Multi-head weighing machine

Abstract

The present invention describes a circular multi-head weighing machine for batch processing solid foods coated with an adhesive coating. The circular multi-head weighing machine comprises an infeed system including a plurality of conveyors arranged around a conical infeed. The conical infeed rotates to distribute the solid foods to the plurality of conveyors. The circular multi-head weighing machine further comprises a plurality of weighing hoppers, including a first weighing hopper for weighing the solid foods. The plurality of weighing hoppers are positioned below the infeed system to receive the solid foods from the infeed system. The first weighing hopper has side walls including an outer and inner surface. The inner surface supports the solid foods during weighing. The side walls rotate around an axis to empty the first weighing hopper. The first weighing hopper includes a first scraper that scrapes the inner surface when the first weighing hopper rotates from a receiving state to a discharge state, and a second scraper that scrapes the outer surface when the first weighing hopper rotates from a discharge state to a receiving state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a multi-head weigher for batch processing of solid foods with an adhesive coating.

Background Art

[0002] In industries such as the food industry, weighing systems are described in documents such as Patent Documents 1 to 6, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] An example of a solid food (which is not a liquid) is a chicken fillet, and an example of an adhesive coating is a marinade.

[0004] As the solid food passes through the machine, the adhesive coating tends to stick or adhere to the inner surface that supports the solid food. This can cause weighing errors and potentially result in the packaging of solid food that is less than the weight stated on the final packaging label. This problem can be mitigated by scraping a specific inner surface (e.g., the inner surface of the weighing hopper).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Patent Document 5

Patent Document 6

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, especially when using a rotating semi-cylindrical weighing hopper, there is a possibility that the sticky coating may appear on the outside of the machine as solid food passes through it. While this type of weighing hopper is advantageous in mitigating the problem of sticky coatings adhering to the inside, problems arise because sticky material can adhere to the outside of the weighing hopper as it rotates, meaning that when the weighing hopper is inverted to empty it, the sticky coating may fall from above. This material can adhere to the outside of the weighing hopper for a long time before falling onto the inside of the machine, potentially contaminating the machine. Additionally, there is a risk of more and more material adhering to the weighing hopper, which will gradually shift the weight "zero point," meaning the machine will judge the batch weight to be heavier than it actually is. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The first aspect of this disclosure is, A circular multi-head weighing machine for batch processing solid foods with an adhesive coating, the circular multi-head weighing machine is An infeed system including multiple conveyors arranged around a conical infeed, Multiple weighing hoppers, including a first weighing hopper for weighing solid food products. Equipped with, The conical infeed is configured to rotate to distribute solid food to multiple conveyors. Multiple weighing hoppers are placed below the infeed system to receive solid food from the infeed system. The first weighing hopper has side walls including an outer surface and an inner surface, The inner surface supports solid food during weighing. The side wall is configured to rotate around an axis to empty the first weighing hopper, The first weighing hopper is a circular multi-head weighing machine having a first scraper that scrapes the inner surface when the first weighing hopper rotates from a receiving state to a discharge state, and a second scraper that scrapes the outer surface when the first weighing hopper rotates from a discharge state to a receiving state.

[0008] A hopper is also called a bucket in the industry.

[0009] Each weighing hopper may be semi-cylindrical with end walls, and the hopper rotates up to 180 degrees to empty. Alternatively, each hopper may be a clamshell bucket in which each half of the bucket rotates, but rotates only up to 90 degrees, unlike the semi-cylindrical alternative which rotates 180 degrees to empty.

[0010] Multiple memory hoppers can be placed between the infeed system and the weighing hopper.

[0011] These embodiments can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to make this disclosure thorough and complete, and to ensure that the scope of the specification is fully conveyed to those skilled in the art. Throughout, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements. Therefore, the same elements will not be described in detail with respect to the description of each figure.

[0012] A circular multi-head weighing machine is a weighing machine in which the weighing hoppers are arranged in a circle around the infeed. This allows the infeed to efficiently distribute the products being fed into it. Furthermore, since all products travel the same distance from the weighing machine to the collector below the weighing machine head / hopper, high-speed batch processing is also possible. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] A perspective view of the circular multi-head weighing machine 10 is shown. [Figure 2] An enlarged perspective view of the weighing hopper 20 is shown. [Figure 3a] Perspective views of the weighing hopper 20 at each of four different positions are shown. [Figure 3b] Perspective views of the weighing hopper 20 at each of four different positions are shown. [Figure 3c] Perspective views of the weighing hopper 20 at each of four different positions are shown. [Figure 3d] Perspective views of the weighing hopper 20 at each of four different positions are shown.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0014] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a circular multi-head weigher 10.

