ES1249369U - MANUAL FRUIT COLLECTION DEVICE (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) - Google Patents

Abstract

Manual fruit harvesting device, of the type formed by a pole that incorporates a basket at its upper end, with means for attaching and/or cutting the fruit peduncle and with a hose that extends to the ground, for the fall by the fruit, characterized in that the lower end of the hose (3) has a unit (4) for the coupling between the hose (3) and the corresponding box (11) for collecting the fruit and because this coupling unit (4) it has a tubular element (4.1) which, at its rear, is attached to the lower end of the hose and at its front, defines an outlet port for the fruit. (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Description

DESCRIPTION

MANUAL FRUIT COLLECTION DEVICE

Technical sector

The present invention is related to the devices that allow the manual collection of fruits and preferably of the edible fruits that make up the fruits, this device allowing the manual collection of these fruits from the fruit trees, when due to the height at which they are located or Due to their situation, it is not possible to reach them directly from the ground.

State of the art

The different shapes and heights of the trees; the different types of fruits, as well as their different situation in the tree and their resistance to each of the mechanical actions to which they are subjected during the harvesting process are characteristics that complicate their mechanized harvesting.

The collection of the fruit is highly conditioned by the use that will be made of it. The fruit dedicated to the industry admits a certain level of damage, which allows it to be harvested mechanically to a great extent, including the use of mechanical platforms, from which operators collect the fruits; while the fruit destined for fresh consumption, must not present any type of damage and this has determined that the harvesting is still generally done manually, although this harvesting can be facilitated by the use of various means and structural and mechanical devices .

Harvesting must be done with the utmost care, whether it is carried out in field boxes or in box pallets, avoiding at all times, the blows between the fruits themselves, so much so that to avoid the blows, some type bags are used kangaroo, which are carried by the collectors in a "shoulder strap", these bags, once they have been filled, are discharged into field boxes or similar containers that, for simplicity of description, will be identified from now on as boxes and in which the fruit is taken to the corresponding warehouse or to other larger containers such as hoppers, or even to agricultural trailers.

In fruit trees of a certain height, it is known to use poles, some of the telescopic type, that allow cutting the peduncle of the fruit or pulling it, which avoids the cumbersome use of ladders or platforms.

However, harvesting the fruit with these poles has the disadvantage that, when the fruit falls, it is very difficult to pick it up in the air, hitting the ground on many occasions and sometimes against the operator himself.

To avoid this drawback, Chinese Patent CN104938156A shows a device for collecting fruit made up of a basket that is arranged at the end of the pole; so that the cut fruit falls into that basket that must be emptied every so often.

PCT application WO2008124419A1 shows another solution consisting of the provision, at the end of the pole, of a scissors, operable from the bottom of the pole. Below the scissors a pipe is arranged through which the cut fruit falls to the ground.

All these solutions prevent the fruit from falling from the tree hitting the ground or against the operator himself, but have drawbacks such as not adequately solving the passage from the hose or pipe to the fruit collection box. Do not provide solutions that allow the operator or user of the device a simple and comfortable handling of it. Do not allow the joint movements of the operator and the box, etc.

In view of the described disadvantages that presently existing solutions present, it is evident that a solution is necessary that avoids them or, at least, avoids them to a great extent and that is the object of the present invention.

Object of the invention

In order to meet this objective and solve the technical problems discussed so far, in addition to providing additional advantages that can be seen later, the present invention refers to a device for manual fruit harvesting.

This device is also constituted by a pole, preferably telescopic, which in its upper end is coupled to a basket for collecting the cut fruit, this basket incorporating means for cutting the peduncle of the fruit.

A hose made of a flexible and resistant material is attached to the basket, which at its lower end has a coupling unit to the corresponding box; so that the hose and box are attached to each other. This coupling unit allows some rocking play from that end of the hose.

Tensioners extend between the coupling unit and the box to prevent involuntary decoupling between them, while at the same time giving elasticity to the tilting play of the fruit outlet mouth of the coupling unit and carry it and keep it in place. a stable position, when you do not act against these tensioners. These tensioners also fulfill a very important function, which is to give stability to the box, facilitating its transfer.

It has been envisaged that the hose incorporates, at least, a longitudinal reinforcement along it, in the area in which the fruits are going to impact and where they are going to fall rolling once they are cut, thus constituting a reinforced raceway .

In the upper zone of the hose, the assembly of elements in the form of rings has been provided, through which the pole passes; All of this in such a way that in this area, the hose and the pole remain one next to the other, according to paraxial trajectories, which facilitates the advance of the fruits without causing jams.

