JP2022108063A - Granular material inspection device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide means that achieves appropriate inspection performance in a granular material inspection device comprising a plurality of inspection units.SOLUTION: A granular material inspection device comprises: a plurality of inspection units 4 that inspect granular materials to detect a defective article; and a changing unit 7h that changes an operation parameter of a unit to be adjusted 4R so as to reduce the difference between screening sensitivity that is the number of detected defective articles per unit time in a reference unit 4L that is one of a plurality of inspection units 4 and screening sensitivity in the unit to be adjusted 4R that is an inspection unit 4 being the rest of the inspection units.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a granular object inspection apparatus.

Patent Literature 1 describes a granular material sorting device. In this apparatus, a transfer means (vibration feeder, shooter, etc.) passes the rice grains in a single layer and in a state in which the grains are spread in a plurality of rows in the width direction through the measurement target location. Light from a measurement target location enters a light receiving device having a plurality of unit light receiving portions (pixels). Whether or not the grain of rice is defective is determined based on the output of each unit light receiving section. The rice grains determined to be defective are separated from other rice grains by an air blower at a separation point downstream of the measurement target point.

The granular object sorting apparatus of Patent Document 1 includes one feeding conveying device, one transferring means, one light receiving device, and one air blowing device. Rice grains are supplied to the transporting means from the feeding transport device.

JP 2012-250193 A

In order to increase the throughput (amount of granules that can be processed per unit time), it is conceivable to equip the granule inspection apparatus with a plurality of inspection units that inspect the granules and detect defective products. In this case, the granular material put into the granular material inspection apparatus is distributed to a plurality of inspection units. Then, each inspection unit inspects the distributed granules. Since the defective rate of granular materials inspected by each inspection unit (percentage of defective products included) is the same in principle, the sorting sensitivity (the number of defective products detected per unit time) when the inspection unit is operated is preferably the same among a plurality of inspection units.

However, there is a possibility that the sorting sensitivity of each inspection unit may differ due to individual differences in inspection units (for example, individual differences in photodetector sensitivity, illumination brightness, vibration intensity of vibrating feeders, etc.). There is In that case, although the inspection population (a group of granules fed into the granule inspection device) is the same, the number of granules determined as defective by one inspection unit and the number of granules judged to be defective by another The number of granules determined to be defective by the inspection unit is different. In this case, either the non-defective product is detected as a defective product by one of the inspection units (the sorting sensitivity is unreasonably high), or the defective product is not detected and is treated as a non-defective product (the sorting sensitivity is unreasonably low). or In either case, it cannot be said that the granular material inspection apparatus exhibits adequate inspection performance.

Such a problem does not occur in an apparatus, such as the granular material sorting apparatus of Patent Literature 1, which includes one feed transfer device, one transfer means, one light receiving device, and one air blowing device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide means for realizing appropriate inspection performance in a granular object inspection apparatus having a plurality of inspection units.

As a means for solving the above-described problems, the granular object inspection apparatus of the present invention includes a plurality of inspection units for inspecting granular objects and detecting defective products, and a reference unit, which is one of the plurality of inspection units. The operating parameter of the unit to be adjusted is changed so that the difference between the sorting sensitivity, which is the number of defective products detected per unit time, and the sorting sensitivity of the remaining unit to be adjusted, which is the inspection unit, becomes small. and a changing unit.

According to this configuration, since the operating parameter of the unit to be adjusted is changed so that the difference between the sorting sensitivity of the reference unit and the sorting sensitivity of the unit to be adjusted becomes small, the difference in the sorting sensitivities of the plurality of inspection units becomes small. , suitable inspection performance can be realized in a granular object inspection apparatus having a plurality of inspection units.

In the present invention, the inspection unit includes a delivery device that delivers the granular material to an inspection area, a sensor that detects light from the inspection area, and a defective product of the granular material that is detected based on the output of the sensor. a detecting device, wherein the feeding device controls the feeding amount of the granular material based on a set feeding amount as an operation parameter of the unit to be adjusted; Preferably, the set delivery rate in the adjusted unit is increased if the sensitivity is less than the screening sensitivity in the reference unit.

According to this configuration, when the sorting sensitivity in the adjusted unit is lower than the sorting sensitivity in the reference unit, the set sending amount in the adjusted unit increases. As a result, the sorting sensitivity of the unit to be adjusted increases, so that the difference in the sorting sensitivities of the plurality of inspection units becomes small, and appropriate inspection performance can be achieved in the granular object inspection apparatus provided with the plurality of inspection units.

In the present invention, it is preferable that, when the sorting sensitivity in the adjusted unit is higher than the sorting sensitivity in the reference unit, the changing section reduces the set sending amount in the adjusted unit.

According to this configuration, when the sorting sensitivity in the adjusted unit is higher than the sorting sensitivity in the reference unit, the set sending amount in the adjusted unit decreases. As a result, the sorting sensitivity of the unit to be adjusted is reduced, so that the difference in sorting sensitivity between the plurality of inspection units is reduced, and appropriate inspection performance can be achieved in the granular object inspection apparatus provided with the plurality of inspection units.

In the present invention, the inspection unit includes a delivery device that delivers the granular material to an inspection area, a sensor that detects light from the inspection area, and a defective product of the granular material that is detected based on the output of the sensor. a detection device, wherein the detection device regards the granular material as a defective product when the intensity of the light detected by the sensor is lower than the selection threshold, based on a selection threshold as an operating parameter of the unit to be adjusted. It is preferable that the change unit increases the sorting threshold in the adjusted unit when the sorting sensitivity in the adjusted unit is lower than the sorting sensitivity in the reference unit.

According to this configuration, when the sorting sensitivity in the adjusted unit is lower than the sorting sensitivity in the reference unit, the sorting threshold in the adjusted unit becomes higher. As a result, the sorting sensitivity of the unit to be adjusted increases, so that the difference in the sorting sensitivities of the plurality of inspection units becomes small, and appropriate inspection performance can be achieved in the granular object inspection apparatus provided with the plurality of inspection units.

In the present invention, it is preferable that, when the sorting sensitivity in the adjusted unit is higher than the sorting sensitivity in the reference unit, the changing section lowers the sorting threshold in the unit to be adjusted.

According to this configuration, when the sorting sensitivity in the adjusted unit is higher than the sorting sensitivity in the reference unit, the sorting threshold in the adjusted unit becomes low. As a result, the sorting sensitivity of the unit to be adjusted is reduced, so that the difference in sorting sensitivity between the plurality of inspection units is reduced, and appropriate inspection performance can be achieved in the granular object inspection apparatus provided with the plurality of inspection units.

In the present invention, the inspection unit includes a delivery device that delivers the granular material to the inspection area, a sensor that detects light from the inspection area, and a defective product of the granular material that is detected based on the output of the sensor. and an illumination device for illuminating the inspection area, wherein the changing section determines the adjusted unit based on the difference between the sorting sensitivity of the reference unit and the sorting sensitivity of the adjusted unit. It is preferable to change the luminous intensity of the lighting device as an operating parameter of.

According to this configuration, the light emission intensity of the lighting device as the operating parameter of the adjusted unit is changed based on the difference between the sorting sensitivity of the reference unit and the sorting sensitivity of the adjusted unit, so that the light emission intensity of the adjusted unit is changed. be appropriate. Therefore, the difference in sorting sensitivity between the plurality of inspection units is reduced, and appropriate inspection performance can be achieved in the granular object inspection apparatus provided with the plurality of inspection units.

