Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROCESSING EGGS AND OTHER OBJECTS
This is a divisional of Canadian National Phase Patent Application Serial
No. 2,787,736 filed on January 19, 2011.
Related Applications
This application claims the benefit of the following of U.S. non-provisional
patent applications all filed January 20, 2010:
Serial No. Title
12/690,859 SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROCESSING EGGS
12/690,872 SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROCESSING EGGS
12/690,876 SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROCESSING EGGS
12/690,886 SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROCESSING EGGS
12/690,890 SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROCESSING EGGS
12/690,896 SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROCESSING EGGS
12/690,898 SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROCESSING EGGS
Field
The invention(s) described herein relate generally to the fields of food
safety
assurance and food product processing. Some described embodiments relate
particularly to
systems and techniques for laser marking, ink marking and/or otherwise
processing eggs.
Backaround
Food safety is a major public concern, in general. Eggs, in particular,
represent
a food product distributed and consumed in large quantities and, for many of
the same reasons
making them desirable food stuffs, also present a unique safety risk. Eggs
(most commonly
chicken eggs) contain nutrients which can support the growth of dangerous
bacteria, when
contaminated.
Eggs are a perishable item susceptible to spoilage, as well. To address the
concern about spoilage ¨ i.e., whether the egg is fresh ¨ egg packages
typically (and often by
law or regulation) have expiration dates marked on them. However, eggs may be
stored for
days or even weeks before being sold at retail. Expiration dates, (a term
encompassing such
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variations as "sell by" and "best if used by" dates) thus may not convey to a
consumer or user
how "old" an egg truly is. Many consumers, moreover, move eggs from their
packages into
special receptacles in their refrigerators. In this fashion, additionally,
eggs from multiple
cartons may come to be intermingled. When these things are done, the consumer
is no longer
able to evaluate the expiration date of individual eggs prior to using them.
To reduce the chance of a consumer being sold a spoiled egg, certain
governmental bodies in the United States and elsewhere, e.g., the United
States Food and
Drug Administration (FDA), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA),
and
various state governments, currently do not allow retailers to "repack" eggs,
i.e., to move eggs
from one package to another. This restriction, unfortunately, can result in
tremendous waste.
For example, whenever the integrity of even a single egg in a package in the
hands of a
retailer is compromised (e.g., is broken), the entire package of eggs must be
discarded.
Eggs typically undergo a great deal of processing before they are ready to be
sold to the consuming public. In many circumstances, for example, eggs pass
through several
1 5 processing stations at which they are washed, candled, weighed, graded,
and packed into
packages (e.g., cartons, crates, or other commercially distributed
containers). Examples of
such processing stations and mechanisms for conveying eggs from station to
station are
described, for instance, in the following U.S. patents assigned to Diamond
Automations,
Inc.: 4,189,898; 4,195,736; 4,505,373; 4,519,494; 4,519,505; 4,569,444;
4,750,316;
5,321,491; and 6,056,341. It is not uncommon for a facility in which these
stations operate to
output about one million eggs in a single day. Accordingly, to be commercially
acceptable,
the throughput of the stations needs to be quite high, with some stations
typically processing
on the order of 20,000 eggs per hour.
When contamination (and possibly spoilage) of eggs is discovered, therefore,
not only is it likely that the number of persons made ill ¨ or worse ¨ will be
quite large, but
also that enoimous numbers of eggs must be recalled and destroyed. Many of
those eggs will
not have been contaminated and will have to be destroyed ¨ at considerable
financial loss ¨
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because there is no way to isolate the bad eggs from the total population of
eggs from a
suspect source.
Several techniques for marking individual eggs with expiration dates and the
like have been proposed. One such approach is to use vegetable dyes or other
water-soluble
ink products to mark eggs. Such products, however, have a tendency to leak
into the interior
of eggs and can result in undesirable ink spots within them. The tendency of
such products to
wash off or fade also means that such markings are susceptible to tampering
and even
unintentional loss of integrity (e.g., dripping and smearing from condensation
and handling),
and has generally limited their acceptance.
It is also known to use lasers to mark indicia onto perishable products for
the
purpose of tracking their pedigree and/or integrity (e.g., using date codes
and/or traceability
codes), as well as for allowing textual or graphical advertising messages to
be disseminated
via such products. An example of a system for laser marking such infoimation
on hen eggs is
described, for example, in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 11/725,099,
Publication
No. 2008/0223834 ("the '834 Application"), published on September 18, 2008.
Summary
The approach described in the '834 Application is to laser mark infoiniation
on
eggs as they are conveyed at high speed during the grading process. This
information may
include, for example, a freshness date, a traceability code and/or
advertising. Although this
approach has proven effective for certain applications, the extremely high
throughput of the
grading machines, the lack of uniformity in the moisture content of the
surface of individual
eggs during the grading process, and the significant amount of dust created
during the laser
marking process, among other things, have made it challenging to mark
individual eggs with
sufficient accuracy, reliably and consistency for certain
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purposes.
Among those purposes, providing a freshness date and/or a traceability
code in relation to which an egg's processing history may be maintained in an
on-
line database obviously requires a marking that not only is permanent and
difficult
to alter, but also which is clearly and reliably readable.
Additionally, it should be appreciated that egg producers have invested
considerable sums of money in their hardware ¨ grading and packing machines,
conveyors, and the like. To get them to replace such equipment with entirely
new
systems would be a substantial challenge and slow adoption of seriously needed
food safety enhancement. Thus, a need exists for an egg marking approach based
on equipment that can be added on to existing egg-handling systems.
Complicating this need, existing egg-handling apparatus is of varied designs.
Preferably, a marking system can be provided which is usable with a variety of
egg-handling apparatus, with no or minimal modification of that apparatus.
Prior approaches may not meet the foregoing objectives or requirements.
This disclosure presents new approaches to marking eggs, based upon
inventive apparatus and methods, various alternative embodiments of which are
shown. Any single embodiment may not, and generally may not, embody all the
inventive aspects that are discussed. Moreover, unless the context clearly
indicates otherwise, it is contemplated that those skilled in the art will
combine
aspects of the invention and features of embodiments to create new embodiments
not expressly illustrated or discussed, and that such variant embodiments are
intended to be captured within the claims.
In summary, the following paragraphs now provide a non-exhaustive
enumeration of inventive aspects and features of the embodiments described, in
greater detail below, and shown in the drawings.
A method for laser marking an egg shell is disclosed which comprises
controlling a laser beam directed onto the egg shell so as to discolor an
outer layer
of the egg shell without etching substantially into layers of the egg shell
underneath the outer layer.
In addition, a method for laser marking an egg is disclosed which
comprises directing a laser beam onto an egg at a power density of about 2000
watts/sq. in. or less, at a sweep rate adequate to produce discoloration
suitable to
print an image.
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Further, an egg having laser marking thereon is disclosed wherein a depth
of an etching of the egg caused by the laser marking process does not exceed
about 25 microns.
A method for processing a package of eggs is disclosed which comprises
5 adjusting a position of one or more of the eggs, after the eggs have been
placed in
a container (also referred to as a package or carton), so that each of the
eggs
assumes a particular orientation within the package.
In some embodiments, the method may also comprise marking
information on a surface of one or more of the eggs after the position of the
one or
0 more of the eggs has been adjusted.
Additionally, in some embodiments, the position of the one or more eggs
may be adjusted using an egg orienter positioned above a conveyor of an egg
packing station.
Further, in some embodiments, the position of the one or more eggs in the
package may be adjusted so that a long axis of each egg in the package is
tilted
toward the back of the package so as to be at least slightly offset from
vertical
and/or so that long axes of all of the eggs in each row of eggs in the package
form
approximate right angles with respect to a line intercepting bottoms of
receptacles
holding the eggs in such a row.
An apparatus for processing packages of eggs on a conveyor is disclosed
which comprises an egg orienter configured and arranged with respect to the
conveyor so as to adjust a position of one or more of the eggs in each of the
packages so that each of the eggs in a given package assumes a particular
orientation within that package.
In some embodiments, the egg orienter may be located between an egg
loading section and a package closing section of an egg packer.
In addition, in some embodiments, the apparatus may further comprise a
laser source and one or more optical steering elements configured and arranged
to
direct laser energy from the laser source so as to laser mark information on a
surface of one or more of the eggs while the eggs are in a package disposed on
the
conveyor and in said particular orientation.
