Automated Produce Pack Arrangement System for Contamination Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The food packaging industry faces challenges in maintaining cleanliness and reducing direct worker contact with produce during packaging, as manual handling can introduce contaminants, especially for products that have undergone a clean-house process.
Innovation Solution
A produce pack arrangement system comprising a supply station, an orientation and assembly station, and a packaging delivery station, which automates the orientation and assembly of produce into predetermined arrangements using conveyor systems, imaging zones, and orientation elements to minimize human contact and contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If manual handling is used for produce sorting and assembly, then worker flexibility and adaptability are improved, but contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an automated assembly system with conveyors, orientation elements, and packaging machines as intermediaries between the produce supply and final packaging. These mechanical intermediaries perform sorting, counting, and assembly functions that previously required direct worker handling, thereby eliminating the contamination risk while maintaining operational flexibility through programmable control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical system of worker hands and fingers with an automated mechanical system comprising conveyors, orientation elements, and packaging machines. This substitution maintains the mechanical function of handling and assembling produce while eliminating the biological contamination risk associated with human contact.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If automated handling is implemented, then contamination risk is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the automated handling system into distinct functional segments: a conveyor system for transport, orientation elements for positioning, counting mechanisms for verification, and packaging machines for final assembly. Each segment performs a specific function and can be independently controlled or maintained, reducing the overall complexity management despite the increased automation.
3Reliability
If direct worker contact with produce is minimized, then cleanliness is improved, but operational flexibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates counting mechanisms and detection systems that provide feedback to the control system about the state of produce assembly. This feedback enables the automated system to adapt to variations in produce size, shape, and arrangement in real-time, maintaining operational flexibility while ensuring consistent cleanliness through automated handling.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a produce pack arrangement system. The produce pack arrangement system comprises a produce supply station, a produce orientation and assembly station, and a produce packaging delivery station. The produce orientation and assembly station is configured to receive produce from the produce supply station and orient a set group of produce according to a desired predetermined arrangement prior to release to the produce packing delivery station.