Multifunctional nut shelling device

Abstract

The invention discloses a multifunctional nut husking device, and aims to solve the problems of low manual husking efficiency and poor universality of existing equipment in the detection field. The device comprises a box body, a supporting rod and a pressing plate movably arranged on the supporting rod, and the core of the device is that a modularized clamping shucker capable of being replaced integrally is arranged in the box body. The clamping shucker comprises a bottom plate, a bottom support with a conical placing groove, a clamping frame with an elastic soft clamping pad, a top plate and a cutter mounted on the lower side of the top plate. And the pressing plate drives the top plate and the cutter to move downwards through the connecting rod mechanism so as to shell the nuts. According to the invention, multiple purposes are realized through modular design, and nuts of different types and sizes can be quickly adapted; by means of the innovative cutter design, rotary cutting compound motion can be generated during downward pressing, the husking success rate and husking efficiency can be remarkably improved in cooperation with the flexible clamping function and the selectable vibration function, and the nut husking machine is particularly suitable for efficient and rapid pretreatment operation on various kinds of nuts in a detection laboratory.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a shelling tool for nuts, specifically a multifunctional nut shelling device. Background Technology

[0002] Nuts, as a nutritious food, often require shelling to obtain the kernels during their production, processing, and quality testing. Currently, for testing laboratories and small to medium-sized processing enterprises, nut shelling mainly relies on the following two methods: Manual shelling: Operators use simple pliers, hammers, or specialized manual shellers. This method has significant drawbacks: First, it is inefficient and labor-intensive, making it difficult to meet the needs of batch testing; second, the shelling force and angle are difficult to control precisely, easily causing the kernels to break or be damaged, affecting the accuracy of subsequent test results or the product's appearance; third, different tools or techniques are required for different types and sizes of nuts (such as macadamia nuts, pecans, almonds, etc.), making the operation cumbersome and requiring a high level of expertise.

[0003] Single-function electric shelling equipment: There are some large electric shelling machines on the market designed for specific nuts (such as walnuts). These machines are usually complex in structure, bulky, expensive, and have a single function, making them unable to flexibly adapt to the diverse needs of testing institutions for shelling multiple varieties in small batches with high integrity. In addition, their working principle is mostly simple squeezing or hammering, optimized for specific nuts, making adjustments difficult when changing varieties, and resulting in poor versatility.

[0004] In summary, existing technologies lack a dedicated device suitable for various testing scenarios, capable of flexibly adapting to different types of nuts, and ensuring efficient shelling. Therefore, there is an urgent need to design a multifunctional nut shelling device that is highly integrated, easy to operate, quick to change models, and provides excellent shelling results. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the aforementioned technical difficulties and provide a multifunctional nut peeling device that is suitable for detection scenarios, can flexibly adapt to various nuts, and has good peeling efficiency.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted is as follows: A multifunctional nut peeling device includes a housing, a support rod, and a pressure plate movably mounted on the support rod. The housing contains a modular, replaceable nut-peeling device. The nut-peeling device includes a top plate, a clamping frame, a base support, and a bottom plate. The base support is fixedly mounted on the bottom plate, and its top has a conical placement groove for accommodating nuts. The clamping frame is positioned above the bottom plate, and its interior has placement holes corresponding to the base support. The inner wall of the placement holes has elastic soft pads. The top plate is positioned above the clamping frame, and a blade holder is located on the lower side of the top plate corresponding to the placement holes. A blade is mounted on the blade holder. The pressure plate is driven by the top plate of the nut-peeling device via a linkage mechanism, so that when the pressure plate is pressed down, it drives the top plate and the peeling blades to move downwards together, performing a peeling operation on the nuts positioned in the base support and placement holes.

[0007] Furthermore, a support spring is provided between the clamping frame and the base plate.

[0008] Furthermore, a rotary drive structure is provided between the cutting tool and the tool holder, so that the cutting tool can generate a rotational motion relative to the tool holder when subjected to downward pressure.

