JP2004313055A - Apparatus for separating unnecessary part of field crop - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus for separating unnecessary parts of a field crop, with which operation for separating the unnecessary parts of the field crop in a remaining state of necessary parts is accurately and surely carried out, labor for operation is saved and efficiency is increased. <P>SOLUTION: The stem part Ab and leaf parts Ac of a Welsh onion A being transported by a carrier conveyor 2 are picturized by the imaging camera 19 of an unnecessary part detection apparatus 18 and the separation starting position Ad of the unnecessary leaf parts Ac and epidermis Ae is determined by a determination controller 22 based on the image information. The separation unit 28 of an unnecessary part separation apparatus 25 is moved to a position approximately facing the separation starting position Ad of the Welsh onion A based on the determination controller 22, air G discharged from a pair of right and left air discharge parts 37 is blown on the separation starting position Ad of the Welsh onion A, the unnecessary leaf parts Ac and epidermis Ae are separated in a remaining state of the necessary leaf parts Ac. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a device for separating unnecessary agricultural products used for separating unnecessary and unedible leaves and epidermis covering agricultural products such as green onions, burdock, asparagus, cucumbers, eggplants, carrots, and yams. .
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, when the leek of the above example is shipped to the market, the unnecessary or inedible epidermis covering the outer surface of the stalk of the leek was manually separated, but the separation work takes time and effort. Devices for mechanically separating the onion epidermis are already commercially available. As the apparatus, for example, the air peeling from the nozzle is sprayed on the outer surface of the stem portion of the green onion, and unnecessary skin on the outer surface of the stem portion is peeled off from the leaf side to the root side to separate the skin. There is a device.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-10-108657.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, since the above-mentioned green onions are manually suspended one by one with respect to a suspending means such as a belt or a sandwiching plate and supplied to a peeling apparatus by approximately vertically, peeling of green onions having various lengths is performed. It is difficult to make the starting end almost the same height, and if the leek peeling starting end is higher than the nozzle outlet, some epidermis will remain on the stalk and unnecessary skin on the outer surface of the stalk will be cleaned. Cannot be stripped off. In addition, since the leaf side of the green onion is held by the hanging means, there is a problem that the suspended height of the green onion cannot be corrected during the transportation.
[0005]
As another separation method, for example, there is a peeling apparatus (Japanese Patent No. 2980166) for separating and holding green onion substantially horizontally by a transporting means. Are easily displaced and the onion peeling start ends are irregular and irregular, so that unnecessary skin cannot be peeled off neatly. Further, the mounting position must be corrected by the operator's hand so that the starting portion of peeling of the green onion is substantially on the same line, and there is a problem that it takes time and effort for the correction work.
[0006]
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problem, and based on a determination made by a separation position determination unit, starts separating unnecessary portions of a crop from a separation start position, thereby separating unnecessary portions of the crop and separating the crop into a state where the necessary portions are left. It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for separating unnecessary agricultural products, which can accurately and reliably perform the operation, save labor and improve efficiency.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention provides an unnecessary part detecting means for detecting an unnecessary part of a crop, and a separation position determining means for determining a separation start position for separating the unnecessary part of the crop based on detection information outputted from the unnecessary part detecting means. And, based on the determination by the separation position determination means, unnecessary part separation means for separating the unnecessary portion of the crop from the separation start position, and the crop and unnecessary part separation means, based on the determination by the separation position determination means The present invention is characterized in that the unnecessary portion separating apparatus includes a moving unit that relatively moves to a position where the separation start position of the crop and the unnecessary portion separating unit are substantially opposed to each other.
[0008]
The above-mentioned crops are composed of, for example, leek, asparagus, burdock, cucumber, eggplant, carrot, yam, etc., and unnecessary portions of the crops are, for example, reduced in freshness, reduced water content, discoloration, disease, pests, etc. It is composed of leaves and epidermis etc. whose value (including quality) has been reduced or has become unusable, and the necessary parts of agricultural products are, for example, clean and good in appearance, high in commercial value, It is composed of suitable green onion leaves. Further, the unnecessary part detecting means is, for example, an optical measuring means (for example, a monochrome or color imaging camera or a monochrome imaging camera) for detecting or imaging the reflected light reflected by the stem and leaves of the green onion, and the transmitted light transmitted through the stem and leaves. A digital camera, a video camera, an image scanner, etc.) and an irradiating means (e.g., a halogen lamp, a xenon lamp, an ultraviolet lamp, a fluorescent lamp, an incandescent lamp, etc.) for irradiating a detection light suitable for detecting a separation start position of a crop. Device).
