Automated peeling and pitting processing production line for soft-shelled stone fruits

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of processing and production of peeling and pitting soft-shelled stone fruits, and discloses an automated processing production line for peeling and pitting soft-shelled stone fruits. The production line includes four parts, namely a chain drive part, a feeding and discharging part, a processing part, and a control part. Starting from the actual situation, the production line designs a pose adjustment mechanism before the pitting step, and at the same time designs a protection device and a cleaning device for the mechanism by simple and feasible methods. At the same time, in the present invention, the peeling step is distributed, and a pitting knife is added to the pitting step, which not only ensures feasibility but also ensures stability and high efficiency. The present invention adopts the idea of integration to integrate multiple working steps into the same driving device, synchronously completing multiple processing links, with high efficiency, strong stability, no need for manual intervention throughout the operation process, and convenient feeding. The cost is greatly reduced compared with the existing manual production.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of processing and production of peeling and pitting soft-shelled stone fruits, in particular to an automated processing production line for peeling and pitting soft-shelled stone fruits. Background Art

[0002] Soft-shelled stone fruits such as longan and litchi are abundantly produced in southern China and Southeast Asia. Since they are not easy to store in a fresh state, a considerable part of soft-shelled stone fruits are made into dried fruits for sale. The production of dried fruits requires the removal of pits and peels from fresh fruits. For the pitting operation among them, there are already relatively mature automated devices for pitting, but this processing device can achieve a relatively good pitting effect only when the fruit stalk meets certain pose requirements. Therefore, the pose adjustment before the pitting operation has become an issue that cannot be ignored. Currently, in dried fruit production factories, the method adopted for this problem is still manual adjustment, that is, people manually adjust the longan to a suitable position by observation. However, this method has high costs, low efficiency, and the accuracy of manual adjustment will drop significantly due to factors such as fatigue, and its stability cannot meet the growing production demand. At the same time, some people have also proposed a solution that uses visual recognition and adjusts the pose of the fruit through a stepper motor. However, the overall mechanism is complex, and the fruit needs to be taken out and transported to the next processing mechanism during the process from pose adjustment to subsequent processes. This method involves more movements, has low work efficiency and low space utilization rate, and still cannot meet the production demand. At the same time, during the transportation process, it is very likely to cause changes in the pose of the fruit, thereby reducing the pitting accuracy and further decreasing the efficiency. In addition, almost no consideration has been given to the impact caused by the dust and debris generated during the pitting process itself in the existing designs, and no corresponding protection device and cleaning device have been designed, so the long-term effective operation of the equipment cannot be guaranteed.

[0003] In the case of good pose adjustment of soft-shelled fruits, the pitting means are currently relatively mature, mainly by using a top needle to pierce into the soft-shelled fruit to push out the pit. However, this design does not consider the internal structure of the fruit, and there is a connecting part between the pit and the outer skin inside the soft-shelled fruit, and the toughness of the outer skin of the soft-shelled fruit is relatively high. If the required pushing force is large when forcibly pushing out, if the top needle does not accurately align with the pit, it may cause the position of the pit to shift and thus fail to successfully push out the pit, and also cause damage to the fruit pulp itself. Therefore, there is still room for improvement in this method.

[0004] At present, there is no mature processing method or processing production line for fruit peeling. Among the existing peeling methods proposed, some people propose to use a blade to cut open the longan peel so that the longan peel is divided into two petals. However, this method requires adding a rotating motion to each longan itself, which is difficult to control. At the same time, since each longan has a different size, it is necessary to add flexible equipment to ensure the success rate. Therefore, this method has a high cost and low efficiency and is difficult to implement. Another method is proposed, which uses a rotating blade to cut off the longan peel. However, since the shape of the fruit is not a regular circle, it is obvious that this method is difficult to ensure the integrity of the longan pulp and the integrity of peeling. Therefore, in the actual production process, peeling mainly relies on workers to complete by hand. However, when workers directly operate by hand, in addition to the difficulty in ensuring sanitary conditions, the efficiency is also very low. At present, this method is increasingly difficult to meet the growing production demand in the industry. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an automated peeling and pitting processing production line for soft-shelled and pitted fruits, so as to realize the automated peeling and pitting processing of soft-shelled and pitted fruits.

[0006] To solve the above technical problem, the present invention proposes an automated peeling and pitting processing production line for soft-shelled and pitted fruits, including: two driving sprockets are symmetrically installed on the front and rear sides of a rigid frame type rack, and the two driving sprockets are synchronously driven by a first motor; a plurality of driven sprockets are symmetrically installed on the front and rear sides of the rack respectively, and the driving sprockets and the driven sprockets on each side are connected by a chain respectively, and each chain includes a horizontal section and an inclined section; the motor is connected to a control box; a travel switch is provided on the rack, and the travel switch is connected to the control box;

[0007] The fruit tray is installed between the two chains, and the two ends are respectively fixedly connected to the two chains. A plurality of through holes are opened on the fruit tray, and these through holes are called retaining ring holes. The diameter of each retaining ring hole can pass through one of the fruits. A retaining ring is arranged at the lower end of the retaining ring hole. The diameter of the retaining ring is smaller than the outer diameter of the fruit and larger than the outer diameter of the fruit core. After the fruit enters the retaining ring hole, it is held by the retaining ring; N elongated through holes are evenly opened in the radial direction along the circumference of the retaining ring hole, and each elongated through hole communicates with the circumference of the retaining ring hole; N openings are evenly distributed on the retaining ring, and the openings on the retaining ring and the elongated through holes are in one-to-one correspondence in the vertical plane;