[0015] The circular multi-head weigher includes an infeed system having a conical infeed 12 and a plurality of conveyors disposed around the conical infeed.

[0016] In FIG. 1, the conical infeed specifically includes a first frustum having a first inclination angle and a second frustum on the first frustum, and the second frustum has a steeper inclination angle than the first frustum. However, other shapes, such as a simple conical shape, are also conceivable. The inclination angle of the conical infeed should not be made so small that the sticky food does not slide down from the conical infeed. The minimum inclination angle varies depending on the specific type of sticky food. The conical infeed is made by arranging a plurality of triangular plates adjacent to each other.

[0017] The conical infeed rotates so that the sticky food is distributed to the plurality of conveyors.

[0018] During operation of the circular multi-head weigher, solid food is usually randomly distributed onto the conical infeed when received from above and slides down towards the peripheral edge of the conical infeed at the lower end of the conical infeed due to gravity and the conical shape of the receiving section.

[0019] To prevent food from remaining on the conical infeed for an extended period, the conical infeed may be optionally vibrated.

[0020] Sixteen conveyors are arranged around the periphery of the conical infeed; in other words, the weighing machine is a 16-head conveyor. Any number of weighing heads can be considered depending on the task. Generally, the number of weighing heads is determined by the balance between the machine's construction cost and production capacity. Costs increase with the number of heads, and production capacity also increases up to a certain limit. That is, the machine's cost can become too high, or it can occupy too much space.

[0021] The conveyor surrounds the conical infeed up to 360 degrees, except where it is interrupted by parts of the frame system that support the conveyor structure, which is positioned along the ring and used in connection with the machine.

[0022] Each conveyor is equipped with a supply channel, within which a feeder 16 is positioned. The feeder is shown in the shape of a spiral, i.e., a corkscrew. The curve defining the spiral in three dimensions may have a cross section with a radius smaller than the radius of the spiral. That is, the curve has a non-zero radius, but is not large enough to contact the axis of the spiral. This is because the presence of an opening along the axis has the advantage that the food moves freely and is pushed along the conveyor, and the food does not rotate, for example, like an Archimedes screw (the feeder is coreless (having an opening in the center along the feeder axis so that the food does not hit any obstacles, i.e., can move freely in that direction, even if the food is pushed toward the center of the feeder), but even if a core is present, that core does not contact the spiral at any point along the length of the spiral). The cross-sectional shape of the feeder may be circular or square.

[0023] The distance between the two windings typically corresponds to the size of the solid food being transported, for example, about 0.1 m for chicken breast. The supply channel extends from an inlet end 14 located adjacent to the periphery of the conical infeed to an outlet end 18 located opposite the inlet end.

[0024] Solid food placed in the conical infeed is randomly distributed between conveyors.

[0025] When solid food is placed at one inlet end of the conveyor, it is carried by a feeder along the supply channel towards the outlet end and discharged into a weighing hopper 20 below the outlet end.

[0026] This machine is equipped with one weighing hopper below the exit of each conveyor.

[0027] Further below the weighing hopper is a collector 46. The collector may be a conical chute or an annular compartment (having walls 44 and a bottom 42) as shown in Figure 1. Scrapers may be provided for scraping the walls and bottom of the annular compartment.

[0028] Figure 2 shows an enlarged perspective view of the weighing hopper 20.

[0029] The weighing hopper is supported by a support structure.

[0030] The weighing hopper has a shape similar to a hollow semi-cylinder (also called a hollow half-cylinder), that is, it is defined by a first end wall 22 and a second end wall 24 opposite the first end wall. Each end wall has the shape of a semicircular disc.

[0031] The weighing hopper has an axis 36 that extends through the center of rotation. Figure 2 shows that the axis extends through the first end wall and the second end wall.

[0032] A side wall of the weighing hopper is located between the first end wall and the second end wall. The side wall may be a folded rectangular sheet.

[0033] The side walls have an inner surface for supporting solid food inside the weighing hopper.

[0034] The inner surface may be a cylindrical surface having a rotational axis that coincides with the axis.

[0035] The inner surface extends from the first edge 34 to the second edge 32, forming an angle around the axis over a first angle φ. The first angle may be less than 180 degrees, such as 179 degrees, 178 degrees, or 177 degrees, or it may be within the range of 170±9 degrees, 170±8 degrees, 170±7 degrees, 170±6 degrees, or 170±5 degrees.

