JP2008285328A - Fruit/vegetable automatic sorting method and fruit/vegetable automatic sorting device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and a device in which a fruit/vegetable carrier during conveying of the fruit/vegetable is rotated at a side of a conveying line, the fruit/vegetable is fed out onto an oblique draw-out conveyor, and the fruit/vegetable fed out onto the oblique draw-out conveyor is conveyed to an oblique front side. <P>SOLUTION: The oblique draw-out conveyor 6 for drawing out the fruit/vegetable 3 discharged from the fruit/vegetable carrier 2 in an oblique direction within a range of 20° to 70° from an advancement direction of the fruit/vegetable carrier 2 and feeding it to a fruit/vegetable receiving body 4 is provided between the fruit/vegetable carrier 2 at a sorting discharge part and the fruit/vegetable receiving body 4. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an automatic sorting device for sorting various fruit vegetables according to standards (equal class) such as size, shape, sugar content, etc. Especially fruit vegetables such as tomatoes, peaches, pears, eggplants, melons, and Kodamanishi. It is suitable for sorting.

  As an apparatus for selecting fruit vegetables such as tomatoes, there is an apparatus shown in FIG. This is because a large number of fruit vegetable carriers 2 are connected to a chain (endless conveyance belt) 1, and the upper surface of each carrier 2 becomes a collapsible saucer. In the measuring section, the equal class is discriminated, and on the basis of the discrimination signal, the tray is rolled over at a predetermined sorter fruit acceptor (belt conveyor or table) 4 and the fruit vegetables 3 roll on the fruit acceptor 4. It is pooled and sorted.

  In the sorting apparatus shown in FIG. 7, in order to cause the saucer to roll over from the running vegetable carrier 2 and to discharge the fruit vegetables 3, firstly, the fruit vegetable 3 hurts due to the fall and rolling when the saucer rolls over, and secondly, the fruit vegetables. Since the accepting body 4 is a table that is pulled out sideways with respect to the advancing direction of the fruit vegetable carrier 2 or is merely a table, the movement in the advancing direction of the fruit vegetable carrier 2 is suddenly restricted, and the fruit vegetable 3 moves on the fruit vegetable accepting body 4. It rolls in a slanting lateral direction and causes further damage. When fruit vegetables 3 are tomatoes, they are often shipped in a blue and hard state before ripening, so this fruit selection machine has also been widely used. However, when considering damage as a problem, it is expensive and expensive to maintain. There was no choice but to select a bread type fruit sorting machine.

  In the fruit vegetable automatic selection method of the present invention, the fruit vegetables are transported on the fruit carrier carrier, the equal classes of the fruit vegetables being transported are discriminated, and the fruit vegetables being transported are sent to the side in the transport direction based on the discrimination signal. In the fruit and vegetable automatic sorting method that sorts by the discrimination result, the fruit and vegetable carrier being conveyed is rotated to the side of the conveyance line, the fruit and vegetables are sent out on the diagonally-drawn conveyor, and the diagonally-drawer conveyor is rotated and obliquely moved forward in the fruit and vegetable conveying direction. This is a method for transporting fruit vegetables fed on the diagonally-drawing conveyor to the diagonally forward direction.

  The fruit vegetable automatic selection method of the present invention is a method of feeding fruit vegetables conveyed diagonally ahead in the fruit vegetable conveyance direction by an oblique drawer conveyor to a fruit vegetable acceptor disposed at the front of the diagonal drawer conveyor.

  The fruit vegetable automatic selection method of the present invention is a method in which the fruit vegetable acceptor is automatically operated when the fruit vegetables are fed from the diagonally-drawing conveyor, and the fruit vegetables are pooled.

  The fruit and vegetables automatic sorting method according to the present invention is the fruit and vegetables automatic sorting method according to claim 1, wherein the oblique drawer conveyer is rotated obliquely within a range of 20 to 70 degrees with respect to the fruit and vegetables conveying direction, and the fruit and vegetables are slanted. It is a method of conveying to the other side.

