WO2006006032A2

WO2006006032A2 - Method and apparatus for handling and identifying articles

Info

Publication number: WO2006006032A2
Application number: PCT/IB2005/001864
Authority: WO
Inventors: Barend Bartholomeus Van Zyl
Original assignee: Barend Bartholomeus Van Zyl
Priority date: 2004-06-30
Filing date: 2005-06-30
Publication date: 2006-01-19
Also published as: WO2006006032A3

Abstract

A method and apparatus (10, 32) are provided for handling and identifying articles (54) such as fruit. The method includes handling articles (54) by moving an article (54) in a conveying direction (20) and pivoting a support element (18) so that the article (54) is transferred under gravity from the pivoted support element (18) to a second support element (40), below. The support elements (18, 40) move at generally equal speed and the directions (20, 42) in which they travel intersect at an acute angle. The method further includes identifying articles (54) moving on a conveyor (12, 34) to despatch locations (68), by selectively activating light sources (64) adjacent the conveyor (12, 34) adjacent the articles (54), for removal, by hand. The articles (54) to be removed from the conveyor (12, 34) are selected by a processor (60) and the light sources (64) are activated under control of the processor (60), when an article (54) for removal reaches the vicinity of its despatch location (68).

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING AND IDENTIFYING

ARTICLES

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

THIS INVENTION relates to product handling, more particularly, to the sorting and packing of produce, such as fruits. The invention provides a method and apparatus for handling and identifying articles.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Fresh produce, such as fruits, are typically received in a packing facility in bulk, where they are sorted and packed into containers. The characteristics of fruit or bunches of fruit vary and it is usually desirable that the products sorted and grouped to be packed into containers each having characteristics that fall within predetermined parameters, e.g. the size and colour of individual fruits, the density of a bunch of fruit, colour, the total mass of the products in a container, its average colour, average fruit size, etc.

It is possible to determine the characteristics of individual fruit, e.g. by optical analysis and weighing and to use a computer or similar processor to identify fruits that should be grouped and packed together, but existing systems for physically sorting the fruit fall short of at least one of the shortfalls of excessive cost, low productivity, or damage to fruit, since the systems usually involve excessively complicated handling equipment, rely on cumbersome techniques of manual handling, or use handle the fruit so roughly that fruit are damaged or break off from bunches.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method of handling at least one article, said method including: receiving an article on a first support element; moving the first support element and article in a first conveying direction at a first conveying speed; moving a second support element at least in part below the first support element, at a second conveying speed and in a second conveying direction; and pivoting the first support element above the second support element so that the article is transferred under gravity from the pivoted first support element, to the second support element, to be conveyed in the second conveying direction; wherein the first conveying speed is generally equal to the second conveying speed, the second conveying direction intersects the first conveying direction at an acute angle, and the second conveying direction extends downwardly from its intersection with the first conveying direction. The first support element may be pivoted so that a trailing edge of the first support element is lowered towards the second support element and may be pivoted when its trailing edge is generally above a recess defined in the second support element.

The method may include moving the second support element along a curved path that leads from the second conveying direction, e.g. moving the second support element along a path that extends generally perpendicular to the second conveying direction.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided apparatus for handling an article, said apparatus including: a first conveyor including at least one first support element and configured to move the first support element in a first conveying direction at a first conveying speed; and a second conveyor, disposed at least in part below the first conveyor, including at least one second support element and configured to move the second support element in a second conveying direction at a second conveying speed; wherein the second conveying direction intersects the first conveying direction at an acute angle, the second conveying direction extends downwardly from its intersection with the first conveying direction, and the apparatus includes pivoting means, configured to pivot the first support element relative to the first conveyor, above the second conveyor

The second support element may be a belt defining at least one recess and preferably defining a number of recesses spaced along its length.

The pivoting means may be configured to pivot a first support element selectively by lowering a trailing edge of the first support element towards the second support element, when the trailing edge is generally above a recess defined in the second support element.

The apparatus may be configured so that the first conveying speed generally equals the second conveying speed, e.g. the apparatus may include a mechanical connection between the first conveyor and the second conveyor.

The second conveyor may be configured to move the second support element along a curved path that leads from the second conveying direction, e.g. a part of the curved path may extend generally perpendicular to the second conveying direction.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a method of identifying at least one article, said method including: moving a plurality of articles on a conveyor to at least one despatch location; providing at least one light source adjacent the conveyor; and selectively removing articles from the conveyor at the despatch location, by hand; wherein articles to be removed from the conveyor, are selected by a processor and are identified by activating at least one of the light sources adjacent the article, under control of the processor.

