Sorter roller for sorting table and sorting table comprising a series of such sorter rollers

Abstract

The present invention relates to a sorter roller (1) for a sorting table allowing the removal of foreign bodies that remain mixed with the products of the harvest of small fruits, more particularly small fruits such as grape berries after destemming the grape harvest, the sorting table including a series of sorter rollers (1) arranged so as to provide a plurality of screening openings through which the small fruits to be sorted can pass and fall, the sorter roller (1) having a series and an alternation of regularly spaced grooves (10) and ridges (11), each ridge (11) extending around the longitudinal axis (X) of the sorter roller (1) in a ridge plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (X) of the sorter roller (1), each groove (10) having a concave outer surface resulting from the rotation of the rotational profile of the groove (10) about the longitudinal axis (X) of the sorter roller (1) and connecting two adjacent ridges (11), namely a first ridge (11) and a second ridge (11). The invention is characterised in that the rotational profile of each groove (10) is asymmetrical. The invention also relates to a sorting table comprising a series of such sorter rollers.

Description

Title of the invention: Sorting roller for sorting table and sorting table comprising a succession of such sorting rollers

[0001] The present invention relates to the sorting of small fruit harvests for the removal of foreign matter remaining mixed with the harvest, and more particularly to small fruits such as grapes after destemming. It relates to a sorting roller for a sorting table and a sorting table comprising a series of such sorting rollers.

[0002] The present invention is particularly applicable to sorting the harvest of small fruits such as grapes after destemming. This application is not limiting; the sorting table according to the invention can also be used to remove foreign matter from the harvested products of various small fruits such as, for example, currants, blackcurrants, blackberries, raspberries, lingonberries, cranberries, and olives. It can also be used for sorting or screening fruit, simply separating larger fruits from smaller ones.

[0003] Regarding its application to sorting the harvested grapes, it is known that, in most winemaking processes, the grapes are first destemmed before crushing and / or pressing. This destemming operation, carried out using various mechanical methods and devices, aims to detach the berries from the grape bunches and thus separate them from the stems to which they remain attached after harvesting, thereby preventing the presence of bitterness and herbaceous or vegetal flavors in the wine.

[0004] However, after destemming, whether or not it was preceded by cleaning the harvest, a certain percentage of foreign matter (debris, debris, etc.) remains mixed with the grapes. Therefore, a sorting operation is necessary to remove this matter if the winemaker wishes to ensure that its quality, particularly its organoleptic qualities, is not compromised. This sorting can be carried out manually or automatically on a sorting table designed for the specific sorting method.

[0005] Such a sorting table makes it possible to separate the grape berries from foreign bodies (undesirable objects) remaining mixed with the grape berries after destemming. harvest and presenting various forms (leaves, rachis, petioles, pieces of leaves or shoots, fragments of stakes or supports, mineral debris, insects, small animals, ...).

[0006] Such a sorting table is typically mounted on a grape harvester or installed in a fixed location such as a winery. It comprises a plurality of parallel sorting rollers arranged in a substantially horizontal sorting plane, defining openings between them that form a sieve. The sorting rollers are driven in rotation around their respective longitudinal axes by motors and in the same direction, thus conveying the grapes to be sorted onto the sorting table. The axes of the sorting rollers lie in the same plane, forming the sorting plane. The grapes to be sorted pass through this sorting plane in the openings formed between the sorting rollers. The surface area of ​​these openings is minimal within the sorting plane, and they are subsequently referred to as screening openings.During conveying, the grapes pass through screening openings formed between two adjacent sorting rollers to be collected under the sorting table. The screening openings are pre-adjusted to the size of the grapes being sorted by adjusting the spacing of the sorting roller axes in the sorting plane. The sorting rollers are shaped and arranged to prevent foreign objects larger than the openings from passing through the screening openings, conveying them to the downstream end of the sorting table. Sorting tables typically include, upstream of the sorting rollers in an upstream sorting plane, other devices (e.g., rollers, vibrating fingers, etc.) to remove small foreign objects smaller than the grapes while providing preferential orientation for the objects entering the sorting rollers.

[0007] The principle behind these sorting tables is to create screening openings between the sorting rollers. The profile / contour of these openings closely matches, in shape and dimensions, that of the grapes that must pass through them by gravity to achieve a high-quality sort. Foreign objects larger than the grapes cannot pass through these screening openings and are subsequently removed at the exit of the sorting table. The profile of such a screening opening can be defined by the intersection of the sorting rollers with the sorting plane.

[0008] Document EP2030498 discloses such a sorting table. It comprises a series of adjacent, generally cylindrical, rotating conveyor rollers arranged parallel to each other to form a sorting platform. This platform includes two types of rollers distributed in an upstream and a downstream section of the sorting table: an upstream section consisting of feed-cleaner rollers and a downstream section consisting of sorting rollers. The feed-cleaner rollers have a series of circular reliefs separated by circular grooves and interlocked with the grooves of the neighboring roller(s) to create small gaps between two adjacent rollers, allowing only small foreign bodies (seeds, small dry grains, small insects, green grains, etc.) smaller than the grape berries to pass through.The feed-cleaner rollers also allow elongated foreign bodies to be oriented perpendicularly to the axis of rotation of said rollers, thus conveying them, in this position, to the sorting rollers. The sorting rollers have a series of circular reliefs separated by circular grooves and featuring a central ridge (or circular edge) forming the apex of the circular reliefs and connecting to the bottom of the grooves via a concave surface. The ridges of each sorting roller are slightly offset from the ridges of the neighboring sorting roller(s), and their adjacent edges are partially engaged in the grooves of the neighboring roller(s) so as to interlock the sorting rollers and define the screening openings.

