Patent Description:
Conventional orchards harvesting is done by deployment of fruit collection bins between the tree lines, before manual workers arrive to pick the fruit and fill the bins. The bins are evenly spread throughout the orchard prior to harvesting. In most cases, the bin is placed on the ground and carried by a forklift. Alternatively, the bins are equipped with wheels or mounted on a cart and pulled by a tractor to their designated location. After deploying the bins on the ground, human- or robotic- pickers get in between the tree-lines, start harvesting and fill the bins with harvested fruits.

When a bin is filled with fruit, the pickers move to the next tree line, while a forklift or a dedicated track takes the full bin for storage, shipment or any other action. Today, bins are usually taken to a warehouse for storage/cooling, and are removed/shipped according to market demand.

Notably, only after taken out from storage, the bin is taken to a sorting house for sorting the fruits. Only after sorting of the fruit it is possible to evaluate the economic value of each bin and each fruit therein. As a result, there is no way of knowing the real value of each bin within a warehouse, let alone the number of fruits and their quality.

In all known robotic systems, the bins are mounted and installed on a harvester-robot or on a track to facilitate easy access of the harvesting arms to the bin for deployment of the fruits therein.

The disadvantage with human harvesting and known robotic systems is that the harvested fruits are thrown into the collection bin, which may lead to damaged fruits- either due to hitting the bottom of the bin or from hitting another fruit. This means that the fruits' value within a collection bin is dramatically reduced due to the presence of damaged fruits, which may further cause undamaged fruits to spoil.

There are some complicated and expensive bin-fillers that are used in warehouse or other robotic solutions made of a carousel that rotate inside the bin and move the fruit from the top side to the floor. These machines are complex, heavy, expensive and do not distribute the fruits uniformly on the ground, so human involvement is required to make sure the fruits are leveled (i.e. create a flat layered surface).

Document <CIT>, entitled "Method and apparatus for storing and displaying fruit" discloses a method and apparatus for storing and displaying articles as fruit like. It utilizes a display package that includes a diaphragm member for holding the contents of the package and a pneumatic expander that moves the contents contained in the diaphragm member and the diaphragm member itself toward the top of the display package as the contents are removed or to the bottom of the package as contents are added.

<CIT> discloses an apparatus for volume filling of storage boxes at a fill station. The apparatus comprises a vertically movable fill box with movable bottom wall portions and a cylinder for vertically moving said fill box.

Accordingly, a need exists for a more efficient technique and system for collecting harvested fruits that saves harvesting time, reduces costs, and prevents fruits' damage.

The present invention provides a fruit protection system as defined by appended claim <NUM>.

The present invention further provides a method for preventing / reducing damage to fruits during harvesting as defined by appended claim <NUM>.

Preferred aspects of the invention are defined by the dependent claims.

Notably, harvesting robots, such as flying robots and robotic arms, can place fruits on the elevator floor/floating floor dispersed uniformly, since they have full flexibility to place it one by one in different positions.

In certain embodiments, the floating floor, also referred to as elevator floor, has a small slope (e.g. <NUM> degrees) so the fruit will role to one side when desired.

In certain embodiments, of the fruits protection system of the invention, the elevator floating floor is moved down autonomously by the weight of the fruits placed thereon or mechanically/electronically by a motor(s) similar to an elevator.

Today, during harvesting in an orchard, human or robotic harvesters pick fruits and discharge the harvested fruits in designated collection bins. When a bin is full, it is carried away with a forklift to a storage warehouse. However, the discharging of the fruits into the collection bin usually damages the fruits as they are dropped to the hard bottom of the collection bin from a height, e.g. from the edge of the bin's walls all the way down to the bottom.

As well known, a fruit thrown into a collection bin may be damaged when hitting the hard floor of the collection bin (illustrated in <FIG>) or when hitting other fruits in the bin. Such damage shortens the shelf life of the fruits and reduces their value. As such, it is advisable to reduce to a minimum any damage caused to fruits during collection. Notably, the damage may occur not only to the actual falling fruit, but also to other fruits already residing in the collection bin that are hit by the fallen fruit(s).

