JP3498180B2 - Long onion peeler - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention removes unnecessary materials (hereinafter referred to as "useless materials") such as soil and sand adhering to the surface of the onion and the surface of the onion by blowing compressed air onto the surface of the onion. The present invention relates to a long green onion peeling machine having a peeling means having a nozzle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a kind of peeling treatment is carried out in which compressed air is blown from the leaf side of the harvested long onion toward the root side to blow off and remove unnecessary substances adhering to the epidermis and surface of the long onion. A peeling machine that is a washing machine is known. This type of peeling machine has a nozzle for ejecting compressed air to be blown onto the onion epidermis. This nozzle is moved relative to the onion in the longitudinal direction of the onion, and compressed air is blown over the entire length of the onion to remove unnecessary substances adhering to the surface of the onion. And in moving the nozzle relative to the onion, in the conventional peeling machine,
In many cases, the nozzle was fixed and the long green onion was moved by the operator. However, in recent years, there is also known a mode in which the long green onion is fixed and the nozzle is moved in the longitudinal direction of the long green onion by an appropriate moving means. Moreover,
There is also known a peeling machine which has a conveying means for conveying the long onion to a peeling position in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction thereof, for example, in a direction orthogonal thereto, and a nozzle is provided at the peeling position.

As described above, in the peeling machine provided with the nozzle which moves in the longitudinal direction of the onion and the conveying means for conveying the onion in the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the onion, the peeling position of the onion by the conveying means. Transport to. When the onion is transported to the peeling position, the nozzle moves from the root side of the onion to the leaf side along the longitudinal direction of the onion and stops at a predetermined compressed air ejection start position. Subsequently, the compressed air starts to be ejected from the nozzle, and the nozzle starts to move from the leaf side of the onion to the root side along the longitudinal direction of the onion. Then, by moving the nozzle to the root of the long onion, compressed air was blown over the entire length of the long onion to remove unnecessary substances.

By the way, it is desirable to set the jetting start position of the compressed air at a predetermined position near the boundary between the leaf and stem of the long onion. In order to determine such a jetting start position of compressed air, an image processing apparatus has been used in the past.
This image processing apparatus projects the vicinity of the boundary between the leaf and root of the long green onion, and by looking at this image, the ejection start position of the compressed air is determined.

[0005]

However, since the image processing apparatus is generally expensive, there is a problem in that the use of the image processing apparatus does not prevent an increase in cost. Moreover, since the device itself is complicated, its maintenance is difficult. Further, there is a problem that troubles are likely to occur in a dusty place, and when a trouble occurs, it is difficult for a specialist to deal with it.

Further, after the compressed air is ejected from the nozzle to carry out the peeling treatment, the peeling of the peel may occur at the root of the long onion. When such unpeeled skin occurs, the unpeeled skin may get entangled in the peeling machine in the subsequent transportation process,
It may cause trouble. In order to eliminate such unpeeled skin, it is conceivable to increase the pressure of the compressed air ejected from the nozzle. However, if the pressure of the compressed air is too high, the long onion may be seriously damaged. This tendency is particularly prominent in the soybean-shaped onion, which has a bulged root. This is because the location of the bulge is different in the onion, which has a root-shaped root.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to use an expensive and complicated device such as an image processing device in a long green onion peeling machine having a nozzle that moves in the longitudinal direction of the long green onion and a transfer member that transfers the long green onion. Instead, the nozzle is surely moved to the boundary between the leaf part and the stem part of the long green onion to prevent peeling of the epidermis and wasteful consumption of compressed air. Further, it is to prevent the peeling left on the root of the long onion from being entangled in the peeling machine and causing trouble.

[0008]

The invention according to claim 1 of the present invention, which has solved the above-mentioned problems, is provided with a peeling means having a nozzle for blowing compressed air onto the long onion epidermis to remove unnecessary substances. In the peeling machine for the onion, the nozzle movement for moving the nozzle in the longitudinal direction of the onion at the peeling position is provided with a conveying means for conveying the onion in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the onion. And a thickness detecting means for detecting the thickness at each position in the longitudinal direction at the boundary between the leaf part and the stem part of the long onion on the upstream side of the peeling position in the conveying means. , Compressed air ejected from the nozzle when the nozzle is moved from the leaf side to the root side of the onion by the nozzle moving means according to the thickness of each position in the longitudinal direction of the detected onion. The start position of the A peeler leek, characterized in that it comprises control means for performing control to.

