Method and system for aggregating plurality of articles having target total weight

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for aggregating a plurality of items having a target total weight, the method comprising: supplying the items to a plurality of weighing units to obtain measured weight values of the items, performing a combination calculation based on the measured weight values to select a combination of these measured weight values, the sum of the combinations being consistent with the target weight; and an article gathering a weighing unit whose measured weight value is part of said combination, where the weighing unit is a conveyor element movable in suspension relative to the working surface, capable of following different trajectories between at least two regions of the working surface, one region being a loading region, and the other region being an unloading region. The articles are supplied to the weighing unit in the loading area; and the other is an unloading area in which the weighing unit, which is part of the combination, pours its contents onto at least one article collector.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and a system for aggregating a plurality of articles having a target total weight, for example, within a specified range. The present invention can be used in a packaging process and particularly focuses on providing a container with a plurality of articles having different individual weights, but whose aggregated weight is acceptably close to the target weight. The present invention also relates to a combination scale including or using the system of the present invention. Background Art

[0002] In a particular field of articles in a packaging container, it is often necessary to aggregate a plurality of articles having different individual weights such that the aggregate has a total weight within a specified range. This specified range can be a very narrow range, in fact, a target weight value with very small tolerances.

[0003] This need becomes more evident when the articles to be packaged are discrete, such as fruit and vegetable products, which inherently have individual weight variability. If a plurality of discrete articles are to be aggregated such that their aggregate has a target weight, a well-known solution is to arrange a plurality of said articles and find a combination of these articles whose weight sum is the target weight.

[0004] This gives rise to what is known as a combination weigher or a combination scale.

[0005] In a particular packaging field, combination weighers or combination scales have been developed and refined for many years.

[0006] In a packaging process where a large number of operations are required per unit time in a combination weigher or a combination scale, articles are supplied to a plurality of concentrically distributed weighing units by the action of gravity to obtain measured weight values of the articles in each weighing unit; a combination of said weight values is selected such that their sum is consistent with the target weight or as close as possible to the target weight; and the articles contained in the weighing units that are part of the selected combination are unloaded to a central collector by the action of gravity.

[0007] This particular concentric arrangement of the weighing units has several drawbacks.

[0008] Among them, the fact is that the higher the required precision, the larger the number of weighing units should be in order to find a weight combination that meets the target. And since the distribution of these weighing units is concentric, it results in the scale occupying more horizontal space and also more vertical space.

[0009] Also, in order for the central collector to quickly and effectively concentrate the articles at the unloading point, such as the upper mouth of the bag, the collector will need to have a minimum slope; and the more weighing units there are, due to their concentric arrangement, the more the weighing units that are part of the combination may be separated, and thus, if the principle of the minimum collector slope is satisfied simultaneously, the greater the vertical travel required for the collector to concentrate the articles unloaded from these weighing units will be.

[0010] This situation is complicated when the nature of the products is such that they may coalesce or jam in the collector, forming blockages and / or they cannot slide properly through the collector.

[0011] For the dual purposes of increasing the number of possible combinations without increasing the number of weighing units and increasing the operating speed over time, multi-level or multi-stage combination scales have emerged. For example, having a plurality of preloading drawers; a plurality of weighing units under the preloading drawers; and a plurality of reserve drawers under the weighing units, which not only accommodate the articles that can form part of the combination in the weighing units, but also the articles that have been weighed and unloaded in the reserve drawers.

[0012] Naturally, this results in an increase in the vertical dimension of the combination scale and the emergence of other problems. For example, the continuous loading and unloading of articles between drawers and / or weighing units at different heights may cause defects in the articles; it increases the cost of the scale that requires more movable parts and more maintenance, requires a more complex programming system and changes the working conditions, for example, due to increased noise.

[0013] There is another prominent drawback, namely cleaning. There are combination scales that have to handle products that may leave residues when passing through the weighing drawers and / or units, and this requires laborious cleaning operations on the combination scale, having many corners, cracks and spaces that are easily contaminated, including spaces at levels that are not within the reach of the operator, and their correct implementation requires a large amount of time during which the scale is out of operation.

[0014] In this case, there must be added other drawbacks related to the weighing accuracy in the weighing units, which use weighing solutions utilizing loading units or various gauges that require a stabilization time between two consecutive weighings to return an accurate weight measurement.

[0015] The patent document EP 0640814, published in 1995, is an example of a multi-stage combination scale as described above. Despite the era of this disclosure, the combination scales used in the packaging process continue to implement the same technical principles and do not differ much from each other in construction, but in most cases, they focus on improving the internal logic or the operating software that manages loading and unloading and the combination logic for solving the optimal combination of weights.

