US 2005/0028686 A1Published application

Device for peeling pulpy fruits, having an adjustable cutting depth

AssigneeA.B.L. S.R.L.

InventorsCarlo Ascari, Luca Ascari

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Abstract

A device for peeling pulpy fruits having an adjustable cutting depth The invention relates to a device suited to peel pulpy fruits, like citrus fruits, mango, kiwi, papaya, apples, pears, and particularly oranges and other fruits whose skin has not a uniform thickness. The peeling of fruits whose skin has an uneven thickness is made possible by the fact that the inventive device is equipped with a mechanism capable of varying continuously—according to a program—the amount of projection of the peeling tool relative to the feeler device, in the peeling step. The device is applicable to any kind of peeling machine, or to a machine that foresees a peeling step.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A device for peeling pulpy fruits, such as citrus fruits, mango, kiwi or the like, with a cutting depth adjustable and/or variable according to a program, specifically for oranges and other fruits having a variable-thickness skin, the device being characterised in that it comprises

a feeler device (7), which in the peeling step is constantly elastically in contact with the surface of the fruit, to allow a tool (6) to follow the profile and size of the fruit (8), this tool being suited to cut and remove the skin in the form of a single spiral-like piece;
a mechanism suited to drive the tool (6) according to a circular movement, having a transmission shaft consisting of two half-spindles (10, 10/a) connected by an articulated joint (19);
a mechanism for moving the tool (6) away from a peeled fruit (8) and for causing its return to a position in contact with a successive fruit (8) to be peeled, and maintaining the tool in contact with the latter during the peeling step;
an electronically programmable mechanism, allowing to vary the projection (a) of the tool (6) relative to said feeler device (7), in order to adjust, according to the selected program, the thickness value of the skin removed during the peeling step;
a mechanism allowing to impart, to the tool (6), a reciprocating orbital movement (F6) around the fruit, from one pole of the fruit to its other pole, in order to be able to peel generally spherical fruits;
a cam (53), controlling the orbital movement of the tool (6) according to various parameters like the size and shape of the fruit, the rpm imparted to the fruit, the advancement of the tool (6) for each turn of the fruit during the orbital movement;
a program software, a distance transducer, and a step motor (32), allowing to program said electronically programmable mechanism used to vary the projection of the tool (6) relative to said feeler device (7) during the peeling step;
means which are known per se, for enabling the transmission and connection in respect of other mechanisms making part of a machine on which the peeling device may be mounted.

5 more elements

A device for peeling pulpy fruits, like citrus fruits, mango, kiwi, or the like, with a cutting depth adjustable and/or variable according to a program, used in particular for generally cylindrical fruits and/or fruits with a pear-like shape and a variable thickness of the skin, characterised in that it comprises:

a feeler device (7), which in the peeling step is constantly elastically in contact with the surface of the fruit, to allow a tool (6) to follow the profile and size of the fruit (8), this tool (6) being suited to cut the skin in the form of a single spiral-like piece;
a mechanism suited to drive the tool (6) according to a circular movement, having a transmission shaft consisting of two half-spindles (10, 10/a) connected by an articulated joint (19);
a mechanism for moving the tool (6) away from a peeled fruit (8) and for causing its return to a position in contact with a successive fruit (8) to be peeled, and maintaining the tool in contact with the latter during the peeling step;
an electronically programmable mechanism, allowing to vary the projection (a) of the tool (6) relative to said feeler device (7), in order to adjust, according to the selected program, the thickness value of the skin removed during the peeling step;
a mechanism which imparts a linear reciprocating motion to a slide (55) that supports the mechanisms used to drive the tool (6) and to adjust the displacement of the latter relative to the feeler (7);
a cam, controlling the alternate displacement of said slide, according to the size and shape of the fruit, the rpm imparted to the fruit, the advancement of the tool for each single turn of the fruit during the displacement of the slide in the peeling step;
a program software, a distance transducer, and a step motor, allowing to program said electronically programmable mechanism used to vary the amount of the projection (a) of the tool (6) relative to the feeler (7) during the peeling step, and
transmission and connection means with respect to other mechanisms belonging to a machine on which the peeling device may be mounted, allowing to synchronise the different functions of the machine.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.