JP2022141514A - Processing system and control method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a technique that automates a peeling process to make it possible to ensure productivity and profitability.SOLUTION: Provided is a processing system for performing a processing step of winding a skin portion peeled from a flesh portion of a carcass, comprising: a winding device for winding the skin portion of the carcass held by a roller; a sensor for detecting a boundary between the flesh portion and the skin portion of the carcass; and a working device to which is attached a skinning knife capable of adjusting the temperature of at least the blade portion that contacts the boundary between the flesh portion and the skin portion of the carcass, and which has a movable part capable of adjusting the relationship including the position and orientation of the skinning knife with respect to the carcass; wherein the working device brings the temperature-controlled skinning portion into contact with the boundary between the flesh portion and the skin portion of the carcass, the boundary being detected by the sensor, in accordance with the progress of the winding device winding the skin portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a processing system and control method for skinning a carcass.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, in the field of meat processing, etc., a skinning process for removing the skin from carcasses has been known as a process for dismantling carcasses such as cattle, pigs, and sheep to be used for meat. In the peeling process, for example, the worker uses a knife or the like to cut open the abdominal skin of the carcass suspended using the work equipment disclosed in Patent Document 1 in the height direction. After that, the skin that was cut open is peeled left and right, and two workers who are in charge of peeling the skin on the right and left ventral sides use an air knife or the like to connect the meat and skin of each part. and winding the skin of the carcass that has been peeled off while cutting. Such peeling work from the carcass requires skill because it requires delicate work so as not to damage the meat side and the skin side. However, workers are aging, and it is difficult to secure skilled workers and new workers, so automation of the peeling process has been demanded.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-300161

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of automating the peeling process and ensuring productivity and profitability.

One form of the disclosed technology for solving the above problems is
A processing system for performing processing steps related to winding of skin peeled from meat of a carcass, comprising:
a winding device for winding the skin of the carcass held by the roller;
a sensor for detecting the boundary between the flesh and skin of the carcass;
A skinning knife capable of adjusting the temperature of at least the blade portion contacting the boundary between the flesh and skin of the carcass is attached, and the relationship including the position and orientation of the skinning knife with respect to the carcass is established. a work device having an adjustable movable part,
The work device applies the temperature-controlled skinning knife to the boundary between the meat and skin of the carcass detected by the sensor in accordance with the progress of the winding of the skin by the winding device. abut,
It is characterized by

As a result, the processing system can use the roller 206 and the servomechanism 20d, which is a winding device, to wind up the skin Z1a of the carcass Z1 held by the roller 206. As shown in FIG. Then, the processing system detects the boundary between the meat part Z1b and the skin part Z1a of the carcass Z1 using the robot 11b as the work device, the temperature adjustment mechanism 30b, the two-dimensional sensor 13 as the sensor, and the image sensor. , a winding step can be performed in which a stripping knife 15, which is a metal piece whose temperature is adjusted, is brought into contact with the boundary. In this embodiment, the skin Z1a can be separated by bringing the skin Z1a into contact with the meat interface while the metal piece is heated. By automating the peeling process, productivity and profitability can be ensured.

Further, in one form of the disclosed technology, the skinning knife may be temperature-controlled within a temperature range in which the subcutaneous fat of the carcass can be melted and the skin can be skinned. As a result, the heat from the skin-stripping knife 15, which is heated to a constant temperature within the temperature range where subcutaneous fat can be melted (for example, 40 to 50 degrees), is used to melt the subcutaneous fat at the joint where the knife abuts. It is possible to cut between the skin portion Z1a and the flesh portion Z1b while combing the hair. Partial stripping of the meat piece from the meat part Z1b integrally connected through the subcutaneous fat and partial breakage of the skin part Z1a can be suppressed.

Further, in one aspect of the disclosed technique, the winding device includes a clamp that controls the driving of the roller in the winding direction so that the skin of the carcass held by the roller is wound with a constant torque value. You may make it provide a mechanism. As a result, the skin Z1a peeled from the carcass Z1 can be clamped and wound up by the rollers 206. As shown in FIG.

Further, in one aspect of the disclosed technology, the sensor includes a two-dimensional sensor capable of detecting features related to the shape of the carcass, and the shape related to the shape detected by scanning the two-dimensional sensor around the body of the carcass. The boundary between the flesh and skin of the carcass may be detected from the positions of the feature points. The two-dimensional shape sensor 13, which is a two-dimensional sensor, has a light-projecting surface and a light-receiving surface on the same surface, and detects the reflected light of the band-shaped visible laser beam projected from the light-projecting surface toward the object to be measured. By receiving the light, features related to the shape of the object to be measured (angle change of the surface, etc.) are detected. As a result, from the transition of the position of the inflection point (the portion where the surface angle changes) detected by horizontal scanning along the circumference of the body of the carcass obtained by the two-dimensional shape sensor 13, which is a two-dimensional sensor, , the boundary between the flesh and skin of the carcass can be detected.

Further, in one form of the disclosed technology, the sensor includes a two-dimensional sensor capable of detecting features related to the shape of the carcass, and the two-dimensional sensor follows the progress of winding of the skin by the winding device. The boundary between the flesh and skin of the carcass may be detected from the positions of feature points related to the shape detected by the scanning performed. Even in such a form, from the transition of the position of the inflection point detected by scanning the carcass in the longitudinal direction obtained by the two-dimensional shape sensor 13, the meat part and the skin part of the carcass are determined. can be detected.

Further, in one aspect of the disclosed technique, the predetermined sensor includes an image sensor, and the meat part of the carcass is determined based on at least one characteristic of color, tone, and brightness of the carcass image captured by the image sensor. and the skin may be detected. Even in such a form, joints can be detected from feature quantities such as the wavelength (color), deflection (color tone), and intensity (brightness) of the captured image of the carcass captured by the image sensor. Further, in one aspect of the disclosed technology, the predetermined sensor includes a three-dimensional sensor capable of measuring the depth of the shape of the carcass, and based on the recognition of the shape of the carcass captured by the three-dimensional sensor, the The boundary between the flesh and skin of the body may be detected. Even in such a form, a three-dimensional sensor that can measure the depth of the object shape using a light section method (triangulation using a light receiving part and a laser), ToF (Time of Flight) using near infrared rays, etc. is used. can detect the boundary between the flesh and skin of the carcass.

Further, in one embodiment of the disclosed technology, a cutter that cuts the boundary between the flesh and skin of the carcass without contact may be attached to the tip of the movable part of the working device. As a result, the robot 11b, which is a working device, can cut the boundary between the flesh and skin of the carcass by using a non-contact cutting tool such as an ultrasonic cutter or a laser cutter attached to the tip of the movable part. can be used.

Further, in one embodiment of the disclosed technology, the working device cleans the skinning knife used in the process of winding the skin stripped from the flesh of the carcass with hot water at a predetermined temperature. You may do so. As a result, after the winding process, the blade used for cutting can be washed with hot water, so an improvement in productivity can be expected.

In another aspect of the disclosed technology,
A method of controlling a processing system that performs a processing step related to winding skin peeled from meat of a carcass, comprising:
a winding device for winding the skin of the carcass held by the roller;
a sensor for detecting the boundary between the flesh and skin of the carcass;
A skinning knife capable of adjusting the temperature of at least the blade portion contacting the boundary between the flesh and skin of the carcass is attached, and the relationship including the position and orientation of the skinning knife with respect to the carcass is established. a work device having an adjustable movable part,
In the work device, the temperature-controlled skinning knife is placed at the boundary between the meat portion and the skin portion of the carcass detected by the sensor according to the progress of the winding of the skin portion by the winding device. to abut,
is characterized by executing

Even in such a form, the control system uses the servomechanism 20d, which is the take-up device, and the roller 206 so that the skin Z1a of the carcass Z1 held by the roller 206 is kept constant. The drive of the roller 206 in the take-up direction can be controlled so as to take up with the torque value. The control system uses the robot 11b, which is a work device, the temperature adjustment mechanism 30b, the two-dimensional sensor 13, which is a predetermined sensor, and the image sensor, to detect the boundary between the meat part Z1b and the skin part Z1a of the carcass Z1. A winding process can be performed in which the skinning knife 15, which is a piece of metal whose temperature is adjusted, is brought into contact with the border. Also in this embodiment, the skin Z1a can be separated by bringing the skin Z1a into contact with the meat interface while the metal piece is heated. By automating the peeling process, productivity and profitability can be ensured.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique capable of automating the peeling process and ensuring productivity and profitability.

