Title:
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PORTIONING AND ORIENTATING WHOLE FISH OR OTHER ELONGATE, NON-SYMETRICAL ARTICLES
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/1999/057016
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
When packaging whole fishes in fish boxes, the fishes should be placed with mutually inverted orientations for a good exploitation of the box space. It is well-known to arrange for this purely manually, while at the same time aiming for a reasonably well-defined total weight of the content of the box. With the invention, advantage is taken of the fact that for the building up of specific weight-determined groups of fishes, normally for ensuring a predetermined minimum weight, it is possible to make use of a computer-controlled merging of the fishes, and that in connection therewith it is possible to arrange for the computer to control turning means for the fishes in such a manner that in the individual groups the fishes will automatically appear with a suitable division between mutually opposite orientations.
Inventors:
NIELSEN ULRICH CARLIN (DK)
Application Number:
PCT/DK1999/000235
Publication Date:
November 11, 1999
Filing Date:
April 29, 1999
Export Citation:
Assignee:
SCANVAEGT INTERNATIONAL A S (DK)
NIELSEN ULRICH CARLIN (DK)
NIELSEN ULRICH CARLIN (DK)
International Classes:
B65B25/06; B65B35/44; B65B35/56; B65B35/58; A22C; (IPC1-7): B65B35/56; A22C25/04; A22C25/08; A22C25/12; B07C5/16; B65G47/24; B65G57/08
Domestic Patent References:
| WO1996008322A1 | 1996-03-21 |
Foreign References:
| EP0548383A1 | 1993-06-30 | |||
| DE1454085A1 | 1968-12-05 | |||
| US5115903A | 1992-05-26 |
Other References:
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
Skøtt-jensen, Patentingeniører A/s K. (Lemmingvej 225 Hasselager, DK)
Download PDF:
Claims:
C L A I M S:
| 1. | A method of providing weight determined groups of products such as whole fish (es), which are elongate and non symmetrical about their middle, and which are serially sup plied to a grouping station, in which they are arranged so as to be packaged into boxes in accordance with preset criteria for total batch weight and mutual inversed orientation of the nonsymmetrical products, characterized in that for the com bined weighing out and grouping of the products use is made of a computer controlled selection and merging of relevant products which, after individual weighing, are caused by automatic means to be deposited in the box in such a manner that the collected products will fulfil not only the relevant full weight condition, but also the conditions with respect to the products being mutually inversely oriented. |
| 2. | A method according to claim, whereby the products are fed to a weighing station of the grouping station with uni form orientation and conveyed further along a sorting con veyor having selectively operable diverter means for trans ferring the products to respective receiver stations along a conveying line, the relevant turnings being effected mechani cally either at the entrance to the sorting conveyor or in said receiver stations. |
| 3. | A method according to claim 2, whereby the turnings are controlled by the control computer, upon determination of the allocation of each individual product to a selected one of said receiver stations. |
| 4. | A method according to claim 3, whereby the turnings, when effected in the receiver stations, are effected in a relative manner by turning of a collector container upon re ceipt of the latest product, relative to which the new prod uct or small number of new products should be turned. |
| 5. | A method according to claim 3, whereby the turnings, when effected in the receiver stations, are effected in a positive manner, by turning an intermediate receiver means and then delivering the turned product or products to the collector container. |
| 6. | A method according to claim 3, whereby the turnings, when effected in the receiver stations, are effected based on the use of guiding chute means, which guide the products to be turned so as to turn them by such guiding prior to their delivery to the collector container. |
