Patent Application
20180344013
A wearable picking bag or receptacle for use as a produce holding device for containing a preset volume of picked produce for use in the harvesting of the produce or a tree fruit, and specifically a preset volume picking bag worn by a produce picker with a hook and grommet-strap for holding the bag in a closed position at a specific volume. The produce picking bag is especially useful in the hand picking or harvesting of tree-grown fruits, such as apples, pears or peaches.
Tree fruit growers relying on manual picking methods and devices. Most picking operations require skilled laborers to pick fruit efficiently, and cost effectively, without damage to the fruit being harvested or picked. Conventional fruit picking bags tend to be uncomfortable to wear. Additionally, conventional fruit picking bags often damage fruit by allowing the picker to overload the picking bag, resulting in bruising and crushing of the picked fruits within the bag. There is a need for a comfortable and simple to operate fruit picking-bag that prevents damage or possible overloading of the produce or fruit.
The following is a disclosure of the present invention that will be understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Reference characters included in the above drawings indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, as discussed herein. The description herein illustrates one preferred embodiment of the invention, in one form, and the description herein is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner. It should be understood that the above listed figures are not necessarily to scale and that the embodiments are sometimes illustrated by fragmentary views, graphic symbols, diagrammatic or schematic representations, and phantom lines. Details that are not necessary for an understanding of the present invention by one skilled in the technology of the invention, or render other details difficult to perceive, may have been omitted.
The invention provides a wearable picking-bag for use as a produce holding device for containing a preset volume of picked produce, for use in the harvesting of a produce or a tree fruit. The wearable picking-bag device of the present invention may be referred to herein alternatively as a produce picking-bag, or a fruit picking-bag. The produce picking-bag device 10 is shown in
The picking-bag device 10 of the present invention has certain elements of conventional wearable produce harvesting receptacles, commonly called ‘fruit pickers’ bags,' and such pickers' bags typically include the bag 12, which is a substantially tubular container, bag or receptacle for receiving and holding a harvested fruit 20 or produce, such as an apple.
As shown in
The bag 12 of the picking-bag device 10 has a front side 25 facing away from the user 17, and a back side 26 facing toward the user, as shown in
As shown in
Preferably, the pair of support straps 30 are each made of a ‘webbing’ material, which is a flat, woven strapping made of a nylon, polypropylene, or a cotton fibrous material. A most preferred material for the pair of support straps is polypropylene, with each of the pair of support straps approximately three inches wide by three millimeters in thickness, and approximately three feet in length.
The bag 12 of the picking-bag device 10 includes a pair of bag bottom straps 40, as shown in
Preferably, the pair of bottom straps 40 are each made of a ‘webbing’ material, which is a flat, woven strapping made of a nylon, polypropylene, or a cotton fibrous material. A most preferred material for the pair of bottom straps is polypropylene, with each of the pair of bottom straps approximately two inches wide by three millimeters in thickness, and approximately two feet in length.
Each of the pair of bottom straps includes a stop-grommet 48. As shown in
The set-post 51 is received into the stop-grommet to form a grommet-post clasp 55, as shown in
In an alterative embodiment of the picking-bag device 10, each of the pair of bag bottom straps 40 can include a grommet strap 60 that receives the stop-grommet 48.
As shown in
Significantly, prior picking-bag systems include bottom straps for the fruit retaining bag with multiple attachment points, to provide the user with the option of either increasing or reducing the length of the support strap and thereby increasing or reducing the volume of the picking bag. This adjustability of the prior picking-bag systems is undesirable, in that it likely produces damage to the fruit or produce, especially when an overly large bag volume is selected that causes crushing or bruising of the harvested fruit or produce. Often constructed of ropes, cords, chains or wires, permanently attached to the tubular bag at the bottom opening, these prior adjustable bag bottom supportive strap attachments are undesirable and a non-adjustable bottom strap system is provided by the picking-bag device 10 of the present disclosure, which minimizes the ability of the user 17 to make any adjustment to the volume of the bag 12, and so eliminate damage to the harvested fruit 20 by over adjusting the volume of the bag.
Additionally, with the grommet strap 60 covered by the bottom strap end 63, damage to the harvested fruit 20, including bruising, skin abrasion, puncture or skin tearing, is greatly minimized. The bottom strap end also provides a handy grasping point or handle for the user 17 of the produce picking-bag device 10.
Examples of fruit picking receptacles include U.S. Pat. Nos. 517,786, 719,810, 760,048, 1,097,374, 1,994,362, and 4,925,071. Again, a common problem with these prior fruit picking bags and buckets is that they fail to solve the problem of an adjustably too large volume of the produce retaining bag or bucket. Specifically, when the harvested fruit is first placed into the bucket or bag, the fruit must be let go by the picker and so the fruit falls to the bottom of the bag. Subsequent fruit impacts upon the first fruit placed into the bag, and bruising occurs.
Additionally, in an oversized picking-bag, the weight of the produce on produce beneath can be enough to crush or at least bruise the underlying fruit. If the bag or bucket is reduced in size, then the picker must remove the contents of the bag or “dump” it at more frequent intervals, which takes time away from picking, which may be a disadvantage to the user. Additionally, adjustable bag systems, with incremental size adjustments to the receptacle made possible by knots or slots in the adjustment straps, takes time and can result in the unwanted release of fruit from the bottom of the bag because the support strap, rope or chain unintentionally slips or completely detaches.
The produce picking-bag device 10 of the present disclosure is especially useful in the hand picking or harvesting of tree-grown fruits, such as apples, pears or peaches, and solves the failings of the prior picking bag systems by providing a secure and preset volume of the bag 12 for holding the harvested fruit 20.
Of note, the terms “substantially,” “proximate to” and “approximately” are employed herein throughout, including this detailed description and the attached claims, with the understanding that is denotes a level of exactitude or equivalence in amount or location commensurate with the skill and precision typical for the particular field of endeavor, as applicable.
In compliance with the statutes, the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features and process steps. While this invention is susceptible to embodiment in different forms, the specification illustrates preferred embodiments of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention, and the disclosure is not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiments described. Those with ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that other embodiments and variations of the invention are possible, which employ the same inventive concepts as described above. Therefore, the invention is not to be limited except by the following claims, as appropriately interpreted in accordance with the doctrine of equivalents.
