JP4190429B2 - Crop peeling machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a crop peeling apparatus used for separating unnecessary and edible epidermis covering crops such as leek, burdock, asparagus, pepper, coconut, carrot, ginger, etc.

  Conventionally, as an apparatus for separating the leek skin of the above example, for example, after inserting a long leek conveyed by a conveyor into a hollow cylinder rod, the cylinder rod is moved in the direction in which the leek is removed, and is provided inside the cylinder rod. The long leek skinning treatment method of Patent Document 1 in which air discharged from the nozzles on the upper and both sides is blown to the vicinity of the leaf tip portion of the long leek, and the skin and deposits near the leaf tip portion of the long leek are peeled toward the root side. There is. However, since the discharge pressure of the compressed air discharged from each nozzle is substantially the same, if the stem of the long onion is deformed, the pressure of the compressed air sprayed on the deformed portion of the long onion increases, and the insertion position of the long onion Tends to be irregularly displaced. In addition, since a plurality of epidermis is separated at once or only a thin epidermis is separated, it is difficult to blow compressed air substantially uniformly on the outer periphery of the stem part of the long onion, and unnecessary skin and deposits Has the problem that it cannot be removed cleanly.

Japanese Patent No. 3127396.

  In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a plurality of systems in which a fluid discharge unit that discharges a high-pressure fluid and a fluid discharge unit that discharges a low-pressure fluid are substantially opposed to each other with the axis of the crop as a center. It is another object of the present invention to provide a crop skinning device that can reliably and smoothly separate only an unnecessary and edible epidermis without damaging a soft part.

  The present invention is a crop peeling apparatus for spraying a fluid discharged from a fluid discharge portion onto the outer surface of a crop to separate an unnecessary and uncoverable skin covering the crop, the skin of the crop being peeled off A discharge unit moving means for moving the fluid discharge unit along the outer surface of the crop in a direction to be taken, and a plurality of the fluid discharge units are provided at predetermined intervals at substantially opposite positions around the axis of the crop; A high-pressure fluid supply source for supplying a high-pressure fluid suitable for separating the skin of the crop is provided in the one fluid discharge portion provided at the substantially opposite position, and the one fluid discharge portion is provided in the one fluid discharge portion. It is an agricultural product skinning device provided with a low-pressure fluid supply source for supplying a fluid having a pressure lower than that of the fluid discharged from the fluid discharge unit.

  Alternatively, a crop peeling apparatus for spraying a fluid discharged from a fluid discharge unit onto the outer surface of a crop to separate an unnecessary and non-edible skin covering the crop, wherein the fluid discharge unit includes the crop A plurality of fluid discharge portions, which are provided at a predetermined interval at a substantially opposed position with the shaft core as a center, are supplied to each of the fluid discharge portions of the substantially opposite surfaces, and suitable for separating the crop skin. A high-pressure fluid supply source and a low-pressure fluid supply source for supplying a fluid having a pressure lower than that of the high-pressure fluid are provided, and the high-pressure fluid is discharged from the one fluid discharge portion, and the low-pressure fluid is discharged from the other fluid discharge portion. A crop peeling apparatus provided with discharge pressure switching means for switching the high-pressure fluid supply source and the low-pressure fluid supply source in a state where

  The above-mentioned crops can be composed of long crops such as leeks, asparagus, burdock, pepper, coconut, carrots and ginger. Further, the fluid discharge unit can be constituted by, for example, an air discharge unit, a discharge nozzle or discharge hole of a skinning member, a water jet cutter, an abrasive jet cutter, or the like. The high-pressure and low-pressure fluid supply sources can be constituted by fluid supply means for supplying fluid such as a blower, a compressor, and a pump, and fluid storage means for storing fluid such as a tank and a container. The fluid is composed of a gas such as air (atmosphere), an inert gas, or an incombustible gas, a liquid such as tap water, natural water, distilled water, alcohol, or a chemical solution, and a mixture obtained by mixing the gas and the liquid. can do. Further, the discharge pressure switching means can be constituted by, for example, a switching device, an electromagnetic valve, an electric type or a manual type switching valve.

