• 专利附录
  • 专利说明
  • 权利要求
  • 类似技术
  • 同族专利
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  • 优先权
    • 专利摘要:
    The present invention relates to a cutter head assembly (100) for a centrifugal cutter. The cutter head assembly (100) includes a plurality of cutter bases (101) each having a cutter (104, 204) for cutting or comminuting food products. The cutting bases (101) are freestanding mounted side by side on a trim (102, 202, 302, 402). The cutting head assembly (100) further includes fasteners (103,203) for securing the cutting bases (101) to the bottom structure (102,202) and a first group of spacing adjustment elements (105, 205,305) adapted to adjust the position of the rear edge of the cutting bases (101) with respect to the leading edge of the cutting elements (104, 204) of adjacent cutting bases (101). The spacing adjustment elements (105, 205, 305) are adapted to adjust the position of the trailing edge of the cutting bases (101) with respect to the trim structure (102, 202, 302, 402).
    公开号:BE1022372B1
    申请号:E2015/5059
    申请日:2015-02-09
    公开日:2016-03-25
    发明作者:Brent Bucks
    申请人:Fam；
    IPC主号:
    专利说明:

    CUT STORAGE FOR A CENTRIFUGAL CUTTING DEVICE AND A CENTRIFUGAL CUTTING DEVICE EQUIPPED WITH SUCH CUTTING STORAGE
    Technical domain
    The present invention relates to a cutter head assembly for a centrifugal cutter. The present invention further relates to a centrifugal cutting device equipped with such a cutting head assembly, such as, for example, a food cutting device.
    State of the art - background
    A centrifugal cutter comprises an impeller (propeller) that is arranged to rotate concentrically within a cutter head in order to transmit a centrifugal force to the food products to be cut. The cutting head is generally an assembly of a plurality of cutting bases, which are also referred to as "shoes", and which are each provided with a cutting element adapted to cut or reduce the food product that rotates concentrically in the cutting head.
    An example of a centrifugal cutter is known from U.S. Patent No. 7,270,040.
    Explanation of the invention
    An object of this invention is to provide an improved cutter head assembly for a centrifugal cutter.
    This object is achieved in accordance with the invention with the cutter head assembly exhibiting the technical features of the characterizing portion of the first claim.
    More specifically, according to a first aspect of the present invention, a cutter head assembly for a centrifugal cutter is provided. The cutting head assembly comprises a plurality of cutting bases, each of which is provided on a front side with a cutting element adapted to cut or reduce food products. The cutting bases are adapted to be mounted separately (individually) on the edge structure such that a gap is formed between a front edge of the cutting element and a rear edge of an adjacent cutting base. The cut or reduced food products can leave the cutting head via this gap, where they can be collected and further processed. The cutter head assembly may further comprise fastening elements adapted to attach the cutting bases to the rib structure at predetermined locations. The fastening elements may, for example, comprise bolts adapted to cooperate with corresponding drill holes provided on the cutting bases and the collar structure. The cutting bases are preferably fixed to the inner diameter of the rib structure. The cutter head assembly may further comprise a first group of spacing adjustment elements adapted to adjust the position of the rear edge of the cutter bases relative to the front edge of the adjacent cutter elements, thereby adjusting the slice thickness adjustment of the cutter head assembly, which determines the thickness of the cut or reduced food products. According to the present invention, the first group of gap adjustment elements is adapted to adjust the slice thickness adjustment of the cutter head assembly by adjusting the position of the rear edge of the cutting bases relative to the rib structure. That is, the spacing between adjacent cutting bases can be adjusted by adjusting the position of the rear edge without changing the position of the front edge.
    It has been found that adjusting the position of the rear edge of the cutting bases relative to the edge structure, and not the position of the front edge of the cutting element relative to the edge structure, can provide the advantage that the free space of the front edge of the cutting element relative to the impeller, which rotates within the cutting head to propel products to be cut to the cutting elements by means of centrifugal force, can remain constant regardless of the slice thickness setting of the cutting head assembly. It has been found that by keeping the free space of the front edge of the cutting element constant relative to the impeller, and adjusting the slice thickness setting at the rear edge of the cutting bases, a much wider range of possible slice thickness settings can be achieved using the same cutting head. This means that with the same cutter head assembly the user can realize a wider range of possible cuts than in the state of the art, and thus need to purchase or stock fewer cutter heads or parts thereof to cover the desired range. In addition, adjusting the slice thickness setting of the cutter head assembly from the rear edge can offer the advantage over the prior art that damage to the cutter head assembly due to improper positioning of the cutter element relative to the impeller can be prevented.
    According to embodiments of the present invention, the first group of spacing adjustment elements may be provided at predetermined locations between the rear edges of the cutting bases and the rib structure. This placement can ensure that the first group of gap adjustment elements are held firmly in the desired position by the opposing surfaces of the cutting bases and the edge structure, thereby considerably reducing the chance of a gap adjustment element coming loose during the operation of the cutter head . This placement may further ensure that even in the event that a gap setting element comes loose during operation, this gap setting element will be guided to the outside of the cutter head assembly and not to the inside where the food products are rotated. Consequently, damage to the cutting elements or other parts of the cutter head assembly due to the free rotation of the loose gap adjustment element in the cutter head assembly can be avoided. Moreover, this placement may further offer the advantage that the shape of the first group of spacing adjustment elements may be independent of the shape of the inner surface of the cutting base that comes into contact with the food products rotating in the cutting head. That is, a user can use the same type of spacing adjustment elements regardless of the shape of the inner surface of the cutting base, thereby considerably reducing the required number of different types of spare parts for adjusting the slice thickness of the cutter head assembly. For example, flat-shaped gap adjustment elements can be used with a cutting base that is provided with elongated grooves on the inner surface.
