JP2022029381A - Fruit and vegetable selection system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a fruit and vegetable selection system which prevents even thin-skinned fruits and vegetables from making a conveyor dirty.SOLUTION: A fruit and vegetable selection system 1 includes: a conveyor 2 provided with a transport path 2a for transporting vegetables and fruits 100; a rotation mechanism 3 which is provided at the transport path 2a and rotates the vegetables and fruits 100; and at least one or more suction devices 4 in each of which a suction port 14 is provided toward the transport path 2a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a fruit and vegetable sorting system for sorting fruits and vegetables having a thin skin.

In recent years, fruits and vegetables transported by a conveyor are imaged by a camera while rotating, and based on the appearance images of a plurality of fruits and vegetables taken from multiple sides, the appearance quality such as the size and shape of the fruits and vegetables is judged and the fruits and vegetables are selected. A sorting system has been developed.

Examples of this sorting system include the system described in Patent Document 1. The sorting system described in Patent Document 1 includes a conveyor for transporting fruits and vegetables from the upstream determination area to the downstream sorting and discharging area, and an image pickup device for imaging fruits and vegetables in the determination area, and the conveyor is provided with fruits and vegetables in the determination area. Is transported while rotating. Since the fruits and vegetables are imaged while rotating in the determination area, the appearance quality can be determined and selected based on the appearance images of a plurality of fruits and vegetables captured from multiple surfaces.

Patent No. 6086455

However, when fruits and vegetables having thin skins are sorted by the above-mentioned sorting system, the thin skins of fruits and vegetables may be in a floating state or turned over and peeled off during rotary transportation in the above-mentioned determination area, and the floating thin skins or peeled off. There was a problem that the appearance quality could not be judged normally due to the influence of the thin skin.

In view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a fruit and vegetable sorting system that does not stain the conveyor even for fruits and vegetables covered with thin skin.

In order to solve the above problems, the fruit and vegetable sorting system of the present invention includes a conveyor for rotating and transporting fruits and vegetables having a thin skin, and a suction device provided with a suction port toward the transport path of the fruits and vegetables by the conveyor. ..

Further, the fruit and vegetable sorting system includes a camera that captures the fruits and vegetables that are rotationally transported, and further includes an appearance quality determining device that determines the appearance quality of the fruits and vegetables based on the image generated by the camera. In the transport path, the suction port is arranged on the upstream side of the camera.

Further, the above-mentioned fruit and vegetable sorting system is characterized in that irregularities are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the suction port.

According to the fruit and vegetable sorting system according to the present invention, even fruits and vegetables covered with a thin skin can be prevented from contaminating the conveyor.

It is a schematic diagram which shows the whole structure of the fruit and vegetable sorting system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the enlarged view of the part a of FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows the rotation mechanism which a fruit and vegetable sorting system has. It is a schematic diagram which shows the suction port of the suction device which a fruit and vegetable sorting system has. It is a schematic diagram which shows the suction device which a fruit and vegetable sorting system has.

An embodiment of the fruit and vegetable sorting system of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

The fruit and vegetable sorting system 1 of the present embodiment is a fruit and vegetable sorting system 1 suitable for sorting fruits and vegetables 100 covered with a particularly thin skin among fruits and vegetables according to their appearance quality, as shown in FIG. , A conveyor 2 provided with a transport path 2a for transporting the fruits and vegetables covered with thin skin, a suction device 4 for sucking unnecessary substances such as thin skins turned over during transportation, and the shape and size of the fruits and vegetables 100 to be transported. It is provided with an appearance quality determining device 5 for determining the appearance quality of the above, and a sorting and discharging device (not shown) for sorting and discharging the fruits and vegetables 100 according to the appearance quality.

The conveyor 2 conveys the fruits and vegetables 100 in the order of the carry-in area A for carrying in the fruits and vegetables, the determination area B for determining the appearance quality of the fruits and vegetables 100, and the sorting discharge area (not shown) for sorting and discharging the fruits and vegetables 100 according to the appearance quality. The transport path 2a is provided.

