A pepper semi-feed picking harvester
By designing a semi-feeding chili harvester, and employing whole-plant lifting and clamping technology and flexible fruit-removing rollers, the problems of high breakage and impurity rates in existing chili harvesters have been solved, achieving efficient and low-damage chili harvesting.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- XINJIANG ZHONGSHOU AGRI & ANIMAL HUSBANDRY MACHINERY CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-07-16
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-31
AI Technical Summary
Existing chili harvesters suffer from high breakage rates, impurity rates, and harvest losses during the harvesting process, making it difficult to meet the demand for efficient and high-quality harvesting.
A semi-feeding chili harvester was designed, which uses a whole-plant lifting and clamping conveyor and a flexible fruit-removing roller. The high-speed rotation cuts or pulls the chili plant from the root, and the flexible combing device achieves efficient fruit removal, reducing the damage rate and impurity rate.
It improves the efficiency and quality of chili harvesting, reduces the damage rate and impurity rate, and adapts to harvesting needs under different terrain conditions.
Smart Images
Figure CN224571850U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to agricultural crop chili harvesting machinery, specifically a semi-feeding chili harvesting machine. Background Technology
[0002] As a widely cultivated cash crop, the degree of mechanization in the harvesting process of chili peppers has a crucial impact on production efficiency and economic benefits. Currently, chili pepper harvesters, both domestically and internationally, exhibit diverse characteristics in their harvesting devices in terms of structure and usage.
[0003] In terms of structural characteristics, there are many types of harvesting devices, the most common being the wheel type, the auger type, and the harvesting pole type.
[0004] In terms of usage, chili harvesters can be categorized into row-oriented and non-row-oriented types. Row-oriented harvesters require chili plants to have relatively regular row spacing to ensure that the harvesting device can accurately target and pick the chilies; non-row-oriented harvesters are more flexible and can adapt to situations with irregular row spacing to some extent.
[0005] However, the combing principle commonly used in current chili harvesters has many drawbacks. When the harvesting device rotates at a low speed, although the damage to the chilies is relatively small, the harvest loss is significant, and a large number of chilies cannot be effectively harvested. Once the speed is increased, the breakage rate and impurity content of the chilies rise sharply. When the combing harvesting device is working, the comb mechanism often forcibly pulls the chili fruits off the stem, which easily leads to the chilies breaking and crumbling. Furthermore, the comb teeth are easily clogged by chili branches and leaves, resulting in a large loss of chilies. The stretching harvesting method uses a plate mechanism, where a roller pulls down the stem to clamp the chili fruits onto the plate mechanism for harvesting. This method is poorly adaptable to conditions such as chili maturity and planting spacing, and also results in a high impurity rate in the chili stems.
[0006] In summary, existing chili harvesting technologies suffer from serious problems in terms of harvest loss, breakage, and impurity levels, making it difficult to meet the industry's demands for efficient and high-quality harvesting. Therefore, the industry urgently needs a new technological equipment to solve these problems, promote the mechanization of chili harvesting, and facilitate the sustainable development of the chili industry. Utility Model Content
[0007] The purpose of this utility model is to provide a semi-feeding chili harvester with a reasonable and compact structure, which can harvest chilies in different terrain conditions. It cuts the chili plants from the root through high-speed rotation, and the cutting depth can be controlled by an adjustment device to ensure the cutting effect, reduce the damage rate and impurity rate of chilies, and improve work efficiency.
[0008] The purpose of this utility model is achieved as follows: A semi-feeding chili harvester includes a wheeled or tracked walking device. A whole-plant lifting and clamping conveying device and a pressure-bearing floating device are installed on a connecting frame fixed to the front of the chassis of the walking device. The whole-plant lifting and clamping conveying device consists of a separating and protecting device and a lifting and clamping conveying device. A centralized conveying device is set at the outlet end of the lifting and clamping conveying device. The discharge end of the centralized conveying device is connected to the inlet of the material reversing conveying device. The material reversing downward conveying section of the material reversing conveying device is located on the upper opening of the flexible fruit-removing roller set in the closed inner cavity, so that the material of the chili plant with the chili facing downwards cooperates with the flexible fruit-removing roller. The discharge end of the belt conveyor set at an inclination below the flexible fruit-removing roller is connected to the inlet of the lifting conveyor. The discharge port of the lifting conveyor is connected to the material box. The structure of the pressure-bearing floating device is that a compression spring is installed between the frame of the whole-plant lifting and clamping conveying device and the connecting frame through a spring seat or a compressed gas cylinder is installed through a connecting seat.
