Vegetable and fruit core removal apparatus and method

Abstract

To provide a vegetable and fruit core removal device that can significantly improve the efficiency of core removal work. [Solution] The vegetable and fruit core removal device 1 comprises a cutting section 10 which has a cylindrical cutting blade 11 at its tip and presses the area around the core of the vegetable or fruit against the cutting blade 11 to cut the core of the vegetable or fruit; a core holding section 40 which is arranged in conjunction with the cutting blade 11 and has a plurality of holding plates 42 which can move closer together and further apart and holds the core of the vegetable or fruit cut by the cutting blade 11 from both sides by bringing the holding plates 42 closer together; and a core discharge section 45 which separates the plurality of core holding plates 42 and discharges the core from the cutting section 10 to the outside.

Description

Technical Field

[0004] , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a vegetable and fruit core removal device and method for removing cores of vegetables such as paprika, bell peppers, cabbages, Chinese cabbages, etc. and fruits such as apples, peaches, pineapples, etc.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is a technique described in Patent Document 1 as an instrument for removing the cores of paprika and bell peppers. This instrument is a core remover provided with a core removal part formed with a serrated blade at the lower edge of a body part having an inclined cylindrical shape with a smaller diameter at the bottom and an appropriate diameter, and a gripping part for holding the core removal part. A plurality of inclined triangular protruding blades protruding upward from the tip of an appropriate serrated blade toward the center are provided at appropriate intervals on the inner peripheral surface of the body part, and a receiving surface part is formed at the upper end of the inclined triangular protruding blades. It is a core remover for paprika and bell peppers. This core remover for paprika and bell peppers enhances the holding function of the core part after cutting by the inclined triangular protruding blades.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above-mentioned conventional core removers for paprika and bell peppers, the operator holds the gripping part so as to wrap it with the palm, and presses the serrated blade of the body part obliquely against the paprika and bell peppers from above and rotates it while pressing downward to remove the cores from the paprika and bell peppers. Therefore, in the above-mentioned core removers, since the operator performs the core removal work manually one by one for paprika and bell peppers, the work efficiency is extremely low, and there is a problem that it is difficult to perform the core removal work for a large number of paprika and bell peppers. In addition, conventional core removers can hold the core after it has been cut, but they leave the seeds inside the bell peppers and paprika after core removal, which necessitates an additional step of removing those seeds.

[0005] This invention has been made in consideration of the circumstances described above, and aims to provide a vegetable and fruit core removal device and method that can significantly improve the efficiency of core removal work. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the vegetable and fruit core removal device according to the present invention is characterized by comprising: a cutting section having a cylindrical cutting blade at its tip, which presses the area around the core of the vegetable or fruit against the cutting blade to cut the core of the vegetable or fruit; a core holding section arranged continuously with the cutting blade, which has a plurality of holding plates that can move closer together and further apart, which holds the core of the vegetable or fruit cut by the cutting blade from both sides by bringing these holding plates closer together; and a core discharge section that separates the plurality of core holding plates to discharge the core from the cutting section to the outside.

