WO2004043135A1

WO2004043135A1 - Harvester for herbs and aromatic fruits

Info

Publication number: WO2004043135A1
Application number: PCT/HR2003/000010
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bartol Peresa
Original assignee: Bartol Peresa
Priority date: 2002-11-14
Filing date: 2003-03-10
Publication date: 2004-05-27
Also published as: AU2003216565A1; HRP20020898A2; HRPK20020898B3

Abstract

The harvester for herbs and aromatic fruits is a device that enables a quick, easy and efficient harvesting of herbs or aromatic fruits, in all conditions. Elastic fingers (1) are fixed to the support (5). Required elasticity of fingers (1), as well as the elastic connection between fingers (1), is provided by openings (2). This enables that fingers pass freely through branches to the fruits to be picked, and clean fruits are harvested. A bending joint (7) enables the adjustment of inclination, and the telescopic stick enables the adjustment of required length. In this manner, it is enabled that the process of harvesting herbs or picking fruits is carried out from to the ground, so that pickers are safe from bites, stings, cuts or falls from the tree. For harvesting herbs, a blade (4) is mounted to the support (5), and it cuts the herbs grasped by elastic fingers (1). Thicker parts (3) of the fingers (1), by their relative displacement at even fingers in relation to the odd ones, shape the interspace between fingers to look like a meandering path which, together with the curvature of fingers, ensures the safe grasp of the herbs or the aromatic fruits to be picked, practically eliminating the possibility that grasped stems of herbs, or aromatic fruits respectively, set free from the grasp of fingers (1) without control.

Description

HARVESTER FOR HERBS AND AROMATIC FRUITS

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to the device for harvesting herbs or aromatic fruits, such as marjoram, mint, thyme, fennel, lavender, blueberries, raspberries, olives, peppers and alike. According to the International Patent Classification (seventh edition) the invention belongs to section A - Human necessities :

A 01 D 46/00 Picking of fruits, vegetables, hops or alike; Devices for shaking trees or shrubs.

2. TECHNICAL PROBLEM

Basic problem occurring in harvesting herbs is how to grasp, cut and discard stems of harvested herbs in a simple, efficient and safe way. Problems in harvesting aromatic fruits, e.g. olives, lay in the fact that these fruits are usually placed at certain height and are only reachable with difficulty.

Picking by hands, as one of the traditional ways of picking, is relatively slow and inefficient. It requires climbing the tree, which is accompanied with a constant risk of injuries if the picker falls from the tree.

Present invention makes the process of harvesting herbs and aromatic fruits quicker, simpler, more efficient and less dangerous. All required operations are performed from the ground, so the picker is safe from bites, stings, cuts or falls from the tree.

3. STATE OF THE ART

To the best of inventor's/applicant's knowledge there is no such a device or a device with the same name and/or principle of operation that solves the problem of quick, simple, efficient and safe harvesting of herbs and picking of clean aromatic fruits. 4. DISCLOSURE OF ESSENCE OF THE INVENTION

Primary aim of the harvester for herbs and aromatic fruits according to the invention is that the harvesting process is performed much easier, quicker, more efficient and safer than with so far known solutions. By adjusting the required inclination and length, and providing the adequate elasticity of the fingers of the device according to the invention, it is accomplished that the whole process of harvesting herbs or fruits can be performed from the ground, without any need to climb the tree or to bend the body to the ground.

Due to its simplicity and efficiency, being simple to manage, the harvester according to the invention, is a useful, convenient and economical new product on the market.

Secondary aim of the invention is to provide a new and improved harvester for herbs and clean fruits.

Additional aims and advantages of the invention will be partly described in the following description, and partly learned through the usage of the invention.

5. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 shows the front- view of the harvester for herbs and aromatic fruits with all its parts. Fig. 2 shows the top-view of the harvester for herbs and aromatic fruits with the handle (8) turned 90°. Fig. 3 shows a part of fingers (1) and the blade (4) in axonometric view. Fig. 4 shows the cutting blade (4).

Parts of the harvester according to the invention:

1 elastic fingers,

2 openings that by their arrangement, shapes and dimensions define the elasticity of fingers,

3 thicker parts on fingers (1),

4 cutting blade,

5 support with shafts,

6 screw, 7 bending joint, 8 handle,

9 butterfly nut.

