JP4611494B2 - Sorting conveyor device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a sorting conveyor device that transports fruits and vegetables on a transport unit connected to a conveyor chain, and sorts and discharges the fruits and vegetables at a part of a transport path.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a sorting conveyor device disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-61105 is known as a sorting conveyor device that loads and transports articles on a transport unit attached to a conveyor and sorts and discharges the articles at a part of the transport path. .
In the conventional sorting conveyor apparatus including the above-described prior art, the placing unit of the transport unit is configured by a container or a flat plate, and the transport unit of the container or the flat plate is rotatably supported on the conveyor chain, In general, an article is tilted a predetermined angle to the left or right of the moving direction and the article is slid down obliquely downward.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the conventional sorting conveyor device described above, since the mounting portion is a container or a structure in which plate materials are arranged, the shape and color of an object to be measured such as fruits and vegetables are inspected from below the conveyance path. For this reason, a device for that purpose must be arranged above or to the side of the transport path, and an extra space is required, and the shape of the object to be measured is different. When performing measurement, there is a disadvantage that the distance between the light source (measurement device) and the object to be measured varies.
[0004]
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a sorting conveyor device that can be inspected from below and can be surely sorted and discharged at a predetermined position.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, the sorting conveyor device according to the present invention carries articles by placing them on a carrier unit connected to a conveyor chain at a predetermined interval, and rotates the carrier unit to drop the articles for sorting. An article placement unit is provided in the transport unit of the sorting conveyor device, and the placement unit is configured with a wire rod so as to enable inspection or inspection of the article from below, and is provided so as to protrude from above the conveyor chain. The measuring device that performs the inspection or inspection of the article is provided on the upstream side of the sorting position and below the mounting portion that protrudes from the conveyor chain. By adopting such a configuration, an optical device for inspecting the shape, color, sugar content (acidity), and the like can be disposed below the travel route.
[0006]
For example, the placement portion is formed by arranging two metal wires in parallel or in a frame shape. Further, the anti-slip effect is exhibited by bending the tip portion upward, and a plurality of articles can be prevented from being placed on the placement portion.
[0007]
Further, as a specific structure of the sorting conveyor device, a guide is provided with a roller on the side opposite to the mounting portion with the rotation axis of the transport unit as the center, and the roller engages along the travel path of the conveyor chain. The guide is allowed to rotate downward by releasing the engagement state between the fixed guide that keeps the placement portion horizontal when the roller is engaged, and the roller. It may be configured with a movable guide. With such a configuration, it is possible to reliably pay out the object to be measured at a predetermined position.
[0008]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
1 is an overall top view of a sorting conveyor apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is an overall front view of the sorting conveyor apparatus, FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a top view of a transport unit, and FIG. FIG. 6 is a front view of the transport unit, and FIG. 6 is a side view of the transport unit.
[0009]
The sorting conveyor device 1 is formed by combining a plurality of metal pipes and joining them at their ends to form the entire frame 2. A motor 4 is fixed to the support portion 3 provided at the end of the frame 2, and the endless conveyor chain 5 is driven by the motor 4. The conveyor chain 5 is stretched between a driving sprocket 4a fixed to the rotating shaft of the motor 4 and a driven sprocket 4b disposed on the other end side of the frame 2 and is fixed to the frame 2 with chain rails 6a and 6b (see FIG. 3) (see FIG. 6).
[0010]
The conveyor chain 5 has a plurality of transport unit units 7 connected at equal intervals. The transport unit 7 is swingably attached to a bracket 8 fixed to the conveyor chain 5 via a shaft 9, a mounting portion 10 projects from one side around the shaft 9, and a roller 11 is disposed on the other side. have.
[0011]
The placement unit 10 has two metal wires 10a and 10b arranged in parallel, and prevents the fruit W or the like placed by bending the tip part slightly upward from rolling down. In addition, as the mounting part 10, you may make one wire rod into a loop shape (frame shape).
[0012]
On the other hand, the roller 11 is heavier than the placement unit 10, but when the fruit W or the like is placed on the placement unit 10, the placement unit 10 becomes heavier. Accordingly, the placement unit 10 is in a horizontal state in the upper travel path due to the weight of the roller 11, and the roller 11 is rotated downward in the lower travel path.
In addition, when the fruit W is placed on the placement part 10 in the upper traveling path, the placement part 10 becomes heavier and the placement part 10 tends to rotate downward, but the lower part is guided by a guide described later. Rotation to is prevented.
