Device for opening and splitting coconuts

Abstract

Device for opening and splitting coconuts (18) comprising a preferably sleeve-shaped base body (10), a nut holder (16) arranged on an end face of the base body (10) and defining a central opening (14), a clamping mechanism (20) extending over the end face of the base body (10) and movable relative to the nut holder (16), designed as a nut holder, and a pressure piece (106) axially displaceable relative to the base body (10), which has an end face (108) or edge pointing outwards towards the end face and movable between a rest position withdrawn into the interior of the base body (10) and an active position extending through the central opening (14) of the nut holder (16), characterized in that the pressure piece (106) is blunt and has a flat end face (108).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a device for opening and splitting coconuts according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] A coconut is the fruit of coconut palms, which are common in many countries with tropical climates. The kernels of coconuts, with their hard, woody shells and nutritious and flavorful contents of coconut flesh (copra) and coconut water, are traded worldwide, including for private consumption. To access the coconut flesh, the coconut must be opened and split, which can be difficult due to the hard shell. Sawing a coconut open is relatively laborious and can lead to injury. If a hammer is used to crack the shell, the result is unsatisfactory because the cracking around the circumference of the nut is uneven, and pieces of shell can chip off. To avoid these drawbacks, devices for opening and splitting coconuts have already been proposed (e.g.,...).DE 201 11 818 U1), which, however, are cumbersome to use, especially with coconuts of different sizes, and lead to an unsatisfactory peeling result.

[0003] US patent 2015 / 0044354A1 discloses a device for making a hole in a coconut. The device has a pressure piece with a hollow body that can be pressed through the inner shell and the flesh into the interior of the coconut, where the coconut milk is located.

[0004] Based on this, the invention aims to develop a compact device of the type mentioned above, which can be operated easily and without much effort for coconuts of different sizes with consistently good processing results.

[0005] To solve this problem, the combinations of features specified in claims 1 and 2 are proposed. Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention are described in the dependent claims.

[0006] The invention is based on the idea of ​​constructively coordinating the clamping mechanism and the splitting mechanism for the coconut within the device in such a way that clean splitting is possible with high reliability even with coconuts of different sizes. According to the invention, this is achieved primarily through the following features: - a preferably sleeve-shaped base body is provided, - a nut bearing arranged on one end face, bordering a central opening, - a clamping mechanism projecting beyond the front face of the base body, movable relative to the nut bearing and serving as a nut holder - and has a pressure piece that is axially displaceable relative to the base body, - which pressure piece has a front surface or edge pointing outwards towards the front, movable between a rest position withdrawn into the interior of the base body and an operating position extending through the central opening of the nut bearing, and acting on a clamped coconut.

[0007] The pressure piece can be designed as a cutting body which is arranged on a cutting support that is axially displaceable relative to the base body.

[0008] The nut bearing can be formed by a circumferential front edge of the base body that limits the central opening and forms a concave curved bearing bed for the coconut to be opened.

[0009] A preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the clamping mechanism comprises a strap arrangement with an arc-shaped loop section located outside the base body, forming the nut holder. This loop section is axially displaceable relative to the base body by means of a clamping slide, simultaneously increasing or decreasing its opening cross-section. Advantageously, the strap arrangement has two strap sections extending from the loop section towards the base body, their ends fixed to the clamping slide, and at least one clamping strap, preferably metallic, forming the loop section. Particularly reliable clamping of the coconut is achieved with a strap arrangement comprising two clamping straps of equal length, which are coupled to each other by at least one spacer arranged in the area of ​​the loop section and connected at their ends to the clamping slide via a common strap section.

[0010] To prepare for opening, the belt assembly is first extended far enough from the base body to allow the coconut to be inserted into the loop section and positioned against the nut holder of the base body. Subsequently, when the belt assembly is retracted towards the base body, for example via an adjustment mechanism, the loop section fits snugly around the coconut and holds it securely in the nut holder. With the coconut clamped in place, the pressure piece or cutting element then presses against or penetrates the coconut through the central opening, cracking or splitting its shell.

[0011] A further advantageous embodiment of the invention provides an adjustment device for the clamping mechanism, which includes a threaded spindle extending through a portion of the base body and rotatably mounted therein, while the clamping slide has an internal thread guided on the threaded spindle and is axially displaceable and non-rotatable within the base body. This adjustment device allows the diameter of the loop section to be adapted to the size of the coconut to be clamped, and the coconut to be clamped in the area of ​​the nut bearing on the base body. The adjustment device of the clamping mechanism is expediently operable manually or by motor.

