PICKING DEVICE AND ASSOCIATED METHOD

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the sector of picking up objects from a ground surface and in detail relates to a device for picking objects. The present invention is further aimed at illustrating a picking method of objects from a ground surface.

Prior Art

It is known that picking up objects from a ground surface, when manually performed, is particularly laborious, as it requires repeated bending, which can be tiring. For this reason various device for picking objects from the ground have been developed, many of which are specifically destined for picking-up fruit from the ground.

In particular, picking devices have been developed over time comprising large-dimension self-propelling vehicles the cost, dimensions, weight and complexity of use whereof make them unsuitable for use by private persons.

These picking devices exploit powerful aspirating means for indiscriminately aspirating objects from the ground, but with a consequent production of considerable noise levels.

Object of the Invention

The object of the invention is to describe a picking device which aims at least partially to solve the above-described drawbacks.

A further object of the present invention is to disclose a picking method which aims at least partially to solve the above-described drawbacks.

Summary of the Invention

According to the present invention, a picking device is realised comprising a roller able to roll on said ground surface and comprising a plurality of radial elements radially arranged about a rotation axis and extending for a majority thereof parallel to said rotation axis; the arrangement of the radial elements defines a plurality of intermediate openings extending for a majority thereof along a parallel direction to said rotation axis and the radial elements being configured so as to flex in such a way as to cause a dilation of said opening that is sufficient to enable passage of said objects internally of a volume delimited by a totality of said radial elements; the device further comprises collecting means for said objects, said collecting means being positioned at least partially internally of said roller and being susceptible of at least temporarily housing internally thereof said objects when picked up from said terrain by said roller.

The radial elements are advantageously made in a stretched C-shape and comprise a first intermediate portion having a first radius of curvature and a pair of lateral portions having a second radius of curvature.

The picking device further comprises a central body provided with support elements for retaining lateral portions of said fixed radial elements.

In detail, said collecting means comprise an aspirating mouth, positioned at a central portion of said central body and being configured such as to place at least part of a hollow internal area of said central body in communication with an outside of the central body, said aspirating mouth being configured so as to enable aspiration of objects retained internally of a volume delimited by said plurality of radial elements.

Said collecting means can advantageously comprise a vacuum stage configured such as to aspirate said objects.

In detail, said vacuum stage communicates with said aspirating mouth via a conveyor conduit located laterally with respect to said central element.

The conveyor conduit is advantageously joined to said central element at a first end thereof such as to realise a conveyor passage with said cavity of said central element.

Said aspirating mouth advantageously exhibits a perpendicular axis with respect to said axis and is in use inclined towards the advancing direction of said roller.

The picking device according to the present invention is advantageously configured so as to be commanded via a command rod configured so as during use to enable a user to maintain a substantially erect position.

The command rod is advantageously fixed to a bracket hinged on said central body at an end thereof.

Said central element advantageously exhibits an internal cavity separated with respect to the volume external by a mobile separator element configured such as to maintain a first rest position in which it separates said internal cavity from said volume and at least a second position distinct from said first position in which it enables monodirectional transit of said objects internally of said central element.

In particular, the mobile separator element is installed at said aspirating mouth.

According to the present invention, a picking method for objects from a ground surface is disclosed, comprising:

- a first step of reciprocal movement of at least a pair of radial elements being a part of a roller of a picking device susceptible of being made to slide on said ground surface for said picking;

- a following step of engulfing said objects internally of a volume defined externally of said plurality of radial elements radially arranged about a central support element; and

- a following step of collecting said objects internally of collecting means, said collecting step comprising extraction of said objects from said volume.

Said extraction of said objects from said volume is advantageously carried out without any manual intervention on the part of the user by means of said collecting means.

Said extracting step advantageously comprises conveying said objects internally of a cavity of said central element. Said collecting step advantageously comprises an aspirating step of said objects from said volume; said aspirating step being performed by active aspirating means positioned on said picking device.

Said collecting step advantageously comprises a step of moving separator means positioned on said central element and configured so as to enable a monodirectional passage of said objects towards an internal zone of said central element and further being configured such as to prevent passage of said objects towards said volume when collected in said central element

Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention will be described in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

- figure 1 illustrates a first front section view of a picking device according to the present invention;

- figure 2 illustrates a second side section view, obtained along lines l-l of figure 1 , of the picking device according to the present invention.

