ITMO20120030A1 - TRAY FILLING MACHINE. - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION

Attached to a patent application for INDUSTRIAL INVENTION having the title

â € œTRAY FILLING MACHINE.â €

The present invention relates to a tray-filling machine.

The machine in question finds useful application in the fruit packaging sector, in particular for the packaging of fruit in trays.

Among the various ways to package fruit currently available on the market, packaging which involves the use of trays designed to accommodate a certain number of fruit arranged in an orderly manner is very popular. Normally the fruits are arranged on the trays in parallel rows next to each other, so as to substantially form an ordered matrix. Once the fruits have been placed, the trays are wrapped in a transparent film or placed in another container which completes the packaging.

The type of packaging briefly described above is usually reserved for fruit of better quality, to which greater protection from bumps and sliding is desired both during the packaging itself and during the subsequent handling of the complete trays. To this end, the positioning of the fruits on the respective trays is currently carried out by hand, since other automatic devices do not allow to obtain a delicacy comparable to that obtainable by means of a manual operation.

From an economic point of view, the use of manual operations along the packaging line leads to an overall increase in costs, both in direct terms due to the high cost of labor, and in terms of less flexibility of the work cycle and not. it can be organized on an ongoing basis but must respect pre-established time shifts.

The purpose of the present invention is to offer a tray-filling machine which allows to overcome the drawbacks associated with the manual execution of the tray-filling operations.

An advantage of the machine according to the present invention is that it allows the trays to be filled in a totally automated manner and with the same delicacy obtainable from manual operations.

Another advantage of the machine according to the present invention is that it can be easily integrated into already existing packaging lines.

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become clearer from the detailed description that follows of an embodiment of the invention in question, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the attached figures in which:

- Figure 1 shows a schematic axonometric view of the machine according to the present invention;

- Figure 2 shows a detail on an enlarged scale of the machine of Figure 1;

∠’Figure 3 shows the parts visible in Figure 2 in a different operating configuration;

∠’figure 4 shows the parts visible in figure 2 in a further different operating configuration;

∠’figure 5 shows the machine of figure 1 from a different point of view;

∠’figure 6 shows the machine of figure 5 with some parts in a different operating configuration;

∠’figure 7 shows a detail of some parts of the machine;

∠’Figure 8 shows the parts visible in Figure 7 in a different operating configuration.

The tray-filling machine according to the present invention comprises a first transport device 2, structured to advance a plurality of articles F in one or more distinct rows, preferably at least two distinct rows, between a loading position C and an unloading position S The loading position C is located at an initial end of the first transport device 2, while the unloading position S is located at the final end of the first transport device 2.

The first transport device 2 is designed to receive the items to be packaged, in the specific case rounded fruit, from another feeding device. An example of a feeding device with which the machine according to the present invention can operate extremely effectively is represented by a sorting machine. A sorting machine is in fact capable of weighing each individual fruit and sending to the machine according to the present invention a certain number of fruit selected on the basis of weight, in order to compose a tray whose weight is as close as possible to a value prefixed. The articles to be packaged could in any case be fed to the first transport device by machines or other types of devices.

Preferably the first transport device 2 comprises one or more movable lanes 21,22, preferably at least two, each of which is structured to advance a row of articles F along a first transport direction X. As can be seen in particular in Figures 5 and 6, each lane is delimited below by a pair of motorized belts 21a, 21b, 22a, 22b driven by a motor 220. The belts belonging to each pair are slightly inclined to each other to form a V or in general to define a concave surface with concavity facing downwards. A separation surface can be interposed between the two pairs of belts, formed for example by two inclined V-shaped walls with the vertex facing upwards. Containment sides 210,211 can be placed along the external sides of the aisles 21,22. Obviously, if necessary, it is possible to set up more than two lanes.