[0012] Advantageously, the clamping slide comprises a clamping disc with an internal thread, arranged inside the base body. According to a first embodiment, the belt assembly, with its belt sections, terminates in the base body, its ends being fixed to the clamping disc. The clamping disc of the clamping slide can be guided on or in the base body by axially parallel guide slots or guide rods.

[0013] A second embodiment of the invention provides that the tensioning slide has at least one sliding carriage fixed to opposite sides of the tensioning disc and extending through axially parallel guide slots of the base body with sliding blocks, and that the belt sections are fixed with their ends to the sliding carriage(s) of the tensioning slide via the sliding blocks.

[0014] A preferred embodiment of the invention consists in the sliding carriage being designed as a tube section axially guided on the outside of the sleeve-shaped base body, which has at one end two fastening tabs, preferably bent outwards, each connected to one of the belt sections.

[0015] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the pressure piece or the cutting tool holder can be moved between the rest position and the working position by means of an actuating device that can be driven manually or by a motor. The actuating device expediently comprises a push element that is arranged in the base body in a non-rotatable and axially displaceable manner and is connected to the threaded spindle in a displacement-resistant and rotatable manner. This push element is connected to the pressure piece or the cutting tool holder via an adjusting mechanism that is adjustable in its axial extension. This measure ensures that the coconut is held stably on the base body even during the splitting process and that the clamping mechanism is automatically retensioned via the push element, which is floatingly mounted in the base body.

[0016] A particularly advantageous design feature of the invention is that the adjustment mechanism comprises a closed four-bar linkage with four coupling links connected to each other in pairs at their ends by means of a rotary joint, wherein two of the diagonally opposite rotary joints of the four-bar linkage each form a joint pair. One of the joint pairs has a rotary joint fixed to the push-link and a rotary joint fixed to the pressure piece or cutting tool holder, while the rotary joints of the other joint pair have aligned, opposing internal threads that interact with opposing thread sections of a spindle element that can be rotated manually or by motor.

[0017] A further improvement in cutting performance during the opening and splitting process is achieved when the tube section or cutting element forms a mandrel with a cutting point and at least two adjoining, wedge-shaped diverging edges on its end face. Advantageously, the mandrel has two wedges that intersect transversely, one of which has sharp cutting edges for penetrating the coconut shell and the other has blunt spreading edges for spreading and splitting the coconut shell.

[0018] Another variant for actuating the pressure piece involves mounting the threaded spindle rotatably and with limited axial displacement within the base body, and connecting it rigidly at its end face to a pressure piece carrier. The pressure piece, under the influence of a pre-tensioned spring supported in the base body, bears against the pressure piece carrier. In the pressure piece's rest position, the spring rests against a fixed stop on the housing, while in the operating position, the pressure piece carrier is lifted from this stop against the spring pressure. To reduce friction losses within the device, the pressure piece carrier is rotatably mounted against a fixed bearing plate via an axial needle bearing. The threaded spindle can be rotatably or rigidly connected to the pressure piece carrier at its free end. The spring is advantageously designed as a helical compression spring.Advantageously, the stop is formed by a base body-fixed bearing plate through which the threaded spindle can be rotatably and axially displaceably passed, wherein the base body can additionally carry another bearing plate at its rear end through which the threaded spindle can be rotatably and axially displaceably passed by means of a handle.

[0019] Another particularly simple embodiment of the invention provides that the tensioning slide forms a tensioning ring encompassing the base body, which is displaceable on an associated axially parallel guide and locking rod with at least one clamping lock, preferably with two diametrically opposed clamping locks, and can be automatically locked there under a preset pretension of the belt assembly. In this case, after the coconut has been inserted, the belt assembly is first clamped manually onto the base body via the tensioning ring before the pressure piece is brought into its operative position against the force of the spring by means of the threaded rod driven by a handle.

