JP2006231110A - Sorting result preserving mechanism for particulate material color sorting machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To preserve traceability information of particulate material or the like being the result of sorting, with little labor. <P>SOLUTION: This sorting result preserving mechanism is provided with a sample taking-out means 24 taking out a specific amount of particulate material from at least one of particulate material passage 4a, 4b respectively corresponding to acceptable articles and unacceptable articles; a packer 34 enclosing the particulate material w taken out by the sample taking-out means 24 into a container; a printer 36 to which the traceability information of particulate material w enclosed in the container is inputted and which performs printing ; and a correspondence clarifying means 37 clarifying which container corresponds to the traceability information printed by the printer 36, the container enclosing the acceptable articles w or the container enclosing unacceptable articles w1. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a color sorter that sorts granular materials such as grains by color, and more particularly to a color sorter equipped with a mechanism for storing traceability information such as sorting results.

There is already a granular color sorter that sorts different color granular materials from a granular material group into a good product side and a defective product side.
In this type of sorter, the particulate matter is temporarily taken out from the passages corresponding to the non-defective granular material group and the defective granular material group to the corresponding branch passage at an appropriate flow rate and returned to the original passage again. A sample extraction means, an imaging means for imaging the particulate matter taken out by the sample extraction means, and a selection result evaluation section for calculating a selection result evaluation based on imaging information input from the imaging means (For example, Patent Document 1).

JP-A-63-319092

  In the above conventional granular color sorter, the sorting result evaluation obtained by the sorting result evaluation unit is used to control the operating state of the sorting means, and is intended to be used as traceability information. This is not the case, and the sample of the sorted granular material that is the result of the sorting process is not stored.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a sorting result storage mechanism in a granular color sorter that can save traceability information such as a granular material as a sorting result with less effort.

  In order to achieve the above object, a first color sorter according to the present invention is a granular color sorter that separates a granular material group into a non-defective product side and a defective product side according to the color as described in claim 1. In the above, the sample take-out means for taking out a specific amount of the granular material from at least one of the granular material passages corresponding to the non-defective product side and the defective product side, respectively, and the sample take-out means A packer that encloses the granular material in a container, a printer that receives and prints traceability information about the granular material enclosed in the container, and the traceability information printed by the printer is granular by the packer. Corresponding clarification means is provided for clarifying which one of the containers in which an object is enclosed corresponds.

  And, as described in claim 2, the second granular material color sorter separates the granular material group into a non-defective product side and a non-defective product side according to the color. Sample take-out means for taking out a specific amount of the granular material from at least one of the granular material passages corresponding to the defective product side, and imaging for imaging the granular material taken out by the sample take-out means A sorting result evaluation unit that calculates a sorting result evaluation based on imaging information from the imaging unit, a sorting result evaluation calculated by the sorting result evaluation unit, and other traceability information of the particulate matter related to the evaluation A printer that inputs and prints, a packer that encloses the granular material imaged by the imaging means in a container, and traceability such as evaluation of the sorting result printed by the printer It over information is characterized in that provided with the corresponding clarification means for clarifying whether corresponds to any of the encapsulated the container of the specific amount of particulates.

  More specifically, it is as follows. That is, as described in claim 3, in the granular material color sorter that separates the granular material group into a good product side and a defective product side according to the color, Corresponding to sample takeout means for taking out a specific amount of granular material from each of the granular material passages corresponding to the non-defective product side and the defective product side, and to each passage taken out from the sample takeout means An imaging means for separately capturing each of the particulates to be performed, a sorting result evaluation section for computing a sorting result evaluation based on imaging information from the imaging means, a sorting result evaluation calculated by the sorting result evaluation section, and the evaluation A printer that inputs and prints other traceability information of the granular material according to the above, and a plurality of granular materials corresponding to each passage after being imaged by the imaging means. A container in which the particulate matter in the hopper is enclosed in a separate container for each hopper, and the traceability information such as evaluation of the sorting result printed by the printer is enclosed in the specific amount of the particulate matter. Corresponding clarification means is provided for clarifying which one of the above is supported.