On the other hand, the hose incorporates at least one handle at a height accessible to the user of the device; so that the user, by pulling this handle, can move the collection box without having to uncouple it from the hose, which allows the user to move freely with the whole device and the corresponding box, to occupy different positions with respect to the tree you are collecting or even move from one tree to another.

In addition, this handle also allows the user to move and shake the hose to avoid or undo possible jams of the fruits inside the hose.

Description of the figures

Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view that shows a man collecting fruit from a tree with the device that is the object of this invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view and in the assembly phase that shows the assembly of the pole (2) in the ring (5).

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the upper part of the device in detail.

Figures 4, 5 and 6 are top plan views of the basket (1) in its three versions with one, two and three cutting blades (8).

Figure 7 is a schematic perspective view showing the middle and lower part of the device.

Figure 8 is a view like the previous one but now only from the bottom of the device.

Figure 9 is a perspective view that shows schematically how the coupling unit (4) is, arranged in a collection box (11)

Detailed description of the invention

The present invention refers to a device for the manual harvesting of the fruits of a tree by a user operating from the ground. As can be seen in figure 1, the device consists of a basket (1), a pole (2), preferably telescopic, and a hose (3) which at its upper end has a head (3.1) for coupling to the basket (1) and in the lower one a terminal (3.2) for joining a unit (4) for coupling to the corresponding collection box (11).

As can be seen in figure 2, for the coupling between the basket (1) and the pole (2) the ring (5) from which the general body (6) of the basket (1) hangs, which for ease of appreciation It has not been represented in this figure, it has a piece (5.3) on its back from which a plate (5.4) protrudes in a cantilever direction, with a hole (5.5) in the vicinity of its free end. This plate (5.4) is inserted into a housing (2.1) provided at the upper end of the pole (2), where there is a hole (2.2) for mounting a pin, not shown, thus resulting in the coupling between the basket (1) and the pole (2). This is a non-limiting example of the multiplicity of conventional shapes that can allow the coupling between the basket (1) and the pole (2). Without altering the essence of the invention, alternative solutions such as quick removable couplings that allow quick disassembly and without the need to use tools from the basket (1), and even couplings that allow a certain elastic play of the ring have been foreseen (5) to be able to clear branches or similar obstacles.

In this figure 2 it can also be seen how the ring (5) has a part (5.1) in the form of a ring itself and a part identified with the numerical reference (5.2) that is located in the area diametrically opposite to the mast (2) and in which the means for cutting the peduncle of the fruit are mounted, which in this case are composed of a blade (8). It has been envisaged that instead of cutting means there are means for hooking the fruit to be able to pull it or even a combination of both.

As can be seen in figures 4, 5 and 6, when cutting means are incorporated, it has been envisaged that it can be a single blade (8) as shown in figure 4, two blades (8), see figure 5 or three blades (8) as can be seen in figure 6. As can be seen in these figures, to facilitate the replacement of the blades (8) when they wear out, they can be made up of conventional blades used in cutting elements that are known as "cutters", but this can only be understood as a non-limiting example of practical implementation.

Figure 5 shows the upper part of the device. As can be seen in this figure, the basket (1) has a semi-rigid preferred embodiment, with its general body (6) adapting to the shape of the ring (5) from which it hangs. This general body (6) has a collar (6.1), for the coupling of an upper head (3.1) of the hose (3).

In addition and in this upper part of the hose (3) there are pieces in the shape of an eight (7), with two rings, a lower one (7.1), through which the hose (3) passes, and an upper one, identified with the numerical reference (7. 2), through which the pole (2) passes; so that in this upper part the pole (2) and the hose (3) are practically paraxial next to each other, which facilitates the flow of the fruits and prevents them from jamming.

The aforementioned pieces (7) can be fixed at different points of the hose (3) and / or the pole (3)

As variants of practical realization it has been foreseen that the rings (7.2) are simply annular elements that are conveniently fixed to the pole (2) or to the hose (3).

Figure 7 shows how the hose (3) has, along it, a reinforcing strip (9) that can be interior, exterior or a combination of both concepts. This strip (9) reinforces the part where the fruits are mainly going to run and defines a kind of raceway. Reinforcements have also been provided, if necessary, in other parts of the hose (3) and / or in the main body (6) of the basket (1) in the area where the fruits hit when falling.

Taking advantage of this reinforcement strip (9), a handle (10) is arranged, at a height that can be comfortably grasped by the user of the device, to allow the hose (3) to be shaken, at times when it is necessary. , for example, in the event of possible fruit jams, and so that the user, grasping the handle (10), can pull the entire device, together with the collection box (11), when it is necessary for the user to change their position with respect to tree or need to move to another nearby tree.

