Fruit turning tool

Abstract

To provide a fruit rotating tool that facilitates the task of rotating a fruit around its peduncle safely, with reduced physical effort and with improved efficiency.SOLUTION: A fruit rotating tool 1 enables a fruit F borne on a tree T through a peduncle K to be rotated around the peduncle K. The fruit rotating tool includes: a rod-shaped grip portion 2 that is held by a worker; and a fruit action portion 3 that is provided at a tip of the grip portion 2 and exerts a rotational force on the fruit F.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a fruit rotator that rotates the fruit grown on a tree around the fruit stalk.

Background Art

[0002] It is known that fruits such as apples have better coloring on their surfaces as the time they are exposed to sunlight increases during a certain period before harvest. Therefore, in the cultivation of such fruits, it is necessary to regularly perform an operation called fruit rotation (also called ball rotation or vine rotation) so that the entire fruit is evenly exposed to sunlight and colored uniformly. This fruit rotation is performed by rotating the fruit grown on a tree around its fruit stalk (the stalk part). Conventionally, the operator who performs fruit rotation climbs a stepladder, manually rotates the fruits within reach, then moves the stepladder and repeats the same operation at the next location.

[0003] As devices used at the time of fruit harvest, various instruments for separating fruits from their fruit stalks have been conventionally proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1), but no instrument for rotating fruits around their fruit stalks has been particularly proposed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, the conventional fruit rotation operation involves the operator climbing up and down the stepladder and moving the stepladder, so there are problems in terms of safety, the physical burden on the operator is large, and furthermore, the work efficiency is poor.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention was conceived in view of these circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a fruit turning tool that enables the fruit turning operation, in which fruit is rotated around the fruit stem, to be performed safely, with minimal physical strain, and efficiently. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A fruit turning tool according to one aspect of the present invention is a fruit turning tool for rotating a fruit that has grown on a tree via a fruit stalk around the fruit stalk, and comprises a rod-shaped gripping portion for being held by an operator, and a fruit acting portion provided at the tip of the gripping portion for applying rotational force to the fruit.

[0008] In addition, in a fruit turning device according to one aspect of the present invention, the fruit-acting part may be made of elastomer.

[0009] Furthermore, in a fruit turning device according to one aspect of the present invention, the elastomer may be silicone rubber.

[0010] Furthermore, in a fruit turning device according to one aspect of the present invention, the fruit-acting part may have a durometer hardness (measured with a Type A durometer specified in JIS K6253) of 29 or less, and a static friction coefficient (measured by the test method specified in JIS K7125) of 1.37 or more.

[0011] Furthermore, in a fruit turning device according to one aspect of the present invention, the fruit working part may have a durometer hardness of 29 and a static friction coefficient of 1.37.

[0012] Furthermore, in a fruit turning device according to one aspect of the present invention, the fruit working part may have a durometer hardness of 25 and a static friction coefficient of 4.62.

[0013] Furthermore, in a fruit turning device according to one aspect of the present invention, the fruit working part may have an oval, circular, arc-shaped, oblong, elliptical, or gourd-shaped longitudinal cross-section.

[0014] Also, in the fruit rotator according to one aspect of the present invention, the fruit may be an apple.

Advantages of the Invention

[0015] According to the fruit rotator according to one aspect of the present invention, the actual rotation operation of rotating the fruit around the fruit stalk can be performed safely, with less physical burden, and more efficiently.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016] [Figure 1] It is a schematic front view showing the configuration of the fruit rotator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a schematic front view showing the fruit acting part 3. [Figure 3] It is a schematic longitudinal sectional view including the center line showing the fruit acting part 3. [Figure 4] It is a schematic bottom view showing the fruit acting part 3. [Figure 5] It is an explanatory view showing the usage state of the fruit rotator 1. [Figure 6] It is a schematic plan view showing the procedure of actual rotation using the fruit rotator 1. [Figure 7] It is a schematic front view showing a modified example of the fruit acting part 3. [Figure 8] It is a schematic front view showing a modified example of the fruit acting part 3.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, the fruit rotator according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each of the following embodiments, the fruit rotator used for the actual rotation of apple fruits will be described as an example.

[0018] (Configuration of the fruit rotator) First, the configuration of the fruit rotator according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing the configuration of the fruit rotator 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. The fruit rotator 1 includes a gripping part 2 and a fruit acting part 3. In FIG. 1, a part of the gripping part 2 is omitted from illustration.

