Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
  • B65G43/00—Control devices, e.g. for safety, warning or fault-correcting
  • B65G43/08—Control devices operated by article or material being fed, conveyed or discharged
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
  • B07C—POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING
  • B07C5/00—Sorting according to a characteristic or feature of the articles or material being sorted, e.g. by control effected by devices which detect or measure such characteristic or feature; Sorting by manually actuated devices, e.g. switches
  • B07C5/02—Measures preceding sorting, e.g. arranging articles in a stream orientating
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
  • B65G47/00—Article or material-handling devices associated with conveyors; Methods employing such devices
  • B65G47/52—Devices for transferring articles or materials between conveyors i.e. discharging or feeding devices
  • B65G47/68—Devices for transferring articles or materials between conveyors i.e. discharging or feeding devices adapted to receive articles arriving in one layer from one conveyor lane and to transfer them in individual layers to more than one conveyor lane or to one broader conveyor lane, or vice versa, e.g. combining the flows of articles conveyed by more than one conveyor
  • B65G47/70—Devices for transferring articles or materials between conveyors i.e. discharging or feeding devices adapted to receive articles arriving in one layer from one conveyor lane and to transfer them in individual layers to more than one conveyor lane or to one broader conveyor lane, or vice versa, e.g. combining the flows of articles conveyed by more than one conveyor with precedence controls among incoming article flows
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
  • B65G51/00—Conveying articles through pipes or tubes by fluid flow or pressure; Conveying articles over a flat surface, e.g. the base of a trough, by jets located in the surface
  • B65G51/01—Hydraulic transport of articles
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
  • B65G2201/00—Indexing codes relating to handling devices, e.g. conveyors, characterised by the type of product or load being conveyed or handled
  • B65G2201/02—Articles
  • B65G2201/0202—Agricultural and processed food products
  • B65G2201/0211—Fruits and vegetables
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
  • B65G2203/00—Indexing code relating to control or detection of the articles or the load carriers during conveying
  • B65G2203/04—Detection means
  • B65G2203/041—Camera

