A positioning device for arranging trays in crates

Abstract

 A positioning device for arranging trays in crates, comprising: at least a transport plane (13a) exhibiting a terminal edge (13b) predisposed to transport trays (5) along an advancement direction (A); at least a support plate (20) predisposed to support at least a crate (8), which support plate (20) exhibits a first end portion (20a) and a second end portion (20b), the support plate (20) being mobile along a sliding direction (D) between at least a first position, in which the first end portion (20a) is arranged below the terminal edge (13b), and at least a second position, in which the second end portion (20b) is arranged below the terminal end (13b); pressors (21, 22, 23) predisposed to assume a position in which the distance separating a lower portion of the pressors from the support plate (20) is smaller than a height of a tray (5), such that it is able to exert a pressure on a tray (5) located at least partially in a crate (8), which pressure is directed towards the support plate (20).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to the industrial field of machines, plants and/or device for working, treatment and packaging of vegetable and fruit products destined for large-scale distribution.

[0002] In particular the present invention relates to packaging articles and/or vegetable and fruit produce, such as for example modest-sized and substantially spherical fruits (apples, oranges, mandarins and the like) internally of suitable containing crates.

[0003] As is known, packing fruit, and in particular apples, in crates is generally done using special trays made of a flexible material or a non-flexible material provided with a plurality of cells for ordered housing of the fruit to be packed.

[0004] Generally, machines are known in which the packing of the apples is done by special machines comprising a combined line advancement system for the fruit, trays and crates, each of which lines is supplied by a respective loading station.

[0005] Usually the fruit advancing lines and the celled trays are superposed and converge at a terminal zone of the advancement line of the fruit, so that the fruit is arranged by force of gravity onto the underlying cells of the trays. The advancement line of the trays extends beyond the convergence zone to constitute a further advancement line dedicated to the advancing of the trays filled with the supplied fruit.

[0006] Similarly to the above-described structure, the advancement line of the filled trays superposes the advancement line of the containing crates up to a convergence zone corresponding to a terminal zone of the advancement line of the filled trays.

[0007] When the filled trays reach the zone of convergence, between the corresponding advancement line and the advancement line of the crates, the trays bearing the fruit are eased into the containing crates, which continue towards an outlet conveyor.

[0008] The arrangement of the celled trays in the crates is achieved substantially by a combined effect of sliding and positioning by force of gravity. The station the operation is performed at comprises in substance two transport planes, one superposed on the other, and suitably synchronised. The crates are conveyed on the lower plane and the trays containing the fruit on the upper plane. Thereafter, at the terminal edge of the upper plane, the trays are deposited internally of the crates which run below them. To limit impacts and to make the depositing operation of the trays in the crates progressive, the crates are rest on a tilting support plate hinged at a transversal axis with respect to the lower transport plane. The crate is arranged on the support with the posterior wall thereof (the wall arranged downstream with respect to the advancement direction of the conveyor belt) in proximity of the hinge axis of the support. The inclined position of the crates enables the strike point between the front wall and the bottom surface of the crates to be in proximity of the end edge of the upper transport plane. In this way, when the front portion of a tray leaves the upper transport plane it is deposited in a front zone of the crate. The upper and lower transport planes move substantially at a same speed in order to enable a correct positioning of the trays in the crates.

[0009] Packaging lines of known type, however, exhibit some drawbacks. The depositing of the trays internally of the crates is frequently obstructed and made imprecise by friction forces that are created between the edges of the trays and the walls of the crates.

[0010] To obviate this drawback, an operator intervenes to push the trays that do not correctly position in the crates into position on the bottom of the crate.

[0011] The main aim of the present invention is to obviate the drawbacks of packaging lines of known type, by providing a positioning device for depositing trays internally of crates, which places the trays correctly without any need for further intervention.

[0012] An advantage of the present invention is that it is easily applicable to packaging lines for vegetable and fruit produce already used in the sector.

