WO2008063064A1

WO2008063064A1 - A method of loading products onto a conveyor

Info

Publication number: WO2008063064A1
Application number: PCT/NL2007/050584
Authority: WO
Inventors: Barend Van Ravenhorst; Bart Van Walderveen
Original assignee: Fps Food Processing Systems B.V.
Priority date: 2006-11-23
Filing date: 2007-11-22
Publication date: 2008-05-29

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for loading products onto an endless conveyor (2), for instance eggs onto a roller conveyor, comprising the successive steps, forming one single cycle, of : - supplying rows of trays (10) with a first substantially horizontal conveyor (1) to a second substantially- horizontal conveyor, wherein the second conveyor is guided at least into close proximity to the first conveyor, while trays have nests, in rows and columns, as carrier locations for said products, - taking up the separate products from at least two trays placed substantially side by side on the first conveyor in corresponding rows, and - placing the products in predetermined positions on the said second conveyor, wherein placing the products on the second conveyor takes place on one single side of said first conveyor, while the predetermined positions compose a single continuous field (B) on and over the width of the conveyor, and wherein for each following cycle, a similar field is composed that directly links up with, and forms one whole with, the fields (C) composed prior thereto. In a suitable manner, further, upon placement, a relative velocity of substantially Vrel - 0 m/s can be set. Thus, with great advantage, upon placement on such a second conveyor, damage to delicate products, such as eggs, is prevented.

Description

A METHOD OF LOADING PRODUCTS ONTO A CONVEYOR

The present invention relates to a method as represented in the preamble of claim 1.

Such a method is known from US5636726, where it is set forth how, for differently chosen supply conveyors for trays, eggs can be loaded therefrom onto a second conveyor. In this manner, the loading velocity, and hence the sorting capacity in the subsequent path, can be increased with respect to previous generations of methods in this field of technology . Most clearly, here, generally rectangular patterns of products are concerned and, in accordance therewith, rectangular fields for placing the products therein. In this generation, a method for taking up eggs is shown which has been taken over from the previous one. More particularly, for loading in different directions, the same manner of taking up and placing is utilized. The pattern of placing according to US5636726 can be typified for one of said directions as filling up open intermediate fields. Especially in the case of eggs, with this filling up of fields, there is a considerable risk of breakage.

In order to prevent the above -outlined problem, the method according to the invention is characterized in that placing the products on the second conveyor takes place on one single side of the first conveyor, while the predetermined positions compose one single continuous field on and over the width of the conveyor, and wherein, for each following cycle, a similar field is composed which directly links up with, and forms one whole with, the previously composed fields.

What is achieved in this manner is that interference with eggs already transferred and placed can only occur on the downstream side of the batch of eggs to be placed. Thus, in an advantageous manner, the margins for placing are better controllable and adjustable. It should further be noted that according to the above-mentioned characteristic, suitable arrangements where parallel conveyor paths or, also, conveyor paths at an angle can be utilized while the available space in, for instance, a packing station for eggs can be utilized in an advantageous manner.

In a further elaboration, the method is characterized in that the second conveyor crosses perpendicularly underneath the first conveyor. In another embodiment, the method according to the present invention is characterized in that placing the products on the second conveyor takes place at a relative velocity with substantially v_rai = 0 m/s.

This can be utilized in a highly suitable manner while the control upon placing the products is further simplified as possible problems of collision with previously placed products only have to be prevented on the one single downstream side mentioned.

In yet another elaboration, the method is characterized in that, prior to the first conveyor, the trays are supplied in stacks, and are then unstacked while being placed onto the first conveyor. In a highly suitable manner, thus, large quantities of products can be processed and treated.

In the following, the invention will be described in detail on the basis of a drawing wherein Fig. 1 schematically represents how the method according to the invention is carried out. In Fig. 1, with a first conveyor or supply conveyor 1, trays 10 loaded with products, for instance eggs, are supplied in the conveying direction Tl. A second conveyor 2 crosses perpendicularly underneath this supply conveyor 1, in the conveying direction T2, onto which conveyor the products are transferred, after having been taken from the trays. In general, the supply conveyor 1 is an endless conveyor, for instance a flat belt or a conveyor with well defined conveying locations.

For products such as eggs, the second conveyor is, generally, a roller conveyor, as described in, for instance, US2005183935A1.

As soon as the trays 10 arrive at the location of the roller conveyor 2, the group of trays 11 is included in the field A and, according to a transferring route indicated with L, is then loaded onto the roller conveyor 2 where a field B is composed. Further, in the Figure, a downstream field C, already loaded, is indicated. Empty trays 12 are conveyed further by the supply conveyor 1 for further processing, such as reuse, cleaning or destruction. More particularly, it should be noted that the trays 10 are supplied pitch-wise or intermittently and are then, at the location of the roller conveyor, briefly halted, as schematically indicated in Fig. 1. In the path preceding this, as a rule, the trays are supplied in stacks and are then unstacked in a controlled and regulated manner and placed onto the first conveyor 1. In general, in the case of products such as eggs, the transfer is carried out with a frame in which a matrix of suction cups is provided. These are known in the field of technology, for instance from the above-mentioned US5636726. It is further generally known that the mutual position of these suction cups must be adjusted to the geometry of arrangement of the eggs in the trays, and the mutual arrangement of the trays, and to the geometry of the conveying locations on the roller conveyor 2. Also for this purpose, there are solutions in this field of technology that have been used since long, for instance as according to US5273152.

In a further elaboration of the present invention, the movement of the frame with suction cups is driven such that the relative speed of roller conveyor 2 and this frame during the moments of transfer and placement of the products is virtually 0 m/s. An example of a device used to this end is described in WO9906281, and in further documents mentioned therein.

It will be clear to all those skilled in the art that for instance several types of conveyors, transfer devices and drives can be used. For instance for the purpose of unstacking, or also for the purpose of transferring the products from the trays onto the second conveyor, robots can be used. For such cases, advantageously, use can be made of the invention as defined in the claims and such applications will be understood to fall within the scope of these claims.

Claims

1. A method for loading products onto an endless conveyor, for instance eggs onto a roller conveyor, comprising the successive steps, forming one single cycle, of:

- supplying rows of trays with a first substantially horizontal conveyor to a second substantially horizontal conveyor, wherein the second conveyor is guided at least into close proximity to the first conveyor, while the trays have nests, in rows and columns, as carrier locations for said products,

- taking up the separate products from at least two trays placed substantially side by side on the first conveyor in corresponding rows, and - placing the products in predetermined positions on. the said second conveyor, characterized in that placing the products on the second conveyor takes place on one single side of said first conveyor, while the predetermined positions compose a single continuous field on and over the width of the conveyor, and wherein for each following cycle, a similar field is composed that directly links up with, and forms one whole with, the fields composed prior thereto.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the second conveyor crosses perpendicularly underneath the first conveyor.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that placing the products on the second conveyor takes place at a relative velocity with substantially Vrei = 0 m/s.

4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that prior to the first conveyor, the trays are supplied in stacks, and are then unstacked while being placed on said first conveyor.