An automatic strawberry stem removal machine

Abstract

This invention belongs to the technical field of fruit processing equipment, specifically relating to an automatic strawberry stem removal machine, comprising: a frame installed on the ground to support a conveying device, a movement control device, and a stem removal device; a conveying device installed on top of the frame for conveying strawberries; a movement control device installed on the frame; and a stem removal device installed below the movement control device for removing strawberry stems. This machine significantly reduces the labor intensity of workers, effectively improves the production and processing efficiency of strawberries, and, except for the feeding process, requires no worker assistance throughout the entire stem removal process, greatly reducing safety hazards during automated strawberry stem removal while ensuring the processing quality of strawberries, thereby improving the economic benefits of strawberry production and processing enterprises.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the technical field of fruit processing equipment, specifically relating to an automatic strawberry stem removal machine. Background Technology

[0002] Strawberries, belonging to the Rosaceae family, are berry-type fruit trees. Their fruit is delicious and nutritious, and they are one of the world's seven major fruits. They not only have rich nutritional and commercial value but also significant medicinal and health benefits. With the continuous improvement of people's living standards, more and more people are investing in health, leading to a growing demand for strawberries. my country, as the world's largest strawberry producer in terms of both planting area and yield, boasts a huge market. However, strawberry storage is constrained by factors such as concentrated production areas and imperfect preservation technology. Although some strawberries are sold directly to consumers after purchase, due to their short shelf life, the majority are used to make various processed strawberry foods before being sold nationwide. Therefore, the processing stage of strawberries becomes crucial. Typically, harvested strawberries have inedible stems, so these must be removed before processing into food products.

[0003] Currently, due to cost and technological constraints, most strawberry processing enterprises rely on manual stem removal during strawberry production. Workers manually remove the stems from the strawberries using tools. However, this method is labor-intensive and inefficient. Furthermore, the appearance and integrity of manually stemmed strawberries are difficult to guarantee due to the varying skill levels of the workers, resulting in inconsistent final product quality. With the development of automation in the fruit and vegetable industry, automated strawberry processing is becoming increasingly important. Therefore, it is necessary to design strawberry processing mechanisms to automate stem removal, improve production efficiency and effectiveness, while ensuring safety and hygiene, and facilitating further processing of the strawberries.

[0004] Currently, mature automatic strawberry destemming machines are available on the market, such as chili pepper destemming machines, shiitake mushroom destemming machines, and kiwi fruit destemming machines. However, due to high costs and various issues with existing patents, such as low automation levels and limited application scenarios, there are currently no mature automatic strawberry destemming devices on the market. In response to this situation, several patents related to strawberry destemming machines have emerged both domestically and internationally.

[0005] For example, Chinese patent application CN201720619116.2 discloses a strawberry destemming and washing vehicle. Operators remove the strawberry stems while harvesting the strawberries, then place the stemmed strawberries in a washing tank for initial rinsing, collecting the stems, keeping the ground clean, and initially cleaning the strawberries. It also provides cushioning when throwing the strawberries to prevent damage to their surface. However, this strawberry destemming and washing vehicle requires manual assistance to operate normally, has a low degree of automation, and is too small to be suitable for large-scale strawberry processing scenarios.

[0006] For example, Chinese patent application CN201620844904.7 discloses a strawberry stem and stalk removal device, which can solve the problems of cumbersome removal of fruit stems and stalks in traditional strawberry processing and the inability to remove them in one go. However, this strawberry stem and stalk removal device has safety issues and low automation, making it unsuitable for large-scale industrial strawberry processing. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To address the problems existing in the prior art, this invention provides an automatic strawberry stem removal machine, which realizes mechanical stem removal of strawberries. Compared with the traditional manual stem removal method, it can significantly reduce the labor intensity of workers and effectively improve the production and processing efficiency of strawberries. At the same time, except for the feeding process, the entire stem removal process does not require worker assistance, greatly reducing the production safety hazards in the automated strawberry stem removal process. The stem removal part of the automatic strawberry stem removal machine also adopts a new stem removal blade structure, which can ensure the complete removal of the stems while maximizing the integrity of the strawberries, and also ensure the processing quality of the strawberries, thereby improving the economic benefits of strawberry production and processing enterprises.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0009] An automatic strawberry stem removal machine includes:

[0010] A frame, which is mounted on the ground, is used to support the conveying device, the movement control device, and the destemming device;

[0011] A conveying device, installed on top of the frame, is used to transport strawberries;

[0012] A motion control device, which is mounted on a frame;

[0013] A stem removal device, installed below the motion control device, is used to remove strawberry stems.

[0014] The frame is equipped with feet at the bottom, and the frame can be leveled by adjusting the height of the feet.

[0015] The conveying device includes a drive unit I, which is mounted on the bottom platform at the feed inlet end of the frame. The output shaft of the drive unit I is equipped with a driving double-row sprocket. The outer sides of the frame at both ends of the frame are equipped with spherical bearings with slider seats. A sprocket shaft is installed between the two spherical bearings with slider seats on the same side. Two large double-row sprockets are symmetrically installed on the inner side of each sprocket shaft. A driven double-row sprocket is installed at the end of the sprocket shaft on the feed inlet side. A feeding chain is installed between the two large double-row sprockets arranged along the transmission direction. A drive chain is installed between the driving double-row sprocket and the driven double-row sprocket. A chain plate is arranged on the outer side of the feeding chain. A fruit rack is installed on the upper surface of the chain plate. The fruit rack is installed at both ends of each chain plate, corresponding to the positions of the destemming device and the pressure plate. A positioning hole is opened at the outer end of the fruit rack.

