JPH10150965A - Automatic vegetable peeler - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automatic vegetable peeler capable of peeling unnecessary skin of a long size vegetable such as Welsh onion by a small number of operator. SOLUTION: This automatic vegetable peeler for conveying a long size vegetable such as Welsh onion and for peeling unnecessary skin on the surface of the vegetable has a pulling out device 12 for gripping the vegetable and pulling out the one at right angles to the conveying direction, a nipping device 16 for nipping the vegetable and guiding the pulling out of the vegetable when the pulling out device pulling out the vegetable, a peeling device having air nozzles 17a and 17b for jetting pressed air in the direction of the vegetable, and a peeling start-detecting device for starting of the peeling by detecting the presence of an unnecessary vegetable skin arranged at right angles to the conveying direction in order.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic vegetable peeling apparatus for peeling unnecessary skin of long vegetables such as green onions.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Taking the case of green onions supplied to the market as an example, the number of green onions that are recently harvested in fields and shipped as commodities has been reduced. In particular, for those that are characterized by a white appearance and a long white portion, such as white onions, unnecessary ones with a non-white outer skin are removed as much as possible and shipped to the market. .

[0003] Therefore, in the area where green onions are produced, unnecessary outer skin is manually peeled off. Recently, devices for cutting unnecessary portions of roots and leaves have been developed and used, but the unnecessary outer skin is still peeled off by hand. It is a normal work mode that two workers are arranged in the supply part of the onion cutting device, and one worker is arranged behind the cutting device, one by one by the two workers. Another person is peeling off unnecessary skin while watching the green onion after being supplied in the same direction and both ends being cut. The green onions peeled off by these three people are 1200 / h for a skilled worker
It is about r.

[0004]

As described above, since the production area requires a lot of manpower, it hinders the reduction of the cost of producing green onions, and it is monotonous and heavy labor.
It is also becoming difficult to secure workers. The present invention solves such difficulties at the production site, and requires a small number of workers.
An object of the present invention is to provide a device capable of peeling unnecessary skin of long vegetables such as green onions.

[0005]

Means for Solving the Problems The present inventors have solved the above problems,
A device for feeding long vegetables such as green onions on a conveyor, and automatically removing unnecessary skin on the surface of the vegetables, wherein the pulling device and the pulling device grip the vegetables and pull them out in a direction substantially perpendicular to the transport direction. A picking device that guides the picking of vegetables when picking vegetables, a peeling device that consists of an air nozzle that sprays pressurized air toward the vegetables, and a skin that detects the presence of unnecessary skin on the vegetables. This is an automatic vegetable peeling apparatus in which peeling start detecting devices for starting peeling are sequentially arranged in a direction substantially perpendicular to the transport direction.

A pulling device for pulling vegetables in a direction substantially perpendicular to the transporting direction in conjunction with a vegetable detection sensor comprises an upper and lower clamping rod having a front end that can be opened and closed, opening and closing means for the clamping rod,
The reciprocating means is configured to reciprocate the sandwiching rod in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of transporting the vegetables.

[0007] A pinching device for pinching and guiding vegetables at the time of pulling, regardless of the thickness or bending of the vegetables to be pulled in a direction substantially perpendicular to the transport direction, comprises a pinching member provided at a portion for pinching the vegetables in the pinching direction of the vegetables. In addition to the elastic members, the holding member has an expanding means that opens when the vegetables are not held.

[0008] The peeling sensor is provided with two left and right detection rods which are supported so that the distance can be adjusted in accordance with the thickness of the vegetables to be pulled out, and can be tilted in the pulling-out direction when unnecessary skins of vegetables are present. At the same time, it is configured to be elastic so as to be able to return from the inclined state, and to detect the start of peeling by the inclination of the detection rod.

