Method to weigh containers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12429372-B2
Application number	US-202117926241-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2021
Priority date	May 19, 2020
Publication date	Sep 30, 2025
Grant date	Sep 30, 2025

Abstract

Method to weigh containers (C) in a processing line ( 10 ) that comprises a station ( 12 ) for filling and weighing said containers (C), said method providing to simultaneously pick up a plurality of containers (C) which are initially weighed to determine the tare weight and subsequently filled in a sequential manner, determining the weight of product metered into each container (C).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Method to weigh containers in a processing line comprising at least one filling and weighing station provided with a filler and a scale supporting a weighing plate provided with a plurality of positioning seatings, each positioning seatings being configured to receive and support a corresponding container and a support plate provided with through apertures and configured to move said containers with respect to said filler; wherein said weighing plate has a plurality of rods each supporting a support element having an upper surface that defines one respective positioning seating of said plurality of positioning seatings, said support elements being shaped to mate with the apertures of the support plate to pass through said apertures and allow the containers to rest on the respective positioning seatings, wherein the method comprises the following steps:
picking up a plurality of empty containers from a pick-up station and moving them toward said filling and weighing station;
positioning each container of said plurality of containers in a respective seating of said plurality of positioning seatings;
acquiring, by said scale, a measurement of the total tare weight of all containers positioned in the positioning seatings; subsequently:
sequentially filling each container with a pre-determined dose of product by use of said filler while said plurality of containers remains housed in said positioning seatings of said weighing plate without displacing said containers from the scale after the tare weight measurement,
acquiring, from the scale the weight of product metered into the first container by subtracting the previously measured total tare weight from the total weight measured at the end of filling said first container; and then
acquiring, from the scale the weight of product metered into each subsequent container by subtracting from the total weight measured at the end of filling each container, the total weight measured at the end of filling the immediately preceding container.

2. Method as in claim 1 , characterized in that in said step of filling sequentially, the weight of each container is determined by a measurement of the difference between the weight detected by said scale at a first filling and said weight of the total tare of said containers initially detected by said scale and, subsequently, by measuring the difference between the weight detected by said scale at another filling and the weight detected by said scale at the immediately previous filling.

3. Method as in claim 1 , characterized in that the net weight N(i+1) of product metered into a given container in an instant of time i+1 by the filler is defined by the difference between the current weight P(i+1) detected by the scale and the total weight P(i) detected by said scale at a previous filling carried out at the time i:
Ni+ 1= Pi+ 1− Pi

where i is a natural number ranging from 0 to m, and m is the number of containers that are disposed and supported in the positioning seatings of the respective weighing plate associated with said scale.

4. Method as in claim 1 , characterized in that said step of picking up is carried out by an automated robotic arm.

5. Method as in claim 1 , characterized in that in said step of filling sequentially it is provided to activate said filler to deliver the pre-established dose of product until a pre-established weight measured by said scale is reached, the delivery of product into each container of said containers being interrupted when the pre-established weight is reached.

6. Method as in claim 1 , characterized in that said method also comprises:
supplying a container-holding tray containing said containers disposed in an orderly manner, according to a pattern defined by a positioning matrix,
moving an extractor relative to said container-holding tray, in a pick-up direction and, by such movement picking up from said container-holding tray at least two containers disposed at least on a row of containers.

7. Method as in claim 6 , characterized in that in order to move said containers toward said filling and weighing station and position said containers in the positioning seatings said extractor are used, or a support plate in which said containers have been transferred by said extractor.

8. Method as in claim 1 , characterized in that it comprises a control or inspection step, by of optical acquisition, to check the presence or absence of containers and/or the correct number of containers and/or the correct position of said containers at least with respect to the positioning seatings of said weighing plate.

9. Method as in claim 1 , characterized in that said method further comprises:
supplying a container-holding tray containing said plurality of containers disposed in an orderly manner, according to a pattern defined by a positioning matrix, and
moving said extractor relative to said container-holding tray in a pick-up direction and, by such movement, picking up from said container-holding tray at least two containers disposed on at least two parallel and consecutive rows of said positioning matrix.

10. Station for filling and weighing containers, comprising:
an extractor configured to pick-up a plurality of empty containers from a pick-up station and move them toward a filling and weighing station; said filling and weighing station comprising:
a scale supporting a weighing plate provided with a plurality of positioning seatings, each positioning seating being configured to receive and support a corresponding container wherein said weighing plate includes a support shank connected to or mounted on the scale and supporting, at one of its ends, a positioning plate in which the plurality of positioning seatings are formed as recessed or hollowed portions, such that the containers can be inserted from above by the extraction means, and
a filler configured to sequentially fill each of said containers with a product while in the filling and weighing station; and
a programmable command and control unit operatively connected to at least said scale and said filler weighing means and to said filling means and configured to:
i) acquire from said scale a measurement of the total tare weight of all containers of said plurality of containers inserted in the positioning seatings,
ii) drive the filler to sequentially fill each of said containers with a pre-established dose of product while the containers remain housed in said positioning seatings of said weighing plate, and
iii) acquire from said scale the weight of product metered into each container by subtracting from the total weight measured at the end of each filling operation from the total weight measured at the immediately preceding filling operation, wherein for the first container filled, the immediately preceding weight corresponds to the total tare weight.

11. The station for filling and weighing containers as in claim 10 , characterized in that said extractor can be associated with an automated robotic arm.

12. The station for filling and weighing containers as in claim 10 , characterized in that it also comprises an optical inspection assembly configured to check the presence or absence of containers and/or the correct number of containers and/or the correct position of said containers at least with respect to the positioning seatings of said weighing plate.

13. The station for filling and weighing containers as in claim 10 , characterized in that the positioning seatings are disposed aligned with each other or are disposed with an offset or alternating spatial configuration known as “quincunx”.

14. Station for filling and weighing cont

Assignees

• Ima Spa

Inventors

• Chianura Mattia

Classifications

• G01G23/16

  electrically or magnetically operated · CPC title

• B65B1/46

  Check-weighing of filled containers or receptacles · CPC title

• G01G17/00

  Apparatus for or methods of weighing material of special form or property (determining weight by measuring volume G01F) · CPC title

• G01G15/006 Primary

  using electrical, electromechanical, or electronic means not covered by G01G15/001, G01G15/02, G01G15/04 · CPC title

• G01G15/04 Primary

  with provision for adding or removing a make-up quantity of material to obtain the desired gross weight (dribble-feed means for automatic batch-weighers G01G13/04) · CPC title