Systems and methods for product sorting and packaging

Abstract

The products of a batch are sorted into their respective product classes and distributed by a circulating conveyor to the respective buffers (5) of the respective packing lanes (4). The packages (8) move along the buffers. A filled row of the buffers (5) is transferred to one row of packages (8). The end of the batch of products is detected or the end of the order of products is detected. The normal filling mode is switched to the final filling mode based on the detection of the end of the batch or the end of the order. In the final filling mode, each packing lane (4) is stopped one by one until one packing lane (4) remains active. A packing lane (4) is stopped when its buffer (5) is completely filled and the (final) row of packages or the entire package (8) is filled.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a product sorting and packaging system comprising: - a grading device for grading the batches of products into their respective product classes; - at least one circulating conveyor track having product holders for receiving the sorted products from the grading device; - a plurality of packing lanes associated with the circular conveyor track, each packing lane including a buffer device having a plurality of rows of product holders for receiving individual products from the product holders of the circular conveyor track, each packing lane including a package conveyor for transporting packages along the buffer device, the packing lane configured to transfer filled rows of the buffer device to rows of packages in the buffer device; [Background technology]

[0002] The sorting and packaging system has a normal filling mode in which products are distributed to their respective buffers by circular conveyor tracks using a distribution algorithm based on product class and optimal use of the capacity of the packaging lanes assigned to a particular product class.

[0003] Such a sorting and packaging system can typically be used for eggs.

[0004] Thus, product is distributed in an optimal manner to utilize the available packaging lane capacity, rather than being delivered by a circulating conveyor track in the first available packaging lane. In normal fill mode, the packaging lane's buffer delivers product to packages only when the buffer is completely filled. However, at some point, the product batch ends. If the product batch cannot be mixed, the buffer is not completely filled in normal fill mode. The incompletely filled buffer is then emptied into the package, resulting in a package that is not completely filled, e.g., a row with empty spots. It is also possible that the number of filled rows of the buffer does not correspond to the number of rows of an integral number of packages, resulting in an empty row of packages.

[0005] An incompletely filled package cannot be used and represents a loss. Therefore, the system operator collects the incompletely filled packages and manually redistributes the product so that the maximum number of fully filled packages is obtained and loss is minimized. This is not an efficient process. Furthermore, the manually filled packages must be manually fed to a printing or labeling machine, and product traceability is lost. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 5,101,954 [Patent Document 2] European Patent No. 2842877 [Patent Document 3] International Publication No. 2016 / 171547 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-225811 [Patent Document 5] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 08-082546 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The object of the present invention is to make the filling process more efficient in an automated manner. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] This objective is achieved by a sorting and packaging system that includes: - Grading equipment for grading batches of products into respective product classes; - at least one circulating conveyor track having product holders for receiving the graded products from the grading device; - a plurality of packing lanes associated with the circulating conveyor track, each packing lane including a buffer device having a plurality of rows of product holders for receiving individual products from the product holders of the circulating conveyor track, each packing lane including a package conveyor for transporting packages along the buffer device, the packing lane configured to transfer filled rows of the buffer device to rows of packages in the buffer device; A computer controls the sorting and packaging system and is configured with a distribution algorithm. The sorting and packaging system has a normal fill mode, and the sorting and packaging system is controlled by the computer to distribute products to respective buffers using a distribution algorithm based on product class and optimal use of the capacity of the packaging lanes assigned to the particular product class. The sorting and packaging system is configured to detect the end of a batch of products or the end of an order of products, and has an alarm system configured to generate an alarm signal when the end of a batch of products or the end of an order is detected. The sorting and packaging system has an end filling mode. Switching from the normal fill mode to the end filling mode is triggered by an alarm signal from the alarm system. In the end filling mode, the sorting and packaging system is controlled by the computer to stop each packing lane one by one until one packing lane remains active, and each packing lane is stopped when its buffer device is fully filled and a row or entire package is filled.

[0009] When the end of a batch or end of an order is reached, the sorting and packaging system switches to final fill mode, automatically preventing many partially empty packages, which may end up with only one packing lane with packages that are not fully filled. This minimizes losses and prevents manual collection of product and partially empty packages.