    According to embodiments of the present invention, the first group of spacing adjustment elements may be provided at the locations of the attachment elements at the rear edges of the cutting bases. Consequently, the first group of spacing adjustment elements can be fixed at the desired locations using the same fastening elements that are also used for mounting the cutting bases on the board structure. This can provide the advantage that no additional fastening elements are needed, which can help to reduce the time it takes to assemble the cutter head with the correct slice thickness for cutting or reducing the food products.
    According to embodiments of the present invention, the first group of gap adjustment elements, which is provided at the rear edge of the cutting bases, may comprise exchangeable gap adjustment elements with different thicknesses. For quickly adjusting the position of the rear edges of the cutting bases relative to the edge structure, the first group of spacing adjustment elements can be provided with a recess such that they can be inserted at the location of the fixing elements. Moreover, the first group of spacing adjustment elements may be provided with an opening for inserting a tool, for example a screwdriver, adapted to exert a tensile force on the spacing adjustment elements such that the spacing adjustment elements can be removed from the location of the fastening elements without the cutting base having to be completely removed from the rib structure. Consequently, the position of the rear edge of the cutting bases relative to the rib structure can be easily adjusted, even while the cutting bases remain mounted on the rib structure. Depending on the food products to be cut or reduced, the first group of spacing adjustment elements can be used to adjust the position of the rear edge of the cutting bases relative to the edge structure in the range of 0.0 mm to 50 mm, with more preferably in the range of 0.0 mm to 20.0 mm, even more preferably in the range of 0.0 mm to 10.0 mm. In the case that the food product is potatoes, for example, the trailing edge of the cutting bases may be positioned at a distance in the range of 0.0 mm to 10.0 mm with respect to the rib structure. In another example, where the food product is lettuce, the position of the rear edge of the cutting bases relative to the edge structure can be adjusted in the range of 0.0 mm to 50.0 mm. To realize this adjustment range, gap adjustment elements with predetermined thicknesses may be provided. The thickness of the first group of spacer setting elements can vary, for example, in steps of at least 0.01 mm, at most 10.0 mm, more preferably at most 1.0 mm, more preferably at most 0.1 mm and, even more preferably, at most 0.05 mm. According to embodiments of the present invention, the position of the rear edge of the cutting bases relative to the rib structure can be adjusted with the aid of a combination of spacing adjustment elements with different thicknesses.
    According to embodiments of the present invention, the cutter head assembly may further comprise a second group of spacing adjustment elements adapted to adjust the position of the front edge of the cutting bases relative to the edge structure. In other words, additional spacing adjustment elements may be provided at the leading edge of the cutting bases for adjusting the distance from the leading edge of the cutting bases to the edge structure. The second group of spacing adjustment elements can be provided at the locations of the fastening elements at the front edge of the cutting bases and can be used to compensate for production deviations, i.e. for correcting any production errors that have occurred due to the limitations in precision of the production tools used to manufacture the cutting bases. These production errors can have serious consequences for the alignment of the cutting element located at the front edge of the cutting bases, which can lead to poorly cut or reduced food products if it is not corrected appropriately. According to embodiments of the present invention, the position of the front edge of the cutting element can be adjusted to remain constant regardless of the slice thickness settings of the cutting head. As a result, the spacing adjustment elements of the second group can be arranged such that they remain attached at the desired locations while the cutting bases are fixed to the edge structure. According to embodiments of the present invention, each of the spacing adjustment elements of the second group may be provided with a predetermined thickness corresponding to the observed production deviations. In the event that the production error is greater at the bottom of the rear edge of the cutting base than at the top, for example, a second group of spacer setting elements with different thicknesses can be placed at the top and bottom of the rear edge of the cutting base . By way of another example, if the production error is the same at the upper and lower location of the rear edge, a second group of spacer setting elements with identical thicknesses can be used.
    According to embodiments of the present invention, the spacing adjustment elements of the first group may have a shape different from that of the spacing adjustment elements of the second group that are arranged to adjust the position of the rear edges of the cutting bases for adjusting the position of the front edges of the cutting bases. The spacing adjustment elements of the second group can for instance be provided with a hole through which the fastening elements can penetrate, while the spacing adjustment elements of the first group can be provided with a recess. As a result, the user can easily distinguish which of the spacing adjustment elements correspond to the rear and front edges of the cutting bases. Alternatively, the first and the second group may also comprise at least in part the same spacing adjustment elements, i.e. spacing adjustment elements that can be used at both the front and rear edges of the cutting bases. According to embodiments of the present invention, the spacing adjustment elements provided at each of the locations of fastening elements can have different thicknesses.