In the present invention, the inspection unit includes a delivery device that delivers the granular material to the inspection area, a sensor that detects light from the inspection area, and a defective product of the granular material that is detected based on the output of the sensor. wherein the changing section changes the sensitivity of the sensor as an operating parameter of the adjusted unit based on the difference between the sorting sensitivity of the reference unit and the sorting sensitivity of the adjusted unit. It is preferable to change

According to this configuration, since the sensitivity of the sensor as the operating parameter of the unit to be adjusted is changed based on the difference between the sorting sensitivity of the reference unit and the sorting sensitivity of the unit to be adjusted, the sensitivity of the sensor in the unit to be adjusted is appropriate. become something. Therefore, the difference in sorting sensitivity between the plurality of inspection units is reduced, and appropriate inspection performance can be achieved in the granular object inspection apparatus provided with the plurality of inspection units.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the changing unit changes the operating parameters of the sending device with priority over the operating parameters of the detecting device.

According to this configuration, since the operating parameters of the sending device are changed with priority over the operating parameters of the detecting device, the difference in sorting sensitivity between the plurality of inspection units tends to be small. Therefore, it becomes easy to realize appropriate inspection performance in a granular object inspection apparatus having a plurality of inspection units.

In the present invention, the changing unit calculates the time average of the sorting sensitivities in a predetermined period for each of the reference unit and the adjusted unit, and adjusts the operation parameter of the adjusted unit so that the difference between them becomes small. It is preferable to change

According to this configuration, the time average of the sorting sensitivities in the predetermined period is calculated for each of the reference unit and the adjusted unit, and the operating parameter of the adjusted unit is changed so that the difference between them becomes small. As a result, adverse effects due to sudden or accidental changes in sorting sensitivity are suppressed, and it becomes easier to achieve appropriate inspection performance in a granular object inspection apparatus provided with a plurality of inspection units.

It is a right view of a granular material inspection apparatus. 1 is a front view of a granular object inspection device; FIG. It is a right view which shows the principal part of an inspection unit. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing a control system of the granular object inspection device; It is a figure which shows the outline|summary of the optical inspection performed with a granular material inspection apparatus. It is a figure which shows an example of the output of a sensor. 4 is a flowchart of operation parameter change processing; 4 is a flowchart of sensitivity setting processing;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of a granular material inspection apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention. In each figure, the direction indicated by the code (FR) is the front side of the device, the direction indicated by the code (BK) is the rear side of the device, the direction indicated by the code (LH) is the left side of the device, the direction indicated by the code (RH) is the right side of the device, and the direction indicated by the code (RH) is UP) is the upper side, and the direction indicated by the symbol (DW) is the lower side.

A granule inspection device is a device that optically inspects whether a granule to be fed is a normal product or a defective product, sorts out the normal product from the defective product, and discharges the product. In this embodiment, the granules are grains such as brown rice and white rice. The granules may be resin pellets or the like.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the granular material inspection apparatus includes an input hopper 1, a first transfer conveyor 2, a storage hopper 3, an inspection unit 4, a second transfer conveyor 5, an operation display device 6, and a control device. 7 (FIG. 4) and a notification device 8 (FIG. 4).

An input hopper 1 is provided in the lower part of the rear part of the apparatus and receives granular material to be inspected.

The first transfer conveyor 2 is provided in the left-right center of the rear part of the apparatus, conveys the granular materials charged into the charging hopper 1 upward, and charges them into the storage hopper 3 .

The storage hopper 3 stores the granules fed from the first transfer conveyor 2 and supplies the granules to the inspection unit 4 .

The inspection unit 4 inspects the granules supplied from the storage hopper 3, detects defective products, sorts the granules into normal products and defective products, and discharges them. In this embodiment, the granular object inspection apparatus includes a left inspection unit 4L and a right inspection unit 4R.

The second transfer conveyor 5 is provided on the left side of the rear part of the apparatus, and conveys the granular materials discharged as normal products from the inspection unit 4 upward and discharges them to the outside of the apparatus.

The operation display device 6 is provided in the central part of the front part of the device. The operation display device 6 receives a manual operation from an operator and transmits it to the control device 7 . Further, the operation display device 6 is controlled by the control device 7 to display various screens. In this embodiment, the operation display device 6 is a liquid crystal display with a touch panel. The operation display device 6 may be a device that combines push buttons and a liquid crystal display.

The control device 7 controls the overall operation of the granular object inspection apparatus.

The notification device 8 is controlled by the control device 7 to notify the operator of an abnormality of the device. The notification device 8 is, for example, a buzzer, a speaker, a lamp, or an information display device. The operation display device 6 may also serve as the notification device 8 .

[Inspection unit]
An overview of the configuration and operation of the inspection unit 4 will be described with reference to FIG. The left inspection unit 4L and the right inspection unit 4R have the same configuration and perform the same operation. Hereinafter, as shown in FIG. 3, the moving direction of the granules is the Z direction, the upstream side of the moving direction of the granules is the Z1 side, the downstream side of the moving direction of the granules is the Z2 side, and the plane perpendicular to the left-right direction of the apparatus. The direction perpendicular to the Z direction is called the Y direction, the front side of the device in the Y direction is called the Y1 side, and the rear side of the device in the Y direction is called the Y2 side.

Granules to be inspected fall from the chute 12 to the Z2 side and are delivered to the inspection area IA. Inspection area IA is illuminated by illumination device 21 . Light from inspection area IA enters front camera 22A, rear camera 22B, and transmission camera 22C, and is detected by front sensor 23A, rear sensor 23B, and transmission sensor 23C (hereinafter referred to as front camera 22A, rear camera 22B, and transmission sensor 23C). and the transmissive camera 22C are collectively referred to as the "camera 22."The front sensor 23A, the rear sensor 23B, and the transmissive sensor 23C are collectively referred to as the "sensor 23."

Specifically, the light reflected by the Y1 side of the granular material enters the front camera 22A and is detected by the front sensor 23A. The light reflected by the Y2 side of the granular material enters the rear camera 22B and is detected by the rear sensor 23B. Light passing through the granular material from the Y1 side to the Y2 side enters the transmission camera 22C and is detected by the transmission sensor 23C.

The output of sensor 23 is sent to control device 7 . Based on the output of the sensor 23, the control device 7 determines whether the granules are normal or defective. The control device 7 operates the air blowing device 31 at the timing when the granular material determined to be defective has fallen to the front of the air blowing device 31 . The granules to which the air has been blown are pushed toward the Y1 side and fall to the defective product collecting section 41 . Other granules fall to the normal product collection unit 42 .

[Configuration of inspection unit]
The inspection unit 4 comprises a delivery device 10 , a detection device 20 and a rejection device 30 . As described above, the left inspection unit 4L and the right inspection unit 4R have similar configurations.

The delivery device 10 is a device that delivers a plurality of granular materials to the inspection area IA in parallel (horizontal direction of the device, direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 3). The delivery device 10 includes a vibrating feeder 11 and a shooter 12 .

The vibrating feeder 11 receives the granules flowing down from the storage hopper 3 in the trough 11a and vibrates the trough 11a to feed the granules to the shooter 12.例文帳に追加The operation of the vibrating feeder 11 is controlled by the controller 7 .