In some embodiments, the egg orienter may be further configured and
arranged to adjust the position of the one or more eggs in each of the
packages so
that a long axis of each egg in a given package is tilted toward the back of
the
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package so as to be at least slightly offset from vertical and/or so that so
that long
axes of all of the eggs in each row of eggs in the package form approximate
right
angles with respect to a line intercepting bottoms of receptacles holding the
eggs
in such a row.
Additionally, an apparatus for processing packages of eggs on a conveyor
is disclosed which comprises means for adjusting a position of one or more of
the
eggs in each package so that each of the eggs in a given package assumes a
particular orientation, and one or more sensors configured and arranged to
sense a
position of each of the packages of eggs with respect to the means for
adjusting.
A method for marking eggs is disclosed which comprises laser marking
and/or ink marking information onto one or more eggs while the eggs are in a
package disposed on a conveyor of a packing station.
Additionally, an apparatus for laser marking eggs on a conveyor of a
packing station is disclosed which comprises a laser source and one or more
optical steering elements configured and arranged to direct energy from the
laser
source so as to mark information onto one or more eggs in packages of eggs
disposed on the conveyor.
Further, an apparatus for laser marking eggs is disclosed which comprises
a laser source and means for directing energy from the laser source so as to
mark
information onto one or more eggs in packages of eggs disposed on a conveyor
of
a packing station.
A package of eggs is disclosed which comprises a plurality of eggs
arranged in one or more rows. The eggs are arranged in the package so that a
long
axis of each egg in the package is tilted toward the back of the package so as
to be
at least slightly offset from vertical.
In some embodiments, each of the eggs in the package may have
information laser marked on it in substantially the same location as the other
eggs
in the package, and the eggs may be oriented in the package such that markings
on
all the eggs face in substantially the same direction.
Additionally, in some embodiments, each of the eggs in the package may
have particular information marked on it, and each of the eggs in the package
may
be positioned in the package such that at least the particular information is
visible
upon opening the package, without altering a position of the egg.
Further, in some embodiments, the eggs may be arranged in the package
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such that the long axes of all of the eggs in each row of eggs in the package
form
approximate right angles with respect to a line intercepting bottoms of
receptacles
holding the eggs in such a row and/or such that the long axes of all of the
eggs in
each row of eggs in the package form approximate right angles with respect to
a
line intercepting bottoms of receptacles holding the eggs in such a row.
A package of eggs is disclosed which comprises a plurality of eggs
arranged in one or more rows. The eggs are further arranged in the package so
that a long axis of each egg in the package is offset no more than a
particular
number degrees from a long axis of each other egg in the package.
Additionally, a package of eggs is disclosed which comprises a plurality of
eggs arranged in one or more rows, wherein the eggs are further arranged in
the
package so that the long axes of all of the eggs in the package are
substantially
parallel.
Further, a package of eggs is disclosed which comprises a plurality of eggs
arranged in one or more rows, wherein eggs are arranged in the package such
that
long axes of all of the eggs in each row of eggs in the package form
approximate
right angles with respect to a line intercepting bottoms of receptacles
holding the
eggs in such a row.
A method for laser marking information on an egg is disclosed which
comprises laser marking information on the egg such that a center point of the
information is located between the middle and an end of the egg.
In addition, an egg having information laser marked thereon is disclosed,
wherein a center point of the information laser marked onto the egg is located
between the middle and an end of the egg.
Further, a method for processing one or more eggs is disclosed which
comprises laser marking first information on a first surface of an egg, and
laser
marking second information on a second surface of the egg such that the second
information faces a substantially different direction than the first
information.
Thus there is also shown an egg having laser marking thereon is disclosed
wherein first information is laser marked on a first surface of the egg, and
second
information is laser marked on a second surface of the egg such that the
second
information faces a substantially different direction than the first
information.
In addition, a package of eggs is disclosed wherein each of the eggs in the
package has first information laser marked on it in substantially the same
location
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as the other eggs in the package and the eggs are oriented in the package such
that
information laser marked on each egg faces substantially the same direction as
the
information laser marked on the other eggs in the package. In addition, each
of
the eggs in the package has second information laser marked on it in
substantially
the same location as the other eggs in the package, and, for each of the eggs
in the
package, the second information faces a substantially different direction than
the
first information.
Further, a package of eggs is disclosed wherein at least two of the eggs in
the package have different information laser marked on them.
In some embodiments, information may be laser marked on at least one
egg such that at least some of the information comprises text that is oriented
horizontally with respect to a long axis of the egg and/or such that a center
point
of the information laser marked onto the egg is located between the middle and
an
end of the egg.
A method for laser marking eggs is disclosed which comprises using a
machine vision system to monitor laser marking of eggs by a laser marking
system, and adjusting one or more parameters of the laser marking system
(e.g.,
spot size intensity, and/or exposure time) based upon determinations made by
the
machine vision system.
Additionally, a system for laser marking eggs is disclosed which
comprises a machine vision system and one or more control elements. The
machine vision system is configured and arranged to monitor laser marking of
eggs by a laser marking system, and the one or more control elements are
configured and arranged to adjust one or more parameters of the laser marking
system based upon determinations made by the machine vision system.
Further, a system for laser marking eggs is disclosed comprising multiple
laser marking apparatuses and a central server. The laser marking apparatuses
are
configured and arranged to perform laser marking jobs queued by local
computers
for laser marking eggs being packed by egg packing stations. The central
server
is configured to distribute the laser marking jobs to the local computers.
In addition, a method is disclosed for controlling laser marking jobs which
comprises distributing the laser marking jobs from a central computer to local
computers responsible for queuing laser marking jobs to one or more laser
marking apparatuses configured and arranged to laser mark information on eggs.
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Methods and apparatus also are shown for combining laser marking and
ink marking of eggs, using any of the foregoing laser marking methods or
apparatus. When laser and ink marking are combined, the laser marking may be
used to record on eggs information which, for product assurance reasons,
preferably comprises a permanent marking, such as a traceability code and/or
freshness date or the like, with only "less critical" information being marked
by
ink. However, if permanent ink is employed, it also is contemplated that ink
marking may make laser marking unnecessary.
Combining laser marking and ink marking in the same environment may
require that safety precautions be taken, unless the inks are water-soluble.
To
combine laser marking of eggs with ink jet printing using permanent inks is
complicated. It is not simply a matter of substituting for water-soluble inks
those
which have a different chemical composition, because those different
compositions normally involve a volatile component which creates a flammable
or explosive atmosphere as the ink is applied and dries. The energy from a
laser
beam can ignite the volatile vapors. Approaches are shown for reducing the
risk
of ignition of the volatile vapors. For example, in some embodiments, the
lasing
station(s) may be shrouded by a housing wherein a positive pressure of a clean
air
(or inert gas) environment is maintained, so that the level of volatile vapors
is
maintained below that which is combustible. Or the lasing station(s) and ink
printing station(s) may be separated by several (e.g., 15 ¨ 20 or more) feet
and an
exhaust system may draw away the volatile vapors to a degree sufficient to
reduce
the level of volatile vapors exposed to the laser beams to one which is well
below
a combustible mixture. Alternatively, an inert gas may be pumped into the
lasing
station so as to keep the oxygen level low and avoid a combustible mixture.
Having achieved methods and systems for marking eggs while they are
"in-carton," and presented in a uniform orientation, it also has been realized
that
objects other than eggs may be process using similar methods and apparatus.
Accordingly, one aspect of the invention shown herein is a method for
processing
a package of objects, comprising a step of, after the objects have been placed
in
the package, mechanically adjusting a position of one or more of the objects
so
that each of the objects assumes a particular orientation within the package.
Optionally, one or more of the objects then may receive information marked on
its
surface. Such marking may, but need not, comprise laser marking the
information
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on a surface of one or more of the objects.
The orienting step may be performed using an object orienter positioned
above the package and comprising a plurality of resilient members configured
and
arranged to be moved relative to the objects in the package so as to urge them
to
5 predetermined orientations. Orienting objects may further comprise
adjusting the
position of the one or more objects in the package so that a long axis of each
object in the package is tilted toward the back of the package so as to be at
least
slightly offset from vertical.
Another aspect is thus an apparatus for processing packages of objects on
10 a conveyor, comprising an
object orienter configured and arranged with
respect to the conveyor so as to adjust a position of one or more of the
objects in
each of the packages so that each of the objects in a given package assumes a
particular orientation within that package. The object orienter may be further
configured and arranged to adjust the position of the one or more objects in
each
of the packages so that a long axis of each object in a given package is
tilted
toward the back of the package so as to be at least slightly offset from
vertical.
