Device for packaging cherries and other fruit

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for packaging cherries and other fruit, comprising a calibration element that feeds a first conveyor belt (2), this first conveyor belt conveying the fruit to a packaging station where it is introduced into sheet containers (7), after which the fruit-filled containers are introduced individually into boxes (12). The packaging station comprises a weighing device (3), a packaging module (6), a third conveyor belt (11) and an area for placing lids (14) to close the boxes (12). With this arrangement the empty boxes (12) are conveyed a first distance by the third conveyor belt (11) until they reach a first intersection area (15) where the fruit-filled containers (7) are introduced into the boxes (12) in a synchronised manner as the boxes are being conveyed by the third conveyor belt (11).

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION

[0002] EQUIPMENT FOR PACKAGING CHERRIES AND OTHER FRUITS

[0003] Object of the invention

[0004] The object of the invention relates to equipment for packaging cherries and other similar delicate fruits using Flow pack technology, in order to significantly reduce the costs of this type of installation, and also to reduce the dimensions that these installations currently have.

[0005] Furthermore, it should be noted that the invention's equipment makes it possible to combine the entire fruit packaging process into a single installation: first, the fruit is packaged in laminated containers, and then the sets of these containers with the fruit inside are placed inside boxes that are finally closed with lids; all of this in a continuous process with one or more packaging lines.

[0006] It allows each package to be made using the Flow pack system directly from a calibration element, unlike other systems that depend on intermediate steps.

[0007] Background of the invention

[0008] Currently, the use of the Flow pack packaging type is widespread, especially in the food industry where it is possible to make packages easily, and of sizes suitable for consumption.

[0009] In general, flow pack involves using rolls of heat-sealable film to form a compartment or bag. This compartment is filled with the product to be packaged and then sealed, creating a completely closed, airtight, and leak-proof bag. There are two main types of flow pack packaging: vertical and horizontal.

[0010] Horizontal flow pack is more common for packaging fragile products such as fruits, vegetables, or baked goods like cookies. These products are supplied individually or in groups, and then separated into individual packages on a conveyor line to form the final package.

[0011] A flow pack station typically consists of equipment with two rolls of heat-sealable film at the inlet, one above and one below. At a certain point in the process, the items to be packaged, individually or in groups, are transferred to a conveyor where the lower film is already extended. Simultaneously, the upper film is unwound. Both rolls unwind in parallel to the heat-sealing unit, which usually comprises a head with a heated section that seals and cuts the outer edges of both films. At the same time, the sides of the films are sealed, creating a single flow pack.

[0012] Vertical flow pack packaging is more common for less fragile foods such as nuts, gummy candies, or potato chips. It is also more prevalent for granular foods because it can be easily implemented with a feed hopper that uses gravity to dispense the product portions.

[0013] In a normal vertical flow pack process, the rolls of heat-sealable film are formed into bags by heat-sealing the bottom end and the sides, so that the product enters from the top. Then, by the effect of gravity, the product moves towards its lower hopper, advancing both heat-sealable films and forming a new bag for subsequent filling.

[0014] One record that exemplifies a method of using Flow pack horizontally is the patent with publication number ES2632118, which describes a procedure and a system for grouping individual products into product groups and for supplying them to handling means, such as Flow pack means, or a box packer or similar.

[0015] Description of the invention In order to achieve the objectives and avoid the drawbacks mentioned in the previous sections, the invention proposes equipment for packaging cherries and other fruits comprising at least one calibrating element that feeds at least one first conveyor belt that pulls the fruits to a packaging station in which the fruits are first introduced into some laminar containers, and subsequently, these containers with the fruits in their interior space are introduced individually into some boxes.

[0016] The packaging station comprises at least one weighing device, at least one packaging module in which the fruit is introduced into each sheet container, at least one third conveyor belt and at least one fourth inclined conveyor belt; wherein the weighing device includes a second conveyor belt.

[0017] The weighing device receives the fruit carried by the first conveyor belt; where said weighing device includes the second conveyor belt on which the fruit supplied by the first conveyor belt rests.

[0018] In the packaging module, the containers are formed individually and filled with the fruit; where said packaging module includes an inclined base on which each container with the fruit housed in its interior space rests; where each container is formed by means of an inclined Flow pack system in accordance with the inclination of the inclined base of the packaging module; and where the second conveyor belt moves synchronously with the Flow pack system to feed the fruit gently and form the respective container.