It is explanatory drawing explaining the peeling process of the carcass in a comparative example. It is an explanatory view explaining a schematic structure of a control system concerning an example of the present invention. It is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic structure of a control system concerning an example of the present invention. 4 is a flow chart showing an example of the processing flow of the peeling process in the embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure explaining an example of the winding form in the Example of this invention. It is a figure explaining another example of the winding form in the Example of this invention. It is a figure explaining another example of the winding form in the Example of this invention. It is a figure explaining an example of the winding-up form in the Example of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the hardware constitutions of the host controller based on the Example of this invention. 4 is a flow chart showing an example of pre-process processing according to an embodiment of the present invention; 4 is a flow chart showing an example of a winding process according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of boundary detection according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating another example of boundary detection according to the embodiment of the present invention;

[Example of application]
Hereinafter, application examples of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
As illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4, the control system 1 according to the application example of the present invention cuts the abdomen of the carcass Z1 in the preprocess of the skinning process, and cuts left and right around the body of the carcass Z1 from the abdomen. A robot 11a, a servo mechanism (20a to 20c), a temperature control mechanism 30a, and a length measurement sensor 12 are provided as a configuration for performing the above. In addition, the control system 1 is configured to wind the skin Z1a peeled from the carcass Z1 in the winding process of the peeling process and to separate the flesh Z1b and the skin Z1a of the carcass Z1. , a servo mechanism 20 d , a temperature control mechanism 30 b and a two-dimensional shape sensor 13 . These configurations are connected so as to be able to communicate at appropriate timings with a host controller 10 of a computer that manages and controls the entire peeling process, including the pre-process and winding process, which are controlled by the control system 1. be done.

The robot 11a of the control system 1 according to the application example of the present invention is attached with an abdominal incision blade 14 provided with a heater H1 whose heating temperature can be controlled by a temperature control unit 31a. Then, in the robot 11a, based on the control command generated by the host controller 10 based on the information detected by the image sensor, the length measuring sensor 12, etc., the subcutaneous fat of the carcass Z1 is heated. While being melted by the heat of , the abdominal incision processing of the carcass Z1 and the processing of incising left and right around the trunk of the carcass Z1 from the abdomen are performed.

Further, the robot 11b of the control system 1 according to the application example of the present invention is attached with a skinning knife 15 which is a piece of metal provided with a heater H2 whose heating temperature can be controlled by the temperature control unit 31b. In this embodiment, the skin Z1a is separated from the skin Z1a by bringing the skin Z1a into contact with the meat interface while the metal piece is heated. Then, in the robot 11b, based on the control command generated by the host controller 10 based on the information detected by the image sensor, the two-dimensional shape sensor 13, etc., the subcutaneous fat of the carcass Z1 is heated and the knife for skin removal is generated. While being melted by the heat of 15, a cutting process is performed at the joint between the skin part Z1a and the meat part Z1B peeled off from the carcass Z1.

In addition, in the control system 1 according to this application example, the servo motor M4 is controlled via the servo driver 21d of the servo mechanism 20d so that the torque of the roller 206 for winding the skin Z1a peeled from the carcass Z1 is constant. servo control is performed. Therefore, the roller 206 fitted to the rotating shaft of the servomotor M4 is controlled so that the skin Z1a of the skinned carcass Z1 is wound with a constant pulling force. Torque control by the servomotor M4 enables the peeled skin Z1a to be wound up while preventing the peeling of the meat Z1b and the tearing of the skin Z1a from the carcass Z1. become.

In addition, in the control system 1 according to this application example, the position where the skin Z1a is caught at the seam is specified from the captured image during peeling in accordance with the timing at which the torque value associated with the servomotor M4 that drives the roller 206 increases. , the robot 11b can be instructed to cut the portion. According to this application, it is possible to provide a control system capable of automating the peeling process and ensuring productivity and profitability.

[Example 1]
Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings.

First, as a comparative example, a conventional carcass peeling process will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1(a) shows a process of incising the abdomen of the carcass Z1 in the peeling process (hereinafter also referred to as "pre-process"), and FIG. 1(b) shows a meat part Z1a and a skin part Z1b of the carcass Z1. An explanatory diagram for explaining the process of winding the skin of the skinned carcass Z1 while cutting the joint with the air knife 207 or the like (hereinafter also referred to as the "winding process"). In the following description, the carcass Z1 is a cow, but the carcass to be peeled may be any other animal, such as livestock such as pigs and sheep, bears, bears, etc., as long as it is used for meat. Birds and animals captured by hunting such as deer may also be used. In FIG. 1, a carcass Z1 to be skinned is subjected to processing such as front and rear legs, face skin removal, tail cut off, and dicing in the dismantling process leading to the skinning process, and the left and right hind legs of the carcass Z1 are cut. They are in a state of being suspended using hooks (203a, 203b) such as cranes. The carcass Z1 is stripped of the skin Z1a from the hind legs to the buttocks, and the flesh Z1b is exposed. Note that FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of the right abdomen of the carcass Z1 in a suspended state. In addition, although the carcass Z1 to be skinned is shown in the drawing with the head Z1c left, the carcass Z1 in the skinning process may be a carcass that has already undergone head removal.

In the pre-process of FIG. 1(a), the operator M1 gets on the working table 201a of the movable lift 201 that moves up and down in the height direction, and reaches the height position for incising the abdomen of the suspended carcass Z1. Moving. Then, the operator M1 lowers the workbench 201a and cuts the abdomen of the carcass Z1 using a knife 202 or the like. As the workbench 201a descends, the abdominal skin in contact with the knife 202 and the like is incised from the rear leg side end to the head Z1c. In addition, since the skin Z1b of the belly part on the hind leg side of the carcass Z1 is wound in the winding process, the peeled skin Z1b is partially stretched from the abdomen to the left and right back direction around the body of the carcass Z1. cut open. In the pre-process of FIG. 1(a), the work is performed so as not to damage the peeled skin portion Z1a and the meat portion Z1b, respectively. is required. After the pre-process, the skin Z1a of the carcass Z1 whose hind leg side end is cut is peeled off, and the stripped skin Z1a is wound up from the meat Z1b of the carcass Z1, and the process shifts to the winding process. . Although FIG. 1(a) shows the skin Z1a peeled from the meat Z1b on the right ventral side, the skin Z1a goes around the dorsal side and is peeled off from the left ventral side. integrally connected. In addition, in preparation for the winding process, a portion of the skin Z1a adjacent to the incised portion of the hind leg side end is peeled off.

In the winding process, a down puller 205 is used to wind up the partially skinned skin Z1a from the carcass Z1. The down puller 205 has a roller 206 that moves together with a work table 204a provided on a movable lift 204 that moves up and down in the height direction. The roller 206 is rotated in the take-up direction around the rotary shaft by a driving device such as a motor. In FIG. 1(b), workers M2 and M3 get on the workbench 204a and move to a height position for winding the tip of the skin Z1a peeled from the carcass Z1 in the previous process around the roller 206. . Workers M2 and M3 work together to roll the end of the skin Z1a on the right ventral side and the end of the skin peeled off from the left ventral side by using a chain 206a or the like. Wrap around 206 . After winding the skin stripped from the carcass Z1 around the roller 206, the roller 206 is rotated in the winding direction to wind the stripped skin Z1a. The work of separating using the air knife 207 or the like is started. The air knife 207 is an incision tool that rotates a rotatable saw blade by air pressure as shown. As the work is started (as the winding roller 206 rotates), the workbench 204a on which the workers M2 and M3 ride is started to be lowered.

In the winding process of FIG. 1(b), the worker M2 rotates the saw blade with the air pressure of the air knife 207 to cut off the skin from the left ventral side of the carcass Z1, and the worker M3 cuts off the skin Z1a from the right ventral side. detach the In this way, the operation of separating the skin Z1a from the carcass Z1 using the air knife 207 or the like while winding the stripped skin Z1a with the roller 206 is performed by the workers M2 and M3 working together. Delicate skill is required. In the winding process, the work of separating the skin Z1a from the carcass Z1 described above is performed while lowering the workbench 204a, and the left and right sides of the belly of the carcass Z1 that was incised in the previous process are cut to the left and right of the abdomen on the hind leg side. The skin Z1a from the position where the cut was made to the head Z1c is peeled off from the carcass Z1. The single skin Z1a that has been processed by the winding process and the carcass Z1 from which the skin has been peeled off are each transferred to the next processing process for shipping.

As described with reference to FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b), in the skinning process of the carcass Z1, the skin part Z1a and the meat part Z1b that have been skinned are each subjected to the pre-process and the winding process. Skill and delicacy are required to proceed with the work so as not to damage it. In order to continuously perform the stripping process from the pre-process to the winding process, it was necessary to secure at least three skilled workers.

