DESC:TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to the field of agricultural equipment. Particularly but not exclusively, the present disclosure relates to devices for harvesting. Further embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a portable device and a mechanism for harvesting fruits.

BACKGROUND

Harvesting of fruits is a seasonal activity, which is carried out to pick the fruits from the plants or trees during harvest time. While harvesting of fruits such as but not limiting apples, citrus, etc. is necessary, it is important to maintain the quality of fruit, as the fruits may be easily get damaged during harvesting. Also at the same time, care should be taken that harvesting does not cause harm to the branches of the plant or tree, as branches would develop fruits in the subsequent seasons.

Conventionally picking or harvesting of fruits like apple, pears, oranges etc., is carried out manually. Manual harvesting also called as hand picking is to be done with utmost care, since the fruit needs to be harvested with stalk or pedicle to store for a longer duration. A conventional technique followed while hand-picking of the fruits is to roll the fruit upwards off the branch and then give it a little twist. It requires twisting in a direction perpendicular to the stalk and preferably not along the axis of stalk which would require more number of turns to snap off the fruit. However, manual harvesting of fruits is very labour intensive, time consuming and tedious. Also, hand picking or manual harvesting of fruits may pose many challenges such as climbing the tree may result in personal injuries, breaking of branches as the trees are tender at top region of the tree and fruits at the top region of the tree may be difficult to reach. Other problems of manual harvesting may include, fruits falling off the tree while shaking and thus fruits would be bruised. Further, manual harvesting carried out by climbing tree may require an extra person on the ground to pass on the collected fruits.

With the development in technology, several harvesters or agricultural tools have been developed to improvise harvesting of fruits. Using tools, different types of techniques are used to harvest the fruit such as but not limited to gripping and twisting, pulling the fruit after gripping/clawing and by cutting the stalk.

One of such conventional harvester is a twister type fruit picker having a pair of fruit adaptors to hold the fruit in between and a rope to operate the adaptors. Once the fruit is held between the fruit adaptors, it is twisted to remove the fruit from tree. When the adaptors are twisted, the stalk at the end closest to the fruit may also be cut. In another such conventional technique, a fruit holder may be activated by pressing lever, and then the fruit holder is twisted to pluck the fruit. However, such conventional techniques of harvesting the fruit by twisting would have several disadvantages. The disadvantages include inconvenience for the user, as the user has to hold the picker in one hand and pull the rope using the other hand. Further in these devices, twist to pluck fruit results in twisting of branches also, which is not desired. Also, there might be interference with the adjacent fruit in cases where fruits are in bunches, resulting in the fall of adjacent fruits causing damages while twisting and accessing. These methods are slow, as each time the fruit is picked, the device has to be brought down, making it less productive.

Conventionally, pulling types of harvesting devices have also been developed for picking the fruits. Such pulling type harvesting devices comprises of a gripping or clawing units in the form of cups which will accommodate the fruits, and can be closed and then pulled to pluck the fruits. However, with the use of these devices, plucking damages the fruit-stalk interface and accessing the fruits may not be easy when they are in bunches. This device would be unproductive as well, as each time the fruit is picked, the tool has to be brought down.

Further, in some of the conventional practices, fruits are also harvested by using cutters, wherein the stalk of the fruits will be cut by using the lever at the bottom. However, in general, cutting is not a feasible method for fruit harvesting as stalk would not be visible in the trees, and it is not easily accessible. Also, the cutting process may damage the fruit, stalk and branches of the tree which would affect the yield. In addition, during harvesting using cutters, the fruits would fall off after cutting, which may damage the fruit.
Further, in some of the conventional practices, fruits harvested by above techniques may also be fitted with a conveyance means to make the picking faster. However, they make accession of fruits difficult making the picking process slow and the conventional conveyance means don’t ensure safety of fruits.

In some of the conventional practices, the harvesters are developed in the form of machines. Such machines comprise of a tube or a conveyer and use vacuum suction and air blast for harvesting. However, such suction based picking is not desirable for fruit harvesting, since better technique to harvest fruits such as apple is twisting and plucking rather than suction. Also, such machines would require huge power for operation, and also poses challenges of maneuvering in agricultural fields.

