Vegetable core remover

Abstract

To provide a vegetable core-removing machine 10 capable of rapidly performing a core-removing operation and having no fear of breakage of a core-removing blade.SOLUTION: Two half-face side walls constituting a corer blade side 14d are advanced to a stroke end by an actuating side 14a for a corer blade to partition and form a cone-shaped hollow side 14a, the hollow side 14h is plunged into a core side 14h of a lettuce 70a to pack the core side 70a of the lettuce 14h into the hollow side 70a, and then the hollow side is lowered by the actuating side for a corer blade to tear and remove the core side packed into the hollow side from a lettuce main body. 70a 70a 70a 14d 14h 14h. When the centering blade is advanced to a stroke end by an actuating 14d for the centering blade to partition and form a conical hollow part 14h, both the centering blade 14a are opposed to each other while keeping a prescribed minute clearance S, and both the centering blade 14a do not interfere with each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vegetable core-removing machine for removing the cores of vegetables such as cabbages, lettuces, and Chinese cabbages.

Background Art

[0002] As an example of this type of vegetable core-removing machine, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-115953 discloses a conveying mechanism that intermittently transfers vegetables from a placement station where an operator places vegetables on a placement plate to a core-removing station where the cores of the vegetables placed on the placement plate are automatically cut by a core-removing blade, and a core-removing blade assembly that cuts the cores of the vegetables placed by the operator so as to cover a notch formed in the central portion of the placement plate at the placement station with the core-removing blade.

[0003] In this vegetable core-removing machine, a trough-shaped core-removing blade is advanced from the lower left and right diagonally or from the upper left and right diagonally downward with respect to the core of the vegetable placed on the placement plate, and the core-removing blade is inserted into the vegetable to cut off the core.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the above-described conventional vegetable core-removing machine, when the core-removing blades simultaneously penetrate into the vegetable from the lower left and right diagonally or from the upper left and right diagonally with respect to the core of the vegetable, there is a risk that the left and right core-removing blades interfere with each other and break. In order to avoid the interference of the left and right core-removing blades, it is necessary to provide a time difference in the penetration of the left and right core-removing blades. Therefore, the core-removing operation takes time and the productivity is low.

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention aims to provide a vegetable core remover that can perform core removal work quickly and without the risk of damage to the core remover blade. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A conveying mechanism that intermittently transfers vegetables from a placement station where an operator places vegetables on a placement plate to a core removal station where the cores of the vegetables placed on the placement plate are automatically removed with a core removal blade, A vegetable core remover comprising a core remover blade assembly in which a worker places a vegetable on a placement station so as to cover a notch formed in the center of the placement plate, and the core of the vegetable is removed by a core remover blade that rises from below the notch, As a core cutting blade assembly, A core-removing station is assembled to be vertically movable, and a retaining plate is used to press down on the vegetables placed on the mounting plate from above, A core-shaping blade consisting of a pair of left and right hemihedra obtained by dividing a cone into two parts at a vertical cross-section including its vertex, with cutting edges formed along the side edges of the dividing surfaces of each hemihedra, A core-removing blade frame having pneumatic actuators for the core-removing blade at both ends to move the core-removing blade forward and backward, It is fixed to the machine frame and equipped with an actuator for the centering blade frame that raises and lowers the centering blade frame, When both core cutting blades are advanced to the end of their stroke by the actuator for the core cutting blades, the two core cutting blades face each other while maintaining a predetermined minute gap, and the two core cutting blades are arranged in the core cutting blade frame such that a hollow section substantially the same shape as the cone is partitioned by the two core cutting blades. Stop the placement plate in the designated position on the core removal station and press the vegetables onto the placement plate with the holding plate. The actuator for the centering blade frame raises the centering blade frame to the end of its stroke. The core-removing blades are advanced to the end of each stroke using actuators for the core-removing blades to form a hollow section, and the hollow section is then inserted into the core of the vegetable through the notch to pack the vegetable core into the hollow section. Next, lower the hollow section and tear the core packed inside the hollow section away from the vegetable body. This device is characterized by using an actuator for the core removal blade to retract the core removal blade, opening the hollow section and allowing the core to fall out of the hollow section.

