Continuous fixed-volume spray structure for sterilizing post-harvest fruits

Abstract

The objective of the present invention is to provide a continuous, fixed-volume spray structure for sterilizing post-harvest fruits. [Solution] A continuous fixed-amount spray structure for sterilizing post-harvested fruit, equipped with rails on which fruit transport trays are arranged at equal intervals, the tray having an annular tray body, the centre of which is provided with a central hole for dropping the fruit, two support rolls which are parallel to each other and can swing up and down simultaneously are provided at the bottom of the central hole, a swingable reversing plate is provided on the inner bottom surface of the tray body, the inner end of the central shaft of the support roll is inserted into the reversing plate and a roller is fixed thereto, a bearing is provided between the support roll and the reversing plate, a bearing is provided between the outer end of the support roll and the bottom surface of the outside of the tray body, the rail is provided with a sterilization spray area, three to four sets of sterilization nozzles are arranged in sequence above the tray transport path in the sterilization spray area, a liquid receiving tray is provided below the sterilization spray area, and a rolling belt is provided above the rollers in the sterilization spray area in close contact with the rollers to drive them to roll, the rolling belt is arranged parallel to the rail. According to this structure, the fruit is rolled on the tray by a rotatable support roll, and the fungicide can be sprayed precisely on all sides of the fruit, avoiding overuse of fungicide, saving energy and reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of post-harvest processing equipment for fruits, and more particularly to a post-harvest fruit sterilization equipment, and more particularly to a continuous, fixed-volume spray structure for sterilizing post-harvest fruits. [Background technology]

[0002] With the improvement of people's living standards, high-quality fresh fruits have become an increasingly important part of people's daily nutrition. In recent years, with the continuous development of agricultural science and technology, the requirements for sterilization, freshness preservation, and sorting of fruits after harvesting have increased. Usually, sterilization of fruits after harvesting is carried out by immersing the fruits in a fungicide or spraying the fruits with a fungicide (for example, using a low-concentration peracetic acid preparation as a fungicide). In the case of fruit sterilization by immersion, the overuse of fungicide is obvious. In the sterilization method by immersion, the fruit needs to be dried for a long time after immersion in order to ensure drying and storage. The sterilization method by immersion not only uses a large amount of drug, but the subsequent discharge and cleaning also have a negative impact on the environment. The sterilization method by immersion has a low efficiency of sterilization treatment and is not suitable for large-scale fruit processing. In the case of fruit sterilization by spraying, it is necessary to spray the entire surface of the fruit to ensure the sterilization effect, but the current spray sterilization is mainly performed by intermittent manual operation, and continuous spray sterilization cannot be performed with conventional equipment. In addition, if the position of the fruit cannot be accurately measured, quantitative use cannot be guaranteed by sterilization by spraying. Sterilization by spraying also has the problem of excessive use of chemicals, which causes a series of environmental problems and does not contribute to energy conservation or environmental protection. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide a continuous fixed-amount spray structure for sterilizing post-harvest fruit, which employs a method of rolling the fruit on a tray and spraying the fungicide at an accurate position, thereby enabling a fixed amount of fungicide to be sprayed, thereby solving the problem of excessive use of fungicide, without contributing to environmental conservation, and without providing any benefit to energy conservation, in order to solve the problem of excessive use of fungicide in conventional post-harvest sterilization treatment of fruit, and furthermore, by controlling and reducing the amount of fungicide used, simplifies the subsequent fruit drying process and improves the efficiency of the sterilization treatment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] The technical means adopted by the present invention to solve the above technical problems is a continuous fixed-amount spray structure for sterilizing harvested fruits, which is provided with a rail on which trays for transporting fruits are arranged at equal intervals, characterized in that the tray has an annular tray body, a central hole for dropping fruits is provided in the center of the tray body, two support rolls that are parallel to each other and can simultaneously swing up and down are provided at the bottom of the central hole, and a swingable reversing plate is provided on the inner bottom surface of the tray body. The inner end of the central shaft of the support roll is inserted into the reversing plate and a roller is fixed thereto, a bearing is provided between the support roll and the reversing plate, and a bearing is provided between the outer end of the support roll and the bottom surface of the outer side of the tray body. The rail is provided with a sterilization spray area, and in the sterilization spray area, three to four sets of sterilization nozzles are arranged in order above the tray transport path, and a liquid receiving tray is provided below the sterilization spray area, and a rolling belt is provided above the roller in the sterilization spray area to roll the roller in close contact with the roller, and the rolling belt is arranged parallel to the rail.