| 7. | A method according to any of the claims 26, whereby the relevant turnings are effected in a relative manner in turning the products to be turned through an angle deviating from 180°, while turning all other products through a comple mentary angle in order to achieve relative turnings of 180°, e. g. upon turning of the respective products through 90° in opposite directions or even upon turning of all other prod ucts to be operationally turned. |
| 8. | A method according to claim 2, whereby the relevant turnings are effected in said receiver station governed by local detection of the arrival of products to be turned. |
| 9. | A method according to claim 1, whereby the products are fed to the weighing station with alternating opposed ori entations, which are maintained throughout the weighing and sorting out operations, the control computer being operated, for allocation determination, so as to select for a given re ceiver station a product having not only a relevant weight, but also a relevant orientation compared with the orientation of the product or products previously allocated to that sta tion. |
| 10. | A system for providing weight determined groups of products of varying weights such as whole fishes, which are elongate and nonsymmetrical about their middle, based on a serial supply of such products to a grouping station compris ing a weighing station with a control computer and a distri butor system for distributing the products to respective col lector containers for weight controlled merging of products therein, characterized in that in order to arrange the non symmetrical products in each group generally with mutually inverted length orientations, the system is laid out in such a manner that the said control computer is operable either a) to determine allocation of the individual products to respective receiver stations not only based on the registered weight of the product, but also based on the orientation of the product as supplied to the weighing station in a flow of products with alternating opposite orientations; or b) to determine allocation of the individual products based on the registered weight of the product as supplied to the weighing station in a flow of uni formly oriented products, the system comprising means for effecting selective longitudinal turning of already allocation determined products either at the entrance to the distributor system or in each of the associated respective receiver stations. |
| 11. | A system according to claim 10, in which the turning means of option b) are constituted by a horizontally ro tatable buffer container arranged just overhead the collector container, underneath a receiver opening of the particular receiving station, and arranged so as to be emptiable into the collector container. |
Description:
INTERNATIONAL SEARCH REPORT International appiicatjonNo. PCT/DK99/00235 A.CLASSIFICATION OF SUBJEC) MATTER IPC7:B65B35/56,A22C25/04,A22C25/08,A22C25/12,B07C5/16,B65G47
/24, B65G57/08 AccordingtoInternationalPatentClassification () PC)ortobothnationalclassification and II'C B.FiEEDS SEARCHED Minimumdocumentationsearched(classificationsystemfollowedbyc
lassificationsymbols) IPC7:A22C,B65B,B65G,B07C Documentation searchedotherthanminimumdocumentationtotheextentthatsuchdocu
mentsareincludedinthefieidssearched SE,DK,FI,NOclassesasabove T lectnnicdatabaseconsultedduringtheinternationalsearch(nameof
databaseand,wherepracticable,searchtermsused) JAPIOWPI EDOC C.I) O ('UMltN'l'S ('ONSIDT. RID'I'O BEi Rl, l, EVAN'I' Category* Citat. ion of'docurnent, with indication, where appropriate, ot'thc relevant passages RelevanttoclaimsNo. A WO9608322A1(SCANVAEGTA/S),21March19961-11 (21.03.96),details8,6 AEP0548383A1(FRISCO-FINDUSAG),30June19931-11 (30.06.93),detail20 APatentAbstractsofJapan,abstractofJP 10-99793A(YASUNGAK.K.),21April1998 (21.04.98) ADE1454085A1(NORDISCHERMASCHINENBAURUDOLF6 BAADER),5December1968(05.12.68) Hurther docurnents are listedinthe continuation of Box C. j) (j See patent family annex. Special categoriesofciteddocuments:"'r"later document publishedaftertheinternationalfilingdateorpriority "A"document defining the generalstateoftheartevhichisnot considered date and not in conflict with the application but cited to understand toheofparticular rclevance the principle ex theory underlying the invention "F"crlier document hut puhlishedonoraftertheinternationalfilingdate"X"documentofpar
