FR2789607A1 - Installation for the classification of objects/products such as fruit and vegetable products, comprises cupping units that have a cylindrical recess - Google Patents

Abstract

The system comprises of a conveyor upon which are located a number of transportation cup elements. The cups are raised by a height (h) and have a diameter (d) such that various fruit and vegetable items can be accommodated. The interior of the cup member is formed as a conical depression (5).

Description

Installation of sorting of objects by conveyors and referral station.

  The present invention relates to a sorting installation

  objects by carriers and referral station.

  The technical sector of the invention is the field of the manufacture of devices for dispensing, handling and conveying objects continuously. The main application of the invention is to continuously sort fragile objects, such as large fruits and vegetables such as pineapples, melons, ... which are of pseudo-spherical external shape, or shapeless ones, such as broccoli, groups of grapes, in order to group them

for example, by caliber.

  The present invention can also be applied to sorting methods which are not only related to weight, but also to dimensional, qualitative, colorimetric sortings, etc. To date, given the fragility of the products to be sorted, either all of the handling and sorting is done by hand, which is time-consuming and expensive, or means of transport of the conveyor type are used but along which the fruits or vegetables collide and fall in particular to pass from one to the other, this

  which damages them and can make them unfit for consumption.

  Admittedly, various systems have been developed to mitigate these risks of falling and of shock, and some have been the subject of filing a patent application, such as for example - European patent EP 568763, the grant of which was published on June 1996 and relating to an "apparatus for the automatic selection and grading of fruits and the like", for separating and weighing bulbous fruits and plant products of various shapes and sizes, using motorized conveyors of a set of trays receiving said products to be weighed, arranged in sequence, and chassis supporting the trays and connected to the conveyor; - patent FR 2332818 published on June 24, 1977, entitled "device for transporting, selecting and calibrating agricultural and / or horticultural fruits" according to their color and / or their size, using

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  particular of a conveyor belt provided with a series of receptacles each intended to receive a separate fruit, and at least two cooperating guide belts, driven substantially at the same speed as the conveyor belt, and provided with cavities corresponding to the receptacles of that -this; - the certificate of utility FR 2553308 published on April 19, 1985 and entitled "feeder device for grader" comprising in particular a turntable on which are arranged in bulk the objects to be aligned and a plurality of oscillating guide means, supplying conveyor belts which deposit said objects one by one in

receptacle containers.

  All of these devices certainly have receptacles specific to each object to be transported, but these receptacles being fixed and driven by chains ensuring their movement, however do not avoid friction, rolling or sliding and irregular mechanical stresses on the fruits or vegetables thus handled; moreover, each of these devices is specific to a type of fruit or vegetable to be transported and / or to be sized and cannot be adapted to any form of vegetable; in addition, their performance in terms of the number of objects processed in a given time is limited by the complexity and size of the switching stations which require, depending on the desired sorting rate, to increase the length of the installations, which takes up a lot of space

  and is not necessarily possible depending on the surface available.

  The problem is therefore to make sorting installations for fragile objects in which one can automatically and very quickly sort objects, whatever the type of sorting, the nature or the shape of the objects, whatever either pseudo-spherical or shapeless, and this without fall or shock, or irregular mechanical stress and using simple means of referral which allow great speed in said sorting by referral, even if the objects appear close to each other and at high speed, each object corresponding to the type of sorting desired towards the corresponding output, and according to a continuous process and with a very compact installation allowing an adaptation to

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  different building surfaces and installation dimensions, even with

a high sorting capacity.

  A solution to the problem posed is an installation for sorting objects comprising at least two conveyors on which said objects are transported and the second of which is arranged transversely to the first distribution said, and a switching station arranged at the intersection of the two. said carriers and able either to let said objects pass on the first carrier, or to orient them on the second; according to the present invention, the at least two conveyors ensure continuity of the transport surface, the edges of their adjacent surface being situated almost and at best at the same level, and said installation comprises free and independent receptacles capable of each receiving at least one object, and having an outer skirt, the lower edge of which rests on the surface of said conveyors to be driven therein, and a hollow space between said skirt and a central part

receiving the object.

  Said conveyor transporting and distributing the receptacles is of a narrower width than that of these receptacles and each switching station is composed of at least one retractable or protruding lug on the passage of said receptacles, and located on the side of said conveyor and at inside the surface covered by the width of the receptacles and external to that of the conveyor, in order to be housed when it is prominent in the passage of a receptacle in the hollow space thereof, in order to block and do so rotate to the exit corresponding to the

second carrier desired.

  In a particular embodiment, the object sorting installation according to the invention comprises at least one station for determining a characteristic of each object corresponding to the type of sorting desired, and at least two referral stations orienting said objects. objects according to their characteristic thus determined with respect to predetermined sorting criteria, to the second carriers which only receive receptacles carrying objects having the same

sorting characteristic.

