JP5649042B2 - Onion processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an onion processing apparatus that can prevent onion retention.

  Conventionally, for example, an onion processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 is known.

  This conventional onion processing apparatus includes a conveying unit that conveys the onion with the onion stems and leaves sandwiched from both the left and right sides, and a root cutting unit that cuts the root of the onion during the conveyance by the conveying unit. The root cutting means comprises a pair of right and left root-stretching rollers, and has a root aligning part that aligns the roots of the onion and a root cutting part that cuts the roots aligned by the root aligning part.

JP-A-10-99064 (FIGS. 2 and 4)

  However, in the above-described conventional onion processing apparatus, since the downward force acting on the onion from the root aligning part of the root cutting means becomes the conveyance resistance, when the downward force due to the root aligning part acts on the onion greatly, the onion May stay.

  This invention is made | formed in view of such a point, and it aims at providing the onion processing apparatus which can prevent the stay of an onion.

The onion processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a conveying unit that conveys the onion; and a root cutting unit that cuts a root part of the onion in the middle of conveyance by the conveying unit. and aligning unit, and root cutting unit for cutting the roots that are aligned by the root alignment portion, possess a sending unit for sending the onion from the root aligned portion toward the root cutting portion, the delivery portion, The feed rotating body has a pair of feed rotating bodies that feed out from the root aligning section side toward the root cutting section side while pinching the onion by rotating in different directions, and the sending rotating body has a central direction in the longitudinal direction in the rotation direction. It has a plurality of elastically deformable delivery vanes formed in a curved shape that is convex toward the front .

The onion processing apparatus according to a second aspect is the onion processing apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the leading end side of the delivery blade contacts the main body of the onion.

The onion processing device according to claim 3 is the onion processing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the conveying means is configured to set the posture of the onion to a root-up posture while conveying the onion by rotating in different directions. It has the rotary body which makes | forms.

According onion processing apparatus to claim 4, wherein, in the onion processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, roots disconnect means, movable up and down relative to the conveying means to accommodate differences in the shape of onion It is what has become.

  According to the present invention, since the root cutting means has the delivery part that sends out the onion from the root alignment part side toward the root cutting part side, it is possible to prevent the onion from staying.

It is a side view of the onion processing apparatus which concerns on one embodiment of this invention. (A) is a principal part side view of the same onion processing apparatus, (b) is a front view of a 2nd conveyance means. It is a principal part top view of an onion processing apparatus same as the above. It is a top view of the clamping conveyance means of an onion processing apparatus same as the above. It is a top view of the 1st conveyance means of an onion processing apparatus same as the above. It is a side view of a 1st conveyance means same as the above. It is a side view of the root cutting means of the onion processing apparatus same as the above. It is a top view of a root cutting means same as the above. It is a rear view of a root cutting means same as the above. It is a rear view of a root cutting means same as the above. (A)-(c) is operation | movement explanatory drawing of a root cutting means same as the above. It is a top view of the sending part of the onion processing apparatus concerning other embodiments of the present invention. It is a top view of the sending part of the onion processing apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an onion processing device. This onion processing device 1 is not necessary after aligning and conveying a plurality of onion T, which are randomly added, for example, in a row while aligning and conveying them. This is a stationary type onion preparation machine that sequentially cuts the root part T3 and the foliage part (stem part) T2 and discharges the onion T that is only the spherical main part (real part) T1.

  The onion processing apparatus 1 has a longitudinal shape in the front-rear direction, for example. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the onion processing apparatus 1 is positioned on the front side, which is the input side, and is mounted on the front side of the onion T. A first conveying means 3 and a second conveying means 4 which is a roller-type conveying means which is disposed downstream of the first conveying means 3 in the conveying direction and is located on the rear side which is the discharge side and carries the onion T. The conveyance start end side is located above the first conveyance means 3 and close to the first conveyance means 3, and the conveyance end side is located above the second conveyance means 4 and close to the second conveyance means 4. It is provided with a clamping and conveying means 5 which is a belt-type onion delivery means for clamping and conveying the onion T in a state where the main body T1 is sandwiched from both the left and right sides.