As explained above, when harvesters (human or robotic) fill the collection bins, the fruits fall to the bottom of the bin and subsequently hit the bottom of the bin or the uppermost fruits in the bin. Such hitting may damage the fruits, which reduces the fruits' economic value. Moreover, damage during harvesting may cause decay during storage, resulting with rotten stored fruits, which may spread to non-damaged nearby fruits. Accordingly, it is advisable to reduce damage caused to fruits during the filling of a collection bin. Notably, every damaged fruit has a negative value (not just zero) since the storage cost is also wasted. The value of high-quality fruit is several times higher than standard quality fruit.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a fruit protection system for use with a fruit collection bin for protecting fruits from damage during harvesting, the system comprising: (a) a fruit movable elevator floor/floating floor <NUM> designed to fit the fruit collection bin <NUM>; and (b) at least one retraction mechanism <NUM> for lifting the elevator floor/floating floor <NUM>, wherein the elevator floor/floating floor <NUM> can descend and ascend.

It should be noted that the fruit protection system of the invention is an addition or add-on to existing collection bins or wagons, and that the terms "elevator", "elevator floor", "elevated bottom", "floating floor" and "bottom surface" as used herein interchangeably do not refer to the bottom of the actual collection bin but to a pseudo-bottom that can be lifted up and down in the collection bin regardless of the bin's bottom section. Moreover, the addition of a fruit protection system of the invention to a fruit collection bin does not affect the inner volume of the bin and does not reduce its capacity.

Accordingly, before picking starts, the elevator of the fruit protection system is located at its highest point, e.g. the height of the upper side of the bin, thereby enabling placement of the fruits thereon, i.e. on the top of the elevator floor <NUM>, while eliminating the falling of the fruits all the way to the bottom of the collection bin <NUM>. In certain embodiments, the elevator floor <NUM> is pushed down by the weight of the picked fruits and moves down slowly. The movement of the elevator floor <NUM> depends on the fruits' weight. This procedure prevents fruits' bruising and improves harvesting effectiveness since it also saves picking time - now the harvesting robots or human pickers do not need to slowly and gently open the fruit basket into the collection bin <NUM>. It should be noted that even when the elevator floor <NUM> is located at its highest point, i.e. essentially leveled with the collection bin's walls, the top edge of the bin's walls is still a bit higher than the top surface of the elevator floor <NUM> in order to create a barrier that prevents rolling of the fruits off the elevator floor <NUM> to the ground outside the collection bin <NUM>.

In certain embodiments, the fruit protection system of the invention is provided / installed in a box/frame that is designed to be mounted on the upper edges of the collection bin's side walls. <FIG> illustrates how a standard collection bin <NUM> looks like when equipped with a box holding a fruit protection system of the invention with an elevator floor <NUM>. It should be noted that the box/frame can be mounted on the external side wall of the collection bin <NUM> or on the wagon; inside the collection bin <NUM> (i.e. between the bin's walls); or on top of the bin, i.e. placed on the upper edge of the bin's walls. It should be noted that the box/frame of the system, when present, serves also a fruits' barrier that prevents rolling of the fruits off the elevator floor <NUM> to the ground outside the collection bin <NUM>.

In certain embodiments of the fruit protection system of the invention, the location/ position/height of the elevator floor <NUM> is determined according to the weight of the fruits placed thereon and the retraction force of the at least one retraction mechanism <NUM>.

In specific embodiments of the fruit protection system of any of the embodiments above, when the fruit collection bin <NUM> is empty, the elevator floor <NUM> is positioned in its upmost upper position, ready to receive fruits and descend according to need/fruits' weight. In further specific embodiments, when the fruit collection bin <NUM> is completely full, the elevator floor <NUM> is positioned in its lowest position at the bottom of the collection bin <NUM> covered with fruits. In alternative specific embodiments, when the fruit collection bin <NUM> is completely full, the elevator floor <NUM> is positioned in its upmost upper position, without any fruits placed thereon- this can be obtained by, e.g. pulling the elevator floor <NUM> from the bottom of the collection bin <NUM> after it is filled, or the elevator floor <NUM> may be made of disposable material that degrades thereby leaving the collection bin <NUM> with the fruits and without the elevator floor <NUM>.