[0005] When using this device, one fruit is placed on each tray. The support roll is made of a flexible material such as silicone or latex to prevent the fruit from being damaged by impact. The rollers are rolled without directly rubbing the support roll, so that the support roll does not come into contact with the outside. This makes it clean and hygienic. When the tray reaches the sterilization spraying area, the rollers roll in close contact with the rolling belt while continuing the transportation of the tray, rotating the support roll to roll the fruit placed on the support roll in the tray. In addition, three to four sets of sterilization nozzles are arranged in sequence along the transportation direction. The position of the rollers is aligned with the position of the tray, so that the position of the tray can be measured according to the position of the rollers, and the position of the rollers can be monitored to drive the corresponding sterilization nozzles to spray the sterilant quantitatively. Since the fruit can be accurately and quantitatively sprayed in all directions of the fruit through multiple sets of sterilization nozzles while rolling, the amount of chemicals used can be reduced. The start signal for the sterilization nozzle can be generated by a switch triggered by the roller, or a position sensor that monitors the position of the roller. The tray has a hollow structure, so that a small amount of excess fungicide sprayed from above can fall into the liquid tray through the gaps in the support roll. By precisely controlling the amount of chemical used, the amount of fungicide used can be reduced, and the subsequent air drying process of the fruit can be completed in a short time, improving production efficiency and reducing energy consumption. The final fruit is discharged by reversing the support roll with the reversing plate to drop the fruit through the central hole of the tray. According to the tray structure, a machine vision section can also be provided at the front end of the disinfectant spray section in this device. In the machine vision section, a rolling belt is provided on a roller, and the support roll is rotated to roll the fruit. A high-definition camera is provided above the tray to capture the rolling fruit in all directions, so that the fruit can be sorted according to size, damage, etc., and the support roll is swung at different positions in the dispensing section to dispense the fruit according to different sorting requirements.

[0006] Preferably, the rolling belt is a rotating belt, and a first driving wheel and a second driving wheel are provided at both ends of the rolling belt, which rotate in opposite directions, and the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel are driven by independent motors. Between the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel, driven wheels are arranged at equal intervals. The rolling belt is rotatable by itself, and can be rotated forward or backward via the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel. When there is a large difference in size of the fruits, the rolling belt and the rollers are rotated in the same direction to slow down the rolling speed of the fruits, or the rolling belt and the rollers are rotated in the opposite direction to speed up the rolling speed of the fruits, so that the fruits roll at an appropriate angle when they reach the position of each sterilization nozzle. Furthermore, when a machine vision section is added to the front end of the sterilization spray section, the rolling speed of the fruits on each tray can be adjusted in real time through the rotation of the rolling belt according to the size of the fruits on the tray.

[0007] Preferably, the set of sterilisation nozzles includes one sterilisation nozzle disposed directly above the tray, or two sterilisation nozzles disposed diagonally on either side directly above the tray.

[0008] Preferably, the surface of the support roll is made of silicon or latex. The contact surface between the rolling belt and the roller is made of a rubber surface to prevent slipping. The surface of the support roll is made of a flexible material to avoid collision.

[0009] Preferably, a slider is provided inside the tray body, and a slide is provided on the rail. The slider is removably fitted into the slide. A square-shaped hollow portion is defined by the slider and the tray body, and the reversing plate is provided in the square-shaped hollow portion.

