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US 7,959,401 B2Granted
Conveyor system for food products
AssigneeGrupo Bimbo, S.A.B. de C.V.
InventorJoaquin Alverde Trejo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method are disclosed for separating a pile of tortillas and individually depositing the tortillas on a conveyor to form a row of tortillas. The apparatus may include an accumulating device, an elevating device that is operable to remove a pile of tortillas from the accumulating device and elevate the pile of tortillas towards a vacuum conveyor. The vacuum conveyor is operable to continuously remove an uppermost tortilla from the pile of tortillas and transport the separated tortillas to a receiving conveyor. The separated tortillas are deposited on the receiving conveyor and may be transported to a subsequent processing operation.
Claims21
A tortilla transfer apparatus comprising:
- a tortilla accumulating device extendable between a retracted position and an extended position, the accumulating device comprising:
- a first plurality of vertical members having a first gap formed between adjacent vertical members;
- an elevating table adjacent the accumulating device and extendable between a raised position and a lowered position, the elevating table comprising:
- a second plurality of vertical members having a second gap formed between adjacent vertical members;
- a vacuum conveyor disposed above the elevating table near the raised position of the elevating table, the vacuum conveyor comprising:
- a continuous belt disposed around at least two end rollers, said belt having a lower portion disposed above tortillas and moving longitudinally in a direction of movement of the tortillas;
- and
- a plurality of vents formed in the continuous belt;
- a vacuum system in fluid communication with the plurality of vents and operable to generate a vacuum with airflow through one or more of the vents into a vacuum suction plate disposed above the lower portion of the belt;
- and
- a receiving conveyor having a portion disposed below at least a portion of the vacuum conveyor and adapted to receive tortillas released from the vacuum conveyor;
- wherein the first plurality of vertical members of the accumulating device are aligned with the second gaps of the elevating table,
- wherein the second plurality of vertical members of the elevating table are aligned with the first gaps of the accumulating device, and
- wherein the first plurality of vertical members and the second plurality of vertical members intermesh when the tortilla accumulating device is in the extended position and the elevating table is in the lowered position.
11 more elements
A method for unstacking a plurality of tortillas and arranging the unstacked tortillas in a row, the method comprising:
- providing a stack of tortillas on upper edges of a plurality of vertical members forming a portion of an accumulating device;
- extending the accumulating device towards an elevating table so that the vertical members of the accumulating device intermesh with vertical members forming a portion of the elevating table;
- extending the elevating table to a raised position to transfer the stack of tortillas from the accumulating device to the elevating table;
- extending the elevating table towards a continuous belt disposed above the stack of tortillas;
- forming a vacuum;
- communicating the vacuum through a plurality of vents formed in the continuous belt disposed above the stack of tortillas;
- continuously adhering a tortilla from a top of the stack of tortillas to the continuous belt of a first conveyor with the vacuum communicated through vents adjacent the tortilla as the continuous belt is conveyed to form a row of tortillas on the continuous belt;
- conveying the tortillas to a release position above a receiving conveyor;
- sequentially releasing the tortillas from the continuous belt by blocking communication of the vacuum through vents adjacent the tortillas;
- and
- sequentially collecting the released tortilla on a receiving conveyor as the receiving conveyor is conveyed to form a row of tortillas thereon.
8 more elements
A system for forming a row of tortillas from a stack of tortillas, the system comprising:
- a tortilla transfer apparatus comprising:
- an accumulating device comprising a first plurality of vertical members having gaps formed between adjacent vertical members;
- an elevating device comprising:
- a second plurality of vertical members having gaps formed between adjacent vertical members, the first plurality of vertical members configured to intermesh with the second plurality of vertical members;
- a vacuum conveyor comprising:
- a continuous belt extending over a pair of rollers, the continuous belt circumscribing an interior space;
- a motor coupled to at least one roller and operable to drive the at least one roller and the continuous belt;
- and
- a plurality of vents formed in the continuous belt, a first end of the vacuum conveyor disposed above the elevating table;
- a vacuum system comprising:
- a vacuum apparatus operable to generate a vacuum;
- a suction plate in fluid communication with the vacuum apparatus and disposed in the interior space, the suction plate comprising a plurality of openings to communicate the vacuum to the vents formed in continuous belt;
- a receiving conveyor disposed below a second end of the vacuum conveyor;
- a first actuator operable to extend and retract the accumulating device between a retracted position and an extended position;
- and
- a second actuator operable to extend and retract the elevating table between a raised position and a lowered position;
- and
- a delivery conveyor operable to transport stacks of tortillas to a position adjacent the accumulating device.
15 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.