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method for conveying and selecting fruit and vegetable products .
• the present invention also relates to a system for conveying and selecting fruit and vegetable products .
• the systems of the aforesaid type comprise a first station in which a plurality of products of different features (size, weight, colour, etc.) is discharged from a case, a first conveying line of said products, a specifying station for conveying the aligned products along a second conveying line, a third specified products conveying line, means for determining at least one of aforesaid product features, and a discharging and packaging station of the products according to aforesaid features .
• a further object of the present invention consists of making a system for implementing the aforesaid method.
• a method for conveying and selecting fruit and vegetable products comprising: a first step in which a plurality of products is discharged along a conveying line; a second step during which said products are specified; a third step during which said specified products are transferred to a respective housing seat; a fourth step in which at least one feature is determined for each product, such as, for example, weight, size, colour, etc.; a fifth step during which the transfer of said product is controlled towards a chosen discharging and packaging station on the basis of the feature determined during said fourth step; characterised in that it presents an intermediate step between said first and second steps during which the number of products in a certain area of said conveying line is determined and on the basis of such number the conveying speed along said line is varied so as to adjust the flow of said product according to predetermined modes .
• a system for conveying and selecting fruit and vegetable products comprising: a station in which a plurality of products is discharged onto a first conveying line; first actuating means along a horizontal axis of said first conveying line; a second conveying line defined along said axis in sequence from said first line and adapted to route said specified products; second actuating means along said axis of said second conveying line; a third conveying line defined along said axis in sequence to said second line and adapted to route said specified products towards a predetermined discharging and packaging station; third actuating means along said axis of said third conveying line; characterised in that it comprises a first member adapted to determine the number of said products in a predetermined area defined along said first conveying line and an electronic control unit for managing said first means for varying the conveying speed along said first line so as to control the flow of said products according to the determination of said first member in predetermined modes .
• the system 1 comprises: a station (not shown) in which a plurality of products 2 is discharged onto a first conveying line 3 from a case; actuating means 4 (of the known type and consequently not shown) along a horizontal axis X of the aforesaid conveying line 3; a second conveying line 5 defined along axis X in sequence from said line 3 and adapted to channel said specified products 2; handling means 6 (of the known type and consequently not shown) along axis X of the aforesaid conveying line 5; a third conveying line 7 defined along axis X in sequence from line 5 and adapted to channel the specified products 2 towards a predetermined discharging and packaging station (known and therefore not shown) ; handling means 8 (of the known type and consequently not shown) along axis X of the aforesaid conveying line 7; a member 11 adapted to determine the number of products 2 in a predetermined area A defined along the conveying line 3; a member 12 for weighing
• a member for transferring the product 2 from the line 7 to a selected discharging and packaging station (not shown) ; and an electronic unit 14 for controlling means 4, 6 and 8, members 11, 12 and 13 and the member which transfers the product 2 from line 7 to a selected discharging and packaging station.
• the conveying line 3 is of the known type and specifically presents a conveyor belt 15 mobile along a loop. Near line 5, line 3 is provided with two vertical small walls 16 arranged in a V-plan so as to gradually restrict the width of the passage from line 3 to line 5 and so as to make one product 2 pass to line 5 at a time.
• member 11 periodically determines the number of products. Essentially, member 11 which is defined by a camera photographs the area A identifying the degree of filling of area A by the number of products . By- processing performed by control unit 14 and as the extension of the surface of area A is constant, the control unit 14 on the basis of the number of determined products calculates the average dimension of the products 2 present in area A at the time of determination.
• control unit 14 varies, by means of control actuating means 4, the speed of the belt 15 to adjust the flow of products 2 to line 5. If a high number of products is determined in area A, the control unit 14 decreases the speed of the belt 15 because the flow to line 5 of a high number of such products 2 (which we remember must be specified) determines a crowding of the products 2 themselves at the passage defined between the small walls 16; crowding which, as previously mentioned, may cause collisions between products 2 and consequent bruising of the same.
• Line 7 is defined by a plurality of housing seats of the specified product 2.
• control unit 14 increases the speed of the belt 15 so as to determine a continuous flow of the products 2 towards line 5 and therefore constantly determine the filling of aforesaid housing seats of the line 7.
• the conveying line 5 is of the known type and specifically presents a conveyor belt 17 mobile along a loop.
• the width of the belt 5 is reduced with respect to that of the belt 15 and is essentially slightly higher than the maximum dimensions of the product 2 to be selected.
• line 5 presents two vertical small walls 18 which define the passage of products 2.
• the conveying line 7 is of the known type and in this example of embodiment comprises a plurality of rollers 21 parallel and orthogonal to axis X; the first mentioned housing seat of the product 2 is defined between the two adjacent rollers 21.
• the rollers 21 are carried at their axial ends by two chains 22 mobile along a loop.
• the conveying line 7 may be constructed by a plurality of buckets each carrying a respective product 2 and a chain loop which supports the buckets reciprocally aligned along the course of the chain.
• the subject method of the present invention comprises : a first step in which a plurality of products 2 is discharged on the conveyor belt 15; a second step during which the products 2 are specified; a third step during which the specified products 2 are transferred to a respective housing seat; a fourth step in which at least one feature (weight, dimensions, colour, etc.) is determined on single product 2; a fifth step during which, on the basis of the feature determined in said fourth step, the product 2 is transferred towards a chosen discharging and packaging station; and an intermediate step between the first and the second steps during which it is determined the number of products in a determined area A of the conveyor belt 15 and on the basis of such number the speed of the conveyor belt is varied so as to adjust the flow of products 2 according to predetermined modes.
• a method and a system are achieved for regulating the flow of fruit and vegetable products regardless of their different size towards the zone of the system in which the products are firstly specified and then channeled towards a discharging and packaging station.
• Regulating the flow of products prevents the collision between products and therefore drastically reduces the number of rejected products because damaged.
• regulating the flow of products allows to obtain that the housing seats of the single product are always concerned by such product, i.e. it is possible that none of the seats are empty. It is finally apparent that changes and variants can be made to the system and method here described and shown without however departing from the protective scope of the present invention.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Fluid Mechanics (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=36852198

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Cited By (12)

Citations (8)

• 2005
  • 2005-06-28 IT ITBO20050426 patent/ITBO20050426A1/it unknown
• 2006
  • 2006-06-26 WO PCT/EP2006/063563 patent/WO2007000441A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (8)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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