[0008] The top plate is installed above the front of the fruit tray, and the top plate is connected to a first driving mechanism and can move up and down. The first driving mechanism is connected to the control box;

[0009] The jaw plate is located above the top plate, and the jaw plate is connected to a second driving mechanism and can move up and down. The second driving mechanism is connected to the control box;

[0010] A central disk is fixedly installed below the jaw plate. N pin shafts are evenly distributed circumferentially on the central disk, where N is a natural number ranging from 3 to 6; the upper part of each pin shaft is connected to a connecting rod, the lower part of each connecting rod is movably connected to the upper part of a jaw arm, the lower part of one jaw arm is movably connected to the upper part of a jaw, and the connection between the jaw arm and the jaw is connected to the top plate; at both ends of a spring plate that is bent in the free state are respectively fixed to a jaw and a jaw arm, and the bend of the spring plate is located at the movable connection between the jaw and the jaw arm; at the bottom of each jaw are provided jaw teeth; the position of each jaw corresponds to the opening position on the support ring;

[0011] A first through hole is opened at the center of the central disk axis. A push rod is installed in the first through hole. The upper end of the push rod is above the jaw plate, and the lower end of the push rod extends to the fruit on the support ring; the push rod is connected to a third driving mechanism and can move up and down. The third driving mechanism is connected to the control box.

[0012] Further, the automated peeling and pitting processing production line for soft-shell pitted fruits further includes a bottom plate installed on the back of the fruit tray. The bottom plate is connected to a fourth driving mechanism, and the fourth driving mechanism is connected to the control box; the bottom end of the knife handle is fixedly connected to the bottom plate. A long through groove is opened on the knife handle body. The knife rod is bent. The knife rod is installed at the upper end of the through groove through a pin shaft at the bent part, and part of the knife rod is accommodated in the through groove; the upper end of the peeling knife spring is connected to the head of the knife rod, and the lower end is connected to the lower end of the knife handle; the lower end of the knife rod is connected to a circular peeling knife blade through a pin. A circular boss is provided on the side of the peeling knife blade, and the diameter of the circular boss is smaller than the diameter of the peeling knife blade; the number of the combination of the knife handle, the knife rod, the peeling knife spring, and the peeling knife blade is N.

[0013] Even further, the automated peeling and pitting processing production line for soft-shell pitted fruits further includes that the top of the ejector rod sleeve is fixedly connected under the top plate. The upper section of the ejector rod is sleeved in the ejector rod sleeve. A spring seat is provided at the lowermost end of the ejector rod. An ejector rod spring is sleeved outside the lower section of the ejector rod exposed from the ejector rod sleeve. The upper end of the ejector rod spring abuts against the lower bottom surface of the ejector rod sleeve, and the lower end of the ejector rod spring abuts against the spring seat;

[0014] A second through hole is axially opened in the ejector rod. A thimble is installed in the second through hole; the thimble is connected to a fifth driving mechanism and can move up and down. The fifth driving mechanism is connected to the control box;

[0015] The annular blade is fixed on the bottom plate with the blade edge facing upward, and the diameter of the annular blade is larger than the diameter of the fruit core.

[0016] Preferably, the automated peeling and pitting processing production line for soft-shell pitted fruits further includes a flat plate located below the support ring and connected to a sixth driving mechanism, and the sixth driving mechanism is connected to the control box; a second motor is installed on the flat plate and connected to the control box; the output end of one second motor is connected to a roller, and M rollers are evenly distributed beside the bracket, where M is a natural number from 3 to 6;

[0017] A third through hole is formed in the flat plate; the upper end of the bracket is fixedly connected to the flat plate, a camera is installed at the lower end of the bracket, the direction of the camera faces the third through hole above, and a protective glass is installed on the bracket at the upper end of the camera;

[0018] The air pipe connector is fixedly connected to the mounting seat, the lower end of the air pipe connector is connected to the air guide pipe, and the upper end of the air pipe connector is connected to the air source for supplying air; the front end of the air guide pipe is connected to the air nozzle, and the air nozzle is aligned with the protective glass from the side.

[0019] Preferably, the values of both N and M are 3.

[0020] The automated peeling and pitting processing production line for soft-shell pitted fruits further includes a feeding tray which is installed on the left side of the frame in a downward-sloping manner with the left side higher than the right side and is connected to a fruit tray facing upwards and tilted upwards.

[0021] Preferably, a series of serrated grooves are provided on the feeding tray, and these serrated grooves correspond to the support ring holes on the fruit tray.

[0022] On the right side of the chain, there is a downward-sloping section with the fruit tray facing upwards, and an obliquely downward fruit shell discharge tray is provided near this sloping section.

[0023] On the right side of the chain, there is a downward-sloping section with the fruit tray facing downwards and tilted to the left, and an obliquely downward pulp discharge tray is provided near this sloping section.

[0024] Below the bottom plate, an obliquely downward fruit pit discharge groove is provided corresponding to the position of the annular blade on the bottom plate.