<System Overview>
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the control system 1 according to this embodiment. The control system 1 shown in FIG. 2 is an example of a configuration including robots (11a, 11b) that process work in the peeling process, length measurement sensors (12a, 12b), and two-dimensional shape sensors (13a, 13b). be. By equipping multiple robots to process the work of the peeling process, it is possible to link and cooperate with the processes before the peeling process and the winding process, and to process them at the same time. can be shortened. In the following description, the robot 11a processes the pre-process of the peeling process and the robot 11b processes the winding process, but a single robot may perform the pre-process and the winding process. By using a single robot to perform both the pre-process and the winding process, the system can be made more compact, and the running costs associated with equipment can be reduced. In FIG. 2, a side view of the right belly Z1e of the carcass Z1 suspended by a hook of a crane or the like is exemplified. is exemplified. The robots (11a, 11b) are collectively referred to as the robot 11, the length measurement sensors (12a, 12b) are collectively referred to as the length measurement sensor 12, and the two-dimensional shape sensors (13a, 13b) are collectively referred to as the two-dimensional shape sensors. Also called sensor 13 .

The robot 11 according to the present embodiment is, for example, a vertically articulated robot having a movable portion composed of a plurality of joints and a plurality of arms. Each of the multiple joints incorporates a motor having a sensor (such as a rotary encoder) that detects a rotation angle (rotational position), and an arm that connects to the joint based on the rotation angle detected by the sensor. Twisting and bending movements of the body are controlled.

The tip of the robot 11 is provided with a flange to which various tools such as a suction device and a clipper (two-fingered hand, etc.) can be attached. At the tip of the robot 11a of this embodiment, there is a blade 14 for abdominal incision for incising the abdomen of the carcass Z1. A skinning knife 15 or the like is attached via a flange. An image sensor (camera) is provided in the vicinity of the flange of the robot 11, and the existence of obstacles (workbench, other robots, workers, etc.) existing in the surroundings is detected via the image sensor. , an overall image of the carcass Z1 to be skinned is taken.

The length measurement sensor 12 is a sensor that measures the relative distance to the object to be measured. The length measuring sensor 12 has, for example, a light projecting surface and a light receiving surface on the same surface, and receives the reflected light of the laser beam in the visible range projected from the light projecting surface toward the object to be measured. Measure the distance to the object based on the principle of distance. In this embodiment, the relative distance from the carcass Z1 in the preceding process is measured via the length measuring sensor 12, and the angle of the blade for abdominal incision is adjusted according to the measured distance value. Note that the distance measurement by the length measuring sensor 12 may be performed using infrared rays, ultrasonic waves, or the like, as long as the angle of the cutting tool for abdominal incision can be adjusted according to the measured distance value. Furthermore, a high-precision image sensor or the like may be used instead of the length measurement sensor 12 as long as the angle of the cutting tool for abdominal incision can be adjusted.

The two-dimensional shape sensor 13 is a sensor that detects features related to the shape of the object to be measured. 2
The dimensional shape sensor 13 has, for example, a light projecting surface and a light receiving surface on the same surface, and receives reflected light of a band-shaped visible laser beam projected from the light projecting surface toward the measurement object. , to detect features related to the shape of the object to be measured. Features related to the shape of the surface of the object to be measured irradiated with the belt-like laser light in the visible range are detected as the displacement of the reflected light. In this embodiment, the two-dimensional shape sensor 13 is used to detect the change in the height direction of the joint between the meat part Z1b and the skin part Z1a of the carcass Z1 in the winding process, and the change in the height direction is detected when winding the skin part Z1a. Identifies as a place to hit with a knife.

For example, a portion of the surface of the measurement object detected by the two-dimensional shape sensor 13 with an angular change (amount of angular change is called a feature amount) is regarded as an "inflection point" (this is called a feature point). A line is formed by connecting the points where the feature amount, that is, the angle change is detected, and the seam between the meat and the skin is detected. As for the two-dimensional shape sensor 13, for example, a two-dimensional shape sensor 13a is provided on the right ventral side of the carcass Z1 to detect the seam between the meat part Z1b and the skin part Z1a at that site. A two-dimensional shape sensor 13b is provided on the left ventral side of the carcass Z1 to detect the joint between the meat part Z1b and the skin part Z1a.

In the carcass Z1 to be peeled, there is subcutaneous fat between the skin Z1a and the meat Z1b, and the presence of the subcutaneous fat makes it difficult to peel off the skin Z1a from the carcass Z1. In the conventional work, the subcutaneous fat at the joint between the skin portion Z1a and the meat portion Z1b was grasped by the sense of a skilled worker, and the application of the incision blade and the amount of force were adjusted.

The inventors of the present application focused on the temperature at which subcutaneous fat melts. That is, while the melting point of subcutaneous fat is generally in the temperature range of 10°C to 40°C, the peeling process is generally carried out at room temperature. Therefore, for example, when the metal piece is warmed, it can be brought into contact with the meat interface, which is the joint between the skin portion Z1a and the meat portion Z1b of the carcass Z1, to promote melting of the subcutaneous fat. The skin part Z1a is easily separated. In this embodiment, as will be described later, the abdominal incision blade 14 used in the pre-process and the skin-stripping knife 15 used in the winding process are each warmed to room temperature or higher to melt the subcutaneous fat. By prompting, the skin Z1a of the carcass Z1 is made easier to peel off.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, heaters (H1, H2) for heating are provided in the abdominal incision blade 14 used in the pre-process and the skin-stripping knife 15 used in the winding process, respectively. be done. Then, in this embodiment, the temperature of the abdominal incision blade 14 during the pre-process and the temperature of the skin-stripping knife 15 during the winding process are heated to room temperature or higher. The hardening temperature of the main protein of meat is 50 degrees or more. For this reason, in this embodiment, the heater H1 provided in the abdominal incision blade 14 heats the temperature within a range from 40 degrees, which is the upper temperature range at which subcutaneous fat begins to melt, to 50 degrees, which is the hardening temperature of the protein. The temperature and the heating temperature of the heater H2 provided on the skinning knife 15 are adjusted.

As an example of the shape of the abdominal incision blade 14, for example, the shapes shown in abdominal incision blades 14a and 14b in FIG. 2 are exemplified. The abdominal incision blade 14a includes an arch-shaped jig portion 141 provided with a heater H1 for melting subcutaneous fat, and a skin cutting portion 142 functioning as a knife for cutting open the skin Z1a. The arch-shaped jig portion 141 is loosely formed so that the surface of the bottom portion 141b of the jig portion abuts on the carcass Z1 when the abdomen is incised. In the abdominal incision blade 14a, the jig portion 141 corresponds to a heatable metal piece. At the time of abdominal incision, the subcutaneous fat of the meat part Z1b that abuts on the surface of the bottom part 141b of the warmed jig part is melted by the heat conducted from the heater H1. The skin incision part 142 is provided so as to be positioned at the rough center in the left-right direction on the side of the upper part 141a facing the bottom part 141b of the arch-shaped jig part 141, and the jig part comes into contact with the movement of the abdominal incision blade 14a. The skin part Z1a of the contacting part is torn. In addition, at the time of abdominal incision, the jig portion 14
The end 143c side of 1 becomes the incision end.

The abdominal incision blade 14b also includes a semicylindrical jig portion 143 provided with a heater H2 for melting subcutaneous fat, and a skin cutting portion 144 functioning as a knife to cut open the skin portion Z1a. The semicylindrical jig portion 143 is formed in a hollow shape, and the surface of the bottom portion 143b of the jig portion abuts on the carcass Z1 when the abdomen is incised. Also in the abdominal incision blade 14b, the jig portion 143 corresponds to a heatable metal piece. At the time of abdominal incision, the subcutaneous fat of the meat part Z1b that abuts on the heated bottom part 141b of the jig part is melted by the heat conducted from the heater H1. The skin incision part 144 is provided so as to be positioned at the rough center in the left-right direction on the side of the upper part 141a facing the bottom part 141b of the arch-shaped jig part 141, and the jig part comes into contact with the movement of the abdominal incision blade 14b. The skin part Z1a of the contacting part is torn. The skin cutting part 144 has a U-shaped opening on the side of the end part 143c and functions like a gut knife for cutting open the abdomen of the carcass Z1. It should be noted that the end portion 143c side of the jig portion 143 serves as an incision end when the abdomen is incised.

