Patent Application
20060060511
This invention relates to systems for assisting in the packaging of units or clusters of products having variable weights, thus permitting forming with high precision and efficiency, various weight configurations, and further, providing complete traceability of the packing process.
Presently, the usual packing system for variable weight products such as fruits and vegetables (i.e. grape's clusters) is made by trained handworkers, which must select the products from a conveyor belt and accumulating several units until completing approximately the required weight. In this system, widely used by producers and distributors of different variable weight products, the workers must reduce or prune the selected clusters, according to their own capacity and criteria, in order to adjust the items to a predetermined, suitable weight for packaging. The whole procedure would result a slow one, originating cluster losses, a constant loss of the product, and weight differences in the finished packaged products.
The South African packaging system, known in the market, comprises a set of baskets containing fruit clusters grouped by weight categories, in other words, baskets containing clusters with weights in the range of 200 up to 250 grams, others ranging between 250 and 300 grams, and so on, depending on the necessary ranges. The user may define the ranges. The equipment receives a fruit loaded basket which is placed on a scale and weighed (the baskets are filled by other workers). Then, the system determines if the weight is within the range. If it is not, it provides an indication to the operator, with instructions prompting the worker to extract any cluster from the basket, which will be classified inside another basket containing clusters with the same weight as the one withdrawn from the basket. Then, the system instructs the worker to withdraw a cluster from another basket containing clusters with the necessary weight for completing the weight of the first basket. The same worker closes the basket and sends it for completing the packaging. The problems with this equipment are that, due to detached grains from the cluster's rachis in the classification basket, the cluster may result with an incorrect weight, thus causing a weighting error. On the other hand, in order to deliver the predetermined quantity of fruit, the weight ranges of each basket shall be narrow. This might result in an important increase in the number of baskets, making the system difficult to operate.
Another known development in this field includes a matrix of hooks for hanging pre-weighed clusters and, when the. matrix has enough units, the system provides indications on what clusters are to be withdrawn simultaneously for completed the required weight. This system also has de disadvantage of the quantity of positions, difficulting the operation.
In order to address these problems, an automated weighting system was developed for assisting in the packaging of units or clusters of variable weight, as can be the case generally with fruits and vegetable products, and more particularly, with grapes clusters of several varieties, or additionally with several meat cuttings. The systems avoids losses such as the, often necessary cuttings, for adjusting the desired weight of each package. It is noted that, in the case of grapes clusters, the losses are limited to clusters having less weight than the desired one and from the usual detachment of the berries. The main characteristic of the proposed system consists in that, by using a predicting algorithm, it permits to load directly the baskets or bags thus completing the required weight, starting from individual weightings of the clusters, without the need for separately storing them.
A practical example illustrating present invention consists of the accompanying drawings, intended only as illustrations but not as limitations, in which:
Present invention comprises an automated weighing system for assisting in packaging units or clusters of variable weight products, in example, fruits and vegetable products in general and more particularly, grape clusters of several varieties, as well as the various meat cuttings. The main advantage of the system is the reduction of losses due to the adjustment of the necessary weights pursuant the predetermined individual weight, comprising:
a) a data-entering device (1), such as a weighting station comprising an instrument that permits determining the individual weight of each unit or cluster in combination with;
b) an electronic decision making device, that permits determining the most suitable distribution or position for each unit or cluster of the product within the position's matrix (2), in that the system combines the necessary units or clusters of the product to complete the required weight;
c) a visualization and operation device (3), that permits configuring and controlling, scheming, illustrating or plotting the system's operation matrix (2). By distributing therefrom, by automated or manual means, each of the units or clusters analyzed by the data-entering device (1); it provides a very accurate weighting system for each package, optimizing the product yield and substantially reducing the packing time.
More particularly, the data-entering device (1) comprises a scale or any other similar weighting means.
Similarly, the position's matrix comprises a series of packing elements (4), which can be stiff such as trays, baskets, containers, etc., or pliable such as bags.
The visualization and operation device (3) comprises a panel (or screen) including at least an area with indicia on the system's information (6) and a keyboard for configuring the operation (7). Further, there is an area with auxiliary operation indicators (8). The visualization and operation device (3) may be a computer screen, an electronic screen, a television set screen or any similar electronic device.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the visualization and operation device (3) allows visualization of filling indicia, such as red colored signals, when the electronic device determines that some of the packing elements (4), included in the position's matrix (2) had been loaded with the right predetermined weight. Additionally, it permits the operator to see indication signals, such as green colored ones, corresponding to packing elements (4) being simultaneously loaded with several units or clusters of the product, as far as the electronic device determines that said packing elements (4) do not reach the predetermined weight.
According with a practical embodiment of the proposed system, a work-station is provided (9) comprising the above described parts (a, b, and c) in combination with:
d) a structure (10) supporting a position's matrix (2) configured with 2 up to 20 packing elements (4);
e) a lateral support for the box of fruit to be processed;
f) a support for the data-entering device;
g) a support for the visualization and operation device (3);
h) an in-line recirculation device (12) of the packing elements (4) entering empty, by automated or manual means, to the position's matrix (2);
i) an own energy source, such as a rechargeable battery, providing autonomy in case of an electric energy network failure, thus avoiding losses on the information accumulated during the process:
j) a return line conduction system (13) for the packing elements (4), which after being completed are carried, by automated or manual means, from the position's matrix (2) to the packing area;
k) a packing station; and
l) a general purpose software installed at the office, which permits visualization in real time of the equipment's operation, and also, its programming.
According to another practical embodiment of the proposed system, at least two workstations (9) are provided in parallel, each one separately comprising all the above describe parts [(a) to (i)], sharing the parts designed with letters a) to (I).
Additionally, by using two workstations (9) in parallel, it enables mixed packing, i.e. mixed fruits such as two different grape varieties or processing at the same time, i.e. peaches and apples, with a high weight accuracy.
Further, the system provides a complete traceability of the packing process, with on-line information available by connection to computers.
The system saves constantly the process information from each workstation (9) providing statistics on the efficiency of the operation, as well as from the accomplished work. The user can use these data for several purposes, i.e. facilitating payments, in the case of work payments by production. The system further includes outgoing data ports for connecting on-line the workstations (9) with the software controlling and administering the process included with the system. This system permits to visualize, i.e. in a computer connected with the equipment, the performance in real time for each of the workstations (9) in the packinghouse. In case it does not work on-line with the workstations (9), the device can be detached from each station (9), thus discharging its information to a PC.
For other features, the system uses a keyboard permitting the user to obtain process information, and the packing manager entering the required parameters for the operation (password protected). With the system connected on-line, these parameters may be entered remotely from a computer.
The system can be manually operated or be a fully automated one.
In manual mode, the operation is very simple. All the operator has to do is placing only one unit or cluster of the product into de entering device (1), and then, placing it in one of the packing elements (4) within the position's matrix, indicated by the electronic decision making device. By repeating it successively, the operator processes a new unit or cluster of the product, until the visualization and operation device (3) indicates that one packing element (4) reached the required weight. Then, it is forwarded to the following step (normally, the packing-station). A new packing element (4) replaces the completed one, thus continuing the weighting operation.
In the automated mode, the system operates with one or more robotic arms, conveyor belts or other technologies.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2032-2004 | Aug 2004 | CL | national |
