WO2023044112A1

WO2023044112A1 - Cocoa pod processing systems

Info

Publication number: WO2023044112A1
Application number: PCT/US2022/043998
Authority: WO
Inventors: Donald KLOTZKE; Keith A. Chisholm; Natascha NEPTUNE; Jimmie TEAGUS; Vedin HOROZOVIC; Donald DECK; Lucas MOEWS; Darcio CORDEIRO; Dennis W. Rybolt; Richard AMMENDOLA; Steve SPUDWILLS; Diego JACHO; Victoria C. COELLO ORTIZ
Original assignee: Mars, Incorporated
Priority date: 2021-09-17
Filing date: 2022-09-19
Publication date: 2023-03-23
Also published as: ECSP24028295A

Abstract

Some cocoa pod processing systems are configured to forcibly extract, using air, at least a portion of the meat out of a cocoa pod. In some examples, cocoa pod processing systems include a movable conveyor including a plurality of conveyance receptacles. Each conveyance receptacle is configured to hold a cocoa pod within each conveyance receptacle and each cocoa pod has an outer shell and an inner portion of meat. The cocoa pod processing systems can include an end cutting station including at least two blades configured to cut off both ends of the cocoa pod. The cocoa pod processing systems can include a separation station including an air blower configured to blow air through the cut cocoa pod to forcibly extract at least a portion of the meat of the cut cocoa pod out of the cocoa pod.

Description

COCOA POD PROCESSING SYSTEMS

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

This document relates to cocoa pod processing systems, e.g., to forcibly extract meat out of cocoa pods, or more generally, to extract the contents out of organic pods using forced air.

2. Background Information

Cocoa beans (also sometimes referred to as cocoa, cacao bean, or cacao) is the dried and fully fermented seed of Theobroma cacao, from which cocoa solids and cocoa butter can be extracted. For example, cocoa beans are the basis of chocolate and can be used to form a variety of chocolate confections (e.g., M&M’s®, Snickers®, etc.).

Cocoa beans grow within cocoa pods (sometimes referred to as cocoa seed pods) and require extraction from the cocoa pod before the cocoa beans can be processed to produce chocolate. Generally, the interior substances of the cocoa pod is referred to as “meat,” which includes both the cocoa beans and a white membrane substance that grows around the cocoa beans.

Extracting the meat from cocoa pods can be challenging. For example, some conventional processes include the manual use of machetes to chop open the cocoa pods, and the manual extraction of the meat from the cocoa pods.

SUMMARY

This document describes cocoa pod processing systems and methods for separating the meat from cocoa pods. For example, this document describes conveyor-driven systems that automatically cut off both ends of the cocoa pod, blow air through the cocoa pod to force out the meat of the cocoa pod, and separately collect the meat from the outer shell of the cocoa pod. Thereafter, the separated meat can be further processed to produce chocolate.

In some examples, high velocity forced air (e.g., 500 cfm) is blown into a first cut off end opening of the cocoa pod, through the interior of the cocoa pod, and out a second cut off end opening to force out the meat. In some cases, the forced air is blown into the cocoa pod using an elliptical-shaped nozzle to improve the efficacy of meat removal from the cocoa pod (e.g., to reduce waste and/or enhance throughput). In this way, using an elliptical-shaped can increase the separation efficiency of the cocoa pod separation systems described herein.

As described below, some cocoa pod processing systems include a movable conveyor with a plurality of conveyance receptacles. Each conveyance receptacle can be configured to releasably hold a cocoa pod. Each cocoa pod has an outer shell and an inner portion of meat. The cocoa pod processing systems described herein can include an end cutting station that includes at least two blades configured to cut off both ends of the cocoa pod. The cocoa pod processing systems can further include a separation station that uses an air blower configured to blow air through the cut cocoa pod to forcibly extract at least a portion of the meat out of the cocoa pod. The cocoa pod processing systems can also include a collection station configured to separately collect the outer shell of the cut cocoa pod and the extracted portion of the meat.

In some implementations, each conveyance receptacles includes a spring- loaded clamshell for holding the cocoa pod.

In some implementations, the air blower is external to the cocoa pod processing system.

In some implementations, the air blower includes an outlet duct with a nozzle for directing the air into one of the two cut ends of the cocoa pod. In some cases, the nozzle includes an elliptical-shaped opening used to direct the air into the cut cocoa pod. In some cases, the elliptical-shaped opening has an orientation with a major axis along a horizontal direction and a minor axis along a vertical direction. In some cases, the elliptical-shaped opening has a major axis dimension between 2.5 and 3 inches and a minor axis dimension between 1.25 and 1.75 inches.

In some implementations, the cocoa pod processing system includes a motor configured to rotate the movable conveyor at a rotational rate sufficient for the cocoa pod processing system to process between 2000 and 4000 cocoa pods per hour.

In some implementations, the cocoa pod processing system is not computer controlled. In some implementations, the cocoa pod processing system is computer controlled.

In some implementations, the cocoa pod processing system is mountable within a truck and operable while mounted within the truck.

