Mechanical devices for post-harvest processing of plant matter
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
A23N-015/00
B07B-001/22
A23N-011/00
A01D-046/02
출원번호
US-0740682
(2015-06-16)
등록번호
US-9440260
(2016-09-13)
발명자
/ 주소
Kelly, Josh
출원인 / 주소
Kelly, Josh
대리인 / 주소
Krages, II, Bert P.
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
0인용 특허 :
6
초록▼
Mechanical post-harvest processing devices for processing plant material by separating a desired portion of plant material from an undesired portion of plant material are shown and described. The mechanical post-harvest processing devices each include: a saddle having a plant material container-prox
Mechanical post-harvest processing devices for processing plant material by separating a desired portion of plant material from an undesired portion of plant material are shown and described. The mechanical post-harvest processing devices each include: a saddle having a plant material container-proximate region and one or more saddle openings; a plant material container having one or more plant material container openings and an exterior surface proximate the saddle and circumferentially enclosing a post-harvest processing space; and a rotary actuator mechanically connected to the plant material container and configured to rotationally drive the plant material container such that the plant material chamber rotates within the saddle. In some examples, a portion of the one or more plant material container openings and a portion of the one or more saddle openings overlap at one or more positions during rotation of the plant material chamber.
대표청구항▼
1. A mechanical device for separating plant material, the mechanical device comprising: a stationary saddle comprising: a surface bounded by a first lateral edge, a second lateral edge, a front end and a rear end;a plant material container-proximate region over at least a portion of said surface;sai
1. A mechanical device for separating plant material, the mechanical device comprising: a stationary saddle comprising: a surface bounded by a first lateral edge, a second lateral edge, a front end and a rear end;a plant material container-proximate region over at least a portion of said surface;said surface having a U-shaped cross-section with a vertex;wherein the plant material container-proximate region is extended over the vertex; anda plurality of saddle openings are disposed within the plant material container-proximate region;a plant material container comprising a rotatable drum for receiving plant material, said drum having an exterior curved surface; and a plurality of plant material container openings disposed in the exterior curved surface of the plant material container; anda rotary actuator mechanically connected to the plant material container, the rotary actuator configured to rotationally drive the plant material container such that the plant material container rotates within the saddle over the vertex; andwherein a portion of the plant material container openings and a portion of the saddle openings overlap at one or more positions during rotation of the plant material container. 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the plant material container has a substantially open intake end. 3. The device of claim 2, wherein the saddle: has a thickness with a first exterior face and an opposite exterior face, and said saddle openings pass through the thickness from the first exterior face to the opposite exterior face;defines a parabolic shape that includes a substantially parabolic cross-section taken transverse to a longitudinal axis of the saddle; anddefines a saddle curvature over substantially all of the plant material container-proximate region, the plant material container defining a continuous curvature complimentarily configured to the saddle curvature to fit within the saddle curvature; andpartially encloses a saddle-interior space. 4. The device of claim 3, wherein the plant material container openings define a plant material container mesh over a surface area of the plant material container; and the plant material container openings are equally spaced, each of the plant material container openings defining a substantially linear first container opening lateral edge and a substantially linear second container opening lateral edge that is substantially parallel to the first container opening lateral edge. 5. The device of claim 4, wherein the saddle openings define a saddle mesh in the surface of the plant material container-proximate region, each of the saddle openings having a substantially linear first saddle opening lateral edge and a substantially linear second saddle opening lateral edge that is substantially parallel to the first saddle opening lateral edge; and the first container opening lateral edge is misaligned with the first saddle opening lateral edge of a partially overlapping saddle opening at a predetermined trimming angle. 6. The device of claim 5, wherein the predetermined trimming angle is selected from a range of 9.5 degrees to 10 degrees. 7. The device of claim 5, wherein: the plant material container openings are sized to allow a first portion of plant material to pass through said plant material container openings while a second portion of the plant material is retained within the plant material container and the saddle openings are sized to allow the first portion of the plant material to pass through said saddle openings. 8. The device of claim 2, further comprising a case having a top panel and enclosing an interior space of the device, the saddle and the plant material container being disposed within the interior space; said saddle having saddle attachment points on the first lateral edge and the second lateral edge; and said top panel having corresponding saddle fastener receivers to which said saddle attachment points are selectively attachable by saddle fasteners. 