In light of the foregoing discussion, it is necessary to develop an improved device for harvesting fruits to overcome one or more limitations stated above.

SUMMARY

The shortcomings of the prior art are overcome and additional advantages are provided through the provision of mechanism and device as disclosed in the present disclosure.

Additional features and advantages are realized through the techniques of the present disclosure. Other embodiments and aspects of the disclosure are described in detail herein and are considered a part of the disclosure.

In one non-limiting embodiment of the disclosure a mechanism for harvesting a fruit is disclosed. The mechanism comprises a support member, a first frame and a second frame movably coupled to the support member. The first frame and the second frame are configured such that at least one of the first frame and the second frame is inclined at an angle to an axis of the support member. The mechanism further comprises an actuation unit coupled to the first frame and the second frame. Operation of the actuation unit selectively moves the first frame and the second frame towards each other such that the first frame accommodates at least a portion of the second frame, creating a gap along boundary of the first frame and the second frame for harvesting the fruit.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the first frame and the second frame are configured to be non-intersecting when they cross each other.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the first frame moves towards the second frame to accommodate the fruit and the second frame moves into the first frame to harvest the fruit by causing a twisting effect.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, one end of the support member comprises a pair of walls. The first frame is connected to the pair of walls through a first link and the second frame is connected to the pair of walls through a second link.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the pair of walls are defined with a first slot to movably accommodate a sliding pin coupled to the actuation unit.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the first link comprises a second slot and the second link comprises a third slot. The sliding pin engages with the second slot and the third slot, to selectively move the first frame and the second frame.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, initial operation of the actuation unit causes movement of the sliding pin in the first slot and in a curved portion of the second slot for downward movement of the first frame. Further operation of the actuation unit, causes movement of the sliding pin in the first slot and in a curved portion of the third slot for upward movement of the second frame.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the first frame and the second frame are circular in shape.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the first frame is provisioned with a mesh to accommodate the fruit.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the actuation unit includes an operative member operable by a user. The actuation unit further includes a cable coupled to the operative member at one end and the sliding pin at other end, upon operation of the operative member, the cable causes backward movement of the sliding pin.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the mechanism comprises a resilient member mounted on the support member. The resilient member is configured to compress upon operation of the operative member and to expand upon releasing the operative member.

In another non-limiting embodiment of the disclosure, a portable device for harvesting and storing fruits is disclosed. The portable device comprises a mechanism for harvesting fruits. The mechanism comprises a support member, a first frame and a second frame movably coupled to the support member. The first frame and the second frame are configured such that at least one of the first frame and the second frame is inclined at an angle to an axis of the support member. The mechanism further comprises an actuation unit coupled to the first frame and the second frame. Operation of the actuation unit selectively moves the first frame and the second frame towards each other such that the first frame accommodates at least a portion of the second frame, creating a gap along boundary of the first frame and the second frame for harvesting the fruit. There is a tube connected to the support member and a conveyor attached to a bottom portion of the second frame. The conveyor extends along length of the tube and is configured to carry the fruits harvested by the mechanism. The portable device further comprises a storage bag attached to the conveyor, to collect and store the fruits.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the conveyor is made of a flexible material and includes a plurality of layers made of foam material.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, a lower portion of the conveyor is provided with a stretchable material. The conveyor comprises a plurality of provisions to accommodate the tube along its length.

It is to be understood that the aspects and embodiments of the disclosure described above may be used in any combination with each other. Several of the aspects and embodiments may be combined together to form a further embodiment of the disclosure.