  The present invention is preferably embodied as follows. That is, as described in claim 4, the imaging means continuously captures the specific amount of particulate matter during the fall of the single layer. The sorting result evaluation unit includes an image processing unit and a sorting result evaluation calculation unit, and the image processing unit receives imaging information of the imaging unit and receives all of the specific amount of granular materials. A configuration in which a single two-dimensional image is recognized, and a sorting result evaluation calculation unit is configured to calculate a sorting result evaluation based on image information relating to each granular material in the two-dimensional image. And

According to the present invention described above, the following effects can be obtained.
That is, according to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to store a necessary amount of the granular material as a sorting result in a sealed state in a container with little effort, and other traceability corresponding to the sorting result. Information can be stored corresponding to the container.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to store a necessary amount of the granular material as a sorting result in a sealed state in a container with little effort, and to evaluate the sorting result corresponding to the sorting result and other Traceability information can be stored corresponding to the container.

  According to the invention described in claim 3, the same effect as that of the invention described in claim 2 can be obtained and the following effect can be obtained, that is, the non-defective product side after being imaged by the imaging means. The imaging means is provided with a plurality of hoppers that individually receive each of the granular materials corresponding to each passage on the defective product side, and a packer that encloses the granular materials in the hoppers in separate containers for each hopper. The non-defective product and the non-defective product can be imaged at the same time as they are dropped onto separate hoppers, and the non-defective product and the defective product after the packer is imaged by the imaging means. Objects can be enclosed in separate containers at any timing, that is, at different timing or at the same timing.

  According to the invention described in claim 4, the same effect as that of the invention described in claim 2 or 3 can be obtained, and the following effect can be obtained. Because it is designed to capture images continuously while falling at any specific flow rate, it is relatively highly accurate even with an imaging means that has a relatively small number of pixels compared to that that captures all granular materials simultaneously. In addition, the sorting result evaluation unit includes an image processing unit and a sorting result evaluation calculation unit, and the image processing unit receives imaging information of the imaging unit and receives all of a specific amount of granular materials. It is supposed to be recognized as a single two-dimensional image, and the sorting result evaluation calculation unit is to calculate sorting result evaluation based on image information relating to each granular material in the two-dimensional image. To each grain in one 2D image When the selection result evaluation can be calculated from the output values of almost all the pixels that image the object, and therefore the selection result evaluation is calculated only by the output value of a specific pixel among the pixels that image each granular object. In comparison, it is possible to evaluate the sorting result with respect to a specific amount of granular material as the sorting result with high accuracy.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an overall side view showing an outline of a particulate color sorter as an embodiment according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a rear view showing a nozzle assembly, a power stop valve, a vent pipe and the like in the sorter, and FIG. It is a side view which shows the sample extraction means etc. of the said sorter.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the color sorter according to the present invention is a different color granular material such as a pebble, a metal piece, a glass piece, a synthetic resin piece or a defective quality granular material mixed in a granular material w such as grain. (Defective product granular material) This is useful for removing w1, and a sorting unit 100 is formed on the machine frame and a raw material tank 101 is provided at an appropriate location.

  The sorting unit 100 includes a feeder 1 that quantitatively feeds the granular material w, a flowing-down basket 2 that is supplied with the granular material w from the feeder 1, and a different-colored granular material w1 from the granular material w group that has dropped from the flowing-down basket 2. An optical sorting means 3 for sorting and removing and a sorted granular material passage 4 are provided.

  The feeder 1 includes a hopper 5 that is fixed to the body frame and accommodates the granular material w, a trough 6 that is disposed under the hopper 5 and supports the granular material w on the upper surface, and an electromagnetic driving means 7 that vibrates the trough 6. At this time, the trough 6 changes the amplitude and period of vibration applied from the electromagnetic driving means 7 to change the carrying force generated by itself, and the electromagnetic driving means 7 is the optical sorting means 3. The flow rate control device 8 automatically controls the amplitude and period of vibration generated from its own output unit so that a good sorting accuracy can be obtained.

  The flow-down rod 2 is formed with a groove forming a straight flow-down guide surface 2a on the upper surface and is supported in an inclined manner by the machine body frame, and the flow-down guide surface 2a guides the granular material w supplied to the guide start end thereof. It is supposed to be dropped so as to fly downward from the lower end of the.

  The optical sorting unit 3 includes a different color particle presence detecting unit 9 and an external force applying unit 10. The different color particle presence detecting means 9 is a sorting element in which the line sensor 11 is disposed at one of the opposed positions sandwiching the normal movement locus a1 of the granular material w flying from the flow down guide surface 2a and falling, and the background surface body 12 is disposed at the other. Two or more sets are provided, and an illumination lamp is provided on both the background surface body 12 side and the line sensor 11 side, and the line sensors 11 and 11 monitor the change in the color of the granular material w flying on the normal movement locus a1, When the change exceeds a certain level, the light quantity comparing means 9a recognizes the granular material w to be monitored as a different color granular material (defective product) w1 and issues a detection signal.

