EP1743712A1 - Device and process for grading objects of different sizes - Google Patents

Abstract

The device has a sorting mechanism, which is rotated by a shaft. A housing is mounted on the shaft and includes a base part, cover part (5) and a casing. The cover part includes openings (9), through which objects to be sorted are passed through and guided to a sorting unit (7), where the openings are continuously adjustable by an operating device. The objects escape through openings in the base, after passing through the sorting unit. An independent claim is also included for a method of sorting objects of different size e.g. fruits and vegetables.

Description

Technical area

The invention is based on a device for sorting objects of different sizes according to the preamble of the first claim. The invention is also based on a method for sorting objects of different sizes according to the preamble of the independent method claim.

State of the art

There are different methods for sorting objects of different sizes according to their size. In many cases, this is done by hand at best with the help of templates, but this has a great effort and high costs result. On the other hand, there is a great need, especially in the agricultural market, to sort agricultural products such as fruits and vegetables according to their size, since on the one hand customers and on the other hand legal regulations demand certain quantities of agricultural products.

Presentation of the invention

The invention is based on the object, in a device and a method for sorting objects of different size of the type mentioned in a reliable and cost-effective sorting of objects of different sizes to allow.

According to the invention this is achieved by the features of the first claim.

The essence of the invention is therefore that the means for sorting the objects comprises at least one means with an adjustable passage opening.

Among other things, the advantages of the invention can be seen in the fact that the present invention allows a very simple and cost-effective sorting of objects of different sizes. Next is obtained by the adjustability of the passage opening a universal sorting device, which can each be easily adapted to the desired requirements and the desired sorting material.

Further advantageous embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims and the description.

Short description of the drawing

In the following embodiments of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the drawings. Same or equivalent elements are in the different figures provided with the same reference numerals. The directions of movement are indicated by arrows.

Fig. 1

einen Teillängsschnitt durch eine erfindungsgemässe Vorrichtung;

Fig. 2

eine vergrösserte Darstellung der Sortiervorrichtung nach Fig. 1;

Fig. 3

eine Draufsicht von unten auf die Vorrichtung nach Fig. 1;

Fig. 4

eine Draufsicht von oben auf die Vorrichtung nach Fig. 1;

Fig. 5

eine schematische Darstellung einer alternativen Lösung für eine Steuerscheibe;

Fig. 6

schematische Darstellungen einer weiteren erfindungsgemässen Vorrichtung;

Fig. 7

eine vergrösserte Darstellung des Sortierelementes nach Fig. 6;

Fig. 8

weitere vergrösserte Darstellungen des Sortierelementes nach Fig. 6;

Fig. 9

eine Draufsicht von oben auf das Sortierelement in verschiedenen Öffnungspositionen;

Fig. 10

eine schematische Seitenansicht von auf einem Band angeordneten Sortierelementen.

Show it:

Fig. 1

a partial longitudinal section through an inventive device;

Fig. 2

an enlarged view of the sorting apparatus of FIG. 1;

Fig. 3

a plan view from below of the device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4

a top view of the device of FIG. 1;

Fig. 5

a schematic representation of an alternative solution for a control disk;

Fig. 6

schematic representations of another device according to the invention;

Fig. 7

an enlarged view of the sorting element of FIG. 6;

Fig. 8

further enlarged views of the sorting element of FIG. 6;

Fig. 9

a top view of the sorting element in different opening positions;

Fig. 10

a schematic side view of arranged on a belt sorting elements.

Only the elements essential for the immediate understanding of the invention are shown.

Ways to carry out the invention

In Fig. 1, an inventive device is shown in longitudinal section. This comprises a sorting device 1, a feeding device 20 and a collecting device 30.

