Arrangement and method for automatically removing a strip consisting of dark meat from a fish fillet

A method for automatically removing a strip of dark meat from a fish fillet using an arrangement, the arrangement comprising:

• a conveying unit for transporting the fish fillet to be processed from an inlet area of the arrangement to an outlet area of the arrangement in a transport direction along a transport path;
• and
• starting from the inlet area, along the transport path towards the outlet area:
• a first means for detecting dark meat in the fish fillet to be processed;
• a delta kinematics mechanism for moving the fish filet;
• a first cutting apparatus for removing a middle, central partial strip of dark meat from the fish fillet to define a middle void in a center of the fish filet, the first cutting apparatus downstream along the transport direction from the delta kinematics mechanism toward the outlet area;
• and
• a first cutting unit for removing a ventral-side partial strip and a dorsal-side partial strip of dark meat from the fish fillet, the first cutting unit comprising a second cutting apparatus that engages a first cut surface within the middle void to remove the ventral-side partial strip and a third cutting apparatus that engages a second cut surface within the middle void to remove the dorsal-side partial strip;
• and
• a controller connected to at least the first means for detecting dark meat and the first cutting apparatus, the second cutting apparatus, and the third cutting apparatus, the controller being a programable logic controller or a microprocessor-based controller, the controller programmed to control at least the first means for detecting dark meat and the first cutting apparatus, the second cutting apparatus, and the third cutting apparatus to remove the middle, central partial strip of dark meat and the ventral-side and the dorsal-side partial strips based on data and/or information determined by the first means for detecting dark meat;
• wherein the conveying unit comprises a plurality of conveying elements, including:
• a first conveying element disposed in a region of the first cutting apparatus and comprising a rotationally driven double belt with a gap, the gap running centrally and parallel to the transport direction;
• and
• a second conveying element disposed in a region of the first cutting unit and comprising a rotationally driven segment chain, the segment chain including a triangular cross-sectional shape,
• the method comprising the following steps:
• automatically transporting the fish fillet to be processed along the transport path from the inlet area to the outlet area in the transport direction by the conveying unit;
• automatically detecting the dark meat in the fish fillet to be processed using the first means for detecting dark meat;
• automatically cutting the middle, central partial strip of the dark meat from the fish fillet using the first cutting apparatus to define the middle void in the center of the fish filet;
• automatically opening up the fish fillet freed from the middle, central partial strip, in such a manner that the ventral-side partial strip of dark meat is still attached to the fish fillet and the dorsal-side partial strip of dark meat is still attached to the fish fillet and such that the first and second cut surfaces point upwards away from the conveying unit;
• and
• automatically cutting the ventral-side partial strip and the dorsal-side partial strip from the fish fillet using the second cutting apparatus to engage the first cut surface within the middle void to remove the ventral-side partial strip and using the third cutting apparatus to engage the second cut surface within the middle void to remove the dorsal-side partial strip from the fish fillet;
• and
• wherein the second and third cutting apparatuses are controlled using the controller based on the data and/or information determined by the first means for detecting dark meat.