  That is, each of the plurality of fluid discharge units is supplied from the high pressure fluid supply source while being moved by the discharge unit moving means in the direction (length direction) in which the epidermis is separated along the outer surface of the crop (outer surface of the onion stem). High-pressure fluid and low-pressure (including medium pressure) fluid supplied from a low-pressure fluid supply source are discharged from the upper and lower or left and right fluid discharge portions provided at substantially opposite positions around the axis of the crop. Then, the skin and deposits that are not necessary for crops and cannot be used for food are peeled off and separated. In other words, the crop peeled portion is regulated by the high pressure fluid discharge pressure discharged from one fluid discharge portion at a position where the high pressure and low pressure fluids are sprayed substantially evenly, and the relatively hard portion of the crop is controlled. The covering skin and deposits are peeled off with a high pressure fluid, and the covering skin and deposits covering a relatively soft part of the crop are stripped off with a low pressure (including medium pressure) fluid. Alternatively, the high pressure fluid supply source and the low pressure fluid supply source can be switched by the discharge pressure switching means so that the high pressure fluid is discharged from one fluid discharge portion and the low pressure fluid is discharged from the other fluid discharge portion. .

  As an embodiment, there is provided an intermediate pressure fluid supply source that supplies an intermediate pressure fluid that is set at a lower pressure than the fluid supplied by the high pressure fluid supply source and higher than the fluid supplied by the low pressure fluid supply source. Can do. In other words, the discharge pressure of the fluid discharged from the fluid discharge portion is changed to high pressure, medium pressure, and low pressure, and the unnecessary and edible skin is separated. Moreover, the discharge part moving means which moves the said fluid discharge part along the crop outer surface in the direction in which the skin of the said crop is peeled off can be provided. The discharge part moving means is composed of, for example, a movable frame, a guide rail, a traction chain, a motor, or a hydraulic cylinder, a solenoid, a chain feed mechanism, a screw feed mechanism, a cam feed mechanism, a crank mechanism, a manual movement mechanism, and the like. be able to. That is, the high pressure and low pressure discharged from the fluid discharge portion while moving the fluid discharge portion by the discharge portion moving means in the direction (length direction) in which the epidermis is separated along the crop outer surface (outer stalk outer surface). The fluid is sprayed on the outer surface of the crop, and the skin and deposits that are not necessary for the crop and that cannot be used for food are peeled off at once. In addition, when the moving speed of the fluid discharge unit is slowed down, the amount of fluid sprayed onto the outer surface of the crop increases, and when the moving speed is increased, the amount of fluid sprayed onto the outer surface of the crop decreases.

  Moreover, the discharge part rotation means which rotates the said fluid discharge part to the circumference direction centering on the axial center of the said crop can be provided. That is, the fluid discharge part is rotated around the axis of the crop to an angle at which high and low pressure fluids are sprayed on a desired portion of the crop, or an angle that substantially coincides with the winding direction and the winding angle of the skin. To turn.

  Moreover, the crop correction means for correcting the portion to which the fluid of the crop is sprayed can be provided in a state where the fluid discharged from the fluid discharge section is sprayed substantially evenly. That is, the portion of the crop fluid sprayed is corrected by pressing the fluid discharge force against the intersection of the pair of left and right support arms, or by correcting with a substantially conical cylindrical guide member, etc. It is corrected to a straight state in which the discharged high-pressure and low-pressure fluids are sprayed substantially evenly.

  According to the present invention, the high pressure fluid discharged from one fluid discharge portion provided at a substantially opposite position about the axis of the crop and the low pressure fluid discharged from the other fluid discharge portion are supplied to the outer surface of the crop. Therefore, the peeled portion of the crop can be regulated at a position where the high-pressure and low-pressure fluids are sprayed almost evenly, and the work of stripping the crop skin can be performed accurately and reliably. In addition, it is possible to reliably and smoothly separate only the unnecessary and edible epidermis and deposits that cover the crop without damaging the outer surface and soft parts of the crop, and maintain freshness and commercial value at the time of harvest. be able to.

