WO2024107048A1

WO2024107048A1 - Device for the transferral of plant pots

Info

Publication number: WO2024107048A1
Application number: PCT/NL2023/050600
Authority: WO
Inventors: Wilhelmus Franciscus Maria KRUIJSWIJK
Original assignee: Martin Stolze Holding B.V.
Priority date: 2022-11-18
Filing date: 2023-11-14
Publication date: 2024-05-23

Abstract

Device for transferring at least one plant pot having a plant pot rim and provided with a plant, from a supply facility to a discharge facility, wherein for each plant pot the device comprises: - a plant pot holder (4) for holding the plant pot during transferral; - a first drive for moving the plant pot holder (4) from a position in which the plant pot on the supply facility is being engaged into a position in which the plant pot is being discharged to the discharge facility; - a plant size reducer (5), which is configured for reducing the space the plant occupies in horizontal direction; and - a second drive for moving the plant size reducer (5) relative to the plant pot between an inoperative position and an operative position in which the plant size reducer (5) is in plant-size-reducing engagement with vegetation of the plant that extends above the plant pot rim.

Description

Device for the transferral of plant pots

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In a plant nursery, plants are tended to in plant pots until the vegetation of the plant above the plant pot rim has a required, marketable size . A conveyor belt will then convey the plant pots including plant from the nursery bed to a transfer station where they are placed in transportation trays . The transportation trays are transported by truck to the auction hall or a large customer .

The si ze of the vegetation often is such that it extends beyond the plant pot rim in hori zontal direction . As it is desirable to be able to place as many plant pots in a transportation tray as possible , the accommodation spaces for plant pots in the transportation tray are situated as closely together as possible . This will urge the vegetation of plants that are situated or to be placed next to each other against each other and as a result the vegetation may get damaged .

It is known to avoid this problem by providing the plant pots with a wrapper prior to placing them in the transportation tray, the wrapper enveloping the vegetation and thereby limiting the dimensions thereof . This requires an additional operation and additional material in the form of wrappers . Moreover, using wrappers in case of sturdy plants , such as the kalanchoe , proves almost impossible . SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an obj ect of the invention to provide a device and a method with which it is possible to limit the risk of damaging the vegetation of a plant pot when trans ferring the plant pot to a limited space .

It is an obj ect of the invention to provide a device and a method with which it is possible to limit the risk of damaging the vegetation of plant pots when trans ferring the plant pots to a transportation tray .

It is an obj ect of the invention to provide a device and a method with which plant pots provided with a plant can ef ficiently be trans ferred to a transportation tray .

According to one aspect , the invention provides a device for trans ferring at least one plant pot having a plant pot rim and provided with a plant , from a supply facility to a discharge facility, wherein for each plant pot the device comprises : a plant pot holder for holding the plant pot during trans ferral ; a first drive for moving the plant pot holder from a position in which the plant pot on the supply facility is being engaged into a position in which the plant pot is being discharged to the discharge facility; a plant si ze reducer, which is configured for reducing the space the plant occupies in hori zontal direction; and a second drive for moving the plant si ze reducer relative to the plant pot between an inoperative position and an operative position in which the plant si ze reducer is in plant-si ze-reducing engagement with vegetation of the plant that extends above the plant pot rim .

In that way the plant si ze and the occupation of space by the vegetation of the plant in the plant pot can be limited during the trans fer process , so that the risk of damage when the vegetation of an adj acent plant is contacted, can remain limited . Plant si ze in this case means the surface area proj ected in a hori zontal plane , which surface area is occupied by the vegetation of the plant in hori zontal direction .

The plant si ze reducer being added to the plant pot holder for the plant pot in question is conducive to controlling the plant si ze reduction process . This is particularly so i f a trans fer unit intended for one plant pot each time comprises a plant pot holder as well as a plant si ze reducer .

In one embodiment , the plant si ze reducer is configured for in hori zontal direction reducing the space occupied by the vegetation of the plant that extends above the plant pot rim; and wherein the second drive is configured for moving the plant si ze reducer between an inoperative position, beyond engagement with the vegetation of the plant that extends above the plant pot rim, and the operative position .

In one embodiment , the second drive is configured for moving the plant si ze reducer vertically relative to the plant pot holder . The second drive may then be configured for vertically moving the plant si ze reducer relative to the plant pot rim between a relatively low position and a relatively high position, in particular between a position that is at least partially below the plant pot rim and a position that is at least partially above the plant pot rim, more particularly a position that is entirely above the plant pot rim . In an upward motion of the plant si ze reducer, the vegetation of the plant is then, as it were , swept to the inside . As lateral stems of plants usually are at an upward slant , in radial direction, such lateral stems are smoothly urged to the inside , resulting in the risk of damage being practically non-existent .