[0010] In some applications, products from successive incoming batches may be mixed. However, it is preferable to keep the number of packages filled with a mixture of two batches to a minimum. Switching from normal to final fill mode, as described above, can be used in a similar manner to minimize the number of packages containing a mixture of products from successive batches. Each packing lane is stopped when its buffer device is fully filled to fill a row of packages or an entire package. Thus, products from the next batch are mixed only with products from the previous batch in the unstopped packing lanes. After the last package is filled with a mixture of products from successive batches, the system can switch back to normal fill mode. This reopens all packing lanes, allowing packages to be filled only with products from the second batch. Thus, a transition between two incoming batches of product results in only one outgoing package containing a mixture of products from the two incoming batches.

[0011] In one embodiment, the warning system is configured to generate a warning signal when the end of a batch or order is detected at a predetermined location in the supply line, preferably in the grading device. The detector used to generate the warning signal is positioned far enough upstream in the filling line to allow the system to switch filling modes in time to fill all but one package.

[0012] The warning system may comprise a computer and a detector, the computer being configured to execute an algorithm that generates a warning signal based on an input signal from the detector. Preferably, the detector used in the grading process is also used to detect the end of the batch and generate an input signal to the computer. This may be, for example, a weight sensor that weighs eggs and detects when there are no more eggs to be weighed, indicating that the end of the batch has passed. Other sensors, such as optical sensors, may also be used to detect the presence of eggs on a location.

[0013] In another embodiment, the warning system is configured to generate a warning signal when the end of the batch is detected to be a predetermined number of products (e.g., 100) away from the first packing lane assigned to that product class. In this embodiment, the warning system can take into account the number of packing lanes and the percentage of products of the product class in the batch. A controller integrated into the computer that controls the sorting and packaging system knows where each product is in the sorting and packaging system and therefore knows how the end of the batch moves through the sorting and packaging system. When the end of the batch is a predetermined number of positions (e.g., 100 positions) away from the first packing lane, the warning system integrated into the computer generates a warning signal.

[0014] In one embodiment, the warning system may be incorporated into the computer used to control the sorting and packaging system.

[0015] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a product sorting and packaging system including: - Grading equipment for grading batches of products into respective product classes; - at least one circulating conveyor track having product holders for receiving the sorted products from the grading device; - a plurality of packing lanes associated with the circular conveyor track, each packing lane including a buffer device having a plurality of rows of product holders for receiving individual products from the product holders of the circular conveyor track, each packing lane including a package conveyor for transporting packages along the buffer device, the plurality of packing lanes being configured to transfer filled rows of the buffer device to rows of packages; - A computer that controls the sorting and packaging system and is configured with a distribution algorithm.

[0016] According to this aspect, the sorting and packaging system has a fill mode in which products of a certain product class are fed to a packing lane assigned to that product class, and products are distributed to the respective buffers by a circular conveyor track using a distribution algorithm that allows the buffer rows of different packing lanes to be filled successively, and allows the entire buffer row to be filled before the products are fed to the next packing lane.

[0017] This embodiment of the product sorting and packaging system is primarily suited to packages with two rows of product, such as egg cartons with 2x6 pockets. With such two-row packages, there is a 50% chance that the final package in a packing lane will not be fully filled. This is already an improvement over prior art systems, where the chance that each packing line will end up with an incomplete package is significantly higher, possibly 100%.

[0018] In a further embodiment, the dispensing algorithm supplies product to the packing lanes so that the packages can be completely filled before the product is supplied to the next packing lane. This is a simple solution that does not require a warning system and will end up with at most one package not being completely filled. This embodiment can also be used in applications where two successive batches of product may be mixed, although the number of packages containing the mixture is preferably minimized. In this embodiment, at most one package will end up with a mixture of product from the two batches.

[0019] In one embodiment of the product sorting and packaging system, the computer is configured to know where individual products are located within the sorting and packaging system.

