Cutting device for splitting an animal carcass in half and robot incorporating such cutting device
View Patent ↗The present invention relates, according to a first aspect, to a tool for cutting in half a carcass of a slaughtered animal, preferably of a bovine animal, in a fully automated manner. The cutting tool of the present invention incorporates in the cutting tool itself two different guiding mechanisms: an inner follower mechanism of the carcass capable of following the inner side of the carcass during the cutting process, and an outer follower mechanism of the carcass capable of following the outer side of the carcass during the cutting process, which substantially improve the accuracy of the cutting process and eliminate any type of manual action when cutting or guiding the part. It also relates, according to a second aspect, to a robot comprising said cutting tool.
1. A cutting tool for cutting a meat piece carcase into two halves, wherein the carcases are suspended hanging from their legs, wherein the cutting tool is made to be coupled to a robot, and wherein the cutting tool comprises:
a frame, configured to be connected to a robot arm,
a cutting unit configured for cutting the carcase in two halves by means of a longitudinal cut,
an actuating unit configured for actuating the cutting unit, and
a guiding unit configured for guiding the carcase during a cutting process, comprising:
an inner follower mechanism of the inner side of the carcase, configured to follow the inner side of the carcase during the cutting process, and
an outer follower mechanism of the outer side of the carcase, configured to follow the outer side of the carcase during the cutting process,
wherein the inner follower mechanism of the carcase comprises at least the following elements:
an arm articulated at its upper end to a point on the frame,
a first actuating unit configured for actuating the articulated arm,
an inner side support, which is articulatedly fastened at the lower end of the articulated arm,
a second actuating unit configured for rotating the inner side support, and
one or more inner side rollers connected to the inner side support, where the one or more inner side rollers are configured to guide the ventral part of the carcase.
2. The cutting tool according to claim 1 , wherein the outer follower mechanism of the carcase comprises at least the following elements:
an upper tilting arm for supporting one or more upper outer side rollers, where the upper tilting arm tilts with respect to a common articulation axis disposed at a point of the frame,
one or more upper outer side rollers for upper guidance of the dorsal part of the carcase, wherein one or more upper outer side rollers is/are disposed at the free end of the upper tilting arm,
a third actuating unit configured for rotating the upper tilting arm,
a lower tilting arm for supporting one or more lower outer side rollers, wherein the lower tilting arm tilts with respect to the same common articulation axis of the frame,
one or more lower outer side rollers for lower guidance of the dorsal part of the carcase, wherein one or more lower outer side rollers are disposed at the free end of the lower tilting arm,
a fourth actuating unit configured for rotating the lower tilting arm.
3. The cutting tool according to claim 1 , wherein one or more elements of the outer carcase guiding mechanism and one or more elements of the inner carcase guiding mechanism are disposed on either side of the frame, to allow the cutting unit to pass through.
4. The cutting tool according to claim 1 , wherein the inner side support comprises an extended portion extending in a direction opposite to where the one or more inner side rollers are disposed.
5. The cutting tool according to claim 1 , wherein the cutting unit is disposed on the front of the frame and the actuating configured for actuating the cutting unit is disposed on the rear of the frame.
6. The cutting tool according to claim 1 , wherein the cutting unit comprises a motorized saw disc.
7. The cutting tool according to claim 6 , wherein the actuating unit comprises a motor for rotating the saw disc, a coupling and a transmission for transmitting movement and force from the motor to the motorized saw disc.
8. The cutting tool according to claim 2 , wherein the articulation axis common to the upper and lower tilting arms is disposed in a lower part of the frame and the upper and lower tilting arms are disposed in the articulation axis, so that one arm rotates on the inside and the other on the outside.
9. The cutting tool according to claim 1 , wherein the articulated arm has two parts spaced apart from each other by a certain distance through which the cutting unit pass.
10. The cutting tool according to claim 1 , wherein four inner-side rollers are provided, arranged in pairs, wherein two inner-side rollers are disposed at the same height and the other two inner-side rollers are disposed at a different height on the inner-side support by respective fixing points.
11. The cutting tool according to claim 2 , wherein four outer-side rollers, arranged in pairs, are provided, wherein each pair of rollers is disposed at the same height, and wherein the pair of upper rollers is disposed at a point near the free end of the upper tilting arm and the pair of lower rollers is disposed at a point near the free end of the lower tilting arm.
12. The cutting tool according to claim 1 , wherein it further includes a laser or optical artificial vision system, configured to provide, before the cutting process is carried out, specific measurements or coordinates of the anatomy of each carcase, to position and adjust the movements and force of the different parts of the cutting tool.
13. The cutting tool according to claim 1 , further comprising at the top of the cutting tool a fixing flange for fixing the cutting tool to a free end of a robot arm, and wherein the fixing flange is disposed inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the frame of the cutting tool.
14. A robot, comprising a support base on which one or more articulated arms are disposed, wherein the robot comprises, mounted at a free end of an articulated arm, a cutting tool comprising:
a frame connected to one of said articulated arms,
a cutting unit configured for cutting the carcase in two halves by means of a longitudinal cut,
an actuating unit configured for actuating the cutting unit, and
a guiding unit configured for guiding the carcase during a cutting process, comprising:
an inner follower mechanism of the inner side of the carcase, configured to follow the inner side of the carcase during the cutting process, and
an outer follower mechanism of the outer side of the carcase, configured to follow the outer side of the carcase during the cutting process,
wherein the articulated arm presents a spatial movement of its free end with six degrees of freedom, and
wherein the inner follower mechanism of the carcase comprises at least the following elements:
an arm articulated at its upper end to a point on the frame,
a first actuating unit configured for actuating the articulated arm,
an inner side support, which is articulatedly fastened at the lower end of the articulated arm,
a second actuating unit configured for rotating the inner side support, and
one or more inner side rollers connected to the inner side support, where the one or more inner side rollers are configured to guide the ventral part of the carcase.
15. A cutting tool for cutting a meat piece carcase into two halves, wherein the carcases are suspended hanging from their legs, wherein the cutting tool is made to be coupled to a robot, and wherein the cutting tool comprises:
a frame, configured to be connected to a robot arm,
a cutting unit configured for cutting the carcase in two halves by means of a longitudinal cut,
an actuating unit configured for actuating the cutting unit, and
a guiding unit configured for guiding the carcase during a cutting process, comprising:
an inner follower mechanism of the inner side of the carcase, configured to follow the inner side of the carcase during the cutting process, and
an outer follower mechanism of the outer side of the carcase, configured to follow the outer side of the carcase during the cutting process,
wherein the outer follower mechanism of the carcase comprises at least the following elements:
an upper tilting arm for supporting one or more upper outer side rollers, where the upper tilting arm tilts with respect to a common articulation axis disposed at a point of the frame,
one or more upper outer side rollers for upper guidance of the dorsal part of the carcase, wherein one or more upper outer side rollers is/are disposed at the free end of the upper tilting arm,
a third actuating unit configured for rotating the upper tilting arm,
a lower tilting arm for supporting one or more lower outer side rollers, wherein the lower tilting arm tilts with respect to the same common articulation axis of the frame,
one or more lower outer side rollers for lower guidance of the dorsal part of the carcase, wherein one or more lower outer side rollers are disposed at the free end of the lower tilting arm,
a fourth actuating unit configured for rotating the lower tilting arm.