[0008] The vegetable core remover according to claim 1 is characterized in that the material of the conveying plate is a thin sheet of stainless steel. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] In the vegetable core remover according to the present invention, an actuator for the core remover blade advances the core remover blade to the end of its stroke to form a cone-shaped hollow section, and then inserts this hollow section into the core of the vegetable to pack the core into the hollow section. Subsequently, the actuator for the core remover blade lowers the hollow section to tear and remove the core packed into the hollow section from the vegetable body.

[0010] According to the vegetable core remover of the present invention, when the core remover blade is advanced to the end of its stroke by an actuator for the core remover blade to form a conical hollow section, both core remover blades face each other while maintaining a predetermined minute gap, and the two core remover blades do not interfere with each other. Therefore, the core remover blades can be operated simultaneously, allowing the core remover work to be performed quickly and eliminating the risk of damage to the core remover blades.

[0011] Furthermore, if the conveying plate is made of resin, interference between the core-removing blade and the conveying plate can generate tiny fragments of resin that may adhere to the vegetables as foreign matter. However, by using a thin stainless steel plate for the conveying plate, even if interference between the core-removing blade and the conveying plate occurs, the risk of generating tiny fragments is reduced, thus improving safety. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the external appearance of a vegetable core remover according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a side view showing the inside of the vegetable core removal machine. [Figure 3] It is a side view showing the conveying mechanism of the vegetable core extraction machine. [Figure 4] It is a perspective view showing the conveying mechanism. [Figure 5] It is a partial perspective view showing the drive pulley and conveyor of the conveying mechanism. [Figure 6] It is a perspective view showing the drive pulley of the conveying mechanism. [Figure 7] It is a partial perspective view showing the lower housing of the vegetable core extraction machine and the drive pulley of the conveying mechanism inside the lower housing. [Figure 8] It is a side view showing the drive pulley of the conveying mechanism. [Figure 9] It is a perspective view showing the vegetable pressing plate and vegetable cutting blade of the vegetable core extraction machine. [Figure 10] It is a perspective view showing the assembly of the core cutting blade of the vegetable core extraction machine. [Figure 11] It is a perspective view showing the assembly of the core cutting blade of the vegetable core extraction machine. [Figure 12] It is a partially enlarged view showing the core cutting blade of the vegetable core extraction machine. [Figure 13] It is a partially enlarged view showing the core part of the vegetable of the vegetable core extraction machine. [Figure 14] It is a side view showing the drive pulley of the conveying mechanism of the vegetable core extraction machine. [Figure 15] It is a side view showing the drive pulley of the conveying mechanism of the vegetable core extraction machine. [Figure 16] It is a side view showing the drive pulley of the conveying mechanism of the vegetable core extraction machine. [Figure 17] It is a side view showing the drive pulley of the conveying mechanism of the vegetable core extraction machine. [Figure 18] It is an operation explanatory diagram of the core cutting blade of the vegetable core extraction machine. [Figure 19] It is an operation explanatory diagram of the assembly of the core cutting blade of the vegetable core extraction machine. [Figure 20] It is an operation explanatory diagram of the assembly of the core cutting blade of the vegetable core extraction machine.

Example

[0013] The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figures 1 and 2 show a vegetable core-removing machine 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. This core-removing machine 10 includes a conveyor 11, a drive pulley 12, and a driven pulley 13. A loading station 10A, a core-removing station 10B, and a splitting station 10C are provided along the direction of travel of the conveyor 11 from the driven pulley 13 to the drive pulley 12. A core-removing blade assembly 14 and a vegetable holding plate 15 are installed in the core-removing station 10B, and a vegetable splitting blade 16 is installed in the splitting station 10C.

