WO2010084510A1

WO2010084510A1 - A device for separating articles of similar shape, and / or size such as fruits and / or vegetables

Info

Publication number: WO2010084510A1
Application number: PCT/IN2009/000725
Authority: WO
Inventors: Maval Ganapat Jagannath
Original assignee: Maval Ganapat Jagannath
Priority date: 2008-12-16
Filing date: 2009-12-16
Publication date: 2010-07-29

Abstract

The present invention achieves the above said objects by providing means for separating articles such as fruits and or vegetables by a machine comprising of means to drive/ pass the articles through the separating means and separate or segregate them. The separating units are assembled in such a manner that it drives the article from top of the assembly to the bottom in such a way that the articles are separated during the course of transfer from the upper mouth to the bottom exit as per the appropriate size at the desired outlets.To this end, the machine comprises of an inlet, separating means and exit portion, which is coupled with a driving means, which facilitates movement of the separating articles towards appropriate separating means. The driving force to generate reciprocal motion within the separating means can be supplied with manual energy and/ or artificial energy including electric energy.

Description

1. TITLE OF THE INVENTIODN: "A DEVICE FOR SEPARATING ARTICLES OF SIMILAR SHAPE, AND/ OR SIZE SUCH AS FRUITS AND / OR VEGETABLES."

2. Applicant:

Name Nationality Address

Ganapat Jagannath Indian At: Chondhi (Male-35,

M aval Male Parisar) Post:

Somthane, Taluka:

Sinnar, District: Nashik-

422103

3. Preamble to the description:

The following Complete Specification describes the invention Description

"A device for separating articles of similar shape, size such as fruits and / or vegetables."

FIELD OF THE INVENTION:

The present invention relates to a mechanism for separating, segregating assorting or classifying articles according to identical and / or similar size and /or shape. This invention relates to a method and an apparatus, device or machine for sorting products including fruits such as apples, peaches, pears, persimmons and tangerines and vegetables such as tomato, onions, potato etc. according to similar size.

DESCRIPTION OF THE BACKGROUND ART:

Over the years, products have been graded or classified by weight. Various sorting apparatus have been developed to weigh objects in conveyance. Typically, the weighing is performed by passing the object to be weighed over a load cell which records the weight. The manner in which the weighing is performed significantly impacts the accuracy of the weighing and the efficiency of the sorting apparatus.

The known sorting devices which grade or classify objects by weight take the weight measurements at a weighing section of the device and must transfer the products to another section of the device for further classification. Such transfers have a traumatic effect on the products because a transfer usually requires the product to be dropped from one conveyor to another. Such separate facilities occupy valuable space making the sorting devices large and expensive to purchase, maintain, and operate.

Singulation of products may also be accomplished using a number of techniques. In one type of singulating mechanism, products are spread in a single layer upon a relatively slow moving surface and then accelerated onto a second conveying means. The acceleration causes adjacent products to become separated slightly from one another.

One device using this singulating principle employs a rotating right circular cone. The products are advanced up the conical surface toward the apex of the cone and then allowed to recede toward the outer edges of the cone before being deposited onto a second conveyor. As products move away from the apex of the cone, their speed increases, thereby slightly separating adjacent pieces.

Another type of sorting mechanism comprises a plurality of cup shaped carriers which each hold a single product. The bottoms of individual carriers may be selectively opened by actuation of any one of a plurality of solenoids, each located adjacent a different storage container. The appropriate solenoid to be activated is determined based on the scanning data, thereby allowing each product to drop through the cup-shaped carrier into one of the storage containers for grouping according to the preselected sorting criteria. Alternatively, scanning may be performed by a camera which is connected to a computer. The computer temporarily stores scanning information relating to the size, color, and/ or quality of each product. Being further provided with information relating to the speed of the product conveyor, the computer is then able to trigger the appropriate sorting mechanism when each product reaches the location at which it should be removed.

