EP1368236A1

EP1368236A1 - System for presorting products, such as fruit, and filling cases with the products

Info

Publication number: EP1368236A1
Application number: EP20020702970
Authority: EP
Inventors: Rin Alleblas
Original assignee: FPS Food Processing Systems BV
Current assignee: FPS Food Processing Systems BV
Priority date: 2001-03-06
Filing date: 2002-03-06
Publication date: 2003-12-10
Also published as: CN1501880A; BR0207719A; WO2002072428A1; AR032959A1; JP2004528234A

Abstract

A System for presorting products, such as fruit, and after presorting, filling cases with the presorted products, comprising: - a feeding device (1), in particular for singling the products, - a classification device for successively detecting for all singled products predetermined characteristics, such as weight and color, and classifying these products in accordance with pre-set criteria, - a conveyor (3) for further conveying the classified products, - discharge conveyors (4n) for further conveying the products discharged from the conveyor in accordance with their classification, - a discharge device for discharging large amounts of products having the same classification, and, - a control device for controlling said devices constituting the system, characterized in that the discharge device comprises at least a single drying case filler (7) for filling cases with products. There can thus be obtained a considerable saving on floor area in packaging stations and on the numbers of fillers.

Description

Title:

SYSTEM FOR PRESORTING PRODUCTS, SUCH AS FRUIT, AND FILLING CASES WITH THE PRODUCTS

The present invention relates to a system for presorting products, such as fruit, and described in the preamble of the main claim.

Such devices are known to be used in the sectors of sorting, packaging and storing large amounts of products, such as fruits, in particular apples. As soon as, for instance, apples after picking are fed to a sorting station, generally a large part thereof will be stored in cold rooms for later use. In order to provide these fruits already with a label or classification, they are presorted and then stored in cases in the cold rooms mentioned. For such applications, it is known to place at each output of a discharge conveyor, for instance conveyor belts, a drying case filler for filling the cases. Apart from the fact that, on the one hand, considerable savings have been obtained through the previously frequently used channel systems and, on the other hand, by replacing wet case fillers by a dry system, in such packaging stations, the discharge conveyors easily running up to 20 to 40 in number will require an equal number of drying case fillers.

Such drying case fillers are known, for instance, from US 4,194,343, in which the products fed on a belt, for each belt separately, are both collected and then deposited in cases.

In order to remove the deficiencies mentioned, the system according to the invention is characterized in that the discharge device at least comprises a single drying case filler for filling cases with products.

What is advantageously achieved with such a system is that a considerable saving on the numbers of such drying case fillers can be accomplished. Further, the invention is characterized in that the drying case filler at each discharge conveyor comprises a fixedly arranged collector and a single filler movable to at least two of the discharge conveyors, and in particular that the system comprises at least a single rail system for feeding and discharging the cases.

There can thus be suitably obtained a further saving on floor area required for placing such enormous systems. Furthermore, the invention provides a method for presorting products, such as fruit, and is characterized by the use of the system according to the invention.

Further details of the system according to the invention will hereinafter be explained with reference to a single figure 1. The figure diagrammatically shows a feeding device 1, for instance singling rollers on which, for instance, fruits, dry or not dry, can be delivered, a classification device 2, for instance a weighing system and/or a vision system for depicting the products and classifying the products with the pictures obtained, a conveyor 3, often called sorting machine, where the fruits are carried along in grippers or trays, or also lying on forks, and are then discharged on discharge conveyors 4ι to 4n associated with the classification set. To save floor area, these discharge conveyors can be so designed that they also extend in upward direction, for instance in the manner of an accordion, more in particular as a so-called paternoster, or also storey- wise, with, for instance, several conveyor belts located above each other. The discharge conveyors feed the fruits to, for instance, as many ends 5ι to 5_n thereof, or a smaller number thereof if not every discharge needs to end up in cases. These ends are collectors, each fitting at least a single filler 7 movable between the discharge conveyors 4, for instance along a rail system 6 above the devices 4. The cases thus filled can be discharged over a rail system, for instance with separate rails for feeding and discharge, for instance located on the floor of such a packaging station, and not shown in the figure. The coupling of collector and filler may be designed in a known manner with a paternoster, a rising case system as used in the bakery art, or other known buffer, storage or filling systems.

Claims

1. A system for presorting products, such as fruit, and after presorting, filling cases with the presorted products, comprising: a feeding device, in particular for singling the products, a classification device for successively detecting for all singled products predetermined characteristics, such as weight and color, and classifying these products in accordance with pre-set criteria, a conveyor for further conveying the classified products, discharge conveyors for further conveying the products discharged from the conveyor in accordance with their classification, - a discharge device for discharging large amounts of products having the same classification, and, a control device for controlling the devices mentioned consituting the system, characterized in that the discharge device comprises at least a single drying case filler for filling cases with products.

2. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that the drying case filler at each discharge conveyor comprises a fixedly arranged collector and a single filler movable to at least two of the discharge conveyors.

3. A system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the system comprises at least a single rail system for feeding and discharging the cases.

4. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the discharge conveyors extend in upward direction, for instance in the manner of an accordion, more in particular as a so-called paternoster, or also in storeyed configuration, with, for instance, several conveyor belts located above each other.

5. A method for presorting products, such as fruit, characterized by using the system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.