Systems and methods for processing eggs
First Claim
1. An apparatus for processing packages of eggs on a conveyor, comprising:
- an egg orienter configured and arranged with respect to the conveyor so as to adjust a position of one or more of the eggs while the one or more of the eggs are in a package disposed on the conveyor so that each of the eggs in the package assumes a consistent, particular orientation within that package;
a laser source; and
one or more optical steering elements configured and arranged to direct laser energy from the laser source so as to laser mark information on a surface of the one or more of the eggs while the eggs are in the package disposed on the conveyor and in said particular orientation, wherein;
the one or more optical steering elements are further configured and arranged to direct laser energy from the laser source so as to laser mark information on the surface of the one or more of the eggs while the package is stationary with respect to the one or more optical steering elements.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for processing packages of eggs on a conveyor is disclosed which comprises an egg orienter configured and arranged with respect to the conveyor so as to adjust a position of one or more of the eggs in each of the packages so that each of the eggs in a given package assumes a particular orientation within that package. In some embodiments, the egg orienter may be located between an egg loading section and a package closing section of an egg packer. In addition, in some embodiments, the apparatus may further comprise a laser source and one or more optical steering elements configured and arranged to direct laser energy from the laser source so as to laser mark information on a surface of one or more of the eggs while the eggs are in a package disposed on the conveyor and in said particular orientation. Further, in some embodiments, the egg orienter may be further configured and arranged to adjust the position of the one or more eggs in each of the packages so that a long axis of each egg in a given package is tilted toward the back of the package so as to be at least slightly offset from vertical and/or so that so that long axes of all of the eggs in each row of eggs in the package form approximate right angles with respect to a line intercepting bottoms of receptacles holding the eggs in such a row.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. An apparatus for processing packages of eggs on a conveyor, comprising:
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an egg orienter configured and arranged with respect to the conveyor so as to adjust a position of one or more of the eggs while the one or more of the eggs are in a package disposed on the conveyor so that each of the eggs in the package assumes a consistent, particular orientation within that package; a laser source; and one or more optical steering elements configured and arranged to direct laser energy from the laser source so as to laser mark information on a surface of the one or more of the eggs while the eggs are in the package disposed on the conveyor and in said particular orientation, wherein; the one or more optical steering elements are further configured and arranged to direct laser energy from the laser source so as to laser mark information on the surface of the one or more of the eggs while the package is stationary with respect to the one or more optical steering elements. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An apparatus for processing packages of eggs on a conveyor, comprising:
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an egg orienter configured and arranged with respect to the conveyor so as to adjust a position of one or more of the eggs while the one or more of the eggs are in a package disposed on the conveyor so that each of the eggs in the package assumes a consistent, particular orientation within that package; a laser source; one or more optical steering elements configured and arranged to direct laser energy from the laser source so as to laser mark information on a surface of the one or more of the eggs while the eggs are in the package disposed on the conveyor and in said particular orientation; and an air source configured and arranged to blow air onto the eggs in the package before laser energy is directed onto any of the eggs in that package. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An apparatus for processing packages of eggs on a conveyor, comprising:
an egg orienter configured and arranged with respect to the conveyor so as to adjust a position of one or more of the eggs while the one or more of the eggs are in a package disposed on the conveyor so that each of the eggs in the package assumes a consistent, particular orientation within that package, wherein; the egg orienter is configured and arranged to blow air onto the eggs in the package during at least a portion of a time period during which the egg orienter is adjusting the position of the one or more eggs in that package. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. An apparatus for processing packages of eggs on a conveyor, comprising:
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means for adjusting a position of one or more of the eggs while the one or more of the eggs are in a package disposed on the conveyor so that each of the eggs in the package assumes a consistent, particular orientation within that package; at least one sensor configured and arranged to sense a position of the package of eggs with respect to the means for adjusting as the conveyor and the means for adjusting move relative to each other; a laser source; and one or more optical steering elements configured and arranged to direct laser energy from the laser source so as to laser mark information on a surface of the one or more of the eggs while the eggs are in the package disposed on the conveyor and in said particular orientation, wherein; the one or more optical steering elements are further configured and arranged to direct laser energy from the laser source so as to laser mark information on the surface of the one or more of the eggs while the package is stationary with respect to the one or more optical steering elements.
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Specification