[0016] For example, examples of the most recently proposed combination scales are found in patent documents EP 3236220; EP 1832856 and EP 3617668.

[0017] In other packaging processes that require fewer operations per unit of time, a linear combination weigher can also be used, i.e., where the weighing units are placed adjacent to each other and face a common collector. Items can be manually loaded into the weighing units, and only those weighing units that are part of the combination will transfer the loaded items to the collector. Summary of the Invention

[0018] To provide a solution to the above-mentioned deficiencies, a method according to claim 1 is disclosed.

[0019] A method for aggregating a plurality of items having a target total weight, the method comprising supplying the items to a plurality of weighing units to obtain measured weight values of the items in each weighing unit, performing a combination calculation based on the measured weight values to select a combination of these measured weight values, the sum of the combination being consistent with the target weight; and aggregating the items of the weighing units whose measured weight values are part of the combination.

[0020] The method is characterized in that the weighing units are conveyor elements that are movably suspended relative to a substantially flat working surface, and the conveyor elements are capable of following different trajectories between at least two regions of the working surface, one region being a loading region in which items are supplied onto the conveyor elements; and the other being an unloading region in which the conveyor elements that are part of the combination dump their contents into at least one item collector.

[0021] According to another aspect of the present invention, a system particularly suitable for implementing the method of claim 1 is provided.

[0022] The system includes: a supplier for supplying items to a plurality of weighing units to obtain measured weight values of the items in each weighing unit; a control unit programmed to perform a combination calculation based on the measured weight values and select a combination of the measured weight values, the sum of the combination being consistent with the target weight; and at least one collector for collecting the items of the weighing units whose measured weight values are part of the combination.

[0023] Essentially, the system is characterized in that the weighing unit is a conveyor element that is movably suspended relative to the working surface and can follow different trajectories between at least two regions of the working surface, one of which is a loading region where the feeder supplies articles to the conveyor element; and the other is an unloading region where the conveyor element, as part of the combination, dumps their contents into the at least one article collector.

[0024] As will be explained in more detail later, known suspension transports are proposed to assist the present invention, giving them hitherto unknown uses, for example they relate to combined weighing and more specifically to the implementation of combination scales.

[0025] In a concerned embodiment of the present invention, the working surface is a substantially flat and horizontal surface, resulting in a method (as can be understood from the following discussion) that can be implemented on a plane at a height level easily accessible to the operator; cleanly; and easily customized, that is, capable of incorporating a number of weighing units (i.e., conveyor elements) required for the production process without increasing the height dimension of the system.

[0026] Other variants and preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in the dependent claims.

[0027] The working surface is a horizontal or substantially horizontal surface. It is conceivable that the conveyor element includes a suspension base and at least one container carried by the suspension base and adapted to be loaded with articles by the feeder in the loading region. The system is provided with means for collecting the articles in at least one article collector in the unloading region.

[0028] The means for collecting the articles may include a movable part of the working surface in the unloading region.

[0029] The at least one container carried by the suspension base may be a tipping device.

[0030] In this case, in one variant, the means for collecting the articles includes at least one tipping mechanism in the unloading region, which can ensure their tipping and the collection of the articles contained in the at least one article collector by means of a mechanical connection with the tipping device.

[0031] In one variant, the tipping mechanism and the tipping device include complementary means for mutual connection. The tipping mechanism is configured to be simultaneously connected to the tipping devices of more than one conveyor element, and thus can ensure the tipping and the collection of the articles contained in the tipping devices of more than one conveyor element in the article collector.

[0032] The mutually connected complementary devices may include: a coupling projection in the tipping device; and a track in the tipping mechanism, the track being oriented parallel to the working surface and firmly attached to the arm, the arm rotating about an axis oriented parallel to the working surface between at least two positions. One of the positions is a coupling position A, the coupling position configuring the track such that the tipping device coupling projections of more than one conveyor element moving above the working surface can be inserted into the track through the first end of the track within the reach of the coupling projections of the tipping device; and the other position is a tipping position B, the tipping position tipping the tipping device, the projections of the tipping device being inserted into the track.

[0033] Provided is that the working surface includes at least one unloading opening formed by an edge region of the working surface, several conveyor elements forming part of the combination can gather at the unloading opening and they can collect the article load in their containers from the unloading opening to an article collector.

[0034] The edge region may be an outer edge region, i.e., the outer periphery or the outer edge region of the contour of the working surface, or an inner edge region, i.e., the periphery or the inner edge region of the contour of an opening in the working surface.

[0035] In one variant, the at least one article collector includes a hopper.

