Abstract:
A fruit picker includes first and second curved sections, a handle and a bag. The first and second curved sections are outwardly curved to form a leaf-shaped space therebetween. The first curved section and a second curved section are attached at a first end at a cutter angle. The handle is attached to the first and second curved sections at a second end. The bag is attached to the first and second curved sections with fixing elements. The leaf-shaped frame provides maneuverability of this tool within a cluster of fruit or tree branches, where an angled shape helps catching and holding fruit. The scissors-like tip offers efficiency in releasing fruit from its stem. Finally, this fruit picker boasts applicability to multiple kinds of fruit.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present disclosure relates to a fruit picker having an angled leaf shape. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a fruit picker having an angled leaf shape with a scissors-like cutter at its tip. 
         [0003]    Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Various designs exist for fruit picking devices for picking fruits such as apples, oranges and the like. Conventionally, those fruits are picked by hands or devices that may include round frames with bags or bulky baskets and that have simple fruit pulling mechanisms like rake-shaped tops or fruit-grippers. For example, a fruit picker sold by Kw&#39;s has rake-shaped craws with an integrally formed basket that is made of metal wires. Relefree® sold by Relefree also has rake-shaped frame with a bag attached to it. The Twister Fruit Picker has pinching part to pinch and hold the fruit. While existing fruit picking devices are generally suitable for what is regarded as ordinary performance, there is room for improvement in terms of maneuverability within a cluster of fruit or tree branches, efficiency in releasing fruit from its stem, and applicability to multiple kinds of fruit. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    To address the above-discussed improvement, it is an object of the present application to provide fruit picker that includes first and second curved sections, a handle and a bag. The first and second curved sections are outwardly curved to form a leaf-shaped space therebetween. The first curved section and a second curved section are attached at a first end at a cutter angle. The handle is attached to the first and second curved sections at a second end. The bag is attached to the first and second curved sections with fixing elements. 
         [0006]    The leaf-shaped frame provides maneuverability of this tool within a cluster of fruit or tree branches, where an angled shape helps catching and holding fruit. The scissors-like tip offers efficiency in releasing fruit from its stem. Finally, this fruit picker boasts applicability to multiple kinds of fruit. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    The accompanying drawings are presented to aid in the description of embodiments of the invention and are provided solely for illustration of the embodiments and not limitation thereof. 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a fruit picker according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2A  is a perspective view of the fruit picker with a bag being separated from a frame, and  FIG. 2B  is an enlarged view of a part of the perspective view shown in  FIG. 2A . 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the fruit picker. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a top view of the fruit picker. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a view illustrating an operation of the fruit picker. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a view illustrating another view of the operation of the fruit picker. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    It is understood that the following disclosure provides many different embodiments, or examples, for implementing different features of the disclosure. Specific examples of components and arrangements are described below to simplify the present disclosure. These are, of course, merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. 
         [0015]    Referring generally to  FIGS. 1-6 , a fruit picker  10  includes an angled leaf-shaped frame  20  and a removable bag  30  attached to the frame  20 . 
         [0016]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the frame  20  of the fruit picker  10  includes a handle  21  and curved sections  22   a  and  22   b.  The handle  21  and the curved sections  22   a  and  22   b  may be integrally formed by a single piece or may be made separately and attached together. The handle  21  has a sufficient length for an operator to hold during operation. As shown in  FIG. 2A , the handle may be formed by bending a section of frame so that frame sections extend in parallel or may be formed by a separate part. The handle  21  may have a loop at an end. The handle  21  may also include an attachment part at the end for attaching the fruit picker  10  to a rod or the like for picking fruit at an elevated position. Moreover, the handle  21  may include a cushion material for more comfortable holding. 
         [0017]    The curved sections  22   a  and  22   b  of the frame  20  are curved to create a space  23  in the center for allowing a fruit to pass through during the picking. Each of the curved sections  22   a  and  22   b  may include fixing parts  24  for attaching the bag  30 . Shapes of the fixing parts  24  include, but not limited to, projections, U-shaped hooks, L-shaped hooks, loops, holes, and any known shape for attaching such a bag. The number of the fixing parts  24  on each of the curved sections  22   a  and  22   b  may be determined based on the size of the bag  30 , the material of the bag  30 , and/or weight of the fruit to be placed in the bag  30 . 
         [0018]    As shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , ends  40  and  41  of the curved sections  22   a  and  22   b  meet at a front end  25 . The ends  40  and  41  are attached by welding or the like, and one of the ends  40  and  41  is placed over the other at a cutter angle θ 1 . The cutter angle θ 1  may be small enough to provide a scissors-like effect to cut a fruit stem and may be in a range of about 25-90 degrees to provide a sufficient cutting force. A thickness of the ends  40  and  41  may be reduced towards the tip end  25 . That is, the thickness of the ends  40  and  41  on the side of the front end  25  is smaller than on the side of the fixing parts  24 . Each of the ends  40  and  41  includes a blade  42  for cutting a stem of the fruit. A length of the blade  42  may be 1-2 inches. The blades  42  face each other symmetrically at a contact point between the ends  40  and  41  to provide the scissors-like effect. This arrangement forms a scissors-like cutter or a V-shaped cutter at the front end  25 . 