[0009] This invention features a whole-plant lifting and clamping conveying device installed at the front end of the connecting frame. This device can be flexibly selected and adjusted according to the chili planting method and agronomic requirements. If the lifting method is used, the whole-plant lifting and clamping conveying device consists of multiple symmetrically distributed separating and protecting devices and lifting and clamping conveying devices. Driven by hydraulics, it can use the lever principle to pull the chili plant up by the roots. If the cutting method is used, it is equipped with a rotary or reciprocating cutting blade. The chili plant is cut off from the root by high-speed rotation. The cutting depth can be controlled by an adjustment device to ensure the cutting effect.
[0010] A centralized conveying device is installed behind the whole-plant pulling and clamping conveyor. Its function is to gather the whole pepper plants after multiple rows of pulling or cutting into one path for easier subsequent processing. The centralized conveying device consists of multiple inclined second-ring conveyor belts. The surface of the second-ring conveyor belts is smooth and has a certain curvature, which can effectively guide the pepper plants to converge towards the center. The angle and spacing of the second-ring conveyor belts can be adjusted according to the actual number of rows and the size of the plants to ensure a stable and reliable converging effect.
[0011] Following the centralized conveying device is a material reversing conveyor, a key component for efficient fruit removal. This reversing conveyor employs a specially designed steering mechanism, comprising multiple rotatable small-diameter driven wheels, horizontal pressure rollers, horizontal twisting rollers, vertical twisting rollers, a second driving wheel, and a third circular conveyor belt. After the chili plants are conveyed from the centralized conveying device to the reversing conveyor, different rotation speeds and directions, combined with the guidance of the conveyor belt or chain, redirect the material from its upward direction to a downward direction, positioning the chili fruits at the bottom and preparing them for subsequent fruit removal operations.
[0012] Below the material reversing conveyor device, a closed-cavity flexible fruit-removing roller is installed. This device consists of a closed inner cavity and an internal flexible comb roller assembly. The flexible comb assembly comprises multiple rows of staggered flexible comb teeth, made of rigid or flexible elastic materials, possessing good flexibility and wear resistance. When the pepper plant is fed into the fruit-removing cavity, the flexible comb teeth rotate under the drive of the drive device, combing the pepper fruit off the plant through friction and collision. The combed-off fruit falls onto the fruit conveying device located below the flexible comb fruit-removing device due to gravity.
[0013] The fruit conveying device uses a belt conveyor structure. The conveyor belt surface has grooves to effectively prevent the fruit from rolling and slipping. The operating speed of the conveyor belt can be adjusted according to the working efficiency of the fruit threshing device to ensure that the fruit can be transported out in a timely and smooth manner, avoiding fruit accumulation that would affect harvesting efficiency.
[0014] This utility model includes a whole-plant lifting, clamping, and conveying device installed on the connecting frame in front of a chili harvester. The whole-plant lifting, clamping, and conveying device includes a separating and protecting device, and a lifting and clamping conveying device. The separating and protecting device lifts the fruit in contact with the ground to prevent it from colliding with the lifting device and cutting tools, thus avoiding fruit breakage or cutting. It includes a right separating tooth, a right lifting plate, a left lifting plate, and a left separating tooth. The left and right lifting plates support the fruit on the ground and protect it. The lifting, clamping, and conveying device functions as both lifting and cutting, and as a non-damaging conveying device. A centralized conveying device gathers materials from multiple rows into a single channel and conveys them neatly backward. The outlet of the centralized conveying device corresponds to a material reversing conveying device, which rotates the material 180° to create conditions for easy fruit removal. The outlet of the material reversing conveyor corresponds to the upper opening of the flexible fruit-removing roller installed inside the closed inner cavity. The fruit is sent out of the machine body by the detached seedling. It works in a relatively closed environment. The flexible fruit-removing roller removes the fruit, and the removed fruit is transported into the material box by the lifting conveyor.
