U.S. patent application number 13/697400 was filed with the patent office on 2013-05-16 for method and device for filling containers.
This patent application is currently assigned to VISCON B.V.. The applicant listed for this patent is Anthony Visser. Invention is credited to Anthony Visser.
Application Number | 20130118130 13/697400 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43302091 |
Filed Date | 2013-05-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130118130 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Visser; Anthony |
May 16, 2013 |
Method and Device for Filling Containers
Abstract
The present invention relates to a device and a method for
filling containers such as crates with products, such as glass
objects, eggs etc. The device herein comprises a filling station
with a setup position for placing the container with the bottom
thereof. There is also a feed which during operation feeds at least
one of the products at a time to the setup position and is adapted
to place the at least one of the products in the container. The
method comprises of corresponding operations. In order to achieve
an optimum fill factor of the container and prevent breakage of
and/or damage to the products as far as possible, the device and
the method are respectively distinguished by a fluid flow generator
adapted to generate a fluid flow during operation through the
bottom of the container and by generating the fluid flow through
the bottom of the container.
Inventors: |
Visser; Anthony;
(s'Gravendeel, NL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Visser; Anthony |
s'Gravendeel |
|
NL |
|
|
Assignee: |
VISCON B.V.
's-Gravendeel
NL
|
Family ID: |
43302091 |
Appl. No.: |
13/697400 |
Filed: |
April 27, 2011 |
PCT Filed: |
April 27, 2011 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/NL11/00034 |
371 Date: |
January 28, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
53/473 ;
53/235 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65B 25/045 20130101;
B65B 25/046 20130101; B65B 5/108 20130101; B65B 23/02 20130101;
B65B 23/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
53/473 ;
53/235 |
International
Class: |
B65B 23/00 20060101
B65B023/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 10, 2010 |
NL |
2004696 |
Claims
1. A device for filling a container at a time, on a bottom thereof
with products, comprising: a filling station with a setup position
for placing the container with the bottom thereof; a feed operative
to feed at least one of the products at a time to the setup
position and adapted to place the at least one of the products in
the container; and a fluid flow generator adapted to generate a
fluid flow during operation through the bottom of the container at
the setup position.
2. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least
one gripper which, during operation of the fluid flow generator,
acts on the container to hold the container stationary in the fluid
flow at the setup position.
3. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a control
operator to act during operation at least on the fluid flow
generator to adjust the force of the fluid flow at the position of
the container.
4. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the control is adapted
to set the force of the fluid flow subject to a weight of the
products to be placed in the container at the setup position.
5. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the force of the fluid
flow can be selected so as to cause the products to float at or
just above the bottom of the container.
6. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one opening
is arranged in the setup position and the bottom of the container
for passage of the fluid flow.
7. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fluid flow is an
airflow and the fluid flow generator is an airflow generator such
as a fan.
8. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fluid flow
generator is arranged under the setup position and is adapted to
blow the fluid flow through the setup position.
9. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fluid flow
generator is arranged above the setup position and is adapted to
suction up the fluid flow through the setup position.
10. A method for filling a container at a time, such as a crate or
an incubator box on a bottom thereof with products such as glass
objects or eggs, comprising: placing the container with the bottom
at a setup position; feeding at least one of the products at a time
to the setup position and placing the at least one of the products
in the container; and generating a fluid flow through the bottom of
the container.
11. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising gripping
the container at the setup position during generation of the fluid
flow.
12. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising adjusting
the force of the fluid flow subject to a weight of the products to
be placed in the container at the setup position.
13. The method as claimed in claim 12, comprising setting the force
of the fluid flow so as to cause the products to float at or just
above the bottom of the container.
14. A filling station for filling a container at a time on a bottom
thereof with products, having a setup position for placing the
container with the bottom thereof, wherein the filling station is,
at least in use, combined with a feed which during operation feeds
at least one of the products at a time to the setup position and is
adapted to place the at least one of the products in the container;
adapted to be combined with a fluid flow generator adapted to
generate a fluid flow during operation through the bottom of the
container at the setup position; and a fluid flow generator adapted
to generate a fluid flow during operation through the bottom of the
container at the setup position.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to a method and a device for
filling containers such as crates and (incubator) boxes with
products, particularly but not exclusively products susceptible to
breakage or damage or bruising, such as glass objects, vegetables
such as tomatoes, fruit such as apples, eggs etc.
[0002] It is known for this purpose that a device and a method
provide features as according to the preamble of the independent
claims relating respectively to a device and a method.
