EP3733365B1 - Device for cutting a food product into strips or cubes and method for dismantling a double grid - Google Patents

Description

1. A) einem Einlegebereich, in den das zu schneidende Lebensmittel einlegbar ist,
2. B) einer Schneideinrichtung mit einer Doppel-Gattereinrichtung, letztere umfassend
   1. a) ein Untergatter mit
      • aa) einem unteren Halterahmen,
      • ab) einem unteren Messerrahmen, der mit dem unteren Halterahmen in Kraft übertragender Weise koppelbar ist und eine Mehrzahl von in einem Abstand sowie parallel zueinander verlaufender langgestreckter Messer aufweist,
      • ac) einer unteren Führungseinrichtung, in der der untere Halterahmen linear verschiebbar gelagert ist,
      • ad) einem Untergatterantrieb, mit dem das Untergatter koppelbar und in einem gekoppelten Zustand in der unteren Führungseinrichtung oszillierend bewegbar ist,
   2. b) ein einen größeren Abstand von dem Einlegebereich als das Untergatter aufweisendes Obergatter mit
      • ba) einem oberen Halterahmen,
      • bb) einem oberen Messerrahmen, der mit dem oberen Halterahmen in Kraft übertragender Weise koppelbar ist und eine Mehrzahl von in einem Abstand sowie parallel zueinander angeordneten langgestreckten Messern aufweist,
      • bc) einer oberen Führungseinrichtung, in der der obere Halterahmen linear verschiebbar gelagert ist,
      • bd) einem Obergatterantrieb, mit dem das Obergatter koppelbar und in einem gekoppelten Zustand in der oberen Führungseinrichtung oszillierend bewegbar ist,
3. C) einer Vorschubeinrichtung, mit der das zu schneidende Lebensmittel aus dem Einlegebereich auf die Schneideinrichtung zu vorschiebbar ist.

The invention initially relates to a device for cutting a food product into strips or cubes

1. A) a loading area in which the food to be cut can be placed,
2. B) a cutting device with a double gate device, the latter comprising
   1. a) a sub-gate with
      • aa) a lower holding frame,
      • ab) a lower knife frame which can be coupled to the lower holding frame in a force-transmitting manner and has a plurality of elongated knives that are spaced apart and parallel to one another,
      • ac) a lower guide device in which the lower holding frame is mounted so as to be linearly displaceable,
      • ad) a lower creel drive with which the lower creel can be coupled and, in a coupled state, can be moved in an oscillating manner in the lower guide device,
   2. b) an upper gate having a greater distance from the loading area than the lower gate
      • ba) an upper holding frame,
      • bb) an upper knife frame which can be coupled to the upper holding frame in a force-transmitting manner and has a plurality of elongated knives arranged at a distance and parallel to one another,
      • bc) an upper guide device in which the upper holding frame is mounted so as to be linearly displaceable,
      • bd) an upper gate drive with which the upper gate can be coupled and, in a coupled state, can be moved in an oscillating manner in the upper guide device,
3. C) a feed device with which the food to be cut can be advanced from the loading area onto the cutting device.

The present invention also relates to a method for cutting food into strips or cubes according to the preamble of claim 12.

State of the art

Machines for cutting food into strips or cubes have long been known and for example in the literature EP 2 080 599 B1 described. Such machines are often designed as so-called "dice cutters" in which the food to be cut is inserted into an elongated insertion shaft that forms the feed area. By means of a feed device, the material to be cut is then advanced through an exit cross-section of the feed area onto a cutting device, which usually consists of two movable knife gates arranged crosswise one behind the other, in which several gate knives are held parallel to one another. The movable mounting of the knife gates on the holding frame of the cutting machine takes place via two slide rods, which are arranged with their longitudinal direction parallel to the gate knives. With this construction of the cutting device, the material to be cut is cut into slices on the first knife gate, seen in the feed direction, and then into strips with a preferably square cross-section by the second knife gate. By means of a cross-cutting knife rotating perpendicular to the feed direction of the material to be cut, short sections, often in cube form, are finally produced from the food cut into strips by the two knife gates.

