TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a hand-held fruit harvesting tool, and more particularly to a fruit plucking attachment for the hand-held fruit harvesting tool.

BACKGROUND

Hand-held harvesting tools have been well known in the art for their use in facilitating harvesters to pluck and retrieve produce, for example, fruits from branches of shrubs and trees. In some cases, these harvesting tools have been conventionally designed for use in plucking fruits that are of a specific size. Thus, a single conventionally designed harvesting tool may not be usable for plucking and retrieving fruits of different sizes, or to state the alternative, such a single conventionally designed harvesting tool may not be usable for plucking and retrieving different types of fruits, for example, berries and apples.

DE 20 2009 014 926 Ul, hereinafter referred to as“the’926 reference” discloses the use of a crown on bag of a hand-operated harvesting tool. The crown disclosed in the’926 reference is upright about a central axis of the bag and has gripping fingers on a first side and a second side, each of which are disposed in an upright manner. Due to the upright positioning of the gripping fingers and an opening between such upright gripping fingers on the crown, the harvesting tool of the’926 reference may be cumbersome to operate and may therefore, become unergonomic for use in harvesting fruits.

Hence, there is a need for an improved and ergonomic harvesting tool that overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks while providing versatility in that the harvesting tool should be adaptable for use in plucking fruits of different sizes, or to state the alternative, in plucking different types of fruits.

SUMMARY

In view of the above, it is an objective of the present invention to solve or at least reduce the drawbacks discussed above. The objective is at least partially achieved by a fruit harvesting tool, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The fruit harvesting tool includes a container having a circumferential wall extending between a closed bottom end and a top end of the container. The circumferential wall and the top end each defining at least a portion of an arcuate opening that extends along a perimeter of the container between the circumferential wall and the top end. The top end is adapted to define an attachment portion that is located adjacent to the arcuate opening.

A fruit plucking attachment is selectively engaged with the top end of the container. The fruit plucking attachment comprises a first comb at a first side and a second comb at a second side. The fruit plucking attachment further comprises another attachment portion located thereon to correspond with the attachment portion defined by the top end of the container such that the fruit plucking attachment is selectively rotatable between a first position and a second position to allow one of the first comb and the second comb to be disposed into the arcuate opening. By providing a fruit plucking attachment that can be selectively rotated into its first position or its second position, the first comb or the second comb becomes disposed into the arcuate opening and each of these combs can be used to pluck fruits of a specific size that are different from one another thereby providing versatility in plucking different sizes of fruits, or to state the alternative, different types of fruits, for example, berries and apples.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the attachment portion on the top end of the container and the attachment portion on the fruit plucking attachment together define a snap fit arrangement. By embodying the attachment portions on the top end of the container and the fruit plucking attachment into a snap fit arrangement, the fruit plucking attachment can be easily and quickly attached to, or detached from the top end of the container.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the at least one snap fit arrangement defined in the top end of the container includes a socket. Alternatively, the at least one snap fit feature defined in the top end of the container could include a plurality of sockets. By providing multiple sockets in lieu of a single socket, it is envisioned that the fruit plucking attachment can be secured firmly to the top end of the container. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the fruit plucking attachment comprises a first laminate having a plurality of plugs protruding therefrom such that a middle plug is positioned to correspond with a middle socket defined in the top end and located adjacent to the arcuate opening. Also, a first plug and a second plug are positioned equidistantly from the middle plug for interchangeably engaging with a first socket and a second socket located equidistantly from the middle socket respectively.

