System for conveying and selecting fruit and vegetable products

A conveyor line for fruit or vegetables has a plurality of rollers defining seats for the products therebetween. At a selection station, a first member detects at least one feature of the product, and at a sorting station, a second member diverts similar products toward the same destination. Upstream of the selection station, the direction of rotation of the rollers is controlled to cause each product to settle correctly in its seat or shift into an adjacent seat, so that during detection of the features of the products, the products remain properly seated.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a system for conveying and selecting fruit and vegetable products.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Systems for conveying and selecting fruit and vegetable products comprise a loading station where a predetermined quantity of products is placed on a conveyor belt, a singularization station of the products where the products are aligned on a conveyor belt defined by rollers so that each product is caused to occupy a corresponding housing seat defined between two adjacent rollers, a selection station where the features of the product, such as dimensions and colour, are detected, a station in which the products are sent towards the corresponding packaging stations depending on the detected features. For certain small-sized fruit and vegetable products provided with a footstalk, such as cherries and certain types of tomatoes, the products may turn during the step in which the aforesaid features are detected along the conveyor belt installed in the selection station. Now, during such rotation, often due to the incorrect position the product may take in its housing seat, it may occur that either the product itself may jump into a previous seat or into the following seat, or the presence of the footstalk may prevent the complete rotation according to the direction of rotation imposed to the product itself. In this case, in the following station, which as mentioned is that in which the products are sorted according to their features, incorrect sorting may occur, that is, a product with certain features may either be sent to a station in which products with different features are packed or may not be entirely analyzed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of the present invention to provide a system for conveying and selecting fruit and vegetable products which is free from the drawbacks mentioned above.

According to the present invention, there is provided a system for conveying and selecting fruit and vegetable products comprising:

a conveyor line defined by a plurality of rollers in which housing seats for the product are determined between adjacent rollers;

a selection station in which at least one first member detects at least one feature of said product; and

a station in which by means of a second member, the products with the same features are sorted towards the same destination;

characterized in that upstream of said selection station there is installed at least one first assembly adapted to determine the rotation of said rollers so that said product accommodated in its seat may either correctly settle in such a seat or jump into an adjacent seat.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

InFIGS. 1 and 2, number1indicates a system as a whole adapted to convey and select fruit and vegetable products2(FIG. 3) comprising a conveyor line3for products2along a horizontal axis X. Such a conveyor line3is defined by a looped chain4actuated by means of an electrical motor displaying a plurality of rollers5idly mounted so as to turn about their rotation axis. As shown inFIGS. 3 and 4, rollers5display a central part having reduced thickness with respect to the end parts so that such a central part along with the central part of adjacent roller5define the housing seat of one product2only.

With reference toFIGS. 1 and 2, along conveyor line3, system11is provided with a selection station6of products2of the known type, which is therefore schematically shown. Such a station6comprises a first member7adapted to detect at least one first feature of product2which passes underneath and a second member8adapted to detect at least one second feature of product2which passes underneath. The detected features may be the size, the weight, the colour and/or the sugar content degree of product2. During the step in which the aforesaid features are detected, products2are turned clockwise at a member7or8and anticlockwise at the other member8or7. To determine such a rotation of product2under each block7and8, a respective assembly11is provided, which controls the rotation of rollers5when these are at and underneath members7and8. Assemblies11are known and for the sake of simplicity they are schematically shown. Each assembly11comprises a belt12wound as a loop around a drive wheel13actuated by an electric motor14and around an idle wheel15. An axial end16of roller5, which is provided with an annular toothing for a better grip on belt12, is in contact with the upper part of belt12(FIG. 4). Preferably, the number of rollers5engaged on belt12is higher than 6 or 7 units.

A sorting station17for products2is provided in sequence to selection station6. Such a station17is of the known type and it is therefore schematically shown. In any case, a member18is installed in such a station17comprising a plurality of nozzles21(FIG. 5) carried by a bar22, arranged by the side of the conveyor line3and adapted to blow air towards the seat of product2, which as mentioned is defined by two adjacent rollers5so as to make product2drop onto a conveyor belt or into a container underneath (not shown). System1also comprises an electronic control unit23which manages conveyor line3and all of the stations in system1.

The main feature of the present invention consists in that at least one assembly24similar to assembly11is installed upstream of station6along the conveyor line3. As shown inFIG. 2, there are preferably two assemblies24controlled by control unit23. A first assembly24determines the clockwise rotation of rollers5and the second assembly24determines the anticlockwise rotation of rollers5with the notice that assembly24closest to station6determines the rotation of rollers5in the opposite direction to that determined by the first assembly11installed in station6. The components of assemblies24for the sake of simplicity are shown with the same numerals as assemblies11.

In use, during the conveyance of products2along line3, products2at first encounter assembly24which determines, for example, the clockwise rotation of rollers5so as to turn product2present in the seat defined between two adjacent rollers5. Such a rotating step of the products2allows to either arrange itself correctly, that is in the central part of its seat, or to jump into an adjacent seat if the product2is not correctly arranged in its seat. Then, products2meet the second group24which determines the rotation of rollers5in the opposite direction with respect to that defined by the previous assembly24. In this step as well, for products2which have either jumped into another seat during the previous step or are not yet correctly positioned in their seat, the rotation of rollers5determines a rotation of products2which are therefore caused to settle correctly in their seat. After these settling steps for products2in the corresponding seats, the same products2are forwarded to station6where at first they meet the first assembly11which, during detection of at least one feature of product2, determines the clockwise rotation of rollers5and thus the consequent rotation of product2. Then, product2meets the second assembly11which, again during the detection of at least one second feature of product2, determines the anticlockwise rotation of rollers5and thus the consequent rotation of product2. Control unit23is adapted to store the detected features of products2in each seat in order to activate member18so that products2with the same features are sorted towards the same destination.

The advantages achieved by the embodiment of the 25 present invention are apparent from the description above.

In particular, a system1is constructed which determines the settling of products2in their seat well before the selection station so that during the detection of the features of products2, the product does not jump into an adjacent seat thus distorting such detection.

It is finally apparent that changes and variants can be made to system1described and shown herein without departing from the protective scope of the present invention.