JP2021092461A - Internal quality inspection device for fruits and vegetables - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an internal quality inspection device capable of non-destructively inspecting internal quality of fruits and vegetables the inside of which contains internal fault occurring at an unspecified place, such as brown spot disease of pineapples.SOLUTION: A internal quality inspection device for fruits and vegetables irradiates fruits and vegetables with inspection light shaped so that an irradiation shape is approximately square, over approximately half the circumference of fruits and vegetables; moves the fruits and vegetables relatively to floodlight means to move an irradiation area of the inspection light on the fruits and vegetables; and divide the fruits and vegetables into a plurality of areas and inspect internal quality.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to an internal quality inspection device for non-destructively inspecting the internal quality partially generated inside fruits and vegetables, which is difficult to distinguish from the appearance such as black eye disease occurring in pineapple.

Conventionally, near-infrared spectroscopy has been known as a method for non-destructively inspecting the internal quality of fruits and vegetables such as fruits and vegetables.
In near-infrared spectroscopy, for example, as disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, fruits and vegetables are irradiated with light including a wavelength band of near-infrared light, and transmitted light and / or fruits and vegetables transmitted through the fruits and vegetables are emitted. By receiving the reflected reflected light, the quality (characteristics) of the fruits and vegetables is measured based on the decrease in light intensity (light absorption) caused by the fruits and vegetables.

Since the wavelength and magnitude of the decrease in light intensity differ depending on the presence or absence of internal quality, near-infrared spectroscopy can be used to easily and accurately inspect the internal quality of fruits and vegetables. Can be inspected for internal quality.

In particular, in order to detect the internal quality locally generated inside fruits and vegetables such as hollow fruits, as disclosed in Patent Documents 2 to 5, near-infrared light is irradiated from a plurality of light sources and a plurality of sources are irradiated. By detecting the transmitted light transmitted through the fruits and vegetables by the light receiving part of the above, the detection omission is eliminated.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-174030 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-98106 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6-288903 International Publication No. 01/022062 International Publication No. 05/108956

However, even when a plurality of light sources as disclosed in Patent Documents 2 to 5 are used, the transmitted light detected by the light receiving unit corresponds to the average value of all fruits and vegetables. For this reason, it was possible to detect the sugar content and acidity of fruits and vegetables, and internal disorders that occur in specific places such as long objects and cavities that occur inside elliptical spherical fruits and vegetables, but they occur locally inside fruits and vegetables. For example, it has been difficult to detect internal disorders such as pineapple black eye disease.

In view of this situation, the present invention allows non-destructive inspection of the internal quality of fruits and vegetables, including internal disorders that occur in unspecified places inside the fruits and vegetables, such as black eye disease that occurs in pineapple. The purpose is to provide the device.

The present invention has been invented to solve the above-mentioned problems in the prior art, and the internal quality inspection apparatus of the present invention is:
An internal quality inspection device for inspecting the internal quality of fruits and vegetables.
A light projecting means for irradiating the fruits and vegetables with inspection light,
A light receiving means for receiving the inspection light transmitted through the fruits and vegetables, and
An arithmetic processing means for inspecting the internal quality of the fruits and vegetables based on the received inspection light, and
With
The inspection light is shaped so that the irradiation shape of the fruits and vegetables is substantially square, and is configured to irradiate the fruits and vegetables over approximately half a circumference or more.
By relatively moving the fruits and vegetables and the light projecting means, the irradiation region of the inspection light on the fruits and vegetables is moved, the fruits and vegetables are divided into a plurality of regions, and the internal quality is inspected. It is characterized by being composed.

Such an internal quality inspection device is provided with a plurality of the light projecting means.
The plurality of light projecting means can be arranged in a substantially annular shape so that the inspection light is irradiated over substantially half of the circumference of the fruits and vegetables.

In addition, a transport means for transporting the fruits and vegetables is further provided.
By transporting the fruits and vegetables in a predetermined direction by the transporting means, the fruits and vegetables and the light projecting means can be configured to move relatively.

Further, a moving mechanism for moving the light projecting means is further provided.
By moving the light projecting means in a predetermined direction by the moving mechanism, the fruits and vegetables and the light projecting means can be configured to move relatively.

