SYSTEM AND METHOD OF DE-STEMMING PRODUCE

• US 20140220208A1
• Filed: 02/04/2013
• Published: 08/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nagendra B. Kodali
• Original Assignee: Nagendra B. Kodali
• Inventors: Kodali, Nagendra B.
• Granted Patent: US 9,173,431 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 426/484
• 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 third conveyor unit configured to engage the pod between the top surface of the first conveyor unit and a bottom surface of the third conveyor unit;

a fourth conveyor unit configured to engage the stem between a top surface of the second conveyor unit and a bottom surface of the fourth conveyor unit;

at least one driving unit configured to drive at least one of the first conveyor unit, the second conveyor unit, the third conveyor unit, and the fourth conveyor unit to convey the produce from a first point of the de-stemming apparatus to a second point of the de-stemming apparatus, the at least one driving unit further configured to generate a separation force between the pod and the stem that separates 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.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

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:

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

at least a portion of the fourth conveyor unit disposed substantially 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 the 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 the 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, the third conveyor unit, and the fourth 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 the 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, further comprising:

the top surface of the first conveyor unit and the bottom surface of the third conveyor unit configured to define a 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 the 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.

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 configured to convey the first portion of the item of produce in a first linear direction; and

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 between 0.5 and 30 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.

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 a second linear direction.

20. An apparatus for processing produce, comprising:

means for conveying produce having a pod and a stem from a first point to a second point at a constant speed 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.

21. A method of processing produce, comprising:

conveying an item of produce having a pod and a stem through a de-stemming apparatus at a constant speed from a first 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; and

generating a separation force between the stem and the pod that separates at least a portion of the stem from the pod between the first point and the second point.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

conveying, by at least one first conveyor unit of the de-stemming apparatus, the pod in the first trajectory;

conveying, by at least one second conveyor unit of the de-stemming apparatus, the stem in the second trajectory;

generating, by at least one driving unit, the separation force between the pod and the stem by driving the first conveyor unit at a first speed and by driving the second conveyor unit at a second speed within 10% of the first speed.