A device for picking and transporting grapefruits

Abstract

This invention discloses a pomelo harvesting and transportation device, comprising a transportation channel composed of a support frame and a tarpaulin. The support frame supports the tarpaulin and is equipped with a flipping mechanism and a linkage mechanism. The device utilizes the potential energy of the pomelo's own rolling impact to trigger the flipping mechanism and the linkage mechanism to form a blocking mechanism, allowing the pomelos to fall one by one. Through layers of buffering, the pomelos fall independently, avoiding high-speed collisions and preventing crushing damage. This pomelo transportation device allows pomelos to automatically roll downhill under gravity, achieving efficient automatic transportation of harvested pomelos. Furthermore, a fruit-splitting device is connected to the end of the transportation device. This device, linked to the transportation device, works in conjunction with the individual pomelo transport to quickly sort the pomelos according to requirements, facilitating the transport of the pomelos to the corresponding processing warehouse.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of agricultural production technology, specifically to a pomelo harvesting and transportation device. Background Technology

[0002] my country produces 10 million tons of pomelos annually. Both the peel and pulp of the pomelo have significant edible and medicinal value. The pomelo (scientific name: *Citrus maxima*), also known as Wendan, Xiangluan, Zhuluan, and Neizi, is the mature fruit of the pomelo plant (Citrus maxima), belonging to the Rutaceae family. It is produced in southern my country, including Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Zhejiang, and Sichuan. Pomelos are fragrant, sweet and sour, and refreshing. They are rich in nutrients and have high medicinal value, making them a popular fruit and recognized by the medical community as one of the most effective fruits for dietary therapy. Pomelo tea and pomelo peel also have practical value and can be used in medicine. Pomelos are round in shape and mostly grow on mountains. When pomelos ripen, after harvesting them from the mountains, vehicles often cannot drive directly up the mountains, so they are usually transported back and forth by hand, making the harvesting of pomelos from the mountains very inefficient. The applicant has also conducted some searches, and currently, there are few disclosed patent and non-patent documents regarding equipment for harvesting pomelos from the mountains.

[0003] Chinese patent CN104986497 discloses a device for harvesting pomelos from a mountain, comprising at least two X-shaped poles arranged at intervals, at least two support poles, and a first tarpaulin. Each X-shaped pole includes a left-hand pole, a right-hand pole, and a central shaft. The left-hand pole has a first insertion hole, and the right-hand pole has a second insertion hole. The central shaft is inserted into the first and second through holes, forming a connection where the left-hand pole and right-hand pole can rotate around the central shaft. At least one support pole is connected to the top of the left-hand pole, and at least another support pole is connected to the top of the right-hand pole. The first tarpaulin is fitted onto the support poles and is made of a soft fabric, forming a concave arc shape on the support poles to accommodate pomelos. This invention can efficiently and automatically collect pomelos from mountains. The applicant believes that although the device can transport pomelos picked from mountains, the process of the pomelos rolling down the mountain naturally due to the change in altitude is very unstable. In particular, the speed of the pomelos is too fast when they roll, which can easily cause them to jump out of the device or collide at the end, resulting in damage to the inside of the pomelos and spoilage. Furthermore, after the pomelos are collected, they need to be further sorted and transported separately according to different weights. However, the existing technology generally transports the pomelos to a transfer warehouse for sorting using the device, and then transfers them to the corresponding storage warehouse. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the prior art, the purpose of this invention is to provide a device that can efficiently transport and separate pomelos after harvesting them from the mountains. The device uses the rolling potential energy of the pomelos to trigger the opening and closing mechanism, and limits the speed of the pomelos by the opening and closing mechanism, so that the pomelos are isolated from each other and avoid collision damage between the pomelos.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: a pomelo picking and transportation device, including a tarpaulin and a support frame. The support frame and the tarpaulin form a transportation channel. The support frame includes a support base and a blocking mechanism. The support base is connected to the blocking mechanism. The blocking mechanism is located inside the tarpaulin and includes a flip-plate mechanism for limiting the opening and closing of the pomelo and a linkage mechanism triggered by the rolling impact of the pomelo. The flip-plate mechanism includes a hinge rod fixed to the support base and a flip plate that swings relative to the hinge rod. One end of the flip plate is located on the rolling stroke of the pomelo in the transportation channel, and the other end is connected to an axis. The linkage mechanism is located on the support frame relatively close to the flip-plate mechanism below. The linkage mechanism includes a lifting plate that rises and falls relative to the transportation channel, a chute frame for lifting the plate, and a spool wheel fixed on the chute frame. The other end of the axis passes around the spool wheel and is fixed above the lifting plate. The pomelo drives the flip plate to swing, and the swing of the flip plate pulls the axis to drive the lifting plate to rise and open the transportation channel.