The shape of the abdominal incision blades 14a and 14b is an example, and any shape that does not damage the flesh Z1b of the carcass Z1 to be peeled may be used. In addition, the skin cutting portion 142 of the abdominal incision blade 14a and the skin cutting portion 144 of the abdominal incision blade 14b may be rotary blades or ultrasonic cutters, and may be configured to enable non-contact cutting such as laser cutters. may

The adjustment of the heating temperature in this embodiment is performed using temperature control units (31a, 31b), for example. The abdominal incision blade 14 and the skin-stripping knife 15 are each provided with a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature heated by the heater. Based on the heating temperature detected by the temperature sensor and a preset temperature range, the temperature control unit 31a adjusts the temperature of the abdominal incision blade 14 during operation to a temperature at which subcutaneous fat can be melted and the skin can be peeled off (for example, 40°C). degree to 50 degrees). Similarly, based on the heating temperature detected by the temperature sensor and a preset temperature range, the temperature control unit 31b adjusts the temperature of the skin-stripping knife 15 during work to a temperature at which subcutaneous fat melts and skins can be peeled. (eg, 40 degrees to 50 degrees). In this embodiment, the abdominal incision blade 14, the skin-stripping knife 15, etc. heated to the above temperature range are brought into contact with the meat interface, which is the joint with the skin Z1a, in a warm state, whereby the skin Z1a and the skin Z1a are heated. Since it is possible to incise the skin Z1a and open the skin Z1a while melting the subcutaneous fat present between the meat Z1b and the meat Z1b, it is expected that the peeling work in the pre-process and the winding process will be smoother. In addition, according to the present embodiment, the skin Z1a can be peeled off while melting the subcutaneous fat present between the skin Z1a and the meat Z1b. It is possible to prevent a partial piece of meat from being pulled off from the meat portion Z1b and partial breakage of the skin portion Z1a. According to this embodiment, it can be expected that the peeling process can proceed without damaging the peeled skin portion Z1a and meat portion Z1b.

The control system 1 according to the present embodiment further includes servo mechanisms (20a to 20e) for smoothly performing the peeling work from the carcass Z1 in the preceding process and the winding process. Each servo mechanism includes a servo motor M1 for driving the controlled object and a servo driver 21, and each servo mechanism (20a to 20e) uses the position, orientation, attitude, etc., of the controlled object as a control amount as a target value. Automatic control is performed so as to follow In this embodiment, the abdominal incision process in the previous process is performed using the servo mechanisms (20a to 20c). Specifically, the horizontal positioning of the abdominal incision blade 14 is adjusted using the servo mechanism 20a. Further, the servo mechanism 20b is used to control the vertical movement of the abdominal incision blade 14 at the time of abdominal incision. After the abdominal incision is performed using the servomechanism 20c, the movement of the abdominal incision blade 14 around the trunk in accordance with the Z1 curved surface of the carcass in the left and right incisions is controlled. Further, in this embodiment, the servo mechanism 20d is used to control the rotation of the winding roller 206 of the down puller 205 for winding the stripped skin Z1a in the winding process. In the preceding process and the winding process, the servomechanism 20e extends and contracts the arm 210b of the fixing device 210 to press the end 210a against the carcass Z1, thereby controlling the vibration of the carcass Z1 during work. .

In the control system 1 according to the present embodiment, by the control operation based on the above-described components, the abdomen of the carcass Z1 in the previous process is incised, the abdomen is cut left and right around the body of the carcass Z1, and the winding is performed. In the process, the skin Z1a stripped from the carcass Z1 is wound up and the flesh Z1b and the skin Z1a of the carcass Z1 are separated.

<System configuration>
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of the control system 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, in the control system 1 according to this embodiment, the robot 11, the length measurement sensor 12, and the two-dimensional shape sensor described with reference to FIG. 10 are interconnected. Also, servo mechanisms (20a to 20e) and temperature control units (31a, 31b) are connected to the host controller via a communication network N. FIG. The communication network N includes EtherCAT (Ethernet for Control Automation Technology, registered trademark). Although a single communication network N is illustrated in FIG. 3, the communication network N may be composed of a plurality of networks with different standards, and the host controller 10 and each component are connected by a dedicated network. may The host controller 10 and each component are connected according to an appropriate communication method. Also, although a single host controller 10 is illustrated in FIG. 3, a plurality of host controllers may be connected, and the host controller 10 may be configured by a plurality of controllers. For example, the host controller 10 may be configured by a set of a controller that controls the robot 11, a controller that controls each servo mechanism, and a controller that controls each temperature adjustment unit. A PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) or the like is exemplified as such a controller. Furthermore, the host controller 10 may include a dedicated computer for image recognition and a dedicated computer for analyzing the feature amount detected by the two-dimensional sensor 13 .

In FIG. 3, servo drivers (21a to 21e) constituting each servomechanism are connected to a communication network N. As shown in FIG. A servo motor M1 is connected to the servo driver 21a, and similarly, servo motors M2, M3, M4 and M5 are connected to the servo drivers 21b, 21c, 21d and 21e, respectively. The servo driver 21a and the servomotor M1, which constitute the servomechanism 20a, are communicably connected via, for example, a dedicated cable. The same applies to other servo mechanisms (20b to 20e). Also, in FIG. 3, the temperature control unit 31a and the temperature control unit 31b are connected to the communication network N respectively. The temperature control unit 31a is connected to the heater H1 and constitutes a temperature control mechanism 30a. Similarly, the temperature control unit 31b is connected to the heater H2 and constitutes the temperature control mechanism 30b. The temperature control mechanisms ( 30 a , 30 b ) are also collectively referred to as temperature control mechanism 30 . To the communication network N, various switches related to execution of control and various sensors for detecting information that triggers the host controller 10 to output control commands to each component can be connected.

The high-level controller 10 is a computer that manages and controls the overall processing of the peeling process including the pre-process and the winding process, which are controlled by the control system 1 of this embodiment. The host controller 10 generates and outputs a control command for each configuration connected to the communication network N along with transition of the processing process managed by itself. The treatment process managed by the host controller 10 in the peeling process is generally divided into (1) preparation process, (2) pre-process, (3) winding process, and (4) cleaning process. The host controller 10 generates and outputs a control command according to the order of processes (1) to (4), as shown in the processing flow of the peeling process in FIG.

In the preparation process P1 shown in FIG. 4, control is performed to suppress the movement of the carcass Z1 suspended by a hook or the like. For example, the host controller 10 grasps the entire carcass Z1 from the captured image of the image sensor provided in the robot 11 or the like through the communication network N, and based on the distance value detected by the length measurement sensor 12, the servo mechanism 20e Output a control command to The servo driver 21e of the servo mechanism 20e performs servo control of the servo motor M5 using the control command output from the host controller 10 as a target value, and extends and contracts the arm 210b of the fixing device 210. FIG. The arm 210b extends through a worm gear or the like fitted to the rotating shaft of the servomotor M5, and the end 210a of the fixing device 210 is pressed against the carcass Z1. When a single robot performs the pre-process and the winding process, it may be fixed by pressing it against a wall or the like.

In the pre-process of P2, the abdomen of the carcass Z1 is incised, and control is performed to cut open the skin Z1a from the incision point of the abdomen to the left and right around the body. For example, the host controller 10 grasps the entire carcass Z1 from the captured image of the image sensor provided in the robot 11 or the like through the communication network N, and based on the distance value detected by the length measurement sensor 12, the servo mechanism 20a Output a control command to The servo driver 21a of the servo mechanism 20a performs servo control of the servo motor M1 using the control command output from the host controller 10 as a target value, thereby positioning the abdominal incision blade 14 in the horizontal direction. For example, the position of the robot 11a with the blade 14 for abdominal incision attached to the flange is moved in the horizontal direction through a worm gear or the like fitted to the rotating shaft of the servo motor M1, and positioning for incising the abdomen of the carcass Z1 is performed. will be

Next, the host controller 10 outputs a control command to the robot 11a based on the captured image of the image sensor and the distance value detected by the length measuring sensor 12. FIG. The robot 11a performs servo control of a motor built in a joint of the robot 11a, and moves a movable part to which an abdominal incision blade 14 is attached. The host controller 10 moves the movable part of the robot 11a, acquires the captured image and the distance value as appropriate, and adjusts the angle so that the abdominal incision blade 14 is inserted in accordance with the carcass Z1. to output the control command. The robot 11a moves the movable part to a site where the skin Z1a from the hind legs to the buttocks of the carcass Z1 is peeled off and the flesh Z1b is exposed, and inserts the blade 14 for abdominal incision into the site. contact.

In addition, the host controller 10 outputs a specified heating temperature within a temperature range of 40 to 50 degrees to the temperature control unit 31a as a control command when the abdominal incision blade 14 comes into contact with the carcass Z1. . The temperature control unit 31a starts heating the heater H1 provided in the abdominal incision blade 14 with the heating temperature included in the control command as a target value. The temperature control unit 13a acquires the heating temperature of the heater H1 through the temperature sensor, and the abdominal incision blade 14 is set at a temperature (for example, 40 to 50 degrees) at which the subcutaneous fat of the carcass Z1 can be melted. The heating temperature of the heater H1 is controlled so as to fall within the temperature range. In this embodiment, the temperature is controlled within a temperature range of about 40 to 50.degree.