Some cocoa pod processing methods include conveying a cocoa pod toward an end cutting station, a separation station, and a collection station. The cocoa pod has an outer shell and an inner portion of meat that includes cocoa. The outer shell has two ends. The methods can include cutting off both of the two ends of the cocoa pod using at least two blades at the end cutting station. The methods can include blowing air into one of the two ends of the cut cocoa pod to forcibly extract at least a portion of the meat of the cocoa pod out of the other of the two ends of the cocoa pod using an air blower at the separation station. The methods can include separately collecting the cut outer shell and the extracted portion of the meat at the collection station.

In some implementations, conveying the cocoa pod toward the end cutting station, the separation station, and the collection station is performed in that respective order using a conveyor belt.

In some implementations, cutting off both ends of the cocoa pod, blowing the air into the one of the two ends, and separately collecting the outer shell and the portion of the meat are performed while the cocoa pod is in motion as the cocoa pod is being conveyed through one or more stations of a cocoa pod processing system.

In some implementations, the method includes receiving the cocoa pod in a conveyance receptacle. In some cases, cutting off both ends of the cocoa pod, blowing the air into the one of the two ends, and separately collecting the outer shell and the portion of the meat are all performed while the cocoa pod is releasably contained in the conveyance receptacle.

In some implementations, cutting off both ends of the cocoa pod using the at least two blades at the end cutting station includes cutting off both ends of the cocoa pod at the same time (simultaneously).

In some implementations, separately collecting the outer shell and the portion of the meat includes depositing the outer shell into a first container and depositing the portion of the meat into a second container.

In some implementations, blowing the air into one of the two ends of the cocoa pod includes blowing the air through a nozzle that includes an elliptical- shaped opening. In some cases, the elliptical- shaped opening has an orientation with a major axis along a horizontal direction and a minor axis along a vertical direction. In some cases, the elliptical-shaped opening has a major axis dimension between 2.5 and 3 inches and a minor axis dimension between 1.25 and 1.75 inches. In some implementations, blowing the air into one of the two ends of the cocoa pod includes continuously blowing the air irrespective of a position of the cocoa pod and/or the conveyor.

In some implementations, the contents of the cocoa pod may be removed by suction rather than via a blowing action.

In some implementations, the method is performed by the cocoa pod processing systems described herein.

Particular embodiments of the subject matter described in this document can be implemented to realize one or more of the following advantages.

As noted above, using the cocoa pod processing systems and methods described herein can be safer than conventional approaches that rely on machetes or other sharp blades of a user to chop off the ends of the cocoa pod to access the meat of the cocoa pod. The systems and methods described herein are safer because they rely on a conveyor-driven system with safety shields/guards where the user does not come into contact with sharp blades (unless the user is servicing the machine). In some examples, all the user needs to do is place the cocoa pods within a conveyance receptacle of the system, press a start button of the system (if applicable), and the system will automatically cut the cocoa pod, extract the meat, and automatically separate and collect the meat for further processing.

The cocoa pod processing systems described herein can also be portable so that it can be transported to remote areas of the world. In some embodiments, the systems can be installed in vehicles so that the cocoa pods can be processed on-site at the cocoa farm (or somewhere nearby). For example, installing the cocoa pod processing systems described herein into a bed of a truck allows cocoa pod processing anywhere the truck travels. In these cases, the cocoa pod processing systems can use power directly from the truck (e.g., from one or more batteries of the truck, or an inverter) or can plug into house/line power using a specific voltage based on the geographic region (e.g., 380V in Ecuador, 440V in the US, etc.). In some cases, the cocoa pod processing systems described herein are less than 5000 lbs. in total weight so they can be used in vehicles.

The cocoa pod processing systems and methods described herein can also be more efficient at separating the meat from the cocoa pod than conventional approaches. For example, when a user needs to physically scoop out the meat using their hands or a tool, it is common for the user to leave at least some meat within the cocoa pod for disposal. On the other hand, the cocoa pod processing systems and methods described herein use forced air (e.g., with a 500 cfm airflow) passing through an elliptical-shaped nozzle to direct the air into the cocoa pod in such a way that the airflow maximizes the amount of meat separated from the cocoa pod. In some examples, using a specific elliptical-shaped nozzle with a major axis dimension between 2.5 and 3 inches and a minor axis dimension between 1.25 and 1.75 inches provides a range of maximum separation efficiencies. In some cases, the systems and method described herein achieve the maximum separation efficiency when the major axis dimension is about 2.70 inches (e.g., plus or minus 0.02 inches) and the minor axis dimension is about 1.50 inches (e.g., plus or minus 0.02 inches).

The cocoa pod processing systems and methods described herein can also be quieter when they use an air blower that can be located externally to, and remotely from, the rest of the cocoa pod processing system. For example, sometimes air blowers can be loud. Positioning a loud air blower at least 20 feet away from the location where the user loads the cocoa pods into the conveyance receptacles means that it will be quieter for the user compared to scenarios where the loud air blower is within a few feet from the user. In these cases, the forced air can be plumbed from the blower to the separation station via one or more ducts to enable the air blower to be positioned as far from the separation station as desired (e.g., 20 feet, 50 feet, etc.).

As noted above, the cocoa pod processing systems and methods described herein can process between 2000 and 4000 cocoa pods per hour. This is very fast and translates to roughly one cocoa pod being processed each second.

The cocoa pod processing systems and methods described herein can also be more sanitary than conventional approaches that rely on a user manually scooping out the meat with their hands or a contaminated instrument (e.g., dirty spoon, etc.)