The mechanisms for singulating, scanning, and sorting products may be combined in a number of ways to effectively perform the entire sorting operation. For example, one type of machine which performs each of the essential operations comprises a conveyor having a plurality of carrier cups, the bottoms of which are capable of being opened selectively by solenoids along the line of travel of the conveyor. One product is dropped into each carrier cup and scanned by a camera. Each product is then deposited into an appropriate one of a series of sorting containers by selectively actuating the solenoid located adjacent to the appropriate sorting container. This is perhaps the most common type of mechanical product sorter currently in use. A problem is that such sorters are slow and inefficient in their use of space. For example, in known sorter devices using carrier cups individual products are typically positioned to inches apart on the product conveyor. This results in a great deal of unused space between each product, increasing needlessly the size of the sorter. As the maximum speed of the conveyor is limited by the resolution of the scanning device, a substantial amount of time is also wasted due to the distance between adjacent products being handled by the sorter.

In View huge production of potato and onion produces 85 demand of graded 85 quality products, it has become necessary to install grading & sorting plant. It also facilitates to weigh 85 pack bags, ranging from 1 kg to 50 Kg as per demand of market, with installation of electronic weigh-bagger.

Sorting of produce is carried out either manually or by automatic electronic sorters to classify produce by size, shape, colour, surface damage, ripening etc. In case of manual sorting, roller conveyors are used in which rollers while carrying the produce rotate the pieces to allow exposure of their all sides of surface. With this type of equipment, mostly all undesired product is separated by trained persons, under proper lighting. Belt conveyors are also used for manual sorting, but they are not as efficient as roller conveyor. In case of electronic sorter, it has conveyor system facilitating passing of each piece under lights and camera, which sense the programmed defects and rejects them by means of pneumatic ejector systems.

Normally all size graders are designed to classify produce by diameter or width. However graders for classification by lengths are also available. All these graders use elements like screen mesh, perforated belt, plain rollers, taper rollers, diverging space, traveling chains, rotating rollers, vibratory trays etc., for separating fruits and vegetables to suit size and shape. Lift Roller Grader works on the principle of expanding gap rollers. The main chain has a series of rollers on fixed spacing, with another series of rollers mounted a little higher between them. At the feed end of the machine, the rollers are close together. As they move along, the top roller is raised at several adjustable points along the machine, creating a larger gap between it and the rollers below. This design allows for great versatility in determining where each size of product falls. The sizing can be adjusted to suit the volume of each size being graded outln the case of agricultural produce, one of the major activities that are required to be conducted is that of properly sorting the products as per the size. Typically, product is sorted and packaged using a number of criteria, including size, weight, shape and quality.

The present invention is directed to a machine, apparatus, or device consisting of system or arrangement for mechanically classifying, sorting and separating articles such as produce including fruits and / or vegetables, which is simple, economical, efficient and easy to handle and operate. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to develop a novel machine, device apparatus or size grader that solves at least one of the above mentioned problems in the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:

It is the object of the present invention to provide means for segregating, sorting agricultural produce including fruits, vegetables as per their size.

It is the object of the invention to reduce the handling time of the produce

It is the object of the invention to mechanically transfer the produce including fruits or vegetables through a sorting device in such a manner as to reduce and /or minimize the mechanical impact on the outer surface of such produce.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel apparatus for sorting, classifying, separating and size grading of the produce including fruits and vegetables, which is capable of being handled by a common man subject to certain usage guidelines and which is easy to handle, operate and transportable with least maintenance cost.

It is an object of the invention to provide a novel mechanical device having a mechanism capable of being used on large scale basis in the industry for size grading of the produce including frits and /' or vegetables, which is easy to handle, operate, and less space consuming .

As per the invention the device facilitates sorting and/ or segregating the products, articles, fruits by provision of means for singulating the articles, products including fruits of identical and similar size with the help of reciprocating motion.

As per the requirement such units are stacked on one another in such a manner so as enable the separation, singulation, sorting, segregation of articles of identical and / or similar size. The articles, fruits, vegetables of largest size are separated, segregated, sorted from vertically uppermost side of the machine. The provision of separation of articles is arranged in such a manner that the smallest size articles are segregated from the separating means at the vertically bottom side of the machine.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a fruit and or vegetable separator such as lemon, orange, sweet lime, onion, potato etc.