[0009]
Further, the separation position determination means can be constituted by, for example, a personal computer or a host computer, a determination control device including a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. In addition, the unnecessary portion separating means includes, for example, a separating device and a separating unit, a pair of support arms, an air discharge unit, or a fluid cutting device such as a water jet cutter or an abrasive jet cutter, or an ultrasonic cutting device or a laser cutting device. And a cutting device having a cutting blade (round blade or vertical blade). The moving means includes, for example, a movable frame, a guide rail, a traction chain, a motor or an air cylinder, a rodless cylinder, a solenoid, a chain feed mechanism, a screw feed mechanism, a cam feed mechanism, a crank mechanism, and the like.
[0010]
That is, the unnecessary portion of the crop (for example, a leaf or a skin of leek) is detected by the unnecessary portion detection means, and the amount of the unnecessary portion separated from the crop is determined based on the detection information output from the unnecessary portion detection means ( For example, the number of unnecessary leek leaves that are low in commercial value and cannot be used for food and the position of the root of the leaves), or the remaining amount of the necessary parts left on the crop excluding the unnecessary parts (for example, clean and attractive) Is good, the commercial value is high, and the number of necessary leek leaves suitable for edible use and the root position of the leaves are determined, and the separation start position of unnecessary parts separated from the crop is determined. Judge by means. In addition, based on the determination by the separation position determining means, the crop and the unnecessary part separating means are relatively moved by the moving means to a position where the separation start position of the crop and the unnecessary part separating means are substantially opposed to each other, and the unnecessary parts of the crop are removed. Separation from the separation start position by the unnecessary part separating means is performed to separate the remaining parts.
[0011]
As an embodiment, the separation position determination means determines the separation amount of unnecessary parts separated from the crop and the remaining amount of necessary parts left in the crop based on the detection information output from the unnecessary part detection means. Function can be provided. In addition, the remaining portion separating means for separating the unnecessary portion remaining at the separation start position of the agricultural product from the direction opposite to the separation direction by the unnecessary portion separating means (for example, the remaining portion separating device and the separation unit, the air discharger). And the like). In addition, a crop transport means (for example, a bucket-type transport conveyor, a belt conveyor, a roller conveyor, a chain conveyor, a free tray, etc.) for arranging and transporting the crops in a state suitable for the separation processing by the unnecessary part separating means is provided. be able to.
[0012]
[Action and effect]
According to the present invention, the unnecessary portion of the crop is started to be separated from the separation start position by the unnecessary portion separation unit based on the determination by the separation position determination unit, so that the unnecessary portion of the crop is separated and the necessary portion is separated. The operation can be performed reliably and accurately, and it is possible to provide agricultural products separated and processed in a desired state. In addition, the labor and work of aligning the separation start positions of the agricultural products by the operator's hand or mechanically aligning them can be omitted, and labor and efficiency of the separation operation can be reduced.
[0013]
【Example】
An embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0014]
The drawing shows a crop unnecessary part separation device used for an operation of peeling off unnecessary leaves and epidermis of green onion, which is an example of crops. In FIG. The leeks A mounted on the mounting table 2a are transported to the detection section a, the separation section b, and the correction section c set on the transport path, and the unnecessary leaf portion Ac and the epidermis Ae of the leeks A are peeled off and separated. I do.
[0015]
As shown in FIG. 2, the transport conveyor 2 includes a plurality of concave mounting tables 2a on which a long leek A is mounted in a horizontally long attitude substantially orthogonal to the transport direction. Are mounted at a predetermined interval with respect to the entire length of the orbiting chain 2b, and the orbiting chain 2b is rotated in the transport direction by the driving force of a motor with a reduction gear (not shown), and the mounting tables 2a. Orbit at speed. In addition, an opening 2c through which holders 26a of the holding unit 26 described later are allowed to protrude and retract is provided on the right mounting surface of the mounting table 2a, and a concave receiving portion that holds the stem Ab of the green onion A in a fixed position. 2d is provided on the center mounting surface of the mounting table 2a, and a concave receiving portion 2e for holding the leaf Ac of the green onion A at a fixed position is provided at the right end of the mounting table 2a.