  Preferably, for fragile objects such as those mentioned in the introduction, the external shape of which comprises at least one pseudo-spherical part, said receptacles comprise a conical part

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  central hollow, the largest base of which is oriented upwards for

  receiving said pseudo-spherical part of fragile objects.

  In a preferred embodiment, said receptacles are of circular external shape and the skirts have an upper part that is slightly conical and flared downwards, followed by a

  shoulder and a vertical cylindrical lower part.

  The result is a new type of object sorting installation responding to the problem posed since, along the entire installation according to the invention, the objects are carried, immobilized relative to their receptacle and protected by it, and therefore cannot be subjected to the slightest shock; in addition, the peculiarity of the lower hollow shape of the receptacles and their combination with latching switch stations, makes it possible as described below, to simplify the production of these stations and the switch operations, to make them these are very fast and take up very little space, which allows the outputs to be brought closer between the corresponding second conveyors, thereby reducing the length of the installation. This can also be automated as it exists in many known sorting or sizing installations, but here according to a particular and essential characteristic of the invention, each receptacle is independent and free, and receives only one object or group of objects to be sorted, and said receptacles all being identical,

  allow a better efficiency of operations.

  One could cite other advantages of the present invention, but those cited above already show enough to prove the

novelty and interest.

  The description and the figures below represent examples of

  embodiment of the invention, but are in no way limiting: other embodiments are possible, within the scope and scope of the invention, in particular: - by changing the shape of the receptacles and their central part to adapt it to the type of object to be transported, - using different devices for determining the characteristics of each object according to the type of sorting desired, which s 2789607 apart from the weight, can be based on other criteria, such as dimensional, qualitative, color, etc. Figure 1 is a vertical and cross sectional view of a

  object receptacle according to the present invention.

  Figure 2 is a sectional view of three stacked receptacles,

  type of that shown in figure 1.

  Figures 3 and 4 are top view diagrams of a type

installation according to the invention.

  FIGS. 5 are axial views in partial section AA ′ of FIG. 4C, of the installation shown in any one of FIGS. 4 or 5. In a known manner, the sorting installations for objects 2 comprise at least two conveyors 92, 14 transporting said objects 2 which are placed on their surface, the second 14 of which are arranged transversely to the first distribution said 92, and switching stations 13 arranged at the intersection of each so-called exit or evacuation conveyor 14 with the distribution conveyor 92, and able either to let said objects pass over it, or to orient them towards the

  corresponding evacuation conveyor 14.

  The installation also includes at least one station 10 for determining the characteristic of each object 2 corresponding to the type of sorting desired, and in fact at least two referral stations 13 orienting said objects 2 according to their characteristic thus determined with respect to to predetermined sorting criteria, towards said second exit or evacuation conveyors 14, which receive receptacles carrying objects only then having the same sorting characteristic. Non-standard objects that do not correspond to any sorting criteria are sent to a specific output 14, generally the last one at the end

distribution carrier 92.

  According to the present invention, all of the transport means or conveyors 7, 9, 14, constituting the installation, ensure continuity of the transport surface, the edges of the adjacent transport surfaces of two consecutive transport means being located almost and at best. at the same level; said installation includes

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  free and independent receptacles 1, each capable of receiving a single object 2 which may be fragile, or even a group of objects, and of storing it throughout the installation from their loading station to that unloading; said receptacles 1 are cups, of preferably circular outer shape, and comprising an outer skirt 4, the lower edge of which rests on the surface 6 of each of said conveyors to be driven therein, and a hollow space open downwards 15, of preferably peripheral, between said skirt 4 and

  a central part 3 receiving the object 2.

  In addition, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, when the fragile objects can have an external shape comprising at least one pseudo-spherical part 21 such as in particular, in the main application of the invention, the melons, the pineapple, etc., said receptacles 1 comprise a central conical hollow part 3, the largest base of which is open and oriented upwards to receive therein said pseudo or almost spherical part of fragile objects 2. The angle formed by the walls of the conical part 3 with the bearing surface 6 can be of the order of 35 to 45, preferably 40, which, with an external diameter "d" of said cup from 160 to 190 mm, preferably 175 mm by example, for a height h of 40 to 50 mm, preferably at least 45 mm, allows objects 2 to be received whose quasi-spherical shape can be of a radius from R1 = 40 mm to R2 = 90 mm; the maximum radius being in fact limited by the outside diameter "d" of the cup so that the object does not overflow from it and is thus protected from impact with the walls of the installation and / or with another object which would move in

another close receptacle.