  The external force applying means 10 is flattened as shown in FIG. 2 corresponding to each of the valve control device 14, a number of power stop valves (electromagnetic valves) 15 that are coupled and controlled to open and close, and these electromagnetic valves 15. A plurality of air injection nozzles 16 having a square shape are arranged in a straight line in the horizontal left-right direction f2 (width direction of the flow-down guide surface 2a), and nozzles corresponding to the nozzle assemblies 17 at the outlets of the electromagnetic valves 15. A vent pipe 19 that communicates the air inlet 18 of the assembly 17, a compressed air supply line 20 for supplying compressed air to each electromagnetic valve 15, and an air storage tank 21 coupled to the compressed air supply line 20 It is supposed to be equipped with.

  The valve controller 14 counts the elapsed time from when the different color particle presence detection means 9 detects one or a plurality of different color particles w1 until the specific adjustment time elapses for each of the different color particles w1. When the time elapses, a valve opening current for opening the electromagnetic valve 15 corresponding to the position where each different color granular material w1 related to the detection is opened is generated.

  As a result of the current being generated from the valve control device 14 in this way, the electromagnetic valve 15 corresponding to the different color granular material w1 detected by the different color particle presence detecting means 9 is opened, and the corresponding position in relation to the opening operation. Compressed air is ejected from the air ejection nozzle 16, and the air flow generated by the ejection is slightly delayed from the time of detection of the specific colored particle w 1 by the different colored particle presence detecting means 9, and the specific colored particle w 1 falls. It reaches the specific drop position d1 on the normal movement locus a1, which is a locus.

  The sorted granular material passage 4 is a passage through which the granular material w sorted by the optical sorting means 3 passes, and the non-defective product side granular material passage 4a through which the sorted fine product passes is sorted as a defective product. It consists of a defective product side granular material passage 4b through which things pass. The non-defective product side granular material passage 4a is configured such that the granular material that has passed through the normal movement locus a1 in the form in which the downflow ridge 2 is extended downward enters the non-defective product side granular material passage 4b. The granular material w which has been pushed upward and outward from the normal movement locus a1 by the air flow ejected from the ejection nozzle 17 and dropped via the upward movement locus a2 enters through the defective product receiving port 4b1.

  From the raw material tank 101, a granular material supply path 23 for moving the granular material w in the raw material tank 101 into the hopper 5 is extended, and the granular material w that has entered the non-defective side granular material passage 4 a is The granular material that has been transferred into a non-illustrated non-defective product tank and entered into the defective-product-side granular material passage 4b is transferred into a non-illustrated defective product tank.

Next, the sorting result storing mechanism 102, which is a characteristic configuration according to the present invention, will be described with reference to FIG.
A sample take-out means 24 is provided in the sorted granular material passage 4. The sample take-out means 24 is a non-defective product side take-out part 25a for taking out the granular material w falling in the non-defective product side granular material passage 4a and dropping it to a specific place, and a granular material falling in the defective product side granular material passage 4b. It is provided with a defective product side extraction portion 25b that takes w out and drops it to a specific place. The non-defective side extraction portion 25a is lowered in the middle of the vertical portion of the non-defective side granular material passage 4a and branches the inclined passage 26a in a continuous manner with the non-defective side granular material passage 4a. In the granular material passage 4a, there is provided a guide plate 27a that can be moved in and out on an inclined line, and a drive portion 28a for moving the guide plate 27a in and out, and a defective product side extraction portion 25b. Falls in the middle of the vertically-oriented portion of the defective product side granule passage 4b and branches the inclined passage 26b in communication with the defective product side granular material passage 4b. Provided with a guide plate 27b that can be freely moved in and out on the inclined line with respect to the inside of the passage 4b, and provided with a drive portion 28b for moving the guide plate 27b in and out. It is. At this time, for example, a solenoid, a motor, a pneumatic cylinder device, or the like is used for the drive units 28a and 28b.