[0014] The core-removing blade assembly 14, drive pulley 12, driven pulley 13, and conveyor 11 are installed inside the lower housing 19, while the vegetable holding plate 15 and vegetable splitting blade 16 are installed inside the upper housing 20. The entrance to the upper housing 20 is provided with a front shutter 17, and the exit is provided with a rear shutter 18. A pneumatic actuator 17a for raising and lowering the front shutter 17 and a pneumatic actuator 18a for raising and lowering the rear shutter 18 are erected on the upper surface of the upper housing 20. An opening 10A is partitioned off on the upper surface of the lower housing 19 as a mounting station 10A, and the conveyor 11 is exposed through the opening 10A.

[0015] Figures 3, 4, and 5 show details of the conveyor 11. The conveyor 11 is constructed by directly connecting multiple mounting plates 21 on which vegetables are placed. The mounting plates 21 are made of thin stainless steel sheets that are roughly square in shape, with a rectangular cutout 21a in the center and four slits 21b extending from the four corners of the cutout 21a in the direction of the diagonal extension of the cutout 21a. The trapezoidal portion 21c enclosed by the slits 21b is bent so as to incline downward toward the cutout 21a.

[0016] Brackets 22 are fixed to the four corners of the mounting plate 21 with screws 22a. A through hole 22b is formed at one end of the bracket 22. The conveyor 11 is constructed by directly connecting multiple mounting plates 21 with plate connecting rods 23. Two mounting plates 21, one in the front and one in the back, are rotatably connected by passing the plate connecting rod 23 through the through hole 22b of the bracket 22 fixed to the rear end of one mounting plate 21 and the through hole 22b of the bracket 22 fixed to the front end of the adjacent mounting plate 21, and securing it with a nut 24a.

[0017] The conveyor 11 is wound around a pair of left and right drive pulleys 12 and a pair of left and right driven pulleys 13. The pair of drive pulleys 12 are connected by pulley connecting rods 32 (see Figure 4) so ​​as to rotate as a whole. Brackets 33 are fixed to both ends of the pulley connecting rods 32, and the brackets 33 are fixed to the outer ends of the drive pulleys 12 with screws 34. A engage step portion 33a is formed on the outer end of the bracket 33. Six pulley connecting rods 32 are arranged at equal angular intervals of 60 degrees. The pair of driven pulleys 13 are also connected by six pulley connecting rods 32, which are arranged at equal angular intervals of 60 degrees, so as to rotate as a whole, similar to the drive pulleys 12. The conveyor 11 wound around the drive pulley 12 and the driven pulley 13 is mounted on the drive pulley 12 and the driven pulley 13 such that the inner rings 24 of the nuts 24a, which are screwed to both ends of the plate connecting rod 23, engage with the engagement steps 33a of the brackets 33 at both ends of the pulley connecting rod 32. The conveyor 11 wound around the drive pulley 12 and the driven pulley 13 is then supported by support frames 35 and 36, which are assembled to the machine frame that constitutes the lower housing 19, to prevent it from moving up and down during operation.

[0018] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the rotating shaft 37 of the drive pulley 12 is rotatably mounted to the frame of the lower housing 19 by a bearing 38. A slide block 52 is fixed to the end of the rotating shaft 51 of the driven pulley 13. Two upper and lower guide frames 53 and 54 are fixed to the frame of the lower housing 19, and the slide block 52 is slidably fitted to the guide frames 53 and 54. The slide block 52 is biased by a spring in the direction away from the rotating shaft 37. The biasing force of this spring can be adjusted by rotating a knob 56.

[0019] As shown in Figures 6, 7, and 8, the bearing 39 of the other drive pulley 12 is rotatably mounted on the machine frame of the lower housing 19 by the pulley shaft 40. A ratchet gear 41, a circular plate 42, and an arm 43 are rotatably mounted on this bearing 39. The outer circumference of the ratchet gear 41 has teeth 41a formed at equal 60-degree intervals. The outer circumference of the circular plate 42 has locking steps 42a formed at equal 60-degree intervals. The ratchet gear 41 and the circular plate 42 are connected by screws 44 so as to rotate together with the drive pulley 12. Arm 43 is connected to the piston rod 47a of a pneumatic first actuator 47 mounted on the lower housing 19, and swings around the pulley shaft 40 as a pivot point in conjunction with the forward and backward movement of the piston rod 47a. Two claw pieces 45 are attached to this arm 43 by bolts 45a so as to be swingable. When the piston rod 47a of the first actuator 47 moves forward, the tips of the claw pieces 45 engage with the teeth 41a of the ratchet gear 41, causing the ratchet gear 41 to rotate clockwise (Figure 8). When the piston rod 47a moves to the end of its stroke, the ratchet gear 41 rotates 60 degrees. Consequently, the circular plate 42 and the drive pulley 12 also rotate 60 degrees.