[0006] Furthermore, the tarpaulin is also provided with a strut channel, the support frame is provided with tarpaulin struts at both ends connected to two adjacent support frames, the tarpaulin struts are provided through the strut channel, the support frame is also provided with a support swing rod, and the middle of the support frame is also provided with a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the height of the tarpaulin and the support base.

[0007] Furthermore, the lifting mechanism includes a telescopic sleeve and a drive unit. The drive unit provides power for the telescopic sleeve to lift the corresponding support seat height. It also includes a control module for the drive unit. The control module includes a gravity sensor, which is installed inside the tarpaulin between two adjacent support frames.

[0008] Furthermore, it also includes a fruit-splitting device, which includes several checkweighing devices arranged in a row starting from the end of the transport channel. Each checkweighing device includes a fruit-supporting tray and a fruit-pushing plate, with the fruit-supporting tray swinging relative to the checkweighing device.

[0009] Furthermore, a fruit-separating channel is provided under the fruit-receiving tray. The fruit-receiving tray includes an electronic weighing pan and a driving mechanism. The control mechanism of the driving mechanism is electrically connected to the electronic weighing pan. The driving mechanism is triggered by the detection result of the electronic weighing pan, which drives the fruit-receiving tray to swing relative to the weighing device to expose the fruit-separating channel.

[0010] Furthermore, the fruit-pushing plate is equipped with an independent drive unit, which is equipped with an infrared sensor. The infrared sensor is positioned directly opposite the fruit-receiving plate. By detecting the presence of grapefruits on the fruit-separating device, a feedback signal is sent to activate the drive unit, and the end-of-line weighing device sequentially drives the fruit-pushing plate along the direction closest to the end of the transport channel.

[0011] Furthermore, the fruit-bearing tray is equipped with a control unit, which has a button panel. The weight of the fruit that the fruit-bearing tray can support can be set through the button panel, thus adjusting the weight of the fruit falling into the fruit-separating channel.

[0012] Beneficial effects: The harvesting and transportation device of the present invention, by setting up a blocking mechanism, is triggered by the potential energy of the grapefruit's own rolling impact, so that the grapefruit falls one by one, and after passing through layers of buffering, high-speed impact is avoided. Moreover, by setting up the blocking mechanism, the grapefruit falls independently and will not collide with each other, thus avoiding the problem of crushing damage. The grapefruit transportation device of the present invention only requires throwing the grapefruit into the first tarpaulin, and the grapefruit will automatically roll down the mountain under the action of gravity, so that the device can efficiently and automatically collect the grapefruit on the mountain.

[0013] Furthermore, a fruit-splitting device is connected to the end of the transport equipment. This device works in conjunction with the transport equipment to quickly separate the pomelos according to requirements, making it easier for staff to transport them to the corresponding processing warehouse. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the transportation device of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the support frame structure of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the fruit-separating device of the present invention.

[0017] Reference numerals: 1. Tarpaulin; 2. Support frame; 21. Support bracket; 25. Support swing arm; 3. Fruit separating device; 31. Checkweighing device; 32. Fruit receiving tray; 33. Fruit pushing plate; 34. Electronic weighing pan; 4. Flipping mechanism; 41. Hinge rod; 42. Flipping plate; 43. Axis; 5. Linkage mechanism; 51. Lifting plate; 52. Slide frame; 53. Spool wheel; 6. Lifting mechanism; 61. Telescopic sleeve. Detailed Implementation

[0018] To better understand the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that, where there is no conflict, the embodiments and features described in these embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0019] Example 1: Please refer to Figure 1-2 The pomelo picking and transportation device shown is applicable to plantations with slopes, such as pomelo picking on hillsides. The main body of the transportation device in this embodiment includes a tarpaulin 1 and a support frame 2. The support frame 2 and the tarpaulin 1 form a transportation channel, which is fixed on the slope along the planting area from top to bottom. The support frame 2 in this embodiment also includes a support base 21 and a blocking mechanism. It is worth noting that the support frame 2 in this embodiment does not necessarily have a blocking mechanism. Users can set the support frame 2 on the tarpaulin 1 according to actual needs without setting a blocking mechanism. The support base 21 of this invention is connected to the blocking mechanism. The components of the blocking mechanism are movably set relative to the support base 21, including a flip-plate mechanism 4 located inside the tarpaulin 1 that limits the opening and closing of the pomelo and a linkage mechanism 5 that is triggered by the rolling impact of the pomelo.