[0016]
The unnecessary portion detection device 18 disposed in the above-described detection section a transmits reflected light reflected by the stem portion Ab and the leaf portion Ac of the green onion A placed on the mounting table 2a, and transmits through the stem portion Ab and the leaf portion Ac. One or a plurality of imaging cameras 19 for imaging transmitted light (including X-rays) and the like are arranged at the upper part of the transport path almost in opposition to the stem Ab and the leaf Ac of the green onion A transported to the detection section a. The information reading device 21 for reading the identification information (including the address information and the carrier number) of the mounting table 2a on which the leek A is mounted is provided at the lower part of the transport path substantially in synchronization with the imaging operation by the imaging camera 19. It is arranged. That is, the identification information read by the information reading device 21 is output to the image processing device 20 and the determination control device 22 described later in a manner substantially corresponding to the captured image captured by the imaging camera 19. In addition, the identification information is recorded on a recording medium (for example, a non-contact type information recording device = an ID tag, a magnetic stripe, a magnetic tape, a bar code, or the like) attached to the leek A or the mounting table 2a and moved substantially corresponding to the leek A. Alternatively, the information reading device can be constituted by, for example, a non-contact type information communication device = ID antenna, magnetic head, writing device, or the like.
[0017]
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the unnecessary part separation device 25 disposed in the above-described separation section b moves the leaf Ac side of the green onion A protruding to the right side of the mounting table 2a with respect to the substantially horizontal direction. The holding unit 26 for swingably holding is attached to the lower right side of the movable frame 31 erected on the upper part of the conveyance path substantially opposite to the leaf Ac side of the green onion A conveyed to the separation section b, and the root Aa side is the leaf part. A support unit 27, which is lifted to a height substantially horizontal with the Ac side, is attached to the lower left portion of the movable frame 31 so as to substantially face the lower surface of the root Aa side, and peels off unnecessary leaf Ac and skin Ae of the green onion A. The separation unit 28 is attached to a guide rail 32 erected above the movable frame 31 so as to reciprocate in a direction substantially perpendicular to the transport direction, substantially facing the upper surface of the stalk portion Ab of the green onion A, and the units 26 and 27. , 28 to the separation section b And a plurality of sets disposed in leek A ... substantially opposite to be.
[0018]
In addition, the right side of the movable frame 31 is reciprocally movable in a direction substantially parallel to the transport direction with respect to guide rails 33 provided on the side of the transport path, and the tow chain 34a stretched on the side of the transport path is movable. The towing chain 34a is connected to the right side of the frame 31, and the towing chain 34a is rotated forward and reverse by the driving force of a motor with a speed reducer (not shown) arranged at the lower right side of the conveyance path, and the units 26, 27, 28 The upper part of the leaf Ac and the top of the skin Ae at the start end side where the peeling is started, and the upper part of the end side where the peeling is finished, are substantially in synchronization with the transport speed of the transport conveyor 2 in the transport direction by a predetermined pitch. Reciprocate.
[0019]
Further, the tow chain 34b stretched over the movable frame 31 is connected to a support frame 38 of the separation unit 28 described below, and the tow chain 34b is driven by a driving force of a motor 35b with a reducer disposed at the upper right side of the movable frame 31. By rotating forward and backward, the separation unit 28, the support arm 36, and the air discharge unit 37, which will be described later, are moved to a position facing the separation start position Ad of the green onion A lifted by the holding unit 26 and the support unit 27, and unnecessary leaf parts. At the position where Ac and epidermis Ae are peeled off and extracted from the tip of root Aa, unnecessary leaf portion Ac and epidermis Ae are moved from leaf Ac side of leek A toward root Aa side in a direction in which they are separated, It reciprocates along the stem Ab of the leek A in a direction substantially perpendicular to the transport direction.
