DEVICE FOR DISCHARGING MUSHROOMS FROM A CONVEYOR

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for discharging mushrooms from a conveyor, comprising a mushroom conveyor, in particular a conveyor belt and/or an endless conveyor, for conveying the mushrooms in a direction of conveyance; wherein the mushroom conveyor has a surface for carrying the mushrooms; and the mushroom conveyor being guided along a trajectory from a charging location such as a picking location to a discharging location, such as a filling station for mushroom containers, as well as a twister, located at the discharging location, for at least locally twisting a plane in which the surface of the mushroom conveyor lies.

Claims

1: A device for discharging mushrooms from a conveyor, comprising: a mushroom conveyor, in particular a conveyor belt and/or an endless conveyor, for conveying the mushrooms in a direction of conveyance; wherein the mushroom conveyor has a surface for carrying the mushrooms; and the mushroom conveyor being guided along a trajectory from a charging location including a picking location to a discharging location including a filling station for mushroom containers; a twister, located at the discharging location, for at least locally twisting a plane in which the surface of the mushroom conveyor lies, such that the mushrooms are discharged at a side of the conveyor, wherein the side is next to the conveyor, that is, in a direction perpendicular to the direction of conveyance; the twister comprises a ramp for guiding the mushroom conveyor, wherein the ramp extends over a full width of the mushroom conveyor; the mushroom conveyor has holes for mushroom stipes, more in particular holes at a regular distance from each other in the direction of conveyance; wherein the ramp has a different height at the area where it supports the part of the mushroom conveyor that comprises the holes; and wherein: the twister comprises: a pusher conveyor belt which is positioned under the surface of the mushroom conveyor belt, for pushing the mushroom stipes through the holes of the mushroom conveyor at the discharging location; or an alternative pusher, including a pushing mushrooms out of the holes with air pressure.

2-13. (canceled)

14: A combination of a device according to claim 1 and a filling station for mushroom containers, including trays, wherein the filling station comprises: means including at least one container conveyor for providing mushroom containers, wherein the means convey the containers to a location below the twister, for catching mushrooms discharged from the mushroom conveyor.

15: The combination according to claim 14, comprising multiple means, and in particular multiple container conveyors, at a mutual distance in the transport direction, leading to different filling stations at various positions at the mushroom conveyor, wherein the pushers are controllable, such that mushrooms can be selectively removed from the mushroom conveyor at one filling station, while already having passed another filling station upstream.

16: The combination according to claim 15, wherein the selective removal is based on mushroom properties including size and weight, which is measured or otherwise determined at an upstream location.

17: The device according to claim 1, wherein the twister is configured to twist the mushroom conveyor about an axis parallel to direction of conveyance.

18: The device according to claim 14, wherein the axis coincides with the centre or a side of the mushroom conveyor.

19: The device according to claim 1, wherein the angle wherein the ramp twists the conveyor is adjustable, and/or wherein the ramp is exchangeable.

20: The combination according to claim 16, wherein the means including the at least one container conveyor are configured for conveying the containers such that a bottom plane of the conveyors is under an angle with the horizontal plane.

21: The combination according claim 16, wherein the means including at least one container conveyor are configured for moving the container with at least a directional component, or in a direction perpendicular to the direction of conveyance while catching mushrooms discharged from the mushroom conveyor.

22: The combination according to claim 16, wherein the means including at least one container conveyor extend from a destacker location where containers are destacked onto the means including at least one container conveyor, in particular to a buffer location, where containers are stored for buffering.

23: The combination according to claim 22, comprising a second mushroom conveyor, extending from a second picking location to the buffer location.

24: The combination according to claim 23, wherein the buffer location comprises a check weigher.

Description

[0035] The invention will now be elucidated into more detail with reference to the following figures.

[0036] FIGS. 1a-e provide various views of a device according to the invention;

[0037] FIG. 2 shows a schematic model of a device;

[0038] FIG. 3 shows a schematic model of a detail of a device according to the invention;

[0039] FIG. 4 shows a first schematic lay-out of a combination according to the invention; and

[0040] FIG. 5 shows a second schematic lay-out of a combination according to the invention.

[0041] FIGS. 1a-c provide various views of a device 1 for discharging mushrooms 2 from a mushroom conveyor 3, formed by a belt and conveying the mushrooms 3 in a direction of conveyance A, wherein the mushroom conveyor 3 has a surface 4 for carrying the mushrooms 2; and the mushroom conveyor being guided along a trajectory from a charging location such as a picking location (not shown) to a discharging location D, further comprising a twister 5 located at the discharging location D, for at least locally twisting a plane in which the surface 4 of the mushroom conveyor lies.

