ITBO20080547A1 - METHOD AND DEVICE FOR THE MANIPULATION OF FOOD PRODUCTS. - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR HANDLING FOOD PRODUCTS.

The present invention relates to a method for handling portions of products.

In particular, the present invention relates to a method for transferring single portions of food products from an accumulation station, in which the portions are arranged on a support surface, to a packaging station in which the portions are separated. and canned in packages containing a certain number of portions.

moreover, the present invention relates to a device for the transfer and canning of the aforementioned portions.

In the remainder of this discussion we will refer to single portions of butter of the 8-10 gram type, such as, for example, those used for breakfasts in hotels or for meals on airplanes, without thereby losing in general.

Currently, single portions of butter are canned, by means of automatic devices, in packages containing a number of single portions suitable for industrial use.

In recent times, the demand for packages containing a smaller number of portions, suitable for civilian use, has increased; such packages must, for example, be capable of being stored in a domestic-type refrigerator.

As is known, the canning of single portions of butter in packages for civil use is done manually.

As understandable, such manual canning involves high production times, with a considerable increase in the cost of labor.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for handling portions of food product and a device for carrying out the aforementioned method which allows the portions of food product to be packaged quickly and efficiently.

The technical characteristics of the present invention, according to the aforementioned object, are clearly deducible from the content of the claims reported below, in particular from claim 1 and, preferably, from any claim dependent, directly or indirectly, on claim 1.

The advantages of the present invention will also become more evident from the detailed description that follows, which is made with reference to the attached drawings which represent, purely by way of non-limiting example, a preferred embodiment of the same invention, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates, in a schematic perspective view in side elevation, a device made in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 illustrates, in a schematic side view with some parts removed to better understand others, the device of Figure 1 in a first operating configuration;

Figure 3 illustrates, in a schematic side view, an enlarged detail of the device of Figures 1 and 2, in a second operating configuration;

Figure 4 illustrates, in a schematic side view, an enlarged detail of the device of Figures 1 and 2, in a third operating configuration;

Figure 5 illustrates a top plan view of the device of Figure 1, in a first operating configuration;

Figure 6 shows a top plan view of the device of Figure 1, in a second operating configuration;

Figure 7 illustrates, in a schematic plan view from above, a detail of Figure 3;

Figure 7a illustrates, in a schematic top plan view, a detail of Figure 2;

Figure 8 illustrates, in a schematic side view, a detail of the device of Figure 1, made in accordance with a second variant embodiment;

Figure 9 illustrates, in a schematic top plan view, a detail of Figure 8, in a first operating configuration;

Figure 10 illustrates, in a schematic top plan view, a detail of Figure 8, in a second operating configuration.

With reference to the attached drawings, the reference number 1 indicates, as a whole, a device for handling portions 2 of products, in particular food products.

In the remainder of the present description we will refer to mono-portions 2 of butter, as a type of product handled by the device 1, without thereby losing in generality.

The device 1 is mounted on a frame 100 and comprises two gripping and transfer units, a first 6 and a second 7, respectively.

The two gripping and transfer units 6, 7 are connected to a metal plate 8 equipped with a gripping handle 9 suitable for being gripped by the operator, and are movable integrally with each other.

The plate 8 comprises a support arm 10 (shown in Figure 5) and a first rear rail 101.

The rear rail 101 of the plate 8 can slide with respect to a guide 102 provided on a post 103 connected below the frame 100 of the device 1. More in detail, the post 103 supports the plate 8 and is movable vertically with respect to the frame 100 itself. . The bar 8 is free to translate horizontally with respect to the upright 103.

Fixed on one end of the support arm 10 is a small wheel 11 able to slide along a cam 12.

According to what is illustrated in Figure 2, the cam 12 defines a movement path P for the plate 8 and, consequently, for the two gripping and transfer units 6, 7.

The device 1 comprises a station 3 for accumulating the portions, in correspondence with which the portions 2 are arranged in columns 4 next to each other on a support surface 5.

The second gripping and transfer unit 7 is suitable for transferring the aforementioned product portions 2 from a container 13, where the portions 2 are arranged in order in a plurality of superimposed assemblies 14, to the aforementioned support surface 5.

More in detail, in the variant embodiment illustrated in the attached figures, the aforementioned portions 2 are placed inside the container 13 in a plurality of superimposed assemblies 14, each of which assemblies 14 comprises five columns of portions; each of the columns is in turn made up of five portions 2 of butter.

The portions 2 transferred from the second unit 7 onto the support surface 5 are manually redistributed on the surface 5 itself, so that the portions 2 are arranged on the support surface 5 in six columns 4 each consisting of four portions 2, according to modalities that will be widely described below.

