A shelling and coring apparatus

Abstract

This invention provides a peeling and pitting device, comprising: a fruit conveying component, a peeling component, a pitting component, and a collecting component. Both the peeling and pitting components automatically complete the peeling and pitting operations while the fruit conveying component is transporting the fruit. The fruit conveying component can transport the processed fruit one by one, and the collecting component can cooperate with the pitting component to grade and collect the peeled and pitted fruit pulp according to size. The peeling and pitting device according to this invention is easy to disassemble and clean, and can achieve automatic grading and collection of fruit pulp, thus improving economic efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of food processing equipment technology, specifically, to a shelling and peeling device. Background Technology

[0002] The following describes the relevant technical background of the present invention, but these descriptions do not necessarily constitute prior art of the present invention.

[0003] Lychee and longan are both tropical fruits, sweet and nutritious, and widely loved by consumers. However, both lychee and longan have hard shells and pits, making peeling and pitting tedious despite their juicy flesh. When eaten fresh, people typically peel the fruit manually and remove the pit, leaving the seed behind. However, lychee and longan are produced in large quantities and have poor storage properties. In Guangdong Province, where tropical fruit cultivation is well-developed, lychee production reached 1.4371 million tons in 2021, and longan production was 931,000 tons in 2020. This has led to the emergence of a dried and canned lychee and longan processing industry. After harvesting ripe lychees and longans, people manually peel and pit them, selecting the flesh for processing into dried fruit or canned goods. However, manual peeling and pitting obviously suffers from drawbacks such as high labor intensity, high cost, low efficiency, and inaccurate sorting of the flesh.

[0004] Existing technologies have developed mechanical devices for peeling and pitting longan and / or lychee to replace manual labor. However, some devices are structurally complex. For example, some devices incorporate photoelectric sensors, such as photoelectric plates, which are complex, difficult to clean after use, and prone to damage to electronic equipment. Other devices cannot sort the pitted fruit pulp by size; the pulp is directly collected into collection boxes or other collection devices, requiring subsequent size sorting after processing, which affects the efficiency of subsequent sorting and packaging. Still other devices require pre-screening of some fruits before processing, such as removing excessively small longan to obtain longan with a diameter within a certain range. This undoubtedly increases workload and reduces overall operational efficiency.

[0005] To address the aforementioned issues, the inventors of this application have developed a peeling and pitting device that overcomes the shortcomings of existing technologies and is particularly suitable for peeling and pitting lychees and longans. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a shelling and pitting device with a simple structure that is easy to disassemble and clean after use. It eliminates the need for pre-screening of fruits before operation and manual sorting by size after operation, thereby greatly improving work efficiency and reducing energy consumption.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a peeling and pitting device is provided, comprising: a fruit conveying component, a peeling component, a pitting component, and a collecting component, wherein the peeling component and the pitting component automatically complete the peeling and pitting operations during the process of the fruit conveying component transporting the fruit, wherein the fruit conveying component can convey the processed fruit one by one, and the collecting component can cooperate with the pitting component to collect the peeled and pitted fruit pulp according to size.

[0008] Preferably, the fruit conveying assembly includes a fruit conveying trough, a fruit conveying pipe, a locking spring, a turntable, a baffle, a return spring, and a support. The baffle is disposed on the turntable, and the locking spring, under the action of the return spring and the support, can convey the processed fruits from the fruit conveying trough one by one between the two baffles so that they can be conveyed one by one to the fruit conveying pipe.

[0009] Preferably, the shelling assembly includes a shelling knife, an eccentric wheel, and a sieve groove. The eccentric wheel drives the shelling knife to reciprocate to complete the shelling operation of the processed fruit. The sieve groove is located below the shelling knife to allow the peeled fruit shells to move into the collection assembly.

[0010] Preferably, the collection components include: a fruit shell collection device, a fruit pit collection device, and a fruit pulp collection device.

[0011] Preferably, the peeling blade is serrated and made of polyamide engineering plastic.

[0012] Preferably, the pitting assembly includes: a pressure hammer, a pitting eccentric wheel, a positioning groove, and a fruit screening groove assembly. The pitting eccentric wheel drives the pressure hammer to perform the pitting operation, and the pressed-out fruit pits enter the fruit pit collection device through the positioning groove.

[0013] Preferably, the pitting assembly includes: a pitting turntable, a pitting knife, a pitting filter, and a fruit sieve assembly. The pitting knife is disposed on the pitting turntable and performs the separation of the pulp from the pit under the drive of the pitting turntable. The pitting filter is used to allow the separated pits to leave and enter the pit collecting device.

[0014] Preferably, the core-removing knife is wedge-shaped and has a side blade with an arc length ranging from 1 to 10 centimeters, the upper end of which is an inverted triangle.

[0015] Preferably, the fruit screening trough assembly is arranged on the conveying pipe and includes multiple fruit screening troughs with different cross-sectional areas.

