Adjustable Sorter Bars for Grape Destemming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fruit harvesting machines are large, prone to wear, and inefficient in separating grapes from stalks and other debris due to fixed aperture sizes and mechanical forces applied to grapes after separation, leading to soiling and reduced quality in vinification processes.
Innovation Solution
A compact, adjustable separation system with rotating transverse sorter bars and a destemming device featuring a motorized rotary member with paddles, allowing for variable passage sizes and efficient separation of grapes from stalks, integrated into a harvesting machine to enhance the sorting and destemming process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rotating apron with fixed openings is used for destemming, then grapes can be separated from stalks, but the machine becomes large and the apron is prone to wear and soiling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the fixed rotating apron with adjustable sorter bars whose distance can be modified according to berry size. This dynamic adjustment capability allows the system to adapt to different crop types without requiring a large fixed structure, resolving the contradiction between reliability through adaptability and compactness.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the separation system by making the distance between sorter bars adjustable. This allows optimization of passage size for different berry dimensions, improving reliability across various crop types while maintaining a compact overall structure compared to fixed apron designs.
2Ease of operation
If mechanical forces are applied to grapes after separation to convey them, then the grapes can be transported to storage, but the grapes suffer unnecessary mechanical stress that reduces quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the grapes from the mechanical conveyance system by allowing them to drop freely through increased passages between sorter bars onto a collection conveyor below. This eliminates unnecessary mechanical forces during transport while ensuring grapes reach storage, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and grape quality preservation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the passage size between sorter bars is fixed, then the sorting structure is simple, but the system cannot adapt to varying berry sizes of different crop types
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adjustability of the sorter bar distance to accommodate different berry sizes. The ability to modify the geometric configuration allows the system to adapt to various crop types while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and device complexity.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If a rubbing member is added to clean the apron surface, then soiling is reduced, but the machine size increases and wear risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the need for rubbing members by extracting the separation function to occur in free-fall passages between sorter bars rather than through contact with a rotating apron surface. This removes the soiling problem entirely without adding cleaning components, resolving the contradiction between reducing harmful soiling factors and maintaining simple device structure.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively sorts and destems fruit in a compact, resistant-to-soiling manner, improving the yield of detached berries while reducing mechanical stress on grapes and maintaining machine cleanliness, adaptable to varying berry sizes, and enhancing the overall efficiency of the harvesting process.
Implementation Method 1
allowing movement of detached berries through said passages to drop under said sorting device when said passages are increased
Implementation Method 2
a motorised rotary member including paddles which are adapted, when they rotate, to interact with the stream coming from the sorting device to cause the separation of berries attached to the bunches
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3c
Figure 4a~4b
AI summary
The invention relates a device (1) for sorting a harvested stream of fruit in bunches, said device being intended to be mounted in a harvesting machine. The sorting device comprises at least two transverse sorter bars (3) driven with a cyclic relative movement, said movement enabling longitudinal displacement of the stream over said bars, while opening passages (4) between them, said passages being adapted to allow detached berries to drop under said sorting device. The invention also relates to a separation system including such a sorting device and a destemming device, and a harvesting machine including such a separation system and possibly such a sorting device.