[0025] The present invention has the following advantages:

[0026] In view of the current situation of high labor costs, low efficiency, and poor stability in existing fruit production lines similar to longan, the present invention proposes a longan peeling and pitting processing production line. Starting from the actual situation, a pose adjustment mechanism is designed before the pitting step, and at the same time, a protection device and a cleaning device are designed for the mechanism by simple and feasible methods. At the same time, in the present invention, the peeling step is distributed, and a pitting knife is added to the pitting step, which not only ensures feasibility but also stability and high efficiency. At the same time, in the present invention, multiple similar processes are integrated on the same driving device, and multiple processing links can be completed by only one action, which can greatly improve production efficiency. In addition, the designed parts have excellent interchangeability, which can significantly reduce equipment costs. This method is not only applicable to longan, but also applicable to various fruits with similar structures and requirements, such as litchi, through size adjustment and visual control adjustment.

[0027] It has high efficiency, strong stability, does not require manual intervention throughout the operation process, and is convenient for feeding at the same time. The structure of the longan peeling and pitting processing production line itself is relatively simple. By adopting the integrated idea, multiple processing steps are integrated into the same driving device, enabling multiple processing steps to be completed in one movement, and the cost is significantly reduced compared with the existing manual production. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0028] Figure 1 is the overall machine schematic diagram of the longan peeling and pitting processing production line.

[0029] Figure 2 is the schematic diagram of the feeding part structure of the longan peeling and pitting processing production line.

[0030] Figure 3 is the schematic diagram of the discharging part structure of the longan peeling and pitting processing production line.

[0031] Figure 4 is the schematic diagram of the pose adjustment device of the longan peeling and pitting processing production line.

[0032] Figure 5 is the schematic diagram of the longan tray containing longan.

[0033] Figure 6 is the structural schematic diagram of the supporting ring.

[0034] Figure 7 is the schematic diagram of the pose adjustment mechanism with redundant parts removed.

[0035] Figure 8 is the schematic diagram of the cleaning part.

[0036] Figure 9 is the schematic diagram of the vision part.

[0037] Figure 10 is the schematic diagram of the peeling and pitting equipment of the longan peeling and pitting processing production line.

[0038] Figure 11 It is a schematic diagram of the skin cutting mechanism.

[0039] Figure 12 It is a schematic diagram of the skin cutting knife part.

[0040] Figure 13 It is a cross-sectional view of the skin cutting knife part.

[0041] Figure 14 It is a schematic diagram of the pit removing mechanism.

[0042] Figure 15 It is a cross-sectional view of the pit removing mechanism.

[0043] Figure 16 It is a schematic diagram of the jaw mechanism.

[0044] Figure 17 It is a schematic diagram of the integrated bottom plate.

[0045] Figure 18 It is a schematic diagram of the integrated jaw plate.

[0046] Figure 19 It is a schematic diagram of the integration of the jaw mechanism and the top plate.

[0047] Figure 20 It is a schematic diagram of the installation of the positioning screw.

[0048] In the figure: 1. Longan, 2. Support ring component, 3. Fruit plate, 4. Stepper motor, 5. Motor base, 6. Roller, 7. Air pipe connector, 8. Snap ring, 9. Air duct, 10. Air nozzle, 11. Protective glass, 12. Bracket, 13. Camera, 14. Flat plate, 15. Knife handle, 16. Knife handle screw, 17. Skin cutting knife, 18. Skin cutting knife spring, 19. Knife rod, 20. Ejector rod sleeve, 21. Ejector rod sleeve snap ring, 22. Ejector rod spring, 23. Ejector rod, 24. Pit removing knife, 25. Pit removing knife snap ring, 26. Thimble, 27. Ejector rod snap ring, 28. Jaw, 29. Spring piece, 30. Jaw screw, 31. Jaw arm, 32. Connecting rod, 33. Central disc, 34. Push rod, 35. Push rod snap ring, 36. Bottom plate, 37. Jaw plate, 38. Top plate, 39. Longan peel discharge tray, 40. Driving sprocket, 41. Longan pulp discharge tray, 42. Longan pit discharge tray, 43. Control box, 44. Driven sprocket, 45. Bent plate chain, 46. Feeding tray, 47. Positioning pin, 48. Positioning screw. Specific implementation manners

[0049] The present invention takes the automated skinning and pitting processing production line of soft-shell pitted fruits longan as an example to further illustrate the present invention.

[0050] The entire automated skinning and pitting processing production line is supported by a frame-type machine frame made of aluminum profiles, such asFigure 1 As shown in the figure. The automated peeling and pitting processing production line for longan is divided into four parts according to functions, namely, the chain drive part, the feeding and discharging part, the processing part, and the control part.

[0051] The chain drive part mainly includes a driving sprocket 40, a driven sprocket 44, a bent plate chain 45, a motor, and matching connecting components. A driving sprocket 40 is provided at each corresponding position on both sides of the production line, driven by the same motor. At the same time, five driven sprockets 44 are symmetrically installed on each side. The driving sprocket and the driven sprocket on each side are respectively connected by a chain. The main function of multiple sprockets is to make each chain include a horizontal section and an inclined section, and the subsequent feeding and discharging processes can be greatly simplified due to the inclined section of the chain angle. The control part includes a control box 43 and a travel switch. When the travel switch detects that the chain runs to a certain set state, it sends a detection signal to the control box 43. All control instructions are issued from the control box 43 to control the chain drive motor and the drive mechanism of the processing part, so that each component operates coordinately according to the control timing.