[0036] In one variant, the working surface includes a substantially coplanar selection area sized for spatial organization, on which the number N of conveyor elements is greater than the number n of conveyor elements forming part of the combination, and the control unit is programmed to organize the conveyor elements in a loop from a loading area to the selection area; from the selection area to an unloading area; and from the unloading area back to the loading area.

[0037] In one embodiment, the spatial organization is a matrix organization in the selection area, in which waiting rows alternate with transfer rows, the column positions of the waiting rows can be occupied by conveyor elements that are waiting to be selected as part of the combination; the conveyor elements that are selected as part of the combination and are waiting in the waiting rows adjacent to the transfer rows can first move laterally to these transfer rows, and then move the selected conveyor elements along the transfer rows in the direction of the unloading area.

[0038] A specific object of the present invention is a combination weigher including a system according to the present invention.

[0039] The terms "a" and "one" are used herein to refer to one or more than one (i.e., at least one) of the grammatical objects of the term. By way of example, "an element" refers to one or more elements.

[0040] Throughout the specification, variations of the phrase "which comprises" or, for example, "comprising" or "containing" a certain element or action will be understood to implicitly include those elements or actions, but not to exclude any other elements or actions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] Non-limiting embodiments of the present invention are shown in the drawings. Specifically:

[0042] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a system according to the present invention;

[0043] Figure 2 is Figure 1 a schematic plan view of the working surface of the system of

[0044] Figure 3 and Figure 4 are respectively Figure 1 a side view and a plan view of the system shown in

[0045] Figure 5 and Figure 6 are respectively Figure 1 a side view and a perspective view of the conveyor element of the system of

[0046] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the system according to Figure 5 section AA of DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] Figure 1 Shown is a system 100 for aggregating a plurality of articles having a total weight within a specified range. The system 100 is adapted to be part of a production process, in particular part of a packaging process. More specifically, the system 100 implements a combination weigher.

[0048] According to the illustrated embodiment, the system 100 includes various worktables 55 defining a working surface 5, which is in a substantially horizontal plane, and a plurality of conveyor elements 4 arranged above the working surface 5 and capable of floating movement, floatingly movable relative to the working surface 5.

[0049] In this example, the conveyor element 4 includes a floating base 41 and a container 42, which is carried by the floating base 41 and adapted to allow articles to be loaded therein.

[0050] In addition to this example, in other variations not shown, it is conceivable that the floating base 41 can carry more than one container, which can be the same or different.

[0051] The conveyor elements 4 of the system 100 will move in a cyclic stroke above the working surface 5, which cyclic stroke will include passing these conveyor elements 4 through a loading area 6a, a selection area 6b and an unloading area 6c, wherein: in the loading area 6a, the items will be loaded into the associated containers 42; in the selection area 6b, N conveyor elements 4 with containers 42 loaded with items will remain waiting to be selected; in the unloading area 6c, n selected conveyor elements 4 will gather around the item collector 3 or near the item collector 3 so that their containers 42 can dump the items loaded therein. Figure 2 The organization on the working surface 5 is used to schematically illustrate the loading area 6 a , the selection area 6 b and the unloading area 6 c .

[0052] The system 100 is designed to be able to realize the function of a combined weighing device or scale. To this end, the conveyor elements 4 each perform the function of a weighing unit to obtain the measured weight values ​​of the objects loaded in their respective containers 42, and can perform a combined calculation based on the measured weight values ​​to select a combination of n conveyor elements 4 whose sum of the measured weight values ​​of the loaded objects is consistent with the target weight. In the system 100, the N conveyor elements 4 candidates as part of the combination wait in the waiting area 6b of the working surface 5. The combined calculation of well-known technology is performed by the control unit 2 programmed for this purpose.

[0053] As mentioned above, the conveyor element 4 with the associated container 42 can be movable in suspension along the working surface 5 .

[0054] In the patent documents WO 2021250077 “Method for controlling a planar drive systemand planar drive system”; EP 3868009 “A device and a method for path planning for amover of a drive device”; or EP 3818625 “Method for moving a rotorin a planar drive system”, various examples of technical proposals for controlling the suspended movement of a conveyor element along a working surface are described, merely as examples.

[0055] Examples of commercial products with conveyor elements that are suspended and movable along a working surface are the Acopos 6D from B&R Industrial Automation; the Xplanar from Beckhoff Automation; or the Xbots from Panar Motor.

[0056] It should be noted that the technology for suspending and moving conveyor elements along a working surface is a technology that gives the conveyor elements more than two degrees of freedom, since rotational movement can also be transmitted to them (to rotate on their own), for tilting relative to the working surface or for approaching and moving away from it.

