Food product packing apparatus, system, and methods thereof
AssigneePowell Systems Integration
InventorJohn Ohlson, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A packing apparatus includes a funnel including a top to receive a food product and a bottom, where a diameter of a bottom of the funnel is less than a length of the food product to orient the food product from the bottom of the funnel in a packing orientation. The packing apparatus further includes a tube connected to the bottom of the funnel, where a length of the tube is greater than or equal to half the length of the food product. The packing apparatus further includes a gate assembly connected to a bottom of the funneling assembly, where the gate assembly releases the food product in the packing orientation from an outlet of the tube.
Claims20
A packing apparatus comprising:
- a funnel comprising a top to receive a food product and a bottom, wherein a diameter of a bottom of the funnel is less than a length of the food product to orient the food product from the bottom of the funnel to a packing orientation;
- a tube connected to the bottom of the funnel, wherein a length of the tube is greater than or equal to half the length of the food product;
- a vibration device connected to the funnel and extending adjacent to the tube, the vibration device to vibrate the funnel in a substantially vertical direction;
- and
- a gate assembly connected to a bottom of the tube, wherein the gate assembly is to release the food product from an outlet of the tube.
A packing system comprising:
- a packing apparatus comprising:
- a funneling assembly comprising a funnel and a tube connected to the funnel, the packing apparatus defining an axis through the funnel and the tube, the packing apparatus is structured such that the axis is vertical;
- a vibration device connected to the funneling assembly, wherein the vibration device vibrates the funneling assembly in a direction substantially parallel with the axis to orient a food product into a packing orientation that is substantially parallel with the axis;
- and
- a gate assembly comprising a gate and an actuator for moving the gate, wherein the gate assembly provides the food product in the packing orientation from the packing apparatus into a container;
- and
- a controller to cause the actuator of the gate assembly to move the gate from a first position to block an outlet of the tube to a second position to open the outlet.
A method comprising:
- providing a food product into a funnel for orienting the food product into a packing orientation within a tube connected to a bottom of the funnel;
- operating a vibration device to vibrate the funnel and the tube in a vertical direction for packing the food product into a container;
- operating a gate to release the food product into a container positioned below an outlet of the tube;
- and
- vibrating the tube to maintain the packing orientation of the food product when released from the outlet of the tube and into the container.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.