US-12617001-B2 - Plant for treating horticultural products

US12617001B2US 12617001 B2US12617001 B2US 12617001B2US-12617001-B2

Abstract

A plant for the treatment of horticultural products, the plant including at least one line for the handling and treatment of horticultural products, provided at least with a system for the discrete conveyance of the horticultural products; a detection station, which is configured to acquire information related to at least one parameter of interest of each horticultural product in transit; a distribution station, which is configured for the selective conveyance of each horticultural product in transit toward one of at least two separate collection stations, on the basis of commands sent by the electronic element as a function of the information acquired at least by the detection station, The line has at least one expulsion apparatus, which is arranged along the portion upstream of the detection station.

Inventors

Luca Benedetti

Assignees

UNITEC S.P.A.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20220407
Priority Date: 20210413

Claims (10)

1 . A plant for the treatment of horticultural products, comprising at least one line for handling and treatment of horticultural products, provided at least with: a conveyance system configured to convey the horticultural products, which operates along at least one portion of said line and comprises a plurality of accommodation units which are configured to move in a cyclic manner along said portion, said plurality of accommodation units being configured for conveyance in respective predefined positions of corresponding products at said plurality of accommodation units, a detection station, which is arranged along said portion and is configured to acquire information related to at least one parameter of interest of each horticultural product in transit in said respective predefined positions and to transmit said information to an electronic control, and a distribution station, which is arranged downstream of said detection station and is configured for selective conveyance of each horticultural product in transit toward one of at least two separate collection stations, on a basis of commands sent by said electronic control and management element as a function of the information acquired at least by said detection station, wherein said line comprises at least one expulsion apparatus, which is arranged along said portion upstream of said detection station and is configured to apply, at least at respective predefined instants, a pushing action of only products disposed in an area that are different from said predefined positions toward said area that is different from said predefined positions and is normally free from products, at least at said instants, and which is adapted to apply a forced unloading from said units of any products that might be present in said area that is different from said predefined positions while products correctly positioned in said respective predefined positions are not affected by said expulsion apparatus and continue to be conveyed undisturbed.
2 . The plant according to claim 1 , wherein said apparatus comprises at least one pressurized fluid dispenser, configured for a permanent or cyclic generation of a jet directed toward said area.
3 . The plant according to claim 2 , wherein said at least one dispenser comprises at least one nozzle associated with a respective pneumatic circuit affected by a source of compressed air, which constitutes said pressurized fluid.
4 . The plant according to claim 3 , wherein said dispenser comprises a plurality of said nozzles, which are mutually aligned along an axis that is perpendicular to an imaginary resting plane of said line and are arranged laterally adjacent to a transit trajectory of the products.
5 . The plant according to claim 4 , wherein said area corresponds to a region of space that is adjacent to the transit trajectory of the products conveyed by said units for accommodation in said predefined positions.
6 . The plant according to claim 5 , wherein said area corresponds to at least one portion of the region of space that is interposed, at said predefined instant, between two said predefined positions identified by respective consecutive units.
7 . The plant according to claim 1 , wherein said apparatus comprises an actuator which can move cyclically, with at least one active portion thereof, along a trajectory affecting said area, at least said active portion being configured for periodic transit in said area at least at said instants.
8 . The plant according to claim 1 , wherein each one of said accommodation units comprises a resting seat for the respective horticultural product, which defines the corresponding said predefined position.
9 . The plant according to claim 1 , wherein said detection station comprises an electronic vision device, configured for acquisition of said information related to said at least one parameter of interest of each horticultural product in transit and for the transmission of said information to said electronic control and management element, said at least one parameter being chosen from color, shape, dimensions, sugar content, degree of ripeness, defectiveness, and weight.
10 . A plant for the treatment of horticultural products, comprising at least one line for handling and treatment of horticultural products, provided at least with: a system for discrete conveyance of the horticultural products, which operates along at least one portion of said line and comprises a plurality of discrete accommodation units which are configured to move in a cyclic manner along said portion, said plurality of discrete accommodation units being configured for conveyance in respective predefined positions of corresponding products at said plurality of discrete accommodation units, a detection station, which is arranged along said portion and is configured to acquire information related to at least one parameter of interest of each horticultural product in transit in said respective predefined positions and to transmit said information to an electronic control and management element, and a distribution station, which is arranged downstream of said detection station and is configured for selective conveyance of each horticultural product in transit toward one of