[0013] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will better emerge from the detailed description that follows, made with reference to the accompanying figures of the drawings, which are provided purely by way of non-limiting example, in which:

figure 1 is an- overall view of a machine for packaging vegetable and fruit produce;

figure 2 is a perspective view of the positioning device of the present invention, in isolation with respect to the machine of figure 1;

figures 3, 4, 5 show three different operative configurations of the device of figure 2, represented in vertical section.

[0014] With reference to figure 1, 2 denotes a machine 2 for packing articles 3, in particular vegetables and fruits of overall modest size and being substantially spherical or rounded, such as apples, oranges, mandarin oranges and the like.

[0015] The machine 2 comprises a first loading station 4 for infeeding trays 5 each of which exhibits a structure 6 which is substantially flat, and at least a cell 7, advantageously a plurality of cells 7, for ordered housing of single vegetables or fruits 3 to be packed in special crates 8.

[0016] The first loading station 4 supplies the trays 5 to a first advancement line 9 which extends preferably by a side of the first loading station 4 along a substantially straight direction A which is the advancement direction of the trays 5. Advantageously the first advancement line 9 comprises at least a conveyor belt 10 which extends horizontally along the above-mentioned advancement direction A. Naturally, the first advancement line 9 can be realised using any other conveyor suitable for advancement of the trays 5.

[0017] The machine 2 comprises a second loading station (not illustrated in the figures of the drawings) which is deputed to supplying the above-mentioned vegetables or fruits 3 to be placed in the cells 7 of the trays 5.

[0018] The second loading station provides a continuous supply of fruits 3 to be packed to a second advancement line 11 which extends preferably in a substantially straight direction, advantageously coinciding with the advancement direction A of the trays 5 along the first advancement line 9.

[0019] The second advancement line 11 is preferably superposed on the first advancement line 9 so that the fruit articles proceed, substantially parallel, above the trays 5.

[0020] In the embodiment illustrated in figure 1, the second advancement line 11 includes the use of a conveyor 12, partially constituted by rollers, which develops horizontally above the conveyor belt 10 of the first advancement line 9, to facilitate the advancement of the fruits 3 launched from the second loading station.

[0021] The first and second advancement lines 9, 11, converge to one another along the advancement direction A in order to perform the housing of the fruits 3 in the cells 7 of the trays 5 being supplied.

[0022] In particular, the first advancement line 9 exhibits an inclined tract 9a which develops from the belt 10 and terminates approximately at the same level as the roller conveyor 12 of the second advancement line 11.

[0023] In order better to define the convergence zone of the above-mentioned advancement lines 9, 11, it is preferable that the second advancement line 11 terminates with a slide portion (not illustrated) inclined towards the first advancement line 9, approximately at the inclined tract 9a thereof.

[0024] The structural configuration of the convergence zone of the first and second advancement lines 9, 11, determines the rising of the trays 5 and the contemporaneous descent of the fruits 3 which are the arranged in an ordered way internally of the cells 7 of the trays 5.

[0025] Still with reference to figure 1, the machine 2 comprises a first outlet line 13, preferably constituted by a conveyor belt 14 which extends from the conveying zone of the first and the second advancement lines 9, 11 along direction A, for the advancing of the trays 5 bearing the supplied articles 3. In more detail, the first outlet line 13 constitutes a substantially horizontal prolongation of the first advancement line 9 from the inclined tract thereof.

[0026] Labelling devices 15 are advantageously provided along the first outlet line 13 which apply a label on each article 3 borne in the trays 5, which labels might be for recognition of the produce being packaged.

[0027] The first outlet line 13 extends beyond the labelling devices 15 by the side of a third loading station 16 dedicated to the supply of the above-mentioned containing crates 8 for the trays 5.

[0028] In particular, the third loading station 16 supplies the crates 8 to a third advancement line 17, also preferably constituted by one or more roller conveyors, and extending prevalently along the advancement direction A.