[0019] The third conveyor belt is located below the packaging module, so that the containers from the packaging module descend along its inclined base downhill towards the third conveyor belt; where the lowest lower end of said inclined base flows into a first confluence zone in close proximity to the third conveyor belt that pulls the boxes.

[0020] The fourth inclined conveyor belt ends at its lowest point in a second convergence zone near the third conveyor belt. There, this fourth inclined conveyor belt pulls down a series of lids to cover the boxes in the second convergence zone. With this arrangement, in one phase, the empty boxes are pulled by the third conveyor belt a short distance to reach the first convergence zone, where the containers with the fruit inside are simultaneously inserted into the boxes as they are pulled by the third conveyor belt.

[0021] In a later phase, as a continuation of the phase described in the previous paragraph, the boxes with the containers inside are dragged a second distance by the third conveyor belt until they reach the second confluence zone where the lowest lower end of the third conveyor belt ends, so that in this second confluence zone the lids are synchronously attached to openings on the respective boxes during their dragging by the third conveyor belt.

[0022] The first conveyor belt is located below the calibrating element; wherein said first conveyor belt is arranged along a longitudinal alignment that is perpendicular to a transverse alignment along which the calibrating element is located; and wherein the fruit falls by gravity downwards from the calibrating element onto the first conveyor belt.

[0023] The third conveyor belt includes a first inclined section uphill as the boxes are dragged along before the lids are positioned on them, and a second horizontal section where the boxes are dragged along by the third conveyor belt after the lids are placed on, closing the mouths of the boxes; where the first convergence zone where the containers are inserted into the boxes is located in correspondence with the first inclined section of the third conveyor belt; and where the second convergence zone where the boxes are closed with the lids is located in proximity to the convergence of the first and second sections of the third conveyor belt.

[0024] It is also possible that the area for placing the lids to close the boxes may be located in a different area from the second confluence zone, and could even be on a different machine or piece of equipment. In one embodiment of the invention, the equipment includes a device for supplying absorbent sheets, which are placed on the second conveyor belt of the weighing device to provide a surface for the fruit to absorb moisture; the assembly of each absorbent sheet and the fruit is then conveyed to the packaging module; and the supply device is located next to the weighing device.

[0025] The fruit (cherry) grading system supplies the accurately counted cherries to the first conveyor belt. From there, the cherries are transferred to the second conveyor belt, which carries them to the weighing device. This device places the counted and weighed cherries into the tubular container formed by the inclined flow pack system, positioned at a specific angle that matches the tilt of the weighing device's base. Below this, empty boxes arrive in sync and are filled with the cherries from the containers. Above the weighing module, lids are conveyed by the fourth conveyor belt. This conveyor belt and the third converge at the second confluence zone, where the lid is applied or mounted onto the filled box containing the cherries.

[0026] In one embodiment of the invention, the equipment of the invention comprises at least two first conveyor belts in parallel, at least two packaging modules with their two second conveyor belts, at least two third conveyor belts and at least two fourth conveyor belts; thereby increasing production in packaging.

[0027] Next, to facilitate a better understanding of this descriptive report and forming an integral part thereof, a series of figures are included in which, for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, the object of the invention has been represented.

[0028] Brief description of the figures

[0029] Figure 1.- Shows an elevation view of the equipment for packaging cherries and other fruits, the object of the invention.

[0030] Figure 2.- Shows a plan view of a part of the equipment of the invention.

[0031] Figure 3 shows an elevation view of a part of what is shown in Figure 1. Figure 4 shows an elevation view of a cherry weighing conveyor device.

[0032] Figure 5.- Shows an elevation view of what is shown in Figure 1, where the cherries are housed inside a laminar container arranged on an inclined plane.

[0033] Description of an example of embodiment of the invention

[0034] Considering the numbering adopted in the figures, the equipment for packaging cherries C and other fruits comprises a conventional calibrating element 1 that feeds two first conveyor belts 2 in parallel located below the calibrating element 1; wherein the first conveyor belts 2 are arranged along two longitudinal alignments that are perpendicular to a transverse alignment along which the calibrating element 1 is located.