         [0019]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2A , the fruit picker  10  has a leaf-like shape. The frame progressively narrows from the widest center of the curved sections  22   a  and  22   b  to two opposite directions, forming the front end  25  and a point end at which the handle  21  is attached. This particular shape improves maneuverability of the fruit picker  10  within a cluster of fruit or tree branches or the like, by making it glide effortlessly in order to gently target individual fruits and/or to move the picker in and out of crowded environment without damaging either fruit or tree branches. 
         [0020]    As best shown in  FIG. 3 , the leaf-shaped frame  20  bends relative to the handle  21 . A bending angle θ 2  may be about 15-30 degrees. In addition, the leaf-shape gently curves from the handle base to the front tip at a curvature radius R of about 50-60 degrees. These angles help make fruit-pulling more easily as well as better hold fruit inside the bag. Also, with these angles, the operator can navigate the fruit picker  10  between tree branches from a direction above the fruit more easily, especially when the fruit picker  10  is attached to a rod, since the tip end  25  points to the direction of the operator&#39;s motion. 
         [0021]    Furthermore, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the leaf-shaped fruit picker  10  may have a horizontal length l of 5-10 inches and a vertical length m of 10-20 inches. The handle  30  may be 5-15 inches (n) long. These dimensions may vary depending on the kind of fruit to be picked without changing the leaf-like shape of the frame  20 . 
         [0022]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the bag  30  to be attached to the curved sections  22   a  and  22   b  includes fixing elements  31  and a bag element  32 . The bag  30  may also include a rim  33 . The fixing elements  31  may be hooks, strings, openings, hook-and-loop fasteners such as Velcro® loops, or the like, which may be easily removed. Alternatively, the bag  30  may be permanently attached to the curved sections  22   a  and  22   b.  The bag  30  may have a conical shape with a pointing or round bottom, or may have a trapezoidal shape with a flat bottom. A length of the bag  30  is greater than the vertical length m of the frame so that the inside edge of the bag  30  at the front end that corresponds to the front end  25  of the frame  20  protrudes approximately 0.50 inches from the point where the blades  40  meet. The front end of the bag  30  has also a slanted part. This formation allows the stem of the fruit to be positioned between the blades  40  easier. Also this formation contributes to easy entry of the fruit in the bag  30  after cutting. The bag  30  may be made of washable, durable, stain-resistant material, such as fabric and vinyl, which makes its maintenance easy. Unlike basket-type pickers or meshed bags, it protects fruits better and would not become caught up by branches. The size of the bag  30  may be determined by the type of fruit to be picked. For example, for fruits that can be easily damaged, such as peaches, a shallow bag may be preferable. On the other hand, for fruits that are not easily damaged, a larger bag may be used to collect more with a single operation for efficiency. Moreover, a long tube material may be attached to the curved sections for correcting and placing the fruit directly in a container. 
         [0023]    Since it smoothly cuts fruit stems, fruit-picking cannot be any easier than this, compared to physically pull fruit out of its stem. The blades at the tip end also help reduce damages in fruit as well as in tree branches. As generally shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , to cut the tree stem, a fruit is first placed in the space  23  between the curved sections  22   a  and  22   b  of the frame  20 . Then, the operator pulls the fruit picker  10  towards the operator. As the front end  25  of the frame  20  contacts the fruit stem, the blades  42  in V-shape starts cutting the fruit stem. When the fruit stem is completely cut, the fruit drops in the bag  30 . Since the blades  42  are located at the tip end  25 , the fruit simply slides down along the side of the bag  30  after being cut by the blades  42 . This prevents the fruit from being dropped to a bottom of the bag  30 , which may cause the fruit to be damaged. The fruit picker according to the present application is applicable to multiple kinds of fruit, from very small ones to those as big as the size of the bag. Because of its leaf-shaped frame, which progressively narrows from the widest center to the front end tip, different sizes of fruit are accommodated within that frame without any compromises in performing fruit picking. 
         [0024]    In the description and claims of the present application, each of the verbs “comprise”, “include”, “contain” and “have”, and variations thereof, are used in an inclusive sense, to specify the presence of the stated item or feature but do not preclude the presence of additional items or features. 
         [0025]    It is appreciated that certain features of the invention, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable sub-combination. 
         [0026]    The embodiments described above are provided by way of examples only, and various other modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the field without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.