[0029] Figure 1 shows how the third advancement line 17 develops inferiorly of the first outlet line 13 in order to enable a substantially parallel advancement of the crates 8 and the filled trays 5. Downstream of the third loading station 16 the third supply line 17 and the first outlet line 13 converge to one another in order to determine the positioning of each filled tray 5 inside a crate 8 coming from the third loading station 16.

[0030] In detail, the convergence zone between the first outlet line 13 and the third advancement line 17 is defined by an inclined terminal tract 13a which directs the filled trays 5 towards the crates 8 moving along the third advancement line 17.

[0031] From the convergence zone of the first outlet line 13 and the third advancement line 17 a second outlet line 18 extends for advancing the crates 8 with the filled trays 5.

[0032] The positioning device 1, illustrated in figure 2, of the present invention, is operatively located at the convergence zone between the first outlet line 13 and the third advancement line 17.

[0033] The device 1 comprises a support plate 20 which is mobile along a sliding direction D on a sliding plane S arranged below the transport plane 13a in a consecutive position with respect to the third advancement line 17. Therefore the sliding direction D is preferably parallel to the advancement direction A.

[0034] The support plate 20 is mobile on the sliding plane S between a first position, illustrated in figure 3, in which the second end 20b is arranged below the terminal edge of the transport plane 13a and a second position, illustrated in figure 5, in which the first end 20a is arranged below the terminal edge of the transport plane 13a.

[0035] Preferably the support plate 20 is predisposed to support at least a crate 8 in at least an inclined position in which the first end portion 20a of the support plate 20 is arranged in proximity of the sliding plane S, while a second end 20b is raised with respect to the sliding plane S. The inclination of the support plate 20 is such that it converges towards the transport plane 13a in the advancement direction A.

[0036] Means for synchronising of known type and not illustrated, comprising for example one or more photocells, are predisposed to synchronise the sliding direction of the support plate 20 with the advancement of the trays 5 determined by the transport plane 13a. The synchronisation between the two movements is such that, starting from an initial moment when the support plate 20 is in the first position thereof, the support plate 20 is activated to slide towards the second position when tray 5 has the front edge thereof at the terminal edge of the transport plane 13a. The support plate 20 and the tray 5 run in the advancement direction A at a same speed in order that the tray 5, while leaving the transport plane 13a, progressively deposits inside a crate 8 arranged resting on the support plate 20. When the support plate is in the second position, the tray 5 definitively leaves the transport plane 13a and is arranged inside the crate 8. At this point the crate 8 can proceed along the second outlet line 18, or the support plate 20 can retract again into the first position thereof in order to allow a second tray 5 to deposit in the crate 8. This cycle can be repeated as many times as there are trays 5 to be deposited in a same crate 8.

[0037] The support plate 20 is further rotatable about a horizontal axis X between at least a flat position (not illustrated in the figure for reasons of simplicity), in which it is arranged about coplanarly to the sliding plane S, and the above-described inclined position. In the flat position, the support plate 20 is able to receive a crate 8 coming from the third advancement line 17 and to enable the transfer of the crate 8 when full to the second outlet line 18. The work cycle of the support plate 20 comprises two further movements. In a first further movement the support plate 20, after having received (in a known way) a crate 8 coming from the third advancement line 17, rotates in the inclined position, bringing itself into the first position. In a second further movement, the support plate 20 rotates from the second position into the flat position in order to enable the transfer of the full crate 8 to the second outlet line 18, via means of known type.

[0038] The positioning device 1 further comprises pressors 21, 22, 23 predisposed to assume a position in which the distance separating a lower portion of the pressors from the support plate 20 is smaller than the height of a tray 5, so that a pressure can be exerted on a tray 5 arranged at least partially in a crate 8 which pressure is directed towards the support plate 20.