The conformation of the first transport device 2, and in particular the presence of the movable aisles 21, 22, allows to feed the articles F already divided into distinct rows. By determining the number of articles F for each row, the first transport device 2 thus allows to form a batch of articles F arranged along at least two parallel rows, and to transport the batch thus arranged along the transport direction X.

The movable lanes 21, 22 extend at least along an end portion of the first transport device 2, i.e. between an intermediate section of the first transport device and the unloading position S. In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the movable lanes extend between the loading position C and the unloading position S.

Above the first transport device 2, and in particular above an initial portion of the lanes 21,22, a motorized roller 25 (Figure 1), or preferably a motorized roller 25 for each lane 21,22, can be advantageously placed. These rollers 25 are preferably in the form of rotating brushes. The axis of rotation of each motorized roller 25 is preferably oriented horizontally. The function of the motorized rollers 25 is to facilitate the channeling of the articles F into the aisles 21,22. To this end, the motorized rollers 25 are rotated so as to push the articles F forward.

The first transport device is designed to move the articles F forward along a substantially horizontal transport direction X between the loading position C and the unloading position S. In correspondence with the unloading position S, the movable aisles 21,22 they are interrupted and the articles F transported thereon are transferred from the first transport device 2 to the second transport device 3. In the preferred and simplified version of the machine, shown in the attached figures, the articles F leave the movable aisles 21, 22 by gravity.

The machine according to the present invention also comprises a second transport device 3, structured to transport a tray V on a motion plane 31 arranged in proximity to the unloading position of the first transport device 2 below the first transport device.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated in Figures 5 to 8, the second transport device 3 comprises a motion plane 31, located below the first transport device 2, structured to make a tray V move forward under the position of S unloading of the first transport device 2.

The plane of motion 31 is substantially horizontal, i.e. parallel to the transport direction X of the first transport device 2. The plane of motion 31 is therefore structured to transport a tray V moving forward along a transport direction parallel to the transport direction X of the first transport device 2. In a normal operating cycle of the machine, the motions of the articles F and of the tray V are synchronized so that the tray V passes under the unloading position C while the articles F also pass in correspondence of the same position. This implies that the articles F can be transferred from aisles 21,22 to a tray V which is simultaneously advancing in a parallel direction. In the preferred embodiment of the machine the articles F, in correspondence with the unloading position, are deposited by gravity on an underlying tray V which is simultaneously advancing in a parallel direction. Since the distance between the aisles 21, 22 and the plane of motion 31 is limited and the tray V moves parallel to the articles F, the deposit of the articles F inside the tray itself takes place substantially without collisions and without the need for manual intervention.

The second transport device 3 comprises a manipulator 32 arranged to pick up a tray V from a magazine 51 and to release the tray onto the motion plane 31. This manipulator device 32 comprises a gripping head 33 movable between a first position, in which it can take a tray V from the magazine 51, and a second position, in which he places the tray V above the motion plane 31. The gripping head 33 is for example provided with a pair of suction cups through which it can grasp a tray V at a bottom surface, as shown in figure 5.

In the preferred embodiment, the gripping head 33 is movable in rotation around a first horizontal axis A1 by the first actuator 331. In the first position, the gripping head 33 is in a first angular position with respect to the first axis of rotation A1. In this first angular position, the gripping head 33 is arranged substantially next to the bottom of a tray V held in the magazine 51 (Figure 5). Preferably, in order to position itself in contact with the tray V to be picked up, the gripping head 33 is equipped with the possibility of moving along a direction perpendicular to the first rotation axis A1 by means of an actuator 333. From the first position, in which, as said, Ã It is possible to pick up a tray V, the gripping head rotates around the first axis A1 to move to the second position, visible in figure 6, in which tray V is arranged horizontally and can be placed on the motion plane 31.

