The present invention relates to a device for packing mushrooms. More in particular, the invention relates to packing mushrooms, directly from a harvesting conveyor, and in an automated manner.

Devices of this kind are known in the art, for instance from the European Patent specification EP 3081071 and in an improved form from the Dutch patent specification NL 2022975.

Both publications suggest the use of a robot to handle the mushrooms, and to fill the packages. In both systems, filling of the packages takes place while the total weight of the mushrooms in the package is determined. For that purpose, the package is positioned at a filling position, where it remains until a predetermined weight is reached.

These devices are an improvement with respect to earlier prior art solutions, in which the complete filling of the packages took place manually. However, there remains room for improvement in both speed at which these systems can be operated, and the general complexity of the robot systems used.

One important disadvantage is that the determination of the actual weight of a package while being filled, requires the package to remain on a weighing position. This waiting time is relatively long and prohibits a continuous movement and operation of the system. One alternative is to determine the weight of each individual mushroom before adding it to a package, but these measurements have not yet become available in a way that can be applied on the fly. As a result, lower processing speed than may be designed are obtained.

Another disadvantage is that robot systems that perform weighing during handling are rather complex and as a result form an expensive component of the total system, just like destackers for packages do. A device and layout that allows optimal use of the most complex parts of the entire system and as a result contributes to its overall efficiency is therefore another goals of at least an embodiment of the present invention.

The invention thereto proposes a device for packing mushrooms, comprising a packaging conveyor for transporting mushroom packagings in a conveying direction from a dispensing position to a weighing position, a dispensing device, in particular a destacker, for delivering mushroom packagings to the packaging conveyor at the dispensing position, a first mushroom conveyor for delivering picked mushrooms to a first transfer robot, such as a delta robot, a serial or parallel manipulator, or an XYZ linear system, stationed at one end of the first mushroom conveyor and along the packaging conveyor, for picking up mushrooms from the at least one mushroom conveyor and placing the picked mushrooms in mushroom packagings on the packaging conveyor at a position between the dispensing location and the weighing location, wherein the first transfer robot is designed for placing a number of mushrooms in a mushroom packaging. The device according to the invention may comprise a finalising station, for adding mushrooms to obtain a certain filling degree, for instance a (predetermined) weight or filling level. The finalising station may comprise at least one weighing station, located downstream in a direction of transport of the packaging conveyor relative to the at least one mushroom conveyor, for weighing the mushroom packaging provided by the transfer robot. The weighing station may be provided with an indicator, such as a display, for indicating an instantaneous weight of a mushroom packaging with mushrooms, or a weight to be added based on a predetermined desired packaging weight, or a number of mushrooms to be added, based on a predetermined desired packaging weight and an estimated or known weight per mushroom. The device may further comprise a mushroom delivery system such as a second mushroom transporter for the delivery of picked mushrooms to the location of the weighing station, and a discharge device for the removal of packages of mushrooms from the location of the weighing station. The mushroom delivery system may also be embodied by a container of mushrooms, which is filled from time to time in order to have sufficient stock at the finalising station. The number of mushrooms the first transfer robot places in the packaging may be a predetermined number, but it may also be a number that covers (part of) the bottom of the packaging or a number of layers in the packaging or a filling of the packaging up to a certain height level of said packaging.

Mushrooms are usually grown in shelvings placed in cells, which extend in a length direction, normally with multiple ones adjacent to each other. Along the cells, a corridor or similar space may be present, in which the packaging conveyor may for instance be positioned. The packaging conveyor then extends along the head end of adjacent cells. The conveying direction of the packaging conveyor may therefore be perpendicular to that of at least the first mushroom conveyor. The dispensing device may be a single destacker, or a double, triple or more destacker, which deposits packages on the conveyor, which may be a belt conveyor.

The first transfer robot may be a pick and place type of robot, with a mechanic or pneumatic gripper, and having a working area. A gripper according to this invention may comprise any tool for picking up a mushroom or a number of mushrooms at a time. Suction cups as well as clamping type of devices may be applied. The term “stationed at one end of the first mushroom conveyor” and “along the packaging conveyor” is to be interpreted such that the location of the robot is such that that the (end of the) mushroom conveyor and the path along which the packaging conveyor transport the packages falls within the working area of the transfer robot. The robot may be a serial or parallel manipulator or for instance a composition of linear actuators in an XY or XYZ space.

