A method of automatically orienting symmetric and asymmetric produce items, such as apples for example, is provided. Individual items of produce are manipulated by a programmable manipulator within the view of one or more depth imaging cameras. Digital three dimensional characterizations of the surface of the produce items are generated by the depth imaging camera or cameras and are utilized by a computer connected to the depth imaging camera or cameras to locate the stem and blossom of each produce item. Asymmetric produce items, such as apples with dropped shoulders as well as symmetric produce items can be properly oriented and processed automatically.

A method of automatically orienting symmetric and asymmetric produce items, such as apples for example, is provided. Individual items of produce are manipulated by a programmable manipulator within the view of one or more depth imaging cameras. Digital three dimensional characterizations of the surface of the produce items are generated by the depth imaging camera or cameras and are utilized by a computer connected to the depth imaging camera or cameras to locate the stem and blossom of each produce item. Asymmetric produce items, such as apples with dropped shoulders as well as symmetric produce items can be properly oriented and processed automatically.

In an exemplary embodiment, a blade portion 41 is formed by a plurality of blades 42 being arrayed on a front surface of a main body at an even interval while forming blade striation portions 43 between adjacent blades 42. Each blade 42 is cut into a circular-arc shape. A pitch between the blades 42 is in a range of 1 to 3 mm. A recess-portion apex composed of a cut surface of each blade 42 has a rounded shape with a radius of 1.0 to 3.0 mm. A protrusion-portion apex of the blade striation portion 43 has a rounded shape with a radius of 0.1 to 0.5 mm. A tip of the blade 42 formed by the blade striation portion 43 has a rounded shape with a radius of 0.1 to 0.5 mm.

In an embodiment, a peeling device includes: a vertical rotation disk 110 provided in a rotation shaft that extends horizontally; a plurality of fruit and vegetable holders 131 rotatably provided around a rotation axis of the vertical rotation disk 110, each supporting a fruit or vegetable K in a support portion 131C that extends from a disk surface 110A of the vertical rotation disk 110; and a peeler main body 202 that moves along an axial direction of the fruit or vegetable K in a state in which a peeler blade 202A is pressed against the fruit or vegetable K. At a peeling position, the fruit or vegetable K is rotated by the fruit and vegetable holder 131 being rotated, and full-periphery peeling by the peeler blade 202A is performed by the peeler main body 202 moving along the axial direction of the fruit or vegetable K.

A peeling apparatus and method using rotating rollers as a peeling bed includes a mechanism that moves food products through the peeling bed. The mechanism has multiple walls mounted to a continuous loop that is driven over the peeling bed to define cavities between each adjacent pair of walls. The walls' lower edges are spaced close to the rollers to prevent food products from exiting a cavity. One or more of the walls may have cleaners, such as spray nozzles connected to high pressure liquid, to clean particles from the rollers. The nozzles spray the particles off as the spray nozzles pass over the rollers during normal operation of the peeling apparatus.

A peeling apparatus and method using rotating rollers as a peeling bed includes a mechanism that moves food products through the peeling bed. The mechanism has multiple walls mounted to a continuous loop that is driven over the peeling bed to define cavities between each adjacent pair of walls. The walls' lower edges are spaced close to the rollers to prevent food products from exiting a cavity. One or more of the walls may have cleaners, such as spray nozzles connected to high pressure liquid, to clean particles from the rollers. The nozzles spray the particles off as the spray nozzles pass over the rollers during normal operation of the peeling apparatus.

In an embodiment of a fruit and vegetable holder 101, a plurality of fruit and vegetable pins 103 that pierce and hold a fruit or vegetable and are formed such as to be sharp are arranged on one end side, the other end side serves as a connecting section that is concentrically connected to a fruit and vegetable rotation shaft 105 that can be rotated by being driven by a fruit and vegetable rotation motor 107, such as to be capable of integrally rotating with the fruit and vegetable rotation shaft 105.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method and a device for peeling, including a peeling means, a fixing means, a first motor, a second motor, a control device for controlling the peeling means, a three-dimensional (3D) modeling apparatus configured to acquire three-dimensional coordinates of the surface of the item to be peeled, and a processing and controlling unit, wherein the processing and controlling unit is connected to the three-dimensional modeling apparatus and configured to determine an operating parameter of the peeling means, an operating parameter of the first motor and an operating parameter of the second motor, the processing and controlling unit is further connected to the first motor and controls the first motor to drive the movement of the fixing means, the processing and controlling unit is further connected to the second motor and control the second motor to drive the movement of the peeling means.

Disclosed are a machine for peeling bulbs and tubers and a peeling blade member applied to the machine for peeling bulbs and tubers. The disclosed machine for peeling bulbs and tubers includes a case, a bulb plant accommodating member, a bulb plant accommodating driving member, a peeling blade member, and a peeling blade driving member. According to the disclosed machine for peeling bulbs and tubers and the disclosed peeling blade member applied to the machine for peeling bulbs and tubers, occurrence of bruises and scratches of bulbs and tubers may be minimized, and a time consumed for peeling the bulbs and tubers may be shortened.

Disclosed are a machine for peeling bulbs and tubers and a peeling blade member applied to the machine for peeling bulbs and tubers. The disclosed machine for peeling bulbs and tubers includes a case, a bulb plant accommodating member, a bulb plant accommodating driving member, a peeling blade member, and a peeling blade driving member. According to the disclosed machine for peeling bulbs and tubers and the disclosed peeling blade member applied to the machine for peeling bulbs and tubers, occurrence of bruises and scratches of bulbs and tubers may be minimized, and a time consumed for peeling the bulbs and tubers may be shortened.