The shooter 12 is a plate-like member. A plurality of linear grooves are formed on the upper surface of the shooter 12 so as to be aligned in parallel in the left-right direction. The width of the groove is set to a size that allows the grains to flow down in a line. The granules dropped from the trough 11a of the vibrating feeder 11 to the shooter 12 are guided by the grooves of the shooter 12, flow down on the shooter 12 in parallel, and are delivered to the inspection area IA.

The detection device 20 is a device for detecting light from the inspection area IA, and includes the illumination device 21, the camera 22, the sensor 23, and the mirror 24 described above.

The illumination device 21 includes background members 21A, 21B, 21C and illumination units 21D, 21E, 21F, 21G.

The background members 21A, 21B, and 21C are members that guide light from a light emitting device (not shown) to illuminate the inspection area IA. The background members 21A, 21B, 21C serve as a background for the particles in light reaching the camera 22 from the inspection area IA. The light emitting devices that serve as the light sources of the background members 21A, 21B, and 21C are controlled by the control device 7 so that the intensity of illumination on the inspection area IA is appropriate.

The illumination units 21D, 21E, 21F, and 21G include LED packages whose emission intensity is controlled by the control device 7, and illuminate the inspection area IA. The illumination units 21D and 21E are arranged on the Y1 side with respect to the inspection area IA, and illuminate the inspection area IA from the Y1 side. The illumination units 21F and 21G are arranged on the Y2 side with respect to the inspection area IA, and illuminate the inspection area IA from the Y2 side.

The front camera 22A has a front lens device 25A. A front sensor 23A is arranged inside the front camera 22A. The optical axis 26A of the front camera 22A is shown in FIG. The light reflected by the surface of the granular material on the Y1 side and the light emitted from the background member 21A are emitted from the inspection area IA to the Y1 side. The light is reflected by the mirror 24, converged by the front lens device 25A, and irradiated to the front sensor 23A. That is, the front sensor 23A of the front camera 22A detects the light reflected by the Y1-side surface of the granular material and the light emitted from the background member 21A.

The rear camera 22B has a rear lens device 25B. A rear sensor 23B is arranged inside the rear camera 22B. The optical axis 26B of the rear camera 22B is shown in FIG. The light reflected by the surface of the granular material on the Y2 side and the light emitted from the background member 21B are emitted from the inspection area IA to the Y2 side. The light is reflected by the mirror 24, converged by the rear lens device 25B, and irradiated to the rear sensor 23B. That is, the rear sensor 23B of the rear camera 22B detects the light reflected by the surface of the granular material on the Y2 side and the light emitted from the background member 21B.

The transmission camera 22C includes a transmission lens arrangement 25C. A transmissive sensor 23C is positioned inside the transmissive camera 22C. The optical axis 26C of the transmissive camera 22C is shown in FIG. Light transmitted through the granular material from the Y1 side to the Y2 side and light emitted from the background member 21C are emitted from the inspection area IA to the Y2 side. The light is reflected by the mirror 24, converged by the transmission lens device 25C, and irradiated to the transmission sensor 23C. That is, the transmission sensor 23C of the transmission camera 22C detects the light transmitted through the granular material from the Y1 side to the Y2 side and the light emitted from the background member 21C.

Hereinafter, the front lens device 25A, rear lens device 25B, and transmissive lens device 25C may be collectively referred to as "lens device 25".

The front sensor 23A, the rear sensor 23B, and the transmission sensor 23C detect light over time and transmit output data to the control device 7 every predetermined time.

A light shielding member 27 is arranged in the inspection area IA. The light shielding member 27 prevents the light reflected by the granular material and the illumination light from the illumination units 21D, 21E, 21F, and 21G from directly entering the transmissive camera 22C.

The excluding device 30 is a device for excluding granular materials determined to be defective. The excluding device 30 is composed of an air blowing device 31 . The air blowing device 31 has a plurality of injection ports S arranged in the horizontal direction of the device. The injection ports S are arranged at positions corresponding to the granular materials falling from the plurality of grooves of the shooter 12 .

〔Control device〕
The control device 7 is an ECU, and as shown in FIG. 4, includes a quality determination section 7a, a storage section 7f, a selection sensitivity calculation section 7g, and a change section 7h. The control device 7 is connected to the inspection unit 4 and the notification device 8 and configured to be able to control them. The control device 7 includes a memory (HDD, non-volatile RAM, etc., not shown) for storing programs and control parameters corresponding to the functional units described above, and a CPU (not shown) for executing the program. there is The functions of each functional unit are realized by executing the program by the CPU. The control device 7 may be composed of a plurality of ECUs that can communicate with each other.

Based on the output of the sensor 23 received by the control device 7, the quality determination unit 7a determines whether the granules are normal or defective. Details of the operation of the pass/fail judgment section 7a and other functional sections will be described later with reference to FIGS.

The storage unit 7f stores, for example, operation parameters of the inspection unit 4, threshold values used for quality determination of granular materials, and the like.

The sorting sensitivity calculator 7g calculates the sorting sensitivity, which is the number of defective products detected per unit time, for each of the plurality of inspection units 4 based on the determination result of the quality determining unit 7a.

The changing unit 7h is adjusted so that the difference between the sorting sensitivity of the reference unit, which is one of the plurality of inspection units 4, and the sorting sensitivity of the adjusted units, which are the other inspection units 4, becomes small. Change the operating parameters of the unit.

[Determination of quality of granular material]
5 and 6, the determination of the quality of the granular material and the exclusion of defective products performed by the inspection unit 4 will be described. FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the inspection area IA viewed from the front side of the device in a direction orthogonal to the Y and Z directions, the right side of the drawing corresponds to the right side of the device, and the top side of the drawing corresponds to the Z1 side.

Granules released from the grooves of the shooter 12 fall in the Z2 direction, pass through the inspection area IA, and pass in front of the air blowing device 31 . The paths along which the particles move are referred to as paths R1, R2, R3, . . . Rn from the left. n is the same as the number of grooves in shooter 12 .

The injection ports S of the air blowing device 31 are arranged so as to correspond to each of the routes R1 to Rn. The injection ports S corresponding to the routes R1, R2, . . . Rn are referred to as injection ports S1, S2, S3, . That is, the granular material falling along the route R1 passes in front of the injection port S1.

As described above, light from inspection area IA travels along optical axis 26A, enters front camera 22A, and reaches the surface of front sensor 23A. In this embodiment, the front sensor 23A is a line sensor, and has a plurality of pixels E1, E2, . . . Em arranged in a line. m is the total number of pixels that the front sensor 23A has. What is detected by the front sensor 23A is light from an elongated area extending in the horizontal direction of the apparatus from the optical axis 26A, out of the light from the inspection area IA. This area is called detection area DU. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, light from the detection area DU enters the front sensor 23A. A plurality of pixels E1, E2, . . . Em are arranged along a direction corresponding to the parallel direction (horizontal direction of the apparatus) of the grains in the inspection area IA (detection area DU).

In this embodiment, the rear sensor 23B of the rear camera 22B is also a line sensor. As shown in FIG. 3, the optical axis 26B of the rear camera 22B passes through the detection area DU. That is, light from the detection area DU enters the rear sensor 23B.