In some embodiments, the orienter may comprise a plurality of resilient
members configured and arranged to be moved relative to the objects in each
package so as to urge them to predetermined orientations.
In some embodiments according to this aspect, the objects are eggs and
each package has a bottom portion for receiving eggs and a hinged lid, and the
apparatus further comprises a package reversing mechanism upstream of the
orienter, which receives packages with lids open and oriented toward an
upstream
direction and then reverses the package direction so that the open lid is
disposed
toward the orienter and leading the package; and downstream of the orienter,
one
or more printing stations for printing information on the eggs. The printing
stations may include laser and/or ink marking apparatus. If both laser and ink
printing are incorporated, care must be taken to ensure safety and
compatibility.
The conveyor preferably is slanted in an upward direction relative to movement
of
the packages with respect to the orienter and the one or more printing
stations, so
that gravity assists in keeping the eggs tilted in the package, as they are
positioned
by the orienter, as the conveyor moves packages along.
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10a
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method
for processing a package of eggs, comprising: (a) after the eggs have been
placed in the
package, mechanically adjusting a position of one or more of the eggs so that
all of the eggs
assume a same orientation within the package; and (b) after performing the
step (a), marking
information on a surface of one or more of the eggs while the eggs are in the
package.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an
apparatus for processing packages of eggs on a conveyor, comprising: an egg
orienter
configured and arranged with respect to the conveyor so as to adjust a
position of one or more
of the eggs in a package disposed on the conveyor so that each of the eggs in
the package
assumes a consistent, particular orientation; and a marking apparatus located
downstream
from the egg orienter along a conveying direction of the conveyor, the marking
apparatus
configured and arranged to mark information on a surface of the one or more of
the eggs
while the eggs are in the package disposed on the conveyor.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided
an
apparatus for processing packages of eggs on a conveyor, comprising: means for
adjusting a
position of one or more of the eggs in each package so that each of the eggs
in a given
package assumes a consistent, particular orientation; and at least one sensor
configured and
arranged to sense a position of each of the packages of eggs with respect to
the means for
adjusting as the conveyor carries the packages of eggs past the means for
adjusting.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
method for laser marking eggs, comprising steps of: (a) laser marking
information onto one
or more eggs while the eggs are in a package disposed on a conveyor of a
packing station; and
(b) prior to performing the step (a), blowing air onto the eggs while the eggs
are in the
package disposed on the conveyor.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided an
apparatus for laser marking eggs on a conveyor of a packing station,
comprising: a laser
source; one or more optical steering elements configured and arranged to
direct energy from
the laser source so as to mark information onto one or more eggs in packages
of eggs disposed
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10b
on the conveyor; and an air source configured and arranged to blow air onto
the eggs while
the eggs are in the packages disposed on the conveyor and before the one or
more optical
steering elements direct energy from the laser source so as to mark the
information onto the
one or more eggs in the packages.
According to yet a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided
a
package of eggs comprising a plurality of eggs arranged in a plurality of
rows, wherein the
eggs are arranged in the package so that, for every row of the plurality of
rows, a long axis of
each egg in the row is tilted toward the back of the package so as to be at
least slightly offset
from vertical.
According to still a further aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a
package of eggs comprising a plurality of eggs arranged in one or more rows,
wherein the
eggs are further arranged in the package so that a long axis of each egg in
the package is offset
no more than 20 degrees from a long axis of each other egg in the package;
each of the eggs in
the package has information marked on it in substantially the same location as
the other eggs
in the package; and the eggs are oriented in the package such that the
information marked on
each egg faces substantially the same direction as the information marked on
the other eggs in
the package.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
package of eggs comprising a plurality of eggs arranged in one or more rows,
wherein the
eggs are further arranged in the package so that the long axes of all of the
eggs in the package
are substantially parallel.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
package of eggs comprising a plurality of eggs arranged in one or more rows,
wherein the
eggs are arranged in the package such that long axes of all of the eggs in
each row of eggs in
the package form approximate right angles with respect to a line intercepting
bottoms of
receptacles holding the eggs in such a row so that each such long axis is no
more than about
7 degrees from any other such long axis.
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10c
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
package of eggs, wherein: each of the eggs in the package has first
information laser marked
on it in substantially the same location as the first information on the other
eggs in the
package; the eggs are oriented in the package such that the first information
laser marked on
each egg faces substantially the same direction as the first information laser
marked on the
other eggs in the package; each of the eggs in the package has second
information laser
marked on it in substantially the same location as the first information on
the other eggs in the
package; and for each of the eggs in the package, the second information faces
a substantially
different direction than the first information.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided
a
method for laser marking eggs, comprising: (a) using a machine vision system
to monitor
laser marking of eggs by a laser marking system; and (b) adjusting one or more
parameters of
the laser marking system based upon determinations made by the machine vision
system.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
system for laser marking eggs, comprising: a machine vision system configured
and arranged
to monitor laser marking of eggs by a laser marking system; and one or more
control elements
configured and arranged to adjust one or more parameters of the laser marking
system based
upon determinations made by the machine vision system.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
system for laser marking eggs, comprising: a plurality of laser marking
apparatuses
configured and arranged to perform laser marking jobs queued by local
computers for laser
marking eggs being packed by egg packing stations; and a central server,
coupled to the local
computers, configured to distribute the laser marking jobs to the local
computers.
According to yet a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided
a
method for controlling laser marking jobs, comprising a step of: (a) with a
central server,
distributing the laser marking jobs from the central computer to local
computers responsible
for queuing laser marking jobs to one or more laser marking apparatuses
configured and
arranged to laser mark information on eggs.
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10d
According to still a further aspect of the present invention, there is
provided an
apparatus for processing packages of eggs on a conveyor, comprising: an egg
orienter
configured and arranged with respect to the conveyor so as to adjust a
position of one or more
of the eggs in each of the packages so that each of the eggs in a given
package assumes a
particular orientation within that package; the orienter comprising a
plurality of resilient
members configured and arranged to be moved relative to the eggs in each
package so as to
urge them to predetermined orientations; each package having a bottom portion
for receiving
eggs and a hinged lid, comprising: (a) a package reversing mechanism upstream
of the
orienter, which receives packages with lids open and oriented toward an
upstream direction
1 0 and then reverses the package direction so that the open lid is
disposed toward the orienter and
leading the package; and (b) downstream of the orienter, one or more printing
stations for
printing information on the eggs.
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11
Brief Description of the Drawings
Fig. 1 is a side-view of an illustrative example of a laser marking system
embodying various inventive features, configured to be operational with a
conventional egg packing apparatus;
Figs. 2-4 are partially cut-away, perspective views of various components
of the system shown in Fig. 1;
Figs. 5A and 5B are partial block diagrams of top and side views,
respectively, of a portion of the conveyor used by the system shown in Figs. 1-
4
and various components that may operate in conjunction therewith;
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an illustrative embodiment of an egg
orienter that may be used in a system such as that illustrated in Fig. 5;
Figs. 7A and 7B illustrate side and front views, respectively, of an egg
package containing eggs as it may appear after it has been processed by an egg
orienter such as that shown in Figs. 5 and 6;
Fig. 8 is an illustration of a front view of an egg as it may appear when
marked using one or more the techniques described herein;
Fig. 9 is a block diagram showing components of a computer network that
may be employed to allow for centralized control of laser marking apparatuses
located at different facilities;
Figs. 10A and 10B show perspective views of the two sides of a driving
mechanism that may be used to move the egg orienter of Fig. 6 in a desired
manner;
Figs. 11A and 11B are, respectively, side and top schematic diagrams of
an alternative egg marking system illustrating marking with both laser energy
and
ink, in an embodiment that may be added on to most conventional egg grading
and packing systems; and
Fig. 12 is a simplified side sectional diagrammatic illustration of a portion
of the system of Figs. 11A and 11B used to reverse the direction of an egg
package
Detailed Description
Laser marking eggs "on the fly" at high speeds, e.g., while the eggs are in
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12
motion through a grading station at speeds of typically about 100 to 300 feet
per
minute (fpm), is problematic for several reasons. For example, it can produce
a
less-than-ideal result in some circumstances, in terms of marking quality and
reliability. "Reliability," in this context, refers to the percentage of eggs
processed by the system that have clear, legible, and consistent markings on
them
(whether evaluated objectively or subjectively). For example, we have
recognized
that in order for a means of marking eggs with indicia suitable for repacking
purposes to be both widely commercially viable and economically feasible, it
is
important for a large percentage of the eggs processed to have clear, legible,
consistent markings. One reason for this is that, in many circumstances, eggs
that
are mismarked with such indicia must be discarded, for one reason or another.