According to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the sorter 1 is rotated by means of a shaft 2, however, the shaft can also be fixed and the sorter can be rotated about the shaft. For this purpose, a housing 3 is mounted on the shaft 2, which comprises a bottom part 4, a cover part 5 and a casing 6. The housing and its parts can be designed in any way, the casing can be omitted, for example. Through openings 9 in the lid 5, the objects to be sorted 10 can pass through the housing and are guided to the sorting elements 7 and exit after passing through the sorting element 7 through openings 8 in the bottom 4.
A sorting element 7 comprises in each case a plurality of rods 11. These are held in the cover 5 so as to be movable around the opening 9 associated with the sorting element, so that the rods can perform translatory movements. In the present example, this is done by a guide groove 12 and a thickening 13 attached to the rod, which is movably fitted into the groove 12. However, this attachment can also be done in other ways, such as the thickening can be omitted, the attachment can also be done directly with the lid via a spring, etc. It is essential that the rod can perform the resulting in the rotation described below movements , In the bottom 4, the rods are mounted on a rotatable hollow cylinder 14 held in the bottom, which forms the opening 8. The attachment of the rods 11 on the hollow cylinder 14 by means of springs 15. Thus, a restoring force is generated during the rotation of the hollow cylinder 14, which returns the hollow cylinder and thus the rods back to their original position.
This attachment can also be done in a different way, eg via joints, in which case the restoring force must be generated via a separate spring. Of course, the rods shown here may also be configured in any other form as long as they fulfill the function required for the use shown here.
According to Fig. 2 and 3, a control rod 16 is arranged in each case at each hollow cylinder 14, by means of which the hollow cylinder can be rotated. This control rod is controlled by a control disk 17 by means of an optional ball bearing 18. The ball bearings 18 roll while on the fixed Control disk 17 and through the different radial extent of the control disk, the hollow cylinder 14 are rotated by the control rod different degrees. The effect of this rotation is shown in Fig. 3. In a sector A, the radial extent of the control disk is the lowest, the hollow cylinder is in the untwisted position and the rods 7 have the greatest angle with respect to the shaft axis. From sector B to C to D and E, the radial extent of the control disk and thus the rotation of the hollow cylinder 14 increases more and more until, in sector E, the rods 7 are aligned substantially parallel to the shaft axis 2 and the largest passage opening results.

In Fig. 4, the feeder 20 is shown from above, with all sorting elements are shown visibly, although these are essentially covered by a sorting cover 21, see in each case also Fig. 1. In the table, a slot 22 is arranged through which the objects 10 can pass through the cover. Below a turntable 23 is arranged, which, however, is not connected to the shaft 2. The hub is supported by means of balls 24 on the cover 5 of the housing, but the storage can also be done with rolling elements, rollers, etc. By means of these balls, the rotational speed of the hub is reduced in comparison to the rotational speed of the housing, so that the hub has only half, one third, etc., the rotational speed of the housing. This ensures that only one object is introduced into the sorting element. Of course, the hub 23 can also be driven by other means such as toothed gearing. The delivery device may also be implemented in other ways, e.g. as a conveyor belt.

The function of the sorting device is the following, see FIGS. 1 to 4: By means of the feeding device 20, objects 10 are introduced into the slot 22. By the turntable 23, the objects 10 are brought to each not covered by the cover 21 opening 9 and fall through the opening 9 in the sorting element 7. Since the housing 3 continues to rotate, is always one other opening 9 is not covered by the cover 21 and another object 10 falls into the next sorting element. The size of the passage opening through the sorting element 7 is adjusted by the control disk, so that the passage opening from sector A to B to C to D and D increases more and more. Below the openings 8 in the bottom 4 respectively hollow cylinder 14 each collecting container 31 are arranged, which collect the objects 10 falling through the sorting element. The collecting container 31 can each extend over the entire sector, since in these sectors each of the same size objects fall through the sorting elements. The collecting container 31 can be made of any materials. Of course, it is also possible to use slides, conveyor belts, etc. instead of the collecting containers. In sector E, the sorting elements 7 are fully opened to be emptied to receive new objects. Then an object is picked up again and so on.

The design of the sorting elements shown here by twisted rods is particularly advantageous. By this embodiment, objects with a very irregular and oval or ellipsoidal shape, such as plums or plums, can be sorted safely, being sorted by the conical inner shape of the sorting elements according to the smaller diameter.
The sorting element may also consist of a tube instead of rods, wherein the tube is also rotated to produce the different passage openings. Advantageously, a tube with rod-shaped reinforcements is used here.
By means of such sorting elements, an arbitrary size of the passage opening can be set within the maximum passage opening without the sorting element having to be changed. Only the control disc must be adapted to the desired openings. By such a device can therefore be sorted very easily very different Sortiergut simply by the control disk is replaced.

