System for discharging product from a bag

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11345502-B2
Application number	US-201816607088-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2018
Priority date	May 4, 2017
Publication date	May 31, 2022
Grant date	May 31, 2022

Abstract

A system for discharging product from a bag, the system including: a vibration unit arranged to support the bag and to vibrate so that the product exits an opening of the bag; a conduit having an inlet that is located below the vibration unit to receive the product; a downstream equipment connected to the conduit to receive the product from the conduit; wherein a protective cage is arranged around the inlet of the conduit, the protective cage having an open position to allow access to the inlet, and a closed position to restrict access to the inlet.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for discharging product from a bag, the system comprising
a vibration unit arranged to support the bag and to vibrate so that the product exits an opening of the bag,
a conduit having an inlet that is located below the vibration unit to receive the product,
downstream equipment connected to the conduit to receive the product from the conduit, wherein
a protective cage is arranged around the inlet of the conduit, the protective cage having an open position to allow access to the inlet, and a closed position to restrict access to the inlet,
the protective cage comprises an upper reinforcement rib that extends along an upper section of the protective cage, protrudes from the upper section, and has a number of through holes that extend along the upper section.

2. The system for discharging product according to claim 1 , comprising a frame structure that supports the vibration unit and the conduit, the protective cage being confined within the frame structure when the protective cage is in the closed position.

3. The system for discharging product according to claim 2 , wherein the protective cage is confined within the frame structure when the protective cage is in the open position.

4. The system for discharging product according to claim 1 , wherein the protective cage comprises two doors that are pivotable about a respective axis and in a direction away from each other.

5. The system for discharging product according to claim 2 ,
wherein the protective cage comprises two doors that are pivotable about a respective axis and in a direction away from each other, and wherein the frame structure comprises two transversal support bars that limit the pivotation of the two doors.

6. The system for discharging product according to claim 1 , wherein
the conduit comprises a flexible element the is expandable and contractible in a vertical direction, and
the protective cage does not extend below any part of the flexible element.

7. The system for discharging product according to claim 4 , wherein
a number of elongated slots are arranged in the doors such that the conduit is visible through the doors,
a width of the slots is smaller than 21 mm, and
none of the doors has any opening with a width that is larger than 21 mm.

8. The system for discharging product according to claim 1 , wherein a distance between an uppermost edge of the protective cage and the location where the downstream equipment is connected to the conduit is at least 845 mm.

9. The system for discharging product according to claim 1 , wherein a distance between the inlet of the conduit and the location where the downstream equipment is connected to the conduit is smaller than 750 mm.

10. The system for discharging product according to claim 1 , wherein a collar is arranged around the conduit, below the inlet as seen in a vertical direction.

11. The system for discharging product according to claim 6 , wherein a collar is arranged around the conduit, below the inlet as seen in a vertical direction, and wherein the collar does not, as seen in the vertical direction, extend below a lower edge of the protective cage by a distance that is larger than 20 mm.

12. The system for discharging product according to claim 10 , wherein a maximal distance between an outer periphery of the collar and an inner side of the protective cage is smaller than 125 mm when the protective cage is in the closed position.

13. A method of operating the system for discharging product according to claim 1 , comprising:
supporting the bag with the vibration unit and vibrating the bag so that the product exits the opening of the bag,
receiving the product into the conduit having the inlet that is located below the vibration unit,
receiving the product from the conduit into the downstream equipment connected to the conduit, wherein
the protective cage arranged around the inlet enables the system to be operated such that no protective grid is arranged around the system when the system is operated to discharge the product.

Assignees

• Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance

Inventors

• Chavel Thomas
• Puyjalon Christophe
• Kerleroux Yann

Classifications

• B65B39/02

  Expansible or contractible nozzles, funnels, or guides · CPC title

• B65B57/005

  Safety-devices (B65B57/18 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65B69/0091 Primary

  using frames whereby the container is bottom supported · CPC title

• B65B37/02

  by gravity flow · CPC title

• B65B37/04

  by vibratory feeders · CPC title