  The first conveying means 3 moves the onion T in the horizontal conveying direction along the front-rear direction, and changes the position of the onion T to the first attitude, that is, for example, the root T3 faces downstream in the conveying direction (including obliquely above). The foliage portion T2 is set to a root downstream posture (preliminary posture) in which the foliage portion T2 faces upstream (including obliquely below).

  The second conveying means 4 conveys the onion T in the same conveying direction as the conveying direction of the first conveying means 3, while changing the attitude of the onion T from the root downstream orientation which is the first attitude, that is, for example, the root T3. The root-up posture (cutting posture) with the stem facing upward and the foliage T2 facing downward.

  The holding and conveying means 5 receives the onion T in the root downstream orientation from the conveyance end portion of the first conveyance means 3, and the main body T1 is sandwiched from both the left and right sides while maintaining the received onion T in the root downstream orientation. After nipping and conveying for a predetermined distance in the same conveying direction as the first conveying means 3, the onion T is passed to the conveying start end of the second conveying means 4 in the downstream orientation by releasing the nipping of the main body T 1. . That is, the nipping and conveying means 5 delivers the onion T from the first conveying means 3 to the second conveying means 4 while keeping the posture toward the root downstream.

  Each of the three conveying means, the first conveying means 3, the nipping conveying means 5 and the second conveying means 4, has the same conveying speed (including substantially the same). The first transport unit 3, the sandwiching transport unit 5 and the second transport unit 4 are arranged in a straight line in plan view.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the transport surface 3a of the first transport means 3 and the transport surface 4a of the second transport means 4 are located at the same (including substantially the same) height position. For example, although not shown, the transport surface 4 a of the second transport unit 4 may be slightly lower than the transport surface 3 a of the first transport unit 3. Further, a gap 6 having a predetermined size exists between the conveyance end portion of the first conveyance means 3 and the conveyance start end portion of the second conveyance means 4.

  Then, the transfer of the onion T from the transfer end portion of the first transfer means 3 to the transfer start end portion of the second transfer means 4 is performed by the sandwiching transfer means 5, but the onion T does not fall freely during this transfer. That is, the onion T is horizontally moved at a constant speed along the conveyance direction by the first conveyance unit 3, the nipping conveyance unit 5, and the second conveyance unit 4.

  Here, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, 5, and 6, the first transport unit 3 is a chain 11 that is a pair of endless bodies that turn by receiving power, for example, a pair of left and right, A concave portion 14 is formed between the two chains 11 so as to be rotatable via a support shaft 13 in the left-right direction, and a circumferential concave portion 14 is formed on the outer peripheral surface. The concave portion 14 based on rotation with respect to the chain 11 while conveying the onion T in the conveying direction. And an alignment roller 12 that is a plurality of cylindrical rotating bodies that bring the onion T into a downstream orientation by engaging with the stem and leaf portion T2 of the onion T.

  Both chains 11 are positioned so as to be spaced apart from each other, the front end side of the chain 11 is wound around a driven sprocket 15, and the rear end side of the chain 11 is wound around a drive sprocket 16. A plurality of support shafts 13 are installed between the chains 11 at equal intervals, and the alignment rollers 12 are rotatably supported by the support shafts 13. That is, a plurality of alignment rollers 12 arranged in the turning direction are provided between the chains 11 so as to be rotatable about the support shaft 13. The chain 11 has a straight forward path portion 18 along the front-rear direction on the upper side, and a straight return path portion 19 along the front-rear direction on the lower side.

  The alignment roller 12 receives a force from the roller contact body 21 by contact with a pair of left and right roller contact bodies (roller guides) 21 that are longitudinally and plate-like and are located in parallel with the forward path portion 18 of the chain 11. It rotates with respect to the chain 11. Each roller contact body 21 has on its upper surface a roller contact surface 22 that contacts the lower end of the alignment roller 12 and rotates the alignment roller 12 with respect to the rotating chain 11.