After starting to heat the abdominal incision blade 14, the host controller 10 outputs a control command to the servomechanism 20b based on the image captured by the image sensor and the distance value detected by the length measuring sensor 12. FIG. The servo driver 21b of the servo mechanism 20b performs servo control of the servo motor M2 using the control command output from the host controller 10 as a target value, thereby moving the abdominal incision blade 14 in the vertical direction. For example, through a worm gear or the like fitted to the rotation shaft of the servomotor M2, the height position of the robot 11a, which has brought the abdominal incision blade 14 into contact with the carcass Z1, moves downward in the vertical direction, and the abdomen is incised. is started. The host controller 10 appropriately acquires the captured image and the distance value, adjusts the angle of the abdominal incision blade 14 in accordance with the shape of the abdomen of the carcass Z1, and sequentially issues control commands to the robot 11a and the servo driver 21b. to output Heating control of the heater H1 is continued via the temperature control unit 13a so that the temperature of the cutting tool 14 for abdominal incision is in the range of 40 to 50 degrees. In the robot 11a, the angle of the abdominal incision blade 14 brought into contact with the carcass Z1 is adjusted using the control command as a target value, and in the servomechanism 20b, the vertical height position of the robot 11a is adjusted using the control command as a target value. Adjusted, an abdominal incision is made from near the buttocks to the head.

In the winding step P3, the skin Z1a peeled from the carcass Z1 is wound around the roller 206. As shown in FIG. As a form of the winding process, for example, the winding form shown in FIG. 5 is assumed. As shown in FIG. 5(a), a worker M4 clips iron pieces P1a and P1b to the skin ends near the rear legs of the skin Z1a after the treatment in the previous step. The iron piece P1a is clipped to the skin edge peeled from the vicinity of the buttocks on the right ventral side, and the iron piece P1b is clipped to the skin edge peeled from the vicinity of the buttocks on the left ventral side. Then, as shown in FIG. 5B, the articulated robot 11c is used to bring the electromagnet P2 closer to the iron pieces (P1a, P1b). One end of a cable W1 connecting the roller 206 is connected to the electromagnet P2. Here, the articulated robot 11c may be the robot 11a in which the cutting tool 14 for abdominal incision is replaced with a multifingered hand or the like, or the robot 11b to which a multifingered hand is attached. The articulated robot 11c is equipped with an image sensor near the flange, for example. The host controller 10 connected to the articulated robot 11c via the communication network N recognizes the iron pieces (P1a, P1b) clipped to the edge of the skin from the captured image of the image sensor, and attaches the electromagnet P2 to the position of the iron piece. Move the moving part that has been caught closer. Then, the electromagnet P2 is energized to attract the iron pieces (P1a, P1b) clipped to the edge of the skin. After the iron pieces (P1a, P1b) are attracted, the skin Z1a is wound by the roller 206. As shown in FIG.

As another form, an articulated robot 11c shown in FIG. 6 has a form in which iron pieces P1a and P1b are clipped to skin ends near the hind legs. For example, as shown in FIG. 6(a), the articulated robot 11c grips the iron pieces (P1a, P1b) and the electromagnet P2 with non-magnetic fingertips. Then, the articulated robot 11c clips the iron pieces P1a and P1b to the skin ends of the skin Z1a near the hind legs of the carcass Z1. The iron piece P1a is clipped, for example, to the skin end peeled from the vicinity of the buttocks on the right ventral side, and the iron piece P1b is clipped to the skin edge peeled from the vicinity of the buttocks on the left ventral side. One end of a cable W1 connecting the roller 206 is connected to the electromagnet P2 in the same manner as in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6(b), the articulated robot 11c brings the electromagnet P2 closer to the iron pieces (P1a, P1b) clipped on the skin end and energizes the electromagnet P2 to attract the iron pieces (P1a, P1b). . The skin Z1a of the carcass Z1 is wound up by the roller 206 together with the iron pieces (P1a, P1b) attracted by the electromagnetic force of the electromagnet P2.

As another form, as shown in FIG. 7, the articulated robot 11c can directly clip the skin ends in the vicinity of the hind legs with clips P3. Clip P3 is connected to roller 206 via cable W1. For example, the host controller 10 performs edge detection from the image captured by the image sensor, and specifies the position of the edge of the peeled skin Z1a. Alternatively, a length measuring sensor, a photoelectric sensor, or the like are further combined, and the position of the edge of the peeled skin Z1a is specified based on the distance value detected by these sensors and the captured image. Then, the clip P3 gripped by the articulated robot 11c can be used to clip the specified skin edge. The skin Z1a clipped by the clip P3 is wound up by the roller 206. As shown in FIG.

The winding of the skin Z1a may be in a form other than winding by the roller 206 of the down puller 205. FIG. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, a form using a suction machine 208a can be exemplified. By using the suction machine 208a, the peeled skin Z1 existing near the suction port
It becomes possible to adsorb the skin edge of a. As shown in FIG. 8A, a horizontally movable arm 208b is attached to the suction machine 208a. The controller that controls the sucker 208a, for example, horizontally extends the arm 208b to bring the suction port of the sucker 208a close to the skin Z1a peeled from the carcass Z1. The sucker 208a starts sucking and sucks the edge of the skin Z1a near the suction port. After the skin edge is sucked, as shown in FIG. 8(b), the sucker 208a with the skin edge sucked is moved downward in the vertical direction while being pulled. Since the carcass Z1 is suspended and fixed by a hook or the like, the skin Z1a sucked by the sucker 208a can be peeled off from the carcass Z1 as the sucker 208a moves. Even with such a form, the stripped skin Z1a can be wound up.

In winding the skin Z1a using the roller 206, the winding of the skin Z1a may be performed using a clamp mechanism. By using the clamping mechanism, the skin Z1a peeled from the carcass Z1 can be clamped and wound up by the rollers 206. FIG. For example, a cable W1 connected to the electromagnet P2 in FIGS. 5 to 7 may be passed between the roller 206 and the clamp.

Returning to FIG. 4, in the winding process P3, when the winding of the skin Z1a peeled from the carcass Z1 is completed, the host controller 10 outputs a control command to the servo mechanism 20d. , torque control of the take-up roller 206 of the down puller 205 is performed. The servo driver 21d of the servo mechanism 20d controls the servomotor M4 so that the torque of the roller 206 for winding the skin Z1a is constant, using the control command output from the host controller 10 as a target value. A roller 206 fitted to the rotary shaft of the servomotor M4 is controlled so that the skin Z1a of the skinned carcass Z1 is wound with a constant pulling force. Torque control by the servomotor M4 enables the peeled skin Z1a to be wound up while preventing the peeling of the meat Z1b and the tearing of the skin Z1a from the carcass Z1. become.

In addition, the host controller 10 outputs a specified heating temperature within a temperature range of 40° C. to 50° C. to the temperature control unit 31b as a control command upon completion of winding of the skin Z1a around the roller 206 as a trigger. The temperature control unit 13b starts heating of the heater H2 provided in the peeling knife 15 with the heating temperature included in the control command as a target value. Then, the temperature control unit 13b acquires the heating temperature of the heater H2 via the temperature sensor, and controls the heating temperature of the heater H2 so that the subcutaneous fat melts and the skin can be peeled off. In this embodiment, the temperature is controlled within a temperature range of about 40 degrees to 50 degrees.

Next, based on the image captured by the image sensor and the position of the inflection point indicating the joint between the meat part Z1b and the skin part Z1a of the carcass Z1 detected by the two-dimensional shape sensor 13, the host controller 10 moves the robot 11b. Output a control command to The robot 11b servo-controls a motor built in the joint of the robot 11b, and moves the movable part to which the skinning knife 15 is attached to the joint position of the carcass Z1. The host controller 10 appropriately acquires the position of the inflection point detected by the captured image and the two-dimensional shape sensor 13 as well as the movement of the movable part of the robot 11b, and adjusts the skinning knife according to the joint position of the carcass Z1. 15 is output at successive timings. The robot 11b moves the movable part to the joint between the meat part Z1b and the skin part Z1a of the carcass Z1, and applies the skinning knife 15, which is a piece of metal heated to a constant temperature, to the position instructed by the control command. contact. The heat from the skinning knife 15 brought into contact with the carcass Z1 separates the skin Z1a while melting the subcutaneous fat at the meat interface, which is the joint, and the skin Z1a peeled from the carcass Z1 is removed with a constant torque. A winding operation of winding on the roller 206 is performed.

In the washing process of P4, the cutting tool that is in contact with the meat part Z1b of the carcass Z1, the abdominal incision cutting tool 14 used in the previous process, and the skin-stripping knife 15 used in the winding process are washed. . For example, the host controller 10 identifies the position of the cleaning tank from the image captured by the image sensor. Hot water at a predetermined temperature (for example, 83 degrees or higher) is put in the washing tank. The host controller 10 outputs a control command to the robot 11a to move the movable part and to immerse the abdominal incision blade 14 in the washing bath. The robot 11a servo-controls a motor built in the joint of the robot 11a, and moves the movable part to which the abdominal incision blade 14 is attached to the washing tank. The host controller 10 appropriately acquires captured images while moving the movable portion of the robot 11a, and outputs control commands at successive timings while adjusting the movement position of the blade 14 for abdominal incision. The robot 11a moves the movable part based on the control command, and dips the cutting tool 14 for abdominal incision into hot water in the washing tank. The abdominal incision blade 14 is immersed in boiling water for 3 seconds or longer. After washing, the movable part of the robot 11a moves to the work start position for processing the next skinned carcass Z1 based on the control command from the host controller 10. FIG. Similarly, in the robot 11b, the skinning knife 15 is washed based on the control command from the host controller 10, and after washing, it is moved to the operation start position for processing the next skinned carcass Z1. be.

