Seed Crushing Device

Abstract

Seed crushing device comprising a receiving space for a seed grain, defined by one or more side walls, designed to be positioned in at least a first position, where the receiving space is freely accessible from its top side for placing the seed grain in the receiving space; and where the receiving space at its bottom is closed to support a seed grain that has been placed, and a second position, where the receiving space is freely accessible from its top side to accommodate a pestle in the receiving space, and where the receiving space at the bottom is closed for crushing the seed grain by pushing the pestle towards the bottom and for supporting the flower thus formed; and a third position, where the receiving space is free at least the bottom for discharging the flower in a filling position from a deep well plate.

Claims

1. A seed crushing device comprising: A receiving space for a seed grain, defined by one or more side walls, designed to be positioned in at least: A first position, where. the receiving space is freely accessible from its top side for placing the seed grain in the receiving space; and where. the receiving space at its bottom is closed to support a seed grain that has been placed; A second position, where. the receiving space is freely accessible from its top side to accommodate a pestle in the receiving space, and where. the receiving space at the bottom is closed for crushing the seed grain by pushing the pestle towards the bottom and for supporting the flower thus formed; and A third position, where. the receiving space is free at at least the bottom for discharging the flower in a filling position from a deep well plate; a carrier for a deep well plate with multiple filling positions, with the aid of which carrier the deep well plate can be moved relative to the receiving space in such a way that flower can be released in a selected filling position when the receiving space is in the third position.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the receiving space can be moved by relative displacement of the receiving space with respect to at least two of: a discharge opening of a filling funnel opening onto the top of the receiving space, wherein in a first position the top of the receiving space is aligned with the discharge opening of the filling funnel; a descent position of a vertically movable pestle, wherein in a second position the top of the receiving space in the second position is aligned with the descent position of the pestle; and A receiving opening of a discharge channel, where in a third position the bottom of the receiving space is aligned with a receiving opening of the discharge channel.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the carrier is movable in the horizontal plane in order to align a selected receiving opening of a discharge channel with the bottom of the receiving space in the third position.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the receiving space in the third position is aligned with a discharge channel extending in a height direction, wherein the carrier is movable with a vertical direction component, to accommodate a discharge opening of the discharge channel in the filling position of the deep well plate for the purpose of discharging flower.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the receiving space is freely accessible from its top and bottom in the third position, and wherein the device is further provided with an ejector, which is movable between a position in which it is located above the top of the receiving space, and a position in which it extends via the top of the receiving space through the receiving space to the discharge channel, and preferably through the discharge channel and further preferably into the filling position of a placed deep well plate.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the ejector comprises a pin, preferably an assembly of pins, and further preferably a central pin surrounded by a number of further pins.

7. The device according to claim 5, comprising a fourth position, in which the receiving space is open at the top and/or the bottom, for cleaning the receiving space prior to a subsequent crushing step.

8. The device according to claim 5, wherein the receiving space is a first receiving space and wherein the device comprises a second receiving space for a seed grain defined by one or more side walls, also designed to be positioned in at least: A first position, where. the second receiving space is freely accessible from its top side for placing the seed grain in the second receiving space; and where. the second receiving space at its bottom is closed to support a seed grain that has been placed; A second position, where. the second receiving space is freely accessible from its top side to accommodate a pestle in the second receiving space, and where. the second receiving space at the bottom is closed for crushing the seed grain by pushing the pestle towards the bottom and for supporting the flower thus formed; and A third position, where. the second receiving space is free at at least the bottom for discharging the flower in a filling position from a deep well plate; wherein the device is configured to accommodate the pestle alternately in the first and the second receiving space.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the pestle is movable between the second position of the first receiving space and the second position of the second receiving space.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the pestle can be moved jointly with a first and a second ejector between a first position in which the pestle is aligned with the first receiving space and the first ejector with the second receiving space and a second position in which the pestle is aligned with the second receiving space and the second ejector with the first receiving space.

11. The device according to claim 9, comprising a receiving location for a quantity of seed grains, and a picker for picking up a single seed grain from the receiving location and administering the single seed grain to a receiving space located in a first position.

12. The device according to claim 11, comprising a counter for counting the number of seed grains at the receiving location, in particular comprising a camera and an image processing device for determining the number of seed grains on the basis of images made by the camera.

13. The device according to claim 11, provided with a funnel opening above a first position of a receiving space.

14. The device according to claim 11, wherein the side walls of the receiving space comprise several parts, which are mutually movable in order to break a crushed seed grain already contained therein.