An array of light sources may be provided along the conveyor and the light sources may be activated sequentially adjacent selected articles, while the articles are being conveyed. A plurality of despatch locations may be defined along the path of the conveyor.

The articles may be selected and identified by the processor in a manner to achieve a predetermined rate of removing articles at each despatch location.

The article may be a fruit and for the purposes of this specification the term "fruit" includes bunches of fruit, e.g. bunches of grapes.

According to yet a further aspect of the invention there is provided apparatus for identifying at least one article, said apparatus

including: a conveyor configured to move articles to at least one despatch location; a processor configured to select articles that are to be removed from the conveyor at the despatch location; and at least one light source disposed adjacent the conveyor; wherein the processor is configured to identify an article on the conveyor selectively by activating at least one of the light sources, adjacent the article.

The apparatus may include an array of light sources along the conveyor and a plurality of despatch locations may be defined along the conveyor.

The invention will now be described by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a schematic top plan view of apparatus for handling a plurality of articles in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 shows a side elevational view of a first embodiment of apparatus for conveying an article, forming part of the apparatus of Figure 1 ;

and Figure 3 shows a top plan view of a second embodiment of apparatus for conveying an article, forming part of the apparatus of Figure 1 ;

DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, apparatus in accordance with the invention, for handling a plurality of articles, is generally indicated by reference numeral 10.

The apparatus 10 can be used to handle a wide variety of articles, but for the purpose of illustration, the working of the apparatus will be described hereinbelow, for handling articles in the form of fruits, e.g. bunches of grapes.

The apparatus 10 include a sorting conveyor 12 extending between a receiving end 14 and a driven end 16. The sorting conveyor 12 includes a supporting and carrying frame in the form of a chain or belting (not shown) on which a plurality of first support elements in the form of cup assemblies 18 are supported. Each cup assembly 18 consists of a standard fruit sizer 3- point or 4-point weighing cup and frame, with a larger cup insert to accommodate larger grape bunches. The sorting conveyor 12 is driven by an electric motor via an appropriate sprocket at the driven end 16, so that the cup assemblies 18 at the top of the sorting conveyor 12 travel in the first conveying direction 20 at a relatively steady first conveying speed. The sorting conveyor 12 can conveniently be divided into a loading zone 22, a measuring zone 24 and a sorting zone 26.

Grape bunches are fed to the apparatus 10 along a grape feed 28 and are supplied to a checking and cutting facility 30, where they are checked and cut manually into appropriate bunches and are either loaded manually into the cup assemblies 18, or are loaded into lug boxes on a belt conveyor (not shown), to the loading zone 22, where the individual bunches are loaded into the cups of the cup assemblies 18. The cup assemblies 18 are conveyed in the first conveying direction 20 from the loading zone 22 to the measuring zone 24.

In the measuring zone 24, an optical sensor in the form of a digital camera (not shown) is positioned to view grape bunches supported on the cup assemblies 18, i.e. to receive light reflected from the grape bunches and to transfer the digitally captured images to a processor in the form of a computer 60. The computer 60 includes an image processing subsystem that can determine one or more of a number of characteristics of a bunch of grapes supported on a cup assembly 18, such as the diameters of individual berries, the average berry size on the bunch, the bunch colour, the colour category of the bunch, the straggliness category of the bunch, etc. A unique identification number is assigned to the bunch, according to the cup assembly 18 on which it is carried and the optically determined parameters are stored in the computer 60, associated with the identification number. Each cup assembly 18 is also weighed in line in the measuring zone 24, to determine the weight of each grape bunch in each cup. The weight of each grape bunch is transferred to the computer and is stored in the computer, associated with the identification number of the grape bunch.

In the loading zone 22, the apparatus 10 include sensors (not shown) to determine which cutter or checker has loaded a grape bunch onto each individual cup assembly 18, and the identity of the cutter or checker is transmitted to the computer 60 and is stored in association with the unique identification number of the bunch.