[0020] The flipping mechanism 4 in this embodiment includes a hinged rod 41 fixed to the support base 21 and a flipping plate 42 that swings relative to the hinged rod 41. One end of the flipping plate 42 is located on the rolling stroke of the pomelo in the transport channel. Its working principle is that when the upstream pomelo rolls to the flipping mechanism 4 based on its own gravity, the flipping mechanism 4 will swing due to the impact of the pomelo. After the pomelo passes, the flipping plate 42 of the flipping mechanism 4 will be reset by gravity or by a spring, waiting for the next pomelo to pass. In this embodiment, the flipping plate 42 of the flipping mechanism 4 is hinged. The other end of the shaft 43, which is opposite to the point of impact with the pomelo, is connected to an axis 43. When the flip plate 42 swings, it pulls the axis 43. The other end of the axis 43 is connected to the linkage mechanism 5. The linkage mechanism 5 is set on the support frame 2 located downstream of the flip plate mechanism 4. The linkage mechanism 5 includes a lifting plate 51 that moves up and down relative to the transport channel, a chute frame 52 for lifting the plate 51, and a spool wheel 53 fixed on the chute frame 52. The other end of the axis 43 passes around the spool wheel 53 and is fixed above the lifting plate 51. The flip plate is driven by the pomelo. 42 swings, and the swing of the flap 42 pulls the axis 43 to drive the lifting plate 51 to rise and open the transport channel. Based on the working principle of the flap mechanism 4 described above, the blocking mechanism in this embodiment can achieve the following: when the second pomelo passes by, the flap mechanism 4 swings, and the impact force of the pomelo causes the flap 42 to swing and pull the axis 43, causing the lifting plate 51 to rise and open the transport channel. Before the lifting plate 51 rises, it blocks the first pomelo that passed through the flap mechanism 4 before the second pomelo. The lifting plate 51 then releases the passage, allowing the second pomelo to pass by automatically. The force continues to roll downwards through the channel opened by the lifting plate 51, while the flip plate 42 springs back and releases the pull on the lifting plate 51. The lifting plate 51 will also fall based on its own weight to block the transport channel, thus blocking the arrival of the second pomelo. This continues until the third pomelo drives the flip plate mechanism 4. This cycle repeats to achieve isolated transport of the pomelos. That is, before the next pomelo arrives, the previous pomelo will not directly enter the next stage, avoiding the pomelos rolling directly down and colliding with each other, and preventing the pomelos from rolling down from a height along the transport channel, which would cause spoilage.

[0021] As a further provision of the above scheme, the tarpaulin 1 is also provided with a strut channel, the support frame 2 is provided with tarpaulin struts at both ends connected to two adjacent support frames 2, the tarpaulin struts pass through the strut channel, the support frame 2 is also provided with a support swing rod 25, and the middle of the support frame 2 is also provided with a lifting mechanism 6 for raising and lowering the height of the tarpaulin 1 and the support base 21.

[0022] As a further provision of the above scheme, the lifting mechanism 6 includes a telescopic sleeve 61 and a drive unit. The drive unit is used to provide power for the telescopic sleeve 61 to lift the corresponding support seat 21. It also includes a control module of the drive unit. The control module includes a gravity sensor. The gravity sensor is set in the tarpaulin 1 between two adjacent support frames 2. The gravity sensor should be set to avoid the fixed stopping position in front of the lifting plate 51 to avoid false triggering during normal operation.

[0023] This invention, for areas with relatively gentle slopes, also includes a lifting mechanism 6 located in the middle of the support frame 2. This lifting mechanism 6 is simple yet practical. It uses a gravity sensor to trigger the operation of the lifting mechanism 6, which detects the downstream transport channel. When the gravity sensor feeds back information to the control module indicating that pomelos have been lingering in the current transport channel for an extended period, the lifting mechanism 6 is activated to raise the upstream support frame 2, creating a height difference between the two support frames 2. This results in a transport channel with varying slopes, allowing the pomelos to roll down the slope. This design solves the problems that may exist in existing high-altitude pomelo transport devices, such as the tarpaulin sinking in some sections of the transport channel when facing planting areas with uneven slopes, leading to difficulties in automatic rolling or the easy retention of pomelos in certain sections.

