DEFLECTOR FOR TREE-FRUIT HARVESTER

摘要

A deflector (10) for collecting and guiding harvested tree-fruit is implemented for resilient recovery from collisions with obstacles in the field. The deflector is coupled in cantilever to a boom harvester (4) mounted on a vehicle (2). The harvester has a telescopic boom (8) with a mobile portion (14) terminated by a clamp (6) able to move in horizontal and in vertical translation towards and along a tree trunk (T). The deflector is coupled to the mobile portion for slaved translation with the clamp. Implemented as an array of separate ribs (32) flexibly coupled together and made of flexible elastic plastic material such as fiberglass, the deflector is lightweight and flexes upon collision to resiliently recover shape after the collision. Being lightweight, the cantilever does not destabilize the vehicle. The structure and the materials of construction of the deflector prevent transmission of vibrations generated by the vibrator (12) used to shake the trunk when harvesting.