  An imaging means 29 is provided at the lower end of the descending inclined passages 26a, 26b of the sample extracting means 24. The image pickup means 29 is a single-layered guide portion 30a, 30b that separates the granular material w dropped from the downward inclined passages 26a, 26b separately into a single layer and further falls downward, and the single-layered guide portions 30a, 30b. A single-layer granular material w group for each of the downward inclined passages 26a and 26b falling from the camera is imaged.

  At this time, in accordance with the case of the different color particle presence detecting means 9, the imaging means 29 is lined at one of the opposed positions sandwiching the drop trajectory of the granular material w falling in a single layer form from the single layer guide portions 30a, 30b. Sensors (area sensors) 31a and 31b are provided, and two or more sets of selection main parts each having a background face body are provided on the other side, and illumination lights are provided on both the background face body side and the line sensors (area sensors) 31a and 31b side. However, the line sensor line sensors (area sensors) 31a and 31b may be imaged at a horizontal scanning period such that there is no portion that is not imaged between the vertical arrangements of the imaging ranges obtained by the horizontal scanning. It is supposed to be.

  On the lower side of the imaging means 29, a non-defective product hopper 32a that accepts the granular material w that has fallen from the falling slant passage 26a on the non-defective side, and a defective product hopper 32b that accepts the granular material w that has fallen from the down sloping passage 32b on the defective product side. Are disposed separately from the respective hoppers 32a and 32b, and inclined passages 33a and 33b are extended and connected to an upper portion of the packer 34 installed in the vicinity of the body frame.

  At this time, the packer 34 encloses the granular material w received by the hoppers 32a and 32b into a container in a state where the granular material w is divided for each granular material w group of the hoppers 32a and 32b. Specifically, a long cylindrical vinyl wound in a roll at a specific position is pulled out by a necessary length to supply the granular material w group in the hoppers 32a and 32b, and after the supply is finished, by thermal welding. After sealing, it repeats the process which cuts off the heat welding location.

  In the vicinity of the imaging unit 29, a selection result evaluation calculation unit 35 that calculates the selection result evaluation based on the imaging information input from the imaging unit 29 is provided. The selection result evaluation calculation unit 35 includes an image processing unit 35a and an evaluation calculation unit 35b. The image processing unit 35a executes the same two-dimensional imaging as when image information obtained by the imaging unit 29 capturing and outputting a specific amount of granular material w over a certain period of time is input and visually observed. The amount of granular material w is recognized as a single image. The sorting result evaluation calculation unit 35 calculates sorting result evaluation for each of the non-defective product side granular material w and the defective product side granular material w, and outputs the output of each pixel obtained by imaging a specific amount of the granular material w. By classifying the normal color and the abnormal color according to the threshold value, an area ratio that is a ratio of the imaging area of the different color portion to the imaging area of all the granular materials w imaged by the imaging means 29 is calculated as the selection result evaluation, or By classifying into non-defective granularity w and defective granularity w by neural network technology etc., the ratio of the number of non-defective granularity w to defective granularity w with respect to all granularity w imaged by the imaging means 29 and defective quality The ratio of the number of the granular materials w is calculated as the selection result evaluation.

  On the packer 34, there is disposed a printer 36 for inputting and printing the sorting result evaluation calculated by the sorting result evaluation unit 35 and other traceability information (date and time, product type, lot number, etc.) of the granular material w related to the evaluation. Has been. At this time, the traceability information may be manually input from the keyboard by the operator, or may be automatically input from another information transmission device.

  Further, on the lower side of the printer 36, in order to clarify which sort result evaluation printed by the printer 36 and other traceability information correspond to a container in which a specific amount of granular material w is sealed by the packer 34. The correspondence clarification means 37 is provided. The correspondence clarification means 37 may be various. For example, a display object in which the sorting result evaluation or other traceability information is printed by the printer 36 is stored in a container in which the granular material w corresponding to the display object is stored. Or may be affixed to the surface of the container, or may be printed with specific characters or symbols corresponding to the sorting result evaluation or other traceability information. It may be supplied to the inside of the container in which the object w is stored or may be affixed to the surface of the container.

  The calculation result of the sorting result evaluation unit 35 is input to the sorting result evaluation relation control unit 38. The control unit 38 automatically changes the selection accuracy to the optimum state by changing the set value of the flow rate control device 8 and the set value of the light quantity comparing means 9 according to the selection result evaluation according to a predetermined correspondence relationship. The adjustment portions of the drive units 28a and 28b of the sample extraction unit 24 and the imaging means 29 are controlled in relation to the operation amount of the adjustment operation member provided with the sorting result evaluation unit 35.