[0020] A stopper lever 48 is pivotably mounted on the frame of the lower housing 19 by a shaft 49. One end of the stopper lever 48 has a locking claw 48a that detachably locks onto a locking step 42a of a circular plate 42. The other end of the stopper lever 48 is connected to the piston rod 50a of a pneumatic second actuator 50. When the piston rod 50a moves forward, the locking claw 48a locks onto the locking step 42a, preventing the ratchet gear 41 from returning, and simultaneously positioning and fixing the drive pulley 12 in a predetermined position.

[0021] The vegetable splitting blade 16, installed inside the upper housing 20, is connected to the piston rod of a pneumatic third actuator 60 erected on the upper surface of the upper housing 20, and is moved up and down by the third actuator 60. As shown in Figure 9, the vegetable splitting blade 16 has four blades 16a arranged in a cross shape to divide vegetables such as lettuce vertically into four sections. As shown in Figure 9, the vegetable holding plate 15 is equipped with four rods 15a extending upward from the center, and an auxiliary plate 15c is fixed to the upper ends of the rods 15a. On the other hand, the vegetable splitting blade 16 is provided with two rods 16b extending laterally from its upper end, and the auxiliary plate 15c engages with the two rods 16b. When the vegetable splitting blade 16 is at the end of its upward stroke, the rods 16b extending laterally from the splitting blade 16 are also at the end of their upward stroke, and the auxiliary plate 15c that engages with the rods 16b also rises, causing the vegetable holding plate 15 to rise as well. When the vegetable splitting blade 16 descends, the vegetable holding plate 15 also descends in conjunction with it, pressing down on the vegetables placed on the mounting plate 21 from above, but stops when it hits the vegetables on the mounting plate 21.

[0022] Figures 10, 11, 12, and 13 show details of the core cutting blade assembly 14. The core cutting blade assembly 14 comprises a triangular pyramidal hemihedron 14a obtained by dividing a square pyramid with an open base into two halves at a vertical cross-section including its vertex. A cutting edge 14b is attached along both sides of the dividing surface of each hemihedron 14a to constitute a core cutting blade 14a. Each core cutting blade 14a is fixed to the tip of the piston rod 14e of a core cutting blade actuator 14d assembled to the end of the core cutting blade frame 14c and is arranged to face each other. When each core cutting blade 14a is advanced to the stroke end by the core cutting blade actuator 14d, as shown in Figure 12, both core cutting blades 14a face each other while maintaining a predetermined small gap S, and each core cutting blade 14a is positioned on the core cutting blade frame 14c such that a hollow portion 14h (see Figure 13) with substantially the same shape as the square pyramid before division is partitioned by both core cutting blades 14a. This centering blade frame 14c is connected to the piston rod 14g of a pneumatic actuator 14f for the centering blade frame, which is mounted on the machine frame of the lower housing 19, so as to be able to move up and down.

[0023] The structure of the vegetable core removal machine 10 according to this embodiment is as described above, and its operation will be explained below. As shown in Figure 2, at the placement station 10A, the worker manually places the lettuce 70A, 70B, and 70C in order onto the conveyor 11. At that time, the worker places the lettuce 70A, 70B, and 70C so that the cores of each cover the notch 21a formed in the center of the placement plate 21. After the lettuce 70A, 70B, and 70C are placed on the conveyor 11, the worker places their hand over the touchless switch 20a (see Figure 1) provided on the front of the upper housing 20, the front shutter 17 opens, the piston rod 50a of the second actuator 50 retracts as shown in Figure 14, and the locking claw 48a of the stopper lever 48 disengages from the locking step 42a of the circular plate 42, so that the ratchet gear 41 can rotate. Next, as shown in Figure 15, the piston rod 47a of the first actuator 47 moves forward, and the arm 43 rotates clockwise. Consequently, the tip of the claw piece 45 of the arm 43 engages with the teeth 41a of the ratchet gear 41, causing the ratchet gear 41 to rotate clockwise. When the piston rod 47a moves forward to the end of its stroke, the ratchet gear 41 rotates 60 degrees, and the circular plate 42 and the drive pulley 12 also rotate 60 degrees.