The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING FIGURES

The above-mentioned aspects, other features and advantages of the disclosure will be better understood and will become more apparent by referring to the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

FIG.1 illustrates an exemplary view showing usage of a portable device for harvesting fruits according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG.2 illustrates an exploded perspective view of a mechanism used in the portable device of FIG.1 for harvesting fruits, in accordance with some embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG.3A illustrates magnified view portion A of the mechanism of FIG.2, in accordance with some embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS.3B-3D is a schematic representation of the mechanism of FIG.2 at different operative conditions, in accordance with some embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS.4A-4C illustrates an assembled perspective view of the mechanism of FIG.2 at different operative conditions, in accordance with some embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG.5A and FIG.5B illustrates perspective views of different designs of conveyors that may be used in the portable device of FIG.1, in accordance with some embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG.6 illustrates a perspective view of an alternate arrangement of the conveyor used in the portable device of FIG.1, in accordance with some embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG.7 illustrates a perspective view of a storage bag used in the portable device of FIG.1, in accordance with some embodiment of the present disclosure.

The figures depict embodiments of the disclosure for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the system illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the disclosure described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The foregoing has broadly outlined the features and technical advantages of the present disclosure in order that the description of the disclosure that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the disclosure will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the disclosure. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other devices for carrying out the same purposes of the present disclosure. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the disclosure, as to its organization, together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present disclosure.

In the present document, the word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any embodiment or implementation of the present subject matter described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.

While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiment thereof has been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described below. It should be understood, however that it is not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternative falling within the spirit and the scope of the disclosure.

The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a device or mechanism that comprises a list of components does not include only those components but may include other components not expressly listed or inherent to such device or mechanism. In other words, one or more elements in the device or mechanism proceeded by “comprises… a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the device or mechanism.

Present disclosure discloses a device for harvesting fruits. The device is configured as a portable device and may be used for harvesting fruits such as but not limited to apples, citrus, pears and peaches. Unlike the conventional harvesters, when fruits are harvested with the portable device of the present disclosure, it is ensured that both fruit and tree branches are safe. Further, the device of the present disclosure is productive ensuring that the fruits are picked continuously.

The portable device comprises a mechanism for picking the fruits from the trees. The mechanism comprises a first frame and a second frame connected to a support member. The portable device further comprises an actuation unit coupled to the first frame and the second frame, for actuating the mechanism for fruit picking. In an embodiment, the actuation unit comprises a cable and an operative member such as lever or a button for operating the cable, in turn the cable may cause movement of the first frame and the second frame. In one embodiment of the disclosure, the actuation unit comprises either of electric, hydraulic or pneumatic actuators, for operating the cable.

In operation, initially the first frame and the second frame may be positioned away from each other, such that at least one of the first frame and the second frame are inclined with respect to axis of the support member. For instance, in one embodiment, the first frame may be inclined at an angle measured anti-clockwise with respect to the axis of the support member, while the second frame is substantially parallel to the axis of the support member. Further, the first frame may be provided with a mesh and may be configured to move downwardly upon actuating the operative member or the lever, to accommodate the fruit. The fruit accommodation is possible, since the first frame is of a dimension greater than the second frame, creating a gap along boundary of the first frame and the second frame. When the operative member is further actuated, the second frame may be configured to move upwardly into the first frame to push the fruit up, causing the twisting effect and thus harvesting the fruit. The portable device further comprises a tube connected to the support member. In an embodiment, the tube may be made telescopically or two or more smaller tubes may be joined by a connector suitably as per the required length. Further, the device includes a conveyor attached to a bottom portion of the second frame. The conveyor collects the fruit harvested by the mechanism and is arranged to transfer the harvested fruit to a storage bag. The conveyor may be made of a flexible material and extends along length of the tube. To avoid sagging of the conveyor, during carriage of the harvested fruits, the conveyor may be attached to the tube through provisions such as latch provided on the conveyor. In an embodiment, the storage bag can be worn by a person or kept on the ground as per the convenience of the user.

Henceforth, the present disclosure is explained with the help of one or more figures of exemplary embodiments. However, such exemplary embodiments should not be construed as limitations of the present disclosure.

FIG.1 is an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure illustrating a portable device (100) in use for harvesting fruits. As shown in FIG.1, the portable device (100) may be easily handled by the user to lift it off the ground for harvesting the fruits such as but not limited to apples, peaches, pears etc. from a tree or a plant.