In addition, we have observed, for example, that the limited window of
time and finite space available for accessing and laser marking an egg using
on-
the-fly techniques typically permits only a limited amount of information to
be
laser marked on the egg in a direction extending along the egg's long axis.
The
inherent lack of accuracy in tracking a high-speed moving target, as well as
the
orientation, inevitable vibrations, and other motion within such a moving
mechanical system, can further compromise the quality of the resulting image
and
render it insufficient for certain purposes.
Moreover, our experience has shown that attempting to laser mark eggs
during the grading process can be problematic for some applications because a
typical process involves washing the eggs shortly before attempting to laser
mark
indicia onto them. The resulting lack of uniformity in the dryness of the
surface
of the eggs can result in inaccurate or uneven markings. Laser marking codes
in
small fonts and complex information, e.g., an intricate company logo, during
the
grading process can be particularly problematic for the foregoing reasons.
In addition, the dust generated during the laser marking process can cause
problems for both local (i.e., at the laser marking station) and downstream
components. While vacuuming away excess dust can be performed, it has proven
difficult in practice to accomplish effectively.
Furthermore, when eggs are marked at a particular location, e.g., on their
sides, before they reach the packer, there is a risk that the packer will put
the eggs
into the package in an orientation that precludes or obscures visibility.
Accordingly, eggs marked by components upstream of the packer frequently are
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13
packed in such a way that the marked indicia on the egg will be hidden unless
and
until the egg is repositioned so as to be properly oriented for clear
visibility of the
marking.
Additionally, when eggs are marked before they reach a packer, the ability
to redirect the eggs to a needed location after they have been marked is
restricted.
That is, once an egg has been marked in a particular way, it can be directed
only
to a packer that is processing eggs consistent with the markings that were
marked
on it. For example, once an egg has been marked with a manufacturer's logo,
that
egg cannot thereafter be directed to a packer responsible for packing eggs for
a
different manufacturer.
We have further observed that, if one desires to employ a uniform
apparatus that can be retrofit or added to existing egg-handling systems of
different designs, the one portion that such systems share in common is the
conveyor of the egg packer, where eggs are delivered for packing into cartons,
or
in the cartons themselves.
Significantly, we have found that integrating a laser marking process into
an egg packing apparatus, rather than an upstream component such as a grading
station, involves a different set of constraints and can produce substantial
benefits.
In particular, we have determined that laser marking eggs in a packing
apparatus,
after they have been placed into packages, can alleviate at least some, and
perhaps
even all, of the various drawbacks of the grader-based laser marking process
discussed above, as well as providing an approach adaptable to all or most pre-
existing egg production systems. Indeed, we have observed in practice that an
embodiment of the system described herein can result in a large improvement in
laser marking quality and reliability over a grader-based system. Moreover, it
allows laser marking on much more of the eggs' surfaces and can do so without
slowing down egg processing. In some embodiments, it also facilitates the
integration of laser marking with ink marking, the latter permitting (if
desired)
multi-color printing.
In some embodiments, a continuous conveyor that carries filled packages
of eggs may slow or stop periodically as each new row of each new package of
eggs is loaded. Advantageously, the eggs in a loaded package may be laser
marked during one or more of the periods (after the loading period) during
which
the package is held stationary as the rows of eggs are loaded into another
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upstream package. One or more sensors (e.g., photo-electric eyes) and/or
conveyor motion monitors (e.g., a monitor that counts ticks of a conveyor
belt)
may be used to determine precisely when a loaded package of eggs has moved
into position to be lased. If ink printing is being combined with laser
printing they
may be done when the eggs are in a same position or each may be performed
when the eggs are at different positions. For example, one row of eggs may be
lased while another row is being inked. The accuracy of both the laser and ink
markings can therefore be enhanced considerably simply because the eggs remain
stationary during the printing operation(s). In other embodiments, the
conveyor
may carry packed packages of eggs at a somewhat constant rate (subject to
start-
and-stop motion) in front of the laser-aiming mirrors (aka "galvos"). In such
embodiments, a combination of sensors and conveyor motion monitors may be
used to accurately track the position of the respective eggs during the
printing
process.
In some embodiments, multiple galvos may be used to laser mark the eggs
in each package that passes by a laser marking station. In addition, packages
of
eggs typically advance on a conveyor of a packer at but a small fraction of
the rate
at which individual eggs move through an upstream grader. As such, using the
implementations described herein, a significantly longer window of time may be
available for each galvo to laser mark each individual egg and for ink jet
apparatus to ink-print eggs. (Note that prior ink printing of eggs typically
is
limited to stamping, not ink-jet printing. The material ink printed therefore
tends
not to be very intricate in features, and tends to be monochrome). This
additional
available marking time may allow the galvos to make multiple passes over each
egg and thereby increase the laser marking quality (e.g., contrast)
significantly,
while similarly allowing for much improved ink marking, as well.
Another potential benefit to laser marking eggs in packages is that the eggs
may be manipulated so as to be oriented in the packages in a particular
(uniform)
manner in advance of the printing process. For example, in some embodiments,
eggs in the packages on the conveyor of a packer may be manipulated so that
all
of the eggs are centered and tilted slightly backwards, uniformly. As such, a
relatively large surface area of the egg will be immediately visible to a
consumer
(or an inspector, vendor, or other person) who opens the package. By so
orienting
the eggs in the package prior to the printing process, the amount of "visible"
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surface area made available to the laser (and ink head, if used), for marking,
may
be increased. In addition, the information that is actually marked on the eggs
(expiration dates, tracking codes, advertisements, etc.) will be readily
communicated to the consumer (or an inspector, vendor, or any other person who
5 might subsequently open the package) immediately upon opening the
package.
As an example, a consumer opening a carton of eggs may immediately be
presented with neatly arranged, uniformly oriented rows of eggs, each having
information such as a company's logo and/or an expiration date prominently
displayed at the same location and directly facing the customer.
10 In addition to the above, laser marking eggs after they have been
placed in
packages can further be advantageous because of the limited number of
components located downstream of the laser marking station and the reduced
likelihood that the dust created during the laser marking process will
interfere
with the operation of any mechanical or optical components. In some
15 embodiments, for example, the only operation performed by the packer
following
the laser marking process described herein is the closing of the package. Any
dust
generated by the laser marking process that escapes the vacuuming process
described below (if employed) is unlikely to have a significant adverse affect
on
the operation of the package closing station.
Furthermore, printing on eggs after they have been placed in packages
minimizes the risk that the marked section of the egg will end up hidden from
view by a consumer opening the package. That is, when an egg is printed prior
to
being put in a package, there is a good chance that the egg will be placed in
the
package by the packer in such a way that the image marked on the egg will be
obscured or not visible at all unless the egg is rotated, flipped end-to-end,
or
otherwise reoriented. Marking eggs after they have been placed in packages can
minimize the risk that an egg will be so oriented when a consumer (or anyone
else) opens a given package.
Additionally, marking eggs after they have reached a particular packer
ensures that only the eggs being processed by that packer will be marked with
the
desired information. Accordingly, marking eggs after they have been placed in
packages allows unmarked eggs to be directed to any of numerous packers, or
perhaps redirected to a different packer, at any time, without a concern that
a
given packer will receive an egg with inappropriate or unintended markings.
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16
An example of a laser marking apparatus embodying various inventive
features described herein is illustrated in Figs. 1-4. In the example shown, a
laser
marking apparatus 100 is configured to be retrofitted onto an existing egg
packing
apparatus 200, for example, of a type manufactured by Diamond Automations,
Inc. It should be appreciated, however, that one or more, or perhaps even all,
of
the components of the laser marking apparatus 100 may additionally or
alternatively be integrated into an egg packing apparatus, such as that shown,
at
the time of its manufacture. Additionally, it should be appreciated that the
egg
packing apparatus shown is but one example of an apparatus with which aspects
of the invention may be employed and that various features of the invention
may
additionally or alternatively be employed in connection with any of a number
of
different types of apparatuses, as discussed above.
As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the egg packing apparatus 200 may comprise a
set of two identical egg packers 200a, 200b, each including a conveyor 202a,
202b
(e.g., a belt conveyor, roller conveyor, chain conveyor, etc.). Each conveyor
= 202a, 202b moves empty packages 204 through a respective egg loading
section
206a, 206b at which eggs are loaded into them from above, and then moves the
filled packages to a respective package closing section 208a, 208b that is
responsible for closing the lids of the packages 204. As shown in Fig. 1 and
Fig.