[0020]
In the holding unit 26 described above, the pair of holding bodies 26a are attached to upper and lower ends of the support frame 31a vertically suspended from the movable frame 31 so as to be horizontally rotatable in opposition to the leaves Ac of the green onion A. Is returned by the restoring force of the coil spring 26b in the direction and direction in which the leaf Ac is held. Further, a flexible elastic body such as sponge rubber or urethane rubber is mounted on the holding surface of the holding body 26a.
[0021]
In addition, the lifting cylinder 26c fixed to the lower surface of the support frame 31a is connected to the lower holding body 26a, and the lower holding body 26a is moved by the operation of the lifting cylinder 26c so that the root Aa of the green onion A moves relative to the upper holding body 26a. The leek A moves up and down between a raised position where the root Aa side is lifted from the mounting table 2a and a lowered position where the pressing of the upper holding body 26a is released and the transport of the leek A is allowed.
[0022]
The above-described support unit 27 has a support 27a, which is substantially Y-shaped when viewed from the side, standing on the lift 27b facing the lower surface of the stem Ab of the green onion A projecting from the left end of the mounting table 2a. The lifting frame 27c fixed to the lower surface of the lifting table 27b allows the support frame 27a to move the mounting position where the stem portion Ab of the green onion A is lifted above the mounting table 2a, and to transport the green onion A and move the mounting table 2a. And move up and down.
[0023]
As shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7, the above-described separation unit 28 converts the stem Ab of the green onion A lifted by the above-described holding unit 26 into an air G A pair of support arms 36 that hold and correct the air in a substantially evenly sprayed state, and a pair of air discharge units 37 that discharge air G toward the outer surface of the stem Ab of the green onion A held by the pair of holders 26a. It consists of.
[0024]
The above-mentioned support arm 36 is fixed to an end of a support shaft 39 bearing on a support frame 38, and connects a connecting rod 40 connected to an intermediate portion of the support shaft 39 to an interlocking plate 41. In addition, the opening / closing cylinder 42 attached to the movable frame 32 rotates the support shaft 39 forward and reverse via the connecting rod 40 and the connecting plate 41, and the pair of support arms 36 is held by the pair of holding members 26a. The stem rotates to a closed angle for holding the stem Ab of A and an open angle for canceling the holding.
[0025]
The above-described air discharge portion 37 is attached to the lower surface of the support frame 38 so as to face the outer peripheral surface of the stem Ab of the green onion A held by the pair of support arms 36, and is, for example, an air supply source such as an air supply blower or a compressor. Air G is blown against the discharge nozzles 37a and 37b connected to the outer surface of the stem Ab from which the leaves Ac and the skin Ae have been peeled off and the back surface of the peeled skin Ae. The angle is set such that the unnecessary leaves Ac and the epidermis Ae are peeled off toward the root Aa.
[0026]
As shown in FIG. 8, the remaining part separating device 45 disposed in the correction section c has leaves remaining at the separation start position Ad of the green onion A after the separation operation by the unnecessary part separating device 25 described above. A method of peeling off the part Ac and the epidermis Ae is shown, and the separating unit 46 is directed from the stem Ab side of the green onion A to the leaf Ac side in a direction opposite to or opposite to the separating direction by the separating unit 28 described above. And the air G discharged from the discharge nozzles 47a of the pair of left and right air discharge units 47 is directed in the opposite direction (to the root Aa side) toward the root of the leaf Ac remaining at the separation start position Ad of the green onion A. ) Or spraying from opposite directions and forcibly peeling and separating by the discharge force of the air G. Note that the configuration for moving the separation unit 46 is substantially the same as the configuration for moving the separation unit 28 described above, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.
[0027]
In addition, when the air G discharged from the air discharge unit 49 is blown to the base of the leaf portion Ac remaining at the separation start position Ad of the green onion A, the flexibility supported by the upper part of the transport path in the correction section c is reduced. While rotating the holding roller 48 in a direction indicated by an arrow in the drawing substantially in synchronization with the transfer speed of the transfer conveyor 2 by the driving force of a motor with a speed reducer (not shown), the root portion of the green onion A mounted on the mounting table 2a. Aa or a stem Ab is pressed to impart contact resistance, and the whole green onion A is prevented from moving and displacing toward the leaf Ab by the discharge force of the air G, and the state where the green onion A is placed in a fixed position is removed. Hold.
