Method and device for cutting up and for packaging, at constant mass, a compact, non-uniform product

The invention relates to a device and a method for cutting up and for packaging, at constant mass, a compact, non-uniform product. The product is cut up into similar blocks Bk at 1, the blocks having a constant length l lying between two substantially parallel plane faces F1k, F2k making it possible to reveal visible non-uniformities Ir in the product. Dynamic weighing is carried out at 2 for each block Bk and the dimensions 3 in thickness hk and length lk of each block bk are acquired so as to define the profile of each plane face. The relative spatial distribution of the non-uniformities is acquired at 4 for each parallel plane face and a determination of the surface density of the non-uniformities of each plane face is carried out. The law of volume distribution vkr of the non-uniformities is formed from the relative spatial distribution over each parallel plane face of the non-uniformities and of the surface density of the latter by means of a conversion table which is specific to the compact product in question. A cutting-up profile is defined over the profile of the block by determining the extension ekr of each portion Pkr using calculating means 5 on the basis of the volume distribution law vkr of the non-uniformities and of their mean density PHI ir and of the mean density rho r of the compact product. The means 6 for cutting up the blocks Bk into portions Pkr are controlled by the calculating means 5 and means for packaging the portions Pkr are provided. Applications to the cutting-up, at substantially constant mass, and to the packaging of non-uniform compact products, such as fermented cheeses. L'invention est relative à un dispositif et à un procédé de tranchage et de conditionnement à masse constante d'un produit consistant non homogène.Le produit est découpé en blocs Bk semblables en 1, les blocs comportant une largeur l constante comprise entre deux faces planes F1k, F2k sensiblement parallèles permettant la mise en évidence des inhomogénéités Ir apparentes du produit. Une pesée dynamique est effectuée en 2 de chaque bloc Bk et une saisie des dimensions 3 d'épaisseur hk et de longueur Lk de chaque bloc Bk est effectuée afin de définir le profil de chaque face plane. Une acquisition de la distribution spatiale relative des inhomogénéités est effectuée en 4 pour chaque face plane parallèle et une détermination de la densité surfacique des inhomogénéités de chaque face plane est effectuée. La loi de répartition volumique vkr des inhomogénéités