[0057] According to one way of applying these technical suggestions to a practical situation, the suspension base 41 of each conveyor element 4 defines a substantially flat lower surface facing the working surface 5, which is raised at a certain distance above the working surface 5 without touching it.

[0058] Although in this example the suspension base 41 has a square - quadrilateral planar shape, other shapes and configurations are possible, including those that are self - enclosed with a central passage left.

[0059] Although in this example all the suspension bases 41 have similar dimensions and the containers 42 have a planar shape similar to these suspension bases, other shapes and configurations are possible, including those in which the system combines suspension bases of different dimensions and / or shapes and / or carries containers of different capacities, with the aim that conveyor elements capable of loading multiple items of higher weight and conveyor elements capable of loading multiple items of lower weight are part of the combination. This last variant allows, for example, the combination of conveyor elements whose items have a weight of an order of magnitude of the target weight and conveyor elements whose items have a weight lower than an order of magnitude of the target weight, for fine - tuning the combined weight to meet the target weight.

[0060] In any case, the system 100 can implement known - type solutions that ensure a magnetic - inductive interaction between the workbench 55 that defines the working surface 5 and each suspension base 41 of the conveyor element 4 to produce a suspended movement of the conveyor element 4 (loaded or unloaded) along and above the working surface 5.

[0061] The magnetic induction interaction as described above can be obtained by providing a workbench having a plurality of solenoids that can be individually excited, which are embedded in the workbench 55 and distributed along the working surface 5, in particular in the upper part of the workbench 55 adjacent to the working surface 5; and by providing a suspension base 41 having an embedded permanent magnet, such that the solenoids and the permanent magnet are magnetically coupled to each other for magnetic interaction and to cause suspension and movement of the conveyor element 4 relative to the working surface 5.

[0062] More specifically, in use, a given current is used to polarize the solenoids to generate (in a known manner) a magnetic field, and the conveyor element 4 carrying the corresponding permanent magnet is magnetically coupled to the solenoids and thus suspended and moved on the working surface 5.

[0063] Furthermore, in terms of weighing, the system 100 of the present invention makes use of the features provided by known suspension transport technologies, specifically, features associated with parameters related to the magnetic induction coupling between the workbench 55 and each suspension base 41 of the conveyor element 4, which not only generate the suspended movement of the conveyor element 4 along the working surface 5, but also estimate the weight of one or more articles loaded in one or more containers 42 of the conveyor element 4.

[0064] By way of example only, since it is necessary to excite the workbench solenoids with a given nominal current to keep the conveyor element 4 at a non-zero predetermined distance from the working surface, it is possible to measure the change in the given current during or after the loading operation to correlate this change with the mass of one or more articles loaded on the conveyor element 4. If attention is paid to maintaining the predetermined distance between the conveyor element and the working surface, the change in the given current will increase particularly to counteract the increasing traction force exerted by gravity on the mass of the assembly defined by the conveyor element 4 and its load.

[0065] Several proposed examples are described in the patent documents WO 2021115559; EP 3621902; EP 3440441 and WO 2022184517, which make use of the benefits provided by known suspension transport technologies to specifically perform the weight measurement of the load deposited on the conveyor element.

[0066] Returning to the characteristics of the system 100 as an example, Figure 2 For illustration, the working surface 5 has a substantially rectangular planar shape, the perimeter of which is defined by a first straight short side 5a and two straight long sides 5b and 5c that are orthogonal to the first short side 5a.

[0067] The supplier 1 of the articles is located on the first short side 5a (see Figure 1, 3, and 4). The article feeder 1 is shown in the form of a feeder 1 including a bulk article memory 11. Four article supply channels 12 start from the bulk article memory 11, and the distal ends of the article supply channels reach the working surface 5 in the loading area 6a. Below the article supply channels 12, corresponding conveyor elements 4 can be arranged to receive articles or a series of articles in their containers 42.

[0068] The number of memories 11 and the number of supply channels 12 for each memory can vary.

[0069] Similarly, it is conceivable that the feeder 1 includes a dispensing device for articles, which can be a counting device, a timing device, or other types of dispensing devices to enable and disable the supply of articles to the conveyor elements 4 through the supply channels 12. The present invention 100 is compatible with those known technical solutions for adjusting and / or controlling at least the quantity or the dispensing time of the articles served by the supply channels 12.

[0070] In this example, the supply channels 12 are straight and extend in a direction orthogonal to the first short side 5a of the working surface 5. In this example, the working surface 5 extends sufficiently so that the conveyor elements 4 can be continuously arranged below the distal ends of the supply channels 12 as they move forward in a direction parallel to the larger sides 5b and 5c of the working surface 5 and in the direction towards the aforementioned selection area 6b. This forward direction is Figure 4 marked with arrow A1 in

[0071] In the system 100, the size of the selection area 6b is adapted to the spatial organization of the same number N of conveyor elements 4, and the number N of conveyor elements 4 is greater than the number n of conveyor elements 4 that will be part of a combination, and the total weight of the combined articles conforms to the target weight. We will refer to this spatial organization in more detail later.

