BUCKET FOR TRANSPORTING AND UNLOADING PRODUCTS, ESPECIALLY FRUIT AND VEGETABLES, AND A COMBINATION WEIGHING MACHINE COMPRISING SAID BUCKETS

Abstract

Bucket (1) for transporting and unloading products, comprising an opening at the top for receiving the products and a collapsible hinged lid (2) at the bottom of the bucket (1), the lid (2) being connected to actuation means (3 to 6) capable of moving the lid (2) between a closed and an open position for the unloading of the products by means of gravity. The lid (2) comprises at least a side support wall (2a) in motion with said lid (2) and positioned adjacent to an inner (1a) wall of the bucket (1), said support wall (2a) being intended to drive the products outward by means of friction during the opening motion of the lid (2), the lid (2) being actuated in a controlled manner by said actuation means (3 to 6) along its opening path and subsequent closing path.

Claims

1. Bucket for transporting and unloading products, especially intended for fruit and vegetables, comprising an opening at the top for receiving the products and a collapsible hinged lid at the bottom of the bucket, the lid being connected to actuation means capable of moving the lid between a closed and an open position for the unloading of the products by means of gravity, characterized in that the lid comprises at least a side support wall in motion with said lid and positioned adjacent to an inner wall of the bucket, said support wall being intended to drive the products outward by means of friction during the opening motion of the lid, and in that the actuation means comprise at least an articulated tilting lever capable of rotation on a turn axis of the bucket and coupled at its opposite end to the lid by mutual sliding fitting means, the lever further being stressed by resilient means, the lid being actuated in a controlled manner by said actuation means along its opening path and subsequent closing path.

2. The bucket, according to claim 1, wherein the mutual sliding fitting means comprise two pivots of the lid capable to be introduced respectively into two complementary slots of the lever, which act as cams for guiding the controlled motion of the lid.

3. The bucket according to claim 2, wherein each slot comprises an open end for receiving the respective pivot of the lid, both slots being configured and oriented so that the open end of the first slot coincides with the end of the path of the first pivot and the open end of the second slot coincides with the beginning of the path of the second pivot, so that the first pivot is capable to slide along the first slot allowing the lid to open from the initial closed position to an intermediate open position from which the second pivot is capable to slide along the second slot until the maximum opening of the lid is attained, ensuring a continuous and controlled motion of the lid along its entire path.

4. The bucket, according to claim 3, wherein the first slot includes, at the beginning of its path, a transverse notch provided for locking the first pivot in the closed position of the lid.

5. The bucket, according to claim 1, wherein the resilient means are attached at one end to the bucket at a fixed point and at its other end to the lever at a mooring point, offset from the turn axis at one side thereof, the location of this mooring point being selected so that the resilient means stress the lever in the direction that enables the closing of the lid, but when the lid reaches an intermediate opening position, the mooring point is placed on the other end of the turn axis, with respect to its initial location, and the same resilient means stress the lever in the opposite to initial direction and cause the opening of the lid.

6. The bucket according to claim 1, comprising a fixed stop that determines the end of the path of the lever at the maximum opening position of the lid.

7. The bucket, according to claim 1, wherein the upper end of the lever includes a projecting surface configured as a cam capable of making contact with an outer actuating element, which is able to exert a thrust force on said upper end, causing the lever to tilt in the opening direction of the lid.

8. The bucket, according of claim 1, comprising abutment shoulders intended for fitting it onto an outer support element such as a carrier frame or a platform or weighing guides.

9. Combination weighing machine comprising a closed path transport system for the continuous movement of a plurality of buckets, according to claim 1, and a plurality of work stations distributed along the path followed by the buckets, including a loading station for loading the products into the buckets, a weighing station for the buckets, a selective unloading station of the products loaded in the buckets, and control means that process the weight data and select those buckets whose sum of weight is closest to a predetermined value for unloading.