In the washing process, hot water (for example, 83° C. or higher) may be sprayed onto the cutting tool brought into contact with the meat part Z1b of the carcass Z1 without using the washing tank. The upper controller 10 identifies the position of the washing place where the hot water is jetted, for example, from the captured image of the image sensor. The washing place is provided with a cover or the like so that splashes of jetted hot water do not splash on the carcasses Z1. When the host controller 10 outputs a control command to the robot 11a to move the movable part and move the abdominal incision blade 14 to the washing area, the robot 11a performs servo control of the motors built in the joints of its own apparatus. , move the movable part to which the abdominal incision blade 14 is attached to the washing place.

The host controller 10 may appropriately acquire captured images while moving the movable portion of the robot 11a, and output control commands at successive timings while adjusting the movement position of the cutting tool 14 for abdominal incision. Based on the control command, the robot 11a moves the movable part to the hot water jetting position in the washing place, exposes the abdominal incision blade 14 to the jetted hot water, and the washing process is completed. Similarly, the robot 11b also cleans the skinning knife 15 based on the control command from the host controller 10. FIG. After washing, the movable part of the robot 11 moves to the work start position for processing the next skinned carcass Z1 based on the control command from the host controller 10 . In the washing process, the blades of the robots 11a and 11b that are in contact with the meat part Z1b of the carcass Z1 may be replaced with sterilized blades, and the replaced blades may be washed.

<Controller configuration>
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the host controller 10 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, the host controller 10 is a computer including a processor 111, a main storage device 112, an auxiliary storage device 113, a communication IF 114, and an input/output IF 115 interconnected by a connection bus 116 as components. The main storage device 112 and the auxiliary storage device 113 are recording media readable by the host controller 10 . The main memory device 112 and the auxiliary memory device 113 constitute memory of the host controller 10 . A plurality of the above components may be provided, or some of the components may be omitted. The servo drivers (21a to 21e), the temperature control units (31a, 31b), the length measurement sensor 12 and the two-dimensional shape sensor 13, which constitute the control system 1, the control unit built in the robot 11, etc. , is substantially the same as the hardware configuration of the host controller 10, and therefore the description thereof is omitted.

The processor 111 is a central processing unit that controls the entire host controller 10 . The processor 111 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), or the like. The processor 111, for example, develops a program stored in the auxiliary storage device 113 in a work area of the main storage device 112 so that it can be executed, and controls peripheral devices through execution of the program to perform a function that meets a predetermined purpose. I will provide a. However, some or all of the functions provided by the processor 111 may be provided by an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), SoC (System on a Chip), or the like. Similarly,
Some or all of the functions may be implemented by FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays), dedicated LSIs (large scale integration) such as numerical processors, or other hardware circuits.

The main memory device 112 and the auxiliary memory device 113 constitute memory of the host controller 10 . The main storage device 112 stores programs executed by the processor 111, data processed by the processor, and the like. The main storage device 112 includes flash memory, RAM (Random
Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory). The auxiliary storage device 113 is a storage medium that stores programs executed by the processor 111 or the like, operation setting information, and the like. The auxiliary storage device 113 includes, for example, a HDD (Hard-disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), flash memory, USB memory, SD (Secure Digital) memory card, and the like. Communication IF 114 is a communication interface with communication network N. FIG. The communication IF 114 can adopt an appropriate configuration according to the connection method with the communication network N to be connected. The input/output IF 115 is an interface for inputting/outputting data between an input device and an output device provided in the host controller 10 . Through the input/output IF 115, predetermined information is output to a display device such as an LCD, an LED or the like provided on the housing of the host controller 10 or the like. Further, an operation instruction is received through the input/output IF 115, and processing intended by the operator is performed based on the operation instruction.

<Process flow>
Next, the processing flow of the pre-process and the winding process of the control system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. The pre-process is performed by coordinated processing by the host controller 10, the robot 11a, the servo mechanisms (20a to 20c), the temperature control mechanism 30a, and the length measurement sensor 12. FIG.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing an example of a pre-process process according to this embodiment. As described in the preparation process, the carcass Z1 to be processed in this flow is suspended by a hook or the like, and the end 210a is pressed against the carcass Z1 through the arm 210b of the fixing device 210. state. A blade 14 for abdominal incision for incising the abdomen of the carcass Z1 is attached to the flange of the robot 11a. The abdominal incision blade 14 is provided with a heater H1 for melting subcutaneous fat present between the skin portion Z1a and the meat portion Z1b. In the heater H1, the temperature of the jig portions (141, 143) of the cutting tool for abdominal incision 14 brought into contact with the carcass Z1 reaches a predetermined temperature range (40 to 50 degrees) through the temperature control unit 31a. Heating is controlled as follows.

After starting the processing of the pre-process, the abdominal incision blade 14 is positioned with respect to the carcass Z1 to be skinned (step S101). In the carcass Z1 to be skinned, the skin Z1a from the hind legs to the buttocks is skinned, and the flesh Z1b is exposed. The skin Z1a on the belly side of the carcass Z1 has a cut from the hind legs to the buttocks when the skin was peeled off. In the process of step S101, horizontal position adjustment for abdominal incision is performed using the cut as a target position, and the lower surface of the abdominal incision blade 14 (of the jig portion 141) is applied to the peeled abdomen from the hind legs to the buttocks. Vertical height adjustment is performed so that the surface on the side of the lower portion 141b (the surface on the side of the lower portion 143b of the jig portion 143) is brought into contact with the carcass Z1. After the process of step S101, the process proceeds to step S102.

In step S102, the process of incising the abdomen of the carcass Z1 is started. For example, the jig portions (141, 143) of the abdominal incision blade 14 with which the carcass Z1 is brought into contact are heated to a predetermined temperature (40° C. to 50° C.) at which subcutaneous fat melts via the temperature control unit 31a. Then, with the skin cutting portions (142, 144) of the abdominal incision blade 14 on the lower side in the vertical direction, the lower surface of the jig portions (141, 143) is the skin from the hind legs to the buttocks of the carcass Z1. The portion Z1a is peeled off and is brought into contact with the portion where the meat portion Z1b is exposed. While the subcutaneous fat of the carcass Z1 is melted by the heat from the jigs (141, 143) of the abdominal incision blade 14 brought into contact with the abdomen, the angle of the skin incision (142, 144) applied to the abdomen is adjusted. , the abdominal incision blade 14 is gradually moved downward in the vertical direction. When the skin of the abdomen of the carcass is incised from the rear leg side end to the head Z1c by the process of step S102, the process proceeds to step S103.

Note that, in the process of step S102, the skin Z1a of the front leg may be incised continuously after the abdomen is incised. By incising the skin Z1a of the front leg, the winding process can be easily carried out. For example, the incision of the front leg is performed manually using a cutting tool such as scissors or a rotary blade, and the skin Z1a from the toe of the front leg to the cut of the abdomen that has already been incised is incised.

In step S103, an incision process is performed in which an incision is made in the right and left directions along the circumference of the body of the carcass Z1 from the incised abdomen. For example, the height position of the abdominal incision blade 14 moved downward in the vertical direction is moved to the starting position of the abdominal incision process. Then, while the abdominal incision blade 14 is in contact with the carcass Z1, the abdominal incision blade 14 is moved downward in the vertical direction, and the subcutaneous fat of the abdomen is melted by the heat from the abdominal incision blade 14. , the skin Z1a is cut open to the left and right.

In step S103, by working in cooperation with the robot 11b, using the skinning knife 15, which is a metal piece attached to the flange of the robot, the subcutaneous fat of the abdomen is warmed and used for skinning. It may be cut open while being melted by the heat from the knife 15 . In addition, the subcutaneous fat of the abdomen is melted by the heat from the abdominal incision blade 14 of the robot 11a, and the joint between the skin part Z1a and the meat part Z1b is cut by a rotating blade, a skinner knife, or an ultrasonic cutter attached to the flange of the robot 11b. , may be cut open with a laser cutter. Cooperative work between robots can be expected to shorten the takt time in the previous process. After the process of step S103, this routine is terminated.

Next, the processing of the winding process will be described. FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing an example of the process of the winding process according to this embodiment. The winding process is performed by coordinated processing by the host controller 10, the robot 11b, the servomechanism 20d, the temperature control mechanism 30b, and the two-dimensional shape sensor 13. FIG. A skinning knife 15, which is a metal piece, is attached to the flange of the robot 11b for separating the skin Z1a from the meat Z1b while melting the subcutaneous fat at the joint between the meat Z1b and the skin Z1a of the carcass Z1. It is The skinning knife 15 is provided with a heater H1 which is heated and controlled so that the temperature of the knife is within a predetermined temperature range (40 to 50 degrees) via the temperature control unit 31b.