As can be seen in Figure 1, the device 1 comprises a compactor element 15 adapted to bring the aforementioned columns 4 of portions 2 together, once these have been arranged and ordered on the supporting surface 5. The compactor element 15 comprises an L-bent rod 16, having a first branch 17 and a second branch 18.

A first end 17a of the first branch 17 is pivoted at a point A, around which the rod 16 is free to rotate.

The first branch 17 has at least a length equal to the length H of a column 4 of portions (consisting of four portions in figure 1).

The second branch 18, perpendicular to the first branch 17, has a length equal to the length L of the columns 4 side by side arranged on the plane 5 (six columns in Figure 1).

The first gripping unit 6 is adapted to transfer the aforementioned portions 2 from the support surface 5 to a packaging station 19.

Twelve packages 20 are arranged in correspondence with the packaging station 19 to contain the aforementioned portions 2.

As can be seen in Figure 1, the packages 20 are inserted inside respective seats 21 obtained in a tray 22 which can be moved along a determined Y direction and are arranged in two rows, a first row 23 and a second row 24, each of which comprises six packs 20.

Each of the aforementioned packages 20 has dimensions such as to contain a plurality of superimposed layers 25 of groups 26 of portions 2.

Each group 26 of portions 2 comprises at least a column 4 of portions 2 themselves.

In figures 1 to 7 the groups 26 consist of a column 4 of portions 2.

According to the variant embodiment illustrated in Figure 8, each group 26 consists of two columns 4 of portions 2 side by side.

Further possible formats of packages 20, not illustrated, however fall within the scope of the present invention.

As can be seen in Figure 1, the packages 20 are arranged side by side at the packaging station 19, and are spaced apart by a determined distance D. In particular, the distance D is measured between the closest internal vertical walls of two adjacent packages 20.

The number of packs 20 placed side by side at the packaging station 19 is equal to the number of columns 4 of portions 2 present on the support surface 5.

In the case illustrated in Figure 8, in which each package 2 contains groups 26 consisting of two columns 4 of portions 2, the number of packages 20 arranged at the packaging station 19 is equal to half of the columns 4 of portions present on the surface 5 support.

In the variant embodiment of the device 1 illustrated in the attached figures, the first gripping and transfer unit 6 comprises six suction heads, a first 27, a second 28, a third 29, a fourth 30, a fifth 31 and a sixth 32, respectively, and the second gripping unit 7 comprises five suction heads 33. As illustrated in Figure 3, each suction head 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 is in fluid communication through respective ducts 34, with suction means 35, illustrated in Figures 3 and 8.

The first suction head 27 of the first gripping and transfer unit 6 is fixed to the support bar 8 and is movable integral with it.

The other five suction heads 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 are slidably mounted on a second lower rail 36 fixed to the lower wall of the bar 8. The sixth head 32 is connected to a first end of a return spring 104; the second end of spring 104 is fixed to plate 8.

Furthermore, as can be seen in figures 7 and 7a, all the aforementioned heads 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 are mutually connected by means of a sliding and end-of-stroke assembly 38 and are movable relatively to each other.

The sliding and end-of-stroke assembly 38 comprises, for each pair of heads, a respective connecting and sliding rod 39, 40, 41, 42, 43. Each rod 39, 40, 41, 42, 43 has an abutment element 44 at its ends.

In this way the movement of the first suction head 27, integral with the bar 8, cascades the motion to the other five suction heads 28, 29, 30, 31, 32.

The suction heads 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 are therefore movable relatively to each other between a first position (illustrated in figure 7a) in which they are next to each other and a second position (illustrated in figure 7) in which they are spaced between them by a distance D. Similarly, the first gripping and transfer unit 6 is movable between a gripping configuration, in which the heads 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 are in the aforementioned first position, and a release, in which the heads 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 are in the aforementioned second position.

The sliding and end-of-stroke assembly 38 also comprises a contrast element 105, illustrated in Figures 3, 4 and 8, fixed to the upright 103 and movable integral with it.

The contrast element 105 is adapted to oppose the action of the spring 104, so as to allow the aforementioned heads 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 to close like a pack to move to the aforementioned first position, in which the heads themselves are juxtaposed together.

The sliding and end-of-stroke assembly 38 defines means 45 for adjusting the distance of the aforementioned columns 4 for the first gripping and transfer unit 6.

The means 45 for adjusting the distance of the columns 4 are adapted to allow the separation of the portions 2 present on the support surface 5 in the aforementioned groups 26 comprising at least one column 4, to distance said groups 26 by a distance D equal to the distance at which they are placed the aforementioned packs 20, and to place each group 26 inside a respective pack 20.

In the variant embodiment illustrated in Figure 8, the distance adjustment means 45 also comprise elastic means 46 for connecting the aforementioned suction heads 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32.

The aforementioned elastic means 46 are adapted to couple the adjacent heads two by two, in the case in which the groups 26 of portions to be inserted inside the packages are formed by two columns 4 each.