[0024] Example 2: Figure 3 As shown in the simplified diagram, as a further configuration of the embodiment 1, this embodiment connects a fruit-splitting device 3 to the end of the transport device. The fruit-splitting device 3 includes several check-weighing devices 31, which are arranged in a row starting from the end of the transport channel. Each check-weighing device 31 includes a fruit-supporting tray 32 and a fruit-pushing plate 33. The fruit-supporting tray 32 is oscillating relative to the check-weighing device 31.

[0025] As a further feature of the above scheme, a fruit-separating channel is provided under the fruit-receiving tray 32. The fruit-receiving tray 32 includes an electronic detection weighing pan 34 and a driving mechanism. The control mechanism of the driving mechanism is electrically connected to the electronic detection weighing pan 34. The driving mechanism is triggered by the detection result of the electronic detection weighing pan 34, which drives the fruit-receiving tray 32 to swing relative to the weighing device 31 to expose the fruit-separating channel.

[0026] As a further feature of the above solution, the fruit-pushing plate 33 is equipped with an independent drive unit. The drive unit is equipped with an infrared sensor, which is positioned directly opposite the fruit-receiving plate 32. By detecting the presence of grapefruit on the fruit-separating device 3, a feedback signal is sent to activate the drive unit. The end-weighing device 31 then sequentially drives the fruit-pushing plate 33 along the direction closest to the end of the transport channel. Other designs of the infrared sensor are also acceptable, as long as they detect the presence of fruit and activate the corresponding drive unit. In this embodiment, the purpose of driving the fruit-pushing plate 33 with infrared detection is to detect the fruit on the fruit-receiving plate 32, allowing the fruit to quickly pass through multiple fruit plates, thereby quickly separating the fruit and preventing the first fruit-receiving plate 32 from still having fruit when the fruit arrives from the transport device.

[0027] As a further feature of the above solution, the fruit-bearing tray 32 is equipped with a control unit, which has a button panel. The weight of the fruit carried by the fruit-bearing tray 32 can be set through the button panel, and the weight of the fruit falling into the fruit-splitting channel can be adjusted. This setting allows the fruit-splitting device to be used on different types or varieties of fruit, and can also be set according to needs to control product quality.

[0028] The improved design working principle of Embodiment 2 above: The purpose of this embodiment is to address the existing technology where, after harvesting, fruits generally undergo quality screening at a transit warehouse before being transported to the final packaging, processing workshop, or storage facility. This embodiment combines the unique design of the transport device in Embodiment 1, namely, the design of a single fruit passing through at a time, and incorporates Embodiment 2 of the present invention. Based on the characteristic that only one fruit passes through at a time, this device is designed. The working principle of this device is as follows: it is set at the end of the transport channel to receive the grapefruits transported from the transport channel. By detecting the passing fruit, it is then transferred from the end... The fruit-pushing plates 33 are activated sequentially from end to front, pushing the fruits backward one by one to make way for the fruit-receiving plates 32 in front. The fruit-receiving plates 32 also have a detection function. When they receive a pomelo that meets the requirements, they quickly open the fruit-separating channel to let the pomelo fall. It is worth noting that, as shown in the figure, each push of the fruit-pushing plates 33 can only move one fruit on the fruit-receiving plate 32. The movement of the fruit-receiving plates 32 will not affect the fruit-pushing plates 33 when they are stationary. The movement of the fruit-receiving plates 32 is superior to that of the fruit-pushing plates 33. That is, when the fruit-receiving plates 32 detect that the fruit meets the requirements and open the channel, the fruit-pushing plates 33 do not move.

[0029] The present invention discloses a harvesting and transportation device that uses a blocking mechanism to trigger the opening of the device by the potential energy of the grapefruit's own rolling impact, allowing the grapefruit to fall one by one. The grapefruit is buffered in layers to avoid high-speed impact. The blocking mechanism also ensures that the grapefruits fall independently and do not collide with each other, thus avoiding crushing damage. The grapefruit transportation device of the present invention only requires the grapefruits to be thrown into the first tarpaulin, and the grapefruits will automatically roll down the mountain under the action of gravity, thereby enabling the device to efficiently and automatically collect grapefruits from the mountain.