[0007] Furthermore, the method for removing the core of vegetables and fruits according to the present invention is characterized by comprising: a cutting step in which a cylindrical cutting blade is provided at the tip, and the area around the core of the vegetable or fruit is pressed against the cutting blade to cut the core of the vegetable or fruit with the cutting blade; a core holding step in which a plurality of holding plates, which are arranged continuously with the cutting blade and brought close together, hold the core of the vegetable or fruit cut in the cutting step from both sides; and a core discharge step in which the plurality of holding plates are separated to discharge the core from the cut section to the outside. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The vegetable and fruit core removal device and method according to the present invention make it possible to significantly improve the work efficiency of core removal for vegetables and fruits. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of one embodiment of a vegetable and fruit core removal device according to the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the vegetable and fruit core removal device, seen from different front sides. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of the vegetable and fruit core removal device shown in Figure 1, with a portion of the back panel removed and viewed from the rear. [Figure 4] Figure 1 is an enlarged perspective view showing the core removal and seed removal sections of the vegetable and fruit core removal device. [Figure 5] Figure 1 is an enlarged perspective view showing the state of the core contact plate in the core removal section of the vegetable and fruit core removal device when the pressing plate is not being pressed. [Figure 6] Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view showing the core removal section with the pressure plate removed. [Figure 7] Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view showing the state in which the left and right core-holding plates approach each other to hold the core in the core-removing section. [Figure 8] Figure 7 is an enlarged perspective view showing the core removal section where the left and right core holding plates are separated from each other, causing the core discharge plate to push the core forward. [Figure 9] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the cutting section's vertical position adjustment and angle adjustment parts from the rear, with a portion of the back plate of the vegetable and fruit core removal device removed. [Figure 10] Figure 1 is a perspective view from the front of the vertical position adjustment section and angle adjustment section of the cutting part in the vegetable and fruit core removal device. [Figure 11] Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing the internal mechanism of the vegetable and fruit core removal device when the pressing plate is not being pressed. [Figure 12] Figure 11 is an enlarged perspective view showing the state of the internal mechanism when the pressing plate is pressed in the core removal section. [Figure 13] Figure 12 is an enlarged perspective view showing the state of the internal mechanism when the main cylinder has moved to the rear side in the core removal section. [Figure 14]It is an enlarged perspective view showing the state of the internal mechanism in which the sub-cylinder has moved to the front side and the extrusion plate has moved forward in the core extraction part of FIG. 13. [Figure 15] It is an enlarged perspective view showing the state of the internal mechanism in which the limit valve is turned on when the sub-cylinder has moved to the front side in the core extraction part of FIG. 13. [Figure 16] It is an enlarged bottom view showing the state of the cam plate when the pressing plate is not being pressed in the core extraction part of the vegetable and fruit core extraction device of FIG. 1. [Figure 17] It is an enlarged bottom view showing the state in which the two cam plates of FIG. 16 are approaching each other. [Figure 18] It is an enlarged bottom view showing the state in which the two cam plates of FIG. 16 are most separated from each other. [Figure 19] It is an enlarged perspective view seen from the bottom side showing the state in which the foot pressing plate is not being pressed in the vegetable and fruit core extraction device of FIG. 1. [Figure 20] It is an enlarged perspective view seen from the bottom side showing the state in which the foot pressing plate is being pressed in FIG. 19. [Figure 21] It is a pneumatic circuit diagram of the vegetable and fruit core extraction device of one embodiment.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

[0011] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of one embodiment of the vegetable and fruit core removal device according to the present invention. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the vegetable and fruit core removal device of Figure 1 from a different front side. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the vegetable and fruit core removal device of Figure 1 with a part of the back plate removed and viewed from the back side. Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing the core removal section and seed removal section of the vegetable and fruit core removal device of Figure 1. Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view showing the state of the core contact plate in the core removal section of the vegetable and fruit core removal device of Figure 1 when the pressing plate is not being pressed. Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view showing the state in the core removal section of Figure 5 with the pressing plate removed. Figure 7 is an enlarged perspective view showing the state in the core removal section of Figure 6 where the left and right core holding plates are close together and holding the core. Figure 8 is an enlarged perspective view showing the state in the core removal section of Figure 7 where the left and right core holding plates are separated from each other and the core discharge plate pushes the core forward. Figures 6 to 8 show the state with the pressing plate 14 shown in Figure 5 removed.

[0012] In this embodiment of the vegetable and fruit core removal device, the front side where the core removal and seed removal sections are installed and which the operator faces will be referred to as the front, and the rear side will be referred to as the rear. The core removal section on the left side when the operator faces forward will be referred to as the left side, and the seed removal section on the right side will be referred to as the right side. Furthermore, in this embodiment of the vegetable and fruit core removal device, an example of core removal and seed removal of a bell pepper will be described. In addition, in the following embodiment, an example in which an air cylinder is used as the drive mechanism to drive each mechanism will be described.

[0013] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the vegetable and fruit core removal device (hereinafter referred to as the core removal device) 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a box mounting plate 2 formed in a rectangular shape in plan view at its lower part. A storage box 3 for storing the stem and seeds of a bell pepper after core removal is removably mounted on the upper surface of the box mounting plate 2, as shown in Figure 1. Wheels 4 are attached to each of the four corners of the lower surface of the box mounting plate 2 to facilitate the movement of the core removal device 1.

[0014] On the rear side of the box mounting plate 2, a mounting plate 5 is erected vertically, to which the various devices described later are attached. This mounting plate 5 is formed in the shape of a long, flat plate and is set to a height of, for example, 120 to 140 cm. On the front side of this mounting plate 5, a core removal section 6 is installed on the left side and a seed removal section 7 is installed on the right side. On the rear side of the mounting plate 5, as shown in Figure 3, operating valves 8a and 8b are arranged vertically, and below them is a regulator 9 for adjusting the air pressure.

