Advanced egg breaking system

• US 9,239,321 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2011
• Issued: 01/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FPS Food Processing Systems BV (Thyssen Bornemisza Family)
• Original Assignee: FPS Food Processing Systems BV (Thyssen Bornemisza Family)
• Inventors: Robinson, Jonathan D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Joseph C
• Application Number:
  US13/636,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20130008475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,762 Days
• Field of Search: 209/10, 209/510, 209/511, 209/576, 209/588, 119/6.8, 422/63, 422/65, 422/527, 422/552
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 43/00 Testing, sorting or cleaning eggs investigating or analysing eggs, e.g. by candling G01N33/08; Conveying devices for batteries A01K31/165; Pick-up devices
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 43/005 Cleaning, washing of eggs
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 43/04 Grading eggs
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/145 Machines therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/08 Eggs, e.g. by candling
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/085 by candling

Abstract

An egg transfer system for providing automated inspection and tracking of eggs prior to entering an egg breaker, as well as broken egg contents following breaking, and in which the transfer system includes a series of processing and inspection component interfacing with a central processor for grading and segregating the eggs into one of a number of classes including removal eggs. Removal gates are provided at intermediate locations of the egg transfer system, prior to the egg breakers, and are associated with removal of varying classes of eggs. The central processor interfaces with the various stations in order to assemble a dedicated data packet of egg related data which is assigned to a progressing location on the egg conveyor upon which a specified egg is located, and which can further include the central processor assigning the data packet to a location subsequent to the breakers holding specified shell egg contents. At least one, and typically two, manual removal locations are additionally provided, such as associated with the intermediate egg detection and removal station as well as the post-breaker station.

Claims

1. An egg transfer system for providing automated inspection and tracking of eggs, comprising:

an inlet for receiving a volume of eggs, said inlet further including an egg accumulator;

an egg inspection subassembly downstream from said inlet and including a number of inspection stations for determining various properties of each egg;

an egg breaker subassembly interfacing with an outlet of said egg inspection subassembly;

a processor communicating with each of said inlet and said inspection subassembly and compiling a data record of each egg including, at a minimum, positional information from said inlet and egg property information from said inspection subassembly;

said processor providing an output communication to at least said inspection subassembly in order to instruct the removal, through at least one gate defined in said subassembly, of eggs within a parameter set by said processor and prior to said eggs advancing to said breaker subassembly; and

a post breakage vision scanner in operative communication with said processor for determining at least yolk properties of each broken egg, said processor updating said data record.

2. The egg transfer system as described in claim 1, further comprising an egg washer subassembly interposed between said accumulator and said inspection subassembly.

3. The egg transfer system as described in claim 2, further comprising at least one conveying belt feeding the eggs to an inlet of said accumulator, said accumulator further comprising a plurality of individual lanes.

4. The egg transfer system as described in claim 2, said processor establishing at least one egg parameter through said washer subassembly and including at least one from the group selected from wash temperature, rinse temperature, conductivity, detergent level, time in wash and pH level.

5. The egg transfer system as described in claim 3, said egg property information compiled by said processor through said egg inspection subassembly further comprising sensor supplied data inputs from at least one of a vision inspection component for determining shell color and cleanliness and for determining shell cracking, a digital scale associated with each of said plurality of individual lanes for individually weighing each egg and a pre-breaker sensor located in proximity to each lane downstream from said digital scales for determining the presence or absence of an egg at a positional and advancing location originally identified at said accumulator.

6. The egg transfer system as described in claim 5, further comprising said processor grading and segregating the eggs into one of a number of classes for either removal or transfer to said breaker subassembly.

7. The egg transfer system as described in claim 6, said inspection assembly further comprising removal of desirable shell eggs through said gate for alternate applications other than being sent to said breaker subassembly for reduction of yolk and albumen components.

8. The egg transfer system as described in claim 6, said inspection subassembly further comprising a plurality of gates including a first gate for removing leaking or major defective eggs, a second gate for rerouting dirty eggs back to said washer subassembly and a third gate for rerouting desirable shell eggs for alternate applications other than being sent to said breaker subassembly for reduction of yolk and albumen components.

9. The egg transfer system as described in claim 1, said egg breaker subassembly further comprising a post breaker vision inspection unit for determining at least yolk properties of each egg.