[0016] The movement control device includes a top plate and a support frame. Roller frames are symmetrically mounted on the top plate along its length, and rollers are rotatably mounted on the roller frames. The top plate is slidably mounted to the top of the support frame via the rollers. A telescopic cylinder V is mounted at one end of the top of the support frame, and the output end of the telescopic cylinder V is connected to the side wall of the top plate for driving the top plate to move along the support frame. Support columns are fixedly mounted on the top plate by bolts. Stepped shafts are rotatably mounted on the top of the two support columns, and double-row sprockets I are mounted on the stepped shafts. A drive device III is mounted on the top plate, and a sprocket II is mounted on the output shaft of the drive device III. A chain I is installed between sprocket II and one of the sprockets of the double-row sprocket I. A height adjustment chain for the de-stemming device is mounted on the other sprocket of the double-row sprocket I. One end of the height adjustment chain for the de-stemming device is connected to one end of the piston rod of the telescopic cylinder I. The telescopic cylinder I is fixed to the top plate by bolts, and the other end of the height adjustment chain for the de-stemming device passes through a through hole in the top plate and connects to the top of the de-stemming device.

[0017] The top plate is symmetrically equipped with triangular supports at its bottom. The triangular supports are fixed to the top plate by a right-angle arm, and a guide sleeve is installed on the other right-angle arm. A guide rod is installed on the guide sleeve. Telescopic cylinders II are symmetrically installed on the upper surface of the top plate. The piston rod of the telescopic cylinder II passes through the top plate and connects to the top of the guide rod. The piston rod of the telescopic cylinder II drives the guide rod to move downward so that the guide rod engages with the positioning hole on the fruit rack, ensuring that the cutter head accurately aligns with the strawberry on the fruit rack and precisely cuts off the strawberry stem.

[0018] The support frame includes support columns and connecting beams. The top of the support columns is formed by the alternating arrangement of connecting beams and guide rails. The connecting beams are arranged in the width direction of the support frame, and the guide rails are arranged in the length direction of the support frame. One of the connecting beams is equipped with a telescopic cylinder V through a mounting seat. The support frame is fixed to the outer wall of the top of the machine frame by bolts.

[0019] The guide rail includes a guide rod and a guide rod fixing plate. The two guide rods are arranged in parallel and the gap between them forms a slide. A gap is left between the slide and the roller. The two ends of the guide rod are fixed to the support column by the guide rod fixing plate.

[0020] The stem removal device includes a height adjustment platform. A telescopic cylinder III is bolted to the top of the height adjustment platform. The piston rod of the telescopic cylinder III is mounted to a cutter head movement adjustment platform via nuts arranged vertically. A push rod is mounted on the cutter head movement adjustment platform. A connecting seat is mounted at the center of the top of the height adjustment platform and fixed to the end of the height adjustment chain of the stem removal device. Four through holes are opened circumferentially around the connecting seat on the height adjustment platform. The piston rod of the telescopic cylinder IV passes through the through holes and its end is bolted to the lower surface of the top plate. The top of the cylinder body of the telescopic cylinder IV is bolted to the height adjustment platform, and the bottom of the cylinder body of the telescopic cylinder IV is bolted to the connecting platform. A cutter integration device is provided on the opposite side of the connecting platform, and the cutter integration device is arranged along the strawberry moving direction.

[0021] The tool integration device includes a strawberry push rod mounting platform and a pressure plate mounting platform. A pressure plate is mounted on the pressure plate mounting platform using double-ended studs, and a strawberry push rod is mounted on the strawberry push rod mounting platform using screws. The tool assembly block is located between the strawberry push rod mounting platform and the pressure plate mounting platform. Connecting plates on both sides of the tool assembly block are respectively bolted to the strawberry push rod mounting platform and the pressure plate mounting platform. The tool assembly block has longitudinal stepped holes corresponding to the tool head movement adjustment platform. A hollow rod is rotatably mounted in each longitudinal stepped hole via a bearing. The bearings are located on both sides of the tool assembly block and are positioned by the shoulders of the stepped holes. A push rod is installed inside the hollow rod. A driven double-belt pulley is installed on the part of the push rod extending to the outer side of the tool assembly block. A spring is installed in the groove at the top of the driven double-belt pulley. A spring-limiting cap is installed at the top of the push rod. An upper support is provided on the top of the spring-limiting cap. Screws pass through the upper support and the spring-limiting cap to fix both to the push rod. At the top, the spring is limited and its stiffness is adjusted. The bottom end of the push rod extends to the outer part of the tool assembly block and is threadedly connected to a lower support. A tool mounting plate is bolted to the opposite side of the lower support. A tool head seat is mounted on the inner side of each tool mounting plate by a cylindrical pin. A tool head is bolted to the end of the tool head seat. The two tool heads are arranged opposite each other. The cylindrical pin passes through the two tool head seats and the bottom end of the push rod. The push rod moves up and down, causing the tool heads on both sides to move closer or open. The pressure plate mounting platform and the strawberry push rod mounting platform are connected as one unit by a connecting platform. A support base with heat dissipation holes on the side wall is mounted on the connecting platform by screws. A drive device II is mounted on the top of the support base. The body of the drive device II is located inside the support base. A drive double belt pulley is mounted on the output shaft of the drive device II. Two conveyor belts are mounted on the drive double belt pulley. The two conveyor belts cooperate with the double belt pulleys on the corresponding push rods. The drive device drives each double belt double pulley to rotate.

