ES2672919A1 - New device and method for the classification of oregano (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) - Google Patents

Abstract

Oregano sorting mechanical device comprising an oregano intake grid (1), a reception and distribution hopper thereof (2), a separating drum (6) in charge of the separation of the oregano and the branches thereof, a system of emptying of the drum and a receiving base of the oregano (12). (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Description

NEW DEVICE AND METHOD FOR THE ORGANIC CLASSIFICATION

SECTOR OF THE TECHNIQUE

The present invention falls within the technical sector of machinery for industry

10 food. In particular, it is an Origanum Vulgare sorting machine (oregano) for its later commercialization and consumption.

15 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Oregano is an aromatic herb widely consumed gastronomically, mainly due to its intense flavor and aroma, as well as its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.

20 As is noted, the oregano plant is collected on a branch, from which the leaves contained in these branches will be extracted later. Since the leaves are the only ones intended for consumption, there is a need to separate the leaves from the branches.

Traditionally oregano has been classified manually; basically the process consisted

25 in screening the oregano bunches from which a mixture of leaves and branches was obtained that were successively passed through the sieve to eliminate all the branches that could remain in the mixture.

Recently, some companies have developed and marketed some machines that

30 serve to classify oregano. This non-patented technology allows the classification of oregano by inserting dried oregano bundles already screened but without separating the leaves from the branches. Basically, these are vibrating machines that are composed of several grilles on which the oregano passes, due to the vibration and the calibration of the holes of the grids it is possible to separate the oregano leaves from the branches, while the leaves fall by the holes

35 of the grilles the branches slide over the grids due to the vibration and the slight inclination of the grilles.

An example of this type of machine is marketed by the Peruvian company Vulcano that allows to classify up to 60 kg of dry product.

In conclusion, they are only a small number of South American companies that sell machines (non-proprietary technology) aimed at the classification of oregano. It should be noted that within the oregano there are multiple varieties that must be taken into account in their classification.

The variety of cultivation, very widespread in the plantations of South America is usually of a more regular size (its branches are usually between 25-50 cm) while the wild varieties have larger sizes (their branches are usually between 20- 100cm) Which implies a greater difficulty in its processing since the range of measures in the branches of this variety is greater.

EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION

The oregano sorting machine, object of the present invention, makes it possible to obtain oregano arranged for consumption from a semi-calibrated state.

Said classification begins on the intake grid (1) where oregano is deposited in a semi-calibrated state. Under the intake grid (1) is the receiving and distribution hopper (2), in its lower and inner part there is a spiked shaft (3) whose function is to introduce the oregano in a constant and uniform way to the separating drum ( 6). The spiked shaft

(3) of circular section contains in its curved surface skewers arranged radially thereto, the elements with skewers are inserted in rows on the curved surface of the skewer axis (3), said rows are of similar length to the frontal length of the receiving and distribution hopper (2) in order to distribute the oregano introduced to the separating drum (6) in a constant and uniform manner. The separating drum (6) of cylindrical shape and arranged in a horizontal position is the element responsible for separating the leaves from the branches, it has inside an axis (8) with two vanes (9) that rotates on two bearings coupled to the side faces of the drum and is driven by a motor. Likewise, the spiked shaft (3) also rotates on two bearings coupled to the side faces of the receiving and distribution hopper (2) and is driven by a motor synchronized with that of the separator drum in order to introduce the separator drum ( 6) the amount of oregano necessary so that it does not empty or saturate, thus maintaining a level of filling of the separating drum (6) necessary to obtain an optimum classification process performance. The vanes (9) are responsible for conducting the oregano mass introduced into the separator drum (6) by its front and curved wall which has been made many holes (7). At the ends of the vanes (9) parallel to the axis (8), flexible joints (10) have been coupled in charge of keeping the vanes (9) in contact with the front and curved surface of the separator drum (6), thus being the only one possible exit for the blades holes (7).

(7)

They are circular and 5rnm in diameter, as this is the appropriate shape and measure to enable the leaves of the drum to exit and prevent the branches from leaving, leaving the branches inside the separator drum (6). The branches will be ejected from the separator drum

(6)

by the emptying system consisting of a fan that pushes them by the action of the air flow generated against the other end of the separating drum (6) that houses a gate and an elbow (ll) for the exit of these. The oregano leaves after being ejected from the separator drum (6) by the holes (7) are deposited by their weight in a receiving base (12) located under the separator drum (6) and which has a transparent surface and a system of lighting (13) under its receiving base (12).