The fruit plucking attachment can be regarded as being disposed is in its first position when the first plug is engaged with the first socket and the second plug is engaged with the second socket. Conversely, the fruit plucking attachment can be regarded as being disposed in its second position when the first plug is engaged with the second socket and the second plug is engaged with the first socket. This interchangeability of the fruit plucking attachment into its first and second positions allows for flexibility to pluck fruits of different sizes, or to state the alternative, to pluck fruits of different types, for example, berries and apples.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first comb is structured to define a first set of tines such that adjacently located tines from the first set of tines are spaced apart at a first pre-determined amount of distance from one another. Also, the second comb is structured to define a second set of tines such that adjacently located tines from the second set of tines are spaced apart at a second pre-determined amount of distance from one another.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the fruit plucking attachment comprises a second laminate secured to the first laminate with the help of notches. Further, the second laminate is sized to project forwardly of the first and second sets of tines and terminate prior to ends of the first and second sets of tines. By providing the second laminate, a connection between the fruit and a branch of a tree or a shrub can be severed easily.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an inner surface of the top end of the container is adapted to define a groove thereon. This groove is adapted to arcuately extend from the first socket to the second socket. Also, this groove is adapted to facilitate movement of one of the first and second plugs when the fruit plucking attachment is disposed between its first and second positions. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the fruit plucking attachment may further include third and fourth combs located in a diametrically opposing relation to the first and second combs. By increasing a number of combs in the fruit plucking attachment, harvesters can beneficially pluck fruits of several sizes.

Embodiments of the present invention are also directed towards the fruit plucking attachment. According to an embodiment of the present invention, this fruit plucking attachment may be manufactured using a three-dimensional (3-D) printing process. A user of the fruit plucking attachment may be provided with a data file having pre-stored instructions to print the fruit plucking attachment using a three-dimensional (3-D) printer. In order to do so, the fruit plucking attachment may be presented in digital format.

Other features and aspects of this invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described in more detail with reference to the enclosed drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a side perspective view of a fruit harvesting tool having a container and a fruit plucking attachment, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the fruit harvesting tool of FIG. 1 with the fruit plucking attachment just prior to being engaged with the container, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows a side perspective sectional view of the fruit harvesting tool with the fruit plucking attachment being disposed in between its first and second positions, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows a bottom perspective sectional view of the fruit harvesting tool showing an inner surface of a top end of the container, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5 shows a bottom view of the container having an arcuate groove defined on the inner surface of the top end of the container, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 shows a top view of the fruit plucking attachment, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 shows a top view of the fruit plucking attachment, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 shows a top view of the fruit plucking attachment, in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 shows a bottom perspective view of the fruit plucking attachment showing a first laminate and a second laminate, in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 shows a top view of the fruit plucking attachment from FIG. 9, in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention; and

FIGS. 11-12 show perspective views of the fruit harvesting tool illustrating different states in the positioning of the fruit plucking attachment when the fruit plucking attachment is moved from its first position to its second position.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which example embodiments of the invention incorporating one or more aspects of the present invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. For example, one or more aspects of the present invention can be utilized in other embodiments and even other types of structures. In the drawings, like numbers refer to like elements. Certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and is not to be taken as a limitation on the invention. For example, "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "side", "longitudinal", "lateral", "transverse", "upwards", "downwards", "forward", "backward", "sideward", "left," "right," "horizontal," "vertical," "upward", "inner", "outer", "inward", "outward", "top", "bottom", "higher", "above", "below", "central", "middle", "intermediate", "between", "end", "adjacent", "proximate", "near", "distal", "remote", "radial", "circumferential", or the like, merely describe the configuration shown in the Figures. Indeed, the components may be oriented in any direction and the terminology, therefore, should be understood as encompassing such variations unless specified otherwise.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a fruit harvesting tool 100, according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the fruit harvesting tool 100 includes a container 102 that has a circumferential wall 104 extending between a closed bottom end 106 and a top end 108 of the container 102. Each of the circumferential wall 104 and the top end 108 are configured to define at least a portion of an arcuate opening 110. This arcuate opening 110 extends along a perimeter P of the container 102 between the circumferential wall 104 and the top end 108.

The top end 108 of the container 102 is also adapted to define an attachment portion 112 that is located adjacent to the arcuate opening 110. A fruit plucking attachment 114 is selectively engaged with the top end 108 of the container 102. As shown in FIG. 2, the fruit plucking attachment 114 comprises a first comb 116 at a first side 118 and a second comb 120 at a second side 122.

