EP2868397A1 - Laserstrahlsortierer - Google Patents

Laserstrahlsortierer Download PDF

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Publication number
EP2868397A1
EP2868397A1 EP20130005264 EP13005264A EP2868397A1 EP 2868397 A1 EP2868397 A1 EP 2868397A1 EP 20130005264 EP20130005264 EP 20130005264 EP 13005264 A EP13005264 A EP 13005264A EP 2868397 A1 EP2868397 A1 EP 2868397A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
laser
sorter
image
cylindrical lens
laser light
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP20130005264
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Grigorij Chujko
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Sezione Aurea Ltd
Original Assignee
Sezione Aurea Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Sezione Aurea Ltd filed Critical Sezione Aurea Ltd
Priority to EP20130005264 priority Critical patent/EP2868397A1/de
Publication of EP2868397A1 publication Critical patent/EP2868397A1/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
    • B07C—POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING
    • B07C5/00—Sorting according to a characteristic or feature of the articles or material being sorted, e.g. by control effected by devices which detect or measure such characteristic or feature; Sorting by manually actuated devices, e.g. switches
    • B07C5/34—Sorting according to other particular properties
    • B07C5/342—Sorting according to other particular properties according to optical properties, e.g. colour

Definitions

  • Laser sorter is a device for sorting objects by color, size, shape and other characteristics available for analysis by means of machine vision. It may be primarily used for sorting agricultural products.
  • the state of art includes material carrier, collimated laser illumination source, image read-and-process device and a device for removing defective material. According to the invention, it additionally comprises a cylindrical lens arranged on collimated ray path. The lens is designed so that a formed flat light beam illuminates the area of the image reading the sorted material.
  • the state of art also includes two or more readers to process laser light reflected and transmitted through the material and to in different spectral ranges.
  • Use of laser radiation for illuminating the moving product allows to increase substantially the illumination of the image-forming region as well as to reduce the exposure time in order to increase the resolution of the formed image by augmenting the scanning frequency of the linear video sensor.
  • scanning frequency of the linear video sensor and laser beam sweep frequency are synchronous and, therefore, are limited by the capacity of mechanical scanner.
  • High illumination also provides relatively small exposure periods when registering radiation or emission of fluorescence that have passed through the material.
  • different reading devices detect simultaneously reflected and transmitted signals at a high sorting performance.
  • This reading apparatus can perform its functions in different spectral ranges which extends the functional possibilities of the claimed laser sorter in comparison with the known device.
  • the state of art also includes two or more collimated laser light sources, each of which is added by a cylindrical lens, and the orientation of the sources enables to form one or more flat light beams.
  • laser light control expands. Control over laser power and spatial arrangement of illumination area allows to adjust the total spatial distribution of the illumination of the working area. Use of lasers of different spectral ranges and formation of separate illumination areas in these ranges allow to analyze objects according to various predefined sorting criteria within one sorting cycle.
  • the state of art further includes laser light sources intensity modulators.
  • images may be formed in different spectral ranges and recorded by a broadband linear video sensor in one sorting cycle.
  • the low inertia of control over laser light allows to turn off of the material as it moves in one range and to turn on the backlight in another range, synchronizing the process with the movement of the material from one area to another.
  • U.S. Pat. No 6,509,537 B1 dated 21.01.2003 , U.S. Pat. No 6,864,970 B1 dated 8.05.2005 disclose apparatus comprising a material carrier, image read-and-process device and a device for removing defective material.
  • the material carrier provides continuous transport of the material into the image reading area and the zone of the defective material removing device.
  • After reading the image is analyzed by an image processing device according to one or more of the following characteristics: color, texture and shape of the object .
  • Those objects whose values significantly deviate from the preset ones are removed from the feed stream with device for defective material removal, which is usually an array of air ejectors. Illumination of the sorter image reading area constructed with the use of a beam-scanning mechanical system.
  • a beam of laser light from the source is directed through a semitransparent mirror on a high-speed lens with mirror facets. Due to the rotation of the prism, laser beam sweeps over the entire image scanning area. The light, reflected by the material moving through the scanning area, is reflected by a rotating mirror and is directed to radiation detectors. The signal from the photo detectors goes to the image processing system, which determines the suitability of the product and gives signals to a device for the defective material removing.
  • the common disadvantages of these schemes are as follows. First, to get high performance the laser beam is to scathes image reading region 2000-5000 times per second, which requires very high speed rotation of the mirror prism. Secondly, the photo-detectors cannot provide high-resolution required for scanning small (1-5 mm) materials. Thirdly, complexity of the optical system leads to the fact that the slightest irregularities in the arrangement of optical elements can cause failure of the entire system.
  • U.S. Pat. No 2010/0046826 A1 dated 25.02.2010 describes devices wherein the rotating mirror is intended only for a laser beam sweep and performs the function of redirecting the reflected light to the photo detectors. This can greatly simplify the optical system of the device.
  • the function of photographic recording of the images is performed by the camcorder with linear video sensor which greatly improves the resolution of the device.
  • the aim of the present invention is to create a device for sorting of agricultural products by color, size, shape and other characteristics available for analysis by means of machine vision.
  • Another aim of the invention is to increase the self-descriptiveness of the recorded image, to simplify the structure of the sorter, to increase its reliability and reduce manufacturing costs.
  • laser sorter consists of a material carrier, collimated laser illumination source, image read-and-process device and a device for removing defective material.
  • Laser sorter additionally comprises a cylindrical lens arranged on collimated ray path.
  • the lens is designed so that a formed flat light beam illuminates the area of the image reading the sorted material.
  • Laser sorter includes two or more readers to process laser light reflected and transmitted through the material and to read in different spectral ranges.
  • Laser sorter also includes two or more collimated laser light sources, each of which is added by a cylindrical lens, and the orientation of the sources enables to form one or more flat light beams.
  • the state of art further includes laser light sources intensity modulators.
  • the proposed invention laser illumination is fixed. Furthermore, for equal exposures of image registration and hence equal optical power of laser illuminators, momentary density of the power increases multiply in scanning sorters and affects the material causing its damage. In comparison with the known apparatus, the radiation of laser backlight of the claimed invention is distributed across the aperture of the moving stream. Absence of the moving optical elements, reliability, eases of manufacture and low cost are important advantages of the claimed invention.
  • Material carrier 1 directs the product to the laser illumination area 2.
  • Image read-and-process device 6 analyses the image and, according to the preset criteria, generates control signals given to the device for defect material removal 7.
  • Laser sorter functionates as follows.
  • the material sorter 1 feeds the product from the storage to the laser illumination area 2 in any way: by using a conveyor belt, with a vibratory feeder with sack chute or otherwise. Falling or moving the product flow is limited widthway by the aperture of the registered image and the line of sight limited by the depth of field of the lens of the image reader.
  • the collimated laser light source 3 has a beam width greater than the width of the image recording device 6 comprising a linear video sensor.
  • the cylindrical lens 4 converts the flat phase front of the laser beam in a cylindrical phase front. Its focal length is calculated on the basis of the required aperture of beam illumination area 5 and the distance from the moving product 2 to lens 4.
  • Uneven illumination area corresponding to the Gaussian distribution can be compensated at the stage of forming video signal by a CCD-receiver.
  • Optional compensation occurs when using several lasers since the spatial distribution of light can be synthesized by the choice of the arrangement of lasers and optical power adjustment of each of them.
  • the image read-and-process device 6 for a time not exceeding the time of passage from the image recording zone to the device for defective materials removal decides to remove substandard product.
  • Device 6 delivers the address of the of the spatial position of the object to be deleted to device 7 and activates it within the estimated time.

