Computer controlled method and apparatus for meat slabbing
AssigneeDesign Systems, Inc.
InventorsArthur W. Vogeley, Jr., Bret J. Larreau
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A computer controlled method and apparatus for meat slabbing according to updated information from the meat product and/or the slab cut from the meat product. Such information may include the weight and fat content of the cut slab. This information may be used to reoptimize the slabbing of the meat product and also may be used to further process the cut slab. Such processing might include marking the location of fat to be trimmed, trimming the fat from the slab, portioning the slab and sorting the slab in accordance with preselected parameters.
Claims74
A method for cutting a plurality of slabs from a meat product in accordance with one or more desired physical parameters, comprising:
- (a) cutting a slab from the meat product in accordance with one or more desired physical parameters;
- (b) scanning the cut slab after it is cut from the meat product;
- (c) determining information from the scan, the information comprising at least one of thickness, fat location, and fat thickness of the cut slab;
- (d) cutting a subsequent slab from the same meat product according to the determined information from step (c) on said one or more desired physical parameters;
- and
- (e) repeating steps (b) through (d) until cutting of the meat product is complete.
A method for cutting slabs from a meat product in accordance with one or more desired physical parameters, comprising:
- (a) weighing the meat product to be cut;
- (b) generating a weight-to-length table in accordance with the weight of the product and a predetermined length value that corresponds to the weight and the type of meat product;
- (c) cutting a slab from the meat product in accordance with the weight-to-length table and the one or more desired physical parameters;
- (d) determining the weight of the cut slab;
- (e) updating the weight-to-length table in accordance with the measured slab weight;
- and
- (f) repeating (c) through (e) until cutting of the meat product is complete.
A system for cutting slabs from a meat product, comprising:
- a cutting device for cutting a plurality of slabs from the meat product;
- a scanner for generating an image of each of the cut slabs after it is cut from the meat product;
- a processor for determining information from said generated image, the information comprising at least one of thickness, fat location, and fat thickness of the cut slab;
- and
- a control device for controlling the cutting device for subsequent cuts or controlling a device acting on the cut slabs according to said determined information.
A system for cutting slabs from a meat product comprising:
- a measuring device for measuring the weight of the meat product to be cut;
- a control system for generating a weight-to-length table in accordance with the determined weight of the meat product and a predetermined length that corresponds to the weight and type of the meat product;
- a cutting device for cutting slabs from the meat product;
- a control device for controlling the cutting device according to the generated weight-to-length table;
- and
- wherein the control system further includes means for updating the weight-to-length table in accordance with the weight of the slab previously cut.
A method for cutting slabs from a meat product in accordance with one or more desired physical parameters, comprising:
- (a) generating a fat profile table according to a predetermined fat proportion value that corresponds to the type of meat product;
- (b) cutting a slab from the meat product in accordance with the fat profile table and the one or more desired physical parameters;
- (c) scanning the cut slab;
- (d) determining information from the scan;
- (e) adjusting the cutting according to the determined information on the one or more desired physical parameters;
- and
- (f) repeating steps (a) through (e) until cutting of the meat product is complete.
A system for cutting slabs from a meat product in accordance with one or more desired physical parameters, comprising:
- a cutting device for cutting slabs from the meat product;
- a scanner for generating an image of the cut slabs;
- a processor generating a fat profile table according to a predetermined fat proportion value that corresponds to the type of meat product, the processor further determining information from the generated image;
- and
- a control device for controlling the cutting device or controlling a device acting on the cut slabs according to the determined information.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.