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EP-4736628-A2 - PORTABLE BEATER DEVICE FOR OLIVES OR SIMILAR

EP4736628A2EP 4736628 A2EP4736628 A2EP 4736628A2EP-4736628-A2

Abstract

Electric beater device, of portable type, for harvesting olives or similar hanging fruit, comprising a pole (2) with a grip (17) and a beating head (1) which is fixed to a first end of the pole (2), characterised in that the beating head (1) comprises: - two bases (10) on which a plurality of rods (11) are mounted, - an electric motor (7), - a motion transmission system configured to transfer the motion generated by the motor (7) to the two bases (10), - a containment and protection crankcase (18) wherein the motor (7) is housed and mounted, and wherein: - the motion transmission system comprises a first gear wheel (6) and a second gear wheel (5), which are housed in the crankcase (18), and two connecting rods (9A, 9B), each of which is operationally connected to a corresponding base (10) which supports the rods (11), - the first gear wheel (6) is driven directly by the motor (7) and transmits the movement to the second gear wheel (5), - the second gear wheel (5) comprises a first eccentric (8A) and a second eccentric (8B), arranged respectively on opposite faces of the second gear wheel (5), - said first eccentric (8A) and said second eccentric (8B) are passed through centrally by respective axes (A-A, B-B) which are distinct and parallel to each other, and also off-centred with respect to the central axis (X-X) of the second wheel (5), - each eccentric (8A, 8B) is operationally connected to a corresponding connecting rod (9A, 9B).

Inventors

  • Tsoupos, Konstantinos

Assignees

  • Tsoupos, Konstantinos

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20251030

Claims (15)

