Method and apparatus for reducing product breakage in a packaging machine

Abstract

A method for reducing product breakage while filling a product into a package and apparatus for accomplishing the same. The invention describes reducing the momentum of product falling through a filling apparatus to reduce collisions of the product with other product and with the apparatus, thus reducing breakage. The vertical momentum, in one embodiment is transferred to horizontal momentum by imparting a swirling motion onto the product via swirling vanes located on the funnels. Because the product swirls in a controlled direction, collisions and breakage is effectively reduced. In another embodiment, the product encounters bumpers which absorb a portion of the products momentum and which prevent damaging collisions.

1 . An apparatus for filling a package with product, said apparatus comprising:
 at least one steering funnel, said at least one steering funnel comprising at least one steering vane;   a final product conduit located downstream of said at least one steering funnel, said conduit used to deposit said product into said package;   wherein said at least one steering vane comprises sufficient orientation to impart a swirling motion to a product feed entering the steering funnel.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a series of funnels. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein at least one of said at least one steering vane is curved. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein at least one of said at least one steering vane is straight. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a product tube located above said final product conduit, said product tube being downstream of said steering funnel. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5  further comprising a downstream funnel, said downstream funnel comprising a receiving end and an exit end, wherein said downstream funnel is located downstream from said steering funnel, and wherein said product tube is located below the exit end of said downstream funnel. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6  further comprising at least one funnel upstream of said at least one steering funnel. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein said product tube has sloped walls. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein at least one of said at least one steering vane is a perpendicular wall steering vane. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein at least one of said at least one steering vane is a triangularly shaped steering vane. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein at least one of said at least one steering vane comprises a rounded cross-section. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1  used within a vertical form, fill, and seal machine. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said product is a snack food. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said steering funnel comprises no moving parts. 
     
     
         15 . A method for reducing product breakage in a filling apparatus, said method comprising:
 introducing product into a filling apparatus;   imparting a swirling motion on said product;   filling said product into a package;   wherein said imparting step comprises using at least one funnel comprising at least one steering vane.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said product comprises a snack food. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  performed on a vertical, form, fill, and seal machine. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said filling step comprises filling up to about 60 packages per minute. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said imparting step comprises using at least one perpendicular wall steering vane. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said imparting step comprises using at least one triangularly shaped steering vanes. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said imparting step comprises using at least one steering vane comprising a rounded cross-section. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said filling step further comprises directing product through a product tube, said product tube comprising sloped walls, and wherein said product tube is located downstream of at least one funnel. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said imparting step requires no moving parts. 
     
     
         24 . A package filled with the method of  claim 15 . 
     
     
         25 . An apparatus for filling a package with product, said apparatus comprising:
 a first funnel comprising a receiving end and an exit end;   a final product conduit located downstream of said first funnel, said conduit comprising a top end and a bottom end, and wherein said conduit is used to deposit said product into said package; and   a bumper located above the bottom end of said final product conduit, wherein at least a portion of said bumper is located below the exit end of said funnel;   wherein said bumper is located in a position with respect to the final product and the first funnel so as to contact product which falls through the first funnel.   
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 25  further comprising a product tube comprising a top end and a bottom end, wherein the exit end of said first funnel is above the top end of said product tube. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 26  wherein said bumper at least partially extends within said product tube. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 26  wherein the ratio of the inner diameter of the product tube to the outer diameter of the bumper is between about 5:1 to about 1.1:1. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 25  wherein said bumper is suspended through and within at least one upstream funnel. 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 25  wherein said bumper comprises strands of pliable material. 
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 30  wherein said pliable material is a plastic. 
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 25  wherein said bumper comprises a pillow structure. 
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 25  wherein said bumper comprises a tube structure. 
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 25  further comprising a second funnel comprising a receiving end and an exit end. 
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 34  wherein said second funnel is located upstream of said first funnel. 
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 34  wherein said second funnel is located downstream of said first funnel. 
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 36  further comprising a product tube comprising a top end and a bottom end, wherein the exit end of said second funnel is above the top of said product tube. 
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 36  wherein no portion of said bumper extends beyond the exit end of said second funnel. 
     
     
         39 . A method for reducing product breakage in a filling apparatus, said method comprising:
 introducing product into a funnel, said funnel comprising a receiving end and an exit end;   absorbing a portion of the momentum of the product falling from the funnel with a bumper;   filling said product into a package;   wherein the bumper is in substantially the same vertical plane as the exit end of the funnel; and   wherein at least a portion of the bumper is located below the exit end of said funnel.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39  wherein said introducing step comprises introducing a snack food. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 39  performed on a vertical, form, fill, and seal machine. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 39  wherein said filling step comprises filling up to about 60 packages per minute with said product. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 39  wherein said absorbing step requires no additional energy.