Claims:CLAIMS
I/We Claim:
1. A dewatering device (100) for wet leaves of green leafy vegetables, wherein the dewatering device (100) comprising:
a base (102) to provide a rigid support to components of the dewatering device (100);
an outer drum (104) vertically arranged over the base (102), to dispose an inner drum (106), such that the inner drum (106) is rotated by an electrical motor (108) to throw a surface water of the wet leaves of the green leafy vegetables from the inner drum (106) to an inner portion of the outer drum (104) through perforations (114a-114n); and
a water discharge outlet (110) disposed at a lower part of the outer drum (104), to discharge the surface water from the inner portion of the outer drum (104).
2. The dewatering device (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrical motor (108) is mounted on a shaft (116), such that the shaft (116) is attached to a bottom portion of the inner drum (106).
3. The dewatering device (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the shaft (116) is provided to transmit a rotation from the electrical motor (108) to the inner drum (106).
4. The dewatering device (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner drum (106) is further provided to receive the wet leaves of the green leafy vegetables through an inlet (112) of the inner drum (106).
5. The dewatering device (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the perforations (114a-114n) is having a diameter in a range of 9 Millimeters (mm) to 11 Millimeters (mm).
6. The dewatering device (100) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an unloading window (118) to enable a user to unload dried wet leaves of the green leafy vegetables from the inner drum (106) of the dewatering device (100).
7. The dewatering device (100) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the unloading window (118) is equipped with a handle (120) to be held by the user to open the unloading window (118).
8. The dewatering device (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner drum (106) is capable to accommodate a pre-defined quantity of the wet leaves of the green leafy vegetables at a time.
9. A method (200) of removing a surface water from wet leaves of green leafy vegetables by a dewatering device (100), wherein the method (200) comprising steps of:
enabling a user to load the wet leaves of the green leafy vegetables from an inlet (112) of an inner drum (106);
enabling a rotation of the inner drum (106) by using an electrical motor (108) for a pre-defined amount of time to generate a centrifugal force;
moving the wet leaves of the green leafy vegetables towards an inner wall of the inner drum (106) by using the generated centrifugal force;
throwing the surface water of the wet leaves of the green leafy vegetables from the inner drum (106) to an inner portion of the outer drum (104) through perforations (114a-114n) of the inner wall of the inner drum (106); and
discharging the surface water from the inner portion of the outer drum (104).
10. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a step of enabling the user to unload dried wet leaves of the green leafy vegetables from the inner drum (106) through an unloading window (118).

Date: 30 March 2021
Place: Noida
Dr. Keerti Gupta
Agent for the Applicant
(IN/PA-1529)

, Description:FORM 2

THE PATENT ACT 1970
(39 of 1970)
&

THE PATENTS RULES, 2003

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See Section 10, and rule 13)

DEWATERING DEVICE FOR WET LEAVES OF GREEN LEAFY VEGETABLES

APPLICANT(S)
NAME: DAMARLA RAMESH BABU
NATIONALITY: INDIAN
ADDRESS: S R ENGINEERING COLLEGE, ANANTHASAGAR (V), HASANPARTHY (M), WARANGAL, TELANGANA 506371