[0020] The present invention also relates to a method for sorting and packaging products, comprising: - A step in which the batches of products are classified into their respective product classes; - the sorted products are moved by a circulating conveyor track; - in normal filling mode, the products are distributed by circulating conveyor trucks to the respective buffers of the packing lanes using a distribution algorithm based on the product class and the optimal use of the capacity of the packing lanes assigned to the particular product class; - the packages are conveyed along the buffer and a filled row of the buffer is transferred to one row of packages; Including, The end of a batch of products or the end of an order of products is detected, and the normal filling mode is switched to a final filling mode based on the detection of the end of the batch or the end of the order, in which each packing lane assigned to a product class is stopped one by one until only one packing lane assigned to said product class is in operation, and the packing lane is stopped when its buffer device is fully filled and the (last) row of packages or an entire package is filled.

[0021] Switching the filling mode to final filling mode when the end of the batch or end of the order is reached automatically prevents many partially empty packages, which may end up with only one packing lane with packages that are not completely filled. This minimizes losses and eliminates the need to manually collect product and partially empty packages.

[0022] If mixing of products from two consecutively processed batches is permitted, this method according to the present invention can be used to ultimately obtain a maximum of one package containing a mixture of products from the two batches. Each packing lane is stopped when its buffer device is fully filled to fill a row of packages or an entire package. Therefore, products from the next batch are only supplied to the last packing lane that was not initially stopped. Therefore, mixing of products from the two batches can occur only in that packing lane, and only within one package. After the last package is filled with a mixture of products from the consecutive batches, the system can switch back to normal filling mode. This reopens all packing lanes, and packages can be filled only with products from the second batch. Therefore, the transition between two incoming batches of products results in only one outgoing package containing a mixture of products from the two incoming batches.

[0023] In this method, the end of the batch or end of the order is detected at a predetermined position in the supply line, preferably at the position where the products are sorted.

[0024] In some cases, the fill mode is switched from normal to final fill when the end of the batch is detected to be a predetermined number of products (e.g., 100 or 200) away from the first packing lane assigned to that product class. The number of packing lanes and the percentage of products of a given product class in the batch can be taken into consideration when switching fill modes.

[0025] The present invention also relates to a method of sorting and packaging products, comprising: - grading the batch of products into respective product classes; - the graded product is moved by a circulating conveyor track; - the products are distributed by circulating conveyor trucks to the respective buffers of the packing lanes based on the product class and the optimal use of the capacity of the packing lanes assigned to a particular product class; The buffer rows of different packing lanes are filled successively and products are distributed by a circulating conveyor track to the respective buffers such that the buffer row is completely filled before products of the same product class are fed to the next packing lane.

[0026] This method is primarily suited to filling packages with two rows of product, such as egg cartons with 2x6 pockets. With such two-row packages, there is a 50% chance that the final package in a packing lane will be fully filled. This is already an improvement over prior art methods, as there is a significant, even 100%, chance that each packing line will end up with a package that is not fully filled.

[0027] In this way, product can be fed into a packing lane so that the package can be fully filled before it is fed into the next packing lane. It's a simple solution that requires no forethought or warning, and ultimately results in only one package that is not fully filled.

[0028] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a product sorting and packaging system including: - Grading equipment for grading batches of products into respective product classes; - at least one circulating conveyor track having product holders for receiving the graded products from the grading device; - a plurality of packing lanes associated with the circulating conveyor track, each packing lane including a buffer device having a plurality of rows of product holders for receiving individual products from the product holders of the circulating conveyor track, each packing lane including a package conveyor for transporting packages along the buffer device, the packing lane configured to transfer filled rows of the buffer device to rows of packages in the buffer device; Including, the sorting and packaging system has a normal fill mode, in which products are distributed by circulating conveyor tracks to respective buffers using a distribution algorithm based on product class and optimal use of the capacity of the packaging lanes assigned to a particular product class; the sorting and packaging system is configured to detect an end of a batch of products or an end of an order of products, and has an alarm system configured to generate an alarm signal when the end of the batch of products or the end of the order is detected; the sorting and packaging system has a final fill mode, and switching from the normal fill mode to the final fill mode is triggered by a warning signal from a warning system; In the final fill mode, each of the packing lanes is stopped one by one until one packing lane remains active, and each one of the packing lanes is stopped when its buffer device is completely filled and a row of packages or an entire package is filled; The product sorting and packaging system further includes a computer configured to perform any of the above methods.

