EP1087847A1

EP1087847A1 - A system for sorting objects by weight, particularly flowers, and method

Info

Publication number: EP1087847A1
Application number: EP99952779A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Reuven Sokol
Original assignee: TECTO Ltd
Current assignee: TECTO Ltd
Priority date: 1998-11-02
Filing date: 1999-10-31
Publication date: 2001-04-04
Also published as: IL126849A; AU6486399A; WO2000025945A1; IL126849A0

Abstract

A method and system for sorting, e.g. flowers is disclosed. The flowers (a2) are fed in a continuous process by conveyer (H) onto platform (a1) of weighting apparatus (A1). The apparatus (A1) operates electronically a control unit (G), governing the actuation of either one of pressurized air values (F1) and (F2), depending upon the amount of weight being greater or smaller than a pre-determined value. Pressurized air is ejected from one or the other of tubes (C1) and (C2), to blow the flower off the platform (a1) into one or the other of collecting receptacles (B1) and (B2) extending along the weighting apparatus (A1).

Description

A SYSTEM FOR SORTING OBJECTS BY WEIGHT,

PARTICULARLY FLOWERS, AND METHOD

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the art of sorting or classifying of objects, and more particularly to sorting of flowers by their weight.

Sorting of flowers is a major requirement in the relevant industry and is presently accomplished manually, namely by placing the flowers on weighting apparatus, reading the scale and accordingly classifying the flowers into groups of different weight. This process is, of course, time-consuming and inefficient.

It is thus the object of the invention to provide a method and a system for automatically sorting flowers in a continuous process according to pre-determined weight categories.

It is a further object of the present invention to utilize a blowing process for the displacement of the flowers from the weighting device platform into suitable collecting trays or receptacles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Thus provided according to one aspect of the present invention is a system for sorting objects by weight, particularly flowers, comprising a weighting apparatus onto which the objects are adapted to be placed one by one for weighting, means for converting the weight of the object into electronic signals, means for processing the signals to identify an amount of weight greater/smaller than a pre-determined value, pressurized air blowing

means in juxtaposition with the weighting apparatus, operable to blow the object off the apparatus in one direction or the opposite direction relative thereto, and means governed by the processing means for controlling the blowing means depending upon the weight amount being greater or smaller than the pre-determined value.

The weighting apparatus preferably comprise a platform onto which the objects are placed, said blowing means comprise a pair of nozzled tubes extending along both sides of the platform, the pressurized air supplied to each tube being controlled by said control means.

According to a modified embodiment of the invention, the system further comprises at-least a second weighting apparatus onto which the objects are blown off the first weighting apparatus, the objects being collected by three elongated receptacles, one extending along one side of the first weight apparatus and second and third receptacles extending along opposite sides of the second weighting apparatus.

The objects are preferably supplied onto the weighting apparatus platform in a continuous manner, e.g., by conveying means.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of sorting objects by weight, particularly flowers, comprising the steps of providing an electronic weight apparatus having a top surface, placing the object on the surface for weighting, converting the weight into an electronic signal and processing the signal to actuate pressurized air supply to first

blowing means adapted to blow the object off the top surface in a first

direction if the signal represents a weight greater than a pre-determined

value, or to second blowing means adapted to blow the object off the top

surface in a second direction if the signal represents a weight less than the pre-determined value.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further objects and additional advantages of the invention will be

appreciated with reference to the ensuing description of preferred embodiments

of the invention, given by way of example only with reference to the

accompanying drawings, wherein,

Fig. 1 is a general, schematic, three-dimensional view of a system featuring

the characteristics of the present invention, in a first basic embodiment thereof;

Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of the system of Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 3 is a further developed embodiment of the system of Fig. 1 ; and

Fig. 4 is a still further developed embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to Figs.1 and 2 there is shown that the system essentially

comprises an electronic weighting apparatus or scale generally denoted Al, comprising a platform a1_ onto which the processed objects, e.g. flowers a2, are

placed for processing.

Further comprised in the system is a pair of trough-like elongated receptacles B1 and B2 extending along, and at a lower level with respect to the

weighting apparatus Al

A pair of nozzled tubes C1 and C2 are installed alongside and at a somewhat elevated level with respect to the platform al of the apparatus Al The

tubes C and C2 are connected to a pressurized air source D, namely a

compressor.

The compressor supplies pressurized air through electrically actuated valve

£1 to conduit E1 leading to tube C1 ; similarly, line E2 includes similar valve F2

leading to tube C2 .

As schematically shown the valves F1 and F2 are controllable by a computerized unit denoted G to which apparatus Al is operatively coupled.