It is one of other objects of the invention to provide a machine or apparatus which is easy to handle, operate, optionally transportable, having economic significance. Accordingly, the present invention achieves the above said objects by providing means for separating articles such as fruits and or vegetables by a machine comprising of means to drive/ pass the articles through the separating means and separate or segregate them. The separating units are assembled in such a manner that it drives the article from top of the assembly to the bottom in such a way that the articles are separated during the course of transfer from the upper mouth to the bottom exit as per the appropriate size at the desired outlets .To this end, the machine comprises of an inlet , separating means and exit portion, which is coupled with a driving means , which facilitates movement of the separating articles towards appropriate separating means. The driving force to generate reciprocal motion within the separating means can be supplied with manual energy and/ or artificial energy including electric energy.

The driving means is coupled with at least one layer of separating units separately. The driving means can be coupled with more than one separating units as per the requirement, mounted on each other having a peculiar space arrangement so as to facilitate separation / segregation of the articles .

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the drawings, and from the detailed description that follows below.

A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will be made to embodiments of the invention, examples of which may be illustrated in the accompanying figures. These figures are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Although the invention is generally described in the context of these embodiments, it should be understood that it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to these particular embodiments. Fig. 1: The Fig. 1 shows the basic sub-frame for the separation of articles as per size.

Fig. 2: Fig. 2 reflects the structural outline of inner pipe and outer hollow pipe

Fig. 3: Fig. 3 is the frame made up of plurality of sub-frame in the same horizontal plane.

Fig.4: Fig.4 is the upper view of the tensile grove

Fig.5: Fig. 5 is the outline of the machine for separation of articles, s

DETAILD DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS:

The present invention particularly works on the principle of segregating the articles having considerable mass, size and shape capable of being hand picked by human beings. The separating machine comprises of an inlet [13], separating means [14], [14[, [16], [17], exit such as [18] and driving means connected at [19] .

Reference in the specification to the phrases like "one embodiment", or "another embodiment" etc. means that a particular feature, structure, characteristic, or function described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of the above-mentioned phrase in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.

Furthermore, the description and the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and not to be construed as limited to the exact details shown, depicted, represented, or described.

The terms such as article and fruits and / or vegetable are used interchangeably.

As per the embodiment of the present invention the separating means comprises of an frame arrangement as shown in Fig.3 .The frames such as but not limited to as shown in Fig. 5 [14], [15[, [16], [17] are mounted on one another as per the requirement, wherein the separating units are mounted on one another. The articles are introduced in the machine / assembly st the inlet [13] and to the vertically upper most frame of the machine [14] that acts as means for separating articles of biggest size. Comparatively the frame [15] immediately below the frame [14] acts as means for separating the articles of size lesser than the one separated by the frame [14]. . The separating means are such as [14], [15[, [16], [17 are stacked one above and/ or below the other, and a mechanism to integrate /couple both/ all the first last separating frames in a particular space relationships in such a manner so as to segregate, separate the articles of similar sizes and / or shape with the help of driving means.

While in operation the articles of different sizes are placed or rather poured on the top of the machine at inlet [13], the biggest size articles with diameter larger than the space between the adjacent pipes of the uppermost frame are separated at the outlet of the uppermost frame and articles of relatively smaller size are set in motion in down word direction and are made to pass through the frame [14] and separated by the frame [15] acting as retaining/ separating means, and the said process applies mutatis mutandis to the subsequent layers of separating means or frames.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, two or more than two frames such as [14], [15], [16], [17] may be stacked, mounted with each other as per the requirement.

According to another embodiment of the present invention the first, second and the subsequent layers of separating means or frames are arranged in a predefined angle with respect to the horizontal surface of the segregation machine. Further, the first, the second and the subsequent frames are arranged in a form similar to staircase form.

According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, a guide way is provided to collect the segregated articles. The guide way is provided corresponding to every separating frame to collect the segregated articles.