The portable device (100) comprises a mechanism (101) provided at an end away from handling end of the user. The mechanism (101) may be used for picking the fruits from the tree. In one embodiment, the portable device (100) is provided with an operative member (110a) at handling end of the user. In an embodiment, the operative member (110a) may include a lever or a button that can be operated by the user with hands. When the operative member (110a) or the lever is operated by the user, the mechanism (101) is actuated to pick the fruits. In another embodiment, the portable device (100) may be provisioned with a power source (not shown in the figure) to actuate the mechanism (101) to pick or harvest fruits from the tree.

The portable device (100) further comprises a tube (112) connectable to the support member (102) [shown in FIG.2] at one end and accommodate a lever (110a) for operating the mechanism (101) on its other end. In an embodiment, the tube (112) may be configured with a fixed length or may be made telescopically to adjust the length as per the application and requirements of the user. The tube (112) may be made of a metallic material or may be a polymeric material such as Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or any composite material.

The portable device (100) further includes a conveyor (113) which is connectable to the mechanism (101) of the portable device (100), and supported by the tube (112). The conveyor (113) may be connected to the mechanism (101) through a second frame (103b) [shown in FIG.2], where the conveyor (113) may be attached to bottom portion of the second frame (103b) and may extend along the length of the tube (112). In some embodiments, the conveyer (113) may extend beyond the length of tube (112). The conveyor (113) is adapted to collect the fruits harvested by the mechanism (101) and guide/carry the fruits to a storage bag (114) for storing. In an embodiment, the storage bag (114) may be wearable by user allowing collection of fruits as and when the user moves around to pick fruits at different locations.

In operation, when the user is able to access fruits on the tree, the user operates the operative member (110a) or the lever, which in turn actuates the cable (110b) [shown in FIG.2] and thus the mechanism (101) of the portable device (100). The mechanism (101) when actuated picks the fruit without causing any damage to fruit-stalk interface and is conveyed slowly and safely by the conveyor (113) to the storage bag (114). As evident from the FIG.1, when the portable device (100) is carried by the user, the storage bag (114) may be worn by the user. The conveyer (113) extends downwards from the mechanism (101) to the storage bag (114). Such configuration of the conveyer (113) and the storage bag (114) allow/guide the fruit harvested by the mechanism (100) to the storage bag (114) under the action of gravity. This ensures that the fruit is not damaged during the transport, and does not require any additional energy to guide/transport the fruit from harvesting portion to storage portion.

Referring now to FIG.2, it is an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure illustrating a perspective view of the mechanism (101) used in the portable device (100). The mechanism (101) of the portable device (100) is configured to pick the fruits such as but not limiting to apples from the tree. The mechanism (101) comprises a first frame (103a) and a second frame (103b) connected to one end of the support member (102). In an embodiment, the first frame (103a) and the second frame (103b) is hinged to the support member (102). The first frame (103a) and the second frame (103b) may be of any shape such as but not limited to circular, elliptical, rectangular etc., with first frame (103a) of a dimension greater than the second frame (103b). As shown in FIG.2, the first frame (103a) and the second frame (103b) may be circular rings, with diameter of the first frame (103a) greater than the second frame (103b).

The first frame (103a) and the second frame (103b) in its initial position are connected to the support member (102) such that they are spaced apart by a distance and at least one of the first frame (103a) and the second frame (103b) are inclined with respect to axis (B-B) of the support member (102). In an embodiment, the first frame (103a) may be configured at an acute angle when measured in anti-clockwise direction with respect to the axis of the support member (102) and the second frame (103b) may be substantially parallel to the axis of the support member (102). The first frame (103a) and the second frame (103b) may be hinged to the support member (102) such that they are free to move up and down with respect to the hinged point.