In the carry-in area A, as shown in FIG. 1, a V-shaped groove portion 6 is provided in a substantially central portion of the conveyor 2, and a pair of conveyor belts are arranged in parallel along each inclined surface of the groove portion 6. There is. The groove portion 6 and the pair of conveyor belts form a transport path 2a in the carry-in area A. By placing the plurality of fruits and vegetables 100 on the conveyor belt on the groove 6, the fruits and vegetables 100 are conveyed to the next determination area B in a state of being aligned in a row.

In the determination area B, as shown in FIG. 1, a rotation mechanism 3 is provided at a substantially central portion of the conveyor 2. The rotation mechanism 3 transports fruits and vegetables while backflip in the transport direction, and is provided continuously with the groove portion 6 provided in the conveyor 2 of the carry-in area A.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the rotation mechanism 3 includes a plurality of rotating rollers 7 arranged at equal intervals, a plurality of locking portions 8 arranged between the rotating rollers 7, and a rotating roller 7. A moving device 9 for rotating the locking portion 8 in the transport direction, and a driving device 10 for rotating the rotating roller 7 are provided.

The rotary rollers 7 are formed by connecting a pair of truncated cones so that their upper and lower surfaces face each other, and are arranged at regular intervals so that the upper and lower surfaces stand on the conveyor 2. The distance between the pair of truncated cones is configured to be smaller than the diameter of the fruit and vegetable 100.

The locking portion 8 temporarily places the fruits and vegetables 100 so that the fruits and vegetables 100 do not protrude from the rotation mechanism 3 due to the rotation of the rotating roller 7, and is arranged in a space sandwiched between the rotating rollers 7. The locking portion 8 includes a curved portion 8a whose both ends are curved upward, and an extended portion 8b which is formed flush with the curved portion 8a and extends along the transport path 2a. The rotating roller 7 and the locking portion 8 form a connecting body 11 which is connected in an alternately arranged state.

As shown in FIG. 3, the moving device 9 circulates the connecting body 11 including the rotating roller 7 and the locking portion 8 in the transport direction, and for example, a sprocket 12 or a pulley (not shown) may be used. can. In the present embodiment, the connecting body 11 is hooked on the pulley and the sprocket 12 and the pulley and the sprocket 12 are rotated by using a motor (not shown) or the like to rotate the connecting body 11 in the transport direction.

The drive device 10 rotates the rotary roller 7 in the transport direction. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the rotary roller 7 is driven by friction between the rotary roller 7 and the belt 13 arranged under the rotary roller 7. Something to rotate can be mentioned. Further, the drive device 10 may be composed of a toothed belt (not shown) and a toothed pulley (not shown) provided on each rotary roller 7, or a motor (not shown) built in each rotary roller 7. (Not shown) and the like.

The appearance quality determination device 5 includes a camera (not shown) arranged above the conveyor 2 passing through the determination area B. The camera is typically a CMOS image sensor or a CCD image sensor, and images the fruits and vegetables 100 that are rotationally conveyed in the determination area B a plurality of times. As a result, the fruits and vegetables 100 can be imaged from multiple surfaces, and an image of the entire circumference of the fruits and vegetables is generated. In order to obtain a clear external image, for example, a light source may be appropriately arranged, and the camera may be provided not only above the conveyor 2 but also on the side of the conveyor 2. This camera is communicably connected to a computer, and the computer performs image processing based on a plurality of appearance images acquired from the camera to determine the appearance quality of the fruits and vegetables 100.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the suction device 4 sucks unnecessary objects such as thin skins peeled off from the transported fruits and vegetables 100, and is more than the camera of the appearance quality determination device 5 in the transport path 2a. It is located on the upstream side. In this embodiment, two suction devices 4 are provided on both sides of the conveyor 2. The suction device 4 includes a suction port 14 formed in a substantially truncated cone shape (funnel shape) in which the opening width widens toward the end edge of the opening. The suction port 14 is arranged on the side of the conveyor 2 with an opening facing the transport path 2a. The suction device 4 includes a hose 16 connected to the suction port 14, a bag body 20 connected to the end of the hose 16, and a vacuum pump 18 branched and connected to the hose 16. When a negative pressure is generated in the hose 16 by 18, an unnecessary object such as a thin skin is sucked from the suction port 14. The sucked unnecessary material is collected in the bag body 20.