In some embodiments, the cocoa pod processing systems and methods may use a suction mechanism in place of a blowing mechanism.

The term “cocoa” has been used throughout this disclosure and refers to both “cocoa” and/or “cacao.” Additionally, while the systems and method described herein refer to “cocoa pods,” the same and/or similar systems and methods are applicable to non-cocoa pods. For example, the systems and methods described herein can be used to process other types of organic pods such as a fruit pod or a vegetable pod.

The details of one or more implementations of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description herein. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustration of the composition of an example cocoa pod showing the meat of the cocoa pod and the outer shell of the cocoa pod.

FIGS. 2A-2C are a side, top, and end view of an example cocoa pod processing system for separating the meat from the outer shell of the cocoa pods shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective exploded view of the cocoa pod processing system of FIGS. 2A-2C.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a conveyance receptacle used to hold cocoa pods in the cocoa pod processing system of FIGS. 2A-2C and FIG. 3.

FIGS. 5A-5C are schematics of an example method for separating the meat from cocoa pods using the cocoa pod processing system of FIG. 2A-2C and FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 A is a perspective view of a nozzle with an elliptical- shaped opening for directing forced air into the cocoa pod as part of the cocoa pod processing system of FIGS. 2A-2C and FIG. 3.

FIGS. 6B-6D are end, side, and cross-sectional views of the nozzle of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an example method for separating the meat from cocoa pods using the cocoa pod processing system of FIG. 2A-2C and FIG. 3.

Like reference numbers represent corresponding parts throughout.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This document describes cocoa pod processing systems and methods for extracting the meat from within cocoa pods. For example, this document describes conveyor-driven systems that cut off both ends of the cocoa pod, force air through the cocoa pod to drive out the meat from within the cocoa pod, and separately collect the meat apart from the outer shell of the cocoa pod. In this way, the separated meat can be thereafter further processed (e.g., to produce chocolate). In some examples, high velocity forced air (e.g., 500 cfm) is blown through an opening at one cut off end of the cocoa pod, through the interior of the cocoa pod, and out another opening at the opposite cut off end to force out the meat.

In some cases, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, helium, or combinations thereof (with or without air), may be blown through the opening. Using nitrogen as the gas to blow out the contents of the cocoa pods may be used to improve the preservation of the meat. In some cases, using alternative gases to air may be used to facilitate extraction of bioactives.

In some cases, the forced air is blown into the cocoa pod using an ellipticalshaped nozzle to improve the amount of meat that is separated from the cocoa pod (e.g., to reduce waste). In this way, using an elliptical-shaped can increase the separation efficiency of the cocoa pod separation systems described herein.

FIG. 1 is an illustration of the composition of an example cocoa pod 100. The cocoa pod 100 includes an outer shell 102. The outer shell 102 includes an exocarp portion of the cocoa pod 100, a mesocarp portion of the cocoa pod 100, and an endocarp portion of the cocoa pod 100. As shown in FIG. 1, the mesocarp portion spans between the endocarp and the exocarp. In this way, the term “outer shell” can refer to any or a combination of the exocarp portion, the mesocarp portion, and the endocarp portion of the cocoa pod 100.

The cocoa pod 100 also includes an interior 104 that represents a space within the cocoa pod 100 and is defined by the outer shell 102. The interior 104 contains meat 106 (sometimes referred to as pulp). As shown in FIG. 1, the meat 106 includes both cocoa seeds 108 and a substance surrounding the cocoa seeds 108. In some examples, the substance is a white membrane substance. In this way, the meat 106 includes cocoa.

The cocoa pod 100 also has two ends 110 that are opposite from each other (one of these ends 110 is hidden from view in FIG. 1). As described further below, the systems and methods described herein involve cutting off both ends 110 of the cocoa pod 100. For example, a blade can cut along the dashed line 112 to cut off the end 110 that is shown in FIG. 1. The opposing end can be cut off similarly.

While FIG. 1 shows a cocoa pod 100 that is cut in half along a cut line 114, this is merely for illustrative purposes. The systems and methods described herein do not cut the cocoa pod 100 in half. Instead, the systems and method cut off each end 110 of the cocoa pod 100 to access the meat 106 within the cocoa pod 100. In most cases, the outer shell 102 (e.g., the exocarp portion, the endocarp portion, and the mesocarp portion) of the cocoa pod 100 are discarded once the meat 106 (e.g., the cocoa seeds and the surrounding substance) has been extracted from the interior 104 of the cocoa pod 100.

FIGS. 2A-2C are multiple views of an example cocoa pod processing system 200 for separating the meat 106 from the outer shell 102 of the cocoa pods 100. FIG. 3 is a perspective exploded view of the cocoa pod processing system 200.

The cocoa pod processing system 200 includes a movable conveyor 202 (e.g., a conveyor belt or chain). The movable conveyor 202 is represented schematically using a dashed line. The movable conveyor 202 includes a plurality of conveyance receptacles 204. While only a few schematic representations of conveyance receptacles 204 are shown in FIG. 2A, the cocoa pod processing system 200 can include more conveyance receptacles 204 (e.g., between 20 and 60), equally spaced along the movable conveyor 202.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of an example conveyance receptacle 204. The conveyance receptacle 204 includes two sides 402, 404 that are movable relative to the conveyor 202 and relative to each other. For example, the two sides 402, 404 can open (e.g., move apart from each other into an open configuration) in a clamshell fashion so that a user can place a cocoa pod 100 within the conveyance receptacle 204. The two sides 402, 404 can close (e.g., move or pivot towards each other into a closed configuration) in a clamshell fashion so that the cocoa pod 100 is held within the conveyance receptacle 204. In this way, the conveyance receptacle 204 is configured to hold a cocoa pod 100 within the conveyance receptacle 204 and toggle between an open configuration and a closed configuration. In some embodiments, a single one of the sides 402 or 404 pivots apart from the other side 404 or 402 which does not pivot.