[0015] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the core removal unit 6 comprises a box-shaped cutting unit 10, a cutting unit position adjustment mechanism 20, a core holding unit 40, and a core discharge unit 45. The cutting unit 10 has a cylindrical body 12 with a circular cross-section and a cutting blade 11 at its tip. The cutting unit 10 cuts the core of the bell pepper by pressing the circumference of the core of the bell pepper against the cutting blade 11 of the cylindrical body 12. The shape and diameter of the cutting blade 11 are appropriately changed depending on the vegetable or fruit whose core is to be cut. The cutting blade 11 also has a serrated blade 13, which has triangular wavy blades formed all around its circumference, with a single edge formed on the inner circumference side of these triangular wavy blades. By forming a single edge on the inner circumference side of the triangular wavy blades, the cutting blade 11 makes it easier to guide the core of the bell pepper to the inner circumference side of the cutting blade 11.

[0016] A thin, flat pressing plate 14 is positioned around the cutting blade 11. One end of each of the two connecting shafts 15 is fixed to the pressing plate 14 on both sides, and coil springs (not shown) are attached to each of these two connecting shafts 15. A valve operating plate 16 (shown in Figure 11) is fixed to the other ends of the two connecting shafts 15. The pressing plate 14 is given elastic force by the coil springs attached to each of the two connecting shafts 15 so that it is always positioned in front of the cutting blade 11. When the cutting blade 11 is pressed against the periphery of the core of the bell pepper to cut the core, the pressing plate 14 is pressed against the periphery of the core against the elastic force of the springs, causing the two connecting shafts 15 to move backward, which in turn moves the valve operating plate 16 backward and turns on the actuator 17a of the limit valve 17. Below the cutting blade 11, a core chute 18 is positioned, which guides the core of the bell pepper discharged by the core discharge unit 4 to fall into the storage box 3.

[0017] Next, the cutting section position adjustment mechanism 20 will be described with reference to Figures 9 and 10.

[0018] Figure 9 is a perspective view of the vertical position adjustment and angle adjustment sections of the cutting unit from the rear, with a portion of the back plate of the vegetable and fruit core removal device shown in Figure 1 removed. Figure 10 is a perspective view of the vertical position adjustment and angle adjustment sections of the cutting unit in the vegetable and fruit core removal device shown in Figure 1, from the front.

[0019] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the cutting section position adjustment mechanism 20 includes a vertical position adjustment section 21 for adjusting the vertical position of the cutting section 10, and an angle adjustment section 30 for adjusting the inclination angle of the cutting section 10. The vertical position adjustment section 21 includes left and right guide plates 22, a support plate 23 that is supported by being placed across the upper ends of these guide plates 22, a screw shaft 24 that is provided on the support plate 23 so as to be vertically movable, a lifting handle 25 connected to the upper end of the screw shaft 24, and a connecting rod 26 connected to the lower end of the screw shaft 24.

[0020] Guide slits 22a are formed in the left and right guide plates 22 along the vertical direction, and both ends of the connecting rod 26 are movably mounted along these guide slits 22a. Fixing levers 27 are rotatably mounted at both ends of the connecting rod 26, and by rotating these fixing levers 27 in the tightening direction (clockwise), the screw shaft 24 is fixed so that it does not move up and down via the connecting rod 26. This fixes the vertical position of the cutting section 10. By rotating the fixing levers 27 in the loosening direction (counterclockwise) to loosen them, the screw shaft 24 becomes movable up and down via the connecting rod 26, and the vertical position of the cutting section 10 can be moved by operating the lifting handle 25.

[0021] As shown in Figure 9, the angle adjustment section 30 includes a support member 31 supported by left and right guide plates 22, a screw shaft 32 provided to be vertically movable relative to the support member 31, wing nuts 33a and 33b that are screwed onto the screw shaft 32 on the upper and lower sides of the support member 31, respectively, a connecting rod 34 rotatably attached to the lower end of the screw shaft 32, connecting plates 35 whose lower ends are rotatably attached to both the left and right ends of the connecting rod 34, and whose upper parts are rotatably provided on the connecting rod 26 of the vertical position adjustment section 21, and angle adjustment plates 36 which are located outside these connecting plates 35, with their upper parts rotatably provided on the connecting rod 26 of the vertical position adjustment section 21, and whose lower ends are provided on the box-shaped cutting section 10.

[0022] The angle adjustment unit 30 changes the angle of the cutting section 10 by loosening the upper and lower wing nuts 33a and 33b, thereby changing the vertical position of the screw shaft 32 relative to the support member 31. Specifically, changing the vertical position of the screw shaft 32 changes the vertical position of the connecting rod 34. This changes the angle of the cutting section 10 via the connecting plate 35 and the angle adjustment plate 36. That is, raising the position of the screw shaft 32 raises the vertical position of the connecting rod 34, which in turn makes the mounting angle of the connecting plate 35 and the angle adjustment plate 36 gentler, causing the angle of the cutting section 10 to change towards the horizontal. Conversely, lowering the position of the screw shaft 32 lowers the vertical position of the connecting rod 34, which in turn makes the mounting angle of the connecting plate 35 and the angle adjustment plate 36 steeper, causing the angle of the cutting section 10 to change towards the vertical. After adjusting the angle of the cutting section 10, the vertical position of the screw shaft 32 is fixed by tightening the upper and lower wing nuts 33a and 33b, thereby fixing the angle of the cutting section 10.