[0036] Therefore, there is an opening between the two edges, meaning that solid food can fall into the weighing hopper. Thus, when solid food is discharged from the exit end of the conveyor, gravity causes it to fall into the weighing hopper located below the exit end of each conveyor. When the opening is facing upward (towards the exit end), the weighing hopper is in the receiving state. When the weighing hopper is facing the opposite direction, i.e., rotated 180 degrees from the receiving state, the weighing hopper is in the discharging state (so that solid food falls out of the weighing hopper).

[0037] The side wall may have an outer surface, which may be a cylindrical surface having a rotational axis that coincides with the axis. That is, the outer surface is on the opposite side from the inner surface of the side wall.

[0038] The weighing hopper is oriented such that its first axis is parallel or substantially parallel to the supply channel, and each supply channel of the conveyor has a second axis extending through its inlet and outlet ends. Alternatively, the weighing hopper may be oriented such that its first axis is perpendicular to the second axis.

[0039] The weighing hopper is rotatably mounted to a support so as to be able to rotate about a first axis. That is, it is hinged to the support at a first position (first hinge point), which is adjacent to the first end wall.

[0040] The support may include a support arm 29 extending around the weighing hopper so that the weighing hopper is hinged to the support arm at a second position. The second position is opposite to the first position, i.e., adjacent to the second end wall (opposite the first hinge point of the weighing hopper). Thus, the weighing hopper is supported on both sides. These two positions coincide with the center of rotation of the weighing hopper. The support arm serves to stabilize the weighing hopper. The support arm may be U-shaped.

[0041] The rotation and orientation of the weighing hopper, as well as the discharge of solid food from the conveyor, are controlled so that the opening faces upward when solid food is discharged from the conveyor.

[0042] When solid food is discharged into the weighing hopper, its weight is measured.

[0043] When solid food is present in multiple weighing hoppers and their total weight is suitable for batch processing and packaging into packages of a specific target weight, each weighing hopper rotates upside down, allowing the solid food to fall into the collector.

[0044] Inside the weighing hopper, there is a scraper 28 that scrapes the inside of the weighing hopper as it rotates in order to empty the weighing hopper.

[0045] The scraper has a scraper edge that contacts the inner surface as the weighing hopper rotates. The scraper edge is close to the first edge, that is, closer to the first edge than to the second edge.

[0046] The scraper is shown to have a distance to the first edge, i.e., clearance to allow sticky products, for example, to be freely removed from the scraper (when the weighing hopper is in the food receiving position, i.e., when the opening is facing upward in the receiving position, there is no overlap between the scraper and the inner surface. If there is an overlap, solid food may get caught in the scraper). This distance (angle difference) may be greater than 1 degree, for example, 5 to 15 degrees. In principle, the scraper edge may be positioned anywhere on the circumference such that the inside of the weighing hopper is completely scraped up to the second edge before the weighing hopper rotates to the discharge position.

[0047] To reduce the risk of food falling onto the scraper, the scraper may have a cross-section that is thinner (smaller in diameter) than the support arm, and it is conceivable that the scraper could be made as thin as approximately 0.5 cm.

[0048] The scraper is U-shaped, with its base scraping the inner surface. That is, the first leg of the scraper scrapes the inside of the first end wall, and the second leg of the scraper scrapes the inside of the second end wall.

[0049] The scraper is supported by a scraper support and remains stationary even as the weighing hopper rotates around a first axis. The scraper support may be the same support that supports the weighing hopper.

[0050] The weighing hopper is connected to an actuator, which rotates the weighing hopper so that its inner surface moves along the scraper edge until the second edge reaches the scraper edge. The direction of rotation is such that the first edge passes the scraper edge before the second edge. This "inner" scraper may be positioned near the second edge instead of the first edge. In that case, the direction of rotation will be reversed compared to when the scraper is positioned near the first edge.

[0051] When the weighing hopper is empty, it rotates 360 degrees and continues rotating until it is ready to receive the next solid food item. Alternatively, the weighing hopper can be rotated 180 degrees and returned to its original position. However, in this case, after rotating 180 degrees in the first direction, the rotation must be stopped before the weighing hopper can be reversed, which takes time and reduces the machine's capacity compared to when the weighing hopper rotates 360 degrees in the same direction.

[0052] A second scraper 31 is positioned on the outside of the weighing hopper to scrape the outer surface as the weighing hopper rotates. This is considered necessary because when the weighing hopper rotates (after weighing solid food), food or parts of food may still fall from above. If this occurs while the weighing hopper is rotating, the food will fall onto the outer surface of the weighing hopper. When the weighing hopper returns to the receiving position, the food on the outer surface will fall from the outer surface into the collection chute, where it may contaminate the batch. This food may be contaminated and could contaminate the batch, for example, with bacteria.