In some examples, the two sides 402, 404 of the conveyance receptacle 204 are biased towards a first position (e.g., a closed position or an open position) using torsion springs 406, 408. In this way, some conveyance receptacle 204 include a spring-loaded clamshell (e.g., both sides 402, 404) that is configured to securely hold the cocoa pod 100.

The conveyance receptacle 204 can also include one or more clearance holes 410 that allow the conveyance receptacle 204 to be attached (e.g., bolted through the clearance holes 410) to the movable conveyor 202. In this way, the conveyance receptacles 204 are configured to be mounted on (affixed to) the movable conveyor 202.

Referring still to FIG. 2A, a user 206 places a cocoa pod 100 into an open conveyance receptacle 204 at a receiving station 208. In this way, the methods described herein involve receiving a cocoa pod 100 in a conveyance receptacle 204.

As noted above, the cocoa pod processing system 200 can include a plurality of the conveyance receptacle 204 and at any particular moment, more than one conveyance receptacles 204 can be empty and open waiting for the user 206 to deposit a cocoa pod 100 at the receiving station 208. For example, in some cases the user 206 can use both hands to load two cocoa pods 100 into two conveyance receptacle 204 at the same time. Alternatively, a second user could load a second cocoa pod 100 into a second conveyance receptacle 204 at the same time that the user 206 is loading a cocoa pod 100. In this way, in some cases more than one cocoa pod 100 can be loaded into the cocoa pod processing system 200 simultaneously.

The movable conveyor 202 is a continuous member that can translate in a consistent direction (e.g., counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 2A). For example, the movable conveyor 202 moves in a first horizontal direction (e.g., -H), rotates around end rollers, moved back in a second, opposite, horizontal direction (+H), and rotates around another end roller. As used herein, a coordinate system 250 illustrates the horizontal direction (H), the vertical direction (V), and the transverse direction (T) for the various views and orientations of the cocoa pod processing system 200 throughout the figures.

The cocoa pod processing system 200 includes a motor 216 that is mechanically coupled (e.g., using rollers, gears, belts, sprockets, etc.) to the movable conveyor 202 to advance the movable conveyor 202 in the counterclockwise direction. In some examples, the motor 216 is an electric motor with a user-adjustable speed control. In some cases, the motor 216 is configured to rotate the movable conveyor 202 at a rotational rate sufficient for the cocoa pod processing system 200 to process between 2000 and 4000 cocoa pods 100 per hour. In scenarios where these speeds are used, in some cases the user 206 can be replaced and/or supplemented with one or more chutes that automatically deposit cocoa pods 100 into respective conveyance receptacles 204 (e.g., using the force of gravity).

As shown in FIG. 2A, the movable conveyor 202 conveys (e.g., as driven by the motor 216) the cocoa pod 100 from the receiving station 208 toward one or more processing stations. In this example, the movable conveyor 202 conveys the cocoa pod 100 toward an end cutting station 210, a separation station 212, and a collection station 214.

In the depicted embodiment, the motor 216 drives the movable conveyor 202 continuously through the receiving station 208, the end cutting station 210, the separation station 212, and the collection station 214. For example, the motor 216 can continuously convey the cocoa pod 100 toward the end cutting station 210, the separation station 212, and the collection station 214 (and in that respective order) at a constant velocity.

The receiving station 208 refers to a general part of the cocoa pod processing system 200 associated with loading one or more cocoa pods 100 into one or more conveyance receptacles 204. Similarly, the end cutting station 210 refers to a general part of the cocoa pod processing system 200 associated with cutting off each end of the cocoa pods 100. Likewise, the separation station 212 refers to a general part of the cocoa pod processing system 200 associated with blowing air into the cocoa pod 100 to force the meat 106 out of the cocoa pod 100. Furthermore, the collection station 214 refers to a general part of the cocoa pod processing system 200 associated with separately collecting the meat 106 and the outer shells 102 of the cocoa pods 100.

As shown in FIG. 3, the cocoa pod processing system 200 includes two blades 302 at the end cutting station 210 that are spaced apart by a predetermined dimension (that can be adjustable). The space between the blades 302 represents how much of the cocoa pod 100 remains after the blades 302 cut off both ends 110 of the cocoa pod 100. For example, the predetermined dimension can be 6 inches in some cases. The cocoa pod processing system 200 includes two blade adjustment knobs 220 (shown in FIGS. 2B-2C and FIG. 3). In some cases, one blade adjustment knob 220 controls the transverse position (e.g., along the transverse direction (T)) of one of the blades 302 and the other blade adjustment knob 220 controls the transverse position of the other of the two blades 302. While the cocoa pod processing system 200 includes two blades 302, some machines have more than two blades 302 (e.g., four blades where two blades are vertically disposed relative to each other).