[0019] The gripping part 2 serves as a part to be gripped by an operator and as a part to hold the fruit acting part 3 at a high position. The gripping part 2 is a rod-shaped member made of resin, wood, etc., and its cross-sectional shape is substantially circular. Also, the length of the gripping part 2 is set to such an extent that the fruit acting part 3 can be brought close to an apple fruit growing on a tree. Note that the material and cross-sectional shape of the gripping part 2 are not limited to this embodiment, and can be appropriately designed and changed. Also, the length of the gripping part 2 can be appropriately designed and changed in consideration of the height position where the fruit grows and the height of the operator, etc. Further, although not shown in detail in the figure, it is also possible to configure the gripping part 2 to be length-adjustable by providing a known length adjustment mechanism at a predetermined position of the gripping part 2.

[0020] The fruit acting part 3 serves to apply a rotational force around the fruit stalk to the fruit. The material of the fruit acting part 3 is an elastomer (an elastic polymer material), and in this embodiment, silicone rubber, which is a type of thermosetting elastomer, is adopted. Also, the durometer hardness of the fruit acting part 3 (measured with a type A durometer defined in JIS K6253) is 29 or less, and the static friction coefficient (measured by the test method defined in JIS K7125, but using a test metal plate made of SUS304 as the mating material) is set to 1.37 or more. This is because the lower the durometer hardness and the higher the static friction coefficient of the fruit acting part 3, the easier it is to apply a rotational force to the fruit. Here, Table 1 shows the test results of tests on a plurality of samples of the fruit acting part 3 with the durometer hardness and static friction coefficient changed to determine whether the fruit can be rotated. According to this, for Sample A and Sample B, a rotational force could not be applied to the fruit, but for Sample C and Sample D, a rotational force could be applied to the fruit.

[0021] [Table 1]

[0022] Here, Figures 2 to 4 show the fruit-acting part 3, with Figure 2 being a schematic front view, Figure 3 a schematic longitudinal section view including the center line, and Figure 4 a schematic bottom view. The fruit-acting part 3 has an oval shape, and a mounting hole 4 with a circular cross-section is formed on its bottom surface to a predetermined depth. The fruit-acting part 3, configured in this way, is attached to the tip of the gripping part 2 by inserting and fixing the gripping part 2 into the mounting hole 4.

[0023] The cross-sectional shape, depth, and position of the mounting hole 4 are not limited to this embodiment and can be appropriately modified according to the shape of the gripping portion 2. Furthermore, the mounting hole 4 is not an essential component of the present invention. That is, the manner in which the fruit-acting portion 3 is provided at the tip of the gripping portion 2 is not limited to the manner in which the gripping portion 2 is inserted into the mounting hole 4 as in this embodiment. It may also be the case that the fruit-acting portion 3 is directly fixed to the tip of the gripping portion 2, or the fruit-acting portion 3 is fixed to the tip of the gripping portion 2 via a fixing member (not shown), or the fruit-acting portion 3 and the gripping portion 2 are integrally formed.

[0024] (Method of using a fruit turning tool and its effects) Next, the method of use and the effects of the fruit turning tool 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figures 5 and 6 are diagrams showing the method of use of the fruit turning tool 1, with Figure 5 being an explanatory diagram showing the state of use of the fruit turning tool 1, and Figure 6 being a schematic plan view showing the procedure of turning the fruit using the fruit turning tool 1. Here, we will describe the case in which fruit F that has grown on an apple tree T via a fruit stem K is turned using the fruit turning tool 1 as an example. The operator performing the fruit turning grasps a predetermined part of the gripping part 2 of the fruit turning tool 1 and brings the fruit working part 3 into contact with a predetermined position P on the surface of the fruit F, as shown in Figures 5 and 6(a). Then, by operating the gripping part 2, the fruit working part 3 rubs against the surface of the fruit F, thereby applying a rotational force to the fruit F around the fruit stem K. As a result, as shown in Figures 6(b) and 6(c), the predetermined position P on the surface of the fruit F rotates about 90° around the fruit stem K. By repeating this operation, the fruit F can be rotated by a desired angle around the fruit stem K.

[0025] As mentioned above, the fruit-acting part 3 has a durometer hardness of 29 or less and a static friction coefficient of 1.37 or higher, and possesses appropriate elasticity. Therefore, when the fruit-acting part 3 comes into contact with the fruit F, it elastically deforms so as to slightly indent, thereby ensuring a large contact area with the fruit F. This allows the fruit-acting part 3 to apply rotational force to the fruit F more reliably.