[0020] The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the exemplary embodiments shown schematically in the drawing. The drawing shows... Fig. 1a and b two longitudinal sections of a first embodiment of the invention rotated 90° relative to each other, with cutting body in cutting position and tension belt in its two end positions; Fig. 2a to c two longitudinal sections and a top view of the device according to Fig. 1 with cutting body in rest position; Fig. 3a and b two longitudinal sections of the device according to Fig. 2 a and b in cutting position of the cutting body with small coconut; Fig. 4a and b representations accordingly Fig. 3a and b with large coconut; Fig. 5a to c two longitudinal sections of the basic body as well as a cross-section along the section line A - A of the Fig. 5a; Fig. 6a to c three side views of the coupling mechanism for the cutting tool carrier; Fig. 6d and e each show a side view of a threaded nut and a coupling element of the coupling mechanism according to Fig. 6a to c; and Fig. 7a to d a sectional view, two side views and a diagrammatic representation of the cutting tool holder with cutting body; Fig. 8a and b two longitudinal sections of a second embodiment of the invention rotated by 90° relative to each other in the rest position of the cutting body and in one end position of the tensioning strap with large loop section; Fig. 9a and b two longitudinal sections of the embodiment rotated 90° relative to each other according to Fig. 8a and b in the cutting position of the cutting body and in the other end position of the tensioning strap with small loop section. Fig. 10a to c two longitudinal sections rotated 90° relative to each other and a cross-section of a third embodiment of the invention in the rest position of the pressure piece with a belt arrangement without coconut; Fig. 11a to c two longitudinal sections rotated 90° relative to each other and a cross-section of the embodiment according to Fig. 10a to c in the operating position of the pressure piece with the coconut clamped into the belt arrangement; Fig. 12 a longitudinal section of a fourth embodiment of the invention with a coconut inserted in the rest position of the pressure piece and in an intermediate position of the loop section; Fig. 13a and b Principle of the adjustment device for the belt arrangement in the exemplary embodiment according to Fig. 12 with coconut inserted in an intermediate position and in the tension position of the loop section; Fig. 14a and b Principle of the actuating mechanism for the pressure piece according to the exemplary embodiment according to Fig. 12 with pressure piece in rest position and in outermost working position.

[0021] The devices shown in the drawing are designed for opening and splitting coconuts. They have a substantially cylindrical, sleeve-shaped base body 10, whose circumferential end edge 12 defines a central opening 14 and forms a nut bearing 16 for a coconut 18 to be opened and split. To provide sufficient support for coconuts 18 of different sizes, the end edge 12 can be designed as a concavely curved bearing bed, forming the nut bearing 16 (see figure). Fig. 12).

[0022] The coconut 18 can be clamped to the nut holder 16 by means of a clamping mechanism 20 projecting beyond the end face 12 of the base body 10. The clamping mechanism 20 has a preferably metallic belt arrangement 22, which includes an arc-shaped loop section 24 arranged outside the base body 10 and forming a nut holder, as well as two belt sections 30 extending from the loop section 24 towards the base body 10 and fixed at their ends to a clamping slide 27. The clamping slide 27 is axially displaceable relative to the base body 10 by means of an adjusting device 32, simultaneously increasing or decreasing the opening cross-section of the loop section 24 by a displacement s. Fig. 1a) The adjusting device 32 has a threaded spindle 36 extending through a part of the base body 10 and projecting there over the rear end 34 of the base body 10 and rotatably arranged in the base body 10, on which the clamping slide 27 is guided with an internal thread and is arranged axially displaceable and non-rotatable in the base body 10.

[0023] During the Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3, Fig. 4 to Fig. In the first embodiment shown in Figure 5, the tensioning slide 27 has a tensioning disc 28 which engages with two radially projecting sliding blocks 38 in axially parallel guide slots 40 of the base body 10. In this case, the belt sections 30 of the belt assembly 22 open from the loop section 24 through wall openings 26 into the base body 10 and are guided inside the base body 10 to the tensioning disc 28, where their ends are fixed.

[0024] The second version variant according to the Fig. 8 and Fig. The second embodiment differs from the first in that the tensioning slide 27 has a tensioning disc 28 arranged inside the base body and two sliding carriages 84 fixed to opposite sides of the tensioning disc 28 and extending through axially parallel guide slots 82 of the base body 10 by means of sliding blocks 80. In this case, the ends of the belt sections 30 are fixed to the sliding carriages 84 of the tensioning slide 27 via the sliding blocks 80. The tensioning disc 28 is guided by two guide rods 86 arranged axially parallel inside the base body. The second embodiment has the advantage over the first embodiment that the belt sections 30 of the tensioning belt 22 can be moved outside the base body 10 with almost no friction.