The elastic means 46 block the relative sliding between the two adjacent heads to which they are connected: in this way the two suction heads joined by the elastic means 46 always remain coupled even during the movement of the first unit 6 towards the packaging station 19 (as shown in Figures 9 and 10).

According to what is illustrated in Figure 2, the device 1 comprises means 47 for balancing the weight of the two aforementioned gripping units 6, 7.

Said means 47 comprise a counterweight 48 connected, by means of transmission members 49 schematically illustrated in Figure 3, to the aforementioned upright 103 supporting the plate 8.

The means 47 are adapted to balance the weight of the two gripping units 6, 7.

When the gripping units 6, 7 move upwards, following the path identified by the cam 12, the counterweight 48 descends, helping the upward translation of the upright 103, vice versa, when the two units 6, 7 are moved upwards. downwards, along the cam 12, the counterweight 48 rises, braking the downward descent of the upright 103.

The weight balancing means 47 are adapted to keep the two gripping units 6, 7 in a stable equilibrium position at any point of the aforementioned path P defined by the cam 12.

In use, the operator, who holds the handle 9 of the device 1, moves the two aforementioned gripping units 6, 7 along the path P defined by the cam 12.

First of all, as illustrated in Figure 2, the step is carried out of taking a set 14 of portions 2 of product from the container 13 and arranging the aforementioned set 14 on the support surface 5, so that the portions 2 are arranged in columns on the floor 5 itself.

Figure 3 shows the various sets 14 of portions arranged inside the container 13.

Each set 14 is made up of five side-by-side columns of 2 portions.

Each column in turn comprises five portions 2 of butter.

The operator brings the second gripping unit 7 into contact with the first set 14 of portions 2 of the container 13.

When the second gripping unit 7 is in contact with the upper set 14 of portions 2 arranged inside the container 13, the first gripping unit 6 is located in correspondence with the supporting surface 5, in contact with the portions 2 in columns on the support surface 5.

The portions 2 have been previously arranged on the support surface 5 by the second unit 7, redistributed by the operator and compacted by means of the compactor element 15, as will be described below.

By means of a switch not shown, the suction means 35 are then activated in such a way that the heads 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 of the first 6 and of the second 7 units grasp and hold the respective columns 4 of portions which are located below each head itself.

According to further possible embodiments, automatic means for actuating the suction means 35 are provided.

The operator, operating on the handle 9, moves the two gripping units 6, 7 along the path P defined by the cam 12 and according to the direction indicated by the arrow Fi in figure 2, in such a way as to bring the first gripping unit 6 into at the packaging station 19 and the second unit 7 at the support surface 5, as shown in figure 3.

During the movement of the first unit 6 from the support surface 5 to the packaging station, the columns 4 of portions retained by the suction heads 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 of the first unit 6 are transferred from the accumulation station 3 to the station 19 and, at the same time with the step of transferring the portions 2 themselves towards the packaging station 19, the groups 26 of portions are separated from each other by the aforementioned distance D, by separating the heads 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 , 32 suction units carried out by means of the aforementioned distance adjustment means 45.

More in detail, the displacement to the left (with reference to the attached figures) of the metal bar 8 involves the displacement of the first unit 6 towards the packaging station 19.

The first suction head 27 moves integrally with the bar 8.

The second suction head 28 slides along the rod 39 until it is at a distance D from the first head 27 and comes into abutment with the abutment element 44.

At this point the second suction head 28 begins to move together with the first head 27 and the third suction head 30 begins to slide along the rod 40 until it abuts the abutment element 44.

This movement is transmitted up to the sixth suction head 32, so that when the first gripping and transfer unit 6 is located in correspondence with the packaging station 19 all the six heads 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 are spaced from each other by the distance D.

Furthermore, the return action that the aforementioned spring 104 exerts on the sixth suction head 32 facilitates the relative movement of the suction heads.

With this operation, the step of withdrawing the set 14 of portions 2 from the accumulation station 3, where the portions 2 are arranged in columns 4 next to each other on the support surface 5, is carried out, the step of forming groups 14 of portions 2 comprising at least one column 4 and spacing the groups 14 from each other by a determined distance D, and the step of placing the groups 14 inside the packages 20 arranged at the packaging station 19.

Once the portions 2 retained by the first unit 6 have been inserted inside the packages 20 and the portions 2 retained by the second unit 7 have been placed on the support surface 5, the suction means 35 are deactivated, the portions 2 are released and the operator lifts the two units 6, 7 moving them along the cam 12, as shown in figure 4. At this point, the operator manually redistributes the portions 2 on the support surface 5, forming columns 4 consisting of a number of portions 2 equal to the number of portions 2 that can be contained in each package 20 (four in the example of the attached figures).

