US 11,751,598 B2
Smart cutter for high speed produce processing
Steven Richard Dragt, Bakersfield, CA (US)
Assigned to Agile Innovation, Inc., Bakersfield, CA (US)
Filed by Agile Innovations, Bakersfield, CA (US)
Filed on May 8, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/870,845.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/845,245, filed on May 8, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2020/0352208 A1, Nov. 12, 2020
Int. Cl. A23N 7/02 (2006.01); B26D 7/32 (2006.01); B26D 5/30 (2006.01); B26D 7/06 (2006.01); B26D 7/18 (2006.01)
CPC A23N 7/026 (2013.01) [B26D 5/30 (2013.01); B26D 7/0625 (2013.01); B26D 7/1845 (2013.01); B26D 7/32 (2013.01); B26D 2210/02 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A produce cutting apparatus comprising:
a feed belt configured to receive and transport a produce product along an x axis, wherein the feed belt has a linear velocity along the x axis;
a transducer configured to determine and transmit the linear velocity of the feed belt;
a sensor configured to scan the produce product, determine at least one dimensional feature of the produce product, and transmit the at least one dimensional feature;
a radial cutter mechanism comprising a drum member attached to a motor, the radial cutter mechanism further comprising a cutting blade which moves in a circular path offset from a rotational center of the drum member, the radial cutter mechanism moving the cutting blade about the circular path such that the cutting blade approaches the feed belt along the y axis, makes a cut in the produce product, instantaneously travels along the x axis and is raised up from the circular path for another rotation, wherein the cutting blade makes a single cut in each complete rotation, wherein a desired length of a cut segment of the produce product is determined by an angular velocity of the cutting blade relative to the linear velocity of the feed belt; and
a programmable controller which receives the linear velocity of the feed belt and the dimensional feature from the sensor, wherein the programmable controller ascertains a position, an orientation and a length of the produce product and adjusts the angular velocity to achieve the desired length of the cut segment.