System and method of de-stemming produce

• US 9,173,431 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2013
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nagendra B. Kodali
• Original Assignee: Nagendra B. Kodali
• Inventors: Kodali, Nagendra B.
• Primary Examiner(s): ATKISSON, JIANYING CUI
• Application Number:
  US13/758,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20140220208A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 831/00, 831/55, 833/54, 833/563, 834/20, 834/22, 100/97, 241/281, 996/40, 426/484
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A23N 15/02 for stemming, piercing, or stripping fruit for household appliances A47J21/00; Removing sprouts of potatoes

Abstract

Systems and methods of de-stemming produce are provided. An apparatus can process an item of produce having a first portion and a second portion attached to the first portion. The apparatus can include at least one first conveyor unit that can convey the first portion of the item of produce in a first direction. The apparatus can include at least one second conveyor unit that can convey the second portion of the item of produce in a second direction that differs from the first linear direction by between zero and 90 degrees to generate a separation force between the first portion of the item of produce and the second portion of the item of produce that separates the first portion from the second portion.

Claims

1. A de-stemming apparatus for de-stemming produce having a pod, a stem, and a calyx, comprising:

a first conveyor unit having a top surface configured to convey the pod;

a second conveyor unit having a first portion proximate to the first conveyor unit and having a second portion disposed at an angle of greater than zero and less than 60 degrees relative to the first conveyor unit, a first portion of the first conveyor unit in parallel with the first portion of the second conveyor unit to define a gap between the first portion of the first conveyor unit and the first portion of the second conveyor unit;

the first portion of the second conveyor unit and the second portion of the second conveyor unit defining a pivot point;

a third conveyor unit arranged with the top surface of the first conveyor unit in parallel with a bottom surface of the third conveyor unit to define an opening to engage the pod between the top surface of the first conveyor unit and the bottom surface of the third conveyor unit; and

at least one driving unit configured to drive at least one of the first conveyor unit, the second conveyor unit, and the third conveyor unit to convey the produce from a first point of the de-stemming apparatus past the pivot point to a second point of the de-stemming apparatus with the pod engaged in the opening between the top surface of the first conveyor unit and the bottom surface of the third conveyor unit, and with the stem engaged by the second portion of the second conveyor unit, the at least one driving unit further configured to generate a separation force between the pod and the stem to separate at least a portion of the stem and at least a portion of the calyx from the pod during conveyance of the produce between the first point and the second point with the pod engaged in the opening between the top surface of the first conveyor unit and the bottom surface of the third conveyor unit, and with the stem engaged by the second portion of the second conveyor unit.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a fourth conveyor unit;

the top surface of the first conveyor unit and the bottom surface of the third conveyor unit configured to hold at least a portion of the pod in a fixed position during conveyance between the first point and the second point; and

the top surface of the second conveyor unit and the bottom surface of the fourth conveyor unit configured to hold at least a portion of the stem in a fixed position during conveyance between the first point and the second point.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a fourth conveyor unit configured to engage the stem with the second conveyor unit;

at least a portion of the third conveyor unit disposed parallel to at least a portion of the first conveyor unit; and

at least a portion of the fourth conveyor unit disposed parallel to at least a portion of the second portion of the second conveyor unit.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the separation force between the pod and the stem separates the stem and the calyx from the pod at an area of the produce between the calyx and the pod with the stem attached to the calyx.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the produce moves at a constant speed with at least the first conveyor unit and the second conveyor unit between the first point and the second point.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

