Patent Publication Number: US-2011070342-A1

Title: Method for evaluating and orientating baked product

Description:
This Application is based on Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/275,141, filed on Aug. 26, 2009. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to a method of quality control of baked products and, more particularly, to a computerized method for evaluating and orientating baked product. 
     2. Background of the Prior Art 
     Quality control for baked products requires visually evaluating baked product parameters to determine if the baked products meet specifications. The baked product parameters can include color, length, height, undulating surfaces and surface seed quantity. Further, the baked product must be orientated correctly to make certain that the product can be slicked (if necessary) and packaged without damage. 
     Existing baked product computerized quality control methods provide for evaluating and removing from a conveyor belt, baked product that does not meet specifications. The existing methods do not provide for orientating the baked product (if necessary) after determining that the product meets specifications. Further, the existing methods do not provide a computerized quality control method that can be manually tuned to quickly and economically reconfigure quality control computer input and output signals to evaluate and orientate another baked product having a different size and/or configuration. 
     A new method is required that evaluates all baked product for quality and orientation on a moving conveyor belt, then determines which baked products must be repositioned and which baked products must be removed. Further, the new method must be capable of reconfiguring a. control computer, thereby allowing the computer to provide quality control for varying types of baked goods, including but not limited to buns, bread and donuts. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a principal object of the present invention is to provide a method for evaluating and orientating baked product. A feature of the method is a programmable vision system for providing visual information about each baked product on a moving conveyor belt to a computer. An advantage of the method is that from the visual information, the computer can evaluate parameters for each baked product, including but not limited to color, length, width, surface deviations and quantity of seeds. Another advantage of the method is that the computer can determine from the evaluated parameters, if the baked product meets specifications. Yet another advantage of the method is that from the visual information, the computer can determine if each baked product is orientated pursuant to specifications. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for removing baked product that does not meet specifications from a conveyor belt. A feature of the method is a programmable robot that can elevate and reposition a baked product upon a moving conveyor belt, or that can remove a baked product from a moving conveyor belt. Another feature of the method is a programmable robot that can be controlled by a computer. An advantage of the method is that the computer, after evaluating baked product parameters can instruct the robot to remove baked product that does not meet specifications from the moving conveyor belt. Another advantage of the method is that the computer, after determining if a baked product is not orientated pursuant to specifications, can instruct the robot to reposition the baked product such that orientation specifications are satisfied. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to allow an individual to provide algorithms to the computer that tunes the software such that the computer can evaluate and orientate, via the same vision and robot systems, a new baked product having different parameters. A feature of the method is a computer that can accept tunable software configured to provide quality control for baked products. An advantage of the method is that an entire conveyor system with quality control hardware can be reconfigured quickly and economically for a new baked product. 
     Briefly, the invention provides a method for evaluating and orientating a plurality of a preselected baked product, said method comprising the steps of selecting a baked product to be analyzed for quality and orientated for packaging; programming a vision system to evaluate each of a plurality of a selected baked product to determine if each one satisfies specifications; programming a robot system to discard each one of a selected baked product that does not satisfy specifications; programming a robot system to orientate each one of a selected baked product that satisfies specifications; disposing a plurality of selected baked product upon a cooling conveyor; moving the plurality of selected baked product proximate to a vision system and a robot system; determining via said vision system, if a selected one of the plurality of selected baked product satisfies specifications; removing said selected one of the selected baked product via said robot system, if said selected one does not satisfy specifications; determining if said selected one of the selected baked product that satisfies specifications is correctly orientated via said vision system; orientating said selected one of the selected baked product that satisfies specifications via said robot system, if said selected one is not correctly orientated; packaging each specification compliant and correctly orientated baked product; and determining if more baked product is required for an order placed by a customer, whereupon, if more baked product is required, then more baked product is added upon said cooling conveyor, and the added baked product is analyzed, if more baked product is not required, then the method is terminated. 
     The invention further provides a method for packaging a preselected baked product comprising establishing specifications for a preselected baked product; providing a vision system to evaluate each one of a preselected baked product to determine if each one of the preselected baked product is specification and orientation compliant; providing a robot system that discards each specification noncompliant preselected baked product, and that orientates each specification compliant preselected baked product that is misaligned; disposing a plurality of preselected baked product proximate to said vision system, whereupon, said vision system determines specification and orientation compliance for each one of said plurality of preselected baked product; discarding a specification noncompliant baked product via said robot system; orientating a specification compliant baked product via said robot system; and packaging each specification compliant and orientation compliant baked product. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention, as well as details of an illustrative embodiment thereof, will be more fully understood from the following detailed description and attached drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a flow chart for a method for evaluating and orientating baked product in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a top elevation view of a support structure with vision and robot systems attached thereto in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a side elevation of the of the support structure of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is the side elevation view of the support structure of  FIG. 3 , but with a robot hand included in the robot system. 