[0010] Preferably, a limiting block is provided at the inner upper end of the tray body to protrude inward and limit the swing range of the support roll. The limiting block abuts against the central axis of the inner end of the support roll to limit the swing of the support roll and prevent collision with the surface of the support roll.

[0011] Preferably, the gravity torque of the inner end of the central axis of the support roll acting around the swing axis of the reversing plate is greater than the gravity torque of the outer end of the support roll and is smaller than the sum of the weight of the outer end of the support roll and the gravity torque of the fruit. When no fruit is placed on the tray, the support roll can swing to the bottom of the tray using the gravity torque. When fruit is placed on the support roll, the support roll is supported by a snap-fit ​​mechanism or an auxiliary rail. At the dispensing portion, the snap-fit ​​mechanism is released or an auxiliary rail is not provided, and dispensing is achieved using the weight of the fruit.

[0012] Preferably, the rail is a track-shaped circular rail, and a loading section, a sterilizing spray section, an air-drying section, and a discharge section are arranged on the rail in the transportation direction in this order. A machine vision section may be provided between the loading section and the sterilizing spray section. In the air-drying section, air-drying can be performed using atmospheric pressure plasma.

[0013] Preferably, an auxiliary rail for rolling the bearings at the outer ends of the support rolls is provided on the outside of the rails other than the rail at the discharge portion, and arc-shaped guide portions are provided on the auxiliary rails at both ends of the discharge portion of the rail.

[0014] Preferably, a snap-fit ​​mechanism that can be released by pressing is provided between the bearing end surface at the outer end of the support roll and the outer wall of the tray body. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, the fruit on the tray is rolled by the rotatable support roll, and then the tray position is identified and the fungicide is sprayed accurately in all directions of the fruit in sequence, so that the fungicide can be sprayed quantitatively and uniformly, which can avoid the overuse of fungicide, save energy, reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and improve production efficiency.

[0016] The present invention will now be further described with reference to the drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a tray according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a tray according to the present invention. [Diagram 3] 3 is a schematic diagram showing a dispensing state in which the support roll is swung downward in the tray structure according to the present invention shown in FIG. 2.

[0023] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a rail arrangement according to the present invention; [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing fruit transportation by trays on rails according to the present invention; [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a sterilization spray site on a rail according to the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a sterilization spray portion according to the present invention. [Figure 8] 4 is a schematic diagram of a support structure for an auxiliary rail according to the present invention; FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a rail arrangement according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] The present invention will be further described below through specific examples with reference to the drawings.

[0019] Example 1 As shown in Figure 4, the structure for continuous fixed-amount spraying for sterilizing post-harvest fruits includes a track-shaped circumferential rail 12. Fruit transport trays 1 are provided at equal intervals on the rail. A loading area A, a sterilizing spray area B, an air-drying area C, and an unloading area D are installed on the rail in this order along the transport direction. In the air-drying area, the fruit is air-dried using atmospheric pressure plasma and then subjected to secondary sterilization.

[0020] As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the tray 1 includes an annular tray body 2. A central hole 3 is provided in the center of the tray body 2 for dropping the fruit 20. Two support rolls 6 that are parallel to each other and can simultaneously swing up and down are provided at the bottom of the central hole 3, and a swingable reversing plate 9 is provided on the inner bottom surface of the tray body 2. The inner end of the central shaft of the support rolls 6 is inserted into the reversing plate 9, and a roller 7 is fixed to it. A bearing 8 is provided between the support rolls 6 and the reversing plate 9. A bearing 8 is also provided between the outer end of the support roll 6 and the bottom surface of the outer side of the tray body 2. As shown in Fig. 5, a slider 4 is provided inside the tray body 2, and a slide 11 is provided on the rail 12. The slider 4 is removably fitted into the slide 11. The slider 4 and the tray body 2 define a square-shaped hollow portion, and the reversing plate 9 is provided in the square-shaped hollow portion. A limiting block 5 is provided at the top end of the inside of the tray body 2, which protrudes inward and limits the swing range of the support roll 6. The gravity torque of the inner end of the central axis of the support roll 6 acting around the swing axis of the reversing plate 9 is greater than the gravity torque of the outer end of the support roll 6, and is smaller than the sum of the weight of the outer end of the support roll 6 and the gravity torque of the fruit 20. When there is no load, the gravity torque applied to the right side of the reversing plate becomes large, and the support roll returns to the horizontal position. As shown in FIG. 3, when fruit 20 is placed on the support roll, the gravity torque applied to the left side of the reversing plate becomes large, and when the snap-fit ​​mechanism 10 is released or the support of the auxiliary rail comes off, the support roll swings downward and the fruit is dispensed.

