Materiel Pour L'arboriculture Fruitiere

Maf Agrobotic

Material Pour L'arboriculture Fruitiere

Societe Montalbanaise De Constructions/mecaniques

Institut National Polytechnique De Toulouse

Materiel Pour L'arboriculturefruitiere (Societe Anonyme)

Materiel Pour L'arboriculture Fruitier

Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique

Université Paul Sabatier (Toulouse III)

Philippe Blanc

Florence Benoit-Marquie

Philippe Destrac

Caroline Andriantsiferana

Bernard Dueso

Carine Julcour

Catherine Ayral

Gilles Romero

The invention concerns a method for transporting objects belonging to the group of fruits and vegetables with a stalk, characterized in that it comprises the following steps:

Process and system for conveying fruit and vegetables with an oriented stalk

A method is provided for packaging objects which are included in a plurality of objects belonging to the fruit and vegetable group and the shape of which is such that the objects included in the plurality of objects can roll along a surface. The objects included in the plurality of objects are deposited onto a solid surface of a system for packaging the objects. The deposition surface is substantially horizontal, suitable for receiving the objects included in the plurality of objects and elastically deformable such that the deposition of each object on the deposition surface creates, under the weight of the object concerned, a recess in the deposition surface. This tends to wedge the object in the recess, then the objects included in the plurality of objects deposited onto the deposition surface and held in a position relative to the deposition surface which position is fixed during deposition and held subsequent to deposition due to the deposition surface, are removed from the deposition surface for the purpose of packing in a packaging container.

Method and system for packaging products belonging to the fruit and vegetable group

The invention relates to a device for grouping into batches at least semi-buoyant objects belonging to the group of fruit and vegetables, comprising a plurality of accumulation channels (), a hydraulic supply device for each accumulation channel (), a device for supplying objects to an upstream portion of each accumulation channel, a collecting channel downstream of each accumulation channel (), a device () for holding/releasing the objects in each accumulation channel Each accumulation channel () comprises at least one bypass passage () for the hydraulic stream extending from at least one inlet of the bypass passage () located upstream of the holding/releasing device () to at least one outlet of the bypass passage () issuing downstream of the holding/releasing device (). A bypass valve () allows adjustment of said part of the diverted flow.

Device for grouping fruit or vegetables into batches with accumulation channels provided with bypass passages

The invention relates to a method and device for orienting an umbilicated fruit, in which, during a first orientation phase (), the presence of at least a portion of an umbilicus is detected in at least one initial image (II), then the fruit is driven () in spinning rotation about a first axis of rotation at an angular amplitude of between 5&#xb0; and 45&#xb0;, and then the presence of at least a portion of an umbilicus is detected in at least one subsequent image (IU). If at least a portion of an umbilicus is detected in at least one initial image (II) and no longer detected in each subsequent image (IU), the first orientation phase is stopped and the method is continued.

Method and device for orienting an umbilicated fruit, in particular for packaging same

A hydraulic conveyor for floating objects, having recirculation of a liquid composition, named conveying composition, for conveying the floating objects, includes at least one device for sanitizing the conveying composition. The sanitizing device includes: at least one device irradiating a composition, named composition to be sanitized, formed by mixing at least some of the conveying composition and an amount of a composition, named photoreactive composition, including at least one photosensitive compound that forms, under the effect of irradiation by the irradiation device, at least one compound, named active compound, transforming by chemical reaction at least one pollutant compound of the conveying composition into a non-pollutant compound; and at least two photolysis chambers mounted in series such that the composition to be sanitized can flow successively into the at least two photolysis chambers, at least one irradiation device being arranged in an inner volume of each photolysis chamber.

Hydraulic conveyor of floating objects provided with a device for sanitising conveying composition, plant provided with such a conveyor and sanitising method

Disclosed is a method and a device for optically analyzing fruit or vegetables. Different light sources are adapted to apply light radiation in different wavelength ranges selectively to each object according to a predetermined illumination sequence, and images are produced by at least one color camera sensitive to infrared, the exposure of which is controlled in synchronism with the illumination sequence so as to produce a plurality of images in different wavelength ranges, including at least one image in a visible range and at least one image in an infrared range.

Method and device for optically analysing fruit or vegetables and device for automatic sorting

Disclosed is an object transporting device for objects such as fruits or vegetables including a receptacle suitable for receiving at least one object, a support and a connecting mechanism for connecting the receptacle to the support in order to interlock them in longitudinal translation, permit a lateral tilting of the receptacle for the purpose of laterally discharging each object carried by the receptacle, and allow a displacement of the receptacle in vertical translation for the weighing of the receptacle and of the object which it carries. The connecting mechanism includes at least one ball interposed and imprisoned between at least one vertical bearing surface of the receptacle and at least one vertical bearing surface of the support in order to be able to roll without sliding on at least one of these vertical bearing surfaces. Also disclosed is a conveying and weighing device equipped with such transporting devices.