[0030] Furthermore, a fruit-splitting device is connected to the end of the transport equipment. This device works in conjunction with the transport equipment to quickly separate the pomelos according to requirements, making it easier for staff to transport them to the corresponding processing warehouse.

[0031] The purpose of the above structure is to enable staff to automatically sort and classify pomelos after picking them on the mountain, based on the matching fruit sorting device of the transportation device. The staff at the terminal only need to move the fruit storage box corresponding to the sorting channel to the corresponding warehouse, which eliminates the problems of transfer in the transit warehouse and setting up fruit sorting personnel or equipment.

[0032] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this invention without departing from its spirit and scope. Therefore, if these modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this invention and their equivalents, this invention also intends to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A pomelo harvesting and transportation device, characterized in that: Includes a tarpaulin (1) and a support frame (2). The support frame (2) and the tarpaulin (1) form a transport channel. The support frame (2) includes a support base (21) and a blocking mechanism. The support base (21) is connected to the blocking mechanism. The blocking mechanism is located inside the tarpaulin (1) and includes a flap mechanism (4) for limiting the opening and closing of the pomelo and a linkage mechanism (5) triggered by the rolling impact of the pomelo. The flap mechanism (4) includes a hinge rod (41) fixed to the support base (21) and a flap (42) that swings relative to the hinge rod (41). One end of the flap (42) is located at the rolling stroke of the pomelo in the transport channel. The upper part is set with an axis (43) connected to the other end. The linkage mechanism (5) is set on the support frame (2) relatively close to the lower part of the flip plate mechanism (4). The linkage mechanism (5) includes a lifting plate (51) that moves up and down relative to the transport channel, a chute frame (52) for lifting plate (51), and a bobbin wheel (53) fixed on the chute frame (52). The other end of the axis (43) passes around the bobbin wheel (53) and is fixed above the lifting plate (51). The flip plate (42) is driven to swing by the paddle wheel. The swing of the flip plate (42) pulls the axis (43) to drive the lifting plate (51) to rise and open the transport channel.

2. The pomelo harvesting and transportation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tarpaulin (1) is also provided with a strut channel. The support frame (2) is provided with tarpaulin struts that connect to two adjacent support frames (2) at both ends. The tarpaulin struts pass through the strut channel. The support frame (2) is also provided with a support swing rod (25). The middle part of the support frame (2) is also provided with a lifting mechanism (6) for raising and lowering the height of the tarpaulin (1) and the support base (21).

3. The pomelo harvesting and transportation device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The lifting mechanism (6) includes a telescopic sleeve (61) and a drive unit. The drive unit is used to provide power for the telescopic sleeve (61) to lift the height of the corresponding support base (21). It also includes a control module of the drive unit. The control module includes a gravity sensor, which is installed in the tarpaulin (1) between two adjacent support frames (2).

4. The pomelo harvesting and transportation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a fruit-separating device (3), which includes several weighing devices (31). The weighing devices (31) are arranged in a row with the end of the transport channel as the starting point. The weighing device (31) includes a fruit-supporting tray (32) and a fruit-pushing plate (33). The fruit-supporting tray (32) is oscillating relative to the weighing device (31).

5. The pomelo harvesting and transportation device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The fruit-receiving tray (32) is provided with a fruit-splitting channel underneath. The fruit-receiving tray (32) includes an electronic detection weighing pan (34) and a driving mechanism. The control mechanism of the driving mechanism is electrically connected to the electronic detection weighing pan (34). The driving mechanism is triggered by the detection result of the electronic detection weighing pan (34) to drive the fruit-receiving tray (32) to swing relative to the weighing device (31) to expose the fruit-splitting channel.

6. The pomelo harvesting and transportation device according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that: The fruit pusher plate (33) is equipped with an independent drive unit. The drive unit is equipped with an infrared sensor. The infrared sensor is positioned facing the fruit receiving plate (32). By detecting the presence of grapefruit on the fruit separating device (3), a feedback signal is sent to start the drive unit. The weighing device (31) drives the fruit pusher plate (33) sequentially along the direction close to the end of the transport channel.

7. The pomelo harvesting and transportation device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The fruit-bearing tray (32) is equipped with a control unit, which has a button panel. The weight of the fruit-bearing tray (32) can be set through the button panel, and the weight of the fruit falling into the fruit-separating channel can be adjusted.

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