    According to embodiments of the present invention, the cutting bases may be provided with elongated grooves on the inside of the cutter head assembly, which can cover more than half the length of the cutting base. The elongated grooves may be arranged to provide deflection space for bricks or other junk which, together with the food products to be cut or reduced, end up in the cutting head. In addition, the elongated grooves may be arranged to guide the food products along a predetermined path to the cutting elements, thereby ensuring that the product is cut or reduced to a specific shape. The elongated grooves may further be aligned with the shape of the front edge of the cutting elements. For example, if the cutting base is provided with a serrated shape cutting element, the peaks and valleys of the elongated grooves may be aligned with the peaks and valleys of the serrated shape cutting element.
    According to embodiments of the present invention, the collar structure, which functions as a support element for mounting the cutting bases, can also function as a measuring element for determining the size of the cutting head. Moreover, it has been found that the diameter of the rib structure can influence the adjustment range of the slice thickness of the cutter head assembly. As a result, an edge structure with a larger diameter can considerably increase the adjustment range of the slice thickness setting of the cutter head assembly, without the necessity of providing different cutting bases. In the case that food products such as lettuce are cut into strips, for example, a larger diameter edging structure can be used to achieve an adjustment range of 0.0 mm to 50.0 mm, without the need to provide different cutting bases. Consequently, the required number of parts for cutting or reducing various food products can be considerably reduced.
    According to embodiments of the present invention, the collar structure may comprise a number of boreholes located at different levels, such that the cutting bases can be mounted in different configurations. The cutting bases can for instance be mounted such that cutting elements of adjacent cutting bases are aligned with each other. This configuration can be used, for example, with serrated or flat-shaped cutting elements to make cut food products of identical shape on both sides. In another configuration, alternating cutting bases can be mounted at different levels such that a phase shift takes place between the cutting elements of adjacent cutting bases. This configuration can be used, for example, with serrated cutting elements to shred food products or to make cut food products of different shapes on each side.
    According to a second aspect of the present invention, a cutting base can be provided for use with the cutter head assembly of the first aspect of the present invention. The cutting base may comprise means for receiving a cutting element at a front edge of the cutting base for cutting or reducing food products. The cutting base may further comprise a first surface located at the rear edge of the cutting base, and a second surface located at the front edge of the cutting base. The first and second surfaces are adapted to face the inside diameter of a rib structure when the cutting base is mounted on the rib structure. The cutting base can be mounted freestanding in the vicinity of other cutting bases on the rib structure, such that a gap is formed between a front edge of the cutting element and a rear edge of an adjacent cutting base, through which the cut or reduced food products can leave the cutting head. Furthermore, fastening elements can be provided for fixing the cutting element to the front edge of the cutting base. According to embodiments of the present invention, the first surface of the cutting base may be adapted to receive a first group of spacing adjustment elements adapted to adjust the position of the rear edge of the cutting base relative to the rib structure to adjust the position of the rear edge of the cutting base to be adjusted with respect to the front edge of the cutting element of adjacent cutting bases.
    According to embodiments of the present invention, the second surface of the cutting base, which is located at the front edge of the cutting base, may be adapted to receive a second group of spacer setting elements. The second group of spacing adjustment elements can be used to adjust the position of the front edge of the cutting base relative to the rib structure. The second group of spacing adjustment elements can be used, for example, to compensate for the production deviations of the cutting base.
    According to embodiments of the present invention, the first and / or second surface of the cutting base may be complementary to the inner shape of the rib structure; for example, it may have a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the inner surface of the rib structure.
    According to embodiments of the present invention, a centrifugal cutter can be provided that includes a cutter head assembly according to embodiments of the first aspect of the present invention for cutting food products. The cutter head assembly may include a cutter base according to embodiments of the second aspect of the present invention.
    Brief description of the illustrations
    The invention will be further elucidated with the aid of the following description and the enclosed illustrations.
    Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a mounted cutter head according to embodiments of the present invention.
    Figures 2 and 3 show different perspective images of a cutter head assembly according to embodiments of the present invention.
    Figure 4 shows a side view of a cutting base according to embodiments of the present invention.
    Figures 5 to 7 show different plan views of a cutter head assembly according to embodiments of the present invention.
    Figure 8 shows a side view of a cutter head assembly according to embodiments of the present invention, wherein the cutter bases are mounted aligned with each other.
    Figure 9 shows an example of the phase shift between serrated cutting elements of adjacent cutting bases that is the result of the mounting configuration of Figure 8.
    Figure 10 shows a side view of a cutter head assembly according to embodiments of the present invention, wherein adjacent cutting bases are mounted at different levels.
    Figures 11 and 12 show an example of the phase shift between serrated cutting elements that is the result of the mounting configuration of Figure 9.
    Embodiments of the invention
    The present invention will be described with reference to specific embodiments and with reference to certain illustrations; however, it is not limited to that, but is only limited by the claims. The illustrations described are only schematic and non-limiting. In the illustrations, the size of some elements for illustrative purposes may be magnified and not drawn to scale. The dimensions and relative dimensions do not necessarily correspond to actual practical embodiments of the invention.