Description

[0026] The invention will now be elucidated into more detail with reference to the following figures. Herein:

[0027] FIG. 1 shows an overview of a device according to the invention;

[0028] FIG. 2 shows a first detail of a device according to the invention;

[0029] FIGS. 3A, B show a second detail of a device according to the invention;

[0030] FIG. 4 shows a third detail of a device according to the invention; and

[0031] FIGS. 5A, B, C show various positions of a receiving space according to the invention.

[0032] FIG. 1 shows an overview of a seed crushing device 1 according to the invention, comprising two receiving spaces 2, 3 for seed grains, each defined by one circular side wall 2a, 3a. The device is designed to position the receiving spaces in a first position, depicted for receiving space 2 in FIG. 1 (and visible in more detail in FIG. 5A), where the receiving space is freely accessible from its top side 4 for placing the seed grain in the receiving space 2, 3; and where the receiving space at its bottom is closed to support a seed grain that has been placed, and a second position (visible in more detail in FIG. 5B), where the receiving space is freely accessible from its top side to accommodate a pestle 5 in the receiving space 2, 3, and where the receiving space at the bottom is closed for crushing the seed grain by pushing the pestle towards the bottom and for supporting the flower thus formed; and a third position (visible in more detail in FIG. 5C), where the receiving space is free at at least the bottom for discharging the flower in a filling position from a deep well plate (visible in FIG. 4).

[0033] FIG. 2 shows that the receiving spaces 2, 3 can be moved by relative displacement of said receiving spaces 2, 3, by means of a drive system 5, 6 with respect to a discharge opening of a filling funnel 7, 8 (visible in FIG. 1) opening onto the top of the receiving space 2, 3, wherein in a first position the top of the receiving space 2, 3 is aligned with the discharge opening of the filling funnel 7, 8. The receiving spaces 2, 3 can also be aligned with a descent position of a vertically movable pestle 5, wherein in a second position the top of the receiving space 2, 3 in the second position is aligned with the descent position of the pestle 5 (visible in FIG. 5B); and a receiving opening of a discharge channel, where in a third position the bottom of the receiving space 2, 3 is aligned with a receiving opening of the discharge channel (visible in FIG. 5C).

[0034] FIGS. 3A and B show that the side walls of the receiving space 2, 3 comprise several parts 14, 15, which are mutually movable in order to break a crushed seed grain already contained therein.

[0035] FIG. 4 shows that a carrier 9 for a deep well plate 10 with multiple filling positions 11, with the aid of which carrier 9 the deep well plate 10 can be moved relative to the receiving space 2, 3 in such a way that flower can be released in a selected filling position 11 when the receiving space 2, 3 is in the third position. The carrier is movable in the horizontal plane X-Y in order to align a selected receiving opening of a discharge channel 12, 13 with the bottom of the receiving space 2, 3 in the third position.

[0036] FIG. 5A shows the receiving space 2 in a first position, where the receiving space 2 is freely accessible from its top side 4 for placing the seed grain in the receiving space 2 and where the receiving space at its bottom 16 is closed to support a seed grain that has been placed.

[0037] FIG. 5B shows the receiving space 2 a second position, where the receiving space is freely accessible from its top side to accommodate a pestle 5 in the receiving space 2 wherein the receiving space 2 is closed at the bottom 16 for crushing the seed grain by pushing the pestle 5 towards the bottom 16 and for supporting the flower thus formed.

[0038] FIG. 5C shows a third position where the receiving space 2 is free at its bottom 16 for discharging the flower in a filling position 11 from a deep well plate 10.

[0039] In the third position the receiving space 2 is aligned with a discharge channel 12 extending in a height direction Z, wherein the carrier 9 is movable with a vertical direction Z component, to accommodate a discharge opening 12 of the discharge channel 12 in the filling position of the deep well plate 10 for the purpose of discharging flower.

[0040] The receiving space 2 is freely accessible from its top 4 and bottom 16 in the third position, and the device 1 is further provided with an ejector 17, which is movable between a position in which it is located above the top of the receiving space 2, and a position in which it extends via the top 4 of the receiving space through the receiving space 2 through the discharge channel 12, into the filling position 11 of a placed deep well plate 10. The ejector 17 comprises an assembly of pins, with a central pin 18 surrounded by a number of further pins 19.