Said illurninacón system (13) makes it possible to detect the possibility that a branch has escaped through the holes (7) since it applies a light bulb under the oregano deposited in the receiving base (12) that passes through the oregano leaves while not The same happens with the branches that, being totally opaque bodies, do not allow the passage of light, which generates a surface that emits light with black lines that correspond to the location of the branches.

Therefore, the present invention maintains the advantage of a mechanized process over an artisanal one in respect to processing times and in turn provides a final product that retains its entire leaf, unlike in other procedures where it is obtained in a state crushed or ground, which allows the product to better preserve its aromatic and visual characteristics.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DffiUJOS

To complement the description that is being made and in order to help a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, a set of drawings is attached as an integral part of said description, where illustrative and non-limiting nature has been represented. next:

Figure 1.- Shows a perspective view of an oregano sorting machine carried out according to the invention in which its main components are indicated. Figure 2.- Shows an elevation view of the oregano sorting machine. Figure 3.- Shows a cross section of the elevation seen from the right profile. Figure 4.- Shows a perspective view of the skewer axis (3). Figure 5.- Shows a perspective view of the axis (8) consisting of the central axis, of the vanes (9) and flexible joints (10).

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

The oregano sorting machine, object of the present invention, consists of the elements described below as a preferred embodiment, explaining the different phases according to their chronological order. These elements are mainly: an intake grid (1), a receiving and distribution hopper (2), a separating drum (6), a drum emptying system and a receiving base (12).

Intake grid (1) The oregano that is in a semi-closed state composed of leaves and branches is deposited on the intake grid (I) where it falls into the receiving and distribution hopper (2). Said grid (1) constitutes the first element in the oregano classification process, since it limits the size of the elements that access the receiving and distribution hopper (2), those unexpected cannot enter as roots although accessing branches along with the oregano which will later be deleted. Said intake grid (1) is coupled to the top of the collection and distribution hopper (2), enclosing its open surface and with containment barriers at the ends so that the oregano deposited on it, its base, does not spill It is formed by parallel rods with the axis of skewers (3), this arrangement facilitates that the branches introduced in the receiving and distribution hopper (2) together with the oregano are deposited mainly parallel to the axis of skewers (3) thus avoiding possible jams and speeding the introduction of oregano into the separating drum (6). The rods meet each other at a distance between 3 and 6 cm. It also means a safety element preventing the introduction and distribution hopper (2) of elements larger than expected and a jam in the spike shaft (3).

Reception and delivery hopper (2)

Said element is located between the intake grid (1) and the separator drum (6), the oregano is deposited therein along with the branches that the intake grid (I) has previously passed through. In its lower part, which has reduced its width considerably, a shaft with skewers (3) is in charge of supplying a constant and uniform amount of oregano to the separating drum (6). In its route from the top of the receiving and distribution hopper (2) to the bottom in which the skewer shaft (3) is positioned, the oregano is driven by means of two inclined planes (4). In this way it is achieved that the branches of fine structure and elongated to be deposited in the lower part of the receiving and distribution hopper (2) are oriented parallel to the axis of skewers (3) and perpendicular to their skewers so that they are evenly insert the separator drum (6) and do not pass between the receiving and distribution hopper (2) and the separator drum (6). In the termination of the inclined second plane of the hopper there is a brush (5) that extends along the front length of the receiving and distribution hopper (2) and which together with the front wall and the sides thereof surround the cavity in which the oregano from the inclined planes (4) is deposited. Said oregano is introduced by the skewers of the skewers shaft (3), after passing through the brush (5), into the separator drum (6) through the union conduit between the receiving and distribution hopper (2) and the drum separator (6). The skewers of the skewers axis (3) are straight, with a diameter between 2mm and 5mm, with a pointed end, 3 cm apart and 5 cm long.

Separator drum (6)

It constitutes the central element of the invention to be decisive in the classification of oregano. It consists of a tube in a horizontal position and an axis (8) that is concentric with the tube and rotates on two bearings, each of them arranged on the lateral sides of the drum. The receiving and distribution hopper (2) is connected to the separating drum (6) by a conduit that communicates the front part of both, thus the constant and uniform flow of oregano that supplies the receiving and distribution hopper (2) enters The separating drum (6). The shaft (8) that crosses the separating drum (6) has two vanes (9) of reduced thickness, rigid and each one located at 1800 of the other. The vanes (9) and the circular surface of the separating drum (6) maintain permanent contact by means of flexible joints (10) located at the ends of the vanes (9), consequently the oregano contained in the separating drum (6) will be distributed in the two compartments in which the separating drum (6) is divided by the vanes (9), compartments that will have the same capacity, will house practically the same amount of oregano at all times and that will be in continuous movement during the operation of the machine. In turn, the separating drum (6) has multiple circular holes (7) made in part of its front and curved surface, specifically distributed in the area between 1200 and 3000 if we see the separating drum (6) by its left profile . Through these holes (7) the oregano leaves are expelled due to the thrust exerted by the vanes (9) while the branches remain inside when there is no exit through the holes (7). The holes have a diameter of 5 mm, the separating drum (6) has a diameter between 30 and 40 cm, necessary for optimum machine performance.

