A carrier device and product handling system are described, in which product items are stored or transported through a product processing environment including such stages as portioning, packaging and labeling. The carrier device is designed such that product items can be loaded and unloaded automat
A carrier device and product handling system are described, in which product items are stored or transported through a product processing environment including such stages as portioning, packaging and labeling. The carrier device is designed such that product items can be loaded and unloaded automatically on trays. Traceability is provided by means of a machine-readable tag storing information relating to the contents of the carrier device's array of compartments. Examples of loading and unloading mechanisms are also described. The invention has particular application to the processing of meat products or other perishable goods.
대표청구항▼
1. A carrier device for conveying a batch of product items between two or more processing stations in a product processing system, the carrier device comprising: a substantially rigid frame including a substantially planar array of product accommodating regions, at least one transport attachment poi
1. A carrier device for conveying a batch of product items between two or more processing stations in a product processing system, the carrier device comprising: a substantially rigid frame including a substantially planar array of product accommodating regions, at least one transport attachment points for engaging with a carrier conveyor means, and a plurality of pusher openings in a rear face of the array,wherein each of the product accommodating regions includes a product support surface for bearing at least one of the product items during the conveying,wherein the array comprises a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns of product accommodating regions;wherein each of the product accommodating regions is provided with a first access opening in a front face of the array, a product item can be one of introduced into and removed from the product accommodating region through said access opening,wherein a pusher bar can be inserted through the plurality of pusher openings so as to expel the product item from the product accommodating region by sliding the product towards the front face and out of the product accommodating region, andwherein the product support surface of each product accommodating region includes at least one slit, each slit extending along an axis substantially orthogonal to a plane of the array and extending over at least half of the distance between the front face and the rear face, wherein each slit is open towards the at least one of the front and rear face of the array, and arranged to allow a narrow, elongated conveyor belt or bar to pass through the slit in the product support surface so as to lift the product item resting on the product support surface clear of the product support surface. 2. A product batch handling system, comprising: a plurality of processing stations for performing one or more processing operations on a plurality of similar product items;a plurality of batch product carriers, each of the batch product carriers accommodating a plurality of the product items during one of transporting or storing the product items between the plurality of processing stations;a batch product carrier conveying device for transporting the plurality of batch product carriers between the plurality of processing stations;each of the plurality of batch product carriers is a carrier device according to claim 1; andat least one of a loading mechanism for introducing the plurality of product items into the product accommodating regions of the batch product carrier devices from a first product conveyor, and an unloading mechanism for displacing the plurality of product items out of the product accommodating regions of the carrier devices on to a second product conveyor. 3. The product batch handling system according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the loading mechanism and the unloading mechanism includes a vertical displacement mechanism for moving each carrier device in at least one of a plurality of vertical directions such that the plurality of access openings of a plurality of successive vertical rows of the product accommodating regions of the array travel vertically past the at least one of the loading mechanism and the unloading mechanism, and wherein at least one of the loading mechanism and the unloading mechanism includes at least one of a plurality of displacement devices for at least one of introducing product items into and removing product items from the at least one of the plurality of rows of product accommodating regions. 4. The product batch handling system according to claim 3, wherein the vertical displacement mechanism is arranged to move the carrier devices substantially continuously past at least one of the loading mechanism and the unloading mechanism, and wherein at least one of the loading mechanism and the unloading mechanism is adapted to at least one of introduce product items into and remove product items from the carrier device travelling past. 5. The product batch handling system according to claim 3, wherein the vertical displacement mechanism is arranged to index the carrier devices vertically past at least one of the loading mechanism and the unloading mechanism in a series of steps corresponding to the rows of the array, and wherein at least one of the loading mechanism and the unloading mechanism is adapted to at least one of introduce the product items into and remove the product items from the carrier device while the vertical movement of the carrier device is paused. 6. The product batch handling system according to claim 3, wherein the product support surface of the product accommodating region includes at least one slit, and wherein at least one of the loading mechanism and the unloading mechanism includes a plurality of narrow, elongated conveyors arranged such that, when the row of the product accommodating region passes vertically past at least one of the loading mechanism and the unloading mechanism, the plurality of conveyors pass through the slits so as to lift product items off the product support surfaces. 7. The product batch handling system according to claim 2, wherein the unloading mechanism includes at least one of a first pusher bar, for each row of the product accommodating region passing vertically past the unloading mechanism, the first pusher bar being displaced through the at least one pusher openings so as to displace at least one product items out through at least one of the access openings and onto the second product conveyor. 8. The product handling system according to claim 2, wherein the loading mechanism includes at least one of a second pusher bar, for each row of the product accommodating region passing vertically past the loading mechanism, said second pusher bar pushing at least one product items off the first product conveyor through at least one of the access openings and into at least one of the product accommodating regions. 9. The product batch handling system according to claim 2, wherein the batch product carrier conveying device includes at least one overhead conveyor track, and wherein at least one of a plurality of carrier devices are suspended from the overhead conveyor track during the transport of the at least one of the plurality of carrier devices between a plurality of processing stations. 10. The product batch handling system according to claim 9, wherein the overhead conveyor track includes at least one of a junction and a bifurcation, and wherein the route taken by at least one of the carrier devices along the overhead conveyor track is determined by a state of at least one of a plurality of switching points under control of a system control unit. 11. The product batch handling system according to claim 9, wherein the overhead conveyor track includes a plurality of buffer regions for temporarily accumulating a plurality of carrier devices upstream of the at least one of the plurality of processing stations so as to buffer the flow of carrier devices to the at least one of the plurality of processing stations. 12. The product batch handling system according to claim 2, further comprising at least one storage regions, wherein the plurality of carrier devices are arranged for storage of the plurality of product items. 13. The product batch handling system according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of carrier devices are shaped such that said carrier devices are stackable one upon another. 14. The carrier device according to claim 1, wherein the carrier device includes a machine-readable data tag containing one of identification and origin information of the product items being carried by the carrier device. 15. The carrier device according to claim 1, wherein the carrier device includes a machine-readable data tag containing identification information relating to the contents of the carrier device, and wherein the identification information is referenced to the row-column positions of the product items in the array.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (5)
Devening Charles K. (11431 Village Brooke Ct. Cincinnati OH 45249), High density storage system.
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