As shown in FIG.2, there are a pair of walls (105) extending from one end (102a) of the support member (102). In an embodiment, the pair of walls (105) may extend vertically comprising a first slot (107a) for accommodating a sliding pin (108). The first slot (107a) defines a path for movement of the sliding pin (108). Further, the first frame (103a) and the second frame (103b) is provisioned with a first link (106a) and a second link (106b) respectively. The first frame (103a) and the second frame (103b) are connected to the pair of walls (105) through the first link (106a) and the second link (106b) respectively. In one embodiment, the first frame (103a) may be connected to an outer surface of the pair of walls (105) and the second frame (103b) may be connected to an inner surface of the pair of walls (105) such that they do not intersect with each other. However, the first frame (103a) and the second frame (103b) may be connected on the same surfaces, inner or outer, but are to be configured as non-intersecting members. In an embodiment, first frame (103a) and the second frame (103b) are provisioned with cam slots – second slot (107a) and third slot (107c) respectively, where the sliding pin (108) selectively engages with a curved portion, for the movement of the first frame (103a) and the second frame (103b). In an embodiment, of the two frames, as shown in FIG.2, the first frame (102a) is the top frame which may be configured to move downwards when the sliding pin (108) engages with the second slot (107b) and the second frame (102b) is the bottom frame configured to move upwards when the sliding pin (108) engages with the third slot (107c).

The mechanism (101) further comprises an actuation unit for actuating the mechanism. In an embodiment of the disclosure, the actuation unit comprises a cable (110a) coupled the mechanism (101) and a lever (110b) for operating the cable (104). In an embodiment, the operative member (110b) may be configured as a lever, in which the user may actuate the mechanism (101) by imparting and a pressing action with hands. In another embodiment, the operative member (110b) may be a button, in which the user may press the button to actuate the mechanism (101). The cable (110a) is configured such that one end of the cable (110a) is connected to the sliding pin and the other end is connected to the operative member. In an embodiment, the first frame (103a) and the second frame (103b) are configured to be in open position initially, i.e. before the operation of operative member (110b) or lever and when the cable (110a) is not actuated. When the user accesses the fruit, user operate may operate the lever (110b), which actuates the cable (110a) and is thus pulled. Other end of the cable (110a) is connected to the sliding pin (108), thus as the cable (110a) is pulled, the sliding pin (108) will have a backward movement within the first slot (107a) and selectively engages with either of the second slot (107b) or the third slot (107c) to cause movement of the first frame (103a) or the second frame (103b). When the operative member (110b) or the lever is operated, the first frame (103a) moves downwardly towards the second frame (103b) and on further actuation of the lever (110b), the second frame (103b) moves upward and into the first frame (103a) without any interference or intersection with the first frame (103a).

In an embodiment, the first frame (103a) is made of a larger dimension than the second frame (103b) so that a gap is maintained along the perimeter of the frames which would be sufficient to accommodate fruits stalk and thus ensuring that branches are not sheared. During this, the fruit may be trapped or accommodated by a mesh (109) [as shown in FIG.4] of the portable device (100). In an embodiment, the mesh (109) may be attached to the first frame (103a) and it ensures that the fruit is not dislodged. The mesh (109) also improves the visibility of the portable device (100). In an embodiment, when the cable (110a) is further actuated through the lever (110b), while the first frame (103a) is stationary, the second frame (103b) moves upwardly towards the first frame (103a) and pushes the trapped fruit up, causing the twisting effect. Since the first frame (103a) is stationary, the branches are not disturbed and only the fruit is twisted. Thus, this way when the fruit is pushed up and twisted, the action of picking the fruit is complete. One should note that, the configuration of cable (110a) and lever (110b) as part of the actuation unit (104) is an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Any equivalent mechanism may be used by one skilled in the art without deviating from the scope of the disclosure. Further, the mechanism (101) includes a resilient member (111) such as a spring member mounted on the support member (102). The resilient member (111) may be coupled to the cable (110a) of the actuation unit (104). When the operative member (110b) or the lever is operated or pressed by the user, the resilient member (111) compresses to bring the first frame (103a) and the second frame (103b) towards each other and when the lever is released, the resilient member (111) expands to set the first frame (103a) and the second frame (103b) to its initial position, away from each other.

FIG.3 is an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, illustrating working of the mechanism (101) at different operative conditions.