Emptying system The drum emptying system has a fan that allows the branches remaining in the separating drum (6) to be ejected after the oregano leaves have been ejected previously, the latter through the holes in the drum (7). The fan is coupled to a side face of the separating drum (6) and located under the shaft (8), specifically on the same side where the motor that drives the shaft (8) is located. Between the fan propeller and the flat face of the separator drum (6) there is a cover that prevents the entry of oregano when the fan is inactive and will only open when it is desired to empty the separator drum (6). At the opposite end of the separator drum (6) is another cover located in the lower area of this face. When the cover is removed, the branches are ejected from the separator drum (6) by the action of the fan and are led by an elbow-shaped conduit (11) to the outside.

Receiving base (12) Under the separating drum (6) is a flat base of larger dimensions than the projection of the separating drum (6) since the oregano leaves leave the separating drum

(6) driven and not deposited under the holes (7) from which they have left but move, said receiving base (12) must be transparent, because under it is a lighting system (13) that constitutes the Last phase of the classification process. This lighting system (13) carries out a quality control as it allows us to know if there is a possibility that some branch, however small, has passed through the holes (7) and has been deposited together with the rest of the oregano already classified. This control is based on the opacities of the oregano leaves whose opacity is low and that of the branches which is high so that by placing a light bulb under the receiving base (12) we will observe the oregano mass deposited in the base a greater or lesser intensity of light depending on whether what is being transferred is oregano or on the contrary is some branch in which case we will not observe any intensity. This is the last step in the classification process with which we completely ascertain whether oregano is fully classified.

Claims (7)

one.

Mechanical oregano sorting device comprising an intake grid (1), a receiving and distribution hopper (2), a cylindrical separating drum (6) and arranged horizontally with a multitude of circular holes (7), a system of emptying the drum and an oregano receiving base (12).

2.

Mechanical device according to claim 1, whose circular holes (7) have been made in horizontal lines on the curved surface of the separator drum (6) at a distance of 8-10 cm between consecutive holes while the holes (7) are in turn. a line with respect to its anterior or posterior displaced a distance of 3-5 cm.

3.

Mechanical device according to previous reinvidications whose holes (7) have a diameter of 5 mm.

Four.

Mechanical device according to the preceding claims, characterized in that the shaft (8) rotates on two bearings coupled in the central part of the two flat faces which the separating drum (6) has, which is driven by an electric motor.

5.

Mechanical device according to the preceding claims whose axis (8) incorporates two vanes

(9) flat with a placement of 1800 each other at whose delimiting ends with the curved surface of the separating drum (6) carry flexible joints (10).

6.

Mechanical device according to the preceding claims characterized in that the receiving and distribution hopper (2) houses in its lower part a spiked shaft (3) containing skewers in charge of introducing the oregano deposited in the receiving and distribution hopper (2) to the drum separator (6).

7.

Mechanical device according to the preceding claims in which the oregano is subjected to the following phases:

Oregano is introduced in the upper part of the receiving and distribution hopper (2) and coming from the intake grid (1). it is driven to the bottom of the receiving and distribution hopper (2) by two inclined planes (4) with negative slopes and opposite directions of sliding so that at along this path the oregano branches are mostly parallel to the skewer axis (3) and perpendicular to the skewers axis skewers (3). at the end of the last slide plane there is a brush (5) that holds the oregano together with the 5 walls of the receiving and distribution hopper (2), said brush (5) is crossed by the skewers of the skewers shaft (3 ) that drag the oregano. the oregano enters the separator drum (6). 10 Oregano leaves leave the separator drum (6) through the holes (7) and are deposited in the receiving base (12).  FIG. 1    FIG.Z    --1 ----- 1 -t ------ 2 6 --__ ~ ------------_ t ~ ----3  1 ---_-- 1_ 8 ----- L 11 12  FIG. 3    12___ 13 1 == ----- ~  FIG. 4   F / G.5