It should be noted that the elevator floor <NUM> and retention mechanism can be made of any suitable material. For instance, both can be made from the same material and constitute the same unit, e.g. as an elastic sheet of material that is assembled onto the collection bin <NUM> by attaching the edges of the sheet to the bin's walls, such that the elasticity of the sheet serves as the retention mechanism (see illustrated in <FIG>). Accordingly, in certain embodiments of the fruit protection system of any of the embodiments above, the elevator floor <NUM> is made of a flexible and/or disposable material. In alternative specific embodiments, the elevator floor <NUM> is a stretchable leash/sheet that starches according to the fruits' weight placed thereon. In further alternative specific embodiments, the elevator floor <NUM> is a stretchable mesh that starches according to the fruits' weight placed thereon.

Alternatively, in certain embodiments of the fruit protection system of any of the embodiments above, the elevator floor <NUM> and the retention mechanism are made from different substances. For instance, the retention mechanism may be made of metal, such as metal springs, or made of elastic material such as rubber or silicon, and the elevator door is made of wood, plastic, metal, etc. or any combination thereof.

In specific embodiments of the fruit protection system of any of the embodiments above, the elevator floor <NUM> is designed to descend when a certain amount or weight of fruits is accumulated thereon, release the fruits at the collection bin's bottom, and ascend to its original upper position for receiving more fruits. In such configuration, when the fruit collection bin <NUM> is completely full, the elevator floor <NUM> is positioned in its upmost upper position, without any fruits placed thereon. Such a configuration can be obtained by, e.g. creating passageways / opening within the elevator floor <NUM> through which fruits can pass as when the elevator floor <NUM> is at the lowest position within the collection bin <NUM>, which enables lifting the fruitless elevator floor <NUM> back up to its original upper position.

According to the invention, the floating floor <NUM> is made of movable/shiftable fragments having a closed-orientation in which fruits cannot pass between the fragments, thereby serving as a platform for placing fruits thereon; and an open-orientation in which fruits can pass between the fragments when needed, thereby releasing an fruits placed thereon on the bottom of the collection bin <NUM> or on top of fruits within the collection bin <NUM> gently without causing damage thereto.

Accordingly, the movable/shiftable fragments: move toward one another along a plane parallel to the bottom of the collection bin <NUM> into an essentially overlapping position.

The mechanism that is responsible for the lifting up and down of the elevator floor <NUM> is the retraction mechanism <NUM>.

The at least one retraction mechanism <NUM> is: (i) a spring located below the elevator floor <NUM>; (ii) an elastic strap(s) or spring(s) designed to be attached to the walls of the collection bin <NUM>; (iii) an electric motor(s) based mechanism; or (iv) a pneumatic mechanism.

In further specific embodiments, the fruit protection system of any of the embodiments above further comprises a computing system comprising a memory and processor. Such computing system may be designed to receive data regarding the amount and/or weight of the fruits placed on the elevator floor <NUM> and/or inside the collection bin <NUM>.

In certain embodiments, the computing system of the fruit protection system of the invention further comprises an algorithm for determining a fruit's quality inside each collection bin <NUM>. In certain embodiments, said algorithm for determining the fruit's quality uses at least one of the following parameters for determining the fruit's quality, including ripeness, according to the type of fruit being harvested: color, water content, rigidity/softness, sparkle, size, season, spots-damages inspection, fruit disconnection force (the ripper the fruit is- the easier it is to pull), weight.

In certain embodiments, the computing system of the fruit protection system of the invention enables the elevator floor <NUM> to be completely independent/autonomous so that there is no need for a manual control thereof.

The above described fruit protection system is designed to minimize the impact forces on fruits that are deposited in a collection bin <NUM>, thereby reducing the risk of damaging thereof and subsequently increasing their shelf life and overall value.