[0015] The whole-plant pulling and clamping conveyor system includes a separating and protecting fruit device, a pulling and clamping conveyor, and a connecting frame that dynamically links the chassis and the whole-plant pulling and clamping conveyor system, enabling its lifting and lowering. A centralized conveying system merges multiple paths into a single channel. A material reversing conveyor system rotates the material 180° during transport. A flexible combing and fruit-removing device with a closed inner cavity creates a relatively enclosed space to complete fruit removal and conveying. The entire plant lifting and clamping conveyor is equipped with a separating and protecting fruit device at the front end. Inside the V-shaped opening of this device are right and left fruit-lifting plates. The left and right fruit-lifting plates can be made of rigid sheets, flexible sheets, or plastic components, and are designed with an arc-shaped unfolding line. The outlet of the centralized conveying device corresponds to a material reversing conveyor, which uses a flat belt or chain drive. Its function is to rotate the material 180° and then feed it into the flexible dehulling drum.
[0016] The flexible fruit-removing roller has a flexible sleeve made of rubber or silicone on the outside of the spring tooth rod, and the spring tooth rod is made of spring steel or non-metallic materials. Attached Figure Description
[0017] The present invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of this utility model. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the C-structure of this utility model. Figure 3 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the BB cross-section structure. Figure 4 for Figure 1 AA cross-sectional structural diagram Figure 5 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the HH cross-sectional structure. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of a flexible fruit-removing roller. Detailed Implementation
[0018] A semi-feeding chili harvester, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6As shown, the device includes a wheeled or tracked walking device 2, a whole-plant lifting and clamping conveying device 1, and a pressure-bearing floating device 36, all mounted on a connecting frame 3 fixed to the front of the chassis of the walking device 2. The whole-plant lifting and clamping conveying device 1 consists of a separating and protecting fruit device 10 and a lifting and clamping conveying device 11. A centralized conveying device 4 is set at the outlet end of the lifting and clamping conveying device 11. The discharge end of the centralized conveying device 4 is connected to the inlet of the material reversing conveying device 5. The material reversing downward conveying section of the material reversing conveying device 5 is located on the upper opening of the flexible fruit-removing roller 6 set in the closed inner cavity, so that the material of the chili pepper plant facing downwards cooperates with the flexible fruit-removing roller 6. The discharge end of the belt conveyor 7, which is inclined below the flexible fruit-removing roller 6, is connected to the inlet of the lifting conveyor 8. The discharge port of the lifting conveyor 8 is connected to the material box 9. The structure of the pressure-bearing floating device 36 is that a compression spring is installed between the frame of the whole-plant lifting and clamping conveying device 1 and the connecting frame 3 through a spring seat or a compressed gas cylinder is installed through a connecting seat. A cutting device is installed between the separating and protecting device 10 and the lifting and clamping conveying device 11. The cutting device is a rotary or reciprocating cutter. The separating and protecting device 10 has a symmetrical left separating tooth 12 and right separating tooth 13 arranged in a V-shape. A left lifting plate 14 and a right lifting plate 15 are respectively arranged on the inner side of the left separating tooth 12 and right separating tooth 13. A guiding channel is arranged between the lower edges of the left lifting plate 14 and right lifting plate 15. The cross-sectional shape of the left lifting plate 14 and right lifting plate 15 is an involute. The left lifting plate 14 and right lifting plate 15 are made of rigid plates or flexible plates. The structure of the lifting and clamping conveying device 11 is such that the inlet of the separating and protecting device on the right corresponds to the channel formed by the first front clamping conveying assembly 16 and the first rear clamping conveying assembly 17, and the inlet of the separating and protecting device on the left corresponds to the channel formed by the second front clamping conveying assembly 18 and the second rear clamping conveying assembly 19. The structure of the first front clamping conveying assembly 16, the first rear clamping conveying assembly 17, the second front clamping conveying assembly 18, and the second