[0009] The present invention is more particularly concerned with the sorting rollers forming the screening openings.

[0010] While the effectiveness of these sorting tables is well established, a decrease in berry size has been observed in some grape varieties due to the progressive effects of climate change, with successive droughts each year. Specifically, in some varieties, the diameter of these new, smaller berries, which was, for example, around 15 mm before their current reduction, is now around 12 mm. It has also been observed that the stems are increasingly fragile and frequently break off during the destemming process, resulting in numerous small bunches of a similar size to the berries but lighter in mass, thus creating new foreign bodies.

[0011] These new foreign bodies, due to their size, have a high probability of passing through the screening openings, thus degrading the sorting quality. Indeed, unlike large waste (stems) or flat waste (leaves) which, by their shape, size, and buoyancy, tend to remain away from the sorting plane by resting on the ridges of the sorting rollers, these new foreign bodies, like grape berries, are likely to be conveyed into the chutes and therefore pass through the screening openings.

[0012] Some well-known sorting tables are adjustable by allowing the distance between the axes of the sorting rollers (center-to-center distance), for example, by allowing the center-to-center distance to be varied from 48 mm to 60 mm. This adjustment of the spacing makes it possible to enlarge or reduce the area of ​​the screening openings to adapt them to the size of the berries to be sorted. This adjustment is generally mechanical or pneumatic. Such an adjustable sorting table is described, for example, in documents EP3528969, EP3528968, and EP2457671.

[0013] However, when sorting smaller grapes, the reduction in the screening opening area achieved with such an adjustable sorting table, after adjusting the axes of the sorting rollers to bring them closer together, is limited. This limit is determined by the absence of contact between the sorting rollers when they rotate around their roller axis. While this limit was satisfactory for the common berry size of about twenty years ago, the resulting minimum screening opening area is now too large for some grape varieties. This allows two modern grapes to pass through easily at the same time, but also, and more importantly, significantly increases the likelihood of foreign objects larger than the grapes but smaller than the screening openings passing through.

[0014] The present invention aims to overcome these drawbacks.

[0015] To this end, the present invention relates to a sorting roller for a sorting table enabling the removal of foreign bodies remaining mixed with the products of the harvest of small fruits, more particularly small fruits such as grapes after destemming the grapes, the sorting table comprising a succession of sorting rollers of generally cylindrical shape arranged parallel to each other so as to form at least part of a sorting plane of the table. sorting and arranged so as to provide a plurality of screening openings between two adjacent sorting rollers for the passage and fall of the small fruits to be sorted, said sorting roller comprising an external surface, with a profile of revolution around the longitudinal axis of the sorting roller, having along the sorting roller a succession and alternation of grooves and ridges, preferably of identical shapes, regularly spaced, each ridge extending around the longitudinal axis of the sorting roller in a ridge plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the sorting roller, each groove having a concave external surface resulting from the rotation of the profile of revolution of the groove around the longitudinal axis of the sorting roller and connecting two adjacent ridges, namely a first ridge and a second ridge,characterized in that the profile of revolution of each groove is asymmetrical due to the fact that the depth of each groove increases more rapidly in a first part of the groove connected to, and adjacent to the plane of, the first ridge than in a second part of the groove connected to, and adjacent to the plane of, the second ridge, which results in a more pronounced inclination of the profile of revolution, relative to the longitudinal axis of the sorting roller, in the first part of the groove.

[0016] It also relates to a sorting table with sorting rollers allowing the removal of foreign bodies remaining mixed with the products of the harvest of small fruits, more particularly small fruits such as grapes after destemming the harvest, the sorting table comprising a succession of sorting rollers of generally cylindrical shape arranged parallel to form at least part of a sorting plane of the sorting table and arranged in such a way as to provide a plurality of screening openings between two adjacent sorting rollers for the passage and fall of the small fruits to be sorted and drive means allowing the rotation in the same direction of rotation of all the sorting rollers to allow movement of the harvest above the sorting plane, said sorting rollers comprising a succession and alternation of identical and regularly spaced grooves and ridges,each groove forming with one of the opposite grooves of the neighboring sorting roller(s) one of the screening openings, the ridges of each sorting roller being slightly offset / misaligned with respect to the ridges of the neighboring sorting roller(s) so as to be engaged / interlocked in the grooves of said neighboring sorting roller(s), by forming a succession of channels perpendicular to the sorting rollers and laterally delimited by walls formed by the interlocking and slightly offset ridges, the bottoms of the channels being formed alternately by the bottoms of the grooves and the screening openings, characterized in that the sorting rollers each consist of a sorting roller according to the present invention and in that the sorting rollers are arranged in a head-to-tail configuration where each sorting roller is longitudinally reversed with respect to the neighboring sorting roller(s) so that the ridges of the sorting rollers are each engaged / interlocked in the first part of one of the grooves of the neighboring sorting roller(s).