The second transport device 3 also comprises a movable frame 34 which can slide along a second horizontal axis A2 perpendicular to the first horizontal axis A1 and to the transport direction X by a second actuator 332. The gripping head 33 is rotatably associated with the movable frame 34 about the first horizontal axis A1. The first actuator 331 is of the linear type and is associated with the slide 34 and with the gripping head 33 so as to exert an eccentric force on the latter with respect to the first axis of rotation A1. In the preferred embodiment of the device, the motion plane 31 is also associated with the movable frame 34. The gripping head 33 is structured so as to be able to place the tray V above the motion plane 31. As shown in the figures 5 and 6, the plane of motion 31 consists of a pair of parallel planes between which the gripping head 33 is arranged. When the gripping head is in its second position, the tray V is arranged above of the plane of motion 31. Preferably, the gripping head 33 is also equipped with the possibility of moving in a direction parallel to the plane of motion 31, in order to advance a tray V along the plane of motion 31 itself. The displacement in a direction parallel to the plane of motion 31 can be obtained by means of a third actuator 333 associated with the mobile frame 34.

The movable frame 34, together with the motion plane 31 and the gripping head 33, can slide along the second axis A2 between a position aligned with the magazine 51 for trays V (figure 5) and a position aligned with the first device conveyor 2 (figures 7 and 8). Considering an initial position in which the movable frame 34 is aligned with the magazine 51 and the gripping head is next to a tray contained in the magazine 51 (figure 5), after having made the gripping of the tray V itself, the gripping head rotates around the first axis A1 towards the second position in which it places the tray V above the motion plane 31. Simultaneously or subsequently to the rotation of the gripping head 33 (figure 6), the movable frame 34 slides towards the position of alignment with the first transport device 2. Once this alignment position has been reached, the gripping head 33 translates in a horizontal direction parallel to the transport direction X of the guides 21, 22 so as to make the tray V pass under the unloading position S of the first transport device 2 simultaneously with the unloading of the articles F from the unloading position S itself, so that the articles F are deposited without collisions on the trays or V in the modalities already described above, as shown in figures 7 and 8.

After depositing the articles F on the tray V, the gripping head 33 leaves the grip of the tray V itself, which is picked up and removed by a further device, for example a movable plane 6 of the type illustrated in figures 2,3,4. The gripping head 33 and the movable frame 34 return to the initial positions for a new cycle of operations which will bring a subsequent tray V below the unloading position S of the first transport device 2 to receive a subsequent batch of articles F.

In an alternative embodiment of the solution, the motion plane 31 could not be integral with the movable frame 34, but rather be placed in a fixed position below the first transport device 2. In this case the movable frame 34 can assume a position in which aligns with the motion plane 31 and the gripping head 33 arranges the tray V on the motion plane 31.

In the preferred embodiment of the machine, the magazine 51 for the tray V is located next to the first transport device 2. As illustrated in figures 1,5,6, the magazine 51 comprises a containment structure 511 structured to contain a stack of V trays with the bottom facing down. This containment structure 511 generally has a longitudinal axis which substantially coincides with the axis of the stack of trays V and is inclined diagonally with respect to a horizontal plane. The containment structure 511 comprises two sections 511a, 511b which are movable towards and away from each other, as shown schematically in figure 5, in order to be able to adapt to trays or containers of different sizes. The containment structure 511 also comprises a side 511c, intended to come into contact with the stack of trays in the opposite position to the profiles 511a, 551b, which is movable along a direction perpendicular to the axis of the stack of trays in order to be able to adapt to trays or containers of different sizes. The adjustment of the position of the profiles 511a, b and of the side 511c can be obtained by means of actuators, not shown in detail, controlled in a coordinated manner by the control unit of the machine, so as to allow the operator to limit himself to communicating to the machine the tray size and the control unit makes the necessary adjustments. The magazine 51 is also provided with a bottom barrier 512 movable between a closing position, in which it holds the lower tray V of the stack of trays V in position, and an opening position, in which it frees the lower tray V which can be picked up by the gripping head 33.

As already mentioned above, the first and second transport devices 2,3 are synchronized with each other so that a batch of articles F and a tray V transit simultaneously in correspondence with the unloading position S, so that the articles F can arrange themselves on tray V.

