Abstract:
A system for preparing recipes with components coming from closed containers (S 1 -S 5 ) provides for using one or more robotic units ( 1 ), each of which withdraws a selected container, arranging a plurality of hoppers ( 7.1 - 7.5 ), in each of which the withdrawn selected container is inserted by the robotic unit ( 1 ), and in each of which the container is automatically opened for loading the component into the hopper ( 7 ), discharging a preset component dose from each hopper ( 7 ), and collecting the dosed components for preparing the required recipe; a driving and control unit ( 15 ) provides for driving and controlling all of these operations as a function of the required recipe. Thereby, an automatic system for preparing recipes is achieved, which is fast, with a low processing cost, and free from risks related to the processing.

Description:
This application is a U.S. national stage of PCT/IB2013/055919 filed on 18 Jul. 2013, which claims priority to and the benefit of European Application No. EP13175004.4 filed on 4 Jul. 2013, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a system for preparing recipes with components coming from closed containers, such as sacks, boxes, tubs, etc. 
     STATE OF THE ART 
     In order to prepare recipes, for example, in the food field, a high manual efficiency is required. 
     For example, for preparing cereal cookies, multiple operators are required, who provide for withdrawing the sacks containing the various cereals, for opening the sacks, for dosing and mixing the various cereals. 
     It shall be apparent that this high manual efficiency involves prolonged processing times and high manufacturing costs. 
     Again, in the case of preparing recipes in the chemical field, the operator may be forced to handle toxic substances; therefore, he/she is subjected to risks to his/her health. 
     Furthermore, handling heavy sacks is an activity with a high risk to the operators, and in the case where the handling operations are frequent, it is an activity that is expressly forbidden by the law in force. 
     Lastly, the selection and dosing of the several components is demanded to the operator, whereby the risk of a human error always exists. 
     OBJECT OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the present invention is to obviate the above-mentioned limitations in manual efficiency. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Such an object is achieved by a system for preparing recipes with components coming from closed containers in accordance with claim  1 . 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In order to better understand the invention, a description of an exemplary, no-limiting embodiment thereof is set forth herein below, illustrated in the appended drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a diagram of a system for preparing recipes with components coming from closed containers according to the invention; 
         FIG. 2  shows the system of  FIG. 1  in an implementation variant; 
         FIG. 3  shows a component of the system of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     First, five groups of sacks S 1 ,S 2 ,S 3 ,S 4 ,S 5  are shown by way of example in  FIG. 1 , each group being composed of a plurality of sacks orderly stacked on pallets. The sacks of each group contain a given component, which is different from that of the other sacks, so as to be able to prepare recipe with five different components contained in the sacks. 
     At the groups of sacks a robotic unit  1  operates, which is essentially formed by a cart  2  mobile along a horizontal plane (as indicated by the arrows), an articulated arm  3  mounted on the mobile cart  2 , and a pneumatic gripping head  4  mounted at the end of the arm  3 . 
     A system for aligning the robotic unit  1  with the groups of sacks is provided. For example, five physical references  5 . 1 , 5 . 2 , 5 . 3 , 5 . 4 , 5 . 5  may be provided, each at a corresponding one of the groups of sacks S 1 -S 5  at which each group of sacks is arranged, for example, by a forklift truck. The head  4  of the robotic unit  1  may be provided with an optical/electronic device for recognizing sacks, for example, by laser scanning or the like, indicated by  6 . 
     A series of five hoppers  7 . 1 , 7 . 2 , 7 . 3 , 7 . 4 , 7 . 5  is provided downstream of the robotic unit  1 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , each hopper  7  has a cutting device inside, which is formed by toothed cutting blades  8  angularly adjustable, with teeth facing vertically towards the hopper mouth. 
     Five corresponding extractors  9 . 1 , 9 . 2 , 9 . 3 , 9 . 4 , 9 . 5  are mounted below the five hoppers  7 . 1 - 7 . 5 . 
     Each hopper-extractor unit is mounted on loading cells detecting the weight of the same unit. The cells are indicated with  10 . 1 , 10 . 2 , 10 . 3 , 10 . 4 , 10 . 5 , respectively. 
     Five screw conveyors, connected to the extractors  9 . 1 - 9 . 5 , which are indicated with  11 . 1 , 11 . 2 , 11 . 3 , 11 . 4 , 11 . 5 , respectively, are provided for downstream of the hopper-extractor units. 
     The screw conveyors  11 . 1 - 11 . 5  are connected downstream to a single collecting hopper  12 . 
     A screw extractor  13  is mounted below the hopper  12 . 
     The extractor  13  is in turn connected downstream to a horizontal mixer  14 . 
     Finally, an electronic driving and control unit  15  is provided, connected to the robotic unit  1 , the extractors  9 . 1 - 9 . 5 , the loading cells  10 . 1 - 10 . 5 , the screw conveyors  11 . 1 - 11 . 5 , the extractor  13 , and the mixer  14 . A pre-arranged electronic mapping is provided in such unit  15 , which mapping allows the unit  15  directing the robotic unit  1  towards the selected group of sacks, then towards the sack to be withdrawn; the unit  15  may use, for the electronic mapping or the localization of the sacks, the electronic recognition device  6  on board of the robotic unit  1 . 
