Multiple-lane Fruit Cutting Apparatus with Movable Bearing Plates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cutting and pitting stations for peaches often result in inaccurate cuts, leaving split pits and pit fragments in the fruit, which can be dangerous, especially for young children, and existing coring methods damage the fruit pulp.
Innovation Solution
A multiple-lane apparatus with movable bearing elements and pneumatic pushers supports the fruit during cutting, using cylindrical and diametrical knives to cut the fruit in two halves without touching the pit, ensuring the pit fragments are removed, and cores are ejected automatically.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If aggressive upper and lower knives are used for coring, then the coring process is effective, but the fruit pulp is damaged
Solution Approach 1:
A plate intermediary is introduced between the lower knife and the fruit. The plate supports the fruit from below during cutting, preventing direct contact between the aggressive lower knife and the fruit pulp, thus avoiding damage while maintaining coring effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The fruit is preliminarily positioned and supported on the plate before the cutting action occurs. This preliminary support arrangement ensures that when the knives engage the fruit, the pulp is already protected from aggressive contact
2Productivity
If conventional pitting knives are used, then the pitting process is completed, but split pits and pit fragments remain in the fruit
Solution Approach 1:
The plate acts as an intermediary support that stabilizes the fruit during the pitting process, allowing for more precise cutting action and preventing inaccurate cuts that would leave pit fragments
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting process is segmented into controlled phases with the plate supporting different portions of the fruit at different stages, enabling precise separation of the pit from the fruit flesh without creating fragments
3Productivity
If multiple fruits are processed simultaneously, then productivity increases, but control over each fruit's positioning may decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into multiple independent processing lanes, each with its own flight conveyor and plate mechanism. This allows simultaneous processing of multiple fruits while maintaining individual control over positioning and cutting for each fruit
Solution Approach 2:
The flight conveyor and plate mechanisms are designed as universal components that can handle multiple fruits simultaneously through replication across lanes, maintaining individual precision through standardized design while achieving high productivity
Data Source
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AI summary
A multiple-lane apparatus for cutting and coring fruits has a frame (1), and fruit holding flights (7) shaped with a number of recesses (10) inferiorly provided with an opening (11) through which a part of the fruit protrudes. Above the conveyor (2) an upper supporting member (14) supports inferiorly a plurality of cutting units (17), and superiorly a plurality of pushers (21) provided with plungers (24) passing downwards through said upper supporting member (14) along the respective cutting unit (17). Each fruit (P) is cut when the upper supporting member (14) is moved downwards. A plurality of bearing elements (18) are individually provided with a plate (5) and keyed to a swinging shaft (19) so that the plate (5) closes each opening (11) during the cutting of the fruit (P), and opens it during the activation of the pushers (21) for the ejection of the core (T).