BR102018069245A2 - DEVICE FOR DEPOLISHING FRUITS WITH RIGID ENDOCARPES - Google Patents

Abstract

device for pulping fruits with rigid endocarps is an invention for pulping and separating the fruit pulp that has mesocarp externally adhered to hard endocarps, similar to palm fruits. refers to a low-cost device designed to produce pulp for use in the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and biofuel industries. specifically, the built device comprises a mechanism capable of separating the pulp from other parts of the fruits, through the use of friction and shearing of the pulp. the equipment was built in three units: the processing unit ((1) axis); (2) reeds; (3) cylinder; (4) oblong holes], the secondary [(5) belt; (6) pulley; (7) bearing; (8) entrance compartment; (9) outlet compartment] and the peripheral [(10) housing; (11) chassis; (12) engine]. construction details, results of pulping tests in a model prototype, using fruits of bocaiuva or macaúba (acrocomia aculeata sp.) are presented.

Description

DEVICE FOR DISPOLLING FRUITS WITH RIGID ENDOCARPES [001] The present invention is a device for pulping fruits with mesocarp adhered to the rigid endocarp of different consistencies and sizes. It describes a device that extracts the mesocarp from the endocarp of different fruits, with characteristics similar to those of palm trees, such as those of Acrocomia aculeata sp. (macaúba, bocaiuva, coco chewing gum, among others). It presents the solution for the replacement of a task normally performed manually or assisted by adapted tools, by mechanizing the process in equipment built for extraction.

FIELD OF APPLICATION OF THE INVENTION [002] The present patent application has as its field of application the processing sector for agro-industrial products, being suitable to be used in small rural properties that have native fruit plants or introduced for commercial purposes. It is also part of associations that produce fruit pulp, however, it is not restricted or limited to this. The device is intended to produce pulp for sale in the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and biofuel industries.

NEEDS DETECTS INHERENT TO ORDER [003] The processing of agroforestry products has been gaining prominence in the national and international markets. The collection of native fruits from the Brazilian biomes is related to cultural wealth, they are a source of income for many families and contribute to the preservation of biodiversity.

Petition 870180156308, of 11/28/2018, p. 4/28 / 15 [004] A common problem in pulping processes of native fruits is the preservation of physical and chemical characteristics close to those found in “in natura” fruits. The slowness of the artisanal processes contributes to reduce the quality of the pulp extracted from the fruits. The ignorance of processes and the lack of specific equipment to extract pulp from native fruits, contributes to obtain low quality products. The need to obtain pulp with quality, refers to the construction of specific equipment, which promotes the increase of pulping efficiency and the preservation of fruit properties in the pulp.

[005] In order to motivate the patent application, promising research related to palm fruits was observed, observing the difficulties of extracting its pulp and the need to preserve the properties that are peculiar to it. The need for scale production was also observed, to serve the potential pulp markets, limited by manual pulping, which are time consuming, tedious and dangerous. Thus, a potential market for abundant native fruits in Brazil was observed and the need to produce equipment to transform them into marketable products.

[006] have characteristics of their fruits, which can be pulped in this device.

[007] The fruits of the palm tree Acrocomia aculeata Sp. (Macaúba, bocaiuva, coco chewing gum) chosen to test the patent now requested, due to the volume of research with different applications, as it is abundant in Brazil and produces a significant amount of fruit. The choice of the native fruits of Acrocomia aculeata as they are extracted by hand and used by rural communities. of the cerrado biome, mainly in the states of Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso, Goiás and São Paulo. They are also disseminated throughout Latin America.

Petition 870180156308, of 11/28/2018, p. 5/28 / 15 [008] The fruits are spherical in shape and consist of epicarp (20%), mesocarp (42%), rigid endocarp (31%) and almond (7%) as a percentage of the whole fruit. The edible pulp, with a sweet taste, is oleaginous, fibrous, mucilaginous and is strongly adhered to the rigid and dark endocarp, which makes pulping difficult.