In this embodiment, the transmission sensor 23C of the transmission camera 22C is also a line sensor. As shown in FIG. 3, the optical axis 26C of the transmissive camera 22C passes through the detection area DU on the Z2 side (bottom side in the vertical direction of the device). The transmission sensor 23C of the transmission camera 22C detects light from an elongated area extending in the left-right direction of the apparatus from the optical axis 26C, out of the light from the inspection area IA. This area is called a detection area DL (FIGS. 3 and 5). As shown in FIG. 3, light from the detection area DL enters the transmission sensor 23C. The detection area DL is located below the detection area DU (Z2 side).

An example of the output of the front sensor 23A is shown at the bottom of FIG. In the illustrated example, the output of the front sensor 23A is lowered at two points. This is because the granular material G1 falling along the path R2 and the granular material G2 falling along the path R4 are located in the detection area DU, and the light reflected by the granular material G1 and the granular material G2 is incident on the front sensor 23A. caused by. That is, the intensity of the light reflected from the granular material and incident on the front sensor 23A is lower than the intensity of the light from the background member 21A. In this way, when the granular material passes through the detection area DU (and the detection area DL), the output of the sensor 23 changes.

FIG. 6 shows an example in which the granular material G1 is defective. In the illustrated example, the grain G1 is a grain of rice and has a normal area A1, a colored area A2, and a black area A3. The color of the colored area A2 is darker than the color of the normal area A1. Therefore, the intensity of the light reflected by the colored area A2 is lower than the intensity of the light reflected by the normal area A1. The color of the black area A3 is darker than the color of the colored area A2. Therefore, the intensity of the light reflected by the black area A3 is smaller than the intensity of the light reflected by the colored area A2. 6 with respect to the detection area DU, the output of the front sensor 23A includes areas where the output is reduced due to the normal area A1, the colored area A2, and the black area A3.

Specifically, background light (light from the background member 21A) is incident on the pixels E41-E44. The outputs of the pixels E41-E44 are less than the upper second threshold SU2 and greater than the granular object detection threshold SH. Light from normal area A1 enters pixels E45-47, E53-54, and E57-58. The outputs of these pixels are smaller than the granular object detection threshold SH and larger than the lower second threshold SL2. Light from colored region A2 is incident on pixels E48-52. The outputs of these pixels are smaller than the lower second threshold SL2 and larger than the lower first threshold SL1. Light from black area A3 is incident on pixels E55-56. The outputs of these pixels are smaller than the lower first threshold SL1.

The quality determination unit 7a determines that the granular material is defective when there is a pixel whose output is smaller than the lower first threshold SL1 or the lower second threshold SL2 in the output of the front sensor 23A. Specifically, when there is a pixel whose output is smaller than the lower first threshold SL1 in the output of the front sensor 23A, the quality determining unit 7a determines that the granular material is a defective product related to the lower first defect. . The first lower defect is, for example, "damage by stinkbugs." If there is a pixel whose output is smaller than the lower second threshold value SL2 in the output of the front sensor 23A, the quality determination unit 7a determines that the granular material is a defective product related to the lower second defect. The lower second defect is, for example, "discoloration".

Further, the quality determination unit 7a determines that the granular material is defective when there is a pixel whose output is larger than the upper first threshold value SU1 or the upper second threshold value SU2 in the output of the front sensor 23A. Specifically, when there is a pixel whose output is greater than the upper first threshold value SU1 in the output of the front sensor 23A, the quality determination unit 7a determines that the granular material is a defective product related to the upper first defect. The upper first defect is, for example, "glass" or "transparent resin". If there is a pixel whose output is greater than the upper second threshold value SU2 in the output of the front sensor 23A, the quality determination unit 7a determines that the granular material is a defective product related to the upper second defect.

Here, the pass/fail determination unit 7a may perform pass/fail determination based on the number of pixels whose output is below the threshold, in addition to the magnitude of the output with respect to the threshold. For example, if the output of the front sensor 23A includes pixels whose output is smaller than the lower first threshold SL1 and the number of pixels is greater than the lower first quantity threshold, It is determined that the granular material is a defective product related to the lower first defect. In the output of the front sensor 23A, the quality determining unit 7a determines that the granular material is determined to be a defective product related to the lower second defect. If the output of the front sensor 23A includes pixels whose output is greater than the upper first threshold value SU1 and the number of pixels is greater than the upper first quantity threshold value, the quality determination unit 7a determines that the granular material is the upper side. It is judged to be a defective product related to the first defect. If the output of the front sensor 23A includes pixels whose output is greater than the upper second threshold value SU2 and the number of pixels is greater than the upper second quantity threshold value, the quality determining unit 7a determines that the granular material is the upper side. It is judged to be a defective product related to the second defect.

The quality determination unit 7a determines the quality of the granular material based on the output of the rear sensor 23B, as in the case of the output of the front sensor 23A. The rear sensor 23B detects light emitted from the detection area DU of the inspection area IA toward the Y2 side. Therefore, the quality determining unit 7a determines whether the granular material is good or bad with respect to the reflected light from both the Y1 side and the Y2 side of the granular material.

The quality determination unit 7a determines quality of the granular material based on the output of the transmission sensor 23C, as in the case of the output of the front sensor 23A. When the granules are grains of rice, the judgment of the lower first defect by the good/bad judging section 7a based on the output of the transmission sensor 23C is such as "Knead", "Shirata", and "Milk white" compared to normal products. This is the determination that light is difficult to pass through. The judgment of the upper first defect is judgment that light is more likely to pass through than normal products, such as "non-glutinous rice in glutinous rice" or "green rice".

〔Channel〕
The quality determination unit 7a performs quality determination of the granular material based on the output of the front sensor 23A for each of the plurality of routes R1, R2, . . . Rn. Specifically, the pass/fail determination unit 7a distributes a plurality of pixels E1, E2, . CH1, CH2, . . . , CHn correspond to the plurality of routes R1, R2, . • Corresponds to Sn.

In the example of FIG. 6, the light from the portion of the detection area DU that overlaps with the path R2 is incident on the pixels E41-63 of the front sensor 23A. Therefore, pixels E41-63 corresponding to path R2 are set as channel CH2. A predetermined number of pixels up to pixel E40 corresponding to path R1 are set as channel CH1. A predetermined number of pixels after pixel E64 corresponding to path R3 are set as channel CH3. Channels are initialized when the device is manufactured. The setting values for the distribution of the pixels E1, E2, . . . Em to the channels CH1, CH2, .

The pass/fail judging section 7a judges that the granules on the route corresponding to the channel are defective when the above-described judgment criteria are satisfied in the portion corresponding to the channel in the output of the front sensor 23A. Then, the pass/fail determination unit 7a operates the air blowing device 31 (removing device 30) so as to inject air from the injection port S corresponding to the channel. Specifically, the good/bad judging section 7a activates the air blowing device 31 after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the granular material was judged to be defective.