  It is an object of the present invention to reliably and smoothly separate only an unnecessary and edible epidermis without damaging the outer surface of crops and soft parts, and a fluid discharge part for discharging a high-pressure fluid and a low-pressure fluid. The fluid discharge part that discharges water is realized by providing a plurality of systems at positions that are generally opposed to each other with the axis of the crop as the center.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  The drawing shows a crop skinning device used for separating an unneeded and unedible epidermis, which is an example of a crop, and in FIG. 1, this crop skinning device 1 includes a root cutting process and A detection section a and a separation section b, which are arranged on the transport path of the long green onions A, which are arranged at the front stage or the rear stage of at least one of the leaf cutting processes and are placed on the placement table 2a of the transport conveyor 2. To peel and separate (including exfoliation) skin Ae (including lower leaves) that is not necessary for edible A and that cannot be used for food.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the above-described transport conveyor 2 has mounting platforms 2 a... Mounted on a transport chain 2 b... Move around at speed. In addition, on the mounting table 2a, an opening 2c in which holding bodies 26a and 26a of the holding unit 26 described later are allowed to appear and retract, a receiving portion 2d for receiving the stem portion Ab of the leek A, and a receiving portion 2e for receiving the leaf portion Ac are provided. Provided. The support base 2f provided on the right side of the transport path supports the leaf Ac side of the green onion A at a substantially horizontal height with respect to the mounting base 2a, and the alignment part 2g provided on the left side of the starting end side includes the mounting base 2a. Align the root Aa of the leek A protruding to the left side. Moreover, the conveyance conveyor 2 can be comprised with a belt conveyor, a chain conveyor, a roller conveyor, etc., for example.

  The unnecessary part detection device 18 arranged in the detection section a picks up the stem part Ab and the leaf part Ac of the green onion A mounted on the mounting table 2a with the imaging camera 19, and the image information is determined and controlled by the determination control device 22. The binarization process is performed by the image processing device 20 incorporated in the image processing apparatus 20 and output to the determination control device 22 described later in association with the identification information of the mounting table 2 a read by the information reading device 21. The information reading device 21 can be constituted by, for example, a non-contact type information communication device = ID antenna, magnetic head, writing device, or the like.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the skinning device 25 disposed in the separation section b described above includes a holding unit 26 that holds the separation start portion Ad of the leek A, and the root portion Aa side that is substantially horizontal to the leaf portion Ac side. A plurality of sets of support units 27 for raising the height and skin peeling units 28 for separating the unnecessary skins Ae of the leeks A are arranged substantially opposite to the leeks A ... conveyed to the separation section b.

  The above-described holding unit 26 includes upper and lower frame portions 31b and 31b of a support frame 31a in which a pair of upper and lower holding bodies 26a and 26a that hold the leaf Ac side close to the separation start portion Ad of the green onion A are suspended from the movable frame 31. The coil spring 26b is restored to the predetermined holding posture by the restoring force of the coil spring 26b. In addition, the lower holding body 26a is moved up and down by the elevating cylinder 26c to a rising position where the leaf Ac side near the separation start part Ad of the leek A is pressed against the upper holding body 26a and a lowering position below the mounting table 2a. A flexible cushioning material is attached to the holding surface of the holding body 26a.

  The above-described support unit 27 has a substantially Y-shaped support body 27a for supporting the stem portion Ab of the leeks A, which is erected on the lifting platform 27b attached to the lower frame portion 31b. The elevating cylinder 27c moves up and down to a rising position where the lifting position is raised above the mounting table 2a and a lowering position below the mounting table 2a.

  The aforementioned skin peeling unit 28 has a support frame 28a attached to a guide rail 32 on a movable frame 31 installed on the upper part of the conveyance path, and the movable frame 31 is attached to guide rails 33, 33 installed on the side of the conveyance path. The pulling chain 34a connected to the frame 31 is rotated forward and backward by a motor (not shown) so that the units 26, 27, 28 are separated from the start end side of the separation section b where the skin Ae of the green onion A starts to be peeled off. It moves back and forth in the transport direction by a predetermined pitch substantially in synchronism with the transport speed of the transport conveyor 2 to the upper end side where the removal is completed.

  In addition, the pulling chain 34b connected to the support frame 28a is rotated forward and backward by the motor 35 disposed on the upper right side of the movable frame 31 to start the separation of the leek A lifted by the units 26 and 27. Reciprocating in the longitudinal direction along the outer peripheral surface of the stem Ab of the leeks A to the separation start position facing the portion Ad and the separation ending position where the unnecessary skin Ae is peeled off from the tip of the root Aa (the epidermis Ae is the root A direction peeled toward the Aa side and a direction substantially orthogonal to the transport direction). Further, the separation start portion Ad side of the leek A may be relatively moved to a position facing the holding unit 26.