[0023] Next, the core holding section 40 and the core ejection section 45 in the core removal section 6 will be explained with reference to Figures 5 to 8.

[0024] As shown in Figures 5 to 8, the core holding section 40 is provided continuously behind the cutting blade 11 in the cylindrical body 12 of the cutting section 10. Specifically, the cutting blade 11 is provided at the tip of the cylindrical body 12, and openings 41 are formed on the left and right sides behind the cutting blade 11 so as to face each other. Each of these openings 41 is provided with a holding plate 42 with an arc-shaped cross-section so as to close the opening 41. These holding plates 42 are provided so as to be able to move toward and away from each other toward the inner circumference by an opening and closing drive mechanism, which will be described later. The core of the bell pepper cut by the cutting blade 11 is held by the opposing holding plates 42 moving toward the inner circumference and clamping it from both sides. When the core of the bell pepper is discharged, the two holding plates 42 move toward each other to close the opening 41 and are positioned substantially flush with the inner surface of the cylindrical body 12.

[0025] The inner surfaces of the two holding plates 42 that sandwich the core of the bell pepper from both sides are provided with multiple (two) locking protrusions 43 for holding the core of the bell pepper. These locking protrusions 43 are arranged at regular intervals on the tip side of each holding plate 42. This makes it possible to securely hold the bell pepper core regardless of its length.

[0026] The core discharge section 45 includes an extrusion plate 46 that can move back and forth from behind the two holding plates 42 to near the tip of the cutting blade 11 by a core discharge driving means described later. This extrusion plate 46 is formed in a disc shape and, after the two holding plates 42 move in directions away from each other, moves forward from behind the holding plates 42 to near the tip of the cutting blade 11 as shown in Figures 8 and 10, thereby discharging the core of the bell pepper. After discharging the core of the bell pepper, the extrusion plate 46 moves to retract to the rear of the two holding plates 42.

[0027] Next, the internal mechanism of the vegetable and fruit core removal device of this embodiment will be described.

[0028] Figure 11 is an enlarged perspective view showing the internal mechanism of the vegetable and fruit core removal device shown in Figure 2, where the pressure plate is not pressed. Figure 12 is an enlarged perspective view showing the internal mechanism of the core removal device shown in Figure 11, where the pressure plate is pressed. Figure 13 is an enlarged perspective view showing the internal mechanism of the core removal device shown in Figure 12, where the main cylinder has moved to the rear side. Figure 14 is an enlarged perspective view showing the internal mechanism of the core removal device shown in Figure 13, where the sub-cylinder has moved to the front side and the extrusion plate has moved forward. Figure 15 is an enlarged perspective view showing the internal mechanism of the core removal device shown in Figure 13, where the limit valve has been turned on when the sub-cylinder has moved to the front side. Note that in Figure 11, the rear plate to which the cylinder rod and guide rod of the main cylinder are fixed is shown, but the illustration of the rear plate is omitted in Figures 12 to 15.

[0029] Figure 16 is an enlarged bottom view showing the state of the cam plate in the core removal section of the vegetable and fruit core removal device shown in Figure 1, where the pressing plate is not being pressed. Figure 17 is an enlarged bottom view showing the state in which the two cam plates in Figure 16 are close together. Figure 18 is an enlarged bottom view showing the state in which the two cam plates in Figure 16 are furthest apart from each other.

[0030] As shown in Figure 11, the core removal device 1 of this embodiment has a main cylinder 50 and a sub-cylinder 54 positioned vertically, with the main cylinder 50 and sub-cylinder 54 connected and integrated. The main cylinder 50 has a cylinder rod 51 and two guide rods 52 arranged on both sides of the cylinder rod 51. When air is supplied to the main cylinder 50, the main cylinder 50 moves in the front-rear direction because the rear end of the cylinder rod 51 is fixed to the back plate 53. The sub-cylinder 54 connected to the main cylinder 50 also moves simultaneously and integrally in the front-rear direction.