[0052] As Figure 2 shown, the feeding and discharging part mainly consists of a feeding tray 46 and three discharging trays, namely, the longan peel discharging tray 39, the longan pulp discharging tray 41, and the longan pit discharging tray 42. The feeding tray 46 has a series of sawtooth grooves, which exactly correspond to the retaining ring holes on the longan tray. The feeding tray is installed obliquely downward with the left side higher than the right side on the left side of the frame, and is connected to the fruit tray facing upward and tilted upward. In the actual operation process, workers only need to pour a certain amount of longan 1 along the feeding tray 46. Due to the angle between the feeding tray 46 and the bent plate chain 45, the longan 1 will be concentrated between the feeding tray 46 and the longan tray. Whenever an empty longan tray passes by, the longan 1 will roll into the corresponding longan tray along the trend, and then enter the next processing part along with the longan tray. After the pitting step, the longan pits and the attached longan peels will fall into the longan pit discharging tray 42 and slide out along the chute of the discharging tray. There is a downward leftward inclined section with the fruit tray facing downward on the right side of the chain, and a downward inclined longan pulp discharging tray 41 is provided near this inclined section, and a downward inclined longan shell discharging tray 42 is provided near the downward rightward inclined section with the fruit tray facing upward. After the processing part completes the processing, the longan peels will remain between the two longan trays, and the longan pulp will remain in the retaining ring. First, the bent plate chain 45 tilts at a small angle, so that the longan peels slide out along the longan peel discharging tray 39 first, and the longan pulp will not be poured out because it is in the retaining ring. Then, when passing through the driving sprocket 40, the longan tray will undergo a large angle change, so as to pour the longan pulp in the internal retaining ring into the longan pulp discharging tray 41, and the longan pulp slides out along the longan pulp discharging tray 41, as Figure 3 shown. A collection container is provided at the outlet of each discharging tray for collection.

[0053] The fruit tray is installed between two chains and is fixedly connected to the two chains at both ends. A number of through holes are opened on the fruit tray, and these through holes are called support ring holes. The diameter of each support ring hole can pass a fruit. A support ring is provided at the lower end of the support ring hole. The diameter of the support ring is smaller than the outer diameter of the fruit and larger than the outer diameter of the fruit pit. After the fruit enters the support ring hole, it is supported by the support ring. As Figure 5 shown. In this embodiment, the longan tray is composed of a fruit tray 3 and a support ring. Six support ring holes are opened on a fruit tray 3, and the diameter of the support ring hole is larger than that of the longan 1, ensuring that the longan 1 can pass through without obstruction. Six support ring holes are provided on a fruit tray 3, which means that six longans can be processed simultaneously at one time. Of course, as long as the length of the fruit tray allows, more support ring holes can be set. N elongated through holes are evenly opened along the radial direction of the circumference of the support ring hole, and each elongated through hole communicates with the circumference of the support ring hole; N openings are evenly distributed on the support ring, and the openings on the support ring correspond to the positions of the elongated through holes in the vertical plane one by one. In this embodiment, the value of N is 3. Three elongated through holes are evenly distributed along the radial direction of the large round hole, and the included angle between the midlines of every two elongated through holes along the radial direction of the round hole is 120°. The elongated through holes communicate with the round hole. For safety and aesthetics considerations, rounded corners are provided at the transition part inside the elongated through holes.

[0054] As Figure 6 shown, a support ring is composed of three identical support ring components 2. The support ring components 2 are installed under the fruit tray and fixedly connected by screws. A flange is designed on the support ring component 2, and two threaded holes are opened on the flange, corresponding to two through holes located between the square grooves on the fruit tray 3 respectively, and are fixedly connected by screws. A support claw is designed at the lower part of the support ring component 2, and the part of the support claw in contact with the longan 1 is arc-shaped, and the diameter of the arc is smaller than the diameter of the longan 1 and larger than the diameter of the longan pit. The three support ring components 2 are evenly distributed along the circumference, and a support ring can be formed as long as the corresponding surfaces are kept parallel. There is a certain distance between every two corresponding parallel surfaces of the support ring components 2, which is convenient for the roller 6 to enter during pose adjustment. Connecting the support ring to the fruit tray 3 with screws can form a longan tray. During use, the longan 1 enters the support ring through the large round hole on the fruit tray 3 and is supported by the support claw on the support ring component 2.

[0055] The processing part is in the optimal operation sequence, including four processes of position and pose adjustment, skin cutting, pit removal, and peeling. Each process is respectively provided with corresponding position and pose adjustment mechanisms, skin cutting mechanisms, pit removal mechanisms, and peeling mechanisms to be realized; of course, the above four operation sequences are not absolute, and there is room for adjustment of the sequence.