In the onion peeling machine according to the first aspect of the invention, in order to determine the start position of the onion spouting, the onion peeling machine is made to correspond to each position in the longitudinal direction at the boundary between the leaf and the stem of the onion. A thickness detecting unit is provided which includes a plurality of sensors for detecting the thickness of each position of the onion in the longitudinal direction. By using such a thickness detecting means, the injection start position of compressed air can be determined without requiring an expensive and complicated device such as an image processing device. In addition, of the boundary between the leaf and stem of the long onion, the part where the thickness starts to change is detected, the nozzle is moved to the vicinity of that part, and thereafter the compressed air is jetted to perform the peeling process. By doing so, compressed air can be blown onto the green onion from an appropriate position. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the skin from being left unpeeled and to prevent unnecessary consumption of the compressed air.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an onion peeling machine provided with a peeling means having a nozzle for blowing compressed air onto the epidermis of the long onion to remove wastes, and the peeling of the long onion is made to the length of the long onion. A transporting means for transporting in a direction crossing the longitudinal direction of the onion is provided, and a nozzle moving means for moving the nozzle in the longitudinal direction of the onion at the peeling position is provided, and the peeling position of the transporting means is more than the peeling position. Also on the upstream side, the passage time measuring means for measuring the passage time at each position in the longitudinal direction at the boundary between the leaf and stem of the long onion, and the reference time measuring means for measuring the passage time of the stem of the long onion. By disposing, and comparing the passage time at each position of the long green onion measured by the passage time measuring means and the reference time measured by the reference time measuring means, the nozzle moving means Therefore, when the nozzle is moved from the leaf side to the root side of the long onion, control means for performing control to determine the jetting start position of the compressed air jetted from the nozzle is provided. It is a peeling machine.

The common properties of long green onions include, in addition to those mentioned above, that the stem has a substantially constant thickness. Focusing on this point, in the invention according to claim 2, the passage for measuring the passage time at each position in the longitudinal direction at the boundary between the leaf part and the stem part of the onion on the upstream side of the peeling position in the conveying means. The time measuring means and the reference time measuring means for measuring the passage time of the stem of the long green onion are provided. Then, by comparing the passage time at each position of the onion measured by the passage time measuring means and the reference time measured by the reference time measuring means, the nozzle moving means moves the nozzle to the onion leaf side. The ejection start position of the compressed air ejected from the nozzle when it is moved from to the root side is determined. Now, assuming that the conveying means is moving at a constant speed, the passage time measured by the passage time measuring means is almost equal to the reference time at each position in the longitudinal direction at the boundary between the leaf and stem of the onion. If they are the same, the thickness of that portion is almost the same as the stem of the onion. Further, when the passage time measured by the passage time measuring means is longer than the reference time, it is understood that the portion is a leaf portion wider than the stem portion, that is, wider. Then, by comparing the passage time measured by the passage time measuring means and the reference time,
The thickness of each position at the boundary between the leaf portion and the stem portion can be judged relative to the thickness of the stem portion. Therefore, by measuring the passage time at each position in the longitudinal direction at the boundary between the leaf of the long onion and the stalk, and comparing it with the reference time, it is possible to obtain an appropriate compressed air ejection start position near the boundary between the leaf and the stalk. Determine the position. By moving the nozzle to the compressed air start position and starting the ejection of the compressed air from the compressed air ejection start position, it is possible to prevent peeling of the skin and the waste of the compressed air.

The invention according to claim 3 is the invention according to claim 1 or
A peeler leek according to claim 2, wherein the nozzle
After the ejection of compressed air from the end of the onion, the nozzle moves to the rear side of the root of the long onion, and then a clamp that holds or cuts the peeled skin of the long onion at the rear part of the long onion. An onion peeling machine, characterized in that a device is provided.

In the invention according to claim 3, after the nozzle has moved to the rear side of the root of the onion, the clamp device for pressing or cutting off the unpeeled part of the onion at the rear of the onion. Is provided. For this reason, even if the peeling of the compressed air from the nozzle is finished, even if there is peeling left on the root of the long onion, the peeling can be removed by the clamp device. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the peeling left on the root of the long onion from being entangled with the peeling machine and causing trouble.

[0014]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the entire onion peeling machine according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a front view thereof.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an onion peeling machine 1 according to the present invention has a base frame 2 having a rectangular planar shape. Support shafts 3A and 3B are rotatably supported by bearings at upstream and downstream ends of the base frame 2 in the transport direction (direction of arrow X in the drawing), respectively. These spindles 3A,
Sprockets 4A, 4B, 4C, and 4D having the same diameter are fixed to the root-side end and the leaf-side end of 3B, and the chain 5 is attached to these sprockets 4A and 4B.
A is a chain 5B wound around the sprockets 4C and 4D so as to be endless. Further, a motor M is connected via a belt to a sprocket 4E provided at the end of the downstream support shaft 3B,
The support shaft 3B functions as a drive shaft, and the support shaft 3A functions as a driven shaft.