[0024] When the ratchet gear 41 rotates 60 degrees, the conveyor 11 moves, and as shown in Figure 2, the leading lettuce 70A is transferred from the loading station 10A to the core-removing station 10B. Simultaneously, as shown in Figure 17, the piston rod 50a of the second actuator 50 moves forward, and the locking claw 48a of the stopper lever 48 engages with the locking step 42a of the circular plate 42. This locks the ratchet gear 41, preventing the drive pulley 12 from rotating. The loading plate 21 of the conveyor 11 on which the lettuce 70A is placed is positioned at the predetermined core-removing position, and the open front shutter 17 closes. Subsequently, as shown in Figure 18, the piston rod 47a of the first actuator 47 retracts, and the arm 43 returns to its initial position.

[0025] When the front shutter 17 closes, the piston rod of the third actuator 60 descends, causing the vegetable cutting blade 16 to descend. In conjunction with this, the vegetable holding plate 15 also descends under its own weight, and as shown in Figure 18(A), the core portion 70a of the lettuce 70A on the mounting plate 21 is exposed through the notch 21a. When the piston rod of the third actuator 60 descends to the stroke end, as shown in Figure 18(B), The piston rod 14g of the actuator 14f for the core-removing blade frame rises, and at the end of the upward stroke, the top of the core-removing blade 14a hits the bottom of the lettuce 70A. Subsequently, the piston rod 14e of the actuator 14d for the core-removing blade moves forward, and when it moves to the end of the stroke as shown in Figure 18(C), the two core-removing blades 14a face each other while maintaining a predetermined small gap S, and as shown in Figure 13, the two core-removing blades 14a partition a hollow section 14h that is approximately the same shape as the square pyramid before it was divided into two, and the hollow section 14h penetrates the lettuce 70A from the bottom. At that time, the core 70a of the lettuce 70A is packed into the hollow section 14h. Then, the piston rod 14g of the actuator 14f for the core removal blade frame retracts, and the core 70a packed into the hollow section 14h is torn away from the lettuce 70A body along the gap S in the hollow section 14h and falls into the discharge trough 14i.

[0026] When the core removal process for lettuce 70A is complete, as shown in Figure 19, the front shutter 17 opens, the conveyor 11 moves, and the next lettuce 70B is sent to the core removal station 10B, while the core-removed lettuce 70A is sent to the splitting station 10C. Then, as shown in Figure 20, the lettuce 70A is vertically divided into four sections by the vegetable splitting blade 16 which moves up and down by the third actuator 60. Meanwhile, the core removal process for the next lettuce 70B proceeds at the core removal station 10B.

[0027] In the vegetable core removal machine 10 according to this embodiment, the actuator 14d for the core removal blade advances the two half-faceted bodies 14a that make up the core removal blade 14a to the stroke end to form a conical hollow section 14h, the hollow section 14h is inserted into the core 70a of the lettuce 70A and packed into the hollow section 14h, and then the actuator 14d for the core removal blade lowers the hollow section 14h to tear and remove the core 70a packed into the hollow section 14h from the lettuce 70A body.

[0028] However, when the actuator 14d for the core removal blade advances the core removal blade to the end of its stroke to form a conical hollow section 14h, both core removal blades 14a face each other while maintaining a predetermined small gap S, and the two core removal blades 14a do not interfere with each other. Therefore, both core removal blades 14a can be operated simultaneously, allowing the core removal work to be performed quickly and eliminating the risk of damage to the core removal blades 14a.