[0022] The technical effects of this invention are as follows:

[0023] This invention enables mechanical destemming of strawberries. Compared with traditional manual destemming, it significantly reduces the labor intensity of workers and effectively improves the production and processing efficiency of strawberries. Furthermore, except for the feeding process, the entire destemming process requires no worker assistance, greatly reducing safety hazards during automated strawberry destemming. The destemming section of this automatic strawberry destemming machine also adopts a novel destemming blade structure, which ensures complete destemming while maximizing the integrity of the strawberries and guaranteeing processing quality, thereby improving the economic benefits of strawberry production and processing enterprises. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 Three-dimensional schematic diagram of the automatic strawberry stem removal machine of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 Top view of the automatic strawberry stem removal machine of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 3 Main view of the automatic strawberry stem removal machine of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 4 This invention Figure 3 A magnified view of a portion of the image;

[0028] Figure 5 Front view of the moving control device for the automatic strawberry stem removal machine of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 6 Side view of the moving control device for the automatic strawberry stem removal machine of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 7 Front view of the automatic strawberry stem removal device of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the blade assembly block of the automatic strawberry stem removal machine of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 9 Side view of the strawberry stem removal device of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 10 A top view of the assembly of the driven double-belt pulley on the tool assembly block and the driving double-belt pulley on the drive device III;

[0034] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of the cutting head movement on the cutting tool assembly block of the present invention; Figure 11 (a) Schematic diagram of the cutter head opening; Figure 11 (b) Schematic diagram of cutter head closure;

[0035] 1. Movement control device; 2. Stem removal device; 3. Conveying device; 4. Frame;

[0036] 1-1 Support frame, 1-2 Guide rod fixing plate, 1-3 Cylinder, 1-4 Guide rod, 1-5 Telescopic cylinder II, 1-6 Roller, 1-7 Support column, 1-8 Height adjustment chain for detent device, 1-9 Double row sprocket II, 1-10 Top plate, 1-11 Telescopic cylinder I, 1-12 Double row sprocket I, 1-13 Stepped shaft, 1-14 Reducer, 1-15 Drive device III;

[0037] 2-1 Strawberry push rod, 2-2 Strawberry push rod mounting platform, 2-3 Telescopic cylinder III, 2-4 Tool assembly block, 2-5 Tool head movement adjustment platform, 2-6 Hollow rod, 2-7 Angular contact ball bearing, 2-8 Driven double belt pulley, 2-9 Spring, 2-10 Spring limit cap, 2-11 Screw, 2-12 Upper support, 2-13 Push rod I, 2-14 Pressure plate mounting platform, 2-15 Double-ended stud, 2-16 Pressure plate, 2- 17 Lower support; 2-18 Tool mounting plate; 2-19 Height adjustment platform; 2-20 Tool head; 2-21 Tool head holder; 2-22 Cylindrical pin I; 2-23 Cylindrical pin II; 2-24 Push rod II; 2-25 Active double belt pulley; 2-26 Drive device II; 2-27 Support base; 2-28 Transmission belt; 2-29 Piston rod; 2-30 Telescopic cylinder IV; 2-31 Nut; 2-32 Piston rod; 2-33 Connecting platform;

[0038] 3-1 Sprocket shaft, 3-2 Spherical ball bearing with slider seat, 3-3 Bolt, 3-4 Strawberry discharge port, 3-5 Chain support plate, 3-8 Feeding chain, 3-10 Flat key, 3-11 Driven double chain sprocket, 3-13 Sprocket support seat, 3-14 Driven double chain sprocket, 3-15 Double drive chain, 3-16 Drive device I, 3-17 Support leg, 3-18 Double-ended bolt, 3-19 Chain plate, 3-20 Fruit rack, 3-21 Silicone bottom film. Detailed Implementation

[0039] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0040] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, an automatic strawberry stem removal machine includes:

[0041] The frame 4 is provided with a support leg 3-17 at the bottom end. The support leg 3-17 is installed at the bottom of the frame 4 by double-headed bolts 3-18. The frame 4 is leveled by adjusting the height of the support leg 3-17. The frame 4 is installed on the ground and is used to support the conveying device 3, the movement control device 1 and the de-stemming device 2.

[0042] Conveying device 3, which is installed on the top of frame 4, is used to transport strawberries;

[0043] A mobile control device 1 is mounted on a frame 4;

[0044] Stem removal device 2, which is installed below the motion control device 1, is used to remove strawberry stems.