  The fruit vegetable automatic sorting apparatus of the present invention carries fruit vegetables on a fruit carrier and conveys them, discriminates the fruit vegetables being conveyed in an equal class, etc., and sends out the fruit vegetables being conveyed to the side in the conveyance direction based on the discrimination signal. In an automatic fruit vegetable sorting apparatus for sorting by discrimination result, an oblique drawer conveyor is arranged on the side of the transport line, and the vegetable carrier is rotated to the side based on the discrimination signal, and the fruit vegetables thereon are moved to the diagonal drawer conveyor. The oblique drawer conveyer is rotated obliquely forward in the fruit and vegetable conveying direction so that the fruit and vegetables fed from the fruit and vegetable carrier can be conveyed to the obliquely forward direction.

  In the fruit vegetable automatic sorting apparatus according to the present invention, a fruit vegetable acceptor for receiving the fruit vegetables to be sent from the diagonally-drawing conveyor is disposed.

  In the fruit vegetable automatic sorting apparatus according to the present invention, two or more oblique drawer conveyors are arranged in the fruit vegetable conveying direction, and the fruit vegetable acceptor is arranged at the tip of the oblique drawer conveyor.

  In the fruit vegetable automatic sorting apparatus according to the present invention, the fruit vegetable acceptor automatically advances when the fruit vegetables are fed from the diagonally-drawn conveyor, and the fruit vegetables can be pooled on the fruit vegetable acceptor.

  The fruit vegetable automatic sorting apparatus according to the present invention is the fruit vegetable automatic sorting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the oblique drawer conveyor is capable of rotating obliquely forward in a range of 20 degrees to 70 degrees with respect to the fruit vegetable conveying direction. .

  In the fruit vegetable automatic sorting apparatus of the present invention, the fruit vegetable carrier is a belt conveyor type carrier.

  The fruit and vegetable automatic sorting apparatus of the present invention is the fruit and vegetable automatic sorting apparatus according to claim 3 or claim 4 in which a plurality of conveyor belts that are driven obliquely forward in the fruit and vegetable conveying direction are arranged in an oblique drawer conveyor.

In the present invention fruit and vegetable automatic sorting apparatus, a number of conveying rollers that rotate obliquely forward in the fruit and vegetable conveying direction are arranged in an oblique drawer conveyor.
Further, in the fruit and vegetable vegetable automatic sorting apparatus according to the present invention, the fruit and vegetable carrier may be provided with a transport belt, a slide pin is attached to the transport belt, and the belt reciprocates when the slide pin reciprocates.

  In the fruit vegetable automatic sorting apparatus according to the present invention, the fruit vegetables 3 discharged from the fruit carrier 2 between the fruit carrier 2 and the fruit vegetable acceptor 4 in the sorting discharge section 5 are 20 degrees to 70 degrees from the traveling direction of the fruit carrier 2. Is provided with an oblique drawer conveyor 6 that is pulled out in a slanting direction within the range and delivered to the fruit vegetable acceptor 4 and is transported obliquely before moving to the fruit vegetable acceptor 4, so that there is little change in the direction of movement of the fruit vegetables 3 The rolling of the fruit vegetables 3 can be reduced, and safe sorting becomes possible.

  In the fruit vegetable automatic sorting apparatus according to the present invention, since the fruit vegetable carrier 2 is a belt conveyor type carrier, the discharge of the fruit vegetables 3 is horizontally moved and sent to the diagonally-drawn conveyor 6. Compared with this, it is possible to prevent the fruit vegetables 3 from falling over, and it is possible to perform safe sorting that can substantially prevent rolling and the like. It can also be used to select fruits such as peaches and pears that are prone to pain.

  In the fruit vegetable automatic sorting apparatus of the present invention, the oblique drawer conveyor 6 is configured by arranging a plurality of thin conveyor belts 30 driven in the pulling direction along the traveling direction of the fruit vegetable carrier 2, so that the structure is Inexpensive and concise.

  In the fruit vegetable automatic sorting apparatus according to claim 4 of the present invention, since the oblique drawer conveyor 6 is configured by laying a large number of conveying rollers rotated in the pulling direction, as in the case of the belt, You can carry fruit vegetables diagonally.

