Method and apparatus for conveying disc-shaped products

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for conveying disk-shaped products A and B along a product conveying path (11, 12, 13), in which an inlet conveying line (101) carrying product A and an inlet conveying line (102) carrying product B are joined by a conveying line junction element (104) to form a single outlet conveying line (103) carrying products A and B, and adjacent products A and B are conveyed on the inlet conveying lines (101, 102) and caused to come into contact with each other and rise up in the conveying line junction element (104) by a first rotation performed in conjunction with the feed movement along the converging feed axes of products A and B, and then moved to an overlapping arrangement of products A and B by a second rotation in the opposite direction to the first rotation.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The invention relates to a method for conveying disk-shaped products A and B along a product conveying path, in which an infeed-side conveying line with product A and an infeed-side conveying line with product B are joined by a conveying line junction element to form one outfeed-side conveying line with products A and B. Products A and B, which are conveyed adjacent to each other and arranged in a row on the infeed-side conveying line by a feed movement in the direction of the conveying line junction element, rise into contact with each other at the conveying line junction element by a first rotation superimposed on the feed movement along the converging feed axes of products A and B, and then move into an overlapping arrangement of products A and B by a second rotation in the opposite direction to the first rotation. The invention further relates to an apparatus particularly suitable for carrying out the method according to the invention. [Background technology]

[0002] The method for conveying disc-shaped products is used in particular for filling and / or packaging industrially produced disc-shaped products, for example for the portioning and packaging of potato chips after their production.

[0003] In conventional industrial installations used for this production, the chips are transported from the frying station to the packaging station along multiple product transport paths guided in parallel, and in each transport line, they are transported along a transport path from the frying station to the packaging station. In this type of installation, the packaging capacity, i.e. the number of products that can be filled and / or packaged in a time unit at a packaging station assigned to one transport path, is determined by the transport speed at which the disk-shaped products enter the transport path from the frying device and / or the transport cycle. However, the packaging capacity of the packaging station, which is determined by the transport cycle, is usually significantly lower than the equipment capacity that can be realized at the packaging station.

[0004] Furthermore, one packaging station is assigned to each conveying aisle, which requires a lot of equipment and therefore increases the overall costs of the installation.

[0005] Ultimately, the configuration of conventional plants, in which each conveying aisle leaving the frying station is assigned to an individual packaging station, requires a large amount of space for the building housing the plant, with correspondingly high costs. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The object of the present invention is therefore to propose a method and device for conveying disc-shaped products, thereby reducing the costs of the equipment and the construction and operating costs associated with the installation and operation of the corresponding equipment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve this object, a method according to claim 1 and a device according to claim 6 are proposed.

[0008] In the method according to the present invention for conveying disk-shaped products A and B along a product conveying line, an inlet conveying line having (conveying) product A and an inlet conveying line having (conveying) product B are joined by a conveying line junction element to form a single outlet conveying line having (conveying) products A and B. In a feed operation in the direction of the conveying line junction element, products A and B, which are arranged in a row on the inlet conveying line and conveyed adjacent to each other, come into contact with each other and rise up in the conveying line junction element by a first rotation superimposed on the feed operation along the converging feed axes of products A and B, and then move to an overlapping arrangement of products A and B by a second rotation in the opposite direction to the first rotation.

[0009] Therefore, in the method according to the present invention, two independent conveying lines are joined into one common conveying line by the conveying line joining element, so that only one common packaging station is required downstream of the outgoing conveying lines for products A and B that are initially conveyed on separate conveying lines. If the number of outgoing conveying lines is reduced to half that of the ingoing conveying lines downstream of the joining element and the packaging capacity of each packaging station is doubled, the number of packaging stations will be half the number required to operate the equipment, leading to a significant reduction in the total cost of the equipment.

[0010] The positive effects arising therefrom in terms of reducing the costs of the installation and / or the building costs associated with the construction and operation of the installation will naturally be greater the more transport lines are provided between the frying station and the packaging station, so that for example in an installation with 24 transport lines leaving the frying station, a transport line junction element combining two incoming transport lines, each leaving the frying device, into one outgoing transport line will reduce the number of transport lines to 12, each assigned to one packaging station.

[0011] According to the invention, the joining of the inlet conveying lines to one outlet conveying line is performed in such a way that products A and B conveyed along the inlet conveying lines are conveyed along converging feed axes and are transferred to an overlapping arrangement in the conveying line joining element. During the feeding operation in the conveying line joining element, products A and B undergo a first rotation to raise each other up, followed by a second rotation in the opposite direction.