[0025] In addition to the clamping mechanism 20, the design variants according to Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3, Fig. 4, Fig. 5, Fig. 6, Fig. 7, Fig. 8 to Fig. 9 A cutting element carrier 42 is provided which is axially displaceable relative to the base body 10 and carries a cutting element 44 that points outwards towards the end face and is movable between a rest position retracted into the interior of the base body 10 and a cutting position extending through the central opening 14 of the nut bearing 16. The cutting element carrier 42 is displaceable between the rest position and the cutting position of the cutting element 44 by means of an actuating device 47, which is manually driven by the rotary handle 46, and is guided by sliding blocks 45 in two further axially parallel guide slots 52 of the base body 10. The actuating device 47 has a push element 49 which is arranged in the base body 10 so as to be non-rotatable and axially displaceable, and which is connected to the cutting element carrier 42 via an adjusting gear 48 which is adjustable in its axial extension.The push member 49 is also connected to the threaded spindle 36 of the adjusting device 32 in a displaceable and rotatable manner.

[0026] The adjusting gear 48 of the actuating device 47 for the cutting tool holder 42 forms in the Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3, Fig. 4, Fig. 5, Fig. 6, Fig. 7, Fig. 8 to Fig. The embodiments illustrated in Figure 9 depict a scissor-like linkage mechanism. It comprises a closed four-bar linkage with four linkages 58', 58'', 58''', 58'''', 58'''', each connected in pairs at its ends by means of a reversible joint 54', 54'', 56', 56''''. Two of the diagonally opposite reversible joints 54', 54'' and 56', 56'' of the four-bar linkage each form a joint pair. One of the two joint pairs has a reversible joint 54', 54'' that is fixed to the push link and a reversible joint 54', 54'' that is fixed to the cutting edge carrier. The pivot joints 56', 56" of the other pair of joints each have a threaded nut 60', 60" which are arranged with their mutually aligned, opposing internal threads on opposing thread sections 62', 62" of a spindle element 62 which can be rotated via the rotary handle 46.

[0027] A special feature of the described clamping mechanism 20 and the adjusting device 32 is that the common push member 49 is connected in a non-displaceable manner to both the inner end 64 of the threaded spindle 36 of the clamping mechanism 20 and to one of the rotary joints 54" of the adjusting gear 48, and is displaceable to a limited extent with the radially projecting sliding blocks 50 in the guide slots 52 of the base body 10.

[0028] Another special feature of the design variants according to Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3, Fig. 4, Fig. 5, Fig. 6, Fig. 7, Fig. 8 to Fig. 9 consists in the fact that the cutting body 44 forms a mandrel 66 with a cutting tip 68 and at least two edges 71, 73 adjoining the cutting tip 68 in the direction of the cutting carrier 42, diverging in the manner of a wedge 70, 72. In the Fig. In the embodiment shown in Figures 7a to d, the mandrel 66 has two wedges 70, 72 that intersect each other transversely, one of which is provided with sharp cutting edges 71 and the other with blunt spreading edges 73, the cutting edges 71 axially leading the spreading edges 73 in the feed direction. In the assembled state, the mandrel 66 is arranged within the base body 10 relative to the loop section 24 such that its wedge 70, which has the cutting edges 71, spans a plane within the loop section 24 that is parallel to the loop plane, while its wedge 72, which has the spreading edges 73, spans a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the loop plane. These measures ensure that the coconut is always split in a plane parallel to the loop plane when the mandrel 66 penetrates it.As the mandrel 66 penetrates further, the divided nut halves 18', 18" are separated from each other by means of the spreading edges 73 of the wedge 72 transversely to the loop plane (cf. . Fig. 3a and Fig. 4a).

[0029] As especially from Fig. As can be seen in Figures 7a to d, the otherwise cylindrical surface of the cutting tool carrier 42 is provided with two diametrically opposed flattened surfaces 76 or axially parallel grooves 76', which, in the installed state, maintain a gap to the inner surface of the base body 10 for the frictionless passage of the belt sections 30 or the sliding carriages 84. The push member 49 and the clamping disc 28 also have corresponding flattened surfaces or grooves. In the case of the Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3 to Fig. In the embodiment shown in Figure 4, the belt sections 30 in the area of ​​the tensioning disc 28 must each be provided with a hole for the passage of the sliding blocks 38. At their outermost end, the belt sections 30 are Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3 to Fig. 4 are bent radially inwards and fixed to the base of the clamping disc 28 by means of a screw or rivet connection 78. Alternatively, in the case of Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 The belt sections 30 are fixed at their outermost ends to the sliding blocks 80 of the sliding carriage 84, which extend through the guide slots 82. Accordingly, the through-holes in the belt sections 30 are unnecessary here.