[009] The processing to make the bocaiuva pulp available for use are relevant because it has high nutritional value due to its content of lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, carotenoids and fibers, important for human health “(Coimbra & Jorge, 2012 [https : //doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.4630]; Ciconini et al.

2013 [doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2012.12.008]) ”. Scientific studies show the use of this pulp and almond in the production of edible products, such as, for example, food bars and sweet and savory cookies, considered a source of fiber and vitamin A “(Munhoz et al. 2014 [https: // doi. org / 10.4025 / actascitechnol.v36i3.18561]) ”. The fruits can also be used in the preparation of ice cream, jellies and cakes "(Aristone and Leme, 2006 [How to make bocaiúva flour: complete guide and recipe book. Didactic manual 1 ed. Campo Grande - MS])". Currently, bocaiuva is sold in the form of flour produced by rural communities through artisanal procedures.

[010] Furthermore, the pulp has an industrial potential for drugs “(Oliveira et al. 2014 [https://doi.org/10.3136/fstr.20.7]; Coimbra & Jorge, 2012 [https: // doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.4630]) ”, cosmetics“ (Coimbra & Jorge, 2012 [https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.4630]; Bortolotto et al. 2015 [https://doi.org /10.1186/s13002-015-0026-2]) ”and others. In addition, the composition of fatty acids allows its use in the production of biofuels “(Silva et al. 2013 (https://doi.org/10.1111Zj.1745-4530.2011.00657]; Nunes et al. 2015 [https: / /doi.org/10.1002/ejlt.201400577]) ”.

Petition 870180156308, of 11/28/2018, p. 6/28 / 15 [011] The major production bottleneck identified for the use of these fruits was the availability of the pulp in sufficient quantity and quality, caused by the slowness of the manual pulping process. On the other hand, specific equipment for the processing of fruits associated with the sustainable extraction of cooperatives and small rural farmers is scarce.

[012] The mechanization solutions available on the market for various fruits are not fully developed and still have high costs. The use of mechanical extraction helps in the processing of fruits, increases the efficiency of the pulping process and favors the standardization of the pulp produced in the extractive groups.

STATE OF THE TECHNIQUE [013] In view of the literature search for the extraction of fruits with mucilaginous mesocarp and adhered to the rigid endocarp such as palm fruits. The patent literature reveals several documents referring to palm fruits, however, most of them related to the use and applications of products from different parts of the plant and not related to pulp extraction. For the fruits, processes were identified with patents for actions on drugs, cosmetics, food (human and animal), coal, lubricant and biodiesel.

Petition 870180156308, of 11/28/2018, p. 7/28 / 15 [014] Regarding the development of equipment to assist in the process of separating fruit pulp, the patent PI0800593-1 A2 - Machine for Peeling and Peeling Cocos, invented by Maurílio de Sousa Santos, was identified, which more specifically it addresses a device for pulping Acrocomia aculeata fruits. It is the protection of a pulping machine for the fruits of the macaúba palm, whose process is based on a pulping machine, with a table-type metallic structure, with a vertical system, containing an external main cylinder and a secondary one, which inside it move. vertically a flat internal disk, with five knives, rotated by pulleys, belt and motor installed at the bottom inside the metal structure. For operation, a disk is attached to levers and springs, which must be manually activated, to move the fruits vertically inside the cylinder and on top of the disk with razors, which are said to extract the peel and pulp from the fruits. The protection includes a hopper system at the top to feed the fruits through a hole coinciding with the pulping chamber and lateral holes for the exit of the pits through a chute.

[015] It can be seen that there are already devices for pulping palm fruit. However, the present invention patent application is proposing a differentiated construction in relation to the mechanisms already existing in the state of the art, for fruits with rigid endocarp, which works with high maximum efficiency and reduced process time per batch. Bearing in mind that the proposed system extracts the pulp by friction of the fruits with the pulper cylinder wall, where the oblong holes promote the shearing of the pulp and the separation of the endocarps.

ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION [016] The mechanism and components now proposed in this patent provide the extraction of fruit pulp with rigid endocarps, as an example those of palm, operating in a horizontal system, with separation of the pulp from the endocarps and allowing inspection of quality control of the pulp. It has several parallel benefits, such as:

Petition 870180156308, of 11/28/2018, p. 8/28 / 15 [017] - Compact equipment, reduced number of components, easy construction of parts;

[018] - Reduced construction cost;

[019] - Easy handling, maintenance and cleaning;

[020] - Short batch extraction time;

[021] - Enables quality control, by visual inspection during the process;

[022] - Easy to transport and install;

[023] - Reduced weight of the equipment;

[024] - Simplified operating system, with the entry and exit of products by gravity;

[025] - Low operating expenses, enabling greater profits for users;

[026] - Possibility of construction in several materials, such as stainless steel for use in the production of food products;

[027] - It works with different powers and easy coupling of the electric motor, allowing the use of locally available motors.

[028] - Internal cylinder system with oblong holes, which work like knives in the extraction and allows the separation of the pulp extracted from the endocarps.

[029] - Pulp and endocarp separation systems for separate containers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES [030] The present invention can be better understood from the detailed description of the figures that refer to it, of which:

[031] Figure 1 represents the general view of the pulper machine for bocaiuva fruits where the final design is presented.

Petition 870180156308, of 11/28/2018, p. 9/28 / 15 [032] Figure 2 shows the projection of the equipment built for pulping of bocaiuva fruits. Observe the detailing and positioning of all the projected components of the equipment: (1) Axis; (2) Reeds; (3) Cylinder; (4) Oblong holes; (5) Belt; (6) Pulley; (7) Bearing; (8) Entrance compartment; (9) Exit compartment; (10) structure or housing; (11) Chassis; (12) Engine. The specifications for each item in Figure 2 are shown in Table 1, as well as the parts purchased commercially ((5), (6), (7) and (12)). The details of the built components can be seen in figures 3 to 9.

[033] Figure 3 presents, in detail, the isometric views and perspectives of the vanes and the axis. The configuration of the shaft with the adjustment base for coupling the vanes, also presents the machining details for coupling to the bearings (where the shaft will move after being driven) and the shape of the vanes is also shown. Drawing refers to the descriptions of items 1 and 2 in Table 1.

[034] Figure 4 shows the views of the cylinder and exemplifies the oblong holes stamped on the cylinder. It is observed that the oblong holes have the function of extracting and separating the endocarps from the pulp and leading it to the bottom of the carcass, operated with a device for the exit of the processed material. For pulping to be efficient, the size of the oblong holes must be smaller than the smallest size of the fruit endocarps that will be used in the extraction. The drawing refers to the descriptions of items 3 and 4 in Table 1.

[035] Figure 5 shows the isometric views and perspectives of the entrance compartment. The drawing shows the entrance tank and the sliding door attached, which regulates the amount of fruit that enters the cylinder. Drawing refers to the description of item 8 of Table 1.

Petition 870180156308, of 11/28/2018, p. 10/28 / 15 [036] Figure 6 shows the isometric views and perspectives of the exit compartment. Details of the endocarp outlet regulating port are presented after pulping, the coupling system for this part in the housing and the installation of one of the bearings in the front of the outlet compartment, which will be fitted on one end of the shaft. Drawing refers to the description of item 9 in Table 1.

[037] Figure 7 shows the views and perspectives of the equipment housing. The carcass has the function of fixing the cylinder, the entrance and exit components, as well as the conduction of the extracted pulp to a container in the lower portion of it. A top cover was installed in the carcass for inspection (Figure 8) of the pulp operation and extraction during processing. Drawing refers to the description of item 10 in Table 1.

[038] Figure 8. shows the views of the inspection cover installed on the top of the equipment housing. Drawing refers to the description of item 10 in Table 1 [039] Figure 9 shows the views and isometric perspective of the chassis. Its function is to support the coupling of all parts of the equipment. In the upper part, the housing was fixed with the entrance and exit compartments; on the side, a support for two bearings was installed to support and assist in the alignment and displacement of the shaft and vanes. At the bottom there are two guides for coupling the motor. Drawing refers to the description of item 11 in Table 1.