However, the disadvantage of these cutting machines is that the maintenance or repair of the known cutting devices is complex. If, for example, it is necessary to grind the knives of the lower knife gate, the product stabilizer and the upper knife gate must first be dismantled before the lower knife gate can be removed. The lower knife frame must then be removed from the lower holding frame, the knife frame opened and the knives removed individually. After the removed knives have been sharpened, they are reassembled with the same steps in reverse order. Since the machine parts described above are heavy cast or steel parts, dismantling the double gate device is laborious. Replacing the double gate device with another double gate device with different product dimensions is also complex in the known cutting machines.

Further dicing machines are from the documents DE 19 98 415 U , WO 92/09 410 A1 and DE 93 11 101 U known. A common feature of the known devices is that maintenance or repair of the dice cutting devices is associated with great effort.

The patent specification DE 10 2007 061169 B3 discloses an apparatus according to the preamble of claim 1.

task

It is therefore the object of the present invention to further develop a cutting machine or a method for cutting of the type described at the outset in such a way that the knife frames can be changed and the double gate device can be serviced or repaired quickly and conveniently.

solution

The aforementioned object is achieved according to the invention in that the upper holding frame of the upper frame is arranged between the lower holding frame of the lower frame and the lower knife frame of the lower frame. In this way, the lower knife frame and the upper knife frame follow one another directly and a distance between the knives in the upper and lower knife frames measured in the feed direction is reduced compared to the distance in conventional devices. This also reduces the area of the food that cannot be cut due to a structurally determined distance between a knife back of the knives of the lower knife frame and a cutting edge of the knives of the upper knife frame. As a result, the cutting quality of the device according to the invention is significantly improved. It is also possible to dispense with additional components, such as stabilizers in the form of metal sheets, which are absolutely necessary in conventional devices to ensure a good cutting result.

Another advantage of the inventive arrangement of the upper holding frame between the lower holding frame and the lower knife frame is that the knife frames can be replaced more easily, since both knife frames can be removed from the device without also having to remove the associated holding frames. The knife frames as such have a significantly lower weight than the Knife frame in combination with the associated holding frame, so that replacing the knife frame from the device according to the invention is more convenient due to the lower weight of the component.

A preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the distance measured in each case in the feed direction between the guide rods of the lower holding frame of the lower creel and the longitudinal struts of the lower knife frame of the lower creel is greater than 15 mm, preferably greater than 20 mm, and / or the, in each case measured in the feed direction, The distance between the guide rods of the upper holding frame of the top frame and the longitudinal struts of the upper knife frame of the top frame is greater than 15 mm, preferably greater than 20 mm, so that sufficient space remains for the arrangement of the upper holding frame or the lower knife frame.

The upper and / or lower knife frame preferably has two longitudinal struts, two cross members running transversely to the longitudinal struts and a plurality of knives running parallel to the longitudinal struts, which are connected to the cross members in a force-transmitting manner, which can be achieved by changing an adjustable distance of the Cross members can be clamped to one another. This structure is stable and ensures that the knives are tensioned enough to cut geometrically accurate during the cutting process. This structure also opens up the possibility of re-tensioning the knives.

With regard to the lower and / or upper holding frame, it is provided according to an advantageous embodiment that the lower and / or upper holding frame has two guide rods running parallel to the knives, which interact with the guide device, two cross members running transversely to the guide rods, at least one transmission element for Coupling with the lower or upper gate drive and at least two, preferably four bearing blocks for connection to the lower or upper knife frame, in particular with their respective cross members. A technically simple and reliable guidance of the holding frame is provided via the guide rods which interact with the guide device.

With regard to the lower and / or the upper guide device, it can be advantageous if it has a guide frame with a passage cross-section which corresponds to an exit cross-section at one end of the insertion area, the guide frame being fixable on a machine frame in such a way that the passage cross-section with is aligned with the exit cross-section of the insertion area. In addition, in the Guide frame guide bores can be provided which are used for the movable mounting of the lower or upper holding frame, in particular of its respective guide rods.