[0045] The conveying device 3 includes a drive unit I 3-16, which is mounted on the bottom platform at the feed inlet end of the frame 4. A drive double-chain sprocket 3-14 is mounted on the output shaft end of the drive unit I 3-16 via a flat key 3-10. Spherical bearings 3-2 with slider seats are mounted on the outer sides of the frame at both ends of the frame 4. The slider seats are fixed to the frame 4 with bolts. A sprocket shaft 3-1 is installed between two spherical bearings 3-2 with slider seats on the same side. Each sprocket shaft 3-1 has two large double-chain sprockets symmetrically mounted on its inner side of the frame 4 via a flat key 3-10. The sprocket shaft 3-1, located on the feed inlet side, has a driven double-row sprocket 3-11 mounted on its end via a flat key 3-10. A feed chain 3-8, a double-row chain, is installed between the two large double-row sprockets arranged along the transmission direction. A double-drive chain 3-15 is installed between the driving double-row sprocket 3-14 and the driven double-row sprocket 3-11. Each link of the feed chain 3-8 has chain plates 3-19 arranged vertically. The chain plates 3-19 do not cover the portion that meshes with the teeth of the large double-row sprockets. Each chain plate 3-19 has fruit-shaped fasteners mounted at both ends of its upper surface. The fruit rack 3-20 is installed in a position corresponding to the stem-removing device 2 and the pressure plate 2-16. The fruit rack 3-20 consists of an upper fruit rack and a lower fruit rack. The lower fruit rack is located on the upper surface of the chain plate 3-19, and the upper fruit rack 3-20 is installed above the lower fruit rack. A silicone bottom film 3-21 is installed between the lower and upper fruit racks. Symmetrical strawberry placement holes are provided on both the upper and lower fruit racks. A through hole coaxial with the strawberry placement hole is provided on the chain plate 3-19, and the diameter of the through hole is larger than the diameter of the strawberry placement hole. The silicone bottom film 3-21 has a corresponding hole. A coaxial small hole is provided, and four slits are simultaneously opened around the circumference of the small hole. One end of the slit is connected to the small hole, while the other end is not connected to the boundary of the silicone base film 3-21. Screws pass through the through holes at the four corners of the upper fruit rack, the silicone base film 3-21, and the lower fruit rack to fix the three to the chain plate 3-19. A positioning hole is opened on the outer end of the upper fruit rack. The chain support plate 3-5 is installed on the inner side of the top of the frame 4. The chain support plate 3-5 supports the feeding chain 3-8 through its upper part extending towards the center, so as to control the deformation caused by the long span of the feeding chain 3-8 and improve the load-bearing capacity of the feeding chain 3-8. The strawberry discharge port 3-4 is a square box shape, with no baffle on the outermost side. It is installed on the frame 4 directly below the feeding chain 3-8 where the strawberry push rod 2-1 is installed, and is arranged at an outward tilt of 30 degrees.

[0046] like Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, the movement control device 1 includes a top plate 1-10 and a support frame 1-1. Roller frames are symmetrically mounted on the top plate 1-10 along its length. Rollers 1-6 are rotatably mounted on the roller frames. The top plate 1-10 is slidably mounted to the top of the support frame 1-1 via the rollers 1-6. A telescopic cylinder V is mounted at one end of the top of the support frame 1-1. In this embodiment, the telescopic cylinder V is a pneumatic cylinder 1-3. The output end of the telescopic cylinder V is connected to the side wall of the top plate 1-10 to drive the top plate 1-10 to move along the support frame 1-1. Support columns 1-7 are fixedly mounted on the top plate 1-10 by bolts. Stepped shafts 1-13 are rotatably mounted on the top of the two support columns 1-7. Double-row sprockets I 1-12 are mounted on the stepped shafts 1-13. The top plate 1-10... A drive unit Ⅲ1-15 is installed, which includes a motor and a reducer 1-14. The output end of the motor is connected to the input end of the reducer 1-14. A double-row sprocket Ⅱ1-9 is installed on the output shaft of the reducer 1-14. A chain Ⅰ is installed between the double-row sprocket Ⅱ1-9 and one of the sprockets of the double-row sprocket Ⅰ1-12. A height adjustment chain 1-8 for the de-stemming device is installed on the other sprocket of the double-row sprocket Ⅰ1-12. One end of the height adjustment chain 1-8 for the de-stemming device is connected to one end of the piston rod of the telescopic cylinder Ⅰ1-11. The telescopic cylinder Ⅰ1-11 is fixed to the top plate 1-10 by bolts. The other end of the height adjustment chain 1-8 for the de-stemming device passes through the through hole on the top plate 1-10 and is connected to the top of the de-stemming device 2.

[0047] The bottom of the top plate 1-10 is symmetrically equipped with triangular supports. The triangular supports are fixed to the top plate 1-10 by a right-angle arm, and a guide sleeve is installed on the other right-angle arm. A guide rod is installed on the guide sleeve. Telescopic cylinders II 1-5 are symmetrically installed on the upper surface of the top plate 1-10. The piston rod of the telescopic cylinder II 1-5 passes through the top plate 1-10 and is connected to the top of the guide rod. The piston rod of the telescopic cylinder II drives the guide rod to move downward so that the guide rod engages with the positioning hole on the fruit rack 3-20, ensuring that the cutter head 2-20 accurately corresponds to the strawberry on the fruit rack 3-20 and accurately cuts off the strawberry stem.