[0017] The invention will be better understood from the following description, which relates to a preferred embodiment, given by way of non-limiting example, and explained with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, in which:

[0018] [Fig. 1] is a perspective view of a section of a sorting roller according to the present invention, the section comprising a plurality of ridges and grooves,

[0019] [Fig. 2] is a perspective view of a sorting roller roller according to the present invention, said roller forming a section comprising a single ridge and two half-grooves,

[0020] [Fig. 3] shows the pebble depicted in figure 2 in the opposite axial orientation,

[0021] [Fig. 4] is a partial perspective view of a sorting roller according to the present invention in another embodiment,

[0022] [Fig. 5] shows the sorting roller of figure 4 in an inverted longitudinal orientation,

[0023] [Fig. 6] is a partial top view of a sorting table according to the present invention, in a configuration for adjusting the center distance between the rollers to obtain a minimum surface area of ​​the screening openings,

[0024] [Fig. 7] shows a partial view of the sorting table shown in Figure 6, in a roller center distance adjustment configuration to obtain a maximum screening opening area,

[0025] [Fig. 8a],

[0026] [Fig. 8b],

[0027] [Fig. 8c],

[0028] [Fig. 8d],

[0029] [Fig. 8e] and

[0030] [Fig. 8f] schematically represent different possibilities for realizing an asymmetrical revolution profile of each groove in section in the sorting plane of two adjacent sorting rollers of a sorting table according to the present invention shown partially.

[0031] The attached figures show, at least partially, a sorting roller 1, according to the present invention, for a sorting table allowing the elimination of foreign bodies remaining mixed with the products of the harvest of small fruits and in particular small fruits B such as grape berries after the destemming of the harvest.

[0032] Such a sorting table (Figures 6, 7) comprises a series of sorting rollers according to the present invention, each generally cylindrical in shape and arranged parallel to each other so as to form at least part of a sorting plane of the sorting table. The sorting plane includes the longitudinal axes X of the sorting rollers. The sorting rollers are arranged to provide a plurality of screening openings O between two adjacent sorting rollers for the passage and fall of the small fruits to be sorted B, and in particular grapes.

[0033] In such a sorting table, the essential function of the sorting rollers is to separate small fruits B, such as grapes, from foreign bodies CE, CG, CP, defined as follows:

[0034] - Foreign bodies CG of a similar size to small fruits B and having at least one shape capable of passing through the screening openings O. In the grape harvesting sector, this may include objects formed by small bunches resulting from the breaking of stems during the destemming operation. These foreign bodies CG generally have a lighter mass than small fruits.

[0035] - Foreign bodies CP, elongated in shape with a width less than that of the grape berries and a length greater than the center-to-center distance of two adjacent sorting rollers 1, are conveyed mainly at the bottom of the grooves 10 of the table sorting and thus have a low probability of passing through the O screening openings. These are typically petioles or pieces of vine shoots.

[0036] - Foreign bodies CE larger in width than two successive ridges 11 of a sorting roller 1 and in length than the center distance between two adjacent rollers and which, due to their shape, size and load-bearing capacity, are likely to be conveyed mainly by the ridges 11 of the sorting rollers 1 and therefore at a distance from the screening openings O. They are elongated or flattened in shape and larger than the screening openings. These are, for example, leaves, cobs (unbroken or broken into parts).

[0037] In this application, the objects of a size capable of passing through the screening openings O, among those described above, are small fruits B such as grapes and foreign bodies CG. However, the grapes B have larger masses than the foreign bodies CG. Furthermore, the latter have significant asperities that could interact with the shapes of the sorting rollers, whereas the small fruits B are generally spherical or ovoid in shape and therefore interact less with the sorting rollers, apart from the possible presence of sticky juice such as grape juice.

[0038] Such a sorting roller 1, according to the present invention, comprises an external surface with a profile of revolution about the longitudinal X-axis of the sorting roller 1. The external surface with a profile of revolution has, along the sorting roller 1, a succession and alternation of grooves 10 and ridges 11, preferably with identical shapes, spaced regularly apart. Each ridge 11 extends around the longitudinal X-axis of the sorting roller 1 in a ridge plane P1, P2 perpendicular to the longitudinal X-axis of the sorting roller 1. Each groove 10 has a concave external surface resulting (in its embodiment) from the rotation of the groove's profile of revolution about the longitudinal X-axis of the sorting roller 1 and connects two adjacent ridges 11, namely a first ridge 11 extending in a first ridge plane P1 and a second ridge 11 extending in a second ridge plane P2.

[0039] The profile of revolution of each groove 10 is a plane curve which, when rotated around the longitudinal X axis of the sorting roller 1, generates a three-dimensional surface corresponding to the concave external surface of the groove 10.

[0040] In such a sorting roll 1, each ridge 11 forms on the outer surface of the sorting roll 1 the summit of a relief (or, in other words, a raised part or projection) extending, preferably continuously, around the longitudinal X-axis of the sorting roll 1 in the plane P1, P2 of the corresponding ridge 11. Each relief has two sides / slopes, each extending in one of the adjacent grooves 10 from the ridge 11 of the corresponding relief towards the longitudinal X-axis of the sorting roll 1. Each side / slope of such a relief forms a part (inclined surface) of the concave outer surface with a profile of revolution of each groove 10 thus delimited by two adjacent reliefs / ridges 11.

[0041] The ridges 11 and their reliefs therefore extend in planes perpendicular to the longitudinal X axis of the sorter roller 1 (or in other words are oriented transversely with respect to the longitudinal X axis of the sorter roller 1).

[0042] The sorting roller 1 can be made in one piece, comprising all the ridges and grooves of the sorting roller 1, preferably produced by molding or overmolding, or, as can be seen in Figures 1 to 3, be made up of a succession of sections (Figure 1). A section can have one or more ridges 11. In a particular embodiment, one or more sections can have a single ridge 11 and form a roller (Figures 2 and 3). As can also be seen in Figures 2 and 3, such a roller can further have two half-grooves on either side of the ridge 11. Each half-groove of such a roller can then form a groove 10 with the half-groove of another adjacent roller.In these various embodiments of the sorter roller 1, each section or each roller may include a central bore 12 suitable and intended to be threaded or fitted onto a drive shaft (not shown) of the sorting table configured to drive them in rotation around the longitudinal X axis of the sorter roller 1.