[0021] As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, in the sterilization spraying section B, three to four sets of sterilization nozzles 14 are arranged in sequence on the transport path of the tray 1. In addition, a liquid receiving tray 15 is provided below the sterilization spraying section B. A rolling belt 13 is provided on the roller 7 in the sterilization spraying section B, which is in close contact with the roller 7 and drives the roller 7 to roll. The rolling belt 13 is arranged parallel to the rail 12. The rolling belt 13 drives the roller 7 from above and avoids the rocking force applied to the support roll 6. The rolling belt 13 is a rotating belt, and a first driving wheel 16 and a second driving wheel 17, which rotate in opposite directions, are provided on both ends of the rolling belt 13. The first driving wheel 16 and the second driving wheel 17 are driven by independent motors. Driven wheels 18 are provided at equal intervals between the first driving wheel 16 and the second driving wheel 17. The rolling belt 13 is rotatable by itself, and is rotated forward or backward by the first driving wheel 16 and the second driving wheel 17. When there is a large difference in the size of the fruits 20, the rolling belt 13 and the rollers 7 are rotated in the same direction to slow down the rolling speed of the fruits 20, or the rolling belt 13 and the rollers 7 are rotated in the opposite direction to speed up the rolling speed of the fruits 20, so that the fruits 20 roll at an appropriate angle when they reach the position of each sterilization nozzle 14. Since the position of the rollers 7 is aligned with the position of the tray 1, the position of the tray 1 can be measured according to the position of the rollers 7, and the position of the rollers 7 can be monitored to drive the corresponding sterilization nozzles 14 to quantitatively spray the sterilizing agent. Since the sterilizing agent can be accurately and quantitatively sprayed in all directions of the fruits 20 through multiple sets of sterilization nozzles 14 while the fruits 20 are rolling, the amount of the agent used can be reduced. The activation signal of the sterilization nozzles 14 can be generated from a switch triggered by the rollers 7 or a position sensor that monitors the position of the rollers 7.

[0022] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, a snap-fit ​​mechanism 10 that can be released by pressing is provided between the end face of the bearing 8 at the outer end of the support roll 6 and the outer wall of the tray body 2. As shown in Figure 8, when the snap-fit ​​mechanism 10 is not used, an auxiliary rail 19 for the bearing 8 at the outer end of the support roll 6 to roll on is provided on the outside of the rails other than the rail 12 at the dispensing portion. The support structure of the auxiliary rail 19 is shown in Figure 8. At both ends of the rail dispensing portion D, the auxiliary rail 19 is provided with arc-shaped guide portions.

[0023] Example 2 A continuous fixed-amount spray structure for sterilizing post-harvest fruits is shown in FIG. 9. In this embodiment, a machine vision section E is added between the loading section A and the sterilization spray section B, and a rolling belt structure similar to that of the sterilization spray section B is used to roll the fruits 20 on the tray. A high-definition camera is provided above the machine vision section E to collect omnidirectional images of the fruits 20, inspect the size and damage, and sort the fruits at the dispensing section D based on the detection information. The other configurations of this embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment. A machine vision-based fruit sorting machine is a common prior art, and this embodiment is intended to show that the sterilization spray structure of the present application can be successfully combined with a conventional machine vision-based fruit sorting machine to form a one-stop fruit sorting and sterilization process.