    Furthermore, the terms first, second, third, and the like, in the description and claims, are used to distinguish between similar elements, and not necessarily to describe a sequential or chronological order. The terms are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances, and the embodiments of the invention may function in sequences other than described or illustrated herein.
    Furthermore, the terms upper, lower, top, bottom, and the like, in the description and the claims, are used for descriptive purposes, and not necessarily to describe relative positions. The terms thus used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances, and the embodiments of the invention described herein may function in other orientations than described or illustrated herein.
    The term "comprising", used in the claims, should not be interpreted as being limited to the means listed thereafter; it does not exclude other elements or steps. The term is to be interpreted in the sense that it specifies the presence of said properties, numbers, steps or components as indicated, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other properties, numbers, steps or components, or groups thereof from. The scope of the expression "a device comprising means A and B" should therefore not be limited to devices that consist solely of components A and B. It means that for the present invention, the only relevant components of the device A and B to be.
    The term "freestanding assembled" or "individually assembled", used here to describe the mounting of the cutting bases on the board structure, can be interpreted in the sense that adjacent cutting bases do not have overlapping parts.
    Figure 1 shows an example of a cutting head 100 in the mounted state according to embodiments of the present invention. The cutting head assembly 100 can comprise a plurality of cutting bases 101, each of which is provided with cutting elements 104, 204 at a front edge. The cutting bases 101 can be mounted (individually) side by side on the inside diameter of the rib structure 102 using a plurality of fastening elements 103. For example, the cutting bases 101 may be freestanding (individually) mounted on the rib structure using bolts adapted to co-operate with corresponding boreholes provided on the cutting bases 101 and the rib structure 102 such that a gap 106, of which the dimensions indicated by the distance (d) between the two dotted lines as shown in figures 5 to 7 can be formed between a front edge of the cutting element 104, 204 and a rear edge of an adjacent cutting base 101. Via this interspace 106 the cut or reduced food products leave the cutting head 100. The dimensions of the gap 106 can determine the slice thickness of the cutter head assembly 100, which determines the thickness of the cut or reduced food product. The cutter head assembly 100 may further comprise a first group of spacing adjustment elements 105, which are adapted to adjust the position of the rear edge of the cutting bases relative to the front edge of the cutting element 104, 204, whereby the thickness adjustment of the cutting element cutter head assembly 100 is adjusted. According to embodiments of the present invention, the thickness of the cut or reduced food products can be adjusted by applying a first group of spacing adjustment elements 105 to the rear edge of the cutting bases 101 so as to position the rear edge of the cutting bases 101 relative to to adjust the edge structure. Adjusting the thickness setting of the cutting head according to embodiments of the present invention can offer the advantage that the free space of the front edge of the cutting element 104, 204 relative to the impeller 109 can remain constant, regardless of the slice thickness setting of the cutter head assembly 100. By keeping the free space of the cutting element 104, 204 relative to the impeller 109 constant and adjusting the slice thickness setting at the rear edge of the cutting bases 101, a much wider range of possible slice thicknesses can be achieved. settings are made using the same cutting head 100. This means that a user with the same cutting head assembly can realize a wider range of possible cuts than in the prior art, and thus need to purchase or have fewer cutting heads or parts thereof to cover the desired range. In addition, adjusting the slice thickness setting of the cutter head assembly 100 from the rear edge may offer the advantage over the prior art that damage to the cutter head assembly due to improper positioning of the cutter 104, 204 relative to the impeller can will be prevented.
    According to embodiments of the present invention, the first group of gap adjustment elements 105 may be provided at predetermined locations between the rear edges of the cutting bases 101 and the edge structure 102, as shown in Figure 2. The placement of the first group of gap adjustment elements between the edge structure 102 and the rear edges of the cutting bases 101 can offer the advantage that the shape of the first group of spacer setting elements 105 can be independent of the shape of the inner surface of the cutting base 101, which comes into contact with the food products contained in the cutting head 100 rotate. That is, a user can use the same type of spacing adjustment elements regardless of the shape of the inner surface of the cutting base 101, thereby considerably reducing the required number of different types of spare parts for adjusting the slice thickness adjustment of the cutting head 100. Moreover, placing the first group of gap adjustment elements 105 between the cutting bases 101 and the edge structure 102 can offer the further advantage that the first group of gap adjustment elements 105 can be better secured in the desired position, thereby reducing the chance of a gap adjustment element 105 comes loose during the operation of the cutting head 100 is considerably reduced. This placement may further ensure that even in the event that a gap adjustment element 105 comes loose during the operation of the cutter head 100, this gap adjustment element will be guided to the outside of the cutter head assembly 100 and not to the interior where the food products be rotated. Consequently, damage to the cutter elements 104, 204 or other parts of the cutter head assembly 100 due to the free rotation of the loose gap adjustment element 105 in the cutter head assembly 100 can be avoided. As can be seen in Figures 2 and 4, the first group of spacing adjustment elements 105 may be provided at the locations of the mounting elements 103, both at the top and at the bottom, at the rear edge of the cutting bases 101. Consequently, the first group may spacer setting elements 105 are fixed in the desired position without having to provide additional fastening elements 103, which ensures that the cutting head 100 can be quickly assembled with the desired slice thickness for cutting or reducing the food products. In addition, the first group of spacing