(Embodiment 1)
1 and 3 are plan views showing an embodiment of an automatic fruit vegetable sorting apparatus according to the present invention, which is configured as a sorting apparatus for tomatoes. This device can also be used for sorting peaches and pears that overlap in size, as well as eggplants up to 20 cm in length. Reference numerals 1 and 3 in FIG. 1 denote endless transport bands (drive chains) that are advanced in the direction of arrow a in the drawing by a drive mechanism (not shown), and are provided along a long frame 9 having a length of 30 m. Yes. Reference numeral 2 in FIGS. 1 and 3 denotes a fruit vegetable carrier that carries the tomato 3 and is connected to the drive chain 1 and travels in the direction of arrow a in the figure.

  As shown in detail in FIGS. 1A to 2C, the fruit vegetable carrier 2 of FIGS. This is a belt conveyor type carrier provided with rotating rollers 11a and 11b that are rotatably mounted at an inter-axis distance of 330 mm, and a conveyor belt 12 having a width of 130 mm that is stretched between the rotating rollers 11a and 11b.

  In the frame 10 of FIG. 2, a long hole 14 having a length of 170 mm and a width of 10 mm is opened in the center of the bottom surface along the longitudinal direction of the frame. A slide pin 15 that can move a distance of 150 mm along the elongated hole 14 only in the direction of arrow ef in the figure is attached to the elongated hole 14. An upper end 15 a of the slide pin 15 is connected to a metal fitting 16 fixed to the conveyor belt 12, and a lower end 15 b of the slide pin 15 protrudes to the lower side of the frame 10 by about 20 mm. A bearing 17 is attached to the lower part of the pin 15, and when this is slid in the direction of the arrow ef, the conveying belt 12 connected to the upper part can reciprocate up to 150 mm. A support plate 18 for receiving and supporting the conveyor belt 12 is attached to the upper portion of the frame 10 (shown only in FIG. 2A).

  As shown in detail in FIG. 4, the conveyor belt 12 of FIG. 2 has a sheet-shaped receiving member 13 having a length of 200 mm and a width of 130 mm attached to a portion where the tomato 3 on the belt surface of the upper portion is placed. . The receiving member 13 has a plurality of ridges 19 having a maximum height of 3 mm formed on the surface, and the upper ends of the ridges 19 are formed so that the portion on which the tomato 3 is placed is recessed in a mortar shape, and a long and narrow cocoon is vertically It is cut into an elliptical mortar shape that is long in the longitudinal direction so that it can be placed in the direction. The receiving member 13 is made of a material such as an elastomer having a high flexibility. When the rotating roller 11a is bent, the receiving member 13 can be smoothly bent without being lifted from the conveying belt 12 or wrinkled. ing.

  In the traveling line of the long fruit vegetable carrier 2 shown in FIG. 3, the section A (about 6 to 7 m) before the transport direction is a tomato supply part for placing the tomato 3 on the fruit carrier 2, and the following section B (about 1 ~ 2m) is a measuring unit for measuring the equal class of the tomato 3, and the subsequent section C is a sorting unit.

  In section A in FIG. 3, several workers stand alongside the line, and the harvested tomatoes 3 are placed on the vegetable carrier 2 and supplied one by one.

  The measurement unit 8 in the section B of FIG. 3 is provided with a measurement device 8 based on image processing, and discriminates the equal class based on conditions specified in advance from the size and shape of tomatoes, scratches, colors, and the like. Can be done. From this measuring device, a discrimination signal representing the equal class is output. It is also possible to measure the weight of the tomato 3 by providing a load cell and measuring the weight of the fruit vegetable carrier.

