Portioning/trimming of rib primal cuts

Abstract

An animal ribcage primal cut having a bone array located therein is portioned into one or more sub primal cuts, each having at least one bone located therein. The primal cut is scanned at scanning station 14 while being conveyed on a conveyor 12 to determine the physical characteristics of the primal cut. A processor 18 determines how to portion the primal cut into desired sub primal cuts in accordance with desired physical characteristics of the sub primal cut and production requirements for the sub primal cuts. A controller controls a cutter to divide the primal cut into one or more sub primal cuts according to the determination previously made on how to portion the primal cut into desired sub primal cuts.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
         1 . A method for determining how to divide a ribcage primal cut of a quadruped animal with an embedded bone array into one or more sub primal cuts and/or different types of sub primal cuts, comprising:
 (a) receiving, by a control system, designations of desired criteria of the sub primal cuts;   (b) generating, by a control system, a first data set regarding the physical characteristics of the primal cut based on the scanning of the primal cut;   (c) using, by the control system, the first data set to determine the physical characteristics of the primal cut including the location and size of the bones of the bone array; and   (d) determining, by the control system, how to divide the primal cut into one or more sub primal cuts by applying the desired criteria of the sub primal cuts comprising desired designated physical characteristics of the sub primal cuts to the determined physical characteristics of the primal cut.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting, by the control system, control signals to cause a cutter to cut the primal cut into one or more sub primal cuts in accordance with the determination on how to divide the primal cut. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 (a) by the control system, using the first data set to generate a model of the primal cut including the locations and sizes of the bones of the bone array;   (b) by the control system, simulating dividing the modeled primal cut into a plurality of sets of sub primal cuts with at least one sub primal cut; and   (c) by the control system, rating each of the simulated sets of modeled sub primal cuts based on the desired physical characteristics of the sub primal cuts.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein, by the control system, the model of the primal cut is selected from the group including a two-dimensional model and a three-dimensional model. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the model of the primal cut includes determinations selected from the group consisting of the number of bones in the primal cut, the location of the bones in the primal cut, the size of the bones in the primal cut, the shape of the bones in the primal cut, whether any of the bones in the primal cut are broken or otherwise damaged. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the model includes determinations selected from the group consisting of length of the primal cut, the width of the primal cut, the aspect ratio of the primal cut, the size of the primal cut, the weight of the primal cut, the shape of the primal cut, the thickness of the primal cut, the flatness of the primal cut, the fat content of the primal cut, the location of fat on the primal cut, the extent of gristle in the primal cut, the location of the gristle in the primal cut, the amount of cartilage in the primal cut, the location of the cartilage in the primal cut. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the desired designated physical characteristics of the sub primal cuts comprising the physical characteristics of established types of sub primal cuts. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the desired designated physical characteristics of the sub primal cuts are selected from the group consisting of: the weight of the sub primal cut; the size of the sub primal cut; the shape of the sub primal cut; the length of the sub primal cut; the width of the sub primal cut; the thickness of the sub primal cut; the flatness of the sub primal cut; the fat content of the sub primal content; the cartilage content of the sub primal cut; the number of bones in the sub primal cut; the size of the bones in the sub primal cut; the location of the bones in the sub primal cut; the condition of the bones in the sub primal cut; whether any of the bones in the sub primal cut are broken or otherwise damaged. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the desired criteria of the sub primal cut comprises the production requirements for the sub primal cuts selected from the group consisting of: the total number of sub primal cuts; the total number of each type of sub primal cut; the total weight of the sub primal cuts; the total weight of each type of sub primal cut; the maximum weight of the sub primal cut; the minimum weight of the sub primal cut; the maximum length of the sub primal cut; the minimum length of the sub primal cut; the maximum width of the sub primal cut; the minimum width of the sub primal cut; the maximum thickness of the sub primal cut; the minimum thickness of the sub primal cut; the value of the sub primal cut. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising identifying the desired physical characteristics of a plurality of acceptable sub primal cuts to be portioned from a primal cut and rating each of the plurality of acceptable sub primal cuts according to value. 
     
     
         11 . A control system configured to perform actions for determining how to divide an animal ribcage primal cut having a bone array located in the primal cut into one or more sub primal cuts of designated desired criteria, each sub primal cut having at least one bone located therein, the actions comprising:
 (a) receiving, by a control system, designations of desired criteria of the sub primal cuts;   (b) generating, by the control system, a first data set regarding the physical characteristics of the primal cut based on a scanning of the primal cut;   (c) using, by the control system, the first data set to determine the physical characteristics of the primal cut, including the location and size of the bones of the bone array;   (d) determining, by the control system, how to divide the primal cut into one or more sub primal cuts by applying the desired criteria comprising desired physical characteristics of the sub primal cuts to the determined physical characteristics of the primal cut.   
     