[0016] Preferably, the pulp collection device consists of multiple collection boxes, which are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence under the multiple fruit sieves with different cross-sectional areas, so as to collect the pulp according to size.

[0017] The peeling and pitting equipment according to the present invention, due to its entirely mechanical design, can be disassembled and cleaned after use, eliminating the need to consider the problem of water damage to electronic equipment such as photoelectric sensors, making it more economical and practical. The pitted fruit pulp is automatically graded and collected according to size, saving labor costs and improving economic efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily understood from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic perspective view of one embodiment of the shelling and pitting apparatus according to the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A partial lateral view of the device shows a fruit transport assembly, a peeling assembly, a pitting assembly, and a collecting assembly, wherein the pitting assembly shown is one embodiment.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a part of the fruit transport assembly, illustrating how a single fruit is transported.

[0022] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 An enlarged schematic diagram of the shelling knife in the image;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of yet another implementation of the core-removing component;

[0024] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 An enlarged schematic diagram of the core removal knife in the image.

[0025] Figure label:

[0026] 1. Fruit conveying assembly; 10. Fruit inlet; 11. Fruit conveying trough; 12. Fruit conveying pipe; 13. Locking spring;

[0027] 14. Turntable; 15. Baffle; 16. Return spring; 17. Support body;

[0028] 2. Shelling assembly; 21. Shelling knife; 22. Eccentric wheel; 23. Shelling sieve groove;

[0029] 3. Pitting assembly; 31. Pressure hammer; 32. Pitting eccentric wheel; 33. Positioning groove; 34. Fruit sieve assembly;

[0030] 341. First sieve trough; 342. Second sieve trough; 343. Third sieve trough;

[0031] 344. Fourth sieve trough; 35. Pitting turntable; 36. Pitting knife; 37. Pitting trough;

[0032] 4. Collection components; 41. Fruit shell collection device; 42. Fruit pit collection device; 43. Fruit pulp collection device Detailed Implementation

[0033] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The description of the exemplary embodiments is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the invention or its applications or uses.

[0034] In the following detailed description of the embodiments, lychee or longan are used as the processing objects for peeling and pitting. However, it should be understood that the peeling and pitting equipment of the present invention is not only applicable to lychee or longan, but also applicable to other fruits such as those with hard shells, pits in the flesh, hard pits, and juicy flesh.

[0035] Figure 1 This is a schematic perspective view of one embodiment of the shelling and pitting apparatus according to the present invention; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A partial lateral view of the device shows a fruit transport assembly, a peeling assembly, a pitting assembly, and a collecting assembly, wherein the pitting assembly shown is one embodiment. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a part of the fruit transport assembly, illustrating how a single fruit is transported. Figure 4 yes Figure 2 An enlarged schematic diagram of the shelling knife in the image; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of yet another example of a kernel-free component; Figure 6 yes Figure 5 An enlarged schematic diagram of the core removal knife in the image.

[0036] like Figure 1 As shown, the peeling and pitting equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention mainly includes a fruit conveying component 1, a peeling component 2, a pitting component 3, and a collecting component 4. The fruit conveying component transports longan or lychee fruits awaiting processing to the peeling component. After peeling, the fruits are transported to the pitting component, where the pits are removed. The pitted fruit pulp is then collected by the collecting component according to size. Both the peeling component 2 and the pitting component 3 perform peeling and pitting operations during the fruit conveying process by the fruit conveying component 1. The collecting component 4 works in conjunction with the pitting component 3 to collect the fruit pulp according to size.

[0037] The fruit transport assembly mainly includes a fruit inlet 10, a fruit transport trough 11, and a fruit conveying pipe 12. Workers place fruits to be processed, such as lychees and longans, into the fruit inlet 10. After entering through the inlet, the fruits are transported through the fruit transport trough 11 to the peeling assembly 2. The peeled fruits are then transported through the fruit conveying pipe 12 to the pitting assembly 3. After pitting in the pitting assembly 3, the remaining pulp is collected in the collecting assembly 4. It can be understood that the peeling assembly 2, pitting assembly 3, and collecting assembly 4 are all connected to the fruit transport assembly 1 to ensure that the peeling, pitting, and collecting processes are completed smoothly in one go.