[040] In Figure 10, the isometric perspective of the disassembled equipment was presented. Its purpose is to demonstrate the ease in cleaning the components that come into contact with the pulping of the fruits.

[041] Figure 11 shows the constructive tests of the equipment's moved axis. Force diagrams. a) Free body diagram (N). b) Shear force (N). c) Bending moment (Nm).

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE MODEL FOR TEST [042] Initially, searches were carried out in the literature and in situ surveys of the inconveniences of pulping, which after numerous researches and studies, the inventor, created and developed the object of the present patent. Idealizing a device to be widely used by all those involved in fruit processing, especially those of rigid endocarps (integuments), whose pulp is consumed or commercialized by the communities. As a principle in development, practicality, usability and increased efficiency were observed.

[043] Identification and evaluation of the materials used in the construction of the test model [044] For a better understanding of the invention, a prototype for tests was built, but the patent is not limited to this form and can be changed: its measures, proportions and materials , capable of adapting the needs of regional production. The equipment was built in three units: processing, secondary and peripheral. Table 1 presents the descriptions and specifications of the components, presenting the construction details of the example model built for testing.

[045] Example prototype construction guidelines.

[046] The external dimensions of the prototype built for tests were: 850 mm long, 280 mm wide, 500 mm high with a total weight of 25 kg (Figure 1). Figure 2 shows the schematic of the 12 components of the constituted prototype and Table 1 the specifications of the components of each unit built.

Petition 870180156308, of 11/28/2018, p. 12/28 / 15

Table 1 Technical sheet of the units with description of the equipment components for pulping of bocaiuva fruits

Item Components

description

Medid Unit Specifications a

ΕΛ ω ο ο cL

CÜ Ό S

Ο ω ω Ό

Ο '£ 2

Axis 304L stainless steel billet Diameter 25.2 Reeds 304L stainless steel sheet Thickness 4 Stainless steel sheet Length 400 Cylinder 304L with holes Diameter 150 oblong Thickness 4 Area 690 Holes Stamped holes Amount 72 oblong in the cylinder. Length 90 Width 10 A41 - 5114 belt Classic V-belt (DIN 2215 / ISO 4184), 1 Pulley Aluminum pulley with three channels 65 - 90 - 115 1 Bearing Iron set Type P 205 - 25.2 cast and bearing CPU Entrance Compartment Compartment 304L stainless steel sheet Thickness 3 Exit

mm mm mm mm ² holes mm piece piece mm mm

Q £ 2 10 Carcass Cover 304L Stainless Sheet Thickness 2 carcass External cage in Length 760 11 Chassis carbon steel, Width 280 built in profiles of rectangular section Height 430 Kohlbach ^® brand Wattage 3 12 Motor Rotation 1700 Three-phase 220

mm mm rpm v

cv [047] It is observed that stainless steel plates (304L) were used inside the equipment, as recommended by Resolution 20, of March 22, 2007, of the National Health Surveillance Agency, for use in food products. Carbon steel was used on the external parts (Table 1).

Petition 870180156308, of 11/28/2018, p. 13/28 / 15

Processing unit [048] The calculations for the construction of the equipment processing unit consist of the following components: shaft, vanes and cylinder, items from (1) to (4) of Figure 2. The diameter of the shaft (Figure 3) it was dimensioned using the torque and resistance of stainless steel (304L). The torque was calculated considering the characteristics of an electric motor of 3 hp and rotation of 1700 rpm (Eq. 1).

P Eq.

M _t —---- 1 ^q π n ¹ [049] Where M _t is the torque (Nm), P is the motor power (W) and the rotation (rpm).

The resulting force (Fr) transferred from the motor to the driven pulley was calculated by

Eq. 2 (Melconian (2012) Elements of Machines [ISBN 978-857194-703-0]).

Eq.