With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the fruit plucking attachment 114 further comprises another attachment portion 124 located thereon to correspond with the attachment portion 112 defined by the top end 108 of the container 102 such that the fruit plucking attachment 114 is selectively rotatable between a first position and a second position to allow one of the first comb 116 and the second comb 120 to be disposed into the arcuate opening 110.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2, the attachment portion 112 on the top end 108 of the container 102 and the attachment portion 124 on the fruit plucking attachment 114 together define a snap fit arrangement 144. In a preferred embodiment, the at least one snap fit arrangement 144 defined in the top end 108 of the container 102 includes a socket, as will be explained in detail later herein. In an alternative embodiment, the at least one snap fit feature defined in the top end 108 of the container 102 could include a plurality of sockets.

According to an embodiment shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the fruit plucking attachment 114 further comprises a first laminate 126 having a middle plug 128 protruding therefrom. This middle plug 128 is positioned to correspond with a middle socket 130 defined in the top end 108 of the container 102 and located adjacent to the arcuate opening 110 as shown best in the view of FIG. 2. Referring again to FIG. 9, the first laminate 126 also includes a first plug 132 and a second plug 134 that are positioned equidistantly from the middle plug 128 for interchangeably engaging with a first socket 136 and a second socket 138 located equidistantly from the middle socket 130 respectively.

As shown in FIG. 11, the fruit plucking attachment 114 is shown disposed in its first position. The first position of the fruit plucking attachment 114 can be regarded when the first plug 132 is engaged with the first socket 136 and the second plug 134 is engaged with the second socket 138. Conversely, as shown in FIG. 12, the fruit plucking attachment 114 is disposed in its second position. The second position of the fruit plucking attachment 114 can be regarded when the first plug 132 is engaged with the second socket 138 and the second plug 134 is engaged with the first socket 136.

Also, in an embodiment as best shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, an inner surface 140 of the top end 108 of the container 102 is adapted to define a groove 142 thereon. This groove 142 is adapted to arcuately extend from the first socket 136 to the second socket 138. Also, this groove 142 is adapted to facilitate movement of one of the first and second plugs 132, 134 when the fruit plucking attachment 114 is disposed between its first and second positions.

It will be appreciated that in the foregoing embodiment, the fruit plucking attachment 114 would be made flexible, at least along a plane intersecting the first and second plugs 132, 134, so that in order to position the fruit plucking attachment 114 in its first or second position, one of the first and second plugs 132, 134 may be pressed downwardly until the pressed one of the first and second plugs 132, 134 slides into the groove 142 for changing the position of the fruit plucking attachment 114 while the attachment portion 124 on the fruit plucking attachment 114 continues to remain engaged with the attachment portion 112 defined by the top end 108 of the container 102.

Although the rotation of the fruit plucking attachment 114 has been explained in reference with the fruit plucking attachment 114 being in an engaged position with the top end 108 of the container 102, it will be acknowledged that such rotating operation of the engaged fruit plucking attachment 114 is one of the possible ways of changing the position of the fruit plucking attachment 114 i.e., for positioning the fruit plucking attachment 114 in its first or second position. It is hereby contemplated that in other embodiments of the present invention, the groove 142 on the inner surface 140 of the top end 108 could be altogether omitted.

In fact, regardless of whether the groove 142 is present or omitted, the fruit plucking attachment 114 could also be disengaged from the top end 108 of the container 102 and thereafter, the fruit plucking attachment 114 could be rotated into a desired position i. e. , the first or the second position, prior to being re-engaged with the top end 108 of the container 102. Persons skilled in the art will therefore acknowledge that such structural modifications could be contemplated in the interest of convenience in operationally executing a change in the positions of the fruit plucking attachment 114. Accordingly, it may be understood that such structural modifications do not limit the scope of the present invention. Rather, such structural changes may be construed as being within the scope of the present invention unless specified otherwise by the appended claims.

In an embodiment as shown in FIGS. 6, 7, and 8, the first comb 116 is structured to define a first set of tines 146 such that adjacently located tines from the first set of tines 146 are spaced apart at a first pre-determined amount of distance D1 from one another. Also, the second comb 120 is structured to define a second set of tines 148 such that adjacently located tines from the second set of tines 148 are spaced apart at a second pre-determined amount of distance D2 from one another. Also, it can be understood from FIGS. 6, 7, and 8, that in embodiments herein, the configurations i.e., a size and shape of each tine from the first and second set of tines 146, 148 can be varied to suit specific requirements of a harvesting application.