[0072] In the system 100, the control unit 2 is programmed with instructions to at least organize the transfer of the conveyor elements 4 from the loading area 6a to the selection area 6b; as already mentioned, perform a combination calculation to generate a combination of the conveyor elements 4 located in the selection area 6b; organize the transfer of the conveyor elements 4 that are part of this combination from the selection area 6b to the unloading area 6c, specifically until they gather around or adjacent to the collector 3, which is Figure 4 marked with arrow A2 in Figure 4 ; ensure that the articles loaded in the containers 42 of the conveyor elements 4 are dumped into the collector 3; and organize the transfer of the conveyor elements 4 from the unloading area 6c back to the loading area 6a, which is

[0073] In the exemplary system 100, the spatial organization of the loaded conveyor elements 4 in the selection area 6b is a matrix organization in which waiting rows alternate with transfer rows, where the column positions of the waiting rows can be occupied by conveyor elements 4 waiting to be selected for combination; conveyor elements 4 selected for combination and located in adjacent waiting rows can first be laterally moved to the transfer row to be able to later move along the transfer row in the direction of the unloading area 6c. In Figure 4 the figure, the transfer rows are highlighted in shadow.

[0074] Regarding the unloading area 6c, it is an area in which the combined conveyor elements 4 can be arranged around or near the collector 3, which in this example is in the form of a hopper that opens above the working surface 5.

[0075] The shape and arrangement of the hopper relative to the working surface 5 can be different from that shown.

[0076] For example, in a variant not shown, the hopper can be arranged within the outer perimeter of the workbench 55 that defines the working surface 5, i.e., the hopper is surrounded by the working surface 5.

[0077] In another variant not shown, the hopper can be arranged on one side of the workbench 55, where the upper edge is attached to the outer perimeter of the workbench 55 that defines the working surface 5.

[0078] In another variant, the system has more than one hopper.

[0079] In other variants, the collector is different from a hopper and can be a conveyor belt (by way of example only).

[0080] In this example, the outer perimeter of the workbench 55 that defines the working surface 5 has a rectangular planar groove in the unloading area 6c, and the hopper is embedded in or, in any case, opens into this rectangular planar groove. The upper opening of the hopper can be equal to or larger than the opening of the groove, for example, extending beyond the above-mentioned rectangular groove.

[0081] More specifically, in this example, the working surface 5 is symmetric with respect to the longitudinal axis such that the groove of the workbench 55 is equidistant from the longer sides 5b and 5c of the working surface 5. In the unloading area 6c, the outer perimeter of the workbench 55 that defines the working surface 5 is in this case defined by a U-shaped section that provides two parallel and straight unloading ports, which can be used alternately by the combination of n conveyor elements 4 in two consecutive operations of combined weighing to unload the loaded articles.

[0082] This specific shape of the working surface 5 enables it to increase the number of unloading operations per unit time, because when a number n of conveyor elements 4 are unloading articles and occupying the space of the first unloading opening; another number n of conveyor elements as part of the next set will be able to move towards and / or align at the second unloading opening. This particular situation is actually the situation shown in Figure 1 and 4 .

[0083] In the example of system 100, the container 42 is a tipping device 44. In this case, the tipping device 44 is coupled to the floating base 41 in a hinged manner about an axis 43, all as shown in Figure 5 and 6 .

[0084] Other shapes or configurations than those shown in the drawings are also possible. For example, it is conceivable to mechanically couple one or more tipping devices to the associated floating base rather than by a hinge joint. Any mechanical solution that allows the tipping device to move relative to the floating base is of interest to ensure that the articles it tips and contains are emptied into the article collector 3.

[0085] In other variants, it can be the entire conveyor element 4 that is tilted so that the associated container 42 empties its article contents. For example, a part of the workbench 55 can be a movable and rotatable part that, when rotated, causes the rotation of the conveyor element suspended relative to the area of the work surface 5 that defines this movable part of the workbench. The movable part of the workbench 55 can be the part that defines the unloading opening, and the container 42 can be fixed relative to the associated floating base.

[0086] In this example, the tipping device 44 of the conveyor element 4 of the system 100 is sized relative to the unloading opening such that the tipping devices 44 of more than one conveyor element 4 can be aligned and simultaneously empty their contents into the collector 3 from the same unloading opening.