In one embodiment , the plant pot holder is fork- shaped . In addition, the plant pot holder may be provided with two fork arms and the device , in particular said trans fer unit , may be provided with a third drive for moving the plant holder fork arms towards each other and away from each other, so that the plant pot can be held in a fitted manner .

In one embodiment , the plant si ze reducer is fork-shaped . In case of a plant pot holder that is forkshaped as well , it wil l be spatially advantageous i f the fork-shaped plant pot holder and the fork-shaped plant si ze reducer are equally directed when considered hori zontally .

In case of a fork-shaped plant si ze reducer, it may comprise a portion that is downwardly inclined towards the space bounded by the fork . The portion in question may be the base of the fork .

In one embodiment , the fork ends have upwardly inclined upper edges , so that the risk of damaging fragile leaves and stems during the process of accommodating the vegetation within the fork is limited .

In one embodiment of the device according to the invention, the plant si ze reducer is situated above the plant pot holder, as a result of which the freedom of design and freedom of movement for the plant si ze reducer is enhanced .

In a further development of the device according to the invention, the device comprises multiple adj acent trans fer units , each having its own plant pot holder with accompanying plant si ze reducer . In addition, the device may be provided with a fourth drive for moving the trans fer units towards each other and away from each other . In that way, the centre-to-centre distance the plant pots have in the supply line can be changed, particularly reduced, so that the distance between them becomes di f ferent , particularly closer to one another, for instance adapted to the mutual distance of the accommodation spaces in a transportation tray . The device may in that case comprise a control device for driving the first , second, third and fourth drives i f present , wherein the control device is configured for operating the fourth drive after operating the second drive . In that way, the plants are for instance first limited in terms of si ze and subsequently urged towards each other .

In one embodiment , the control device is configured for operating the fourth drive after commencing the operation of the first drive . This may apply when the plant pots in the supply facility have been accommodated in supply holders , such as rings , that are for instance sitting on a supply conveyor belt . I f the plant pots support freely on the supply facility, the control device may be configured for operating the fourth drive prior to operating the first drive .

According to a further aspect, the invention provides an assembly of a device according to the invention and a discharge facility . The assembly may comprise a supply facility including a conveyor belt having a support surface for supplied plant pots . The discharge facility forms a support for the plant pots . Due to the plant si ze reducer, the risk of damaging the vegetation of the plant is kept limited in case of the support being more closely occupied compared to the supply situation . The support may be formed by the shelves of a so-called Danish flower trolley . The support may also be a tray-shaped box resting on a discharge conveyor belt . The support may particularly be formed by transportation trays that each provide a number of pot accommodation spaces , the centre-to-centre distance of which is smaller than that of the plant pots on the supply facility .

According to a further aspect , the invention provides a method for trans ferring plant pots having a plant pot rim that are supplied on a supply facility to a discharge facility, wherein the plant pots are provided with a plant having vegetation that extends above the plant pot rim, wherein once the plant pot has been supplied and prior to the plant pot being placed on the discharge facility, space occupied by the vegetation of the plant that extends above the plant pot rim is reduced in hori zontal direction .

In one embodiment of this method, several plant pots are trans ferred simultaneously from the supply facility to the discharge facility, wherein the plant pots are supplied in a series , wherein the plant pots within a supplied series have a first centre-to-centre distance to each other and wherein the first centre-to-centre distance of the plant pots is changed, in particular reduced, into a second centre-to-centre distance in which the plant pots are discharged, wherein the reduction of the centre-to- centre distance is carried out following the reduction of the space occupied . In that way the plant pots are brought closer together with a minimum risk of damaging the vegetation, enabling the trans fer of a compact series of plant pots .

In one embodiment , the reduction of the space occupied is carried out by urging vegetation of the plant that extends hori zontally outside of the pot to the inside . Urging the vegetation to the inside may be carried out using a vegetation engagement facility or vegetation sweeping facility that is moved upwards relative to the plant pot , like the plant si ze reducer described above . The vegetation engagement facility is temporarily active on a plant pot and the vegetation of the plant , and following each plant pot trans fer process it is available again for a next plant pot . The vegetation may, at least on one side , be urged to within the vertical profile of the plant pot rim, so that the plant pots can be placed very closely together .