[0043] In one embodiment, the sorting rollers 1 can be formed as a single piece with the drive shaft. The drive shaft p can then form (or integrate) on its periphery the ridges 11 and grooves 10 necessary for its application as partially shown in Figures 4 and 5.

[0044] In the form of implementation of the sorting rollers, made up of sections or a single piece with the drive shaft:

[0045] - Each section, as can be seen in Figure 1, can comprise at least two ridges 11 connected by a groove 10. In the example in Figure 1, it comprises six ridges, five grooves, and two half-grooves at the ends. The section in Figure 1 can also represent a succession of pebbles such as that shown in Figures 2 and 3, each pebble comprising a ridge 11 and two half-grooves 10a, 10b arranged respectively on each side of the ridge 11, more particularly on each side of the relief surmounted by the ridge 11, so that the grooves 10 are formed, when two pebbles are joined together during the assembly of the sorting roller 1, by the junction of two half-grooves 10a, 10b of two adjacent pebbles.

[0046] - The sections can be mounted removably and interchangeably on their drive shaft. The drive shaft has a generally elongated cylindrical shape but preferably features splines that complement the shape of the sections and / or rollers to ensure their rotational drive.

[0047] The sections can be simply threaded onto their support bar and rotationally coupled to each other, for example by means of complementary arched lateral notches and grooves, and secured against translation on the drive shaft by means of locking devices. As can be seen in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the sections / rollers can comprise two opposing coupling ends 12m, 12f allowing coupling between two adjacent sections / rollers, for example, two coupling ends 12m, 12f by interlocking, preferably reversible, namely a male coupling end 12m and a female coupling end 12f. For the construction of the corresponding sorting roller 1, the male coupling end 12m of each section / roller is then inserted by interlocking into the female coupling end 12f of the adjacent section / roller (Figure 1).

[0048] According to the present invention, the profile of revolution of each groove 10 is asymmetrical because the depth of each groove 10 increases more rapidly in a first part 10a of the groove 10 connected to, and adjacent to the plane of, the first ridge 11 than in a second part 10b of the groove 10 connected to, and adjacent to the plane of, the second ridge 11, which results in a more pronounced (or, in other words, stronger or steeper) inclination of the profile of revolution relative to the longitudinal X axis of the sorter roller 1 in the first part 10a of the groove 10 (compared to the second part 10b of the groove 10.

[0049] It is understood that a faster increase in the depth of the groove 10 in its first part 10a than in its second part 10b means that the groove 10 becomes deeper over a shorter distance, which is naturally associated with a steeper or more pronounced slope or curvature. The terms "faster" used for the depth of the groove and "more pronounced" (or steeper, stronger) used for the inclination of the groove 10 are complementary and describe two related aspects of the topography of the groove 10. The two terms thus work together to give a complete picture of the geometry of the groove 10. In the embodiment presented, the sections or pebbles are made by molding, which means that the first part 10a cannot be completely steep and therefore has a slope.It is understood that with a suitable embodiment (by machining for example), we could have at least a part of the first part 10a totally inscribed in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal X axis of the sorter roller 1.

[0050] In the mounted state of the sorting roller 1 in a sorting table according to the present invention, which will be described subsequently, the first part of the groove 10a is adapted and intended to form a receiving and nesting space receiving one of the ridges 11 of the adjacent / neighboring sorting roller(s) 1. In this first part 10a of the profile of revolution of the groove 10, it is possible to provide a large groove depth 10 allowing the positioning and nesting of two ridges from two successive / adjacent rollers, the first parts 10a connected to each of the ridges then being opposite each other, so as to reduce the surface area of ​​the screening opening O in the sorting plane.This interlocking is characterized by a closer proximity between the two sorting rollers, thus meaning a smaller center distance between the longitudinal X axes of two sorting rollers 1, a proximity which could not be as significant if the interlocking took place with the second parts 10b facing each other, given the asymmetry of the profile of revolution of the groove 10. This interlocking. The first sections 10a, positioned opposite the ridges between two successive rollers, allow, on the one hand, for the ridges of a sorting roller to be brought as close as possible to the longitudinal X-axis of the successive / adjacent sorting roller, and on the other hand, enable a greater reduction in the screening openings O than with known adjustable sorting tables having a symmetrical profile of revolution. Thus, the size of the screening openings is closer to that of small fruits B, such as grapes, and in particular, newer, smaller grape varieties. In this case, it is no longer possible to pass two grapes simultaneously through the same screening opening.

[0051] Preferably, the region of each groove 10 affected by such an inclination of the profile of revolution in its first and second parts 10a, 10b extends (or is measured) in the vicinity of, or from, the crest 11 of the corresponding first or second part 10a, 10b, over a length of the sorting roller 1 corresponding to at least 5% of the distance D separating two adjacent crests 11. According to the present invention, this region cannot be limited to a point region extending only at the level of, or in the vicinity of, each crest 11. In the vicinity of the crest 11, the inclination of the first part 10a is substantially greater than the inclination of the second part 10b.

[0052] In this application, the term "incline" includes an inclination in the form of a slope and / or a curvature of the profile of revolution forming the groove. Inclination can therefore cover both an inclined surface (slope) and a change in direction or shape (curvature). The slope of the profile of revolution can be defined as the variation in the inclination of the profile with respect to the longitudinal X-axis of the sorter roller 1, referred to as the axis of revolution. Mathematically, the slope at a given point of the profile of revolution can be defined as the derivative of the function representing the profile of revolution with respect to the axis of revolution. This slope thus determines the angle of inclination of the profile of revolution at each point along the axis of revolution. The curvature of the profile of revolution can be defined as a measure of the variation in the slope or the deviation of the profile of revolution at each point of the curve.The curvature thus determines the rate at which the profile of revolution changes direction around the axis of revolution. Mathematically, the curvature can be defined as the second derivative of the function representing the profile of revolution with respect to the axis of revolution. revolution. The curvature thus indicates at what point the profile of revolution deviates from its tangent, thereby determining the more or less abrupt nature of the variations of the curve formed by the profile of revolution.