[0012] Depending on the configuration of the disc-shaped products, in particular as a function of the structure of the product surface and the contour of the product edges, the above-mentioned method has proven to be sufficient to transfer the products A and B, which are initially conveyed along separate inlet conveying lines, to an overlapping arrangement of products A and B on the outlet conveying line. The transfer of the products A and B to an overlapping arrangement on the outlet conveying line can be supported, for example, for products with a rough surface structure and / or discontinuous products, in particular those with a roughened edge contour, by superimposing (adding) a vibration of the products A and B on the feed movement performed at the conveying line junction element, so as to counteract any jamming of the products relative to one another that would prevent the desired overlapping arrangement from being achieved. Such a jamming risk can be caused, for example, by an irregular surface structure of chips with spice particles on their surface and / or periphery.

[0013] In order to ensure that even products that are prone to getting caught due to their configuration can be placed in the desired position on the discharge conveying line, it is effective to superimpose the vibrations of products A and B on the feed motion at least within the conveying line junction element.

[0014] It is particularly advantageous if the feeding action is carried out by a vibrating conveyor, in which corresponding drives can be used simultaneously to apply vibrations to the products A and B.

[0015] It is preferable that the unloading conveying line transports products at an increased speed relative to the inloading conveying line, depending on the degree of acceleration, so that the product distance determined on the unloading conveying line can be maintained on the unloading conveying line when the feed motion speed is increased to, for example, twice the feed speed.

[0016] It is particularly effective to increase the speed of the product feed motion within the conveying line junction element relative to the feed motion within the incoming conveying line, so as to prevent accumulation of products within the conveying line junction element that could result in the formation of an overlapping arrangement of products A and B within the conveying line junction element.

[0017] The device according to the present invention for conveying disk-shaped products A and B along a product conveying path has at least two supply paths arranged adjacent to each other and serving to form (realize) an inlet-side conveying line, and a discharge path connected to the inlet-side conveying line via a conveying line junction element and serving to form an outlet-side conveying line, the conveying line junction element having a guide passage narrowing in the direction of the discharge path and having a supply end for connecting the supply paths in parallel and a discharge end for connecting the discharge paths, and in order to realize the converging feed axes of the inlet-side conveying line, the distance between the passage walls of the guide passage is The guide passage narrows in the direction of the discharge path, and a product guide element is formed at the bottom of the guide passage within the guide passage, and the product guide element has an outer shape that changes in the direction of the feed motion and is transported within the input side conveying line and arranged in a row by the feed motion in the direction of the conveying line junction element, and adjacent products A and B come into contact with each other and rise up at the conveying line junction element by a first rotation that is performed in conjunction with the feed motion along the converging feed axes of products A and B, and then move into an overlapping arrangement of products A and B by a second rotation in the opposite direction to the first rotation.

[0018] The bottom of the passage is preferably formed to slope from the supply end to the discharge end so that the formation of the overlapping arrangement of products A and B occurs in a gravity assisted manner.

[0019] It is particularly advantageous for facilitating the first rotation if the product guide element has a guide body in the head portion on the side of the inlet conveying line, said guide body having a cross-section which increases in the direction of the discharge end in order to form an upwardly directed guide surface in the direction of the discharge end such that a narrowing parallel passage portion is formed in the guide passage at the side of the product guide element.

[0020] If the product guide element forms a guide web which extends substantially in a common plane with the feed channel, accumulation of products A and B during the formation of the overlapping arrangement is prevented.

[0021] Advantageously, the product guide element has an end on the side of the discharge conveying line and has a guide body for facilitating the second rotation, said guide body having a cross section which decreases in the direction of the discharge end to form a guide surface on the side of the product guide element which slopes towards the discharge end so that an increasing parallel passage portion is formed in the guide passage.

[0022] Preferably, the product guide element has a cross-sectional shape that is convex in the direction of the feed movement.

[0023] Preferably, the head portion is formed in the form of a conical portion.

[0024] Preferably, the end is formed in the form of a conical portion.

[0025] If the head part is longer than said end part in the direction of the feed movement, a time-lengthening guiding of the products A and B on the surface of the product guide element takes place during the first rotation movement counteracting gravity.

[0026] Between the feed channel and the insertion end of the merging element, on both sides of the product guide element on the bottom of the passage, straight guide webs are preferably arranged to improve the longitudinal guidance of products with a single curved hollow side.

