A handling installation for handling food items, includes a conveying device, and at least one separating device downstream from the conveying device. The separating device has at least one conveying space through which the food items can be conveyed and at least one deflecting device positionable to at least partially protrude into the conveying space to deflect at least one first food item at least partially away from at least one second food item in order to increase the spacing between at least the first food item and the second food item to separate a food cluster. Alternatively, a rotating device for rotating and changing an orientation of the food item may be provided. Methods for handling food items and a food processing installation may include the handling installation.
B65G 47/28 - Devices influencing the relative position or the attitude of articles during transit by conveyors arranging the articles, e.g. varying spacing between individual articles during transit by a single conveyor
A22C 25/08 - Holding, guiding, or conveying fish before, during or after its preparation
B65G 43/08 - Control devices operated by article or material being fed, conveyed, or discharged
B65G 47/76 - Fixed or adjustable ploughs or transverse scrapers
2.
HANDLING INSTALLATION, FOOD PROCESSING INSTALLATION, AND METHOD FOR HANDLING FOOD ITEMS
The invention relates to a handling installation (20) for handling food items (12), including a conveying device, at least one separating device (32A, 32B) downstream from the conveying device (22, 24), the separating device (32A, 32B) having at least one conveying space (34A) through which the food items (12) can be conveyed and at least one deflecting device (36, 38) positionable to at least partially protrude into the conveying space (34A) to deflect at least one first food item (12) at least partially away from at least one second food item (12) in order to increase the spacing between at least the first food item (12) and the second food item (12) to separate a food cluster (40). Alternatively, a rotating device (128) for rotating and changing an orientation of the food item (12) may be provided. The invention also relates to methods for handling food items and a food processing installation.
A22C 25/08 - Holding, guiding, or conveying fish before, during or after its preparation
A22C 17/00 - Other devices for processing meat or bones
B65G 11/20 - Auxiliary devices, e.g. for deflecting, controlling speed of, or agitating, articles or solids
B65G 15/00 - Conveyors having endless load-conveying surfaces, i.e. belts and like continuous members, to which tractive effort is transmitted by means other than endless driving elements of similar configuration
B65G 47/71 - Devices for transferring articles or materials between conveyors, i.e. discharging or feeding devices adapted to receive articles arriving in one layer from one conveyor and to transfer them in individual layers to more than one conveyor, or vice versa, e.g. combining the flows of articles conveyed by more than one conveyor the articles being discharged to several conveyors
B65G 47/76 - Fixed or adjustable ploughs or transverse scrapers
3.
HANDLING INSTALLATION, FOOD PROCESSING INSTALLATION, AND METHOD FOR HANDLING FOOD ITEMS
The invention relates to a handling installation (20) for handling food items (12), including a conveying device, at least one separating device (32A, 32B) downstream from the conveying device (22, 24), the separating device (32A, 32B) having at least one conveying space (34A) through which the food items (12) can be conveyed and at least one deflecting device (36, 38) positionable to at least partially protrude into the conveying space (34A) to deflect at least one first food item (12) at least partially away from at least one second food item (12) in order to increase the spacing between at least the first food item (12) and the second food item (12) to separate a food cluster (40). Alternatively, a rotating device (128) for rotating and changing an orientation of the food item (12) may be provided. The invention also relates to methods for handling food items and a food processing installation.
A22C 25/08 - Holding, guiding, or conveying fish before, during or after its preparation
A22C 17/00 - Other devices for processing meat or bones
B65G 15/00 - Conveyors having endless load-conveying surfaces, i.e. belts and like continuous members, to which tractive effort is transmitted by means other than endless driving elements of similar configuration
B65G 11/20 - Auxiliary devices, e.g. for deflecting, controlling speed of, or agitating, articles or solids
B65G 47/71 - Devices for transferring articles or materials between conveyors, i.e. discharging or feeding devices adapted to receive articles arriving in one layer from one conveyor and to transfer them in individual layers to more than one conveyor, or vice versa, e.g. combining the flows of articles conveyed by more than one conveyor the articles being discharged to several conveyors
B65G 47/76 - Fixed or adjustable ploughs or transverse scrapers
A conveyor system, comprising a first conveyor assembly having: an input end; an output end; and a conveyor belt arranged to convey an object from the input end toward the output end in a direction of travel. The conveyor system comprises a fluid projection mechanism, the fluid projection mechanism being arranged to provide a fluid suitable for providing a lifting force to a conveyed object as the conveyed object passes over the fluid projection mechanism.