In certain embodiments, the present invention further provides a method for preventing / reducing damage to fruits during harvesting, the method comprising the steps of: (a) mounting / attaching a fruit protection system according to any of the embodiments above onto a fruits' collection bin <NUM>; (b) placing harvested fruits onto the elevator floor <NUM> of the fruit protection system; and (c) gradually lowering the elevator floor <NUM> to the bottom of the collection bin <NUM>.

In certain embodiments of the above method for preventing / reducing damage to fruits, the mounting/attaching of the fruit protection system onto a fruits' collection bin <NUM> is performed manually or automatically by robotic machinery. It should be noted that the fruit protection system can be mounted: (i) on the external side wall of the collection bin <NUM>; (ii) inside the collection bin <NUM> (i.e. between the bin's walls); or (iii) on top of the bin, i.e. placed on the upper edge of the bin's walls or on the wagon. The assembling is designed to be simple to enable fast dismantling and optionally reassembly on another collection bin <NUM>, even in the orchard.

In certain embodiments of the above method for preventing / reducing damage to fruits, step (b) of placing harvested fruits onto the elevator floor <NUM> is carried out by human workers or by robotic harvesters. The placement of the fruits on the elevator floor <NUM> may be one at a time (e.g. when using a harvesting UAV or a robotic arm that pick and deliver a single fruit at a time) or in bulk (e.g. emptying a collection bag/basket by a human picker or emptying a harvesting UAV carrying more than one fruit).

In specific embodiments, a harvesting UAV places each fruit at a different place on the elevator floor, while software management distributes the fruits uniformly on the elevator floor.

In certain embodiments of the above method for preventing / reducing damage to fruits, the position of the elevator floor <NUM> is such that the upper surface of the elevator floor <NUM> or the fruits placed thereon is essentially parallel to the upper edge of the collection bin's walls, such that fruits placed thereon do not fall to the bottom of the bin. It should be noted that the elevator floor <NUM> is leveled such that the collection bin's walls (or walls of a frame/box of the system) prevent rolling of the fruits off the elevator floor <NUM> to the ground outside the collection bin <NUM>.

In specific embodiments of the above method for preventing / reducing damage to fruits, the lowering of the elevator floor <NUM> is in accordance with the fruits' weight. The lowering of the elevator floor <NUM> may be simply due to gravity and fruits' weight, or may be computer-controlled, i.e. using electrically-mechanic elements that are controlled by a computing system that determines when to lift the elevator floor <NUM> up and down, e.g. according to the number and/or weight of fruits placed on the elevator floor <NUM>. In specific embodiments, the elevator floor <NUM> is lowered to the bottom of the collection bin <NUM> as fruits are piled thereon, and does not lift back up, but remains underneath the fruits at the bottom of the collection bin <NUM>. In alternative specific embodiments, the elevator floor <NUM> is removed from the collection bin <NUM> after the bin is completely full. In further specific alternative embodiments, the elevator floor <NUM> is lifted down and up continuously during the filling of the collection bin <NUM>, so that every time the elevator floor <NUM> is lifted down it delivers a few fruits to the bottom of the collection bin <NUM> or to the top layer of fruits therein, releases the fruits unharmed, and lifts back up to receive more fruits. This procedure is repeated until the collection bin <NUM> is filled.

Accordingly, in specific embodiments of the method for preventing / reducing damage to fruits, step (c) comprises: (i) maintaining the position of the elevator floor <NUM> at top position such that the upper surface thereof is parallel to the upper edge of the collection bin's walls while still creating a barrier (e.g. from the bin's walls) that prevents fruits from falling off the elevator floor <NUM> to the ground outside the collection bin <NUM>; (ii) once a predefined weight/amount of fruit is placed on the elevator floor <NUM>, lowering same to the bottom of the collection bin <NUM> or to the upper layer/surface of the fruits within the bin; (iii) releasing the fruits from the elevator floor <NUM> (so that they reside on the bin's bottom or on previously placed fruits); (iv) lifting the elevator floor <NUM> back to the top position and receiving/reloading new fruits; and (v) repeating the above steps (i)-(iv) until the collection bin <NUM> is filled.