[0087] The actuation of one or more tipping devices 44 of the conveyor element 4 from the transfer position to the tipping position can be performed by equipping the conveyor element 4 with its own actuation means, such as but not limited to electrical or pneumatic means.

[0088] However, in the exemplary system 100, the tipping device 44 is actuated by an external mechanism to cause it to tip.

[0089] For this purpose, the unloading area 6c is provided with two tipping mechanisms 8, each of which, by means of a mechanical connection to the tipping device 44, is capable of ensuring the simultaneous tipping and collection of the articles contained in the tipping devices 44 of the n conveyor elements 4, the n conveyor elements being part of the assembly and aligned in the unloading opening in this example.

[0090] To produce the mechanical connection, the tipping mechanism 8 and the tipping device 44 include complementary devices that are interconnected. In this example, the complementary devices include a connection projection 45 in the tipping device 44 and a track 81 in each tipping mechanism 8. The track is oriented parallel to the working surface 5 and is rigidly attached to a rotating arm 82 around an axis 83 that is oriented parallel to the said working surface 5. Each rotating arm 82 will be able to be rotated by the control unit 2 between at least two positions, one of which is the connection position A, which positions the track 81 within the reach of the connection projection 45 of the tipping device 44, and the projection 45 of the tipping devices 44 of the n conveyor elements 4 aligned in the unloading opening can be inserted into the track 81 through the first end 81a of the track 81; and the other position is the tipping position B, where the tipping device 44 is tipped over, and the connection projection 45 of the tipping device 44 is inserted into the track 81, causing them to rotate around their axis 43 so as to connect to the associated suspension base 41. Starting from the tipping position B, the rotating arms 82 can be rotated back to their connection position A to allow disconnection from the track 81 if the arrangement of the n conveyor elements 4 is in the direction of the second end 81b of the track 81. Disconnection or evacuation of the track 81 will enable it to receive a newly aligned set of n conveyor elements 4 for their unloading.

[0091] Figure 7 The details in [figure] show the track 81 of the tipping mechanism 8. The rotating arm 82 of the track 81 of the tipping mechanism 8 on the right side of the figure has adopted the connection position A; and the rotating arm 82 of the track 81 of the tipping mechanism 8 on the left side of the figure has adopted the tipping position B.

[0092] Advantageously, for example, compared to solutions for unloading articles by opening a door or hatch in the bottom of a container, the movement of the tipping device 44 gives the articles a certain thrust, which further improves the discharge speed, i.e., the distribution speed, of the articles through the collector 3.

[0093] The following outlines one way of operating the system 100 according to the present invention.

[0094] The conveyor elements 4 are actuated to move on the working surface 5 such that the cycle of the conveyor elements 4 will include:

[0095] - It is shifted so that it circulates through the loading area 6a and its tipping device 44 is arranged below the article supply passage 12 to receive articles;

[0096] - It is shifted to the selection area 6b where the tipping device 44 is loaded with articles;

[0097] - Or at the end of loading of the articles, during their transfer to the selection area 6b or during their stay in the selection area 6b, the weight value of the articles loaded in the tipping device 44 is measured;

[0098] - When the conveyor element 4 leaves the selection area 6b to go to the unloading area 6c due to being part of a combination and a new conveyor element 4 arrives at the selection area 6b from the loading area 6a where articles are newly loaded, if it is considered suitable to reorganize the conveyor element 4 within the selection area 6b, its possible displacement within the selection area 6b to occupy different cells of the matrix is included;

[0099] - Its shift from the selection area 6b to the unloading opening in the unloading area 6c, if the weight of the articles of the conveyor element is part of a weight combination whose sum is consistent with the target weight, is aligned at the unloading opening with at least n - 1 other conveyor elements 4 whose weights of the articles are part of the same combination. The said shift includes a 90° rotation or rotation around itself, movement, to configure its coupling projections 45 such that it can be inserted into and coupled with the track 81 of the tipping mechanism 8 of the unloading opening;

[0100] - The tipping device 44 of it is tipped by actuation of the tipping mechanism 8;

[0101] - Its shift to disengage from the track 81 of the tipping device structure 8, and this shift follows the same direction as that followed for its coupling; and

[0102] - Its shift to return to the loading area 6a to start a new cycle, in which case it circulates along the side edge of the working surface 5, and the said side edge is reserved to facilitate such a cycle of the conveyor element from the unloading area 6c to the loading area 6a.

[0103] Naturally, other alternative movement schemes are also possible to adjust to meet the production requirements of the system; to adapt to other arrangements and / or configurations of the said supplier and / or collector; to adapt to different numbers of N conveyor elements as candidates for a combination; to adapt to the number of maximum conveyor elements other than n for a combination; to adapt to conveyor surfaces of different shapes; to adapt to the fact of combining conveyor elements of different sizes and / or each conveyor element having different numbers of containers; to adapt to the type or nature of the articles to be weighed, or any combination of the above.