A conveyor system, comprising a first conveyor assembly having: an input end; an output end; and a conveyor belt arranged to convey an object from the input end toward the output end in a direction of travel. The conveyor system comprises a fluid projection mechanism, the fluid projection mechanism being arranged to provide a fluid suitable for providing a lifting force to a conveyed object as the conveyed object passes over the fluid projection mechanism.
This disclosure concerns methods for processing and grading food articles including x-raying the food articles a first time and taking a 3D image of the food articles.
This disclosure concerns a system and a method for processing and grading food articles using a system for grading a food article that has been cut into portions, the system comprising: a first conveyor; at least one spray-removal robot; a first receiving conveyor and a second receiving conveyor, defining a space therebetween; at least one spray-removal robot; and a third receiving conveyor, wherein the spray-removal robot comprises at least one valve with a nozzle, wherein the valve ejects fluid through the nozzle to impact a food article being moved on the first conveyor toward the third receiving conveyor, such that at least one portion of the food article is moved by the impact through the space between the first receiving conveyor and the second receiving conveyor, and such that at least one portion of the food article is moved by the motion of the first receiving conveyor and the second receiving conveyor to the third receiving conveyor.
This disclosure concerns a system and a method for processing and grading food articles using a system for grading a food article that has been cut into portions, the system comprising: a first conveyor; at least one spray-removal robot; a first receiving conveyor and a second receiving conveyor, defining a space therebetween; at least one spray-removal robot; and a third receiving conveyor, wherein the spray-removal robot comprises at least one valve with a nozzle, wherein the valve ejects fluid through the nozzle to impact a food article being moved on the first conveyor toward the third receiving conveyor, such that at least one portion of the food article is moved by the impact through the space between the first receiving conveyor and the second receiving conveyor, and such that at least one portion of the food article is moved by the motion of the first receiving conveyor and the second receiving conveyor to the third receiving conveyor.
This disclosure relates to apparatuses and methods for processing and grading food articles. For example, provided herein is a system for grading a portioned food article, in which the system includes: a first conveyor; a first receiving conveyor and a second receiving conveyor, defining a space therebetween; at least one spray-removal robot; and a third receiving conveyor. The spray-removal robot may include at least one valve with a nozzle, in which the valve ejects fluid through the nozzle to impact a food article being moved on the first conveyor toward the third receiving conveyor, such that at least one portion of the food article is moved by the impact through the space between the first receiving conveyor and the second receiving conveyor, and such that at least one portion of the food article is moved by the first receiving conveyor and the second receiving conveyor to the third receiving conveyor.
This disclosure concerns methods for processing and grading food articles including x-raying the food articles a first time and taking a 3D image of the food articles.
This disclosure concerns methods for processing and grading food articles including x-raying the food articles a first time and taking a 3D image of the food articles.
This disclosure concerns methods for processing and grading food articles including x-raying the food articles a first time and taking a 3D image of the food articles.
B65G 47/71 - Devices for transferring articles or materials between conveyors, i.e. discharging or feeding devices adapted to receive articles arriving in one layer from one conveyor and to transfer them in individual layers to more than one conveyor, or vice versa, e.g. combining the flows of articles conveyed by more than one conveyor the articles being discharged to several conveyors
B65G 47/31 - Devices influencing the relative position or the attitude of articles during transit by conveyors arranging the articles, e.g. varying spacing between individual articles during transit by a series of conveyors by varying the relative speeds of the conveyors forming the series
G01N 23/04 - Investigating or analysing materials by the use of wave or particle radiation, e.g. X-rays or neutrons, not covered by groups , or by transmitting the radiation through the material and forming images of the material
13.
APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING AND GRADING FOOD ARTICLES AND RELATED METHODS
This disclosure concerns methods for processing and grading food articles including x-raying the food articles a first time and taking a 3D image of the food articles.
A food processing apparatus for detecting and cutting tough tissues from food items such as fish, meat, or poultry. At least one x-ray machine associated to a first conveyor for imaging incoming food items on the first conveyor based on a generated x-ray image indicating the location of the tough tissues in the food items. A vision system supplies second image data of the food items subsequent to the imaging by the x-ray machine. The second image data including position related data indicating the position of the food items on the second conveyor prior to the cutting. A mapping mechanism determines an estimated coordinate position of the food items on the second conveyor by utilizing the x-ray image and tracking position data. The processor compares the estimated coordinate position of the food items to the actual position on the second conveyor based on the second image data.