  4 and 5, the pair of left and right support arms 36 and 36 that hold the stem Ab of the leek A lifted by the holding unit 26 and the support arms 36 and 36 are used. A pair of left and right air discharge portions 37 and 37 for discharging air G toward the outer peripheral surface of the stem portion Ab of the leek A are attached to a support frame 38 fixed to the lower end of the frame portion 28b of the support frame 28a.

  Further, a substantially horseshoe-shaped support plate 38a as viewed from the front fixed to the rear end of the support frame 38 is attached to a substantially downward C-shaped rail 28c fixed to the lower end of the frame portion 28b, and the motor 28d fixed to the lower surface of the frame portion 28b. The gear 28e is engaged with a gear 38b formed on the outer peripheral edge of the support plate 38a, and the air discharge portions 37, 37 are connected to the stem Ab axis of the leeks A held by the pair of support arms 36, 36. Rotate forward and backward in the circumferential direction as a center and rotate to a desired angle (an angle included in a range of approximately 0 degrees to approximately 360 degrees) or substantially coincide with the winding direction and winding angle of the skin Ae. Rotate to an angle.

  The support arms 36, 36 described above are fixed to the support shafts 39, 39 that are supported at both ends of the support frame 38, and the connecting rods 40, 40 connected to the support shafts 39, 39 are connected to both ends of the interlocking plate 41 to support them. The shafts 39 and 39 are rotated forward and backward by the opening / closing cylinder 42 via the connecting rod 40 and the connecting plate 41, and the support arms 36 and 36 are held by the stem Ab of the leek A held by the holding bodies 26a and 26a. It rotates to the closed angle to open and the open angle to release the holding.

  The above-described air discharge portions 37, 37 are attached to both ends of the support frame 38 around the stem Ab axis of the leek A held by the support arms 36, 36, and projectingly from the air discharge portions 37, 37 respectively. The pair of discharge nozzles 37a and 37b are provided at a predetermined interval at left and right positions substantially opposite to each other with the stem Ab axis as the center, and upper and lower discharge nozzles 37a and 37a and a lower discharge provided in the air discharge portions 37 and 37, respectively. The nozzles 37b, 37b are in a direction in which the air G is blown obliquely from the leaf Ac side toward the root Aa side (direction in which the epidermis Ae is peeled off toward the root Aa side), and the outer circumference of the stem Ab The discharge angle at which the air G is blown against the peeled portion from the back surface of the skin Ae is set.

  In addition, whether the tip side discharge holes of the discharge nozzles 37a and 37b having a substantially round shape are formed in a desired shape such as a substantially arc shape or a substantially flat shape that is flattened in the circumferential direction around the stem Ab axis. A plurality of substantially circular discharge holes or small-diameter discharge nozzles can be arranged in a desired state such as a substantially arc shape or a substantially flat shape with a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction around the stem Ab axis. .

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, one of the upper discharge nozzles 37 a and 37 a provided at substantially opposite positions with the stem Ab axis as the center is supplied with high-pressure air G through the supply path 44 a and the electromagnetic valve 45 a. The lower discharge nozzles 37b and 37b on the other side are connected to a low-pressure fluid supply source 46b that supplies low-pressure air G via a supply path 44b and an electromagnetic valve 45b. The switching device 47 connected to the valves 45a and 45b controls the opening / closing operation of the electromagnetic valves 45a and 45b in accordance with a program stored in the determination control device 22 described later.

  The high-pressure fluid supply source 46a and the low-pressure fluid supply source 46b can be configured by a fluid supply means for supplying air G such as a blower or a compressor or a fluid storage means for storing air G such as a tank or a container. Further, the upper discharge nozzle 37a is connected to the low pressure fluid supply source 46b, and the lower discharge nozzle 37b is connected to the high pressure fluid supply source 46a, or one of the left and right discharge nozzles 37a, 37b is connected to the low pressure fluid supply source 46b. The other discharge nozzles 37a and 37b can be connected to the high-pressure fluid supply source 46a.

  FIG. 7 shows another example of the skin peeling unit 28 in which the air G discharged from the discharge nozzles 37a and 37b can be switched between high pressure and low pressure, and is supplied to the upper discharge nozzles 37a and 37a and the lower discharge nozzles 37b and 37b. The high-pressure fluid supply source 46a and the low-pressure fluid supply source 46b are connected via the paths 44a and 44b, the electromagnetic valves 45a and 45b, and the switching valve 45c, respectively, and the switching valve 45c in which the supply sources 46a and 46b are connected in parallel is switched. By switching control with the apparatus 47, high-pressure or low-pressure air G may be discharged from the upper discharge nozzles 37a and 37a and the lower discharge nozzles 37b and 37b arranged in the vertical and horizontal adjacent positions, respectively.