The cup assemblies containing the grape bunches, are conveyed from the measuring zone 24 in the first conveying direction 20 towards the sorting zone 26. In the sorting zone 26, sorting means in the form of a number of selective discharging arrangements 32 are provided. For the purposes of illustration, four discharging arrangements 32 are shown, indicated by suffixes 1 , 2, 3 and n. It is to be appreciated that the apparatus 10 can include any number of discharging arrangements 32. Each discharging arrangement 32 is associated with a discharge conveyer 34, but for the purpose of illustration, only one discharge conveyor is shown. The operation of the discharging arrangements 32 is controlled by the computer 60, to discharge individual grape bunches selectively from cup assemblies 18 onto a packing belt of a specific discharge conveyor 34. The advancement of the discharge conveyor 34 is controlled by the computer 60, so that it is advanced by the approximate length of one bunch, every time a bunch has been discharged from a cup assembly 18 onto the discharge conveyor 34, so that consecutively discharged bunches 54 lie together in close proximity, to form a group 56 of grape bunches. Once a group of grape bunches have been discharged onto a discharge conveyor 34, the computer 60 controls the discharge conveyor to advance it in a discharging direction 58 and leave a significant space on the discharge conveyor, before receiving grape bunches of a subsequent group, thus making it easy to distinguish between consecutive groups.

The sorting of grape bunches 54 is controlled by the computer 60 to sort them into groups 56 that have predetermined characteristics in accordance with a programmed algorithm, so that each of the grape bunches have characteristics that satisfy predetermined requirements, and/or so that each group of grape bunches, collectively, have characteristics that satisfy predetermined requirements. So, for instance, grape bunches of a predetermined grade, berry size, colour and straggliness, or the like, may be grouped together, or grape bunches may be grouped together so that they have a collective weight that falls within predetermined parameters, or the like. The algorithm according to which the grape bunches 54 are sorted may be adjusted in accordance with operational requirements, to control the rate at which grape bunches are conveyed in the sorting conveyor 12 and are discharged and conveyed on each of the discharge conveyors 34. This control allows the rate at which grapes are despatched from each individual discharge conveyor 34, to be optimised.

Each group 56 of grape bunches 54 discharged onto a discharge conveyor 34, is manually packed into a separate container such as a cardboard carton (not shown) at a discharge location 36 by one or more packers. Each container can be marked with a unique barcode label and with another barcode label to identify the packer who packed the grapes into the container. The characteristics of the grapes packed into each individual container can be identified from the unique barcode, with the aid of data stored on the computer 60, so that the contents of each container can easily be determined by scanning its unique barcode label. Further, the number of cartons packed by an individual packer can be determined by totalling the number of containers marked with the packer's identifying barcode label.

Referring to Figure 2 of the drawings, a side elevational view of apparatus for conveying a bunch of grapes is shown. The apparatus forms part of one of the selective discharging arrangements 32 of the apparatus 10.

The discharge arrangement 32 includes a frame structure 38 supporting the sorting conveyor 12, as it travels in the first conveying direction 20. A discharge conveyor 34 is disposed transversely below the sorting conveyor 12 and a second or transferring conveyor in the form of a scallop belt 40 extends between an underside of the sorting conveyor 12 and the top of the discharge conveyor 34. The scallop belt is mechanically connected or linked to the driving means of the sorting conveyor 12, so that it travels generally at the same speed as the sorting conveyor 12. The top of the scallop belt 40 travels in a second conveying direction 42, which intersects the first conveying direction 20 at an acute angle and extends downwardly from the point of intersection to the discharge conveyor 34.

Each cup assembly 18 is pivotally supported on the frame structure 38, to be selectively pivoted about a cup shaft extending through the chain or belt, by activating a dropping mechanism under control of the computer 60, to lower the cup's trailing edge 44 to close proximity of the scallop belt 40. The selective pivotal movement of a cup assembly 18 is achieved by moving a support formation 46 along a downwardly extending curved slot 48, defined in the frame structure 38. For the purposes of illustration, a number of consecutive positions of a cup assembly 18 are shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, as it is being pivoted to discharge a grape bunch from its cup onto the scallop belt 40. If the grape bunch is not to be discharged onto the scallop belt 40, the dropping mechanism is not activated, the support formation 34 travels along the straight upper slot 50 defined in the support frame 38, and the cup assembly 18 remains upright. A grape bunch discharged from a cup assembly 18, travels at the first conveying speed in the first conveying direction 20, and is gradually lowered as the traling edge 44 is pivoted downwardly, until the grape bunch slides under gravity onto the top of the scallop belt 40 and travels in the second conveying direction 42 at the second conveying speed, which generally equals the first conveying speed. The transfer of the grape bunch from the cup assembly 18 to the scallop belt 40 thus occurs at a generally constant speed, with a small change in direction, so that damage and spoiling of the grapes are minimised.

The scallop belt 40 defines a number of longitudinal recesses 41 or scallops and the trailing edge 44 of the pivoted cup assembly is lowered generally above a recess so that the grape is nested within the recess and is prevented from rolling down the scallop belt and damaging the bunch or losing berries.

