# US 2024/0199343 A1 · Alignment conveyor

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- Number: US 2024/0199343 A1
- Document ID: US20240199343A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/287,268
- Filed: 2022-04-19
- Published: 2024-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2021-04-19
- Assignees: Pip Innovations B.V.
- Applicants: Pip Innovations B.V.
- Inventors: Bart KROEF
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20240199343A1

## CPC

- B26D 7/0625: {by endless conveyors, e.g. belts}
- B65G 41/007: {Means for moving conveyor frames and control arrangements therefor (B65G41/02 takes precedence)}
- B26D 1/143: rotating about a stationary axis (B26D1/20 - B26D1/24 take precedence)
- B26D 1/28: and rotating continuously in one direction during cutting
- B26D 5/007: {Control means comprising cameras, vision or image processing systems}
- B26D 5/34: scanning being effected by a photosensitive device
- B26D 7/06: Arrangements for feeding or delivering work of other than sheet, web, or filamentary form (feeding or discharging sheets, webs, or filaments B65H)
- B26D 7/0641: {using chutes, hoppers, magazines}
- B65G 27/18: Mechanical devices {(B65G27/26 takes precedence)}
- B65G 41/005: {mounted for both pivotal and linear movement}
- B65G 47/248: by turning over or inverting them (B65G47/244 takes precedence)
- B65G 53/30: Conveying materials in bulk through pipes or tubes by liquid pressure
- B26D 2210/02: for cutting food products, e.g. food slicers
- B65G 21/12: to allow adjustment of position of load-carrier or traction element as a whole
- B65G 2201/0211: Fruits and vegetables
- B65G 2203/044: Optical
- B26D: CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING (for growing crops or plants A01D, A01G; for fodder or straw A01F; for bulk butter A01J; for dough A21C; slaughtering A22B; for tobacco, cigars or cigarettes A24; marking-out, perforating or making buttonholes A41H25/00; manufacturing footwear A43D; brushmaking A46D; surgery A61B; disintegrating, mincing or shredding in general B02C; cutting wire, making pins or nails B21F, B21G; of the kind used formetal B23; cutting by abrasive fluid jets B24C5/02; hand-held cutting tools B26B; perforating, cutting-out, stamping-out or punching, or severing by means other than cutting B26F; for wood B27; for stone B28D; working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29; making boxes, cartons, envelopes or bags, of paper or similarly worked materials, e.g. metal foil, B31B; article or web delivery apparatus incorporating cutting or line-perforating devices B65H35/00; for leather or upholstery B68, C14B; for glass C03B; making matches C06F; for peat C10F; for sugar C13B45/00; for textile materials D06H; civil engineering, building, mining, see Section E; for light guides G02B6/25; cutting processed photographic material G03D15/04)
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)

## Abstract

A passive alignment conveyor suitable for elongated bodies including at least one piece of material including an indentation in an alignment direction as an alignment lane, which alignment lane includes at least one slot in the alignment lane in an angle to the alignment direction, at least one means for optical detection, at least one electronic circuit-based control device, wherein least one movable knife mounted shifted from the means for optical detection in the alignment direction, mounted in an angle to the alignment direction and mounted in such a way that it can move within the slot in the alignment lane.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-17. (canceled)

### Claim 18

An alignment conveyor suitable for elongated bodies comprising
at least one piece of material comprising an indentation in an alignment direction as an alignment lane,
which alignment lane comprises at least one slot in the alignment lane in an angle to the alignment direction,
at least one means for optical detection for determining the speed of the elongated body on the alignment conveyor,
at least one electronic circuit-based control device,
at least one movable knife mounted shifted from the means for optical detection in the alignment direction, mounted in an angle to the alignment direction and mounted in such a way that it can move within the slot in the alignment lane and wherein
that the at least one alignment lane is sloped.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The alignment conveyor according to claim 18 wherein the alignment conveyor comprises a means to vibrate the at least one alignment lane.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The alignment conveyor of claim 18 wherein the alignment lanes comprise a water outlet at or close to its top end and a drainage connected to its bottom end for transporting the elongated bodies through the alignment lanes by a water flow.

### Claim 21 (depends on 18)

The alignment conveyor of claim 18 wherein the slot is formed like a step.

### Claim 22 (depends on 18)

The alignment conveyor of claim 18 wherein the alignment lane or a part thereof is of a material which shows a specular reflection that is negligible compared to its diffuse reflection.

### Claim 23 (depends on 18)

The alignment conveyor of claim 18 comprising at least one source of electromagnetic radiation.

### Claim 24 (depends on 18)

The alignment conveyor of claim 18 wherein the movable knife is rotating.

### Claim 25 (depends on 18)

The alignment conveyor of claim 18 wherein the slot forms an angle between 45° and 90° with the alignment direction.

### Claim 26 (depends on 18)

The alignment conveyor of claim 18 wherein the movable knife and the alignment lane are connected via a vibration-absorbing material.

### Claim 27 (depends on 18)

The alignment conveyor of claim 18 wherein the at least one optical detection device is at least one camera connected to the electronic circuit-based control device.

### Claim 28 (depends on 18)

The alignment conveyor of claim 18 wherein at least a part of the at least one alignment lane is U-shaped, V-shaped or trough-shaped and/or wherein different parts of an individual lane have different shapes with either symmetric or non-symmetric transitions between the different shapes.

### Claim 29 (depends on 18)

A method for selectively cutting an elongated body one or more times using an alignment conveyor of claim 18.

### Claim 30 (depends on 29)

The method of claim 29 wherein the elongated body is a French Fry, a potato, a sweet potato, a carrot, a cucumber, a zucchini, a banana, an asparagus, a salsify root or any one of these or other vegetables cut into Julienne strips.

### Claim 31 (depends on 29)

The method of claim 29 wherein the elongated body is rotated on the alignment conveyor by 360 degrees by a profile on the alignment lane.

### Claim 32

A method comprising using the alignment for the automatic removal of defects from either whole, peeled or cut vegetables or fruit by identifying a defect by optical inspection which leads to a movement of a movable knife which selectively cuts the French Fries, carrots, cucumbers, zucchinis, bananas, beans, asparagus or salsify roots apart in such a way that the French Fries, carrots, cucumbers, zucchinis, bananas, beans, asparagus or salsify roots are cut selectively at least one time before the defect and one time after the defect leading to the French Fries, carrots, cucumbers, zucchinis, bananas, beans, asparagus or salsify roots being cut into at least three pieces wherein the defect is comprised either in one piece or in several pieces or by chopping thereof.