[0031] The sub-cylinder 54, like the main cylinder 50, has a cylinder rod 55 and two guide rods 56 arranged on both sides of the cylinder rod 55. Two cam followers 57 are connected to the tip of the cylinder rod 55, as shown in Figure 16. In this embodiment, the core removal device 1 has a linear guide 60 on its bottom surface for opening and closing the retaining plate 42 of the core holding section 40. Two cam plates 61 are provided on this linear guide 60 so as to be movable toward or toward each other. The two retaining plates 42 of the core holding section 40 are connected to each of the two cam plates 61, and when the two cam plates 61 move toward or toward each other, the two retaining plates 42 of the core holding section 40 are also configured to be movable toward or toward each other.

[0032] Specifically, when the main cylinder 50 moves to the rear side, the cylinder rod 55 of the sub-cylinder 54 also moves to the rear side, and as shown in Figures 16 and 17, the two cam followers 57 move to the rear side, causing the two cam plates 61 to move closer to each other. As a result, the two retaining plates 42 of the core holding section 40 also move closer to each other, and the core of the bell pepper cut by the cutting blade 11 is held by the two retaining plates 42 moving closer to each other toward the inner circumference, sandwiching it from both sides.

[0033] On the other hand, when the main cylinder 50 moves to the front side, the cylinder rod 55 of the sub-cylinder 54 also moves to the front side, and as shown in Figure 18, the two cam followers 57 move to the front side, causing the two cam plates 61 to move away from each other. As a result, the two retaining plates 42 of the core holding section 40 also move away from each other, and the core of the bell pepper, which was cut by the cutting blade 11 and held from both sides by the retaining plates 42, is released from both sides as the retaining plates 42 move away from the inner circumference. Therefore, the main cylinder 50 and the sub-cylinder 54 constitute an opening and closing drive means for driving the opening and closing of the core holding section 40.

[0034] The sub-cylinder 54 is connected to the extrusion plate 46, which pushes out the core of the bell pepper that has been cut by the cutting blade 11 and held by the two holding plates 42 of the core holding section 40. When the sub-cylinder 54 moves to the front, the extrusion plate 46 also moves to the front, pushing out the core of the bell pepper. Specifically, when the sub-cylinder 54 moves to the front, the extrusion plate 46 moves from behind the two holding plates 42 to near the tip of the cutting blade 11, as shown in Figure 14, pushing out the core of the bell pepper. The pushed-out core of the bell pepper is then stored in the storage box 3 via the core chute 18 shown in Figures 1 and 2. Therefore, the sub-cylinder 54 constitutes the core discharge driving means of this embodiment, which drives the core discharge section 45.

[0035] When the sub-cylinder 54 moves to the front, the limit valve pressing plate 58 shown in Figure 15, which is connected to the cylinder rod 55 of the sub-cylinder 54, also moves to the front, and at that time, the actuator 59a of the limit valve 59 is turned on. When the actuator 59a of the limit valve 59 detects this, air passes through the limit valve 59 and through the operate valve 8b, causing the sub-cylinder 54 to move to the back, returning it to the initial state before the operator pressed the core of the bell pepper against the cutting blade 11.

[0036] Next, the configuration of the seed removal unit 7 will be described.

[0037] Figure 19 is an enlarged perspective view from the bottom of the vegetable and fruit core removal device shown in Figure 1, showing the foot pressing plate in a state where it is not being pressed. Figure 20 is an enlarged perspective view from the bottom of Figure 19, showing the foot pressing plate in a state where it is being pressed.

[0038] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the seed removal unit 7 is equipped with an air injection unit 70. This air injection unit 70 has an air nozzle 71, which injects air into the interior of the bell pepper after the core has been cut to remove any remaining seeds inside the bell pepper. As shown in Figures 19 and 20, a foot switch 72 is positioned on the back side of the seed removal unit 7 so that it can be pressed by the operator's foot. When this foot switch 72 is pressed, the actuator 73a of the limit valve 73 is turned on. When the actuator 73a of the limit valve 73 detects this, air is supplied to the air nozzle 71 via the limit valve 73, and air is injected from this air nozzle 71.

[0039] Therefore, while air is being sprayed from the air nozzle 71, the worker can insert the circular cavity left after the core of the bell pepper has been removed into the air nozzle 71, thereby blowing out and removing any remaining seeds from inside the bell pepper with the air sprayed from the air nozzle 71. These blown-out seeds are then stored in the storage box 3 via the seed chute 77 shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0040] A link plate 75 is rotatably connected to the rear side of the foot switch 72 via a connecting member 74. When the foot switch 72 is pressed to the rear side by the foot, the link plate 75 rotates via the connecting member 74, turning on the actuator 76a of the limit valve 76. When the actuator 76a of the limit valve 76 detects this, air is supplied to the main cylinder 50 via the limit valve 76 and the operate valve 8a. At the same time, air is also supplied to the sub-cylinder 54 via the limit valve 76 and the operate valve 8b. When air is supplied to the main cylinder 50 and the sub-cylinder 54, the air flows in a direction that moves each of them toward the front.

