JP7100235B2 - Pineapple cutting device and method - Google Patents

Description

In the present invention, the upper and lower ends of the pineapple are cut, the pericarp is cut, and the core portion is hollowed out and cut into a cylindrical shape (hereinafter, also referred to as hole punching) so that the edible portion and the pericarp can be separated and discharged. The pineapple cutting device and method to be used.

Conventionally, the pineapple cutting device includes, for example, a small pineapple cutting device disclosed in Patent Document 1. This pineapple cutting device is a device that removes the pericarp from a pineapple with a pericarp whose upper and lower ends are cut horizontally in advance, and separates the flesh portion into a cylindrical shape and a core portion having a columnar shape. The flesh portion and the core portion are separated by raising and lowering the outer cylinder blade and the inner cylinder blade.

More specifically, the pineapple cutting device can cut a pineapple with pericarp into a pineapple by simultaneously raising and lowering and rotating the outer cylinder blade and the inner cylinder blade.

Japanese Patent No. 6223054

By the way, in the technique of Patent Document 1 described above, it is necessary to cut the upper and lower ends of the pineapple horizontally as a pretreatment for the hole punching process. Since this cutting work is performed manually in advance, there is a problem that the work efficiency is low.

Further, in the technique of Patent Document 1, when the upper and lower ends of the pineapple are cut, the cut width varies and the upper and lower surfaces may not be cut in parallel because the cutting is performed manually. In this case, when the pineapple is placed on the pineapple mounting table, the axial direction of the pineapple is inclined with respect to the vertical direction. Therefore, although it is necessary to remove the pericarp and hollow out the core, the flesh may be cut and removed, or the core remains in the pine hole that is cut into a cylindrical shape, which significantly reduces the commercial value. , There is a problem that the yield is poor.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and when cutting a pineapple into a cylindrical shape with a small device, the work efficiency is remarkably improved and the commercial value of the pineapple cut into a cylindrical shape is enhanced. It is an object of the present invention to provide a pineapple cutting device and method capable of this.

In order to achieve the above object, in the pineapple cutting device of the present invention, the first base on which the pineapple is placed in the vertical direction in the axial direction and the pineapple placed on the first base are horizontally placed. A pressing unit that presses from the direction, an upper cutting blade and a lower cutting blade that are installed in parallel to each other and cut the upper part and the lower part of the pineapple by being pressed by the pressing unit, and the upper cutting blade and the lower part. A second base on which the pineapple whose upper and lower portions have been cut by a cutting blade is placed, a positioning unit for positioning the pineapple placed on the second base at a predetermined position, and the second base. With a cylindrical blade unit that cuts the pineapple into a cylindrical shape by lowering the cylindrical outer cylinder blade and inner cylinder blade installed concentrically above the pineapple positioned at a predetermined position on the base of the pineapple. , Is characterized by the provision of.

Further, the pineapple cutting method of the present invention includes a pressing step of pressing the pineapple placed on the first base in the vertical direction with the axial direction from the horizontal direction, and a pressing step of pressing the pineapple in the pressing step of the pineapple. The upper and lower cutting steps of cutting the upper and lower parts in parallel with each other by the upper cutting blade and the lower cutting blade, and the pineapple whose upper and lower parts are cut by the upper and lower cutting steps are placed on the second base. A positioning step of positioning the pineapple whose upper and lower portions are cut at a predetermined position of the base 2 and a concentric axial direction above the pineapple positioned at a predetermined position of the second base. It is characterized by having a cylindrical cutting step of lowering a cylindrical outer cylinder blade and an inner cylinder blade to cut the pineapple into a cylindrical shape.

According to the pineapple cutting device and method of the present invention, when cutting a pineapple into a cylindrical shape with a small device, it is possible to significantly improve work efficiency and increase the commercial value of the pineapple cut into a cylindrical shape. become.

It is a perspective view which shows the whole structure of one Embodiment of the pineapple cutting apparatus which concerns on this invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an internal structure in which an upper cutting / crown sweeping unit, a part of a cover and a frame surrounding a cylindrical cutting tool unit, and an opening / closing door are removed. It is an enlarged perspective view which shows the state which the pineapple is placed on the 1st base of FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing an upper cutting / crown sweeping unit of FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view showing an internal structure of the upper cutting / crown sweeping unit of FIG. 4 as viewed from the opposite side. It is an enlarged perspective view which shows the internal structure of the positioning unit of FIG. FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view showing a state in which the grip portion of the positioning unit of FIG. 6 has been moved. It is an enlarged perspective view which shows the cylindrical blade unit of FIG. It is a vertical sectional view which shows the state which the pineapple is placed on the 1st base of FIG. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the pineapple is moved from the first base to the second base in FIG. 9. FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which a pineapple is cut by a cylindrical cutting tool unit. 11 is an enlarged vertical sectional view showing a state in which a pineapple is cut by a cylindrical cutting tool unit in FIG. 11. FIG. 12 is an enlarged vertical sectional view showing a state in which the cut pineapple is extruded in FIG. 12. 13 is an enlarged vertical sectional view showing an extruded pineapple and a cylindrical cutting tool unit in FIG. 13. 14 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the extruded pineapple is discharged in FIG. 14. It is a block diagram which shows the control system of one Embodiment of the pineapple cutting apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the operation of the control part of FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiment, an example in which an air cylinder is used as a drive source for each of the pressing unit, the upper cutting / crown sweeping unit, the positioning unit, the cylindrical cutting tool unit, and the discharging unit will be described.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of an embodiment of a pineapple cutting device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cover and a frame surrounding an upper cutting / crown sweeping unit and a cylindrical cutting tool unit in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the internal structure which removed the part and the opening / closing door.