adjustment elements can be arranged to be interchangeable with spacing adjustment elements 105 with other thicknesses, for example spacing adjustment elements 205 and spacing adjustment elements 305, for easily adjusting the position of the rear edge of the cutting bases 101 with respect to the rib structure 102. The first group of spacing adjustment elements 105 may be provided with an opening 108 for inserting a tool adapted to exert a pulling force, for example a screwdriver, such that the spacing adjustment elements 105 of the first group can be removed without the cutting base 101 having to be completely removed from the rib structure 102. According to embodiments of the present invention, by replacing the first group of gap adjustment elements 105 with gap adjustment elements 105 of other thicknesses, for example, gap adjustment elements 205 and 305, the position of the rear edge of the cutting bases 101 relative to the edge structure are adjusted in the range of 0.0 mm to about 50.0 mm, more preferably in the range of 0.0 mm to 20.0 mm, even more preferably in the range of 0.0 mm to 10.0 mm. Consequently, different food products can be processed using the same cutter head assembly 100. In the case that the food product is potatoes, for example, the adjustment range of the trailing edge of the cutting bases 101 relative to the collar structure 102 can be adjusted in the range of 0.0 mm to 10.0 mm. In another example, where the food product is lettuce, the trailing edge of the cutting bases 101 can be adjusted relative to the border structure 102 in the range of 0.0 mm to 50.0 mm. To realize this adjustment range, the first group of spacing adjustment elements 105 may be provided with predetermined thicknesses. The first group of spacing adjustment elements 105 may, for example, be provided with a thickness of at least 0.01 mm, at most 10.0 mm, more preferably at most 1.0 mm, more preferably at most 0.1 mm and, even more preferably, at most 0.05 mm. According to embodiments of the present invention, the position of the rear edge of the cutting bases 101 relative to the rib structure 102 can be adjusted with the aid of a combination of spacing adjustment elements with different thicknesses.
    Figure 3 shows an inside view of a cutter head assembly 100 according to embodiments of the present invention. The cutter head assembly 100 comprises cutting bases 101 which are provided on an inner surface with elongated grooves covering the full length of the cutting base 101. The elongated grooves can be used to provide deflection space for stones or other junk which, together with the food products to be cut or reduced, end up in the cutter head assembly 100. In addition, the elongated grooves can be used to guide the food products along a predetermined path to the leading edge of the cutting element 104, 204 of adjacent cutting bases. In the case that the cutting bases 101 are provided, for example, with a serrated shape cutting element 104, 204, the elongated grooves may be adapted to align the food product with the peaks 110, 210 and valleys 111, 211 of the cutting elements 104, 204 with knurled shape, as shown in Figure 9. As such, the peaks and valleys of the elongated grooves may also be aligned with the shape of the cutting element 104, 204 located on the same cutting base 102. For example, if the cutting base is provided with a serrated shape cutting element 104, 204, the peaks and valleys of the elongated grooves may be aligned with the peaks 110, 210 and valleys 111, 211 of the serrated shape cutting element 104, 204.
    According to embodiments of the present invention, the cutter head assembly 100 may further be provided with a second group of gap adjustment elements 107 included at the front edge of the cutting bases 101, as can be seen in Figure 3. The second group of gap adjustment elements 107 may be arranged for adjusting the position of the front edge of the cutting bases 101 relative to the rib structure 102 to compensate for production deviations, i.e. to correct any production errors that have occurred due to the precision limitations of the production tools used to manufacture the cutting bases 101. These production errors can have serious consequences for the alignment of the cutting element 104, 204 located at the front edge of the cutting bases 101, which can lead to poorly cut or reduced food products if it is not appropriately corrected. According to embodiments of the present invention, the position of the front edge of the cutting element 104, 204 can be arranged to remain constant regardless of the slice thickness settings of the cutter head assembly 100. As a result, the gap adjustment elements 107 of the second group can thus be arranged to remain attached at the desired locations while the cutting bases 101 are attached to the board structure 102. According to embodiments of the present invention, each of the spacing adjustment elements 107 of the second group can be provided with a predetermined thickness corresponding to the observed production deviations. In the event that the production error is greater at the bottom of the rear edge of the cutting base 101 than at the top, for example, a second group of spacer setting elements 107 of different thicknesses can be placed at the top and bottom of the rear edge of the cutting base 101. By way of another example, if the sensed production error is the same at the upper and lower location of the rear edge of the cutting bases 101, a second group of spacer setting elements 107 with identical thicknesses can be used.
    According to alternative embodiments of the present invention, the position of the front edge of the cutting base 101 relative to the collar structure 102 can be adjusted by providing a group of adjustable calibration elements at predetermined locations on the collar structure 102. The adjustable calibration elements can for example, screws adapted to be screwed into threaded drill holes on the collar structure such that one end of the screws protruding outward from the inside diameter of the collar structure abuts the front edge of the cutting base 101. The distance between the end of the calibration element and the inside diameter of the rib structure 102 determines the position of the front edge of the cutting base 101 relative to the rib structure. In this alternative configuration, the position of the cutting base 101 can be adjusted, for example, by turning the provided screws independently until the front edge of the cutting base 101 is at the desired distance from the collar structure 102. Consequently, the position of the front edge of the cutting base can be easily adjusted to a different distance from the edge structure. It should be noted that this alternative configuration for adjusting the position of the front edge of the cutting base 101 relative to the rib structure 102 can also be used to adjust the position of the rear edge of the cutting base 101 relative to the rib structure 102.