[0009]

1 and 2 show the outline of an automatic vegetable peeling apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a side view and FIG. 2 is a plan view. 3 to 9 for the main parts of this device.
Shown in 1 and 2, vegetables 1 supplied to the right side of the apparatus are sent to the left by a conveyor 2, and unnecessary portions are cut off by a root cutter 3a and a leaf tip cutter 3b. The cutting and removal of the unnecessary portion by the cutter is a conventionally known means. Trays 4 for storing vegetables are provided on the conveyor 2 at predetermined intervals, and substantially V-shaped guide members 5a and 5b for holding the roots 1a and the leaves 1b of the vegetables so as not to escape when cutting. However, at the same position as the tray 4, it travels by chains 6 a and 6 b parallel to the conveyor 2. The members indicated by reference numerals 9a and 9b are rubber rolls for holding vegetables between the substantially V-shaped guide members 5a and 5b at the time of cutting. V-shaped guide members 5a and 5b
The sprockets 7 and 8 are arranged to descend leftward from the portion where the cutters 3a and 3b are arranged so as not to obstruct the peeling portion 10 described later.

[0010] The peeling section 10 is provided with a vegetable detection sensor 11, and when vegetables are sent to the peeling section 10 by the transport conveyor 2, the vegetable detection sensor 11 is interlocked with the vegetable detection sensor 2 regardless of the necessity of peeling. Then, the extraction device 12 extracts the vegetables in a direction substantially perpendicular to the transport direction. As shown in FIGS.
The opening and closing cylinders 14 as opening and closing means are provided with upper and lower sandwiching rods 13a and 13b capable of opening and closing the front end thereof, and these are advanced and retracted by a drawing cylinder 15 as an advancing and retreating means in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of transporting the vegetables. Can be done.

A clamping device 16 is provided adjacent to the drawing device 12. The sandwiching device 16 is also provided with air nozzles 17a and 17b as peeling devices for injecting pressurized air in the direction of the vegetables when necessary. The juxtaposition always keeps the vegetables at a certain position. The pinching device 16 is provided with left and right rollers 18a as a pinching member so as to prevent the vegetables from swaying and moving when the extracting device 12 pulls out the vegetables, and to stably maintain the vegetables regardless of the thickness and bending of the vegetables. 18b can be sandwiched when necessary. The rollers 18a, 18b are rotatably provided on holding blocks 19a, 19b of the air nozzle 17, and these are held by slide rods 20a, 20b. Slide rod 20a, 20b
Are slidable on slide rails 23a and 23b provided on two of the holding members 22a and 22b, which are rotatable by the shafts 21a and 21b and formed in a substantially U-shape.
a, 24b. These tension springs 24a, 24b
Vegetable 1 can be rolled on the left and right regardless of thickness and bending
18a and 18b are soft and sandwiched for guiding.
Opening and closing of the left and right rollers 18a, 18b is achieved by connecting the holding members 22a, 22b formed in the U-shape to the opening / closing cylinder 26 by links 25a, 25b, and by expanding and contracting the cylinder, the solid line in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, the left and right rollers 18a and 18b are closed to sandwich the vegetable 1. Left and right rollers 18a,
Reference numeral 18b is such that both are opened except when holding the vegetables, and the opening and closing means for that purpose is the opening / closing cylinder 26.
In this example, the holding device is provided in the vertical direction, and the holding member opens and closes left and right. However, the holding device may be provided in the horizontal direction so that the holding member opens and closes in the vertical direction. .

Unnecessary peels of vegetables are removed from the air nozzles 17a and 17b.
Blow off with high pressure jet air from
For this purpose, a peeling sensor 27 is provided near the air nozzles 17a and 17b as shown in FIG. The details are shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. The left and right two detection rods 31 a and 31 b are supported by a tension spring 28 so as to automatically adjust the interval according to the thickness of the vegetable 1 to be pulled out. The left and right curved arms 29a, 29b intersect at the lower part, and two left and right detection rods 31a, 31b are provided at the lower part thereof, and are pivotally supported by the shafts 30a, 30b at the intermediate part.
Rollers 32a and 32b are provided on the upper portions of the curved arms 29a and 29b, and the opening and closing rod 33 with a sharp point at the lower part intrudes between these rollers 32a and 32b. It is designed to open. The opening and closing rod 33 is fixed to the apparatus main body side, and the rollers 32a and 32b are fixed to the vertically moving plate 35 fixed to the detection rod opening and closing cylinder 34 with the shafts 30a and 30b at the intermediate portion of the curved arms 29a and 29b fixed. The detection rod opening / closing cylinder 3
When 4 is extended as shown by the solid line in FIG. 8, the space between the rollers 32a and 32b is closed, and the two right and left detection rods 31a and 31b also sandwich the vegetables. When the detection rod opening / closing cylinder 34 contracts, the opening / closing rod 33 with a lower part enters between the rollers 32a, 32b, and the rollers 32a, 3b.
The space between the two detection rods 31a and 31b is also opened between the two detection rods 31a and 31b. The detection rods 31a and 31b have elasticity.

