JP2009286523A - Farm produce carrying device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a farm product distinguishing machine certainly enabling image pickup for distinguishing by turning the whole peripheral surface of a farm product in the image pickup direction of an image pickup device. <P>SOLUTION: The farm produce carrying device 1 can distinguish a farm product according to image data obtained by photographing the surface of the farm product by the image pickup device. In the farm product carrying device, the farm product is guided and clipped by projecting portions of guide rails 3D, 4D in a middle of a carrying passage, and shafts 30A, 40A are 1/3 rotated forwardly by meshing first gears 3B, 4B with second gears 3F, 4F. Next, after releasing a clipping state, the shaft 40A is supported to vertically move, and raised from a position making the shaft 40A downwardly eccentric to the axis of the shaft 30A to a position wherein both the shafts are coaxial, thereby rotating the farm product in the right direction. Namely, 1/3 rotation is carried in the forward direction and the right direction, and repeated three times, thereby turning the whole of the peripheral surface upward. Therefore, the image pickup of the whole peripheral surface of the farm produce is certainly carried out. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a crop transport device, and more particularly to a crop transport device used in a crop discriminator capable of discriminating a crop based on image data obtained by imaging the surface of a crop with an imaging device.

As prior art document information related to the crop transport device used in the crop discriminator according to the present invention, for example, there is the following Patent Document 1.
JP 2000-237696 A

  Patent Document 1 describes an apparatus for imaging and inspecting crops that fall by providing a height difference between a separation conveyor and an alignment conveyor in a crop transport apparatus (conveyor) for inspecting crops (coconuts). Specifically, after the upper surface of the crop to be transported is imaged by an imaging device (imaging camera) provided on the separation conveyor, the crop is dropped (jumped) from the separation conveyor to the alignment conveyor, and the crop falls. In some cases, the entire peripheral surface of the crop is imaged by imaging the lower surface side of the crop in the air with the imaging device provided toward the fall position.

  However, since the orientation of the imaging device is fixed in the case of the crop conveyance device of Patent Document 1, if the crop falling posture is constant, the lower surface of the crop can be reliably imaged. Since the shapes, weights, and positions of the center of gravity are different, the falling postures of all the crops are not always constant, and the entire peripheral surface of all the crops cannot be reliably imaged.

  An object of the present invention is to deal with such a problem. That is, it is an object of the present invention to reliably direct the entire peripheral surface of the crop in the imaging direction of the imaging device.

  In order to achieve the above object, an agricultural product transport apparatus according to the present invention comprises at least the following configuration.

  That is, a transport body that transports the crop, a plurality of crop placement sections provided in the transport direction along the transport direction, and a plan view of the crop on the placement section with respect to the transport direction in accordance with the transport operation of the transport body. A rotation holding unit that holds and releases the holding from a direction that intersects in the direction and rotates in a holding state in a direction that intersects in the plane direction with respect to the conveyance direction and the conveyance direction. A first holding portion disposed along one of the directions intersecting the conveying direction of the first plate along the conveying direction, and a first holding portion disposed along the conveying direction on the other end side of the first holding portion. A first holding unit that moves in accordance with the transport operation of the transport body and slides in the direction of holding and releasing the crop during the transport operation. Supported and rotatable in the transport direction A holding portion, an urging means provided to urge the holding portion in a direction in which the holding portion is slid in the holding release direction, and the holding portion, A plurality of protrusions facing the end opposite to the holding end of the crop, and fixed so that the opposite end is in contact with the conveying operation, and facing the opposite end And a guide rail portion alternately provided with a plurality of concave portions recessed in a direction opposite to the projecting direction of the convex portion, and the holding portion that rotates integrally coaxially with the holding portion. A first gear portion that is supported so as to hold a fixed position with respect to the slide, and a length that is shorter than the total length along the conveying direction of the convex portion, and is fixed to a portion corresponding to the downstream side of the convex portion in the conveying direction. Engaged with the first gear portion during the transfer operation of the transfer body, A second gear portion having a number of teeth that rotates less than a half circumference, and a guide portion fixed so as to guide the conveying operation of the holding unit over the entire region of the conveying body in the conveying direction, The holding portion includes a holding portion, an urging means, a guide rail portion, a first gear portion, and a second gear portion having the same configuration as that of the first holding portion, and in the transfer direction of the transfer body. It is fixed so as to guide the conveying operation of the holding unit over the entire area, and is eccentric in the vertical direction with respect to the axis of the first holding unit in the state where the crop is released, and the first holding is performed in the state where the crop is held. It is characterized by having a guide part that guides so as to be concentric with the axis of the part.