In Fig. 5, a particularly advantageous solution for a control disk 17 is shown. The control disk is here divided into control segments 17a corresponding to the desired number of sectors. Of course, several segments can be arranged per desired sector, in particular that a segment is provided for each sorting element, thereby the settings and the number of sectors can be chosen arbitrarily. The control segments 17a of the respective sectors are held with brackets 19 on the shaft 2. The holder can be made as shown by hollow cylinder or part cylinder, but it can also be a groove system, etc., can be used. The adjustment of the control segments is very easy by moving the brackets 19 on the shaft 2, wherein on the shaft a scale 25 may be attached, which corresponds to the corresponding passage opening of the sorting element 7 for the corresponding control segment. As a result, the corresponding passage opening can be adjusted very easily for each control segment, and no different control discs are required. The scanning of the control segments 17a is analogous to the aforementioned examples, however, the gradation is designed in the direction of the shaft axis and not perpendicular to the shaft axis. The scanning is also carried out here by means of a correspondingly designed control rod 16, which is designed according to the desired scan and possibly can have a further lever arm. The control rod 16 can also roll on the control segments here by means of an optional ball bearing 18.

FIGS. 6A, 6B and 6C show a further sorting device 1 according to the invention in longitudinal section. The feeding device 20 is shown schematically in Fig. 6A from above, the collecting device 30 is not shown. However, these elements can be carried out according to the above.
The shaft 2 is connected to the lid 5 of the sorting device 1. In the lid 5, the openings 9 for the passage of objects to be sorted 10, shown here as cherries, arranged. On the shaft 2 here also a control disk 17 is arranged, which rotates with the shaft. Outside the Circular lid 5 are on a fixed element 41, which can be performed, for example, annular and which may be connected to the sorting cover 21, adjusting elements 42 are arranged. These adjustment elements are arranged on holders 43, for example bolts or screws, which are embedded in the fixed element and can be displaced in the direction of the shaft axis. The control disk is designed to be flexible and engages in the adjusting elements, so that the spacing of the control disk 17 from the cover 5 can be changed by the adjusting elements.

In Fig. 7, the sorting element 7 is now shown in detail. The sorting element 7 consists here of pins 44, which are arranged by means of a thickened head 45 in the lid 5 around the opening 9 around. The head 45 is arranged in a recess 46 of the lid so that the pin 44 is movably mounted. Of course, this movable mounting can be done in other ways, for example by spring elements, ball bearings, etc. The pins shown here can of course be designed in any other form, as long as they meet the function required for the use shown here.
In the control disk 17 5 openings 47 are arranged directly below the opening 9 of the lid. In the position shown in Fig. 7, the adjusting element 42, the control disk is guided very close to the lid 5, whereby the pins 44 are brought together. As a result, an object 10 is held by the pins 44. In the position shown in dashed lines of the adjusting element 42, the control disk is held at a greater distance from the cover 5, whereby the conditional by the pins 44 passage opening is increased, so that the object 10 can pass. Since the adjustment 42 is arbitrarily positioned on the holder 43, any openings can be adjusted on the sorting element.

In FIGS. 8A and 8B, the sorting element 7 is shown with several pins 44 for better illustration, in the partially closed position in FIG. 8A and in the open position in FIG. 8B.

In FIGS. 9A to 9C, the sorting element 7 with the pins in different opening positions is shown schematically from above. The position shown in Figure 9A corresponds to that of Figure 8A, the position shown in Figure 9C that of Figure 8B.

The function of the sorting device according to Figures 6 to 9 is the following: By means of the feeding device 20 objects 10 are introduced into the slot 22 and fall through the opening 9 in the sorting element 7. Since the cover 5 by means of the shaft 2 and thus the opening 9 further rotates, each time a different opening 9 is not covered by the cover 21 and another object 10 falls into the next sorting element 7. The size of the passage opening through the sorting element 7 by the adjustment 42 and by the distance of the control disk 17 from the lid 5, so that the passage opening increases more and more until the opening 9 returns to the starting point, where the passage opening of the sorting element is minimized again. Below the sorting elements, respective collecting containers are arranged, which collect the objects 10 falling through the sorting element. These collecting containers can be configured analogously to that shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, so that objects of corresponding size are collected. Of course, it is also possible to use slides, conveyor belts, etc. instead of the collecting containers.