[0056] The position and pose adjustment mechanism includes a motion part, a cleaning part, and a vision part, as Figure 4 、 Figure 7As shown in the figure. All three parts are integrated on the same flat plate 14. The flat plate 14 is located below the supporting ring and is connected to the sixth driving mechanism, and the sixth driving mechanism is connected to the control box 43. During operation, the sixth driving mechanism drives the flat plate to move up and down to reach the appropriate working position under the control of the control box 43. A series of through holes are provided on the flat plate 14, through which the three parts can be integrated by screws, and at the same time, the flat plate 14 together with the three integrated components can be connected to the driving mechanism by screws. The moving part includes a motor 4, a motor base 5 and a roller 6. The motor base 5 is fixedly connected to the flat plate 14 by screws, and the motor 4 is fixedly connected to the motor base 5 by screws. The front end of the motor rotor is in the shape of a regular hexagonal column, which is the same as the inner hole shape of the roller 6. The front end of the motor rotor is fitted with the inner hole of the roller 6, and the two are fixedly connected axially through friction and circumferentially through shape limitation. A series of large round holes corresponding to those on the fruit tray 3 are also provided on the flat plate 14. The fruit tray 3 is concentrically fitted with the corresponding round holes on the flat plate 14. The moving part is evenly distributed along the circumference of the large round holes on the flat plate 14, and at the same time, it is ensured that the two end faces of the roller 6 are parallel to the two end faces in the width direction of the square groove of the fruit tray 3. In actual operation, the driving mechanism pushes the flat plate 14 up to the designated position, at which the roller 6 is tangent to the outer skin of the longan 1 and slightly lifts the longan 1. The motor 4 drives the roller 6 to rotate, and then drives the longan 1 to rotate through friction to adjust the longan 1 to the appropriate position and pose. Then the driving mechanism moves the flat plate 14 downwards, and the longan tray with the longan 1 moves to the next working position through the conveying mechanism for processing. The cleaning part consists of an air pipe connector 7, a snap ring 8, a guide air pipe 9 and a nozzle 10, as Figure 8 shown. The air pipe connector 7 is fitted with the corresponding through hole on the flat plate 14 and is radially fixed by the snap ring 8 and circumferentially fixed by friction. The lower end of the air pipe connector 7 is connected to the guide air pipe 9 to ensure airtightness, and the upper end of the air pipe connector 7 is connected to the air supply source. The guide air pipe 9 is made of rigid material and can conduct gas in a fixed direction. The front end of the guide air pipe 9 is connected to the air nozzle 10, and the air nozzle 10 itself is made of plastic material and can realize functions such as air diversion and noise reduction. This cleaning part is mainly used for cleaning the vision part. When the longan 1 is adjusted in position and pose, the debris and dust on the surface of the longan 1 will continuously fall off and finally cover the lens of the vision part, resulting in the equipment being unable to continue working. Since the debris and dust generated during the position and pose adjustment of the longan 1 are small and dry, cleaning can be achieved by blowing air through the nozzle 10. The air pressure during the blowing process does not need to be too large, and the affected range of the dispersed dust is small. In addition, protective layers are installed on other mechanisms, so this cleaning process will not affect the operation of other mechanisms. The vision part consists of three parts: a protective glass 11, a bracket 12 and a camera 13, as Figure 9As shown in the figure. A series of through holes are opened at the upper and lower ends of the bracket 12. The upper through holes are matched with the corresponding through holes on the flat plate 14, and the vision part is fixedly connected to the flat plate 14 through screws. Four small holes and a large circular through hole are opened at the lower end of the bracket 12. These four small holes correspond to the four small holes on the integrated circuit board carried by the camera 13, and the large circular hole corresponds to the camera 13 itself. The camera 13 is fixedly connected to the bracket 12 through screws passing through the corresponding small holes. Four corresponding small holes are also opened on the protective glass 11 for fixing connection with the bracket 12. The protective glass 11 is installed at the upper end of the camera 13 to protect the camera 13. In the actual process, the vision part identifies the position of the longan pedicel, calls the corresponding algorithm to calculate the movement required to adjust the pose, transmits the instruction to the motor 4, and then the motor 4 converts the instruction into actual movement for output and drives the longan 1 to rotate. This process continues until the longan 1 is adjusted to the specified pose. This specified pose is the pose required for the next process. The next process is generally the pit-removing step. In this step, the longan 1 needs to be kept in the pose with the longan pedicel facing down to facilitate the smooth removal of the fruit pit.