rear clamping conveying assembly 19 is such that vertical shafts are installed at both ends of the bracket 30 through bearings, and the first driving wheel 20 and the driven wheel 21 are fixed on the two vertical shafts respectively. The first annular conveyor belt 22 is installed on the first driving wheel 20 and the driven wheel 21. At the exits of the two channels, a centralized conveying device 4 is installed. The centralized conveying device 4 is structured such that a second annular conveyor belt 23 is installed on the first drive wheel 20 of the first rear clamping conveyor assembly 17 and the first drive wheel 20 of the second front clamping conveyor assembly 18, respectively. The working surfaces of the second annular conveyor belt 23 are respectively gathered inward by their respective pressure rollers 24, leaving a channel width, and then return to their respective first drive wheels 20 via corresponding driven rollers 25 and corresponding acute-angle slide plates 26. An angular gathering slide plate 27 is provided at the exits of the two channels, and a channel is provided between the two sides of the angular gathering slide plate 27 and the gathering conveyor belt.Symmetrical left and right fruit guard plates 28 and 29 are respectively installed above the first annular conveyor belt 22 located inside the front and rear clamping conveyor components. The left and right fruit guard plates 28 and 29 are L-shaped folded plates extending inward. The outward bent edges of the upper ends of the L-shaped folded plates are fixed to the corresponding brackets 30 by bolts. A guide gap channel is provided between the inwardly extending ends of the two symmetrical L-shaped folded plates. The first annular conveyor belt 22 and the second annular conveyor belt 23 are composed of belts or chains. The structure of the material reversing conveyor device is that a conveying channel is provided between two sets of parallel clamping conveyor components. The two sets of clamping conveyor components are respectively equipped with a third annular conveyor belt 40 on the small-diameter driven wheel 31 set horizontally at the front end, forming a V-shaped feed inlet. Each conveyor belt is twisted and upright by a horizontal pressure wheel 32, a horizontal twisting wheel 33, and a vertical twisting wheel 34, and then returns to its respective small-diameter driven wheel 31 via its respective second driving wheel 35. The flexible fruit-removing roller 6 has a structure in which flexible comb teeth 39 are mounted on a power-driven roller 37 via evenly distributed comb tooth seats 38. The front end of the roller 37 has evenly distributed flexible comb teeth 39 arranged from the outer end to the inner end, with the length of the flexible comb teeth 39 increasing sequentially from short to long. This results in the outer end of the evenly distributed flexible comb teeth 39 forming a conical outer diameter, the outer diameter of which is equal to the diameter of the larger end of the conical shape. The flexible comb teeth 39 have a flexible sleeve made of rubber or silicone placed outside the spring tooth rod, which is made of spring steel or non-metallic materials.
Claims
1. A pepper semi-feed picking harvester comprising a wheeled or tracked travelling means (2), characterised in that: The whole plant pulling and clamping conveyor (1) and the pressure-bearing floating device (36) are installed on the connecting frame (3) fixed to the front of the chassis of the walking device (2). The whole plant pulling and clamping conveyor (1) consists of a separating and protecting device (10) and a pulling and clamping conveyor (11). A centralized conveying device (4) is set at the outlet end of the pulling and clamping conveyor (11). The discharge end of the centralized conveying device (4) is connected to the inlet of the material reversing conveyor (5). The material reversing downward conveying section of the material reversing conveyor (5) is located in the closed inner cavity. The upper opening of the flexible fruit-removing roller (6) allows the material from the chili plant facing downwards to cooperate with the flexible fruit-removing roller (6). The unloading end of the belt conveyor (7) located at the bottom of the flexible fruit-removing roller (6) is connected to the inlet of the lifting conveyor (8). The unloading port of the lifting conveyor (8) is connected to the material box (9). The structure of the pressure-bearing floating device (36) is that a compression spring is installed between the frame of the whole plant lifting clamping conveyor (1) and the connecting frame (3) through a spring seat or a compressed gas cylinder is installed through a connecting seat.
2. A pepper semi-feed picking harvester according to claim 1, characterized in that A cutting device may be installed between the separating and protecting device (10) and the lifting, clamping and conveying device (11). The cutting device is a rotary or reciprocating cutter.