FIG. 10 shows that the sorting device 1 does not have to be designed as a rotational body which rotates about a shaft. With the present sorting elements 7, it is also possible to arrange them for example on a belt 50. This belt 50 is under the feeding device 20, which is designed here as a conveyor belt 26, carried out, the objects 10 fall through openings 9 in the belt and the sorting element 7 then assumes an object 10 analogous to the above-described embodiments. By means of the control element 17 and the associated elements 16, 18, 19, 42, 43, soft depend on the execution of the sorting element 7, the size of the passage opening of the sorting element is also controlled here. The control is such that the small objects first and then the larger objects fall into the receptacle 31. Of course, it is also possible to use slides, conveyor belts, etc. instead of the collecting containers. After the sorting element has been completely opened, the sorting element is returned by means of the belt 50 back to the starting point and to the re-admission of sorted material. In the embodiment shown here, the sorting elements 7 are reversed during the return and opened downwards, so that in the sorting element remaining objects such as branches, leaves, too large objects, etc. are ejected.
The control element 17 is preferably designed as a control belt 17 or as individual control elements 17, which are each assigned to specific sorting elements. The embodiment as individual control elements 17 is particularly advantageous in the case of strong curvatures of the band 50, wherein one or more sorting elements 7 can each be controlled by a control element 17.
The execution on a belt has the advantage that several sorting element can be arranged side by side. The band can also be carried out in a similar way to conveyor belt in a plane or in other ways.

It is not shown that the sorting element 7 may also consist of a plurality of flaps with different sized passage openings, wherein the flap with the smallest passage opening at the bottom, that is arranged against the bottom of the device. After the object has fallen into the sorting element, the lowermost flap folds away with the smallest opening. If the object is smaller than the opening of the next flap, it will fall out; if it is larger, it will remain lying there until the flap with the corresponding opening folds away.

By the present sorting device, any objects can be sorted. In particular, however, it is suitable for sorting agricultural products such as fruits and vegetables.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments shown and described. It is also possible to use sorting elements other than those described above. Important is their function to sort the objects by means of different passage openings, in particular by means of an adjustable passage opening. The feeding of the objects to the sorting elements can also be done in other ways, e.g. Slides, conveyor belts, etc., but it must be ensured that only one object is fed into the respective sorting element. As a collecting device, other devices can be used. Thus, of course, slides, conveyor belts, etc., can be used instead of the collecting container shown.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

sorter

2

wave

3

casing

4

ground

5

cover

6

casing

7

sort element

8th

Opening ground

9

Openings cover

10

object

11

Rod

12

guide

13

Thickening rod

14

hollow cylinder

15

feather

16

control rod

17

Control disc, band

17a

control segments

18

ball-bearing

19

bracket

20

Zuführungsvorichtung

21

sorting cover

22

slot

23

turntable

24

Bullet

25

Scale

26

conveyor belt

30

catcher

31

receptacle

41

fixed element

42

adjustment

43

bracket

44

pen

45

head

46

recess

47

Opening control disk

50

tape

Claims (16)

Device for sorting objects (10) of different size according to their size, in particular of fruits and vegetables, the device comprising a feeding device (20) and a sorting device (1) for the objects (10),
characterized,
in that the sorting device (1) comprises at least one sorting element (7) with an adjustable passage opening. Device according to claim 1,
characterized,
that the passage opening of the sorting element (7) is continuously adjustable. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
characterized,
that the passage opening of the sorting element (7) by means of control means (16, 17, 42, 43) is adjustable. Device according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
that the sorting element (7) consists of several bars (11) and / or pins (44). Device according to claim 4,
characterized,
that the size of the through rods (11) and / or pins (44) passage orifice formed is adjustable. Apparatus according to claim 3 or 4,
characterized,
in that a spring (15) is arranged on the rod (11) or the pin (44). Device according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
that the adjustment of the passage opening of the sorting element (7) arranged by means of the control means (17) opening (47) is carried out. Device according to claim 7,
characterized,
in that the control means (17) is adjustable by means of adjusting elements (42). Device according to one of claims 1 to 6,
characterized,
that the passage opening of the sorting element (7) is adjustable by means of a rotation. Device according to claim 9,
characterized,
in that the sorting element (7) can be rotated by means of control means (16, 17). Device according to claim 10,
characterized,
that the control means (17) is divided into a plurality of segments (17a) and that these segments are independently adjustable. Device according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
that the rods are arranged on a rotatable hollow cylinder. Device according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
in that the sorting element (7) is arranged on a device (1, 3) rotatable about a shaft (2) or rotated by a shaft, or on a belt. Device according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
in that the feed device (20) has a feed means (23) which has a lower speed than that of the sorting element (7). Method for sorting objects (10) of different size according to their size, in particular of fruits and vegetables,
characterized,
in that objects (10) are fed to a sorting device (1) via a feed device (20),
that the object (10) is fed to a sorting element (7) of the sorting device (1),
and that the sorting element (7) is controlled in such a way that the object passes the sorting element at the associated location and in particular is fed to a catching device (30). Method according to claim 15,
characterized,
that the passage opening of the sorting element (7) by control means (16, 17) is adjusted.

Images