Mobile Fruit Collection Machine Pivoting Arm Tarpaulin Winder
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fruit collection machines face difficulties in steep slopes, leading to fruit accumulation and loss during the rolling up process, requiring heavy trolleys and manual intervention for emptying, and are prone to spillage due to uneven terrain.
Innovation Solution
A mobile fruit collection machine with a motorized cover winder, pivoting arms connecting the tarpaulin's free edge to the unwinding carriage, and a fruit collection pocket formed by hoops, allowing the tarpaulin to be rolled up without lifting the carriage, thus preventing fruit loss and simplifying the emptying process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the tarpaulin is rolled up on the drum during winding, then the fruit is transported towards the receptacle, but the fruit accumulates at the end of the tarpaulin due to slope, causing loss and requiring heavy trolleys
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of lifting the carriage to dump fruit (conventional approach), the invention inverts the approach by using the winding drum's rotation to automatically guide and deposit fruit into the receptacle. The drum rotates to pull the tarpaulin in, and the fruit naturally slides off the tarpaulin onto the drum surface and into the receptacle below, eliminating the need for carriage lifting and preventing fruit loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the winding operation itself to achieve fruit deposition. As the drum winds the tarpaulin, the fruit on the tarpaulin is automatically transported and deposited into the receptacle without requiring additional lifting mechanisms or manual intervention. The winding process serves dual purposes: collecting the tarpaulin and depositing the fruit simultaneously.
2Loss of substance
If heavy trolleys are used to support accumulated fruit, then fruit loss is prevented, but the device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the fruit deposition function from the carriage system and transfers it to the winding drum. The drum's rotation and geometry naturally guide fruit into the receptacle, eliminating the need for complex lifting mechanisms, heavy trolleys, or additional deposition apparatus. The solution simplifies the system by removing unnecessary components while preventing fruit loss.
3Loss of substance
If manual intervention is used for emptying, then fruit loss is reduced, but the ease of operation decreases and time is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs automatic fruit deposition through the winding drum's rotation. As the drum winds the tarpaulin inward, fruit automatically slides off the tarpaulin surface onto the drum and into the receptacle below, eliminating the need for manual emptying operations. The process is fully automated and requires no operator intervention for fruit transfer.
4Productivity
If the tarpaulin is rolled up tightly, then collection efficiency improves, but fruit spillage increases due to slope and uneven terrain
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of trying to prevent spillage by loosening the roll or adding restraint mechanisms, the invention inverts the approach by using the drum's rotation and geometry to actively guide fruit into the receptacle. The drum surface and receptacle positioning create a controlled deposition path that prevents spillage even during tight winding operations on uneven terrain.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a mobile machine (10) for collecting fruit, comprising: - a fruit receptacle (26), - a tarpaulin winder (22), with a winding drum (24), - at least one tarpaulin (100), - at least one carriage (30) for unwinding the tarpaulin, the carriage being provided with a running gear on the ground, and - an attachment device (220) for attaching the longitudinal free edge (110) of the tarpaulin to the unwinding carriage (30). According to the invention: - the attachment device (220) comprises at least one pivoting arm (222) connecting the longitudinal free edge (110) of the tarpaulin (100) to the unwinding carriage, - the arm (222) having a length greater than a height of an upper edge of the winding drum (24). The invention is useful for collecting fruit, and in particular olives, nuts and plums.