F _r - ^ jfq ² + F ₂ ² + 2 | cos α | [050] Where F1 is the driving force, F2 is the resistive force (N) and α is the arc (degrees) of contact between the pulley and the belt.

The forces in the vanes were calculated by Eq. 3 (Melconian, 2012).

M _t

F _pl + F _p 2 - -

Eq.

[051] Where F _p ie F _p2 are the applied forces (N), M _t is the maximum torque (Nm) and r is the vane arm (mm).

[052] The diagrams of free body, shear force and bending moment were simulated using the FTOOL application (Martha 2002). The diameter (d) of the solid shaft was calculated by Eq. 4 (Bhandari V B (2010) Design of Machine Elements [INSB 978-0-07-068179-8]).

d> ³ 1-1 ^ - * 2J (kb * Mb) ² + (Kt * M _t ) ² * 10 ³ f * Sc [053] Where M _b is the maximum bending moment (Nm), M _t is the moment torsor (Nm), K _b is the fatigue factor in flexion, K _{t the} fatigue factor in torsion (Bhandari, 2010) and S _c is the shear stress (N / m).

Eq.4

Petition 870180156308, of 11/28/2018, p. 14/28 / 15 [054] The shear stress (S _c ) on the axis was calculated using the ratio (S _c = 0.6 * S _e ) (Garcia et al. (2012) Materials Testing. [ISBN 978-85-216-20679]), where S _e is the yield stress set at 207x106 N / m ² for 304L stainless steel (Askeland & Wright (2014) Materials Science and Engineering [ISBN 978-85-221- 1285-2]).

[055] The shaft diameter was calculated considering the torque of 12.4 Nm (Eq. 1) of a 3 hp engine, in which the resulting force applied to the driven pulley was 1042 N (Eq. 2) and the force admitted in each vane (F _p1 and F _p2 ) was 83 N (Eq. 3).

[056] Based on the force diagram (Figure 11), the reaction forces of the three bearings were calculated, determining the maximum bending moment of -31 Nm (Figure 11), used to calculate the minimum shaft diameter that was 12.5 mm (Eq. 4). However, considering the mucilaginous characteristics of the fruits, a safety factor of 2.17 was applied to solid axes (Melconian, 2012), building it in a 25.4 mm commercial gauge (Figure 3).

[057] In the built model, two adjustable reeds in a rectangular shape (Figure 3), with specifications item 2 in Table 1, were used, coupled to the shaft and rotate inside the cylinder. The cylinder was made of 304L stainless steel plate (Item 3 - Table 1), perforated in an oblong model (Item 4 Table 1) with a length of 90 mm and with a 10 mm hole width (Figure 4). To facilitate the removal of the pulp and the retention of the pits inside the cylinder, it was built observing the size of the smallest diameter of the endocarps. It is worth remembering that the rounded corners prevent the accumulation of pulp in the holes and the oblong shape has a larger cutting surface, with an action similar to the use of knives (Figure 4).

[058] The cylinder was coupled inside the housing and fixed by screws close to the outlet compartment (Figure 7). The shaft and the vanes rotate freely inside the cylinder, in order to promote friction of the fruits and the removal of the pulp through the oblong holes.

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Secondary unit [059] The secondary unit consisted of input compartment, belt, pulleys, bearings and output compartment, items 5 to 9 of Figure 2. This unit triggers the rotation movement of the shaft, coupled to the power source drive by means of a classic trapezoidal belt using a motor pulley (65 mm) and driven pulley (6595-105 mm) fixed at one end of the shaft, between two bearings, attached to the equipment chassis (Figure 2).

[060] The entrance compartment (Figure 5) was fixed in the upper part of the carcass, where the fruit is fed into the cylinder. The exit compartment (Figure 6), installed at the opposite end from the entrance, has the function of unloading the integuments. Both compartments have sliding doors in order to keep the system closed during pulping.

Peripheral unit [061] The peripheral unit is made up of a housing, chassis and engine, items 10 to 12 of Figure 2. The housing is the external part of the equipment (Figure 7), designed to fix the cylinder and the entry and exit compartments . Inside, the pulping itself occurs. In the upper portion, a door was installed to inspect the pulping and to facilitate cleaning (Figure 8).