The releasing of the fruits from the elevator floor <NUM> is done by moving/ shifting the fragments toward one another along a plane parallel to the bottom of the fruit collection bin into an essentially overlapping position.

In certain embodiments of the method for preventing / reducing damage to fruits, step (b) of placing the fruits on the elevator/floating floor is carried out by harvesting robot(s), such a flying harvesting robot or harvesting arm. In specific embodiments, the harvesting robot places the fruits on the floating floor in a uniform manner one by one, each fruit in a different position/location on the floating floor such that an even layer of fruits is formed on the floor (thereby avoiding creation of a pile of fruits).

In specific embodiments, the fruit protection system according to any of the embodiments above further comprises an integrated autonomous harvesting system that comprises, e.g. unmanned aircraft vehicles (UAV) or robotic harvesting arm(s). Such a collection bin <NUM> configuration reduces damage to harvested fruit, since they are placed directly on the elevator floor <NUM> or on top of previously harvested fruits located at the top area of the collection bin <NUM>, and do not fall all the way to the bottom of the bin, which may damage them and/or other fruits already present in the collection bin <NUM>.

Reference is now made to <FIG>, which illustrate a standard collection bin <NUM> equipped with a fruit protection system of the invention with a descending and ascending bottom surface <NUM>. The system is assembled directly onto the bin's walls (<FIG> & <FIG>) or assembled by using a box/frame that is mounted onto the upper edge of the bin's walls (<FIG>). As seen in <FIG> & <FIG>, the bottom surface <NUM> may be connected to the walls of the bin using suitable retraction springs <NUM>, such as elastic bands, or the bottom surface <NUM> may be placed onto springs or spring-like mechanisms positioned on the bin's bottom (see e.g. in <FIG>). These retraction springs <NUM>, enable the bottom surface <NUM> to descend as fruits are placed thereon (due to the increasing weight thereof), thereby maintaining the upper level of the fruits in the bin at the highest point (i.e. essentially leveled with the bin's walls' upper section) to reduce the distance the fruits have to fall.

<FIG> illustrate how the bottom surface <NUM> descends as fruits are piled up. <FIG> illustrates that it is possible to remove the retraction springs <NUM> once the bin is full (e.g. for use in another bin). In specific embodiments, the bottom surface <NUM> is connected to the retraction springs <NUM> and both can be removed once the bin is filled (e.g. when the bottom surface <NUM> is made of flexible material- see e.g. <FIG>), and transferred to another collection bin <NUM>.

The balance between the descending and ascending of the bottom surface <NUM> according to fruits' weight and retraction spring's force is illustrated in <FIG>: <FIG> shows that the gravity force of fruit is balanced with the leash/spring force which depends on the spring constant k and the length of the leash/retraction spring <NUM>; and <FIG> shows that the pull-up force pulling the fruits upward can be obtained by leash/ retraction spring <NUM> from the top of the bin and/or one or more springs positioned at the bottom of the bin. <FIG> also illustrate the balance between gravity force with the elevator floor's force when the elevator floor <NUM> is made of a flexible/retraced material and optionally when the retraction mechanism <NUM> and the elevator floor <NUM> are made of the same elastic material.

<FIG> illustrate the mechanism of action of a fruit protection system that comprises an elevator floor <NUM> made of movable/shiftable fragments that can slide towards one another to generate gaps in between for allowing fruits to pass. As illustrated, at the beginning the elevator floor <NUM> is position at an upper position enabling safe placement of fruits thereon without the fruits rolling off the floor to the ground and without throwing the fruits into the bottom of the collection bin <NUM> (<FIG>). Once the elevator floor <NUM> is full, or reached a predefined weight, it is lowered to the bottom of the collection bin <NUM> (or to the upper level of fruits within the bin) (<FIG>)- this lowering is either according to gravity or electrically by motor(s) controlled by an integrated computing system. When the elevator floor <NUM> has reached the lowest possible position (either at the bin's bottom or the upper level of fruits within the bin), the movable/shiftable fragments move towards one another in an overlapping manner (<FIG>), thereby generating gaps through which fruits can pass (<FIG>) as the elevator floor <NUM> is lifted up (<FIG>). When the elevator floor <NUM> returns to its upper position, the movable/shiftable fragments return to their place creating a sealed floor onto which fruits can be placed. This procedure continues until the collection bin <NUM> is full.