In one embodiment , the plant pots , in order to be discharged, are placed in a transportation tray having accommodation spaces for plant pots , wherein the accommodation spaces have a centre-to-centre distance that preferably equals the second centre-to-centre distance . The aspects and measures described in this description and the claims of the application and/or shown in the drawings of this application may where possible also be used individually . Said individual aspects and other aspects may be the subj ect of divisional patent applications relating thereto . This particularly applies to the measures and aspects that are described per se in the sub claims .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be elucidated on the basis of an exemplary embodiment shown in the attached drawings , in which :

Figure 1 shows an overview of an exemplary embodiment of an arrangement including a transfer device according to the invention;

Figures 2A-D show an isometric view, a top view, a front view and a side view, respectively, of a group of transfer units of the transfer device according to figure 1 ;

Figures 3A-C show a transfer unit of the trans fer device according to figure 1 , in disassembled condition, in assembled condition in front view and in rear view, respectively;

Figures 4A-C show an isometric view, a front view and a side view, respectively, of the group of transfer units of figures 2A-D, at the start of the transfer process ;

Figures 5A-C show an isometric view, a front view and a side view, respectively, of the group of transfer units of figures 2A-D, shortly after the start of the transfer process ;

Figures 6A-C show an isometric view, a top view and a front view, respectively, of the group of transfer units of figures 2A-D, in a next step of the transfer process ;

Figure 7 shows the transfer device including plant pots during a transfer motion in the arrangement of figure 1 ; and

Figure 8 shows the plant pots held in the transfer units being placed in a transportation tray .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The arrangement 100 of figure 1 comprises a supply conveyor belt 101 for plant pots P, a discharge conveyor belt 102 for transportation trays T loaded with plant pots P, and a transfer device 200 positioned between the supply conveyor belt and the discharge conveyor belt .

The transfer device 200 comprises a robot 201 ( first drive ) having a rotary foot 202 , an articulated robotic arm 203 and a transfer device 1 attached to the outer end of the robotic arm 203 via a wrist j oint 204 . The transfer device 200 is controlled by a programmable control device 300 .

Figures 2A-D show the transfer device 1 attached to the robotic arm in more detail . The transfer device 1 comprises a frame beam 2 , on which a number, in this case five , trans fer units 3 are disposed . As can also be seen in figures 3A-B, each trans fer unit 3 comprises a fork-shaped plant pot holder 4 and a fork-shaped plant si ze reducer 5. Each transfer unit 3 has a slide block 8 with which it is attached to the frame beam 2 so as to be slideable in longitudinal direction .

Figures 3A-C show that a U-shaped console 9 is attached to the slide block 8 . The console 9 has a bottom 11 to which a pneumatic parallel grab 12 ( third drive ) is attached . The trans fer device 1 is provided with a vertically oriented cylinder 10 ( second drive ) having a casing 10a that is attached to the console 9, and a cylinder rod 10b that is movable relative to the casing 10a . Furthermore , a guide plate 14 is attached to the console 9.

The plant pot holder 4 has two fork arms 4a, 4b that have a concave edge the curvature of which is adapted to the curvature of the plant pots to be transferred . At their inner ends , the fork arms 4a, 4b are provided with lips 15 for attachment to the outer ends of the parallel grab 12 . By operating the parallel grab 12 , the fork arms 4a, 4b can be moved in a hori zontal direction E towards each other and away from each other . During moving the fork arms 4a, 4b back and forth, the guide plate 14 ensures that the fork arms 4a, 4b are being guided .

The plant size reducer 5 has a base 5c and two fork arms 5a, 5b . The fork arms 5a, 5b have upwardly inclined upper edges 5d, 5e to prevent damaging the vegetation . In order for the adj acent plant pot holders 4 to be brought as closely together as possible, the fork arms 5a, 5b are slim in upright direction . The base 5c is downwardly inclined to the inside for a smooth engagement of the vegetation of a plant and it shields the console 9 and the parts of the device situated there from the vegetation of the plant . Behind the base 5c, the plant size reducer 5 has a rear plate 16 that is attached to the cylinder rod 10b so that the rear plate 16, and consequently the entire plant si ze reducer 5, can be moved up and down by the vertically oriented cylinder 10 . This movement is guided in a rotationally-fixed and directionally-fixed manner by two vertical lips 13a, b that are downwardly directed from the console 9.

For sliding the series of transfer units 3 along the frame beam 2 , a series of horizontally oriented cylinders 6 ( fourth drive ) is provided, that are operative between the frame beam 2 and the console 9 of the respective transfer unit 3 . Other embodiments are of course possible, such as by means of servo drives or stepping motors moving the trans fer units 3 along a rail provided with a gearing, in direction G between a mutual first centre-to-centre distance hl and a smaller second centre- to-centre distance h2 .