[0104] As is known to those skilled in the art, in a combination weigher, the average number of weighing units selected for a combination depends on the weigher model and the required speed.

[0105] For a conventional combination weigher that must perform fewer than 60 weighings per minute, the appropriate average number of weighing units is between 4 and 6; and when they must perform more than 60 weighings per minute, this average number is between 3 and 4. If the average number of weighing units required to find a combination of weight values of items that meet the target weight is outside these ranges, the speed of the weigher will be affected.

[0106] If desired, the system 100 according to the present invention is capable of operating at an average number of weighing units higher than that of a conventional combination weigher without affecting the speed, i.e., without affecting the number of weighing units per minute. Just to give an example, the system 100 can operate with an average number of selected weighing units greater than 4 to find a combination of weight values of items that meet the target weight, and the system 100 is capable of performing more than 60 weighings per minute.

[0107] The system 100 according to the present invention is capable of operating at an average number of weighing units equal to that of a conventional combination weigher and outperforming the conventional combination weigher in terms of speed.

[0108] In the example of the drawings, the system 100 will be able to operate to select up to n = 4 conveyor elements 4 from a park of N = 22 conveyor elements 4 in the selection area 6b to obtain a combination of weight values of items that meet the target weight, candidates as part of this combination, which means a total of 7315 possible combinations, when in a conventional combination multi-stage weigher that usually has a team of a total of 14 candidates (including weighing units and reserve drawers), the number of possible combinations is 1001.

[0109] Naturally, in addition to performing combination calculations based on the measured weight values of the items to select a combination of conveyor elements, the sum of the measured loaded item weight values of this combination matches the target weight, the control unit 2 can be programmed to perform other calculations, or other aspects in addition to the weight of the items can also be considered in the combination decision, such as the size or nature of certain items. For example, in addition to the weight of the food that meets the target weight, the packaging may also require additional prizes or items introduced into the packaging. The control unit will know on which conveyor element 4 the prize item is located, and for these conditions, for example, how often the prize item must be distributed into the packaging becomes part of the calculation logic.

[0110] Other advantages (not the least important) of the system according to the present invention are as follows:

[0111] - The replacement of the weighing unit only requires replacing one conveyor element with another in an easy and simple manner, as there are no mechanical connections to other parts of the system and no reserve drawers fed from the weighing unit.

[0112] - To handle fragile items, the system eliminates the vibrations that items undergo in a traditional combination weigher when moving vertically between, for example, the preloading drawer, the weighing unit, and the reserve drawer.

[0113] - Since there is no need for a concentric arrangement that causes the weighing unit, which is part of the combination (or reserve drawer below a certain level), to move away, the height required for the collector to empty the items into the container is significantly reduced, and the distance required to maintain the minimum slope of the collector is such that it has a vertical dimension to slow down the emptying (and affect the preservation of fragile items).

[0114] - The operating noise is reduced, especially when the items are bulk items such as nuts, and there are no cascading drops between the levels (preloading drawer, weighing unit, and reserve drawer) of the combination weigher.

[0115] - Easy to clean and hygienic.

[0116] - The weight value can be obtained more quickly.

[0117] - Easy access to components or moving parts.

[0118] - Compared with traditional combination weighers, the space occupied by this system is significantly reduced, especially in terms of its height dimension.

[0119] - Versatility, capable of increasing or decreasing the number of conveyor elements used for the same workbench, and thus increasing or decreasing the number of weighing units, without changing the operations performed in the loading area and the unloading area.

[0120] - Capable of integrating intermediate workstations where the conveyor elements can go to and / or stop at intermediate workstations during their movement; or capable of integrating auxiliary stations, such as cleaning or disinfection stations by blowing, rinsing, or similar processes, arranged in the path that the conveyor element 4 follows from the unloading area 6c to the loading area 6a.

Claims

1. A method for aggregating a plurality of items having a target total weight, the method comprising: An article is supplied to a plurality of weighing units to obtain a plurality of measured weight values of the article, and a combined calculation is performed based on the measured weight values to select a combination of these measured weight values, the sum of the combination being consistent with the target weight; and articles of the weighing units whose measured weight values are part of the combination are aggregated, wherein the weighing unit is a conveyor element that can be suspended and moved relative to a working surface, and it can follow different trajectories between at least two regions of the working surface, one of the regions being a loading region where the article is supplied to the weighing unit; and the other region being an unloading region, and the weighing unit that is part of the combination dumps its contents onto at least one article collector in the unloading region.