     
         12 . The control system of  claim 11 , further comprising the action of transmitting, by the control system, control signals to cause a cutter to cut the primal cut into one or more sub primal cuts in accordance with the determination on how to divide the primal cut. 
     
     
         13 . The control system of  claim 11 , wherein the determined physical characteristics of the primal cut are selected from the group consisting of: the number of bones in the primal cut; the location of the bones in the primal cut; the size of the bones in the primal cut; the shape of the bones in the primal cut; whether any of the bones in the primal cut are broken or otherwise damaged. 
     
     
         14 . The control system according to  claim 11 , wherein the determined physical characteristics of the primal cut are selected from the group consisting of the length of the primal cut, the width of the primal cut, the aspect ratio of the primal cut, the size of the primal cut, the weight of the primal cut, the shape of the primal cut, the thickness of the primal cut, the flatness of the primal cut, the fat content of the primal cut, the location of fat on the primal cut, the extent of gristle in the primal cut, the location of the gristle in the primal cut, the amount of cartilage in the primal cut, the location of the cartilage in the primal cut. 
     
     
         15 . The control system according to  claim 11 , wherein the desired designated physical characteristics of the sub primal cuts comprising the physical characteristics of established types of sub primal cuts. 
     
     
         16 . The control system according to  claim 11 , wherein the desired designated physical characteristics of the sub primal cuts are selected from the group consisting of: the weight of the sub primal cut; the size of the sub primal cut; the shape of the sub primal cut; the length of the sub primal cut; the width of the sub primal cut; the thickness of the sub primal cut; the flatness of the sub primal cut; the fat content of the sub primal content; the cartilage content of the sub primal cut; the value of the sub primal cut; the number of bones in the sub primal cut; the size of the bones in the sub primal cut; the location of the bones in the sub primal cut; the condition of the bones in the sub primal cut; whether any of the bones in the sub primal cut are broken or otherwise damaged. 
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executed instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by one or more processors of a control system, causes the control system to perform actions for determining how to divide an animal ribcage primal cut having a bone array located in the primal cut into one or more sub primal cuts of designated desired criteria, each sub primal cut having at least one bone located therein, the actions comprising:
 (a) receiving, by a control system, designations of desired criteria of the sub primal cuts;   (b) generating, by the control system, a first data set regarding the physical characteristics of the primal cut based on a scanning of the primal cut;   (c) using, by the control system, the first data set to determine the physical characteristics of the primal cut, including the location and size of the bones of the bone array;   (d) determining, by the control system, how to divide the primal cut into one or more sub primal cuts by applying the desired criteria comprising desired physical characteristics of the sub primal cuts to the determined physical characteristics of the primal cut.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , further comprising the action of transmitting, by the control system, control signals to cause a cutter to cut the primal cut into one or more sub primal cuts in accordance with the determination on how to divide the primal cut. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the determined physical characteristics of the primal cut are selected from the group consisting of: the number of bones in the primal cut; the location of the bones in the primal cut; the size of the bones in the primal cut; the shape of the bones in the primal cut; whether any of the bones in the primal cut are broken or otherwise damaged; the length of the primal cut; the width of the primal cut; the aspect ratio of the primal cut; the size of the primal cut; the weight of the primal cut; the shape of the primal cut; the thickness of the primal cut; the flatness of the primal cut; the fat content of the primal cut; the location of fat on the primal cut; the extent of gristle in the primal cut; the location of the gristle in the primal cut; the amount of cartilage in the primal cut; the location of the cartilage in the primal cut. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the desired designated physical characteristics of the sub primal cuts are selected from the group consisting of: the weight of the sub primal cut; the size of the sub primal cut; the shape of the sub primal cut; the length of the sub primal cut; the width of the sub primal cut; the thickness of the sub primal cut; the flatness of the sub primal cut; the fat content of the sub primal content; the cartilage content of the sub primal cut; the number of bones in the sub primal cut; the size of the bones in the sub primal cut; the location of the bones in the sub primal cut; the condition of the bones in the sub primal cut; whether any of the bones in the sub primal cut are broken or otherwise damaged; the physical characteristics of established types of sub primal cuts; the value of the sub primal cut.