[0041] Next, the operation of the vegetable and fruit core removal device 1 of this embodiment, configured as described above, will be explained with reference to Figure 21. Figure 21 is a pneumatic circuit diagram of the vegetable and fruit core removal device of one embodiment.

[0042] First, when the valve cock (not shown) is opened, compressed air flows from the air compressor (not shown) to the core removal device 1. Then, the pressure of the compressed air is adjusted by the regulator 9 shown in Figures 3 and 21, and air flows in a direction that extends the cylinder rod 51 fixed to the back plate 53 and moves the main cylinder 50 toward the front.

[0043] Next, the operator presses the core of the bell pepper against the cutting blade 11 of the cutting section 10, and then presses the bell pepper even harder to press the pressing plate 14. At that moment, when the core of the bell pepper is cut by the cutting blade 11, the pressing plate 14 and the valve operating plate 16 connected to the pressing plate 14 move toward the rear, and the valve operating plate 16 turns on the actuator 17a of the limit valve 17. When the actuator 17a of the limit valve 17 detects this, air is supplied to the main cylinder 50 via the limit valve 17 and the operate valve 8a, and the cylinder rod 51 moves in a direction that moves the main cylinder 50 toward the rear.

[0044] At that time, following the movement of the two cam followers 57 connected to the tip of the cylinder rod 55 of the sub-cylinder 54 which is connected to the main cylinder 50, the two cam plates 61 connected to the linear guide 60 move toward each other. As a result, the two retaining plates 42 connected to the cam plates 61 move toward each other, and the two locking projections 43 attached to each retaining plate 42 press against the core of the bell pepper, and furthermore, each locking projection 43 pierces the core of the bell pepper.

[0045] When the operator separates the bell pepper from the cutting blade 11, the core of the bell pepper remains embedded in its respective locking projection 43 and is held inside the cylindrical body 12. In this case, if the locking projection 43 were not provided, the core would come out of the cutting blade 11 along with the bell pepper and remain inside the bell pepper. As a result, it would become extremely difficult to remove the core of the bell pepper.

[0046] Once the core of the bell pepper is removed, a circular cavity forms at the stem end, and seeds remain inside this cavity. To remove these seeds from inside the bell pepper, air is sprayed from the air injection unit 70 to blow air into the interior of the bell pepper and remove the seeds.

[0047] Specifically, the operator presses the foot switch 72 to the back with their foot. This activates the actuator 73a of the limit valve 73. When the actuator 73a of the limit valve 73 detects this, air is supplied to the air nozzle 71 via the limit valve 73, and air is ejected from the air nozzle 71. The operator inserts the circular cavity left after the core of the bell pepper has been removed into the air nozzle 71, thereby removing any remaining seeds from inside the bell pepper by blowing them out with the air ejected from the air nozzle 71. These blown-out seeds are then stored in the storage box 3 via the seed chute 77 shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0048] Simultaneously, when the foot switch 72 is pressed to the rear with a foot, the link plate 75 connected to the foot switch 72 activates the actuator 76a of the limit valve 76. When the actuator 76a of the limit valve 76 detects this, air is supplied to the main cylinder 50 via the limit valve 76 and the operate valve 8a. At the same time, air is also supplied to the sub-cylinder 54 via the limit valve 76 and the operate valve 8b. When air is supplied to the main cylinder 50 and the sub-cylinder 54, the air flows in the direction that moves each of them forward.

[0049] As described above, the main cylinder 50 and the sub-cylinder 54 are connected, and both move toward the front. As a result, the extrusion plate 46 connected to the sub-cylinder 54 also moves toward the front. Simultaneously, the two cam followers 57 move the two cam plates 61 connected to the linear guide 60 toward each other.

[0050] As a result, the two retaining plates 42 of the core holding section 40, which are connected to the two cam plates 61, also move away from each other. The core of the bell pepper, which had been held inside the cylindrical body 12 by the locking projection 43, is no longer held by the locking projection 43 and is pushed out from the cutting blade 11 by the extrusion plate 46. This pushed-out core of the bell pepper is then stored in the storage box 3 via the core chute 18 shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0051] Finally, when the limit valve pressing plate 58, which is connected to the sub-cylinder 54, moves forward, the actuator 59a of the limit valve 59 is activated. When the actuator 59a of the limit valve 59 detects this, air passes through the limit valve 59 and the operate valve 8b, causing the sub-cylinder 54 to move to the rear side and return to the initial state before the operator pressed the core of the bell pepper against the cutting blade 11.