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments of the Invention.

With reference to figure 1 , reference number 1 denotes in its entirety a preferred embodiment of a picking device. The picking device 1 is conceived to be commanded by a user by means of a command rod 9, so as to be used with the user maintaining an erect position.

The picking device 1 is preferably though not limitingly realised to enable picking up fruit and nuts such as for example chestnuts, walnuts or the like when lying on a ground surface 100. However, the type of objects that can be picked-up using the picking device 1 is understood not to be limited to fruit and nuts, as it is possible to design the device that is the object of the present invention also for picking up, for example, small stones or balls.

In detail, the picking device 1 comprises a drum 2 made with a plurality of spokes 21, each bent at ends thereof so as to assume a stretched C-shape. Therefore the spokes are characterised by a central portion having a first radius of curvature that is very large and a pair of end portions which on the other hand exhibit a second radius of curvature that is narrower than the first. The spokes 21 are radially arranged about a central support element 3, having a body 31 of a hollow cylindrical type, having an axis X thereof in use positioned horizontally with respect to the ground surface 100 and on an external surface of which support elements 32 are splined; the support elements 32 are configured such as to house the ends of the spokes 21 so as to block them and prevent relative rotation with respect to one another. In this way, if observed in lateral section as in figure 2, the drum 2 takes on a comb-form having elements radially arranged about the axis X, in which the opening between a spoke and another is maximum at the further end from the axis X and diminishes progressively as it moves radially towards the axis X. The spokes 21 are configured so as to rotate en bloc internally of the support element; alternatively the support elements 32 themselves can rotate about the central support 3 so as to realise a drum or a rotating roller.

An intermediate volume 22 is therefore defined between the spokes 21 and the central support 3, which is the zone where the objects captured from the ground surface are housed.

The spokes 21 are in fact flexible from the point of view of the reciprocal positioning in a radial direction. In use, rotating the drum 2 on the ground surface 100, with even only the weight of the device 1 or by integrating that weight with a force exerted by the user on the command rod 9, successive pairs of consecutive spokes 21 deform progressively as they come into contact with the ground surface and/or with the object to be picked up, so as to enable the object to enter into the internal volume of the drum 2, thus being trapped thereby. Therefore the arrangement of the spokes 21 substantially defines a plurality of intermediate openings which extend for the majority thereof along a parallel direction to the axis X; the spokes, when flexing, cause a dilation of the opening with an elastic reaction force sufficient to enable entrance of the object into the volume 22 delimited thereby.

The central support 3 has a first end on which a connecting bracket 4 is constrained to the command rod. The connecting rod 4 exhibits a first portion 41 hinged to the end of the central support and extending along the axis X, a second portion 42 joined to said first portion which projects towards a perpendicular direction with respect to the axis X, and a third portion 43, joined to the second portion 42, also parallel to the axis X but positioned, with respect to the axis X, at a greater distance with respect to the maximum distance reached by the spokes 21 in relation to the axis X. The command rod 4 is constrained in a known way on the third portion 43, substantially in a central zone of the third portion 43.

The connecting bracket 4 lastly comprises a fourth portion 44, joined to the third portion 43 on the opposite end with respect to the end where the third portion 43 is joined to the second portion 42, which is again orientated in a perpendicular direction with respect to the axis X and is joined to a conveyor conduit 5, having a hollow cylindrical body which extends for a majority thereof perpendicularly to the axis X and exhibits a joint element 51 which enables connection thereof with a second end of the central support 3.

The conveyor conduit is connected to aspirating means, not illustrated in the figures appended to the present description, the aim of which is to enable aspiration of the objects encountered by the drum 2 on the ground surface towards, for example and not limitingly, a sack or a rubbish hopper. Tubes can be associated to the conveyor conduit, for example corrugated and of known type, for conveying objects collected from the ground into a remote zone with respect to the drum, for example and not limitingly into a backpack which includes also the aspirating system. Further, it is not imperative for the aspirating means to be positioned on the device 1 of the present invention. It is in fact possible for the aspirating means also to be of a remote type, not installed on the device 1 of the present invention, so as to enable the device to be flexible in compatibility thereof with aspirating means previously owned by the user.

