Apparatus and method for preparing product portions

• US 20110202164A1
• Filed: 12/15/2010
• Published: 08/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Weber Maschinenbau GmbH Breidenbach (Weber Food Technology GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Weber Maschinenbau GmbH Breidenbach (Weber Food Technology GmbH)
• Inventors: Weber, Guenther
• Application Number:
  US12/968,899
• Publication Number:
  US 20110202164A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/112
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0045 Manipulators used in the food industry
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0084 comprising a plurality of manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0093 co-operating with conveyor means
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/36 by grippers
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/12 Introducing successive articles, e.g. confectionery products, of different shape or size in predetermined positions
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 57/14 and operating to control, or stop, the feed of articles or material to be packaged

Abstract

An apparatus for preparing portions of products, in particular food products, conveyed by means of a product conveyor, includes a plurality of robots which each define a working region. A first robot serves to sort the conveyed products in accordance with a sorting criterion. At least one second robot serves to pick up sorted products from the product conveyor and to place them down at a placement location in order to prepare a product portion satisfying a target criterion at the placement location.

Claims

1. An apparatus for preparing portions (46) from products (14), in particular food products, conveyed by means of a product conveyor (16), comprising a plurality of robots (20, 22, 24) which each define a working region (40, 42, 44),

characterized in that

a first robot (20) serves to sort the conveyed products (14) in accordance with a sorting criterion;

and

in that at least one second robot (22) serves to pick up sorted products (14) from the product conveyor (16) and to place them down at a placement location in order to prepare a product portion (46) satisfying a target criterion at the placement location.

2. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1,

characterized in that

the second robot (22) follows the first robot (20) viewed in the conveying direction (F) or a plurality of second robots (22, 24) follow the first robot (20) one after the other viewed in the conveying direction (F).

3. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1,

characterized in that

the product conveyor (16) includes a first and at least one second conveying device (18, 19) which extend parallel to one another in the conveying direction (F) through the working regions (40, 42, 44) of the robots (20, 22, 24).

4. An apparatus in accordance with claim 3,

characterized in that the first robot (20) serves to transfer the products (14) conveyed by the first conveying device (18) onto the second conveying device (19) or to leave them on the first conveying device (18) in dependence on the sorting criterion.

5. An apparatus in accordance with claim 4,

characterized in that

the first robot (20) is made to sort the products (14) such that the second conveying device (19) conveys approximately just as many products (14) per time unit as the first conveying device (18) after the sorting.

6. An apparatus in accordance with claim 3,

characterized in that

the at least one second robot (22) is made to pick up the sorted products (14) from the first conveying device (18) or from the second conveying device (19) in dependence on the target criterion.

7. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1,

characterized in that

the sorting criterion includes the falling below or exceeding of a predetermined product weight, e.g. of a mean product weight.

8. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1,

characterized in that

the target criterion includes a predetermined desired weight of the product portion (46) to be prepared.

9. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1,

characterized in that

a packaging machine (12) is arranged in the working region (42) of the at least one second robot (22) and the product portions (46) are prepared in it.

10. A method of preparing portions (46) of products (14), in particular food products, conveyed by means of a product conveyor (16),

characterized in that

the conveyed products (14) are sorted by means of a first robot (20) in accordance with a sorting criterion;

and

sorted products (14) are picked up from the product conveyor (16) by means of at least one second robot (22) and are placed down at a placement location in order to prepare a product portion (46) satisfying a target criterion at the placement location.