A particularly advantageous development of the device according to the invention provides that the lower and the upper guide device together form a one-piece component, preferably a base frame, in which guide bores for both the lower holding frame of the lower frame and the upper holding frame of the upper frame, in particular their respective guide rods, available. The merging of the two guide devices into one component results in increased rigidity. Furthermore, the relative position of the two guide devices to one another is determined by the design as one component and the installation of the same as well as their functionality is optimized.

For the purpose of an optimal cutting result, it is advantageous if the gate device has a stabilization device, preferably a stabilization frame, which has a passage cross-section which corresponds to the exit cross-section of the insertion area and which with lower fingers in gaps between adjacent knives of the lower creel and with upper fingers in gaps between adjacent knives of the Top gate intervenes. Adjacent fingers are separated from one another by slits, the clearance of which is slightly greater than the thickness of the knives entering the respective slits. The product to be cut is also effectively guided along the side surfaces of the fingers that are directed inward towards the product to be cut, whereby a high geometrical accuracy of the product is achieved.

In order to achieve a particularly good cutting result, it is preferably provided that a distance between a back of the knives of the lower knife frame and a cutting edge of the knives of the upper knife frame is less than 5 mm, preferably less than 3 mm, more preferably less than 2 mm . The aforementioned distance indicates - viewed in the feed direction - a thickness in which the food is not cut in both knife directions. The smaller this distance, the better the cutting result. The inventive arrangement of the two knife frames directly one behind the other, that is to say without the interposition of the associated holder frames, makes it possible to obtain such a small distance in the first place. A distance of 0 mm would be optimal, this distance being more theoretical due to certain tolerances.

It is also advantageous if a distance between a cutting edge of the knives of the lower knife frame and the exit cross section of the insertion area is greater than 20 mm, preferably greater than 30 mm, more preferably greater than 40 mm. The two holding frames fixed in the guide device are arranged within this distance. The aforementioned distance ensures that there is sufficient space for the arrangement of the lower holding frame below the lower knife frame.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the lower gate drive and / or the upper gate drive each have a rotationally drivable gate shaft and an eccentrically arranged transmission element, in particular a transmission pin, which is connected to the transmission element of the upper and / or lower holding frame, in particular with an adapted recess in a cross member of the lower or upper holding frame of the lower or upper frame can be coupled.

In order to enable the food to be cut into strips or cubes, the cutting device of the device according to the invention advantageously has a cutting device, which comprises a cutting shaft that can be driven in rotation and is mounted in a machine frame and a cutting knife (cross-cutting knife) that can be coupled to it in a rotationally fixed manner, which in the course of a rotary movement completely sweeps over an exit cross-section of the insertion area projected into a plane of the cutting knife.

With regard to a method according to the preamble of claim 12, the aforementioned object is achieved by the method step that the lower knife frame of the lower creel is removed from the device, while the upper holding frame of the upper creel remains in an assembled state on the device. The advantages of the method according to the invention result analogously to the advantages of the device according to the invention.

Embodiment

The invention described above is explained in more detail below using an exemplary embodiment that is shown in the figures.

Figur 1:

eine dreidimensionale Ansicht auf eine Vorschubeinrichtung und eine Doppel-Gattereinrichtung einer erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung zum Schneiden eines Lebensmittels in Streifen oder Würfel,

Figur 2:

die erfindungsgemäße Doppel-Gattereinrichtung aus Figur 1 in einer dreidimensionalen Explosionsdarstellung,

Figur 3:

eine Draufsicht der Doppel-Gattereinrichtung gemäß Figur 2,

Figur 4:

einen Schnitt durch die Doppel-Gattereinrichtung gemäß Figur 3

Figur 5:

eine dreidimensionale Ansicht der Doppel-Gattereinrichtung gemäß Figur 2 in einem Montagezustand und

Figur 6:

eine dreidimensionale Ansicht der Doppel-Gattereinrichtung gemäß Figur 2 ohne den oberen Messerrahmen.