. In a preferred embodiment, the blades 302 are not driven by a motor and are free to turn on their own. The speed of the pods moving past the blades 302 causes the pressure to slide the ends off the pod. Both blades 302 spin and cut off each respective end 110 of the cocoa pod 100 as the cocoa pod 100 is conveyed to and through the blades 302. In this way, the cocoa pod processing system 200 includes an end cutting station 210 that includes at least two blades 302 configured to cut off both ends of the cocoa pod 100. For example, the methods described herein involve cutting off both of the two ends of the cocoa pod 100 using at least two blades 302 at the end cutting station 210. In some cases, the methods described herein involve cutting off both ends 110 of the cocoa pod 100 simultaneously. For example, as the cocoa pod 100 is conveyed through the end cutting station 210, both ends 110 are cut off at the same time. In some cases, A motor (not shown) spins both of the blades 302 while the cocoa pod processing system 200 is in use.

FIGS. 5A-5C are schematic illustrations of an example method for separating the meat 106 from the cocoa pods 100. FIG. 5A shows the cocoa pod 100 as received in the conveyance receptacles 204 (e.g., the cocoa pod 100 is unaltered (e.g., uncut)). FIG. 5B shows the cocoa pod 100 during/after being cut by the two blades 302 a predetermined distance (D) apart. As noted above, distance (D) can be adjusted using the blade adjustment knobs 220. For example, distance (D) can represent a distance of 8 inches while the range of (D) spans between 6 inches and 12 inches depending on the orientation of the blade adjustment knobs 220.

As noted above, the moveable conveyor 202 moves continuously through the end cutting station 210. This means that as soon as the blades 302 cut a first cocoa pod 100, a second cocoa pod 100 is usually directly behind, following the first cocoa pod 100. In some examples, the blades 302 continuously spin irrespective of the location of the cocoa pods 100. For example, the blades 302 continuously spin whether there is a cocoa pod 100 being cut or not. This is important when the cocoa pod processing system 200 is operated at speeds sufficient to process 2500-3000 cocoa pods per hour since stopping the blades 302 between each cut would be impractical. In a preferred embodiment, the system can process 3000 pods per hour.

Referring back to FIG. 2A, the cocoa pod 100 is shown in a conveyance receptacle 204 in the closed configuration at the end cutting station 210. This is in contrast to the cocoa pod 100 shown in the conveyance receptacle 204 in the open configuration at the receiving station 208. In some examples, the cocoa pod processing system 200 includes one or more cams that engage one or more surfaces of the cocoa pod processing system 200 and cause the conveyance receptacles 204 to toggle between the open and closed configurations. In some examples, the cams toggle the conveyance receptacles 204 from the open configuration into the closed configuration as the movable conveyor 202 conveys the conveyance receptacles 204 into the end cutting station 210 (e.g., at the entrance of the end cutting station 210).

After the ends 110 of the cocoa pod 100 are cut off at the end cutting station 210, the cocoa pod 100 progresses to the separation station 212. As noted above, the separation station 212 is where the cocoa pod processing system 200 blows air into the cocoa pod 100 to force the meat 106 out of the outer shell 102 of the cocoa pod 100. The separation station 212 includes an air blower that generates pressurized air.

FIG. 5C is a schematic illustration of air of an airstream 502 displacing the meat 106 out of the cocoa pod 100. In this example, the air blower (not shown) generates an airstream 502 in the transverse direction (T). The airstream 502 flows out of the air blower, through an outlet duct 508, and then through a nozzle 504 connected to the outlet duct 508. The nozzle 504, described further below, manipulates the direction and velocity of the airstream 502. For example, the manipulated flow of air proceeds through one cut end 110 of the cocoa pod and part of the manipulated airflow proceeds along a path 506 that rides along the inner surface 510 of the outer shell 102. This improves the separation efficiency of blowing the meat 106 out of the cocoa pod 100. In this way, the air blower can include an outlet duct 508 with a nozzle 504 for directing the air into one of the two ends 110 of the cut cocoa pod 100. Further details regarding the nozzle 504 are described with reference to FIGS. 7A-7D below.

As a result of the airstream 502, and specifically the manipulated air flow within the cocoa pod 100, the meat 106 is forcibly displaced from the interior 104 of the cocoa pod 100. For example, a boundary of the interior 104 is represented by a dashed line 510 in FIG. 5C since the ends 110 have been cut off. In this way, the cocoa pod processing system 200 includes a separation station 212 that includes an air blower configured to blow air through the cut cocoa pod 100 (e.g., cut by the blades 302 as previously described). This flow of air forcibly extracts at least a portion of the meat 106 of the cut outer shell 102 of the cocoa pod 100. Similarly, the methods described herein can cause an air blower at the separation station 212 to blow air into one of the two ends 110 of the cut cocoa pod 100. This flow of air forcibly extracts at least a portion of the meat 106 out of the opposite end of the two ends 110 of the cut cocoa pod 100. For example, in some cases between 80% and 100% of the meat 106 can be extracted by the forced airflow. In some examples, the air blower is an electric air blower and is operable to blow air at a rate between 150-1000 cfm (e.g., 500 cfm). In some examples, the air blower is located remotely from the cocoa pod processing system 200. For example, the forced air can be plumbed from the air blower to the separation station 212 via one or more ducts to enable the air blower to be positioned as far from the separation station 212 as desired (e.g., 20 feet, 50 feet, etc.). As shown in FIG. 2B, air can enter the separation station 212 from the one or more ducts using an inlet 226.

