A SYSTEM AND A METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY PLACING ICE INTO BOXES HAVING TWO OR MORE DIFFERENT WIDTHS

Abstract

A system for placing ice into boxes containing food products and the system includes: a control unit, an ice in-feed device, an ice distribution device configured for receiving ice from the ice in-feed device and for distributing the received ice into the open upper side of the boxes while the boxes pass the ice distribution device. The ice distribution device has an ice width adjuster device for interacting with the received ice prior to distributing the received ice into the open upper side of the boxes while the boxes pass the ice distribution device. The ice width adjuster device is controlled by the control unit using at least one characteristic parameter relating to the boxes including the width of the boxes as a control command in adjusting the width of the width adjuster device.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. A system for placing ice into boxes containing food products while the boxes are conveyed by a box conveyor device, where the boxes have an open upper side and two or more different widths extending across the conveying direction of the boxes, comprising: a control unit, an ice in-feed device, an ice distribution device configured for receiving ice from the ice in-feed device and for distributing the received ice into the open upper side of the boxes while the boxes pass the ice distribution device, wherein the ice distribution device further comprises an ice width adjuster device for interacting with the received ice prior to distributing the received ice into the open upper side of the boxes while the boxes pass the ice distribution device, where the ice width adjuster device is controlled by the control unit using at least one characteristic parameter relating to the boxes including the width of the boxes as a control command in adjusting the width of the width adjuster device such that the width of the distributed ice in the boxes is essentially the same as the width of the incoming boxes.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the ice distribution device comprises a conveyor device having an endless belt and position below the ice in-feed device and above the box-conveyor device, where the received ice is received on an upper side of the endless belt, where the control unit is further configured to operate the advancement of the endless belt of the conveyor device when distributing ice into the open upper side of the boxes.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the at least one characteristic parameter relating to the boxes further includes the length of the boxes, where the length is utilized by the control unit as a control parameter in controlling the advancing speed of the endless belt of the conveyor device while the boxes pass the ice distribution device, e.g. such that the speed is increased temporarily for shorter boxes compared to longer boxes.

19. The system according to claim 17, further comprising a front plate member placed in front of a downstream end of the conveyor device such that it extends below the upper side of the endless belt, wherein the front plate member has an associated controllable bottom structure controlled by the control unit, where the controlling includes moving the associated bottom structure from a closing position where the front plate member and the bottom structure act as a buffer capable of accumulating ice therein from the downstream end of the conveyor device, to an open second position where the accumulated ice and ice from the downstream end of the conveyor device is released into the open upper side of the boxes as they pass the ice distribution device.

20. The system according to claim 16, wherein the ice in-feed device comprises an ice-portioning device configured to supply portions of ice to the ice distribution device.

21. The system according to claim 16, wherein the portions of ice are determined based on the at least one identified characteristic.

22. The system according to claim 20, wherein the ice-portioning device comprises at least one weighing hopper configured to receive and accumulate ice until a pre-defined target weight is accumulated, where the pre-defined target weight is dependent on the at least one characteristics of the incoming boxes.

23. The system according to claim 22, wherein the at least one weighing hopper includes two or more weighing hoppers, and where supplying portions of ice to the ice distribution device comprises releasing ice from one hopper at a time, or by two or more hoppers at a time.

24. The system according to claim 16, wherein the ice width adjuster device comprises adjustable guiding structures having downstream ends, and where adjusting the width includes adjusting the distance between the downstream ends of the guiding structure.

25. The system according to claim 16, wherein the adjustable guiding structures comprise a pair of adjustable flaps having free ends moveable relative to each other from a first position defining first width to at least one second position defining at least one second width, where the pair of flaps is positioned below a downstream end of the ice distribution device.

26. The system according to claim 16, wherein the ice in-feed device comprises: an ice compartment having an open upper end for receiving ice from an ice source and an open lower end, and an ice-infeed conveyor positioned below the lower end of the ice compartment having an infeed end and controlled by the control unit.

27. The system according to claim 16, further comprising a detection device for identifying at least one characteristic parameter relating to the boxes.