To facilitate the synchronism of the advancement motion of the articles F on the first transport device 2 with respect to the motion of the trays V by the second transport device 3, each of the lanes 21, 22 can be provided with a braking surface layer (not illustrated in detail) structured to hinder the relative sliding movements between the aisles 21,22 and the articles F lying on the aisles 21,22. This braking layer can be applied on the surface of the lanes 21, 22 intended to come into contact with the articles F, in particular it can be applied on the surface of the motorized belts 21a, 21b, 22a, 22b. The braking layer can, for example, be made of a material with high adhesion that hinders the sliding and rolling of the articles F. The presence of a braking layer allows the articles F to maintain their position on the moving aisles 21,22 during the sliding of the moving aisles 21.22 same. This means that, by feeding the articles F according to a predetermined time cycle to the mobile aisles 21,22, it is possible to precisely establish the moment in which each article F reaches the unloading position S and leaves its own mobile aisle in order to settle in a tray V which passes simultaneously under the unloading position S.

The machine according to the present invention can be provided with a synchronization device 4 structured to time the advancement of the articles F on the first transport device 2 with the advancement of the tray V by the second transport device 3, so that the items F and tray V transit simultaneously in correspondence with the unloading position.

This synchronization device 4 comprises a first stop element 41 movable between an active position, in which it blocks the advancement of the articles F along the first transport device, and an inactive position, in which it allows the advancement of the articles F along the first transport device.

In the preferred embodiment, the first stop element 41 is in the form of a barrier provided with such flexibility as not to damage the articles F upon contact. In the active position, shown in Figure 2, the first stop element 41 is located near the unloading position S of the first transport device 2. In this position the first stop element 41 prevents the articles F from falling from the aisles 21, 22. In the inactive position, the first stop element moves away from the unloading position S and the articles F are free to move forward. Preferably, the first stop element can slide between the active position and the inactive position along a horizontal direction parallel to the transport direction X of the first feed device.

Preferably, the synchronization device 4 comprises a second stop element 42, located upstream of the first stop element 41 with respect to the transport direction X, movable between an active position, in which it blocks the advancement of the articles F along the first stop device transport, and an inactive position, in which it allows the advancement of the articles F along the first transport device.

The second stop element 42 is also in the form of a barrier with such flexibility as not to damage the articles F on contact. In the preferred embodiment, the second stop element 42 can rotate around a horizontal axis A3 arranged perpendicular to the direction of transport X. To this end, the second stop element 42 is associated with a bracket 421 rotating around the ™ horizontal axis.

The first and second stop elements are synchronized with each other so that when one is in its active position, the other is in its inactive position, and vice versa. This allows a particularly efficient work cycle to be carried out: starting from an initial condition in which there are no articles F on the first transport device 2 and the second stop element 42 is in the active position, a first batch of articles F can be fed to lanes 21,22. The articles F stop in contact with the second stop element 42. Once the foreseen batch of articles F has been composed, the second stop element 42 moves to the inactive position and the batch of fruits F advances until it stops in contact with the first element stop 41 which has moved into its active position (figure 2). Subsequently, the first stop element 41 moves to its inactive position to allow the batch of fruits F to deposit on the underlying tray V brought into position by the second transport device 3, while the second stop element 42 returns to its active position for allow the formation of a new batch of articles F (Figures 3 and 4), and so on.

The synchronization of the movements of the first and second stop element 41, 42 is obtained by means of a kinematic mechanism which includes a pair of linear actuators 411, associated with the first stop element and arranged to translate the first stop element along a direction of motion which, preferably but not necessarily, is horizontal and parallel to the direction of transport X. A rod 412 is rotatably associated with the first stop element 41 and with the bracket 421. In this way, the translation of the first stop element 41 determines, through the rod 412, the rotation of the bracket 421 and, therefore, of the second stop element 42. As can be easily understood, a forward translation of the first stop element 41 involves a downward rotation of the second stop element 42, ie a displacement of the first stop element from the active position to the inactive position involves a simultaneous displacement of the second stop element from the inactive position to the active position, or vice versa.