After the winding process is started, the skin Z1a peeled from the carcass Z1 in the previous process is wound around the roller 206 (step S111). In the winding process, the process according to the form described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7 is performed. The peeling of the skin Z1a from the carcass Z1 may be performed using, for example, the suction machine 208a described with reference to FIG. After the process of step S111 ends, the process proceeds to step S112.

In step S112, boundary detection is performed to detect the joint between the skin portion Z1a and the meat portion Z1b of the carcass Z1. The flesh side contains subcutaneous fat. Boundary detection is performed based on, for example, the captured image of the image sensor, the feature amount related to the shape of the carcass Z1 detected by the two-dimensional sensor 13, and the like. FIG. 12 illustrates an explanatory diagram for explaining boundary detection according to this embodiment. FIG. 12A illustrates an image A1 captured by the image sensor. FIG. 12(b) illustrates an image A2 approaching the joint portion between the meat portion Z1b and the skin portion Z1a.

In step S112, the host controller 10, for example, recognizes the entire carcass Z1 from the captured image, and specifies the area B1 where the joint (boundary) B1a between the meat part Z1b and the skin part Z1a exists. After specifying the area B1, the movable part of the robot 11b is gradually brought closer to the area B1, and a close-up image (image A2) near the area B1 is captured. For example, the host controller 10 fixes the movable portion of the robot 11b in the vicinity of the position where the image A2 was acquired, and causes the belt-shaped laser light projected from the two-dimensional shape sensor 13 to scan. As shown in FIG. 12(b), since the laser light projected from the two-dimensional shape sensor 13 is belt-shaped, the X-axis, A2c-A2d, A2e-A2f, and A2g-A2h Alternatively, the carcass Z1 is irradiated with a certain width in the Y-axis direction (Y-axis in FIG. 12(b)).

The host controller 10, for example, sequentially scans the irradiation position of the laser beam from A2a-A2b to A2g-A2h along the direction around the trunk of the carcass Z1. Then, from the reflected light of the laser beam at each irradiation position, the position (the horizontal X coordinate , Y coordinate in the vertical direction in FIG. 12). For example, a portion of the surface of the measurement object detected by the two-dimensional shape sensor 13 with an angular change (amount of angular change is called a feature amount) is regarded as an "inflection point" (this is called a feature point). A line is formed by connecting the points where the feature amount, that is, the angle change is detected, and the seam between the meat and the skin is detected. The line connecting the positions where the feature values are detected indicates the joint (border) between the meat part Z1b and the skin part Z1a at the time of scanning in order from A2a-A2b to A2g-A2h. The host controller 10 scans the irradiation position of the laser light in order from A2a-A2b to A2g-A2h along the direction around the trunk of the carcass Z1, thereby detecting the joint (border) between the meat part Z1b and the skin part Z1a. can.

In FIG. 12, detection of joints by scanning the suspended carcass Z1 in the direction around the body was described, but joints can also be detected by scanning the carcass Z1 in the vertical direction from the buttocks to the head. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram for explaining boundary detection by scanning in the vertical direction. FIG. 13 illustrates an image A3 captured by the image sensor. As shown in FIG. 13, the two-dimensional shape sensor 13 sets the spreading direction of the laser beam A3a that spreads in a belt shape to the horizontal direction, and causes the laser beam to follow the work progress of the skin Z1a peeled from the carcass Z1. . As the laser beam follows, the reflected light can be received at each irradiation position where the irradiation light is scanned in the order from the circled 1 to the circled 3 . Then, from the feature amount at each irradiation position, the protrusion (stepped portion) between the skin portion Z1a and the meat portion Z1b due to the pulling of the peeled skin can be specified. Similar to FIG. 12B, the joint (border) between the meat portion (including subcutaneous fat) Z1b and the skin portion Z1a can be detected from the transition in the scanning direction of the position where the height changes for each irradiation position.

As a mode for detecting the joint (border) between the other meat part (including subcutaneous fat) Z1b and the skin part Z1a, for example, the wavelength (color), deflection (color tone), intensity in the captured image obtained from the image sensor The seam may be detected from a feature amount such as (brightness). A high-resolution image sensor may be attached near the flange of the robot 11b to monitor the state of the interface between the skinned meat portion Z1b and the skin portion Z1a. Alternatively, the shape of the carcass Z1 may be recognized from an image sensor, and joint detection may be performed by 3D scanning using a three-dimensional sensor. In a three-dimensional sensor, for example, the light section method (triangulation using a light receiving part and a laser), ToF (Ti
me of flight), etc., to measure the depth of the object shape. Note that the joint detection method is the same as in FIGS. When using 3D scanning, for example, it is also possible to cut a few mm inside the joint.

Returning to the flow shown in FIG. 11, in the process of step S113, while the skin Z1a peeled off from the carcass Z1 is wound by the roller 206, the heat from the skinning knife 15, which is a heated metal piece, is applied to the skin Z1a. The process of peeling the skin Z1a is started while dissolving the subcutaneous fat at the joint. For example, servo control is performed via the servo mechanism 20d so that the torque value of the roller 206 for winding the skin Z1a is constant. With such torque control, the skin Z1a stripped from the carcass Z1 can be wound up while preventing peeling of the meat Z1b, tearing of the skin Z1a, and the like. Become.

Also, the skin-stripping knife 15 is heated to a predetermined temperature (40° C. to 50° C.) that melts the subcutaneous fat at the seam through the temperature control unit 31b. Then, the heated skin-stripping knife 15 is brought into contact with, for example, the location specified by joint (boundary) detection. Heat from the skin-stripping knife 15 brought into contact with the seam melts the subcutaneous fat on the side of the meat portion Z1b while cutting the skin portion Z1a and the meat portion Z1b. In this embodiment, the skin Z1a can be separated by bringing the skin Z1a into contact with the meat interface while a metal piece (such as the skinning knife 15) is heated.

When the meat part Z1b and the skin part Z1a are difficult to be peeled off due to the subcutaneous fat, the torque value related to the servo motor M4 that drives the roller 206 increases. The host controller 10 identifies the location where the skin Z1a is caught at the seam from the captured image during peeling according to the increase in the torque value, and outputs a control command to the robot 11b to cut the location where the skin Z1a is caught. The robot 11b moves the movable part to the joint between the meat part Z1b and the skin part Z1a of the carcass Z1, and brings the skin-stripping knife 15 heated to a constant temperature into contact with the hooking point indicated by the control command. The subcutaneous fat at the location is melted by the heat of the skin-stripping knife 15 brought into contact with the hooked location, and the skin portion Z1a at the location is separated from the meat portion Z1b. After the process of step S113 is completed, this routine is temporarily terminated, and the cleaning process of P4 shown in FIG. 4 is performed.

In the processing of step S113, the joint between the skin portion Z1a and the meat portion Z1b may be cut using a rotating blade, skinner knife, ultrasonic cutter, laser cutter, or the like. Any knife that does not damage at least the meat part Z1b and the skin part Z1a of the joint may be used.

As described above, in the control system 1 according to the present embodiment, the robot 11a performs the process of incising the abdomen of the carcass Z1 in the process prior to the skinning process, and cutting left and right around the body of the carcass Z1 from the abdomen. , the servomechanism (20a to 20c), the temperature control mechanism 30a, and the length measuring sensor 12 can be included in the configuration. In addition, the robot 11b and the servo mechanism 20d for winding the skin Z1a peeled from the carcass Z1 in the winding process of the peeling process and for separating the meat part Z1b and the skin Z1a of the carcass Z1, The temperature control mechanism 30b and the two-dimensional shape sensor 13 can be included in the configuration. These configurations are connected so as to be able to communicate at appropriate timings with a host controller 10 of a computer that manages and controls the entire peeling process, including the pre-process and winding process, which are controlled by the control system 1. be done. According to the control system 1 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to link and cooperate with the processing of the pre-peeling process and the winding process, and to process them at the same time. It becomes possible to plan.

