JPH07318490A - Quality judging method of vegetables and fruits - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To aim to accurately discriminate quality (a sugar degree) since a waveform of transmitted light becomes almost constant when ripeness degrees are equal to each other even if a quantity of transmitted light becomes different by a difference or the like in the size or weight of a specimen. CONSTITUTION:In a quality judging method of vegetables and fruits to detect transmitted light from a specimen 17 by irradiation of light having a wave length in a prescribed range from a light source 2, sample waveforms (C1), (C2) and (C3) of plural transmitted light by quality of the specimen 17 are stored, and a transmitted light waveform (B) of the specimen 17 in the same wave length range with the sample waveforms (C1), (C2) and (C3) is detected, and the transmitted light waveform (B) and the sample waveforms (C1), (C2) and (C3) are compared with each other, and quality of the specimen 17 is discriminated according to the sample waveforms (C1), (C2) and (C3) whose pattern coincides with the transmitted light waveform (B).

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to, for example, melon watermelon,
The present invention relates to a method for determining the quality of fruits and vegetables by nondestructively inspecting fruits and vegetables such as oranges.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 104041/1992,
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-140647, there is a technique of determining the quality of fruits and vegetables by irradiating a sample with near-infrared light having a predetermined wavelength and detecting transmitted light from the sample.

[0003]

The above-mentioned prior art is to judge the quality of the sample by the transmitted light from the sample, and to measure the intensity of the transmitted light and obtain the sugar content etc. by calculation. The (moisture content) or the state of cavities are likely to be different from the sample value that is the coefficient of the calculation, and for example, the sample value of the same type of sample at the same harvesting place cannot be easily initialized, so the quality judgment error becomes extremely unclear. However, there is a problem that the quality judgment function cannot be easily improved.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, the present invention provides a method for determining the quality of fruits and vegetables in which a sample is irradiated with light having a wavelength within a predetermined range from a light source and transmitted light from the sample is detected. While storing the sample waveform of the transmitted light, the transmitted light waveform of the sample in the same wavelength range as the sample waveform is detected, the transmitted light waveform and the sample waveform are compared, and the sample waveform having the same pattern as the transmitted light waveform. The quality of the sample is determined based on the above.For example, the quality of the sample can be determined by taking out the sample from the collected sample and storing the sample waveforms of multiple transmitted light for each quality (maturity) at the start of sorting. You can do it properly,
For example, even if the amount of transmitted light differs due to the difference in the size or weight of the sample, when the maturity is the same, the waveform of the transmitted light is almost constant, so that the quality (maturity) can be accurately discriminated. It is possible to easily improve the degree determination function.

[0005]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of the quality inspection device, a power supply (1)
An optical table (7), a halogen light source (2) having an aperture, an aperture stop (3), a magnifier (4) (5), and a condenser (6).
And a CCD photodetector (10) having a cooled CCD, and a spectroscope (9) which is disposed in the light collector and is optically connected to the light collector (6) through a bundle type optical fiber (8). It constitutes (11).

Also, a monitor (12) and a keyboard (1
A computer (14) having 3) or the like,
A computer (14) is connected to the CD photodetector (10) through a communication optical fiber (15) to form a central processing unit (16).

Further, the halogen light source (2), the diaphragm (3), the magnifiers (4) and (5), and the condenser (6) are arranged in a substantially straight line on the optical axis which is the center line of the arrangement. The melon (17), which is a fruit or vegetable to be used as a sample, is positioned approximately at the center, and the fruit selection conveyor (18) is placed between the multiplier (5) and the condenser (6) in a direction substantially orthogonal to the optical axis. ) Is extended and the conveyor (18) is mounted on a lift (20) whose height can be adjusted by an elevating mechanism (19) so that the melon (17) is supported on the conveyor (18) and the height of the optical axis is increased. The plurality of melons (17) are configured to be continuously conveyed by a conveyor (18) in a direction intersecting the optical axis at a position.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, near-infrared light (shown by waveform (A) in FIG. 2) or visible light having a wavelength within a predetermined range (650 to 850 nm) from the halogen light source (2). The melon (17), which is a sample, is irradiated with light through the diaphragm (3) and the multipliers (4) and (5), and the melon (1
The transmitted light from 7) is detected by the CCD photodetector (10), and the computer (1
The transmitted light waveform (B) is input to 4). In addition, sample waveforms (C1) of multiple transmitted light for each quality of the melon (17)
(C2) and (C3) are stored in the computer (16), and the transmitted light waveform (B) of the melon (17) in the same wavelength range as the sample waveforms (C1), (C2) and (C3) is CCed.
Input from the D photodetector (10) to the computer (14), and the transmitted light waveform (B) and the sample waveform (C1)
(C2) and (C3) are compared, and sample waveforms (C1), (C2) and (C) whose patterns match the transmitted light waveform (B).
Based on 3), the quality (ripeness) of the melon (17) is determined, and the ripeness of the melon (17) is determined.