In this figure 7 it is also seen how the hose (3), at its lower end it has the terminal (3.2) for its connection with a coupling unit (4) between the hose (3) and the basket (11).

As can be seen in figure 9, the coupling unit (4) has a tubular element (4.1) in its upper part, into which the terminal (3.2) of the hose (3) is plugged in from its rear part, resulting in a removable, removable coupling between the latter and the unit (4). This tubular element (4.1) defines, in its front area, a conical part, for the exit through it of the fruit that falls through the hose (3).

The tubular element (4.1), through a rotary union (4.2), is coupled on a lower part (4.3) with an inverted "U" profile, which is mounted on the box (11) to establish the coupling between the unit (4) and the box (11) and, therefore, between the hose (3) and the box (11), so that the fruit that falls through the hose (3) reaches the interior from the box (11).

The rotating union (4.2) allows a tilting game of the tubular element (4.1) with respect to the box (11), to favor the exit of the fruit into the box (11).

As can be seen in Figures 7 and 8, elastic tensioners (4.4) have been provided that, on the one hand, are attached to the coupling unit (4) and more specifically to the lower part (4.3) that is mounted on the box (11) and, on the other hand, to this box (11).

A strip (4.5) comes out of the tensioners (4.4) which is attached to the hose (3). The mission of these tensioners is:

Avoid inadvertent decoupling between the coupling unit (4) and the housing (11).

Provide elasticity to the tilting play of the tubular element (4.1), through the union of the tensioners (4.4) to the hose (3), keeping it in a stable position when not acting against these tensioners (4.4).

Provide stability to the box (11), facilitating its transfer with the rest of the device.

The tensioners (4.4) end at their ends in some terminals not shown that allow their quick coupling and unhooking, without the need for tools. For example, these terminals can be pins that in one position pass through an opening / hole in the box (11) and the coupling unit (4) and when rotated, for example 90 °, are retained; so that to release them it is only necessary to turn them again, but now those 90 ° in the opposite direction and they are already released. In this way, to release the coupling unit (4) from the box (11) it is only necessary to release the tensioners (4.4) and lift the lower part (4.3) from its mounting on the box (11) and the coupling unit (4) is released from the box (11) quickly and without the need for any tool. In this way, when a box (11) is filled, the user can mount the coupling unit (4) in a new empty box (11) in a very quick and easy way.

As can be seen in figure 9, the lower part (4.3) of the coupling unit (4) has correlations of orifices, for hooking the terminals of the tensioners (4.4); so that depending on whether one or the other of these holes is chosen, it is possible to regulate the degree of tensioning of the tensioners (4.4).

The detailed realization of the coupling unit (4) can only be understood as a non-limiting example of practical realization since it can present other conventional forms of mounting on the box (11) and of attachment to it without altering the essence of the present invention.

Claims (7)

1. - Manual fruit harvesting device, of the type formed by a pole that incorporates a basket at its upper end, with means of hooking and / or cutting the peduncle of the fruit and with a hose that extends to the ground, for the the fruit falls through it, characterized in that the lower end of the hose (3) has a unit (4) for the coupling between the hose (3) and the corresponding fruit collection box (11) and that this coupling unit (4) has a tubular element (4.1) that from its rear part is coupled to the lower end of the hose and from its front part defines an outlet mouth for the fruit. 2. - Device for manual harvesting of fruits, in accordance with the previous claim, characterized in that the tubular element (4.1), of the coupling unit (4), has a tiltable assembly with respect to a lower part (4.3) through which the unit (4) is coupled to the box (11). 3. - Device for manual harvesting of fruits, in accordance with the first claim, characterized in that the existence of elastic tensioners (4.4) that extend between the coupling piece (4) and the box (11 ), preventing unwanted decoupling between them, while providing stability to the box (11) in its movements. 4. - Device for manual harvesting of fruits, in accordance with the first and third claims, characterized in that the elastic tensioners (4.4) are also related to the tilting tubular element (4.1), preferably through the hose (3 ), giving an elastic character to the tilting play of the tubular element (4.1). 5. - Device for manual harvesting of fruits, in accordance with the first claim, characterized in that it has been provided that, at least, in relation to the upper part of the hose (3), some annular elements (7.2) are arranged ) through which the pole (2) passes, keeping the hose (3) practically paraxial to the pole (2) in that area. 6. - Device for manual harvesting of fruits, in accordance with the first claim, characterized in that the incorporation in the hose (3) of, at least one handle (10), so that the user can pull it, shaking the hose (3) and / or move the collection device assembly together with the box (11). 7. Device for manual harvesting of fruits, in accordance with the first claim, characterized in that, according to a preferred embodiment, the hose (3). at least along its lower part, present a reinforcing strip (9).