  The alignment roller 12 is formed in a drum shape having an axial direction in the left-right direction, for example. The alignment roller 12 has a circumferential concave portion 14 on the outer peripheral surface on the axially central side, and the main body T1 enters the concave portion 14 so that the onions T are aligned in a row. The alignment roller 12 has large-diameter portions 23 that come into contact with the roller contact surface 22 at both ends in the axial direction, and the concave portion 14 is located between both large-diameter portions 23. The concave portion 14 is connected to the cylindrical surface 24 having a smaller diameter than the large-diameter portion 23, the one-side truncated conical surface 25 connected to one end of the cylindrical surface 24, and the other end of the cylindrical surface 24. And the other side frustoconical surface 26. A space 30 exists between the concave portions 14 of the alignment rollers 12 adjacent to each other in the transport direction.

  The onion T conveyed by the alignment roller 12 that rotates with the chain 11 rotates in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the alignment roller 12 by the rotation of the alignment roller 12 (clockwise in FIG. 6). When the portion T2 enters the space portion 30 and engages with the concave portion 14, the rotation in the opposite direction is restricted. As a result, the posture of the onion T becomes the downstream orientation.

  Note that the root portion T3 is flexible and easily deforms, so that it does not engage with the concave portion. For this reason, the onion T rotates in the direction opposite to the rotation direction of the alignment roller 12 until the foliage portion T2 is hooked and engaged with the concave portion 14, that is, until the root is in the downstream orientation. Further, for example, although not shown, a foliage contact body that brings the onion T into a posture downstream of the root by contact with the foliage portion T2 of the onion T may be provided above or on the side of the alignment roller 12.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the second transport unit 4 receives power and rotates in different directions (directions facing each other downward), thereby transporting the onion T in the transport direction. For example, the onion T has a feed roller 31 which is a pair of left and right rotating bodies that changes the posture of the onion T from the downstream orientation to the upward orientation.

  The feed roller 31 includes a cylindrical roller body 32 having an axial direction in the front-rear direction, and a spiral convex portion 33 protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the roller body 32. The convex portion 33 has a plurality of elastically deformable protrusions 34 arranged in, for example, two rows in the spiral direction and an elastically deformable spiral ridge 35.

  And, there is a space 36 between the parallel roller main body portions 32 that are spaced apart from each other, and the foliage portion T2 of the onion T is drawn into the space 36 by engagement with the convex portion 33, As a result, the posture of the onion T changes from the downstream orientation to the upward orientation.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the nipping and conveying means 5 receives power and rotates in different directions (directions facing each other toward the rear), so that the downstream of the first conveying means 3. The onion T in the orientation posture is sandwiched and conveyed with the main body portion T1 sandwiched from both the left and right sides, and passed to the second transport means 4 in the root downstream orientation. have.

  The endless holding belt 41 is made of, for example, an elastic material such as an elastically deformable belt-like rubber. The clamping belt 41 includes a driving pulley 42 that is a driving rotating body, a driven pulley 43 that is a driven rotating body, and a presser pulley 44 that is a plurality of rotatable (for example, three) pressing bodies that are arranged at intervals. It is being handed over.

  The two sandwiching belts 41 that are located facing each other have a forward path portion 45 on the side facing each other (the side that contacts the onion T), and a straight line extending in the front-rear direction on the side opposite to the side facing each other. A return path portion 46 is formed. The forward path portion 45 includes a linear portion 47 positioned along the front-rear direction in a state before being elastically deformed, a transport start end side inclined portion 48 positioned closer to the return path portion 46 toward the transport start end side, and a return path toward the transport end side. It is constituted by a conveyance end side inclined portion 49 located on the part 46 side.

  In addition, a triangular onion receiving space 51 that gradually decreases in width in the conveyance direction exists between the inclined portions 48 on the conveyance start end side that are opposed to each other. Between the portions 49, there is a triangular onion passing space 52 that gradually widens in the conveying direction. An elongated space portion 50 exists between the linear portions 47 that are spaced apart from each other, and the space portion 50 and the space portion 36 of the second transport means 4 are positioned on a straight line in plan view.