The suction port 14 is configured so that its inner peripheral surface 14a is not smooth, and in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the inner peripheral surface 14a of the opening is provided with a bellows-shaped unevenness 15. When the inner peripheral surface 14a of the suction port 14 is smooth, unnecessary substances such as thin skin sucked by the suction force are in a vacuum state with the inner peripheral surface 14a of the suction port 14, and the unnecessary substances are inside the suction port 14. The suction port 14 of the present embodiment is provided with a bellows-shaped unevenness 15 so that the inner peripheral surface 14a is not smooth, so that the unnecessary object cannot be sucked by sticking to the peripheral surface 14a. Unnecessary substances can be sucked and collected by the bag without creating a vacuum between the inner peripheral surface 14a and the inner peripheral surface 14a.

The sorting operation of the fruit and vegetable sorting system 1 configured as described above will be described below by taking an onion as an example of the fruit and vegetable 100 covered with a thin skin.

First, when the onion is carried into the conveyor 2 in the carry-in area A, the onion is carried to the determination area B by the conveyor 2. The onion transported to the determination area B is transported to the appearance quality determination device 5 while backflip by the rotation mechanism 3 provided on the conveyor 2. At this time, the thin skin is peeled off due to friction with the rotation mechanism 3. Will be. Here, even if the peeled thin skin remains on the onion, the thin skin is sucked by the suction device 5 provided in front of the appearance quality determination device 5 and the thin skin is peeled off, so that the appearance quality determination device 5 is used. , The onion can be imaged without thin skin and its appearance quality can be judged. The onions whose appearance quality is determined in this way are sorted and discharged according to the appearance quality.

The fruit and vegetable sorting system 1 configured as described above has the following special effects.

In the fruit and vegetable sorting system 1 of the present embodiment, since the suction device 4 is provided upstream of the appearance quality determination device 5, the suction device 4 sucks unnecessary substances such as thin skins that have been peeled off by the rotation mechanism 3 and remain on the onion. Then, after peeling from the onion, it can be transported to the appearance quality determination device 5, so that the determination accuracy can be improved.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

In the above embodiment, the suction devices are arranged on both sides of the conveyor, but may be arranged on only one side, for example, or may be arranged on both sides or one side at a predetermined interval. May be good.

The inner peripheral surface of the suction port is not limited to the bellows shape, and for example, a plurality of grooves may be formed radially at predetermined intervals, or the inner peripheral surface may be processed to be a rough surface.

In the above embodiment, the suction device is provided upstream of the appearance quality determination device, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the suction device may be provided at a plurality of locations along the conveyor. By providing the suction device in this way, it is possible to suck the thin skin that has peeled off during the transport process and the thin skin that has fallen off, prevent the thin skin from being scattered on the conveyor, and keep the transport path of the conveyor clean. can.

Further, in order to make it easier to peel off the thin skin, a peeling roller in which innumerable brushes are embedded in the peripheral surface of the long roller may be arranged on the conveyor. At this time, the peeling roller is arranged on the upstream side of the appearance quality determination device in the transport path. As a result, the thin skins of fruits and vegetables can be reliably peeled off and transported to the appearance quality determination device, and the peeled thin skins are sucked by the suction device, so that the detection accuracy can be further improved.

The thin-skinned fruits and vegetables used in the fruit and vegetable sorting system of the present invention are not limited to onions.

The present invention can also be carried out in a mode in which various improvements, modifications, or modifications are added based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Further, any of the inventions may be replaced with another technique within the range in which the same action or effect is produced.

1 ... Fruit and vegetable sorting system 2 ... Conveyor 2a ... Conveyor path 3 ... Rotation mechanism 4 ... Suction device 5 ... Appearance quality judgment device 14 ... Suction port 14a ... Inner peripheral surface 100 / Fruits and vegetables

Claims (3)

A conveyor that rotates and transports fruits and vegetables with thin skin,
A suction device provided with a suction port toward the transport path of the fruits and vegetables by the conveyor, and a suction device.
A fruit and vegetable sorting system. It has a camera that captures the fruits and vegetables that are rotationally conveyed, and further includes an appearance quality determining device that determines the appearance quality of the fruits and vegetables based on the image generated by the camera.
The fruit and vegetable sorting system according to claim 1, wherein the suction port is arranged on the upstream side of the camera in the transport path. The fruit and vegetable sorting system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the suction port has irregularities formed on the inner peripheral surface.

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