  Furthermore, said cups 1, due to their outer skirt 4 and the hollow space 15 between said skirt 4 and the central conical part 3 allows the stacking of said cups 1 on one another, as shown in the figure 2. To ensure better stacking and stability thereof, the outer skirts 4 of the cups 1 may have an upper part 42 slightly conical and flared downwards, followed by a shoulder 41 and a vertical lower part 43 In addition, this vertical lower part 43 which is therefore cylindrical in shape, avoids the

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  overlap of the cups 1 on each other when they are stored against each other in the accumulation zones 82 and 8j waiting. The central conical part 3 also has a lower opening 5 corresponding to its smallest base and located very close to the surface 6 at the lower edge of the skirt 4: the diameter of this opening 5 is 30 to 40 mm for the dimensions cup given previously, and limits along the angle ca of the central conical part,

  the minimum diameter RI of the objects 2.

  The interior of said conical part 3 is preferably lined with a sheet of foam to better protect the fragile object 2, the pseudo-spherical part 21 of which is placed in said conical part where it will be

  maintained without the possibility of moving relative to the cup 1.

  In the case where the criterion for sorting said fragile objects is that of weight, said receptacles 1 are of identical weight and the station 10 for determining the characteristic of each object, corresponding to the type of sorting desired, is a weighing device making it possible to sort

  said objects 2 by weight category.

  The receptacles 1 are previously loaded according to any method or means, such as manual, not shown in the accompanying figures, each with a single object or group of objects. They are then driven along the installation which consists, according to FIG. 3, of a conveyor or conveyor or conveyor, of feed 7 which is followed in the case of sorting by weight, of a means or conveyor weighing 10 continuously, completely isolated from the preceding one and faster than the latter, in order to be able to separate the receptacles which could touch, and thus ensures the weighing of each receptacle 1 individually with great precision. It is also possible to have a retaining arm 11 upstream of this weighing station 10, thus stopping the receptacles 1 in a waiting zone 81 at the end of the feed conveyor 7, and releasing them one by one. a a

a given distance.

  The station 10 for determining the characteristic of each object 2 corresponding to the type of sorting desired, such as by a continuous weighing belt, is followed by the conveyor or belt 92 isolated from the previous one, having

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  a certain length, determining a zone 91 for distributing the receptacles 2, and along which the routing or evacuation devices 13 are arranged, making it possible to push the receptacles 1 out of the conveyor 92, according to their characteristic with respect to the criterion of predetermined sorting, such as their weight for example, either according to the size of the object or of the fruit which they transport, but other criteria

can be retained.

  The installation according to the invention allows a number of non-limiting sizes: according to FIG. 3, three conveyor outlets 14 are shown but others could be added to them on the right of the figure, and the belts 14 could also be willing to

  a closer distance than that shown.

  The control of the evacuation or referral devices 13 is ensured by a central management unit, not shown, receiving the information from the device for determining the desired characteristic 10, such as the weight, and also controls the opening of the

arm 11.

  According to the mode of representation of FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, the conveyors 14 supplied by the switching or evacuation stations 13, each for a category of objects 2 corresponding to a given sorting characteristic, are roller conveyors , arranged transversely to that of distribution 92, from the station 10 for determining the characteristic of each object 2 corresponding to the type of sorting desired; these roller conveyors are inclined up and down respectively from said switching stations 13 o their upper edge is at that of the surface 6 of the conveyor 92, for example unloading stations 19; for each outlet conveyor 14, said receptacles 1 all contain objects having the same sorting characteristic and the corresponding conveyor 14 comprises a buffer zone 82 for accumulating said receptacles which, in the case of roller conveyors, slide therein by their weight until come

  accumulate 82 waiting for example to be discharged 19 from their object 2.

  According to the present invention, after the waiting area 8, receptacles loaded 1 on the feed conveyor 7, and the post of

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  determination 10 of the characteristic of each object 2 corresponding to the type of sorting desired, the conveyor 92 which brings said cups or receptacles 1 to the referral stations or evacuation devices 13,

  is narrower in width "1" than that "d" of these receptacles.

  Each switching station 13 is composed of at least one retractable or protruding lug 18 at the passage of said receptacles, and located on the side of said conveyor 92 and inside the surface covered by the width "d" of receptacles 1 and external to that of the width "1" of said conveyor 92. Each lug 18 is slightly offset relative to the axis of the outlet or of the corresponding conveyor, slightly upstream relative to the direction of drive of the distribution conveyor 92 The receptacles 1, released for example at a constant frequency by the retaining arm 11, first pass over the means for determining the characteristic of the objects 2 corresponding to the type of sorting desired, such as weighing for given calibrations, and associates with a

presence detector 121.

  The statement of said characteristic of the objects 2 is then communicated to the central management unit defined above, so that each receptacle 1 is identified, according to the type of sorting desired, such as the weight of its load 2, and can then be distributed to the outlet or conveyor 14 previously defined,

corresponding to this sorting.