Next, a usage example and operation when the grain which is the granular material w is selected using the above-described color sorter will be described.
The grains w and the like stored in the raw material tank 101 are supplied into the hopper 5 through the granular material supply path 23. At this time, the grains w and the like are always maintained at a constant level in the hopper 5. Is preferred.

Under this condition, the grain w in the hopper 5 falls on the bottom surface of the trough 6 through the exit passage, and on the other hand, the trough 6 is vibrated back and forth and up and down by the operation of the electromagnetic drive means 7. Grains w and the like that have fallen on the bottom of the trough 6 are gradually fed to the front f1 and are supplied from the sending part 6a so as to drop to the guide start end of the flow guide surface 2a of the flow trough 2.
At this time, the flow rate of the grain w or the like from the feeder 1 to the downstream ridge 2 is automatically adjusted to a specific size that provides good sorting performance by the control operation of the flow rate control device 8.

  On the flow guide surface 2a of the flow rod 2, after the grain w or the like slides linearly in a single layer state within a specific width and reaches the lower end of the flow rod 2, the flow guide surface 2a is It falls while flying on the normal movement locus a1 extended downward. If the falling grain w or the like is a non-defective grain w, it reaches the granular object imaging position g of the line sensors 11 and 11, and the line sensors 11 and 11 are exposed to light from an illumination lamp in the vicinity thereof. Even if the line sensor 11, 11 does not sense a change in light quantity above a certain level even when it receives transmitted light or reflected light from the grain w, the different color grain presence detecting means 9 is different color granular material (defective product). Without detecting w1, the grain w1 falls on the normal movement locus a1 as it is, and enters the non-defective particle passage 4a through the non-defective inlet 4a1.

  On the other hand, when the falling grain w or the like is a mixture of pebbles, metal pieces, or different-colored granular material w1 such as defective quality grain, the different-colored granular material exposed to the light from the lamp (defective product) The light receiving pixels at specific positions of the line sensors 11 and 11 that have received the transmitted light and reflected light from w1 sense a change in the amount of light of a certain level or more. Defective product) The presence of w1 is detected and a detection signal is issued, and this detection signal is input to the valve control device 14.

  The grain w etc. that has fallen from the downfall 2 reaches the relatively wide granular object imaging range g of the line sensors 11, 11, and the grain w that has fallen in the granular substance imaging range g moves here. The light-receiving pixels of the line sensor 11 have a certain degree related to the different color granular material (defective product) w1 when the grain w or the like includes the different color granular material (defective product) w1. The presence change signal is output when the above-described change in the amount of light is detected and the different color granular material (defective product) w1 reaches the detection position g1.

  The presence detection signal is input to the valve control device 14. In this connection, the valve control means 14 counts the elapsed time from the time when the presence detection signal is input from the different color particle presence detection means 9. When the specific adjustment time has elapsed, the current for opening the corresponding solenoid valve 15 is continuously sent for a predetermined very short specific time.

  The solenoid valve 15 supplied with a current from the valve control device 14 is instantly opened and causes the compressed air to flow to the corresponding air jet nozzle 16 through the corresponding vent pipe 19. The air jet nozzle 16 causes the compressed air to flow. It is ejected instantaneously toward the specific drop position d1. The air flow by the compressed air thus ejected reaches the specific drop position d1 after a specific time has elapsed from the time when the valve opening current is generated from the valve control device 14. On the other hand, each of the different color granular material (defective product) w1 detected by the different color particle presence detecting means 9 reaches the specific drop position d1 almost simultaneously with the air flow by the compressed air ejected from the corresponding air ejection nozzle 16.

  Therefore, each of the different color granular material (defective product) w1 detected by the different color particle presence detecting means 9 is present at various positions in the left-right direction of the normal movement locus a1. The external force is applied at an accurate timing by the air flow generated by the air jetted from the air, and the normal movement trajectory a1 is repelled upward and outward, sorted and removed from the good grain w, etc., and the upward movement trajectory a2 It falls above and falls into the defective product side granular material passage 4b through the defective product receiving port 4b1.

  Thus, when each of the different-colored granular materials (defective products) w1 detected by the different-colored particle presence detecting means 9 is repelled by the air flow, the non-defective grains existing near each of the different-colored granular materials (defective products) w1. w and the like are also repelled and fall into the defective product side granular material passage 4b. However, since the air flow accurately gives external force to each different color granular material (defective product) w1, the defective product side granularity The amount of good quality grains w falling into the material passage 4b is small.