  Further, the number of teeth of the second gear portion is the number of teeth that rotates the first gear by 1/3 turn or less.

  Further, a position where the holding part of the second holding part is eccentric with respect to the axis of the first holding part and a position where the holding part of the second holding part is coaxial with the axis of the first holding part. The distance is equal to or less than the length of 1/3 of the outer circumference of the crop.

  BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out an agricultural product transport apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In addition, the agricultural product illustrated in a present Example is a potato, and hereafter, an agricultural product is demonstrated as a potato. In this embodiment, the potato transport direction is the forward direction, the counter-transport direction is the rear direction, the direction intersecting the transport direction in the plane direction is the left-right direction, and the direction intersecting the transport direction in the vertical direction is the vertical direction.

  The crop conveyance device A according to the present embodiment includes a roller conveyor-like conveyance body 1 in which a plurality of rollers 11 are arranged in parallel in the conveyance direction, and a notch of each roller 11 adjacent to each other by notching the central peripheral surface of each roller 11. The potatoes B placed on the placement unit 12 are held and released from the left and right directions in accordance with the carrying operation of the carrying unit of the carrying unit 1 and the placing unit 12 formed in a concave shape by facing the parts. In addition, the rotation holding unit 2 is configured to rotate forward and rightward in the holding state. The mounting portion 12 is large enough to fit the peripheral surface of the potato B. By placing the potato B in a fitting state on the mounting portion 12, the position of the potato B during the transporting operation can be determined. Can be held.

  The transport body 1 of the present embodiment is formed in an endless conveyor shape by connecting each roller 11 to a drive chain 13 that is disposed on the left and right of the transport body 1 and is wound so as to drive forward. Yes. Each roller 11 is pivotally supported by a support plate 14 suspended from the right drive chain 13 and a support plate 15 suspended from the left drive chain 13. The drive chain 13 is supported by the right chain rail 13R and the left chain rail 13L so that no slack occurs in the vertical direction.

  The rotation holding unit 2 includes a first holding unit 3 disposed along the front-rear direction with the drive chain 13 sandwiched between the right side of the transport body 1 and the front-rear direction with the drive chain 13 sandwiched between the left side of the transport body 1. The first holding unit 3 and the second holding unit 4 hold the potato B to be conveyed in a sandwiched manner.

  The first holding unit 3 has a holding unit 3A that is slidably supported by the drive chain 13 so as to be slidable from the left and right directions and rotatable in the forward direction at a position corresponding to each placement unit 12. The holding portion 3A has a holding plate 31A for holding the potato B fixed to the left end portion of the sliding and rotating shaft portion 30A, and moves to the right end portion as the drive chain 13 is driven. A guide roller 32A for guiding the holding portion is pivotally supported. The guide roller 32A is supported by a support frame 33A that rotatably supports the shaft portion 30A with the vertical direction as an axis. Further, the shaft portion 30A supports a first gear portion 3B that is integrally rotated coaxially with the shaft portion 30A and that is ovally engaged so that the shaft portion 30A penetrates slidably. The first gear portion 3B is located between the first gear portion 3B and the drive chain 13, and is prevented from moving leftward by a spacer 30C loosely fitted to the shaft portion 30A. The shaft portion 30A between the first gear portion 3B and the support frame 33A is compressed by a compression spring (biasing means) 3C that urges the shaft portion 30A in the direction of sliding in the right direction (holding release direction). Are mated.