[0024] (Additional Note) (Appendix 1) 1. A continuous fixed-amount spray structure for sterilization of harvested fruits, comprising a rail on which fruit transport trays are arranged at equal intervals, the tray comprising an annular tray body, a central hole provided in the center of the tray body for dropping fruits, two support rolls that are parallel to each other and can swing up and down simultaneously at the same time are provided at the bottom of the central hole, a swingable reversing plate is provided on the inner bottom surface of the tray body, an inner end of a central shaft of the support roll is inserted into the reversing plate and a roller is fixed thereto, a bearing is provided between the support roll and the reversing plate, the bearing is provided between an outer end of the support roll and a bottom surface of the outside of the tray body, a sterilization spray area is provided on the rail, the sterilization spray area has three to four sets of sterilization nozzles arranged in sequence above a tray transport path, a liquid receiving tray is provided below the sterilization spray area, and a rolling belt is provided above the rollers in the sterilization spray area in close contact with the rollers to roll the rollers, the rolling belt is arranged parallel to the rail.

[0025] (Appendix 2) The continuous fixed-amount spray structure for sterilizing post-harvest fruits according to Appendix 1, characterized in that the rolling belt is a rotating belt, and a first driving wheel and a second driving wheel having opposite rotation directions are provided at both ends of the rolling belt, the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel are driven by independent motors, and driven wheels are arranged at equal intervals between the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel.

[0026] (Appendix 3) 3. The continuous fixed-amount spray structure for sterilizing post-harvest fruits according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the set of sterilizing nozzles includes one sterilizing nozzle provided directly above the tray, or two sterilizing nozzles provided obliquely on both sides directly above the tray.

[0027] (Appendix 4) The continuous metered-dose spray structure for sterilizing post-harvest fruits according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the surface of the support roll is made of silicone or latex.

[0028] (Appendix 5) The continuous fixed-amount spray structure for sterilizing post-harvest fruits described in Appendix 1 or 2, characterized in that a slider is provided inside the tray body, a slide is provided on the rail, the slider is removably fitted into the slide, a mouth-shaped hollow portion is defined by the slider and the tray body, and the reversing plate is provided in the mouth-shaped hollow portion.

[0029] (Appendix 6) The continuous fixed-volume spray structure for sterilizing post-harvest fruits described in Appendix 1 or 2, characterized in that a limiting block is provided at the inner upper end of the tray body, protruding inward to limit the swing range of the support roll.

[0030] (Appendix 7) The continuous fixed-amount spray structure for sterilizing post-harvest fruits described in Appendix 1 or 2, characterized in that the gravitational torque of the inner end of the central axis of the support roll acting around the oscillation axis of the inversion plate is greater than the gravitational torque of the outer end of the support roll and is smaller than the sum of the weight of the outer end of the support roll and the gravitational torque of the fruit.

[0031] (Appendix 8) The structure for continuous fixed-quantity spraying for sterilizing post-harvest fruits according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the rail is a track-shaped circular rail, and a loading section, the sterilization spraying section, an air-drying section, and a discharge section are arranged on the rail in this order along the transport direction.

[0032] (Appendix 9) The continuous fixed-amount spray structure for sterilizing post-harvest fruits described in Appendix 8, characterized in that an auxiliary rail for rolling the bearing at the outer end of the support roll is provided on the outside of the rail except for the discharge portion, and arc-shaped guide portions are provided on the auxiliary rail at both ends of the discharge portion of the rail.