    Figure 4 shows an example of a cutting base 101 according to embodiments of the present invention. The cutting base can be provided on a front edge with a cutting element 104, for example a cutting element 104 with a serrated shape. The cutting base may further comprise a first surface 120 located at the rear edge of the cutting base 101, and a second surface 121 located at the front edge of the cutting base 101. The first and second surfaces 120, 121 are adapted to face the inner diameter of a rib structure 102 when the cutting base 101 is mounted on the rib structure 102. Furthermore, fastening elements 303 may be provided for securing the cutting element 104 to the front edge of the cutting base 101. Additional fastening elements 103 may be provided, as previously mentioned, for mounting the cutting base 101 to the rib structure 102. The fastening elements 103 and 203 are adapted to cooperate with corresponding boreholes on the cutting bases 101 for attaching the cutting elements 104 and mounting the cutting base to the collar structure 102. According to embodiments of the present invention, the first surface 120 of the cutting base 101 may be adapted for receiving a first group of spacing adjustment elements 105 adapted to adjust the position of the rear edge of the cutting base 101 relative to the rib structure 102, so as to adjust the position of the rear edge of the cutting base 101 relative to from the front edge of the adjacent cutting element 104 bases 101. As can be seen in Figure 4, the first group of spacing adjustment elements 105 may be provided at the locations of the fastening elements 103 on the first surface 120. The first group of spacing adjustment elements 105 may be provided with a recess such that the first group of spacer setting elements 105 can be easily positioned at the location of the mounting elements 103 even when the cutting base 101 is still mounted on the collar structure 102. In addition, the first group of gap adjustment elements 105 may be provided with an opening 108 for inserting a tool, for example a screwdriver, adapted to exert a tensile force on the gap adjustment elements 105 such that the gap adjustment elements 105 can be removed without the cutting base 101 having to be completely removed from the rib structure.
    According to embodiments of the present invention, the second surface 121 of the cutting base 101 may further be adapted to receive a second group of spacing adjustment elements 107 for adjusting the position of the front edge of the cutting base relative to the rib structure. The second group of spacing adjustment elements 107 can be provided on the second surface 121 of the cutting base 101 at the location of the fastening elements 103 on the second surface 121 to compensate for the production deviations, as previously discussed. The second group of spacing adjustment elements 107 may have a different shape than the first group of spacing adjustment elements 105. The spacing adjustment elements of the second group may, for example, be provided with a hole through which the fastening elements 103 may penetrate, while the spacing adjustment may adjustment elements 105 of the first group can be provided with a recess. By providing a first and a second group of spacing adjustment elements 105, 107 with different shapes, the user can easily distinguish which spacing adjustment elements 105, 107 correspond to the rear and front edges of the cutting base 101. Alternatively, the first and the second group also comprise at least in part the same spacing adjustment elements, ie spacing adjustment elements that can be used at both the front and rear edges of the cutting bases. The second group of gap adjustment elements 107 may be arranged so that they remain attached at the desired location while the cutting bases are attached to the collar structure 102.
    According to embodiments of the present invention, the first and second surfaces 120 and 121 of the cutting base may exhibit a curvature whose degree corresponds to the curvature of the inside diameter of the rib structure. Consequently, the first and second surfaces 120 and 121 of the cutting base 101 can be arranged to fit perfectly on the edge structure, such that a better mounting of the cutting bases can be achieved.
    Figures 5 to 7 show various examples of how the slice thickness settings of the cutter head can be adjusted according to embodiments of the present invention. Figure 5 shows a top view of a cutter head assembly 100 according to embodiments of the present invention. The cutter head assembly 100 includes a first group of gap adjustment elements 105 located at the rear edge of the cutting bases 101, and a second group of gap adjustment elements 107 located at the front edge of the cutting bases 101. The second group of spacer setting elements 107 can be used to fix the position of the front edge of the cutting element 104 relative to the impeller. The first group of spacer setting elements 105 can be used to position the rear edge of the cutting bases 101 at a predetermined distance from the rib structure 202. In this example, the first and second group of spacing adjustment elements 105 and 107 are arranged on the rear and front edges of the cutting base 101 to be positioned at the same distance from the rib structure 202 such that a spacing 106 of predetermined dimensions indicated by spacing (d) between the two dotted lines, is formed between the rear edge of the cutting base 101 and the front edge of the cutting elements 104, 204 of neighboring cutting bases 101. In the case that the cutting base 101 is provided with elongated grooves on an inner surface and the cutting element 104, 204 of the neighboring cutting bases has a serrated shape, the distance (d) indicating the dimensions of the gap 106 can be measured between the peaks of the elongated grooves of the cutting base 101 and the peaks 110, 210 of the cutting elements 104 , 204 with serrated shape. In this example, a border structure 202 is provided with a larger diameter compared to the border structure 102 which is shown in Figures 1 to 3. The use of a border structure 202 with a larger diameter can result in the cutting bases 101 being at a greater distance from the impeller 109. It has been found that the use of a larger diameter collar structure 202 can considerably increase the adjustment range of the slice thickness adjustment of the cutter head assembly 100, without the necessity of providing different cutting bases 101. In the case that lettuce is cut into strips, for example, an edge structure with a larger diameter can be used to achieve an adjustment range of 0.0 mm to 50.0 mm, without the need to provide cutting bases other than the cutting bases that for example used for cutting or shredding potatoes.