Similarly, the quality determination unit 7a performs quality determination of the granular material based on the output of the rear sensor 23B for each of the plurality of routes R1, R2, . . . Rn. Specifically, the pass/fail determination unit 7a distributes a plurality of pixels E1, E2, . CH1, CH2, . Further, the quality determination unit 7a performs quality determination of the granular material based on the output of the transmission sensor 23C for each of the plurality of paths R1, R2, . . . Rn. Specifically, the pass/fail determination unit 7a distributes a plurality of pixels E1, E2, . CH1, CH2, . That is, the channel distribution of the front sensor 23A, the rear sensor 23B, and the transmission sensor 23C is set so that channels with the same number correspond to the paths R and the outlets S with the same numbers. The number and number of pixels E distributed to the same channel number may differ among the front sensor 23A, rear sensor 23B, and transmissive sensor 23C.

The set value of the distribution of pixels to the channels in each sensor is stored in the storage unit 7f. The pass/fail judgment unit 7a reads data indicating the correspondence between channels and pixels from the storage unit 7f, and judges the pass/fail of the granular material for each channel based on the output of each sensor.

[Modification of operating parameters]
In this embodiment, the operating parameters of the inspection unit 4 are automatically changed by the changing unit 7h so that the difference in sorting sensitivity between the two inspection units 4 is reduced. The change of the operation parameter by the changing unit 7h may be performed while the inspection unit 4 is in operation (while the inspection is being performed) or while the inspection unit 4 is stopped (while the inspection is stopped).

An example of changing the operation parameters of the right inspection unit 4R based on the left inspection unit 4L will be described below. That is, the left inspection unit 4L is "a reference unit that is one of a plurality of inspection units" described in the claims. The right inspection unit 4R is "a unit to be adjusted which is the remaining inspection unit" described in the claims. The opposite configuration is also possible, ie the right inspection unit 4R is the reference unit and the left inspection unit 4L is the adjusted unit. A reference unit may be determined from a plurality of inspection units 4 based on an operation input from an operator.

[Sorting sensitivity]
The sorting sensitivity calculation unit 7g calculates the sorting sensitivity, which is the number of defective products detected per unit time, for each of the plurality of inspection units 4 based on the determination result of the quality determination unit 7a. For example, the sorting sensitivity calculation unit 7g stores the time, the type of the inspection unit 4, the type of the sensor 23, and the type of defect as defective data in the storage unit 7f each time the quality determination unit 7a detects a defective product. For example, the sorting sensitivity calculation unit 7g stores "time 15:07:24, right inspection unit 4R, front sensor 23A, lower first defect" in the storage unit 7f. The sorting sensitivity calculation unit 7g calculates the sorting sensitivity by referring to the defective product data stored in the storage unit 7f.

A "unit time" that is used as a reference when the sorting sensitivity calculation section 7g calculates the sorting sensitivity is determined in advance and stored in the storage section 7f. The unit time may be changed by operation input from the operator. The sorting sensitivity calculator 7g may detect sorting sensitivities for a plurality of unit times (for example, 30 seconds and 1 hour).

The following six sorting sensitivities can be calculated by the sorting sensitivity calculator 7g.

Sorting sensitivity of the front sensor 23A of the left inspection unit 4L (hereinafter referred to as "left front sorting sensitivity").

Sorting sensitivity of the rear sensor 23B of the left inspection unit 4L (hereinafter referred to as "left rear sorting sensitivity").

Sorting sensitivity of transmission sensor 23C of left inspection unit 4L (hereinafter referred to as "left transmission sorting sensitivity")

Average sorting sensitivity of the left inspection unit 4L (average of left front sorting sensitivity, left rear sorting sensitivity, and left transmission sorting sensitivity, hereinafter referred to as "left average sorting sensitivity").

Sorting sensitivity of the front sensor 23A of the right inspection unit 4R (hereinafter referred to as "right front sorting sensitivity").

Sorting sensitivity of the rear sensor 23B of the right inspection unit 4R (hereinafter referred to as "right rear sorting sensitivity").

The sorting sensitivity of the transmission sensor 23C of the right inspection unit 4R (hereinafter referred to as "right transmission sorting sensitivity").

Average sorting sensitivity of right inspection unit 4R (average of right front sorting sensitivity, right rear sorting sensitivity, and right transmission sorting sensitivity, hereinafter referred to as "right average sorting sensitivity")

Note that the sorting sensitivity calculation unit 7g may calculate sorting sensitivity for each type of defect (lower first defect (for example, "damage to stinkbug"), lower side second defect (for example, "discoloration")).

[Operating parameters]
The operating parameters to be changed by the changing unit 7h include the following. The following operating parameters are stored in the storage unit 7f.

Set delivery amount of delivery device 10 (operation intensity, operation time, operation interval of vibrating feeder 11)

Sorting threshold of each camera 22 (lower first threshold SL1, lower first quantity threshold, lower second threshold SL2, lower second quantity threshold, upper first threshold SU1, upper first quantity threshold, upper second threshold SU2, upper second quantity threshold)

Emission intensity of lighting device 21 (light-emitting devices of background members 21A, 21B, and 21C, lighting units 21D, 21E, 21F, and 21G)

Sensitivity of each sensor 23 (magnification of output voltage from pixel, magnification at the time of quantization, etc.)

Here, the control device 7 controls the delivery device 10 (vibration feeder 11) based on the set delivery amount as the operation parameter. In other words, the delivery device 10 controls the delivery amount of the granular material based on the set delivery amount.

The pass/fail judgment unit 7a judges the pass/fail of the granules based on the sorting threshold value as an operation parameter. In other words, the detection device 20 detects the granular material as a defective product based on the sorting threshold.

The control device 7 controls the lighting device 21 based on the light emission intensity as an operating parameter. In other words, the illumination device 21 illuminates the inspection area IA based on the emission intensity.

The control device 7 processes output data from each sensor 23 based on the sensitivity of each sensor 23 as an operating parameter. In other words, the sensitivity of each sensor 23 is controlled by the controller 7 .

[First Modification Mode of Operation Parameter: Set Transmission Amount]
The changing unit 7h changes the set delivery amount of the delivery device 10 so that the difference between the sorting sensitivity of the right inspection unit 4R and the sorting sensitivity of the left inspection unit 4L becomes small. Specifically, when the sorting sensitivity in the right inspection unit 4R is lower than the sorting sensitivity in the left inspection unit 4L, the changing unit 7h increases the set transmission amount in the right inspection unit 4R. As the set delivery amount increases, the granular material delivered from the delivery device 10 increases. As the inspection parameter increases, the number of granules determined as defective products increases, and the sorting sensitivity in the right inspection unit 4R increases. Therefore, the difference in sorting sensitivity is reduced.

Conversely, when the sorting sensitivity in the right inspection unit 4R is greater than the sorting sensitivity in the left inspection unit 4L, the changing section 7h reduces the set sending amount in the right inspection unit 4R. When the set delivery amount is decreased, the granules delivered from the delivery device 10 are reduced. By reducing the inspection parameters, the number of granules determined as defective products is reduced, and the sorting sensitivity of the right inspection unit 4R is reduced. Therefore, the difference in sorting sensitivity is reduced.

