EP1792658A1 - Cutting device for food mincer , and more particularly for meat cutters - Google Patents

Abstract

The device has a hole (40) coupling a shaft permitting to drive the device in rotation around a rotation axis (XX`). A lower side (42) contacts with a grill for cutting a material e.g. meat. Each of branches (5) comprises a convex face (50) having an outer face of a wall (51) whose thickness is constant and comprised between 0.5 and 2.5 mm. A free end of the wall (51) comprises a sliding face (52), which extends in a plane perpendicular to the axis. The face (52) forms a cutting edge (53) with the face (50), where the cutting edge contacts with the grill.

Description

The present invention relates to a knife device for crusher used in the field of food, and more particularly for the cutting of meat.

In the field of the food industry, grinders are part of a processing chain where they can grind products intended to be incorporated into others for food preparation.

In general, such a mill essentially comprises a feed hopper opening into a chamber in which an endless screw pushes the meat towards one or more cutting assemblies each consisting of a star-shaped knife with several branches, curves or not, and a grid with openings larger or smaller.

Each of the branches has a cutting edge defined by the angle between them two faces, namely a first face, arranged opposite the grid and likely to make generally with the plane thereof a larger or smaller angle , and a second face constituting the leading edge, the cutting edge being completed by a flat, made at the end of the first face, in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation, and intended to allow sliding on the grid.

Note that the edge would be more efficient without flat, it is however essential to prevent wear of the grid.

The knife turns against the grill, and the meat is pushed against it to be cut between the edge of the knife and the edges of the openings of the grate.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing shows such a knife seen from below, and which in this case comprises four rectilinear branches. In general, such a knife is a sharpened foundry piece, and grinded by grinding.

The quality of the cut depends on the size of the openings of the grid and the sharpness of the edge. However, according to the use, particularly because of the friction of the knife against the grid, the edge dulls and becomes less efficient, since indeed the flattened out.

It is therefore appropriate to sharpen regularly these knives, which is a difficult grinding operation, because it is necessary to recreate the cutting edges of each branch while keeping them in the same plane to ensure perfect cooperation with the grid.

The sharpening operations are thus heavy consumers of material, and the knives do not have a long life.

High performance cutting edges generally make it possible to reduce the energy required to drive the knives, and to limit heating problems. However, depending on the nature of the meat to be cut and especially its destination, it is not always essential to have cutting edge performance.

It is quite different in the case of certain food specialties and more particularly for the manufacture of dry sausage, since there, the meat must obligatorily be cut up finely.

Thus, knives currently used for cutting meat for the manufacture of dry sausage, have a limited life, and must be frequently sharpened, and therefore replaced.

To overcome this drawback, some have proposed to use knives each of whose branches is equipped with an interchangeable blade, which however generates, in addition to difficulties in adjusting and adjusting the contact surfaces, obvious problems from the point of contact. view of hygiene.

The document US 4,037,494 describes a similar device namely a blade adaptable to a blade holder, this blade coming from the cutting and folding of a metal plate. This blade holder assembly and blade is also of limited use, or even outlawed today, because of the difficulties of cleaning and therefore food hygiene.

The document GB 2,303,053 exposes the same problem, and proposes to remedy a knife device having branches whose leading edge consists of a hard metal strip reported and welded to the body of the knife. If the fact of using a metal strip makes it possible to easily identify the zone of the branch that must be active, the sharpening operations require to systematically grind the body of the knife behind the strip in order to clear the strip. This, in addition to the extra work, affects the bonding integrity between the metal strip and the body of the branch.

Furthermore, the metal used for the manufacture of the strip is carbide type, which generates rapid wear of the grid.

It is also known from the document DE 802 316 a knife from the foundry, each of whose branches has at its cutting edge a bead of material constituting a wear element. Such a knife is inefficient, and in particular does not allow the cutting of meat for the manufacture of dry sausage. Finally, it is also known from the document DE 34 14 375 , a knife with curved branches, whose sliding face of each is of increasing width from the free end towards the hub, so that the sharpening of such a knife is long and not easy.

The object of the present invention is to provide a grinder knife device which makes it possible to overcome these various drawbacks, in particular by the fact that its cutting edge remains efficient over a much longer period of use than knives currently known, and that its sharpening is less complex to achieve, and less consumer material, so that its life is much longer than said knives currently known.

The crusher knife device used in the field of food, and more particularly for cutting meat, according to the invention, is of the type having a star shape with several straight or curved branches, obtained by machining, intended to cooperate with a grid having openings greater or smaller, each of said branches comprising a cutting edge defined by the angle between them two faces, namely a first face, arranged opposite the grid and likely to do with the plane of the latter a greater or lesser angle, and a second face constituting the leading edge, while a flat allows sliding on said grid, and it is characterized essentially in that said leading edge consists of the outer face of a wall of small thickness and constant along its length, whose extreme edge consists of a face which extends in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation, to form a face slip and come into contact with the grid.

According to the use of the knife device according to the invention, its wear is achieved only at the wall of small thickness and constant. Due to the characteristics of this wall, the sliding face remains of identical width, and the cutting edge retains its initial performance.

