Patent Grant
11618178
Not applicable.
Not applicable
This specification describes subject matter in the field of apparatus and related methods of trimming dried plants, including but not limited to cannabis.
Cannabis flowers or buds are harvested, dried, and cured to be used by people for various purposes, including medicinal uses. The cannabis flower contains the highest volume of psychoactive compounds in the cannabis plant. Also, the plant buds may contain non-intoxicating CBD compounds that are of pharmaceutical and medical interest. Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of at least 60 active cannabinoids identified in cannabis. It is a major constituent of the plant, accounting for up to 40% of the plant's extract, as a non-psychotropic phytocannabinoid. CBD is considered by some to have a wider scope of medical applications than tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). In contrast, cannabis leaves contain only trace amounts of psychoactive and other compounds, and usually will go to compost. Cannabis flowers have traditionally been hand trimmed to remove the unwanted leafy matter, leaving only the flowers. Typically, hand trimming is done by cutting the leaves off with scissors. The hand trimming of cannabis flowers is time consuming and tedious. Additionally, hand trimming requires skilled labor. Typically, it takes a skilled trimmer about eight to ten hours to trim one pound of cannabis. Trimming at this speed may be feasible for small scale growers, but for larger growers, hand trimming is impractical and can become expensive if the grower must hire outside help.
One solution to hand trimming has been use of machines that automatically trim the plants. These machines can typically trim the same amount of cannabis in one hour that an individual worker can trim in one day. Existing automated methods are designed to trim the flowers while they are freshly harvested or “wet.” Wet trimming involves violent action that damages the buds and removes resin glands. The wet trimming action reduces the quality of the end by reducing potency and not allowing proper drying and curing. Furthermore, when buds are trimmed wet, the residue from the buds can leave a sticky mess on a trimmer, necessitating constant cleaning of a trimmer machine. Trimming the cannabis flower when wet reduces potency, appearance and quality.
The alternative to trimming freshly harvested buds is to trim buds that have been dried. Trimming dry buds produces a better smell and flavor. Drying and curing of the cannabis flower is essential to the value and quality of the end product. Trimming of dry cannabis requires a gentle action that does not damage the product. Most trimmers utilize blades that rotate at a high speed. This high speed rotation is not suitable for trimming dried cannabis plants. Currently no reliable apparatus of automated trimming of dry cannabis is known.
In light of the foregoing, a need exists for a device that automates the trimming of dried cannabis in such a way that it is not damaged in appearance, potency or overall quality.
With the aforementioned in mind, it is an object of this description to disclose a device that trims dried cannabis flowers in a gentle yet effective manner. It is further an objective to disclose apparatus and related methods of trimming cannabis flowers without the drawbacks of heretofore known apparatus. Yet still, it is an objective to disclose apparatus and related methods of trimming dried cannabis flowers so that a higher quality cannabis flower can be used for recreational or medicinal purposes. In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus comprises: (1) a track with specifically designed conveyor blades for cutting; (2) a motor for conveying the conveyor blades over each other; (3) a tumble blade to gently move or tumble the flowers over the conveyor blade; and, (4) a trimmed flower excavation chute for collecting trimmed buds.
In one mode of operation, dried cannabis buds may be put into a feed funnel that direct the buds into the track and onto the conveyor blade. The motor is then turned on to convey the conveyor blade over the stationary blade. Suitably, the conveying of blades creates a scissor action that cuts off the extruding leaves from the buds, while the angled tumble blades stir the flowers so that all sides of the buds are exposed to the scissoring action. As the buds move along the conveyor they are preferably tumbled and cut before the trimmed flowers are deposited in the excavation chute. Once trimmed, the buds may be extracted through the extraction port in the side of the box and more buds may then be added to repeat the cycle.
The manner in which these objectives and other desirable characteristics can be obtained is explained in the following description and attached figures in which:
In the figures, the following reference numerals signify the corresponding part of the disclosed Trimmer:
What is generally disclosed may be a steel belted cannabis conveyor trimmer. The steel belted conveyor trimmer is a continuously fed trimmer where untrimmed cannabis is fed, non-stop, into a feed funnel that guides the flowers or buds for deposit between two side rails and on top of the steel conveyor belt. The belt has several cutting edges that accomplish scissor cutting action across a cooperating stationary blade so that the buds are trimmed as the belt carries the buds from one end of trimmer to the other. Suitably the side rails feature angled tumble blades that tumble the flowers from side to side as they travel down the conveyor track. Ultimately, the buds are trimmed as they travel the length of the conveyor and the trim falls through the stationary blade to a collection tray in the base of the trimmer. The more detailed features of the disclosed conveyor trimmer are described in connection with the figures.