[0027] It is preferred that at the transition between the discharge end of the merging element and the discharge channel, following the end of the product guide element, a straight guide web is arranged on the bottom of the passage so as to provide another longitudinal guide mechanism instead of or in addition to the transition between the feed channel and the insertion end of the merging element.

[0028] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0029] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a product conveying device having a plurality of product conveying paths, each of which has a conveying line junction element for connecting two input conveying lines to one output conveying line. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the product transport path shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a conveyor line junction element disposed between two incoming conveyor lines and one outgoing conveyor line. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the relative positions of the disk-shaped products A and B during the conveyance of the products A and B in the conveyor line junction element shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0030] 1 in plan view has, in this example, three product conveying paths 11, 12, 13, each of which is provided with a conveying line junction element 104 connecting two inlet conveying lines 101, 102 to one outlet conveying line 103. In the exemplary embodiment shown in this example, inlet conveying lines 16 and 17 are provided to form the inlet conveying lines 101 and 102, a discharge line 18 is provided to form the outlet conveying line 103, the inlet conveying lines 16 and 17 establishing a connection between the frying station 15 and the conveying line junction element 104, and the discharge line 18 establishing a connection between the conveying line junction element 104 and a packaging station 19.

[0031] The product conveying device 10 shown in Fig. 1 serves to convey the disk-shaped products A and B, exemplarily shown in Fig. 4, which are fried in a frying station 15 connected to all the supply paths 16 and 17, and are supplied to a packaging station 19 via discharge paths 18 connected to the two supply paths 16 and 17, respectively, by a conveying line junction element 104. From the top view of the product conveying element 10 shown in Fig. 1, it is clear that the number of packaging stations 19 required for packaging the disk-shaped products A and B can be halved by the conveying line junction element 104 connecting the two supply paths 16 and 17 to one discharge path 18, respectively.

[0032] 2 is a side view of the product conveying path 13 shown in FIG. 1, in which both the supply paths 16, 17 and the discharge path 18 are provided with vibration drives 20 configured to impart vibrations to the supply paths 16 and 17 and the discharge path 18 to generate a conveying movement of the disk-shaped products A and B in the conveying direction 21. In this case, it is preferable to mutually adjust the frequencies of the vibration drives 20 so that the conveying speed of the products A and B in the discharge path 18 is preferably greater than the conveying speed of the products A and B in the supply paths 16 and 17, so that, for example, when the conveying speed of the vibration drives 20 in the discharge path 18 is twice that of the vibration drives 20 in the supply paths 16 and 17, the conveyed products A and B entering the discharge path 18 by the conveying line junction element 104 can be conveyed at substantially the same product distance as the products A and B in the supply paths 16 and 17.

[0033] To impart vibration to products A and B conveyed by conveying line junction element 104, conveying line junction element 104 may have a separate vibration drive 20 or may be connected to the vibration drive 20 of supply paths 16 and 17.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 3, the supply channels 16 and 17 are connected to the supply end 22 of the conveying line junction element 104, and in this exemplary embodiment, the outer passage walls 23 of the supply channels 16 and 17, each having an inner passage wall 24 and an outer passage wall 23, are formed to merge into the passage walls 25 of the guide channel 26 formed in the conveying line junction element 104. The passage walls 25 of the guide channel 26 form the lateral boundaries of the passage bottom 27 of the guide channel 26, in which the product guide element 28 is arranged. Due to the passage walls 25 formed to extend toward each other in the conveying direction 21, the guide channel 26 is formed, which narrows in the direction of the discharge channel 18 connected to the discharge end 29. In this exemplary embodiment, the discharge channel 18 has a laterally delimited passage wall 30 that extends continuously with the passage wall 25 of the guide channel 26 of the conveying line junction element 104.

[0035] In order to better explain the operation of the conveying line junction element 104 during the conveyance of the products A and B from the supply paths 16 and 17 through the conveying line junction element 104 to the discharge path 18, FIG. 4 exemplarily shows the relative arrangement of the products A and B occurring during conveyance in the guide path 26 of the conveying line junction element 104. For a better overview, in this example, the passage wall 25 of the guide path 26 formed in the conveying line junction element 104 is shown only in outline, which laterally separates the passage bottom 27 of the guide path 26. Furthermore, FIG. 4 shows the product guide element 28 arranged on the passage bottom 27, and the parameters of the passage wall 25 and the product guide element 28 narrowing toward the discharge end 29 of the conveying line junction element 104, and in particular the inclined arrangement of the vibration drive 20 and the passage bottom 27 shown in FIG. 2 determine the sequence of movements of the products A and B in the conveying line junction element 104.