[0029] The above system and method are suitable for any kind of product that needs to be sorted and packaged, especially eggs and fruit that can be packed separately. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0030] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an egg sorting and packaging system. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a prior art method for handling eggs at the end of a batch of eggs using the system of FIG. 1; [Figure 2B] FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a prior art method for handling eggs at the end of a batch of eggs using the system of FIG. 1; [Figure 3A] FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a method according to the invention for handling eggs at the end of a batch of eggs using the system of FIG. 1; [Figure 3B]FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a method according to the invention for handling eggs at the end of a batch of eggs using the system of FIG. 1; [Figure 4A] 2 shows a schematic diagram of another method according to the invention for handling eggs at the end of a batch using the system of FIG. 1 and without a warning device; FIG. [Figure 4B] 2 shows a schematic diagram of another method according to the invention for handling eggs at the end of a batch using the system of FIG. 1 and without a warning device; FIG. [Figure 5A] 1 shows a schematic diagram of packages filled with successive batches of eggs in a method according to the prior art; FIG. [Figure 5B] 1 shows a schematic diagram of packages filled with successive batches of eggs using the method according to the invention; FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

[0032] 1 shows an egg sorting and packaging system 1. The system 1 includes a grading device 2 that grades a batch of eggs 100 into respective product classes. In the illustrated example, the grading device 2 includes a scale for determining the weight of each egg 100. The weight of the eggs 100 is used, for example, to determine the product class. It is known that eggs are also graded based on other parameters, such as size and color.

[0033] The product class is registered by a control system, which may include a computer configured with a control algorithm. The eggs 100 are transferred from the grading device 2 to a circulating conveyor track 3 having egg holders for receiving the graded eggs 100. In the case of eggs, such a circulating conveyor track 3 is often referred to as an egg chain. The control system tracks each individual egg 100 as it is positioned on the circulating conveyor track 3. The graded eggs 100 are sorted by feeding each individual egg 100 into one of multiple packing lanes 4, where the eggs 100 of that particular grade are packed.

[0034] The system 1 includes multiple packing lanes 4 associated with a circulating conveyor track 3. In the example shown in Figure 1, the system has five packing lanes, representing groups of packing lanes associated with a particular product class. There may be many more packing lanes. The system may have up to 32 packing lanes, which are used to pack different product classes. For clarity, only five packing lanes filling the same product class are shown (by way of example).

[0035] Each packing lane 4 includes a buffer apparatus 5 having multiple rows 6 of product holders for receiving individual eggs 100 from the egg holders on the circular conveyor track 3. Each packing lane 4 includes a package conveyor 7 for transporting packages 8 along the buffer apparatus 5. The packages may be dimpled packages having pockets for receiving individual eggs, as known from common egg trays or common egg cartons. Typically, the packages 8 pass under the buffer 5. The packing lanes 4 are configured to transfer the filled rows 6 of the buffer apparatus 5 to rows 9 of egg pockets within the packages 8.

[0036] The sorting and packaging system 1 has a normal fill mode, in which eggs 100 are distributed by the circular conveyor track 3 to each buffer 5 using a distribution algorithm based on product class and optimal use of the capacity of the packing lanes 4 allocated to that particular product class. The packages may be, for example, egg cartons with two rows of five pockets for receiving eggs. The packages may be, for example, egg trays with five rows of six pockets. Different packing lanes 4 can handle different types of packages 8, as shown in FIG. 1 , with the first and fifth lanes 4 handling 2×5 egg cartons and the second through fourth lanes 4 handling 5×6 egg trays. Other packages with other arrangements of pockets are also possible. As the buffer rows 6 are filled, eggs 100 from them can be transferred to package rows 9. Packages 8 are filled row by row in this manner. Eggs are not supplied by the circular conveyor track 3 to the first available packing lane 4, but are instead distributed based on a distribution algorithm to optimally use the available capacity of the packing lanes 4.

