GB2377161A

GB2377161A - Fruit processing

Info

Publication number: GB2377161A
Application number: GB0116396A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Edward Thomas Clarke
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-07-05
Filing date: 2001-07-05
Publication date: 2003-01-08
Anticipated expiration: 2021-07-05
Also published as: GB0116396D0; GB2377161B

Abstract

An apparatus for processing picked fruit 7 such as strawberries comprises a fruit receiving section (1a,1b) for receiving and holding by means of pneumatic suction fruit to be processed, a processing section (2) for carrying out operations such as slicing of the fruit and removal by vacuum suction of any unwanted parts thereof, and a fruit removal section (3) for removing processed fruit to a position remote from the fruit processing station. The processing section may include a slotted reciprocable fruit support plate (10) including angled fruit side supports (11, 12), a reciprocable horizontally disposed blade (13) and a set of vertically disposed blades (14).

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO FRUIT PROCESSING This invention relates to fruit processing and in particular, but not exclusively, to the processing of soft fruit such as strawberries.

It is well known that fruit in general requires careful handling in order to avoid e. g. bruising and although some fruit, such as apples and pears, can be picked using machines designed for such purpose, subsequent operations such as the removal of stalks are not so amenable to mechanisation and hence can be labour intensive. This is especially so with regard to the processing of soft fruit and in the case of strawberries, after they have been picked the further step of removing the calyx is required, which step has traditionally been done by hand in view of the delicate nature of the fruit.

The present invention is derived from the realisation that it would be advantageous to process picked fruit, particularly soft fruit, mechanically but without causing undue damage thereto whilst carrying out operations such as slicing or peeling.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided an apparatus for processing picked fruit, which apparatus comprises or includes a fruit receiving section

for receiving and holding by means of pneumatic suction fruit to be processed, a processing section for carrying out operations such as slicing of the fruit and removal by vacuum suction of any unwanted parts thereof, and a fruit removal section for removing processed fruit to a position remote from said fruit processing station.

Conveniently, the fruit receiving section of the apparatus is reciprocable into and out of the path of the processing section and includes a hollow suction head having one or more fruit retaining apertures therein through which air may be sucked via tubes to vacuum inducing apparatus connected therewith, and onto which the or each aperture may be placed fruit to be retained thereon and subsequently processed when moved to the processing section of the apparatus.

Conveniently, the processing section of the apparatus includes a slidable fruit side support for supporting the side of the fruit as it is being held in position by suction prior to a processing step being carried out thereon, and can thereafter push the fruit off the or each fruit retaining aperture at completion of processing or for further processing.

Conveniently, the fruit removal section of the apparatus includes a conveyor to convey partly or wholly processed

fruit to a position remote from the fruit processing station.

This invention is particularly advantageous for the processing of strawberries, although is not limited thereto, in that by placing the calyx of the fruit over the fruit retaining aperture and thereafter supporting the fruit e. g. on one side, it is then possible to introduce a slicing mechanism such as a blade adjacent to the fruit retaining aperture to thereafter cut off the calyx and a small portion of the fruit itself in this region, this waste then being drawn away for disposal by pneumatic suction through the hollow suction head. As will be appreciated, as the strawberries are being placed over the fruit retaining apertures and thereafter while they are retained thereon the flow of air past the calyx through the fruit retaining aperture pulls the calyx away from the body of the fruit such that the whole of the calyx as opposed to only part thereof may be removed.

Once the step of removal of the calyx has been completed the fruit may then be further processed such as e. g. by being simply pushed away from the fruit retaining apertures to the fruit removal section of the apparatus. Alternatively, the fruit may be pushed onto blades for slicing part or all of the remaining fruit, for example where such slices are required for subsequent decoration of

a cake or tart.

In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of processing fruit utilising the apparatus described in accordance with the first aspect of the invention, which method comprises the steps of holding picked fruit by means of pneumatic suction, moving the picked fruit to a processing section for carrying out operations such as slicing of the fruit and removal by vacuum suction of any unwanted parts thereof, and thereafter removing the fruit to a position remote from said fruit processing station.

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic view of a general arrangement showing how picked fruit may be processed in accordance with the invention; and Figures 2a to 2d show in sequence the steps which may be used in the general arrangement of Figure 1 for processing fruit.

Referring firstly to Figure 1 there is shown the general arrangement of part of an apparatus for processing picked

fruit which comprises or includes a fruit receiving section shown generally at la and Ib, a fruit processing section shown generally at 2 and a fruit removal section shown generally at 3. Fruit is processed by first of all being positioned in a manner to be described at sections la and Ib and then moved inwardly to section 2 for subsequent processing, followed by removal of the processed fruit at section 3, although it will be understood that the particular configuration adopted is merely by way of example and other configurations are possible.

In the drawing, there is shown a fruit receiving mechanism in the form of a pair of hollow rectilinear suction heads 4a, 4b which are connected head to head at the junction 5 by e. g. screws (not shown). The suction heads 4a, 4b are able to reciprocate in the directions shown arrowed from a position in which suction head 4b in the fruit processing section 2, to the position shown in outline, in which position the suction head la then occupies the position formerly occupied by suction head lb.