         FIG. 5  is a back elevation view of the support structure of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a top elevation view of the support structure of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 7  is a front elevation view of the support structure of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 8  is a top elevation view of the support structure of  FIG. 4 , but with the vision and robot systems removed. 
         FIG. 9  is top elevation view of a support structure with a cooling conveyor for supplying baked product from a baking oven to the vision and robot systems secured to the support structure in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  is a side elevation view of the support structure, cooling conveyor and baking oven of  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 11  is a side elevation view of a support structure with alternative vision and robot systems attached thereto in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 12  is a top elevation view of the support structure and alternative vision and robot systems of  FIG. 11 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings, a method for evaluating and orientating a plurality of a preselected baked product in accordance with the invention is denoted a numeral  10 . The method  10  includes selecting a baked product  11  ( FIGS. 2 and 3 ) that must ultimately be individually evaluated for quality, orientation and packaging in relatively large numbers ( FIG. 1 , block  50 ). The baked product  11  may be selected from a myriad of products including, but not limited to buns, bread, rolls, sandwiches and dessert treats. A plurality of the selected baked product  11  ultimately exit an oven  9  ( FIG. 9 ) at a relatively hot temperature (350-400 degrees Fahrenheit) and are then cooled to about 100-125 degrees Fahrenheit by placing the baked product upon cooling conveyors  12  ( FIG. 9 ). As the baked product  11  is moved via the cooling conveyors  12 , the baked product  11  drops to the desired 100-125 temperature range where the baked product  11  is conveyed underneath and proximate to a vision system  14  ( FIGS. 2 and 9 ), and a robot system  16  ( FIGS. 2 and 3 ) that are supported via a support structure  18  ( FIGS. 2-10 ). 
     The vision system  14  is a model it vision system manufactured by Fanuc Corporation, which is located at Rochester Hills, Michigan. The robot system  16  is a “single arm” robot manufactured by Fanuc corporation, model number M-430iA/2F. The vision and robot systems  14  and  16  include computers interfaced and programmed to achieve the present method  10  for evaluating and orientating baked product. The support structure  18  is dimensioned and configured to dispose the vision and robot systems  14  and  16  above a predetermined portion of the cooling conveyor  12 . The support structure  18  positions the vision system  14  to “see” laterally across the entire conveyor  12  to view an entire row  20  of baked product  11  to provide baked product  11  “quality control” information to the computers. The support structure  18  positions the robot system  16  to enable the robot arm to remove any baked product after being “told” to do so by the computers after the computers determine which baked products  11  do not meet specifications. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 11-12 , alternative vision and robot systems are depicted. The vision system includes a two dimensional first camera  15  that determines baked product  11  parameters including, but not limited to length, width, color, surface deviations and seed count. The vision system further includes a three dimensional second camera  17  mounted at a forty-five degree angle to the baked product  11  to determine baked product height dimensions. The first camera  15  is a Basler two dimensional camera having part number RUL209810GC and manufactured in Ahrensburg, Sweden. The second camera  17  is a Sick Ranger three dimensional camera having part number 60022152 and manufactured in Linkoping, Sweden. The first camera  15  further includes a light hood  23  having a Sick Laser (part number ILP2L11111) and white LED lighting (not depicted) under the hood  23  to eliminate ambient light to allow the first camera  15  to determine the true color of the baked product  11  passing under the first camera  15 . The first and second cameras  15  and  17  provide baked product  11  quality control information to a cooperating computer  21 . 