An aspirating mouth 6 is present in a median part of the central body 3. The aspirating mouth, as can be seen in figure 2 appended to the present description, is in use orientated downwards, i.e. towards a ground surface 100. In particular, as can be seen from the appended figure, the aspirating mouth 6 is orientated inclined with respect to the command rod, having in fact an aspiration axis Z of its own perpendicular with respect to the axis X and inclined with respect to the axis Y of the command rod 9. Internally of the central support 3 a separator wall 33 delimits the part of the body which functions as an aspiration conduit with respect to the hollow part which is simply joined to the first portion 41 of the connecting bracket 4. Preferably, though not limitedly, the separator wall 33 exhibits a profiling such as to follow on with no interruptions from the profile of the aspirating mouth, so as to facilitate the inlet of the objects to be aspirated.

The inclination of the aspirating mouth is such that in use it is turned either forwards, following the movement direction of the device 1 when moved by rotating the drum 2 on the ground surface, or backwards. This advantageously facilitates the aspiration of the objects in the zone where they would tend to accumulate during the rolling of the drum or immediately in the moment of the collection of the objects themselves.

In use, therefore, in a first step the objects are picked up from the ground surface by means of at least a consecutive pair of spokes 21 , and then after this they are trapped internally, until they come into proximity of the aspirating mouth 6; at this point, in a following step to the preceding one, the aspirating action exerted through the aspirating mouth 6 sucks them from the volume 22 internally of the central support cavity 3 and from there into the conveyor conduit.

The picking device 1 of the present invention can optionally be provided with a sack for collecting objects, not shown in the appended figures, designed to be emptied when full, possibly of a re-usable type.

In an alternative embodiment to the preceding embodiment, the picking device of the present invention can also be without aspirating means. A mobile separator element is optionally present on the aspirating mouth 6, irrespective of whether the aspirating means are present or absent, which separator element can permit inlet of objects present in the volume 22 defined by the spokes 21 internally of the mouth (and consequently internally of the central support 3), but prevent exit thereof. The mobile separator element therefore acts as a sort of check valve configured so as to prevent the collected articles from exiting once they have been introduced internally of the central support 3.

The mobile separator element, not illustrated in the appended drawings, has a first rest position in which it prevents communication between the inside and outside of the central element 3 through the mouth 6, and at least a second position, distinct from the preceding first position, in which it prevents communication between the inside and outside of the central element 3 through the mouth 6, and at least a second position in which on the contrary it permits monodirectional access of objects internally of the central element. The mobile separator element is advantageously retained in said first rest position by an elastic means which preferably although not limitedly realizable with a spring.

In use, when the volume 22 defined by the spokes 21 fills with objects, successive collections of objects with the relative introduction thereof internally of the volume 22 are such that the objects cause a pressure action against the mobile separator element such as to move it with respect to a rest position thereof, thus entering internally of the cavity of the central support 3.

Therefore the collecting means of the picking device 1 of the present invention, which comprise the aspirating mouth 6, the central support 3 with the cavity thereof and the conveyor conduit 5, can be of an active type, i.e. also comprising a vacuum stage, or of a passive type, should - as described in the foregoing - the aspirating means be absent. The collecting means are advantageously at least partly positioned internally of the roller and are therefore susceptible of at least partly housing internally thereof the objects which are picked up from the ground by the roller itself.

The advantages of the device illustrated according to the preceding description are clear: the device enables simply and easily picking up a varied multitude of objects from a ground surface, with no need for a user to bend, by action at least of a friction force exerted between two consecutive spokes of a roller. The device has a modest size and is therefore easy to transport, and can be stored in small spaces, for example in a dwelling. The aspirating device of the present invention is lastly more economical with respect to self-propelling aspirating means, and can therefore be sold and used advantageously even by private individuals in areas of modest dimensions.

Also, taking account of the second preferred embodiment of the picking device described in the foregoing, it is not necessary to have aspirating means of an active type in order to guarantee the functioning of the invention. Therefore in its simplest conception, the picking device of the present invention is a passive picking device, which becomes active only when it is equipped with an aspirator.

Lastly, clearly the picking device of the invention can have variants, additions or modifications applied thereto, obvious to a technical expert in the field, without forsaking the protective scope provided in the appended claims.