[0009] Furthermore, the rotary drive structure includes an external thread on the cutting tool and a threaded hole on the tool holder, wherein the cutting tool is rotatably mounted on the tool holder via a threaded engagement.

[0010] Furthermore, the pressure plate is equipped with a vibrator to provide vibration during the shelling operation.

[0011] Furthermore, the pressure plate can be driven by manual pressing, reset by a return spring, or connected to a push rod motor for driving.

[0012] Furthermore, the conical placement groove on the base and the corresponding placement hole on the clamping frame are multiple and evenly distributed in an array.

[0013] Compared with existing technologies, the multifunctional nut peeling device provided in this application, through its innovative structural design, brings the following significant benefits: 1. High versatility and flexibility: By adopting a modular, replaceable clamping and shelling device design, corresponding specifications of clamping and shelling devices can be pre-configured for different types and sizes of nuts. In actual operation, only the corresponding module needs to be replaced to quickly switch the target object, realizing "one machine for multiple uses" and greatly expanding the application range of the equipment, perfectly matching the diverse sample characteristics of testing institutions.

[0014] 2. Excellent positioning and clamping protection: The sheller employs a dual positioning structure of a conical base and a clamping frame with elastic soft pads. The conical placement groove provides initial centering and bottom support for the nuts, while the surrounding elastic soft pads adaptively wrap and clamp the nuts, achieving flexible and uniform radial fixation. This design effectively prevents the nuts from rolling or experiencing localized stress concentration during shelling, providing a stable foundation for subsequent precise shell breaking and minimizing mechanical damage to the kernels.

[0015] 3. Highly efficient and minimally destructive shelling: The core shelling components, the blade and blade holder, are designed with a "rotary cutting" function. When the downward pressure drives the blade to contact the hard shell of the nut, the blade does not simply press directly, but simultaneously generates a rotational motion. This combined "pressing + rotating" motion can more effectively cut into and pry open the shell, especially suitable for nuts with hard, smooth, or irregular shapes. Compared to traditional direct pressure methods, less pressure is required, the shell is broken more smoothly, and the impact on the kernel is less. In addition, a vibrator can be integrated into the pressure plate to apply high-frequency micro-vibration during the pressing process. This helps the blade to more easily find weak points or natural gaps in the shell and promotes crack expansion, further improving the success rate of shelling and the integrity of the kernel.

[0016] 4. Simple operation and potential for automation integration: The main body of the device can adopt a centralized pressing structure driven by levers or motors. The operator only needs to perform one action (pressing down the pressure plate) to shell multiple nuts simultaneously, improving work efficiency by orders of magnitude compared to manual processing one nut at a time. The entire device has a compact structure, making it easy to integrate into a testing production line. The modular design makes it possible to interface with automatic feeding and shell-kernel separation and collection devices, providing a reliable hardware foundation for achieving full automation of pre-testing processing.

[0017] 5. Stable structure and easy maintenance: The rigid frame composed of support rods and housing ensures stable operation. Each functional module is connected via screws, quick-connect interfaces, and other simple methods, making assembly and disassembly easy, cleaning and maintenance convenient, and reducing spare parts replacement costs. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the multifunctional shelling device of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the base plate that holds the sheller in this application; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the clamping frame that holds the sheller in this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the top plate that holds the sheller in this application; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the blade that holds the sheller in this application; In the diagram, 1. Box body; 2. Top plate; 3. Support rod; 4. Pressure plate; 5. Vibrator; 6. Bottom plate; 7. Bottom support; 8. Clamping frame; 9. Placement hole; 10. Tool holder. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The technical solution of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the embodiments described herein are merely examples to facilitate understanding of the technical solution of this application and do not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of the claims of this application.

[0020] In the accompanying drawings, for ease of description, the relative positions of the components (such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," etc.) are based on the orientation of the drawings and should not be construed as limiting this application. Reference numerals are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the specific shape, number, or connection method of the components.