It shows:

Figure 1:

a three-dimensional view of a feed device and a double gate device of a device according to the invention for cutting a food into strips or cubes,

Figure 2:

the double gate device according to the invention Figure 1 in a three-dimensional exploded view,

Figure 3:

a plan view of the double gate device according to Figure 2 ,

Figure 4:

a section through the double gate device according to Figure 3

Figure 5:

a three-dimensional view of the double gate device according to FIG Figure 2 in an assembled state and

Figure 6:

a three-dimensional view of the double gate device according to FIG Figure 2 without the upper knife frame.

the Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a device 1 according to the invention for cutting a food into strips or cubes in a three-dimensional view, only a part of the device 1 essential for the invention in FIG Figure 1 is shown. The device 1 has an insertion area 2 into which a food to be cut can be inserted, the food not being in the for reasons of a better overview Figure 1 is shown. The device 1 according to the invention further comprises a feed device 3 with which the food to be cut can be advanced from the loading area 2 to a cutting device 4, the food leaving the loading area 2 through an exit cross section 5 of the loading area 2. The cutting device 4 comprises a double gate device 6 and a cutting device 7, the double gate device 6 cutting the food into strips with a square diameter. The cutting device 7 has a cutting knife 8 which is moved in a rotary manner and whose knife plane is oriented perpendicular to a feed direction 9. In the course of a rotary movement of the cutting knife 8, it passes over a passage cross section 10 of the double gate device 6 projected into a plane of the cutting knife, so that the strips emerging from the double gate device 6 are cut into short sections, preferably into cubes. The movement of the cutting knife 8 takes place via a rotationally drivable and in a not in the Figure 1 shown Machine frame of the device 1 mounted cutting shaft 12, with which the cutting knife 8 is rotatably coupled. In the present case, the dimensions of the passage cross section 10 correspond to the dimensions of the exit cross section 5 of the insertion area 2.

The exact structure of the double gate device 6 of the device 1 according to the invention is shown in FIG Figure 2 shown, the double gate device 6 shown in a three-dimensional exploded view and the structure of the individual components can be clearly seen. In the Figure 2 At the top there is an upper knife frame 13 in which eleven elongated knives 14 running parallel to one another are arranged. The upper knife frame 13 has two longitudinal struts 15 and two transverse traverses 16, which together form the knife frame 13 around the knife 14. The longitudinal struts 15 run parallel to the knives 14. A distance 17 between the cross members 16 can be adjusted so that the knives 14 mounted in the upper knife frame 13 can be clamped. In the present example, the longitudinal struts 15 are formed by rods with a round cross section.

A lower knife frame 18 is located below the upper knife frame 13, with a stabilizing device 19 being interposed, which serves to guide the knife 14 during the cutting process. The lower knife frame 18 is constructed analogously to the upper knife frame 13 and thus also has elongated knives 14, longitudinal struts 15 and crossbars 16. The lower knife frame 18 is rotated by 90 ° to the upper knife frame 13, so that the knives 14 of the two knife frames 13, 18 cross one another.

To guide the knives 14 of both the upper knife frame 13 and the lower knife frame 18, the stabilizing device 19, which is constructed as a stabilizing frame, has upper slots 20 on a side facing the upper knife frame 13 and lower slots 20 on a side facing the lower knife frame 18 Slots 21 open. The upper slots 20 are located in two opposing frame walls 22 of the stabilizing frame and the lower slots 21 are located in the frame walls 23 adjacent to them. The slots 20, 21 serve to enter or guide the knives 14 of the upper and lower knife frames 13, 18 and accordingly each have a thickness which slightly exceeds a thickness of the knives 14. The slots 20, 21 subdivide the frame walls 22, 23 into upper fingers 24 and lower fingers 25, which each engage in spaces between adjacent knives 14 of the upper and lower knife frames 13, 18. Around To enable the food to pass through the double gate device 6, the stabilizing frame likewise has a passage cross section 26 which corresponds to the passage cross section 10 of the double gate device 6.