[0030] The handling of the device according to Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3, Fig. 4, Fig. 5, Fig. 6, Fig. 7, Fig. 8 to Fig. 9. The opening and splitting process is as follows: First, the clamping mechanism 20 is adjusted by rotating and / or sliding the handle 74, which is located on the threaded spindle 36, so that the coconut 18 to be opened fits into the loop section 24 projecting beyond the base body 10 and can be positioned against the nut bearing 16. Then, by retracting the clamping slide 27, the clamping mechanism 20 is actuated using the handle 74 and the threaded spindle 36 until the loop section 24 presses the coconut 18 firmly against the nut bearing 16. Due to the floating mounting of the push element 49 within the base body 10, the cutting tool holder 42 is moved towards the coconut 18 until it reaches the stop of the mandrel 66 during the final clamping phase. The actual cutting and splitting process is initiated via the adjustment mechanism 48 using the rotary handle 46.In this process, the pressure piece, designed as a cutting element 44, first penetrates the shell of the coconut 18 with the cutting tip 68 and the cutting edges 71 of the wedge 70, splitting it into two parts. It is important that the coconut 18 remains stably held against the base body 10 during the cutting process by automatically retensioning the clamping mechanism 20 via the push element 49, which is floating within the base body 10. Finally, the two coconut halves are forced outwards and separated from each other by means of the spreading edges 73 of the wedge 72, which follow the cutting edges 71.

[0031] The in the Fig. 10a to c, Fig. The embodiment of a coconut cracker shown in 11a to c differs from the devices according to Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3, Fig. 4, Fig. 5, Fig. 6, Fig. 7, Fig. 8 to Fig. 9, in particular, by the fact that a combined actuating device with only one handle 74 is provided for the clamping mechanism and the splitting mechanism. The device has a substantially sleeve-shaped base body 10, the circumferential end edge 12 of which defines a central opening 14 and forms a nut holder 16 for a coconut 18 to be opened and split. The coconut can be clamped onto the nut holder 16 by means of the clamping mechanism 20, which projects beyond the end edge 12 of the base body 10. The clamping mechanism 20 has a belt arrangement 22, which includes an arc-shaped loop section 24 arranged outside the base body 10 and forming a nut holder, as well as two belt sections 30 extending from the loop section 24 towards the base body 10 and fixed at their ends to a clamping slide 27.In this case, the strap arrangement comprises two tensioning straps 22', 22" of equal length, which are coupled to each other by a spacer 90 located in the area of ​​the loop section 24 and connected at their ends 23 to the tensioning slide 27 via one of the common strap sections 30. The use of two tensioning straps 22', 22" instead of one has the advantage that the coconut 18 is reliably enclosed and held in its position on the nut bearing 16. In this embodiment, the tensioning slide 27 has an axially guided tube section 27' arranged on the outside of the base body 10, which is provided at one end with two outwardly bent fastening tabs 31, each connected to one of the strap sections 30. Near its rear end, the pipe section 27' is connected to a clamping disc 28, which extends outwards through axially parallel guide slots 82 of the base body 10 to the pipe section 27' with sliding blocks 80.The clamping disc 28 is provided with an internal thread 92 for the threaded spindle 36, which is centrally located in the base body 10. A further special feature of this embodiment is that the threaded spindle 36 is rotatably and axially displaceably mounted within the base body 10 in the rotary bearings 94, 96 of two spaced-apart bearing plates 98, 100, and is fixedly connected at its end face 102 to a pressure piece carrier 104. In this case, the pressure piece 106 has a rest position directed outwards towards the end face of the base body, and is retracted into the interior of the base body 10. Fig. 10a and b) and an effective position extending through the central opening 14 of the nut bearing 16 ( Fig. 11a and b) movable end face 108. Furthermore, the pressure piece 106 is pressed against the pressure piece carrier 104 by its rear bearing flange 112 under the influence of a pre-tensioned spring 110 supported in the area of ​​the edge of the central opening 14 on the base body 10. Since the pressure piece carrier 104 rotates with the threaded spindle 36, an axial needle bearing 114 is arranged between the rear bearing flange 112 and the pressure piece carrier 104 to reduce the frictional resistance. The rear stop for the pressure piece carrier 104 is formed by the base body-fixed bearing plate 100, through which the threaded spindle 36 passes rotatably and axially displaceably. At its rear end, the base body 10 carries another bearing plate 98, through which the threaded spindle 36 passes rotatably and axially displaceably by means of a handle 74.