     The system for preparing recipes described above operates as follows. 
     The driving and control unit  15 , on the basis of the required recipe, moves along the horizontal plane the robotic unit  1 , which provides to withdraw the sacks with the components of interest for the recipe. 
     If, for example the recipe provide for the use of the components present in the sacks S 1 ,S 3 ,S 5 , the robotic unit  1  will initially align with the group of sacks S 1 . At this point, the arm  3  is actuated, which moves the pneumatic gripping head to bring it at one of the sacks of the group S 1 . The head withdraws by suction the sack of the group S 1  and inserts it into the hopper  7 . 1 . At the same manner, a sack of the group S 3  is withdrawn by the robotic unit  1  and it is inserted in the hopper  7 . 3 ; then a sack of the group S 5  is withdrawn and inserted into the hopper  7 . 5 . 
     When the robotic unit  1  inserts the sack of the group S 1  into the hopper  7 . 1 , the cutting blades  8  in the proximity of the hopper bottom provide to cut the sack so as to completely discharge its contents. The hopper  7 . 1  is thus filled with the component relative to the group of sacks S 1 . Next, in the same manner, the hopper  7 . 3  is filled with the component relative to the group of sacks S 3 , and the hopper  7 . 5  is filled with the component relative to the group of sacks S 5 . 
     The loading cells  10 . 1 , 10 . 3 , 10 . 5  provides to the driving and control unit  15  the weight data of the components contained in the hoppers  7 . 1 , 7 . 3 , 7 . 5 , so that the robotic unit  1  is able to fill the hoppers until reaching the maximum weight, or until ensuring the required dosing. 
     At this point, the unit  15  actuates the extractors  10 . 1 , 10 . 3 , 10 . 5  and the screw conveyors  11 . 1 , 11 . 3 , 11 . 5  based on the dosings required by the recipe, so that the three components that are present in the hoppers  7 . 1 , 7 . 3 , 7 . 5  all arrive to the collection hopper  12 , each in the required dosing. In order to calculate the dosing, the unit  15  uses the loading cells  10 . 1 , 10 . 3 , 10 . 5 , which allow determining the withdrawal value by weight of each component. 
     Once the three components have been loaded in the collection hopper  12 , the unit  15  actuates the extractor  13  so that the three components flow into the mixer  14 , and then it actuates the mixer, providing to mix the three components, which are then sent to successive processing operations. 
     It shall be apparent that, by the same method, recipes with two, four, or five components may be prepared. 
     In  FIG. 2 , the same system of  FIG. 1  is shown, with the difference that only one loading cell  10  is provided relative to the collection hopper  12 , while the hoppers  7 . 1 - 7 . 5  are without loading cells. In this case, the dosing may be carried out only in the collection hopper  12 , by loading therein one component at a time and weighting it by the loading cell  10 . The hoppers  7 . 1 - 7 . 5  are filled until reaching a preset level. 
     The system described for preparing recipes with components coming from sacks is completely automatic. 
     This involves short processing times and low processing costs. 
     In addition, in the case of preparing recipes with toxic product, the health risks to the people are eliminated, due to the absence of operators. 
     Finally, also the risk of handling heavy sacks is eliminated. 
     Among other things, all the handling operations, thus what has been loaded, may be tracked in a memory of the electronic driving and control unit  15 . 
     The system of  FIG. 1 , providing a weighting operation in parallel of the components, is quicker, but more expensive, while the system of  FIG. 2 , providing a weighting operation in series of the components, is less quick, but less expensive. 
     It shall be apparent that a number of variations and/or addition to what has been described and illustrated may be provided. 
     The system may be applied to any type of automatically openable container in the component containment hopper. 
     The number of the components for preparing the recipe may be any. Of course, the number of hoppers, extractors, screw conveyors, etc., may vary. 
     The pneumatic gripping head of the robotic unit will be able to be replaced by a mechanical gripping head. 
     Multiple robotic units operating in parallel may be used, so as to speed up the processing times, even if, of course, the costs the will be higher. 
     The toothed blades in the hoppers may be arranged horizontally rather than facing upwardly, or they may be replaced by other cutting devices having an equivalent function. 
     The components, rather than being weighted in the hoppers, will be able to be weighted in the mixer, which will be provided with suitable loading cells. 
     The cutting hoppers will be able to supply precision dispensers. 
     In the place of the mixer, a palletized container or a continuous extruder will be able to be used; generally, a continuous or discontinuous processing device will be able to be used, or a container for intermediate products. 
     The dosing will be able to be carried out according to the whole number of sacks, and not according to the weight. 
     Other devices for extracting and adjusting the component flow will be able to be used from those illustrated above. 
     Other elements will be able to be added to the described and illustrated system, which is simplified. For example a device for compacting empty sacks will be able to be provided, there could be supplying units directly connected to the mixer to add secondary doses of other components, compensation hoppers and/or other hoppers will be able to be provided. Screens and material detectors will be able to be inserted on the product flow.