The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed

BACKGROUND
Field of Invention
[001] Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to dehydration devices and particularly to a dewatering device for wet leaves of green leafy vegetables used in making pickles.
Description of Related Art
[002] Pickling is a process of preserving a shelf life of food by either immersion in a vinegar or an anaerobic fermentation in a brine. Foods that are pickled includes fruits, vegetables, and so forth. Green leafy vegetables are most commonly used vegetables that are pickled. Before processing the green leafy vegetables for making pickles, a cleaning of leaves of the green leafy vegetables is a mandatory step to remove foreign materials, mud, dust, and so forth. Further, a removal of a surface water from wet leaves is also a necessary step in making the pickles. Traditionally, the wet leaves of the green leafy vegetables have been dried under fans, which requires a lot of space or a floor area.
[003] Moreover, it is a tedious and a time-consuming process to remove the surface water of the wet leaves of the green leafy vegetables. To overcome the aforementioned issues, a dewatering device has been devised to remove the surface water of the wet leaves. Conventionally, a hand extrusion device has been used to extrude the surface water of the wet leaves. However, a usage of the hand extrusion device degrades a quality of the wet leaves to be dried. Moreover, an adoption of the hand extrusion device involves a higher cost that is not affordable and feasible for everyone.
[004] There is thus a need of an improved and advanced dewatering device that can administer the drawbacks faced by the conventional dewatering devices.
SUMMARY
[005] Embodiments in accordance with the present invention provide a dewatering device for wet leaves of green leafy vegetables. The dewatering device comprising: a base to provide a rigid support to components of the dewatering device. The dewatering device further comprising: an outer drum vertically arranged over the base, to dispose an inner drum, such that the inner drum is rotated by an electrical motor to throw a surface water of the wet leaves of the green leafy vegetables from the inner drum to an inner portion of the outer drum through perforations. The dewatering device further comprising: a water discharge outlet disposed at a lower part of the outer drum, to discharge the surface water from the inner portion of the outer drum.
[006] Embodiments in accordance with the present invention further provide a method of removing a surface water from wet leaves of green leafy vegetables by a dewatering device, wherein the method comprising steps of: enabling a user to load the wet leaves of the green leafy vegetables from an inlet of an inner drum; enabling a rotation of the inner drum by using an electrical motor for a pre-defined amount of time to generate a centrifugal force; moving the wet leaves of the green leafy vegetables towards an inner wall of the inner drum by using the generated centrifugal force; throwing the surface water of the wet leaves of the green leafy vegetables from the inner drum to an inner portion of an outer drum through perforations; and discharging the surface water from the inner portion of the outer drum.
[007] Embodiments of the present invention may provide a number of advantages depending on its particular configuration. First, embodiments of the present application provide a dewatering device that may be capable to process tons of wet leaves of green leafy vegetables within one to two hours to remove a surface water of the wet leaves of the green leafy vegetables.
[008] Next, embodiments of the present invention provide a dewatering device that reduces a time taken for removing a surface water of the wet leaves of the green leafy vegetables.
[009] These and other advantages will be apparent from the present application of the embodiments described herein.
[0010] The preceding is a simplified summary to provide an understanding of some embodiments of the present invention. This summary is neither an extensive nor exhaustive overview of the present invention and its various embodiments. The summary presents selected concepts of the embodiments of the present invention in a simplified form as an introduction to the more detailed description presented below. As will be appreciated, other embodiments of the present invention are possible utilizing, alone or in combination, one or more of the features set forth above or described in detail below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] The above and still further features and advantages of embodiments of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of embodiments thereof, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and wherein:
[0012] FIG. 1 illustrates a dewatering device for wet leaves of green leafy vegetables, according to an embodiment of the present invention; and
[0013] FIG. 2 depicts a flowchart of a method of removing a surface water from the wet leaves of the green leafy vegetables by the dewatering device, according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0014] The headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to be used to limit the scope of the description or the claims. As used throughout this application, the word "may" is used in a permissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potential to), rather than the mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). Similarly, the words “include”, “including”, and “includes” mean including but not limited to. To facilitate understanding, like reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate like elements common to the figures. Optional portions of the figures may be illustrated using dashed or dotted lines, unless the context of usage indicates otherwise.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] The following description includes the preferred best mode of one embodiment of the present invention. It will be clear from this description of the invention that the invention is not limited to these illustrated embodiments but that the invention also includes a variety of modifications and embodiments thereto. Therefore, the present description should be seen as illustrative and not limiting. While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, it should be understood, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed, but, on the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims.