  1. Electric beater device, of portable type, for harvesting olives or similar hanging fruit, comprising a pole (2) with a grip (17) and a beating head (1) which is fixed to a first end of the pole (2), characterised in that the beating head (1) comprises: - two bases (10) on which a plurality of rods (11) are mounted, - an electric motor (7), - a motion transmission system configured to transfer the motion generated by the motor (7) to the two bases (10), - a containment and protection crankcase (18) wherein the motor (7) is housed and mounted, and wherein: - the motion transmission system comprises a first gear wheel (6) and a second gear wheel (5), which are housed in the crankcase (18), and two connecting rods (9A, 9B), each of which is operationally connected to a corresponding base (10) which supports the rods (11), - the first gear wheel (6) is driven directly by the motor (7) and transmits the movement to the second gear wheel (5), - the second gear wheel (5) comprises a first eccentric (8A) and a second eccentric (8B), arranged respectively on opposite faces of the second gear wheel (5), - said first eccentric (8A) and said second eccentric (8B) are passed through centrally by respective axes (A-A, B-B) which are distinct and parallel to each other, and also off-centred with respect to the central axis (X-X) of the second wheel (5), - each eccentric (8A, 8B) is operationally connected to a corresponding connecting rod (9A, 9B).
  2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the first gear wheel (6) is of smaller diameter than the second gear wheel (5).
  3. Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said motor (7) is a three-phase direct current brushless electric motor.
  4. Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said first eccentric (8A) and said second eccentric (8B) are made in a single piece with said second toothed wheel (5).
  5. Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein each connecting rod (9A, 9B) comprises: - one end which is rotatably connected directly to a respective eccentric (8A, 8B) obtained on the second gear wheel (5), and - the opposite end which is directly articulated to a corresponding base (10).
  6. Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the axes (A-A, B-B) of said first eccentric (8A) and of said second eccentric (8B) are at the same distance from the central axis (X-X) of the second gear wheel (5).
  7. Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the axes (A-A, B-B) of said first eccentric (8A) and of said second eccentric (8B) are at the same distance from the central axis (X-X) of the second gear wheel (5) and are phase-shifted by 180°.
  8. Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein: - the first gear wheel (6) is coaxial with the output shaft of the motor (7) and is supported inside the crankcase by a further bearing, - the two connecting rods (9A, 9B) are associated with the respective eccentrics (8A, 8B) by means of corresponding second bearings.
  9. Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the second gear wheel (5) is supported inside the crankcase (18) by two first bearings (5A, 5B), each of which is arranged at a respective face of said second gear wheel (5).
  10. Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the crankcase (18) comprises an upper cover (18A) and a lower cover (18B) which are mechanically constrained to each other.
  11. Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the bases (10) are hinged to the crankcase (18) and are arranged next to each other along the lateral direction of the device.
  12. Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, comprising an electronic control board (12), preferably positioned at the grip (17), which is electronically connected to the motor (7) to control the operation of the motor (7).
  13. Device according to the preceding claim, comprising a keypad electrically connected to the control board (12) for controlling the operation of the motor (7) and wherein said keypad comprises an ON/OFF button (13) for activating the motor (7) and two further buttons (15, 16) for increasing and decreasing the operating speed of the motor (7).
  14. Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the control board (12) is configured to stop the activation of the motor (7) when an overload condition of the device is identified.
  15. Beater device for olives or similar hanging fruits, with double eccentric motion transmission system, comprising a pole (2), to one end of which the beating head (1) is fixed with the motor (7) operated by an ON/OFF button, said device is characterised in that : - it comprises a motion transmission system with two gear wheels (5, 6) wherein the wheel with the smaller diameter (6) receives the movement from the motor (7) to transmit it to the wheel with the larger diameter (5), and wherein: - the wheel with the largest diameter (5) comprises two eccentrics (5A, 5B) passed through by respective axes (A-A, B-B) one another, - two corresponding connecting rods (9A, 9B) are mounted, by means of respective bearings, on said two eccentrics (5A, 5B), i.e. one connecting rod for each eccentric, which transmit the motion to respective bases (10) for supporting rods (11), thus causing a rotary movement of said bases according to a predefined arc based on their support point, - the movement speed of said bases (10) being adjustable by increasing or decreasing, according to the user's needs, by means of two buttons (15, 16), positioned on a membrane keypad arranged on a grip (17) of the pole (2), - the control of the operation of the motor (7) occurs via a control board (12) which is configured to interrupt operation if it detects excessive current consumption, thus avoiding stress on the tree and on the device.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to the field of olive beating devices and concerns an electric device for use in harvesting olives with a pulsating motion. In particular, the invention concerns a portable beater for beating or shaking olives or similar hanging fruit. STATE OF THE ART Various types of olive-beating devices are known on the market, such as those with spherical or elliptical type of heads featuring flexible rods on their surfaces. Devices with beating rods that perform a specific, controlled rotary motion combined with a pulsating motion (vibration) are also known, so as to obtain the most efficient possible fall of the fruits from the olive tree. These devices typically use an electric motor and, through well-known motion transmission principles, such as one or more camshafts and connecting rods, the motion is transmitted to one or more elongated elements with combs positioned at their ends. For purely illustrative purposes, reference is made to patent no. 1004368 entitled "Electrically operated pulsating olive beater with two combs", wherein the motion is transmitted from the electric motor to the camshaft and from there, via a connecting rod, to an elongated element at the ends of which the combs are positioned. The main disadvantage of the devices known to date is that, despite using motion transmission principles that have been known for many decades, the solutions used to manufacture them are complex, generate strong vibrations and noise, and, from a construction standpoint, significantly increase their production costs, weight, and, above all, the time and cost of repair in the event of a failure, because replacing their components, due to their complex construction, requires the intervention of a specialist and is time-consuming, thus resulting in the loss of many working hours and an increase in repair costs. Furthermore, known devices operate with a specific, predefined rotation speed and pulsating motion, meaning they cannot adapt to specific operating conditions - related to the variety of olive trees or current weather conditions - and this means neither optimal olive harvesting nor optimal tree protection (leaves, young shoots, etc.) nor energy savings during use are achieved. Finally, the transmission systems of known devices do not provide adequate structural support, resulting in their operation being affected over time. OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to propose a beater device that allows to overcome, at least in part, the drawbacks of known solutions. In particular, the invention addresses the problem of the complexity of the transmission systems used by currently known devices, which in the event of a failure makes it necessary to take the device out of service and transport it to a specialized technician for repair. Another object of the invention is to propose a beater device that of easy, quick and economical maintenance. Another object of the invention is to propose a beater device that is easy, quick and economical to manufacture. Another object of the invention is to propose a beater device which is simple, quick, convenient and easy to use. Another object of the invention is to propose a particularly reliable beater device. Another object of the invention is to propose a highly efficient beater device, both from an energy and from a fruit harvesting point of view. Another object of the invention is to propose a compact and lightweight beater device. Another object of the invention is to propose a shaking device that allows the user to adjust the beating speed easily and precisely. Another object of the invention is to propose a beater device particularly easy and comfortable to use. Another object of the invention is to propose a beater device which is particularly silent or at least less noisy. Another object of the invention is to propose a beater device with high energy autonomy. Another object of the invention is to propose a beater device that complies with industry regulations. Another object of the invention is to propose a beater device that is an improvement and/or alternative to traditional solutions. Another object of the invention is to propose a beater device with an alternative characterization, both in functional and implementation terms, compared to traditional ones. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One or more of the objects mentioned herein, considered either individually or in any combination thereof, and others which will result from the following description are achieved, according to the invention, with a beater according to claim 1 or 15. The present invention relates to an electric beater device, of portable type, for harvesting olives or similar hanging fruits, comprising a pole with a grip and a beating head which is fixed to a first end of the pole, characterised in that the beating head comprises: two bases on which a plurality of beating rods are mounted,an electric motor,a motion transmission system