System and method of processing produce
OwnerNagendra B. Kodaliinventor
Life of this patent
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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.
Claims22
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 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, at least a portion of the third conveyor unit disposed with the bottom surface of the third conveyor unit in parallel with at least a portion of the top surface of the first conveyor unit to define an opening to engage the pod between the bottom surface of the third conveyor unit and the top surface of the first 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, with the pod disposed in the opening between the bottom surface of the third conveyor unit and the top surface of the first conveyor unit and with the stem engaged by the fourth conveyor unit between the top surface of the second conveyor unit and the bottom surface of the fourth conveyor unit during at least a portion of the conveyance of the produce between the first point and the second point.
(canceled)
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.
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.
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.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.