System for collecting confectionary product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10059530-B2
Application number	US-201415107820-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2014
Priority date	Dec 24, 2013
Publication date	Aug 28, 2018
Grant date	Aug 28, 2018

Abstract

Disclosed is a system for processing confectionary product, the system includes a collecting device disposed in line with at least one upstream confectionary production station disposed upstream of the collecting device and at least one downstream confectionary production station disposed downstream of the collecting device. At least one conveying device is configured to convey the confectionary product from the at least one upstream confectionary production station to the collecting device, receive the confectionary product from the collecting device, and convey the confectionary product to the at least one downstream confectionary production station. The collecting device is configured to collect confectionary product from the conveying device while the at least one upstream confectionary station is operational and the at least one downstream confectionary production station is non-operational.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for processing confectionary product, the system comprising:
a collecting device disposed in line with at least one upstream confectionary production station disposed upstream of said collecting device and at least one downstream confectionary production station disposed downstream of said collecting device;
at least one conveying device including a first conveying device configured to convey the confectionary product from said at least one upstream confectionary production station to said collecting device and a second conveying device configured to convey the confectionary product from said collecting device to said at least one downstream confectionary production station;
wherein said at least one conveying device continuously conveys the confectionery product from an upstream production station to said collecting device when said downstream production station is in both operational and non-operational;
wherein said collecting device is configured to collect confectionary product from said first conveying device while said at least one upstream confectionary station is operational and said at least one downstream confectionary production station is non-operational;
wherein said collecting device is configured to deposit the collected confectionary product onto said at least one conveying device when said downstream confectionary production station is operational, the collected confectionary product being deposited onto the at least one conveying device interspersed with the confectionary product output from the upstream confectionary production station; and
wherein during deposit of the collected confectionary product onto said at least one conveying device a speed of said second conveying device is greater than a speed of said first conveying device.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one conveying device further comprises a third conveying device and a fourth conveying device configured to align the confectionary product and convey the confectionary product to said collecting device, wherein said third conveying device and said fourth conveying device are configured to receive the confectionary product from said collecting device.

3. They system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one conveying device is operationally controlled relative to production from said at least one upstream process station to space apart the confectionary product in a manner that allows for suitable collection.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one conveying device is at least two conveying devices that are operationally controlled to accelerate and decelerate to space apart the confectionary product in a manner that allows for suitable collection.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein said collecting device includes a plurality of trays configured to collect the confectionary product from said at least one conveying device said plurality of trays being configured to move at a speed to collect the confectionary product without stopping said at least one conveying device.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein said collecting device is configured to deposit the confectionary product on said at least one conveying device when said downstream confectionary production station is operational.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein said collecting device is further configured to store confectionary product in a vertical tray arrangement.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one conveying device includes a plurality of bands spaced apart across a width of said at least one conveying device.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein said at least one conveying device is at least one first conveying device and at least one second conveying device, said at least one first conveying device and said at least one second conveying device converge at a collecting space delimiting said at least one first conveying device from said at least one second conveying device.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein said collecting device includes a plurality of trays, and wherein said trays are shaped and configured to pass vertically through said at least one first conveying device and said at least one second conveying device via spaces between said bands and said collecting space.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein said collecting device is further configured to collect confectionary product from said conveying device with a suction mechanism.

12. A method for processing confectionary product, the method comprising:
providing a collecting device, at least one upstream confectionary production station disposed upstream of said collecting device, and at least one downstream confectionary production station disposed downstream of said collecting device, wherein said at least one upstream confectionary production station cools the confectionary product and said at least one downstream confectionary production station packages the confectionary product;
continuously conveying the confectionary product from said at least one upstream confectionary production station to a collecting device via at least one conveying device when said downstream production station is in both operational and non-operational;
collecting confectionary product from said at least one conveying device in said collecting device while said at least one upstream confectionary production station is operational, and while at least one downstream confectionary production station is non-operational; and
depositing said collected confectionary product from said collecting device onto said at least one conveying device and conveying the confectionary product from said collecting device to said at least one downstream production station via said at least one conveying device when said at least one downstream production station is operational, said depositing said collected confectionary product from said collecting device onto said at least one conveying device including interspersing said collected confectionery product with the confectionary product output from the upstream confectionary production station;
wherein said at least one conveying device includes a first upstream conveying device and a second downstream conveying device and during said depositing said collected confectionary product onto said at least one conveying device a speed of said downstream conveying device is greater than a speed of said upstream conveying device.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein said conveying of the confectionary product from said at least one upstream confectionary production station to a collecting device being at least partially performed by said first upstream conveying device, and said conveying of the confectionary product from said collecting device to said at least one downstream production station being at least partially performed by said second downstream conveying device.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein said at least one conveying device is a first upstream conveying device, a second downstream conveying device, a third conveying device, and a fourth conveying device, said conveying of the confectionary product from said at least one upstream confectionary production station to a collecting device being performed at least partially by said first upstream conveying device, said conveying of the confectionary product from said collecting device to said at least one downstream production station being performed at least partially by said second downstream conveying device, and said transferring of the confectionary product from said collecting device occurring at said third conveying device and said fourth conveying device, the method aligning the confectionary produ

Assignees

• Intercontinental Great Brands Llc

Inventors

• Elejalde Cesar Carlos
• Upmann Arthur William
• Mecrin Eric
• Van Niekerk Miles J
• Hammes Michael
• Sagendorf Matthew
• Degady Marc

Classifications

• B65G37/005

  comprising two or more co-operating conveying elements with parallel longitudinal axes (the conveying elements being endless surfaces B65G15/10) · CPC title

• B65G17/34

  having flat surfaces, e.g. platforms, grids, forks · CPC title

• B65G17/46

  Means for holding or retaining the loads in fixed position on the load-carriers, e.g. magnetic · CPC title

• B65G47/31 Primary

  by varying the relative speeds of the conveyors forming the series · CPC title

• B65G2811/0631

  by varying the spacing between individual articles · CPC title