[0029] Furthermore, if the conveying plate 21 is made of resin, interference between the core-removing blade 14a and the conveying plate 21 may generate tiny fragments of resin that could adhere to the vegetables as foreign matter. However, by using a thin stainless steel plate for the conveying plate 21, even if the core-removing blade 14a and the conveying plate 21 interfere, the risk of generating tiny fragments is reduced, thus improving safety. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0030] 10…Vegetable core remover 10A... Mounting Station 10B...Core removal station 10C... Split Station 11... Conveyor 12… Drive pulley 13…Driven pulley 14…Core removal blade assembly 14a... Core removal blade (half-face) 14b...Blade tip 14c... Core removal blade frame 14d... Actuator for core removal blade 14e... Piston rod 14f... Actuator for core cutting blade frame 14g…piston rod 14h…Hollow part 14i...Drainpipe 15…Vegetable holder plate 15a... Rod 15c...Support plate 16... Vegetable splitting blade 16a...Blade 17…Front shutter 17a… Actuator 18... Rear shutter 18a… Actuator 19...Lower Housing 20… Upper Housing 20a...Touchless switch 21… Mounting plate 21a... Notch 21b... Slit 21c... Trapezoidal section 22…Bracket 22a... Bis 22b...Through hole 23…Plate connecting rod 24... Ring 24a... Nut 2…Pulley connecting rod 33…Bracket 33a...Hanging step part 34...bis 35, 36... Support frame 37…Rotation axis 38…Bearings 39... Bearings 40...Pulley shaft 41... Ratchet gear 41a... Teeth 42... Circular plate 42a... Locking step 43... Arm 44...bis 45… Nail fragments 45a... Bolt 47…First Actuator 47a... Piston rod 48... Stopper lever 48a... Locking claw 49...axis 50...Second actuator 50a... Piston rod 51…Rotation axis 52...Slide Block 53, 54… Guide frame 55...spring 56... Snacks 60...Third actuator 70A, 70B, 70C... Lettuce 70a... The core of the lettuce

Claims

1. A conveying mechanism that intermittently transfers vegetables from a placement station where an operator places vegetables on a placement plate to a core removal station where the cores of the vegetables placed on the placement plate are automatically removed with a core removal blade, A vegetable core remover comprising a core remover blade assembly in which a worker places a vegetable on a placement station so as to cover a notch formed in the center of the placement plate, and the core of the vegetable is removed by a core remover blade that rises from below the notch, As a core cutting blade assembly, A core-removing station is assembled to be vertically movable, and a retaining plate is used to press down on the vegetables placed on the mounting plate from above, A core-shaping blade consisting of a pair of left and right hemihedra obtained by dividing a cone into two parts at a vertical cross-section including its vertex, with cutting edges formed along the side edges of the dividing surfaces of each hemihedra, A core-removing blade frame having pneumatic actuators for the core-removing blade at both ends to move the core-removing blade forward and backward, It is fixed to the machine frame and equipped with an actuator for the centering blade frame that raises and lowers the centering blade frame, When both core cutting blades are advanced to the end of their stroke by the actuator for the core cutting blades, the two core cutting blades face each other while maintaining a predetermined minute gap, and the two core cutting blades are arranged in the core cutting blade frame such that a hollow section substantially the same shape as the cone is partitioned by the two core cutting blades. Stop the placement plate in the designated position on the core removal station and press the vegetables onto the placement plate with the holding plate. The actuator for the centering blade frame raises the centering blade frame to the end of its stroke. The core-removing blades are advanced to the end of each stroke using actuators for the core-removing blades to form a hollow section, and the hollow section is then inserted into the core of the vegetable through the notch to pack the vegetable core into the hollow section. Next, lower the hollow section and tear the core packed inside the hollow section away from the vegetable body. A vegetable core remover characterized by using an actuator for the core remover blade to retract the core remover blade, opening the hollow section and causing the core to fall out of the hollow section.

2. The vegetable core remover according to claim 1, characterized in that the material of the conveying plate is a thin stainless steel plate.

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