[0037] Because of this distribution strategy, buffer 5 may have a column 6 that is not completely filled at some point. This situation is shown in FIG. 2A. According to the prior art, when the end of the batch reaches packing lane 4, the not-completely filled buffer column 6 is emptied into packages 8, so that each packing lane 4 associated with this particular grade of eggs likely has at least one partially filled package 8. This situation is shown in FIG. 2B. The not-completely filled package is unusable and represents a loss. Therefore, the system operator collects the not-completely filled packages 8 and manually redistributes the eggs so that the maximum number of fully filled packages 8 is obtained and loss is minimized. However, this is inefficient.

[0038] In accordance with the present invention, the sorting and packaging system 1 includes an alert system 10 configured to detect the end of a batch of eggs or the end of an order of eggs. The alert system 10 is configured to generate an alert signal when the end of a batch of eggs is detected or when the end of an order is detected. In a practical embodiment, the alert system includes an algorithm running on the same computer that runs the dispensing algorithm. The alert system may further include a sensor or other detector connected to the computer and capable of detecting the end of a batch that provides an input signal to the algorithm. In the example of FIG. 1, the scale used to determine the weight of each egg can also be used to detect the end of a batch.

[0039] The sorting and packaging system 1 of the present invention has a final fill mode. The sorting and packaging system 1 can be switched from the normal fill mode to the final fill mode. Switching from one mode to the other is triggered by a warning signal from the warning system 10. In the final fill mode, each packaging lane 4 is stopped one by one until only one packaging lane 4 remains in operation. This is shown in FIG. 3A. Each one of the packaging lanes 4 is stopped when its buffer device 5 is completely filled and a row 9 of packages 8 or an entire package 8 is filled.

[0040] The result is shown in FIG. 3B, which shows that four lanes 4, viewed from the left, end with fully filled packages, and only the fifth lane 4 (the rightmost lane) ends with one not-fully filled package 8, because the last not-fully filled buffer 5 (see FIG. 3A) is emptied into the package 8. In this way, losses are minimized. It should be noted, perhaps redundantly, that in the final filling mode, any of the packaging lanes 4 may end with an not-fully filled package 8, not just the one furthest downstream, as in the examples of FIGS. 3A and 3B.

[0041] In some applications, eggs from successive incoming batches may be mixed. However, it is preferred that the number of packages filled with a mixture of two batches be kept to a minimum. The warning system 10 described above can be used in a similar manner to minimize the number of packages with a mixture of eggs from successive batches. This is shown with reference to Figures 5A and 5B.

[0042] Figure 5A shows a situation according to the state of the art, where in all packaging lines packages 8 have a mixture of eggs coming from two batches, while Figure 5B shows a situation according to the invention, where a mixture of eggs from two batches ends up in only one of the packaging lanes.

[0043] Switching from normal filling mode to final filling mode is triggered by a warning signal from the warning system 10, as described above. In final filling mode, each packing lane 4 is stopped one by one until only one packing lane 4 remains active, as shown in FIG. 3A. Each packing lane 4 is stopped when its buffer device 5 is fully filled and a row 9 of packages 8 or an entire package 8 is filled. Thus, eggs from the next batch are mixed only with eggs from the previous batch in the packing lane that is not stopped, i.e., the one on the right in FIG. 5B. After the last package is filled with mixed eggs, the system can switch back to normal filling mode, thereby reopening all packing lanes. The other packing lanes end with packages 8 completely filled with eggs from one batch.

[0044] Another egg sorting and packaging system is shown in Figure 1 and includes a grading device 2, a circulating conveyor track 3, and a plurality of packing lanes 4 as described above.

[0045] This particular egg sorting and packaging system has an alternate filling mode, whereby eggs 100 are distributed by circular conveyor tracks 3 to respective buffers 5, using a distribution algorithm that feeds eggs of a given product class to the packing lanes 4 assigned to that product class, and buffer trains 6 of different packing lanes 4 are filled successively. Thus, buffer trains 6 can be completely filled before eggs 100 on a circular conveyor track 3 are fed to the next packing lane 4. This is shown in Figure 4A. When the end of the batch is reached, buffers 5 are emptied into packages 8, as shown in Figure 4B.