[0021] Example 1: Reference Figures 1 to 5 This embodiment provides a multifunctional nut shelling device, which is especially suitable for rapid batch pre-processing of various nuts in testing laboratories.

[0022] The device mainly includes a rigid housing 1, a support rod 3 as the main support structure, a pressure plate 4 as the power input component, and a core functional module—a modularly replaceable clamping and peeling device.

[0023] The housing 1 serves as the base and outer shell of the entire device, with standardized installation space reserved inside to accommodate different sizes of clamping peelers. The side walls or interior of the housing 1 may be equipped with guide grooves or positioning pins to form quick-change interfaces, which cooperate with corresponding structures on the base plate 6 of the clamping peeler to achieve rapid positioning and locking of the module. This is a common modular installation method in the art, such as using pins, snap-fit ​​mechanisms, or electromagnetic locking mechanisms, the purpose of which is to achieve rapid and precise replacement of modules, and is not the inventive point of this application.

[0024] Support rod 3 is vertically fixed to one side or rear of housing 1, providing guidance and support for pressure plate 4. Pressure plate 4 is mounted on support rod 3 via a sliding connection such as a sleeve or bearing, and can slide up and down along support rod 3. The driving mechanism for pressure plate 4 can employ various mature methods: one such method is... Figure 1 As illustrated, a handle can be directly installed on the pressure plate 4 for manual pressing by the operator, and a return spring can be installed between the pressure plate 4 and the fixed part of the housing 1 or support rod 3 to automatically reset after pressing; alternatively, a push rod motor can be connected to the pressure plate 4 to achieve electric drive. The selection of these drive methods and specific connections are conventional designs that can be made by those skilled in the art according to actual needs.

[0025] The clamping and peeling device is a modular unit, and its core components include: a base plate 6, a base support 7, a clamping frame 8, a top plate 2, and an execution component consisting of a tool holder 10 and a cutting tool.

[0026] The base plate 6 serves as the mounting foundation for the entire module and is fixed to the housing 1 via the aforementioned quick-connect interface. The base support 7 is fastened to the base plate 6 with screws, and its top is machined with at least one conical placement groove. The conical structure is designed according to geometric principles, capable of accommodating spherical or near-spherical nuts of different diameters, and utilizes the inclined surface to achieve automatic centering of the nuts, ensuring that their axis is approximately perpendicular to the plane of the base plate 6. This is the basic physical principle for achieving stable positioning.

[0027] The clamping frame 8 is positioned directly above the base 7. For example... Figure 3 As shown, the internal part of the clamping frame 8 has placement holes 9 that correspond one-to-one with the conical placement slots on the base 7. The inner wall of each placement hole 9 is embedded with an elastic soft pad (such as silicone, rubber, or polyurethane pad). The clamping frame 8 is mounted on the base plate 6 or connected to the internal structure of the housing 1 via several support springs. Its feasibility lies in the fact that when a nut is placed into the conical slot of the base 7 and pushed into the placement hole 9 of the clamping frame 8, the elastic soft pad undergoes elastic deformation, evenly wrapping around and clamping the nut from all sides. The support springs provide an upward preload to the clamping frame 8, ensuring that there is space between the clamping frame 8 and the base 7 for placing the nut when not under pressure; during downward pressure, it also provides cushioning, forming a flexible adaptive clamping system together with the elastic soft pad, preventing the nut from breaking due to rigid clamping.

[0028] The top plate 2 is located above the clamping frame 8. For example... Figure 4 As shown, a tool holder 10 is fixed to its lower side by screws. A tool is mounted on the tool holder 10 corresponding to each placement hole 9 (see...). Figure 5 The pressure plate 4 is drivenly connected to the top plate 2 via a linkage mechanism. For example... Figure 1 The linkage mechanism can be a simple four-bar linkage, including a first link hinged to the pressure plate 4 and a second link hinged to the top plate 2, with the two hinged to each other in the middle. According to the lever principle, the input force and displacement of the pressure plate 4 are transmitted and converted through the linkage mechanism into the output force and displacement that drives the top plate 2 to move vertically downwards. The material flow and operation sequence are as follows: the operator places the nuts into the base tray 7 -> the nuts are flexibly fixed by the elastic soft pad of the clamping frame 8 -> the pressure plate 4 is pressed down -> the top plate 2 is driven downwards through the linkage mechanism -> the top plate 2 drives the tool holder 10 and the tool to move downwards synchronously.