In some examples, the air blower continuously blows air irrespective of a position of the cocoa pod 100 along the moveable conveyor 202. For example, the air blower can continuously blow air at 500 cfm when there is a cocoa pod 100 in front of the nozzle 504 and even when there is no cocoa pod 100 in front of the nozzle 504. In some cases, providing a continuous airflow is more efficient that turning the air blower on and off within a short period of time. As with the above noted example with the spinning blades 303, it is impractical to start and stop a 3600 cfm air blower for each cocoa pod 100 if the cocoa pods 100 are moving through the cocoa pod processing system 200 at a rate of one cocoa pod 100 per second, for example.

After the meat 106 is extracted out of cocoa pod 100, the outer shell 102 of the empty cocoa pod 100 progresses to the collection station 214. As noted above, the collection station 214 is generally where the outer shell 102 is collected and where the extracted meat 106 is collected.

Referring back to FIG. 2A, the cocoa pod processing system 200 includes a waste chute 232 and a meat chute 234. The same forced air that forces the meat 106 of out of the cocoa pod 100 at the separation station 212 also forces the meat 106 into the meat chute 234. The meat chute 234 is angled downward (e.g., in the -V direction) as shown in FIG. 2A and angled away from the cocoa pod processing system 200 (e.g., in the +T direction) as shown in FIG. 2C. The meat chute 234 also protrudes away from the cocoa pod processing system 200 (e.g., in the +T direction) as shown in FIG. 2B. The meat chute 234 defines a channel where the meat 106 can travel (e.g., under the force of the air from the air blower) therethrough and be deposited into a meat container 228.

In some examples, the meat container 228 is a bucket for collecting the extracted meat 106 from multiple cocoa pods 100 (e.g., all of the plurality of cocoa pods 100 processed by the cocoa pod processing system 200). In some cases, the bucket is a five-gallon bucket. In other examples, not shown, the meat container 228 is implemented as a conveyer that conveys the meat 106 away from the cocoa pod processing system 200 (e.g., for further processing of the meat 106 into chocolate).

As shown in FIG. 2A, the waste chute 232 is positioned on an end of the cocoa pod processing system 200. The moveable conveyor 202 also “turns around” at a location, at the waste chute 232 or adjacent to the waste chute 232. This location is generally referred to as a “turn-around location.” For example, the moveable conveyor 202 changes from moving in the -H direction to moving in the +H direction at the turn-around location.

Furthermore, as the moveable conveyor 202 turns around, the conveyance receptacles 204 rotate counterclockwise and open to release the empty cocoa pod 100 (or specifically the outer shell 102 at this point). For example, the sides of the conveyance receptacles 204 move apart from each other under the action of the one of more cams of the conveyance receptacles 204 to release the outer shell 102. During the rotation, the conveyance receptacles 204 turn upside-down as shown in FIG. 2A, and the outer shell 102 falls out of the conveyance receptacles 204 and into the waste chute 232 under the force of gravity.

The waste chute 232 defines a channel that allows the outer shell 102 to travel to a waste container 230. Like the meat container 228, the waste chute can be a bucket for collecting the outer shells 102 from multiple cocoa pods 100 (e.g., all of the plurality of cocoa pods 100 processed by the cocoa pod processing system 200). In some cases, the bucket is a five-gallon bucket. In other examples, not shown, the waste container 230 is implemented as a conveyer that conveys the outer shells 102 away from the cocoa pod processing system 200 (e.g., for disposing of the outer shells 102 at a remote location). While the outer shells 102 are considered “waste” in this example, in other example the outer shells 102 are recycled, compost, or used for other purposes. Additionally, in some examples, the outer shells 102 still include a small portion of meat 106 that was not extracted by the air at this point. For example, it can be common to have a portion between 0% and 20% of the meat 106 still remaining in the cocoa pod 100 after extraction.

In this way, the cocoa pod processing system 200 includes a collection station 214 configured to separately collect the outer shell 102 of the cut cocoa pod 100 and the extracted portion of the meat 106. For example, the methods described herein can separately collect the cut outer shell 102 and the extracted portion of the meat 106 at the collection station 214 using the waste chute 232 and the meat chute 234. For example, outer shell 102 and the meat 106 is collected into the waste container 230 and the meat container 228, respectively. In this way, the cocoa pod processing system 200 can separately collect the outer shell 102 and the portion of the meat 106 by depositing the outer shell 102 into a first container 230 and depositing the portion of the meat 106 into a second container 228.

As noted above, the cocoa pod processing system 200 has a motor 216 that can continuously convey the plurality of conveyance receptacles 204 through the cocoa pod processing system 200 irrespective of the position of any of the conveyance receptacles 204. For example, the conveyance receptacles 204 are conveyed through the cocoa pod processing system 200 whether the conveyance receptacles 204 have a cocoa pod 100 within them or not. In this way, the operations of cutting off both ends 110 of the cocoa pod 100, blowing the air into the one of the two ends 110, and separately collecting the outer shell 102 and the portion of the meat 106 are all performed while the cocoa pod 100 is in motion as the cocoa pod 100 is being conveyed through the cocoa pod processing system 200. Similarly, the operations of cutting off both ends 110 of the cocoa pod 100, blowing the air into the one of the two ends 110, and separately collecting the outer shell 102 and the portion of the meat 106 are all performed while the cocoa pod 100 is received in the conveyance receptacle 204.

