US 12,138,664 B2
Inspection and sorting apparatus
Kamil Kaminski, Papworth Everard (GB); Gareth Jones, Papworth Everard (GB); Adam Dorrington, Luton (GB); and Danilo De Rossi, Cambridge (GB)
Assigned to Mettler-Toledo Safeline X-Ray Ltd., Royston (GB)
Filed by Mettler-Toledo Safeline X-Ray Ltd., Royston (GB)
Filed on Dec. 20, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/390,984.
Claims priority of application No. 23153953 (EP), filed on Jan. 30, 2023.
Prior Publication US 2024/0253082 A1, Aug. 1, 2024
Int. Cl. B07C 5/38 (2006.01); B07C 5/342 (2006.01)
CPC B07C 5/38 (2013.01) [B07C 5/3427 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An inspection and sorting apparatus, comprising:
a support frame supporting a transport mechanism with an endless transport belt extending along an inspection zone in which items transported on the transport belt along a transport path are inspected by an inspection mechanism and along a sorting zone in which items to be rejected are sorted out by being moved, by a sorting mechanism, out of the transport path in a direction transverse to the transport path to a sorting side;
wherein, in an operation state of the apparatus:
a space lateral to and alongside the sorting zone, into which the rejected items are moved, is covered by a housing cover but is open to the sorting zone and to a downside to allow the rejected items to further fall or slide down by gravity; and/or
the apparatus is provided with a side cover covering a region below the sorting zone laterally from the sorting side;
wherein the housing cover and/or the side cover is movable between a covering position in the operation state of the apparatus and a release position granting lateral access to the sorting zone and/or to said region from the sorting side;
wherein the housing cover and the side cover are connected and their motion between covering and release position is linked.