  The presser pulley 44 is in contact (pressure contact) with the inner surface of the linear portion 47 of the forward path portion 45 of the clamping belt 41. The presser pulley 44 is rotatably attached to a substantially square-shaped support arm 54 that can rotate around a shaft 53 in the vertical direction. That is, the presser pulley 44 is attached to the distal end portion of the support arm 54 via the vertical shaft 56 so as to be rotatable about the shaft 56.

  One end portion of a tension coil spring 55 is attached to the base end portion of the support arm 54 as a biasing body that biases the presser pulley 44 toward the onion T side via the support arm 54. The other end of the tension coil spring 55 is attached to an attached portion (not shown). That is, a part of the outer peripheral surface of the presser pulley 44 is pressed against the inner surface of the forward path portion 45 of the holding belt 41 by the urging force of the tension coil spring 55.

  Note that the lower end portion on the conveyance start end side of the sandwich belt 41 is located close to the upper end portion of the alignment roller 12 of the first conveyance means 3. The lower end portion on the conveyance end side of the sandwich belt 41 is located close to the upper end portion of the feed roller 31 of the second conveyance means 4.

  When the onion T in the posture toward the root downstream is supplied to the onion receiving space 51 by the alignment roller 12 of the first conveying means 3, the onion T has its main body T1 sandwiched between both forward passage portions 45 and the root. It is nipped and conveyed through the space portion 50 by the both nipping belts 41 while the downstream orientation is maintained. At this time, the clamping belt 41 is elastically deformed, and the presser pulley 44 rotates around the shaft 53 integrally with the support arm 54 against the urging force of the tension coil spring 55.

  Thereafter, when the onion T reaches the onion passing space portion 52 and the nipping by the both forward passage portions 45 is released, the onion T is transferred onto the feed roller 31 of the second transport means 4 in the root downstream orientation. The transferred onion T is in a vertically upward posture on the feed roller 31.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the onion processing apparatus 1 is disposed above the second transport unit 4 and is in the upwardly directed posture during transport by the second transport unit 4 during the transport by the second transport unit 4. A root cutting means 61 for cutting the root portion T3 of the onion T, and a foliage portion T2 of the onion T in an upward-facing posture that is disposed close to the downstream of the second conveying means 4 and is carried out from the second conveying means 4. And a foliage cutting means 62.

  Here, as shown in FIGS. 7 to 10, the root cutting means 61 includes a root aligning portion (scratched upper portion) 63 that aligns the root portion T 3 of the onion T in the same direction so as to be scooped up from both left and right sides. The root cutting part 64 that cuts the root T3 aligned in the same direction by the root aligning part 63 at a close position downstream in the transport direction of the root aligning part 63, and the upward force acting on the onion T from the root aligning part 63 It has a delivery part 65 forcibly sending the onion T from the root aligning part 63 side toward the root cutting part 64 side so that (scraping force) becomes a conveyance resistance and the onion T does not stay.

  The root aligning portion 63 receives power and rotates in different directions (directions in which opposite sides face upward), thereby aligning the root portion T3 of the onion T from the left and right sides so as to be aligned in the same direction. It has a root aligning roller 81 that is a root aligning rotating body that forms a pair of left and right.

  Since the root T3 of the onion T is composed of a large number of irregular roots extending from the bottom of the main body T1 in multiple directions, the root cutting is performed with high accuracy so that there is no uncut residue. Needs to align the root portion T3 in the same direction (including substantially the same direction) prior to cutting by the root cutting portion 64.

  The root aligning roller 81 has a cylindrical roller main body portion 82 having an axial direction in the front-rear direction, and a plurality of root aligning blade portions 83 protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the roller main body portion 82. . The root alignment roller 81 is fixed to the rotary shaft 84 in the front-rear direction.

  The root cutting parts 64 receive power and rotate in different directions (directions facing each other toward the rear), thereby cutting the root part T3 of the onion T from both the left and right sides. A root cutting blade 86 is provided.

  The root cutting blade 86 is formed in a disc shape, and is positioned close to the rear end portion of the root aligning roller 81. Both root cutting blades 86 are disposed so as to partially overlap each other in plan view. The root cutting blade 86 is fixed to the lower end portion of the rotary shaft 87 in the vertical direction.