[0003] With a known device and method a number of eggs can for
instance be picked up simultaneously by the feed, which can then be
formed from a number of suction cups for picking up and placing
eggs in the container, for instance an incubator box. The eggs are
then preferably pre-sorted, although this is not a prerequisite for
the present invention. The feed can be a (programmable) robot arm
or fixed mechanical conveyor.
[0004] When picked-up products are placed in the container damage
can occur if the products are placed with some force onto each
other. Piling up can also occur in the container, i.e. smaller or
larger accumulations of the products, when the products can roll
(such as apples, tomatoes, eggs, glass objects), while the feed
does not take this into account, or insufficiently so, when
determining the location for placing of a subsequent product or a
subsequent load of products into the container.
[0005] The present invention has for its object to obviate or at
least considerably alleviate the problems or shortcomings of the
known art, or at least bring about an improvement relative to the
known art, for which purpose a device and/or a method are
distinguished from the known art by the features defined in the
characterizing parts of the independent claims.
[0006] Products are distributed in surprising manner over the
bottom of the container by generating an airflow, this even when
round products roll over the bottom of the container and/or the
feed stacks products on top of each other. Still more surprisingly
it has been found that according to the invention breakage of or
damage to the products can be almost wholly avoided. The airflow
functions as cushion between the bottom of the container and the
products to be placed thereon, but also between the products
themselves. This makes the intention highly suitable for
application with fragile, breakable or costly products, even when a
fill factor to be achieved in a container is not important, or less
important, during filling of the container with the products.
[0007] The present invention has diverse embodiments, to which the
scope of protection for the invention is not limited, such as those
defined by way of example in the dependent claims.
[0008] A device according to the invention further comprises for
instance at least one gripper which, during operation of the fluid
flow generator, acts on the container to hold the container
stationary in the fluid flow at the setup position. Containers can
thus be held in stationary position in the fluid flow so as to
enable the products to be deposited therein with the feed, and the
container can be prevented from displacing in the fluid flow. The
gripper can also be formed such that a succession of containers can
be moved along or through the setup position in a direction of
movement, or be displaced in this direction and temporarily held
still at the setup position in both the direction of movement and
the direction of the fluid flow. After filling of the container
with the products the gripper can be adapted to actively release
the containers, or the containers can, after being filled, move
further under a kind of stop and a subsequent container can be
carried in the direction of forward movement to the setup position
to be partially or wholly filled.
[0009] A device according to the invention can further comprise: a
control acting during operation at least on the fluid flow
generator for the purpose of adjusting the force of the fluid flow
at the position of the container. The force of a generated fluid
flow can thus be set to a desired level. The control is preferably
adapted here to set the force of the fluid flow subject to a weight
of the products to be placed in the container at the setup
position. The fluid flow then acquires a force preferably lower
than that at which damage could be caused to the products.
Additionally or alternatively, the force of the fluid flow can be
selected so as to cause the products to float at or just above the
bottom of the container. This is therefore a lower value of the
force of the fluid flow at which floating is only just realized. It
is precisely this floating of the products in the fluid flow which
is found to have a highly advantageous effect in achieving an
optimum fill factor and/or limiting or even minimizing and/or
eliminating breakage or damage, particularly in the case of eggs,
apples, tomatoes or glass objects or similar products.
[0010] In order to enable effective movement of the fluid flow
along the products and in particular between them, it is favourable
in an embodiment of the invention that at least one opening is
arranged in the setup position and the bottom of the container for
passage of the fluid flow. An incubator box for eggs usually
already has passages, so such an application is highly suitable for
use in combination with the newly added measures according to the
invention of the fluid flow generator in combination with the
likewise new passages at the setup position.
[0011] In yet another embodiment a device according to the present
invention can have the feature that the fluid flow is an airflow
and the fluid flow generator is an airflow generator such as a fan.
Although a water, gas or other flow is by no means precluded from
the scope of the present invention, it is however noted that an
airflow is highly suitable for application of the present
invention, precisely because of the wide availability of air as
source material for the fluid flow generator and because no
provisions need be made to collect, recycle or otherwise have to or
need to process source material that has been used.
[0012] Yet another embodiment of a device according to the
invention can have the feature that the fluid flow generator is
arranged under the setup position and is adapted to blow the fluid
flow through the setup position. This is particularly advantageous
when the feed delivers the products from above. An embodiment can
nevertheless also be envisaged wherein the fluid flow generator is
on the other hand arranged above the setup position and is adapted
to suction up the fluid flow through the setup position.