As shown in detailed view [FIG.3A] , the support member (102) has a first slot (107a) for accommodating and movement of a sliding pin (108). The detailed view also shows a first link (106a) [shown as continuous lines] and a second link (106b) [shown as dotted lines] connected to the support member (102) through a fastening means. Further, the first link (106a) has a second slot (107b) and the second link (106b) has a third slot (107c) through which the sliding pin (108) may selectively engage. The second slot (107b) and the third slot (107c) may have a curved portion as well as a straight portion. When a non-curved or straight portion of the first slot and the second slot are in contact with the sliding pin (108) the frames remain stationary, and when curved portion of these slots (107b and 107c) engages with the sliding pin (108), it may result in movement of the first frame (103a) and the second frame (103b).

At the initial stage of operation of the mechanism (101), the first frame (103a) and the second frame (103b) are in an open position and are away from each other. As can be seen from FIG.3B, initially the sliding pin (108) is at a right extreme end of the first slot (107a).

Further, when the operative member (110b) or the lever is operated by the user, the cable (110a) may be pulled back and the cable (110a) in turn being connected to the sliding pin (108), causes movement of the sliding pin (108) within the first slot (107a). During this, the sliding pin (108) also engages with a curved portion of the second slot (107b) of the first frame (103a). Thus, as shown in second stage of FIG.3C, engagement of the sliding pin (108) with the curved portion of the second slot (107b) results in downward movement of the first frame (103a) towards the second frame (103b), while the second frame (103b) is stationary.

As the operative member (110b) or the lever is further actuated by the user, shown in third stage of FIG.3D, the cable (110a) may be pulled further back and the sliding pin (108) also moves backward within the first slot (107a). Additionally, during this stage the sliding pin (108) partially engages with the curved portion of the second slot (107b) of the first frame (103a) as well with a curved portion of the third slot (107c) of the second frame (103b). This results in further downward movement of the first frame (103a) and an upward movement of the second frame (103b). During this, a gap is created along the boundary of the frames (103a and 103b) and with first frame (103a) as a larger frame, facilitates fruit accommodation.

At the last stage, when the lever (110b) is further actuated by the user, the sliding pin (108) moves towards left extreme end of the first slot (107a) and the sliding pin (108) also engages with the curved portion of the third slot (107c) of the second link (106b) of the second frame (103b). As a result, the second frame (103b) moves upward and into the first frame (103a) without any intersection. The first frame (103a) is stationary during this stage. During this stage, the fruit accommodated may be pushed up by the second frame (103b) causing a twisting effect and thus fruit is harvested.

In an exemplary embodiment, the second slot (107b) and the third slot (107c) are configured such that the second slot (107b) will have curved portion followed by a non-curved or straight portion, and the third slot (107c) will have non-curved or straight portion followed by the curved portion. This configuration helps to operate two frames (103a and 103b) selectively using a single actuation unit (104).

FIGS.4A-4C are exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, depicting perspective views of different positions of the frames (103a and 103b) of the portable device (100). As can be seen from FIGS.4A-4C, the mechanism (101) may be operated in three positions during the operation for picking the fruit. Initially, both the first frame (103a) and the second frame (103b) are in open position before the actuation of cable (110a) by the operative member or lever (110b) [shown in FIG.4A]. In an embodiment, when the cable (110a) is pulled up to some extent upon actuation of the lever (110b), as shown in second position [FIG.4B], the first frame (103a) which is the top frame moves downwardly up to a pre-determined distance capturing or trapping the fruit with the help of mesh (108). The accommodation of the fruit is made possible since the first frame (103a) is configured to be of a dimension greater than the second frame (103b) and a gap is created along the boundary of the first frame (103a) and the second frame (103b). In third position [FIG.4C], when the cable (110a) is further pulled, the second frame (102b) which is the bottom frame moves upwardly into the first frame (103a) without any intersection with the first frame (103a) to push the trapped fruit up and twist the fruit to complete the action of picking or harvesting the fruit.

Referring now to FIG.5A and FIG.5B, which are exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure illustrating perspective views of different designs of conveyor (113) of the portable device (100).