[0013]
A guide that engages with the roller 11 of the placement unit 10 and prevents the placement unit 10 from rotating is disposed on the upper travel path. The guide includes a fixed guide 12 and a movable guide 13 provided at a sorting position between the fixed guide 12. The movable guide 13 is moved forward and backward by a solenoid and moved to the right in FIG. 6 to disengage from the roller 11. The mounting portion 10 rotates about the shaft 9 counterclockwise in the figure, The fruit W placed on the placement unit 10 is paid out.
[0014]
In the present embodiment, the measuring device 20 that measures the sugar content and acidity of the fruit W in a non-destructive manner is disposed below the path through which the placement unit 10 passes upstream from the payout position. The measuring apparatus 20 has a window 21 for irradiating the fruit W with near-infrared light from the light source and a window 22 for receiving transmitted light or scattered light from the fruit W on the upper surface. A display plate 23 indicating the sugar content and acidity of the fruit W is provided.
[0015]
A light source 24 such as a light emitting diode or a halogen lamp that emits near-infrared light is provided inside the measuring device 20, and the light from the light source 24 is irradiated on the fruit W, which is the object to be measured, for a predetermined time. A shutter 25 for taking measurement light for the same time is provided in the windows 21 and 22, and the operation of these shutters 25 is synchronized by a synchronization circuit 26.
[0016]
Further, the transmitted light and scattered light from the fruit W are guided to the optical grating 29 via the condenser lens 27 and the reflecting mirror 28, and the optical grating 29 divides the light into, for example, light having wavelengths of 1032 nm, 1100 nm, 1138 nm, and 1242 nm. It is done. The intensities of these spectra are detected by photosensors 30, 31, 32, and 33. The signals of these photosensors 30 to 33 are combined together by a multiplexer 34 and sent to a computer 36 via a sensor amplifier 35. The computer 36 detects the sugar content and acidity of the fruit W by the following processing. Note that the optimum value of the wavelength is different for each object to be measured.
[0017]
Measure the sugar content and acidity of the actual fruit in advance with a sugar acidity meter that uses grades, and simultaneously project near-infrared light onto the fruit to obtain transmitted / scattered light, and the sugar content and acidity. Intensity changes are obtained for two sets of two spectral ratios showing characteristic changes in Fig. 4, that is, four spectra, and changes for each concentration are obtained as distribution functions.
[0018]
On the other hand, at the time of measurement, the same two sets of spectral ratios are obtained from the fruit, and this is applied to the previously created distribution function to accurately measure sugar content and acidity.
[0019]
The two spectral ratios showing the characteristic changes differ depending on the measurement object. For example, when measuring a mandarin orange, a ratio of a light absorption intensity of λ2 nm (for example, 1272 nm) to a near-infrared light absorption intensity with respect to λ1 nm (for example, 1138 nm) (referred to as a ratio a), and λ3 nm (for example, 1032 nm) The ratio of the light absorption intensity of λ4 (for example, 1100 nm) nm to the light absorption intensity of the sample (referred to as the ratio b) shows a significant change in the sugar content and acidity of the saccharimeter used for each class. , Ratio a and ratio b are distributions on a plane (XY plane) having the two sugar and sugar levels of the fruit measured with a saccharimeter (distribution for ratio a is distribution A and distribution for ratio b, respectively) Is a distribution B).
[0020]
Therefore, the sugar content and acidity of N mandarin oranges of the same variety classified into various grades are measured by a saccharimeter and an alkali measurement method, and they are set as numerical values on the coordinate axis X of sugar content and the coordinate axis Y of acidity. When the ratio a of the transmitted near-infrared light from the mandarin orange is plotted as the vertical axis Z of the three-dimensional graph at the intersection on the dimensional coordinate, the curved surface Fa (see FIG. 8) of the distribution A composed of N point groups is obtained. It is done.
[0021]
Similarly, the ratio b is also measured in parallel with the measurement of the ratio a for the same mandarin orange and set as a numerical value on the coordinate axis X of sugar content and the coordinate axis Y of acidity, and then on the intersection on the two-dimensional coordinate. The ratio b of transmitted near-infrared light from the mandarin orange is plotted as the vertical axis Z of the three-dimensional graph, and a curved surface Fb of distribution B consisting of N point groups is obtained. In FIG. 8, the curved surface Fb of the distribution B is overlapped with the curved surface Fa of the distribution A, but the curved surface Fb and the curved surface Fa are actually different.