[0033] (Appendix 10) The continuous fixed-amount spray structure for sterilizing post-harvest fruits described in Appendix 1 or 2, characterized in that a snap-fit ​​mechanism that can be released by pressing is provided between the bearing end surface of the outer end of the support roll and the outer wall of the tray body. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 10 Snap-fit ​​mechanism 1 tray 20 Fruit 2 Tray body 11 Slides 12 Rail 13 Rolling Belt 14 Sterilization nozzle 15 Liquid receiving pan 16 1st drive wheel 17 2nd drive wheel 18 Driven Wheel 19 Auxiliary rail 3 center hole 4 Slider 5 Restriction Blocks 6 Support Roll 7. Roller 8. Bearings 9. Reversal plate A. Loading area B Sterilization spray area C Air-dried area D. Delivery area E Machine vision part

Claims

1. A continuous fixed-amount spray structure for sterilizing post-harvest fruits, comprising a fruit transport tray and rails that are installed along a tray transport path and on which the tray is arranged at equal intervals, the tray comprises an annular tray body, a central hole is provided in the center of the tray body for dropping the fruit, two support rolls that are parallel to each other and can simultaneously swing up and down are provided at the bottom of the central hole, a swingable reversing plate is provided on the inner bottom surface of the tray body, the inner end of the central shaft of the support roll is inserted into the reversing plate, and a roller is fixed to the support roll. a sterilization spray structure for sterilizing post-harvest fruits, characterized in that a bearing is provided between the reversing plate, the bearing is provided between the outer end of the support roll and the bottom surface of the outside of the tray body, a sterilization spray area is provided midway along the tray transport path, the sterilization spray area has three to four sets of sterilization nozzles arranged in sequence on the tray transport path, a liquid receiving tray is provided below the sterilization spray area, and a rolling belt is provided above the rollers in the sterilization spray area, in close contact with the rollers and driving them to roll, the rolling belt being arranged parallel to the rail.

2. 2. The continuous fixed-amount spray structure for sterilizing post-harvest fruits according to claim 1, wherein the rolling belt is a rotating belt, and a first driving wheel and a second driving wheel having opposite rotation directions are provided at both ends of the rolling belt, the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel are driven by independent motors, and driven wheels are arranged at equal intervals between the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel.

3. 3. The continuous fixed-amount spray structure for sterilizing post-harvest fruits according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the set of sterilizing nozzles includes one sterilizing nozzle provided directly above the tray, or two sterilizing nozzles that are located above the tray, arranged symmetrically about the center of the tray, and obliquely disposed so as to target the fruits on the tray when the set of sterilizing nozzles is viewed from the direction in which the tray moves.

4. The continuous metered dose spray structure for sterilizing post-harvest fruits as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the surface of the supporting roll is made of silicone or latex.

5. 3. The continuous fixed amount spray structure for sterilizing post-harvest fruits according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a slider is provided inside the tray body, a slide is provided on the rail, the slider is removably fitted into the slide, a square-shaped hollow portion is defined by the slider and the tray body, and the reversing plate is provided in the square-shaped hollow portion.

6. 3. The continuous fixed-quantity spray structure for sterilizing post-harvest fruits according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a limiting block is provided at the inner upper end of the tray body, protruding inward to limit the swing range of the support roll.

7. 3. The continuous fixed-amount spray structure for sterilizing post-harvest fruits according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the gravitational torque of the inner end of the central axis of the support roll acting around the pivot axis of the inversion plate is greater than the gravitational torque of the outer end of the support roll and is smaller than the sum of the weight of the outer end of the support roll and the gravitational torque of the fruits.

8. The continuous fixed-amount spray structure for sterilizing post-harvest fruits according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the tray transport path is a track-like circular path, and a loading area, the sterilization spray area, an air-drying area, and an unloading area are arranged in this order along the tray transport path.

9. The continuous fixed-amount spray structure for sterilizing post-harvest fruits according to claim 8, characterized in that the rail is provided with an auxiliary rail on the outside of the rail other than the discharge portion for rolling the bearing at the outer end of the support roll.

10. The continuous fixed-amount spray structure for sterilizing post-harvest fruits according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a snap-fit ​​mechanism that can be released by pressing is provided between the bearing end surface of the outer end of the support roll and the outer wall of the tray body.

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