[0016] In any embodiment described herein, the open-ended terms "comprising," "comprises,” and the like (which are synonymous with "including," "having” and "characterized by") may be replaced by the respective partially closed phrases "consisting essentially of," consists essentially of," and the like or the respective closed phrases "consisting of," "consists of, the like.
[0017] As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” designate both the singular and the plural, unless expressly stated to designate the singular only.
[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates a dewatering device 100 for wet leaves of green leafy vegetables, according to an embodiment of the present invention. In an embodiment of the present invention, the green leafy vegetables may be used for making pickles. The green leafy vegetables may be, but not limited to, gongura, fenugreek, and so forth. Embodiments of the present invention are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of the green leafy vegetables that may be used for making the pickles. In an embodiment of the present invention, the wet leaves of the green leafy vegetables may be extracted from a cleaning tank to load the extracted wet leaves into the dewatering device 100 that may be designed to remove a surface water of the wet leaves of the green leafy vegetables. The dewatering device 100 may be designed to remove the surface water of the wet leaves of the green leafy vegetables to perform an operation of frying that may be required before making the pickles.
[0019] The dewatering device 100 may be operated with an electrical power supply. A power cord (not shown) may be provided to supply the electrical power to the dewatering device 100. The power cord may be having a first end attached to a wall socket and a second end attached to a socket (not shown) of the dewatering device 100 to supply the power. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, a button (not shown) may be attached at a portion of the dewatering device 100 that may enable a user to activate and/or de-activate an electrical motor 108 upon receiving the power from the power cord. The button may be of any type such as, but not limited to, a toggle button, a push button, and alike. Embodiments of the present invention are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of the button including known, related art, and/or later developed technologies. The dewatering device 100 may comprise a base 102 to provide a rigid support to components of the dewatering device 100. The base 102 may be made up of a material such as, but not limited to, a steel, an aluminum, a wood and alike. Embodiments of the present invention are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of the material for the base 102, including known, related art, and/or later developed technologies. The components may be, an outer drum 104, an inner drum 106, the electrical motor 108, and a water discharge outlet 110.
[0020] The outer drum 104 may be vertically arranged over the base 102, in an embodiment of the present invention. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the outer drum 104 may be fixedly attached to the base 102. The outer drum 104 may be made up of a material such as, but not limited to, a porcelain coated steel, a plastic, and so forth. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the outer drum 104 may be made up of a stainless steel. The stainless steel may be a Stainless Steel (SS304). Embodiments of the present invention are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of the material for the outer drum 104, including known, related art, and/or later developed technologies.
[0021] The inner drum 106 may be disposed within the vertically arranged outer drum 104, to receive the wet leaves of the green leafy vegetables through an inlet 112, in an embodiment of the present invention. The inlet 112 may be located at a top portion of the inner drum 106, in an embodiment of the present invention. In another embodiment of the present invention, the inlet 112 may be located at one of, sides of the inner drum 106. In an embodiment of the present invention, the inlet 112 of the inner drum 106 may be having a lid (not shown) that may be provided to cover the inlet 112 of the inner drum 106. The lid may be of any shape such as, but not limited to, a circular shape, an oval shape, and so forth. Embodiments of the present invention are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of the shape of the lid that may be capable to cover a complete surface area of the inlet 112 of the inner drum 106, including known, related art, and/or later developed technologies. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the inner drum 106 may be capable to accommodate a pre-defined quantity of the wet leaves of the green leafy vegetables at a time for the removal of the surface water of the wet leaves of the green leafy vegetables within a pre-defined time interval. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pre-defined quantity of the wet leaves of the green leafy vegetables may be 100 Kilograms. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pre-defined time interval may be in a range of 2 Minutes to 3 Minutes. In an exemplary scenario, the inner drum 106 may be capable to remove the surface water of the wet leaves of the green leafy vegetables having a capacity of 1000 Kilograms in a day.
[0022] The inner drum 106 may be made up of a material such as, but not limited to, the porcelain coated steel, the plastic, and so forth. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the inner drum 106 may be made up of the stainless steel. The stainless steel may be the Stainless Steel (SS304). Embodiments of the present invention are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of the material for the inner drum 106 that may be rust proof, including known, related art, and/or later developed technologies.