[0048] The support frame 1-1 includes a support column and a connecting beam. The top of the support column is formed by the alternating arrangement of the connecting beam and the guide rail. The connecting beam is arranged in the width direction of the support frame 1-1, and the guide rail is arranged in the length direction of the support frame 1-1. In this embodiment, the length direction is the direction of strawberry movement. One of the connecting beams is equipped with a telescopic cylinder V through a mounting seat. The support frame 1-1 is fixed to the top outer wall of the frame 4 by bolts.

[0049] The guide rail includes guide rods 1-4 and guide rod fixing plates 1-2. The two guide rods 1-4 are arranged in parallel and the gap between them forms a slide. A gap is left between the slide and the rollers 1-6. The two ends of the guide rods 1-4 are respectively fixed to the support columns by the guide rod fixing plates 1-2.

[0050] like Figures 7 to 9 As shown, the stem removal device 2 includes a height adjustment platform 2-19 horizontally positioned directly below the top plate 1-10. A telescopic cylinder Ⅲ 2-3 is bolted to the top of the height adjustment platform 2-19. The piston rod 2-29 of the telescopic cylinder Ⅲ 2-3 is connected to the cutter head movement adjustment platform 2-5 via nuts 2-31 arranged vertically. A push rod Ⅰ 2-13 is installed on the cutter head movement adjustment platform 2-5. The push rod Ⅰ 2-13 is powered by the telescopic cylinder Ⅲ 2-3 to move up and down. There are two corresponding cutter head movement adjustment platforms 2-19 on each height adjustment platform 2-19. Six push rods Ⅰ 2-13 are installed in two rows of three below each cutter head movement adjustment platform 2-5. A connecting seat is installed at the top center of the height adjustment platform 2-19, which is fixed to the end of the height adjustment chain 1-8 of the stem removal device. Four through holes are opened on the height adjustment platform 2-19 around the connecting seat. The piston rod 2-32 of the telescopic cylinder IV 2-30 passes through the through holes and its end is fixed to the lower surface of the top plate 1-10 by bolts. The top of the cylinder body of the telescopic cylinder IV 2-30 is fixed to the height adjustment platform 2-19 by bolts. The bottom of the cylinder body of the telescopic cylinder IV 2-30 is fixed to the connecting platform 2-33 by bolts. A tool integration device is provided on the opposite side of the connecting platform 2-33. The tool integration device is arranged along the strawberry moving direction. In this embodiment, both the telescopic cylinder III 2-3 and the telescopic cylinder IV 2-30 are cylinders.

[0051] The integrated cutting tool device includes a strawberry push rod mounting platform 2-2 and a pressure plate mounting platform 2-14. A pressure plate 2-16 is mounted on the pressure plate mounting platform 2-14 by a double-ended stud 2-15 and a nut. The height of the pressure plate 2-16 can be adjusted by adjusting the double-ended stud 2-15. Strawberry push rods 2-1 are mounted on the strawberry push rod mounting platform 2-2 by screws. There are twelve strawberry push rods 2-1 in total, evenly divided into two groups, and vertically mounted below the strawberry push rod mounting platform 2-2 by bolts 2-3. The strawberry push rods 2-1 are distributed in two rows and three columns below each strawberry push rod mounting platform 2-2.The tool assembly 2-4 is located between the strawberry push rod mounting platform 2-2 and the pressure plate mounting platform 2-14. The connecting plates on both sides of the tool assembly 2-4 are fixed to the strawberry push rod mounting platform 2-2 and the pressure plate mounting platform 2-14 respectively by bolts. The tool assembly 2-4 has longitudinal stepped holes corresponding one-to-one with the tool head movement adjustment platform 1-12. A hollow rod 2-6 is rotatably mounted in each longitudinal stepped hole via an angular contact ball bearing 2-7. The angular contact ball bearing 2-7 is located on both sides of the tool assembly 2-4 and is positioned by the shoulders of the stepped holes. A push rod II 2-24 is installed inside the hollow rod 2-6. A driven double-belt pulley 2-8 is installed on the outer part of the push rod II 2-24 extending from its top to the outside of the tool assembly 2-4. The driven double-belt pulleys 2-8 on the tool holder 2-4 are arranged in two rows and three columns. A spring 2-9 is installed in the groove at the top of each driven double-belt pulley 2-8. A spring-limiting cap 2-10 is installed at the top of push rod II 2-24. An upper support 2-12 is provided on the top of the spring-limiting cap 2-10. A screw 2-11 passes through the upper support 2-12 and the spring-limiting cap 2-10, fixing both to the top of push rod II 2-24, thus limiting and adjusting the stiffness of spring 2-9. The bottom end of push rod II 2-24 extends to the outer side of the tool holder 2-4 and is threadedly connected to a lower support 2-17. A cylindrical pin hole is opened on the outer side of the extension of push rod II 2-24 to the lower support 2-17. A tool is bolted to the opposite side of the lower support 2-17. The tool mounting plate 2-18 has a tool head holder 2-21 mounted on its inner side via a cylindrical pin II 2-23. A tool head 2-20 is bolted to the end of each tool head holder 2-21. The tool head 2-20 is claw-shaped, and the two tool heads 2-20 are arranged opposite each other. A cylindrical pin I 2-22 passes through the cylindrical pin holes at the bottom of the two tool head holders 2-21 and the push rod II 2-24. The push rod II 2-24 is positioned between the two tool head holders 2-21. The tool head holders 2-21 and the cylindrical pin I 2-22 are rotatably mounted. The up-and-down movement of the push rod II 2-24 causes the tool heads 2-20 on both sides to move closer or open. The pressure plate mounting platform 2-14 and the strawberry push rod mounting platform 2-2 are connected as one unit via a connecting platform 2-33. A support base 2-27 with heat dissipation holes on its sidewall is mounted on the connecting platform 2-33 by screws. A drive device II 2-26, located near the feed inlet, is mounted on the top of the support base 2-27. In this embodiment, the drive device II 2-26 is a motor, and its body is located inside the support base 2-27. A driving double-belt pulley 2-25 is mounted on the output shaft of the drive device II 2-26. Two conveyor belts 2-28 are mounted on the driving double-belt pulley 2-25. In this embodiment, the conveyor belts 2-28 are circular belts. The two conveyor belts 2-28 respectively cooperate with the driven double-belt pulleys 2-8 on the corresponding push rods II 2-24. The drive device II 2-26 drives each driven double-belt pulley 2-8 to rotate. In this embodiment, for example; Figure 10As shown in the top view, one end of the conveyor belt 2-28 is sequentially wound around the driven double belt pulleys 2-8 (V, II, I, IV, VI, and III), while the other end is wound around the driving double belt pulley 2-25.