2, eggs may be supplied to the egg packers 200a, 200b via a grader 300.
Although only a cross-section of the grader 300 is shown, it should be
appreciated
that the grader 300 will typically be a fairly large piece of equipment,
commonly
on the order of 50 or 60 feet long in a direction perpendicular to the packer
conveyors.
In the embodiment shown, the laser marking apparatus 100 comprises a
pair of identical laser marking systems, one to service each of the two
portions
200a, 200b of the egg packer 200. The frame 101 in the illustrated example
may,
for example, be used to support both portions of the laser marking apparatus
100.
Alternatively, separate frames could be used. Because the configuration and
operation of the two laser marking systems are essentially the same, only one
of
the two systems will be described. It should be understood, however, that the
following description applies equally to both portions of the laser marking
apparatus 100. In should also be appreciated that the existence of two side-by-
side laser marking systems is not a requirement of the invention, and that
different
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17
embodiments may employ fewer or greater numbers of such systems.
In the illustrated embodiment, a main housing 102 of one of the laser
marking systems (shown in Fig. 1) contains a group of three laser sources
104a,
104b, 104c. Each laser source 104 may, for example, comprise a 70-100 watt
carbon dioxide (CO2) laser, mother laser having a wavelength on the order of
10,640 nano-meters, operated at 70-90% of rated power and delivering to the
egg
shell a power density (at an appropriate spot size) of up to about 2000
watts/sq. in.
As shown, two-to-one beam splitters 106a, 106b, 106c may be used to divide
laser
energy from the laser sources 104 into multiple beams and mirrors may be used
to
direct the resulting six laser beams through a channel of a lower housing 108
(shown in Fig. 1) to a set of six two-dimensional laser-aiming mirrors
(galvos)
110. In other embodiments, rather than employing beam splitters, a separate
laser
source may be employed for each galvo 110. Each galvo 110 may thus, for
example, be responsible for lasing two eggs in a package of twelve, or three
eggs
in a package of eighteen, or more eggs in a larger package, or just a single
egg.
The spot size of the laser beams impinging on the eggs may, for example, be on
the order of 4 millimeters (mm) diameter. This spot size may be generated, for
example, by starting with a 2-2.5 mm coherent spot at the laser output and
expanding it to about 3.75 mm via a collimating lens assembly followed by a 10-
inch focusing lens. Any other arrangement (e.g., different laser output, up-
collimator and focusing lens may be used to provide a suitably small spot size
of
the indicated power density and corresponding sweep rate (thus delivering
equivalent energy density). With adjustments to sweep rate and spot size, more
or
less laser output power may be employed, while energy density is kept within a
range that produces adequate etching of the egg shell to a depth of up to
about 25
microns. Thus, the inventive systems and methods are not limited to a specific
combination of parameters but to a combination that produces good results in
terms of legible markings on the eggs.
Electronic control boards 111 contained within the lower housing 108 may
include conventional circuitry (analog, digital, etc.) to control the
operation of the
laser sources 104 and the galvos 110. One or more sensors (not shown in Figs.
1-
4) may also detect the position of egg packages on the conveyor with respect
to
the galvos 110 and allow the control boards 111 to determine when a given
package filled with eggs is in position for lasing. In other embodiments, one
or
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18
more control boards 111 may additionally or alternatively be located elsewhere
in
the system for easier accessibility, to allow for better ventilation, etc.
Figs. 5A and 5B are block diagrams showing, respectively, top and side
views of a portion of the conveyor and related components that may be disposed
between an egg loading section 206 and a package closing section 208 of one of
the two portions of the egg packing apparatus 200, shown in Figs. 1-4. In the
illustrative example shown, the conveyor is controlled so as to move packages
204 sequentially to each of five primary locations A-E. At each such primary
location, moreover, the conveyor causes the package 204 to move sequentially
through a series of sub-locations equal to the number of rows of eggs 205 (the
reference 205 being to the eggs themselves) in the packages 204 being loaded.
This occurs because the egg loading section 206 typically loads one row of six
eggs 205 at a time, thus requiring the conveyor 202 to move the package
slightly
forward prior to loading each new row of eggs. A typical egg packer will
process
approximately 35 cases of eggs per hour, with each case including 30 dozen
eggs.
At this rate, the packages may, for example, spend approximately 5 seconds at
each of the primary locations A-E before being moved by the conveyor 202 to
the
next such primary location. The packages may thus, for example, spend
approximately 1-2 seconds at each of the sub-locations within each of
locations
A-E.
In the example shown, the conveyor 202 first moves the package 204 to a
primary location A within the egg loading section 206 of the egg packing
apparatus 200. As shown, when the package 204 stops at this section, a number
of eggs 205 corresponding to the number of receptacles in the package 204
(e.g.,
twelve, eighteen, or more) are disposed into the package 204. As noted above,
the
eggs may be loaded one row (e.g., six eggs) at a time, with the conveyor 202
advancing the package 204 slightly to allow for subsequent rows to be loaded.
Next, the conveyor moves the package 204 to a location B where an
operation is performed to orient the eggs to a desired position for laser
marking as
well as for display to a consumer who ultimately opens the package 204, or
perhaps to an inspector or an employee of a retailer or distributor who later
examines the eggs for inspection and/or repacking purposes. As shown, the eggs
205 may be oriented in a somewhat haphazard manner within the package at the
time they reach the location B. Once they reach the location B, however, an
egg
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19
orienter 112 may be operated so as to reorient the eggs into the desired
position.
The egg orienter 112 may be any of numerous devices capable of reorienting the
eggs within the package, and the invention is not limited to any particular
device
or structure for performing such a function. One illustrative example of an
egg
orienter 112 suitable for this purpose is shown in Fig. 6. It should be
appreciated
that the egg orienter 112 may be located at any of numerous positions along
the
conveyor 202 and need not be located the particular location shown. In some
embodiments, for example, the equipment at the positions B and C in Figs. 5A
and B may be combined so as to operate on cartons of eggs located at the same
position. Additionally, in some embodiments, the egg orienter 112 may be
positioned to the right of the galvos 110 shown in Figs. 5A and 5B rather than
to
the left thereof.
As illustrated by arrows 113 adjacent the egg orienter 112 in Figs. 5A and
5B, the egg orienter 112 may first be moved (e.g., using via a pneumatic
piston or
another suitable actuator or motor ¨ not shown in Figs. 5A and B) down behind
the egg package 204 and then may be swept forward (in the direction of normal
belt movement) across the rows of eggs 205 (typically two or three rows of six
eggs each).
As illustrated by arrows 115 in Fig. 5A, as it is moved forward, the egg
orienter 112 may also be shimmied (e.g., using a rotating pneumatic actuator
or
another suitable actuator or motor ¨ not shown in Figs. 5A and B) in a side-to-
side
fashion so as to help overcome the friction between the eggs 205 and the
receptacles of the package 204; or another mechanism may be employed for this
purpose. Alternatively, other function-reduction approaches may be
substituted.
Finally, the egg orienter 112 may be raised and then moved back to its
starting
position until another row of eggs is moved into location B for processing. In
some embodiments, the egg orienter 112 may be swept across the entire package
of eggs in a single pass. Alternatively, it may be swept across one row of
eggs
205 at a time each time the package 204 is moved to a new sub-location within
location B.
As shown in Figs. 5A and 5B, one or more sensors (e.g., photo-electric
eyes 214a-b) may be used, either alone or together with a belt tick monitor or
the
like, to track the precise position of the egg package 204 with respect to the
egg
orienter 112.
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An example of a driving mechanism 122 that may be used to move the egg
orienter 112 in a desired manner (e.g., as indicated by the arrows 113, 115 in
Figs.
5A and B) is shown in Figs. 10A and 10B. The driving mechanism 122 may, for
example, straddle the conveyor 202 at the location B (see Figs. 5A-B) so that
5 packages of eggs pass underneath the egg orienter 112 in a direction
indicated by
the arrow 124 in Figs. 10A-B. As shown, the driving mechanism 122 may
comprise a frame 126 that supports several double-acting pneumatic cylinders
128, 130a, 130b as well as a rotating pneumatic actuator 136. In the example
shown, the pneumatic cylinder 128 and associated pistons 142 are responsible
for
10 moving the egg orienter 112 up and down (i.e., perpendicular to a plane
of the
conveyor 202) as indicated by the arrow 132 in Fig. 10A. Similarly, in the
embodiment shown, the pair of pneumatic cylinders 130a and 130b and associated
pistons 144 are responsible for moving the egg orienter 112 forward and
backward over an egg package 204 (i.e., parallel to the direction of conveyor
15 motion (see arrow 124)), as indicated by the arrow 134 in Fig. 10B.
