Automated system for pitting dried fruit

• US 9,084,437 B1
• Filed: 03/10/2010
• Issued: 07/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sunsweet Growers, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sunsweet Growers, Inc.
• Inventors: Pierce, Brian, Ramsey, Carmel J., Kelly, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Ross, Dana
• Assistant Examiner(s): MATHEW, HEMANT MATHAI
• Application Number:
  US12/661,180
• Time in Patent Office: 1,959 Days
• Field of Search: 995/47, 994/95, 995/61, 995/49, 994/72, 994/67, 994/68, 99473-476, 700108-110, 702/82
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A21C 13/00 Provers, i.e. apparatus permitting dough to rise
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 7/0215 Post-treatment of dried fruits or vegetables
• CPC Class Codes: A23N 4/02 for stoning fruit
• CPC Class Codes: A23N 4/06 for cherries or the like A23N4/04 takes precedence

Abstract

A system for controlling a pitting system is disclosed. The system comprises a processor configured to: receive a first sensor data; receive a second sensor data; and determine a prune processing parameter based at least in part on the first sensor data and the second sensor data. The system further comprises a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions.

Claims

1. A system for controlling moisture content during processing of dehydrated fruit, comprising:

a first sensor, wherein the first sensor takes a measurement of dehydrated fruit;

a steamer, wherein the steamer adds moisture to the dehydrated fruit;

a pitted fruit acceptor/rejector, wherein the pitted fruit acceptor/rejector accepts successfully pitted fruit and rejects unsuccessfully pitted fruit;

a second sensor, wherein the second sensor measures a second sensor data for determining a pitted fruit accept ratio signal;

a processor configured to;

receive a first sensor data from the first sensor, wherein the first sensor data includes moisture data;

receive the second sensor data from the second sensor;

determine, based at least in part on the second sensor data, the pitted fruit accept ratio signal, wherein the pitted fruit accept ratio signal comprises a signal that is proportional to the ratio of successfully pitted fruit to unsuccessfully pitted fruit after the pitted fruit acceptor/rejector has accepted or rejected the pitted fruit; and

determine a processing parameter based at least in part on the first sensor data and the second sensor data, wherein the processing parameter comprises an operation parameter of the steamer that controls an addition of moisture to the dehydrated fruit by the steamer, wherein the determining of the processing parameter comprises;

determine whether the second sensor data exceeds a first threshold;

in the event the second sensor data fails to exceed the first threshold;

determine whether the first sensor data falls below a second threshold;

in the event that the first sensor data falls below the second threshold, modify the operation parameter to increase the addition of moisture to the dehydrated fruit by the steamer;

determine whether the first sensor data exceeds a third threshold; and

in the event that the first sensor data exceeds the third threshold, modify the operation parameter to decrease the addition of moisture to the dehydrated fruit by the steamer; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions.

2. The system as in claim 1, wherein the first sensor data comprises moisture sensor data for dehydrated fruit prior to the steamer.

3. The system as in claim 1, further comprising a third sensor, and wherein the processor is configured to receive a third sensor data from the third sensor, wherein the third sensor data comprises a moisture sensor data.

4. The system as in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to provide the operation parameter of the steamer to the steamer.

5. The system as in claim 1, further comprising a fourth sensor, wherein the fourth sensor measures a fourth sensor data that comprises one or more of the following:

a temperature sensor, a weight sensor, or a counter.

6. The system as in claim 3, wherein the first sensor data comprises a sensor data that is taken at an input to a stage in the processing of dehydrated fruit and the third sensor data comprises a sensor data that is taken at an output to the stage.

7. The system as in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a second processing parameter comprising a pitter operation parameter.

8. The system as in claim 7, wherein the pitter operation parameter comprises a pitting rate.

9. The system as in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a second processing parameter comprising a flight feeder operation parameter.

10. The system as in claim 9, wherein the flight feeder operation parameter comprises a feeder rate.

11. The system as in claim 1, wherein the first sensor comprises an electrical impedance moisture sensor.

12. The system as in claim 1, wherein the operation parameter comprises steam temperature.

13. The system as in claim 1, wherein the operation parameter comprises steam pressure.

14. The system as in claim 1, wherein the operation parameter comprises fruit transport speed.

17. The system as in claim 1, wherein the addition of moisture to dehydrated fruit facilitates effective pitting of the dehydrated fruit.

18. The system as in claim 1, wherein the second sensor data comprises at least one of the following:

a number of accepted fruit, a number of rejected fruit, a weight of accepted fruit, and a weight of rejected fruit.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the pitted fruit acceptor/rejector accepts dehydrated fruit from a pitter and detects pits in the dehydrated fruit using a mechanical or an optical sensor.

15. A method for controlling moisture content during processing of dehydrated fruit, comprising:

receiving a first sensor data from a first sensor, wherein the first sensor takes a measurement of dehydrated fruit, and wherein the first sensor data includes moisture data;

receiving a second sensor data from a second sensor, wherein the second sensor measures a second sensor data for determining a pitted fruit accept ratio signal;

determining, based at least in part on the second sensor data, the pitted fruit accept ratio signal, wherein the pitted fruit accept ratio signal comprises a signal that is proportional to the ratio of successfully pitted fruit to unsuccessfully pitted fruit after a pitted fruit acceptor/rejector has accepted or rejected the pitted fruit; and

determining, using a processor, a processing parameter based at least in part on the first sensor data and based at least in part on the second sensor data, wherein the processing parameter comprises an operation parameter of the steamer that controls an addition of moisture to the dehydrated fruit by the steamer, wherein the determining of the processing parameter comprises;

determining whether the second sensor data exceeds a first threshold;

in the event the second sensor data fails to exceed the first threshold;

determining whether the first sensor data falls below a second threshold;

in the event that the first sensor data falls below the second threshold, modifying the operation parameter to increase the addition of moisture to the dehydrated fruit by the steamer;

determining whether the first sensor data exceeds a third threshold; and

in the event that the first sensor data exceeds the third threshold, modifying the operation parameter to decrease the addition of moisture to the dehydrated fruit by the steamer.

16. A computer program product for controlling moisture content during processing of dehydrated fruit, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for execution on a processor, including:

receiving a first sensor data from a first sensor, wherein the first sensor takes a measurement of dehydrated fruit, and wherein the first sensor data includes moisture data;

receiving a second sensor data from a second sensor, wherein the second sensor measures a second sensor data for determining a pitted fruit accept ratio signal;

determining, based at least in part on the second sensor data, the pitted fruit accept ratio signal, wherein the pitted fruit accept ratio signal comprises a signal that is proportional to the ratio of successfully pitted fruit to unsuccessfully pitted fruit after a pitted fruit acceptor/rejector has accepted or rejected the pitted fruit; and

determining, using a processor, a processing parameter based at least in part on the first sensor data and based at least in part on the second sensor data, wherein the processing parameter comprises an operation parameter of the steamer that controls an addition of moisture to the dehydrated fruit by the steamer, wherein the determining of the processing parameter comprises;

determining whether the second sensor data exceeds a first threshold;

in the event the second sensor data fails to exceed the first threshold;

determining whether the first sensor data falls below a second threshold;

in the event that the first sensor data falls below the second threshold, modifying the operation parameter to increase the addition of moisture to the dehydrated fruit by the steamer;

determining whether the first sensor data exceeds a third threshold; and

in the event that the first sensor data exceeds the third threshold, modifying the operation parameter to decrease the addition of moisture to the dehydrated fruit by the steamer.