[0057] The skin-cutting mechanism includes a skin-cutting knife part and a push rod part, as Figure 10 , 11 shown. The skin-cutting knife part includes: a knife handle 15, a knife handle screw 16, a skin-cutting knife 17, a skin-cutting knife spring 18, and a knife rod 19, specifically as Figure 12 shown. The knife handle 15 is a regular quadrangular prism in shape, and a long through slot is opened on it for installing the knife rod 19. Two threaded holes are also opened on the knife handle 15. The threaded hole located directly below is used to connect to the bottom plate 36, and a longer knife handle screw 16 is installed on the other threaded hole. After being tightened, a section of the knife handle screw 16 will still be exposed outside for connecting to the skin-cutting knife spring 18. The bottom plate 36 is installed on the back of the fruit plate, and the bottom plate is connected to the fourth driving mechanism, and the fourth driving mechanism is connected to the control box 43. The knife rod 19 is zigzag, as Figure 13As shown in the figure, three through holes and a square groove are opened on the tool shank 19. The through hole at the longer end is used to connect with the skin cutting knife spring 18, and the other two through holes are respectively used to connect the tool shank 19 and the tool handle 15 with pins, and connect the tool shank 19 and the skin cutting knife 17. The friction of the pin connection used is very small, so the tool shank 19 can rotate around the axis of the pin, and the skin cutting knife 17 can also rotate around the axis of the corresponding pin. There is a boss at each end of the skin cutting knife 17 except for the blade. The diameter of this boss is smaller than the diameter of the skin cutting blade, mainly to prevent the blade from penetrating too deeply after the skin cutting knife 17 cuts the longan peel. The ejector rod part includes: an ejector rod sleeve 20, an ejector rod sleeve circlip 21, an ejector rod spring 22, an ejector rod 23 and an ejector rod circlip 27. The ejector rod sleeve 20 can be divided into two sections according to the diameter. There are two circlip grooves on the larger diameter section for installing the ejector rod sleeve circlip 21 to fix the ejector rod part on the top plate 38. There is a through hole in the middle of the whole ejector rod sleeve 20 for installing the ejector rod 23. There is a counterbore inside the smaller diameter section of the ejector rod sleeve 20, which is mainly used for installing the ejector rod spring 22. The ejector rod 23 is installed in the through hole of the ejector rod sleeve 20. There is also a through hole along the axis of the ejector rod 23, which is used for installing the ejector pin 26 for pitting. There is a hemispherical cover at the lower end of the ejector rod 23. This structure is mainly to evenly disperse the force while pressing the longan 1, so that the longan 1 can be compacted without being damaged. There is a circlip groove at the upper end of the ejector rod 23 for installing the ejector rod circlip 27. The ejector rod spring 22 is installed on the ejector rod. In the actual operation process, the longan 1 is located on the support ring, and it is ensured that the longan stalk is facing down. First, the top plate 27 drives the ejector rod sleeve 20 and then drives the ejector rod part to move downward. The lower end of the ejector rod 23 contacts the longan 1. Then the ejector rod sleeve 20 can continue to move downward until the ejector rod spring 22 contacts the lower end of the ejector rod 23, and then the pressure begins to increase gradually. The applied pressure range can press the longan 1 tightly on the support ring, ensuring that the longan 1 will not change its position and pose during the skin cutting process and will not be damaged. Then the bottom plate 36 drives the skin cutting knife part to move upward. The blade of the skin cutting knife 17 first contacts the longan 1 and cuts the longan peel. Then the boss on the skin cutting knife 17 contacts the longan peel and prevents the skin cutting knife 17 from penetrating further. During the process of the skin cutting part gradually moving upward, since the skin cutting knife cannot penetrate the longan 1 further, the tool shank 19 will start to rotate and stretch the skin cutting knife spring 18. This stretching process mainly has two functions: 1. Increase the acting force to ensure successful penetration of the longan peel. If the skin cutting knife 17 does not penetrate, the stretching will be more obvious, and the acting force on the skin cutting knife 17 will increase, so that the longan peel can be successfully cut. 2. Store energy and can automatically recover after the action is completed. In the state without longan 1 after cutting, the tool shank 19 can automatically return to its original position under the spring force of the skin cutting knife spring 11. After this skin cutting process is completed, three cuts will be left on the longan peel for convenient later peeling treatment.Meanwhile, this process needs to be carried out before the longan 1 is pitted because the longan 1 itself is more plump before pitting, and the skin cutting knife 17 can easily cut open the longan skin.

[0058] The pitting mechanism is also composed of two parts, namely the thimble part and the pitting knife part, as Figure 14 shown. Among them, the thimble part is basically the same as the ejector rod part of the above-mentioned skin peeling mechanism. The difference is that a thimble 26 is installed inside the ejector rod 23. The thimble 26 is connected to the fifth driving mechanism and can move up and down. The fifth driving mechanism is connected to the control box 43. After the longan 1 is pressed and fixed, the thimble 26 can pierce into the longan 1 to eject the longan pit. The pitting knife part includes a pitting knife 24 and a pitting knife circlip 25. There are two circlip grooves at the lower part of the pitting knife 24 for installing the pitting knife circlip 25. The pitting knife circlip 25 can fix the pitting knife 24 on the bottom plate 36 and is driven by the bottom plate 36. The upper end of the pitting knife 24 is a sharp annular blade. The cutting edge of the annular blade faces upward. The bottom of the pitting knife 24 is hollow, and the diameter is larger than the diameter of the fruit pit, which is convenient for the longan pit and part of the longan skin to fall. During the actual operation process, as Figure 15 shown, first, the top plate 38 moves downward to drive the ejector rod 23 of the thimble part to press and fix the longan 1 on the retaining ring. Then, the bottom plate 36 moves upward while the thimble 26 inside the ejector rod 23 moves downward and pierces into the longan 1 and then into the longan pit. During the upward movement of the pitting knife 24, the longan skin around the longan pit can be cut open to form an annular incision. After the thimble 26 pierces into the longan pit and continues to move downward, the longan pit and a part of the longan skin connected to the longan pit can be ejected together and discharged downward along the pitting knife 24.