The sorting sensitivities used for comparison by the changing unit 7h in the first modified mode can be, for example, the following combinations.

left average sorting sensitivity and right average sorting sensitivity

Left front sorting sensitivity and right front sorting sensitivity

Left rear sorting sensitivity and right rear sorting sensitivity

Left transmission sorting sensitivity and right transmission sorting sensitivity

[Second Modification of Operation Parameter: Sorting Threshold]
The changing unit 7h changes the sorting threshold of each camera 22 so that the difference between the sorting sensitivity of the right inspection unit 4R and the sorting sensitivity of the left inspection unit 4L becomes small. Specifically, when the sorting sensitivity in the right inspection unit 4R is lower than the sorting sensitivity in the left inspection unit 4L, the changing unit 7h changes the sorting threshold in the right inspection unit 4R to make the sorting stricter. If the sorting threshold is changed in the direction of making the sorting stricter, the number of granules determined as defective products increases, and the sorting sensitivity in the right inspection unit 4R increases. Therefore, the difference in sorting sensitivity is reduced.

The change of the sorting threshold in the direction of stricter sorting is as follows.
Lower first threshold SL1 or Lower second threshold SL2: High Lower first quantity threshold or Lower second quantity threshold: Small Upper first threshold SU1 or Upper second threshold SU2: Low Upper first quantity threshold or Upper Second quantity threshold: small

That is, regarding the "lower" threshold, the detection device 20 detects the granular material as a defective product when the light intensity detected by the sensor 23 is lower than the sorting threshold based on the sorting threshold. The changing unit 7h increases the sorting threshold in the right inspection unit 4R when the sorting sensitivity in the right inspection unit 4R is lower than the sorting sensitivity in the left inspection unit 4L.

Regarding the "upper" threshold, the detection device 20 detects the granular material as a defective product based on the sorting threshold when the intensity of light detected by the sensor 23 is higher than the sorting threshold. The changing unit 7h lowers the sorting threshold in the right inspection unit 4R when the sorting sensitivity in the right inspection unit 4R is lower than the sorting sensitivity in the left inspection unit 4L.

Conversely, when the sorting sensitivity in the right inspection unit 4R is higher than the sorting sensitivity in the left inspection unit 4L, the changing unit 7h changes the sorting threshold in the right inspection unit 4R in a direction in which the sorting becomes looser. When the sorting threshold value is changed in a direction in which sorting is looser, the number of granules determined as defective products decreases, and the sorting sensitivity in the right inspection unit 4R decreases. Therefore, the difference in sorting sensitivity is reduced.

The change of the sorting threshold in the direction of looser sorting is as follows.
Lower first threshold SL1 or Lower second threshold SL2: Low Lower first quantity threshold or Lower second quantity threshold: Large Upper first threshold SU1 or Upper second threshold SU2: High Upper first quantity threshold or Upper Second quantity threshold: large

That is, regarding the "lower" threshold, the detection device 20 detects the granular material as a defective product when the light intensity detected by the sensor 23 is lower than the sorting threshold based on the sorting threshold. The changing unit 7h lowers the sorting threshold in the right inspection unit 4R when the sorting sensitivity in the right inspection unit 4R is higher than the sorting sensitivity in the left inspection unit 4L.

Regarding the "upper" threshold, the detection device 20 detects the granular material as a defective product when the intensity of the light detected by the sensor 23 is higher than the sorting threshold, based on the sorting threshold. The changing unit 7h increases the sorting threshold in the right inspection unit 4R when the sorting sensitivity in the right inspection unit 4R is higher than the sorting sensitivity in the left inspection unit 4L.

For the sorting sensitivities used for comparison by the changing unit 7h in the second modified mode, for example, the following combinations are possible.

Left average sorting sensitivity and right average sorting sensitivity: In this case, preferably the sorting thresholds for all sensors 23 are changed.

Left Front Sorting Sensitivity and Right Front Sorting Sensitivity: In this case, it is preferable to change the sorting threshold associated with the front sensor 23A.

Left Rear Sorting Sensitivity and Right Rear Sorting Sensitivity: In this case, it is preferable to change the sorting threshold for the rear sensor 23B.

Left Transmission Sorting Sensitivity and Right Transmission Sorting Sensitivity: In this case, it is preferable if the sorting threshold associated with the transmission sensor 23C is changed.

The sorting sensitivity calculated for each defect type may be used for comparison by the changing unit 7h. In this case, it is preferable that the sorting threshold (for example, the lower first threshold SL1 and/or the lower first quantity threshold) corresponding to the defect type (for example, the lower first defect) is changed.

[Third Modified Mode of Operating Parameter: Emission Intensity]
The changing unit 7h changes the light emission intensity of the illumination device 21 so that the difference between the sorting sensitivity of the right inspection unit 4R and the sorting sensitivity of the left inspection unit 4L becomes small. Specifically, when the sorting sensitivity of the right inspection unit 4R is lower than the sorting sensitivity of the left inspection unit 4L, the changing unit 7h reduces the emission intensity of the right inspection unit 4R. As the emission intensity becomes lower, the inspection area IA becomes darker, the number of granules determined as defective products increases, and the sorting sensitivity in the right inspection unit 4R increases. Therefore, the difference in sorting sensitivity is reduced.

Conversely, when the sorting sensitivity in the right inspection unit 4R is higher than the sorting sensitivity in the left inspection unit 4L, the changing section 7h increases the emission intensity in the right inspection unit 4R. As the emission intensity increases, the inspection area IA becomes brighter, the number of granules determined as defective products decreases, and the sorting sensitivity in the right inspection unit 4R decreases. Therefore, the difference in sorting sensitivity is reduced.

For example, the following combinations are possible for the sorting sensitivities used for comparison by the changing section 7h in the third modification mode.

Left Average Selection Sensitivity and Right Average Selection Sensitivity: In this case, it is preferable that the emission intensity is changed for the entire lighting device 21 (all the light emitting devices related to the background members, all the lighting units).

Front Left Selection Sensitivity and Front Right Selection Sensitivity: In this case, it is preferable to change the light emission intensity of the lighting device 21 related to the front sensor 23A (light emitting device related to the background member 21A, lighting units 21D and 21E).

Left Rear Sorting Sensitivity and Right Rear Sorting Sensitivity: In this case, it is preferable to change the light emission intensity of the lighting device 21 related to the rear sensor 23B (the light emitting device related to the background member 21B, the lighting units 21F and 21G).

Left Transmission Sorting Sensitivity and Right Transmission Sorting Sensitivity: In this case, it is preferable to change the light emission intensity of the lighting device 21 related to the transmission sensor 23C (the light emitting device related to the background member 21C, the lighting units 21D and 21E).

[Third Modified Mode of Operating Parameter: Emission Intensity]
The changing unit 7h changes the sensitivity of the sensor 23 so that the difference between the sorting sensitivity of the right inspection unit 4R and the sorting sensitivity of the left inspection unit 4L becomes small. Specifically, the changing unit 7h increases the sensitivity of the sensor 23 in the right inspection unit 4R when the sorting sensitivity in the right inspection unit 4R is lower than the sorting sensitivity in the left inspection unit 4L. As the sensitivity of the sensor 23 increases (sensitivity), the number of granules determined as defective products increases, and the sorting sensitivity of the right inspection unit 4R increases. Therefore, the difference in sorting sensitivity is reduced.

Conversely, the changing unit 7h lowers the sensitivity of the sensor 23 in the right inspection unit 4R when the sorting sensitivity in the right inspection unit 4R is higher than the sorting sensitivity in the left inspection unit 4L. When the sensitivity of the sensor 23 becomes low (insensitive), the number of granules determined as defective products decreases, and the sorting sensitivity of the right inspection unit 4R decreases. Therefore, the difference in sorting sensitivity is reduced.