The operator also forms a number of columns 4 equal to or multiple of the number of packages 20 present in a row 23, 24 of the tray 22 (six in the example of the attached figures).

In an embodiment variant not shown, automatic means are provided for redistributing the portions 2 on the supporting surface 5.

After this operation of redistribution of the portions 2 on the support surface 5, the operator starts a second cycle of filling the packages 20 and picking up a further set 14 of portions 2 from the container 13, according to the methods just described.

In the return movement of the first gripping and transfer unit 6 towards the support surface 5, the six suction heads 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, in an inverse manner to the glove described above, move from the position in which they are spaced apart. of the aforementioned distance D in the aforementioned first position in which they are next to each other, as shown in Figure 4.

This displacement towards the first position in which the heads are placed side by side is achieved thanks to the presence of the aforementioned contrast element 105 which creates a stop for the head 32, blocking its sliding, and thus allowing the heads 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31, to close together.

These cycles continue until the packages 20 at the packaging station 19 have been filled.

At this point the operator translates the tray 22 along the Y axis, according to the direction indicated by the arrow F2 in figure 1 so as to bring a new row of packages 20 facing under the first gripping unit 6 and to be able to restart the packaging operations.

The invention achieves important advantages.

In fact, it allows automatic packaging that was previously carried out completely manually.

Thanks to the device and method according to the present invention it is possible to drastically reduce the number of operators necessary for the packaging operations, significantly reducing the labor costs and consequently the production costs of the butter portions.

The invention thus conceived is susceptible of evident industrial application; it can also be subject to numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept; all the details can also be replaced by technically equivalent elements

Claims (12)

CLAIMS 1. Method for the manipulation of portions (2) of products, characterized by the fact of including the steps of: - taking said portions (2) from an accumulation station (3), said portions (2) being arranged in columns (4) side by side; - forming groups (26) of said portions comprising at least one column (4) and spacing said groups (26) from each other by a determined distance (D); - placing said groups (26) inside packages (20) arranged at a packaging station (19) and spaced apart by a distance equal to said distance (D). 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said step of withdrawing said portions (2) from said accumulation station (3) comprises the step of withdrawing said portions (2) from a support surface (5). 3. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises the further steps of withdrawing a set (14) of product portions from a container (13) and arranging said set (14) on said supporting surface (5) in a manner such that said portions (2) are arranged in columns on said plane (5). Method according to claim 3, wherein said packages (20) are shaped so as to contain at least one layer (25) of portions (2) defined by a determined number of portions (2), characterized in that they comprise the step to redistribute said portions on said support plane (5) in such a way that the number of portions (2) constituting a column (4) is equal to the number of portions (2) defining said layer (25). 5. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said steps of withdrawing said portions (2) comprise the step of gripping said portions (2) by means of suction heads (27/28, 29, 30, 31, 32; 33). Method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises the step of transferring said portions (2) from said accumulation station (3) to said packaging station (19) and that said step of spacing between their said groups (26) of a determined distance (D) takes place during said step of transferring said portions (2). 7. Device for handling portions of products comprising: - an accumulation station (3) for said portions (2), in correspondence with which said portions (2) are arranged in columns (4) next to each other, on a support surface (5); - a first unit (6) for gripping and transferring said portions (2) from said support surface (5) to a packaging station (19), said first unit (6) comprising means (45) for adjusting the distance of said columns (4) which means (45) are adapted to separate said portions (2) into groups (26) comprising at least one column (4), said groups (26) being spaced apart by a determined distance (D), and placing said groups (26) inside packages (20) arranged at said packaging station (19) and spaced apart by a distance equal to said distance (D). 8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that said first gripping and transfer unit (6) comprises a plurality of suction heads, each head (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32) being able to grasp and hold a respective column (4) of portions (2), said first unit (6) being movable between a gripping configuration in which said heads (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32) are arranged side by side, and a release position in which said heads (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32) are grouped in groups spaced from each other by said distance (D). 9. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that said distance adjustment means (45) comprise, for each pair of adjacent heads, a sliding assembly (38) for connecting said two suction heads, so as to such that one of the two heads can slide along said group (38), moving away from and approaching the other head, with a maximum excursion equal to said distance (D). 10. Device according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that it comprises a cam (12) defining a movement path (P) of said first gripping and transfer unit (6). 11. Device according to any one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that it comprises a second gripping and transfer unit (7), movable integrally with said first gripping unit (6) and adapted to transfer said adjacent columns (4) of said portions (2) from a container (13) to said support surface (5). Device according to any one of claims 7 to 11, characterized in that it comprises means (47) for balancing the weight of said gripping units (6; 7), said means (47) being suitable for maintaining said units (6 ; 7) gripping in a stable equilibrium position in any point of said path (P) defined by the cam (12).