Next, the operation of the sorting result storage mechanism 102 will be described.
In the sorting operation state of the granular material color sorter as described above, when the sorting result evaluation relation control unit 38 is put into the operation state, the following processing is automatically performed.

  That is, the drive unit 28a corresponding to the non-defective particle passage 4a of the sample take-out means 24 displaces the guide plate 27a into the non-defective particle passage 4a for about 10 seconds every several minutes to several tens of minutes. It operates so as to repeat the dropping of the granular material w falling in the side granular material passage 4a into the inclined passage 26a, and the drive portion 28b corresponding to the defective side granular material passage 4b of the sample extracting means 24 is a guide plate. 27b is displaced into the defective product side granular material passage 4b every several minutes to several tens of minutes to the entry side for several tens of seconds, and the granular material w falling in the defective product side granular material passage 4b is lowered to the inclined passage 26b. Operates to repeat taking out.

  At this time, the drive unit 28b drops the granular material w falling in the defective product side granular material passage 4b over a longer period than the case of the granular material w falling in the non-defective product side granular material passage 4a. The reason is that the flow rate of the granular material w falling in the defective product side granular material passage 4b is smaller than the flow rate of the granular material w falling in the good quality side granular material passage 4a. This is because the same amount of granular material w as possible is taken out from the non-defective product side granular material passage 4b and the good product side granular material passage 4a into the corresponding downward inclined passages 26a and 26b.

  The granular material w taken out from the non-defective product side granular material passage 4a and the defective product side granular material passage 4b slides down in the corresponding downward inclined passages 26a and 26b by gravity and is formed into a single layer by the single layered guide portions 30a and 30b. Then, it falls into the corresponding hoppers 32a and 32b, and images are taken continuously by the imaging means 29 between the single layer guide portions 30a and 30b and the hoppers 32a and 32b.

  The line sensors (area sensors) 31a and 31b of the imaging means 29 on the non-defective product side and the defective product side are all the granular materials w taken out within a certain continuous time by the single take-out operation of the corresponding drive units 28a and 28b. Images are taken continuously, and imaging information is output separately on the non-defective product side and the defective product side during the imaging. The imaging information is input to the image processing unit 35a, whereby the image processing unit 35a separates all of the non-defective product side and defective product side granular materials w taken out within the predetermined time. It is recognized as a two-dimensional image.

  Then, the image processing unit 35a outputs pixel information about these single two-dimensional images to the selection result evaluation unit 35b, and the selection result evaluation unit 35b calculates the selection result evaluation based on the pixel information.

  As the selection result evaluation, when calculating the area ratio based on the threshold value, it is performed as follows, that is, the output (voltage) of each of all the pixels forming all the granular material images in the two-dimensional image. The threshold value is binarized to obtain either white or black, and an area ratio, which is a ratio of the number of white pixels to the number of black pixels, is obtained as the selection result evaluation. At this time, the higher the ratio of the number of white pixels, the lower the mixing ratio of the defective granular material w1, and the higher the ratio of the number of black pixels, the higher the mixing ratio of the defective granular material w1.

  On the other hand, as the selection result evaluation, when calculating the number ratio by the neural network, it is performed as follows, that is, the output (voltage) of the pixels forming each granular material image in the two-dimensional image by the neural network technique. ) To determine whether the corresponding granular material w is a non-defective product or a defective product. From the number of good granular materials w and the number of defective granular materials w1, non-defective products for all the granular materials w are determined. The ratio of the number of granular materials w and the ratio of the number of defective granular materials w1 to the number of all the granular materials w are obtained as evaluation of the sorting result.

  In this way, using a neural network, it is not only possible to simply determine the ratio of non-defective products to defective products by changing the setting of the number of neurons and neurolearning, but also distinguish worm-eaten granular materials, milk white granular materials, discolored granular materials, etc. It is also possible to determine the mixing ratio of each defective granular material w1 with respect to the number of all the granular materials w.

  The sorting result evaluation thus obtained is input to the printer 36 and printed on a paper sheet together with other traceability information such as date and time, product type and lot number.