The sorting sensitivities used for comparison by the changing unit 7h in the fourth modified mode can be, for example, the following combinations.

Left Average Sorting Sensitivity and Right Average Sorting Sensitivity: In this case, preferably the sensitivity is changed for all sensors 23 .

Left Front Sorting Sensitivity and Right Front Sorting Sensitivity: In this case, it is preferable to change the sensitivity of the front sensor 23A.

Left Rear Sorting Sensitivity and Right Rear Sorting Sensitivity: In this case, it is preferable to change the sensitivity of the rear sensor 23B.

Left Transmission Sorting Sensitivity and Right Transmission Sorting Sensitivity: In this case, preferably the sensitivity is changed for the transmission sensor 23C.

[Operation parameter change processing]
The operation parameter changing process executed by the granular object inspection apparatus will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The operation parameter changing process is repeatedly executed during operation of the granular object inspection apparatus. The operation parameter change process may be executed at set predetermined time intervals, or may be executed in response to operation input from the operator.

The sorting sensitivity calculator 7g calculates sorting sensitivities of the reference unit (left inspection unit 4L, hereinafter the same) and the unit to be adjusted (the right inspection unit 4R, hereinafter the same) (step #101).

The changing unit 7h calculates the difference between the sorting sensitivity of the unit to be adjusted and the sorting sensitivity of the reference unit based on the calculation result of step #101, and determines whether or not the difference is equal to or less than a predetermined value (step # 102). If the difference is equal to or less than the predetermined value (step #102: Yes), the operation parameter change process ends.

If the difference in sorting sensitivity is not equal to or less than the predetermined value (step #102: No), the changing section 7h determines whether or not the sorting sensitivity of the adjusted unit is smaller than the sorting sensitivity of the reference unit (step #103).

If the sorting sensitivity of the unit to be adjusted is lower than the sorting sensitivity of the reference unit (step #103: Yes), the changing section 7h decreases the set transmission amount of the unit to be adjusted (step #104).

If the sorting sensitivity of the adjusted unit is not lower than the sorting sensitivity of the reference unit (step #103: No), the changing section 7h increases the set transmission amount of the adjusted unit (step #105).

After executing step #104 or step #105, the sorting sensitivity calculator 7g calculates again the sorting sensitivities of the reference unit and the unit to be adjusted (step #106).

The changing unit 7h calculates the difference between the sorting sensitivity of the adjusted unit and the sorting sensitivity of the reference unit based on the calculation result of step #106, and determines whether or not the difference is equal to or less than a predetermined value (step # 107). If the difference is equal to or less than the predetermined value (step #107: Yes), the operation parameter change process ends.

If the difference in sorting sensitivity is not equal to or less than the predetermined value (step #107: No), the changing section 7h determines whether or not the sorting sensitivity of the adjusted unit is smaller than the sorting sensitivity of the reference unit (step #108).

If the sorting sensitivity of the unit to be adjusted is lower than the sorting sensitivity of the reference unit (step #103: Yes), the changing section 7h increases the sorting threshold of the unit to be adjusted (step #109), and turns off the illumination of the lighting device 21. weaken (step #110) and reduce the sensitivity of the sensor 23 (step #111).

If the sorting sensitivity of the unit to be adjusted is not lower than the sorting sensitivity of the reference unit (step #103: No), the changing section 7h lowers the sorting threshold of the unit to be adjusted (step #112), is increased (step #113), and the sensitivity of the sensor 23 is increased (step #114).

After executing step #111 or step #114, step #101 is executed again. That is, the operation parameter change process is executed until the difference between the sorting sensitivity of the unit to be adjusted and the sorting sensitivity of the reference unit becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value (step #102: Yes, or step #107: Yes).

As described above, in the present embodiment, the changing unit 7h gives priority to changing the operating parameters of the sending device 10 (steps #104 and #105) over changing the operating parameters of the detecting device 20 (steps #109 to #114). do.

[Sensitivity setting process]
The sensitivity setting process executed by the granular object inspection apparatus will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The sensitivity setting process is started by an operation input from the operator.

The control device 7 causes the operation display device 6 to display a screen prompting the operator to select and input the sensitivity to be adjusted (step #201). On the screen, buttons with character strings of "stinkbug damage", "discoloration", "shirata/milk white/fir", and "green rice" are displayed as targets for selecting and inputting the sensitivity to be adjusted.

The control device 7 waits for an operation input from the operator to the operation display device 6 (step #202). The control device 7 waits until there is a selection input (step #202: No).

Upon receiving the selection input of the sensitivity to be adjusted (step #202: Yes), the control device 7 executes test sorting (step #203). Specifically, the control device 7 operates the grain discharging device in response to the operation display device 6 receiving an operation input from the operator to the effect that the test sorting is to be started, and a notification from the operator to the effect that the test sorting is completed. The grain discharging device is stopped in response to the operation display device 6 accepting the operation input.

When step #203 ends, the control device 7 causes the operation display device 6 to display a screen prompting the operator to select and input the result of the test sorting (step #204). The screen displays buttons with character strings of "no problem", "many sorting errors", and "poor yield" as targets for selecting and inputting the results of the test sorting.

The control device 7 waits for an operation input from the operator to the operation display device 6 (steps #205 and #206). The control device 7 waits until there is a selection input (step #205: No, step #206: No).

When "many sorting mistakes" or "poor yield" is selected and input as a result of the test sorting (step #205: No, step #206: Yes), the control device 7 selects and inputs the sensitivity adjustment width. A screen prompting the operator is displayed on the operation display device 6 (step #207). On the screen, buttons with character strings "I want to reduce slightly" and "I want to reduce considerably" are displayed as targets for selecting and inputting the sensitivity adjustment range.

The control device 7 waits for an operation input from the operator to the operation display device 6 (step #208). The control device 7 waits until there is a selection input (step #208: No).

When the selection input of the sensitivity adjustment range is received (step #208: Yes), the control device 7 changes the sensitivity for determining defective products in the inspection unit 4, and displays a screen showing the changed sensitivity on the operation display device 6. (step #209).

Specifically, the control device 7 adjusts the input received in step #201 based on the test selection result received in step #205 and the sensitivity adjustment range received in step #207. For sensitivity, perform sensitivity change.

If the result of the test sorting is "many sorting errors", the control device 7 changes the sensitivity in the direction of increasing the sensitivity. If the result of the test selection is "bad yield", the control device 7 changes the sensitivity in the direction of decreasing the sensitivity. The direction in which the sensitivity increases is the direction in which each threshold value is changed as follows. The direction in which the sensitivity is weakened is the opposite direction.
Lower first threshold SL1 or Lower second threshold SL2: High Lower first quantity threshold or Lower second quantity threshold: Small Upper first threshold SU1 or Upper second threshold SU2: Low Upper first quantity threshold or Upper Second quantity threshold: small

If the adjustment width of sensitivity is "desired to decrease slightly", the control device 7 changes the threshold value described in the preceding paragraph by a predetermined amount (first predetermined amount). When the adjustment range of sensitivity is “desired to significantly decrease”, the control device 7 sets the threshold value described in the previous section to a larger value than in the case of “desired to decrease slightly” (a second predetermined amount that is larger than the first predetermined amount). )change.

When the sensitivity to be adjusted is "stink bug damage", the control device 7 changes the lower first threshold SL1 and/or the lower first quantity threshold for the front sensor 23A and the rear sensor 23B.