Further, referring to FIGS. 8, 9, and 10, the fruit plucking attachment 114 comprises a second laminate 150 secured to the first laminate 126. In an embodiment as best shown in FIG. 9, the second laminate 150 may be secured to the first laminate 126 with the help of notches 152. Although notches 152 have been disclosed herein, persons skilled in the art will acknowledge that other securement means may be contemplated in lieu of the notches 152 disclosed herein for securing the second laminate 150 to the first laminate 126.

Furthermore, the second laminate 150 is sized to project forwardly of the first and second sets of tines 146, 148 and terminate prior to ends of the first and second sets of tines 146, 148. In an exemplary embodiment as shown best in FIGS. 8, 9, and 10, the second laminate 150 projects forwardly of the first set of tines 146 and terminate prior to ends of the first set of tines 146, however, in other embodiments, the second laminate 150 could also extend forwardly of the second set of tines 148 that form part of the second comb 120. The second laminate 150 could advantageously have one or more cutting edges 154 that help severe the connection of a fruit from a shrub or a tree.

In embodiments herein, although the fruit plucking attachment 114 has been explained as merely including the first and second combs 116, 120, according to other embodiments of the present invention, the fruit plucking attachment 114 may include more than two combs. For example, the fruit plucking attachment 114 could include third and fourth combs (not shown) that may be disposed in a diametrically opposing relation to the first and second combs 116, 120.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the fruit plucking attachment 114 disclosed herein may be manufactured, preferably, using a three- dimensional (3-D) printing process. Accordingly, a user of the fruit plucking attachment 114 may be provided with a data file having pre- stored instructions to print the fruit plucking attachment 114 using a three-dimensional (3-D) printer. As such, the data file representative of the fruit plucking attachment 114 may be presented in a digital format to the user for executing the pre- stored instructions in the data file with use of the 3-D printer. The data file could include any type of data file, commonly known to persons skilled in the art, including, but not limited to, data files of the types that are executable on modeling software platforms such as CATIA ^® , AutoCAD ^® , Creo ^® and the like.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, for manufacturing the fruit plucking attachment 114, one or more materials may be used to form the fruit plucking attachment 114. For instance, the fruit plucking attachment 114 may be formed using a metal, a plastic, a thermoplastic polymer, a composite, or even other types of materials known to persons skilled in the art. In one example, the fruit plucking attachment 114 could be made of two or more metals. In another example, the fruit plucking attachment 114 could be made of two or more types of plastics. In yet a further embodiment the fruit plucking attachment 114 could be made out of a combination of different material, in particular the a section made from metal to cut the stems of the fruits to be harvested and the remaining section made of plastics, further it could be possible that the different sections comprising different materials do overlap.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, markings or indicia may be provided on one or both sides of a top surface of the fruit plucking attachment 114 to indicate a type of fruit, for example, apples or cherries for which a corresponding type of comb, for example, the first comb 116 or the second comb 120 needs to be brought into position by the user on the container 102 so as to be facing the opening 110 before the fruit harvesting tool 100 would be used to pluck the fruit.

In the drawings and specification, there have been disclosed preferred embodiments and examples of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for the purpose of limitation of the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims. LIST OF ELEMENTS

100 Fruit harvesting tool

102 Container

104 Circumferential wall

106 Closed bottom end of container

108 Top end of container

110 Arcuate opening

112 Attachment portion

114 Fruit plucking attachment

116 First comb

118 First side

120 Second comb

122 Second side

124 Another attachment portion located on the fruit plucking attachment

126 First laminate

128 Middle plug

130 Middle socket

132 First plug

134 Second plug

136 First socket

138 Second socket

140 Inner surface of top end of container

142 Groove

144 Snap fit arrangement 146 First set of tines

148 Second set of tines

150 Second laminate

152 Notches

154 Cutting edges

P Perimeter

D1 First pre-determined amount of distance

D2 Second pre-determined amount of distance