[0029] A key differentiating technical feature of this application lies in the peeling method of the cutting tool. As a preferred embodiment, a rotary drive structure is provided between the cutting tool and the tool holder 10. Specifically, as... Figure 5The structure can be designed as follows: an external thread is machined on the shank of the tool, and a matching internal thread (sleeve) is machined in the mounting hole of the tool holder 10. A return spring is also placed in the mounting hole of the tool holder 10. The tool is rotatably mounted on the tool holder 10 through a threaded fit, but its axial movement is limited by a limiting component (such as a retaining ring). Its feasibility and physical principle are as follows: When the top plate 2 is driven downwards, the cutting edge of the tool first contacts the hard shell of the nut. If the nut shell is hard and smooth, direct pressure may slip. At this time, due to the friction between the tool and the nut shell, the downward pressure (F) is converted into a torque that causes the tool to rotate (M = F * r, where r is the radius of friction). Guided by the threaded pair, this torque drives the tool to rotate around its own axis while moving downwards (feeding). This achieves a combined shell-breaking action of "downward pressure + rotation". This motion mimics the action of manually screwing in a screw or using a can opener, allowing the blade tip to penetrate the hard shell more effectively and tear it apart using rotational force. Compared to pure direct pressure, it requires less axial pressure, making the shell-breaking process more controllable and significantly reducing impact damage to the kernel. The energy flow here is: downward pressure -> converted into rotational kinetic energy and feed energy of the blade through the threaded joint -> acting on the nut shell to complete the cutting and tearing.

[0030] Furthermore, to address the challenges of shelling certain brittle nuts (such as walnuts) or to facilitate smoother peeling, a vibrator 5 (such as a small eccentric motor or piezoelectric ceramic vibrating plate) can be integrated into the pressure plate 4. This is feasible because when the pressing process begins, the vibrator 5 is activated, and the high-frequency, low-amplitude mechanical vibrations it generates are transmitted through the pressure plate 4 and the linkage mechanism to the top plate 2 and the blade. This vibration helps the blade's cutting edge quickly "find" the weak points or natural gaps in the nut's shell and promotes the expansion of cracks after cutting in, thereby further improving the success rate and efficiency of peeling.

[0031] After shelling, the pressure plate 4 is released, and all components return to their original positions under the action of the return spring. The broken nut shells usually remain in the placement holes 9 of the clamping frame 8 or scatter, while the intact kernels fall back into the conical groove of the base 7 and can be easily removed. The entire device has a clear structure and reliable operation. By changing the clamping and shelling modules with different inner diameter placement holes 9 and different blade types, it is possible to efficiently and with low damage process various nuts such as macadamia nuts, pecans, and almonds, perfectly meeting the needs of pre-processing for testing.