[0013] The invention will be further elucidated hereinbelow on the
basis of a limited number of exemplary embodiments thereof which,
just as the dependent claims, should not be understood or
interpreted as limiting the protection of the invention, wherein in
the various views and exemplary embodiments the same reference
numerals are applied for the same or similar parts, components and
elements, and in which:
[0014] FIG. 1 shows a schematic and perspective view of a device
according to the present invention, likewise embodying aspects of a
method according to the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 2-5 show various stages in the placing of products in a
container;
[0016] FIG. 6, 7 show perspective and top views of a final result
of the stages shown in FIGS. 2-5 of filling a container with the
products.
[0017] FIG. 1 shows a perspective and schematic view of a device 1
for filling one container at a time in the form of an incubator box
8 with products in the form of eggs 6, on a bottom 12 thereof.
[0018] Device 1 comprises a filling station 11 with a setup
position 15 for placing of box 8 with the bottom 12 thereof on
setup position 15.
[0019] The device further comprises a feed 16 which during
operation feeds at least one of the products at a time to setup
position 15 and is adapted to place the at least one of the
products into container 8. The feed comprises a robot with a
gripper arm 2 on a housing 3. Provided in housing 3 (or elsewhere)
is a vacuum pump (not shown) from which a conduit (not shown) runs
to a platform 4 on the free outer end of gripper arm 2. Arranged on
platform 4 are suction cups 5 which, using underpressure generated
with the vacuum pump (not shown), are each able to pick up,
displace and place an egg 6 in box 8. All that is necessary for
such placing is that the underpressure be relieved when eggs 6 have
reached the destination thereof at the bottom 12 of box 8. Arm 2
makes for this purpose a reciprocating movement between a source of
eggs (not shown) and setup position 15. Box 8 is supplied to setup
position 15 over guides 7 or rails.
[0020] A succession of boxes 8 can thus be carried along or over
setup position 15 and temporarily held still at the setup position
so as to be filled with eggs. Filling Station 11 at setup position
15 comprises a hollow housing on which a fan 10 is arranged, which
fan forms the fluid flow generator, in particular an airflow
generator.
[0021] Housing 11 is open at the top as shown in FIGS. 2-5, and box
8 comprises passages 17 to allow an airflow 13 generated by fan 10
during operation to flow through the open top side of housing 11
and through passages 17.
[0022] When fan 10 is in operation (FIG. 3) the airflow 13 is
activated, wherein eggs 6 already lying on the bottom of box 8
begin to float a short distance 14 above bottom 12 of box 8. Eggs
set down by the gripper arm are taken up in airflow 13. This of
course depends on the weight of eggs 6 in combination with the
force of the generated airflow 13. From suction cups 5 on platform
4 of gripper arm 2 eggs 6 are then set down (FIG. 4) a short
distance above bottom 12 of box 8 and taken up in airflow 13, and
gripper arm 2 moves away (FIG. 4-FIG. 5). As a result of the force
of airflow 13, which is in opposite direction to the eggs 6 set
down above it, the eggs 6 set down on the bottom of the box are all
distributed optimally over the bottom 12 of box 8 so as to bring
about an optimal fill factor of box 8 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7,
and breakage of or damage to eggs 6 is also reduced, if not
countered or even wholly avoided. Nor do the eggs collide with each
other, or hardly so, precisely because of the airflow 13 flowing
between them.
[0023] After examination of the description in the foregoing and in
conjunction with the drawings, many alternative and additional
embodiments and examples will occur to the skilled person, all of
which must be deemed as lying within the scope of protection
defined by the claims, unless such variants depart essentially in
letter or spirit from the definitions of the invention in these
claims. It is thus possible within the scope of the present
invention that containers are filled with products other than eggs
(such as glasses or other possibly fragile objects), that the
products can be placed one by one into the containers and that a
feed other than a gripper arm with suction cups can be applied for
the purpose of placing the products in the container. The airflow
required to protect the products from each other and the container
can also be realized from above on the basis of suction, although
it will then be necessary to take more account of relative
positioning of the feed and the fluid flow generator if the feed
also operates on or at the top side of the container. In another or
the shown and described embodiment an aligning effect can also be
realized, according to which the eggs can come to lie with a
longitudinal axis upward in the container (eggs are oval or at
least elongate). This would result in an optimum fill factor.
Alternatively, the eggs can come to lie with the longitudinal axis
thereof flat in the container. Additionally or alternatively, a
single fan or air pump can be applied to provide vacuum to the
suction cups on the gripper arm and to generate the airflow through
the bottom of the container. The fluid flow can also comprise a
water flow, a gas flow or the like. The robot arm shown in the
figures is only an example, and a mechanical conveyor can be
applied instead.
* * * * *