6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION EMBODIMENT

The harvester for herbs and aromatic fruits comprises support (5) with shafts, bearing elastic fingers (1). The shafts on the support (5) are provided to connect to a battery, motor or hydraulic drive that, if required, provides shaking by horizontal oscillating movements.

Herbs or aromatic fruits grasped by elastic fingers (1) are cut by a cutting blade (4) or plucked. After that, they fall into a suitable net or cloth. On the support, there is a bending joint (7) that, by a quick and simple adjustment of inclination, provides an optimal adjustment of the device, especially for harvesting fruits from different positions. For this reason, the handle (8) of the bending joint (7) is able to receive additional an telescopic stick the length of which can be adjusted. Adjustments of the required length of the telescopic stick and the required inclination of the bending joint (7) enable that all operations at harvesting or picking are carried out from the ground and with the picker's body in the upright position.

Required elasticity of fingers (1), as well as the elastic connection between fingers (1) is provided by openings (2). Arrangement, shape and dimensions of the openings (2) define the elasticity of fingers (1) and their interconnections - such an elasticity that, depending on the kind of herbs or fruits to be picked, enables that fingers pass freely through plants or branches to herbs or aromatic fruits. In this manner, only selected parts of stems of herbs, or clean aromatic fruits respectively, are harvested without leaves and parts of branches or stems.

Thicker parts (3) of fingers (1), by their relative displacement at even fingers in relation to the odd ones, shape the interspace between fingers to look like a meandering path (fig.2 and 3). This, together with the curvature of fingers (see on fig. 3 in axonometric view), ensures safe grasp of the herbs or aromatic fruits to be picked, practically eliminating the possibility that grasped stems of herbs, or aromatic fruits respectively, set free from the grasp of fingers (1) without control. If the support (5) is blocked, then the device according to the invention can be used as a manual harvester. 7. MODE OF USING THE INVENTION

The harvester for herbs and aromatic fruits according to the invention is a handy, durable and useful device that can be manufactured and marketed. The device is intended to be produced using the technology of injection of the light materials of highest quality e.g. polyamide and polypropylene, by which a large number of products can be manufactured in a short time.

It will be obvious to experts in the art that numerous corrections and modifications of the described device for harvesting herbs and aromatic fruits could be made without abandoning the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

C L A I M S

1. The harvester for herbs and aromatic fruits, characterised by that it comprises support with shafts (5), elastic fingers (1), cutting blade (4), bending joint (7) and handle (8).

2. The harvester for herbs and aromatic fruits according to claim 1, characterised by that openings (2), by their arrangement, shape and dimensions, define the elasticity of fingers (1) and their interconnections.

3. The harvester for herbs and aromatic fruits according to claim 1, characterised by that thicker parts (3) on fingers (1), by their relative displacement at even fingers in relation to the odd ones, shape the interspace between fingers to look like a meandering path, which, together with the curve of fingers, ensures the safe grasp of the herbs or aromatic fruits to be picked, practically eliminating the possibility that the grasped stems of herbs, or aromatic fruits respectively, set free from the grasp of fingers (1) without control.

4. The harvester for herbs and aromatic fruits according to claims 1 to 3, characterised by that the herbs or aromatic fruits grasped by elastic fingers (1) are cut by the cutting blade

(4) or plucked, and after that fall into a suitable net or cloth.

5. The harvester for herbs and aromatic fruits according to claim 1, characterised by that the handle (8) of the bending joint (7) is able to receive the additional telescopic stick, the length of which can be adjusted.

6. The harvester for herbs and aromatic fruits according to claim 1, characterised by that by adjustments of the required length of the telescopic stick and the required inclination of the bending joint (7) it is enabled that all operations at harvesting or picking are carried out from the ground and with the picker's body in the upright position, safe from bites, stings, cuts or falls from the tree.

7. The harvester for herbs and aromatic fruits according to claim 1, characterised by that the shafts on the support (5) are provided for the connection to a battery, motor or hydraulic drive that, if required, provides shaking by horizontal oscillating movements. The harvester for herbs and aromatic fruits according to claims 1 to 7, characterised by that by its design and operation principle, it enables the quicker, simpler, more efficient and safer harvesting of herbs or clean aromatic fruits, providing simultaneous shaking if required.