(19)
(11) EP 2 564 944 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
13.11.2013 Bulletin 2013/46

(43) Date of publication A2:
06.03.2013 Bulletin 2013/10

(21) Application number: 12183160.6

(22) Date of filing: 05.09.2012
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC): 
B07B 4/08(2006.01)
A01D 17/00(2006.01)
B07B 13/00(2006.01)
 B07B 11/06(2006.01)
A01D 33/08(2006.01)
B07B 13/08(2006.01)
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR
Designated Extension States:
BA ME

(30) Priority: 05.09.2011 GB 201115296

(71) Applicant: Vitacress Limited
Southhanpton, Hampshire SO50 9NW (GB)

(72) Inventor:
  • Fachadas, Marco
    7630-033 Odemira (PT)

(74) Representative: Jackson, Jonathan Andrew 
D Young & Co LLP 120 Holborn
London EC1N 2DY
London EC1N 2DY (GB)

   


(54) A device and method for removing a foreign object from harvested leaves


(57) A device for removing a foreign object from harvested leaves, the foreign object being more dense than each leaf in the harvested leaves, the device comprising: an input feed conveyor (105)operable to receive the harvested leaves; a second conveyor (110) having a plurality of holes which allow air to flow therethrough and being separated from the input feed conveyor (105) by a gap; a suction device (120) operable to suck air through a first area of the second conveyor (110), the suction being sufficient to draw the harvested leaves from the input feed conveyor (105) onto the second conveyor (110) whilst leaving the foreign object on the input feed conveyor (105); and an output (135) separated from the input conveyor (105) by a second gap bridged by the first area of the second conveyor (110), where the output (135) is located below a second area of the second conveyor (110), wherein the suction device (120) is operable to lose sufficient suction at the second part of the second conveyor (110) so that the harvested leaves fall from the second conveyor (110) to the output (135).







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Search report