Referring to
In one mode of operation, dried cannabis buds may be put into the feed funnel 1110 that direct the buds into the track 1100 and onto the conveyor blade 1200. The motor 1210 may be then turned on to convey the conveyor blade 1200 over the stationary blade 1310. Suitably, the conveying of blades 1200,1310 creates a scissor action that cuts off the extruding leaves from the buds, while the angled tumble blades 1120 stir the flowers side-to-side over the blades so that all surfaces of the buds are exposed to the scissoring action of the blades 1200,1310. As the buds move along the conveyor they are suitably tumbled and cut before the trimmed flowers are harvested via the excavation chute 1130. Once trimmed, the buds' trimmings may be extracted through the extraction port in the side of the box and more buds may then be added to repeat the cycle.
While various embodiments of the method and apparatus have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not of limitation. Likewise, the various diagrams might depict an example of an architectural or other configuration for the disclosed method and apparatus, which is done to aid in understanding the features and functionality that might be included in the method and apparatus. The disclosed method and apparatus is not restricted to the illustrated example architectures or configurations, but the desired features might be implemented using a variety of alternative architectures and configurations. Indeed, it will be apparent to one of skill in the art how alternative functional, logical or physical partitioning and configurations might be implemented to implement the desired features of the disclosed method and apparatus. Also, a multitude of different constituent module names other than those depicted herein might be applied to the various partitions. Additionally, with regard to flow diagrams, operational descriptions and method claims, the order in which the steps are presented herein shall not mandate that various embodiments be implemented to perform the recited functionality in the same order unless the context dictates otherwise.
Although the method and apparatus is described above in terms of various exemplary embodiments and implementations, it should be understood that the various features, aspects and functionality described in one or more of the individual embodiments are not limited in their applicability to the particular embodiment with which they are described, but instead might be applied, alone or in various combinations, to one or more of the other embodiments of the disclosed method and apparatus, whether or not such embodiments are described and whether or not such features are presented as being a part of a described embodiment. Thus the breadth and scope of the claimed invention should not be limited by any of the above-described embodiments.
Terms and phrases used in this document, and variations thereof, unless otherwise expressly stated, should be construed as open-ended as opposed to limiting. As examples of the foregoing: the term “including” should be read as meaning “including, without limitation” or the like, the term “example” is used to provide exemplary instances of the item in discussion, not an exhaustive or limiting list thereof, the terms “a” or “an” should be read as meaning “at least one,” “one or more,” or the like, and adjectives such as “conventional,” “traditional,” “normal,” “standard,” “known” and terms of similar meaning should not be construed as limiting the item described to a given time period or to an item available as of a given time, but instead should be read to encompass conventional, traditional, normal, or standard technologies that might be available or known now or at any time in the future. Likewise, where this document refers to technologies that would be apparent or known to one of ordinary skill in the art, such technologies encompass those apparent or known to the skilled artisan now or at any time in the future.
The presence of broadening words and phrases such as “one or more,” “at least,” “but not limited to” or other like phrases in some instances shall not be read to mean that the narrower case is intended or required in instances where such broadening phrases might be absent. The use of the term “module” does not imply that the components or functionality described or claimed as part of the module are all configured in a common package. Indeed, any or all of the various components of a module, whether control logic or other components, might be combined in a single package or separately maintained and might further be distributed across multiple locations.
Additionally, the various embodiments set forth herein are described in terms of exemplary block diagrams, flow charts and other illustrations. As will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after reading this document, the illustrated embodiments and their various alternatives might be implemented without confinement to the illustrated examples. For example, block diagrams and their accompanying description should not be construed as mandating a particular architecture or configuration. All of the claims as originally filed are hereby incorporated into this specification by reference.
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|---|---|---|---|
| 2481947 | Philkoff | Sep 1949 | A |
| 3653418 | Oldershaw | Apr 1972 | A |
| 3886858 | Evans | Jun 1975 | A |
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| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| WO 2004030475 | Apr 2004 | WO |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20220355500 A1 | Nov 2022 | US |