This invention relates to a food processing apparatus ( 1000 ) for detecting and cutting tough tissues from food item pieces such as fish or meat fillets or poultry items. At least one x-ray machine ( 1 ) is associated to a first conveyor ( 2 ) for imaging incoming food items conveyed on the first conveyor and based on the imaging generating x - ray image data indicating the location of the tough tissues in the food item pieces. A vision system ( 3 ) supplies second image data of the food item pieces subsequent to the imaging by the at least one x-ray machine. The second image data including position related data indicating the position of the food item pieces on the second conveyor prior to the cutting. A mapping mechanism including a processor determines an estimated coordinate position of the food item pieces on the second conveyor ( 6 ) by utilizing the x-ray image data and tracking position data from the tracking mechanism. The processor compares the estimated coordinate position of the food item pieces to the actual position on the second conveyor based on the second image data.
A method is provided for allocating a first item from a group of items to a receiver selected from a group of receivers. The method comprises obtaining characteristic property information for the group of items and obtaining capacity information for the group of receivers. According to the method, a characteristic property of the first item which is to be allocated and a characteristic property of a selected second item within said group of items are used in consideration of possible options for allocating said first and second items to the group of receivers. Taking into account the respective capacities of receivers in the group of receivers, it is then determined which receiver should be selected for allocation of the first item thereto.
B07C 5/38 - Collecting or arranging articles in groups
B65B 25/06 - Packaging slices or specially-shaped pieces of meat, cheese, or other plastic or tacky products
G01G 19/387 - Weighing apparatus or methods adapted for special purposes not provided for in groups for combinatorial weighing, i.e. selecting a combination of articles whose total weight or number is closest to a desired value
17.
Apparatus and method for grading articles based on weight, and adapted computer program product and computer readable media
This invention relates to an apparatus for grading food articles by building up portions based on at least one characteristic, e.g. number of food articles, or weight of food articles. A first conveyor conveys the articles along a closed-loop conveying path, where the conveyor has a number of article holders attached to the conveyor for holding and preserving the initial position of the food articles during the conveying. The exact position of the food articles in the article holders is determined. A processor in a combination with a removing means uses this exact position to control the releasing of the food articles from the article holders into pre-fixed locations the containers and in that way controls the location of the food articles in the containers.
B07C 5/00 - Sorting according to a characteristic or feature of the articles or material being sorted, e.g. by control effected by devices which detect or measure such characteristic or featureSorting by manually actuated devices, e.g. switches
The invention relates to a gripper (1000) for a robotic arm which is specially designed for fresh food products (102,104). The invention also relates to a method, a device and a system which arranges food products fully automatically onto a conveyor, e.g. in-feed conveyor (1) to an IQF freezer, or into a tray or a box (8). The gripper unit (1000) comprises penetration means (5) for penetrating into the articles (104) that are to be picked up, thereby providing an engagement between the gripper unit (1000) and the articles (104) while rearranging the positions of the articles (104), whereby the position of the penetration means (5) into the articles (104) is operated in such a way that one end of the articles (104) becomes at least partially freely hanging.
This invention relates to an article distribution apparatus for distributing a stream of conveyed articles (22,23) from a conveyor (1) conveying the articles to one or more receiving stations (8,9,10), where two or more receiving arms (4,7) are used for successively receiving and displacing the articles from the conveyor (1) to the one or more receiving stations (8, 9,10). In a receiving position the first receiving arm (4) is arranged at the end of the conveyor (1) and forms an extension of the conveyor and the conveying path of the articles for receiving one or more of the articles. ᤓfter receiving one or more articles (22,23) from the conveyor the first receiving arm (4) is moved from the receiving position to the one or more receiving stations (8,9,10), the receiving position subsequently being replaced by the second receiving arm (7) for receiving one or more of the subsequent articles (22,23).
The present invention relates to an apparatus for grading articles based on at least one characteristics of the articles. The grading comprises building up portions of the articles in containers or grading the articles onto one or more receiving areas, wherein the arrangement of the articles during the grading is preserved. According to the invention, determining means determines one or more characteristic parameters indicating the characteristics of the articles. A first conveyor conveys the articles along a closed-loop conveying path, where the conveyor comprising a number of article holders attached to the conveyor for holding the articles during the conveying along the closed-loop conveying path. An arranging means arranges the articles onto the article holders, where the article holders preserve the arrangement of the articles in the article holders during the conveying. A processor uses the one or more characteristic parameters for selecting article holders that are suitable for the grading. Removing means then finally removes the articles from the article holders in the containers or to the one or more receiving areas without altering the arrangement of the articles in the article holders.
patents