In the pineapple cutting device of the present embodiment, the side on which various switches are installed and the worker faces is the front side, the back side thereof is the rear side, and the right side facing the front side is the right side. The left side will be described as the left side.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pineapple cutting device 1 of the present embodiment includes a workbench frame 2 formed in a substantially three-dimensional frame shape. The workbench frame 2 has wheels 3 for movement attached to the four lower corners of the workbench frame 2. A top plate 4 is installed in the middle of the workbench frame 2 in the height direction, and openings 5a and 5b are formed in the top plate 4. Through these openings 5a and 5b, half of the pericarp on the outer peripheral surface of the pineapple P cut by the outer cylinder blade and the pericarp cutting blade described later is discharged, respectively.

For example, a belt conveyor (not shown) is installed directly under the openings 5a and 5b, and by driving the belt conveyor, half of the outer surface of the outer surface cut by the cylindrical blade and the peel cutting blade is integrated (not shown). It may be transported to a box. Similarly, the upper residue of pineapple P cut by the upper cutting blade (hereinafter, also referred to as a crown) and the lower residue including the vine portion cut by the lower cutting blade are also conveyed to the accumulation box by the belt conveyor. Is desirable.

A pneumatic parts box 6 is installed on the left side of the workbench frame 2. The pneumatic component box 6 is equipped with various pneumatic components (not shown) for supplying compressed air to each cylinder. A switchboard 7 equipped with various electric systems is installed above the pneumatic parts box 6. A series of cutting operations of the pineapple P is performed by, for example, sequence control of various pneumatic components installed in the pneumatic component box 6 from a drive circuit (not shown) in the switchboard 7.

Further, on the worker side of the pineapple cutting device 1, a photoelectric switch 8 having a light emitter and a light receiver (not shown) is installed. When the space between the light emitter and the light receiver of the photoelectric switch 8 is blocked by a body such as an operator's hand, the activation switch 9 for activating the pineapple cutting device 1 is configured not to operate. That is, if the space between the light emitter and the light receiver of the photoelectric switch 8 is blocked by a body such as an operator's hand, the device itself of the pineapple cutting device 1 is configured not to operate.

In the vicinity of the start switch 9, emergency stop switches 10 used for emergency stopping the drive of the pineapple cutting device 1 in an emergency are installed side by side. An emergency stop switch 11 is also installed on the right side of the workbench frame 2 at substantially the same height as the emergency stop switch 10. By arranging the emergency stop switch 11 at a position separated from the emergency stop switch 10 in this way, when any trouble occurs, the pineapple cutting device 1 can be operated by operating either the emergency stop switch 10 or 11. The drive can be stopped immediately.

As will be described later, when the reciprocating operation of the pressing cylinder that presses and cuts the pineapple P from the horizontal direction is completed, even if the light between the light emitter and the light receiver of the photoelectric switch 8 is blocked, it is a subsequent step. The cutting operation of the cylindrical cutting tool unit and the discharging operation of the discharging unit are performed. That is, since the pineapple P to be cut next can be placed on the first base during these steps, the cutting operation of the pineapple P can be continuously performed.

As shown in FIG. 1, the cylindrical blade unit is surrounded by an openable / closable door 12 and a cover 13. By surrounding the cylindrical blade unit in this way, it is possible to prevent a part of the worker's body and other articles from entering the movable cylindrical blade. Here, the opening / closing door 12 is provided with a magnetic sensor (not shown). When the opening / closing door 12 is opened during the cutting operation, the magnetic sensor is activated and the entire cutting operation is stopped. This ensures the safety of the worker.

The pineapple cutting device 1 of the present embodiment includes a first base 15, a pressing unit 20, an upper cutting / crown sweeping unit 25, a positioning unit 40, a second base 41, a cylindrical cutting tool unit 50, and a discharging unit 75. To prepare for.

First, the configuration and function of the first base 15 will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing a state in which a pineapple is placed on the first base of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 3, a pineapple P whose upper and lower ends are not cut is placed on the first base 15 with the axial direction as the vertical direction. Specifically, a pineapple P having a crown and a calyx is placed on the first base 15.

The first base 15 includes a support plate 16 as shown in FIG. A vertical position adjusting mechanism 14 (shown in FIG. 9) is installed at the lower part of the first base 15. By adjusting the vertical position of the first base 15 with respect to the vertical direction by the vertical position adjusting mechanism 14, the relative heights of the upper cutting blade and the lower cutting blade, which will be described later, change. The vertical position adjusting mechanism 14 is configured to change the vertical position, for example, by adjusting the screwing condition of the screw to the support plate 16. By moving the relative heights of the upper cutting blade and the lower cutting blade up and down in this way, the upper cutting width and the lower cutting width of the pineapple P can be adjusted. As a result, it is possible to perform cutting according to the axial length of the pineapple P.

On the support plate 16, three support protrusions 17 are fixed in two rows at regular intervals at both ends in the longitudinal direction, for a total of six. The two rows of supporting protrusions 17 are arranged at positions facing each other. The wide surface of one L-shaped plate 18 abuts on each of the two rows of supporting protrusions 17. As a result, each L-shaped plate 18 is installed horizontally.

In these L-shaped plates 18, elongated holes 18a are formed at three positions at regular intervals in the longitudinal direction corresponding to the two rows of supporting protrusions 17. These elongated holes 18a are formed long in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the L-shaped plate 18. By fixing bolts (not shown) to the two rows of supporting protrusions 17 through these elongated holes 18a, the two L-shaped plates 18 are fixed by forming elongated grooves 19 at predetermined intervals between them.

Therefore, by changing the position of the elongated hole 18a with respect to the fixing position of the bolt (not shown) of the L-shaped plate 18, the two L-shaped plates 18 move in the width direction thereof. Thereby, the width of the long groove 19 can be changed. By setting the width of the long groove 19 to a predetermined width, the calyx at the bottom of the pineapple P can be inserted. Therefore, the pineapple P can be placed without cutting and removing the calyx of the pineapple P. As a result, by adjusting the width of the long groove 14, it is possible to cut the pineapple P with the calyx regardless of the size or presence of the calyx of the pineapple P.

Next, the configuration and function of the pressing unit 20 will be described with reference to FIG.

The pressing unit 20 includes a pressing cylinder 21 as shown in FIG. A pressing portion 22 is fixed to the tip of the sinder rod 21a of the pressing cylinder 21. The pressing portion 22 has a V-shaped planar shape. In the present embodiment, the pressing portion 22 is formed in a flat V shape, so that the outer peripheral surface of the pineapple P can be easily held.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, by driving the pressing cylinder 21, the cylinder rod 21a presses the pineapple P mounted on the first base 15 from the horizontal direction. In this case, since the pressing portion 22 is formed in a flat V shape, the outer peripheral surface of the pineapple P can be easily held and can be reliably pressed. Within the movement range of the pressed pineapple P, the upper cutting blade 26 of the upper cutting / crown sweeping unit 25, which will be described later, and the lower cutting blade 23 arranged in parallel below the upper cutting blade 26 are installed. ing. That is, the upper cutting blade 26 and the lower cutting blade 23 are respectively installed horizontally and arranged in parallel with each other. Therefore, the upper cutting blade 26 and the lower cutting blade 23 can form the upper and lower cutting surfaces horizontally and parallel to each other by cutting the pineapple P horizontally and in parallel.

Then, as will be described later, the pineapple P whose upper and lower ends are cut by the upper cutting blade 26 and the lower cutting blade 23 is transferred to the second base 41. In the vicinity of the second base 41, a stopper 72 is freely installed on the discharge side. Therefore, the stopper 72 prevents the pineapple P pressed by the cylinder rod 21a of the pressing cylinder 21 from being transferred beyond the second base 41.

Next, the configuration and function of the upper cutting / crown sweeping unit 25 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing the upper cutting / crown sweeping unit of FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view showing the internal structure of the upper cutting / crown sweeping unit of FIG. 4 as viewed from the opposite side.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the upper cutting / crown sweeping unit 25 roughly includes an upper cutting blade 26, a sweeping mechanism 27, and an elevating mechanism 34. The upper cutting / crown sweeping unit 25 cuts the crown of the pineapple P by the upper cutting blade 26 and sweeps the crown out of the device.

The sweep mechanism 27 has a crown mounting plate 28, a crown shooter 29, a crown sweep plate 30, a rotation shaft 31, and a sweep cylinder 32. An upper cutting blade 26 is installed on the front side of the crown mounting plate 28. Below the upper cutting blade 26, the lower cutting blades 23 shown in FIG. 9 are arranged horizontally and parallel to each other. The upper part of the pineapple P cut by the upper cutting blade 26, that is, the crown is placed on the crown mounting plate 28. A crown shooter 29 is integrally provided on the crown mounting plate 28, and the crown of the pineapple P cut through the crown shooter 29 slides and falls out of the device. The lower residue containing the calyx of the pineapple P cut by the lower cutting blade 23 is discharged through the opening 24 shown in FIG.

The sweep cylinder 32 has a cylinder rod 33, and a crown sweep plate 30 is attached to the tip of the cylinder rod 33. One end of the crown sweep plate 30 is rotatably attached to the rotation shaft 31. The other end of the crown sweep plate 30 is formed by being bent at an angle of approximately 20 degrees on the crown mounting plate 28 side.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, by driving the sweep cylinder 32, the cylinder rod 33 is extended and the crown sweep plate 30 is rotated on the crown mounting plate 28 about the rotation shaft 31. As a result, the crown of the pineapple P cut by the upper cutting blade 26 and placed on the crown mounting plate 28 is swept out from the crown mounting plate 28 by the crown sweep plate 30, and slides on the crown shooter 29. Fall out.

As shown in FIG. 5, the elevating mechanism 34 includes an elevating handle 35, two ball screws 36a and 36b, two guide rods 37a and 37b, pulleys 38a and 38b, and a timing belt 39. The ball screw 36a and the guide rod 37a, and the ball screw 36b and the guide rod 37b are paired with each other, and they are installed apart from each other by a length equal to or longer than the length of the upper cutting blade 26. The pulleys 38a and 38b are installed at the same height in the ball screws 36a and 36b.

An elevating handle 35 is fixed to the upper end of the ball screw 36a. A pulley 38a is fixed slightly below the elevating handle 35. Similarly, a pulley 38b is fixed to the upper end of the ball screw 36b. A timing belt 39 is wound between the pulley 38a and the pulley 38b. The timing belt 39 is set to a predetermined tension depending on the degree of contact of the tension pulley 38c.

Therefore, in the elevating mechanism 34, the ball screw 36a is rotated by rotating the elevating handle 35. Then, the pulley 38a also rotates, so that the pulley 38b rotates via the timing belt 39 and the ball screw 36b rotates. As the ball screw 36a and the ball screw 36b rotate, the crown mounting plate 28 provided on these ball screws 36a and 36b is guided by the guide rods 37a and 37b and moves (up and down) in the vertical direction. Therefore, the upper cutting blade 26 fixed to the front side of the crown mounting plate 28 also moves up and down. By moving the upper cutting blade 26 up and down in this way, the upper cutting width of the pineapple P can be adjusted. As a result, it is possible to perform cutting according to the axial length of the pineapple P.

Further, in the present embodiment, since the upper cutting blade 26 and the lower cutting blade 23 are installed horizontally and in parallel with each other, when the pineapple P from which the upper part and the lower part are cut is transferred to the second base 41. , Is placed on the second base 41 with the axial direction as the vertical direction.

Next, the configuration and function of the positioning unit 40 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view showing the internal structure of the positioning portion of FIG. 2. FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view showing a state in which the grip portion of the positioning portion of FIG. 6 has been moved.

In the positioning unit 40, the lower part including the crown and the bud of the pineapple P is cut by the upper cutting blade 26 of the upper cutting / crown sweeping unit 25 and the lower cutting blade 24 arranged below the upper cutting blade 26. The cut pineapple P is positioned at the center of the second base 41 shown in FIG. 9 and directly below the center (predetermined position) of the cylindrical blade unit 50. That is, the cylindrical cutting tool unit 50 is installed above the pineapple P in the concentric axis direction.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the positioning unit 40 includes a mounting plate 42, connecting plates 43a and 43b, a guide rod 44, rack gears 45a and 45b, a pinion gear 46, a drive plate 47, and a gripping cylinder 48. A cylinder rod 48a and grip portions 49a and 49b are provided.

The mounting plate 42 is formed in the shape of a rectangular plate, and the guide rod 44 is horizontally fixed along the length direction thereof. The guide rods 44 are provided with movable connecting plates 43a and 43b. Rack gears 45a and 45b are vertically provided on the connecting plates 43a and 43b, respectively. These rack gears 45a and 45b are installed so that their dentition portions face each other and mesh with the pinion gear 46. The pinion gear 46 is rotatably fixed to the mounting plate 42.

That is, the rack gear 45a is installed so that the dentition is on the upper surface side, while the rack gear 45b is installed so that the dentition is on the lower surface side. The pinion gear 46 meshes with the dentition on the upper surface of the rack gear 45a and also with the dentition on the lower surface of the rack gear 45b.

A drive plate 47 is fixed to the connecting plate 43a, and the tip end portion of the cylinder rod 48a of the gripping cylinder 48 is fixed to the drive plate 47. Grip portions 49a and 49b are attached to the connecting plates 43a and 43b, respectively.

Therefore, in the positioning unit 40 in the state shown in FIG. 6, the tip end portion of the cylinder rod 48a of the gripping cylinder 48 is in the most extended state, and the distance between the gripping portions 49a and 49b is the farthest position. Then, when the gripping cylinder 48 is driven, the tip portion of the cylinder rod 48a contracts most as shown in FIG. 7. In this case, the rack gear 45a moves to the right in the figure via the drive plate 47 and the connecting plate 43a fixed to the tip of the cylinder rod 48a, and at the same time, the grip portion 49a moves to the right.

At the same time, the pinion gear 46 rotates counterclockwise. As a result, the rack gear 45b moves to the left, and the grip portion 49b moves to the left via the connecting plate 43b. In this way, the upper and lower portions of the grip portions 49a and 49b that have been transferred close to each other are cut to position the pineapple P. Therefore, by positioning the pineapple P whose upper and lower portions are cut, the pineapple P is positioned at a predetermined position of the second base 41, at the center of the second base 41, and directly below the center of the cylindrical cutting tool unit 50. be able to.

Here, since the grip portions 49a and 49b are formed in a U-shape in a planar shape, it is possible to easily hold the outer peripheral surface of the pineapple P, and the grip portions 49a and 49b can be reliably positioned directly under the cylindrical blade unit 50. can.

Next, the configuration and function of the cylindrical blade unit 50 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 14.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view showing the cylindrical cutting tool unit of FIG. 2. FIG. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which a pineapple is placed on the first base of FIG. FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the pineapple is moved from the first base to the second base in FIG. FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the pineapple is cut by the cylindrical cutting tool unit in FIG.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged vertical sectional view showing a state in which the pineapple is cut by the cylindrical cutting tool unit in FIG. 11. FIG. 13 is an enlarged vertical sectional view showing a state in which the cut pineapple in FIG. 12 is extruded. FIG. 14 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view showing the extruded pineapple and the cylindrical cutting tool unit in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the cylindrical blade unit 50 is a cylindrical pineapple P in which the upper and lower portions positioned directly below the center of the cylindrical blade unit 50 in the second base 41 by the positioning unit 40 are cut. Cut into shapes. A blade cylinder 51 is installed above the cylindrical blade unit 50. The tip of the cylinder rod 52 of the blade cylinder 51 is connected to the square connecting plate 54 via the connecting portion 53 of the cylindrical blade unit 50. The connecting plate 54 is connected to the guide plate 56 via four connecting rods 55.

Two guide rods 57 penetrate vertically through the connecting plate 54, and the lower ends of these guide rods 57 are fixed to the moving plate 58. A coil spring 59 is wound around each of the guide rods 57 between the connecting plate 54 and the moving plate 58.

One end of each of the four outer peripheral rods 60 arranged in the circumferential direction is fixed to the bottom surface of the moving plate 58, and the other end of each of the four outer peripheral rods 60 is a hole punch formed in an annular shape. It is fixed to the pressing plate 61 (shown in FIGS. 12 to 14). On the bottom surface of the moving plate 58, one end of the center rod 62 is fixed to the central portion of the four outer peripheral rods 60, and the other end of the center rod 62 is the centering pressing plate 63 (shown in FIGS. 12 to 14). Is fixed. These four outer peripheral rods 60 and the central rod 62 are inserted through the guide block 64. The guide block 64 is fixed to the upper surface of the guide plate 56 and guides the vertical movement of the four outer peripheral rods 60 and the central rod 62.

One end of each of the plurality of connecting bars 65 is fixed to the bottom surface of the guide plate 56, and the other ends of each of these connecting bars 65 are fixed to the upper surface of the intermediate plate 66. The intermediate plate 66 is formed in an inverted conical shape. Specifically, the peripheral surface of the intermediate plate 66 is formed with a taper of about 45 degrees in the vertical direction.

An outer cylinder blade 67 is installed in the intermediate plate 66. The peel cutting blades 68 are fixed to the outer peripheral surfaces of the outer cylinder blade 67 at positions facing each other, and these peel cutting blades 68 are formed so as to extend in the outer diameter direction. Inner cylinder blades (centering blades) 69 are concentrically installed on the inner peripheral side of the outer cylinder blade 67. The outer cylinder blade 67, the peel cutting blade 68, and the inner cylinder blade 69 are arranged so that their lower ends are at the same position.

Air connection ports 70 supplied from an air supply source (not shown) are installed on both sides of the guide plate 56. An air hose 71 is connected to the air connection port 70, and its tip extends to the peripheral surface of the intermediate plate 66.

In this embodiment, the outer cylinder blade 67 and the inner cylinder blade 69 of the cylindrical blade unit 50 are configured to be detachable by a well-known attachment / detachment mechanism such as providing a flange at the upper end thereof and screwing to the flange. There is. This makes it possible to replace the outer cylinder blade 67 and the inner cylinder blade 69 having different diameters. In order to attach the outer cylinder blades 67 having different diameters, the outer diameter of the intermediate plate 66 is increased corresponding to the large diameter pineapple P, and as described above, the outer diameter is formed into an inverted conical shape so that the pericarp is retracted during processing. ing.

Next, the operation of the cylindrical cutting tool unit 50 configured as described above will be described.

First, as shown in FIG. 10, the pineapple P whose upper and lower portions are cut is positioned at the center position of the second base 41 by the positioning unit 40, and is positioned directly below the center of the cylindrical cutting tool unit 50. Above the pineapple P positioned in this way, a cylindrical outer cylinder blade 67 and an inner cylinder blade 69 are installed on concentric axes.

Then, when the grip of the pineapple P by the grip portions 49a and 49b of the positioning unit 40 is released, the blade cylinder 51 is driven. Then, as shown in FIG. 11, the tip of the cylinder rod 52 is lowered to lower the entire cylindrical cutting tool unit 50.

In this case, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the outer cylinder blade 67, the peel cutting blade 68, and the inner cylinder blade 69 are pushed from the upper surface of the pineapple P. As a result, the outer skin of the pineapple P is divided into two by the skin cutting blade 68, separated from the flesh, and falls separately into the opening 5a and the opening 5b, respectively. At the same time, the pulp is inserted into the outer cylinder blade 67, the core portion is inserted into the inner cylinder blade 69, and the hole punching process and the core punching process are performed at the same time.

Further, the hole punching pressing plate 61 and the core punching pressing plate 63 installed inside the outer cylinder blade 67 and the inner cylinder blade 69 are in contact with the upper surface of the pineapple P. Therefore, the coil spring 59 wound around the two guide rods 57 via the four outer peripheral rods 60 and the center rod 62 and the moving plate 58 is compressed against the elastic force.

After that, when the tip of the cylinder rod 52 of the blade cylinder 51 rises, the entire cylindrical blade unit 50 is raised. At this time, the outer cylinder blade 67 and the inner cylinder blade 69 also rise. At the same time, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the compressed coil spring 59 uses elastic force to move the moving plate 58, and the hole punching pressing plate 61 and the core punching pressing plate 63 via the four outer peripheral rods 60 and the center rod 62. It is pushed back to press the upper surface of the pineapple P so that the pineapple P is brought into close contact with the second base 41. Therefore, the pineapple P with holes and cores remains on the upper surface of the second base 41.

As a result, it is possible to prevent the pineapple P having a hole and its core portion from rising while being inserted into the outer cylinder blade 67 and the inner cylinder blade 69, respectively. As a result, it is possible to prevent the pineapple P from being punched out and the pineapple P from being damaged by the impact of the pineapple P falling from the raised position and its core portion.

When the hole punching pressing plate 61 and the centering pressing plate 63 are separated from the pineapple P, the hole punching pressing plate 61 and the centering pressing plate 63 are combined with the outer cylinder blade 67, the peel cutting blade 68, and the inner cylinder blade 69. The lower ends are in the same position.

In the present embodiment, when the outer skin of the pineapple P is divided into two by the peel cutting blade 68, the tapered portion formed on the intermediate plate 66 above the outer cylinder blade 67 makes it easier to separate the outer skin from the outer cylinder blade 67. ing. Similarly, when the outer skin of the pineapple P is divided into two by the pericarp cutting blade 68, compressed air is injected between the outer cylinder blade 67 and the pericarp from the tip of the air hose 71 extending to the peripheral surface of the intermediate plate 66. Therefore, the outer skin can be more reliably and easily separated from the outer cylinder blade 67.

Next, the configuration and function of the discharge unit 75 will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 15 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the extruded pineapple in FIG. 14 is discharged.

As shown in FIG. 15, the discharge unit 75 discharges a pineapple P having a hole punched by an outer cylinder blade 67 and an inner cylinder blade 69 of the cylindrical blade unit 50 and having a separable core portion inside the pineapple P. do. The discharge unit 75 includes a discharge cylinder 76, a cylinder rod 77 of the discharge cylinder 76, and a discharge shooter 78.

When the discharge cylinder 76 is driven, the tip of the cylinder rod 77 is extended, the hole placed on the second base 41 is removed, and the core portion is separable inside the pineapple P. Press horizontally. In this case, the stopper 72 freely installed on the discharge side of the second base 41 is located below the upper surface of the second base 41. As a result, there is no problem in discharging the pineapple P. That is, the stopper 72 is in a position where it is driven at the same time as or before the driving of the discharge cylinder 76 and retracted downward.

Then, the pineapple P pressed by the tip of the cylinder rod 77 slides on the discharge shooter 78 and is discharged to the outside of the device. In this case, the pineapple P has a hole removed and the core remains separable inside the hole, so that the pineapple P has a single block shape to prevent it from being crushed by the impact of dropping and producing fruit juice. It is possible to prevent the pulled out pineapple P from being deformed.

In the present embodiment, by omitting the core punching pressing plate 63 and the center rod 62, it is possible to take out only the hole punched pineapple P while leaving the core portion in the inner cylinder blade 69. In this case, the inner cylinder blade 69 is formed so as to extend upward. Therefore, every time the pineapple P is cut by the inner cylinder blade 69, the core portion is accumulated in the inner cylinder blade 69, and the core portion is gradually pushed upward and discharged to the outside from the upper end thereof.

Next, the configuration and function of the control system of the pineapple cutting device of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 16 and 17.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing a control system according to an embodiment of the pineapple cutting device according to the present invention. FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control unit of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 16, the start switch 9, the emergency stop switch 10, 11, the pressing cylinder 21, the photoelectric switch 8, the sweep cylinder 32, the gripping cylinder 48, the cutting tool cylinder 51, and the discharging cylinder 76 are controlled by the control unit 80. Cylinder.

The control unit 80 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), an input / output interface (I / F), and the like. The control unit 80 is mainly composed of a well-known microcomputer, and various processes are executed by the CPU based on the program stored in the ROM. The ROM corresponds to a transient computer-readable recording medium. In addition to ROM, the recording medium includes, for example, a computer-readable electronic medium such as a DVD-ROM (Digital Versaille Disc Read Only Memory), a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), and a hard disk.

Next, the operation of the control unit 80 will be described with reference to FIG.

First, the CPU determines whether the start switch 9 is turned on and the photoelectric switch 8 is turned off (steps S1 and S2). When the start switch 9 is OFF (step S1; No), it waits until it is turned ON. Similarly, when the photoelectric switch 8 is ON (step S2; No), it waits until it is turned OFF. When the switch 9 is turned on and the photoelectric switch 8 is turned off, the process proceeds to step S3.

In step S3, the pressing cylinder 21 is driven. More specifically, by driving the pressing cylinder 21, the sinker rod 21a presses the pineapple P mounted on the first base 15 from the horizontal direction with the upper and lower ends not cut. Within the moving range of the pressed pineapple P, the upper cutting blade 26 of the upper cutting / crown sweeping unit 25 and the lower cutting blade 24 arranged below the upper cutting blade 26 are installed. The crown of the pineapple P is cut by the upper cutting blade 26, and the lower portion including the buds of the pineapple P is cut by the lower cutting blade 24, and then pressed to the upper surface of the second base 41.

Next, in step S4A, the sweep cylinder 32 is driven to sweep the crown of the pineapple P cut by the upper cutting blade 26 out of the device.

Specifically, in step S4A, when the sweep cylinder 32 is driven, the cylinder rod 33 extends and the crown sweep plate 30 rotates on the crown mounting plate 28 about the rotation shaft 31. As a result, the crown of the pineapple P cut by the upper cutting blade 26 and mounted on the crown mounting plate 28 is pushed out from the crown mounting plate 28 by the crown sweep plate 30, and slides on the crown shooter 29 to the outside of the device. Fall into.

Step S4 is executed at the same time as step S4A. By driving the pressing cylinder 21 in step S3 as described above, the pineapple P whose upper and lower portions are cut by the pressing portion 22 is transferred from the first base 15 to the second base 41. Then, in step S4, when the gripping cylinder 48 is driven, the gripping portions 49a and 49b approach each other to position the pineapple P whose upper and lower portions are cut off. As a result, it is positioned at the center of the second base 41 and directly below the center of the cylindrical cutting tool unit 50. After that, the process proceeds to step S5.

In step S5, when the blade cylinder 51 is driven, the tip of the cylinder rod 52 descends to lower the entire cylindrical blade unit 50 as shown in FIG. 11, and the outer cylinder blade 67 and the peel cutting blade are lowered from the upper surface of the pineapple P. 68 and the inner cylinder blade 69 are pushed in. As a result, the outer skin of the pineapple P is divided into two by the skin cutting blade 68, separated from the flesh and dropped off, the flesh is inserted into the outer cylinder blade 67, and the core portion is inserted into the inner cylinder blade 69.

After that, when the tip of the cylinder rod 52 of the blade cylinder 51 rises, the entire cylindrical blade unit 50 is raised. At this time, the outer cylinder blade 67 and the inner cylinder blade 69 also rise. At the same time, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the compressed coil spring 59 uses elastic force to move the moving plate 58, and the hole punching pressing plate 61 and the core punching pressing plate 63 via the four outer peripheral rods 60 and the center rod 62. It is pushed back to press the upper surface of the pineapple P so that the pineapple P is in close contact with the second base 41. Then, the hole punching pressing plate 61 and the core punching pressing plate 63 are separated from the pineapple P. After that, the process proceeds to step S6.

In step S6, the discharge cylinder 76 is driven, the tip of the cylinder rod 77 is extended, the hole mounted on the second base 41 is removed, and the core portion remains inside the hole so as to be separable. The pineapple P is pressed in the horizontal direction and discharged to the outside of the device via the discharge shooter 78. By repeating these series of steps, a large number of holes can be removed in a short time from the pineapple P having a crown and a calyx whose upper and lower ends are not cut.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the pineapple P is pressed by the pressing unit 20 and the upper and lower portions of the pineapple P are cut by the upper cutting blade 26 and the lower cutting blade 23 installed in parallel with each other, and the upper and lower portions thereof are cut. The cut pineapple P is positioned at a predetermined position by the positioning unit 40, and the outer cylinder blade 67 and the inner cylinder blade of the cylindrical blade unit 50 installed concentrically above the pineapple P positioned at the predetermined position. By lowering 69 to cut the pineapple P into a cylindrical shape, when cutting the pineapple P into a cylindrical shape with a small device, the work efficiency is significantly improved, and the product of the pineapple P cut into a cylindrical shape. It will be possible to increase the value.

That is, the pineapple P whose upper and lower portions are cut is positioned at a predetermined position by the positioning unit 40, and the outer cylinder blade 67 and the inner cylinder blade 69 of the cylindrical blade unit 50 installed above the pineapple P in the concentric axis direction are placed. By lowering and cutting the pineapple P into a cylindrical shape, it is possible to cut the pineapple P so as to accurately separate the peel and the flesh, and the flesh and the core.

Further, according to the present embodiment, a first discharge unit 75 is further installed on the second base 41 to discharge the pineapple P cut into a cylindrical shape by the cylindrical blade unit 50 to the outside of the apparatus. If the pineapple P is installed on the base 15, the pineapple P can be automatically discharged after performing a series of cutting operations.

Further, according to the present embodiment, since the first base 15 is configured to be able to move up and down in the vertical direction, the relative heights of the upper cutting blade 26 and the lower cutting blade 23 change, so that the pineapple is used. The cutting process can be reliably performed corresponding to the length of P.

According to the present embodiment, the first base 15 is formed with a long groove 19 extending in the pressing direction of the pineapple P, and the width of the long groove 19 is adjustable so that the calyx of the pineapple P is a long groove 19. Since it gets inside, the pineapple P can be placed stably in the vertical direction.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the upper cutting blade 26 is installed facing the pressing unit 20 and is configured to be able to move up and down, so that the cutting length of the crown of the pineapple P can be adjusted. Become.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the cylindrical blade unit 50 is further provided with an intermediate plate 66 formed in an inverted conical shape, which is continuously installed above the outer cylinder blade 67 and expands as it goes upward. Therefore, the peel of the pineapple P can be easily separated.

According to the present embodiment, when the pineapple P is cut into a cylindrical shape by the outer cylinder blade 67 of the cylindrical blade unit 50, an air hose 71 that injects compressed air between the outer cylinder blade 67 and the skin of the pineapple P is provided. Further, by providing the pineapple P, the peel of the pineapple P can be separated more easily.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made. For example, in the above embodiment, an example in which an air cylinder is used as a drive source for each of the pressing unit 20, the upper cutting / crown sweeping unit 25, the positioning unit 40, the cylindrical cutting tool unit 50, and the discharging unit 75 has been described. Not limited to this, for example, each unit may be operated by driving a ball screw by an electric motor.

Further, in the above embodiment, an example in which a series of cutting operations is performed using sequence control has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a roller lever may be used to execute a series of operations.

1 ... pineapple cutting device, 2 ... workbench frame, 3 ... wheels, 4 ... top plate, 5a, 5b ... openings, 6 ... pneumatic parts box, 7 ... switchboard, 8 ... photoelectric switch, 9 ... start switch, 10 ... Emergency stop switch, 11 ... Emergency stop switch, 12 ... Open / close door, 13 ... Cover, 14 ... Vertical position adjustment mechanism, 15 ... First base, 16 ... Support plate, 17 ... Support protrusion, 18 ... L-shaped Plate, 18a ... long hole, 19 ... long groove, 20 ... pressing unit, 21 ... pressing cylinder, 21a ... sinda rod, 22 ... pressing part, 23 ... lower cutting blade, 24 ... opening, 25 ... upper cutting / crown sweeping unit, 26 ... upper cutting blade, 27 ... sweep mechanism, 28 ... crown mounting plate, 29 ... crown shooter, 30 ... crown sweep plate, 31 ... rotating shaft, 32 ... sweep cylinder, 33 ... cylinder rod, 34 ... elevating mechanism, 35 ... Elevating handle, 36a, 36b ... Ball screw, 37a, 37b ... Guide rod, 38a, 38b ... Pulley, 38c ... Tension pulley, 39 ... Timing belt, 40 ... Positioning unit, 41 ... Second base, 42 ... Mounting plate, 43a, 43b ... Connecting plate, 44 ... Guide rod, 45a, 45b ... Rack gear, 46 ... Pinion gear, 47 ... Drive plate, 48 ... Grip cylinder, 48a ... Cylinder rod, 49a, 49b ... Grip part, 50 ... Cylindrical Shaped blade unit, 51 ... Cylinder, 52 ... Cylinder rod, 53 ... Connecting part, 54 ... Connecting plate, 55 ... Connecting rod, 56 ... Guide plate, 57 ... Guide rod, 58 ... Moving plate, 59 ... Coil spring, 60 ... outer peripheral rod, 61 ... hole punching pressure plate, 62 ... center rod, 63 ... core punching pressure plate, 64 ... guide block, 65 ... connecting bar, 66 ... intermediate plate, 67 ... outer cylinder blade, 68 ... fruit skin cutting blade, 69 ... Inner cylinder blade, 70 ... Air connection port, 71 ... Air hose, 72 ... Stopper, 75 ... Discharge unit, 76 ... Discharge cylinder, 77 ... Cylinder rod, 78 ... Discharge shooter, 80 ... Control unit, P ... Pineapple

Claims (8)

The first base on which the pineapple is placed with the axial direction as the vertical direction,
A pressing unit that presses the pineapple mounted on the first base from the horizontal direction, and a pressing unit.
An upper cutting blade and a lower cutting blade installed in parallel with each other, wherein the pineapple is pressed by the pressing unit to cut the upper part and the lower part of the pineapple, respectively.
A second base on which the pineapple whose upper and lower portions have been cut by the upper cutting blade and the lower cutting blade is placed, and
A positioning unit that positions the pineapple mounted on the second base at a predetermined position, and a positioning unit.
A cylindrical outer cylinder blade and an inner cylinder blade installed concentrically above the pineapple positioned at a predetermined position on the second base are lowered to cut the pineapple into a cylindrical shape. With the blade unit,
A pineapple cutting device characterized by being equipped with. The pineapple cutting device according to claim 1, further comprising a discharge unit for discharging the pineapple cut into a cylindrical shape by the cylindrical blade unit on the second base. The pineapple cutting device according to claim 1, wherein the first base is configured to be able to move up and down in the vertical direction. The pineapple according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first base is formed with a long groove extending in the pressing direction of the pineapple, and the width of the long groove is adjustable. Cutting device. The pineapple cutting device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the upper cutting blade is installed facing the pressing unit and is configured to be able to move up and down. Claim 1 is characterized in that the cylindrical blade unit further includes an intermediate plate formed in an inverted conical shape, which is continuously installed above the outer cylinder blade and expands as it goes upward. The pineapple cutting device according to any one of 5 to 5. When the pineapple is cut into a cylindrical shape by the outer cylinder blade of the cylindrical blade unit, it is further provided with an air hose that injects compressed air between the outer cylinder blade and the skin of the pineapple. The pineapple cutting device according to any one of claims 1 to 6. A pressing process that presses the pineapple placed on the first base with the axial direction in the vertical direction from the horizontal direction, and
A vertical cutting step in which the pineapple is pressed in the pressing step and the upper and lower portions of the pineapple are cut by an upper cutting blade and a lower cutting blade installed in parallel with each other.
A pineapple whose upper and lower portions have been cut by the upper and lower cutting steps is placed on a second base, and a positioning step of positioning the pineapple whose upper and lower portions have been cut at a predetermined position on the second base has a positioning step.
A cylindrical shape that cuts the pineapple into a cylindrical shape by lowering a cylindrical outer cylinder blade and an inner cylinder blade installed concentrically above the pineapple positioned at a predetermined position on the second base. Cutting process and
A pineapple cutting method characterized by having.

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