at least two separate collection stations, on a basis of commands sent by said electronic control and management element as a function of the information acquired at least by said detection station, wherein said line comprises at least one expulsion apparatus, which is arranged along said portion upstream of said detection station and is configured to apply, at least at respective predefined instants, a pushing action of only products disposed in an area that are different from said predefined positions toward said area that is different from said predefined positions and is normally free from products, at least at said instants, and which is adapted to apply a forced unloading from said units of any products that might be present in said area that is different from said predefined positions while products correctly positioned in said respective predefined positions are not affected by said expulsion apparatus and continue to be conveyed undisturbed, and wherein said line comprises at least one presence sensor, which is arranged upstream of said at least one expulsion apparatus and is configured to detect presence of products in said area toward which said pushing action of said at least one expulsion apparatus is directed, said sensor being associated with an actuation device configured to actuate said apparatus, for selective activation of the pushing action as a function of the actual presence of products in said area.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a 35 U.S.C. § 371 National Stage patent application of PCT/EP2022/059302, filed on 7 Apr. 2022, which claims the benefit of Italian patent application 102021000009185, filed on 13 Apr. 2021, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a plant for treating horticultural products. BACKGROUND It is well-known that large companies that deal with the packaging and distribution of fruit and horticultural products in general are now making extensive use of automated plants or lines, configured to perform various treatments in sequence on a specific horticultural product. In fact, only by entrusting machines and robots with the execution of the various steps of treatment and processing it is possible to meet the requirements of the market, satisfying an ever-growing clientele that is attentive to product quality, without forgetting the need to contain costs. In greater detail, therefore, plants or lines are widespread which have first of all a loading station, which is fed with unsorted masses of a specific fruit (or other horticultural product), often coming directly from the harvesting fields. Downstream of the loading station, and after undergoing any preliminary treatments (washing and pre-selection, for example), the horticultural products are transferred one by one towards video cameras or other optical and/or measurement devices, which for each product and by means of special software detect the value assumed by one or more parameters of interest, such as for example color, shape, dimensions, sugar content, ripeness, any rotting, weight, etcetera. Subsequently, each product thus measured reaches an unloading station, in which adapted apparatuses arranged in sequence can be activated in a mutually independent way by an electronic unit, which supervises the operation of the line or is, in any case, provided with instructions to receive and process the data acquired by the measurement devices mentioned above. Each apparatus faces, or in any case is functionally associated with, a respective collection container: for each product, the electronic unit automatically activates the appropriate apparatus so that all and only those products for which the measured parameter assumes a certain value (or falls within a certain range of values) accumulate in each container. Thus, for example all the fruits of the same color, or same weight, or same size, etcetera, accumulate in the various containers in a homogeneous manner. As shown, the unloading of each product into the most appropriate container is based on the reading performed by the measurement device (be it a video camera or other) and therefore, in the portion of line affected by said device, the products must be handled one by one, by means of discrete accommodation units. Such units may, for example, comprise pairs of rollers arranged side by side to support the product, or cups, trays or pans, or others: in any case, each unit can and must discretely convey the products downstream, accommodating them in predefined positions. However, this constructive solution is not free from drawbacks. The accommodation units are arranged and move in alignment and as close together as possible, in order to optimize space occupations. Sometimes, however, an error occurs in the step of sorting and delivery of the products to the accommodation units (typically performed by other apparatuses arranged along the line, fed upstream, as mentioned above, with unsorted masses of products). Therefore, it may occur that between two products correctly placed in the respective adjacent accommodation units a third one is conveyed, placed between the first two and possibly resting on them (or on the adjacent edges of the two adjacent accommodation units). This is evidently an undesirable event: due to the incorrect positioning, the measurement device will not be able to acquire the data of interest for the respective product; moreover, the presence of the poorly positioned product may compromise the reading of the products close to it, even if they are correctly placed on the respective units. Therefore, there is the risk that the unloading of these products by the electronic unit might be based on an incorrect reading and/or it is necessary to provide systems capable of detecting the missed or incorrect reading and then activate a rejection or reprocessing procedure, in any case with a consequent reduction in line productivity. SUMMARY The aim of the present disclosure is to solve the problems described above, by providing a plant for treating horticultural products that is capable of managing in an effective and prompt manner the presence and conveyance of poorly positioned products. Within this aim, the disclosure provides a plant that ensures high productivity and a minimal percentage of products to be reprocessed, if one or more products end