[0039] The pressors 21 comprise at least a roller 22 located downstream of the terminal edge of the transport plane 13a, which roller 22 is free to rotate about a horizontal rotation axis R. The roller 22 is mobile between at least a first position (visible in figures 3 and 4) in which it is above the transport plate 13a and does not enter into contact with the tray 5, and at least a second position (visible in figure 5), in which it is lower than the first position and enters into contact with the tray 5, pressing it towards the support plate 20. In the second position of the roller 22, at least a lower portion of the roller 22 is preferably below the transport plane 13a.

[0040] The movement of the roller 22 from the first towards the second position is synchronised by the above-mentioned means for synchronisation, with the support plate 20 and the transport plane 13a. In particular, the roller 22, which is initially in the first position thereof, lowers towards the second position when the support plate 20 reaches a certain position in the displacement thereof from the first towards the second position. The roller 22 enters into contact with an intermediate portion of the tray 5 and stays in the second position up until the end of the run of the support plate 20 from the first towards the second position, so that it presses the tray 5 progressively into the crate 8. At the end of the support plate 20 run from the first to the second position, the roller 22 raises again towards the first position, at which it is ready for a new operating cycle. The roller surface 22 is preferably covered with a layer of soft material which has the function of safeguarding the surfaces of the articles 3 deposited in the tray 5.

[0041] In order to adapt to trays 5 of different widths, the roller 22 can advantageously be sub-divided into two or more segments 22a which are reciprocally slidable along the rotation axis R between a position of maximum longitudinal extension and a position of minimum longitudinal extension of the roller 22.

[0042] The positioning device 1 further comprises a pressor element 23 predisposed to keep a front portion of the tray 5 pressed towards the support plate 20 internally of the crate 8. The pressor element 23 is slidable on command along a pressure direction P between at least a first position (illustrated in figure 3) in which it is not in contact with the tray 5, and at least a second position (illustrated in figure 5) in which it is in contact with the tray 5 and pushes a frontal portion of the tray 5 towards the support plate 20. The sliding motion of the pressor element 23 is synchronised with the motions of the support plate 20 and the terminal end of the transport plane 13a. Starting from the initial moment in which it is in the first position, following a time interval in which at least the front portion of the tray 5 is arranged in the crate 8, the pressor element 23 displaces towards the second position thereof up to an intermediate position, illustrated in figure 4, in which it enters into contact with a front portion of the tray 5. The pressor element 23 continues to slide towards the second position thereof following the motion of the support plate 20 and keeping the front portion of the tray 5 pressed towards the support plate 20. The second position of the pressor element 23 is reached at the second position of the support plate 20. From this moment the pressor element 23 is brought back towards the first position thereof for a new operating cycle.

[0043] The function of the pressor element 23 is to maintain the front portion of the tray 5 internally of the crate 8. It might occur that by effect of the pressure exerted by the roller 22 on intermediate portions of the tray 5, the front portion of the tray 5 is raised into an undesired position.

[0044] The pressor element 23 is preferably spatula-shaped and arranged transversally of the advancement direction A. At least a front surface of the pressor element 23, destined to enter into contact with the tray 5 and with the articles 3, is covered with a soft layer of material, similarly to the roller 22.

[0045] From a structural point of view the roller 22 is associated to a shaped arm 24 which is rotatably constrained about a rotation axis 24a with respect to a support frame 30. The motion of the roller 22 between the first and second positions thereof is actuated by rotating the shaped arm 24 about the rotation axis 24a thereof, preferably by means of a first linear actuator 25 which at a first end thereof is rotatably constrained to the support frame 30 about a horizontal axis and at a second end threof is rotatably constrained to the shaped arm 24 about a horizontal axis. By extending the linear actuator 25 the roller 22 is displaced towards the second position thereof.

[0046] By retracting the linear actuator 25 the roller 22 is displaced from the second towards the first position.

[0047] The pressor element 23 is arranged at the stem end of a second linear actuator 26 which is rotatably constrained to the support frame 30 about a horizontal axis. The motion of the pressor element 23 is determined by the extension and retraction of the second linear actuator 26. During the motion thereof, the pressor element 23 is free to rotate with respect to the support frame 30 so that the sliding direction P adapts to the position of the support plate 20, following the movement thereof.