  FIG. 8 shows another example of the skin peeling unit 28 in which the air G discharged from the discharge nozzles 37a and 37b can be switched independently between high pressure and low pressure. The supply path 44a is connected to the upper and lower discharge nozzles 37a and 37b. 44b, electromagnetic valves 45a, 45b, and switching valve 45c are connected to a high pressure fluid supply source 46a and a low pressure fluid supply source 46b, respectively, and a switching valve 45c in which the supply sources 46a, 46b are connected in parallel is connected to a switching device 47. Are switched from the upper discharge nozzles 37a and 37a, the lower discharge nozzles 37b and 37b, and the left and right discharge nozzles 37a and 37b, in which high-pressure or low-pressure air G is arranged at adjacent positions in the vertical and horizontal directions. Each may be discharged.

  FIG. 9 shows another example of the peeling unit 28 that can switch the air G discharged from the discharge nozzles 37a and 37b to high pressure, medium pressure, and low pressure, and the upper discharge nozzles 37a and 37a and the lower discharge nozzles 37b and 37b. The high pressure fluid supply source 46a, the low pressure fluid supply source 46b, and the medium pressure fluid supply source 46c are connected to the supply sources 46a and 46b through the supply paths 44a and 44b, the electromagnetic valves 45a and 45b, and the switching valve 45c, respectively. , 46c are connected and controlled in a switching device 47 to discharge high-pressure, medium-pressure, and low-pressure air G from the upper discharge nozzles 37a and 37a and the lower discharge nozzles 37b and 37b, respectively. Also good.

  FIG. 13 shows a control circuit block diagram of the crop skinning device 1. The determination control device 22 includes a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU follows the program stored in the ROM, The drive and stop of the unnecessary part detection device 18, the skinning device 25, the holding unit 26, the support unit 27, and the switching device 47 are controlled. The CPU calculates, for example, the size, shape, thickness (width), area, volume, deformation rate, transmittance, reflectance, and the like based on the image information output from the image processing device 20, and the stem Ab Until the peeling unit 28 reaches a position substantially opposite to the separation start portion Ad of the leeks A with reference to the separation start portion Ad. The movement distance and the movement time are calculated.

  In addition, with the separation start part Ad as the skinning start point, the period from the skinning start point through the root Aa to the skinning end point, the skinning start section e, the skinning continuation section f, and the skinning end In addition to dividing into sections g, the movement time and movement distance are calculated for each of sections e, f, and g, and the above-described information is associated with the identification information of the mounting table 2a read by the information reading device 21. To remember. Further, the identification information can be recorded on a recording medium (for example, a non-contact type information recording apparatus = ID tag, magnetic stripe, magnetic tape, bar code, etc.) that moves substantially corresponding to the onion A and the mounting table 2a.

  In addition, the information reading device 21 reads the identification information of the mounting table 2a moving to the separation section b, and the motor 35 is rotated forward and backward based on the information stored in the RAM of the determination control device 22 corresponding to the identification information. Then, the units 26, 27, and 28 are moved at a preset speed in a direction substantially orthogonal to the transport direction in accordance with the number of ejections from the ejection nozzles 37a and 37b. Further, based on the pulse signal output from the motor 35, the movement amount of the peeling unit 28 is detected, and the movement amount information is compared and calculated with the movement amount information stored in the RAM in advance. When it is determined that the movement amounts are substantially the same, the driving of the motor 35 is stopped, and the skin peeling unit 28 is stopped at an upper position substantially opposite to the separation start portion Ad of the leeks A. When it is determined that the movement amounts are different, the motor 35 is rotated forward and backward until the movement amount information matches.

  In addition, when the skinning unit 28 is moved to the skinning start section e, the skinning continuation section f, and the skinning end section g shown in FIG. 10, the switching device 47 is based on the information stored in the determination control device 22. And the pair of left and right electromagnetic valves 45a and 45b are opened substantially simultaneously or opened in a preset order, and the movement time and movement speed set for each of the sections e, f, and g are substantially reduced. Accordingly, an air G having a discharge amount suitable for separating the epidermis Ae on the outer peripheral surface of the stem Ab substantially corresponding to the sections e, f, and g by a predetermined number and thickness is opened. The air is discharged from the upper discharge nozzle 37a and the lower discharge nozzle 37b of the air discharge portions 37, 37.