Device for transporting objects and conveying and weighing device provided with such transporting devices

The invention relates to a method and a device for grouping fragile floating objects, such as floating fruits, in batches in at least one accumulation channel. An upstream portion () of at least one accumulation channel is supplied with objects transported by a hydraulic current as far as a downstream end of the latter provided with a retaining/releasing device for retaining/releasing the objects. The speed of the hydraulic current is adjusted so as to bring about a hydraulic superposition of the objects retained in a superposition zone of the accumulation channel against the retaining/releasing device which is closed so as to retain the objects.

Method and device for grouping floating objects in batches with hydraulic superposition of the objects

A machine for palletizing substantially parallelepipedic objects such as packing cases, comprising a grouping station for forming objects into a group able to form a layer of a palletized load, which grouping station includes a fixed reference stop adapted to stop an object conveyed thereto by an abutment conveyor; a layer-forming surface extending laterally opposite to the reference stop; a motorized thruster adapted to displace the object located against the reference stop to a predetermined zone of the layer-forming surface corresponding to the position it is to occupy in the layer being formed; and an automatic control system adapted to control the drive means so as to position laterally opposite the reference stop a zone of the layer-forming surface which is to receive the object located against the reference stop, and to control of the thruster so as to displace the object onto that zone of the layer-forming surface.

Machine for palletizing objects such as packing cases

Device for separating the stalks of fruit such as cherries, grouped together in clusters, from one another at their joining point, includes at least one hydraulic circuit including a tank () receiving the fruit to be treated; a centrifugal pump () connected to the tank for sucking up the liquid and the fruit therefrom; and at least one filtration device () receiving the liquid and the fruit discharged by the pump and capable of separating the fruit from the liquid. The tank has a base () which converges downwards as far as a lower outlet orifice () of this tank. The pump includes a housing () and at least one pumping wheel () guided in rotation relative to the housing along an at least substantially vertical axis () of rotation, and the pump has an axial suction inlet () connected below the lower outlet orifice.

Device for separating the stalks of fruit, grouped together in clusters, from one another

An apparatus for optically analyzing products such as fruit for automatic sorting of the products, includes at least one conveying line (), a plurality of analysis stations, and a device for driving each product in rotation. The imaging devices (to) of the different analysis stations are arranged in two lateral series located on each side of the longitudinal vertical plane of each conveying line ().

Apparatus for optically analyzing products such as fruit having bilateral imaging devices

The invention relates to an installation for hydraulically filling crates () with floating objects such as fruits, comprising a tank () for receiving at least one crate (), a device () for loading/unloading a crate/crates into/from the tank () and at least one supply channel () of a hydraulic flow transporting the floating objects. At least one bypass branch from at least one supply channel () is provided at the entrance and in the upper portion of the tank (), so as to divide the supply delivery to form the filling delivery and a bypass delivery, these two deliveries being supplied to the intake of a double-acting pump () serving as a filling pump and a supply pump.

Installation for hydraulically filling crates with floating objects such as fruits and having a single double-acting pump

An automatic packing device for filling containers with products, includes: two separate feed stations, each adapted to arrange a stream of products in parallel rows; elements capable of picking up alternately, in each feed station and depositing in the container, a number of products forming a layer of the container. Each feed station includes: a conveyor having a plurality of articulated transverse profiles; elements for pivoting two successive profiles in opposite directions of rotation between a first position in which the profiles form a transverse trough in the shape of a V, and a second position in which the profiles form a ridge in the shape of an inverted V, so as to form waves of products on the conveyor; a plurality of channels disposed as a longitudinal continuation of the conveyor.

Automatic packing device for the filling of containers by means of superposed layers of products, in particular fruits such as oranges

A unit for sorting and packaging products has a conveying line with an endless chain beneath which there are articulated about a vertical axis a plurality of coupling arms equipped with a coupling member for pulling plates equipped with a member for hooking on a product and deployed along a conveying track parallel to and below the conveying line. Along this conveying line there are distributed a plurality of work stations, each having a relief track to which the pulled plates are selectively directed by routing elements, and along which each of the plates is successively uncoupled by automatic pivoting of the coupling arms, is brought into a position of readiness for loading or unloading, and then is recoupled automatically to a coupling arm, and hence reintegrated along the conveying line.

Unit for sorting and packaging products capable of being hung on a hooking member for the purpose of their conveyance, such as bunches of fruits, in particular table grapes or truss tomatoes

A method of analysing products arranges above a conveyer line three successive analysing stations having, in the first station, two cameras arranged in such a way that their optical axes form a V centred on the products and has a vertex angle in the range between 90&#xb0; and 130&#xb0;, and in the other two stations, a camera arranged plumb with the conveyer line. Moreover, the products are driven in rotation during their transport along the analysing stations, in such a way that the cameras each take a number of photographs of complementary faces of the surface of the products, and there are selected from among the photographs taken, by a comparison between the calculated theoretical diameter of a product and a predetermined average diameter, the photographs to be retained so as to obtain a complete analysis of the total surface of the product.

Growing community of inventors

Montauban, France

Philippe Blanc