10. The egg transfer system as described in claim 1, said egg breaker subassembly further comprising nozzles creating an air disturbance across a plurality of yolk cups and albumen trays in order to signal to an operator the existence of rotten egg products.

11. The egg transfer system as described in claim 2, said accumulator further comprising a plurality of lane dividers for segregating inputted eggs into dedicated lanes prior to delivery to a multi-row spool conveyor for delivery to and conveyance through said egg washer subassembly.

12. The egg transfer system as described in claim 11, further comprising a second spool section interconnecting said washer subassembly with said egg inspection subassembly.

13. The egg transfer system as described in claim 8, said processor further assigning a data packet to a location subsequent to said breaker subassembly holding a specified shell egg contents.

14. The egg transfer system as described in claim 10, further comprising a first manual removal station located at said candling station associated with said egg inspection subassembly and a second manual removal station located subsequent to said egg breaker subassembly.

15. A non-transitory computer writeable media incorporated into a processor for compiling and assembling a data file for each of a plurality of eggs conveyed through an egg transfer system and for instructing the system as to the handling and disposition of each egg, said processor comprising:

a first subroutine for establishing the data file with positional information of an advancing egg at an inlet;

a second subroutine for adding to each data file egg property information recorded from an inspection subassembly located downstream from the inlet;

a third subroutine for communicating to at least the inspection subassembly in order to instruct the removal, through at least one gate, of eggs within a parameter set by said processor and prior to said eggs being advanced to an egg breaker; and

a fourth subroutine post breaker for communicating with a vision inspection unit in operative communication with said processor for determining at least yolk properties of each egg and for updating said data file.

16. The computer writeable media as described in claim 15, further comprising a fifth subroutine for compiling additional information to each data file of each egg passing through a washer subassembly interposed between the inlet and inspection subassembly and including at least one from the group selected from wash temperature, rinse temperature, conductivity, detergent level, time in wash and pH level.

17. The computer writeable media as described in claim 15, said second subroutine further comprising providing sensor supplied data inputs from at least one of a vision inspection component for determining shell color and cleanliness and for determining shell cracking, a digital scale associated with each of a plurality of lanes for individually weighing each egg and a pre-breaker sensor located in proximity to each lane downstream from the digital scales for determining the presence or absence of an egg at a positional and advancing location originally identified at the inlet and prior to being forwarded to an egg breaker subassembly.

18. The computer writeable media as described in claim 17, further comprising a fifth subroutine succeeding said third subroutine for grading and segregating the eggs at the inspection subassembly into one of a number of classes for either removal or transfer to the breaker subassembly.

19. The computer writeable media as described in claim 18, said fifth subroutine further comprising said processor directing eggs to each of a plurality of gates including a first gate for removing leaking or major defective eggs, a second gate for rerouting dirty eggs back to the washer subassembly and a third gate for rerouting desirable shell eggs for alternate applications other than being sent to the breaker subassembly for reduction of yolk and albumen components.

20. An egg processing system incorporating data collection functionality for assembling a file pertaining to each of a plurality of eggs and determining, based upon the assembled file, a disposition of each egg, said system comprising:

an accumulator inlet for receiving a volume of eggs;

a washer subassembly for washing each of said eggs;

an egg inspection subassembly downstream from said washer subassembly and including a number of inspection stations for determining various properties of each egg, said egg inspection subassembly further including a plurality of removal gates;

a breaker subassembly succeeding said inspection and removal subassembly for reducing selected eggs to yolk and albumen components;

egg transfer subsystems including individual pluralities of spool bars interconnecting each of said accumulator, washer subassembly, inspection subassembly, and breaker subassembly;

a processor having a plurality of communication lines fed by sensors mounted at specified locations within each of said subassemblies and said interconnecting egg transfer subsystems, said processor progressively compiling a data record associated with an assigned and advancing egg position; and

said processor providing an output communication to said inspection subassembly in order to instruct removal of defective eggs through a first selected one of said gates, a rerouting of dirty eggs to said washer subassembly via a second selected one of said gates and, removal of higher quality shell eggs as determined by the assembled data record of said processor for that advancing egg position through a third selected one of said gates and prior to a remaining quantity of eggs proceeding to said breaker subassembly.