[0052] As described above, according to this embodiment, a cutting section 10 is provided with a cylindrical cutting blade 11 at its tip, which presses against the circumference of the core of the vegetable or fruit to cut it; a core holding section 40 is arranged continuously with the cutting blade 11 and has a plurality of holding plates 42 that can move closer together and further apart, which holds the core of the vegetable or fruit cut by the cutting blade 11 from both sides by bringing the holding plates 42 closer together; and a core discharge section 45 separates the plurality of core holding plates 42 to discharge the core from the cutting section 10 to the outside. By providing these components, the work efficiency of core removal of vegetables and fruits can be greatly improved.

[0053] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, an air injection unit 70 is provided that injects air into the inside of vegetables and fruits whose cores have been cut to remove any remaining seeds inside the vegetables and fruits. Therefore, it is possible to blow away and remove any remaining seeds inside the vegetables and fruits by injecting air.

[0054] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the core holding portion 40 is provided with a plurality of locking protrusions 43 on the surfaces that sandwich the core of the vegetable or fruit from both sides, thereby ensuring that the core of the cut vegetable or fruit is securely held.

[0055] According to this embodiment, the device is equipped with a main cylinder 50 and a sub-cylinder 54 as opening / closing drive means for opening and closing the core holding section 40, and a sub-cylinder 54 as a core discharge drive means for driving the core discharge section 45. The air injection section 70, the opening / closing drive means, and the core discharge drive means are controlled to operate in that order. By injecting air to remove seeds remaining inside the vegetables and fruits, opening the core holding section 40, and driving the core discharge section 45, it is possible to efficiently discharge the core of the bell pepper outside the device.

[0056] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, a cylindrical cutting blade 11 is provided at the tip, and the cutting process involves pressing the area around the core of the vegetable or fruit against the cutting blade 11 to cut the core of the vegetable or fruit with the cutting blade 11; a core holding process involves closing a plurality of holding plates 42 that are arranged continuously with the cutting blade 11 to hold the core of the vegetable or fruit cut in the cutting process so that it can be opened and closed from both sides; and a core discharge process involves opening the plurality of holding plates 42 to discharge the core from the cutting blade 11 to the outside. This makes it possible to significantly improve the efficiency of the work of removing the cores of vegetables and fruits.

[0057] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, by further including an air injection step in which air is injected into the inside of the vegetables and fruits whose cores have been cut to remove the cores containing seeds remaining inside the vegetables and fruits, it is possible to blow away and remove the seeds remaining inside the vegetables and fruits by injecting air.

[0058] According to this embodiment, the air injection process is performed before the core removal process, which makes it possible to significantly improve work efficiency. (Other embodiments)

[0059] Although one embodiment of the invention has been described, this embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This embodiment can be carried out in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, modifications, and combinations can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. This embodiment is included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims and their equivalents.

[0060] For example, in the above embodiment, the main cylinder 50 and the sub-cylinder 54 were controlled to be driven by a limit valve, but the system is not limited to this, and the main cylinder 50 and the sub-cylinder 54 may also be controlled to be driven by sequence control, a logic sequence using a CPU, etc.

[0061] Furthermore, although the above embodiment described an example in which an air cylinder was used as the drive mechanism to drive each mechanism, it is not limited to an air cylinder; in addition to a hydraulic cylinder, an electric drive mechanism such as an electric motor may also be used.

[0062] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, air is ejected from the air nozzle 71 when the foot switch 72 is pressed. However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and a push-button switch may be placed in the air injection unit 70, and air may be ejected from the air nozzle 71 when the operator presses this push-button switch.

[0063] Furthermore, while the above embodiment described an example of removing the core from a bell pepper, the core removal device is not limited to this and can also be applied to vegetables such as green peppers, cabbage, and Chinese cabbage, as well as fruits such as apples, peaches, and pineapples. In this case, it is desirable to change the shape and diameter of the cutting blade 11 according to the vegetable or fruit to be cored.

[0064] In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the core removal section 6 and the seed removal section 7 are arranged on the left and right sides of the core removal device 1, respectively. However, the invention is not limited to this, and the air nozzle 71 of the air injection section 70 of the seed removal section 7 may be placed inside the cylindrical body 12 of the cutting section 10 of the core removal section 6 to blow away and remove any seeds remaining inside the cored bell pepper. By configuring it in this way, the core removal device 1 can be made smaller and its structure can be simplified.

