Tortilla conveyor transfer system
AssigneeGrupo Bimbo, S.A.B. de C.V.
InventorTommy Ng
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tortilla conveyor transfer system is configured to transfer product from a tortilla press to an oven. The tortilla press outputs batches of product to a press conveyor driven at a press speed. The oven then receives the batches of product at an oven conveyor driven at an oven speed that is slower than the press speed. The tortilla conveyor transfer system is interposed between the press conveyor and the oven conveyor. The tortilla conveyor transfer system has a first conveyor, a second conveyor, and a controller. The first conveyor is positioned in series with the press conveyor and the second conveyor, and the second conveyor is positioned in series with the first conveyor and the oven conveyor. In operation, the controller controls and varies the speed of the first conveyor and the second conveyor.
Claims26
A tortilla conveyor transfer system configured to transfer product from a tortilla press to an oven, the tortilla press outputting batches of product to a press conveyor driven at a press speed, and the oven receiving the batches of product at an oven conveyor driven at an oven speed, the oven speed being slower than the press speed, the tortilla conveyor transfer system comprising:
- a first variable speed conveyor positioned in series with the press conveyor;
- a second variable speed conveyor positioned in series with the first variable speed conveyor and the oven conveyor;
- and
- a controller communicatively coupled to the first variable speed conveyor and to the second variable speed conveyor, and configured to while the press conveyor is at the press speed, operate the first variable speed conveyor at the press speed, thereby transferring a batch of product from the press conveyor to the first variable speed conveyor;
- operate the second variable speed conveyor at an intermediate speed, the intermediate speed being faster than the oven speed and slower than the press speed;
- once the batch of product has completely transferred from the press conveyor to the first variable speed conveyor, reduce the speed of the first variable speed conveyor to the intermediate speed;
- and
- reduce the speed of the first variable speed conveyor to the oven speed and reduce the speed of the second variable speed conveyor to the oven speed, to transfer the batch of product from the first variable speed conveyor to the second variable speed conveyor, and then from the second variable speed conveyor to the oven conveyor.
A method for transferring product from a tortilla press to an oven, the tortilla press outputting batches of product to a press conveyor driven at a press speed, and the oven receiving the batches of product at an oven conveyor driven at an oven speed, the oven speed being slower than the press speed, the method comprising:
- while the press conveyor is at the press speed, operating a first variable speed conveyor positioned in series with the press conveyor at the press speed, thereby transferring a batch of product from the press conveyor to the first variable speed conveyor;
- operating a second variable speed conveyor positioned in series with the first variable speed conveyor and the oven conveyor at an intermediate speed, the intermediate speed being faster than the oven speed and slower than the press speed;
- once the batch of product has completely transferred from the press conveyor to the first variable speed conveyor, reducing the speed of the first variable speed conveyor to the intermediate speed;
- and reducing the speed of the first variable speed conveyor to the oven speed and reducing the speed of the second variable speed conveyor to the oven speed, to transfer the batch of product from the first variable speed conveyor to the second variable speed conveyor, and then from the second variable speed conveyor to the oven conveyor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.