The plant pots P are provided with schematically depicted plants having vegetation V that has grown to above and, considered horizontally, amply beyond the plant pot rim R . As shown in figure 1 , in the trans fer process , the plant pots P are supplied on the supply conveyor belt 101 in direction A towards the trans fer station . The plant pots P are each accommodated in a transport ring 103 and then have the first centre-to-centre distance hl . This distance is such that the vegetation V of adj acent plant pots does not get tangled . The operation of all drives takes place using the control device 300 . The parallel grab 12 is operated to move the fork arms 4a, 4b in horizontal direction E away from each other, and the vertically oriented cylinder 10 is operated to move the plant si ze reducers 5 downwards in vertical direction F near or against the fork arms 4a, 4b . The robot 201 is operated to take the transfer device 1 , with the fork openings forward, in direction B towards the plant pots P that are ready, see figure 1 . Once the plant pots P have ended up in the space between the fork arms 4a, 4b of the plant holders 4 , the parallel grab 12 is operated so that the fork arms 4a, 4b abut the wall of the plant pot P as shown in figures 4A-C . The wall of the plant pot P is slightly conical , so that the plant pot P once it has been lifted from the supply conveyor belt 101 is able to hang stably in the fork arms 4a, 4b . In the example , the two slim fork arms 5a, 5b then extend above and below the plant pot rim R of the plant pot P . Depending on the vegetation, for instance when it spills over the plant pot rim R, it may also be desirable that the fork arms 5a, 5b extend at least almost entirely below the plant pot rim R before the si ze reduction process starts .

As can be seen in figure 4B, the distance between the two fork arms 5a, 5b of the plant size reducer 5 is j ust slightly larger than the diameter of the plant pot rim R . As shown in figures 5A-C, operating the vertically oriented cylinders 10 of the trans fer units 3 then ensure that the plant si ze reducers 5 are able to move upwards relative to the plant pot holders 4 in vertical direction F . The supply conveyor belt 101 has been left out in the drawing . The slim upright fork arms 5a, 5b here form, as it were , an elevation of the plant pot rim R, at least to either side, and at that location smoothly urge leaves and stems extending beyond the plant pot rim R to the inside in direction X, which is schematically shown in figure 5B .

It is noted that the order in which the plant pot holder 4 and the plant size reducer 5 are being activated, can be varied . For instance, first the plant size reducer 5 can be placed around the plant pot P sitting on the supply facility and be operated to reduce the plant size , and then the plant pot holder 4 can be placed and activated to start holding the plant pot . The vertically oriented cylinder 10 will then be activated prior to the parallel grab 12 .

After slightly li fting the trans fer device 1 to lift the plant pots P out of the rings 103 and consequently from the supply conveyor belt 101 , the series of hori zontally oriented cylinders 6 can be operated to slide the transfer units 3 towards each other in direction G and thus reduce the first centre-to-centre distance hl to the second centre-to-centre distance h2 , in which the fork arms 5a and 5b of adj acent transfer units virtually abut each other as shown in figures 6A-C in which the supply conveyor belt 101 has been left out . The second centre-to-centre distance h2 corresponds to the centre-to-centre distance of the accommodation spaces in the transportation tray T .

In this process of bringing the plant pots P closer together, the vegetation V is kept constrained by the plant size reducers 5, so that the risk of damaging the vegetation V remains limited and the market value of the plants is left unharmed .

The robot 201 can then be operated ( figures 7A, B ) as first drive to swing the transfer device 1 in direction C towards the discharge conveyor belt 102 and then lower the transfer device 1 in the direction D, such that the plant pots P fit in the accommodation spaces 0 of the transportation tray T and rest in there . Then, the vertically oriented cylinders 10 and the parallel grabs 12 can be operated to cause the plant si ze reducers 5 to be lowered again and detach the fork arms 4a, 4b from the pot walls of the plant pots P, respectively .

Subsequently the robot 201 retracts the trans fer device 1 with which the transportation tray T and the plants accommodated in there are free from the transfer device 1 . The robot 201 then swings the transfer device 1 back towards the supply conveyor belt, meanwhile operating the series of horizontally oriented cylinders 6 to bring the transfer units 3 back in the first centre-to-centre distance hl .

It is noted that the fork arms may also be designed dif ferently, for instance rod-shaped . The outer ends of the arms may then be downwardly inclined towards the plant .

The invention is/inventions are not at all limited to the embodiments described in the description and shown in the drawings . The above description has been included to illustrate the operation of preferred embodiments of the invention and not to limit the scope of the invention . Starting from the above explanation many variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention will be evident to an expert . Variations of the parts described in the description and shown in the drawings are possible . They can be used individually in other embodiments of the invention ( s ) . Parts of the various examples given can be combined together .