  The input of said distribution conveyor 92 is also provided with a presence detector 12, coupled to an encoder 122: this encoder driven for example by the axis of the drum of the conveyor 92 sends a signal at regular angular intervals to the unit central management 12; these angular intervals of the drum are then converted into regular linear intervals, which make it possible to virtually scale the strip of said conveyor 92 and to calculate for each receptacle 1 the distance between the presence detector 12, and the outlet 14 at

  which the container or receptacle 1 loaded, detected, must be evacuated.

  Thus, depending on the driving speed of said conveyor 92 raised by the encoder 122, and the location of each of said receptacles 1 by the detector 121, when those intended for the outlet 14

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  corresponding to their sorting, are presented in front of said outlet, the lug 18 previously retracted (FIGS. 4A, 4B, 5B), then allowing the other receptacles to pass, and placed opposite the outlet or the corresponding evacuation conveyor 14, is activated and emerges above the surface of the conveyor 92 and under the corresponding receptacle 1: it then locks under the skirt of said receptacle, makes it pivot (FIGS. 4C, 5A), which in fact continues to be driven by the transporter 92, until taken care of by the evacuation transporter 14; the lug 18 is then retracted again to release said receptacle 1 (FIG. 4D) and is ready to either let the following receptacles pass, or to

  take charge of a receptacle intended for the same outlet 14.

  Each retractable lug 18 can be supplemented by a presence detector 121 placed upstream of said lug 18, in order to increase the

  accuracy of triggering the emergence of it.

  Such referral stations 13, in addition to their simplicity, take up little space and because of the speed of emergence or exit and re-entry of the lugs 18, can be arranged very close to each other and accept a large rate of distribution of the receptacles 1 by the conveyor 92. This makes it possible, on the one hand to reduce the size of the installation, and on the other hand to improve the efficiency of the latter. Said lugs 18 can be driven by pneumatic cylinders or consist of a metal finger moved linearly and vertically by an electromagnet 16 supplied on demand by said management unit. In the case of belt conveyor, as shown in section in FIGS. 5, the belt 6 of the distribution conveyor 92 is a continuous belt which is driven and supported by rollers 17 having the same width "1" and rotating around 'YY axes' parallel to the transport surface. To ensure better guidance of said strip 6, the latter has at least one groove which can be median and which is guided

  by grooves 20 made in said rollers 17.

Claims (8)

  1. Installation for sorting objects (2) comprising at least two conveyors (92, 14) on which said objects (2) are transported and the second (14) of which is arranged transversely to the first, called distribution (92), and a switching station (13) arranged at the intersection of the two said conveyors and suitable either for letting said objects pass on the first conveyor (9), or for orienting them on the second (14), caracterlsee in that : - the at least two conveyors (92, 14) provide continuity of the transport surface, the edges of their adjacent surface being situated at best at the same level; - And said installation comprises receptacles (1) free and independent capable of each receiving at least one fragile object, and having an outer skirt (4), the lower edge of which rests on the surface (6) of said carriers to be there driven, and a hollow space (15) between   said skirt (6) and a central part (3) receiving the object (2).   2. Sorting installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the conveyor (92) transporting and distributing said receptacles (1) is of a narrower width (1) than that (d) of said receptacles and each referral station (13) is composed of at least one lug (18) retractable or prominent in the passage of said receptacles (1), and located on the side of said conveyor (92) and inside the surface covered by the width of the receptacles ( 1) and external to that of transporter (92).   3. Sorting installation according to claim 2, characterized in that the lug (18) is a metal finger moved linearly and   vertically by an electromagnet (16).   4. Sorting facility according to any one of   Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said receptacles (1) are of   circular outer shape and the skirts (4) have an upper part (42) slightly conical and flared downwards, followed by a   shoulder (41) and a vertical cylindrical lower part (43).   5. Sorting installation according to any one of claims 1 to 4, for objects (2) whose external shape comprises at least one pseudo-spherical part (21), characterized in that said receptacles (1) comprise a part conical (3) central hollow, the 12 2789607   larger base is oriented upwards to receive said part therein   pseudo-spherical of said objects (2).   6. Sorting plant for objects, characterized in that it comprises at least one station for determining (10) a characteristic of each object (2) corresponding to the type of sorting desired, and at least two referral stations ( 13) directing said objects (2) as a function of their characteristic thus determined with respect to predetermined sorting criteria, towards the second carriers (14) which do not receive   receptacles carrying articles having the same sorting characteristic.   7. Sorting installation according to claim 6, characterized in that after each switching station (13) the corresponding conveyor (14) comprises a buffer zone (82) for the accumulation of receptacles (1) all containing objects having the same sorting characteristic. 8. Sorting facility according to any one of   claims 6 or 7, characterized in that the determination station   (10) of the characteristic of each object (2) corresponding to the type of sorting desired, is a weighing device making it possible to sort said objects (2)   by weight category and the receptacles (1) have an identical weight.