  Further, the first holding unit 3 has a guide rail portion 3D fixed so that the guide roller 32A is in contact with the guide roller 32A during the transport operation in the front-rear direction over the entire region in the transport direction. In the guide rail portion 3D, a plurality of convex portions 30D protruding toward the guide roller 32A and a plurality of concave portions 31D recessed on the opposite side are alternately provided along the front-rear direction on the surface that the guide roller 32A contacts. It has been. The surface connecting the convex portion 30D and the concave portion 31D is an inclined surface 32D. When the guide roller 32A moving forward is guided by the inclined surface 32D and reaches the convex portion 30D from the concave portion 31D, the shaft portion 30A is moved to the left. The holding plate 31A comes into contact with the potato B while sliding in the direction (holding direction). Further, the guide roller 32A moving forward is guided by the inclined surface 32D and reaches from the convex portion 30D to the concave portion 31D, so that the shaft portion 30A slides in the right direction (holding release direction) by the urging force of the compression spring 3C. The holding plate 31A is separated from the potato B.

  Further, in the first holding unit 3, a guide unit 3E that supports the holding unit 3A so as to be slidable in the front direction and the left-right direction is fixed over the entire region in the transport direction. In the guide portion 3E, a support frame 33A penetrates in the left-right direction, and a guide hole 30E that supports the support frame 33A so as to be slidable in the forward direction and the left-right direction is opened over the entire conveyance direction. Since the support frame 33A is supported by the guide hole 30E in a penetrating manner, the shaft portion 30A is supported at two points of the guide hole 30E and the drive chain 13 supported by the chain rail 13R. The vertical inclination of the portion 30A can be prevented.

  Further, the first holding portion 3 is fixed with a second gear portion 3F having a number of teeth that meshes with the first gear portion 3B moving forward and rotates the first gear 3C by 1/3 turn. The second gear portion 3F has a length shorter than the total length of the convex portion 30D in the front-rear direction, and is fixed to a portion corresponding to the front side of the convex portion 30D. That is, after the holding portion moves forward, the guide roller 32A is guided by the inclined surface 32D and reaches the convex portion 30D from the concave portion 31D, and the shaft portion 30A slides leftward, the first gear portion 3B is moved to the second direction. It meshes with the gear portion 3F and rotates. Then, after the meshing between the first gear portion 3B and the second gear portion 3F is released, the guide roller 32A moving forward is guided by the inclined surface 32D to reach the concave portion 31D from the convex portion 30D, and the shaft portion 30A is It is made to slide rightward by the urging force of the compression spring 3C.

  The second holding unit 4 is provided so as to be symmetrical with respect to the holding unit 3A, the first gear unit 3B, the compression spring 3C, the guide rail unit 3D, the guide unit 3E, and the second gear unit 3F in the first holding unit 3. The holding portion 4A, the first gear portion 4B, the compression spring 4C, the guide rail portion 4D, the guide portion 3E, and the second gear portion 4F are provided. The holding portion 4A, the first gear portion 4B, the compression spring 4C, the guide rail portion 4D, and the second gear portion 4F are the holding portion 3A, the first gear portion 3B, the compression spring 3C, the guide rail portion 3D, and the second gear. It has the same configuration as the part 3F, and the holding part 4A slides in the holding direction and the holding release direction in the left and right direction opposite to the holding part 3A.

  In the above description, the reference numerals of the constituent elements of the holding portion 3A, the first gear portion 3B, the compression spring 3C, the guide rail portion 3D, the guide portion 3E, and the second gear portion 3F are shown as the 30th order. In the description, the reference numerals of the constituent elements constituting the holding part 4A, the first gear part 4B, the compression spring 4C, the guide rail part 4D, the guide part 3E, and the second gear part 4F in the same part as the constituent elements are 40 Shown as a stand.