<FIG> illustrate the mechanism of action of another fruit protection system that comprises an elevator floor <NUM> made of movable fragments that can tilt/bend/fold to generate gaps in between for allowing fruits to pass. As illustrated, at the beginning the elevator floor <NUM> is position at an upper position enabling safe placement of fruits thereon without the fruits rolling off the floor to the ground and without throwing the fruits into the bottom of the collection bin <NUM> (<FIG>). As illustrated, the fragments comprising the elevator floor <NUM> do not need to generate a full floor but can create small gaps in between-these gaps are small enough to prevent passage of fruits. Once the elevator floor <NUM> is full, or reached a predefined weight, it is lowered to the bottom of the collection bin <NUM> (or to the upper level of fruits within the bin) (<FIG>)- this lowering is either according to gravity or electrically by motor(s) controlled by an integrated computing system. When the elevator floor <NUM> has reached the lowest possible position (either at the bin's bottom or the upper level of fruits within the bin), the fragments tilt/bend/fold- either electrically or by releasing a safety lock (<FIG>), thereby generating gaps through which fruits can pass (<FIG>) as the elevator floor <NUM> is lifted up (<FIG>). When the elevator floor <NUM> returns to its upper position, the fragments return to their place creating a floor onto which fruits can be placed. This procedure continues until the collection bin <NUM> is full.

<FIG> illustrate the mechanism of action of yet another fruit protection system that comprises an elevator floor <NUM> made of movable rods/fragments that are positioned spaced apart from one another while still preventing passage of fruits therethrough. These movable rods/fragments can move towards one another to increase the gaps therebetween to thereby allow fruits to pass. As illustrated, once the elevator floor <NUM> is full, or reached a predefined weight, it is lowered to the bottom of the collection bin <NUM> (or to the upper level of fruits within the bin) (<FIG>)- this lowering is either according to gravity or electrically by motor(s) controlled by an integrated computing system. When the elevator floor <NUM> has reached the lowest possible position (either at the bin's bottom or the upper level of fruits within the bin), the movable rods/fragments move towards one another in an overlapping manner (<FIG>) or up/down relative to one another (<FIG>), thereby increasing the gaps between them through which fruits can pass (<FIG>) as the elevator floor <NUM> is lifted up (<FIG>). The option, whereby the rods/fragments move up/down relative to one another is not covered by the appended claims In specific embodiments, when the floating floor reaches the lowest possible point in the collection bin, the movable rods/fragments move apart from one another, thereby increasing the gaps therebetween and allowing fruits to pass therethrough (<FIG>). This can be done as part of the returning of the elevator floor to its upper position. When the elevator floor <NUM> returns to its upper position, the movable rods/fragments return to their original place creating a perforated floor onto which fruits can be placed without falling through. This procedure continues until the collection bin <NUM> is full.

Claim 1:
A fruit protection system for use with a fruit collection bin (<NUM>) for protecting fruits from damage during harvesting, the system comprising:
a) a fruit movable floating floor (<NUM>) designed to fit said fruit collection bin (<NUM>); and
b) at least one retraction mechanism (<NUM>) for lifting said floating floor (<NUM>),
wherein:
- said floating floor (<NUM>) can descend and ascend; and
- said at least one retraction mechanism (<NUM>) is:
∘ one or more elastic straps or springs designed to be attached to the walls of the fruit collection bin (<NUM>);
o a pneumatic mechanism; or
∘ one or more electric motors;
wherein said floating floor (<NUM>) is made of movable and/or shiftable fragments having a closed-orientation in which fruits cannot pass between the fragments; and an open-orientation in which fruits can pass between the fragments; and
characterized in that said movable and/or shiftable fragments are arranged to move toward one another along a plane parallel to the bottom of the fruit collection bin (<NUM>) into an essentially overlapping position.