Also, in the
embodiment shown, the rotating pneumatic actuator 136 is responsible for
causing
the egg orienter 112 to shimmy slightly from side to side as the egg orienter
112 is
swept over the package 204 of eggs 205, as indicated by the arrow 138 in Fig.
10A.
20 As shown in Fig. 10B, the pneumatic components of the driving
mechanism 122 may be connected to a compressor unit 140 (or other source of
compressed air) that may be controlled so as to regulate the air flow to such
components and thereby appropriately control their operation. Of course,
embodiments that employ other types of actuators or motors (e.g., electric or
hydraulic actuators or motors) may employ different types of control units to
regulate movement of the egg orienter 112 in the desired manner.
As shown in Fig. 6, the egg orienter may comprise a frame 114 made of a
suitable light-weight, sturdy material (e.g., aluminum) and a brush element
116
for sweeping across the tops of the eggs 205 in the package 204 to reorient
them
into the desired position. The brush element 116 may, for example, comprise a
set of flexible but resilient fingers made of a suitable food-grade plastic,
rubber, or
other material. In the example shown, the brush element 116 is fastened to the
frame 114 using a scallop-shaped aluminum member 118 to impart to the brush
element 116 a corresponding scallop shape. Shaping the brush element 116 in
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21
this way allows nooks of the scallop shape to appropriately position the eggs
205
into the desired left-to-right position within the package 204.
In the embodiment shown, the egg orienter 112 further includes a set of
tubes 120 disposed between nooks of the scallop-shaped aluminum member 118
and the frame 114. As shown, the tubes 120 may be arranged such that a pair of
them straddles each egg 205 as the egg orienter 112 is swept across the tops
of the
eggs 205 in the package 204. Advantageously, a high-velocity air source (not
shown) may be connected to the tubes 120 such that air may be blown onto and
around the eggs 205 as the egg orienter 112 sweeps over the eggs 205 to
reposition them. Blowing air over and around the eggs in such a fashion can
help
dry the surface of the eggs 205 uniformly prior to laser marking them and may
also help overcome the friction between the bottoms of the eggs 205 and the
package receptacles by creating a slight cushion of air between them.
In the illustrative embodiment shown, after the egg orienter 112 has
repositioned the eggs 205 within the package 204, the conveyor 202 moves the
package 204 to a location C at which a laser marking operation may be
performed. Figs. 7A and 7B illustrate how a group of eggs 205 may be oriented
within a package 204 when the package 204 reaches the location C (as well as
when the eggs ultimately reach a store, an end consumer, or some other post-
packing location). Fig. 7A is a side view and Fig. 7B is a front view of a
package
204 in which the eggs have been so oriented.
As shown, as a result of the processing by the egg orienter 112, the eggs
205 may be arranged uniformly within the package 204, with each egg 205 being
tilted slightly toward the back 228 of the package 204 (see Fig. 7A) so that a
large
portion 230 of its surface area is exposed to the galvo 110 responsible for
marking
on it. In some embodiments, for example, the egg orienter 112 may manipulate
the eggs 205 such that a long axis 232 of each egg is tilted at least slightly
toward
the back 228 of the package. For example, in certain embodiments, the egg
orienter 112 may manipulate the eggs such that a long axis of each egg is
offset
from veitical (with "vertical" being defined as a line 233 normal to a plane
coincident with a bottom portion 236 of the package (which, in Figs. 7A and
7B,
is parallel to the surface of the conveyor 202)) by an angle e that is a
minimum of
3 degrees. In other embodiments, each of the eggs 205 in the each carton 204
may be offset from vertical by a minimum angle 0, typically from 1 to about 22
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22
degrees, or greater. In some embodiments, the egg orienter 112 can manipulate
the eggs 205 so that such angle for each egg is approximately 10 degrees, or
some other suitable angle that maximizes the surface area that is made
available to
the laser marking apparatus for writing.
As shown in Fig. 7B, the egg orienter 112 may additionally orient the eggs
205 so that the long axes 232 of all of the eggs in each row of six eggs form
approximate right angles with respect to a line intercepting the bottoms of
the
receptacles holding the eggs in such a row. In some implementations, the long
axes 232 of all of the eggs in a given package may be oriented such that each
such
long axis 232 is no more than about 20 degrees (or, in some embodiments, no
more than about 25 degrees, or no more than about 24 degrees, or no more than
about 23 degrees, or no more than about 22 degrees, or no more than about 21
degrees, or no more than about 19 degrees, or no more than about 18 degrees,
or
no more than about 17 degrees, or no more than about 16 degrees, or no more
than
about 15 degrees, or no more than about 14 degrees, or no more than about 13
degrees, or no more than about 12 degrees, or no more than about 11 degrees,
or
no more than about 10 degrees, or no more than about 9 degrees, or no more
than
about 8 degrees, or no more than about 7 degrees, or no more than about 6
degrees, or no more than about 5 degrees, or no more than about 4 degrees, or
no
more than about 3 degrees, or no more than about 2 degrees, or no more than
about 1 degree) offset from any other such long axis.
When the eggs 205 are oriented within the package 204 in such a manner,
the surface of the egg 205 that is immediately apparent to someone opening the
package is neither an end nor the middle of the egg 205, but rather a section
of the
egg somewhere between those two locations. Fig. 8 shows an example of an egg
205 having laser marking on it. As shown, a point 234 in the center of the
marking (also shown in Figs. 7A and 7B) may be located between an end 210 and
the middle 212 (i.e., the area located mid-way between the egg's two ends) of
the
egg 205. In some embodiments, the information marked on the egg may extend
from the end 210 of the egg (or beyond) to the middle 212 of the egg (or
beyond).
As shown in Fig. 8, the information may be marked on the egg so as to extend
horizontally with respect to the egg's long axis. In some embodiments,
information may additionally or alternatively be marked so as to extend
vertically
generally in a direction of the egg's long axis. In some embodiments, the
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23
information laser marked on each egg may comprise one or more of a
traceability
code (uniquely identifying a specific egg or relatively small group of eggs ¨
e.g., a
carton), a company's logo and/or other advertising, an expiration date,
grading
information, and packing codes (e.g., a state code, a county code, a packer
code
5 and/or a Julian date). The eggs in a carton may be marked with as little
or as
much information in common as is desired. Thus, a message can, in fact, be
piece-wise printed across multiple eggs.
= In some embodiments, eggs may be oriented in each package and
information may be marked on the eggs in such a way that the information
10 marked on all of the eggs in each package can be viewed immediately upon
opening the package, without requiring a human being to manipulate any of the
eggs to allow such information to be viewed.
It is known that a significant percentage the eggs that are produced have
the salmonella virus on them. For this and other reasons, various regulations
exist
15 governing when and how eggs may be manipulated. Allowing inspection of
laser
marked information on all of the eggs in a given package without needing to
manipulate any of the eggs in the package can thus provide significant
advantages.
In the illustrative embodiment shown in Figs. 1-6, during each interval of
20 approximately 1-2 seconds wherein the package is at a sub-location
within the
primary location C, each of the six galvos 110 may be controlled to mark on a
respective one of six eggs in a given row. Accordingly, in some
implementations,
each galvo 110 may have approximately 1-2 second to complete the marking on
each egg 205 for which it is responsible. As shown in Figs. 5A and 5B, one or
25 more sensors (e.g., photo eyes 216a-b) may be used, either alone or
together with
a belt tick monitor or the like, to track the precise position of the egg
package 204
with respect to the galvos 110.
In some embodiments, a vector-based process may be used to laser mark
on the eggs 205. In other embodiments, however, a dot matrix, raster, or other
30 laser marking process may additionally or alternatively be employed.