According to the present invention, by irradiating the inspection light over approximately half the circumference of the fruits and vegetables, dividing the fruits and vegetables T into a plurality of regions, and inspecting the internal quality, there are some parts of the fruits and vegetables that the inspection light does not transmit. In addition, since the internal quality is inspected for each divided area of fruits and vegetables, even internal disorders that occur in unspecified places inside fruits and vegetables, such as black eye disease that occurs in pineapples, can be detected accurately. be able to.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the configuration of the internal quality inspection device of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining an irradiation region of inspection light on fruits and vegetables. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining the movement of the inspection area of fruits and vegetables. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a configuration of the internal quality inspection apparatus of the present invention in another embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments (examples) of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the configuration of the internal quality inspection device of the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the internal quality inspection device 10 of the present embodiment includes a transport means 12 for transporting fruits and vegetables T in a predetermined direction, and a plurality of transport means 12 provided in a substantially annular shape on the side and above of the transport means 12. The light projecting means 14a to 14h, the light receiving means 16 provided below the transporting means 12, and the arithmetic processing means 18 for inspecting the fruits and vegetables T based on the light intensity received by the light receiving means 16. ..

The transporting means 12 is capable of transporting the fruits and vegetables T in a predetermined direction so that the light receiving means 16 provided below the transporting means 12 can receive the inspection light (transmitted light) transmitted through the fruits and vegetables T. It is configured. As such a transporting means 12, in the present embodiment, a tray conveyor using a perforated tray 12a as shown in FIG. 2 is used, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a width smaller than the size of the fruit and vegetable T is used. It may be a two-row belt conveyor arranged only apart from each other.

Each of the light projecting means 14a to 14h is configured to irradiate the fruits and vegetables T with inspection light shaped so that the irradiation shape is substantially square. Then, by irradiating the inspection light from the light projecting means 14a to 14h arranged in a substantially annular shape, the inspection light is irradiated (inspection light) over substantially half of the circumference of the fruit and vegetable T as shown in FIGS. Irradiation area M) will be applied.

In the present embodiment, a plurality of light projecting means 14a to 14h are used to irradiate the inspection light over substantially half of the circumference of the fruit and vegetable T. For example, the light projecting means is irradiated by one light projecting means including an LED array or the like. You may try to do it.

The light projecting means 14a to 14h are particularly limited as long as they can irradiate light having a wavelength of 400 to 1700 nm, more preferably light having a wavelength of 500 to 1100 nm, as inspection light. However, as the light source, for example, a halogen lamp, a sodium lamp, a fluorescent tube, a neon tube, an LED (Light Emitting Diode), a laser light source, or the like can be used, or a variable wavelength light source may be used.

When a light source such as a halogen lamp that diffuses a luminous flux is used as the light source of the light projecting means 14a to 14h, the luminous flux is shaped by an optical system (not shown) such as a slit or a collimator, and the irradiation shape is changed in the transport direction. It is configured to be adjusted so as to have a band shape narrower than the width of the fruit and vegetable T in the above.

The light receiving means 16 is not particularly limited as long as it can receive such inspection light, and may be, for example, a photodiode such as Si, InGaAs, Ge, or PbS. Area cameras, line cameras, spectroscopes, imaging spectroscopes, multi-band cameras and the like using these photodiodes can be used.

The arithmetic processing means 18 controls the operations of the light emitting means 14a to 14h and the light receiving means 16, and inspects the fruits and vegetables T based on the measured values acquired by the light receiving means 16. The arithmetic processing means 18 may be, for example, a computer having an arithmetic means, a storage means, a communication means, or the like, and may be a personal computer, a workstation, a general-purpose server, or the like, or a microcontroller or the like. It can also be in the form.

The arithmetic processing means 18 may perform the inspection using the measured value acquired by the light receiving means 16, that is, the light amount value of the transmitted light as it is, and for example, a light receiving means 16 having a spectral function may be used. If so, the spectrum of transmitted light can also be used as the measured value. Alternatively, the absorbance spectrum calculated based on the spectrum of the direct light received by the light receiving means 16 when the light receiving means 16 is directly irradiated with the inspection light from the light projecting means 14a to 14h and the spectrum of the transmitted light can be used as the measured value. Alternatively, the measured value may be data obtained by second-order differentiation of this absorbance spectrum with respect to the wavelength. That is, it is preferable to use the optimum measured value for the inspection content by appropriately converting the measured value according to the inspection content of the fruit and vegetable T.

In the internal quality inspection device 10 of the present embodiment configured as described above, the arithmetic processing means 18 inspects the internal quality of fruits and vegetables T, for example, sugar content, acidity, ripeness, internal damage, etc., based on the measured values. Can be done. In order to make it easier to handle by a computer, it is preferable to quantify the internal quality and use it as a quality value. In addition, when inspecting the presence or absence of abnormality as a quality value, Boolean datatype data can be used. As such an internal quality inspection method, a conventionally known method can be used.

Specifically, the internal quality inspection device 10 of the present embodiment can inspect the internal quality of fruits and vegetables T as follows.
With the fruits and vegetables T placed on the perforated tray 12a of the transport means 12, the fruits and vegetables T are transported in a predetermined direction at a constant speed. As shown in FIG. 4A, when the fruits and vegetables T reached the irradiation area of the inspection light, the fruits and vegetables T were irradiated with the inspection light from the light projecting means 14a to 14h, and the fruits and vegetables T were transmitted by the light receiving means 16. Receives inspection light (transmitted light).