  That is, during the transporting operation, the shaft portion 30A and the shaft portion 40A are guided by the convex portions 30D and 40D of the guide rails 3D and 4D, respectively, and slide in directions approaching each other to hold the potato B in a sandwiched manner. Further, the first gear portions 3B and 4B are engaged with the second gear portions 3F and 4F, respectively, thereby rotating the shaft portions 30A and 40A by 1/3 turn in the forward direction. The shaft portion 30A and the shaft portion 40A are guided from the convex portions 30D and 40D to the concave portions 31D and 41D through the inclined surfaces 32D and 42D, whereby the shaft portions 30A and 40A are biased by the compression springs 3C and 4C. To slide away from each other.

  The guide portion 4E of the second holding portion 4 includes an upper hole 41E in which the guide hole 40E is opened at the same height as the guide hole 30E, and a lower hole 42E that is opened at a position lower than the upper hole 41E. , And an inclined hole 43E that connects the upper holes 41E and 42E. The position of the upper hole 41E is in a position adjacent to the convex portion 40D of the guide rail portion 4D in the left-right direction, and the length in the front-rear direction starts from the vicinity of the rear end of the second gear portion 4F, and the guide rail portion 4D The length is the same as the end of the protrusion 40D. The upper holes 41E, the lower holes 42E, and the inclined holes 43E are formed in the same number as the convex portions 40D, the concave portions 41D, and the inclined surfaces 42D in the guide rail portion 4D.

  The guide portion 4E supports the shaft portion 40A so as to move up and down, and in a state where the shaft portion 40A is supported by the lower hole 42E, the shaft center of the shaft portion 40A is positioned below the shaft center of the shaft portion 30A. In a state where the shaft portion 40A is supported by the upper hole 41E, the shaft portion 40A is positioned on the same axis as the shaft portion 30A, and the shaft portion 40A is moved up and down during conveyance.

  That is, in the second holding portion 4, at the beginning of the holding release state of the potato B of the shaft portion 40A and the holding state of the potato B, the shaft portion 40A is positioned in the lower hole 42E of the guide hole 40E, and the shaft portion 30A Eccentric downward with respect to the shaft center. When the shaft portion 40A moves in the forward direction in the holding state and reaches the upper hole 41E of the guide hole 40E, the shaft portion 40A rises and becomes coaxial with the shaft portion 30A. Then, the potato B is rotated in the right direction by raising the shaft portion 40A from a position eccentric with the shaft portion 30A to a position coaxial with the shaft portion 40A. Further, when the shaft portion 40A moves in the forward direction, the first gear portion 4B meshes with the second gear portion 4F and rotates in the forward direction, so that the potato B is 1 / with the shaft portion 30A rotating at the same position. It can be rotated three times.

  The rotation of the potato B in the right direction is 1/3 of the turn in the same manner as the rotation in the forward direction. In order to make the potato B 1/3 turn to the right, the distance from the position where the shaft portion 40A is eccentric to the shaft portion 30A to the position where it is coaxial is set to a distance that allows the potato B to be made 1/3 turn. Can be achieved.

  The reason for setting the rotation of the potato B to 1/3 is, for example, when imaging the surface of the potato from above, if the potato is configured to make a half turn, the vertical direction of the potato is only reversed, and the front-rear direction and the horizontal direction This is because the front surface of the camera does not face upward, and the front and rear and left and right surfaces become blind spots and cannot be imaged (see FIG. 7B). On the other hand, if the rotation is 1/3, the position where the diameter line extending from the center of the potato B to extend in the radial direction at an angle of 120 degrees intersects the surface of the potato can be seen from above. The blind spot when imaged from above can be eliminated (see FIG. 7A). Accordingly, the rotation distance for directing the entire peripheral surface of the potato B to 1/3 is set to 1/3, and the entire peripheral surface of the potato B is directed upward by performing this 1/3 rotation three times. Can do.