[0059] The skin peeling mechanism includes a jaw part and a push rod 34. The jaw part consists of a jaw 28, a spring piece 29, a jaw screw 30, a jaw arm 31, a connecting rod 32, a central disc 33 and a positioning pin 47, combined with Figure 16 、 18As shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, the jaw plate 37 is located above the top plate 38. The jaw plate 37 is connected to the second driving mechanism and can move up and down. The second driving mechanism is connected to the control box. In order to more clearly show the incision made by the skin cutting knife 17 on the longan 1, the longan 1 is rotated so that the incision is at the center of the field of view and will not be blocked by the jaw 28. Three threaded holes are evenly distributed along the circumferential direction on the central disk 33 for fixedly connecting with the jaw plate 37 by screws and being driven together by the jaw plate 37. There is a circular boss at the upper end of the central disk 33 for positioning during installation with the jaw plate. The position of each jaw corresponds to the opening position on the support ring. A through hole is opened at the axis of the central disk 33 for installing the push rod 34. There is a snap ring groove on the push rod 34 for installing the push rod snap ring 35. The push rod snap ring 35 is used to ensure that the displacement of the push rod will not be too large. The push rod is connected to the third driving mechanism and can move up and down. The third driving mechanism is connected to the control box. Three structures cooperating with the connecting rod 32 are evenly distributed along the circumferential direction on the central disk 33. The cooperating part is connected by a pin, and the connecting part can rotate around the axis of the pin. The connecting rod 32 is movably connected to the jaw arm 31 by a pin, and the jaw arm 31 and the jaw 28 are also movably connected by a positioning pin 47. The positioning pin 47 is fixedly connected to the top plate 38 by a positioning screw 48. A bent long spring piece 29 is fitted and installed on the jaw 28 and the jaw arm 31. At least one of the jaw 28 and the jaw arm 31 is provided with a rectangular through hole. The upper and lower ends of the spring piece 29 are respectively connected to the jaw arm 31 and the jaw 28 by jaw screws 30. At least one jaw screw 30 is installed on the two rectangular through holes and can move in the rectangular through holes. The part of the jaw 28 in contact with the longan 1 is a saw-shaped tooth. This design is to enable the jaw 28 to partially embed into the longan skin, increase the friction force, and smoothly grasp the longan skin.

[0060] During the actual operation process, the push rod 34 first moves downward to fix the longan 1 on the support ring. Then, the top plate 38 moves downward until the clamping jaws 28 reach the appropriate position at the lower half of the longan and stop. Then, the clamping jaw plate 37 drives the central disk 33 to move downward. The upper end of the connecting rod 32 descends, and the lower end generates a downward and outward thrust on the upper end of the jaw arm 31. This thrust is transmitted to the upper end of the spring piece 29, and the force on the upper end of the spring piece 29 is transmitted to the lower end of the spring piece 29, generating an inward and upward acting force at the lower end of the spring piece 29, which acts on the clamping jaws 28, causing the three clamping jaws 28 to jointly grip the longan peel firmly. Then, the top plate 38 moves upward, driving the three clamping jaws 28 with the clamping resultant force to move upward, while the push rod 34 presses on the longan without change. In this way, the longan peel is peeled off from the longan by the three clamping jaws 28 with the clamping resultant force. In addition, when the skin cutting process has been completed and there are three incisions left on the longan peel, the longan peel is easier to peel off. After the separation of the flesh and skin, the push rod 34 rises, and the clamping jaw plate 37 and the top plate 38 rise synchronously to grab the longan peel from the support ring hole, and the longan flesh remains in the support ring hole. When the entire production line advances half a station forward, the clamping jaws 28 are released, causing the longan peel to fall between two longan trays.

[0061] Considering the control part of the present invention, multiple processes that can be completed simultaneously are integrated. The skin cutting knife part in the skin cutting mechanism and the pit removing knife part in the pit removing mechanism are integrated onto the bottom plate 36, as Figure 17 shown. The ejector rod part in the skin cutting mechanism and the ejector pin part in the pit removing mechanism are integrated onto the top plate, as Figure 18 shown. All the skin peeling mechanisms are integrated onto the clamping jaw plate 37, as Figure 19 shown and can be driven independently. For a fruit to be pitted and peeled, there is a sequence for the three processes of skin cutting, pit removing, and skin peeling. However, on the production line of the present invention, the three processing mechanisms of skin cutting, pit removing, and skin peeling act simultaneously. This means that except for the initial 3 rows of fruits that are processed one by one in each row, the subsequent fruits to be processed are simultaneously skin cut, pitted, and peeled in groups of three rows respectively. That is, multiple processing links are completed synchronously. Therefore, the present invention has high efficiency and strong stability.

