Patent ID: 6303165
Filing Date: 2001-10-16
Classification: A21C,A23P

Abstract:
A method for producing and then accurately depositing segments of filling material upon tortillas in a system that includes:a lower conveyor;an upper conveyor and selectable-speed drive motor;a portioning assembly including a pump, an extruder nozzle, and machine-activated blade;object sensors including one or more tortilla sensors and one or more filling sensors;a controller coupled to the motor, pump, sensors, and blade;where the method is performed by the controller and comprises operations of:performing operations to create a filling segment of a desired size, comprising:responsive to signals from the tortilla sensor indicating arrival of a tortilla at a first designated site on the lower conveyor, starting the pump at a prescribed time thereafter;responsive to signals from the filling sensor indicating arrival of filling material from the extruder nozzle at a first designated site on the upper conveyor, waiting for a predetermined advancement of the upper conveyor and then activating the blade and stopping the pump to complete a filling segment;performing operations to accurately deposit the completed filling segment upon the arriving tortilla, comprising:responsive to signals from the tortilla sensor indicating arrival of a tortilla at a second designated site on the lower conveyor, starting to monitor position of the lower conveyor;responsive to signals from the filling sensor indicating arrival of the filling segment at a second designated site on the upper conveyor, utilizing the tortilla's monitored position to determine offset between the filling segment and the tortilla;calculating a correction profile of upper conveyor movement to place the filling segment in predetermined relationship to the tortilla; anddirecting the motor to execute the correction profile and deposit the filling segment upon the tortilla.