Landscapes

  • Sorting Of Articles (AREA)
  • Mechanical Optical Scanning Systems (AREA)
EP20130005264 2013-10-31 2013-10-31 Laserstrahlsortierer Withdrawn EP2868397A1 (de)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP20130005264 EP2868397A1 (de) 2013-10-31 2013-10-31 Laserstrahlsortierer

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP20130005264 EP2868397A1 (de) 2013-10-31 2013-10-31 Laserstrahlsortierer

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP2868397A1 true EP2868397A1 (de) 2015-05-06

Family

ID=49596028

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP20130005264 Withdrawn EP2868397A1 (de) 2013-10-31 2013-10-31 Laserstrahlsortierer

Country Status (1)

Country Link
EP (1) EP2868397A1 (de)

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5865990A (en) * 1996-09-13 1999-02-02 Uncle Ben's, Inc. Method and apparatus for sorting grain
WO2000070331A1 (de) * 1999-05-14 2000-11-23 Gunther Krieg Verfahren und vorrichtung zur detektion und unterscheidung zwischen kontaminationen und gutstoffen sowie zwischen verschiedenen farben in feststoffpartikeln
US6864970B1 (en) 2000-10-11 2005-03-08 Best N.V. Apparatus and method for scanning products with a light beam to detect and remove impurities or irregularities in a conveyed stream of the products
US20100046826A1 (en) 2007-03-27 2010-02-25 Visys Nv Method and system for use in inspecting and/or removing unsuitable objects from a stream of products and a sorting apparatus implementing the same
WO2013095088A1 (en) * 2011-12-19 2013-06-27 Technische Universiteit Delft A method of separating scrap, and a device

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5865990A (en) * 1996-09-13 1999-02-02 Uncle Ben's, Inc. Method and apparatus for sorting grain
WO2000070331A1 (de) * 1999-05-14 2000-11-23 Gunther Krieg Verfahren und vorrichtung zur detektion und unterscheidung zwischen kontaminationen und gutstoffen sowie zwischen verschiedenen farben in feststoffpartikeln
US6509537B1 (en) 1999-05-14 2003-01-21 Gunther Krieg Method and device for detecting and differentiating between contaminations and accepts as well as between different colors in solid particles
US6864970B1 (en) 2000-10-11 2005-03-08 Best N.V. Apparatus and method for scanning products with a light beam to detect and remove impurities or irregularities in a conveyed stream of the products
US20100046826A1 (en) 2007-03-27 2010-02-25 Visys Nv Method and system for use in inspecting and/or removing unsuitable objects from a stream of products and a sorting apparatus implementing the same
WO2013095088A1 (en) * 2011-12-19 2013-06-27 Technische Universiteit Delft A method of separating scrap, and a device

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