[062] The components that make up the equipment units were coupled by a chassis (Figure 9) that helped to fix the motor, the bearings and the housing. Being responsible for the alignment of the motor-belt-pulleys system and the vane shaft in relation to the cylinder, allowing stability in the functioning of the prototype.

Petition 870180156308, of 11/28/2018, p. 16/28 / 15

Operating principle [063] The model prototype was built to operate in an intermittent process condition. The operating principle consists of feeding the fruits into the system, starting the engine, removing the pulped product and disposing of the endocarps. Pulp extraction by the combined effect of centrifugal force and fruit shear with the pulper cylinder wall was the concept of the equipment construction. The extraction procedure was performed as follows:

[064] After being peeled and dehydrated, the whole fruits are introduced into the cylinder (Figure 4) of the equipment, through the entrance compartment (Figure 5). With the entrance and exit doors closed to avoid the flow of fruits (Figure 6), the extraction process started, activating the control of the system that rotated the shaft and the vanes (Figure 3) inside the cylinder.

[065] The ideal rotation (1051rpm), controlled for a period of 150s, caused the fruit to shear on the perforated wall of the cylinder, which resulted in the separation of the pulp from the endocarp. During the process, the pulp was launched through the holes in the cylinder and carried to a tray inserted under the carcass (Figure 7). Afterwards, the exit compartment (Figure 6) was opened manually and the endocarps were discarded, which made it possible to restart the operation.

[066] Validation of model equipment [067] The pulping process was done in batches, supplying 500g of fruits. In the tests, it was observed that a trained person can manually peel 500g of bocaiuva fruits in 35min, while using the equipment, the time required to peel the same amount was 2.5 min, with higher extraction yield.

Petition 870180156308, of 11/28/2018, p. 17/28 / 15 [068] Still in the prototype built, inspection (Figure 8) and interruption of pulping at any time is allowed. This condition can be interesting depending on the purpose of the use, for example, for the production of flour pulp with uniform color is required, which requires greater control in pulping, that is, the process must be interrupted before removing all the pulp to avoid tegument particles, which can compromise color uniformity. However, for the production of biodiesel, extraction can be increased, since the interest lies in the greater amount of pulp extracted.

[069] In view of these findings, it can be said that the fruit pulp extractor, considered efficient for pulping fruits that have pulp (mesocarp) adhered to the endocarp, and can serve communities that supplement their income through the sustainable extraction of these fruits. The project is exemplified with hard endocarps, such as the fruits of Acrocomia aculeata, it is an efficient, compact, low-cost equipment, easy to assemble and operate.

Claims (4)

1. DEVICE FOR DEPOLISHING FRUITS WITH RIGID ENDOCARPOS characterized by an axis (1) where at least one reed (2) is attached opposite the axis, which circulates inside a cylinder (3) with at least one hole (4) , with shaft fixed by means of bearing (7) and pulley (6), moved by belt (5) connected to the motor (12), and frame or frame (10) with compartments (8) and (9) and a chassis ( 11). 2. DEVICE TO DEPOLVE FRUITS WITH RIGID ENDOCARPOS, characterized by applying centripetal driving force and shear to remove the pulp through the holes (3) of the cylinder (1) by batch. 3. DEVICE TO DEPOLVE FRUITS WITH RIGID ENDOCARPES, according to claim 1, characterized by control in the pulping with interruption of the pulping at any time. 4. METHOD FOR DISPOLISHING FRUITS WITH RIGID ENDOCARPOS, characterized by - introduction of the peeled fruit into the device, according to claim 1, - activate the motor rotation for extraction by applying centripetal driving force and shearing the fruits against the cylinder wall (1) for a desired time until the pulping level of interest of the introduced fruits, - reception of the pulp through the holes (3) of the cylinder (1) through the compartment (9) in at least one collecting container. - discards of endocarps.