  On the other hand, the granular material w group received by the hoppers 32a and 32b on the non-defective product side and the non-defective product side is lowered, and the outlets of the inclined passages 26a and 26b are temporarily closed by appropriate closing means. The inclined passages 26a and 26b and the hoppers 32a and 32b are stored. Next, for example, the non-defective product side closing means is opened and the non-defective product side granular material w group is accommodated in the container, and the defective product side closing means is opened and the defective product side granular material w group is formed. Housed in a separate container.

  Then, the processing for clarifying the correspondence between the container and the traceability information such as the evaluation of the sorting result corresponding to the container is performed in parallel with the accommodation of the granular material w in the container by the packer 34. Do. In this way, each container in which the granular material w is stored is accumulated in the packer 34.

  The sorting result evaluation obtained by the sorting result evaluation unit 35 is input to the sorting result evaluation relation control unit 38, and the sorting result evaluation relation control unit 38 controls each related part to an optimum state corresponding to the sorting result evaluation. To do.

It is a whole side view showing the outline of the granular material color sorter as an example concerning the present invention. It is a rear view which shows the nozzle assembly, the power stop valve, the vent pipe, etc. in the said sorter. It is a side view which shows the sample extraction means etc. of the said sorter. It is the figure which looked at the said nozzle assembly from diagonally downward.

Explanation of symbols

w Granules w1 Different color granules (defective product)
4a Non-defective product side granular material passage 4b Defective product side granular material passage 24 Sample take-out means 29 Imaging means 32a Non-defective product side hopper 32b Defective product side hopper 34 Packer 35 Sorting result evaluation unit 35a Image processing unit 35b Sorting result evaluation calculation unit 36 Printer 37 Response clarification means

Claims (4)

  In a granular material color sorter for separating a granular material group into a non-defective product side and a non-defective product side according to the color, a specific amount of granular material from at least one of the granular material passages corresponding to each of the good product side and the defective product side Sample take-out means for taking out the object, packer for enclosing the particulate matter taken out by the sample take-out means in a container, and traceability information about the particulate matter enclosed in the container A printer for inputting and printing, and correspondence clarification means for clarifying which traceability information printed by the printer corresponds to the container in which particulate matter is sealed by the packer A sorting result storage mechanism in a granular color sorter characterized by   In a granular material color sorter for separating a granular material group into a non-defective product side and a non-defective product side according to the color, a specific amount of granular material from at least one of the granular material passages corresponding to each of the good product side and the defective product side Sample extraction means for taking out the object outward, imaging means for imaging the particulate matter taken out by the sample extraction means, and a selection result for calculating a selection result evaluation based on imaging information from the imaging means An evaluation unit, a printer for inputting and printing the selection result evaluation calculated by the selection result evaluation unit and other traceability information of the granular material related to the evaluation, and the granular material after being imaged by the imaging means The packer enclosed in the container and the traceability information such as the evaluation of the sorting result printed by the printer are suitable for any of the containers in which the specific amount of particulate matter is enclosed. Corresponding clarification means and in sorting results in the particulate material color sorting machine, characterized in that a storage mechanism for either to clarify that.   In a granular material color sorter that separates a granular material group into a non-defective product side and a non-defective product side according to its color, a specific amount of granular material is taken from each of the granular material passages corresponding to the good product side and the defective product side, respectively. Sample extraction means to be extracted to the outside, imaging means for separately imaging each of the particulate matter corresponding to each passage extracted from the sample extraction means, and the selection result based on the imaging information from the imaging means A selection result evaluation unit for calculating the evaluation, a printer for inputting and printing the selection result evaluation calculated by the selection result evaluation unit and other traceability information of the particulate matter related to the evaluation, and the image pickup means A plurality of hoppers that individually receive each of the granular materials corresponding to the respective passages, and a package that encloses the granular materials in the hoppers in separate containers for each hopper. And a correspondence clarification means for clarifying which of the containers in which the specific amount of particulate matter is enclosed corresponds to traceability information such as evaluation of the sorting result printed by the printer. A sorting result storage mechanism of a granular color sorter characterized by that.   The imaging means is configured to continuously image the specific amount of particulate matter while falling in a single layer, and the sorting result evaluation unit includes an image processing unit and a sorting result evaluation calculation unit, The image processing unit is input with imaging information of the imaging unit and recognizes all of the specific amount of the granular material with a single two-dimensional image, and the sorting result evaluation calculation unit is included in the two-dimensional image. 4. The sorting result storage mechanism in the grain color sorter according to claim 2, wherein the sorting result evaluation is calculated based on image information relating to each granule.

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