Olive Harvest Sorting Apparatus Comb Grids Air Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing olive harvesting and sorting machines are inefficient in separating olives from leaves, twigs, and branches, leading to waste and reduced oil quality, as they cannot effectively distinguish between the weight of twigs and olives, and require manual sorting.
Innovation Solution
A sorting apparatus with a combination of a conveyor belt, vibrating tables, counter-rotating comb wheels, and air flows to separate olives from waste, using comb-shaped grids to trap and detach foliage and twigs, ensuring olives are cleared from plant material while directing waste to separate outlets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If blowers or ventilation systems are used to separate plant waste from olives by exploiting weight difference, then light leaves and small twigs are separated, but heavier twigs with weight equal to or greater than olives cannot be separated and branches with attached fruit are eliminated with the waste
Solution Approach 1:
The sorting process is divided into multiple stages: initial separation by weight using blowers, followed by secondary sorting using vibrating tables with apertures, and final manual sorting. This segmentation allows each stage to handle specific types of waste, progressively improving separation precision without losing olives.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sorting mechanisms are applied to different types of waste based on their local characteristics: blowers for light leaves, vibrating tables with specific aperture sizes for heavier twigs, and manual sorting for complex cases. Each mechanism is optimized for its specific function, achieving both high separation precision and olive recovery.
2Measurement precision
If manual sorting is used to separate heavier twigs and branches with attached fruit, then separation precision is improved, but time and energy consumption increase substantially
Solution Approach 1:
Manual sorting is performed as a preliminary action on small batches of rough product before they are processed by the mechanical sorting systems. This allows operators to identify and set aside complex cases (branches with attached fruit) that require human judgment, while the majority of material is handled efficiently by automated systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The vibrating table with apertures acts as an intermediary mechanism between the blower system and manual sorting. It performs intermediate separation of heavier twigs, reducing the workload for manual sorters and allowing them to focus only on the most complex separation tasks, thereby reducing overall sorting time.
3Productivity
If a single sorting mechanism is used, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity and sorting efficiency are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple sorting mechanisms (blowers, vibrating tables with apertures, and manual sorting stations) are merged into a single integrated sorting system. The blower system handles light waste, the vibrating tables handle heavier twigs, and manual sorting handles complex cases, collectively achieving high productivity that no single mechanism could achieve alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The sorting apparatus is designed as a universal system capable of handling multiple types of waste (leaves, small twigs, heavier twigs, and branches with attached fruit) through different mechanisms. Each component performs multiple functions: the vibrating table both transports material and performs separation, while the blower system both moves material and performs initial sorting.
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
Achieves efficient separation of olives from waste, including those attached to branches, significantly reducing fruit loss and improving oil quality by ensuring nearly all olives are recovered and waste is properly eliminated.
Implementation Method 1
it is not capable of selecting and separating heavier twigs, with a weight that is equal to or greater than that of single olives
Implementation Method 2
a first vibrating table (7), actuated by a vibrant electric motor (70), is arranged in succession and in continuity with the belt. The first table (7), thanks to the effect of the vibrations, spreads out the rough product on the entire surface of the table itself
Implementation Method 3
a conveyor belt (6) is arranged at the feeding aperture (3). The belt (6) occupies the aperture by penetrating it partially, for allowing the harvested rough product to be transported inside the main body of the defoliator
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
The present invention concerns an apparatus for the defoliation or sorting of fruits and more in particular an apparatus for the defoliation or sorting of olives.