[0032] Example 2 Based on Embodiment 1, the rotary drive structure includes mating threaded portions configured with a large lead and optimized tooth profile, enabling the threaded portions to efficiently convert axial displacement into rotational motion of the tool when the top plate is driven by downward pressure. Preferably, the threaded portions are trapezoidal or rectangular threads. More preferably, the helix angle of the threaded portions is greater than its friction angle to prioritize transmission efficiency. The mounting holes of the tool holder 10 and the tool fitting threads adopt 30° trapezoidal threads or ACME threads (29°). Design parameter example: Target: 8mm downward stroke, tool rotation approximately 1.5 revolutions. Lead calculation: Lead = Axial displacement / Number of revolutions = 8mm / 1.5 ≈ 5.33mm. Thread specification selection: Tr12x5.5 (non-standard) or a similar trapezoidal thread can be selected. "5.5" refers to the lead. Thread count: To achieve a large lead of 5.5mm, a single-start thread would have a pitch of 5.5mm, resulting in high thread density and weak strength. A better solution is a double-start thread with a pitch of 2.75mm and a lead of 5.5mm. This provides a more reasonable thread profile and better strength. Helix angle calculation: Assuming the thread pitch diameter d2 is 11mm. Helix angle ψ = arctan(lead / (π * d2)) = arctan(5.5 / (3.14 * 11)) ≈ 9.1°. This angle is larger than the self-locking angle of ordinary threads (usually around 3-5°), falling into the non-self-locking or slip-prone range. However, as mentioned earlier, this is acceptable and advantageous in this application because it ensures high efficiency.

[0033] Regarding the shape and applicability of blades for common nuts, the core advantage of this solution lies in the "modular clamping sheller," whose blade shape can be specifically designed and quickly changed according to the physical characteristics of the target nut (shell hardness, thickness, texture, and shape).

[0034] I. Applicable Nut Types and Recommended Knife Shapes 1. Hard-shelled, spherical / quasi-spherical nuts (e.g., macadamia nuts, hazelnuts) Applicability: High. It is the ideal application for this solution.

[0035] Recommended tool shape: tapered drill bit or short-bladed Phillips head (e.g.) Figure 5 ).

[0036] Tapered-tipped drill bit: Utilizing the concentrated stress at the tip, it drills or pries open a notch in the hardest shell of a nut through a combined "pressing down + rotating" motion, like a drill bit. Subsequent rotational torque causes the shell to crack along natural fissures. Short-bladed cross-shaped cutter: The cutting edge is cross-shaped. Pressing down first creates a star-shaped crack, and rotating the blades simultaneously apply outward force, efficiently and evenly breaking a spherical hard shell into several pieces. Matching clamping design: Combined with a tapered base and fully enclosed elastic pads, it firmly holds the nut, preventing it from rolling and ensuring precise blade application.

[0037] 2. Nuts with naturally crevices in their shells (such as walnuts and pecans). Applicability: High. The vibration function in the solution is particularly effective for this type of nut.

[0038] Recommended knife shape: flat wedge-shaped knife or curved thin-bladed knife.

[0039] Wedge-shaped knife: With a thinner blade, similar to a chisel. The goal is not to "drill through," but to "wedge in." With the assistance of a vibrating pressure plate, the knife vibrates at high frequency, making it easier to embed the thin blade into the natural crevices of the walnut. Subsequently, the combined force of downward pressure and rotation propels the wedge-shaped knife into the crevices, causing the shell to crack along the weakest point. Curved thin-bladed knife: The blade's curve approximates the shape of the pecan, achieving better fit and stress distribution. The effect of vibration: Vibration significantly reduces the static pressure required to wedge the knife into the crevices and promotes rapid crack propagation, achieving "vibration-assisted cracking" and greatly protecting the integrity of the kernel.

[0040] 3. Almond-shaped / oblong-shaped nuts (such as almonds, pumpkin seeds, and watermelon seeds) Applicability: Medium to high. The key factors are clamping stability and the direction of the cutting tool's action.

[0041] Recommended blade shape: narrow slit knife or side-clamping rotary knife.

[0042] Narrow-slit knife: The blade is designed as a thin sheet to match the slit on the side of the almond. When gripping, align the natural slit of the nut with the blade. When pressing down, the blade precisely inserts into the slit and pries it open by rotating. Special requirements for the gripper: These nuts require a gripper that can stably hold them in a specific orientation (e.g., with the slit facing upwards), and may require a customized elastic pad shape (e.g., a V-groove) to assist in orientation.

[0043] 4. Small, slit nuts (such as pistachios and sunflower seeds) Applicability: Moderate. Feasible, but cost and efficiency need to be balanced.

[0044] Recommended blade shape: micro-blade or pick.

