The fruit support is a subassembly of the extraction & synchronisation module. It receives oranges from the fruit intake system pipe and stages them on three pairs of angled rails that guide each fruit to centre before it drops into the driven peelers' jaws below. The assembly bolts to the driven bracket for easy removal during service.
Colour key & components
Applies to the CAD views in this section. In the main extraction assembly this subassembly appears as one colour ( bright green); detail views use the colours below.
Colour(s)
Component
Base plate — bolted to drive bracket
Rails — outer (tallest), middle, inner (shortest) pairs; height tapers to center so fruit rolls to center
Connecting link — spacing and parallelism between rails
Pusher and pusher support — roller attached with bolt
Purpose & design
Directs fruit from the pipe to the peeler and reduces risk of fruit falling to the sides.
3 pairs of flat angled rails. Height tallest at the ends, tapers to lowest at the center so oranges roll to the center two rails. Length varies to match tube diameter.
Connecting link maintains spacing and parallelism between rails and perpendicularity to the plate. Indexing slots for inserting rails.
Top edge of rails filleted to prevent cutting fruit. Base bolted to drive bracket for easy removal (e.g. for replacing rollers).
CIP: Angled rails allow clean-in-place spray through gaps to the peelers below.
Rail angle: Downwards so oranges roll forward. Current 3°; target 8° (5° slope added to driven bracket). From front, rails higher on sides than center.
Pusher: Designed as cut/welded sheet; could be a formed component.
Improvement targets: 8° rail angle, formed pusher.
Manufacturing note: the fruit support can be manufactured in any practical way as long as the rail geometry, 3–8° slope/bowl shape, and cleanability (no pockets, smooth drainage) are met.
Forming is a candidate method, but the exact formed-part design is left to the contractor/ODM to propose.
