Patent Description:
More in particular, the present invention relates to an apparatus for the sorted packaging of products fed into baskets, trays or boxes to be subsequently subjected to closing and wrapping operations, and the like.

Products to be fed in a sorted manner into the aforesaid baskets, trays, or boxes are defined by products characterized by an approximately regular shape of the spherical type or the like, e.g., such as fruit and vegetable products (apples, oranges, grapefruits, etc.) decorative products (e.g., Christmas decoration balls), sports accessories (e.g., tennis balls, golf balls and the like).

Making preferential but not exclusive reference to fruit and vegetable type products, the packaging of these products may be carried out using manual, semi-automatic, or automatic procedures, and all these procedures are devoted to the substantially sorted placement of products in container elements, e.g., defined by baskets or trays, boxes or crates and the like, with said container elements then being substantially closed by different means and/or methods. While manual packaging procedures remain valid in some respects because the products are handled by an operator and thus tend to be less subject to possible defects or damage related to transport along conveyor belts and the like, they display some major drawbacks related to the number of products which can be processed, the care and precision of the operator in charge of handling and packaging (which may vary over the course of a working day) and, as a consequence, result in longer process times and, likewise, substantially onerous production costs; moreover, these types of packaging are found to be fairly unsuitable if high volumes of products need to be packaged.

Semi-automatic and automatic apparatuses tend to solve these drawbacks because the handling of products along the processing/packaging line occurs in a fully automatic manner, and the operator is only required to perform product loading/unloading functions and production cycle control functions.

An example of an automatic or semi-automatic packaging apparatus is described in <CIT>, which refers to a device for preparing the packaging of products sensitive to pressure, which are placed in unitary quantities in compartmentalized cardboard boxes or the like by means of a product feeding belt, a movable transversal abutment, and a subsequent distribution table, onto which said products pass in a sorted and counted manner to the final packaging, with a sloping grid placed at the feeding belt to obtain the gentlest possible transport.

However, even these types of packaging apparatuses, although better performing than a manual type of apparatus, display some major drawbacks related, for example, to defects made on the products by the product handling and management equipment (e.g., they can cause scratches, dents, possible breakage, etc.) that lead, as a consequence, to the discarding of products and thus to increases in production and/or disposal costs of discarded products.

By way of example, considering the packaging procedures of fruit and vegetable products such as apples, during handling, the apples, which slide by means of a conveyor belt may be subject to slowdowns or stops related to friction phenomena, or, they may get stuck and damaged by effect of knocks or the handling itself by means of the conveyor belt; products, such as damaged apples, cannot be subjected to packaging and must be discarded by virtue of the fact that the damage, which may occur on the surface as a result of that described above (such as scratches and tears) remains visible and are undesirable, resulting in a decline in product quality as well as issues of faster rotting of the product itself.

It is the object of the present invention to obviate the drawbacks disclosed above.

More in particular, it is the object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for the sorted packaging of products adapted to allow the sorted feeding and positioning of products into groups in packages such as trays, baskets, boxes, and the like in a fully automatic manner.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for the sorted packaging, which does not cause damage and/or tearing and/or breakage of the products being handled while maintaining their optimal quality and integrity characteristics.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a packaging apparatus in which the operator only performs control functions, possibly for unloading baskets filled with products, and/or functions of process control and maintenance of the apparatus.

It is a further object of the present invention to make available to the users an apparatus for the sorted packaging of products adapted to guarantee high strength and reliability over time and, furthermore, to be made easily and cost-effectively.

These and other objects are achieved by the invention having the features outlined in claim <NUM>.

According to the invention, an apparatus is provided for the sorted packaging of products in trays, baskets, boxes or the like, which comprises a frame comprising a rear section and a front section, the rear section which defines a section adapted to receive bulk products to be sorted from a product feeding device, and the front section which defines a section adapted to receive the sorted products coming from the rear section and unload them in sorted groups into baskets or trays or the like, said rear section which comprises handling means, product-sorting means, and product feeding means to the front section and with the latter comprising handling means of the sorted products coming from the rear section, stop means for the sorted products before they are unloaded into trays or baskets or the like, and containing/compacting means of the sorted products in said front section before they are unloaded.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention become apparent from the dependent claims.

The constructional and functional features of the apparatus for the sorted packaging of products according to the present invention may be better understood from the detailed description which follows in which reference is made to the appended drawings that represent an embodiment given by way of non-limiting example and in which:.

With reference to the aforesaid figures, the apparatus for the sorted packaging of products of the present invention, indicated by reference numeral <NUM> as a whole in the aforesaid figures, comprises a frame <NUM> for stabilizing the constituent components (fixed or movable) of the apparatus of the invention and for stabilizing the apparatus to further apparatuses for handling and transporting the products to be packaged (not shown in the figures and not described because they are not part of the present invention).

The frame <NUM> comprises a rear section <NUM>' and a front section <NUM>'', with the rear section <NUM>' which defines a section of the apparatus <NUM> that receives products to be sorted coming in an unsorted manner, as indicated by arrow "A" in <FIG>, from a product feeding device (not shown in the figure) and with the front section <NUM>'' which defines a section of the apparatus <NUM> that receives the products to be sorted coming from the rear section and feeds or unloads them into baskets or trays or the like (not shown) as indicated by arrow "B" in <FIG>.