[0032] The handling of the device according to Fig. 10a to 11c, when opening and splitting a coconut, is as follows: First, the clamping mechanism 20 is adjusted by turning the handle 74 arranged on the threaded spindle 36 so that the coconut 18 to be opened fits into the loop section 24 projecting beyond the base body 10 and can be positioned against the nut bearing 16. Then, by retracting the clamping slide 27, which consists of the clamping disc 28 and the tube section 27', the clamping mechanism 20 is actuated using the handle 74 and the threaded spindle 36 until the coconut 18 is pressed against the nut bearing 16. During this clamping process, the pressure piece 106 is held in its rest position by the spring 110. Fig. 10a and b are held. As soon as the tension in the belt assembly reaches the tension of the spring 110, the pressure piece carrier 104, together with the pressure piece 106, is lifted from the stop on the bearing plate 100 against the spring force towards the central opening 14 when the threaded spindle 36 is turned further, until the outwardly facing end face 108 comes into contact with the coconut 18. From then on, a local pressure force is introduced into the shell of the coconut 18, which is held by the belt assembly 22, until the desired shell breakage occurs. The cracking and splitting process of the coconut shell can be regulated manually by the pressure applied via the handle 74. The split coconut 18 can be easily removed from the loop section 24 by turning the threaded spindle 36 back after the pressure piece 106 has been retracted and the belt assembly 22 has released.To avoid contamination of the device, the coconut water inside the coconut should be removed through a hole drilled in the shell before the splitting process.

[0033] In the Fig. 12, Fig. 13 to Fig. Figure 14 shows a further advantageous embodiment of the coconut cracker according to the invention, in which the clamping and splitting processes of the coconut 18 are carried out separately. A special feature of this embodiment is that the clamping slide 27 forms a clamping ring 120 encompassing the base body 10, which is axially displaceable on two diametrically opposed clamping locks 122 on two axially parallel guide and locking rods 124 and can be locked relative to the base body 10 under a set pretension of the belt assembly. In this way, the coconut 18 can be clamped on the nut bearing 16 independently of the splitting process using simple means. The clamping locks 122 contain two rockers with an opening 126 for the associated guide and locking rod 124, at the outer ends 128 of which the belt sections 30 of the belt assembly 22 are fixed.The rockers are arranged in a recess of the clamping ring 120 in such a way that they clamp onto the guide and locking rod 124 in the area of ​​their opening 128 during the clamping process (cf. . Fig. 13a and b). To split the coconut 18, as in the case of the Fig. 10 and Fig. 11 a pressure piece 106 arranged in the base body 10 is provided, which is operated by means of a rotary handle 74 and a threaded spindle 36 under the action of a spring 110 ( Fig. 12) between a resting position ( Fig. 14a) and an effective position ( Fig. 14b) can be displaced. For this purpose, a pressure piece carrier 104, provided with an internal thread 92 for the threaded spindle 36, is located inside the base body 10. The pressure piece 106 bears against this carrier under the influence of the spring 110. In the rear part of the base body 10, there is a base-fixed bearing plate 98' through which the threaded spindle 36 passes rotatably and immovably. Furthermore, a rear stop plate 100' for the pressure piece carrier 104 is located in the base body 10. This stop plate is rotationally fixed to the threaded spindle 36 by means of a bolt 130 and is rotatably mounted on the base-fixed bearing plate 98' together with the threaded spindle 36 via a needle bearing 132. In the schematic diagrams according to Fig. For the sake of clarity, 14a and b were given the name 110 ( Fig. 12) omitted.

[0034] In the two exemplary embodiments according to Fig. 10, Fig. 11, Fig. 12, Fig. 13 to Fig. In Figure 14, a blunt pressure piece 106 with a flat end face 108 was shown and described. Of course, a cutting element 44 with a cutting support as defined in [reference to relevant section] can also be used for this purpose. Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3, Fig. 4, Fig. 5, Fig. 6, Fig. 7, Fig. 8 to Fig. 9 can be used. Conversely, this also applies to the embodiments according to Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3, Fig. 4, Fig. 5, Fig. 6, Fig. 7, Fig. 8 to Fig. 9, in which instead of the cutting body 44 a blunt pressure piece in the sense of the Fig. 10, Fig. 11, Fig. 12, Fig. 13 to Fig. 14 can be used.