Between the chains 5A and 5B, a plurality of conveying members 6 on which the long green N to be processed are mounted are attached at substantially constant intervals in the conveying direction. All of these conveying members 6 have the same shape, and as shown in FIG. 3, a leaf mounting base 6A on which the leaf of the long onion N is mounted and a stem mounting base on which the stem is mounted. 6B and a root mounting table 6C on which the root is mounted. The leaf placement table 6A has a flat plate surface, and the stem placement table 6B and the root placement table 6C both have V-shaped side surfaces, and the lateral direction of the onion N The movement is suppressed. The chains 5A, 5B and the conveying members 6, 6 ... Constitute the conveying means of the present invention. Further, the peeling machine 1 is provided with a control device 7 including, for example, a programmable logic controller.

Further, the most upstream position of the conveying means is a mounting position P1 on which a worker (not shown) mounts the long onion N, and the passage time of the long onion N which will be described later is measured on the downstream side thereof. The measurement position P2 to be set is set. Further, a peeling position P3 for peeling the long green onion N is set on the downstream side of the measurement position P2. Further, on the further downstream side of the peeling position P3, a cutting position P4 for cutting the peeled leaf of the long green onion N is set.

At the peeling position P3, a peeling device 10 for peeling the epidermis of the onion N is provided. Peeling device 1
As shown in FIG. 4, 0 is a hollow guide member 1 extending along the longitudinal direction of the long onion N placed on the conveying member 6.
1, which is also provided with a hollow case 12 that fits inside the guide member 11.

An inclined plate 12A is provided at the tip of the case 12 so that the long onion N can be easily inserted when the long onion N is inserted into the case 12. Also, case 12
A guide member 12B having a V-shaped cross section is disposed inside the. The long green onion N inserted into the case 12 is accommodated in the V-shaped groove portion of the guide member 12B, and thus is inserted straight into the case 12. By being inserted straight into the case 12, compressed air is blown evenly. Further, the case 12 is provided by the guide member 12B.
Since the volume of the portion through which the compressed air passes is reduced, the blowing force of the compressed air can be increased accordingly.

On the side of the case 12, the case 12 is provided.
There is provided a slide member 13 which is a nozzle moving means of the present invention for moving the nozzle relative to the onion N. The case 12 is movable in the direction of the onion N (Z direction in FIG. 1) by the slide member 13. The slide member 13 includes a ball nut 13A and a ball screw 13
Have B. Also, the ball nut 13A is a long green N
Is slidable along a slide guide 13C extending along the longitudinal direction of the motor, and a motor 13D (FIG. 1) for rotating the ball screw 13B is disposed behind the ball screw 13B (rightward in FIG. 4). ing. And the motor 1
By rotating the ball screw 13B in 3D, the ball nut 13A can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the onion N along the slide guide 13C. Further, the side surface of the tip end portion of the case 12 is fixed to the ball nut 13A, and the case 12 can move along the longitudinal direction of the onion N as the ball nut 13A moves. .

Further, inside the tip of the case 12, nozzles 14A to 14C for injecting compressed air are provided. Of these, the nozzle 14A is provided at a position for injecting compressed air from above the case 12, and has two injection ports. The nozzles 14B and 14C are provided at positions where the compressed air is jetted from the side, are columnar bodies having a triangular cross section, and the jet ports are formed on the side surfaces of the columnar bodies. These nozzles 14A to 14C are connected to an air pump (not shown), and drive the air pump to inject compressed air. The compressed air is blown onto the long onion N, and the epidermis of the long onion N is peeled off to perform the peeling treatment. Here, the onion N blown with the compressed air tends to float upward, but is prevented from floating upward by the compressed air blown from the nozzle 14A provided above. A controller 7 is connected to the air pump (not shown). The air pump is driven or stopped based on the ON / OFF signal from the control device 7.

Further, the motor 1 in the peeling device 10
The control device 7 is electrically connected to the 3D. The motor 13D moves the case 12 forward in the X direction based on the forward movement amount signal from the control device 7.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the peeling device 10 includes a leaf portion supporting member 15 for raising the leaf portion of the long onion N and a stem portion for raising the stem portion. A support member 16 is provided. Leaf support member 1
A holding member 17 for holding the leaf portion of the long green onion N is fixedly installed at a position above 5 along with the leaf portion supporting member 15 moved upward. On the other hand, when the stalk supporting member 16 moves upward, the stalk mounting base 6B and the root mounting base 6 of the conveying member 6 are moved.
It is designed to move upward from between C. further,
The stem support member 16 has elasticity so that the stem support member 16 can escape even if it strikes the stem support member 16 when the case 12 advances.

The leaf support member 15 and the stem support member 1
A cushioning member such as a sponge is provided at a position where each of 6 and the sandwiching member 17 comes into contact with the long onion N so that the long onion N is not damaged. Further, the peeling device 10 includes air cylinders 15A, 16 for vertically moving the leaf support member 15 and the stem support member 16.
A is provided.