The arrangement is such that once a value greater then a pre-determined

amount XI is sensed by the computerized unit G_, the valve F1 becomes

actuated to open the air supply to tube C , and if the sensed value is less than

X1 - the other valve F2 will become opened and air will be supplied to nozzled

tube C2. The applied air-pressure, as well as other parameters such as the sizes,

number, size and/or rate of deployment of the nozzles along the tubes are suitably

designed so as to enable the blowing the flower away from the respective tube

and off the platform al The operation of the system so far described is thus performed in the

following manner. Flowers (or other objects) are continuously fed to the weighting device A1 , e.g. by conveyor H_ (Fig. 2). Each cycle of sorting comprises the

sensing of the flower weight being less or above a pre-determined weight (X1 )

programmed into the unit G. Accordingly, air jets will be ejected from either one of

the tubes C1 or C2 to blow off the flower into either one of the receptacles B2 or Bl respectively. Hence, blowing tube C2 will cause the object to fall into

receptacle EM , and vice-versa.

The system of Fig. 3 exemplifies a first, simple development of the basic

embodiment described above. Hence, the first weighting device Al supplies the

sorted flowers either to a receptacle B_l at one side thereof, or to a second

weighting apparatus .A2. The weighting apparatus A2 is associated with an

electronic system similar to the one described above with reference to Fig. 1 , to effect the sorting of the objects relative to a value X2, namely that objects

weighting more then X2 will be supplied to receptacle B3 and those weighting

less then X2 will become collected in receptacle B4. The bulk of the flowers will

thus be sorted into three groups.

Fig. 4 is a still further extrapolated embodiment, where a pair of sub-sorting

weighting apparatus A2 and A3 are provided, thus sorting the flowers into four

groups collected in receptacles B3, B4. B5 and B6_, as the case may be.

It is thus seen that the sorting method and system are extremely simple and

low-cost, assuring a speedy, streamlined process of automatic sorting. While the above description contains many specificities, these should not be

construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather as exemplification of the preferred embodiments. Those skilled in the art will

envision other possible variations that are within its scope. Accordingly, the scope

of the invention should be determined not by the embodiments illustrated, but by

the appended claims and their legal equivalents.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1.A system for sorting objects by weight, particularly flowers, comprising

a weighting apparatus onto which the objects are adapted to be placed, one by one, for weighting thereof;

means for converting the weight of the object into electronic signals;

means for processing the signals to identify an amount of weight being greater/smaller than a pre-determined value;

pressurized air blowing means in juxtaposition with the weighting apparatus, operable to blow the object off the apparatus in one direction or the opposite direction relative thereto; and

means governed by the processing means for controlling the blowing means depending upon the weight amount being greater or smaller than the pre-determined value.

2. The system of Claim 1 wherein the weighting apparatus comprise a horizontally extending platform onto which the objects are placed, said blowing means comprise a pair of nozzled tubes extending each along one side of the platform, the pressurized air supplied to each tube being controlled by said control means.

3. The system of Claim 2 wherein the objects are loaded onto the platform in a continuos process.

4. The system of Claim 3 wherein the objects are supplied by a conveyor belt device.

5. The system of Claim 4, the objects being collected by a pair of

elongated receptacles extending along the opposite sides of the weighting platform.

6. The system of Claim 2 further comprising at-least a second weighting apparatus onto which the objects are blown off the first weighting apparatus,

the objects being collected by three trough-like collectors, one extending

along one side of the first weight apparatus and second and third receptacles

extending along opposite sides of the second weighting apparatus.

7. A method of sorting objects by weight, particularly flowers, comprising

the steps of -

- providing an electronic weight apparatus having a top surface;

- placing the object on the surface for weighting;

- converting the weight into an electronic signal;

- processing the signal to actuate pressurized air supply to first

blowing means adapted to blow the object off the top surface in a

first direction if the signal represents a weight greater than a

pre-determined value, or to second blowing means adapted to blow

the object off the top surface in a second direction if the signal

represents a weight less than the pre-determined value.

8. The method of Claim 7 wherein the first direction is opposite to the second direction.

9. The method of Claim 8 wherein the blown off objects are adapted to

fall into elongated receptacles placed at the sides of the weighting

apparatus.

10.The method of Claim 9 further comprising the step of sorting the

objects by an additional weighting apparatus substituting one of the

elongated receptacles.

11 The method of Claim 10 further comprising the step of sorting the

objects by an additional weighting apparatus substituting the other of

the elongated receptacles.