[0065] Furthermore, although the above embodiment described an example in which a cutting blade 11 is provided on a cylindrical body 12 having a perfectly circular cross-section, the cutting blade 11 may be provided on a cylindrical body formed in other circular shapes such as ellipses and oblongs, as well as angular shapes such as triangles and squares in cross-section.In addition, although the above embodiment described an example in which the serrated blade 13 forms a large number of triangular wave blades around the entire circumference of the cylindrical body 12, the cutting blade 11 may be formed at regular intervals in the circumferential direction with 10 or fewer teeth, or at large pitch intervals in the circumferential direction with 10 or fewer teeth.In addition, although the cutting opening end face of the cutting blade 11 was cut perpendicular to the length direction of the cylindrical body 12, the cutting blade 11 may be cut diagonally to the length direction, or it may be formed in this way. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 1…Vegetable and fruit core removal device, 2…Box mounting plate, 3…Storage box, 4…Wheel, 5…Mounting plate, 6…Core removal section, 7…Seed removal section, 8a,8b…Operate valve, 9…Regulator, 10…Cutting section, 11…Cutting blade, 12…Cylindrical body, 13…Serrated blade, 14…Pressing plate, 15…Connecting shaft, 16…Valve operating plate, 17…Limit valve, 17a…Actuator, 18…Core chute, 20…Cutting section position adjustment mechanism, 21…Vertical position adjustment section, 22…Guide plate, 23…Support plate, 24…Screw shaft, 25…Lifting handle, 26…Connecting rod, 27…Fixing lever, 30…Angle adjustment section, 31…Support member, 32…Screw shaft, 33a,33b…Wing nut, 34…Connecting rod, 35…Connecting plate, 36…Angle adjustment plate, 40 ...Core holding part, 41...Opening, 42...Holding plate, 43...Locking projection, 45...Core discharge part, 46...Extrusion plate, 50...Main cylinder (opening / closing drive means), 51...Cylinder rod, 52...Guide rod, 53...Back plate, 54...Sub cylinder (opening / closing drive means, core discharge drive means), 55...Cylinder rod, 56...Guide rod, 57...Cam follower, 58...Limit valve pressing plate, 59...Limit valve, 59a...Actuator, 60...Linear guide, 61...Cam plate, 70...Air injection part, 71...Air nozzle, 72...Foot switch, 73...Limit valve, 73a...Actuator, 74...Connecting member, 75...Link plate, 76...Limit valve, 76a...Actuator, 77...Seed part chute.

Claims

1. A cutting section is provided at the tip, which presses the area around the core of the vegetable or fruit against the cutting blade to cut the core of the vegetable or fruit, A core holding section is arranged in conjunction with the cutting blade, and a plurality of holding plates are provided so as to be able to move closer together and further apart, and these holding plates are brought closer together to hold the core portion of the vegetable and fruit cut by the cutting blade from both sides, A core discharge unit that separates the plurality of core holding plates and discharges the core portion from the cutting section to the outside, A vegetable and fruit core removal device characterized by comprising the following:

2. The vegetable and fruit core removal device according to claim 1, further comprising an air injection unit that injects air into the interior of the vegetable and fruit from which the core has been cut to remove any remaining seeds inside the vegetable and fruit.

3. The core-holding portion is characterized in that a plurality of protrusions for holding the core are provided on the surfaces that sandwich the core from both sides, as described in claim 1 for the vegetable and fruit core removal device.

4. The vegetable and fruit core removal device according to claim 2, further comprising an opening / closing driving means for driving the core holding portion to open and close, and a core discharge driving means for driving the core discharge portion, and controlled to operate in the order of the air injection portion, the opening / closing driving means, and the core discharge driving means.

5. A cutting process is performed in which a cylindrical cutting blade is provided at the tip, and the area around the core of the vegetable or fruit is pressed against the cutting blade to cut the core of the vegetable or fruit with the cutting blade, A core holding step is provided which is arranged in conjunction with the cutting blade and which closes a plurality of holding plates to hold the core portion of the vegetables and fruits cut by the cutting step so that it can be opened and closed from both sides, A core discharge step in which the plurality of holding plates are opened and the core is discharged from the cutting blade to the outside, A method for removing the cores from vegetables and fruits, characterized by having [a certain feature].

6. The method for removing the core of vegetables and fruits according to claim 5, further comprising an air injection step of injecting air into the interior of the vegetables and fruits from which the core has been cut to remove the core containing seeds remaining inside the vegetables and fruits.

7. The method for removing the core of vegetables and fruits according to claim 6, characterized in that the air injection step is performed before the core removal step.

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