Claims

1 . Device for trans ferring at least one plant pot having a plant pot rim and provided with a plant , from a supply facility to a discharge facility, wherein for each plant pot the device comprises : a plant pot holder for holding the plant pot during trans ferral ; a first drive for moving the plant pot holder from a position in which the plant pot on the supply facility is being engaged into a position in which the plant pot is being discharged to the discharge facility; a plant size reducer, which is configured for reducing the space the plant occupies in hori zontal direction; and a second drive for moving the plant si ze reducer relative to the plant pot between an inoperative position and an operative position in which the plant si ze reducer is in plant-size-reducing engagement with vegetation of the plant that extends above the plant pot rim.

2 . Device according to claim 1 , wherein the plant si ze reducer is configured for in horizontal direction reducing the space occupied by the vegetation of the plant that extends above the plant pot rim; and wherein the second drive is configured for moving the plant size reducer between an inoperative position, beyond engagement with the vegetation of the plant that extends above the plant pot rim, and the operative position .

3 . Device according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the second drive is configured for moving the plant si ze reducer vertically relative to the plant pot holder .

4 . Device according to claim 3 , wherein the second drive is configured for vertically moving the plant size reducer relative to the plant pot rim between a relatively low position and a relatively high position, in particular between a position that is at least partially below the plant pot rim and a position that is at least partially above the plant pot rim, more particularly a position that is entirely above the plant pot rim.

5. Device according to any one of the preceding claims , wherein each plant pot holder and accompanying plant si ze reducer are part of a trans fer unit for a single plant pot .

6. Device according to any one of the preceding claims , wherein the plant pot holder is fork-shaped, wherein, preferably, the plant pot holder is provided with two fork arms and the device, in particular the transfer unit according to claim 5, is provided with a third drive for moving the fork arms towards each other and away from each other .

7 . Device according to any one of the preceding claims , wherein the plant size reducer is fork-shaped .

8 . Device according to claims 6 and 7 , wherein the fork-shaped plant pot holder and the fork-shaped plant size reducer are equally directed when considered hori zontally .

9. Device according to claim 7 or 8 , wherein the fork-shaped plant size reducer has a portion that is downwardly inclined towards the space bounded by the fork .

10 . Device according to any one of the preceding claims , wherein the plant size reducer is situated above the plant pot holder .

11 . Device according to any one of the preceding claims , comprising multiple adj acent transfer units , each having its own plant pot holder with accompanying plant size reducer .

12 . Device according to claim 11 , provided with a fourth drive for moving the transfer units towards each other and away from each other .

13 . Device according to claim 12 , comprising a control device for driving the first, second, third and fourth drives i f present , wherein the control device is configured for operating the fourth drive after operating the second drive .

14 . Device according to claim 13 , wherein the control device is configured for operating the fourth drive after commencing the operation of the first drive .

15 . Device according to claim 13 , wherein the control device is configured for operating the fourth drive prior to operating of the first drive .

16 . Assembly of a device according to any one of the preceding claims and a discharge facility, wherein the discharge facility forms a support for the plant pots , in particular comprising a transportation tray provided with a number of pot accommodation spaces .

17 . Method for transferring plant pots having a plant pot rim that are supplied on a supply facility to a discharge facility, wherein the plant pots are provided with a plant having vegetation that extends above the plant pot rim, wherein once the plant pot has been supplied and prior to the plant pot being placed on the discharge facility, space occupied by the vegetation of the plant that extends above the plant pot rim is reduced in hori zontal direction .

18 . Method according to claim 17 , wherein several plant pots are transferred simultaneously from the supply facility to the discharge facility, wherein the plant pots are supplied in a series , wherein the plant pots within a supplied series have a first centre-to-centre distance to each other and wherein the first centre-to-centre distance of the plant pots is changed, in particular reduced, into a second centre-to-centre distance in which the plant pots are discharged, wherein the reduction of the centre-to- centre distance is carried out following the reduction of the space occupied .

19 . Method according to claim 17 or 18 , wherein the reduction of the space occupied, is carried out by urging vegetation of the plant that extends horizontally outside of the pot to the inside .

20 . Method according to claim 19, wherein urging the vegetation to the inside is carried out by means of a plant size reducer that is moved upward relative to the pot .

21 . Method according to claim 19 or 20 , wherein the vegetation is urged to within the vertical profile of the plant pot rim.

22 . Method according to any one of the claims 17- 21 , wherein, in order to be discharged, the plant pots are placed in a transportation tray having accommodation spaces for plant pots .

23 . Method according to claim 22 , wherein the accommodation spaces have a centre-to-centre distance equalling the second centre-to-centre distance .

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