[0046] This particular filling strategy is primarily suited to filling packages with two rows of product, such as egg cartons with 2x6 pockets. With such two-row packages, there is a 50% chance that the final package in a packing lane will not be fully filled. This is already an improvement over prior art methods, where the chance that each packing line will end up with an incompletely filled package is significantly higher, even 100% (see Figure 2B).

[0047] In a further embodiment, the distribution algorithm feeds the eggs 100 into a buffer 5 of a packing lane 4 so that the package 8 can be fully filled before the eggs 100 are fed into the next packing lane 4. Considering the capacity of the entire packing process, this is less than optimal, but it is a simple solution that does not require a look-ahead and warning system 10, and ultimately results in only one package 8 not being fully filled.

[0048] This embodiment is also suitable for handling eggs coming from two successive batches, in which at most one package ends up with a mix of products from the two batches.

[0049] The present invention can be summarized by the following clauses.

[0050] I. A product sorting and packaging system consisting of: - Grading equipment for grading batches of products into respective product classes; - at least one circulating conveyor track having product holders for receiving the graded products from the grading device; - a plurality of packing lanes associated with the circulating conveyor track, each packing lane including a buffer device having a plurality of rows of product holders for receiving individual products from the product holders of the circulating conveyor track, each packing lane including a package conveyor for transporting packages along the buffer device, the packing lane configured to transfer filled rows of the buffer device to rows of packages in the buffer device; Including, the sorting and packaging system has a normal fill mode, in which products are distributed by circulating conveyor tracks to respective buffers using a distribution algorithm based on product class and optimal use of the capacity of the packaging lanes assigned to a particular product class; the sorting and packaging system is configured to detect an end of a batch of products or an end of an order of products, and has an alarm system configured to generate an alarm signal when the end of the batch of products or the end of the order is detected; the sorting and packaging system has a final fill mode, and switching from the normal fill mode to the final fill mode is triggered by a warning signal from a warning system; In the final fill mode, each of the packaging lanes is stopped one by one until one packaging lane remains active, and each one of the packaging lanes is stopped when the buffer device is completely filled and a row of packages or an entire package is filled.

[0051] II. A product sorting and packaging system according to clause I, wherein the warning system is configured to generate a warning signal when the end of a batch or order is detected at a predetermined position in the supply line, preferably within the grading device.

[0052] III. A product sorting and packaging system according to clause I, wherein the warning system is configured to generate a warning signal when the end of the batch is detected to be a predetermined number of products (e.g., 100) away from the first packing lane assigned to that product class.

[0053] IV. A product sorting and packaging system according to clause III, in which the warning system takes into account the number of packing lanes and the percentage of products of a product class in a batch.

[0054] V. A product sorting and packaging system consisting of: - Grading equipment for grading batches of products into respective product classes; - at least one circulating conveyor track having product holders for receiving the sorted products from the grading device; - a plurality of packing lanes associated with the circular conveyor track, each packing lane including a buffer device having a plurality of rows of product holders for receiving individual products from the product holders of the circular conveyor track, each packing lane including a package conveyor for transporting packages along the buffer device, the plurality of packing lanes being configured to transfer filled rows of the buffer device to rows of packages; Here, the sorting and packaging system has a filling mode in which products of a certain product class are fed into a packing lane assigned to said product class, and products are distributed to the respective buffers by a circular conveyor track using a distribution algorithm that ensures that the buffer rows of different packing lanes are filled successively, allowing the buffer row to be completely filled before the products are fed into the next packing lane.

[0055] VI. A product sorting and packaging system according to clause V, wherein the distribution algorithm supplies products to a packing lane such that the package is completely filled before the product is supplied to the next packing lane.

[0056] VII. A product sorting and packaging system according to any of clauses I-VI configured to sort and package eggs.