  In the present invention, the rotation distance of the potato B is not limited to 1/3 round, and if it is less than a half round, the entire surface of the potato B can be directed upward by several rotations.

  The chain rail 13L is formed so as to face the upper hole 41E, the lower hole 42E, and the inclined hole 43E in the guide hole 40E. That is, the upper rail 13A is opposed to the upper hole 41E, the lower rail 13B is opposed to the lower hole 42E, and the inclined rail 13C is opposed to the inclined surface 42D. That is, when the drive chain 13 supporting the shaft portion 40A is guided by the chain rail 13L, the shaft portion 40A can be moved forward while being moved up and down by two-point support with the guide hole 40E.

  The support plate 15 that pivotally supports each roller 11 on the second holding part 4 side has a long hole 150 that is long in the vertical direction, and the support shaft 110 of each roller 11 is loosely fitted in the long hole 150. Yes. Further, the support shaft 110 of each roller 11 holds a fixed position in the entire transport direction by being supported by the support rail 16 fixed over the entire transport direction. The support plate 15 rises when the suspended portion of the support plate 15 of the drive chain 13 reaches the upper rail 13A, and descends when it reaches the lower rail 13B. The length of the long hole 150 corresponds to the vertical movement distance of the support plate 15. The support shaft 110 is supported by the lower end portion of the long hole 150 and is lowered when the support plate 15 is raised. In this state, the support shaft 110 is supported by the upper end portion of the long hole 150. That is, even if the support plate 15 that supports each roller 11 is raised, the fixed position of each roller 11 can be maintained.

  According to the crop conveyance device A of the present embodiment, while the potato B is being conveyed, the entire peripheral surface of the potato B is directed upward by rotating the potato B one-third turn forward and rightward. Can do. In other words, the entire peripheral surface of the potato B can be directed in the imaging direction of the imaging device.

  In addition, since the potato B does not rotate at the beginning of holding the potato B, for example, when the agricultural product carrying apparatus A of the present embodiment is used in a carrying apparatus used for a potato B sprouting apparatus, the potato B is initially held. A range from the position to the rotation start position of the potato B can be a work zone for taking potato B buds. The working zone can be changed in range by changing the length of the convex portions 30D and 40D of the guide rails 3D and 4D in the front-rear direction.

  In addition, since the potato B is held at a fixed position by the mounting portion 12, when the rotation holding portion 2 holds the potato B, a holding plate that comes into contact with the potato B by the momentum caused by the sliding of the shaft portions 30A and 40A. 31A and 41A do not fly potato B, and can be reliably held at a fixed position. Further, since the potato B can be held at a fixed position even in the holding release state, the holding plates 31A and 41A affect the imaging of the potato B by setting the position where the surface of the potato B is imaged as the holding releasing position, for example. The surface of the potato B can be reliably imaged.

  Note that the potato B sprout device is based on, for example, imaging means for imaging the state of the surface of the potato being transported, sprout means for performing an eye catching operation, and image data of an image captured by the imaging means. An output means for specifying the position of the bud and outputting the position data; and a control means for inputting the output position data and controlling the bud picking means to perform a sprout operation based on the position data. What is provided (not shown). Further, the crop conveyance device of the present embodiment is not limited to that used for imaging the surface of the crop (for example, a shooter, a sorting device), and can be combined with, for example, a crop cleaning device using cleaning water. That is, a washing water injection nozzle is provided above the crop conveyance device, and the washing water injection nozzle sprays high-pressure washing water onto the crop whose entire peripheral surface faces upward while rotating in the conveyance path. The entire peripheral surface can be cleaned (not shown).

  The present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments, and can be implemented with configurations within a scope that does not deviate from the contents described in the claims.