[0038] As an example, the fruit transport assembly 1 also includes a locking spring 13, a turntable 14, and baffles 15. Multiple baffles 15 are evenly spaced on the outer edge of the turntable 14. The spacing between two baffles is adjustable to accommodate one fruit at a time. For example, if processing longan, the spacing between the two baffles is 3.5 cm; when processing lychees, the spacing is adjusted to 5 cm. Figure 2-3 As shown, when the equipment is started, the turntable 14 rotates, and one (also called the first) fruit is transported via the fruit conveying trough 11 to the turntable 14 and enters the gap between the two baffles 15. At this time, the baffle 15, which rotates with the turntable 14, presses against one end (also called the first end) of the locking spring 13. A return spring 16 is also provided below the locking spring 13 near this end. In addition, a support body 17 is provided below the locking spring 13. When the baffle 15 presses against the first end of the locking spring 13, the locking spring 13 rotates along the support body 17, and the other end (also called the second end) rises, blocking the next fruit, as shown. Figure 3 As shown in the diagram, the first fruit falls into the fruit conveying tube 12 as the turntable rotates and is transported to the peeling assembly 2. After the baffle 15 releases its pressure on the locking spring 13, the first end of the locking spring 13 is lifted along the support body 17 under the action of the return spring 16, and the second end falls down. The next (also called the second) fruit enters the gap between the two baffles 15 along the fallen second end, thus transporting the second fruit. With this arrangement, the fruits to be processed can be transported individually and one by one, without the problems of congestion, squeezing, collision, etc., in the gap between the two baffles, which are easy to damage the fruits and affect the conveying operation.

[0039] like Figure 2As shown, the fruit is conveyed to the shelling assembly 2 via the fruit conveying pipe 12, where the shelling process is completed. The shelling assembly 2 includes a shelling knife 21, an eccentric wheel 22, and a shell sieve groove 23. When the equipment is turned on, the eccentric wheel 22 is actuated, and the eccentric wheel 22 drives the shelling knife 21 to perform high-frequency reciprocating motion via a connecting rod. When the shelling knife 21 contacts the conveyed fruit, it cuts open the shell, separating the pulp with the pit from the shell. The shell sieve groove 23 is located below the shelling knife 21. The peeled shells are moved out of the shell sieve groove 23 and enter the shell collecting device 41. The pulp with the pit continues to move down the fruit conveying pipe 12 to the pitting assembly to complete the pitting process. After being cut, the shell breaks along the cut lines and then slides down into the shell sieve groove, where it slides out. Figure 4 The image shows a peeling blade 21. As an example, the peeling blade 21 is serrated and its material can be, for example, polyamide engineering plastic. During the peeling operation, the peeling blade moves by performing a high-frequency, low-amplitude reciprocating motion driven by an eccentric wheel 22, thereby completing the peeling operation.

[0040] Still Figure 2As shown, the pitting assembly 3 is located downstream of the fruit in the fruit conveying pipe direction of the peeling assembly, so that the fruit that has completed the peeling operation is conveyed to the pitting assembly for pitting. In one embodiment, the pitting assembly 3 includes: a pressure hammer 31, a pitting eccentric wheel 32, a locking groove 33, and a fruit sieve assembly 34. After leaving the peeling assembly, the fruit first reaches the locking groove 33 along the fruit conveying pipe 12. Here, the pressure hammer 31, driven by the pitting eccentric wheel 32, performs a downward pressing action at one end near the locking groove 33. This end presses onto the fruit, pressing out the pit, and then retracts, and then performs the pitting operation on another fruit. The pressed-out pit, relying on the impact force, leaves the fruit conveying pipe 12 along the locking groove 33 and enters the pit collecting device 42 of the collecting assembly. Because the area of ​​the pulp after the pressed-out pit is larger than the area of ​​the pit, it will not move out along the locking groove 33. It should be noted that the area of ​​the slot 33 is adjustable, preferably between 0.8 and 4 square centimeters. The seedless fruit pulp then continues downwards along the fruit conveying pipe 12 under gravity to the fruit sieve group 34. It then leaves the fruit conveying pipe 12 along the fruit sieve group 34 and is graded by size before entering the fruit pulp collection device 43 of the collection assembly. The fruit sieve group 34 includes multiple sieves, for example, four are shown in the figure: the first sieve 341, the second sieve 342, the third sieve 343, and the fourth sieve 344. However, it is not limited to these; more or fewer can be set as needed. As shown in the figure, the four sieves are arranged side-by-side along the fruit conveying pipe 12, each with a different cross-sectional area, thereby allowing seedless fruit pulp of different sizes to enter the fruit pulp collection device along the corresponding sieve, achieving automatic grading of the fruit pulp by size. By setting up multiple fruit sieves of different sizes, the peeled and pitted fruit pulp can be automatically graded by size and collected. This avoids the need for manual sorting of the pulp after peeling and pitting, achieving full automation of peeling and pitting, saving labor costs and improving economic efficiency.

