Harvester for leafy plants

• US 10,542,671 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2018
• Issued: 01/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: D'Arrigo Bros Co. Of California
• Original Assignee: D'Arrigo Bros Co. Of California
• Inventors: D'Arrigo, Michael Anthony, Sandoval, Anthony Dejesus, Garcia, Hector Amando Camacho, de Groot, Peter Frits
• Primary Examiner(s): Fabian-Kovacs, Arpad
• Application Number:
  US16/211,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20190141896A1
• Time in Patent Office: 419 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 45/263 of lettuce
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 46/30 Robotic devices for individually picking crops

Abstract

A support frame; a cut and lift mechanism coupled to the support frame; a tool carrying platform coupled to the cut and lift mechanism; an outer leaf removal device coupled to the tool carrying platform; a cutting tool coupled to the tool carrying platform; a controller in data communication with the cut and lift robot; and a plant center locator in data communication with the controller.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a cut and lift robot;

a tool carrying platform attached to said cut and lift robot;

a cutting tool rotatably coupled to said tool carrying platform;

a frame rotatably coupled to said tool carrying platform;

an air cannon coupled to said frame, said air cannon disposed to direct a pulse of air downward;

a core stabilizer coupled to said frame;

wherein a rotation of said frame relative to said tool carrying platform displaces said core stabilizer and said air cannon relative to said cutting tool.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a core ejector coupled to said frame, said core ejector disposed to direct a pulse of air toward said core stabilizer.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said core stabilizer is displaceable toward said cutting tool by a displacement of said frame.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said core stabilizer is attached to said air cannon.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said core stabilizer comprises a plurality of flexible fingers extending downward toward said cutting tool.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said core stabilizer extends downward toward said cutting tool.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said air cannon is rotatably coupled to said frame.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said air cannon is disposed to direct a pulse of air downward onto a cut plant core held between said core stabilizer and said cutting tool.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said core stabilizer is vertically displaceable to hold a crown of a plant to be cut.