  The sending part 65 receives power and rotates (including turning) in different directions (directions facing opposite sides from each other), thereby holding the upper part of the body part T1 of the onion T from both left and right sides. For example, there is a sending rotator 91 that feeds T so as to push T from the root aligning portion 63 side toward the root cutting portion 64 side while keeping a constant posture (upward posture). In other words, both the delivery rotators 91 are configured to sandwich the onion T in the middle of which the root alignment unit 63 performs the root alignment and send it toward the root cutting blade 86 side.

  Each delivery rotator 91 is provided to be rotatable about a rotation center axis X in the vertical direction. Each of the delivery rotators 91 is a disc-shaped rotating member 92 that passes through the center of the rotation center axis X, and is elastically deformable that protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the rotation member 92 and is positioned radially with respect to the rotation center axis X. And a plurality of elongated blades 93.

  The proximal end portion of the delivery blade 93 is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the rotating member 92, and the distal end portion of the delivery blade 93 is a free end portion. The delivery blade 93 is made of, for example, an elastic material such as rubber, and is formed in a curved shape such that the center side in the longitudinal direction is convex forward in the rotational direction. The tip end side of the delivery blade 93 contacts only the upper part (the part of the main body part close to the root part) of the main body part T1 of the onion T. The rotating member 92 is fixed to the lower end portion of the rotating shaft 94 in the vertical direction. The rotating member 92 and the delivery vane 93 are not limited to separate members, and for example, the rotary member 92 and the delivery vane 93 may be integrally formed of an elastic material.

  Furthermore, the movement area of the delivery blade 93 of one delivery rotor 91 and the movement area of the delivery blade 93 of the other delivery rotor 91 partially overlap each other in plan view. (See FIG. 3). That is, in this overlapping region, the upper part of the main body T1 of the onion T is clamped from both the left and right sides by the delivery vanes 93 of both delivery rotating bodies 91, and in this state, the onion T is rooted by the root aligning part 63. From the root to the root cutting position by the root cutting unit 64, it is nipped and conveyed in a constant posture (upward root posture). Note that the root aligning portion 63 and the root cutting portion 64 are located in the movement region of the delivery blade 93 in plan view, and the delivery blade 93 moves in the vicinity of the lower portions of the root alignment portion 63 and the root cutting portion 64. .

  Further, the root cutting means 61 is arranged on the feed roller 31 of the second transport means 4 above the feed roller 31 of the second transport means 4 so as to cope with the difference in the shape (spherical diameter) of the main body T1 of the onion T. On the other hand, it can move up and down (can move up and down in parallel) in a horizontal posture.

  That is, the root cutting means 61 has a vertically moving frame portion 98 that also has a cover function attached to a parallel link 97 that can be rotated up and down around a left and right axis 96. The aligning part 63, the root cutting part 64, and the delivery part 65 are supported. Then, the root aligning part 63, the root cutting part 64, and the delivery part 65 are vertically translated with respect to the feed roller 31 together with the vertically moving frame part 98 with respect to the feed roller 31 based on the vertical rotation of the parallel link 97. To do.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7, one end of a wire 100 wound around a pulley 99 is attached to a parallel link 97, and the other end of the wire 100 is a tension coil spring which is an urging body for weight reduction. 101 is attached. Then, the root cutting means 61 is urged upward by the tension coil spring 101, and the entire weight of the root cutting means 61 is reduced. For this reason, the upper surface of the main body portion T1 of the onion T abuts against the inclined contact surface 103 of the guide arm 102 of the vertical movement frame portion 98 so that the whole root cutting means 61 is pushed up by the onion T. Moves up to the working height position. The vertically moving frame portion 98 has a sliding contact surface 104 with which the upper surface of the main body T1 of the onion T is in sliding contact with the lower surface, and when the onion T moves away from the sliding contact surface 104, the entire root cutting means 61 is caused by its own weight. Move down to the original standby height position. The root cutting means 61 includes a root aligning portion 63, a root cutting portion 64, a sending portion 65, a vertically moving frame portion 98, and the like.

