0812766A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP96109614A EP0812766A1 (fr) 1996-06-14 1996-06-14 Unité d'emballage pour produits alimentaires, procédé et dispositif de fabrication de ladite unité
CA002207006A CA2207006A1 (fr) 1996-06-14 1997-06-04 Emballage pour aliments, methode de fabrication dudit emballage et un appareil pour executer ladite methode
AU24892/97A AU2489297A (en) 1996-06-14 1997-06-13 A food packaging unit, a method for manufacturing said food packaging unit and an apparatus for performing said method

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP96109614A EP0812766A1 (fr) 1996-06-14 1996-06-14 Unité d'emballage pour produits alimentaires, procédé et dispositif de fabrication de ladite unité

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Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2000010400A1 (fr) * 1998-08-25 2000-03-02 Kraft Jacobs Suchard R & D, Inc. Produit fromager et son procede de fabrication
WO2000029291A1 (fr) * 1998-11-13 2000-05-25 Officine Meccaniche Natalino Corazza S.P.A. Appareil pour traiter un produit, en particulier pour emballer un produit alimentaire
NL1012884C2 (nl) * 1999-08-23 2000-08-08 Verbakel & Seggelink B V Verpakt en gesneden witschimmelkaas en werkwijze ter vervaardiging daarvan.
EP1243386A2 (fr) * 2001-03-23 2002-09-25 Kraft Foods Holdings, Inc. Dispositif ainsi que procédé d'emballage de produits découpés en tranches
EP1010500A3 (fr) * 1998-12-17 2002-10-09 Wright Pugson Limited Dispositif, ainsi que procédé pour couper le fromage
DE102004039419A1 (de) * 2004-08-13 2006-02-23 Alpma Alpenland Maschinenbau Gmbh Vorrichtung und Verfahren zur Bearbeitung von Lebensmittelprodukten
FR2948053A1 (fr) * 2009-07-15 2011-01-21 Hameur Sa Ensemble et procede pour le nettoyage d'une grille
EP2837289A1 (fr) * 2013-08-15 2015-02-18 A O Ideas GmbH Procédé et dispositif de préparation d'un mets à base de fromage et mets à base de fromage
DE102017120351A1 (de) 2017-09-05 2019-03-07 Hochland Se Verfahren und Vorrichtung zur Vereinzelung von Käsewürfeln
CN112976159A (zh) * 2021-03-11 2021-06-18 文鑫 一种塑料导光板模切机及模切加工方法

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN117302636B (zh) * 2023-11-29 2024-02-02 沧州慧丰科技有限公司 一种用于包装塑料餐盒的装置

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1578721A (en) * 1977-03-07 1980-11-05 Griffiths W Cheese cutting
EP0028278A1 (fr) * 1979-11-05 1981-05-13 Codat Management Limited Machine de découpage
EP0237715A2 (fr) * 1986-03-15 1987-09-23 Ernst Holz Dispositif pour couper des produits alimentaires
EP0375513A1 (fr) * 1988-12-13 1990-06-27 S A R L Duteil France Gastronomie Conditionnement pour articles fragiles
FR2654707A3 (fr) * 1989-11-21 1991-05-24 Reybier Fromageries Emballage permettant d'assurer le stockage et la presentation de portions de fromage ou produits alimentaires similaires.
FR2679201A1 (fr) * 1991-07-15 1993-01-22 Legoff Jean Philippe Procede et dispositif pour la mise en barquette de produits divers.

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1578721A (en) * 1977-03-07 1980-11-05 Griffiths W Cheese cutting
EP0028278A1 (fr) * 1979-11-05 1981-05-13 Codat Management Limited Machine de découpage
EP0237715A2 (fr) * 1986-03-15 1987-09-23 Ernst Holz Dispositif pour couper des produits alimentaires
EP0375513A1 (fr) * 1988-12-13 1990-06-27 S A R L Duteil France Gastronomie Conditionnement pour articles fragiles
FR2654707A3 (fr) * 1989-11-21 1991-05-24 Reybier Fromageries Emballage permettant d'assurer le stockage et la presentation de portions de fromage ou produits alimentaires similaires.
FR2679201A1 (fr) * 1991-07-15 1993-01-22 Legoff Jean Philippe Procede et dispositif pour la mise en barquette de produits divers.

Cited By (20)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2340726B (en) * 1998-08-25 2001-01-17 Kraft Jacobs Suchard R & D Inc Cheese product and method of manufacturing same
AU766280B2 (en) * 1998-08-25 2003-10-16 Kraft Foods R & D, Inc. Cheese product and method of manufacturing same
WO2000010400A1 (fr) * 1998-08-25 2000-03-02 Kraft Jacobs Suchard R & D, Inc. Produit fromager et son procede de fabrication
WO2000029291A1 (fr) * 1998-11-13 2000-05-25 Officine Meccaniche Natalino Corazza S.P.A. Appareil pour traiter un produit, en particulier pour emballer un produit alimentaire
EP1010500A3 (fr) * 1998-12-17 2002-10-09 Wright Pugson Limited Dispositif, ainsi que procédé pour couper le fromage
NL1012884C2 (nl) * 1999-08-23 2000-08-08 Verbakel & Seggelink B V Verpakt en gesneden witschimmelkaas en werkwijze ter vervaardiging daarvan.
US8109065B2 (en) * 2001-03-23 2012-02-07 Kraft Foods Global Brands Llc Automated method for placing sliced food stacks in packages
EP1243386A2 (fr) * 2001-03-23 2002-09-25 Kraft Foods Holdings, Inc. Dispositif ainsi que procédé d'emballage de produits découpés en tranches
EP1243386A3 (fr) * 2001-03-23 2004-06-09 Kraft Foods Holdings, Inc. Dispositif ainsi que procédé d'emballage de produits découpés en tranches
US7866130B2 (en) 2001-03-23 2011-01-11 Kraft Foods Global Brands Llc Automated method for placing sliced food stacks in packages
DE102004039419A1 (de) * 2004-08-13 2006-02-23 Alpma Alpenland Maschinenbau Gmbh Vorrichtung und Verfahren zur Bearbeitung von Lebensmittelprodukten
FR2948053A1 (fr) * 2009-07-15 2011-01-21 Hameur Sa Ensemble et procede pour le nettoyage d'une grille
ES2396374A1 (es) * 2009-07-15 2013-02-21 Hameur S.A. Dispositivo para la limpieza de la rejilla de corte de alimentos.
US8931130B2 (en) 2009-07-15 2015-01-13 Hameur Sa Device for cleaning a food cutter grating disc
EP2837289A1 (fr) * 2013-08-15 2015-02-18 A O Ideas GmbH Procédé et dispositif de préparation d'un mets à base de fromage et mets à base de fromage
DE102017120351A1 (de) 2017-09-05 2019-03-07 Hochland Se Verfahren und Vorrichtung zur Vereinzelung von Käsewürfeln
RU2699707C1 (ru) * 2017-09-05 2019-09-09 Хохланд Се Способ и устройство для разъединения сырных кубиков
DE102017120351B4 (de) * 2017-09-05 2021-06-24 Hochland Se Verfahren und Vorrichtung zur Vereinzelung von Käsewürfeln
CN112976159A (zh) * 2021-03-11 2021-06-18 文鑫 一种塑料导光板模切机及模切加工方法
CN112976159B (zh) * 2021-03-11 2022-06-07 保定市欣海阳光板制造有限公司 一种塑料导光板模切机及模切加工方法

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU2489297A (en) 1997-12-18
CA2207006A1 (fr) 1997-12-14

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