  In each sorting discharge section 5 in the section C of FIG. 3, slide means for operating the slide pin 15 (more precisely, the bearing 17) on the bottom of the fruit vegetable carrier 2 to move the conveyor belt 12 in the direction of arrow b in the figure. Is provided. As shown in FIG. 5, each slide means includes a nylon plate 21 in which a slide pin 15 and its bearing 17 are inserted and a straight and oblique guide groove 20 (20 a, 20 b) that can run and a branch portion 22. And a rotary solenoid 24 provided on the lower side of the bar 23. The rotary solenoid 24 operates in response to the discrimination signal of the measuring device 8 in the section B. For example, when the fruit carrier 2 with the tomatoes 3 to be discharged tries to pass through the branch portion 22, it is normal. The switching bar 23 in the straight traveling state S1 is switched to the oblique traveling state S2, and the slide pin 15 of the fruit vegetable carrier 2 traveling in the straight traveling guide groove 20a is directed to the oblique guide groove 20b (an inclination of 30 degrees with respect to the straight traveling guide groove 20a). Then, the slide pin 15 is moved laterally in the direction of the arrow g, the transport belt 12 is rotated in the direction of the arrow b, and the tomato 3 placed thereon is discharged. A guide 25 (FIG. 3) for returning the slide belt 15 slid horizontally to the original position and returning the conveyor belt 12 by the oblique guide groove 20b is also provided at the leading end of the section C in the conveyance direction. ing.

  At the side of each sorting and discharging unit 5 in each section C in FIG. 3, a diagonal pull-out conveyor 6 that pulls out and conveys the tomatoes 3 delivered from the fruit carrier 2 in the direction of 50 degrees obliquely from the traveling direction of the fruit carrier 2. Is provided. As shown in FIG. 5, the diagonally-drawing conveyor 6 is a belt conveyor having a structure in which a plurality of slender belts 30 arranged at an angle of 50 degrees are arranged in parallel. Each belt (in this case, a round belt) is stretched between two driven pulleys 31a and 31b provided at both ends and a drive shaft 32 provided on the lower side, and is oblique to the drive shaft 32. In contact. The drive shaft 32 is rotated by a motor (not shown), and the round belt 30 is driven while being slightly twisted, and proceeds in the direction of the arrow c in the figure on the upper surface of the conveyor, and is sent out there. The tomato 3 can be transported in the direction of 50 degrees from the direction of travel of the fruit vegetable carrier 2. The arrangement interval of the round belts 30 is set to about 10 mm, and even small tomatoes 3 can be reliably conveyed without falling into the gap. The oblique drawer conveyor 6 is continuously operated.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 5, a fruit vegetable acceptor (in this case, a flat belt conveyor) 4 is provided at the tip of the oblique drawer conveyor 6 in each section C of FIG. 3. This flat belt conveyor 4 is an intermittently operated conveyor, and only when the tomato 3 is fed from the fruit vegetable carrier 2 through the diagonally-drawing conveyor 6 (only one tomato 3 passes). Necessary time) It is automatically operated so that the tomatoes 3 can be pooled at intervals on the flat belt conveyor 4.

(Embodiment 2)
In the fruit vegetable automatic sorting apparatus according to the present invention, the oblique drawer conveyor 6 may be a conveyor having various structures. FIG. 6 shows an example of a case of a roller conveyor, in which a large number of small driving rollers 30 having a diameter of about 6 to 8 mm are inclined and arranged. Each drive roller 30 has a central portion that is rotatably supported by a support 31, and a rotation driving rope 32 is hung on the central portion. The driving roller 30 is driven to rotate by the rope 32. ing.

It is the top view which showed embodiment of the fruit vegetable automatic selection apparatus of this invention, and shows a supply part, a measurement part, and a fruit vegetable sorting part partially. (A) is a top view of a fruit vegetable receptacle, (b) is a side view of (a), (c) is a front view of (a). The top view which showed the whole structure of the fruit vegetable automatic selection apparatus of this invention. (A)-(c) is explanatory drawing of the receiving member attached to a vegetable carrier. It is an example of the diagonal drawer conveyor in the fruit vegetable automatic selection apparatus of this invention, (a) is a side view, (b) is a top view. The top view which showed the other example of the diagonal drawer | drawer conveyor in the fruit vegetable automatic selection apparatus of this invention. The top view which showed the outline of the conventional fruit vegetable automatic selection apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Endless conveyance belt 2 Fruit vegetable carrier 3 Fruit vegetable 4 Fruit vegetable accepting body 5 Sort discharge part 6 Diagonal drawer conveyor

Claims (6)