Reference herein is now being given to Fig 1 that explains one of the basic embodiments of the present invention. According to one of the basic embodiment of the present invention a sub-frame made up of at least three cylindrical pipes [1], [2], [3] of equal dimensions kept parallel to each other and fixed at equal distance from each other in the same horizontal plane over a separate common base [5] at both ends 5(i) and 5(ii) and based upon requirement at middle of the pipes 12(i) respectively; wherein middle pipe [2] is surrounded by an outer pipe [4] such that an outer periphery of the middle inner pipe and inner periphery of the outer pipe are in contact with each other through at least two patches 6(1) , 6(ii) or three patches 8(i), 8(ii), 8(iii) of casings to reduce the friction through such casings only and enable the reciprocating motion of the outer pipe [4]. As per another embodiment the outer pipe is cut on the periphery as shown in Fig 2 [10] to enable reciprocating motion of the outer pipe.

Reference herein is now being given to Fig 3 that explains one of the embodiments such as a frame comprising of plurality of sub-frames shown in Fig.1 in the same horizontal plane; wherein all the outer pipes are interconnected through a common linier connector [11] at one end for the purpose of transmitting energy for the simultaneous and recurrent reciprocating motion of every outer pipe. In this frame as compared to sub-frame of figure 1 following may be the additional elements namely (a) based upon the requirement a common support at middle of the pipes 12(i) is also provided ; and (b) in pipe in pipe arrangement as explained in Fig. 1 inner pipe is surrounded by an outer pipe such that an outer periphery of the middle inner pipe and inner periphery of the outer pipe are in contact with each other through at least three patches 8(i), 8(ii), 8(iii) of casings to reduce the friction

As per one of the embodiments a frame for separating articles including fruits and / or vegetables as per Fig. 3 wherein the pipes fixed paralle to each other over a common base at both the ends as well as middle as shown in figure 3.

As per one of the embodiment a frame as per Fig. 3 comprises of a tensile grove Figure 4 and Fig. 3 [12] on the middle common support 12 (a) located between the pipes as shown in Fig. 3. Reference herein is now being given to Fig 5 that explains one of the embodiments. As per the embodiment a machine for separating articles comprising of an inlet [13] at upper side, plurality of separating means] comprising of frames [14], [15], [16], [17] of Fig. 5 stacked one over the other, and an outlet [18] at the lower end of the every frame (b) to guide collection of the articles; wherein the frames are assembled in such a manner that articles of larger size are separated from vertically upper frame [14] and the smallest size articles from the bottom (17).

The reciprocating motion of the outer pipes is achieved by manual energy or automated energy including electrical, battery operating motor, etc.

It is to be understood that the all equivalents that re obvious to the skilled in the art are to be included within the scope and unity of the invention as described herein above.

Claims

1. A sub-frame made up of at least three cylindrical pipes [1], [2], [3] of equal dimensions kept parallel to each other and fixed at equal distance from each other in the same horizontal plane over a separate common base [5] at both ends 5(i) and 5(ii) and based upon requirement at middle of the pipes 12(i) respectively; wherein middle pipe [2] is surrounded by an outer pipe [4] such that an outer periphery of the middle inner pipe and inner periphery of the outer pipe are in contact with each other through at least two patches 6(1) , 6(ii) or three patches 8(i), 8(ii), 8(iii) of casings to reduce the friction through such casings only and enable the reciprocating motion of the outer pipe [4]. As per another embodiment the outer pipe is cut on the periphery as shown in Fig

2 [10] to enable reciprocating motion of the outer pipe.

2. a frame comprising of plurality of sub-frames shown in Fig.1 in the same horizontal plane; wherein all the outer pipes are interconnected through a common linier connector [11] at one end for the purpose of transmitting energy for the simultaneous and recurrent reciprocating motion of every outer pipe.

3. A frame for separating articles including fruits and / or vegetables as per Fig. 3 wherein the pipes fixed parallel to each other over a common base at both the ends as well as middle as shown in figure 3.

4. a frame as per Fig. 3 comprises of a tensile grove Figure 4 and Fig.

3 [12] on the middle common support 12 (a) located between the pipes as shown in Fig. 3.

5. a machine for separating articles comprising of an inlet [13] at upper side, plurality of separating means] comprising of frames [14], [15], [16], [17] of Fig. 5 stacked one over the other, and an outlet [18] at the lower end of the every frame (b) to guide collection of the articles; wherein the frames are assembled in such a manner that articles of larger size are separated from vertically upper frame [14] and the smallest size articles from the bottom (17).