[0052] A strawberry stem collection box is installed on the ground directly below the tool container block 2-4, and a strawberry fruit collection box is installed on the ground directly below the strawberry push rod mounting platform 2-2. Water spray nozzles are provided on the baffles on both sides of the strawberry discharge port 3-4. The water spray nozzles are connected to a water source through water pipes. Water is sprayed through the water spray nozzles to reduce the impact of the falling strawberries, while washing the strawberries and allowing them to fall smoothly into the water-filled strawberry fruit collection box under the push of the water flow for subsequent processing.

[0053] The process of using an automatic strawberry stem removal machine in one operation is as follows:

[0054] First, the picked strawberries are poured into a storage basin for storage. Then, the storage basin containing the strawberries is placed on both sides of the destemming machine, and the workers are positioned on both sides of the destemming machine near the feed side. The storage basin is placed in a position that ensures that the workers can easily reach it and pick up the strawberries.

[0055] After preparation, workers place strawberries with the stems facing upwards into the strawberry placement holes of the fruit rack 3-20 at the upper end of the feeding chain 3-8. Then, drive device I 3-16 is activated. Drive device I 3-16 drives the fruit rack 3-20 horizontally towards the destemming device 2 via chain drive. When the infrared distance sensor at the rear end of the pressure plate 2-16 detects strawberries below the rear end of the pressure plate 2-16, the controller stops drive device I 3-16, and the entire conveyor device 3 stops moving. Simultaneously, drive device III 1-15 on the top plate 1-10 is also controlled by the controller. The machine begins to rotate clockwise. At this point, the reduced tension of the height adjustment chain 1-8 on the stem removal device 2 causes gravity to exceed the sum of the tension provided by the chain 1-8 and the resistance of the telescopic cylinder IV 2-30, resulting in a stable descent of the entire platform. The piston rod 2-32 below moves downwards under the guidance of the telescopic cylinder IV 2-30, thereby causing the pressure plate 2-16 to move downwards, touching the strawberries and gently pressing them to the same height. Afterwards, the drive device III 1-15 on the top plate 1-10 rotates counterclockwise until the pressure plate 2-16 returns to its original position and stops rotating. The rotation speeds of drive device III 1-15 and drive device I 3-16, as well as the distance set by the infrared distance sensor and the descent height of the pressure plate 2-16, have been pre-set and optimized.

