Device for picking fruit comprising overlapping locating members
AssigneeSaga Robotics AS
InventorsYa Xiong, Pål Johan From
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device for picking a piece of fruit from a fruit plant. The device includes locating members arranged to be positioned around a piece of fruit to be picked. The locating members are actuatable from an open position to receive the piece of fruit between the locating members to a closed position to surround the stem by which the piece of fruit is attached to the fruit plant. The device also includes a mechanism for detaching the piece of fruit to be picked from the fruit plant. The mechanism is mounted on or relative to one or more of the plurality of locating members, and wherein the mechanism is arranged to detach the piece of fruit from the plant when the plurality of locating members are in the closed position.
Claims17
A device for picking a piece of fruit from a fruit plant, wherein the piece of fruit is attached to the fruit plant by a stem, the device comprising:
- a frame or body;
- a plurality of locating members arranged to be positioned around a piece of fruit to be picked, wherein each of the plurality of locating members comprises a proximal end, hingedly attached to the frame or body, and a distal end, wherein the proximal end is wider than the distal end, and wherein the plurality of locating members are actuatable from an open position to receive the piece of fruit between the plurality of locating members to a closed position to surround the stem by which the piece of fruit is attached to the fruit plant;
- and
- a mechanism for detaching the piece of fruit to be picked from the fruit plant, wherein the mechanism is mounted on or relative to one or more of the plurality of locating members, and wherein the mechanism is arranged to detach the piece of fruit from the plant when the plurality of locating members are in the closed position;
- wherein the plurality of locating members comprises a plurality of inner locating members and a plurality of outer locating members, such that each outer locating member of the plurality of outer locating members at least partially overlaps with two adjacent inner locating members of the plurality of inner locating members.
A method of picking a piece of fruit from a fruit plant using a device for picking a piece of fruit from a fruit plant in which the piece of fruit is attached to the fruit plant by a stem, the device comprising:
- a frame or body;
- a plurality of locating members arranged to be positioned around a piece of fruit to be picked, wherein each of the plurality of locating members comprises a proximal end, hingedly attached to the frame or body, and a distal end, wherein the proximal end is wider than the distal end, and wherein the plurality of locating members are actuatable from an open position to receive the piece of fruit between the plurality of locating members to a closed position to surround the stem by which the piece of fruit is attached to the fruit plant;
- and
- a mechanism for detaching the piece of fruit to be picked from the fruit plant, wherein the mechanism is mounted on or relative to one or more of the plurality of locating members, and wherein the mechanism is arranged to detach the piece of fruit from the plant when the plurality of locating members are in the closed position, and wherein the plurality of locating members comprises a plurality of inner locating members and a plurality of outer locating members, such that each outer locating member of the plurality of outer locating members at least partially overlaps with two adjacent inner locating members of the plurality of inner locating members;
- the method comprising:
- actuating the plurality of locating members into the open position;
- positioning the device around a piece of fruit to be picked so that the plurality of locating members in the open position receive the piece of fruit between the plurality of locating members;
- actuating the plurality of locating members into the closed position to surround the stem by which the piece of fruit is attached to the fruit plant;
- and
- operating the mechanism when the plurality of locating members are in the closed position to detach the piece of fruit from the fruit plant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.