[0028]
In addition, as another example of the resistance applying member that replaces the pressing roller 48, for example, the pressing is performed by a flexible resistance applying member such as a pressing belt or a pressing pad, or the conveyance is performed while being held by a holding unit such as an arm or a chuck. You can also. In addition, the above-described separation unit 28 can be inverted (rotated by approximately 180 degrees) in the opposite direction to separate the leaf portion Ac remaining at the separation start position Ad of the green onion A.
[0029]
FIG. 9 shows a control circuit block diagram of the agricultural product unnecessary part separating apparatus 1. The CPU, the ROM, and the RAM are built in the determination control unit 22, and the CPU communicates with the conveyor 2 in accordance with a program stored in the ROM. , And controls the drive and stop of the unnecessary portion detection device 18, the unnecessary portion separation device 25, and the remaining portion separation device 45.
[0030]
The CPU, for example, based on the image information (for example, information such as reflected light and transmitted light) output from the image processing device 20, for example, the number, size, shape, area, width, height, hue, and volume of the leaves Ac , Flatness, decay, damage, illness, maturity, cavities, sugar content, grade, etc., as well as good cleanness and appearance from multiple leaves Ac, and the commercial value (including quality) The number of the leaves Ac and the root positions of the leaves Ac that roughly correspond to the necessary parts that are suitable for edible use are determined, or the value of the leaves Ac that substantially correspond to the unnecessary parts that are low in commercial value and cannot be used for food is determined. The separation start position Ad of the green onion A substantially corresponding to the root portion and the boundary portion is determined by determining the number and the root position of the leaf portion Ac or determining the boundary portion between the stem portion Ab and the leaf portion Ac. The determination and determination are individually performed by the control device 22.
[0031]
The image processing device 20 described above binarizes the image information of the stem Ab and the leaf Ac captured by the above-described imaging camera 19 and outputs the binarized image information to the determination control device 22. Further, the information reading device 21 disposed below the transport path reads the identification information set on the mounting table 2a itself or the identification information set on the transport conveyor 2 corresponding to the mounting table 2a, and outputs the identification information to the determination control device 22. I do.
[0032]
In addition, the CPU sets the separation unit 28 at a position substantially opposite to the separation start position Ad of the green onion A based on the separation start position Ad of the green onion A to which the air G discharged from the air discharge unit 37 described later is first blown. The movement distance until the arrival is calculated, and the movement distance information (including the position information of the separation start position Ad) and the identification information of the mounting table 2a read by the information reading device 21 are stored in the RAM in association with each other. .
[0033]
When the plurality of mounting tables 2a move to the separation section b, the identification information of the mounting tables 2a is individually read by the information reading device 21 and corresponds to the identification information of the mounting table 2a output from the information reading device 21. The moving distance information to be read is read from the RAM of the determination control device 22, and based on the moving distance information, a motor 35b described later is rotated forward and reverse to move the green onion A held by the pair of holding bodies 26a in a direction substantially orthogonal to the transport direction. Moving.
[0034]
In addition, based on the pulse signal output from the motor 35b, the amount of movement of the separation unit 28 is individually detected, and the detected amount of movement information is compared with the amount of movement information stored in the RAM in advance and calculated. . When it is determined that the movement amounts are substantially the same, the drive of the motor 35b is stopped, and the separation unit 28 is stopped at an upper position substantially opposite to the separation start position Ad of the green onion A, as shown in FIG. If it is determined that the movement amounts are different, the motor 35b rotates forward and backward until the movement amount information matches. Further, the cutting information stored in the RAM is deleted or overwritten when returning from the end side to the start side.
[0035]
The illustrated embodiment is configured as described above, and the operation of peeling onion A by the crop unnecessary part separating apparatus 1 will be described below.
[0036]
First, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the harvested leek A is placed one by one on a mounting table 2a. The Aa side is supplied to the unnecessary part detection device 18 in the detection section a in a state where the Aa side protrudes a predetermined length from the left side of the mounting table 2a.