    Figure 6 shows how the slice thickness settings of the cutter head can be adjusted by replacing the first group of gap adjustment elements 105 with a second group of gap adjustment elements 205 of a different thickness. In this example, the distance from the front edge of the cutting element 104 to the impeller remains constant with respect to that in Fig. 5. In contrast, gap adjustment elements 205 of a smaller thickness are provided on the rear edge of the cutting base 101, with the result that the gap 106 is increased, which can lead to cut or reduced food products with a greater thickness. As in Figure 5, the use of a larger diameter edge structure 202 can significantly increase the adjustment range of the slice thickness setting of the cutter head assembly 100, thereby enabling the cutter head 100 to process different products without the need for cutting bases 101 to change.
    Figure 7 shows yet another example of a cutter head assembly 100 according to embodiments of the present invention. In this example, an edge structure 202 is provided with a smaller diameter compared to the edge structure 202 which is shown in Figs. 5 to 6. At the front edge of the cutting base, a second group of gap adjustment elements 207 is provided around the distance from the front edge of the cutting elements 104, 204 to the impeller at the same level as in Figs. 5 and 6. Due to the edge structure 302 with a smaller diameter, the thickness of the second group of spacing adjustment elements 207 is smaller than the thickness of the second group of spacing adjustment elements 107 which can be seen in figures 5 and 6. The rear edge of the cutting base 101 is provided with a first group of spacing adjustment elements 305 with a slightly greater thickness than that of the second group of spacing adjustment elements 207. Consequently, a gap 106 with smaller dimensions is formed, resulting in cut or reduced food products with a smaller thickness.
    Figure 8 shows a side view of a cutter head assembly 100 according to embodiments of the present invention. In this example, the cutter head assembly is provided with an edge structure 102 with a plurality of boreholes at the location of the mounting elements 103. The drill holes are provided at the same level such that when the cutting bases 101 are mounted on the edge structure 102, the cutting elements 104, 204 of adjacent bases are aligned, for example with a phase shift of 0 ° degrees. In the case that the cutting elements 104, 204 have a serrated shape, the peaks 110, 210 and valleys 111, 211 of the cutting elements 104, 204 which are provided on adjacent cutting bases will exhibit a phase shift of 0 °, as can be seen in Figure 9. This configuration can be used, for example, with cutting elements 104, 204 with a serrated or flat shape to make cut food products of identical shape on both sides.
    Figure 10 shows a further side view of a cutter head assembly 100 according to embodiments of the present invention. In this example, an edge structure 402 can be provided with a number of boreholes, at the location of the mounting elements 303, which are at different levels. Consequently, the cutting bases 101 can be mounted on the board structure 402 in various configurations. The location of the boreholes can, for example, make it possible to mount alternating cutting bases 101 at different levels with respect to adjacent cutting bases 101. This can result in a phase shift of the cutting elements 104, 204. For example, in the case of serrated cutting elements 104, 204, the peaks 110, 210 and valleys 111, 211 of serrated cutting elements 104, 204 of adjacent cutting bases 101 may exhibit a phase shift between 0 ° and 180 °. This is shown schematically in Figures 11 and 12, where the peaks 110, 210 and valleys 111, 211 of the serrated cutting elements 104, 204 provided on neighboring cutting bases 101 exhibit a phase shift of 180 ° and 90 °, respectively. This mounting of the cutting bases 101 can be used, for example, for shredding food products or for making cut food products of different shapes on each side.
    According to embodiments of the present invention, the cutter head assembly 100 can be mounted on a centrifugal cutter for cutting food products, such as, for example, the centrifugal cutter known from the US patent application published as US2014030396, which is fully incorporated herein by reference.
    权利要求:
    Claims (15)
    [1]
    Conclusions
    A cutting head assembly (100) for a centrifugal cutting device, the cutting head assembly (100) comprising: a plurality of cutting bases (101) each having a cutting element (104, 204) for cutting or reducing food products at a front edge wherein the cutting bases (101) are mounted free-standing next to each other on an edge structure (102, 202, 302, 402) such that a gap (106) is formed between a front edge of the cutting element (104, 204) and a rear edge of an adjacent cutting base (101) through which the cut or reduced food products can exit the cutting head (100); fastening elements (103, 203) adapted to attach the cutting bases (101) to the rib structure (102, 202, 302, 402) at predetermined locations; and a first group of spacing adjustment elements (105, 205, 305) adapted to adjust the position of the rear edge of the cutting bases (101) relative to the front edge of the cutting elements (104, 204) of adjacent cutting bases (101); wherein the gap adjustment elements (105, 205, 305) are adapted to adjust the position of the rear edge of the cutting bases (101) relative to the rib structure (102, 202, 302, 402); characterized in that the set of spacing adjustment elements (105, 205, 305) provided at the rear edge of the cutting bases (101) comprises exchangeable spacing adjustment elements (105, 205, 305) with different thicknesses for adjusting the position of the trailing edge of the cutting bases (101) relative to the rib structure (102, 202, 302, 402).