[0036] As further shown in FIG. 4, products A and B transported along product transport paths 11, 12, 13 are, in this example, chips baked (set) at frying station 15, said chips having a grooved shape having a groove-shaped portion 32 symmetrical about longitudinal axis 31 and a circular periphery.

[0037] 4 shows products A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, and A6 conveyed from the supply path 16 to the conveying line junction element 104, and products B1, B2, B3, B4, and B5 conveyed from the supply path 17 to the conveying line junction element 104. By combining the conveying line junction element 104 having passage walls 25 approaching each other in the direction of the discharge path 18 with the product guide element 28 arranged at the passage bottom 27, feed axes 35 and 36 converging to a common feed axis 34 formed in the discharge path 18 are formed in the conveying line junction element 104, and while the products A and B contact the product guide element 28, the unique structure of the product guide element 28 causes the rotation of the products A and B to be superimposed (in addition) on the feeding action.

[0038] For this purpose, the product guide element 28 has a guide body 48 at the head 37 on the side of the feed channels 16 and 17, which has a cross-section that increases in the direction of the discharge end in order to form a guide surface 38 that increases in the direction of the discharge end, such that a narrowing passage section 50 is formed in the guide channel 26 at the side of the product guide element 28. In this example, the guide body 48 has a convex cross-sectional shape 39, such that the head 37 is formed in the form of a conical section. Following the head, the product guide element 28 has an end 40 with a guide body 49 that has a cross-section that decreases in the direction of the discharge end 29 in order to form a guide surface 41 that slopes in the direction of the discharge end 29 in order that an enlarged passage section 51 is formed in the guide channel 26 at the side of the product guide element 28. In this example, the guide body 49 has a convex cross-sectional shape 42, such that the end 40 is formed in the form of a conical section.

[0039] In the area of ​​the head 37, the products A and B undergo a first rotation such that the guide ends 43 of the longitudinal axes 31 of the products A and B approach one another so that the products A and B stand upright relative to one another during the feed movement along the head 37 of the product guide element 28. This first rotation of the products A and B, superimposed on the feed movement, can be seen from FIG. 4, which shows how the individual products A1, A2, A3 and B1, B2, B3 gradually change the orientation of their longitudinal axes 31 relative to one another and in the process stand up relative to one another (in contact with one another). Due to the vibrations acting during the transport of products A and B through the conveying line junction element 104, the formation of overlapping arrangements (nested arrangements) of products A and B is supported in that even temporary jamming of products A and B along their peripheral edges 33 is eliminated and products A and B are further transported by the guide surfaces 41 of the end pieces 40, which are formed so as to incline towards the passage bottom 27 and the discharge passage 18, in such a way that a second rotation is performed in the opposite direction to the first rotation, as is evident, for example, by the relative arrangement of products A4, A5, B4, during said second rotation the longitudinal axes 31 of products A and B are aligned parallel to one another in an arrangement of products A and B overlapping one another at the transition to the discharge passage 18, as shown by the example of products B5 and A6.

[0040] 3, in the exemplary embodiment illustrated in this example, both in the transition area 44 between the inlet channels 16 and 17 and the inlet end 22 and in the transition area 45 between the discharge end 29 of the conveying line merging element 104 and the discharge channel 18, respectively, linear guide webs 46 and 47 are arranged on the channel bottom 27, said linear guide webs 46 and 47 supporting the parallel orientation of the longitudinal axes 31 of the products A and B both before and after their merging in the conveying line merging element 104. Depending on the configuration of the linear guide webs 46 and 47 and the shape of the products A and B, it is possible to omit forming the channel walls 23, 24 and 30 both in the inlet channels 16 and 17 and the discharge channel 18, for example, when the linear guide webs 46 and 47 have a cross section that matches the cross-sectional shape of the products A and B in a certain way.