When the sensitivity to be adjusted is "discoloration", the control device 7 changes the lower second threshold SL2 and/or the lower second quantity threshold for the front sensor 23A and the rear sensor 23B.

If the sensitivity to be adjusted is "shirata/milky/fir", the controller 7 changes the lower first threshold SL1 and/or the lower first quantity threshold for the transmission sensor 23C.

If the sensitivity to be adjusted is "green rice", the control device 7 changes the upper first threshold SU1 and/or the upper first quantity threshold for the transmission sensor 23C.

When step #209 ends, step #203 is executed again.

When "no problem" is selected and input as a result of the test selection (step #205: Yes), the control device 7 proposes a recommended sensitivity and prompts the operator to select and input subsequent processing on the operation display device 6. display (step #210). On the screen, the current sensitivity (sensitivity after change) is displayed as "recommended sensitivity", and buttons with character strings "redo" and "set to this sensitivity" are used as targets for selection input for subsequent processing. is displayed.

The control device 7 waits for an operation input from the operator to the operation display device 6 (steps #211 and #212). The control device 7 waits until there is a selection input (step #211: No, step #212: No).

When the selection input of "retry" is received (step #211: Yes), step #204 is executed again.

When the selection input of "set to this sensitivity" is received (step #212: Yes), the control device 7 operates a screen prompting the operator to select whether to end the process or adjust another sensitivity. It is displayed on the display device 6 (step #213). On the screen, buttons with character strings of "End" and "Adjust other sensitivities" are displayed as targets for selection input.

The control device 7 waits for an operation input from the operator to the operation display device 6 (steps #214 and #215). The control device 7 waits until there is a selection input (step #214: No, step #215: No).

When the selection input of "adjust other sensitivity" is received (step #214: Yes), step #201 is executed again.

When the selection input of "end" is received (step #215: Yes), the sensitivity setting process ends.

[Other embodiments]
(1) The granular object inspection device may include three or more inspection units 4 .

(2) A configuration in which the changing unit 7h calculates the time average of the sorting sensitivities in a predetermined period for each of the reference unit and the adjusted unit, and changes the operation parameter of the adjusted unit so that the difference between them becomes small. may be By using the calculated time average of sorting sensitivities, adverse effects due to sudden or accidental changes in sorting sensitivities can be suppressed. The "predetermined period" may be set in advance and stored in the storage unit 7f, or may be changed according to an operation input from the operator. The changing unit 7h may be configured to calculate a time average of sorting sensitivities in a plurality of “predetermined periods”.

(3) The changing unit 7h may be configured to change only the set delivery amount of the delivery device 10. FIG.

(4) A configuration in which the changing unit 7h changes at least one of the selection threshold of each camera 22, the luminous intensity of the lighting device 21, and the sensitivity of each sensor 23 without changing the set delivery amount of the delivery device 10. may be

(5) The change amount of the operation parameter by the change unit 7h may be set in advance, or may be determined each time according to the magnitude of the difference in sorting sensitivity.

(6) The changing unit 7h may include a machine-learned neural network. For example, the neural network of the changing unit 7h is machine-learned using the calculated sorting sensitivity, the mode of change of the operation parameter, and the variation amount of the sorting sensitivity due to the change of the operation parameter as teacher data, and receives the input of the current sorting sensitivity. may be configured to output the amount of change in the operating parameter.

(7) A form in which the inspection unit 4 is divided into a plurality of apparatuses is also possible. For example, in an inspection system including a plurality of granular object inspection devices, the inspection units 4 may be arranged separately for the plurality of granular object inspection devices. The inspection unit 4 provided in one granular object inspection apparatus may function as a reference unit, and the inspection unit 4 provided in another granular material inspection apparatus may function as a unit to be adjusted.

(8) The control device 7 may operate the notification device 8 to notify the operator that the change unit 7h has changed the operation parameter.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is applicable to granular object inspection devices, color sorters, optical sorters, etc., which are provided with a plurality of inspection units. The present invention is also applicable to multiple particulate inspection devices (inspection systems) in which particulates from a single supply are dispensed.

4: inspection unit 4L: left inspection unit (reference unit)
4R: Right inspection unit (unit to be adjusted)
7h: change unit 10: sending device 20: detection device 21: illumination device 23: sensor IA: inspection area

Claims (9)

a plurality of inspection units for inspecting the granules to detect defective products;
The difference between the sorting sensitivity, which is the number of defective products detected per unit time in a reference unit, which is one of the plurality of inspection units, and the sorting sensitivity, in the adjustment unit, which is the rest of the inspection units. and a changing unit that changes the operating parameters of the unit to be adjusted so as to reduce the particle size. The inspection unit includes a delivery device that delivers the granular material to an inspection area, a sensor that detects light from the inspection area, and a detection device that detects defective products of the granular material based on the output of the sensor. with
The delivery device controls the delivery amount of the granular material based on a set delivery amount as an operating parameter of the unit to be adjusted,
2. The granular object inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the changing section increases the set delivery amount in the adjusted unit when the sorting sensitivity in the adjusted unit is lower than the sorting sensitivity in the reference unit. 3. The granular object inspection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the changing section reduces the set delivery amount in the adjusted unit when the sorting sensitivity in the adjusted unit is higher than the sorting sensitivity in the reference unit. The inspection unit includes a delivery device that delivers the granular material to an inspection area, a sensor that detects light from the inspection area, and a detection device that detects defective products of the granular material based on the output of the sensor. with
The detecting device detects the granular material as a defective product when the intensity of the light detected by the sensor is lower than the screening threshold based on a screening threshold as an operating parameter of the unit to be adjusted,
4. The changing unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein when the sorting sensitivity in the adjusted unit is lower than the sorting sensitivity in the reference unit, the change unit increases the sorting threshold in the unit to be adjusted. granular material inspection device. 5. The particulate matter inspection apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the changing section lowers the sorting threshold in the adjusted unit when the sorting sensitivity in the adjusted unit is higher than the sorting sensitivity in the reference unit. The inspection unit includes a delivery device that delivers the granular material to the inspection area, a sensor that detects light from the inspection area, and a detection device that detects defective products of the granular material based on the output of the sensor. , and an illumination device that illuminates the inspection area,
2. The changing unit changes the emission intensity of the lighting device as an operation parameter of the adjusted unit based on a difference between the sorting sensitivity of the reference unit and the sorting sensitivity of the adjusted unit. 6. The granular material inspection device according to any one of 5. The inspection unit includes a delivery device that delivers the granular material to the inspection area, a sensor that detects light from the inspection area, and a detection device that detects defective products of the granular material based on the output of the sensor. , and
7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the changing section changes the sensitivity of the sensor as an operation parameter of the adjusted unit based on a difference between the sorting sensitivity of the reference unit and the sorting sensitivity of the adjusted unit. The granular material inspection device according to any one of the items 1 to 3. The granular object inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the changing unit changes the operating parameters of the sending device with priority over the operating parameters of the detecting device. 3. The changing unit calculates a time average of the sorting sensitivities in a predetermined period for each of the reference unit and the adjusted unit, and changes the operation parameter of the adjusted unit so that the difference between them becomes small. 9. The granular material inspection apparatus according to any one of 1 to 8.

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