At the lower end 52 of the scallop belt 40, the grape bunches are dropped about 100mm under gravity onto the discharge conveyor 34. A packing belt 54 of the discharge conveyor 34 is unsupported at this position, to soften the landing of the grape bunches on the discharge conveyor 34. The packing belt 34 is also convexly curved, to cause the grape bunches to settle along the centre of the discharge conveyor 34. The computer 60 is loaded with management software, including the algorithm for sorting the grape bunches and for controlling the various functions of the apparatus 10, described hereinabove. Various operating parameters can be set manually or can be determined and controlled by the computer, to optimise the packing efficiency within the apparatus 10. For instance, the sorting of grape bunches can be controlled so that grape bunches are delivered to each discharge conveyor 34 at the highest sustainable rate at which all the packers at the discharge location 36 of that discharge conveyor can pack the groups 56 of bunches 54 into cartons, or slightly less.

The variable parameters that can be provided to the computer 60 to manage and optimise the operation of the apparatus 10, include: measuring speed in the measuring zone 24; weight tolerances of groups 56; maximum packing rate for each discharge conveyor 34; number of discharge conveyors 34 for each packing specification (e.g. for each grade of grapes); and availability of discharge conveyors 34.

The computer 60 can also accumulate the data relating to the bunches loaded onto cup assemblies 18 by each cutter or checker and can analyse this data to determine trends, e.g. to measure the performance of each cutter/checker. Referring to Figure 3 of the drawings, a second embodiment of a selective discharging arrangement 32 is shown for selectively removing bunches of grapes from the sorting conveyor 12. The discharging arrangement 32 includes a scallop belt 40 defining a number of axially spaced recesses 41, similar to the scallop belt shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. However, the scallop belt 40 shown in Figure 3 of the drawings extends along a curved path 66, with one end underneath the sorting conveyor 12 and with the other end extending generally perpendicular from the sorting conveyor.

Bunches of grapes 54 are conveyed in the first conveying direction 20 in cup assemblies 18, which are pivoted to discharge the bunches of grapes into the recesses 41 at the upper end 53 of the scallop belt 40, in identical fashion to the discharging arrangement 32 shown in Figure 2. However, after the bunches of grapes have been discharged into the recesses 41, they initially travel in the second travel direction 42, but are then led along a curved path 66 towards the lower end 52 of the scallop belt 40. The bunches of grapes are removed by hand from the recesses 41 to be packed.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, arrays 62 of light sources such as LED's or light bulbs 64 are provided longitudinally along any conveyor, such as the sorting conveyer 12 and the discharge conveyor 34. A similar array 62 is also shown adjacent the transversely extending lower part of the scallop belt 40 shown in Figure 3 of the drawings. When a bunch of grapes 54 is conveyed on one of the conveyers 12, 34, a bunch of grapes that the computer 60 has identified to be packed manually by a packer who stands at a predetermined despatch location adjacent the conveyor, such as a discharge location 36, or any other despatch location 68 where a packer can remove bunches 54 from a conveyor, is identified by activating the light bulbs 64 adjacent the bunch of grapes. As the bunch of grapes 54 travels along the conveyor 12, 34, consecutive light bulbs 46 are activated sequentially adjacent the bunch of grapes, so that the packer can see from a distance which bunches of grapes the computer 60 has identified for packing by that packer at his despatch location.

The method of identifying bunches of grapes 54 by way of the light bulbs 64 can be used in combination with a single conveyor such as the sorting conveyor 12, or in combination with a more complex sorting system such as the apparatus shown in Figure 1 of the drawing in which arrays 62 of light bulbs 64 can be provided along more than one of the conveyors 12, 34.

The invention illustrated holds the advantages that it allows articles such as bunches of grapes to be sorted and packed in a cost effective manner to predetermined requirements of the characteristics of grapes in a container, while optimising the utilisation of the packing capability of each of the packer at the discharge locations 68 and optimising the cutting and sorting capability of the checkers/cutters at the checking/cutting facility 30 by monitoring and optimising the handling of grape bunches 54. The invention illustrated holds the further advantage of inhibiting damage to grape bunches 54, by conveying them gently from the sorting conveyor 12 to the scallop belt 40.