In the fruit vegetable automatic sorting method that carries fruit vegetables on the fruit carrier, discriminates the equal class etc. of the fruit vegetables being transported, sends the fruit vegetables being transported sideways in the transport direction, and sorts by the discrimination result,
The fruit vegetable carriers connected in a row to the endless conveyance body in the conveyance direction are rotated based on the determination signal, horizontally moved the vegetable vegetables placed thereon, and sent to the conveyance direction side,
The diagonal drawer conveyor where the end on the side of the fruit vegetable carrier is placed close to the fruit vegetable carrier takes over the fruit vegetables that are horizontally moved from the fruit vegetable carrier,
The slanted drawer conveyor is rotated diagonally forward with respect to the fruit carrier conveying direction of the fruit vegetable carrier so that the change in the direction of movement of the fruit vegetables during the transfer from the fruit vegetable carrier is reduced and the rolling of the fruit vegetables is reduced. Send out
Two or more fruit vegetable acceptors arranged at intervals in the fruit carrier conveyance direction on the outside in the fruit carrier conveyance direction side are intermittently operated when the fruit vegetables are fed from the oblique drawer conveyor, and the fruit vegetables are taken over. A method for automatically selecting fruit vegetables, wherein two or more fruit vegetables are pooled on the fruit undertaker by repeating the operation.   In the fruit vegetable automatic selection method according to claim 1, characterized in that the oblique drawer conveyer is rotated obliquely in the range of 20 degrees to 70 degrees with respect to the fruit vegetable conveying direction, and the fruit vegetables are conveyed to the obliquely forward direction. Fruit vegetable automatic selection method. In the fruit vegetable automatic sorting device that carries fruit vegetables on the fruit carrier, discriminates the equal class etc. of the fruit vegetables being transported, sends the fruit vegetables being transported to the side in the transport direction and sorts them by the discrimination result,
A large number of the fruit vegetable carriers are connected to the endless conveyance body in the conveyance direction, rotate based on the discrimination signal, and horizontally move the fruit vegetables placed thereon to send them sideways in the conveyance direction. Can
Two or more fruit vegetable acceptors are arranged on the outer side in the conveyance direction of the fruit vegetable carrier with an interval in the conveyance direction of the fruit vegetable carrier,
An oblique drawer conveyor is disposed between the fruit vegetable carrier and the fruit vegetable acceptor,
The oblique drawer conveyor is a belt conveyor type, and the fruit carrier side end is arranged close to the fruit carrier so that the fruit vegetables that are horizontally moved from the fruit carrier can be taken over.
The fruit vegetable acceptor is a belt conveyor type, and the end portion of the oblique drawer conveyor is disposed close to the oblique drawer conveyor so that the fruit vegetables fed from the oblique drawer conveyor can be taken over,
The diagonal drawer conveyor can be rotated diagonally forward with respect to the fruit carrier transport direction of the fruit vegetable carrier so as to reduce the change in the direction of movement of the fruit vegetables during the transfer from the fruit carrier to reduce the rolling of the fruit vegetables. And it is arranged toward the diagonally ahead,
The fruit and vegetable carrier is arranged along the fruit and vegetable conveyance direction so that the fruit and vegetables on the fruit and vegetable carrier can be taken over during conveyance.
The fruit vegetable acceptor is intermittently operated when the fruit vegetables are fed from an oblique drawer conveyor, and the fruit vegetables are taken over, and two or more fruit vegetables can be pooled on the fruit vegetable acceptor body by repeating the intermittent operation. apparatus.   4. An automatic fruit vegetable sorting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the diagonally drawn conveyor is rotatable in the range of 20 degrees to 70 degrees with respect to the fruit vegetable conveying direction.   The automatic vegetable vegetable sorting apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the diagonally-drawing conveyor has a plurality of thin conveyor belts that are driven diagonally forward in the fruit vegetable conveying direction in the direction in which the fruit vegetable carrier travels. Automatic fruit vegetable sorting device.   6. The fruit and vegetable automatic sorting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the fruit and vegetable carrier includes a transport belt, a slide pin is attached to the transport belt, and the belt reciprocates when the slide pin reciprocates. It is characterized by fruit and vegetables automatic sorting device.

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