28. A method of automatically placing ice into boxes containing food products while the boxes are conveyed by a box conveyor device, where the boxes have an open upper side and two or more different widths extending across the conveying direction of the boxes, comprising: feeding ice from an ice in-feed device onto an ice distribution device, where the feeding is controlled by a control unit using at least one characteristic parameter relating to the boxes including the width of the boxes as a control command, where the ice is distributed evenly by the ice distribution device into the open upper side of the boxes while the boxes pass the ice distribution device, wherein the method further comprises automatically adjusting the width of the distributed ice into the open upper side of the boxes based on the at least one characteristic parameter relating to the boxes such that the width of the distributed ice in the boxes is essentially the same as the width of the incoming boxes.

29. The method according to claim 27, wherein the weight of the distributed ice into the boxes is controlled based on the identified characteristics.

30. The method according to claim 28, wherein the identified characteristics further include the length of the boxes, and/or the height of the boxes, and/or the available volume within the boxes.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Embodiments of the invention will be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings, in which

[0026] FIGS. 1 to 3 show a perspective view, a side view and a top view of a system according to the present invention,

[0027] FIGS. 4 and 5 show a simplified view of FIGS. 1 to 3, such as of a system as depicted in FIGS. 1 to 3,

[0028] FIGS. 6 to 9 show a further detailed view of the FIGS. 4 and 5, such as of a system as depicted in FIGS. 4 and 5.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0029] FIGS. 1 to 3 show a perspective view, a side view and a top view of a system 100 according to the present invention configured to place ice into boxes 107, 108 containing food products while the boxes are conveyed by a box conveyor device 106 in a direction indicated by arrow 119, where the boxes have an open upper side 110 and two or more different widths 107 extending across the conveying direction of the boxes, where the system in this embodiment comprises a detection device 109, a control unit 111, an ice in-feed device 120, and an ice distribution device 104.

[0030] The detection device 109 is controlled by the control unit 111 and is configured to identify at least one characteristics of the incoming boxes including the width of the incoming boxes, such as the width of the incoming boxes being the width within the incoming boxes (or the inner width of the boxes). Other characteristics might also include the length of the boxes, or available volume in the boxes, the amount of food products.

[0031] The ice in-feed device 120 is configured to deliver ice to the ice distribution device 104, and the ice distribution device is configured to distribute the received ice into the open upper side 110 of the boxes while the boxes pass the ice distribution device below it.

[0032] The ice in-feed device 120 shown here comprises an ice-portioning device comprising two side-by-side arranged weighing hoppers 103a, b configured to receive and accumulate ice until a pre-defined target weight is accumulated therein, where the pre-defined target weight is e.g. dependent on the at least one characteristics of the incoming boxes, size and/or shape or the width. In a preferred embodiment, the two weighing hoppers supply portions of ice to the ice distribution device by means of releasing ice from one hopper at a time, in that way the throughput of releasing portions of ice is enhanced, i.e. while one hopper releases ice the other one accumulates ice, and vice versa.

[0033] The ice in-feed device 120 further comprises an ice compartment 101 having an open upper end for receiving ice from an ice source and an open lower end, and an ice-infeed conveyor 102 positioned below the lower end of the ice compartment having an infeed end and controlled by the control unit. In the embodiment shown here, the conveyor 102 comprises two lanes of endless belts 102a,b having upwardly extending protrusions extending across the width of the conveyor for facilitating accumulating ice on the endless belts 102a,b. The control unit controls the advancement of the conveyor 102 by e.g. starting/stopping it and thus feeds ice in discrete steps ice into the respective hoppers 103a,b, preferably based on the position of incoming boxes and the characteristics of the incoming boxes, e.g. the size/shapes of the boxes.

[0034] As shown in this embodiment, the ice distribution device 104 comprises a conveyor device, such as an ice-conveyor device, having an endless belt and position below the ice in-feed device 103a,b and above the box-conveyor device 106, where the received ice is received on an upper side of the endless belt, where the control unit 111 is further configured to operate the advancement of the endless belt of the conveyor device, such as the ice-conveyor device, when distributing ice into the open upper side of the boxes while the boxes pass the ice distribution device 104.

[0035] In one embodiment, the at least one identified characteristics of the incoming boxes further includes the length of the boxes, where the length is utilized by the control unit as a control parameter in controlling the advancing speed of the endless belt of the conveyor device 104, such as the ice-conveyor device, of the ice distribution device while the boxes pass the ice distribution device, e.g. such that the speed is increased temporarily for shorter boxes compared to longer boxes. It is namely so the whether there is a difference in ice weights in the weighing hoppers 103a,b, e.g. 1 kg vs 1,5 kg, that the distribution of the ice when released onto the endless belt of the ice distribution device is similar. This means that for boxes having shorter lengths, that the speed of the advancing speed of the endless belt of the conveyor device 104, such as the ice-conveyor device, must be larger compared for longer boxes.