The machine according to the present invention offers important advantages. It allows you to fill a tray with a batch of items arranged in an ordered matrix in a totally automatic way without the need for any manual intervention. The positioning of the articles takes place with extreme delicacy, so that even the best quality articles can be treated without risk of being damaged.

The machine according to the present invention can also be integrated in a very simple way into already existing packaging lines. Advantageously, two or more machines according to the present invention can also be used in parallel to increase the productivity of the line, without the need to excessively complicate the layout of the packaging line.

Claims (15)

CLAIMS 1) Tray filling machine, characterized in that it comprises: a first transport device (2), structured to transport between a loading position (C) and an unloading position (S) along a transport direction (X) a plurality of articles (F) arranged in one or more distinct rows; a second transport device (3), structured to transport a tray (V) on a plane of motion (31) arranged in proximity to the unloading position of the first transport device (2) below the first transport device; said first and second transport devices (2,3) being synchronized with each other so that the articles (F) and the tray (V) pass simultaneously in correspondence with the unloading position and the articles (F) can be arranged on the tray (V ). 2) Machine according to claim 1, wherein said first transport device (2) comprises one or more moving lanes (21,22) each of which is structured to advance a row of articles (F). 3) Machine according to claim 2, wherein said movable lanes (21,22) extend at least along a terminal portion of the first transport device, said terminal portion comprising the unloading position (S). 4) Machine according to claim 2, in which each lane (21,22) is delimited at the bottom by a pair of motorized belts (21a, 21b, 22a, 22b); the belts belonging to each pair are inclined to each other to define a concave surface with concavity facing downwards. 5) Machine according to at least one of claims 2 to 4, in which each of said lanes (21,22) comprises a braking layer structured to hinder the relative sliding movements between the lanes (21,22) and the articles (F) lying on the aisles (21,22). 6) Machine according to claim 1, wherein said second transport device (3) comprises a manipulator (32) arranged to pick up a tray (V) from a magazine (51) and to position the tray on the motion plane (31) . 7) Machine according to claim 6, wherein said manipulator (32) comprises a gripping head (33) movable between a first position, in which a tray (V) can be picked up from the magazine (51), and a second position, in which he places the tray (V) above the motion plane (31). 8) Machine according to claim 7, wherein said gripping head (33) is movable in rotation around a first horizontal axis (A1) between the first and second position. 9) Machine according to claim 6, wherein said manipulator (32) is associated with a movable frame (34) which can slide along a second horizontal axis (A2). 10) Machine according to claim 9, in which said plane of motion (31) is associated with the movable frame (34). 11) Machine according to claim 9, in which said movable frame (34) is sliding along the second axis (A2) between a position aligned with the magazine (51) for the trays (V) and a position aligned with the first device transport (2). 12) Machine according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a synchronization device (4), structured to time the advancement of the articles (F) on the first transport device (2) with the advancement of the tray (V) by the second transport device so that the articles (F) and the tray (V) pass simultaneously in correspondence with the unloading position and the articles (F) can be arranged on the tray (V). 13) Machine according to claim 12, wherein said synchronization device (4) comprises a first stop element (41) movable between an active position, in which it blocks the advancement of the articles (F) along the first transport device ( 2), and an inactive position, in which it allows the advancement of the articles (F) along the first transport device (2). 14) Machine according to claim 13, wherein said synchronization device (4) comprises a second stop element (42), located upstream of the first stop element (41), movable between an active position, in which it blocks the advancement of the articles (F) along the first transport device, and an inactive position, in which it allows the advancement of the articles (F) along the first transport device. 15) Machine according to claim 14, wherein the first and second stop elements are synchronized with each other so that when one is in its active position, the other is in its inactive position, and vice versa.