  The foliage cutting means 62 has a disc-shaped blade receiving portion 71 and a disc-shaped rotating blade portion 72 that cuts the foliage portion T2 of the onion T between the blade receiving portion 71. .

  Further, the onion processing apparatus 1 includes a charging chute 73 attached to the front end of the apparatus frame 70 and a discharge chute 74 attached to the rear end of the apparatus frame 70. The untreated onion T having the foliage T2 and the root T3 is thrown onto the alignment roller 12 of the first conveying means 3 by the throwing chute 73, and the treated onion T having no foliage T2 and the root T3 For example, the discharge chute 74 discharges into a container (not shown) such as a container. A plurality of casters 75 are attached to the lower end portion of the device frame 70.

  Moreover, the onion processing apparatus 1 is provided with a driving means 76 for operating the conveying means 3, 4, 5 and the cutting means 61, 62. The drive means 76 includes a motor 77 as a drive source, and a power transmission mechanism 78 that transmits the power output from the motor 77 to the transport means 3, 4, 5 and the cutting means 61, 62. .

  The power transmission mechanism 78 synchronously rotates each of the rotation shaft 84 of the root aligning portion 63, the rotation shaft 87 of the root cutting portion 64, and the rotation shaft 94 of the delivery portion 65, as shown in FIGS. Transmission means 80 is provided. The transmission means 80 is constituted by, for example, a shaft, a pulley, a belt, a bevel gear, and the like.

  Next, the operation of the onion processing apparatus 1 will be described.

  When the onion T before processing passes on the feeding chute 73 and is fed on the alignment roller 12 of the first conveying means 3, the onions T are aligned in a line at intervals from each other by the alignment roller 12. In the middle of the conveyance, the posture is directed toward the downstream of the root, and the posture is shifted between the sandwiching belts 41 of the clamping conveyance means 5 while maintaining the posture in the downstream of the root.

  When transferred between the two clamping belts 41, the onion T is clamped by both the clamping belts 41 so as to be clamped only from the left and right sides while maintaining the downstream orientation from the alignment roller 12 through the gap 6 to the feeding roller 31. Then, when the both belts 41 are released, they are transferred onto the both feeding rollers 31 of the second conveying means 4 in the downstream direction.

  When transferred onto the both feed rollers 31, the onion T is transported by the feed roller 31, and the posture changes from the root downstream orientation to the root upward orientation during the transportation, and then the root T 3 of the onion T is moved by the root cutting means 61. Disconnected.

  The operation of the root cutting means 61 will be described in detail. As shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, the upper surface of the main body T1 of the onion T in the upward posture is the vertically moving frame portion of the root cutting means 61. When it abuts against the abutment surface 103 of the guide arm 102 of 98, the whole root cutting means 61 is moved up to the working height position with respect to the feed roller 31 by being pushed up by the onion T.

  When the upper surface of the main body T1 of the onion T is separated from the contact surface 103, the upper surface of the main body T1 comes into sliding contact with the sliding contact surface 104. As long as the entire length of the root cutting means 61 is maintained, the working height position corresponding to the shape of the main body T1 of the onion T is maintained.

  First, the root portion T3 of the onion T in the root upward orientation is scraped up from both the left and right sides by the blade portions 83 of the both root alignment rollers 81 of the root alignment portion 63 and aligned in the same direction.

  At this time, an upward scraping force is applied to the onion T from the blade portion 83 of the root aligning roller 81, but the onion T does not stay on the spot due to the scraping force, and both feeding rotations of the feeding unit 65 are performed. It is nipped and conveyed by the delivery blade 93 of the body 91 and is sent out from the root aligning portion 63 side toward the root cutting portion 64 side while keeping a constant upward posture.

  That is, the onion T overcomes the conveyance resistance based on the lifting force of the root aligning portion 63, and from the root alignment position by the root aligning portion 63 to the root cutting portion by the conveying force by the sending portion 65 and the conveying force by the feed roller 31. It is conveyed to the root cutting position by 64 without changing the posture.