Claims

1. A method of handling at least one article 54, said method including: receiving an article 54 on a first support element 18; moving the first support element 18 and article 54 in a first conveying direction 20 at a first conveying speed; moving a second support element 40 at least in part below the first support element 18, at a second conveying speed and in a second conveying direction 42; and pivoting the first support element 18 above the second support element 40 so that the article 54 is transferred under gravity from the pivoted first support element 18, to the second support element 40, to be conveyed in the second conveying direction 42; characterised in that the first conveying speed is generally equal to the second conveying speed, in that the second conveying direction 42 intersects the first conveying direction 20 at an acute angle, and in that the second conveying direction 42 extends downwardly from its intersection with the first conveying direction 20.

2. A method as claimed in Claim 1 , characterised in that the first support element 18 is pivoted so that a trailing edge 44 of the first support element 18 is lowered towards the second support element 40.

3. A method as claimed in Claim 2, characterised in that the first support element 18 is pivoted when its trailing edge 44 is generally above a recess 41 defined in the second support element 40.

4. A method as claimed in Claim 1 , characterised by moving the second support element 40 along a curved path 66 that leads from the second conveying direction 42.

5. A method as claimed in Claim 4, characterised by moving the second support element 40 along a path 66 that extends generally perpendicularly from the second conveying direction 42.

6. A method as claimed in Claim 1 , characterised in that the article 54 is a fruit.

7 Apparatus 32 for handling an article 54, said apparatus

including: a first conveyor 12 including at least one first support element 18 and configured to move the first support element 18 in a first conveying direction 20 at a first conveying speed; and a second conveyor, disposed at least in part below the first conveyor 12, including at least one second support element 40 and configured to move the second support element 40 in a second conveying direction 42 at a second conveying speed; characterised in that the second conveying direction 42 intersects the first conveying direction 20 at an acute angle, in that the second conveying direction 42 extends downwardly from its intersection with the first conveying direction 20, and in that the apparatus includes pivoting means, configured to pivot the first support element 18 relative to the first conveyor 12, above the second conveyor.

8. Apparatus 32 as claimed in Claim 7, characterised in that the second support element 40 is a belt defining at least one recess 41.

9. Apparatus 32 as claimed in Claim 7, characterised in that the pivoting means is configured to pivot a first support element 18 selectively by lowering a trailing edge 44 of the first support element 18 towards the second support element 40.

10. Apparatus 32 as claimed in Claim 7, characterised in that the apparatus is configured so that the first conveying speed generally equals the second conveying speed.

11. Apparatus 32 as claimed in Claim 10. characterised in that the apparatus includes a mechanical connection between the first conveyor and the second conveyor.

12. Apparatus 32 as claimed in Claim 7, characterised in that the second conveyor is configured to move the second support element 40 along a curved 66 path that leads from the second conveying direction 42.

13. Apparatus 32 as claimed in Claim 12,characterised in that part of the curved path 66 extends generally perpendicular to the second conveying direction 42.

14. A method of identifying at least one article 54, said method including: moving a plurality of articles 54 on a conveyor 12, 34 to at least one despatch location 68; providing at least one light source 64 adjacent the conveyor 12, 34; and selectively removing articles 54 from the conveyor 12, 34 at the despatch location 68, by hand; characterised in that articles to be removed from the conveyor, are selected by a processor 60 and are identified by activating at least one of the light sources 64 adjacent the article 54, under control of the processor 60.

15. A method as claimed in Claim 14, characterised in that an array 62 of light sources 64 is provided along the conveyor 12, 34 and the light sources 64 are activated sequentially adjacent selected articles 54, while the articles 54 are being conveyed.

16. A method as claimed in Claim 14, characterised in that a plurality of despatch locations 68 are defined along the path of the conveyor 12, 34.

17. A method as claimed in Claim 14, characterised in that the articles 54 are selected and identified by the processor 60 in a manner to achieve a predetermined rate of removing articles 54 at each despatch location 68.

18. A method as claimed in Claim 14, characterised in that the article 54 is a fruit.

19. Apparatus 10 for identifying at least one article, said apparatus including: a conveyor 12, 34 configured to move articles 54 to at least one despatch location 68; a processor 60 configured to select articles 54 that are to be removed from the conveyor 12, 34 at each despatch location 68; and at least one light source 64 disposed adjacent the conveyor 12, 34; characterised in that the processor 60 is configured to identify an article 54 on the conveyor 12, 34 selectively by activating at least one of the light sources 64, adjacent the article 54.

20. Apparatus 10 as claimed in Claim 19, characterised in that the apparatus 10 includes an array 62 of light sources 64 along the conveyor 12, 34.

21. Apparatus 10 as claimed in Claim 19, characterised in that a plurality of despatch locations 68 are defined along the conveyor 12, 34.