The rear section <NUM>' comprises a first conveyor belt <NUM> moved to the front section <NUM>'', according to the direction indicated by arrow "C" by means of an electric motor <NUM>, product-sorting means and product feeding means.

The front section <NUM>" comprises a second belt <NUM> adapted to receive products sorted from the front section <NUM>' and feed them into trays, baskets, and the like (not shown) for subsequent processing, such as closing and/or labeling of the basket or tray fed with the products sorted from the first section <NUM>', with said front section which comprises stop means of the sorted products before they are unloaded into the trays or baskets or the like and containing/compacting means of the sorted product before they are unloaded.

The product-sorting means of the rear section <NUM>' comprise a pair of parallel, opposing rollers <NUM> arranged in a longitudinal development direction of the conveyor belt <NUM>, coated with soft material, such as rubber or plastic or similar material suited to the purpose and actuated in an alternating-oscillatory manner according to a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the conveyor belt <NUM>; the alternating-oscillatory actuation of said rollers <NUM> is achieved by means of an actuator <NUM> adapted to control a linkage <NUM> to which said parallel and opposing rollers <NUM> are stabilized.

The product feeding means to the front section <NUM>" comprise a pusher-roller <NUM> arranged transversely relative to the forward direction of the conveyor belt <NUM> and in an intermediate position relative to the pair of opposing and parallel rollers <NUM>, with said pusher-roller actuated in the direction of the front section <NUM>'' (as indicated by the arrow "K" in <FIG>) by means of actuators <NUM>.

A further function of said roller-pusher <NUM> is to facilitate the feeding of products onto the conveyor belt <NUM> and, more in particular, it acts as a "chute" which accompanies the falling of products onto the conveyor belt making it gentler (or cushioned) to avoid any possible damage to the product (the soft material coating of the roller-pusher contributes to this function).

Furthermore, the roller-pusher <NUM> also has the function of providing a means to help achieve proper positioning of products on the conveyor belt in the manner described in greater detail below.

Detection means defined by the first sensors <NUM> and second sensors <NUM>' are stabilized at the rear section <NUM>' for detecting the feeding of products to the rear section and their orientation, with the first sensors <NUM> arranged upstream of the roller-pusher <NUM> and the second sensors <NUM>' arranged downstream of the same roller-pusher.

Further sensor means detect the height of the products sorted on the conveyor belt <NUM> to check the correct positioning of the products, and if a product is not in the correct position with reference to a height positioning, these sensors detect the inconsistency and activate the above means to define a correct positioning of the same products as further described below.

Furthermore, the rear section comprises a stop element <NUM> for products sorted before they are fed the front section <NUM>'', which comprises a brush <NUM> arranged transversely relative to the longitudinal development direction of the conveyor belt and stabilized to an arm <NUM> provided with further actuators <NUM>; the actuator <NUM> of the roller-pusher <NUM> is further connected to said arm <NUM> and will therefore, be operated, as described below, simultaneously with the brush <NUM> by means of the arm <NUM> to which, likewise, the roller-pusher <NUM> is connected.

With reference to the front section <NUM>'', the stop means of the products sorted before they are fed into the trays or the baskets or the like comprise upper stop means <NUM>' and lower pushing means <NUM>' arranged opposite to the rear section <NUM>' and transverse to the longitudinal development direction of the belt <NUM>.

The upper stop means <NUM> comprise rollers <NUM> (coated with soft material), actuated up/down (for the function described below) by means of a lever <NUM> actuated by an actuator <NUM>, and lower pushing means <NUM>', which comprise rollers <NUM>' (coated with soft material), actuated forward/backward relative to the conveyor belt <NUM> by means of a further lever <NUM> actuated by an actuator <NUM>.

The containing/compacting means of the product sorted before unloading comprise a pair of opposing, parallel containment rollers <NUM> preferably coated in a soft material, such as rubber or the like, and operable in mutual departure by means of an actuator and lever transmission <NUM> for the function described below in greater detail below.

Detection means defined by rear position sensors <NUM> (arranged at the end of belt <NUM> facing in the direction of the conveyor belt <NUM>) and front position sensors <NUM>' arranged at the upper and lower stop means detect the correct presence of products on the belt <NUM> for the functions described below; the detection means also check the height positioning of products and activate control procedures if products are not in the correct position.

A configuration of use of the apparatus of the invention is illustrated with reference to <FIG>, which comprises two of the described apparatuses stabilized relative to a support frame <NUM> to make, for example, the sorted packaging of products of different types on the same production line.

The operation of the inventive apparatus for the sorted packaging of products, described above with reference to its constituent elements, is illustrated below.