The conveyor (113) may be removably connected to the mechanism (101) as shown in FIG.1. The conveyor (113) may be attached to a bottom portion of the second frame (103b) and is configured to collect the fruits after harvesting. Another end of the conveyor (113) may be connected to a storage bag (114) [shown in FIG.7] for transferring the fruits after harvesting by the mechanism (101) for storing. As shown in FIG.5B the conveyor (113) may be configured to control the speed of travel of the fruit as it is transferred to the storage bag (114). This avoids possible damages to the fruit. In an embodiment, the conveyor (113) may be made of a flexible material with foam lining inside. The foam lining includes a plurality of foam layers (113a) which is used to protect the fruit and at the same time it ensures good contact with fruit, increasing the friction thereby reducing the travel speed of the fruit. In an embodiment, the conveyor (113) is supported along length of the tube (112) by attaching it to the tube (112) at regular intervals with the aid of provisions such as loop (113b). This ensures that conveyor (113) does not sag or bend which can result in fruit accumulation.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG.5A, a Velcro may be attached to the second frame (103b) to collect the fruit and is conveyed along the foam layers of the conveyor (113). In another embodiment, as shown in FIG.5B, a stitching (105b) may be provided on opposite sides of conveyor (113) so that the fruit travel direction is altered with respect to gravity, increasing the total distance of travel and reducing the speed of the fruit.

A lower portion of the conveyor (113) may be composed of a stretchable material such as elastic fabric allowing the length of the conveyor to be adjusted and also avoids slack formation which may result in fruits being stuck in the conveyor (113).

Further, the conveyor (113) may be attached to the storage bag (114) at its lower portion. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG.6, an alternate arrangement of the conveyor (113) is illustrated. As shown in the FIG.6, the conveyor (113) is configured with an arrangement to vary the height as per the variation in the height of the tube (112). In an embodiment, the conveyer (113) is configured with a zip arrangement for adjusting height of the conveyor (113) as per the length of the pole (112) which in turn depends on the user requirements.

FIG.7 is an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, illustrating perspective view of storage bag (114) of the portable device (100). In an embodiment, the storage bag (114) may be made collapsible as per the capacity of harvested fruits. The storage bag (114) is a stiff foam padded bag that may be worn by the person during harvesting. In one embodiment, the storage bag (114) may be kept on the ground as per the convenience of the user. The storage bag (114) is attached to the conveyor (105) with Velcro/latching. In another embodiment, the storage bag (114) may also be made of fluid compartmental way for reducing the impact and safe storage of fruit.

Equivalents:

With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.

It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, are generally intended as "open" terms (e.g., the term "including" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to," the term "having" should be interpreted as "having at least," the term "includes" should be interpreted as "includes but is not limited to," etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding the description may contain usage of the introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more" to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles "a" or "an" limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases "one or more" or "at least one" and indefinite articles such as "a" or "an" (e.g., "a" and/or "an" should typically be interpreted to mean "at least one" or "one or more"); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of "two recitations," without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to "at least one of A, B, and C, etc." is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, and C" would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where a convention analogous to "at least one of A, B, or C, etc." is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, or C" would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase "A or B" will be understood to include the possibilities of "A" or "B" or "A and B."

While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated in the description.

Table of Referral Numerals:

Reference Number Description
100 Portable device for harvesting fruits
101 Mechanism for picking fruits
102 Support member
102a An end of the support member
B-B Axis of the support member
103a First frame
103b Second frame
104 Actuation unit
105 A pair of walls
106a First link
106b Second link
107a First slot
107b Second slot
107c Third slot
108 Sliding pin
109 Mesh
110a Cable of the actuation unit
110b Operative member or lever
111 Resilient member
112 Tube
113 Conveyor
113a Foam layers in the conveyor
113b Provisions or loops
114 Storage bag
,CLAIMS:We claim:

1. A mechanism (101) for harvesting a fruit, the mechanism (101) comprising:
a support member (102);
a first frame (103a) and a second frame (103b) movably coupled to the support member (102);
wherein, the first frame (103a) and the second frame (103b) are configured such that at least one of the first frame (103a) and the second frame (103b) is inclined at an angle to an axis of the support member (102); and
an actuation unit (104) coupled to the first frame (103a) and the second frame (103b), wherein operation of the actuation unit (104), selectively moves the first frame (103a) and the second frame (103b) towards each other such that the first frame (103a) accommodates at least a portion of the second frame (103b), creating a gap along boundary of the first frame (103a) and the second frame (103b) for harvesting the fruit.