Claims

1. A positioning device for arranging trays in crates, comprising:

at least a transport plane (13a) exhibiting a terminal edge (13b) predisposed to transport trays (5) along an advancement direction (A);

at least a support plate (20) predisposed to support at least a crate (8), which support plate (20) exhibits a first end portion (20a) and a second end portion (20b), the support plate (20) being mobile along a sliding direction (D) between at least a first position, in which the first end portion (20a) is arranged below the terminal edge (13b), and at least a second position, in which the second end portion (20b) is arranged below the terminal end (13b);

characterised in that it comprises pressors (21, 22, 23) predisposed to assume a position in which the distance separating a lower portion of the pressors from the support plate (20) is smaller than a height of a tray (5), such that it is able to exert a pressure on a tray (5) located at least partially in a crate (8), which pressure is directed towards the support plate (20).

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the pressors comprise a roller (22), mobile between at least a first position, in which it is above the transport plane (13a) such as not to enter into contact with a tray (5), and at least a second position, in which at least a lower portion of the roller (22) projects below the terminal edge (13b).

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the roller (22) is subdivided into two or more segments (22a) which are longitudinally slidable with respect to one another between a position of maximum longitudinal extension and a position of minimum longitudinal extension of the roller (22).

4. The device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the roller (22) is free to rotate about a longitudinal axis (R).

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the roller (22) is associated to a shaped arm (24) which is constrained, rotatably about a rotation axis (24a), to a support frame (30), such that a movement of the roller (22) between the first and second positions thereof can be made by rotating the shaped arm (24) about the rotation axis (24a) thereof.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the rotation of the shaped arm (24) is effected by means of a first linear actuator (25) which at a first end thereof is rotatably constrained to the support frame (30) about a horizontal axis, and which at a second end thereof is rotatably constrained to the shaped arm (24) about a horizontal axis.

7. The device of at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the roller (22) is covered on a surface thereof with a layer of soft material.

8. The device of at least one of the preceding claims, wherein means for synchronisation are predisposed to synchronise the sliding motion of the support plate (20), the advancement motion of the transport plate (13a) and the motion of the roller (22) such that: starting from an initial moment in which the support plate (20) is in the first position, the support plate (20) is activated to slide towards the second position when a tray (5) has the front edge thereof at the terminal edge of the transport plane (13a); the roller (22), which is initially in the first position thereof, lowers towards the second position when the support plate (20) reaches a determined position in the displacement thereof from the first position towards the second position thereof; the roller (22) enters into contact with an intermediate portion of the tray (5) and stays in the second position thereof up to the end of the run of the support plate (20); at the end of the run of the support plate (20) from the first position to the second position thereof, the roller (22) is raised towards the first position thereof and the support plate returns towards the first position thereof.

9. The device of at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the pressors comprise a pressor element (23) which is mobile between at least a first position, in which it is above the transport plane (13a) in order not to enter into contact with a tray (5), and at least a second position, in which a distance separating a lower portion of the pressor element (23) from the support plate (20) is smaller than a height of the tray (5).

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the pressor (23) is arranged at an end of a stem of a second linear actuator (26) rotatably constrained to the support frame (30) about a horizontal axis.

11. The device of claim 8 and at least one of claims 9 or 10, wherein the means for synchronisation are predisposed to synchronise the sliding motion of the pressor element (23) such that: starting from an initial moment in which it is is in the first position following a time interval in which at least a front portion of a tray (5) is arranged internally of a crate (8), the pressor element (23) displaces towards the second position thereof up to an intermediate position in which it enters into contact with a front portion of the tray (5) and continues to run towards the second position thereof following the motion of the support plate (20) and staying pressed against the front portion of the tray (5) towards the support plate (20); when the support plate (20) reaches the second position thereof, in which it also reaches the second position of the pressor element (23), the pressor element (23) returning towards the first position thereof.

Drawing