The cocoa pod processing system 200 includes a control button 218 that configured to start and stop the entire cocoa pod processing system 200. For example, pressing the control button 218 a first time causes the motor 216 to start and pressing the control button 218 a second time causes the motor 216 to stop.

In the depicted embodiment, the cocoa pod processing system 200 is controlled via manual knobs (e.g., knobs 220) and buttons (e.g., the control button 218) and is not computer controlled. As noted above, this is advantageous to reduce costs, reduce weight (e.g., by reducing servos, etc.), simplify the maintenance, and improve ease of use by users 206. As noted above, in some cases these cocoa pod processing systems 200 can be installed into vehicles and used in remote locations. It is not a given that users 206 in these remote locations will understand computer control aspects and/or speak a common language. Therefore, the depicted cocoa pod processing system 200 uses a simple, non-computer-controlled, control system. Alternatively, in some embodiments the cocoa pod processing system 200 uses a computer-controlled (e.g., programmable logic controller) control system. In some examples, the cocoa pod processing system 200 is mountable within a truck and operable while mounted within the truck. For example, a plurality of bolts can be used to secure the bottom of the cocoa pod processing system 200 to a bed of a truck. In other examples, the cocoa pod processing system 200 can be mounted to a trailer and towed by a truck. In other examples, the cocoa pod processing system 200 can be mounted in a cargo area of a box truck. In some embodiments, the cocoa pod processing system 200 can include wheels and/or casters for ease of transport. In some examples, the cocoa pod processing system 200 includes a plurality of the cocoa pods 100.

FIG. 6A is a perspective view of an example nozzle 504 that can be part of the cocoa pod processing system 200 as described above (e.g., with reference to FIG. 5C). FIGS. 6B-6D are end, side, and cross-sectional views of the nozzle 504. While the figures include some dimensions, it should be understood that those are purely exemplary, and non-limiting.

As described above, the nozzle 504 manipulates the flow of air such that an airstream (e.g., the airstream 502 schematically shown in FIG. 5C) is directed into a cocoa pod 100 to increase the separation efficiency of the cocoa pod processing system 200. The nozzle 504 includes a circular-shaped opening 604 on a first or incoming end, and an elliptical- shaped opening 602 on a second, opposite, outflow end. The incoming air flows into the nozzle 504 via the circular-shaped opening 604, through the tapered body portion 606, and out via the elliptical- shaped opening 602. The elliptical-shaped opening 602 manipulates (e.g., directs and accelerates) the flow of air into the cut cocoa pod 100 as schematically illustrated in FIG. 5C. In this way, the methods described herein involve blowing air through a nozzle 504 that includes an elliptical-shaped opening 602.

As shown in FIG. 6B, in some embodiments the elliptical-shaped opening 602 has a major axis dimension between 2.5 and 3 inches and a minor axis dimension between 1.25 and 1.75 inches. In this specific example, the major axis dimension is about 2.70 inches (e.g., plus or minus 0.02 inches) and the minor axis dimension is about 1.50 inches (e.g., plus or minus 0.02 inches). Furthermore, the elliptical- shaped opening 602 has an orientation with the major axis being along the horizontal direction (H) and the minor axis being along the vertical direction (V). In this way, the airstream is widest horizontally and narrowest vertically as the air flows into the cocoa pod 100. This particular orientation was found to improve and/or optimize the separation efficiency of the cocoa pod processing system 200.

FIGS. 6C and 6D show additional views of the example nozzle 504. For example, FIG. 6C shows the tapered body portion 606 having a 27 degree positive taper in the vertical direction (V). FIG. 6D shows the tapered body portion 606 having a 7 degree negative taper. These angular dimensions are purely exemplary, and non-limiting.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an example method 700 for separating the meat 106 from cocoa pods 100. The method 700 can be performed, for example, by the cocoa pod processing system 200 as described above. While the method 700 is described in the context of cocoa pods, it should be understood that the method 700 may also be used to process other types of organic pods.

At step 702, cocoa pods are received in conveyance receptacles of the cocoa pod processing system. For example, as shown in FIG. 2A, a user 206 can place a cocoa pod 100 into an open conveyance receptacle 204 at a receiving station 208. In other examples, the cocoa pods 100 are received in conveyance receptacles 204 using one or more chutes and/or by multiple users at the same time.

At step 704, the cocoa pods are conveyed toward the end cutting station. For example, as shown in FIG. 2A, the movable conveyor 202 conveys (e.g., using the motor 216) the cocoa pod 100 from the receiving station 208 toward an end cutting station 210.

At step 706, both ends of the cocoa pods are cut off by blades of the end cutting station. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the cocoa pod processing system 200 includes two blades 302 at the end cutting station 210, and FIG. 5B shows the cocoa pod 100 during/after being cut by the two blades 302.

At step 708, the cocoa pods with both ends cut off are conveyed toward the meat removal station. For example, the movable conveyor 202 continuously conveys the plurality of conveyance receptacles 204 through the cocoa pod processing system 200.