2. The mechanism (101) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first frame (103a) and the second frame (103b) are configured to be non-intersecting when they cross each other.

3. The mechanism (101) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first frame (103a) moves towards the second frame (103b) to accommodate the fruit and the second frame (103b) moves into the first frame (103a) to harvest the fruit by causing a twisting effect.

4. The mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein one end (102a) of the support member (102) comprises a pair of walls (105).

5. The mechanism (101) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first frame (103a) is connected to the pair of walls (105) through a first link (106a) and the second frame (103b) is connected to the pair of walls (105) through a second link (106b).

6. The mechanism (101) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the pair of walls (105) are defined with a first slot (107a) to movably accommodate a sliding pin (108) coupled to the actuation unit (104).

7. The mechanism (101) as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first link (106a) comprises a second slot (107b) and the second link (106b) comprises a third slot (107c).

8. The mechanism (101) as claimed in claims 6 and 7, wherein the sliding pin (108) engages with the second slot (107b) and the third slot (107c), to selectively move the first frame (103a) and the second frame (103b).

9. The mechanism (101) as claimed in claim 8, wherein initial operation of the actuation unit (104), causes movement of the sliding pin (108) in the first slot (107a) and in a curved portion of the second slot (107b) for downward movement of the first frame (103a).

10. The mechanism (101) as claimed in claim 8, wherein further operation of the actuation unit (104), causes movement of the sliding pin (108) in the first slot (107a) and in a curved portion of the third slot (107b) for upward movement of the second frame (103b).

11. The mechanism (101) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first frame (103a) and the second frame (103b) are circular in shape.

12. The mechanism (101) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first frame (103a) is provisioned with a mesh (109) to accommodate the fruit.

13. The mechanism (101) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuation unit (104) includes an operative member (110a) operable by a user.

14. The mechanism (101) as claimed in claim 13, wherein the actuation unit (104) further includes a cable (110b) coupled to the operative member (110a) at one end and the sliding pin (108) at other end, wherein upon operation of the operative member (110a), the cable (110b) causes backward movement of the sliding pin (108).

15. The mechanism (101) as claimed in claim 13 comprises a resilient member (111) mounted on the support member (102), wherein the resilient member (111) is configured to compress upon operation of the operative member (110a).

16. The mechanism (101) as claimed in claim 15, wherein the resilient member (111) is adapted to expand upon releasing the operative member (110a).

17. A portable device (100) for harvesting and storing fruits, the portable device (100) comprising:
a mechanism (101) for harvesting fruits, the mechanism (101) comprising:
a support member (102);
a first frame (103a) and a second frame (103b) movably coupled to the support member (102);
wherein, the first frame (103a) and the second frame (103b) are coplanar and are configured such that at least one of the first frame (103a) and the second frame (103b) is inclined at an angle to an axis of the support member (102); and
an actuation unit (104) coupled to the first frame (103a) and the second frame (103b), wherein operation of the actuation unit (104), selectively moves the first frame (103a) and the second frame (103b) towards each other such that the first frame (103a) accommodates at least a portion of the second frame (103b), creating a space along boundary of the first frame (103a) and the second frame (103b) for harvesting the fruit.
a tube (112) connected to the support member (102);
a conveyor (113) attached to a bottom portion of the second frame (103b), the conveyor (113) extending along length of the tube (112) is configured to carry the fruits harvested by the mechanism (101); and
a storage bag (114) attached to the conveyor (113), to collect and store the fruits.
18. The portable device (100) as claimed in claim 17, wherein the conveyor (113) is made of a flexible material and includes a plurality of layers (113a) made of foam material.

19. The portable device (100) as claimed in claim 17, wherein a lower portion of the conveyor (113) is provided with a stretchable material.

20. The portable device (100) as claimed in claim 17, wherein the conveyor (113) comprises a plurality of provisions (113b) to accommodate the tube (112) along its length.