[0053] The profile of revolution of each groove 10 can be composed of a succession of profile segments of revolution including at least one straight segment (slope) and / or at least one curved segment (curvature). It is understood that the curved segment constantly changes direction. A curved segment can be concave or convex. The present invention can also provide that the transitions between the segments are gradual or abrupt and / or that the transitions are defined by the points where the geometry of the profile of revolution changes.

[0054] The profile of revolution of each groove 10 according to the present invention can therefore take various forms, combining parts / segments of the profile in a sloping (straight line) or curved (convex or concave curve) configuration. Figures 8a to 8f schematically show three examples of the profile of revolution of each groove 10 that the present invention can provide. Obviously, these forms are examples and do not limit the present invention to these forms. Each of these figures schematically represents the profiles of revolution of two adjacent / neighboring sorting rollers 1 mounted in reverse (head-to-tail) in a sorting table according to the present invention, which will be described later, and being more (Figures 8b, 8d, 8f) or less (Figures 8a, 8c, 8d) nested within each other. It can be seen more particularly that the profile of revolution of each groove 10 of each sorting roller 1 is:

[0055] - in figures 8a and 8b: presents a shape comprising, from the crest 11 of the first part 10a of the groove 10 to the crest 11 of the second part 10b of the groove 10, a succession of three straight segments, namely a straight segment perpendicular to the longitudinal axis X of the sorter roller 1 extending in the first part 10a of the groove 10 from the first crest 11 to the bottom of the groove 10, a straight segment parallel to the longitudinal axis X of the sorter roller 1 and forming the bottom of the groove 10, and an inclined straight segment extending in the second part 10b of the groove 10 from the bottom of the groove 10 to the second crest 11,

[0056] - in figures 8c and 8d: presents a shape with a concave curvature. It can be seen in particular that the curvature is more abrupt / pronounced in the first part 10a than in the second part 10b of each groove 10,

[0057] - figures 8e and 8f: presents a complex shape with, from the crest 11 of the first part 10a of the groove 10 to the crest 11 of the second part 10b of the groove 10, a succession of straight and curved segments, namely a segment perpendicular to the longitudinal axis X of the sorting roller 1 and extending in the first part 10a of the groove 10 from the first crest 11 to the bottom of the groove 10, a straight segment forming the bottom of the groove 10 and a curved segment exhibiting a concave curvature extending in the second part 10b of the groove 10 from its bottom to the second crest 11.

[0058] Thus, the profile of revolution of each groove 10 of a sorting roller 1 according to the present invention can have different geometric characteristics, and these characteristics can differ in the first part 10a and in the second part 10b of the groove 10. Variations can be provided in the angles of slope, the radii of curvature, or the lengths of the segments. The concave shape of the groove 10 is, however, preserved in each case.

[0059] Preferably, the revolution profile of each groove 10 has, over a length of the sorting roller 1 greater than 90% of the distance D separating the first and second adjacent ridges 11, a continuity of revolution profile without inflection point and / or strictly concave.

[0060] Preferably, as can be seen in Figures 1 to 7, the outer surface with a profile of revolution of the sorter roller 1 has additional thicknesses of material spaced angularly apart, forming first additional thicknesses of material 13 such as lugs, or notches, or bumps on the ridges 11 (Figures 1, 2, 3) and / or second additional thicknesses of material 14 such as grooves (or notches or teeth) (Figures 1 to 7), preferably concave, in the grooves 10 (i.e., on the concave outer surface of the grooves 10), preferably aligned along the sorter roller 1 on axes parallel to the longitudinal X-axis of the sorter roller 1. These additional thicknesses of material interact during the rotation of the sorter roller to transfer the rotational speed of the sorter rollers 1 into translational speed to the objects B. CG, CP, CE which come into contact with them, facilitating their transport. It is understood here that this interaction is facilitated with the asperities of the objects in contact and therefore more difficult with objects without asperities such as the small fruits B.

[0061] The present invention also relates to a sorting table with sorting rollers 1 for removing foreign bodies remaining mixed with the products of the harvest of small fruits, more particularly small fruits such as grapes after destemming, the sorting table comprising:

[0062] - a succession of sorting rollers of generally cylindrical shape arranged parallel (to each other) so as to form at least part of a sorting plane of the sorting table and arranged so as to provide a plurality of screening openings O between two adjacent sorting rollers for the passage and fall of the small fruits to be sorted,

[0063] - and drive means (not shown) enabling the rotation of all the sorting rollers in the same direction to allow movement of the grapes above the sorting plane.

[0064] In such a sorting table, the sorting rollers comprise a succession and alternation of identical and regularly spaced grooves 10 and ridges 11. Each groove 10 forms, with one of the opposite grooves 10 of the neighboring sorting roller(s) (1), one of the screening openings O. The ridges 11 of each sorting roller are slightly offset from the ridges 11 of the neighboring sorting roller(s) so as to be engaged in the grooves 10 of said neighboring sorting roller(s), forming a succession of channels C (or lanes or grooves) perpendicular to the sorting rollers. The channels C are laterally delimited by walls formed by the nested and slightly offset ridges 11.The bottoms of the C channels are formed alternately by the bottoms of the 10 gorges and the O screening openings, that is to say that the bottom of each C channel is formed by an alternation of 10 gorge bottoms and O screening openings.