In some embodiments, each egg 205 may be marked in multiple passes
(e.g., two, three, or four times) during the available marking interval of
approximately 1-2 seconds. We have discovered that marking quality on egg
shells may be improved significantly by using a relatively low power (density)
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24
laser beam and marking in multiple passes. In some embodiments, this may be
accomplished by using a combination of laser power and output beam width,
optics and one or more beam splitters to divide the power from one or more
laser
sources so as to obtain laser beams having the desired power density level and
spot size. We believe it is the discoloration of the outer layer of the egg,
rather
than a deep etching of the egg shell (which is typically on the order of 300
microns thick), that allows good marking quality to be achieved. Indeed, when
exposed to a laser beam at too high a power or for too long a duration, the
outer
protein layer of an egg shell can be etched away completely, thereby
compromising mark quality. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the power,
beam sweeping rate, and/or number of passes may be adjusted to achieve good
discoloration without too deeply etching the surface of the eggs. In some
embodiments, a laser power of less than about 80 watts with the indicated
optics
and spot size (or, in some embodiments, less than about 75 watts, or less than
is about 70 watts, or less than about 65 watts, or less than about 60
watts, or less
than about 55 watts, or less than about 50 watts, or less than about 45 watts,
or
less than about 40 watts, or below) is applied to the eggs. In some
embodiments,
for example, such variables are controlled such that the resulting etching in
the
egg is no greater than about 25 microns deep.
It may be possible to achieve a better marking quality by varying the
power, spot size and/or beam sweeping rate that is employed during each of
respective multiple passes so as to ensure at least one such pass is performed
at a
power and/or rate that will achieve good discoloration. In some embodiments,
the
laser beam may be modulated during the laser marking process to improve the
mark quality. For example, the power may be reduced or the rate may be
increased at points where one line crosses another (e.g., when writing the
letter
so as to avoid an excessive amount of energy being delivered at the point of
overlap.
In some embodiments, the image to be marked on the eggs may be
digitally processed (e.g., pre-distorted) in advance of lasing the eggs 205 to
account for the actual or expected curvature of the eggs in question. Taking
such
a step may result in an image that does not appear distorted in spite of being
marked onto a non-planar surface.
In some implementations, one or more additional laser sources and/or
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galvos may be also be arranged add configured to mark on one or more different
portions of the
egg, e.g., a back side, in addition to the front-side location discussed
above. In some
embodiments, for example, it may be desirable to mark certain information of
immediate
importance to a consumer, e.g., an expiration date and/or brand
identification, on a front portion of
5 the eggs so that such information is immediately visible to a consumer
upon opening the box, and
to mark other information of less immediate importance, e.g., tracking codes
or the like, on the
back side of the eggs.
As shown in Figs. 5A and 5B, after the laser marking process is complete for a
given package 204, the conveyor 202 may move the package 204 to a location D
at which a
10 vacuum 218 nozzle connected to a vacuum source (not shown), together
with a blower nozzle 220
connected to a air source (not shown), may be used to remove dust generated by
the lasing process
and any other unwanted particles from the packages of eggs before they are
closed by the package
closing section 208 of the egg packer 200. In some embodiments, the vacuum
source and/or the
air source may be located apart from the laser marking apparatus 100 (e.g., on
a roof of a building
15 in which the apparatus 100 is located) and connected to the nozzles 218,
220 via appropriate tubes
or ductwork (not shown).
In some implementations, a machine vision system 146, 148 (shown in Fig. 1)
may be configured and arranged so as to examine the position and/or
characteristics of the eggs
that are to be marked and/or the quality and integrity of the infoimation that
is marked onto the
20 eggs. As shown in Fig. 1, in some embodiments, one or more machine
vision observation units
146 may, for example, be disposed adjacent beam projectors 148 of one or more
galvos. In other
embodiments, the one or more observation units 146 may be located elsewhere to
allow for
adequate observation. The one or more observation units 146 may be connected
to one or more
machine vision inspection system computers 149 using any suitable technique.
Each of the one or
25 more machine vision inspection computers 149 may be local to the system
100 or may be in a
remote location.
The egg processing system in question could, for example, be stopped if the
machine vision system determines that the mark quality has fallen below a
certain threshold. Such
a system may be closed-loop in some embodiments, such
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that feedback from the machine vision system may be used to control the galvos
110 and/or the laser sources 104 so as to improve the quality and reliability
of the
process. For example, feedback from a machine vision system might adjust the
number of passes made by the galvos, the rate at which the galvos scan, the
power
level of the laser, etc., in order to ensure a desired contrast level is
achieved
during the laser marking process. Additionally or alternatively, a machine
vision
system may examine the size, color, or other perceptible properties of the
eggs to
be marked and make appropriate adjustments to the laser marking components
and/or process to account for such variables and thereby ensure that image
quality
stays consistent in spite of such variations.
In some embodiments, it may be useful to allow for centralized control
and monitoring of the operation of multiple different laser marking
apparatuses
100 distributed throughout one or more facilities. Fig. 9 illustrates an
example of
a system that would allow for such centralized control. As shown, respective
groups of laser marking apparatuses 100 may be coupled to corresponding
facility
computers 222 so as to allow the facility computers to control the queuing of
laser
marking jobs to the control boards 111 of the various laser marking
apparatuses
100 as well as to monitor the health and status of such apparatuses. Laser
marking apparatuses 100 may thus behave essentially as network printers for
the
facility computers 222. Each facility computer 222 may, for example, be
located
at a respective egg processing facility.
Central server 224 may, in turn, be coupled via a network cloud 226 to the
group of facility computers 222 to allow the central server 224 to distribute
laser
marking jobs to the various facility computers 222 and to monitor the status
of
those jobs. The network cloud 226 may comprise any of a number of network
types, and may be distributed either over a local or wide area. In some
embodiments, the network cloud 226 may, for example, comprise the Internet.
When facilities are located in different geographic regions, different laser
marking
jobs may, for example, be distributed to the facility computers 222 at the
different
facilities depending on the region. If, for example, Major League Baseball
decided to contract to have team logos marked on eggs, instructions could be
sent
to the facilities that distribute eggs to the New England area to mark the
logo of
the Boston Red Sox on a given number of eggs at those facilities whereas
instructions could be sent to facilities that distribute eggs in the state of
Florida to
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mark the logo of the Florida Marlins on a certain number of eggs at those
facilities.
In some embodiments, the galvos 110 may be independently controlled
such that different images may be marked on different eggs in the same
package.
For example, the galvos 110 could be controlled such two eggs in a first row
of a
package have the letters "G" and "0" marked on them and six eggs in the second
row of the package have the letters "R," "E," "D," "S," "0," and "X" marked on
them. In some embodiments, each egg 205 may even be marked with a unique
identifier that allows it to be differentiated from every other egg that is
laser
marked using the system.
Ink printing
Ink printing thus far has not been satisfactory for marking eggs with indicia
desired to be permanent and (for practical purposes) unalterable in the chain
of
distribution. Such indicia may include, for example, a traceability code
and/or a
freshness date, or an origin code ¨ information used to provide assurances of
food
safety and/or tracking of the egg's path as it was handled. While suitable ink
compositions may at some time become available which can substitute for laser
marking, currently laser marking is the preferred way of applying such
indicia.
The integrity of other indicia, such as advertising, for example, is not
subject to
the same stringent requirements. For example, food safety is not adversely
impacted if an advertisement in a water soluble ink washes off an egg or
smears.
Thus, such indicia which need not be permanent could be applied by non-
permanent means without seriously detracting from the characteristics of the
egg,
including an egg bearing permanent markings. Therefore, advertising, for
example, could be applied by ink printing in addition to any laser-applied
markings.
When laser printing and ink printing are used together, it is important to
note that laser marking (etching) of the egg reduces the thickness of the
shell
where the laser beam performs its writing. Thus, it may be desired that care
be
taken to assure that ink will not be applied to the thus thinned places on the
egg
shell, if there is concern that the ink would more easily bleed through the
shell in
those locations and contaminate the egg's yolk or albumen. Such a precaution
may prove to be unnecessary, however, as natural fissures in an egg's shell
may
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be 90 microns deep and lasing as taught herein only removes about 25 microns
or
less. This result may be obtained either by doing the ink printing before the
laser
printing or by taking care to assure that ink is not applied to areas that
previously
= were laser-printed. When the ink printing is done first, if the
composition of the
ink is non-volatile, the laser beam can ablate the ink from locations where
laser
marking is to be provided; taking this to a logical conclusion, ink may be
applied
to provide a colored background field and then the egg may be marked by laser-
ablating the ink to allow the egg shell to appear in contrast against the
surrounding
ink. This kind of "reverse" printing may reduce some of the constraints on the
ink-application apparatus.