3. A pepper semi-feed picking harvester according to claim 1, wherein the divider is a roller. The structure of the rice protection device (10) is that the left rice dividing tooth (12) and the right rice dividing tooth (13) are arranged in a V shape. The left rice dividing tooth (12) and the right rice dividing tooth (13) are respectively arranged on the inner side of the left rice dividing tooth (12) and the right rice dividing tooth (13). The rice guiding channel is arranged between the lower edge of the left rice dividing tooth (14) and the right rice dividing tooth (15). The cross-sectional shape of the left rice dividing tooth (14) and the right rice dividing tooth (15) is an involute. The left rice dividing tooth (14) and the right rice dividing tooth (15) are made of rigid plate or flexible plate.
4. A pepper semi-feed picking harvester according to claim 1, characterized in that: The structure of the lifting and clamping conveying device (11) is such that the inlet of the separating and protecting the fruit device on the right corresponds to the channel formed by the first front clamping conveying assembly (16) and the first rear clamping conveying assembly (17), and the inlet of the separating and protecting the fruit device on the left corresponds to the channel formed by the second front clamping conveying assembly (18) and the second rear clamping conveying assembly (19). The structure of the first front clamping conveying assembly (16), the first rear clamping conveying assembly (17), the second front clamping conveying assembly (18), and the second rear clamping conveying assembly (19) is such that vertical shafts are installed at both ends of the bracket (30) through bearings, and the first driving wheel (20) and the driven wheel (21) are fixed on the two vertical shafts respectively. The first circular conveyor belt (22) is installed on the first driving wheel (20) and the driven wheel (21).
5. A pepper semi-feed picking harvester according to claim 4, characterised in that the At the exits of the two channels, a centralized conveying device (4) is installed. The centralized conveying device (4) is structured such that a second annular conveyor belt (23) is installed on the first drive wheel (20) of the first rear clamping conveyor assembly (17) and the first drive wheel (20) of the second front clamping conveyor assembly (18). The working surfaces of the second annular conveyor belt (23) are respectively gathered inward by their respective pressure rollers (24) to leave the width of the channel, and then return to their respective first drive wheels (20) via the corresponding driven rollers (25) and the corresponding acute-angle slide plates (26). An angular gathering slide plate (27) is set at the exits of the two channels. A channel is set between the two sides of the angular gathering slide plate (27) and the gathering conveyor belt.
6. A pepper semi-feed picking harvester according to claim 4, characterized in that: Symmetrical left fruit guard plate (28) and right fruit guard plate (29) are respectively set above the first annular conveyor belt (22) located inside the front and rear clamping conveyor components. The left fruit guard plate (28) and right fruit guard plate (29) are L-shaped folded plates extending inward. The folded edge of the upper end of the L-shaped folded plate is fixed to the corresponding bracket (30) by bolts. A guide gap channel is set between the inwardly extending ends of the two symmetrical L-shaped folded plates.
7. A pepper semi-feed picking harvester according to claim 4 or 5, characterised in that: The first annular conveyor belt (22) and the second annular conveyor belt (23) are composed of belts or chains.
8. A pepper semi-feed picking harvester according to claim 1, characterized in that: The structure of the material reversing conveying device is that a conveying channel is set between two sets of parallel clamping conveying components. The two sets of clamping conveying components are respectively equipped with a third ring conveyor belt (40) on the small diameter passive wheel (31) set horizontally at the front end, forming a V-shaped inlet. Each conveyor belt passes through a horizontal pressure wheel (32), a horizontal twisting wheel (33), and a vertical twisting wheel (34) to make the horizontal conveyor belt twist and stand upright, and then return to their respective small diameter passive wheels (31) through their respective second driving wheels (35).
9. A pepper semi-feed picking harvester according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible fruit-removing roller (6) has a structure in which flexible comb teeth (39) are installed on a power-driven roller (37) through evenly distributed comb tooth seats (38). The front end of the roller (37) is evenly distributed with flexible comb teeth (39) arranged from the outer end to the inner end. The length of the flexible comb teeth (39) increases from short to long, so that the outer end of the evenly distributed flexible comb teeth (39) of the flexible fruit-removing roller (6) forms a conical outer diameter. The outer diameter of the evenly distributed flexible comb teeth (39) of the flexible fruit-removing roller (6) is equal to the diameter of the large end of the conical shape.
10. A pepper semi-feed picking harvester according to claim 9, characterised in that: The flexible comb (39) has a flexible sleeve made of rubber or silicone on the outside of the spring bar, which is made of spring steel or non-metallic material.