The products to be fed in an sorted manner into a basket or tray or the like (not shown) and defined, by way of non-limiting example, by fruit and vegetable products, such as apples, are fed onto the conveyor belt <NUM> of the rear section <NUM>' of the apparatus (as indicated by arrow "A" in <FIG>) and at this step, when the first sensors <NUM> detect the presence of the products (e.g., in groups of four or six apples), together with the movement of conveyor belt <NUM> the oscillating-alternating motion of the parallel and opposing rollers <NUM> which act on the aforesaid products so that they are arranged adjacent to each other in two rows (with each row which comprises, for example, two or three products in a column) at the stop element <NUM> for the sorted products and, when the second sensors <NUM>' correctly detect the presence of the sorted products, the motion of the parallel and opposing rollers <NUM> stops and the motion of the roller-pusher <NUM> is enabled, which pushes said sorted products onto the front section <NUM>''.

During the step of feeding the products onto the conveyor belt <NUM>, as described above, the products "slide" on the roller-pusher <NUM>, which, being coated with soft material, allows these products to place themselves smoothly on the conveyor belt without risk of any damage (at this step, the roller-pusher <NUM> is stationary).

If any product does not position itself in a sorted manner on the conveyor belt, sensor means located at the stop element <NUM> detect the incorrect positioning, stop the forward motion of the conveyor belt <NUM>, and activate a reversal of motion of said conveyor belt for a very short time to enforce a sorted positioning of the products.

Furthermore, if a product is detected that is not correctly positioned in height by the dedicated detection means, the parallel and opposing rollers <NUM> actuate their oscillatory-alternate movement and the roller-pusher (by means of a dedicated actuator) makes small forward-backward oscillation movements (relative to the longitudinal development direction of the conveyor belt and cooperates with the movement of the opposing and parallel rollers <NUM> to determine a correct falling and positioning of the products on the conveyor belt itself.

With the actuation of the roller-pusher <NUM>, the stop element <NUM> is also actuated, simultaneously, which lifts as indicated by the arrow "X" in <FIG> and drops the products onto the front section <NUM>'' (this is by virtue of the fact that the stop element <NUM> and the roller-pusher <NUM> are both stabilized at the arm <NUM>).

At the front section <NUM>'', the rear position sensors <NUM>' detect the sorted products coming from the rear section <NUM>', and the front position sensors <NUM>' detect that the entire group of sorted products unloaded from the rear section <NUM>' has been fed to the front section <NUM>'', and at this point, the upper stop means <NUM> and the lower pushing means <NUM>' are actuated, respectively, in up/down and forward/backward motion (from a backward position at one end of conveyor belt <NUM> at the stop element <NUM> of the rear section <NUM>' are moved forward in the direction of the opposite end of the belt <NUM> to push the falling products into the basket or tray) to allow the group of sorted products to fall into a tray or basket or similar (not shown).

If the individual products of the sorted group of products are not in the correct position during the unloading operation from the rear section <NUM>' to the front section <NUM>'', the parallel and opposing retaining rollers <NUM> are actuated away from each other causing the badly arranged products to fall in a sorted manner.

If incorrect height positioning of products fed from the rear section <NUM>' to the front section <NUM>" occurs, the incorrect positioning is detected by a dedicated detection means and, as a consequence, the apparatus stops to allow the intervention of the operator.

The advantages that the apparatus for the sorted packaging of products according to the invention achieves are apparent from the foregoing description.

The apparatus for the sorted packaging of products of the invention allows for sorted feeding and positioning of products in groups within packages of the tray, basket and box type, and the like, in a fully automatic manner.

A further advantage of the apparatus of the invention is that it does not result in damage and/or tearing and/or breakage of the handled products, maintaining their optimal quality and integrity characteristics, and this by virtue of the presence of the rollers coated with soft material.

An additional advantage is that the apparatus of the invention allows for optimization of production time and related costs by virtue of the fact that the operator has only functions of controlling, possibly unloading baskets filled with products, and/or functions of process control and maintenance of the apparatus.

Claim 1:
An apparatus (<NUM>) for the sorted packaging of products in trays, baskets, boxes or the like, characterized in that it comprises a frame (<NUM>) which comprises a rear section (<NUM>') and a front section (<NUM>''), the rear section (<NUM>') which defines a section adapted to receive bulk products to be sorted from a product-feeding device, and the front section (<NUM>'') which defines a section adapted to receive the sorted products coming from the rear section (<NUM>') and unload them in sorted groups into baskets or trays or the like, said rear section (<NUM>') which comprises handling means, product-sorting means, and product feeding means to the front section (<NUM>'') and with the latter which comprises handling means of the sorted products coming from the rear section (<NUM>'), stop means for the sorted products before they are unloaded into trays or baskets or the like, and containing/compacting means of the sorted products in said front section (<NUM>'') before they are unloaded, with the product-sorting means which comprise a pair of parallel and opposing rollers (<NUM>) arranged according to a longitudinal direction of a first conveyor belt (<NUM>) of the handling means of the rear section (<NUM>'), covered with soft material and operated in an alternating-oscillatory manner according to a direction perpendicular to the direction of handling of said first conveyor belt (<NUM>) by means of an actuator (<NUM>) adapted to control a linkage (<NUM>) to which said parallel and opposing rollers (<NUM>) are stabilized.