An upper holding frame 27 and a lower holding frame 28 are located below the lower knife frame 18, the upper knife frame 13 being able to be connected to the upper holding frame 27 in a force-transmitting manner and the lower knife frame 18 to be connected in a force-transmitting manner to the lower holding frame 28. Longitudinal axes 29, 30 of the holding frames 27, 28 are aligned corresponding to the longitudinal axes 31, 32 of the associated knife frames 13, 18 and intersect accordingly.

The upper holding frame 27 and the lower holding frame 28 are mounted in a common guide device 33, which consequently simultaneously serves as an upper guide device and as a lower guide device. In other words, the upper guide device and the lower guide device together form a one-piece component. The guide device 33 is also constructed as a frame and has a square cross section. The holding frames 27, 28 are each displaceably mounted in the guide device 33, which is achieved by means of corresponding guide bores 34, 35 in the guide device 33. The holding frames 27, 28 each have two guide rods 36 designed as round rods in the corresponding guide bores 34, 35 and can thus be moved in an oscillating manner. The guide bores 34 for the upper holding frame 27 are arranged above the guide bores 35 for the lower holding frame 28, the longitudinal axes of the guide bores 34, 35 once again crossing according to the orientation of the knife frames 13, 18. In addition to the two guide rods 36, the holding frames 27, 28 each have two cross members 37 which run transversely to the guide rods 36.

The guide device 33 also has a passage cross section 10 which is aligned with the exit cross section 5 of the insertion area 2 of the device 1, so that the food can pass through without any obstacles.

The upper knife frame 13 with its knives 14 forms, together with the upper holding frame 27, an upper gate 38 and the lower knife frame 18 with its knives 14 forms a lower gate 39 with the lower holding frame 28. In the present exemplary embodiment, the peculiarity of the double gate device 6 according to the invention is that the upper gate 38 and the lower gate 39 are coupled via the common guide device 33 and are not structurally completely independent of one another. As a result, the upper holding frame 27 of the top gate 38 is between the The lower holding frame 28 of the sub-frame 39 and the lower knife frame 18 of the sub-frame 39 are arranged. One advantage of this design is that both knife frames 13, 18 can be removed without having to remove the holding frames 27, 28 as well. In this way, knife frames 13, 18 can be easily exchanged or knives 14 can be sharpened. Another advantage of the inventive arrangement of the knife frames 13, 18 lying directly next to one another is that the cutting edges of the knives 14 of the upper knife frame 13 come almost directly to the back 45 of the knives 14 of the lower knife frame 18, so that there is no longer any space in which the Material to be cut is advanced in the feed direction 9 without guidance or lateral support. The upper slots 20 of the stabilizing device 19 extend almost up to a plane up to which the lower slots 21 also extend. A distance measured in the feed direction between the upper and lower slots 20, 21 is therefore almost zero. The arrangement of additional stabilizers, as are customary from the prior art for the purpose of improved guidance of the material to be cut in a double gate device, can thus be dispensed with.

In addition to the two guide rods 36, the upper holding frame 27 also has the two cross members 37, so that a rectangular cross section of the upper holding frame 27 is created. In addition, the upper holding frame 27 has a transmission element 43 for coupling with a not in the Figure 2 top gate drive shown, the transmission element 43 being designed as an elongated hole in one of the two cross members 37. The top gate drive then does not have one in the Figure 2 illustrated pin, which rests in the elongated hole and by means of which the upper holding frame 27 and thus also the upper knife frame 13 are moved.

The lower holder frame 28 is constructed analogously to the upper holder frame 27 and also has a transmission element 43 in the form of an elongated hole in a cross member 37 for receiving a pin of a likewise not in the Figure 2 depicted subspouse drive.