On the other hand, the sensor 18 is provided on the upper surface of the case 12.
A is provided, and a dog 18B detected by a sensor 18A is provided at the rear position of the slide member 13. These dogs 18B are connected to the control device 7 shown in FIG. 1, and when the sensor 18A detects the dog 18B when the case 12 descends rearward, the nozzles 14A to 14C are just the roots of the long onion N. The case 12 is located near the position where the pressure of the compressed air is increased.

Further, a dust collecting hood (not shown) is provided at the rear end of the guide member 11, and as shown in FIG.
After picking up, the nodules N of the long green onion blown off by blowing compressed air from the nozzles 14A to 14C, and unnecessary substances such as deposits attached to the epidermis can be collected.

Further, the peeling position P in the peeling machine 1
At a position corresponding to the boundary between the leaf portion and the stem portion of the long onion N at the measurement position P2 located slightly upstream of 3, the passage of the present invention for measuring the passage time at each position in the longitudinal direction of the long onion N A transit time measuring sensor 20 which is a time measuring means is provided. The transit time measuring sensor 20 according to the present embodiment includes an optical sensor, and as shown in FIG. 5, a light projecting portion 21 provided below the position where the leaf portion and the stem portion of the long green N pass,
The light receiving unit 22 is provided above the light projecting unit 21. The light projecting unit 21 includes fiber sensors 21A to 21H.
8 are arranged at equal intervals along the longitudinal direction of the onion N. Of these, the fiber sensor 21A arranged closest to the root of the long onion N is arranged below the stem portion of the long onion N. Then, the fiber sensor 21B,
In the order of 21C ..., they are arranged near the leaf side of the long green N. The fiber sensor 21H, which is arranged closest to the leaf side of the long onion N, is arranged below the leaf portion of the long onion N. The fiber sensor 21A closest to the root side and the fiber sensor 21H closest to the leaf side are separated by a certain distance. For this reason, long onion N
Even if there is some error in the length, the stem of the long onion N always passes over the fiber sensor 21A closest to the root side, and the long onion N always passes over the fiber sensor 21H closest to the leaf side. The leaves of the tree pass through.

The light receiving section 22 includes the fiber sensors 21A to 21A.
21H receives the light projected. Then, the light receiving section 22 detects whether or not the light projected by each of the fiber sensors 21A to 21H has arrived. The light receiving unit 22 is shown in FIG.
Is electrically connected to the controller 7 and outputs a light reception signal indicating whether or not the light projected by each of the fiber sensors 21A to 21H is received to the controller 7.

Further, at a position corresponding to substantially the center of the stem portion of the long onion N at the measurement position P2, there is a reference time measuring means of the present invention for measuring the passage time at the substantially central position of the stem portion of the long green N. A reference time measuring sensor 23 is provided. Further, the reference time measuring sensor 23 and the passing time measuring sensor 20
And are juxtaposed along the longitudinal direction of the long onion N. In other words, the reference time measurement sensor 23 is provided on an extension of a straight line where the fiber sensors 21A to 21H of the passage time measurement sensor 20 are lined up.

The reference time measuring sensor 23 is an optical sensor of light emitting and receiving type, and the light emitting and receiving parts 24 provided substantially below the center position of the stem of leek N, above the projecting light receiving unit 24 And a reflection plate 25 provided on the. Emitter / receiver 2
Reference numeral 4 has a light projecting portion that projects light toward the reflection plate 25. When the light projected from the light projecting unit of the light projecting / receiving unit 24 reaches the reflecting plate 25, it is reflected by the reflecting plate 25 and returns to the light projecting / receiving unit 24. The light projecting / receiving unit 24 has a light receiving unit that receives the light reflected from the reflecting plate 25. The light receiving unit detects whether or not the light emitted from the light emitting unit is reflected. The light projecting / receiving unit 24 is electrically connected to the control device 7 shown in FIG. 1, and outputs a light reception signal indicating whether or not the light reflected from the reflection plate 25 is received.
Is output to. In this embodiment, a light emitting / receiving (reflection) type optical sensor is used as the reference time measuring sensor, but a sensor having a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit separated from each other, such as the one used in the passage time measuring sensor 20, is used. It can also be used. In this case, for example, the light projecting section may be provided at the position where the light projecting / receiving section 24 is provided, and the light receiving section may be provided at the position where the reflecting plate 25 is provided. Of course, a light emitting and receiving type optical sensor can be used as the passage time measuring sensor.

On the other hand, the control device 7 has a timer (not shown) built therein. With this timer, the light receiving portion 22 of the passage time measurement sensor 20 and the reference time measurement sensor 23
Of the fiber sensors 21A to 21A.
The time when the light projected from 21H and the light reflected from the reflection plate 25 are received and the time when they are not received are detected.

Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the ball nut 13A is provided with the clamp device 26 of the present invention. The clamp device 26 includes a pressing member 27.
And a cylinder member 28 and a cylinder rod 29 for vertically moving the pressing member 27. The pressing member 27 has blades 27A with both ends protruding, and is housed inside the case 12 so as to be vertically movable.

The cylinder member 28 is a ball nut 13A.
, And the clamp device 26 moves together with the ball nut 13A and the case 12 in the longitudinal direction of the onion N. Further, when the cylinder rod 29 extends from the cylinder member 28, the pressing member 27 descends inside the case 12. Further, when the cylinder rod 29 enters the cylinder member 28, the pressing member 2
7 is going to rise. Then, the pressing member 27
By lowering, the peeled skin of the long green onion N in the case 12 is pressed and pressed.

Further, the peeling device 10 in the conveying means.
At the cutting position P4 on the downstream side of, the leaf cutting means 30 for cutting the leaves of the long onion N is provided. The leaf cutting means 30 is provided with a disk-shaped rotary blade 31 and a motor 32 for rotating the rotary blade 31. A pressing member 33 is provided on the front side of the rotary blade 31 for pressing the leaf of the long onion N when the leaf of the long green N is cut by the rotary blade 31.

A processing procedure by the peeling machine 1 having the above configuration will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in the peeling machine 1. When the peeling process is started (SS), an operator (not shown) places the long onion N on the transport member 6 at the placement position P1 shown in FIG. 1 (S1). When the long onion N is placed on the conveying member 6, the movement of the conveying member 6 is started (S2), and the long onion N placed on the conveying member 6 is conveyed to the downstream side (the X direction in FIG. 1) in the conveying direction. It When the long green onion N is conveyed as it is, and the long green onion N eventually reaches the measurement position P2, the substantially central position of the stem portion of the long green onion N passes through the reference time measurement sensor 23. Measurement position P2
In the above, before the long green onion N passes through the reference time measuring sensor 23, the light projected from the light projecting / receiving unit 24 is reflected by the reflecting plate 25, and the light projecting / receiving unit 25 receives the reflected light. Subsequently, when the long onion N is passing through the reference time measuring sensor 23, the light projected from the light emitting / receiving unit 24 of the reference time measuring sensor 23 is blocked by the stem of the long onion N. Therefore, the light projecting / receiving unit 24 does not receive the light reflected from the reflecting plate 25. Furthermore, after the long green onion N has passed, the light projected from the light emitting / receiving unit 24 is reflected again on the reflecting plate 25, and the reflected light is received by the light emitting / receiving unit 24. Here, the light emitting / receiving unit 2
Reference numeral 4 outputs a light reception signal to the control device 7. The control device 7 measures the time during which the light projecting / receiving unit 24 cannot receive the light reflected from the reflecting plate 25. Then, the time measured here is detected as the reference time of the long green N (S3).

Further, at the measurement position P2, almost at the same time as the central position of the long onion N passes the reference time measuring sensor 23, at the same time, the boundary between the leaf and the stem of the long onion N passes the passing time measuring sensor 20. To do. Before the long green onion N passes through the passage time measurement sensor 20, the light projected from each of the fiber sensors 21A to 21H of the passage time measurement sensor 20 reaches the light receiving unit 22. Then, the long green onion N is the passage time measuring sensor 20.
When passing through, the light projected from each of the fiber sensors 21A to 21H of the passage time measuring sensor 20 is blocked by the stem portion of the long green N and does not reach the light receiving portion 22. Furthermore, after the long green onion N has passed, each fiber sensor 2
The light receiving unit 22 receives the light projected from 1A to 21H. Here, the light receiving section 22 outputs a light receiving signal to the control device 7. In the control device 7, the light receiving unit 22 measures the time during which the light projected from each of the fiber sensors 21A to 21H cannot be received. Then, each measured time is detected as the passage time of each position in the longitudinal direction of the onion N (S4).

In the control device 7, the reference time detected in step S3 and the long green N detected in step S4.
Of the passage time at each position in the longitudinal direction of the
5). Based on the comparison result in step S5, the ejection start position of the compressed air ejected from the nozzles 14A to 14C is determined (S6). An example of a procedure for determining the jetting start position of the compressed air at this time will be described.

As schematically shown in FIG. 7, for example, assuming that the time taken to pass the reference time measuring sensor 23 is 100 ms, the long green N of the fiber sensors 21A to 21H provided in the passing time measuring sensor 20 is used. It is assumed that the time when the long onion N has passed over the five fiber sensors 21A to 21E from the root side is 100 ms. Further, the time when the long green onion N passed on the fiber sensor 21F located next to the root side was 120 ms, and the time when the long green onion N passed on the fiber sensor 21G located next to the root side was 200 ms.
It was. Then, it is assumed that the time when the long green onion N has passed over the fiber sensor 21H located closest to the leaf side is 250 ms.