[0035] In summary, the following can be stated: The invention relates to a device for opening and splitting coconuts 18. The device comprises a sleeve-shaped base body 10. A nut holder 16 is located on the end face 12 of the base body 10, which defines a central opening 14. Furthermore, a clamping mechanism 20, designed as a nut holder and projecting beyond the end face 12 of the base body 10 and movable relative to the nut holder 16, is provided, as well as a pressure piece that is axially displaceable relative to the base body 10, the end face of which, pointing outwards towards the end face 12, can be moved between a rest position retracted into the interior of the base body 10 and an active position extending through the central opening 14 of the nut holder 16. Reference symbol list 10 basic shapes 12 Front edge 14 Central opening 16 nut bearings 18 coconuts 18', 18" nut halves 20 clamping mechanism 22 Belt arrangement 22', 22" belt 23 ends 24 loops 26 wall openings 27 clamping slides 27' pipe section 28 Tensioning disc 30 belt sections 31 fastening tabs 32 Adjustment device 34 rear end 36 threaded spindle 38 sliding blocks 40 guide slots 42 cutting tool holders 44 cutting elements 45 sliding blocks 46 Rotary handle 47 Actuating device 48 adjustable gearboxes 49 Thrust element 50 sliding stones 52 guide slots 54', 54" swivel joint 56', 56" swivel joint 58', 58", 58''', 58'''' coupling link 60', 60" threaded nuts 62', 62" thread sections 62 Spindle element 64 End of the threaded spindle 66 Dorn 68 cutting tip 70 wedge 71 cutting edges 72 wedge 73 spreading edges 74 Handle 76 flattenings 76 rivets 78 Screw or rivet connection 80 sliding stones 82 guide slots 84 sliding carriages 86 guide rods 90 spacers 92 internal threads 94, 96 Swivel bearings 98' bearing plate 98, 100 bearing plates 100' Stop plate 102 front end 104 pressure piece carriers 106 Printed piece 108 Front surface 110 spring 112 Bearing flange 114 needle bearings 120 clamping ring 122 Clamp lock 124 Guide and locking rod 126 Breakthrough 128 Opening 130 bolts 132 needle bearings s displacement path