The assembled state of the double gate device 6 according to the invention Figure 2 is in the Figure 3 shown in a top view. The knife frames 13, 18 are fixedly mounted in the holding frame 27, 28 and are via an oscillating movement of the holding frame 27, 28, which is not in the Figure 3 The top gate drive shown is moved in the guide device 33 so that the knives 14 perform a cutting movement and the food, not shown, is cut accordingly. The guide device 33 is located under the knife frame 13, 18 and holding frame 27, 28, so that in the Figure 3 only fastening points 44 of the guide device 33 to can be seen, with which the double gate device 6 is firmly attached to the machine frame 11 of the device 1. It is attached to four attachment points 44, one of which is not in the Figure 3 can be seen because it is located under the holding frame 27, 28. The fastening means are screws that are in the Figure 3 are also not shown.

the Figure 4 shows a section through the double gate device 6 from FIG Figure 3 in the assembled state. To the left of the in the Figure 4 The double gate device 6 shown is not located in the Figure 4 The illustrated insertion area 2 of the device 1 and the exit cross section 5 of the insertion area 2 and the passage cross section 10 of the double gate device 6 are illustrated with curly brackets. Furthermore, in the Figure 4 the guide rods 36, which run in the guide device 33, the upper holding frame 27, the lower holding frame 28 and the upper knife frame 13 can be clearly seen. It can also be seen that a distance 46 from the insertion area 2 to the upper gate 38, that is to say the upper knife frame 13, is greater than a distance 47 from the insertion area 2 to the lower creel 39, ie the lower knife frame 18.

In the Figure 5 the double gate device 6 is shown, the fixing of the knife frames 13, 18 in the holding frames 27, 28 being clear. The lower knife frame 18 is already permanently installed and the upper knife frame 13 is in a tilted state in which it rests on a short side in the corner areas with retaining lugs 40 in corresponding grooves 41 of the retaining frames 27, 28. The grooves 41 of the holding frames 27, 28 are constructed in such a way that the upper knife frame 13 has to be inserted into the grooves 41 in the oblique position shown. Is the upper knife frame 13 in the Figure 5 position shown, it can be moved downwards via a rotary movement so that a mushroom head 42 located on the upper holding frame 27, which is positioned in the center of the crossbar 37 of the upper holding frame 27, enters an opening 48 provided for this purpose in the crossbar 16 of the upper knife frame 13 arrives. The upper knife frame 13 has a locking bolt 49 on its cross member 16, which is then moved in the direction of the opening 48 and interacts with the mushroom head 42 in such a way that the upper knife frame 13 is firmly fixed in the upper holder frame 27. The above-described installation of the lower knife frame 18 is carried out analogously.

the Figure 6 shows the holding frames 27, 28 located in the guide device 33, the lower knife frame 18 and the stabilizing device 19, the stabilizing device 19 not yet being installed and not engaging with the lower knives 14, but being shown floating above the knives 14. At a bottom of the stabilization device 19, one ear 50 is arranged on each of two opposite sides, which is used to fix the stabilization device 19 in each case. In the Figure 5 only one ear 50 can be seen. It can be seen that the guide device 33 is provided on sides corresponding to the ears 50 of the stabilization device 19 with a pocket 51 for the respective ear 50 and with a locking bolt 52. The ears 50 are in turn equipped with a corresponding bore 53 into which the locking bolts 52 engage for the purpose of installing the stabilizing device 19 after the ears 50 have been inserted into the corresponding pockets 51.

In the Figure 6 the mushroom head 42 located on the upper holding frame 27 for fastening the upper knife frame 13 (not shown) can also be seen.