     The robot system includes a “spider” robot  19  manufactured by Fanuc corporation, model number M3IA. The computer  21  includes Labview software provided by National Instruments located at 11500 Mo-Pac Expy in Austin, Tex. The Labview software allows a person to program the computer  21  with algorithms that provide optimum process control for achieving a method  10  for evaluating, orientating and removing (if necessary) any baked product  11  on the conveyor  12 , irrespective of configuration, including but not limited to hot dog buns, hamburger buns, bread loaves and donuts. The computer  21  ultimately instructs the robot  19 , via the Labview software and cooperating algorithms, to orientate baked product  11  upon the conveyor  12 , or to remove baked product  11  from the conveyor  12  that does not meet specifications. Irrespective of the vision and robot systems used to evaluate, orientate or remove baked product  11 , the support structure  18  disposes the robot system  16  or  19  such that a “hand”  22  of the robot system  16  or  19  is capable of grasping individually, each one of the baked product  11  in the row  20  laterally across the conveyor  12 . The hand  22  is manufactured specifically for the baked product  11  being packaged. The support structure  18  must also be dimensioned and configured to avoid any existing structures proximate to the location where the support structure  18  is to be installed. The support structure  18  is manufactured from steel and must be engineered to support the weight of the vision systems  14  or ( 15  and  17 ), and the robot systems  16  or  19  to withstand the vibrations initiated by the movement of the robot systems  16  or  19  when picking-up and orientating or discarding, via a discarding chute  24 , the baked product  11 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1  which also applies to the alternate vision and robot systems detailed above, after selecting the baked product  11  (block  50 ), the vision system  14  is programmed to evaluate the quality of each one of a plurality of a selected baked product  11  to determine if each one satisfies specifications and orientation upon the cooling conveyor  12  (block  52 ). The specification programming includes, but is not limited to, determining the configuration and dimensions of the baked product  11 , as well as color, toppings, surface blemishes, quantity of seeds and weight of the baked product  11 . The orientation programming includes, but is not limited to, determining if the longitudinal and lateral orientation of the baked product  11  upon the cooling conveyor  12  is correct to provide for the consistent slicing and undamaged packaging of the baked product  11 . 
     Referring to block  54  of  FIG. 1 , the robot system  16  is programmed to cooperate with the vision system  14  to ultimately discard each one of a selected baked product  11  that does not satisfy specifications. Further, the robot system  16  is programmed to cooperate with the vision system  14  to ultimately orientate each one of the selected baked product  11  that satisfies specifications, but is not orientated correctly, thereby promoting consistent slicing and undamaged packaging (block  56 ). 
     Referring to block  58 , after programming the vision and robot systems  14  and  16 , existing baking equipment (not part of the present invention) is energized to provide hot selected baked product  11  upon the cooling conveyor  12 . The hot selected baked product  11  is ultimately cooled while being moved via the cooling conveyor  12 , thereby allowing the cooling conveyor  12  to dispose the now cooled baked product  11  upon a down slide  28 , which promotes the sliding of the cooled baked product  11  from the cooling conveyor  12  to and upon a slicer feed conveyor  26 . The slicer feed conveyor  26  positions rows  20  of cooled baked product  11  proximate to and below the vision and robot systems  14  and  16  (block  60 ). The travel time for the hot selected baked product  11  to reach the slicer feed conveyor  26  is predetermined to provide a cooled baked product  11 . 
     Referring to block  61 , the vision system  14  selects one of the cooled plurality of selected baked product  11  for evaluation. The selected one baked product  11  is scanned to determine if preselected features, including but not limited to color, surface blemishes, size and presence of toppings, and quantity of seeds satisfies predetermined parameters and/or specifications (decision block  62 ). If the selected one cooled baked product  11  does not satisfy specifications, the robot system  16  discards the selected one baked product  11  (block  64 ); whereupon, the method  10  jumps to decision block  76  and determines if any more of the cooled selected product  11  proximate to the vision and robot systems  14  and  16  remains. If none of the cooled selected product  11  remains, then the method  10  jumps to block  58  where another plurality of hot selected baked product  11  is disposed upon the cooling conveyor  12  and the method  10  continues from block  58 . Returning to decision block  76 , if more of the cooled selected product  11  remains, then the method  10  jumps to block  61  where another one of the cooled plurality of selected baked product  11  is evaluated via the vision system  14  and the method continues from block  61 . 
     Returning to decision block  62 , if the selected one cooled baked product  11  satisfies specification, then the method  10  proceeds to decision block  66  to determine if the selected one cooled baked product  11  is orientated correctly. If the one cooled baked product  11  is not orientated correctly, then the robot system  16  orientates the one cooled baked product  11  correctly (block  68 ). The method  10  then proceeds to block  70  and the selected one cooled baked product  11  is moved via the slicer feed conveyor  26  to slicing and packaging means (not depicted) well known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Returning to decision block  66 , if the one cooled baked product  11  is orientated correctly, then the method  10  proceeds to block  70 . 
     After slicing and packaging the one cooled baked product  11  (block  70 ), the method  10  proceeds to decision block  72 ; whereupon, the method  10  determines if there is a sufficient quantity of sliced and packaged selected cooled baked product  11  to satisfy an order placed by a customer. If there is a sufficient quantity of sliced and packaged selected cooled baked product  11  to satisfy the customer&#39;s order, then the method  10  stops (block  74 ). If there is not a sufficient quantity of sliced and packaged selected cooled baked product  11 , then the method  10  proceeds to decision block  76  where the method  10  determines if there remains any more of the selected cooled baked product proximate to the vision and robot systems  14  and  16 . The method  10  then repeats decision block  76  as detailed above until there is a sufficient quantity of sliced and packaged selected cooled baked product  11 .