[0036] This embodiment further shows front plate member 105 placed in front of a downstream end of the conveyor device, such as the ice-conveyor device, such that it extends below the upper side of the endless belt, wherein the front plate member 105 has an associated controllable bottom structure (not shown) controlled by the control unit 111, where the controlling includes moving the associated bottom structure from a closing position where the front plate member and the bottom structure act as a buffer capable of accumulating ice therein from the downstream end of the conveyor device, such as the ice-conveyor device, to an open second position where the accumulated ice and ice from the downstream end of the conveyor device, such as the ice-conveyor device, is released into the open upper side of the boxes as they pass the ice distribution device.

[0037] FIGS. 4 and 5 show a simplified view of FIGS. 1 to 3, showing the weighing hoppers in two different positions, where in FIG. 4 weighing hopper 103b is in an open position where ice 433 is being released onto the ice distribution device/conveyor 104, such as the ice-conveyor device, and FIG. 5 shows where both the weighing hoppers 103a,b are in a closing position.

[0038] Shown is also an ice width adjuster device 430, 431 controlled by the control unit 111 for interacting with the received ice 433 prior to distributing the received ice portions into the open upper side of the boxes while the boxes pass the ice distribution device and before the ice enters the open upper side of the boxes. As shown here, the ice width adjuster device 430, 431 comprises adjustable pair of adjustable flaps 430a,b moveable by driving arms 431a,b which may be e.g. hydraulic or electric driven. The position shown here is an open position, i.e. the largest width opening, which would be the position when box having larger width is passing the ice distribution device.

[0039] FIGS. 6 and 7 show a simplified view of the operation of the adjustable flaps 430a,b (front plate member 105 is partly removed to illustrate the functioning of the adjustable flaps), where the width 432 between the free ends of the adjustable flaps corresponds to the inner width of the box 108, and where this width is maintained while the box 108 passes the ice distribution device. As depicted here, the adjustable flaps are positioned below a downstream end of the ice distribution device 104. Shown is also the bottom structure 631 discussed in relation to FIGS. 1 to 3, where the bottom structure is in an open position so as to allow the ice to be released there through and into box 108.

[0040] FIG. 7 shows at a later time point where box 107 that has less width than box 108 discussed in relation to FIG. 6 has entered the zone of the ice distribution device 104 where the adjustable flaps 430a,b automatically move such that their free ends are closer to each other meaning that the ice distribution into the box 107 will be narrower and in line with the internal width of the box 107.

[0041] As will be discussed in more details in relation to FIGS. 4 to 7, the ice distribution device further comprises an ice width adjuster device controlled by the control unit 111 for interacting with the received ice prior to distributing the received ice portions into the open upper side of the boxes while the boxes pass the ice distribution device by means of utilizing the identified width of the boxes as a control command in adjusting the width of the width adjuster device such that the width of the distributed ice in the boxes is essentially the same as the width of the incoming boxes, such as the width of the incoming boxes being the width within the incoming boxes (or the inner width of the boxes).

[0042] FIGS. 8-9 illustrate graphically the scenarios where the ice width adjuster device in two different positions, where the adjustable flaps 430a,b are in FIG. 8 shown in a position essentially corresponding to the inner width of the box 107 containing food products such that the released ice 433 is adapted to the inner width of the box 107, and where the box 108 shown in FIG. 9 having larger width, the adjustable flaps 430a,b are adjusted to that width such that the released ice 433 is adapted to the inner width of the box 108.

EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION OR ALTERNATIVE EXAMPLES OR EMBODIMENTS

[0043] 1. A system for placing ice (433) into boxes (107, 108) containing food products while the boxes are conveyed by a box conveyor device, where the boxes have an open upper side and two or more different widths extending across the conveying direction of the boxes, comprising:

a control unit (111),
an ice in-feed device (120),
an ice distribution device (104) configured for receiving ice from the ice in-feed device and distribute the received ice into the open upper side of the boxes while the boxes pass the ice distribution device,
wherein the ice distribution device further comprises an ice width adjuster device for interacting with the received ice prior to distributing the received ice into the open upper side of the boxes while the boxes pass the ice distribution device, where the ice width adjuster is controlled by the control unit using at least one characteristic parameter relating to the boxes including the width of the boxes as a control command in adjusting the width of the width adjuster device such that the width of the distributed ice in the boxes is essentially the same as the width within the incoming boxes.