Further, a sensor (not shown) for measuring the size (vertical height, etc.) of the melon (17) is provided, and the size of the melon (17) is automatically measured to raise and lower the moving mechanism (19).
The height of the melon (17) on the conveyor (18) is automatically adjusted by the automatic lifting control of the lift (20), and the near infrared light of the halogen light source (2) is automatically controlled by the melon (17). It can be configured such that the central portion is always illuminated.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, a feeding chute (21) for receiving the harvested melons (17) and a feeding device (22) are provided at the feed start end of the fruit selection conveyor (18), and on the conveyor (18). The melon (17) is aligned and placed on the conveyor, and the quality inspection device (11), the label printing / pasting device (23), and the sorting device (24) are arranged on the lower side of the supply device (22), respectively, and the conveyor ( 18) The melons (17) after the selection are discharged from the plurality of sorting outlets (25) of the sorting device (24) at the feeding end portion.

Then, as shown in the flow chart of FIG. 5, the transmitted light data of the melon (17) from the quality inspection device (11) CCD photodetector (10) is transmitted to the central processing unit (16) as a transmitted light waveform (B). When input to the computer (14), the sample waveforms (C1) (C
2) By comparing (C3) with the transmitted light waveform (B), the ripeness is judged by judging the ripeness (quality) of the melon (17), and the tasting time is calculated and the shipping grade is judged. By the label printing and label sticking control, the label printing sticking device (23) is operated to stick the label on which the taste is printed to the melon (17), and the sorting device (24) selects the products according to the shipping grade. Are operated to discharge the melons (17) from the respective sorting outlets (25), and the melons (17) are automatically packaged and shipped by a boxing machine (not shown) provided at the respective sorting outlets (25). In addition to the melon (17), various fruits and vegetables such as watermelon, mandarin orange, and peach may be used as samples.

[0012]

As is apparent from the above-described embodiments, the present invention provides the specimen (17) with light having a wavelength within a predetermined range from the light source (2).
In the method for determining the quality of fruits and vegetables in which the transmitted light from the sample (17) is detected, the sample waveforms (C1) (C2) (C3) of the plurality of transmitted light for each quality of the sample (17) are stored, and The sample waveform (C1) (C2)
The transmitted light waveform (B) of the sample (17) in the same wavelength range as (C3) is detected, and the transmitted light waveform (B) is compared with the sample waveforms (C1) (C2) (C3) to obtain the transmitted light. Sample waveform (C1) whose pattern matches the waveform (B)
The quality of the specimen (17) is determined based on (C2) and (C3). For example, a sample is taken out from the collected specimen (17) and sample waveforms (C1) ( By performing the operation of storing C2) and (C3) at the start of sorting, the quality of the sample (17) can be properly determined, and the amount of transmitted light varies depending on, for example, the size or weight of the sample (17). Even when the maturity is the same, the waveform of the transmitted light is almost constant,
The quality (maturity) can be accurately determined, and the sample (1
It is possible to easily improve the maturity determination function of 7).

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a quality inspection device.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a relationship between near infrared light and transmitted light.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a sample waveform of transmitted light.

FIG. 4 is an overall explanatory view of a fruit selection conveyor.

FIG. 5 is a selection flowchart of the previous figure.

[Explanation of symbols]

 (2) Light source (17) Melon (sample) (B) Transmitted light waveform (C1) (C2) (C3) Sample waveform

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A method for determining the quality of fruits and vegetables, which comprises irradiating a sample with light having a wavelength within a predetermined range from a light source and detecting transmitted light from the sample, and storing a plurality of sample waveforms of transmitted light for each quality of the sample, Detecting the transmitted light waveform of the sample in the same wavelength range as the sample waveform, comparing the transmitted light waveform and the sample waveform, and determining the quality of the sample based on the sample waveform whose pattern matches the transmitted light waveform. A characteristic method for determining the quality of fruits and vegetables.