[0065] Each screening opening O has a screening opening profile defined by the space limited by the intersection of the profiles of adjacent sorting rollers 1 with the sorting plane.

[0066] It is understood that each channel C is delimited by two lateral walls, each formed by a succession of ridges 11 interlocked with the ridges 11 of the adjacent sorting rollers 1, and that each wall is common to two adjacent channels C. Thus, despite the general circular shape of the ridges 11, the fact that they are interlocked while being slightly offset / misaligned allows the corresponding lateral wall to be created with a continuity of ridge 11 along the wall, that is to say, a continuity leaving a minimal space between two slightly offset / misaligned ridges 11 to avoid generating friction between the ridges 11 during the rotation of the sorting rollers 1, while maintaining an optimal screening opening area O in the channel C.

[0067] According to the present invention, the sorting rollers 1 each consist of a sorting roller 1 described previously according to the present invention. In addition, the sorting rollers 1 are arranged in a head-to-tail configuration where each sorting roller 1 is longitudinally reversed with respect to the neighboring sorting roller(s) 1 such that the ridges 11 of the sorting rollers 1 are each engaged / interlocked in the first part 10a of one of the grooves 10 of the neighboring sorting roller(s) 1.

[0068] In a preferred embodiment of the sorting table according to the present invention, as can be seen in Figures 6 and 7, the sorting plan can comprise an upstream part 3 and a downstream part 4, the downstream part 4 comprising the sorting rollers 1 and the upstream part 3 comprising a succession of feeder-cleaner rollers 2 (partially shown) allowing in particular the elimination of small foreign bodies (not shown) smaller than that of small fruits and conveying the remains of the harvest, where applicable the grapes, towards the sorting rollers 1 of the downstream part 4. The drive means allow the rotation in the same direction of rotation of all the sorting rollers 1 and the feeder-cleaner rollers 2 so as to allow the movement of the harvest, where applicable the grapes, poured onto the upstream part 3 of this sorting plan, towards the downstream part 4 of the sorting table.

[0069] The sorting rollers 1 and the rotary feeder-cleaner rollers 2 are arranged and positioned to allow, initially and in the upstream part of the sorting plane (feeder-cleaner rollers 2), the passage and fall of foreign bodies (not shown) smaller than small fruits B such as that the grape berries and, in a second stage, the passage and fall of small fruits B such as grape berries in the downstream part of the sorting plane (sorting rollers 1). The distance between the longitudinal axes X of the sorting rollers 1 has been set beforehand, either fixed in the absence of means of adjusting this distance, or by a prior adjustment of the sorting operation, so that the size of the screening openings allows the passage of small fruits B. In this second stage, the grape berries B therefore pass through the screening openings O made between the sorting rollers 1 and can be collected, for example, in a container or a bin (when the sorting table is mounted on a harvesting machine) or in a grape pump (when the sorting table is installed in a fixed location (such as a winery) placed under the sorting rollers 1).

[0070] Foreign bodies CE larger than the small fruits B (such as leaves, pieces of shoots or rachis) and which, due to their size and / or load-bearing capacity, are likely to remain on the surface of the sorting platform above the ridges 11 by resting on them, are removed to the downstream end of the platform (or the sorting table). These foreign bodies CE thus rest "floating" on the sorting rollers 1 and above the channels C, that is, on the surface of the plane formed by the ridges 11 (or the lateral walls of the channels C), parallel to the sorting platform at a distance from it, and are conveyed in a direction A, by the effect of the rotation and rotational speed of the sorting rollers 1, to the downstream end of the sorting table where they are ejected from it.

[0071] Preferably, the sorting table may also include a system for adjusting the gap between rollers 1 and 2, allowing modification of the spacing between rollers 1 and 2, that is, between the sorting rollers 1 and / or, where applicable, between the feeder-cleaner rollers 2. This involves adjusting the spacing between two adjacent sorting rollers 1 and / or, where applicable, between two adjacent feeder-cleaner rollers 2. This adjustment thus allows modification of the center distance E between the longitudinal axes of rollers 1 and 2.

[0072] It is understood that the sorting table can be in a configuration where rollers 1 and 2 are permanently nested (if the sorting table does not have a gap adjustment system) or are nested following an adjustment of the gap between rollers 1 and 2 (if the table has a gap adjustment system), or in a configuration where rollers 1 and 2 are not not nested, for example to allow for cleaning, but are likely to be thanks to the spacing adjustment system.

[0073] The sorting table according to the present invention is particularly suitable for small fruits B, such as new, smaller grape berries, and also allows for the removal of new, lightweight foreign bodies CG, such as bunches resulting from the splitting of stems, which are generally the same size as small fruits B, such as grape berries, and which are likely to reach the bottom of the grooves 10 (or the bottom of the channels C) and thus pass through the screening openings O. Indeed, thanks to the particular profile of the sorting rollers 1, more specifically the asymmetrical profile of revolution of the grooves 10, according to the present invention, and the head-to-tail mounting of the sorting rollers 1 in such a sorting table according to the present invention:

[0074] - The O screening openings are better suited in size and shape to the new, smaller B grape berries than the O screening openings of known sorting tables, as two similar grape berries cannot pass through the same screening opening at the same time.

[0075] - the second parts 10b of the grooves 10 form obstacles in the channels C, that is to say parts in relief with respect to the bottom of the channels, which foreign bodies CG come to meet during their movement, under the effect of the rotation and the speed of rotation of the sorting rollers 1, in the channels C.