At step 710, a jet of air is directed to one open end of the pod to force the pod’s meat to exit out from the opposite end of the cocoa pod. For example, as shown in FIG. 5C, an airstream 502 (e.g., a jet of air) enters in a first end 110 of the cocoa pod 100 and forcibly extracts at least a portion of the meat 106 of the cocoa pod 100 out of the other of the two ends 110 of the cocoa pod 100. At steps 712 and 714, the empty cocoa pods and the meat are collected. For example, as shown in FIG. 2A, the methods described herein can separately collect the cut outer shell 102 and the extracted portion of the meat 106 at the collection station 214 using the waste chute 232 and the meat chute 234. For example, the cocoa pod processing system 200 can separately collect the outer shell 102 and the portion of the meat 106 by depositing the outer shell 102 into a first container 230 and depositing the portion of the meat 106 into a second container 228.

Furthermore, as described above, “empty cocoa pods” can represent just the outer shells 102 or the outer shells 102 with a small portion of meat 106 remaining (e.g., between 0-20% of meat 106 is remaining in the cocoa pod 100 after the air forced the remainder of the meat 106 out of the cocoa pod 100).

While this specification contains many specific implementation details, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of any invention or of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments of particular inventions. Certain features that are described in this specification in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described herein as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.

Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of various system modules and components in the embodiments described herein should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments, and it should be understood that the described program components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single product or packaged into multiple products.

Particular embodiments of the subject matter have been described. Other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims. For example, the actions recited in the claims can be performed in a different order and still achieve desirable results. As one example, the processes depicted in the accompanying figures do not necessarily require the particular order shown, or sequential order, to achieve desirable results. In certain implementations, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A cocoa pod processing system comprising: a movable conveyor comprising a plurality of conveyance receptacles, each conveyance receptacle configured to hold a cocoa pod within each conveyance receptacle, each cocoa pod having an outer shell and an inner portion of meat; an end cutting station comprising at least two blades configured to cut off both ends of the cocoa pod; a separation station comprising an air blower configured to blow air through the cut cocoa pod to forcibly extract at least a portion of the meat of the cut cocoa pod out of the cocoa pod; and a collection station configured to separately collect the outer shell of the cut cocoa pod and the extracted portion of the meat.

2. The cocoa pod processing system of claim 1, wherein each conveyance receptacle comprises a spring-loaded clamshell for holding the cocoa pod.

3. The cocoa pod processing system of claim 1, wherein the air blower is external to the cocoa pod processing system.

4. The cocoa pod processing system of claim 1, wherein the air blower comprises an outlet duct with a nozzle for directing the air into one of the two ends of the cut cocoa pod.

5. The cocoa pod processing system of claim 4, wherein the nozzle comprises an elliptical-shaped opening used to direct the air into the cut cocoa pod.

6. The cocoa pod processing system of claim 5, wherein the elliptical- shaped opening has an orientation with a major axis along a horizontal direction and a minor axis along a vertical direction.

7. The cocoa pod processing system of claim 5, wherein the elliptical- shaped opening has a major axis dimension between 2.5 and 3 inches and a minor axis dimension between 1.25 and 1.75 inches.

8. The cocoa pod processing system of claim 1, further comprising a motor configured to rotate the movable conveyor at a rotational rate sufficient for the cocoa pod processing system to process between 2000 and 4000 cocoa pods per hour.

9. The cocoa pod processing system of claim 1, wherein the cocoa pod processing system is not computer controlled.

10. The cocoa pod processing system of claim 1, wherein the cocoa pod processing system is mountable within a truck and operable while mounted within the truck.

11. A method comprising: conveying a cocoa pod toward an end cutting station, a separation station, and a collection station, the cocoa pod having an outer shell and an inner portion of meat comprising cocoa, the outer shell having two ends; cutting off both of the two ends of the cocoa pod using at least two blades at the end cutting station; blowing air into one of the two ends of the cut cocoa pod to forcibly extract at least a portion of the meat of the cocoa pod out of the other of the two ends of the cocoa pod using an air blower at the separation station; and separately collecting the cut outer shell and the extracted portion of the meat at the collection station.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein conveying the cocoa pod toward the end cutting station, the separation station, and the collection station is performed in that respective order using a conveyor belt.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein cutting off both ends of the cocoa pod, blowing the air into the one of the two ends, and separately collecting the outer shell and the portion of the meat are performed while the cocoa pod is in motion as the cocoa pod is being conveyed through one or more stations of a cocoa pod processing system.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving the cocoa pod in a conveyance receptacle.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein cutting off both ends of the cocoa pod, blowing the air into the one of the two ends, and separately collecting the outer shell and the portion of the meat are all performed while the cocoa pod is received in the conveyance receptacle.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein cutting off both ends of the cocoa pod using the at least two blades at the end cutting station comprises cutting off both ends of the cocoa pod at the same time.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein separately collecting the outer shell and the portion of the meat comprises depositing the outer shell into a first container and depositing the portion of the meat into a second container.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein blowing the air into one of the two ends of the cocoa pod comprises blowing the air through a nozzle comprising an ellipticalshaped opening.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the elliptical- shaped opening has an orientation with a major axis along a horizontal direction and a minor axis along a vertical direction.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein blowing the air into one of the two ends of the cocoa pod comprises continuously blowing the air irrespective of a position of the cocoa pod.