Machine for the preparation of pieces of an oval or spherical fruit, such as a melon or watermelon

1. A machine for preparing pieces of an oval or spherical fruit, comprising: a first cutting station ( 10 ), predisposed for cutting a fruit ( 100 ) into round portions ( 101 ) in parallel planes; a second cutting station ( 20 ), provided with two or more shaped blades ( 21 a,b,c ) predisposed for cutting said round portions ( 101 ) into prismatic fragments; an optical detection device ( 41 ) predisposed for acquiring an image of the round portions ( 101 ) and for performing a measurement of a size of each round portion; a processor, predisposed for comparing the measurements with a plurality of stored size ranges, each of which is associated with a shaped blade ( 21 a, b, c ) and for sending each round portion ( 101 ) to the shaped blade ( 21 a, b, c ) associated with the size range in which the measured round portion ( 101 ) falls within;

wherein: the second cutting station ( 20 ) comprises a conveyor plane ( 26 ) that is mobile with a step by step motion along a forward direction (A) wherein each step is a forward pitch; the processor is predisposed to count forward pitches of the conveyor plane ( 26 ) for each round portion ( 101 );

the machine comprising a positioning device ( 27 ), predisposed to collect the round portions ( 101 ) from the conveyor plane ( 26 ) and to deposit each round portion ( 101 ) on the shaped blade ( 21 a,b,c ) associated with the size range in which the measured round portion falls within.

2. The machine of claim 1 , wherein said optical detection device ( 41 ) is predisposed to perform, on each round portion ( 101 ), a plurality of successive measurements, each of which is compared with the stored size ranges, and to terminate the successive measurements at a moment in which a match is detected between a measured round portion and one of the stored size ranges.

3. The machine of claim 2 , wherein the comparison performed by the processor occurs among the measured round portion ( 101 ) and the stored size ranges of the shaped blades in progressive order.

4. The machine of claim 1 , wherein: the positioning device ( 27 ) comprises a shifter ( 28 a,b,c ) for each shaped blade ( 21 a,b,c ); each shifter ( 28 a,b,c ) is predisposed for collecting a round portion ( 101 ) from the conveyor plane ( 26 ) and for depositing the round portion ( 101 ) on a shaped blade ( 21 a,b,c ) arranged at the shifter; the activation of each shifter ( 28 a,b,c ) is actuated if the round portion ( 101 ) which is at the shifter exhibits a size that falls within the size range associated with the shaped blade ( 21 a,b,c ) arranged at the shifter.

5. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the shaped blades ( 21 a,b,c ) are arranged aligned parallel to the conveyor plane ( 26 ) by a side of the conveyor plane ( 26 ).

6. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the shaped blades ( 21 a,b,c ) are positioned at an output end of the conveyor plane ( 26 ) placed side by side and aligned transversely to the forward direction of the conveyor plane ( 26 ).

7. The machine of claim 1 , wherein said first cutting station ( 10 ) comprises a plurality of straight blades ( 11 ) arranged parallel to one another.

8. The machine of claim 7 , wherein said straight blades ( 11 ) are longitudinally mobile in an alternating straight motion.

9. The machine of claim 8 , wherein said first cutting station ( 10 ) comprises a pusher ( 12 ) predisposed to push the fruit ( 100 ) into contact with said straight blades ( 11 ).

10. The machine of claim 7 , wherein said first cutting station ( 10 ) comprises a pusher ( 12 ) predisposed to push the fruit ( 100 ) into contact with said straight blades ( 11 ).

11. The machine of claim 7 , wherein said first cutting station ( 10 ) comprises a carousel ( 13 ) provided with support elements ( 14 ) for at least two fruits ( 100 ), said support elements ( 14 ) being mobile in stepped rotation, performed by said carousel ( 13 ), between at least a loading position, in which a fruit ( 100 ) can be located on a support element ( 14 ), and a cutting position, in which a further fruit ( 100 ), located on a further support element ( 14 ), can enter into contact with said straight blades ( 11 ).

12. The machine of claim 11 , wherein said further fruit ( 100 ), located on said further support element ( 14 ), can enter into contact with said straight blades ( 11 ) to be cut into round portions ( 101 ).

13. The machine of claim 1 , wherein said shaped blades ( 21 a,b,c ) of the second cutting station ( 20 ) comprise: at least an external cutter ( 22 a,b,c ) predisposed for separating a peel from a pulp of a round portion ( 101 ), which exhibits a central axis of symmetry (x); at least an internal cutter ( 23 a,b,c ), concentric to the external cutter ( 22 a,b,c ); a plurality of radial cutters ( 24 a,b,c ), arranged between said internal and external cutters and orientated in a substantially radial direction with respect to the central axis of symmetry (x).

14. The machine of claim 13 , wherein said shaped blades ( 21 a,b,c ) exhibit external diameters which are different from one another.

15. The machine of claim 1 , wherein a punch ( 29 a,b,c ) is provided for each shaped blade ( 21 a,b,c ), which punch is predisposed to press the round portions ( 101 ) on the shaped blades ( 21 a,b,c ) such that the round portions are cut into prismatic fragments by the shaped blades ( 21 a,b,c ).

16. The machine of claim 1 , wherein said oval or spherical fruit is a watermelon or a melon.