[0076] More specifically, as can be seen in Figure 6, these obstacles allow for a difference in trajectory T1, T2 between the trajectory T1 of small fruits B, such as grapes, and the trajectory T2 of lightweight foreign bodies CG, such as grape clusters, which are generally the same size as small fruits B, such as grapes. This differentiation in trajectory T1, T2 allows for:

[0077] - a "zigzag" advance (trajectory T1) of the small fruits B along the sorting plane. Indeed, when the small fruits B, such as grapes, move in the channels C from one sorting roller 1 to a neighboring sorting roller 1, they encounter at least one obstacle (second part 10b of one of the grooves 10), which slows down or "breaks" the speed of the small fruits B and modifies Their trajectory T1 is deflected towards the screening opening O located below the obstacle. The reduction in their speed, largely due to their inertia but also to their spherical or even ovoid shape with a relatively smooth outer surface, causes them to follow a trajectory very close to the surface of the sorting roller's throat, which then carries them towards the screening opening O, with a high probability of them passing through it despite the opening being adjusted to the size of the small fruits B. Known sorting tables do not have such obstacles capable of deflecting the trajectory of the small fruits B moving through the channels C, and thus give them a nearly straight trajectory with a high probability of conveying two grape berries in parallel, which can easily pass through the screening openings of such tables together.

[0078] - a roughly straight-line, or even slightly zigzag, advance (trajectory T2) of these foreign bodies CG, which, due to their lower mass, will be subjected to a higher forward speed, close to the linear speed provided by the sorting rollers 1. This causes these foreign bodies CG to experience inertial effects such as bouncing when encountering obstacles in the channels C. Furthermore, where applicable, the effect of the grooves 14 will be greater than for the small fruits B due to the presence of asperities, and will propel the foreign bodies CG beyond the screening openings. Thus, the probability that these foreign bodies CG, such as the bunches, will not fall into the screening openings O is greater than with known sorting tables and significantly higher than the probability that the small fruits B will fall into the screening openings 10.Even in the event of a slight deviation in trajectory of foreign bodies CG when encountering an obstacle such as part 10b of a sorting roller, it will tend to be launched rather towards the lateral edge of the screening opening, the size of which will then be too small to allow its passage through the sorting plane.

[0079] - in the case where the sorting rollers 1 have grooves 14: limit the impact of the grooves 14 on the small fruits B, thus facilitating their fall through the screening openings O. Indeed, the impact of the grooves 14 in relation to the forward trajectory of the small fruits will have more of an effect of making them "roll back" rather than sending or "catapulting" them towards the next screening opening O of the channel C concerned because of their lack of asperities.

[0080] Furthermore, the asymmetry of the rotational profile of each groove 10 allows for screening openings O with a profile / contour and size more closely resembling small fruits B, such as new, smaller grape berries. Consequently, foreign bodies CG that might otherwise fall to the bottom of the grooves 10 (or channels C) cannot, or have a significantly lower probability of, falling into the screening openings O according to the present invention than into those of known adjustable sorting tables with peripheral zones. The asymmetry also prevents two small fruits from being conveyed together, advancing along the same line parallel to the longitudinal axis X of the sorting rollers 1, thus preventing them from passing through the screening opening. On the contrary, the asymmetry causes them to be conveyed to the bottom of the groove one after the other, and thus they can pass through the same screening opening one after the other.

[0081] Finally, the profile of the screening openings O of a sorting table according to the present invention makes it possible to maximize the screening capacity of the sorting table by increasing the number of screening openings. It should be noted that, for the effect of the asymmetry to be effective, the distance between two adjacent ridges 11 of a sorting roller 1 is greater than the size of two grape berries B. Indeed, the greater the number of screening openings O relative to the total surface area of ​​the sorting table, the more it is possible to process large volumes while maintaining maximum quality. On existing sorting rollers, the distance between two ridges 11 is approximately 36 mm. With a sorting table according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce this to 30 mm, a size significantly larger than two smaller grape berries.By way of comparison with a prior art roller, and based on a single-roller sorter with a length of 1800 mm, a prior art sorter roller provides fifty screening openings between two adjacent sorter rollers, whereas a single-roller sorter according to the present invention provides sixty screening openings. Therefore, for example, for 180 mm sections, a sorting table according to the present invention can increase from 5 to 6 holes, representing an increase of approximately 20% in the number of possible openings.

[0082] Preferably, as can be seen in Figures 6, 8b, 8d and 8f, the profile of each screening opening O can have an oblong, elliptical or oval shape, or an almond shape.

[0083] This oblong, elliptical or oval or almond-shaped form of the screening openings O has the effect of allowing better orientation of the trajectory T1 of small fruits B such as grape berries towards the screening openings O and therefore further increases the probability that the small fruits B pass through the screening openings O.

[0084] The major axis of this oblong shape actually presents an inclination with an acute angle relative to the longitudinal X axis of the sorting roller 1.

[0085] Thus, preferably, all screening openings O between two sorting rollers 1 are oriented in the same inclined direction relative to the longitudinal X axes of the adjacent sorting rollers 1.

[0086] The upstream section 3, and in particular the feed-cleaner rollers 2, are not described in further detail. This upstream section 3 is known and may be of the type described and illustrated, for example, in document EP2030498 of the present applicant.

[0087] Such a sorting table can be designed to be mounted on a harvesting machine or to be placed in a fixed location such as grape processing cellars.

[0088] Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiment described and shown in the accompanying drawings. Modifications remain possible, particularly with regard to the composition of the various elements or by substitution of technical equivalents, without departing from the scope of protection of the invention.