List of reference symbols

1

contraption

2

Loading area

3

Feed device

4th

Cutting device

5

Outlet cross-section

6th

Double gate device

7th

Cutting device

8th

Cutting knife

9

Feed direction

10

Passage cross-section

12th

Cut-off shaft

13th

Upper knife frame

14th

knife

15th

Longitudinal struts knife frame

16

Crossbars knife frame

17th

Distance between cross members

18th

Lower knife frame

19th

Stabilizing device

20th

Upper slot

21

Lower slot

22nd

Frame wall

23

Frame wall

24

Upper finger

25th

Lower finger

26th

Cross-section of the stabilization device

27

Upper holding frame

28

Lower holding frame

29

Longitudinal axis of the upper holding frame

30th

Longitudinal axis of the lower holding frame

31

Longitudinal axis of the upper knife frame

32

Longitudinal axis of the lower knife frame

33

Guide device

34

Pilot hole

35

Pilot hole

36

Guide rod

37

Cross member

38

Head gate

39

Lower gate

40

Retaining lug

41

Groove

42

Mushroom head

43

Transmission element

44

Attachment point

45

move

46

distance

47

distance

48

opening

49

Locking bolt

50

ear

51

bag

52

Locking pin stabilization device

53

drilling

Claims (12)

1. A unit (1) for cutting a food product into strips or cubes, with

   A) a loading zone (2), into which the food product to be cut can be loaded,

   B) a cutting device (4) with a double grid device (6), the latter comprising

   a) a lower grid (39) with

   aa) a lower holding frame (28),

   ab) a lower blade frame (18) which can be coupled to the lower holding frame (28) in a force-transmitting manner and which has a plurality of elongated blades (14) which run parallel to and at a distance from each other,

   ac) a lower guide device (33) in which the lower holding frame (28) is mounted for linear displacement,

   ad) a lower grid drive to which the lower grid (39) can be coupled and which can be oscillated in the lower guide device (33) when in a coupled state,

   b) an upper grid (38) which is at a greater distance (46) from the loading zone (2) than the lower grid (39), with

   ba) an upper holding frame (27),

   bb) an upper blade frame (13) which can be coupled to the upper holding frame (27) in a force-transmitting manner and which has a plurality of elongated blades (14) which run parallel to and at a distance from each other,

   be) an upper guide device (33) in which the upper holding frame (27) is mounted for linear displacement,

   bd) an upper grid drive to which the upper grid (38) can be coupled and which can be oscillated in the upper guide device (33) when in a coupled state,

   C) an advance device (3) with which the food product to be cut can be advanced from the loading zone (2) onto the cutting device (4),
   characterized in that the upper holding frame (27) of the upper grid (38) is disposed between the lower holding frame (28) of the lower grid (39) and the lower blade frame (18) of the lower grid (39).
2. The unit as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the respective separation measured in the advance direction (9) between guide rods (36) of the lower holding frame (28) of the lower grid (39) and lengthwise struts (15) of the lower blade frame (18) of the lower grid (39) is more than 15 mm, preferably more than 20 mm, and/or the respective separation measured in the advance direction (9) between guide rods (36) of the upper holding frame (27) of the upper grid (38) and lengthwise struts (15) of the upper blade frame (13) of the upper grid (38) is more than 15 mm, preferably more than 20 mm.
3. The unit as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the upper and/or lower blade frame (13, 18) has

   - two lengthwise struts (15),

   - two cross braces (16) which run transversely to the lengthwise struts (15), and

   - a plurality of blades (14) which run parallel to the lengthwise struts (15), which are connected to the cross braces (16) in a force-transmitting manner, which can be clamped together by changing an adjustable separation (17) of the cross braces (16) .
4. The unit as claimed in one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the lower and/or upper holding frame (28, 27) has

   - two guide rods (36) which run parallel to the blades (14), which cooperate with the guide device (33),

   - two cross braces (37) which run transversely to the guide rods (36),

   - at least one transmission element (43) for coupling to the lower grid drive or upper grid drive, and

   - at least two, preferably four mounting brackets (42) for connecting to the lower or upper blade frame (18, 13), in particular to their respective cross braces (16).
5. The unit as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the lower and/or the upper guide device (33) has

   - a guide frame with a cross section of passage which corresponds to a discharge cross section at one end of the loading zone (2), wherein the guide frame can be fastened to a machine framework (11) in a manner such that the cross section of passage is aligned with the discharge cross section (5) of the loading zone (2), and