In this case, the reference time measured by the reference time measurement sensor 23 is compared with the passage time at which the positions of the passage time measurement sensor 20 corresponding to the fiber sensors 21A to 21H have passed. Of the fiber sensors 21A to 21H in the passage time measurement sensor 20, the passage time of passing over the five fiber sensors 21A to 21E located on the root side of the onion N is 100 ms, which is a reference time.
It agrees with 00 ms. This means that the length of the onion N in the longitudinal direction is almost the same up to the positions corresponding to the fiber sensors 21A to 21E. Here, as a general property of long onion N, since the stems have almost the same thickness, the fiber sensors 21A to
Up to the position corresponding to 21E is the stem portion.

Further, the passage time for the long green N to pass through the position corresponding to the fiber sensor 21F is 120 ms, which is about 1.2 times the reference time of 100 ms. This is the fiber sensor 2 out of the longitudinal position of the long onion N.
The thickness (width) at the position corresponding to 1F is the thickness (width) of the stem
It means that it is about 1.2 times. Here, considering the general properties of the long onion N, it is considered that the position near the fiber sensor 21F is the boundary between the leaf portion and the stem portion.

Further, the passage time of the long onion N over the fiber sensor 21G is 200 ms, which is about twice as long as the reference time of 100 ms.
This means that among the longitudinal positions of the long onion N, the position corresponding to the fiber sensor 21G is the leaf portion. Further, the fiber sensor 21H located closest to the leaf side
The time required for the onion N to pass above is 250 ms, which is about 2.5 ms compared with the reference time of 100 ms.
Has doubled. Of the positions in the longitudinal direction of the long onion N, the position corresponding to the fiber sensor 21H is the leaf portion completely, and is closer to the tip of the leaf than the position measured by the fiber sensor 21G.

Each of such fiber sensors 21A to 21
As a result of comparing the passing time at the longitudinal position of the long onion N corresponding to H with the reference time, for example, 1.
The position corresponding to the doubled fiber sensor 21F can be set as the ejection start position of the compressed air. Of course, this position may be set as the ejection start position of the compressed air, but in the present embodiment, in order to surely remove the unpeeled skin, the position corresponding to the fiber sensor 21G, which is twice the reference time, corresponds to the compressed air. Determined as the ejection start position.
In addition, if the position corresponding to the fiber sensors 21A to 21E whose passage time is the same as the reference time is set as the ejection start position of the compressed air, there is a high possibility that the peeling of the skin will occur.
On the other hand, when the position corresponding to the fiber sensor 21H is set to the jetting start position of the compressed air, a large amount of compressed air is blown to the leaves, resulting in wasted consumption of compressed air.

Further, in the present embodiment, the position of the fiber sensor 21G, which is twice the reference time, is set as the jetting start position of the compressed air, but it is, for example, twice the reference time or more, which is the minimum magnification. The position where the compressed air is ejected can be set as the position where the compressed air is ejected. Further, in determining the jetting start position of the compressed air, the threshold is set when the passage time becomes twice the reference time.
The threshold value can be set as appropriate, for example, by using an appropriate magnification from 2 times to 2.2 times.

In this way, the long onion N is being conveyed by the conveying member 6 while the ejection start position of the compressed air is being determined in step S6. Then, when the long onion N reaches the peeling position P3, the transport member 6 stops (S7).
When the conveying member 6 reaches the peeling position P3 and stops, the leaf supporting member 15 and the stem supporting member 16 are raised by the air cylinders 15A and 16A, and the long onions N are lifted while being supported. Here, the lifted leaf part of the green onion N is sandwiched by the leaf part support member 15 and the sandwiching member 17, as shown in FIG. Then, the slide member 1
By moving the ball nut 13A of No. 3 forward, the case 12 is moved forward, and the onion N starts to be covered from the root side of the onion N. Further, the case 12 is moved forward, and the compressed air is jetted toward the long onion N from the nozzles 14A to 14C with a weak blowing force. Due to this weak spraying force, the long green onion N is smoothly supported in the case 12 and the adhered substances on the surface are lightly removed. Furthermore, the stem support member 16 is lowered by the air cylinder 16A when the root of the onion N enters the case 12 in the process of advancing the case 12.

After the stem supporting member 16 is lowered, the case 12 is further moved forward to step S6.
The nozzles 14A to 14C provided at the tip of the case 12 are moved forward to the compressed air ejection start position determined in (S9). Then, when the nozzles 14A to 14C reach the jetting start position of the compressed air, an air pump (not shown) is operated to increase the blowing force of the compressed air from each of the nozzles 14A to 14C, and the nozzles shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, full-scale compressed air ejection is started.
Simultaneously with the start of the full-scale injection of compressed air, the ball nut 13A of the slide member 13 is moved in the opposite direction to retract the case 12, thereby causing the nozzles 14A to
14C is started to move rearward from the leaf side toward the root side along the longitudinal direction of the onion N (S10).