Claims

1. A method for conveying disk-shaped products A and B along a product conveying path (11, 12, 13), comprising: an infeed conveying line (101) carrying product A and an infeed conveying line (102) carrying product B, which are joined by a conveying line joining element (104) to form a single outfeed conveying line (103) carrying products A and B; a feed movement in the direction of the conveying line joining element (104) causes adjacent products A and B to be arranged in a row on the infeed conveying lines (101, 102); adjacent products A and B rise into contact with each other within the conveying line joining element (104) by a first rotation superimposed on the feed movement along the converging feed axes (34, 35) of products A and B; and then a second rotation in the opposite direction to the first rotation causes products A and B to be arranged overlapping each other.

2. 10. The method of claim 1, 10. A method according to claim 9, wherein at least in said conveying line merging element (104), vibration of the products A and B is superimposed on a feeding movement.

3. 3. The method of claim 2, The method according to claim 1, wherein the feeding action is performed by vibratory conveying.

4. 10. The method of claim 1, The method is characterized in that the outgoing conveying line (103) conveys the material with an increased speed relative to the incoming conveying lines (101, 102).

5. 10. The method of claim 1, The method is characterized in that the conveying operation of the products A and B at the conveying line junction element (104) is performed at an increased speed relative to the conveying operation at the input conveying line (101, 102).

6. A device for conveying disc-shaped products A and B along a product conveying path (11, 12, 13), comprising: The system has at least two supply paths (16, 17) arranged adjacent to each other and serving to form an input conveying line (101, 102), and a discharge path (18) connected to the supply paths (16, 17) via a conveying line junction element (104) and serving to form an output conveying line (103), The conveying line junction element (104) has a guide passage (26) that narrows toward the discharge passage (18) and has a supply end (22) for connecting the supply passages (16, 17) in parallel and a discharge end (29) for connecting the discharge passage (18), In order to form the converging feed shafts (34, 35) of the loading-side conveying lines (101, 102), the distance between the passage walls (25) of the guide passage (26) narrows in the direction of the discharge passage (18), A product guide element (28) is formed in the guide passage (26) at the passage bottom (27) of the guide passage (26), The product guide element (28) has an outer shape that changes in the direction of the feeding motion, and is configured so that adjacent products A and B, which are transported in the inlet conveying lines (101, 102) and arranged in a row by the feeding motion toward the conveying line junction element (104), come into contact with each other and rise up within the conveying line junction element (104) by a first rotation performed in conjunction with the feeding motion along the converging feed axes (34, 35) of the products A and B, and then move into an overlapping arrangement of the products A and B by a second rotation in the opposite direction to the first rotation.

7. 7. The apparatus of claim 6, The device is characterized in that the passage bottom (27) is formed in a pre-oil that slopes from the supply end (22) to the discharge end (29).

8. 7. The apparatus of claim 6, 1. The device according to claim 1, wherein the product guide element (28) has a guide body (48) at its head (37) on the side of the feed channel (16, 17), the guide body (48) having a cross section which increases in the direction of the discharge end (29) in order to form a guide surface (38) which rises in the direction of the discharge end (29) so that a narrowing passage section (50) is formed in the guide channel (26) on the side of the product guide element (28).

9. 9. The apparatus of claim 8, 10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said product guide element (28) forms a guide web extending substantially in a common plane with said feed channels (16, 17).

10. 9. The apparatus of claim 8, 1. The device according to claim 1, wherein the product guide element (28) has a guide body (49) at its end (40) on the side of the discharge channel (18), the guide body (49) having a cross section that decreases in the direction of the discharge end (29) in order to form a guide surface (41) that slopes in the direction of the discharge end (29) so that an enlarged passage section (51) is formed in the guide channel (26) on the side of the product guide element (28).

11. 7. The apparatus of claim 6, 10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the product guide element (28) has a cross-sectional shape (39, 42) that is convex in the direction of the feed movement.

12. 7. The apparatus of claim 6, A device characterized in that the head (37) is formed in the form of a conical section.

13. 11. The apparatus of claim 10, A device characterized in that said end (40) is formed in the form of a conical portion.

14. 11. The apparatus of claim 10, Device characterized in that said head portion (37) is longer than said end portion (40) in the direction of said feeding movement.

15. 7. The apparatus of claim 6, In the transition area (44) between the feed channels (16, 17) and the feed end (22) of the confluence element (104), straight guide webs (46) are arranged on both sides of the product guide element (28) on the passage bottom (27).

16. 7. The apparatus of claim 6, In the transition area (45) between the discharge end (29) of the confluence element (104) and the discharge channel (18), a straight guide web (47) is arranged on the bottom (27) of the channel, following the end (40) of the product guide element (28).

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