2. A system (100) for aggregating a plurality of items having a target total weight, the system comprising: A supplier (1) of an article supplied to a plurality of weighing units to obtain a measured weight value of the article; A control unit (2) programmed to perform a combined calculation based on the measured weight values and select a combination of these measured weight values, the sum of the combination being consistent with the target weight; and at least one collector (3) of articles supplied to the weighing unit, the measured weight values of the articles being part of the combination, the system being characterized in that the weighing unit is a conveyor element (4) that can be suspended and moved relative to a working surface (5), and it can follow different trajectories between at least two regions of the working surface (5), one of the regions being a loading region (6a) where the supplier (1) supplies the article to the conveyor element (4); and the other region being an unloading region (6c), and the conveyor element (4) that is part of the combination dumps its contents into at least one article collector (3) in the unloading region.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein The working surface (5) is a horizontal or substantially horizontal surface; and the conveyor element (4) includes a suspension base (41) and at least one container (42), the at least one container being carried by the suspension base and adapted to be loaded with articles therein by the supplier (1) in the loading region (6a), and the system (100) being provided with means for collecting the articles in the at least one article collector (3) in the unloading region (6c).

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein The means for collecting articles includes a movable part of the working surface (5) in the unloading region (6c).

5. The system according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The at least one container (42) is a tipping device (44).

6. The system according to claim 3, wherein The at least one container (42) is a tipping device (44); and the means for collecting articles in the unloading region (6c) includes at least one tipping mechanism (8), and the tipping mechanism can ensure its tipping and the articles contained therein are collected in the at least one article collector (3) through a mechanical connection with the tipping device (44).

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein The tipping mechanism (8) and the tipping device (44) include complementary devices that are interconnected. The tipping mechanism (8) is configured to be coupled to the tipping devices (44) of more than one conveyor element (4), and thereby to ensure the tipping of the articles accommodated in the tipping devices (44) of more than one conveyor element (4) and their collection in the article collector (3).

8. The system according to claim 7, characterized in that The interconnected complementary devices include: - a coupling projection (45) in the tipping device (44), - a track (81) in the tipping mechanism (8), which is oriented parallel to the working surface (5) and is fixedly attached to the rotating arm (82) around an axis (83), the axis (83) being oriented parallel to the working surface (5) between at least two positions, one of which is a coupling position A that configures the track (81) within the reach of the coupling projection (45) of the tipping device (44), and the coupling projections of the tipping devices of more than one conveyor element moving above the working surface (5) can be inserted into the track (81) through the first end (81a) of the track; and the other position is a tipping position B that causes the tipping device to tip, with the projection of the tipping device being inserted into the track.

9. The system according to any one of claims 2 to 8, characterized in that The working surface (5) includes at least one unloading opening formed by an edge region of the working surface (5). Several conveyor elements (4) that are part of the combination can be gathered in the unloading opening, and several conveyor elements (4) can collect the article loads from their containers (42) into the article collector (3) from the unloading opening.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein, The edge region is the outer edge region of the working surface (5), i.e., the outer edge region of the outer perimeter or contour of the working surface (5).

11. The system according to claim 9, characterized in that, The edge region is an inner edge region, i.e., the inner edge region of the perimeter or contour of an opening in the working surface (5).

12. The system according to any one of claims 2 to 11, characterized in that, The at least one article collector (3) includes a hopper.

13. The system according to any one of claims 2 to 12, characterized in that, The working surface (5) includes a selection area (6b) sized for a substantially coplanar spatial organization. The number N of conveyor elements (4) on the selection area (6b) is greater than the number n of conveyor elements that are part of the combination. The control unit (2) is programmed to organize the conveyance of the conveyor elements (4) in a loop from the loading area (6a) to the selection area (6b); from the selection area (6b) to the unloading area (6c); and from the unloading area (6c) back to the loading area (6a).

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein, The spatial organization in the selection area (6b) is a matrix organization in which waiting rows alternate with transfer rows, where the column positions of the waiting rows can be occupied by conveyor elements (4) that are waiting to be selected as part of the combination; the conveyor elements (4) that are selected as part of the combination and are waiting in the rows adjacent to the transfer row can first move laterally and then move the selected conveyor elements (4) along the transfer row in the direction of the unloading area (6c).

15. A combination weigher, comprising a system (100) according to any one of claims 2 to 14.

16. Use of a conveyor element (4) which is movably suspended relative to a substantially flat working surface (5) as a weighing unit in a combination weigher, the conveyor element (4) being movable between an article feeder (1) supplying articles to the conveyor element (4) and a collector (3) for the articles supplied to the conveyor element (4).

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