Claims

1. An automated processing production line for peeling and pitting soft-shelled stone fruits, characterized in that, it includes: On the front and back sides of a rigid frame type rack, a driving sprocket is symmetrically installed on each side, and the two driving sprockets are synchronously driven by a first motor; On the front and back sides of the rack, a number of driven sprockets are symmetrically installed on each side. The driving sprocket and the driven sprockets on each side are respectively connected by a chain. Each chain includes a horizontal section and an inclined section; the motor is connected to a control box; a travel switch is provided on the rack, and the travel switch is connected to the control box; The fruit tray is installed between the two chains, and the two ends are respectively fixedly connected to the two chains. A number of through holes are opened on the fruit tray, and these through holes are called retaining ring holes. The diameter of each retaining ring hole can pass through a fruit. A retaining ring is provided at the lower end of the retaining ring hole. The diameter of the retaining ring is smaller than the outer diameter of the fruit and larger than the outer diameter of the fruit core. After the fruit enters the retaining ring hole, it is held by the retaining ring; N elongated through holes are evenly opened in the radial direction along the circumference of the retaining ring hole, and each elongated through hole communicates with the circumference of the retaining ring hole; N openings are evenly distributed on the retaining ring, and the openings on the retaining ring and the elongated through holes are in one-to-one correspondence in the vertical plane; The top plate is installed above the front of the fruit tray. The top plate is connected to a first driving mechanism and can move up and down. The first driving mechanism is connected to the control box; The jaw plate is located above the top plate. The jaw plate is connected to a second driving mechanism and can move up and down. The second driving mechanism is connected to the control box; a central plate is fixedly installed below the jaw plate. Along the circumference of the central plate, N pin shafts are evenly distributed. The value of N is a natural number from 3 to 6; the upper part of each pin shaft is connected to a connecting rod, the lower part of each connecting rod is movably connected to the upper part of a jaw arm, and the lower part of a jaw arm is movably connected to the upper part of a jaw. The connection part between the jaw arm and the jaw is connected to the top plate; at both ends of a spring piece that is bent in the free state, they are respectively connected to a jaw and a jaw arm, and the bend of the spring piece is located at the movable connection part between the jaw and the jaw arm; a jaw tooth is provided at the bottom of each jaw; the position of each jaw corresponds to the position of the opening on the retaining ring; A first through hole is opened at the center of the central plate. A push rod is installed in the first through hole. The upper end of the push rod is above the jaw plate, and the lower end of the push rod extends to the fruit on the retaining ring; The push rod is connected to a third driving mechanism and can move up and down. The third driving mechanism is connected to the control box; It also includes: The bottom plate is installed on the back of the fruit tray. The bottom plate is connected to a fourth driving mechanism. The fourth driving mechanism is connected to the control box; the bottom end of the knife handle is fixedly connected to the bottom plate. A long through groove is opened on the knife handle body. The knife rod is bent. The knife rod is installed at the upper end of the through groove through a pin shaft at the bent part. Part of the knife rod is accommodated in the through groove; the upper end of the peeling knife spring is connected to the head of the knife rod, and the lower end is connected to the lower end of the knife handle; the lower end of the knife rod is connected to a circular peeling knife blade through a pin. A circular convex platform is provided on the side of the peeling knife blade, and the diameter of the circular convex platform is smaller than the diameter of the peeling knife blade; the number of the combination of the knife handle, the knife rod, the peeling knife spring, and the peeling knife blade is N.

2. The automated processing production line for peeling and pitting soft-shelled stone fruits according to claim 1, characterized in that, it also includes: The top of the ejector rod sleeve is fixedly connected under the top plate. The upper section of the ejector rod is sleeved in the ejector rod sleeve. A spring seat is provided at the lowermost end of the ejector rod. An ejector rod spring is sleeved outside the lower section of the ejector rod sleeve where the ejector rod is exposed. The upper end of the ejector rod spring abuts against the lower bottom surface of the ejector rod sleeve, and the lower end of the ejector rod spring abuts against the spring seat. A second through hole is axially formed in the ejector rod, and a thimble is installed in the second through hole. The thimble is connected to a fifth driving mechanism and can move up and down. The fifth driving mechanism is connected to the control box. The annular blade is fixed on the bottom plate with the blade edge facing upward, and the diameter of the annular blade is larger than the diameter of the fruit pit.

3. The automated peeling and pitting processing production line for soft-shelled pitted fruits according to claim 2, characterized in that it further includes A flat plate is located below the support ring and is connected to a sixth driving mechanism. The sixth driving mechanism is connected to the control box. A second motor is installed on the flat plate and is connected to the control box. The output end of one second motor is connected to a roller. M rollers are evenly distributed beside the bracket, and M is a natural number from 3 to 6. A third through hole is formed in the flat plate. The upper end of the bracket is fixedly connected to the flat plate, and a camera is installed at the lower end of the bracket. The direction of the camera faces the third through hole above. A protective glass is installed on the bracket at the upper end of the camera. The air pipe connector is fixedly connected to the mounting seat. The lower end of the air pipe connector is connected to the air guide pipe, and the upper end of the air pipe connector is connected to the air source for supplying air. The front end of the air guide pipe is connected to the air nozzle, and the air nozzle laterally aligns with the protective glass.

4. The automated peeling and pitting processing production line for soft-shelled pitted fruits according to claim 3, characterized in that the values of both N and M are 3.

5. The automated peeling and pitting processing production line for soft-shelled pitted fruits according to claim 4, characterized in that it further includes that the feeding tray is installed on the left side of the frame in a downward-sloping manner with the left side higher than the right side and is connected to the fruit tray that faces upward and slopes upward.

6. The automated peeling and pitting processing production line for soft-shelled pitted fruits according to claim 5, characterized in that a series of sawtooth grooves are provided on the feeding tray, and these sawtooth grooves correspond to the support ring holes on the fruit tray.

7. The automated peeling and pitting processing production line for soft-shelled pitted fruits according to claim 5, characterized in that On the right side of the chain, there is a downward-sloping section with the fruit tray facing upward, and an inclined downward fruit shell discharge tray is provided near this inclined section.

8. The automated peeling and pitting processing production line for soft-shelled pitted fruits according to claim 5, characterized in that On the right side of the chain, there is a downward-sloping section with the fruit tray facing downward, and an inclined downward pulp discharge tray is provided near this inclined section.

9. The automated peeling and pitting processing production line for soft-shelled pitted fruits according to claim 5, characterized in that below the bottom plate, corresponding to the position of the annular blade on the bottom plate, there is an inclined downward fruit pit discharge groove.

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