10. The machine, according to claim 9, wherein the selective unloading station includes an assembly of actuating elements provided for actuating the levers of those buckets that have been selected for unloading, said actuating elements being capable to be activated independently from a resting position, allowing the buckets to pass freely, to an active position in which they interfere with the trajectory of the buckets and come into contact with the upper end of the corresponding levers as the buckets move forward, causing the tilting of said levers, which in turn start the opening motion of the collapsible lids for unloading of the product.

11. The machine, according to claim 9, wherein the selective unloading station includes, downside from the actuating elements, an assembly of locking brackets of the collapsible lids, which may come into contact with those lids that are arranged in the opening position, thus starting the closing motion of the same.

12. The machine, according to claim 11, wherein each locking bracket comprises at least one rolling element associated with damping means intended to cushion the impact of said rolling element against the respective lids.

13. The machine, according to claim 11, wherein each locking bracket is linked to a presence sensor, which is able to verify whether a lid is arranged in its opening position, in order to identify possible unloading failures in the buckets that have been selected.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] The accompanying drawings illustrate by way of non limiting example, a preferred embodiment of the bucket for transporting and unloading products object of the invention, and a combination weighing machine comprising said buckets. In said drawings:

[0038] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the bucket object of the invention with the lid in closed position.

[0039] FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the bucket object of the invention with the lid in closed position.

[0040] FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the bucket object of the invention with the lid in an intermediate open position.

[0041] FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the bucket object of the invention with the lid in maximum open position, and showing a locking bracket of the lids next to an open-lid presence sensor; and

[0042] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a combination weighing machine comprising a plurality of said buckets.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT

[0043] FIG. 1 shows a bucket 1 for transporting and unloading products, especially intended for fruit and vegetables, comprising an opening at the top for receiving the products and a collapsible hinged lid 2 at the bottom of the bucket 1, the lid being connected to actuation means capable of moving the lid 2 between a closed and an open position for the unloading of the products by means of gravity.

[0044] Said means of actuation comprise an articulated tilting lever 3 with a capacity for rotation on a turn axis 4 of the bucket 1, and coupled at this opposite end to the lid 2 by mutual sliding fitting means 5, the lever 3 being stressed by resilient means 6, as explained below.

[0045] The lid 2 comprises a side support wall 2a in movement with said lid 2 and positioned adjacent to an inner wall 1a of the bucket 1, said support wall 2a being intended to drive the products outwards by friction during the opening motion of the lid 2. This way, the support wall 2a ensures quick and complete unloading of the products contained therein, thus preventing them from becoming trapped inside the bucket walls due to friction.

[0046] Furthermore, the lid 2 is actuated in a controlled manner by said actuation means throughout its opening and subsequent closing. Thus, it ensures the continuous motion of the support wall 2a allowing the proper unloading of the products.

[0047] FIGS. 2 and 4 show the opening sequences of the lid 2 where, wherein it can be seen that the mutual sliding fitting means 5 comprise two pivots 7a, 7b of the lid 2 that may be introduced respectively into two complementary slots 8a, 8b of the lever 3, which act as cams for guiding the controlled motion of the lid 2.

[0048] Furthermore, each slot 8a, 8b comprises an open end for receiving the respective pivot 7a, 7b of the lid 2, both slots 8a, 8b being configured and oriented so that the open end of the first slot 8a coincides with the end of the path of the first pivot 7a and the open end of the second slot 8b coincides with the beginning of the path of the second pivot 7b.

[0049] Thus, the first pivot 7a has to slide along the first slot 8a during the opening maneuver of the bucket 1 allowing the lid 2 to open from the initial closed position (see FIG. 2) to an intermediate open position (see FIG. 3) from which the second pivot 7b has to slide along the second slot 8b until maximum opening of the lid 2 is attained (see FIG. 4) ensuring continuous and controlled motion of the lid 2 along its entire path as long as the lever 3 is actuated.

[0050] At the beginning of its path, the first slot 8a also includes a transverse notch 8c provided for locking the first pivot 7a in the closed position of the lid 2.

[0051] The bucket 1 also comprises a fixed stop 9 that determines the end of the path of the lever 3 in the maximum open position of the lid 2, as seen in FIG. 4.