Claims

1. Claims 2.

1. Sorting roller (1) for a sorting table enabling the removal of foreign bodies (EC, Ce) remaining mixed with the products of the harvest of small fruits, more particularly small fruits (B) such as grapes after destemming the harvest, the sorting table comprising a succession of sorting rollers (1) of generally cylindrical shape arranged parallel to each other so as to form at least part of a sorting plane of the sorting table and arranged so as to provide a plurality of screening openings (O) between two adjacent sorting rollers (1) for the passage and fall of the small fruits to be sorted, said sorting roller (1) comprising an external surface, with a profile of revolution around the longitudinal axis (X) of the sorting roller (1), having along the sorting roller (1) a succession and alternation of grooves (10) and ridges (11), preferably of identical shapes, regularly spaced,each ridge (11) extending around the longitudinal axis (X) of the sorting roller (1) in a ridge plane (P1, P2) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (X) of the sorting roller (1), each groove (10) having a concave external surface resulting from the rotation of the profile of revolution of the groove (10) around the longitudinal axis (X) of the sorting roller (1) and connecting two adjacent ridges (11), namely a first ridge (11) and a second ridge (11), characterized in that the profile of revolution of each groove (10) is asymmetrical due to the fact that the depth of each groove (10) increases more rapidly in a first part (10a) of the groove (10) connected to, and adjacent to the plane of, the first ridge (11) than in a second part (10b) of the groove (10) connected to, and adjacent to the plane of, the second ridge (11), which results in an inclination of the profile of revolution, with respect to the longitudinal axis (X) of the sorting roller (1),more pronounced in the first part (10a) of the throat (10).

3.

2. A sorting roller (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the region of each groove (10) affected by such an inclination of the profile of revolution in its first and second parts (10a, 10b) extends in the vicinity of, or from, the crest (11) of the corresponding first or second part (10a, 10b), over a length of the sorting roller (1) corresponding to at least 5% of the distance (D) separating two adjacent crests (11). [Claims s] A sorting roller (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the profile of revolution of each groove (10) exhibits, over a length of the sorting roller (1) greater than 90% of the distance (D) separating the first and second adjacent crests (11), a continuous profile of revolution without any inflection point and / or strictly concave.

4.

4. Sorting roller (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the profile of revolution of each groove (10) is composed of a succession of segments of profile of revolution including at least one straight segment and / or at least one curved segment.

5. [Claims] Sorting roller (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the external surface with profile of revolution of the sorting roller (1) has additional thicknesses of material angularly spaced forming first additional thicknesses of material (13) such as lugs, or notches, or bumps on the crests (11) and / or second additional thicknesses of material (14) such as grooves, preferably concave, in the grooves (10), preferably aligned on axes parallel to the longitudinal axis (X) of the sorting roller (1).

6.

6. A sorting table with sorting rollers (1) allowing the removal of foreign bodies (EC, Ce) remaining mixed with the products of the harvest of small fruits, more particularly small fruits (B) such as grapes after destemming the harvest, the sorting table comprising a succession of sorting rollers (1) of generally cylindrical shape arranged parallel to each other so as to form at least part of a sorting plane of the sorting table and arranged so as to provide a plurality of screening openings (O) between two adjacent sorting rollers (1) for the passage and fall of the small fruits to be sorted and drive means allowing the rotation in the same direction of rotation of all the sorting rollers (1) to allow movement of the harvest above the sorting plane, said sorting rollers (I) comprising a succession and alternation of identical and regularly spaced grooves (10) and ridges (II),each groove (10) forming with one of the grooves (10) opposite the neighboring sorter roller(s) (1) one of the screening openings (O), the ridges of each sorter roller (1) being slightly offset / misaligned with respect to the ridges of the neighboring sorter roller(s) (1) so as to be engaged / interlocked in the grooves (10) of said neighboring sorter roller(s) (1) forming a succession of channels (C) perpendicular to the sorter roller(s) (1) and laterally delimited by walls formed by the interlocked and slightly offset ridges (11), the bottoms of the channels (C) being formed alternately by the bottoms of the grooves (10) and the screening openings (O),characterized in that the sorting rollers (1) each consist of a sorting roller (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and in that the sorting rollers (1) are arranged in a head-to-tail configuration where each sorting roller (1) is longitudinally reversed with respect to the neighboring sorting roller(s) (1) such that the ridges (11) of the sorting roller(s) (1) are each engaged / interlocked in the first part (10a) of one of the grooves (10) of the neighboring sorting roller(s) (1).

7.

7. Sorting table with sorting rollers (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that each screening opening (O) has a screening opening profile defined by the space limited by the intersection of the profiles of adjacent sorting rollers (1) with the sorting plane.

8.

8. Sorting table with sorting rollers (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that all the screening openings (O) between two sorting rollers 1 are oriented in the same inclined direction with respect to the longitudinal axes (X) of the adjacent sorting rollers (1).

9.

9. Sorting table according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the sorting plan comprises an upstream part (3) and a downstream part (4), the downstream part (4) comprising the sorting rollers (1) and the upstream part (3) comprising a succession of feed-cleaning rollers (2) enabling in particular the removal of small foreign bodies smaller than that of small fruits and conveying the remains of the harvest, where applicable the grapes, towards the sorting rollers (1) of the downstream part (4), the drive means enabling the rotation of all the sorting rollers (1) and the feed-cleaning rollers (2) so as to allow a movement of the harvest, where applicable the grapes, poured onto the upstream part (3) of this sorting plan, towards the downstream part (4) of the sorting table.

10. Sorting table according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that it includes a roller spacing adjustment system (1, 2) allowing the spacing (E) between the rollers (1, 2) to be modified.

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