  The embodiment shown in the drawings is configured as described above. Hereinafter, the leek A skinning operation by the crop skinning apparatus 1 will be described.

  First, as shown in FIG. 1, the leeks A to be peeled are placed one by one on the placing table 2a of the transport conveyor 2 in a horizontally long posture substantially orthogonal to the transport direction, and the tip of the root Aa Are supplied to the unnecessary portion detection device 18 in the detection section a while being aligned with the alignment portion 2g and aligned in a substantially straight state substantially parallel to the transport direction.

  Next, in the detection section a, as shown in FIG. 2, the stem Ab and the leaf Ac of the leek A are imaged by the imaging camera 19 of the unnecessary part detection device 18, and the image information is 2 by the image processing device 20. The value is processed and output to the determination control device 22 in correspondence with the identification information of the mounting table 2 a read by the information reading device 21. In addition, the picked leek A is supplied to the peeling device 25 in the separation section b.

  And the determination control apparatus 22 determines the separation start part Ad of leek A individually based on the image information imaged with the imaging camera 19, and until the peeling unit 28 reaches the separation start part Ad of leek A The movement distance and movement time, the movement time and movement distance for each of the skinning start section e, the skinning continuation section f, and the skinning end section g are calculated and stored in the RAM in correspondence with the identification information of the mounting table 2a. To do.

  Next, in the separation section b, as shown in FIG. 3, the units 26, 27, and 28 of the peeling device 25 are transported in the transport direction by a predetermined pitch substantially in synchronization with the leeks A transported by the transport conveyor 2. The separation start portion Ad of the leek A exposed to the opening 2c of the mounting table 2a is held and lifted by the holding unit 26, and the root Aa side is lifted by the support unit 27 and supported substantially horizontally.

  On the other hand, the determination control device 22 reads information corresponding to the identification information of the mounting table 2a read by the information reading device 21 from the RAM, and based on the information, the skinning unit 28 is separated from the separation start unit Ad of the green onion A. The movement stops in the skin peeling start section e that is substantially opposite. Thereafter, the support unit 27 is lowered, the stem Ab side of the green onion A is suspended by its own weight, and is placed on the intersection of the support arms 36 and 36 for centering.

  In addition, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the electromagnetic valves 45 a and 45 b are opened by the switching device 47 and are discharged from the upper discharge nozzles 37 a and 37 a provided in the pair of left and right air discharge portions 37 and 37. The air G is blown obliquely from above to the upper outer peripheral surface of the separation start portion Ad of the leeks A, and the low pressure air G discharged from the lower discharge nozzles 37b and 37b is blown to the lower outer periphery of the leeks A separation start portion Ad. Spray the surface diagonally from below. Further, the stem Ab of the green onion A is centered by being pressed against the intersecting portion of the support arms 36 and 36 by the high-pressure air G discharged from the upper discharge nozzles 37a and 37a. Further, only the electromagnetic valves 45a and 45a are opened, the electromagnetic valves 45b and 45b are closed, and the high-pressure air G discharged from the upper discharge nozzles 37a and 37a is transferred to the upper outer periphery of the leek A separation start part Ad. You may spray on the surface.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 10, when the peeling unit 28 is moved at a constant speed from the peeling start section e to the peeling continuation section f along the outer periphery of the stem Ab of the leeks A, The air discharged from the upper discharge nozzles 37a and 37a and the lower discharge nozzles 37b and 37b while the bent portions are corrected by the support arms 36 and 36 into a substantially straight state where the high-pressure and low-pressure air G is blown substantially evenly. G is discharged toward the stem Ad axis of the green onion A and sprayed continuously in the longitudinal direction along the outer surface of the separation starting portion Ad of the green onion A, and the unnecessary epidermis Ae is peeled off toward the root Aa. Start taking. The air discharge portions 37 and 37 are rotated forward and backward in the circumferential direction around the stem Ab axis of the leek A held by the support arms 36 and 36, and the winding direction and winding angle of the skin Ae are rotated. And may be rotated to an angle that substantially matches.