ticularrelevance:theclaimedinventioncannothe "I."document whichmaythrowdouhtsonpriorityclaim(s)orwhichisconsiderednove
lor cannot he consideredtoinvolveaninventive citedtocstahlish thc publicabondateofanothercitationorotherstcp when thc documcnt IStakenalone specialreason(as specified)"Y"documentofparticularrelevance:theclaimedinventi
oncannothe "0"document referringtoanoraldisclosure, use, exhibitionorothercon% idcrcdtoinvolveaninventivestepwhenthedocumentis meanscombinewithoneormoreothersuchdocuments,suchcombination apN document published pnortotheinternationalfilingdatebutlaterthanheing obvioustoapersonskilledintheart theprioritydateclaimed"&"document memberofthe samepatentfamily Dateof the actuai eomp) ctionoftheint. ernational search Date of mailing of'the international searchreport 09-08-2000 8Au ust 2000 Nameandmailingaddressof'the ISAI Authorized oflicer SwedishPatentOffice Box5055,S-10242STOCKHOLMPer-Olof Warnbo/ELY FacsimileNo.+ 46 8 6660286 TelephoneNo.+ 4687822500 INTERNATIONALSEARCHREPORTInternationalapplicationNo. PCT/DK99/00235 C(Continuation).DOCUMENTSCONSIDEREDTOBERELEVANT Category*Citationofdocument,withindication,whereappropriate,
oftherelevantpassagesRelevanttoclaimNo. AUS5115903A(LEANDER),26May1992(26.05.92) INTERNATIONALSEARCHREPORTInternationalapplicationNo. PCT/DK99/00235 BoxIObservationswherecertainclaimswerefoundunsearchable(Cont
inuationofitem1of flrst sheet) Thisinternationalsearchreporthasnotbeenestablishedinrespecto
fcertainclaimsunderArticle17(2)(a)forthefollowingreasons: 1.2ClaimsNos.: becausetheyrelatetosubjectmatternotrequiredtobesearchedbythi
sAuthority,namely: 2.2 ClaimsNos.: becausetheyrelatetopartsoftheinternationalapplicationthatdon
otcomplywiththeprescribedrequirementstosuch anextentthatnomeaningfulinternationalsearchcanbecarriedout,s
pecifically: BoxIIObservationswhereunityofinventionislacking(Continuation
ofitem2offirstsheet) ThisInternationalSearchingAuthorityfoundmultipleinventionsin
thisinternationalapplication,asfollows: InventionI:claim4;acollectorcontainereffectstheturnings. InventionII:claim6;aguidingchutemeanseffectstheturnings. InventionIII:claim7;theproductsareturnedthroughananglethat deviatesfrom180g. InventionIV:claim11;ahorizontallyrotatablebuffercontainer effectstheturnings. .../... 1.Asallrequiredadditionalsearchfeesweretimelypaidbytheapplic
ant,thisinternationalsearchreportcoversall searchableclaims. 2.nAsallsearchableclaimscouldbesearchedwithouteffortjustifyi
nganadditionalfee,thisAuthoritydidnotinvitepayment ofanyadditionalfee. 3.nAsonlysomeoftherequiredadditionalsearchfeesweretimelypaid
bytheapplicant,thisinternationalsearchreport coversonlythoseclaimsforwhichfeeswerepaid,specificallyclaims
Nos.: 4.sNorequiredadditionalsearchfeesweretimelypaidbytheapplican
tConsequently,thisinternationalsearchreportis restrictedtotheinventionfirstmentionedintheclaims;itiscovere
dbyclaimsNos.: RemarkonProtestTheadditionalsearchfeeswereaccompaniedbytheap
plicant'sprotest. NoNo protestaccompaniedthepaymentofadditionalsearchfees. INTERNATIONALSEARCHREPORTInternationalapplicationNo. PCT/DK98/00235 Sincewhatismentionedinclaims1-3,5and8-10isnotconsideredtoinv
olveaninventivestep,the fourgroupsofinventionsmentionedabovelackcommonorcorrespondin
gtechnicalfeaturesoverthe priorartandtherebylackunityofinventionaposteriori.Thustheinv
entioncontainsfour independentinventions. INTERNATIONALSEARCHREPORT International application No. Informationonpatentfamilymembers 02/08/99 PCT/DK 99/00235 02/08/99PCT/DK99/00235 PatentdocumentPublication Patent citedinsearchreportdate member(s)date WO9608322A121/03/96AU 688960 B 19/03/98 AU 3380995 A 29/03/96 BR 9508953 A 06/01/98 CA 2200047 A 21/03/96 EP 0781172 A 02/07/97 NO 971174 A 02/05/97 PL 319142 A 21/07/97 ZA 9507788 A 15/04/96 EP0548383A130/06/93SE 0548383T3 AU 653278 B 22/09/94 AU 2961392 A 24/06/93 CA 2085040 A 21/06/93 DE 69104372D,T 16/02/95 DK 548383 T 30/01/95 JP 5244858 A 24/09/93 NO 176001B,C 10/10/94 NZ 245317 A 27/04/94 US 5291983 A 08/03/94 DE1454085A105/12/68DE 1293416 B 00/00/00 DE 1454092 A 13/02/69 DK 139122B,C 27/12/78 NL 6413329 A 20/05/65 SE 313899 B 25/08/69 US5115903A26/05/92DE 4038078 A 06/06/91 JP 3187342 A 15/08/91 SE 500924 C 03/10/94 SE 8904033 A 30/05/91