[0057] VIII. A method of sorting and packaging products comprising: - A step in which the batches of products are classified into their respective product classes; - the sorted products are moved by a circulating conveyor track; - the products are distributed by circulating conveyor trucks to the respective buffers of the packing lanes using a distribution algorithm based on the product class and the optimal use of the capacity of the packing lanes assigned to the particular product class; - the packages are conveyed along the buffer and a filled row of the buffer is transferred to one row of packages; Including, - When the end of a batch of products is detected or the end of an order for a product is detected, - Based on the detection of the end of the batch or the end of the order, the normal filling mode is switched to the final filling mode, in which each packing lane is stopped one by one until one packing lane remains in operation, when its buffer is completely filled and the (last) row of packages or the entire package is filled.

[0058] IX. The method according to clause VIII, wherein the end of the batch or the end of the order is detected at a predetermined position in the supply line, preferably at the position where the products are sorted.

[0059] X. The method according to clause IX, wherein the filling mode is switched from a normal filling mode to a final filling mode when it is detected that the end of the batch is a predetermined number of products (e.g., 100) away from the first packing lane assigned to the product class.

[0060] XI. A method according to clause X, in which the number of packing lanes and the percentage of products of a product class in a batch are taken into account when switching filling modes.

[0061] XII. A method of sorting and packaging products comprising: - Classifying the batch of products into their respective product classes; - the sorted products are moved by a circulating conveyor track; - the products are distributed by circulating conveyor trucks to the respective buffers of the packing lanes based on the product class and the optimal use of the capacity of the packing lanes assigned to a particular product class; The buffer rows of different packing lanes are filled successively and products are distributed by a circulating conveyor track to the respective buffers such that the buffer row is completely filled before products of the same product class are fed to the next packing lane.

[0062] XIII. A method according to any of clauses VIII to XII, in which the product to be sorted and packaged is eggs.

Claims

1. 1. A product sorting and packaging system comprising: - a grading device for grading the products of the batch into respective product classes; - at least one circulating conveyor track having product holders for receiving said graded products from said grading device; a plurality of packing lanes associated with the circular conveyor track, each packing lane including a buffer device having a plurality of rows of product holders for receiving individual products from the product holders of the circular conveyor track, each packing lane including a package conveyor for transporting packages along the buffer device, the packing lane configured to transfer filled rows of the buffer device into rows of packages; a computer controlling said sorting and packaging system and configured with a distribution algorithm; Including, the sorting and packaging system has a normal fill mode, and in the normal fill mode, the sorting and packaging system is controlled by the computer such that the products are distributed by the circulating conveyor tracks to respective buffers using the distribution algorithm based on optimal use of the product class and the capacity of the packing lane assigned to the particular product class; the sorting and packaging system is configured to detect an end of a batch of products or an end of an order of products, and has an alarm system configured to generate an alarm signal when the end of the batch of products or the end of the order is detected; the sorting and packaging system has a final fill mode, and switching from the normal fill mode to the final fill mode is triggered by the warning signal of the warning system; and In the final fill mode, the sorting and packaging system is controlled by a computer to stop each of the packing lanes one by one until one packing lane remains active, and each one of the packing lanes is stopped when the buffer device is completely filled and a row of packages or an entire package is filled. Product sorting and packaging systems.

2. 2. The product sorting and packaging system of claim 1, wherein the warning system is configured to generate the warning signal when the end of the batch or the order is detected at a predetermined position in the supply line, preferably within the grading device.

3. 3. The product sorting and packaging system of claim 2, wherein the warning system includes a computer and a detector, the computer configured to execute an algorithm that generates a warning signal based on an input signal from the detector.

4. 2. The product sorting and packaging system of claim 1, wherein the warning system is configured to generate the warning signal when the end of the batch is detected to be a predetermined number of products, e.g., 100, away from a first packing lane assigned to that product class.

5. 5. The product sorting and packaging system of claim 4, wherein the warning system is incorporated into the computer for controlling the sorting and packaging system.

6. 6. A product sorting and packaging system according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the warning system takes into account the number of packing lanes and the percentage of products of a product class in the batch.