[0056] After the pressure plate 2-16 returns to its original position, the controller controls the drive device I 3-16 to continue rotating, and the feeding chain 3-8 drives the fruit rack 3-20 to continue moving forward. When the infrared displacement sensor installed at the rear end of the cutter assembly block 2-4 senses that there are strawberries directly below the last row of cutters in the destemming device 2 cutter assembly block 2-4, the controller controls the drive device I 3-16 to stop rotating. At the same time, the drive device III 1-15 on the top plate 1-10 drives the pressure plate 2-16 to press the strawberries down to the same height. This process repeats for one cycle. Simultaneously, the drive device II 2-26 on the cutter assembly block 2-4 starts relying on the conveyor belt 2- 28 drives the driven double-belt pulley 2-8 to rotate, thereby driving the push rod II 2-24 and the lower cutter head 2-20 to rotate together. At this time, the cutter head 2-20 is in the open state. When the pressure plate 2-16 reaches the bottom, the controller also controls the telescopic cylinder III 2-3 to start working, pushing the tool action adjustment platform 2-5 to move downward. Under the action of the push rod II 2-24 installed below the tool action adjustment platform 2-5, the push rod II 2-24 rotates downward, causing the two oppositely arranged cutter heads 2-20 to close and rotate at the same time, thereby realizing the cutting and ring cutting of the strawberry stem. Then the telescopic cylinder III 2-3 stops working and returns to its original position. Figure 11 As shown, simultaneously, the pressure plate 2-16 also slowly rises under the reverse rotation of the drive device Ⅲ1-15, consistent with the aforementioned periodic action. At this time, while the cutter rotates, the cutter head 2-20 slowly opens under the action of the spring 2-9. The strawberry stem is thrown out of the cutter under the action of centrifugal force and falls in the middle of the chain plate 3-19. Subsequently, as the chain plate 3-19 moves to the rear end of the conveyor 3, it detaches from the chain plate 3-19 under the action of gravity and enters the strawberry stem collection box located directly below the cutter collection block 2-4. The rotation speed, infrared distance sensor setting distance, and cylinder piston rod descent height of the drive device Ⅲ1-15, drive device Ⅱ2-26, and drive device Ⅰ3-16 have been pre-set and adjusted to the optimal state.

[0057] When the height adjustment platform 2-19 returns the pressure plate 2-16 and the cutter to their original positions, the drive device I 3-16 continues to rotate, driving the fruit rack 3-20 on the feeding chain 3-8 to continue moving forward. When the infrared displacement sensor installed at the rear end of the strawberry push rod 2-1 senses that a strawberry appears directly below the last row of strawberry push rods 2-1, the drive device I 3-16 stops rotating. At the same time, the drive device III 1-15 on the top plate 1-10 starts to rotate, driving the destemming device 2 platform to move downward. The strawberry push rod 2-1 slowly pushes the strawberry fruit that has been destemmed through the flexible silicone bottom film 3-21 at the bottom of the fruit rack 3-20 and falls into the strawberry discharge port 3-4 below. The baffles on both sides of the strawberry discharge port 3-4 are equipped with water spray nozzles, which can reduce the impact of the strawberry fruit falling, wash the strawberry fruit, and push it smoothly into the strawberry fruit collection box filled with water for subsequent processing. The strawberry fruit collection box is located directly below the strawberry push rod mounting platform 2-2.

[0058] After the machine is turned on and the three separate steps of pressing the strawberries to the same height, removing the strawberry stems, and pushing out the strawberries are completed, the subsequent three steps will be carried out simultaneously. Workers will place the strawberries as required each time the fruit rack stops moving.

[0059] The infrared displacement sensor on the pressure plate 2-16 senses the strawberry and controls the pressure plate 2-16 to move downward. This function is only effective on the first power-on and will not be effective thereafter. It only serves to monitor the position of the pressure plate 2-16 and control the extension of the telescopic cylinder Ⅲ2-3 on the cutter head adjustment platform 2-5.

[0060] The infrared displacement sensor on the tool assembly block 2-4 detects the strawberry and controls the pressure plate 2-16 to move downwards. This function only takes effect on the initial power-on and will not be active afterward, serving only to monitor the unknown location of the tool. Subsequent cycles of the pressure plate 2-16's descent are controlled by the infrared displacement sensors installed in the last row of the strawberry push rod 2-1.

Claims

1. An automatic strawberry stem removal machine, characterized in that, include: A frame, which is mounted on the ground, is used to support the conveying device, the movement control device, and the destemming device; A conveying device, installed on top of the frame, is used to transport strawberries; A motion control device, which is mounted on a frame; A stem removal device, installed below the motion control device, is used to remove strawberry stems; The stem removal device includes a height adjustment platform. A telescopic cylinder III is bolted to the top of the height adjustment platform. The piston rod of the telescopic cylinder III is mounted to a cutter head movement adjustment platform via nuts arranged vertically. A push rod is mounted on the cutter head movement adjustment platform. A connecting seat is mounted at the center of the top of the height adjustment platform and fixed to the end of the height adjustment chain of the stem removal device. Four through holes are opened circumferentially around the connecting seat on the height adjustment platform. The piston rod of the telescopic cylinder IV passes through the through holes and its end is bolted to the lower surface of the top plate. The top of the cylinder body of the telescopic cylinder IV is bolted to the height adjustment platform. The bottom of the cylinder body of the telescopic cylinder IV is bolted to the connecting platform. A cutter integration device is provided on the opposite side of the connecting platform. The cutter integration device is arranged along the strawberry moving direction. The tool integration device includes a strawberry push rod mounting platform and a pressure plate mounting platform. A pressure plate is mounted on the pressure plate mounting platform using double-ended studs, and a strawberry push rod is mounted on the strawberry push rod mounting platform using screws. The tool assembly block is located between the strawberry push rod mounting platform and the pressure plate mounting platform. Connecting plates on both sides of the tool assembly block are respectively bolted to the strawberry push rod mounting platform and the pressure plate mounting platform. The tool assembly block has longitudinal stepped holes corresponding to the tool head movement adjustment platform. A hollow rod is rotatably mounted in each longitudinal stepped hole via a bearing. The bearings are located on both sides of the tool assembly block and are positioned by the shoulders of the stepped holes. A push rod is installed inside the hollow rod. A driven double-belt pulley is installed on the part of the push rod extending to the outer side of the tool assembly block. A spring is installed in the groove at the top of the driven double-belt pulley. A spring-limiting cap is installed at the top of the push rod. An upper support is provided on the top of the spring-limiting cap. Screws pass through the upper support and the spring-limiting cap to fix both to the push rod. At the top, the spring is limited and its stiffness is adjusted. The bottom end of the push rod extends to the outer part of the tool assembly block and is threadedly connected to a lower support. A tool mounting plate is bolted to the opposite side of the lower support. A tool head seat is mounted on the inner side of each tool mounting plate by a cylindrical pin. A tool head is bolted to the end of the tool head seat. The two tool heads are arranged opposite each other. The cylindrical pin passes through the two tool head seats and the bottom end of the push rod. The push rod moves up and down, causing the tool heads on both sides to move closer or open. The pressure plate mounting platform and the strawberry push rod mounting platform are connected as one unit by a connecting platform. A support base with heat dissipation holes on the side wall is mounted on the connecting platform by screws. A drive device II is mounted on the top of the support base. The body of the drive device II is located inside the support base. A drive double belt pulley is mounted on the output shaft of the drive device II. Two conveyor belts are mounted on the drive double belt pulley. The two conveyor belts cooperate with the double belt pulleys on the corresponding push rods. The drive device drives each double belt double pulley to rotate.