When unnecessary skin of vegetables is present, the detecting rods 31a and 31b constituting the peeling sensor 27 are connected to the shaft 36 as shown in FIG. Since the plate 37 having 30b is rotatably held, the detection rods 31a and 31b are hooked on the unnecessary skin of vegetables and tilt in the pulling-out direction. The inclination of the detection rod causes the detection plate 38 coaxial with the plate 37 to rotate, and the proximity switch 39 detects the presence of unnecessary skin. The detection of the presence of unnecessary skin by this sensor is the blowing operation by the high-pressure jet air from the air nozzle 17 described above. When the unnecessary skin disappears, the detection rods 31a and 31b return to the original state by the return spring 40. Vegetables can be supplied at a position away from the sound source at the peeling part, so there is no concern about noise.

[0014]

As described above, the apparatus of the present invention has a structure as described above, so that only one worker supplies vegetables and unnecessary skins of long vegetables such as green onions can be efficiently removed regardless of the thickness or bending. Can be peeled off. In addition, since unnecessary portions are not peeled without damaging vegetables such as green onions, the skin is not peeled, so that high-quality products can be provided. A full-automatic peeling device can be provided by supplying a long vegetable and attaching a bundling or packaging device behind the peeling device.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an outline of an automatic vegetable peeling apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of an arrangement of a main part of the automatic vegetable peeling apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the drawing device.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the drawing device.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the clamping device.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the pinching device.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the peeling sensor.

FIG. 9 is a front view of the peeling sensor.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vegetable 2 Transport conveyor 10 Peeling part 11 Vegetable detection sensor 12 Extraction device 16 Nipping device 17a Air nozzle 17b Air nozzle 18a Roller 18b Roller 24a Tension spring 24b Tension spring 27 Peeling sensor 33 Opening / closing rod 34 Detection rod opening / closing cylinder 39 Proximity switch

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A device for feeding long vegetables such as green onions on a conveyor, and peeling off unnecessary skin on the surface of the vegetables. When the device pulls out vegetables, it detects the presence of unnecessary peels of vegetables, and a sandwiching device that guides the pulling out of vegetables when sandwiching vegetables, an air nozzle that injects pressurized air in the direction of vegetables, and an air peeler. An automatic vegetable peeling apparatus comprising: a peeling start detecting device for starting peeling of vegetables in a direction substantially perpendicular to the transport direction. 2. An apparatus for pulling vegetables in a direction substantially perpendicular to a conveying direction in cooperation with a vegetable detection sensor, comprising: an upper and lower clamping rod having a front end capable of being opened and closed; An automatic peeling apparatus for vegetables, comprising a pulling-out device comprising a retracting means for retracting the holding rod in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of transporting the vegetables. 3. A device for pinching and guiding vegetables at the time of pulling, regardless of the thickness or bending of the vegetables to be pulled in a direction substantially perpendicular to the conveying direction, wherein a holding member provided at a portion for holding the vegetables is provided with a holding member for the vegetables. An automatic vegetable peeling apparatus having a clamping device which is elastically supported in a clamping direction and has an expanding means for opening the clamping member other than when clamping the vegetables. 4. The two detection rods, which are elastically supported so as to be adjustable in accordance with the thickness of the vegetables to be pulled out, are axially fixed so as to be tiltable in the pulling-out direction when unnecessary vegetables are present. An automatic vegetable peeling apparatus provided with a peeling start detecting device having a peeling sensor having a peeling sensor for detecting the start of peeling by tilting the detection rod.