[0037]
Next, in the detection section a, reflected light reflected by the stem Ab and the leaf Ac of the green onion A placed on the mounting table 2a, and transmitted light (including X-rays) transmitted through the stem Ab and the leaf Ac. And the like are captured by the imaging camera 19 of the unnecessary portion detection device 18, the image information is binarized by the image processing device 20, and output to the determination control device 22.
[0038]
Further, based on the image information output from the image processing device 20, the number of leaf parts Ac having a high commercial value and substantially corresponding to the necessary parts suitable for edible use among the leaf parts Ac extending from the green onion A and the like. The root position of the leaf Ac, the number of the leaves Ac and the root position of the leaf Ac substantially corresponding to the unnecessary portion that is low in commercial value and not edible, and the boundary between the stem Ab and the leaf Ac. Is determined, and the separation start position Ad of the unnecessary leaf portion Ac and the epidermis Ae substantially corresponding to the base portion and the boundary portion is individually determined and determined by the determination control device 22.
[0039]
In addition, the moving distance until the separation unit 28 reaches the separation start position Ad of the green onion A is calculated based on the root Aa side aligned substantially in parallel with the transport direction, and the moving distance information is read as information. The information is stored in the RAM in association with the identification information of the mounting table 2a read by the device 21. On the other hand, green onions A are supplied to the unnecessary part separation device 25 in the separation section b.
[0040]
Next, in the separation section b, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the units 26, 27, and 28 of the unnecessary portion separation device 25 are substantially synchronized with a predetermined number of leeks A conveyed by the conveyor 2. The leaf Ac side of the green onion A projecting to the right side of the mounting table 2a is held by the holding bodies 26a, 26a of the holding unit 26 and lifted while being moved in the transport direction by a predetermined pitch to support the root Aa side. The support 27a of the unit 27 lifts it to a predetermined height and supports it substantially horizontally.
[0041]
In addition, the determination control device 22 reads the moving distance information corresponding to the identification information of the mounting table 2a read by the information reading device 21 from the RAM, and based on the moving distance information, moves the separation unit 28 substantially orthogonal to the transport direction. The leek A is moved independently, and stops at an upper position substantially opposite to the separation start position Ad of the leek A.
[0042]
Subsequently, as shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7, the separation unit 28 is independently driven to correct the bent portion of the stem Ab with the pair of left and right support arms 36, and the pair of left and right air discharge portions is adjusted. Air G discharged from 37 is sprayed toward the root of unnecessary leaf Ac and the outer peripheral surface of stem Ab corresponding to separation start position Ad of green onion A, and unnecessary leaf Ac and epidermis Ae are root Aa. The sheet is peeled off all at once, and the separation processing and the removal processing are performed to leave the necessary number of leaves Ac until the desired number and position.
[0043]
Immediately before reaching the root Aa side, the support 27a is once lowered to hold the root Aa side of the green onion A in a hanging state, and when the separation unit 28 is removed from the root Aa, the support 27a is removed. It rises again and supports it. Subsequently, after the separation unit 28 is moved to the left side of the transport path, the holding by the pair of holding bodies 26a is released, the support 27a is lowered to the standby position, and the peeled green onion A is again put on the mounting table 2a. Place.
[0044]
Next, when the leaves Ac and the epidermis Ae are left at the separation start position Ad of the green onion A, in the correction section c, as shown in FIG. Is moved from the stem Ab side to the leaf Ac side, and the air G discharged from the pair of left and right air discharge portions 47 is sprayed on the root of the leaf Ac remaining at the separation start position Ad of the green onion A. After being peeled off and separated and removed, it is transported to the next step (for example, a sorting step or a box packing step). Hereinafter, in the same manner as described above, the operation of separating the unnecessary leaf portion Ac and the epidermis Ae of the green onion A is continuously performed.
[0045]
After the separation operation, the root Aa of the green onion A protruding to the left side of the mounting table 2a and the leaf Ac of the green onion A protruding to the right side of the mounting table 2a are separated into, for example, Japanese Patent Application Nos. 11-178235 and 11-178235. A predetermined amount may be cut by a trimming device such as Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-326993, or a predetermined amount of the root Aa and leaf Ac of the green onion A may be cut before the separation operation.