Sharpening operations are limited to a simple surfacing that can be operated quickly and in a less complicated way than grinding operations, and especially with a small material removal.

According to an additional feature of the device according to the invention, the branches are of curved shape.
According to another additional feature of the device according to the invention, the wall is of a thickness of between 0.5 and 2.5 millimeters.

The advantages and characteristics of the device according to the invention will emerge more clearly from the description which follows and which refers to the appended drawing, which represents a non-limiting embodiment thereof.

• la figure 1 représente une vue schématique en perspective de dessous d'un dispositif de couteau utilisé actuellement.
• la figure 2 représente une vue schématique en coupe d'une partie du même couteau.
• la figure 3 représente une vue schématique en perspective de dessous d'un dispositif de couteau selon l'invention.
• la figure 4 représente une vue schématique en perspective de dessus du même dispositif de couteau.
• la figure 5 représente une vue schématique en coupe transversale d'une partie de ce dispositif de couteau.

In the attached drawing:

• Figure 1 shows a schematic perspective view from below of a knife device currently used.
• Figure 2 shows a schematic sectional view of a portion of the same knife.
• Figure 3 shows a schematic perspective view from below of a knife device according to the invention.
• Figure 4 shows a schematic perspective view from above of the same knife device.
• Figure 5 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of this knife device.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a knife device 1 currently used to cut meat for the manufacture of dry sausage.

This knife device 1 has the shape of a star with four straight branches 2, and has a central hole 10 for the passage and coupling of a drive shaft, not shown.

Referring also to Figure 2, which shows the cross section of a branch 2 and a grid 3 having holes 30 and with which the knife 1 cooperates, it can be seen that each of the branches 2 has a first face 20 disposed opposite the grid 3 and forming an angle with the plane thereof, a second face 21 forming the leading edge The connection between the two faces 20 and 21 is formed through a flat part 22 which is extends perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the knife device 1, that is to say parallel to the grid 3, and which constitutes a sliding face on the grid 3, the angle formed by the face 21 and the flat part. 22, constituting the cutting edge 23.

At the discretion of the use of the knife device 1, that is to say at the discretion of the sliding of the flat surface 22 against the grid 3, the latter widens which affects the quality of the cut. To sharpen the knife device, it is therefore necessary to correct the entire face 20, of each of the branches 2, to correct the faces 21 so that they maintain a good height, then recreate the flat part 22, to ensure the sliding on the grid and avoid attacking it.

Furthermore, the flats 22 must all lie in the same plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the knife device 1, which, it will be understood, makes even more complicated a grinding operation.

Referring now to Figures 3 and 4, we can see a knife device 4 according to the invention, which also has the general shape of a star with several branches 5, which are preferably curved. The device knife 4 is pierced centrally with a hole 40 for the passage and the coupling of a shaft, not shown, for driving the knife device in rotation about an axis XX 'and in the direction of the arrow R .

The knife device 4 comprises an upper side 41, visible in FIG. 4 intended to face the influx of material to be cut, and a lower side 42, visible in FIG. 3, intended to come into contact with a grating 3, not shown, so as to cooperate with it for cutting said material.

Each of the branches 5 comprises a convex face 50 which constitutes the leading edge, and which, according to the invention, consists of the external face of a wall 51 whose thickness is small, preferably between 0.5 and 2.5 millimeters, and above all constant.

The free end of this wall 51 consists of a face 52, which extends in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation XX ', and which constitutes a sliding face, and which forms with the face 50, a cutting edge 53. adapted to cooperate with a grid 3, as shown in FIG. 5.

It will be understood that the friction of the wall 51, through the flat 52, obviously causes the wear of this wall 51, but that because of the constancy of its thickness, the flat 52 remains of constant width which does not affect not on the cutting quality of the cutting edge 53.

If it is necessary to perform a sharpening, it consists of a simple surfacing operation, without removal of material, so as to increase the life of the knife device 4.

A knife device 4 according to the invention has a manufacturing cost higher than that of a knife device currently used, but this extra cost is largely offset by the quality of the cut that it provides, its service life much greater as well as its low maintenance cost.

Claims (3)

Knife device for a crusher used in the field of food, and more particularly for cutting meat, of the type having a star shape with several straight or curved branches (2; 5), obtained by machining, intended for cooperating with a grid (3) having openings (30), each of said branches (2; 5) comprising a cutting edge (23; 53) defined by the angle between two faces, namely a first face (20) disposed opposite the grid (3) and capable of making an angle with the plane thereof, and a second face (21; 50) constituting the leading edge, while a flat (22; 52) allows sliding on said grid (3), characterized in that said leading edge (50) consists of the outer face of a wall (51) of small thickness and constant along its length, the extreme edge (52 ) consists of a face which extends in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation (XX '), to constitute a face of slip and come into contact with the grid (3). Knife device according to claim 1, characterized in that the branches (5) are curved. Knife device according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, characterized in that the wall (51) is between 0.5 and 2.5 millimeters thick.

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