In the control system 1 according to the present embodiment, the robot 11a that cuts the abdomen in the preceding process and cuts left and right around the body of the carcass Z1 from the abdomen is equipped with a cutting tool 14 for abdominal incision.
The jig portion (141, 143) of the abdominal incision blade 14 is provided with a heater H1 whose heating temperature can be controlled by the temperature control unit 31a. As a result, the temperature of the jigs (141, 143) of the cutting tool 14 for abdominal incision is adjusted to the temperature of subcutaneous fat when incising the abdomen of the carcass Z1 and when cutting laterally around the body of the carcass Z1 from the abdomen. Heating can be performed within a range from 40 degrees, which is the upper temperature range at which the protein begins to melt, to 50 degrees, which is the curing temperature of the protein. According to the present embodiment, the heat from the jig portions (141, 143) of the abdominal incision blade 14 causes the jig portions (141, 143) to be in contact between the skin portion Z1a and the meat portion Z1b. It becomes possible to incise the skin Z1a and cut open the skin Z1a while melting the existing subcutaneous fat. As a result, for example, it is possible to prevent partial breakage of the skin portion Z1a by peeling off a partial piece of meat from the meat portion Z1b that has been integrally connected through the subcutaneous fat. According to the present embodiment, it is possible to proceed with the pre-process without damaging the peeled skin portion Z1a and meat portion Z1b.

In the control system 1 according to the present embodiment, the robot 11a for winding the skin Z1a peeled from the carcass Z1 in the winding process and for separating the flesh Z1b from the skin Z1a of the carcass Z1 is , a skinning knife 15 which is a piece of heatable metal. The skinning knife 15 is provided with a heater H2 whose heating temperature can be controlled by the temperature control unit 31b. As a result, when separating the flesh portion Z1b and the skin portion Z1a of the carcass Z1, the temperature of the portion of the metal stripping knife 15 which is brought into contact with the meat interface is set to a temperature range in which subcutaneous fat begins to melt. can be heated within a range from 40 degrees, which is the upper value of , to 50 degrees, which is the curing temperature of the protein. According to this embodiment, it is possible to separate the skin Z1a from the meat Z1b while melting the subcutaneous fat present between the skin Z1a and the meat Z1b by the heat from the skinning knife 15. . According to this embodiment, even in the winding process, it is possible to proceed without damaging the stripped skin portion Z1a and meat portion Z1b.

In addition, in the control system 1 according to the present embodiment, the servo motor M4 is controlled via the servo driver 21d of the servo mechanism 20d so that the torque of the roller 206 for winding the skin Z1a stripped from the carcass Z1 is constant. servo control is performed. Therefore, the roller 206 fitted to the rotating shaft of the servomotor M4 is controlled so that the skin Z1a of the skinned carcass Z1 is wound with a constant pulling force. Torque control by the servomotor M4 enables the peeled skin Z1a to be wound up while preventing the peeling of the meat Z1b and the tearing of the skin Z1a from the carcass Z1. become.

In addition, in the control system 1 according to the present embodiment, in accordance with the timing at which the torque value associated with the servomotor M4 that drives the roller 206 increases, the location where the skin Z1a is caught at the seam is specified from the captured image during peeling. , the portion can be appropriately cut. According to the control system 1 of the present embodiment, it is possible to automate the peeling process and ensure productivity and profitability.

(others)
The above-described embodiment is merely an example, and the disclosure of the present embodiment can be modified as appropriate without departing from the gist thereof. The processes and means described in the present disclosure can be freely combined and implemented as long as there is no technical contradiction.

Also, the processing described as being performed by one device may be shared and performed by a plurality of devices. Alternatively, processes described as being performed by different devices may be performed by one device. In a computer system, it is possible to flexibly change what kind of hardware configuration realizes each function.

For example, when the size of the carcass Z1 to be processed is large, the peeling work in the winding process may be shared by a plurality of vertical articulated robots. For example, regarding the work of cutting off the seam when winding the peeled skin in FIG. can be configured to In this form, a temperature control mechanism is added to control the heating of the skinning knife attached to the robot.

《Computer-readable recording medium》
A computer-readable recording medium can record a program that causes an information processing device or other machine or device (hereinafter referred to as a computer or the like) to implement any of the functions described above. By causing a computer or the like to read and execute the program of this recording medium, the function can be provided.

Here, a computer-readable recording medium is a recording medium that stores information such as data and programs by electrical, magnetic, optical, mechanical, or chemical action and can be read by a computer, etc. Say. Examples of such recording media that can be removed from a computer or the like include memories such as flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, CD-R/Ws, DVDs, Blu-ray disks, DATs, 8 mm tapes, and flash memories. There are cards, etc. In addition, there are a hard disk, a ROM, and the like as recording media fixed to a computer or the like.

In order to allow comparison between the constituent elements of the present invention and the configurations of the embodiments, the constituent elements of the present invention will be described below with reference numerals in the drawings.
<Invention 1>
A processing system (11b, 20d, 30b, 13) that performs a processing step related to winding a skin (Z1a) peeled from a meat (Z1b) of a carcass (Z1),
a winding device (205, 20d) for winding the skin (Z1a) of the carcass (Z1) held by the roller (206);
a sensor (13, image sensor) for detecting the boundary between the meat part (Z1b) and the skin part (Z1a) of the carcass (Z1);
A skinning knife (15) capable of adjusting the temperature of at least the blade portion contacting the boundary between the meat part (Z1b) and the skin part (Z1a) of the carcass (Z1) is attached, and the skinning knife (15) (15) with a working device (11b) having a movable part capable of adjusting the relationship including the position and orientation with respect to the carcass (Z1),
The working device (11b) moves the carcass (Z1) detected by the sensor (13, image sensor) in accordance with the progress of the winding of the skin (Z1a) by the winding device (206, 20d). ), the temperature-controlled peeling knife (15) is brought into contact with the boundary between the meat portion (Z1b) and the skin portion (Z1a) of
A processing system (11b, 20d, 30b, 13) characterized by:

1 Control system 10 Host controllers 11, 11a, 11b, 11c Vertical articulated robots 12, 12a, 12b Length measuring sensors 13, 13a, 13b Two-dimensional shape sensors 14, 14a, 14b Abdominal incision blade 15 Skin peeling knife 20, 20a to 20e servo mechanisms 21, 21a to 21e servo drivers 30, 30a, 30b temperature control mechanisms 31a, 31b temperature control unit 111 processor 112 main storage device 113 auxiliary storage device 114 communication IF
115 input/output IF
116 Connection bus M1-M5 Servo motor H1-H2 Heater (heating machine)

Claims (10)

A processing system for performing processing steps related to winding of skin peeled from meat of a carcass, comprising:
a winding device for winding the skin of the carcass held by the roller;
a sensor for detecting the boundary between the flesh and skin of the carcass;
A skinning knife capable of adjusting the temperature of at least the blade portion contacting the boundary between the flesh and skin of the carcass is attached, and the relationship including the position and orientation of the skinning knife with respect to the carcass is established. a work device having an adjustable movable part,
The work device applies the temperature-controlled skinning knife to the boundary between the meat and skin of the carcass detected by the sensor in accordance with the progress of the winding of the skin by the winding device. abut,
A processing system characterized by: 2. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the skinning knife is temperature regulated in a temperature range that allows subcutaneous fat of the carcass to melt and skin. 3. The winding device according to claim 1, wherein the winding device comprises a clamping mechanism for controlling driving of the roller in the winding direction so that the carcass skin held by the roller is wound with a constant torque value. processing system. the sensor comprises a two-dimensional sensor capable of detecting features related to the shape of the carcass;
4. A boundary between a meat part and a skin part of said carcass is detected from transition of positions of feature points relating to said shape detected by said two-dimensional sensor scanning around said body of said carcass. The processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. the sensor comprises a two-dimensional sensor capable of detecting features related to the shape of the carcass;
From the transition of the position of the characteristic points related to the shape detected by the scanning performed by the two-dimensional sensor following the progress of the winding of the skin by the winding device, the meat and skin of the carcass 4. The processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which detects a boundary between . the sensor includes an image sensor;
4. A boundary between a meat part and a skin part of the carcass is detected from at least one characteristic of color, tone and brightness of the carcass image captured by the image sensor. The processing system described in . The sensor includes a three-dimensional sensor capable of measuring the depth of the carcass shape,
4. The processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a boundary between a meat part and a skin part of the carcass is detected based on shape recognition of the carcass captured by the three-dimensional sensor. 8. The processing system according to any one of claims 1 or 3 to 7, wherein a cutter for cutting the boundary between the flesh and skin of the carcass without contact is attached to the tip of the movable part of the working device. . 8. The work device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the skinning knife used in the process of winding the skin skinned from the flesh of the carcass is washed with hot water at a predetermined temperature. The processing system described in . A method of controlling a processing system that performs a processing step related to winding skin peeled from meat of a carcass, comprising:
a winding device for winding the skin of the carcass held by the roller;
a sensor for detecting the boundary between the flesh and skin of the carcass;
A skinning knife capable of adjusting the temperature of at least the blade portion contacting the boundary between the flesh and skin of the carcass is attached, and the relationship including the position and orientation of the skinning knife with respect to the carcass is established. a work device having an adjustable movable part,
In the work device, the temperature-controlled skinning knife is placed at the boundary between the meat portion and the skin portion of the carcass detected by the sensor according to the progress of the winding of the skin portion by the winding device. to abut,
A control method characterized by executing

Images