US 11,937,612 B2
Imaging based portion cutting
Anders Kjær, Aabybro (DK)
Assigned to MAREL SALMON A/S, Stovring (DK)
Appl. No. 17/427,533
Filed by MAREL SALMON A/S, Stovring (DK)
PCT Filed Feb. 6, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/052972
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jul. 30, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/161229, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 13, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 19155756 (EP), filed on Feb. 6, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0095631 A1, Mar. 31, 2022
Int. Cl. A22C 17/00 (2006.01); A22C 25/18 (2006.01); B65G 43/08 (2006.01); G01N 33/12 (2006.01); A22C 21/00 (2006.01); B07C 5/342 (2006.01)
CPC A22C 17/0086 (2013.01) [A22C 17/002 (2013.01); A22C 25/18 (2013.01); B65G 43/08 (2013.01); G01N 33/12 (2013.01); A22C 21/0023 (2013.01); B07C 5/342 (2013.01); B65G 2201/0202 (2013.01); B65G 2203/0208 (2013.01); B65G 2203/041 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of cutting a food item into food item portions by taking defective areas of the food item into consideration, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving imaging data of the food item;
determining one or more locations of defective areas in and/or on the food item based on at least the received data;
determining a distribution of food item portion cuts over the food item dividing the food item into food item portions based on at least the determined location of defective areas and at least one food portion feature;
transporting the food item to a cutting plane defined between a first conveyor belt and a second conveyor belt, the cutting plane being transverse to a transporting direction along the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt;
using a cutting device located in cutting plane and according to the determined distribution of food item portion cuts, cutting the food item into food item portions both along an entire width of the food item and outside of the defective areas of the food item when passing from the first conveyor belt to the second conveyor belt to create defect-containing pieces of the food item and defect-free portions of the food item; and
sorting out the defect-containing pieces of the food item by moving at least one of the conveyor belts away from the other conveyor belt to make a short-term opening between the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt for the defect-containing pieces of the food item to pass through the short-term opening.