US 12,263,971 B2
System and method for a product packaging assembly
John Dishion, Santa Paula, CA (US); Jason Satnick, Santa Paula, CA (US); Christopher Dawley, Santa Paula, CA (US); Roberto Santos, Santa Paula, CA (US); and Hasala Senevirathne, Santa Paula, CA (US)
Assigned to COASTAL COUNTING & INDUSTRIAL SCALE COMPANY, INC., Santa Paula, CA (US)
Filed by COASTAL COUNTING & INDUSTRIAL SCALE COMPANY, INC., Santa Paula, CA (US)
Filed on Feb. 23, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/586,343.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/447,854, filed on Feb. 23, 2023.
Prior Publication US 2024/0286778 A1, Aug. 29, 2024
Int. Cl. B65B 1/06 (2006.01); B65B 1/08 (2006.01); B65B 1/32 (2006.01); B65B 1/46 (2006.01); G01G 13/24 (2006.01); G01G 19/393 (2006.01)
CPC B65B 1/32 (2013.01) [B65B 1/06 (2013.01); B65B 1/08 (2013.01); B65B 1/46 (2013.01); G01G 13/247 (2013.01); G01G 19/393 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of packaging a product using a packaging system, the packaging system includes at least one weigh bucket, at least one three-way swivel funnel, at least one reject funnel, at least one accept funnel, a hopper, a hopper divider, at least one rear feeder, at least one front feeder, at least one lane gate, at least one three-way pre-funnel, and at least one memory bucket, the method includes:
dividing the hopper, with the hopper divider, into a large bud region including three product lanes and a small bud region including seven product lanes, the large bud region configured to contain large buds of the product and the small bud region configured to contain small buds of the product;
transporting the product forward from the hopper to the at least one reject funnel, the at least one accept funnel, or the at least one memory bucket using the product lane, wherein transporting the product forward from the hopper to the at least one reject funnel, the at least one accept funnel, or the at least one memory bucket includes:
loading the product into the hopper;
transporting the product forward from the at least one rear feeder to the at least one front feeder;
dropping the product from the at least one front feeder into the at least one weigh bucket;
shutting the at least one lane gate to stop dropping the product from the at least one front feeder into the at least one weigh bucket once a weight of the product in the at least one weigh bucket is within the predetermined weight amount;
weighing the product in the at least one weigh bucket;
determining that the product meets or exceeds a predetermined weight amount;
dropping the product from the at least one weigh bucket into the three-way swivel funnel;
dropping the product into the three-way pre-funnel from the at least one weigh bucket; and
directing the product from the at least one three-way swivel funnel into the at least one reject funnel, the at least one accept funnel, or the at least one memory bucket, responsive to determining that the product meets or exceeds a predetermined weight amount; and
combining product from at least one of the three product lanes in the large bud region with product from at least one of the seven product lanes in the small bud region in a packaging, wherein the at least one rear feeder, the at least one front feeder, the at least one weigh bucket, the at least one lane gate, and the at least one three-way pre-funnel define at least one product lane.