[0026] Furthermore, by moving areas on the surface of the fruit F that are poorly colored due to insufficient sunlight to a position with better sunlight, the entire fruit F can be exposed to sunlight evenly and colored uniformly. The angle at which the fruit F is rotated around the fruit stem K is not limited to this embodiment and can be appropriately changed depending on the degree of coloring of the fruit F, the surrounding environment, the type of fruit F, etc. In addition, rotational force may be applied to the fruit F by rotating the fruit handling part 3 on its own axis, that is, by rotating it around the gripping part 2.

[0027] Furthermore, workers can rotate fruits F that have grown at high places using only the fruit rotating tool 1, eliminating the need to climb up and down ladders or move ladders. This allows for safe, less physically demanding, and more efficient fruit rotation.

[0028] (modified version) It should be noted that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the claims. For example, the following modifications are possible embodiments of the present invention.

[0029] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the fruit-acting part 3 has an oval shape. However, the shape of the fruit-acting part 3 is not limited to this embodiment and can be modified as appropriate. Figures 7 and 8 are schematic front views showing modified examples of the fruit-acting part 3. It is also possible to construct the fruit-turning tool 1 using a circular fruit-acting part 5 shown in Figure 7(a), an arc-shaped fruit-acting part 6 shown in Figure 7(b), an oval-shaped fruit-acting part 7 shown in Figure 7(c), an elliptical fruit-acting part 8 shown in Figure 8(a), or a gourd-shaped fruit-acting part 9 shown in Figure 8(b). The circular fruit-acting part 5 and the arc-shaped fruit-acting part 6 have the advantage of being able to be manufactured easily and inexpensively. The oval-shaped fruit-acting part 7 and the elliptical fruit-acting part 8 have the advantage of being able to apply rotational force to the fruit F more reliably because the contact area with the fruit F is larger compared to the circular and arc-shaped parts. Furthermore, the gourd-shaped fruit-acting part 9 has the advantage of being able to apply rotational force to the fruit F more reliably by making contact with the fruit F at two points, top and bottom, compared to when it makes contact with the fruit F at one point.

[0030] In this embodiment, the fruit-acting portion 3 is made of silicone rubber. However, the material of the fruit-acting portion 3 is not limited to this embodiment and may be an elastomer other than silicone rubber. Furthermore, any material other than an elastomer may be used, as long as it has a certain degree of elasticity and can easily ensure a large contact area when in contact with the fruit F.

[0031] In this embodiment, the fruit-acting part 3 has a durometer hardness of 29 or less and a static friction coefficient of 1.37 or more. The fruit-acting part 3 is suitable because it can reliably rotate the fruit F when its durometer hardness is set to 29 and its static friction coefficient is set to 1.37. The fruit-acting part 3 is also suitable because it can reliably rotate the fruit F when its durometer hardness is set to 25 and its static friction coefficient is set to 4.62. [Industrial applicability]

[0032] The fruit turning device according to the present invention can be used to turn fruits other than apples, as well as fruits of fruit-like vegetables such as watermelons, melons, and strawberries, and fruits of vegetables such as tomatoes and eggplants. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0033] 1. Fruit turning tool 2 Grip part 3,5,6,7,8,9 Fruit action parts 4 mounting holes F Fruit K fruit stalk P Predetermined position T tree

Claims

1. A fruit turning device that rotates a fruit that has grown on a tree via a fruit stalk around the fruit stalk, It is formed in a rod shape and has a gripping part that the worker holds, A fruit-acting part is provided at the tip of the gripping part and contacts the surface of the fruit, rubbing the surface in a circumferential direction, thereby applying only rotational force around the fruit stem to the fruit; A fruit turning tool characterized by having the following features.

2. The fruit turning tool according to claim 1, characterized in that the fruit-acting part is made of elastomer.

3. The fruit turning device according to claim 2, characterized in that the elastomer is silicone rubber.

4. The fruit turning device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the fruit-acting part has a durometer hardness (measured with a Type A durometer specified in JIS K6253) of 29 or less, and a static friction coefficient (measured by the test method specified in JIS K7125) of 1.37 or more.

5. The fruit turning tool according to claim 4, characterized in that the fruit-acting part has a durometer hardness of 29 and a static friction coefficient of 1.

37.

6. The fruit turning device according to claim 4, characterized in that the fruit-acting part has a durometer hardness of 25 and a static friction coefficient of 4.

62.

7. The fruit turning device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the fruit-acting part has a longitudinal cross-sectional shape that is oval, circular, arc-shaped, oblong, elliptical, or gourd-shaped.

8. The fruit turning device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the aforementioned fruit is an apple.

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