[0045] The blade size needs to be miniaturized. Given the partially opened nature of pistachios, the blade could be designed to insert into the opening and then slightly rotate to open it further. Challenges: High processing precision is required for the multi-station array, and the collection after shelling may require a special design. For testing companies, unless conducting large-scale testing, the efficiency advantage of using this device to process such small nuts may not be significant.

[0046] II. Types of nuts that may not be applicable or have limited effectiveness 1. Nuts with extremely thin shells that are tightly attached to the kernel (such as pine nuts and some varieties of sunflower seeds). Analysis of the cause: This method essentially involves "mechanical shell cracking," which, even with the thinnest blade and minimal pressure, is highly likely to cut or damage the soft, tightly packed kernel inside while cutting through the outer shell. These types of nuts are typically shelled using non-cutting methods such as "squeezing and rubbing" or "drying and cracking."

[0047] Conclusion: Not recommended / Poor results. The cutting action of this method may result in an excessively high rate of kernel breakage, failing to meet the integrity requirements for testing.

[0048] 2. Nuts with a multi-layered or fibrous, tough shell (e.g., coconut). Analysis of the cause: The outer shell (mesocarp) of nuts such as coconuts is an extremely tough fibrous layer, requiring tremendous cutting or impact force to break. This device is designed for precise, controllable, multi-variety laboratory or small-batch shelling; its structural strength and driving power may not be sufficient to efficiently handle such extra-large and extra-hard nuts.

[0049] Conclusion: Not applicable. The load exceeds the design load and capacity of this device.

[0050] 3. The kernels are liquid or paste-like (e.g., fresh coconut, some wild nuts). Cause analysis: The shelling result of this solution is to separate the solid kernel from the hard shell. If the target substance is liquid, the collection after shelling cannot be achieved using the existing structure (base, placement hole) of this device, which belongs to a completely different technical field.

[0051] Conclusion: Not applicable.

Claims

1. A multifunctional nut shelling device, comprising a housing (1), a support rod (3), and a pressure plate (4) movably mounted on the support rod (3), characterized in that: The box (1) is equipped with a modular and replaceable clamping peeler; The clamping peeler includes a top plate (2), a clamping frame (8), a bottom support (7), and a bottom plate (6); The base (7) is fixedly installed on the base plate (6), and its top is provided with a conical placement groove for holding nuts; The clamping frame (8) is set above the base plate (6), and its interior is provided with a placement hole (9) corresponding to the base support (7). The inner side wall of the placement hole (9) is provided with an elastic soft pad. The top plate (2) is located above the clamping frame (8), and a tool holder (10) is provided on the lower side of the top plate (2) corresponding to the placement hole (9), and a tool is installed on the tool holder (10); The pressure plate (4) is driven to the top plate (2) of the sheller via a linkage mechanism, so that when the pressure plate (4) is pressed down, it can drive the top plate (2) and the shelling knife to move downward together to perform shelling operation on the nuts positioned in the base (7) and the placement hole (9).

2. The multifunctional nut shelling device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: A support spring is provided between the clamping frame (8) and the base plate (6).

3. The multifunctional nut shelling device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: A rotary drive structure is provided between the cutting tool and the tool holder (10), so that the cutting tool can generate a rotary motion relative to the tool holder (10) when subjected to downward pressure.

4. The multifunctional nut shelling device as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The rotary drive structure includes an external thread on the cutting tool and a threaded hole on the tool holder (10), and the cutting tool is rotatably mounted on the tool holder (10) through threaded engagement.

5. The multifunctional nut shelling device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The pressure plate (4) is equipped with a vibrator (5) for providing vibration during the shelling operation.

6. The multifunctional nut shelling device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The pressure plate (4) can be driven by manual pressing, reset by a reset spring, or connected to a push rod motor.

7. The multifunctional nut shelling device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The conical placement groove on the base (7) and the corresponding placement hole (9) on the clamping frame (8) are multiple and evenly distributed in an array.

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