[0053] The second scraper has a (second) scraper edge that contacts the outer surface as the weighing hopper rotates.

[0054] The second scraper edge is close to the second edge, i.e., closer to the first edge than the second edge. The scraper is shown to have a distance to the second edge, i.e., clearance to allow sticky products to be freely removed from the scraper (there is no overlap between the scraper and the inner surface when the weighing hopper is in the food receiving position, i.e., when the opening is facing upwards). This distance (angle difference) may exceed 1 degree.

[0055] In principle, the second scraper edge may be positioned at any location on the circumference, as long as the entire outer surface is scraped before the weighing hopper rotates from the discharge state to the receiving state.

[0056] The second scraper is supported by a scraper support and remains stationary even as the weighing hopper rotates around the first axis. The scraper support may be the same support that supports the weighing hopper.

[0057] The second scraper is U-shaped and can be attached to scraper supports on both sides of the weighing hopper.

[0058] The base of the second scraper can scrape the outer surface, that is, the first leg of the second scraper scrapes the outside of the first end wall, and the second leg of the second scraper scrapes the outside of the second end wall. However, the two legs may have a clearance / distance between them and the outside of the end wall so that the outside of the end wall is not scraped.

[0059] It is shown that the two scrapers are on opposite sides of the opening of the weighing hopper. This is the configuration when the weighing hopper rotates 360 degrees in the same direction. However, they may both be positioned adjacent to the same edge, such as the first edge. This is the configuration when the weighing hopper rotates 180 degrees in the first direction from the receiving state to the discharging state, and then rotates 180 degrees in the opposite direction to return to the receiving state.

[0060] Multiple weighing hoppers of a machine may have a first scraper edge for scraping the inner surface and a second scraper edge for scraping the outer surface. The position of the scrapers may differ depending on whether they are located on opposite sides or in the vicinity of the same edge. That is, in one weighing hopper, the two scraper edges may be in the vicinity of the first edge, in another weighing hopper, they may be in the vicinity of the second edge, and in a third weighing hopper, the first scraper edge may be in the vicinity of the first edge and the second scraper edge may be in the vicinity of the second edge.

[0061] Multiple weighing hoppers may have the support arms described above in relation to Figure 2.

[0062] Figures 3a to 3d show perspective views of the weighing hopper 20 at four different positions.

[0063] In Figure 3a, the weighing hopper is facing upwards (receiving state), meaning its opening is facing upwards and the solid food 54 is inside the weighing hopper.

[0064] When the weighing hopper is in the position shown in Figure 3a, it can be said that the weighing hopper is in the first operating mode / state that constitutes the receiving state.

[0065] In Figure 3b, the weighing hopper has rotated approximately 30°. That is, the second edge has moved closer to the first scraper edge compared to its position in the receiving mode, and the first edge has moved further away from the first scraper edge compared to its position in the receiving mode. When the weighing hopper is in the position shown in Figure 3b, it can be said that the weighing hopper has entered a second operating mode / state that constitutes the discharge mode.

[0066] In Figure 3c, the weighing hopper is rotated so that it is more or less upside down, that is, so that the opening of the weighing hopper faces downwards.

[0067] The second edge moves until it touches the first scraper edge, and here the outer surface is scraped during the remaining rotation until the weighing hopper returns to the receiving position, as it is in contact with the second scraper edge.

[0068] In Figure 3d, the second edge moves until it touches the second scraper edge.

[0069] The combination of gravity and the force of the solid food being pushed by the first scraper edge causes the solid food to be discharged from the weighing hopper.

[0070] The weighing hopper cycles between a first operating mode (receiving state) and a second operating mode (discharging state) as continuous solid food is discharged from the outlet end above the weighing hopper.

[0071] Next comes a set of claims that constitute aspects of the present disclosure that may be considered independently patentable, and thus the following set forms the basis of a potential future set of claims.