The (first and possible further) mushroom conveyor may extend beyond the first transfer robot. This enables a downstream positioned worker to manually handle mushrooms that are not processed by the robot. These may be mushrooms that could not be picked up by the robot, but also mushrooms that were rejected for their weight or size.

Setting a (predetermined) number of mushrooms, which may be based on an expected or in a more advanced configuration an estimated weight for instance based on optical measurements, without a weighing step, enables higher processing speed, which allows a continuous motion of the packaging conveyor, and thus resulting in a higher throughput speed than state of the art systems.

The setting for the number of mushrooms may be adjustable, and be changed in dependence of the number of mushrooms delivered by one or more harvesters filling the mushroom conveyor. Additionally, it may be dependent of the number of mushrooms delivered on other mushroom conveyors. The robots may be controlled by a common control system, that may be configured to adjust individual settings of the robots, that is, the number of mushrooms each robot delivers to the conveyor, and that may be dependent on the number of mushrooms delivered by one or more mushroom conveyors. The control system may also set the speed of the dispensing device, in order to dispense a number of packages that matches the number of mushrooms delivered by the mushroom conveyors.

The weighing station, which normally forms a bottleneck, herewith obtains the function of determining a difference between a desired weight and an actual weight, which can be determined instantaneously and does no longer require to await the filling operation of the packages. This not only enables continuous operation, but also contributes to a more simple overall configuration, since one weighing station can used for weighing packages filled with mushrooms from multiple mushroom conveyors.

The instantaneous weight that is displayed may be an absolute value (of mushrooms or mushrooms and a package), or a difference from target value. In the latter case, this difference may be indicated in grams, but also in a more indicative way, such as “a large or small mushroom” still to be added. This representation may in particular be beneficial if the last filling step is performed by a human operator.

The weighing station is preferably a so called checkweigher, configured for weighing the mushroom package with mushrooms during movement. In a preferred embodiment, the device comprises at least a third mushroom conveyor for supplying picked mushrooms to a second transfer robot, the second transfer robot being arranged for placing a number of mushrooms in a mushroom packaging. The more mushroom conveyors that end at the packaging conveyor, the more efficient the system is. In general, preferably mushroom conveyors (or picking belts) from multiple, in specific cases up to all cells end at the packaging conveyor.

A further thinkable optimisation may be to use one transfer robot for handling mushrooms from multiple mushroom conveyors. For instance, the first and second transfer robots may be the same robot.

In a configuration with multiple mushroom conveyors (for instance from different cells), several transfer robots may be configured for placing a predetermined number of mushrooms in the same mushroom packaging, in particular each for placing one layer of mushrooms in the same mushroom packaging. That means that a package receives mushrooms from multiple robots that it passes, and allows the robots to deposit mushrooms in each passing package.

In a different configuration, several transfer robots may be arranged for placing a predetermined number of mushrooms, each in different mushroom packages. This implies that packages are skipped by at least one specific robot. This may in particular be applied when different kinds of mushrooms are grown, and obtained from the mushroom conveyors, when there is no wish to intermingle these in the packages.

The transfer robot according to the invention, or multiple transfer robots in embodiments where this is the case, may be are arranged for placing mushrooms in the packaging in a predetermined orientation - in particular with the head pointing upwards, in order to deliver packages with a neat presentation.

However, since this is mainly relevant for the upper layer, in particular a first layer may be applied in a random manner, and for that purpose, a more general transfer device may be present, stationed at one end of at least one mushroom conveyor and along the packaging conveyor, for dropping mushrooms from the further mushroom conveyor in mushroom packages on the packaging conveyor, at a position between the dispensing location and the weighing location, in particular a position upstream of most or all transfer robots. The transfer device may for instance be a device as described in Dutch patent application NL 2023471.

In yet a further embodiment, the device according to the invention comprises a fourth transfer robot for picking up a predetermined weight of mushrooms from the second mushroom conveyor and placing the picked mushrooms in mushroom packagings on the packaging conveyor. This robot may top up the already filled packages up to a predetermined level. Mushrooms may be weighed separately up front, and be buffered in order to have a choice in mushrooms to complete a package with.

The device according to the invention may further comprise a discharge conveyor for filled mushroom packagings, wherein the discharge conveyor extends at least partly at a level above that of the packaging conveyor, in order not to impede exit and safety paths for harvesters that should be able to leave the cess in case of an emergency.

In yet a further embodiment according to the invention, the discharge conveyor may be provided with cooling means, such as a cooling tunnel, for cooling packed mushrooms during further transportation. The device according to the invention may also be provided with further packing devices, for closing the mushroom packages, for instance with a lid, that may be sealed onto the package, or by providing a cling foil on top of the package, or any other suitable packaging means.

