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US 11,014,257 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for removing foreign objects from food pieces
AssigneeIshida Europe Limited
InventorsAdrian Sunter, Robert Bennett
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of removing a foreign object from a food piece detects the location of a foreign object in a food piece (10); conveys the food piece to a cutting tool (42); and operates the cutting tool to cut around the detected location of the foreign object and subsequently to engage and eject the foreign object from the food piece.
Claims21
A method of removing a foreign object from a food piece comprising detecting the location of a foreign object in a food piece;
- conveying the food piece to a cutting tool, which generates a liquid jet;
- operating the cutting tool to cut around the detected location of the foreign object with the liquid jet, and subsequently operating the cutting tool to engage and eject the foreign object from the food piece with the liquid jet, wherein conveying the food piece to the cutting tool comprises conveying the food piece on a conveyor, wherein the conveyor has a gap which remains beneath the foreign object as the food piece is cut by the cutting tool, and wherein engaging and ejecting the foreign object from the food piece comprises ejecting the foreign object downwardly through the gap in the conveyor, and wherein the food piece is cut and the foreign object ejected by the cutting tool while the food piece bridges the gap in the conveyor.
A food piece handling assembly comprising an analysis unit for detecting the location of a foreign object in a food piece;
- a cutting tool, which generates a liquid jet;
- a transport system for transporting food pieces from the analysis unit to the cutting tool;
- and a control system for controlling the transport system and cutting tool and responsive to the detected location of a foreign object in a food piece to operate the cutting tool to cut around the detected location of the foreign object with the liquid jet, and subsequently to operate the cutting tool to engage and eject the foreign object from the food piece with the liquid jet, wherein the transport system comprises a conveyor for conveying the food piece to the cutting tool, wherein the conveyor has a gap configured to remain beneath the foreign object as the food piece is cut by the cutting tool, and wherein the control system operates the cutting tool to engage and eject the foreign object downwardly through the gap in the conveyor, and wherein the control system controls the transport system and the cutting tool such that the food piece is cut and the foreign object ejected by the cutting tool while the food piece bridges the gap in the conveyor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.