After that, when the strong compressed air is started to be jetted from the nozzles 14A to 14C, the skin of the long green onion N and the deposits attached to the surface thereof are blown off while the case 12 is retracted. The blown-out skin or the like is sent backward as shown in FIG. 9 and collected in a dust collecting hood (not shown).
In the process of retracting the case 12, eventually the case 1
The sensor 18A provided in 2 detects the dog 18B.
When the sensor 18A detects the dog 18B, the nozzle 14A
-14C is located just near the root of the long onion N.
The vicinity of the root of this long onion N has good tightness and the epidermis is firmly attached. The sensor 18A is designed so that even such a firmly attached skin can be blown off.
When the dog 18B is detected by the nozzles 14A to 14C
The blowing force of the compressed air jetted from is controlled to be stronger.

After that, when the long green onion N is completely discharged from the case 12, the air pump (not shown) is stopped and the ejection of compressed air from the nozzles 14A to 14C is completed (S1).
1).

At the time when the ejection of the compressed air from the nozzles 14A to 14C is finished, the peeling of the long onion N should be completely peeled off, but the root part of the long onion N is hardened. In some cases, it is not possible to completely remove the long onion N skin simply by blowing compressed air. At this time, the skin R sticks to the root of the long onion N and is in a dangling state. If the long green onion N is transported as it is, the skin R stuck to the root of the long green onion N may be wound around the peeling machine and cause trouble. In order to avoid such troubles, the clamp device 26 is used to peel the peel R of the onion N from the root.

When the ejection of compressed air from the nozzles 14A to 14C is completed, as shown in FIGS. 10 (a) and 10 (b),
The cylinder rod 28 is lowered by the cylinder member 28 in the clamp device 26, and the pressing member 27 is lowered (S12). After the peeling work of the long onion N is completed, when the peel R remains at the root of the long onion N, the peel R faces rearward due to the wind force of the compressed air. The pressing member 27 descends there and holds down the rearward facing skin R. Then, as shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, the case 12 is moved backward again. Then, the pressing member 2
The skin R attached to the root part of the long onion N which has been suppressed to 7 is moved rearward together with the case 12 and peeled from the long onion N. In this way, the skin R can be completely removed from the root of the long onion N. When the skin R is completely removed from the root of the long onion N, the pressing member 27 does not hold down the skin R, so to speak, “swing”, but another problem does not occur. Absent.

Here, as shown in FIG. 12, the pressing member 2
A blade 27A for cutting is attached to 7. By attaching the cutting blade 27A to the pressing member 27, it is possible to cut the skin R attached to the root of the long onion N. FIG. 13A shows a state in which the skin R is cut by the cutting blade 27A. In addition, the pressing member 27
Even if it fails to cut the skin R attached to the root of the long onion N by the cutting blade 27A, the cutting blade 2
Since the tip of 7A is sharp, the occurrence of slip is suppressed. Therefore, the skin R of the long green onion N is sandwiched between the cutting blade 27A and the case 12, and the skin R is also retracted as the case 12 retracts. In this way, the skin R of the long green onion N can be peeled off as shown in FIG. 13 (b). As it is, case 1 so that the peel R of the long onion N can be peeled off
When 2 is retracted to the origin position, the case 12 is stopped from retracting (S13).

In this way, when the skin R is completely removed from the root of the onion N, the leaf supporting member 15 is lowered by the air cylinder 15A, and the onion N is placed on the conveying member 6 again. After that, the transport member 6 is moved to start moving to the downstream side (S14). Then, the peeling process ends (SE).

After the peeling process is completed, the long onion N is conveyed by the conveying member 6 to the cutting position P4 located further downstream. When the long green onion N is conveyed to the cutting position P4, the leaf cutting means 30 cuts the leaves of the long green onion N to remove unnecessary leaves and trim necessary leaves. As described above, the leaf cutting means 30 is provided on the downstream side of the peeling device 10, so that the peeling device 1
At the 0 position, unnecessary leaves of the onion N remain uncut. In the peeling device 10,
By holding this unnecessary leaf when performing the peeling treatment, it is possible to prevent the portion of the long onion N having a commercial value, for example, the stem portion from being damaged.

When the conveying member 6 reaches the most downstream portion of the peeling machine 1, an operator (not shown) takes out the long onion N from the conveying member 6 and the cutting / peeling process of the long onion N is completed. To do.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the passage time at each position in the longitudinal direction at the boundary between the leaf portion and the stem portion of the long onion N is measured, but these positions are separately detected by appropriate thickness detecting means and detected. The ejection position of the compressed air can be determined based on the thickness. In this aspect, for example, the thickness of the onion can be divided into three sizes of L, M, and S, and the reference thickness can be determined according to these sizes. Then, a position where the thickness measured at each position in the longitudinal direction at the boundary between the leaf portion and the stem portion of the long onion N is the reference thickness can be set as the ejection start position of the compressed air.