On each of the suction heads are a set of five fruit retaining air inlet apertures 6, one of which adjacent to the junction 5 on vacuum head 4b is shown obscured by an item of fruit, in this case a strawberry 7. The closed ends of the suction heads 4a, 4b mean that when their free ends 8a, 8b are provided with respective suction tubes 9a, 9b

that air entering through the fruit retaining apertures 6 can be drawn out through the tubes 9a, 9b for gently restraining fruit thereover, such as the strawberry 7, although it will be understood that all of such fruit retaining apertures 6 for each respective suction head 4a, 4b should be covered by an item of fruit for maximum suction to be available.

The processing section shown generally at 2 includes a slotted reciprocable fruit support plate 10 movable in the directions shown arrowed and including angled fruit side supports 11,12 arranged collectively in a'V' configuration, one pair for each item of fruit 7 to be supported when the plate 10 is moved thereagainst.

The fruit processing section 2 also includes a horizontally disposed blade 13 reciprocable sideways in the manner shown arrowed and a set of five generally vertically disposed blades 14 for slicing items of fruit in a manner as is now described with reference to Figures 2a to 2d.

Figure 2a shows schematically the start of a cycle in which a strawberry 7 has been placed over one of the apertures 6 in the suction head 4b which has then been moved to the position shown in Figure 1. In this position it will be seen that air, shown arrowed, is being sucked into the interior of the suction head 4b such that the calyx 15 of

the strawberry 7 is then pulled downwards and away from the flesh of the strawberry 7.

Figure 2b shows the next stage in the cycle, in which the slidable fruit side support plate 10 has been moved towards the strawberry 7 such that the angled side plate 11 and plate 12 (not shown) collectively provide support for respective sides of the strawberry 7, at which stage it is now ready to be processed. Initial processing is shown with reference to Figure 2c, in which it can be seen that the reciprocable blade 13 has also been moved inwardly along with the vertically disposed blade 14 such that the blade 13 cuts off the calyx 15 and any surrounding flesh of the strawberry 7, the waste material thereby produced being drawn off by suction towards the open end of the suction head 4b for exit via tube 9b as shown in Figure 1.

The final stage in the processing is shown in Figure 2d in which the fruit side supports 11 and 12 have been collectively used to push the remainder of the strawberry 7 through the vertically disposed blade 14, in this case into two halves 7a, 7b, which can then be removed at the removal section 3 via, in this case, a standard conveyor belt 16, although it will be understood that the fruit removal section may simply constitute a basket or some other collection device for processed fruit.

Although the apparatus and method described for processing picked fruit as shown with reference to Figures 1 and 2a to 2d respectively involve the use of a pair of suction heads 4a, 4b, one of which is loaded with fruit while the other is assisting in processing the fruit by cutting off the calyx and, if desired, slicing it into two or more pieces, nevertheless it will be understood that other configurations could be possible including a single suction head or more than two suction heads. Similarly, it will be understood that the concept of the invention in releasably holding fruit to be processed by means of pneumatic suction can be applied in other situations and for other kinds of fruit than strawberry. Likewise, any convenient number of fruit may be processed at any given time by any number of blades or other implements, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. An apparatus for processing picked fruit, which apparatus comprises or includes a fruit receiving section for receiving and holding by means of pneumatic suction fruit to be processed, a processing section for carrying out operations such as slicing of the fruit and removal by vacuum suction of any unwanted parts thereof, and a fruit removal section for removing processed fruit to a position remote from said fruit processing station.
2. An apparatus according to claim 1 further characterised in that the fruit receiving section of the apparatus is reciprocable into and out of the path of the processing section.
3. An apparatus according to claim 2 in which the fruit receiving section includes a hollow suction head having one or more fruit retaining apertures therein through which air may be sucked via tubes to vacuum inducing apparatus connected therewith, onto which the or each aperture may be placed fruit to be retained thereon and subsequently processed when moved to the processing section of the apparatus.
4. An apparatus according to any preceding claim further characterised in that the processing section includes a

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slidable fruit side support for supporting the side of the fruit as it is being held in position by suction prior to a processing. step being carried out thereon.
5. An apparatus according to claim 4 further characterised in that the slidable fruit side support is also used to push the fruit off the or each fruit retaining aperture at completion of processing or for further processing.
6. An apparatus according to any preceding claim further characterised in that the fruit removal section includes a conveyor to convey partly or wholly processed fruit to a position remote from the fruit processing station.
7. Apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings.
8. A method of processing fruit utilising the apparatus described in accordance with the first aspect of the invention, which method comprises the steps of holding picked fruit by means of pneumatic suction, moving the picked fruit to a processing section for carrying out operations such as slicing of the fruit and removal by vacuum suction of any unwanted parts thereof, and thereafter removing the fruit to a position remote from said fruit processing station.