[0022]
In this way, distribution A and distribution B are obtained in advance before measuring the sugar content of the test mandarin orange, and the sugar content of the measured mandarin orange is simultaneously measured using these distributions.
That is, the curve La is formed from the intersection of the plane F represented by the values on the three-dimensional graph and the curved surface Fa representing the distribution A. Similarly, when the ratio b is superimposed on the distribution B for the same mandarin orange, a curve Lb is obtained. The lines La and Lb thus obtained are viewed on a two-dimensional plane composed of the sugar content coordinate axis X and the acidity coordinate axis Y when viewed from the direction perpendicular to the coordinate axis Z representing the ratio a or ratio b in FIG. When projected, a line La ′ and a line Lb ′ can be drawn on the two-dimensional coordinates composed of the coordinate axis X of sugar content and the coordinate axis Y of acidity as shown in FIG.
[0023]
Since the intersection P between the two lines La ′ and Lb ′ is a characteristic value common to the distribution A and distribution B of the mandarin orange as the measurement object, as a conclusion, the value X1 of the coordinate axes X and Y of the intersection , Y1 indicates the sugar content and acidity of the tangerine. That is, the sugar content of the mandarin orange to be tested is obtained from the value X1 of the coordinate axis X of the sugar content relative to the intersection, and the acidity of the mandarin orange to be measured is obtained from the value Y1 of the coordinate axis Y of the acidity.
[0024]
Although sugar content and acidity are important factors that determine grades such as mandarin oranges, it is difficult to measure acidity, and as described above, it is often the case that only sugar content is measured. However, it is possible to accurately determine the grade by measuring both simultaneously as in this embodiment.
[0025]
In the embodiment, the sugar content and acidity measurement device is arranged below the travel path of the placement unit 10, but other than this, a color grader or image sensor (such as a color grader or an image sensor) for judging the color and shape of fruits, etc. An image processing apparatus) may be arranged.
[0026]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the sorting conveyor device according to the present invention, the placement unit of the transport unit is configured with a wire rod and can be viewed from below. The measuring device can be arranged directly under the placement unit.
And, if the fruits and vegetables placed on the placement part are inspected from below, the distance between the fruits and vegetables and the measuring device becomes constant, so that not only effective use of space but also measurement The accuracy of the result is also increased.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an overall top view of a sorting conveyor apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an overall front view of the sorting conveyor apparatus. FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 5] Front view of the transport unit [FIG. 6] Side view of the transport unit [FIG. 7] A diagram illustrating components of the sugar / acidity measuring device [FIG. 8] X-axis is sugar content, Y-axis is acidity, Z-axis 3D graph with the ratio of light absorption intensity [Fig. 9] 2D graph showing sugar content and acidity of the object to be measured [Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Sorting conveyor apparatus, 2 ... Frame, 3 ... Support part, 4 ... Motor, 4a ... Drive sprocket, 4b ... Driven sprocket, 5 ... Conveyor chain, 6a, 6b ... Chain rail, 7 ... Conveyor unit, 8 ... Bracket , 9 ... Shaft, 10 ... Placement part, 10a, 10b ... Wire, 11 ... Roller, 12 ... Fixed guide, 13 ... Movable guide, 20 ... Sugar and acidity measuring device, 21, 22 ... Window, 23 ... Display plate, 24 ... Light source, 25 ... Shutter, 26 ... Synchronization circuit, 27 ... Lens, 28 ... Reflector, 29 ... Optical grating, W ... Fruit (object to be measured).

Claims (3)

A sorting conveyor device that loads and conveys articles on a conveyance unit connected to a conveyor chain at a predetermined interval, and rotates the conveyance unit to drop and sort the articles, and the conveyance unit is configured to load articles. A measuring device that includes a placement unit, and is configured with a wire to enable the article to be seen through or inspected from below, and is provided so as to project from above the conveyor chain and perform the see-through or inspect of the article. Is an upstream side of the sorting position, and is provided below the placing portion protruding from the conveyor chain .   2. The sorting conveyor device according to claim 1, wherein the transport unit includes a roller on a side opposite to the mounting portion with a rotation shaft as a center, and a guide with which the roller engages along a travel path of the conveyor chain. The guide is provided, and the guide is allowed to rotate downward by releasing the engagement state between the fixed guide that keeps the placement portion horizontal when the roller is engaged, and the roller. A sorting conveyor device comprising a movable guide.   2. The sorting conveyor apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an optical sugar acidity measuring device is disposed below a passage path of the transport unit.

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