[0035] With this arrangement described, from the calibrating element 1, the cherries C fall by gravity directed towards one or the other first conveyor belt 2, counting the number of them, so that afterwards these cherries C are dragged by the first conveyor belts 2 to some weighing devices

[0036] 3 that are arranged after the first two conveyor belts 2.

[0037] Each of the weighing devices 3 includes a second conveyor belt 4, on whose upper branch the cherries C accumulate until a group of them is completed, previously counted by the calibrating element, so that in this situation the weighing device 3 is responsible for controlling the weight of each group of cherries C. On said upper branch of the second conveyor belt 4 of the weighing device 3 there is an absorbent sheet 5 to keep the cherries C dry, which rest on said absorbent sheet 5.

[0038] The group of cherries C formed in the weighing device 3 is a package P of cherries that is pulled along with the absorbent sheet 5 by its second conveyor belt

[0039] 4 to a packaging module 6, in which said package P of cherries together with the absorbent sheet 5 is packaged inside a container 7 of plastic material, which is formed in the packaging module 6 itself by means of the known flow pack system. The packaging module 6 includes an inclined base 8, on which the container 7 with the cherries C and the absorbent sheet 5 inside said container 7 will slide. It should be noted that each container 7 is formed by means of an inclined flow pack system in accordance with the inclination of the inclined base 8 of the packaging module 6; where said inclination is preferably 45°.

[0040] For this purpose, two rolls of heat-sealable plastic film are arranged: an upper roll 9 and a lower roll 10 placed below the upper roll 8, so that the film of the lower roll 10 is unfolded and unwound over the inclined base 8 of the packaging module 6, while the film of the upper roll 9 is unfolded and unwound parallel to the film of the lower roll 10, so that the package P of cherries is placed inside the container 7 during its formation, which will finish forming by joining both films of the upper roll 9 and lower roll 10 by a heat-sealed joint that corresponds to the entire perimeter contour of the container.

[0041] In one of the phases of the formation of each container 7 using the inclined Flow pack system, the container 7 is closed by heat sealing around its entire perimeter, with the exception of an opening located at the highest point of the container 7 being formed. It is in this phase that the package P of cherries is introduced into the container 7 being formed, and finally the inclined Flow pack system proceeds to close said opening by heat sealing and simultaneously cuts the formed container 7 which will fall by gravity downslope sliding along the inclined base 8 to the respective box 12.

[0042] In a later phase, each closed container 7 with the cherry package P and the absorbent sheet 5 slides downhill by gravity along the inclined base 8 of each packaging module 6, ending up in an area where said container 7 with the cherries falls into a box 12 dragged by a third conveyor belt 11 that transports the boxes 12 to house in them, in a unitary and synchronized manner, the containers 7 with the cherries C fed from the packaging module 6. The lower end of the inclined base 8 of the packaging module 6 leads to a first confluence zone 15 in close proximity to the third conveyor belt 11 that drags the boxes 12.

[0043] The invention also includes two fourth inclined conveyor belts 13, each of which ends at its lower end near the respective third conveyor belt 11 to carry out in a synchronized manner the closing of the boxes 12 carried by the third conveyor belt 11. For this purpose, the fourth inclined conveyor belt 13 carries lids 14 by means of which the openings of the boxes 12 are closed.

[0044] The third conveyor belt 11 includes a first section 11a inclined upwards as the boxes 12 are dragged along before the lids 14 are positioned on said boxes 12, and a second horizontal section 11b in which the boxes 12 are dragged along by the third conveyor belt 11 after the lids 14 are placed on the boxes 12.

[0045] Following on from what was said in the previous paragraph, the fourth inclined conveyor belt 13 ends at its lowest point precisely at a second confluence zone 16 near the third conveyor belt 11; where said second confluence zone 16 is located near the convergence of the two distinct sections 11a, 11b of the third conveyor belt 11, thus achieving a better and more precise assembly of the lids 14 to close the openings of the boxes 12. In this way it is possible to accelerate the process of assembling the lids 14 onto the boxes 14.

[0046] Between the two weighing devices 3 that include the second two conveyor belts 4 (figure 2), there is a supplying device 17 for the absorbent sheets 5 which can be a manipulator arm, a robot, a doser, a person putting the absorbent sheets, etc.

