Apparatus and method for scanning food bars with movable scanning unit

{
  "publication_number": "US11009472B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Apparatus and method for scanning food bars with movable scanning unit",
  "abstract": "The disclosure relates to a scanning apparatus for scanning food bars for a food processing system. The scanning apparatus comprises a conveyor assembly for conveying a food bar in a longitudinal direction, and a scanning unit adapted to record an outer and/or inner shape of at least one food bar. The scanning unit is movable at least along the longitudinal direction. The disclosure further relates to a method for scanning food bars.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A scanning apparatus for scanning food bars for a food processing system, the scanning apparatus comprising: a conveyor assembly for conveying a food bar in a longitudinal direction; and a scanning unit which is adapted to record an outer shape and/or inner shape of the food bar; wherein the scanning unit is movable at least along the longitudinal direction; and a protective housing with an interior in which the food bar is arrangeable during the scanning process, wherein a length of the interior of the protective housing in the longitudinal direction is shorter than twice a length of the food bar.",
    "2. The scanning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the scanning unit comprises a radiation source which is adapted to irradiate the food bar.",
    "3. The scanning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor assembly comprises a circulating conveying device having an upper support area and a lower return area, and the scanning unit comprises a detector unit provided between the upper support area and the lower return area.",
    "4. The scanning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor assembly comprises a circulating conveying device, and wherein a belt gap defined by deflection rollers and movable in the longitudinal direction is provided in an upper support area of the conveyor assembly.",
    "5. The scanning apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the deflection rollers are mechanically coupled in the longitudinal direction by a coupling to ensure a constant length of the belt gap, and wherein the coupling comprises the scanning unit.",
    "6. The scanning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor assembly comprises two conveying devices that each include a retraction belt and a deflection roller, and wherein the deflection rollers are movable in the longitudinal direction and define a belt gap that is movable in the longitudinal direction.",
    "7. The scanning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor assembly comprises a plurality of parallel conveying lanes.",
    "8. The scanning apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the scanning unit is movable between the plurality of parallel conveying lanes in a transverse direction.",
    "9. The scanning apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a scanning unit movable in the longitudinal direction is provided for each of the plurality of parallel conveying lanes or for each of a plurality of subgroups of the plurality of parallel conveying lanes.",
    "10. The scanning apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of parallel conveying lanes are operable independently of each other.",
    "11. The scanning apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to actuate a drive for the conveyor assembly, a drive for the scanning unit, or a drive for positioning the belt gap.",
    "12. A method for scanning food bars, the method comprising: conveying a food bar in a longitudinal direction using a conveyor assembly; scanning the food bar using a scanning unit; and moving the scanning unit along the food bar in the longitudinal direction during the scanning; wherein conveying the food bar comprises moving the food bar into a protective housing, and wherein the scanning unit is moved only within the protective housing.",
    "13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the scanning unit is moved along an entire length of the food bar during the scanning.",
    "14. The method according to claim 12, wherein conveying the food bar is interrupted during the scanning.",
    "15. The method according to claim 12, wherein food bars are conveyed in multiple parallel lanes, and wherein the scanning unit is operated to scan the food bars and is moved between the lanes in a transverse direction in-between scanning processes.",
    "16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the scanning unit is moved in respective opposite directions for successive scanning processes.",
    "17. The method according to claim 12, wherein the food bar is irradiated during scanning, and a result of the scanning is corrected using reference data determined in a scanning process without the food bar.",
    "18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the scanning unit during scanning is moved together with a belt gap of the conveyor assembly, and scanning is performed within the belt gap.",
    "19. A scanning apparatus for scanning food bars for a food processing system, the scanning apparatus comprising: a conveyor assembly for conveying a food bar in a longitudinal direction; and a scanning unit which is adapted to record an outer shape and/or inner shape of the food bar; wherein the scanning unit is movable at least along the longitudinal direction, and the conveyor assembly comprises a circulating conveying device, wherein a belt gap defined by deflection rollers and movable in the longitudinal direction is provided in an upper support area of the conveyor assembly.",
    "20. A scanning apparatus for scanning food bars for a food processing system, the scanning apparatus comprising: a conveyor assembly for conveying a food bar in a longitudinal direction; and a scanning unit which is adapted to record an outer shape and/or inner shape of the food bar; wherein the scanning unit is movable at least along the longitudinal direction; wherein the conveyor assembly comprises two conveying devices that each include a retraction belt and a deflection roller, and wherein the deflection rollers are movable in the longitudinal direction and define a belt gap that is movable in the longitudinal direction.",
    "21. A method for scanning food bars, the method comprising: conveying a food bar in a longitudinal direction using a conveyor assembly; scanning the food bar using a scanning unit; and moving the scanning unit along the food bar in the longitudinal direction during the scanning; wherein the scanning unit during scanning is moved together with a belt gap of the conveyor assembly, and scanning is performed within the belt gap."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present disclosure relates to a scanning apparatus for scanning food bars for a food processing system, comprising a conveyor assembly for conveying a food bar in a longitudinal direction, and a scanning unit adapted to record the outer and/or inner shape of at least one food bar. The present disclosure further relates to a method for scanning food bars, in which a food bar is conveyed in a longitudinal direction by way of a conveyor assembly, and the food bar is scanned by use of a scanning unit.\n\nA food processing device is known in prior art from DE 10 2012 018 754 A1 and EP 2 711 701 A1 in which food products can be conveyed in succession through a scanning region of a scanner on separately drivable parallel conveying lanes.\n\nFurthermore, it is known from WO 2007/049305 A1 to examine a piece of meat by way of an X-ray apparatus and a device for determining the thickness, and to quantify its properties.\n\nGeneric scanning apparatuses typically comprise a housing, in particular, for shielding X-ray radiation of the scanning unit, or for preventing that a light-based measurement is impaired in its measurement accuracy by ambient light.\n\nThe scanning devices known in prior art are often of a considerable length and therefore have a large housing, resulting in an increased installation effort and an extension of the line length of the food processing line.\n\nIt is an object of the present disclosure to provide a scanning apparatus and a method for scanning food bars that allow for compact dimensions of the apparatus and efficient operation.",
  "cpc": [
    "G01N 23/083",
    "A23L 7/126",
    "B26D 5/007",
    "B26D 7/0625",
    "B65G 15/30",
    "G01B 11/2518",
    "G01B 15/04",
    "G01N 2001/002",
    "G01N 33/02"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "A23L 7/126",
    "B65G 15/30",
    "G01N 1/00",
    "G01N 23/083",
    "G01N 33/02"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Weber Maschinenbau GmbH Breidenbach"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Leopold von Keudell",
    "Tobias Weber"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2019-06-07",
  "publication_date": "2021-05-18",
  "grant_date": "2021-05-18",
  "priority_date": "2018-06-07",
  "application_number": "US-201916434695-A",
  "family_id": "66912528",
  "cited_by_count": 8,
  "citations": [
    "DE3246568A1",
    "US4937451A",
    "US5754617A",
    "US7293308B2",
    "WO2007049305A1",
    "JP2008209307A",
    "WO2010112239A2",
    "US20120073415A1",
    "US20160128656A1",
    "EP2711701A1",
    "US20140083268A1",
    "DE102012018754A1",
    "US9869642B2"
  ]
}