  Next, when the skinning unit 28 is moved from the skinning continuation section f to the skinning end section g, one of the electromagnetic valves 45a and 45b is opened by the switching device 47, and the upper discharge nozzles 37a and 37a and Since at least the low-pressure air G discharged from either one of the lower discharge nozzles 37b and 37b is blown onto the outer surface of the stem Ab of the leeks A and the skin Ae skinning operation is continued, the air is released more than when the skinning is started. Since the discharge pressure of G is weak and the discharge amount is reduced, the predetermined number and thickness of the epidermis Ae are peeled from the skinning start section e toward the skinning end section g without damaging the outer peripheral surface of the stem Ab. be able to.

  Next, when the skinning unit 28 is moved to the skinning end section g, the electromagnetic valves 45a and 45b or the electromagnetic valve 45a are opened and discharged from the upper discharge nozzles 37a and 37a and the lower discharge nozzles 37b and 37b. At least high-pressure air G is blown onto the outer surface of the root Aa of the green onion A, and unnecessary skin Ae peeled off to the root Aa is blown away at once to separate and remove. After the separation, the electromagnetic valves 45a and 45b are closed, and the separated skin Ae is put into a skin throwing portion (not shown) disposed in the lower part of the conveyance path and periodically collected or discarded.

  And, just before the skinning unit 28 reaches the root Aa side, when the support unit 27 is once lowered and held in a state where the root Aa side of the green onion A is hung down, the skinning unit 28 is extracted from the root Aa. Then, it is supported again by the support unit 27. Subsequently, after the skinning unit 28 is moved to the left side of the conveyance path, the holding by the holding unit 26 is released, the support unit 27 is lowered to the standby position, and the peeled green onion A is again mounted on the mounting table 2a. And then transported to the next process (for example, a sorting process or a boxing process). Thereafter, the skinning operation is continuously performed in the same manner as described above.

  As described above, the high pressure air G discharged from the upper discharge nozzles 37a and 37a is removed while moving the skin peeling unit 28 of the skin peeling device 25 along the outer circumference of the stem Ab of the green onion A in the longitudinal direction. Since the low pressure air G sprayed on the upper surface of the stem A of the A and discharged from the lower discharge nozzles 37b and 37b is sprayed on the lower surface of the stem Ab of the leeks A, the stalk Ab of the leeks A is subjected to the high and low pressure air G. Can be centered at a position where the canopy is sprayed substantially evenly, and the skin Ae of the leek A can be peeled off accurately and reliably. Moreover, since the high pressure air G is blown onto the separation start part Ad of the leeks A and the epidermis Ae that is not necessary and edible is started to peel off from the separation start part Ad, the relatively soft leaf part Ac of the leeks A is damaged. Therefore, only the unnecessary and edible epidermis Ae can be reliably and smoothly separated, and the freshness and commercial value at the time of harvest can be maintained.

  FIGS. 11 and 12 show another embodiment of the skin peeling unit 28 provided with a skin member 49 having a substantially conical cylindrical shape when viewed from the side, and a holding hole 49b formed at the center of the front end side of the skin member 49. The upper half circumferential surface and the lower half circumferential surface of the discharge nozzles 49c formed at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction along the inner circumferential surface of the holding hole 49b around the stem Ab axis of the green onion A are supplied. The high-pressure fluid supply source 46a and the low-pressure fluid supply source 46b are connected in parallel via the path 44a, the electromagnetic valve 45a, and the switching valve 45c. That is, the switching valve 45c, in which the high-pressure fluid supply source 46a and the low-pressure fluid supply source 46b are connected in parallel, is controlled by the switching device 47 so that the high-pressure or low-pressure air G is supplied to the upper and lower half circumferential surfaces. Are discharged from the discharge nozzles 49c and sprayed to the outer peripheral surface of the stem Ab of the leeks A inserted into the holding holes 49b, so that the operation and effect substantially equivalent to those of the above-described embodiment can be achieved. Further, the discharge nozzles 49c are connected to the high-pressure fluid supply source 46a, the low-pressure fluid supply source 46b, and the medium-pressure fluid supply source 46c of the above-described embodiment, or the skinning member 49 is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-189834. It can also be provided so that it can be opened and closed freely.