    [2]
    The cutter head assembly (100) according to claim 1, wherein the spacing adjustment elements (105, 205, 305) are provided at predetermined locations between the rear edge of the cutting bases (101) and the collar structure (102, 202, 302, 402) ).
    [3]
    The cutter head assembly (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the spacing adjustment elements (105, 205, 305) are provided at the locations of the attachment elements (103, 203) on the rear edge of the cutting bases (101).
    [4]
    The cutter head assembly (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the first group of spacer adjustment elements (105, 205, 305) are arranged to adjust the position of the rear edge of the cutter bases (101) relative to the edge structure (102, 202, 302, 402) to be adjusted in the range of 0.0 mm to 50.0 mm, more preferably in the range of 0.0 mm to 20.0 mm, even more preferably in the range of 0.0 mm to 10.0 mm.
    [5]
    The cutter head assembly (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the thicknesses of the first group of spacer setting elements (105, 205, 305) vary in steps of at least 0.01 mm, at most 10.0 mm, more preferably at most 1.0 mm, more preferably at most 0.1 mm, and even more preferably at most 0.05 mm.
    [6]
    The cutter head assembly (100) according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a second group of spacer adjustment elements (107, 207) adapted to adjust the position of the front edge of the cutter bases (101) relative to the rib structure (102, 202, 302, 402).
    [7]
    The cutter head assembly (100) according to claim 6, wherein the second group of spacer adjustment elements (107, 207) are arranged to be mounted at the locations of the attachment elements (103, 203) on the front edge of the cutter bases.
    [8]
    The cutter head assembly (100) according to claim 7, wherein the second group of gap adjustment elements (107, 207) have predetermined thicknesses that correspond to the production deviations of the cutter bases (101).
    [9]
    The cutter head assembly (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the spacing adjustment elements of the first group (105, 205, 305) are adapted to adjust the position of the rear edges of the cutting bases (101) have a shape different from that of the gap adjustment elements of the second group (107, 207), which are adapted to adjust the position of the front edges of the cutting bases (101).
    [10]
    The cutter head assembly (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cutter bases (101) are provided with elongated grooves on the inside of the cutter head assembly (100).
    [11]
    The cutter head assembly (100) according to claim 10, wherein the elongated grooves cover more than half the length of the cutter bases (101).
    [12]
    The cutter head assembly (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the collar structure (102, 202, 302, 402) is arranged to function as a size adjustment element for determining the size of the cutter head (100).
    [13]
    The cutter head assembly (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the fastening elements (103, 203) comprise bolts adapted to cooperate with corresponding drill holes provided on the cutting bases (101) and the collar structure ( 102, 202, 302, 402).
    [14]
    A centrifugal cutter, comprising a cutter head assembly (100) according to any of claims 1 to 13.
    [15]
    A cutting base (101) for a cutting head assembly (100) of a centrifugal cutter, the cutting base (101) comprising: means for receiving a cutting element (104, 204) positioned at a front edge of the cutting base (101) for cutting or reducing food products, a first surface (120) located at the rear edge of the cutting base (101), and a second surface (121) located at the front edge of the cutting base (101), wherein the first and second surfaces (120, 121) are adapted to face the inside diameter of an edge structure (102, 202, 302, 402) when the cutting base (101) is mounted on the cutter head assembly (100), the cutting base ( 101) is arranged to be mounted freestanding in the vicinity of other cutting bases (101) on the rib structure (102, 202, 302, 402) such that a gap (106) is formed between a front edge of the cutting element (104, 204 ) and a rear edge of a nabu a cutting base (101) through which the cut or reduced food products can leave the cutting head (100); characterized in that the first surface (120) is adapted to receive a first group of spacing adjustment elements (105, 205, 305) which comprises exchangeable spacing adjustment elements (105, 205, 305) with different thicknesses and arranged to adjust the position of the rear edge of the cutting base (101) relative to the rib structure (102, 202, 302, 402) to adjust the position of the rear edge of the cutting base (101) with respect to the front edge of the cutting element (104) of the adjacent cutting base.
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    同族专利:
    公开号 | 公开日
    EP2918384A1|2015-09-16|
    ES2813375T3|2021-03-23|
    CN104908073A|2015-09-16|
    US20160075047A1|2016-03-17|
    CA2884603A1|2015-09-10|
    EP2918384B1|2020-06-17|
    EP3718717A1|2020-10-07|
    US9718203B2|2017-08-01|
    PL2918384T3|2021-03-08|
    CN104908073B|2019-07-05|
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    法律状态:
    优先权:
    申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题
    EP14158618.0A|EP2918384B1|2014-03-10|2014-03-10|Cutting head assembly for a centrifugal cutting apparatus and centrifugal apparatus equipped with same|
    EP14158618.0|2014-03-10|
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