[0046]
As described above, based on the determination by the determination control device 22, the unnecessary leaf portion Ac and the epidermis Ae of the green onion A are started to be separated from the separation start position Ad by the unnecessary portion separation device 25. The operation of separating Ac and the epidermis Ae and separating them into a state in which the leaves Ac are left to the required number and positions can be performed reliably and accurately, and it is possible to provide the green onion A separated and processed in a desired state. In addition, the labor and work of manually or mechanically aligning the separation start position Ad of the green onion A can be omitted, and the labor and efficiency of the separation operation can be reduced, and the separation start position Ad of the green onion A can be achieved. Need not be moved to a position substantially facing the separation unit 28, and the commercial value and freshness of the green onion A can be maintained.
[0047]
And, when the leaves Ac remain at the separation start position Ad of the green onion A, the separation unit 46 of the remaining part separation device 45 is moved from the stem Ab side of the green onion A toward the leaf Ac side, Since the air G discharged from the pair of left and right air discharge units 47 is blown from the opposite direction to the root of the leaf Ac remaining at the separation start position Ad of the green onion A, the air G is separated by the unnecessary part separation device 25 described above. Unnecessary leaf Ac and epidermis Ae, which are difficult to separate, can be reliably and neatly peeled off and separated.
[0048]
It is to be noted that the mounting table 2a of the conveyor 2 constituting the present invention is moved around intermittently in the conveyance direction almost intermittently, and the unnecessary parts are separated substantially in synchronization with the intermittent feeding operation of the leek A by the conveyor 2. While the units 26, 27, and 28 constituting the device 25 are intermittently moved in the transport direction substantially in opposition to the leek A that is transported by the transport conveyor 2, the unnecessary leaf portion Ac and the epidermis Ae of the leek A are removed. It can be stripped off.
[0049]
In addition, the configuration of the agricultural product unnecessary part separation device 1 can be applied to, for example, an operation of peeling off unnecessary leaf parts Ac and epidermis Ae of green onion A held in a substantially vertical posture and a substantially oblique posture.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of a crop unnecessary part separation device.
FIG. 2 is a side view showing a detection method by the unnecessary part detection device.
FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a separating operation by the separating device.
FIG. 4 is a side view showing an operation of separating a leaf portion and an epidermis by the separating device.
FIG. 5 is a front view showing a separating operation by the separating unit.
FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a separation start operation by the separation unit.
FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a separating operation by the separating unit.
FIG. 8 is a plan view showing an operation of separating remaining leaves by the remaining portion separation device.
FIG. 9 is a control circuit block diagram of a crop unnecessary part separation device.
[Explanation of symbols]
A: Leek
Ac ... leaf
Ad: Separation start position
Ae ... epidermis
G… Air
1 ... Agricultural crop unnecessary part separation device
2 ... Conveyor
18 Unnecessary part detection device
19 ... Imaging camera
22 ... Judgment control device
25 ... unnecessary part separation device
28, 46… Separation unit
36 ... Support arm
37, 47… Air discharge part
45 ... Remaining part separation device
48 ... Presser roller

Claims (4)

Unnecessary part detection means for detecting unnecessary parts of the crop,
Based on the detection information output from the unnecessary part detection means, separation position determination means for determining a separation start position to separate the unnecessary part of the crop,
Unnecessary part separating means for separating the unnecessary part of the crop from the separation start position based on the determination by the separation position determining means,
The crop and unnecessary part separating means includes a moving means for relatively moving the crop separation start position and the unnecessary part separating means to a position substantially opposed to each other based on the determination by the separation position determining means. apparatus. The separation position determination means has a function of determining an amount of separation of unnecessary parts separated from the crop and a remaining amount of necessary parts remaining in the crop based on detection information output from the unnecessary part detection means. The crop unnecessary part separation device according to claim 1. 2. The crop unnecessary part separation device according to claim 1, further comprising a remaining part separation unit that separates unnecessary parts remaining at the separation start position of the crop from a direction opposite to a separation direction by the unnecessary part separation unit. 2. The crop unnecessary part separation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a crop transport means for arranging and transporting the crop in a state suitable for the separation processing by the unnecessary part separation means.

Images