9. The device of claim 8, wherein: the plant material container defines a plant material container access opening on the intake end of the plant material container, the case defining a case access opening overlapping at least a portion of the plant material container access opening; andthe device further comprises a rigid, translucent case access cover removably attachable to the case to cover at least a portion of the case access opening and a safety device attached to the case, the safety device configured to detect removal of the case access cover and being in electric communication with the rotary actuator and configured to communicate a signal to the rotary actuator to cease operation in response to removal of the case access cover, the safety device including an outwardly biased safety device pin configured to be from an extended position to a depressed position by the case access cover when the case access cover is attached to the case. 10. The device of claim 8, wherein: the plant material container defines a plant material container access opening on the intake end of the plant material container;the case includes a case access cover retaining member projecting into the interior space, the case access cover retaining member having one or more outwardly facing case magnetically attractable elements the case access cover including one or more case access cover magnetically attractable elements configured to be operatively paired with the one or more case magnetically attractable elements to retain the case access cover in a fitted position in the case access opening; andthe device further comprises a rigid, substantially translucent plant material container cover removably attachable to the plant material container at the plant material container access opening to substantially cover plant material container access opening. 11. The device of claim 8, wherein the case defines a duct opening; and the device further comprises: a duct connected to the duct opening, the duct defining a substantially enclosed fluid- and solid particulate-transmissive path extending between the interior space of the case and a disposal area; and a fluid pump attached to the duct configured to direct fluid and solid particulate matter from the interior space to the disposal area. 12. The device of claim 8, wherein the case further comprises a tray slidingly supported below the plant material container and the saddle, the tray being slidable between an accumulating position substantially fully received within the case and a dispensing position substantially outside the case. 13. The device of claim 2, further comprising a low-friction material on the exterior surface of the plant material container, the plant material container contacting the saddle over at least a portion of the plant material container-proximate region. 14. The device of claim 1, wherein the rotary actuator defines an electrically powered motor; and the device further comprises a power cable configured to electrically couple the motor to a power source. 15. The device of claim 14, further comprising a control panel in electrical communication with the motor, the control panel configured to send user input to the motor to adjust the motor between an operating state wherein the motor automatically and continuously rotationally drives the plant material container and an idle state wherein the motor is substantially stationary. 16. A mechanical device for separating plant material, the mechanical device comprising: a saddle defining:a surface bounded by a first lateral edge, a second lateral edge, a front end and a rear end; a plant material container-proximate region over at least a portion of said surface;said surface having a U-shaped cross-section with a vertex;wherein the plant material container-proximate region is extended over the vertex; andone or more saddle openings disposed within the plant material container-proximate region;a plant material container defining: an exterior surface of the plant material container proximate the saddle over at least a portion of the plant material container-proximate region, the exterior surface circumferentially enclosing a trimming space; and an interior surface of the plant material container shaped as to substantially isolate the desired portion of plant material in the trimming space; anda mechanical actuator interchangeably mechanically attached to the plant material container, the mechanical actuator configured to rotationally drive the plant material container. 17. The device of claim 16, wherein the plant material container further comprises one or more plant material container openings positioned to overlap with at least a portion of the one or more saddle openings during rotation of the plant material container. 18. The device of claim 16, wherein: the mechanical actuator includes a plant material container retaining member, the mechanical actuator configured to rotationally drive the plant material container retaining member;the plant material container defines a plant material container back panel on an interior end of the plant material container, the plant material container back panel defining a back panel opening sized and shaped to receive the plant material container retaining member; andthe device further comprises a fastener attachable to the plant material container retaining member to retain the plant material container in a substantially fixed longitudinal position on the plant material container retaining member. 19. A mechanical device for separating plant material, the mechanical device comprising: a saddle defining: a plant material container-proximate region over a portion of the surface area of the saddle; andone or more saddle openings disposed within the plant material container-proximate region;a plant material container defining:an exterior surface in direct contact with the saddle openings, the exterior surface circumferentially enclosing a trimming space; and a coarse mesh disposed on the plant material container; anda rotary actuator mechanically attached to the plant material container, the rotary actuator configured to rotationally drive the plant material container through a range of rotation,wherein a portion of the coarse mesh and a portion of the one or more saddle openings overlap during rotation of the plant material container. 20. The device of claim 19, wherein: the coarse mesh defines one or more plant material container openings and further comprising a low-friction material on either the exterior surface of the plant material container or the plant material container-proximate region of the saddle.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (6)
Snyder, Jr., Delmar E.; Snyder, William Kenneth, Apparatus for destemming and vegetative shredding.
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