[0047] On the other hand, instead of the first conveyor belts 2, conveyors implemented with different transport methods than those shown in the figures can be installed. For example, water channels can be used, onto which the calibrating element 1 drops the cherries C, which would then be carried by the water flow until they fall onto the second conveyor belts 4 of the respective weighing devices 3.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Equipment for packaging cherries and other fruits, comprising at least one calibrating element that feeds at least one first conveyor belt (2) that carries the fruits to a packaging station where the fruits are first placed inside laminar containers (7), and subsequently, said containers (7) with the fruits inside are individually placed inside boxes (12); characterized in that the packaging station comprises: - a weighing device (3) that receives the fruit carried by the first conveyor belt (2); wherein said weighing device (3) includes a second conveyor belt (4) on which the fruit from the first conveyor belt (2) rests; - a packaging module (6) in which the containers (7) are individually formed and filled with the fruit; wherein said packaging module (6) includes an inclined base (8) on which each container (7) with the fruit inside rests; wherein each container (7) is formed by means of an inclined Flow pack system in accordance with the inclination of the inclined base (8) of the packaging module (6); and wherein the second conveyor belt (4) moves synchronously with the Flow pack system to gently feed the fruit and form the container (7); - a third conveyor belt (11) located below the packaging module (6); where the containers (7) from the packaging module (6) descend down its inclined base (8) towards the third conveyor belt (11); and where the lowest lower end of the inclined base (8) flows into a first confluence zone (15) in close proximity to the third conveyor belt (11) that pulls the boxes (12); - an area for placing lids (14) for the boxes (12); where the empty boxes (12) are dragged by the third conveyor belt (11) a first distance until reaching the first confluence zone (15) in which the containers (7) with the fruit inside are synchronously introduced into the boxes (12) during their dragging by the third conveyor belt (11).

2. Equipment for packaging cherries and other fruits, according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a fourth inclined conveyor belt (13) which opens at its lower end into a second confluence zone (16) in close proximity to the third conveyor belt (11); wherein said fourth belt Inclined conveyor (13) pulls the lids (14) downhill to cover the boxes (12) in the second confluence zone (16) which constitutes the placement zone of the lids (4); where the empty boxes (12) are pulled by the third conveyor belt (11) a first distance until reaching the first confluence zone (15) in which the containers (7) with the fruit inside are synchronously introduced into the boxes (12) during their pulling by the third conveyor belt (11);where the boxes (12) with the containers (7) inside are dragged a second distance by the third conveyor belt (11) until they reach the second confluence zone (16) into which the lowest lower end of the third conveyor belt (11) ends, so that in said second confluence zone (16) the lids (14) are coupled synchronously onto openings of the respective boxes (12) during their dragging by the third conveyor belt (11).; 3. Equipment for packaging cherries and other fruits, according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first conveyor belt (2) is located below the calibrating element (1); wherein said first conveyor belt (2) is arranged along a longitudinal alignment that is perpendicular to a transverse alignment along which the calibrating element (1) is located; and wherein the fruits fall by gravity downwards from the calibrating element to the first conveyor belt (2).

4. Equipment for packaging cherries and other fruits, according to claim 2, characterized in that the third conveyor belt (11) includes a first section (11a) inclined upwards as the boxes (12) are dragged along before the lids (14) are positioned on said boxes (12), and a second horizontal section (11b) in which the boxes (12) are dragged along by the third conveyor belt (11) after the lids (14) are placed on the boxes (12); wherein the first convergence zone (15) in which the containers (7) are inserted into the boxes (12) is located in correspondence with the first section (11a) of the third conveyor belt (11); and wherein the second convergence zone (16) in which the boxes (12) are closed with the lids (14) is located in proximity to the convergence of the first section (11a) and the second section of the third conveyor belt (11). 5.- Equipment for packaging cherries and other fruits, according to any one of the previous claims, characterized in that it includes a supplying device (17) of absorbent sheets (5), which are placed on the second conveyor belt (4) of the weighing device (3) to provide a seat for the fruit; wherein the assembly of each absorbent sheet (5) and the fruit is dragged to the packaging module (6); and wherein the supplying device (17) is located next to the weighing device (3).

6. Equipment for packaging cherries and other fruits, according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises at least two first conveyor belts (2) in parallel, at least two packaging modules (6) with their two second conveyor belts (4), at least two third conveyor belts (11) and at least two fourth conveyor belts (13).

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