2. The automatic strawberry stem removal machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The frame is equipped with feet at the bottom, and the frame can be leveled by adjusting the height of the feet.

3. The automatic strawberry stem removal machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conveying device includes a drive unit I, which is mounted on the bottom platform at the feed inlet end of the frame. The output shaft of the drive unit I is equipped with a driving double-row sprocket. The outer sides of the frame at both ends of the frame are equipped with spherical bearings with slider seats. A sprocket shaft is installed between the two spherical bearings with slider seats on the same side. Two large double-row sprockets are symmetrically installed on the inner side of each sprocket shaft. A driven double-row sprocket is installed at the end of the sprocket shaft on the feed inlet side. A feeding chain is installed between the two large double-row sprockets arranged along the transmission direction. A drive chain is installed between the driving double-row sprocket and the driven double-row sprocket. A chain plate is arranged on the outer side of the feeding chain. A fruit rack is installed on the upper surface of the chain plate. The fruit rack is installed at both ends of each chain plate, corresponding to the positions of the destemming device and the pressure plate. A positioning hole is opened at the outer end of the fruit rack.

4. The automatic strawberry stem removal machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The movement control device includes a top plate and a support frame. Roller frames are symmetrically mounted on the top plate along its length, and rollers are rotatably mounted on the roller frames. The top plate is slidably mounted to the top of the support frame via the rollers. A telescopic cylinder V is mounted at one end of the top of the support frame, and the output end of the telescopic cylinder V is connected to the side wall of the top plate for driving the top plate to move along the support frame. Support columns are fixedly mounted on the top plate by bolts. Stepped shafts are rotatably mounted on the top of the two support columns, and double-row sprockets I are mounted on the stepped shafts. A drive device III is mounted on the top plate, and a sprocket II is mounted on the output shaft of the drive device III. A chain I is installed between sprocket II and one of the sprockets of the double-row sprocket I. A height adjustment chain for the de-stemming device is mounted on the other sprocket of the double-row sprocket I. One end of the height adjustment chain for the de-stemming device is connected to one end of the piston rod of the telescopic cylinder I. The telescopic cylinder I is fixed to the top plate by bolts, and the other end of the height adjustment chain for the de-stemming device passes through a through hole in the top plate and connects to the top of the de-stemming device.

5. The automatic strawberry stem removal machine according to claim 4, characterized in that: The top plate is symmetrically equipped with triangular supports at its bottom. The triangular supports are fixed to the top plate by a right-angle arm, and a guide sleeve is installed on the other right-angle arm. A guide rod is installed on the guide sleeve. Telescopic cylinders II are symmetrically installed on the upper surface of the top plate. The piston rod of the telescopic cylinder II passes through the top plate and connects to the top of the guide rod. The piston rod of the telescopic cylinder II drives the guide rod to move downward so that the guide rod engages with the positioning hole on the fruit rack, ensuring that the cutter head accurately aligns with the strawberry on the fruit rack and precisely cuts off the strawberry stem.

6. The automatic strawberry stem removal machine according to claim 4, characterized in that: The support frame includes support columns and connecting beams. The top of the support columns is formed by the alternating arrangement of connecting beams and guide rails. The connecting beams are arranged in the width direction of the support frame, and the guide rails are arranged in the length direction of the support frame. One of the connecting beams is equipped with a telescopic cylinder V through a mounting seat. The support frame is fixed to the outer wall of the top of the machine frame by bolts.

7. The automatic strawberry stem removal machine according to claim 6, characterized in that: The guide rail includes a guide rod and a guide rod fixing plate. The two guide rods are arranged in parallel and the gap between them forms a slide. A gap is left between the slide and the roller. The two ends of the guide rod are fixed to the support column by the guide rod fixing plate.

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