In the above embodiment, the case is moved when the case and the onion are relatively moved, but the onion may be moved.

[0056]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the ejection of compressed air is started based on the thickness of each position in the longitudinal direction at the boundary between the leaf and stem of the long onion. Since the position is determined, it is possible to prevent peeling of the epidermis and to prevent wasteful consumption of compressed air.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the jetting start position of the compressed air is determined by the time taken for each position in the longitudinal direction at the boundary between the leaf part and the stem part of the onion to pass. It is possible to prevent peeling and the like, and prevent wasteful consumption of compressed air.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, even if the root of the onion is left unpeeled after the compressed air is ejected from the nozzle to remove the unpeeled skin, the unpeeled skin can be reliably removed. Can be removed. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent troubles such as the peeling of the skin around the peeling device in the subsequent carrying process or the like.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an outline of a peeling machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing the outline of a peeling machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a conveyance member.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an outline of a peeling device.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing an outline of a peeling device.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a peeling process by the peeling machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically showing the relationship between the time measured by the reference time measurement sensor and the time measured by the passage time measurement sensor when determining the ejection start position of the compressed air.

FIG. 8A is a front view of the peeling device showing a state in which a leaf portion of a long onion is sandwiched by a leaf supporting member and a sandwiching member;
(B) is a front sectional view of the peeling device when peeling the long green onion.

FIG. 9 is a side view of the peeling machine when performing the peeling process.

FIG. 10 (a) is a plan sectional view showing an operation of peeling off the skin remaining on the root part of the long onion, and FIG. 10 (b) is a side sectional view thereof.

11A is a plan sectional view showing a working state of a step following FIG. 10. FIG. (B) is a side sectional view thereof.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a clamp device.

FIG. 13 (a) is a perspective view showing a state where the leather is cut by the blade of the pressing member, and FIG. 13 (b) is sandwiched between the pressing member and the case,
It is a perspective view showing the state where the skin was torn off.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 peeler 5A, 5B chain (transportation means) 6 Transport member (transport means) 7 Control device 10 Peeling device 11 Guide member 12 cases 13 Slide member (nozzle moving means) 14A-14C nozzle 20 Passage time measurement sensor 21 Projector 21A-21H Fiber sensor 22 Light receiving part 23 Reference time measurement sensor 24 Emitter / Receiver 25 reflector 26 Clamping device 27 Pressing member 30 Leaf cutting means

Continuation of the front page (56) Reference JP-A-8-191679 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A23N 7/00

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A long green onion peeling machine provided with a peeling means having a nozzle for blowing compressed air onto the long green onion to remove unnecessary substances, wherein the long green onion is crossed in the longitudinal direction of the long green onion. A transporting means for transporting in the direction of, and has a nozzle moving means for moving the nozzle in the longitudinal direction of the onion in the peeling position, on the upstream side of the peeling position in the transporting means,
Corresponding to each position in the longitudinal direction at the boundary between the leaf and stem of the long onion, a thickness detecting means provided with a plurality of sensors for detecting the thickness of each position in the longitudinal direction of the long onion is provided, Depending on the thickness of each position in the longitudinal direction of the onion detected by the thickness detecting means, from the nozzle when moving the nozzle from the leaf side to the root side of the onion by the nozzle moving means. An onion peeling machine comprising control means for performing control for determining a jetting start position of jetted compressed air. 2. A long onion peeling machine provided with a peeling means having a nozzle for blowing compressed air to a long onion skin to remove wastes, wherein the long onion intersects with the longitudinal direction of the long onion. A transporting means for transporting in the direction of, and has a nozzle moving means for moving the nozzle in the longitudinal direction of the onion in the peeling position, on the upstream side of the peeling position in the transporting means,
Passing time measuring means for measuring the passing time of each position in the longitudinal direction at the boundary between the leaf and stem of the long onion, and a reference time measuring means for measuring the passing time of the stem of the onion are provided, By comparing the passage time at each position of the green onion measured by the passage time measuring means and the reference time measured by the reference time measuring means, the nozzle moving means moves the nozzle to the long green onion. An onion peeler comprising control means for performing control for determining a jetting start position of compressed air jetted from the nozzle when moving from the leaf side to the root side. 3. The ejection of compressed air from the nozzle is completed.
However , after the nozzle has moved to the rear side of the root of the onion, a clamp device for pressing or cutting off the peeled skin of the onion in the rear portion of the onion is provided. The onion peeling machine according to claim 1 or 2 .