   - guide apertures (34, 35) disposed in the guide frame for movably mounting the lower or upper holding frame (28, 27), in particular from their respective guide rods (36).
6. The unit as claimed in one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the lower and the upper guide device (33) together form a one-piece component, preferably a main frame, in which guide apertures (34, 35) are provided both for the lower holding frame (28) of the lower grid (39) as well as for the upper holding frame (27) of the upper grid (38), in particular for their respective guide rods (36).
7. The unit as claimed in one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the double grid device (6) has a stabilisation device (19), preferably a stabilisation frame, which has a cross section of passage (26) which corresponds to the discharge cross section (5) of the loading zone (2) and which engages with lower fingers (25) in gaps between adjacent blades (14) of the lower grid (39) and with upper fingers (24) in gaps between adjacent blades (14) of the upper grid (38), wherein adjacent fingers (24, 25) are respectively separated from each other by means of slots (20, 21) the clearance of which is slightly larger than the thickness of the blade (14) entering the respective slit (20, 21).
8. The unit as claimed in one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that a distance between a back (45) of the blades (14) of the lower blade frame (18) with respect to a cutting edge of the blade (14) of the upper blade frame (13) is less than 5 mm, preferably less than 3 mm, more preferably less than 2 mm.
9. The unit as claimed in one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that a distance between a cutting edge of the blades (14) of the lower blade frame (18) from the discharge cross section (5) of the loading zone (2) is more than 20 mm, preferably more than 30 mm, more preferably more than 40 mm.
10. The unit as claimed in one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the lower grid drive and/or the upper grid drive respectively have/has a grid shaft which can be driven in rotation and an eccentrically disposed transmission element coupled to the grid shaft in a force-transmitting manner, in particular a transmission pin, which can be coupled to the transmission element (43) of the upper and/or lower holding frame (27, 28), in particular to a matching recess in a cross brace (37) of the lower or upper holding frame (28, 27) of the lower grid (39) or upper grid (38).
11. The unit as claimed in one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the cutting device (4) has a trimming device (7) which comprises a trimming shaft (12) which can be driven in rotation and which is mounted in a machine framework and a trimming blade (8) which can be coupled thereto in a manner which is fixed against rotation and which, during a rotational movement, sweeps completely over a discharge cross section (5) of the loading zone (2) projected into a plane of the trimming blade (8).
12. A method for at least partially dismantling a double grid device (6) of a cutting device (4) of a unit (1) for cutting a food product into strips or cubes, wherein the double grid device (6) has

    a) a lower grid (39) with

    aa) a lower holding frame (28), and

    ab) a lower blade frame (18) which can be coupled to the lower holding frame (28) in a force-transmitting manner and which can be removed from the lower holding frame (28),

    ac) a lower guide device (33) in which the lower grid (39) is linearly displaceable,

    ad) a lower grid drive to which the lower grid (39) can be coupled and which can be oscillated in the lower guide device (33) when in a coupled state,

    b) an upper grid (38) which is at a greater distance (46) from the loading zone (2) than the lower grid (39), with

    ba) an upper holding frame (27), and

    bb) an upper blade frame (13) which can be coupled to the upper holding frame (27) in a force-transmitting manner and which can be removed from the upper holding frame (27),

    be) an upper guide device (33) in which the upper grid (38) is linearly displaceable, and

    bd) an upper grid drive to which the upper grid (38) can be coupled and which can be oscillated in the upper guide device (33) when in a coupled state,

    with the following steps of the method:

    I) the upper blade frame (13) of the upper grid (38) is removed from the unit (1) and in a subsequent step, the lower blade frame (18) of the lower grid (39) is removed from the unit (1),
    characterized by the following step of the method:

    II) the lower blade frame (18) of the lower grid (39) is removed from the unit (1), while the upper holding frame (27) of the upper grid (38) remains in the mounted state on the unit (1).

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