In the correspondence between the configuration of the present invention and the above-described embodiment,
The crop of the present invention corresponds to the onion A of the example,
Similarly,
The fluid corresponds to air G (atmosphere),
The fluid discharge part corresponds to the air discharge part 37, the discharge nozzles 37a and 37b, and the discharge nozzles 49c of the peeling member 49,
The discharge pressure switching means corresponds to the determination control device 22, the switching device 47, the electromagnetic valves 45a and 45b, and the switching valve 45c.
The discharge unit moving means corresponds to the movable frame 31, the guide rails 32 and 33, the traction chains 34a and 34b, and the motor 35.
The discharge unit rotating means corresponds to the support frames 28a and 38, the rail 28c, the motor 28d, and the gears 28e and 38b.
The crop correction means corresponds to the pair of left and right support arms 36.

  The crop peeling apparatus 1 of the present invention can also be used for, for example, the work of separating the skin Ae of the leek A held in a substantially vertical posture or a substantially oblique posture.

The top view which shows the whole structure of the crop peeling apparatus. The side view which shows the detection operation by an unnecessary part detection apparatus. The side view which shows the isolation | separation operation | movement by a peeling apparatus. The side view which shows the attachment state of a skinning unit. The front view which shows the isolation | separation operation | movement by a skinning unit. The front view which shows the state which connected each fluid supply source to the upper-lower discharge nozzle. The front view which shows the example which connected each fluid supply source in parallel with the upper-lower discharge nozzle. The perspective view which shows the other example which connected each fluid supply source in parallel with each discharge nozzle. The front view which shows the other example which connected the high, medium and low fluid supply source to the discharge nozzle. The top view which shows the isolation | separation operation | movement of each area by a skinning unit. The perspective view which shows the other Example of the peeling unit provided with the peeling member. The front view which shows the isolation | separation operation | movement by the skinning unit of FIG. The control circuit block diagram of the crop peeling apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

A ... Green onion Ae ... Skin G ... Air 1 ... Agricultural product skinning device 2 ... Conveyor 18 ... Unnecessary part detection device 22 ... Judgment control device 25 ... Skinning device 28 ... Skinning unit 36 ... Support arm 37 ... Air discharge part 37a , 37b ... discharge nozzle 46a ... high pressure fluid supply source 46b ... low pressure fluid supply source 46c ... medium pressure fluid supply source 47 ... switching device 49 ... skinning member 49c ... discharge nozzle

Claims (6)

A crop skinning device that sprays fluid discharged from a fluid discharge unit on the outer surface of a crop, and separates an unnecessary and edible epidermis covering the crop,
A plurality of the fluid ejecting portions are provided at predetermined intervals at substantially opposite positions around the axis of the crop,
A high-pressure fluid supply source for supplying a high-pressure fluid suitable for separating the skin of the crop is provided in one of the substantially opposite fluid discharge portions,
A crop peeling apparatus in which a low-pressure fluid supply source that supplies a fluid having a pressure lower than that of a high-pressure fluid discharged from the one fluid discharge portion to the other fluid discharge portion is provided. A crop skinning device that sprays fluid discharged from a fluid discharge unit on the outer surface of a crop, and separates an unnecessary and edible epidermis covering the crop,
A plurality of the fluid ejecting portions are provided at predetermined intervals at substantially opposite positions around the axis of the crop,
A high-pressure fluid supply source for supplying a high-pressure fluid suitable for separating the skin of the agricultural product to each of the substantially opposite fluid discharge portions, and a low-pressure fluid for supplying a fluid lower in pressure than the high-pressure fluid Providing a source,
A crop skin provided with discharge pressure switching means for switching the high pressure fluid supply source and the low pressure fluid supply source in a state where a high pressure fluid is discharged from the one fluid discharge portion and a low pressure fluid is discharged from the other fluid discharge portion. Peeling device. 3. An intermediate pressure fluid supply source for supplying an intermediate pressure fluid set at a lower pressure than a fluid supplied from the high pressure fluid supply source and set at a higher pressure than a fluid supplied from the low pressure fluid supply source. The described crop skinning device. The crop skinning device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising discharge unit moving means for moving the fluid discharge unit along the outer surface of the crop in a direction in which the skin of the crop is stripped. The crop peeling apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising discharge unit rotating means for rotating the fluid discharge unit in a circumferential direction around the axis of the crop. The crop peeling apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising crop correction means for correcting a portion of the crop fluid to be sprayed so that the fluid discharged from the fluid discharge portion is sprayed substantially evenly.

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