Claims

[1] Device for opening and splitting coconuts (18) comprising a preferably sleeve-shaped base body (10), a nut holder (16) arranged on an end face of the base body (10) and defining a central opening (14), a clamping mechanism (20) extending over the end face of the base body (10) and movable relative to the nut holder (16), designed as a nut holder, and a pressure piece (106) axially displaceable relative to the base body (10), which has an end face (108) or edge pointing outwards towards the end face and movable between a rest position retracted into the interior of the base body (10) and an active position extending through the central opening (14) of the nut holder (16), characterized by , that the pressure piece (106) is blunt and has a flat end face (108). [2] Device for opening and splitting coconuts (18) comprising a preferably sleeve-shaped base body (10), a nut holder (16) arranged on an end face of the base body (10) and defining a central opening (14), a clamping mechanism (20) projecting beyond the end face of the base body (10) and movable relative to the nut holder (16), designed as a nut holder, and a cutting element carrier (42) axially displaceable relative to the base body (10), which carries a cutting element (44) extending outwards towards the end face and movable between a rest position retracted into the interior of the base body (10) and an active position extending through the central opening (14) of the nut holder (16), forming a pressure piece together with the cutting element carrier (42), characterized by, that the cutting body (44) forming the pressure piece forms a mandrel (66) with a cutting tip (68) and at least two edges diverging in the manner of a wedge (70, 72) adjoining the cutting tip (68) in the direction of the cutting carrier (42). [3] Device according to claim 2, characterized by , that the mandrel (66) has two wedges (70, 72) interpenetrating each other, one of which wedges (70) has sharp cutting edges (71) and the other wedge (72) has indistinct spreading edges (73). [4] Device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by , that the clamping mechanism (20) has a belt arrangement (22) which has an arc-shaped loop section (24) arranged outside the base body (10) forming the nut bearing (16), which is axially displaceable relative to the base body (10) by means of a clamping slide (27) while simultaneously increasing or decreasing its opening cross-section. [5] Device according to claim 4, characterized by , that the belt arrangement (22) has two belt sections (30) pointing from the loop section (24) towards the base body (10), their ends fixed to the tensioning slide (27). [6] Device according to claim 4 or 5, characterized by , that the belt arrangement (22) has at least one preferably metallic tensioning belt forming the loop section (24). [7] Device according to claim 6, characterized by , that the belt arrangement (22) has two tensioning belts (22', 22") of equal length, which are coupled to each other by at least one spacer (90) arranged in the area of ​​the loop section (24) and are connected at their ends to the tensioning slide (27) via a common belt section (30). [8] Device according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized byan adjusting device (32) which has a threaded spindle (36) extending through a part of the base body (10) and rotatably arranged therein, wherein the clamping slide (27) has an internal thread (92) guided on the threaded spindle (36) and is axially displaceable and non-rotatable on the base body (10). [9] Device according to claim 8, characterized by , that the clamping slide (27) has a clamping disc (28) arranged inside the base body (10) and provided with the internal thread (92) for the threaded spindle (36). [10] Device according to claim 9, characterized by , that the clamping disc (28) of the clamping slide (27) is guided within the base body (10) via axially parallel guide slots (40) or guide rods (86). [11] Device according to claim 9 or 10, characterized by, that the belt assembly (22) with its belt sections (30) opens into the base body (10), the belt sections (30) being fixed at their ends to the tension disc (28). [12] Device according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized by , that the tensioning slide (27) has a sliding carriage (84) fixed to opposite sides of the tensioning disc (28) and extending through axially parallel guide slots (82) of the base body (10) with sliding blocks (80), and that the belt sections (30) are fixed with their ends to the sliding carriage (84) of the tensioning slide (27). [13] Device according to claim 12, characterized by , that the sliding carriage (84) is designed as a tube section (27') axially guided on the outside of the sleeve-shaped base body (10), which has at one end two fastening tabs (31) preferably bent outwards, each connected to one of the belt sections (30). [14] Device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized by , that the pressure piece (106) or the cutting tool carrier (42) can be moved between the rest position and the working position by means of a manually or motor-driven actuating device (47). [15] Device according to claim 14, characterized by , that the actuating device (47) has a push member (49) arranged in the base body (10) in a non-rotatable and axially displaceable manner, which is connected to the threaded spindle (36) in a displaceable and rotatable manner and which is connected to the pressure piece (106) or cutting tool carrier (42) via an adjusting gear (48) which is adjustable in its axial extension. [16] Device according to claim 15, characterized by, that the adjusting mechanism (48) has a closed four-bar linkage with four coupling links (58', 58", 58''', 58'''') connected to each other in pairs at their ends by means of a swivel joint (54', 54", 56', 56"), wherein two of the swivel joints (54', 54", 56', 56") of the four-bar linkage each form a pair of joints, wherein one of the pairs of joints has a thrust-link fixed and a pressure-piece fixed swivel joint (54', 54"), while the swivel joints (56', 56") of the other pair of joints have aligned, opposing internal threads which are arranged on opposing thread sections (62', 62") of a spindle element (62) that can be rotated by hand or motor. [17] Device according to any one of claims 8 to 14, characterized by, that the threaded spindle (36) is rotatably and axially displaceably mounted within the base body (10) and is immovably connected at its end face to a pressure piece carrier (104), that the pressure piece (106) bears against the pressure piece carrier (104) under the influence of a pre-tensioned spring (110) supported in the base body (10), wherein the pressure piece carrier (104) bears against a housing-fixed stop under the influence of the spring (110) in the rest position of the pressure piece (106) and is lifted from the stop against the spring pressure in the operating position. [18] Device according to claim 17, characterized by , that the pressure piece carrier (104) is rotatably mounted against a pressure piece-fixed bearing plate (100) via an axial needle bearing (114). [19] Device according to claim 17 or 18, characterized by that the threaded spindle (36) is rotatably or rigidly connected to the pressure piece carrier (104) at its free end. [20] Device according to any one of claims 17 to 19, characterized by , that the spring (110) is designed as a helical compression spring. [21] Device according to any one of claims 17 to 20, characterized by , that the stop is formed by a base-body fixed bearing plate (100) through which the threaded spindle (36) passes rotatably and axially displaceably. [22] Device according to any one of claims 17 to 21, characterized by , that the base body (10) carries a bearing plate (98) at its rear end (34), through which the threaded spindle (36) passes rotatably and axially displaceably by means of a handle. [23] Device according to any one of claims 5 to 22, characterized by, that the tensioning slide (27) forms a tensioning ring (120) encompassing the base body (10), which is arranged to be displaceable on an associated axially parallel guide and locking rod (124) with at least one clamping lock (122), preferably with two diametrically opposed clamping locks (122), and is lockable under a set pretension of the belt arrangement (22).

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