the at least one driving unit configured to convey the produce from the first point to the second point to separate the stem and the calyx from the pod between the first point and the second point in the absence of a cutting blade disposed between the first point and the second point and in the absence of a separation obstacle configured to contact the produce and disposed between the first point and the second point.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an aligning unit configured to align the produce with at least a portion of the pod disposed on the top surface of the first conveyor unit and with at least a portion of the stem disposed on or above the second conveyor unit.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first conveyor unit and the third conveyor unit are configured to apply a compression force to at least a portion of the pod.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the second conveyor unit and a fourth conveyor unit are configured to apply a compression force to at least a portion of the stem.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the angle is less than 25 degrees.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a shaft coupled with the at least one driving unit, the first conveyor unit and the second conveyor unit, the shaft and the at least one driving unit configured to operate the first conveyor unit and the second conveyor unit at a same speed.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a shaft coupled with the at least one driving unit, the third conveyor unit and a fourth conveyor unit, the shaft and the at least one driving unit configured to operate the third conveyor unit and the fourth conveyor unit at a same speed.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a mounting structure configured to support at least one of the first conveyor unit, the second conveyor unit, and the third conveyor unit.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

a bracket connected to the first conveyor unit and configured to support the third conveyor unit; and

a bracket connected to the second conveyor unit and configured to support a fourth conveyor unit.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first conveyor unit has a width of less than 10 inches and a length of greater than 10 inches, and wherein the second conveyor unit has a width of less than 6 inches.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the opening is a first opening, further comprising:

the top surface of the first conveyor unit and the bottom surface of the third conveyor unit configured to define the first opening having a height of less than three inches between the top surface of the first conveyor unit and the bottom surface of the third conveyor unit; and

the top surface of the second conveyor unit and the bottom surface of a fourth conveyor unit configured to define a second opening having a height of less than 0.25 inches between the top surface of the second conveyor unit and the bottom surface of the fourth conveyor unit.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a combined longitudinal length of the first portion of the second conveyor unit and the second portion of the second conveyor unit is less than a longitudinal length of the first conveyor unit.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a width of the gap is between 0.25 inches and 3 inches.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a width of the gap is less than a length of the stem.

18. An apparatus for processing an item of produce having a first portion and a second portion attached to the first portion, comprising:

at least one first conveyor unit, at least one second conveyor unit, and at least one third conveyor unit;

the at least one first conveyor unit having a top surface in parallel with a bottom surface of the at least one third conveyor unit to define an opening to engage the first portion of the item of produce between the top surface of the at least one first conveyor unit and the bottom surface of the at least one third conveyor unit to convey the first portion of the item of produce in a first linear direction,

a first portion of the at least one second conveyor unit and a second portion of the at least one second conveyor unit defining a pivot point; and

the at least one second conveyor unit configured to convey the second portion of the item of produce in a second linear direction that differs from the first linear direction by less than 45 degrees to generate a separation force between the first portion of the item of produce and the second portion of the item of produce, with the first portion of the item of produce engaged in the opening, to separate the first portion from the second portion, the first portion of the at least one second conveyor unit in parallel with a first portion of the at least one first conveyor unit to define a gap between the first portion of the at least one first conveyor unit and the first portion of the at least one second conveyor unit.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

the at least one first conveyor unit configured to convey the first portion of the item of produce in a first fixed position in the first linear direction; and

the at least one second conveyor unit configured to convey the second portion of the item of produce in a second fixed position in the second linear direction.

20. An apparatus for processing produce, comprising:

means for conveying produce having a pod and a stem from a first point past a pivot point to a second point with the pod fixed in a first trajectory and the stem fixed in a second trajectory that deviates from the first trajectory by an angle greater than zero and less than 45 degrees to generate a separation force between the pod and the stem that separates at least a portion of the stem from the pod during conveyance from the first point through the second point,

the means for conveying the produce comprising;

a first conveyor unit, a second conveyor unit, and a third conveyor unit;

the first conveyor unit having a first portion in parallel with a first portion of the second conveyor unit to define a gap between the first portion of the first conveyor unit and the first portion of the second conveyor unit;

the first portion of the second conveyor unit and a second portion of the second conveyor unit arranged to define the pivot point; and

a top surface of the first conveyor unit in parallel with a bottom surface of the third conveyor unit to define an opening to engage the pod between the top surface of the first conveyor unit and the bottom surface of the third conveyor unit.