System and method for removing a thigh bone from a defeathered whole leg poultry product

A system for removing a thigh bone from a defeathered whole leg poultry product, the defeathered whole leg poultry product comprising:

• a thigh comprising at least a thigh bone and thigh meat, wherein the thigh bone has a knee side end and a hip side end, and wherein the thigh bone comprises a knee side condyle;
• a drumstick comprising at least a tibia bone and drumstick meat, wherein the tibia bone has a knee side end and a tarsal joint side end;
• a knee joint comprising at least a connection between the thigh and the drumstick, wherein in the defeathered whole leg poultry product, a transverse cut has been provided at the knee joint that extends generally in a direction transverse to the thigh bone and the tibia bone, the transverse cut extending from one side of the defeathered whole leg poultry product to a cut end located adjacent to the opposite side of the defeathered whole leg poultry product so that the thigh and the drumstick are connected to each other, by which transverse cut a drumstick side cut plane and a thigh side cut plane are created;
• wherein the system comprises:
• a poultry products conveyor, comprising:
• a track;
• and
• a plurality of poultry product carriers spaced apart from one another in the direction of the track and movable along said track, wherein each poultry product carrier is adapted to hold at least one defeathered whole leg poultry product at the tarsal joint side end thereof such that the defeathered whole leg poultry product is conveyed hanging from said poultry product carrier;
• and
• a thigh bone remover device arranged along the track of the poultry products conveyor, comprising:
• a bender device adapted to engage the defeathered whole leg poultry product and bend the defeathered whole leg poultry product at the knee joint to a bent position, during which bending the thigh meat remains on the thigh bone and the drumstick meat remains on the tibia bone, by said bending changing the angle between the thigh and the drumstick, opening the transverse cut at the knee joint and exposing the thigh side cut plane while keeping the thigh and the drumstick connected to each other, the bender device being further adapted to keep the defeathered whole leg poultry product in the bent position;
• and
• a thigh bone remover assembly is adapted to remove the thigh bone from the thigh meat via the thigh side cut plane of the transverse cut at the knee joint while the thigh meat and the drumstick are kept connected to each other and while the transverse cut at the knee joint is kept open by the bender device.

A method for removing a thigh bone from a poultry thigh comprising the steps of:

• providing a poultry thigh comprising at least a thigh bone and thigh meat and a thigh side cut plane, wherein the thigh bone has a knee side end and a hip side end, and wherein the thigh bone comprises a knee side condyle;
• arranging a resilient scraper member comprising a central aperture adjacent to the thigh side cut plane of the poultry thigh;
• forcing the knee side condyle through said central aperture by exerting a pushing force on the thigh bone thereby severing thigh meat from the knee side condyle of the thigh bone;
• engaging the thigh bone just behind the knee side condyle with a puller;
• while exerting a pulling force on the thigh bone by the puller, scraping the thigh meat from a region of the thigh bone between the knee side condyle and the hip side end in the direction from the knee side condyle towards the hip side end, using a scraper;
• and
• cutting through any remaining tissue connections between the hip side end of the thigh bone and the thigh meat.

A system for removing a thigh bone from a poultry thigh, the poultry thigh comprising at least a thigh bone and thigh meat and a thigh side cut plane, wherein the thigh bone has a knee side end and a hip side end, and wherein the thigh bone comprises a knee side condyle, the system comprising:

• a resilient scraper member having a central aperture, the resilient scraper member being arrangeable adjacent to the thigh side cut plane, the central aperture having a diameter that is variable between a minimum diameter and a maximum diameter, wherein the minimum diameter is smaller than the maximum diameter of a knee side condyle of the thigh bone, and wherein the central aperture is biased towards its minimum diameter, and the minimum diameter of the central aperture is larger than the thickness of the thigh bone in the region between the knee side condyle and the hip side end;
• a thigh bone displacement assembly adapted to force the thigh bone through the central aperture, thereby severing thigh meat from the thigh bone, the thigh bone displacement assembly comprising a pusher adapted to exert a pushing force on the thigh bone to force the knee side condyle of the thigh bone through the central aperture;
• a scraper adapted to scrape the thigh meat from the thigh bone between the knee side condyle and the hip side end, in the direction from the knee side condyle towards the hip side end;
• and
• a puller adapted to exert a pulling force on the thigh bone in order to move the thigh bone relative to the scraper and wherein said puller is adapted to pull the hip side end of the thigh bone through the central aperture.

A system for removing a thigh bone from a poultry thigh, the poultry thigh comprising at least a thigh bone and thigh meat and a thigh side cut plane, wherein the thigh bone has a knee side end and a hip side end, and wherein the thigh bone comprises a knee side condyle and a hip side condyle, the system comprising:

• a resilient scraper member having a central aperture, the resilient scraper member being arrangeable adjacent to the thigh side cut plane, the central aperture having a diameter that is variable between a minimum diameter and a maximum diameter, wherein the minimum diameter is smaller than the maximum diameter of a knee side condyle of the thigh bone, and wherein the central aperture is biased towards its minimum diameter, and the minimum diameter of the central aperture is larger than the thickness of the thigh bone in the region between the knee side condyle and the hip side condyle;
• a thigh bone displacement assembly adapted to force the thigh bone through the central aperture, thereby severing thigh meat from the thigh bone, the thigh bone displacement assembly comprising a pusher adapted to exert a pushing force on the thigh bone to force the knee side condyle of the thigh bone through the central aperture;
• a scraper adapted to scrape the thigh meat from the thigh bone between the knee side condyle and the hip side condyle in the direction from the knee side condyle towards the hip side end;
• and
• a puller adapted to exert a pulling force on the thigh bone in order to move the thigh bone relative to the scraper and wherein said puller is adapted to pull the hip side end of the thigh bone through the central aperture.