US 10,863,751 B2 · Pork belly trimming

Abstract

A system 10 for analyzing and trimming pork bellies and other three-dimensional food and non-food products which are to be subsequently portioned or sliced so as to achieve an optimum harvest of slices from the food product bearing in mind achieving a maximum yield together with a desired quality level of the portions/slices. The system 10 includes a conveyor 12 for carrying the workpieces (WP) to be trimmed prior to subsequent slicing of the workpiece past a scanning system 14 for scanning the workpiece WP to ascertain the physical characteristics of the workpiece, including, for example, its three-dimensional shape as well as its position on the conveyor. A cutting station 16 trims the workpiece WP into a desired two-dimensional shape which represents an optimum shape for the workpiece that seeks to maximize the harvest of slices from the workpiece while maintaining a desired quality level for the slices. A slicing station uses high speed cutters or slicers for portioning/slicing the workpiece into portions/slices which have been simulated by a processing system 18 employing a processor or computer 20.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A control system for controlling a system for trimming a stream of three-dimensional workpieces while being conveyed on a conveyor system for dividing the trimmed workpieces into multiple final pieces based on designated physical characteristics of the final pieces, the conveyor system transporting the workpieces past a scanner apparatus for scanning the workpiece to obtain electronic data regarding the physical characteristics of the workpiece and past a cutter for trimming the workpieces, the control system comprising:

generating a three-dimensional model of the scanned workpiece from the electronic scanner data;
mapping an initial two-dimensional area on the workpiece to select a portion of the workpiece to be harvested from the workpiece based on the generated three-dimensional model of the workpiece;
simulating the dividing of the workpiece corresponding to the mapped two-dimensional area of the workpiece into final pieces;
determining for the simulated final pieces a variance from the designated physical characteristics of the final pieces;
rating the overall selected portion of the workpiece to be harvested based on the extent to which the simulated final pieces possess the designated physical characteristics of the final pieces;
and
controlling the cutter for trimming the workpiece into the mapped two-dimensional area if the rating of the selected portion of the workpiece to be harvested is within a predetermined set point.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Pork belly trimming

Life of this patent

Pork belly trimming

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20