[0044] 2. The system according to embodiment 1, wherein the ice distribution device comprises a conveyor device having an endless belt and position below the ice in-feed device and above the box-conveyor device, where the received ice is received on an upper side of the endless belt, where the control unit is further configured to operate the advancement of the endless belt of the conveyor device when distributing ice into the open upper side of the boxes.

[0045] 3. The system according to embodiment 2, wherein the at least one characteristic parameter relating to the boxes further includes the length of the boxes, where the length is utilized by the control unit as a control parameter in controlling the advancing speed of the endless belt of the conveyor device while the boxes pass the ice distribution device, e.g. such that the speed is increased temporarily for shorter boxes compared to longer boxes.

[0046] 4. The system according to embodiment 2 or 3, further comprising a front plate member placed in front of a downstream end of the conveyor device such that it extends below the upper side of the endless belt, wherein the front plate member has an associated controllable bottom structure controlled by the control unit, where the controlling includes moving the associated bottom structure from a closing position where the front plate member and the bottom structure act as a buffer capable of accumulating ice therein from the downstream end of the conveyor device, to an open second position where the accumulated ice and ice from the downstream end of the conveyor device is released into the open upper side of the boxes as they pass the ice distribution device.

[0047] 5. The system according to any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the ice in-feed device comprises an ice-portioning device configured to supply portions of ice to the ice distribution device.

[0048] 6. The system according to any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the portions of ice are determined based on the at least one identified characteristic.

[0049] 7. The system according to embodiments 5 or 6, wherein the ice-portioning device comprises at least one weighing hopper configured to receive and accumulate ice until a pre-defined target weight is accumulated, where the pre-defined target weight is e.g. dependent on the at least one characteristics of the incoming boxes.

[0050] 8. The system according to embodiment 7, wherein the at least one weighing hopper includes two or more weighing hoppers, and where supplying portions of ice to the ice distribution device comprises releasing ice from one hopper at a time, or by two or more hoppers at a time.

[0051] 9. The system according to any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the ice width adjuster device comprises adjustable guiding structures having downstream ends, and where adjusting the width includes adjusting the distance between the downstream ends of the guiding structure.

[0052] 10. The system according to any of the embodiments 1 to 8, wherein the adjustable guiding structures comprise a pair of adjustable flaps having free ends moveable relative to each other from a first position defining first width to at least one second position defining at least one second width, where the pair of flaps is positioned below a downstream end of the ice distribution device.

[0053] 11. The system according to any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the ice in-feed device comprises:

an ice compartment having an open upper end for receiving ice from an ice source and an open lower end, and
an ice-infeed conveyor positioned below the lower end of the ice compartment having an infeed end and controlled by the control unit.

[0054] 12. The system according to any of the preceding embodiments, further comprising a detection device (109) for identifying at least one characteristic parameter relating to the boxes.

[0055] 13. A method of automatically placing ice into boxes (107, 108) containing food products while the boxes are conveyed by a box conveyor device, where the boxes have an open upper side and two or more different widths extending across the conveying direction of the boxes, comprising:

feeding ice from an ice in-feed device (120) onto an ice distribution device (120), where the feeding is controlled by a control unit using at least one characteristic parameter relating to the boxes including the width of the boxes as a control command, where the ice is distributed evenly by ice distribution device into the open upper side of the boxes while the boxes pass the ice distribution device,
wherein the method further comprises automatically adjusting the width of the distributed ice into the open upper side of the boxes based on the at least one characteristic parameter relating to the boxes such that the width of the distributed ice in the boxes is essentially the same as the width within the incoming boxes.

[0056] 14. The method according to embodiment 12 or 13, wherein the weight of the distributed ice into the boxes is controlled based on the identified characteristics.

[0057] 15. The method according to any of the embodiments 13 or 14, wherein the identified characteristics further include the length of the boxes, and/or the height of the boxes, and/or the available volume within the boxes.

[0058] Any of the above-mentioned embodiments 1-15 may be combined with any other embodiment or embodiments of the present application.

[0059] While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive; the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Other variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.