[0042] The twister 5 is configured to twist the mushroom conveyor 3 about an axis parallel to direction of conveyance A. In the depicted case, said axis coincides with a side of the mushroom conveyor 3. The twister 5 comprises a ramp for guiding the mushroom conveyor, wherein the ramp extends over a full width of the mushroom conveyor. In the drawing, it even exceeds the width, although this is not a necessary feature. The twisting takes place over such angle that the mushrooms 2 fall off the mushroom conveyor 3.

[0043] The twister 5 may be movable in or against the direction of conveyance A to change the discharge location and it may be movable or against the direction B to (temporarily) disable the discharging. These movements may be controllable and automated. Multiple twisters may be present in order to create multiple discharge locations.

[0044] In the embodiment shown, the mushroom conveyor 3 has holes 6 for mushroom stipes, at a regular distance from each other in the direction of conveyance A. In the embodiment shown, the ramp supports the mushroom conveyor fully. As such, it also pushes the mushroom stipes out of their holes 2, and helps to discharge the mushrooms. However a different height at the area where it supports the part of the mushroom conveyor that comprises the holes is thinkable, especially in those cases where the stipes are fragile and friction is to be avoided. Also visible is a container conveyor 9 for providing mushroom containers 10, wherein the container conveyor 9 conveys the containers in a direction B to a location below the twister 5, for catching mushrooms 2 discharged from the mushroom conveyor 3.

[0045] FIGS. 1d and 1e show a slightly different embodiment, wherein the mushroom conveyor 3 comprises a double row of holes 6 for mushrooms 2. Only a part of the conveyor 3 is tilted (below the dashed line in FIG. 1d). As a result, only the mushrooms in one row are discharged.

[0046] FIG. 2 shows a schematic model of a device suitable for the above mentioned situation, wherein the twister comprises a pusher conveyor belt 8, which is positioned under the surface of the mushroom conveyor belt 3, for pushing the mushroom 3 stipes through the holes of the mushroom conveyor 2 at the discharging location. Not visible in this view, but also here the mushroom conveyor is locally twisted in the area 7. In general, in a width direction, it may only be required to have the pusher conveyor belt extend over the width of the holes in the mushroom conveyor 2, although it may also extend over the entire width of the mushroom conveyor 2 or more.

[0047] FIG. 3 shows a combination of a discharging device as described above, and a filling station for mushroom containers 10, such as trays, wherein the filling station comprises a container conveyor 9 for providing mushroom containers 10, wherein the container conveyor conveys the containers to a location below the twister 5, for catching mushrooms discharged from the mushroom conveyor 3. As visible, the container conveyor 9 is configured for conveying the containers such that a bottom plane of the containers 10 is under an angle with the horizontal plane. The container conveyor is also configured for moving the containers 10 with at least a directional component, or in a direction B perpendicular to the direction of conveyance while catching mushrooms discharged from the mushroom conveyor.

[0048] The container conveyor 9 extends from a destacker location 12 where containers 10 are destacked onto a location for further processing the mushrooms 2.

[0049] FIG. 4 shows a first schematic lay-out of a combination according to the invention. FIG. 4 shows that this location may be a buffer 13 location, where containers 10 are stored for buffering, once filled with mushrooms 2 from mushroom conveyor 3. The embodiment comprises a second mushroom conveyor 14, extending from a second picking location in the growing cell C to the buffer location. The buffer 13 location comprises a check weigher 15, for either personnel or a robot in order to control the weight of the filled containers 10. The buffer 13 enables to fill containers with picked/harvested mushrooms from two mushroom belts and allows to have different picking speeds onto those conveyors 3, 14. The mushrooms may be transferred to a central conveyor, which follows a track along multiple cells C for growing mushrooms.

[0050] FIG. 5 shows a second schematic lay-out of a combination according to the invention. FIG. 5 shows a cell C for growing mushrooms, and an adjacent hall H, which is adjacent to multiple cells C. From the cells, harvesting belts 3, 14 extend, which are lead to a level above a floor F, which forms a ceiling of the hall H. At this floor, the buffer 13, check weigher 15 and central conveyor 16 may be arranged. Especially when mushrooms are grown in shelvings that are at multiple levels on top of each other, high cells may be required, and an optimal use of the high halls or corridors H that follow is obtained this way.