The discharge conveyor may also be configured for discharging stems, cut from the mushrooms in an earlier stage. Such way, overall efficiency of the system is increased. The invention will now be elucidated into more detail with reference to the following figures. Herein:

- Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of a device according to the present invention;

- Figure 2 shows a second embodiment of a device according to the present invention; and

- Figure 3 shows a third embodiment of a device according to the present invention.

Figure 1 shows a device 1 for packing mushrooms, comprising a packaging conveyor 2 for transporting mushroom packagings 3 in a conveying direction 4 from a dispensing position 5 to a weighing position 6, a dispensing device 7, in particular a destacker, for delivering mushroom packagings 3 to the packaging conveyor 2 at the dispensing position 5. The device 1 further comprises a first mushroom conveyor 8 for delivering picked mushrooms to a first transfer robot 9, stationed at one end 10 of the first mushroom conveyor 8 and along the packaging conveyor 2, for picking up mushrooms from the at least one mushroom conveyor 8 and placing the picked mushrooms in mushroom packagings 3 on the packaging conveyor 2 at a position between the dispensing location 5 and the weighing location 6, wherein the first transfer robot 9 is designed for placing a predetermined number of mushrooms in a mushroom packaging 3, at least one weighing station 11 , located downstream in a direction of transport of the packaging conveyor relative to the at least one mushroom conveyor 8, for weighing the mushroom packaging provided by the transfer robot 9 and provided with a display 19, for indicating an instantaneous weight of a mushroom packaging 3 with mushrooms. The device 1 also comprises a second mushroom transporter 12 for the delivery of picked mushrooms to the location of the weighing station 11 and a discharge device 13 for the removal of mushrooms packages 3 from the location of the weighing station.

The weighing station 11 is a checkweigher, configured for weighing the mushroom package with mushrooms during movement. The device 1 further comprises a third and fourth mushroom conveyor 14 and 15 for supplying picked mushrooms to a second and third transfer robot 16 and 17. The conveying direction of the packaging conveyor 2 is perpendicular to that of the mushroom conveyors 8, 14, 15. The device 1 also comprises a discharge conveyor 18 for filled mushroom packages 3.

Figure 2 shows a similar configuration, wherein the discharge conveyor 20 extends at least partly at a level above that of the packaging conveyor. This way, emergency exits from the cells can be left unblocked by the discharge conveyor.

Figure 3 shows a third embodiment of a device 30 according to the present invention, comprising a packaging conveyor 31 for transporting mushroom packagings 32 in a conveying direction from a dispensing position 33 to a weighing position 34. The embodiment comprises a destacker 35, for delivering mushroom packagings 32 to the packaging conveyor 31 at the dispensing position 33, and a first, second, and third mushroom conveyor 37, 38, 39 for delivering picked mushrooms to a first transfer robot 40, along the packaging conveyor, for picking up mushrooms from the first, second, and third mushroom conveyor 37, 38, 39 and placing the picked mushrooms in mushroom packagings 32 on the packaging conveyor 31 at a position between the dispensing location 33 and the weighing location 34. The first transfer robot 40 is a so called X Y Z robot, meaning that it comprises multiple coupled linear actuators 40A, 40B, 40C, each for moving one or more grippers 40D in a direction perpendicular or with a directional component perpendicular to the other conveyors. In this embodiment, actuator 40A extends in the X direction, actuator 40B extends in the Y direction and actuator 40C extends in the Z direction. The actuator 40A extends in the X direction over a distance that corresponds with the distance between the first and fourth mushroom conveyor 37, 39. This may for instance be the width of a cell comprising two shelvings, each provided with a harvesting belt at both sides. The transfer robot 40 is designed for placing a number of mushrooms in a mushroom packaging. In particular, it is configured for picking up mushrooms from multiple mushroom conveyors and placing the picked mushrooms in mushroom packagings on the packaging conveyor at a position between the dispensing location and the weighing location. The embodiment further comprises a finalising station, formed by the weighing station 34, for adding mushrooms to obtain a certain filling degree. The weighing station 34 is located downstream in a direction of transport D of the packaging conveyor relative to the first mushroom conveyor 37. The device also comprises a mushroom delivery system 36, formed by a mushroom transporter 36 for the delivery of picked mushrooms to the location of the weighing station. Figure 3 also shows a discharge device 41 for the removal of packages of mushrooms from the location of the weighing station.