  When the onion T reaches the root cutting position, the root portion T3 aligned at the immediately preceding root alignment portion 63 is cut by the both root cutting blades 86 of the root cutting portion 64.

  After the cutting by the root cutting blade 86, when the upper surface of the main body portion T1 of the onion T moves away from the sliding contact surface 104 of the vertical movement frame portion 98, the entire root cutting means 61 is self-weighted as shown in FIG. To move down to the original standby height position. After that, if the subsequent onion T comes into contact with the contact surface 103 of the vertically moving frame portion 98, the root cutting means 61 as a whole moves up to the working height position corresponding to the shape of the onion T.

  Thereafter, when the onion T from which the root portion T3 has been cut is transported by the feed roller 31 and unloaded from the transport end portion, the foliage cutting means 62 cuts the foliage portion T2 of the onion T. In this way, the onion T which has only the spherical main body portion T1 passes over the discharge chute 74 and is accommodated in, for example, a container (not shown).

  And according to such an onion processing apparatus 1, since the root cutting means 61 has the sending part 65 which sends out the onion T from the root alignment part 63 side toward the root cutting part 64 side, the onion T from the root alignment part 63 is provided. It is possible to prevent the onion T from staying on the feed roller 31 of the second conveying means 4 without stopping the onion T by the upward force acting on.

  The delivery section 65 of the root cutting means 61 has a delivery rotating body 91 that forms a pair that feeds from the root alignment section 63 toward the root cutting section 64 while sandwiching the onion T by rotating in different directions. Therefore, by holding the onion T from both the left and right sides, the onion T can be appropriately sent out while maintaining a constant posture of the onion T.

  Further, the delivery rotator 91 has a plurality of elastically deformable delivery vanes 93 radially located with respect to the rotation center axis X that is the rotation fulcrum of the delivery rotator 91, and thus damages the main body T1 of the onion T. And can be sent out properly.

Also, since the entire root disconnect means 61 is vertically movable relative to the second conveying means 4 to accommodate differences in the shape of onion T, regardless of the size of the main body portion T1 of onion T Therefore, the onion T can be prevented from staying and the root T3 can be cut accurately and appropriately.

  Further, the onion T in the downstream orientation is received from the alignment roller 12 of the first conveying means 3, and the received onion T is nipped and conveyed by the pair of right and left clamping belts 41 to the feed roller 31 of the second conveying means 4. Since the nipping and conveying means 5 is provided to pass the root downstream orientation without being dropped, the onion T is transferred onto the feed roller 31 while maintaining the root downstream orientation, and the onion T may roll on the feed roller 31. In other words, the onion T can be aligned on the feed roller 31 in a desired posture, which is a desired root-up orientation, so that the root portion T3 and the foliage portion T2 can be appropriately cut by the cutting means 61 and 62.

  Further, the sandwiching and conveying means 5 includes a pair of left and right sandwiching belts 41 that are positioned opposite to each other to sandwich and transport the onion T, a presser pulley 44 that contacts each of the sandwiching belts 41, and the presser pulley 44 that is connected to the onion T Since the tension coil spring 55 is biased toward the side, the onion T can be stably held and conveyed in the posture toward the root downstream despite the simple configuration.

  Further, since the transport speeds of the first transport unit 3, the sandwich transport unit 5 and the second transport unit 4 are the same, the transfer from the first transport unit 3 to the sandwich transport unit 5 and the second transport from the sandwich transport unit 5 are performed. It is possible to appropriately prevent the onion T from staying or changing its posture when the means 4 is transferred.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, the sending unit 65 feeds the onion T from the root aligning part 63 side toward the root cutting part 64 side while sandwiching the main body part T1 of the onion T to cut the root cutting part. It may have a pair of sending rotators 91 that convey in a fixed posture to 64 downstream positions in the conveyance direction (positions beyond the root cutting position by the root cutting section 64).