[0041] Figure 5 Another embodiment of the pitting component 3 is shown, in which the pitting turntable 35 and pitting knife 36 replace the pressure hammer 31 and pitting eccentric wheel 32, and a pit filtering groove 37 is provided as the pit outlet instead of the locking groove 33. In this embodiment, the pitting knife 36 is set on the pitting turntable 35. Driven by the pitting turntable 35, the pitting knife 36 cuts the shell-less pitted pulp conveyed along the fruit conveying pipe 12, so that the pulp and the pit are completely separated. The pit filtering groove 37 is also set on the fruit conveying pipe 12 and close to the pitting turntable 35. Therefore, the pits that are completely separated from the pulp move downward and then leave the fruit conveying pipe through the pit filtering groove 37 and enter the pit collection device of the collection component. The pulp cannot leave through the pit filtering groove 37 due to its area, shape, etc., and can only continue to move downward along the fruit conveying pipe 12. After being automatically graded by size by multiple fruit screening grooves of the fruit screening groove group 34, it enters the pulp collection device of the collection component.

[0042] Figure 6 The image shows an example of a pitting knife 36. As an example, its shape is, for example, wedge-shaped with thinner side blades for easier cutting. The arc length of the side blades ranges from 1 to 10 centimeters, and the upper end can be shaped like an inverted triangle to increase the area at that end, facilitating the removal of the pit. Again, as an example, the pitting knife 36 can be made of 304 stainless steel, which is tough and durable. Of course, it is understood that pitting knives of other materials or shapes are also acceptable, as long as they can quickly cut through the fruit flesh and separate the flesh from the pit.

[0043] Collection component 4 includes a fruit shell collection device 41, a fruit pit collection device 42, and a fruit pulp collection device 43, such as Figure 2 As shown in the diagram. A shell collecting device 41 is positioned below the shell sieve groove 23 to receive the shells peeled off by the shelling component. A pit collecting device 42 is positioned below the locking groove 33 or the pit filtering groove 37 to collect the pits cut off by the pitting component. A pulp collecting device 43 is positioned below multiple shell sieve grooves to collect the pulp separated from the sieve grooves. It can be understood that the pulp collecting device 43 can be a set of multiple collecting boxes, each corresponding to one of the multiple shell sieve grooves, to achieve automatic grading and collection of the pulp.

[0044] The peeling and pitting equipment according to the present invention, employing a fully mechanically designed conveying, peeling, pitting, and collecting assembly, allows for disassembly and cleaning after use, eliminating concerns about water damage to electronic equipment such as photoelectric sensors, thus making it more economical and practical. Furthermore, by incorporating multiple fruit sieves and cooperating with a pulp collection device, the peeling and pitting equipment of the present invention enables automatic grading and collection of peeled and pitted fruit pulp according to size, eliminating the need for manual sorting, saving labor costs, and improving economic efficiency. Moreover, the peeling and pitting equipment of the present invention can individually convey peeled and pitted fruits, thereby ensuring smooth processing and improving operational efficiency.

[0045] Although the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described and shown herein. Various changes can be made to the exemplary embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope defined by the claims. All such changes should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A shelling and pitting device, comprising: The fruit transport component (1), peeling component (2), pitting component (3), and collecting component (4) are characterized in that the peeling component (2) and the pitting component (3) automatically complete the peeling and pitting operations during the fruit transport process of the fruit transport component (1). The fruit transport component (1) can transport the processed fruit one by one, and the collecting component (4) can cooperate with the pitting component (3) to collect the peeled and pitted fruit pulp according to size. The fruit transport component (1) includes a fruit transport trough (11), a fruit conveying pipe (12), a locking spring (13), a turntable (14), a baffle (15), a return spring (16), and a support body (17). The baffle (15) is set on the turntable (14). The locking spring (13) can, under the action of the return spring (16) and the support body (17), transport the processed fruit from the fruit transport trough (11) one by one between the two baffles (15) so as to collect the processed fruit one by one. The fruit is conveyed by a fruit conveying pipe (12); the peeling assembly (2) includes a peeling knife (21), an eccentric wheel (22), and a sieve groove (23). The eccentric wheel (22) drives the peeling knife (21) to reciprocate to complete the peeling operation of the processed fruit. The sieve groove (23) is located below the peeling knife (21) to allow the peeled fruit shells to move into the collection assembly (4). The peeling knife (21) is serrated in shape and made of polyamide. Amine engineering plastic; the pitting component (3) includes: a pressure hammer (31), a pitting eccentric wheel (32), a positioning groove (33) and a fruit sieve group (34); the collection component (4) includes: a fruit shell collection device (41), a fruit pit collection device (42) and a fruit pulp collection device (43), wherein the pitting eccentric wheel (32) drives the pressure hammer (31) to perform the pitting operation, and the pressed-out fruit pits enter the fruit pit collection device (42) through the positioning groove (33).

2. The shelling and pitting equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fruit sieve group (34) is set on the fruit conveying pipe (12) and includes multiple fruit sieves with different cross-sectional areas.

3. The shelling and pitting equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The pulp collection device (43) consists of multiple collection boxes, which are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence under the multiple fruit sieves with different cross-sectional areas, so as to collect pulp according to size.

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