[0052] The upper end 10 of the lever 3 includes a projecting surface configured as a cam capable of making contact with an outer actuating element 11, which is able to exert a thrust force on said upper end 10, causing the lever 3 to tilt in the opening direction of the lid 2. In this preferred embodiment, said actuating element 11 belongs to a weighing machine 20 in which an assembly of buckets 1 is mounted, as will be described below.

[0053] On the other hand, the resilient means 6, composed in this example of a helical spring, are attached at one end to the bucket 1 at a fixed point 6a and at the other end to the lever 3 at a mooring point 6b, offset from the turn axis 4 at one side thereof. In the example, the helical spring exerts traction and tends to compress.

[0054] Thus, when the mooring point 6b is found in its initial position at one side of the turn axis 4 of the lever 3 (see FIG. 2), the resilient means 6 tend to pull the lever 3 to the closing direction of the lid 2, thus ensuring a stable closing position. On the other hand, when the lever 3 is actuated for opening, in this example by means of an actuating element 11, and once it has attained an intermediate open position (see FIG. 3), the mooring point 6b is placed on the opposite side of said turn axis 4 so that the resilient means 6 tend to pull the lever 3 to the opening direction of the lid 2 (see FIG. 4), ensuring a stable opening position. A similar maneuver will occur during the closing operation of the lid 2 so that the resilient means 6 will first tend to open the lid 2 and then close it.

[0055] Additionally, the bucket 1 comprises abutment shoulders 12 intended for fitting it onto an outer support element (not shown) such as a carrier frame or a platform or weighing guides.

[0056] FIG. 5 shows a combination weighing machine 20 comprising a transport system that continuously moves a plurality of carriages 21 along a closed path comprising a straight upper section, a straight lower section, and certain curved linking sections between said upper and lower sections. Each carriage 21 holds several buckets 1 as described above.

[0057] The machine 20 comprises a plurality of work stations distributed along the trajectory of the buckets 1. In this embodiment, the machine 20 comprises a loading station 22 of the products into the buckets 1, a weighing station 23 of the buckets 1 arranged on the upper straight section of the trajectory followed by the carriages 21, a selective unloading station 24 (not visible in FIG. 5) of the products loaded into the buckets 1 arranged on the lower straight section, and control means 25 that process weight data and select those buckets whose sum of weights is closest to the predetermined weight for unloading.

[0058] The motion of the buckets 1 in the machine 20 is shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 according to arrow A.

[0059] The selective unloading station 24 includes an assembly of actuating elements 11 as described previously (see FIGS. 2 to 4), provided for actuating the levers 3 of those buckets 1 that have been selected for unloading.

[0060] Said actuating elements 11 are capable of being activated independently from a resting position, allowing the buckets 1 to pass freely, to an active position in which they interfere with the trajectory of the buckets 1 and come into contact with the upper end 10 of the corresponding levers 3 as the buckets 1 move forward, causing the tilting of said levers, which in turn initially start the opening motion of the collapsible lids 2 for the unloading of the products, and then accompany the lids 2 to their maximum opening position.

[0061] Advantageously, since in the final instants of the opening maneuver of the lid 2, the resilient means 6 provide its motion up to a maximum opening position, it is not necessary that the actuating elements 11 push the lever 3 throughout the opening maneuver of the bucket 1.

[0062] Referring now to FIG. 4, the selective unloading station 24 includes, downside from the actuating elements 11, an assembly of locking brackets 26 of the collapsible lids 2, which may come into contact with those lids 2 that are arranged in the opening position, thus starting the closing motion of the same. In this example, each locking bracket 26 comprises one rolling element 27 associated with means of damping 28 intended to cushion the impact of said rolling element 27 against the respective lids 2.

[0063] Furthermore, each locking bracket 26 is linked to a presence sensor 29, which is able to verify whether a lid 2 is arranged in its opening position, in order to identify possible unloading failures in the selected buckets 1. FIG. 4 shows by means of a straight line, the trajectory of the light beam emitted by the presence sensor 29 in the moment it detects an opened lid 2.