  A plurality of delivery blades 93 of the delivery rotator 91 of the delivery unit 65 shown in FIG. 12 are provided on the outer surface of an endless rotation member 112 such as a belt that is stretched around a plurality of (for example, three) rotation members 111 such as pulleys. ing. That is, each delivery rotating body 91 is composed of an endless rotating member 112 and a plurality of delivery blades 93 protruding from the endless rotating member 112, and has a linear portion by power from the drive means 76 side. It rotates in a predetermined direction in the state. In addition, the sending unit 65 has a triangular space 113 that gradually decreases in width in the transport direction on the downstream side in the transport direction. In this configuration, the clamping distance can be made longer than in the configuration of FIG. 8, and the clamping force acting on the onion T from the delivery blade 93 is gradually weakened when carrying out from the delivery unit 65. T's posture is hard to collapse.

  A plurality of delivery blades 93 of the delivery rotary body 91 of the delivery unit 65 shown in FIG. ing. That is, each delivery rotating body 91 is composed of an endless rotating member 115 and a plurality of delivery blades 93 protruding from the endless rotating member 115, and has a linear portion by the power from the driving means 76 side. It rotates in a predetermined direction in the state. In this configuration, the clamping distance can be made longer than in the configuration of FIG. 8, and the clamping strength is constant, so that stable clamping conveyance is possible.

  For example, although not shown, the sending section 63 sends the onion T from the root aligning section 63 side to the root cutting section 64 side while holding the main body T1 of the onion T, and reaches the foliage cutting position by the foliage cutting means 62 You may have the sending rotary body 91 which makes the pair conveyed with a fixed attitude | position.

  Moreover, although each said embodiment demonstrated the stationary type which cut | disconnects the onion T harvested from the agricultural field, for example, the traveling type onion processing apparatus which cut | disconnects while harvesting the onion T of the agricultural field may be sufficient. .

  The onion processing apparatus 1 is not limited to the onion T arranged in one row and cut while aligning and transporting the onion T. For example, the onion T may be cut while aligning and conveying the onion T in a plurality of rows.

  Furthermore, for example, a spiral cutting blade may be provided on the outer peripheral surface of the feed roller 31 of the second transport unit 4, and the foliage portion T 2 of the onion T may be pulled between the feed rollers 31 and cut.

  The urging body such as the tension coil spring 55 can move the presser pulley 44 in a horizontal direction orthogonal to the conveying direction, for example, and the rotation fulcrum (shaft 56) of the presser pulley 44 is attached to the onion T side. It may be a thing that squeezes.

  The first posture is not limited to the posture toward the root downstream, and may be, for example, a posture in which the root T3 faces the upstream in the transport direction and the foliage T2 faces the downstream in the transport direction. Further, the second posture is not limited to the upward posture, and may be a posture corresponding to the root cutting means, for example. For example, when the second posture is a root downward posture, the root cutting means is disposed below the second transport means.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Onion processing apparatus 4 The 2nd conveyance means which is a conveyance means
31 Feed roller as a rotating body
61 Root cutting means
63 Root alignment part
64 Root cutting part
65 Transmitter
91 Outgoing rotating body
93 Sending blade T Onion T3 Root

Claims (4)

A conveying means for conveying the onion;
A root cutting means for cutting the root of the onion in the middle of the conveyance by this conveyance means,
The root cutting means is
A root aligning section that aligns the roots of the onion,
A root cutting portion for cutting the root portion aligned by the root alignment portion;
Have a onions from the root aligned portion and a delivery portion for feeding toward the root cutting portion,
The delivery unit has a delivery rotator that forms a pair that feeds from the root alignment part side toward the root cutting part side while sandwiching onions by rotating in different directions.
The on-spindle processing apparatus has a plurality of elastically deformable sending blades formed in a curved shape such that a central side in the longitudinal direction is convex forward in the rotating direction . The tip of the delivery blade contacts the main body of the onion
The onion processing apparatus according to claim 1. The transport means includes a pair of rotating bodies that rotate in different directions to form a pair that moves the onion into a root-up position while transporting the onion.
The onion processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that Root disconnect means, onion processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the vertically movable with respect to the conveying means to accommodate differences in the shape of onion.

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