[0023] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the inner drum 106 may be rotated at a pre-defined speed about a vertical axis. The inner drum 106 may be rotated for a pre-defined amount of time by the electrical motor 108 to remove the surface water of the wet leaves of the green leafy vegetables, in an embodiment of the present invention. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pre-defined speed may be in a range of 800 Revolutions per Minute (rpm) to 1000 Revolutions per Minute (rpm). In an embodiment of the present invention, a rotation of the inner drum 106 may generate a centrifugal force that may force the wet leaves of the green leafy vegetables to move towards an inner wall of the inner drum 106.
[0024] In an embodiment of the present invention, the inner wall of the inner drum 106 may be equipped with perforations 114a-114n (hereinafter referred to as the perforations 114) to throw the surface water of the wet leaves of the green leafy vegetables from the inner wall of the inner drum 106 to an inner portion of the outer drum 104. In an embodiment of the present invention, the perforations 114 may be having a diameter in a range of 9 Millimeters (mm) to 11 Millimeters (mm). In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the perforations 114 may be having a diameter of 10 mm. The perforations 114 may be of any shape such as, but not limited to, a diamond shape, a vertical shape, a round shape, and so forth. Embodiments of the present invention are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of the shape of the perforations 114 of the inner wall including known, related art, and/or later developed technologies.
[0025] According to embodiments of the present invention, the electrical motor 108 may be mounted on a shaft 116 that may further be attached to a bottom portion of the inner drum 106 to enable the rotation of the inner drum 106. The electrical motor 108 may be provided to convert the electrical energy received from the power cord into a mechanical energy to rotate the inner drum 106 at the pre-defined speed. The electrical motor 108 may be capable to produce a pre-defined power. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pre-defined power may be 5 Horsepower (HP). The electrical motor 108 may be, but not limited to, a servo motor, a stepper motor, a Direct Current (DC) brushed motor, and alike. Embodiments of the present invention are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of the electrical motor 108, including known, related art, and/or later developed technologies.
[0026] In an embodiment of the present invention, the shaft 116 may be provided to transfer the rotation from the electrical motor 108 to the inner drum 106. The shaft 116 may be, but not limited to, a counter shaft, a line shaft, and so forth. Embodiments of the present invention are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of the shaft 116 that may be capable to transmit the rotation from the electrical motor 108 to the inner drum 106, including known, related art, and/or later developed technologies.
[0027] According to embodiments of the present invention, the water discharge outlet 110 may be disposed at a lower part of the outer drum 104 to discharge the surface water from the inner portion of the outer drum 104. In an embodiment of the present invention, the water discharge outlet 110 may be a water drain pipe. The water discharge outlet 110 may be made up of a material, such as, but not limited to, the plastic, a clay, a concrete, and so forth. Embodiments of the present invention are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of the material for the water discharge outlet 110, including known, related art, and/or later developed technologies.
[0028] In an embodiment of the present invention, the dewatering device 100 may comprise an unloading window 118 that may be provided to enable the user to unload dried wet leaves of the green leafy vegetables from the inner drum 106 of the dewatering device 100. The unloading window 118 may be of any shape such as, but not limited to, a square shape, the circular shape, a rectangular shape, and so forth. Embodiments of the present invention are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of the shape of the unloading window 118 including known, related art, and/or later developed technologies. The unloading window 118 may be equipped with a handle 120 to be held by the user to open the unloading window 118 for unloading the dried wet leaves of the green leafy vegetables. The handle 120 may be made up of a material such as, but not limited to, the plastic, the steel, and so forth. Embodiments of the present invention are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of the material for the handle 120 including known, related art, and/or later developed technologies.
[0029] FIG. 2 depicts a flowchart of a method 200 of removing the surface water of the wet leaves of the green leafy vegetables by the dewatering device 100, according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0030] At step 202, the dewatering device 100 may enable the user to load the wet leaves of the green leafy vegetables from the inlet 112 of the inner drum 106.
[0031] At step 204, the dewatering device 100 may rotate the inner drum 106 by using the electrical motor 108 for the pre-defined amount of time to generate the centrifugal force.
[0032] At step 206, the dewatering device 100 may force the wet leaves of the green leafy vegetables to move towards the inner wall of the inner drum 106 by using the centrifugal force to separate the water from a surface of the wet leaves of the green leafy vegetables.
[0033] At step 208, the dewatering device 100 may throw the surface water from the inner wall of the inner drum 106 to the inner portion of the outer drum 104 through the perforations 114 of the inner wall of the inner drum 106.
[0034] At step 210, the dewatering device 100 may discharge the surface water from the inner portion of the outer drum 104.
[0035] At step 212, the dewatering device 100 may enable the user to unload the dried wet leaves of the green leafy vegetables from the inner drum 106 through the unloading window 118.
[0036] While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and various embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
[0037] This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope the invention is defined in the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements within substantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.