The arithmetic processing means 18 inspects the internal quality of _{the irradiation region of the inspection light (the first region M 1} of the fruits and vegetables T) in the fruits and vegetables T based on the measured values acquired by the light receiving means 16.

As the fruits and vegetables T are transported by the transport means 12, as shown in FIGS. 4 (b) and 4 (c), the irradiation region of the inspection light in the fruits and vegetables T moves to _{the M region MM} and the N region _MN. (M and N are natural numbers, and M <N.). The light receiving means 16 sequentially acquires the measured values in the irradiation region while moving the irradiation region of the inspection light in this way, and based on this, the arithmetic processing means 18 sequentially inspects the internal quality in each irradiation region. The number of areas to be irradiated with the fruits and vegetables T can be appropriately determined according to the type and size of the fruits and vegetables T.

In this way, by irradiating the inspection light over approximately half the circumference of the fruit and vegetable T, dividing the fruit and vegetable T into a plurality of regions, and inspecting the internal quality, there are places in the fruit and vegetable T where the inspection light does not pass. In addition, since the internal quality is inspected for each divided area of the fruit and vegetable T, even if it is an internal disorder that occurs in an unspecified place inside the fruit or vegetable, such as black eye disease that occurs in pineapple, it can be detected accurately. can do.

The irradiation region of the inspection light for the fruits and vegetables T can be configured to be grasped by detecting, for example, the position of the perforated tray 12a of the transport means 12 using a linear encoder or the like.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a configuration of another embodiment of the internal quality inspection apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG.
The internal quality inspection device 10 in the present embodiment basically has the same configuration as the internal quality inspection device 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, and the same components are designated by the same reference numerals and the details thereof. Explanation is omitted.

The internal quality inspection device 10 of the present embodiment includes a mounting table 52 having a perforated tray 52a on which the fruits and vegetables T are placed, and a moving mechanism 54 for moving the light projecting means 14a to 14h in a predetermined direction at a constant speed. ing.

In the internal quality inspection apparatus 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the fruit and vegetable T placed on the perforated tray 12a is transported by the transport means 12, and the irradiation region of the inspection light on the fruit and vegetable T is moved. In the internal quality inspection device 10 of the form, the fruit and vegetable T is placed on the mounting table 52, and the light projecting means 14a to 14h are moved by the moving mechanism 54 to move the irradiation region of the inspection light on the fruit and vegetable T.

Even with such a configuration, it is possible to inspect the internal quality in the same manner as the internal quality inspection apparatus 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4.
That is, by relatively moving the fruits and vegetables T and the light projecting means 14a to 14h, the irradiation area of the inspection light for the fruits and vegetables T is moved, the fruits and vegetables T is divided into a plurality of areas, and the internal quality is inspected. Can be done.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications can be made without departing from the object of the present invention.

10 Internal quality inspection device 12 Conveying means 12a Perforated tray 14a Flooding means 14b Flooding means 14c Flooding means 14d Flooding means 14e Flooding means 14f Flooding means 14g Flooding means 14h Flooding means 16 Light receiving means 18 Arithmetic processing Means 52 Mounting table 52a Perforated tray 54 Moving mechanism M Inspection light irradiation area T Fruits and vegetables

Claims (4)

An internal quality inspection device for inspecting the internal quality of fruits and vegetables.
A light projecting means for irradiating the fruits and vegetables with inspection light,
A light receiving means for receiving the inspection light transmitted through the fruits and vegetables, and
An arithmetic processing means for inspecting the internal quality of the fruits and vegetables based on the received inspection light, and
With
The inspection light is shaped so that the irradiation shape of the fruits and vegetables is substantially square, and is configured to irradiate the fruits and vegetables over approximately half a circumference or more.
By relatively moving the fruits and vegetables and the light projecting means, the irradiation region of the inspection light on the fruits and vegetables is moved, the fruits and vegetables are divided into a plurality of regions, and the internal quality is inspected. An internal quality inspection device characterized by being configured. With a plurality of the light projecting means,
The internal quality inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of light projecting means are arranged in a substantially annular shape so that the inspection light is irradiated over substantially half of the circumference of the fruits and vegetables. Further provided with a transport means for transporting the fruits and vegetables,
The internal quality inspection according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fruits and vegetables are transported in a predetermined direction by the transport means so that the fruits and vegetables and the light projecting means are relatively moved. apparatus. Further provided with a moving mechanism for moving the light projecting means,
The interior according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the light projecting means is moved in a predetermined direction by the moving mechanism so that the fruits and vegetables and the light projecting means are relatively moved. Quality inspection equipment.

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