[0072] <Section 1> A circular multi-head weighing machine for batch processing solid foods with an adhesive coating, wherein the circular multi-head weighing machine is An infeed system including multiple conveyors arranged around a conical infeed, A plurality of weighing hoppers, including a first weighing hopper for weighing the solid food, Equipped with, The conical infeed is configured to rotate in order to distribute the solid food to the plurality of conveyors. The plurality of weighing hoppers are positioned below the infeed system to receive the solid food from the infeed system. The first weighing hopper has side walls including an outer surface and an inner surface, The aforementioned inner surface supports solid food during weighing. The side wall is configured to rotate around an axis to empty the first weighing hopper, A circular multi-head weighing machine, wherein the first weighing hopper has a first scraper that scrapes the inner surface when the first weighing hopper rotates from a receiving state to a discharge state, and a second scraper that scrapes the outer surface when the first weighing hopper rotates from the discharge state to the receiving state. <Section 2> The circular multi-head weighing machine according to item 1, wherein the side wall extends between a first end wall and a second end wall opposite to the first end wall. <Section 3> The circular multi-head weighing machine according to item 1 or 2, wherein the side wall extends at an angle around the axis from a first edge to a second edge, and the first weighing hopper includes an opening between the first edge and the second edge. <Section 4> The circular multi-head weighing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the outer surface constitutes a cylindrical surface having a rotation axis that coincides with the axis. <Section 5> The container is a circular multi-head weighing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, having a hollow semi-cylindrical shape. <Section 6> The circular multi-head weighing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the side wall has a folded rectangular shape. <Section 7> The circular multi-head weighing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the scraper has a U-shape for scraping the inner surface, the first end wall, and the second end wall. <Section 8> The circular multi-head weighing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the first weighing hopper is rotatably mounted on a support for rotating the first weighing hopper about an axis. <Section 9> The circular multi-head weighing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first weighing hopper is hinged to the support in a first position. <Section 10> A circular multi-head weighing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the first weighing hopper is hinged to the support at a second position opposite to the first position. <Section 11> The circular multi-head weighing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the support comprises a support arm, the support arm extending around the first weighing hopper to hinge the first weighing hopper to the support arm in the second position. <Section 12> The circular multi-head weighing machine according to any one of items 1 to 11, wherein the support arm is U-shaped. <Section 13> A circular multi-head weighing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the first scraper has a first scraper edge, and the second scraper has a second scraper edge. <Section 14> A circular multi-head weighing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the first scraper edge and the second scraper edge are located near the first edge or near the second edge, or the first scraper edge is located near the first edge and the second scraper edge is located near the second edge.

Claims

1. A circular multi-head weighing machine for batch processing solid foods with an adhesive coating, wherein the circular multi-head weighing machine is An infeed system including multiple conveyors arranged around a conical infeed, A plurality of weighing hoppers, including a first weighing hopper for weighing the solid food, Equipped with, The conical infeed is configured to rotate in order to distribute the solid food to the plurality of conveyors. The plurality of weighing hoppers are positioned below the infeed system to receive the solid food from the infeed system. The first weighing hopper has side walls including an outer surface and an inner surface, The aforementioned inner surface supports solid food during weighing. The side wall is configured to rotate around an axis to empty the first weighing hopper, A circular multi-head weighing machine, wherein the first weighing hopper has a first scraper that scrapes the inner surface when the first weighing hopper rotates from a receiving state to a discharge state, and a second scraper that scrapes the outer surface when the first weighing hopper rotates from the discharge state to the receiving state, or from the receiving state to the discharge state.

2. The circular multi-head weighing machine according to claim 1, wherein the side wall extends between a first end wall and a second end wall opposite the first end wall.

3. The circular multi-head weighing machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the side wall extends at an angle around the axis from a first edge to a second edge, and the first weighing hopper includes an opening between the first edge and the second edge.

4. The circular multi-head weighing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the outer surface constitutes a cylindrical surface having a rotation axis that coincides with the axis.

5. The container has a hollow semi-cylindrical shape, and is a circular multi-head weighing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The circular multi-head weighing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the side wall has a folded rectangular shape.

7. The circular multi-head weighing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the scraper has a U-shape for scraping the inner surface, the first end wall, and the second end wall.

8. The circular multi-head weighing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the first weighing hopper is rotatably mounted on a support for rotating the first weighing hopper about an axis.

9. The circular multi-head weighing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first weighing hopper is hinged to the support in a first position.

10. The circular multi-head weighing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the first weighing hopper is hinged to the support at a second position opposite to the first position.

11. The circular multi-head weighing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the support body comprises a support arm, the support arm extending around the first weighing hopper to hinge the first weighing hopper to the support arm at the second position.

12. The circular multi-head weighing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the support arm is U-shaped.

13. The circular multi-head weighing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the first scraper has a first scraper edge, and the second scraper has a second scraper edge.

14. The first scraper edge and the second scraper edge are positioned near the first edge, or near the second edge, The circular multi-head weighing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the first scraper edge is positioned near the first edge, and the second scraper edge is positioned near the second edge.

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