The top view of the crop conveyance apparatus which concerns on this invention. (a) is a right side view of FIG. 1, and (b) is a left side view of FIG. The principal part enlarged view of FIG. (a) is a sectional view taken along line (4a)-(4a) in FIG. 3, (b) is a sectional view taken along line (4b)-(4b) in FIG. 3, and (c) is (4c)-(4c) in FIG. FIG. (a) is the sectional view along the line (5a)-(5a) in FIG. 3, and (b) is the sectional view along the line (5b)-(5b) in FIG. (a) is the sectional view taken along the line (6a)-(6a) in FIG. 3, and (b) is the sectional view taken along the line (6b)-(6b) in FIG. (a) shows a state in which the potato is rotated by 周, and (b) shows a state in which the potato is rotated by a half.

Explanation of symbols

A: Crop transport device B: Potato (crop)
1: Conveying body 12: Placement unit 2: Rotation holding unit 3: First holding unit 4: Second holding unit 3A: Holding unit 3B: First gear unit 3C: Compression spring (biasing means)
3D: guide rail part 30D: convex part 31D: concave part 3E: guide part 3F: second gear part 4A: holding part 4B: first gear part 4C: compression spring (biasing means)
4D: Guide rail part 40D: Convex part 41D: Concave part 4E: Guide part 4F: Second gear part

Claims (3)

A transport body that transports the crops, a plurality of crop placement units provided in the transport direction along the transport direction, and a transporting operation of the transport body, the crops of the placement unit in a plane direction with respect to the transport direction A rotation holding unit that holds and releases the holding from the intersecting direction and rotates the holding direction in a direction that intersects the conveying direction and the plane direction with respect to the conveying direction;
The rotation holding unit is arranged along the conveyance direction on the one end side in the direction intersecting the conveyance direction of the placement unit in the plane direction, and arranged along the conveyance direction on the other end side, A second holding part for holding the crop in a sandwiched manner with the first holding part,
The first holding unit is configured to perform a transport operation along with the transport operation of the transport body, and to be supported so as to be slidable in the holding direction and the holding release direction of the crop and to be rotatable in the transport direction during the transport operation. Urging means provided to urge the holding part in a direction in which the holding part is slid in the holding release direction, and holding the crop of the holding part over the entire area in the carrying direction of the carrier A plurality of convex portions that face the end opposite to the side end and that are fixed so as to come into contact with each other during the conveying operation, and project so as to face the opposite end , And a plurality of recesses that are recessed in the opposite direction to the projecting direction of the projections, and the guide rail portions that are alternately provided along the transport direction, rotate integrally with the holding portion, and slide on the holding portion. A first gear portion supported to hold a fixed position with respect to the first gear portion The convex portion is shorter than the entire length along the transport direction, and is fixed to a portion corresponding to the downstream side of the convex portion in the transport direction, and meshes with the first gear portion during the transport operation of the transport body. A second gear part having a number of teeth that rotates one gear less than a half circumference, and a guide part fixed so as to guide the conveying operation of the holding part over the entire area of the conveying body in the conveying direction,
The second holding unit includes a holding unit, an urging means, a guide rail unit, a first gear unit, and a second gear unit having the same configuration as the first holding unit, and transporting the transport body The holding unit is fixed so as to guide the conveying operation over the entire direction, and is decentered in the vertical direction with respect to the axis of the first holding unit in the state where the agricultural product is released, and the first unit in the state where the agricultural product is held. An agricultural product transporting device comprising a guide unit that guides the first holding unit so as to be concentric with the axis.   The number of teeth of the 2nd gear part is the number of teeth which makes the 1st gear rotate 1/3 round, The crop conveyance device characterized by things.   The distance between the position where the holding part of the second holding part is eccentric with respect to the axis of the first holding part and the position where the holding part of the second holding part is coaxial with the axis of the first holding part. A crop conveying apparatus characterized in that it has a length equivalent to 1/3 of the outer circumference of the crop.

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