7. 1. A product sorting and packaging system comprising: - a grading device for grading the products of the batch into respective product classes; at least one circulating conveyor track having product holders for receiving the sorted products from the grading device; a plurality of packing lanes associated with the circular conveyor track, each packing lane including a buffer device having a plurality of rows of product holders for receiving individual products from the product holders of the circular conveyor track, each packing lane including a package conveyor for transporting packages along the buffer device, the packing lane configured to transfer filled rows of the buffer device into rows of packages; a computer controlling said sorting and packaging system and configured with a distribution algorithm; Including, the sorting and packaging system has a fill mode in which the products of a product class are distributed by the circulating conveyor track to their respective buffers using a distribution algorithm that supplies the products of a product class to a packing lane assigned to the product class, such that the buffer rows of different packing lanes are filled successively, allowing the buffer row to be completely filled before the products are supplied to the next packing lane; Product sorting and packaging systems.

8. 8. The product sorting and packaging system of claim 7, wherein the distribution algorithm supplies the products to the packing lanes so that the packages can be fully filled before the products are supplied to the next packing lane.

9. A product sorting and packaging system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, configured to sort and package eggs.

10. A product sorting and packaging system according to any preceding claim, wherein the computer is configured to recognise where individual products are located in the sorting and packaging system.

11. 1. A method for sorting and packaging products, comprising: - the batches of products are classified into respective product classes; - the sorted products are moved by a circulating conveyor track; - in a normal filling mode, the products are distributed by the circular conveyor tracks to the respective buffers of the packing lanes using a distribution algorithm based on the product class and optimal use of the capacity of the packing lanes allocated to a particular product class; - packages are conveyed along said buffer and a full row of said buffer is transferred to one row of said packages; when the end of said batch of products is detected or the end of an order of products is detected; - upon detection of the end of the batch or the end of the order, the normal filling mode is switched to a final filling mode in which each of the packing lanes assigned to a product class is stopped one by one until one packing lane assigned to the product class remains active, and a packing lane is stopped when its buffer is completely filled and the (last) row of packages or an entire package has been filled; A method comprising:

12. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the end of the batch or the end of the order is detected at a predetermined position in the supply line, preferably at the position where the products are sorted.

13. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the filling mode is switched from the normal filling mode to the final filling mode when the end of the batch is detected to be a predetermined number of products, e.g., 100, away from the first packing lane assigned to the product class.

14. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the number of packing lanes and the percentage of products of a product class in the batch are considered when switching between the filling modes.

15. 1. A method for sorting and packaging products, comprising: - classifying the batch of products into respective product classes; - the sorted products are moved by a circulating conveyor track; - the products are distributed by the circular conveyor tracks to the respective buffers of the packing lanes based on product class and optimal use of the capacity of the packing lanes allocated to a particular product class; the buffer rows of different packing lanes are filled successively, and products are distributed by the circulating conveyor track to the respective buffers such that the buffer row is completely filled before products of the same product class are supplied to the next packing lane; A method comprising:

16. A method according to any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein the products to be sorted and packaged are eggs.

17. 1. A product sorting and packaging system comprising: - a grading device for grading the products of the batch into respective product classes; - at least one circulating conveyor track having product holders for receiving said graded products from said grading device; a plurality of packing lanes associated with the circular conveyor track, each packing lane including a buffer device having a plurality of rows of product holders for receiving individual products from the product holders of the circular conveyor track, each packing lane including a package conveyor for transporting packages along the buffer device, the packing lane configured to transfer filled rows of the buffer device into rows of packages; Including, the sorting and packaging system has a normal fill mode in which the products are distributed by the circulating conveyor tracks to their respective buffers using a distribution algorithm based on the product class and optimal use of the capacity of the packing lanes assigned to the particular product class; the sorting and packaging system is configured to detect an end of a batch of products or an end of an order of products, and has an alarm system configured to generate an alarm signal when the end of the batch of products or the end of the order is detected; the sorting and packaging system has a final fill mode, and switching from the normal fill mode to the final fill mode is triggered by the warning signal of the warning system; In the final fill mode, each of the packaging lanes is stopped one by one until one packaging lane remains active, and each of the respective packaging lanes is stopped when the buffer device is completely filled and a row of packages or an entire package is filled; and 17. A product sorting and packaging system, characterized in that the product sorting and packaging system further comprises a computer configured to carry out the method of any one of claims 11 to 16.

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