Applying ink markings to eggs in high-speed, commercial egg production,
previously has been done using special ink jet printers such as the model EJP
On-
Line Multi-Head Egg Jet Printer from Advanced Industrial Micro Systems of
Mumbai, India, while the eggs are moving down a conveyor, in-carton. This
printer uses water-soluble inks.
Turning to Figs. 11A and 11B, there is shown an example of an egg
marking system 300 employing the concepts disclosed herein in connection with
both a laser marking station 302 and an ink marking station 304. One can
either
dispose an ink jet printing station 304 upstream of (i.e., before) a laser
printing
station 302 as in Fig. 11A or downstream of a laser printing station (not
illustrated). It is contemplated that when ink jet printing is employed, one
or more
ink jets will be provided per egg being marked, and that all eggs in a row of
a
carton will be marked at the same time. Thus, while Fig. 11A shows just one
ink
head 306, more typically a group of print heads will be ganged together to
mark a
row of eggs. The required ink reservoir(s) can supply ink to the ink heads via
conduits 308.
An orienter 310 as described herein may be used to position the eggs in the
package before printing is performed, so that eggs do not shift position very
much
between the two printing stations. In this embodiment of an orienter, a series
of
resilient or sweeping members 311, depending from a support structure, urge
the
eggs into a tilted backward orientation. Thus, the desired relative printing
positions for the two stations can be achieved without requiring complicated
registration mechanisms.
To combine laser marking of eggs with ink jet printing using permanent inks is
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complicated by safety concerns. It is not simply a matter of substituting for
water-soluble inks those which have a different chemical composition, because
those different compositions normally involve a volatile component which
creates
a flammable or explosive atmosphere as the ink is applied and dries. The
energy
from a laser beam can ignite the volatile vapors, potentially causing fire and
even
an explosion. Aside from using ink compositions which will not emit dangerous
volatile vapors, one can reduce the risk of ignition of the volatile vapors in
a
number of ways. For example, as shown in Fig. 11A, the lasing station(s) 302
(i.e., the area in which the eggs are actually marked by the laser beams) may
contain one or more lasers 303a or at least laser beams 303b shrouded by a
housing 312 wherein a positive pressure of a clean air (or inert gas)
environment
is maintained, so that the level of volatile vapors is maintained below that
which
is combustible. Or the lasing station(s) and ink printing station(s) may be
separated by several (e.g., 15 ¨ 20 or more) feet and an exhaust system (not
shown) may draw away the volatile vapors to a degree sufficient to reduce the
level of volatile vapors exposed to the laser beams to one which is well below
a
combustible mixture. Or, alternatively, an inert gas may be pumped into the
lasing station so as to keep the oxygen level low and avoid a combustible
mixture.
Additional Embodiments
The above-described package conveying and egg printing arrangements
may be modified in various respects. Among them is an arrangement, shown
schematically in Fig. 11A (leaving out as much detail as possible), wherein
gravity can be used to assist in orienting the eggs as desired and in
maintaining
the orientation thereafter. A grading and packing system 320 drops eggs 322
into
egg cartons or packages 324 as they pass on a conveyor 326, with the hinged
lids
328 of the cartons arranged toward the downstream (in this drawing, leftward)
end of conveyor 326. When each carton reaches the end of conveyor 326, the
conveyor deposits the carton onto a rotatable tray 330. The tray 330 then is
rotated 180 degrees, moving the carton 324 from position A to position B,
wherein the hinged lid is now arranged toward the upstream end of conveyor
326.
The carton is then transferred to an upwardly slanted conveyor 334. Various
mechanisms can be employed to transfer the carton from the rotating tray to
the
downstream conveyor 334. For example, a portion of the tray may include a
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small conveyor mechanism 336, as diagrammatically indicated in the simplified
cross-section of a tray mechanism in Fig. 12. Alternatively, a supplementary
mechanism can be used to effectuate the transfer, such as a pivoted pusher
blade
338 and appropriate driving apparatus (e.g., a hydraulic cylinder or solenoid
340),
5 or any other desired mechanism. Likewise, a mechanism other that a
rotating tray
can be used to reverse the directions of the packages and if the grader/packer
supplying the eggs in cartons delivers packages with the lids open and
upstream
of the bottom of the package containing eggs, a reversing mechanism is
unnecessary.
10 An orienter station 310 may then operate upon the eggs in the
carton to
achieve the above-described orientation. From the orienter, conveyor 334
carries
the egg carton to an ink jet printing station 304, if used, and thereafter
into a
lasing station 302. (Or to a lasing stating first and then to an ink printing
station.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both sequences. Moreover, each of
the
15 printing stations may be considered optional as printing may be
limited to only
laser printing or only ink printing, in some embodiments.) At the output of
the
lasing station, a closer mechanism 344 pivots the lid 328 to close the carton.
The
conveyor 334 may discharge the closed egg cartons onto a flat surface which is
stationary, or onto another conveyor, from which the cartons may be removed
and
20 packed into boxes or crates.
The lasing station may include a housing 312 in which a non-volatile
environment is maintained by appropriate apparatus, not shown. The laser
devices may be contained within housing 312 or be external to that housing,
with
the laser beams conducted into the housing 312 via an enclosed path to which
the
25 ink volatiles are excluded.
Once the eggs are tilted backwardly in the cartons by the orienter, the
upward slant of conveyor 334 provides an additional force urging the eggs to
stay
tilted back even while the conveyor jostles the packages. This approach is
particularly helpful with respect to small eggs, and when the stopping and
starting
30 of the conveyor imparts enough force to overcome the friction begin
and egg and
the carton. On a horizontal surface, such an egg might fall forward in the
carton,
out of aligned orientation.
The type of embodiment shown in Figs. 11A, 11B can be used with the
majority of existing egg grading systems as it is merely added on to the
output of
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the grading. It is substantially a "one size fits all" approach.
The egg orienting operation is not limited to the above-discussed embodiment,
but
also may be performed by alternative apparatus. It may also be noted that it
may be desirable to break
the operation into two stages: (1) to orient, loosen and tilt the eggs and (2)
to straighten the eggs from
side to side. One apparatus can perform both operations or separate apparatus
can be used for each.
If the eggs are on the small side, which is common, and the conveyor is
horizontal or
only tilted a small amount, then as the carton is moved from one location into
the next location (which
may be the next station or just the next row or next carton printing position)
they can jostle or even fall
forward as the conveyor chain stops suddenly. Optionally, therefore, there may
be included as part of
the orienter two semi-flexible rods which may be brought down on either side
of the egg and rotated so
as to tend to straighten the eggs from side to side and also to push an egg
backward as the rods are
moved backward over the carton. These rods can be made small enough in
diameter to not be in the
way of the printing process and flexible enough to not damage the egg.
In another type of embodiment, the suspended resilient members of the orienter
may
comprise a plurality of suspended brushes or weighty, flat textile strips
hanging down from a frame
which drags them against the eggs in a motion similar to that employed in the
above-described
embodiment, to urge the eggs into the desired parallel, tilted positioning.
The orienter mechanism and process have been shown as applied to eggs, but it
should
be appreciated that it may be desirable to perform a similar operation on
other objects, whether
printing on them or not. For example, one might desire to orient other food
objects similarly for
packaging and/or labeling. These food objects might include produce such as
apples and pears or bell
peppers or any of a number of other fruits or vegetables. They might also
include manufactured food
products such as chocolates and candies that the manufacturer wishes to place
uniformly into
packages, or non-food products such as Christmas tree ornaments.
Having thus described certain embodiments of systems and methods for
practicing aspects of this
invention, it is to be appreciated that various alterations, modifications,
and improvements will readily
occur to those skilled in the art. Such alterations, modifications, and
improvements are intended to be
part of this disclosure, and are intended to be within the scope of the
invention. For
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example, in embodiments wherein open egg packages are fed in the opposite
direction onto the conveyor 202 shown in Figs. 5A and 5B, i.e., such that the
receptacle section leads the lid section, the loop-wise movement of the egg
orienter 112 may be unnecessary, as the appropriate orientation of the eggs
within
the package 204 could be achieved simply by allowing the open packages of eggs
to pass underneath the egg orienter 112 (with or without causing it so shimmy
slightly from side-to-side to help overcome friction). In such embodiments,
because the tops of the eggs 205 would be caused to be tilted slightly to the
right
(as depicted in Fig. 5B), it would also be desirable to orient the galvos 110
so that
they face slightly toward the back of the conveyor 202, thus allowing them to
mark onto the large exposed surface area 230 of the eggs 205 obtained using
this
alternative technique. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are
by
way of example only.
What is claimed is:
