JP7427260B2 - Seed removal device and seed removal method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a seed removal device and a seed removal method. Specifically, the present invention relates to a seed removal device and a seed removal method that can efficiently and quickly remove seeds present inside the pulp of stone fruits such as olives.

Stone fruits have a spherical external shape and contain seeds inside their pulp, so when using them as raw materials for processed foods such as jams and dried fruits, it is necessary to remove the seeds beforehand. be. Furthermore, in recent years, as people become more health-conscious, attention has been paid to the nutrients contained in the seeds of stone fruits, and the development of processed foods using only seeds as raw materials is actively underway.

As a device for removing seeds from stone fruits, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a scissor-shaped seed removing device. Specifically, it is a scissors-like device in which the ends of the heads connected to the opposing handles are pivoted, and the ends of the heads are in a semi-circular arc opposite to the proper places on the heads, and the ends are attached to the periphery. It consists of a gripping piece with a cutting edge formed therein. When in use, by manually inserting the gripping piece into the fruit, the integral relationship between the pulp and seeds is severed, making it possible to easily separate the pulp and seeds.

On the other hand, Patent Document 2 discloses a mechanical seed removal device. The seed removal device according to Patent Document 2 includes a storage section that stores fruits from which seeds are removed, a separation section that removes the seeds from the pulp of the fruit, a pushing section that presses the fruit in the storage section against the separation section, and a storage section. It consists of a correction section that corrects the position or posture of the fruit seeds housed in the container. According to the invention disclosed in Patent Document 2, when removing seeds, it is possible to prevent the seeds from interfering with the separation section, so that the seed separation and removal work can be performed smoothly.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-222672 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-144006

However, the seed removal device disclosed in Patent Document 1 described above requires manual removal of seeds, and is therefore unsuitable for use in removing a large amount of stone fruit seeds for processing, for example.

In addition, although the seed removal device disclosed in Patent Document 2 mentioned above can automate the work, the number of stone fruits that can be processed at one time is still small, and it is difficult to process large quantities of stone fruits for processing. was not suitable.

Furthermore, since the pulp of olives is especially thin among stone fruits, it is necessary to take great care not to damage the pulp when removing the seeds. does not disclose any solution to this problem.

The present invention was created in view of the above points, and provides a seed removal device and a seed removal method that can efficiently and quickly remove seeds present inside the pulp of stone fruits such as olives. The purpose is to

In order to achieve the above object, the seed removal device of the present invention includes a holding member in which a through hole is formed from the base to the main body and has a predetermined inner diameter that is large enough to hold the fruit that is the workpiece, and the holding member. The main body portion of the member can be fitted into the holding member, fitting holes into which the base portion of the holding member is fixed are formed on the inner peripheral edge at approximately equal intervals along the circumference, and the rotation is driven to rotate with a vertical axis as the rotational axis. a reciprocating position between a retracted position located above the rotary table and distal from the holding member, and a penetrating position in which the tip penetrates the fruit held by the holding member; a retracted position located below the turntable, facing the seed extrusion part, and distal from the holding member; and a proximal position close to the holding member. and a discharge hole through which the seeds pushed out by the seed extrusion part are discharged by contacting a part of the outer skin or pulp of the fruit held by the holding member when in the close position. and a seed extrusion aid having a formed abutment member.

Here, by providing a holding member in which a through hole is formed from the base to the main body and has a predetermined inner diameter that is large enough to hold the fruit as the workpiece, the holding member can hold the fruit as the workpiece. Can be done. Furthermore, since the holding member is formed with a through hole, the seeds pushed out from the fruit by the seed extrusion section can be discharged to the outside through the through hole, as will be described later.

In addition, by providing a rotary table in which the main body of the holding member can be inserted and a fitting hole into which the base of the holding member is fixed is formed on the inner peripheral edge, the rotating table can be fitted into the fitting hole formed in the rotating table. The holding member can be removably installed. Therefore, holding members having different inner diameters depending on the size of the fruit can be installed in the insertion holes formed in the rotary table.

In addition, the rotary table has insertion holes formed at equal intervals along the circumference, and by rotating the rotary table, it is possible to sequentially take out the seeds, and the rotary table Since fruits can be easily put into the holding member even during driving, work efficiency can be improved.

Also, it is located above the rotary table and can reciprocate between a retracted position distal from the holding member and a penetrating position where the tip penetrates the fruit held by the holding member, and the seed of the fruit is moved downward. By providing a seed extrusion section that extrudes seeds toward the fruit, it becomes possible to push the seeds inside the fruit to the outside by piercing the tip of the seed extrusion section from the outer skin of the fruit toward the inside.

Further, it is capable of reciprocating between a retracted position located below the rotary table and facing the seed extrusion section and distal from the holding member and a close position close to the holding member, and when in the close position. By including a seed extrusion auxiliary part having a contact member that abuts a part of the outer skin or pulp of the fruit held by the holding member and has a discharge hole through which the seeds extruded by the seed extrusion part are discharged, the seed extrusion auxiliary part can During the extrusion operation by the extrusion section, part of the outer skin or pulp of the fruit is supported from below by the seed extrusion auxiliary section. Therefore, even if an external force is applied from the top to the bottom of the fruit by the seed extrusion section, only the seeds will be discharged from the holding member to the outside through the discharge hole, and the outer skin and pulp will be held in the holding member. , the fruit can be easily separated into seeds and pulp.

Moreover, since the holding member and the seed extrusion auxiliary part are in a close positional relationship, the holding member and the seed extrusion auxiliary part are always maintained in a non-contact state. Therefore, it is possible to prevent damage to the holding member or the seed extrusion auxiliary part due to impact caused by contact between the holding member and the seed extrusion auxiliary part.

In addition, if a clearance of approximately 1 mm to 5 mm is formed between the main body of the holding member and the abutting part of the seed extrusion auxiliary part when the seed extrusion auxiliary part is in a close position, When an extrusion operation is performed using the seed extrusion unit on a fruit that has been stored, it is possible to take out only the seeds from the fruit, and the impact of the extrusion operation is most effectively alleviated, so that the pulp part along with the seeds is removed from the holding member. It can prevent it from being pushed out.

In addition, if a fitting groove is formed in the base of the holding member to fit into the inner circumferential edge of the fitting hole formed in the rotary table, the fitting groove should be fitted into the inner circumferential edge of the fitting hole. By doing so, the holding member can be easily attached to and detached from the rotary table.

In addition, if the predetermined range from the tip of the seed extrusion part is formed in a substantially cross shape in plan view, when extruding seeds from the fruit with the seed extrusion part, fruits with thin outer skin such as olives may be Seeds can be reliably removed without damaging the surface.

Also, between a retracted position located above the turntable and adjacent to the seed extrusion part and distal from the holding member, and an abutment position where the tip abuts the fruit held by the holding member. If it has a pulp extrusion section that can reciprocate and pushes out the pulp including the outer skin from which the seeds have been removed by the seed extrusion section downward, the pulp part held by the holding member after the seeds have been taken out is removed. It can be discharged from the holding member. Then, in the holding member which is now empty after the pulp portion has been discharged, a new fruit whose seeds will be removed in the next step can be put into the holding member.

In addition, if an input port is formed to input the seeds extruded by the seed extrusion section, and a strainer is provided to strain the seeds input from the input port, the seeds discharged from the holding member by the seed extrusion section are strained. It is put into the inlet of the container and pureed. This allows the pulp attached around the seeds to be further scraped off.

In order to achieve the above object, the seed removal method of the present invention is arranged at approximately equal intervals along the circumference of a rotary table that is driven to rotate, and from a predetermined inner diameter that can hold the fruit that is the workpiece. When the specific holding member into which the fruit has been placed moves to a predetermined position by the rotational drive of the rotary table, the fruit is placed in a holding member having a through hole formed therein; a step in which the tip of the seed extrusion part located at a retracted position distal from the holding member moves vertically downward to a penetrating position where it penetrates the fruit held by the holding member; Simultaneously with the timing when the tip moves to the penetrating position, the tip of the seed extrusion auxiliary part, which is located below the rotary table, faces the seed extrusion part, and is in a retracted position distal from the holding member, moves to the holding member. abutting a part of the outer skin or pulp of the fruit held by the holding member, and moving vertically upward to a close position close to the holding member.

Here, the fruit is put into a holding member that is installed at approximately equal intervals along the circumference of the rotary table that is driven to rotate, and that has through holes formed therein having a predetermined inner diameter that can hold the fruit that is the workpiece. By providing the step, advance preparation for taking out seeds from the fruit is completed by putting the fruit into the holding member. At this time, the rotating table on which the holding member is installed is driven to rotate intermittently, for example, so that the work efficiency when an operator manually puts the fruit into the holding member can be improved.

In addition, when a specific holding member into which fruit is placed is moved to a predetermined position by the rotational drive of the rotating table, the tip of the seed extrusion part located above the rotating table and at a retracted position distal from the holding member By moving the seed extrusion part vertically downward to the penetrating position where it penetrates the fruit held by the holding member, the tip of the seed extrusion part can penetrate the inside of the fruit. The seeds inside can be pushed out and discharged to the outside.

Furthermore, at the same time as the seed extrusion section moves to the penetrating position, the tip of the seed extrusion auxiliary section located below the rotary table, facing the seed extrusion section, and at a retracted position distal from the holding member is moved into the holding member. Seeds are extruded to the fruit held by the holding member by comprising a step of contacting a part of the outer skin or pulp of the held fruit and moving vertically upward to a position close to the holding member. When an extrusion operation is performed by the part, the impact of the extrusion operation can be effectively alleviated to prevent the pulp part from being extruded from the holding member together with the seeds.

In addition, when the holding member holding the fruit pulp including the outer skin from which the seeds have been removed is in a predetermined position by the rotational drive of the rotary table, the holding member is positioned above the rotary table and adjacent to the seed extrusion part. When the pulp extrusion unit moves vertically downward and extrudes the pulp from the holding member, the pulp portion including the outer skin held by the holding member after removing the seeds is discharged from the holding member. Can be done. This allows the seeds and pulp separated from the fruit to be managed separately.

The seed removal device and the seed removal method according to the present invention can efficiently and quickly remove seeds present inside the pulp of stone fruits such as olives.

1 is an overall perspective view of a seed removing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a seed removing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view seen from the inside of a seed removing device concerning a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure showing the process of taking out a seed from a workpiece by a seed removal device concerning a 1st embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a seed removal device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A seed removal device and a seed removal method according to embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings to provide an understanding of the present invention. For convenience of explanation, in each figure, when the seed removal device is installed on a horizontal surface, the upward direction is referred to as upward, the opposite direction to upward is referred to as downward, and the axial direction represented by upward and downward is referred to as vertical direction. The vertical direction is defined as the horizontal direction.

<First embodiment>
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, a seed removal device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention is a device for removing seeds present inside the pulp of stone fruits and separating the fruit into pulp and seeds. A pair of rotary tables 2 are mainly installed on a pedestal 7, holding members 3 are installed at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction of the rotary table 2, and fruits are held by the holding members 3. The seed extrusion section 4 includes a seed extrusion section 4 for extracting seeds from fruit, which is a processed workpiece, and a seed extrusion auxiliary section 5 for supporting the fruit held by a holding member 3 when the seed extrusion section 4 extrudes the seeds.

In the following description, an embodiment will be described in which an olive is used as the workpiece, but the workpiece is not limited to olives, and the present invention can be applied to any stone fruit that has seeds inside the pulp. shall be applicable.

[Rotary table]
The rotary table 2 is made of titanium discs arranged in pairs on the left and right in plan view. One end of a shaft 21 extending upward is connected to approximately the center of the rotary table 2 . A thrust bearing (not labeled) is connected to the middle portion of the shaft 21, and the rear end is connected to the output shaft of a step motor 22 serving as a drive source.

Here, it is not necessary that a pair of rotary tables 2 be installed, and only one or three or more rotary tables 2 may be installed on the pedestal 7.

The step motor 22 determines the position of the rotary table 2 by a drive circuit (not shown) and is intermittently driven approximately 45 degrees in one direction (clockwise in the embodiment of the present invention) at predetermined time intervals. Note that the rotation speed of the step motor 22 can be changed arbitrarily, and the rotation angle can also be changed as appropriate depending on the installation interval of the holding members, which will be described later.

Eight fitting holes 23 are formed at predetermined positions in the radial direction from the center of the rotary table 2 at equal intervals along the circumferential direction. A base 31 of a holding member 3, which will be described later, is fixed to the inner peripheral edge of the insertion hole 23.

[Holding member]
The holding member 3 is a device for holding the olive O, which is a workpiece, and is made of an elastic material (for example, silicone), and as shown in FIG. It is composed of a main body portion 32 having a short outer diameter.

Here, the holding member 3 does not necessarily need to be made of an elastic material. However, in order to prevent the outer skin of the workpiece from being damaged when the workpiece is placed in the holding member 3, the holding member 3 is preferably made of an elastic material.

The holding member 3 has a through hole formed from the base portion 31 to the main body portion 32, and the inner diameter of the through hole is configured to be slightly smaller than the average diameter of the olives O to be thrown. Therefore, when an olive is put into the holding member 3, the olive O is held at a predetermined position on the main body portion 32. In addition, since the maximum diameter of the olive O is not uniform, by preparing several types of holding members 3 with variable inner diameters of the main body part 32, it is possible to select the holding member to be used depending on the size of the olive O to be thrown. 3 can be changed as appropriate.

A fitting groove 33 that can fit into the inner periphery of the fitting hole 23 of the rotary table 2 is provided around the base 31 of the holding member 3 . Here, the maximum diameter of the base portion 31 is formed to be larger than the insertion hole 23 of the rotating table 2, and the outer diameter of the main body portion 32 is formed to be slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the insertion hole 23. Therefore, when installing the holding member 3 in the fitting hole 23 of the rotary table 2, insert it into the fitting hole 23 from the main body 32 side, and insert the fitting groove 33 into the fitting hole 23 while elastically deforming the base 31. By fitting the holding member 3 into the inner circumferential edge of the rotary table 2, the holding member 3 can be firmly installed on the rotary table 2, and the attachment/detachment work becomes easy.

[Seed extrusion section]
The seed extrusion section 4 is located above the rotary table 2 and includes a seed extrusion rod 41 and a seed extrusion cylinder 42 connected to the rear end portion of the seed extrusion rod 41. The seed extrusion rod 41 is moved to the retracted position (FIG. 4(b)) in which the seed protrusion 43 formed at the tip of the seed extrusion rod 41 is separated from the rotary table 2 by the operation of the seed extrusion cylinder 42 and held by the holding member 3. It is possible to reciprocate between the penetrating position (FIG. 4(c)) where it penetrates the olive O that is provided.

More specifically, when one holding member 3 installed on a rotary table 2 that is driven to rotate intermittently is located directly below the seed protrusion 43 of the seed extrusion rod 41, the seed extrusion cylinder 42 is driven to extrude the seeds. Continuous operation is performed so that the rod 41 is moved vertically downward from the retracted position to the penetrating position and reciprocated vertically upward from the penetrating position to the retracted position. Since the seed extrusion cylinder 42 operates in synchronization with the output signal of the step motor 22 that drives the rotary table 2, the seed extrusion cylinder 42 operates in synchronization with the output signal of the step motor 22 that drives the rotary table 2. Thus, the seed extrusion rod 41 can be operated reliably to allow the seed protrusion 43 to pass through the olive O.

Due to the above operation of the seed extrusion section 4, when the seed protrusion 43 of the seed extrusion rod 41 penetrates the holding member 3, the seed protrusion 43 penetrates the inside of the olive O held by the holding member 3, It becomes possible to push out only the seeds S of olive O downward. At this time, the seeds S pushed out by the seed extrusion section 4 are discharged from the discharge port 85 through the seed discharge path 81 and collected in a seed collection container 83 installed outside the seed removal device 1 .

Here, the seed collecting container 83 does not necessarily need to be installed outside the seed removing device 1. It may be installed at a predetermined position inside the seed removing device 1, and the installation position of the seed collection container 83 is not particularly limited.

The shape of the tip of the seed protrusion 43 is not particularly limited, but in the embodiment of the present invention, it is formed in a substantially cross shape (FIG. 4(b)). In this way, by forming the seed protrusion 43 into a substantially cross shape, when the seed protrusion 43 is penetrated into the olive O, the seed protrusion 43 of the seed extrusion rod 41 is brought into contact with the olive O. Since the impact force can be dispersed, damage to the pulp P including the outer skin of the olive O or the seeds S can be minimized.

[Seed extrusion auxiliary section]
The seed extrusion auxiliary section 5 is disposed below the rotary table 2 and facing the seed extrusion section 4, and includes a push-up rod 51 and a push-up cylinder 52 connected to the push-up rod 51. The push-up rod 51 is moved up and down by the operation of the push-up cylinder 52, and the contact member 53 provided at the tip of the push-up rod 51 is moved between a retracted position where it is separated from the rotary table 2 and a close position where it is close to the main body 32 of the holding member 3. It is possible to reciprocate.

The contact member 53 has a discharge hole 54 formed therethrough through which the seeds S pushed down by the seed extrusion rod 41 can be discharged, and a concave stepped portion 55 is formed at the tip. Like the seed extrusion cylinder 42, the push-up cylinder 52 operates in synchronization with the step motor 22, and when the seed push-out rod 41 is pushed down to the penetration position, the push-up rod 51 is also pushed up in synchronization with it, and the contact member 53 is retracted. Pushed up from position to proximity position.

That is, when taking out the seeds S from the olive O, as shown in FIG. Move to a close position close to member 3. At this time, a part of the outer skin of the olive O exposed from the holding member 3 can be supported from below by the stepped portion 55 of the abutment member 53. Then, only the seeds S taken out from the olive O can be discharged from the discharge hole 54 formed in the contact member 53.

Note that when the abutting member 53 is in the close position, a clearance of approximately 1 mm to 5 mm is secured between the main body portion 32 of the holding member 3 and the abutting member 53. In this way, the abutting member 53 and the holding member 3 are in a close positional relationship to the extent that they do not come into contact with each other. It is possible to prevent the holding member 3 made of an elastic material from being damaged due to contact with the abutment member 53 while preventing the holding member 3 from being ejected.

Here, when the abutting member 53 is in the close position, the clearance between the main body portion 32 of the holding member 3 and the abutting member 53 does not necessarily have to be about 1 mm to 5 mm. However, within the scope of the inventor's study, when a clearance of 1 mm to 5 mm is formed between the contact member 53 and the main body 32 during the extraction operation of the seeds S, the seeds S are held by the holding member 3. When an extrusion operation is performed by the seed extrusion unit 4 on olive O, the impact of the extrusion operation is most effectively alleviated to prevent the pulp part from being extruded from the holding member together with the seeds S, and the seeds are removed from olive O. Only S can be efficiently extracted.

In addition, when the clearance between the main body part 32 of the holding member 3 and the contact member 53 is less than 1 mm, it becomes difficult to mechanically ensure the clearance. On the other hand, if the clearance between the main body 32 of the holding member 3 and the contact member 53 is larger than 5 mm, depending on the outer diameter of the olive O held by the holding member 3, the contact member 53 may There is a risk that it will not be able to support the outer skin.

[Pulp extrusion section]
The pulp extrusion unit 6 has a function of discharging the remaining portion (defined as “pulp P”) from which the seeds S have been removed by the seed extrusion unit 4 from the holding member 3, and the pulp extrusion rod 61 and the pulp It consists of a pulp extrusion cylinder 62 connected to the rear end portion of an extrusion rod 61.

The pulp extrusion rod 61 has a pulp protrusion 63 at the tip thereof for pushing out the pulp P of the olive O held by the holding member 3 downward, and the pulp protrusion 63 is brought into contact with the pulp P. Thus, it becomes possible to push out the pulp P downward from the main body portion 32 of the pulp holding member 3. At this time, the pulp P extruded by the pulp extrusion section 6 is discharged through the pulp discharge path 82 and collected in the pulp collection container 84 installed below the rotary table 2 (FIG. 4(e)).

Here, it is not necessarily necessary to have the pulp extrusion section 6. It is also possible to take out the pulp P from the holding member 3 manually by an operator. However, by having the pulp extrusion part 6, the separation of the seeds S and pulp P of olive O can be automated in the entire process, so it is preferable to have the pulp extrusion part 6 from the viewpoint of increasing work efficiency.

Moreover, the pulp collection container 84 does not necessarily need to be installed below the rotary table 4, and the installation position of the pulp collection container 84 can be changed as appropriate.

The pulp extrusion section 6 is disposed above the rotary table 2 and adjacent to the seed extrusion section 4 . More specifically, the holding member 3 located directly below the seed extrusion rod 41 in plan view is arranged such that the pulp extrusion rod 61 is located directly above the position where the rotary table 2 is moved 90 degrees clockwise. .

Here, the arrangement of the pulp extrusion section 6 is not necessarily limited to the above-mentioned position. It is sufficient that the pulp P from which the seeds S have been removed can be discharged from the holding member 3, and it may be provided at any position downstream of the seed extrusion unit 4 in the direction of rotation of the rotary table 2.

The pulp extrusion rod 61 is moved to a retracted position where the pulp protrusion 63 formed at the tip of the pulp extrusion rod 61 is separated from the rotary table 2 by the operation of the pulp extrusion cylinder 62 and hits the pulp P held by the holding member 3. It is possible to reciprocate between the contact position and the contact position.

More specifically, one holding member 3 installed on a rotary table 2 which is driven to rotate intermittently, and which holds only the pulp P from which the seeds S have been removed by the seed extrusion unit 4 (see FIG. 4( d)) When positioned directly below the pulp extrusion rod 61, the pulp extrusion cylinder 62 is driven to move the pulp extrusion rod 61 vertically downward from the retracted position to the contact position (FIG. 4(e)), Continuous operation is performed to reciprocate vertically upward from the contact position to the retreat position.

Since the pulp extrusion cylinder 62 operates in synchronization with the output signal of the step motor 22 that drives the rotary table 2, the pulp extrusion cylinder 62 operates in synchronization with the output signal of the step motor 22 that drives the rotary table 2. Thus, the pulp extrusion rod 61 is reliably operated to bring the pulp protrusion 63 into contact with the pulp P, thereby making it possible to push the pulp P downward from the holding member 3.

Next, a seed removal method using the seed removal device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described based on FIG. 4.

[Step 1: Installation of holding member]
First, a holding member 3 that matches the size of the olive O that is the workpiece is selected, and the selected holding member 3 is installed in the insertion hole 23 of the rotary table 2. As described above, the holding member 3 is installed in the fitting hole 23 by fitting the fitting groove 33 formed in the base 31 into the inner peripheral edge of the fitting hole 23 while elastically deforming the base 31 of the holding member 3. and fix it.

[Step 2: Putting olives into the holding member]
After the holding member 3 is installed on the rotary table 2, the olive O, which is the workpiece, is put into the holding member 3 (FIG. 4(a)). At this time, make sure that the olive O is supported by the main body 32 of the holding member 3, and if the olive O falls from the through hole of the holding member 3, move it to the holding member 3 with a smaller inner diameter as appropriate. Needs to be replaced.

[Step 3: Collection of seeds]
When the addition of olive O to the holding member 3 is completed in step 2, the power is turned on. When the power is turned on, the step motor 22 is driven and the rotary table 2 starts intermittent rotational driving, and in synchronization with this, the seed extrusion section 4 and the seed extrusion auxiliary section 5 are also driven.

First, as the rotation table 2 rotates, the holding member 3 holding the olive O moves directly below the seed extrusion part 3 (FIG. 4(b)), and the seed extrusion rod 41 above the holding member 3 moves. is moved vertically downward by the seed extrusion cylinder 42, and the seed protrusion 43 at the tip of the seed extrusion rod 41 penetrates the olive O. In synchronization with the movement of the seed extrusion rod 41, the push-up rod 51 below the holding member 3 is moved vertically upward by the push-up cylinder 52, and the contact member 53 at the tip of the push-up rod 51 and the holding member 3 are moved vertically upward by the push-up cylinder 52. are in close proximity to each other. The seeds S pushed out by the seed protrusion 43 are collected into a seed collection container 83 outside the machine through the seed discharge path 81 (FIG. 4(c)).

[Step 4: Collection of pulp]
Due to the rotation of the rotary table 2, the seeds S are pushed out by the seed extrusion section 4, and when the holding member 3 holding the pulp P is driven to the pulp collection position (FIG. 4(d)), the pulp extrusion section immediately above the seed S is pushed out. The pulp extrusion rod 61 of the portion 6 is moved vertically downward by the pulp extrusion cylinder 62. When the pulp protrusion 63 at the tip of the pulp extrusion rod 61 contacts the pulp P supported by the holding member 3 and pushes it downward, the pulp P is discharged downward from the holding member 3 and the pulp is recovered. The pulp is collected through a passage 82 into a pulp collection container 84 (FIG. 4(e)).

By repeating the above steps, olive O can be separated into seeds S and pulp P. In addition, by newly introducing olive O into the holding member 3 which has become empty after the pulp P has been discharged, the olive O can be continuously separated into seeds S and pulp P, and a large amount of olive O can be separated at once. It becomes possible to separate and process olive O.

<Second embodiment>
Next, a seed removing device 1a according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described based on FIG. 5. Note that the same components as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

The seed removing device 1a according to the second embodiment is different from the seed removing device 1 according to the first embodiment to include a strainer 9 for further straining the separated seeds. The strainer 9 has an input port 91 into which the seeds sorted by the seed extrusion section 4 are input, and a strainer section 92 through which the seeds input from the input port 91 are strained.

Due to the operation of the seed extrusion section 4, the seeds S pushed out from inside the olive O held by the holding member 3 pass through the seed discharge path 81 and are thrown into the straining section 92 from the input port 91. When a certain amount of seeds S are put into the strainer 92, the strainer 9 is operated to strain the seeds S, thereby removing the pulp adhering to the surface of the seeds S.

According to the second embodiment, it is possible to separate olive seeds and pulp more finely, so it is possible to further increase the yield of processed foods that use only seeds or pulp, for example. becomes.

As described above, the seed removal device and the seed removal method of the device according to the present invention are capable of efficiently and quickly removing seeds present inside the pulp of stone fruits such as olives.

1, 1a Seed removal device 2 Turntable 21 Shaft 22 Step motor 23 Fitting hole 3 Holding member 31 Base 32 Main body 33 Fitting groove 4 Seed extrusion section 41 Seed extrusion rod 42 Seed extrusion cylinder 43 Seed protrusion 5 Seed extrusion auxiliary Part 51 Push-up rod 52 Push-up cylinder 53 Contact member 54 Discharge hole 55 Step part 6 Pulp extrusion section 61 Pulp extrusion rod 62 Pulp extrusion cylinder 63 Pulp protrusion 7 Frame 8 Discharge section 81 Seed discharge path 82 Pulp discharge path 83 Seed recovery container 84 Pulp collection container 85 Outlet 9 Strainer 91 Inlet 92 Strainer O Olive P Pulp S Seed

Claims (8)

a holding member formed with a through hole having a predetermined inner diameter that can hold a fruit as a workpiece from the base to the main body;
The main body portion of the holding member can be fitted into the holding member, fitting holes into which the base portion of the holding member is fixed are formed on the inner peripheral edge at approximately equal intervals along the circumference, and the holding member is rotatably driven with a vertical axis as a rotation axis. A turntable that
The rotating table is reciprocally movable between a retracted position located above the rotary table and distal from the holding member, and a penetrating position where the tip portion penetrates the fruit held by the holding member, and the fruit seeds. a seed extrusion unit that extrudes the seeds downward;
It is reciprocatable between a retracted position located below the rotary table, facing the seed extrusion section, and distal from the holding member, and a proximal position proximate to the holding member. a seed extrusion auxiliary part having a contact member formed with a discharge hole through which the seeds pushed out by the seed extrusion part are discharged by coming into contact with a part of the outer skin or pulp of the fruit held by the holding member at a certain time; , a seed removal device. The seed removal according to claim 1, wherein when the seed extrusion auxiliary part is in the close position, a clearance of about 1 mm to 5 mm is formed between the main body part of the holding member and the tip of the seed extrusion auxiliary part. Device. The seed removal device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the base of the holding member is provided with a fitting groove that fits into the inner peripheral edge of the fitting hole formed in the rotary table. The seed removing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a predetermined range from the tip of the seed extrusion section is formed in a substantially cross shape in plan view. a retracted position located above the turntable and adjacent to the seed extrusion section and distal from the holding member; and a contact position where the tip abuts the fruit held by the holding member. The seed remover according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a pulp extrusion section that can reciprocate between the seed extrusion section and pushes out the pulp including the outer skin from which the seeds have been removed by the seed extrusion section downward. Device. The seed removal device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising an input port into which the seeds pushed out by the seed extrusion section are input, and a strainer for straining the seeds input through the input port. Device. A step of putting the fruit into a holding member that is installed at approximately equal intervals along the circumference of a rotary table that is driven to rotate and is formed with through holes having a predetermined inner diameter that can hold the fruit that is the workpiece;
A seed extrusion section located above the rotary table and at a retracted position distal from the holding member when the particular holding member into which the fruit is placed moves to a predetermined position due to the rotational drive of the rotary table. moving vertically downward to a penetrating position where the tip thereof penetrates the fruit held by the holding member;
Simultaneously with the timing at which the tip of the seed extrusion section moves to the penetrating position, the tip of the seed extrusion auxiliary section is located below the turntable, facing the seed extrusion section, and at a retracted position distal from the holding member. A seed removal method, comprising the step of abutting a part of the outer skin or pulp of the fruit held by the holding member and moving vertically upward to a position close to the holding member. When the holding member holding the fruit pulp including the outer skin from which the seeds have been removed is in a predetermined position by the rotational drive of the rotary table, the holding member is positioned above the rotary table and adjacent to the seed extrusion section. The seed removal method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of moving the tip of the pulp extrusion section arranged vertically downward and abutting against the pulp held by the holding member to push out the pulp from the holding member.

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