JP6349431B1 - Fruit and vegetable sorting device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a fruit and vegetable sorting apparatus capable of sorting according to the length of a long fruit and vegetable and reducing the equipment cost. A sorting device 10 includes a conveyor unit 11 having a plurality of trays 112 attached to an outer peripheral side of an endless belt at a predetermined interval, and fruits and vegetables carried on the tray 112 and having a predetermined length or more. It has a sponge belt 13 that can be conveyed at the same speed as the conveyor unit 11 while holding the tip of the fruits and vegetables. The sorting device 10 sorts fruits and vegetables according to size by sorting the fruits and vegetables sandwiched by the belt transport unit 13 and the fruits and vegetables not sandwiched by the belt transport unit 13. [Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a fruit and vegetable sorting apparatus that sorts long fruits and vegetables such as leeks and burdock by size according to their length.

  Long fruits and vegetables such as leek and burdock are usually sorted according to size according to length before shipment. Conventionally, such selection of long fruits and vegetables has been generally performed manually.

  There is also a sorting device that picks up fruits and vegetables that are sequentially conveyed by a conveyor or the like with a camera and sorts the fruits and vegetables according to the analysis result of the photographed images in sorting the fruits and vegetables according to size, shape, color, etc. ( For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-161381 JP 2016-22214 A

  However, there is a problem that manual selection takes time and labor costs are high. Further, in the sorting apparatus that sorts based on the analysis of the captured image, there is a problem that the sorting apparatus itself is expensive and the equipment cost is increased.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a fruit and vegetable sorting apparatus that can sort according to the length of long fruits and vegetables and can reduce equipment costs.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is a fruit and vegetable sorting apparatus that sorts long fruits and vegetables by size according to the length, and includes a conveyor unit that conveys fruits and vegetables in a conveyor conveyance direction, and a conveyor unit that carries the fruits and vegetables. Of the fruits and vegetables to be conveyed, and having a belt conveying portion that can be conveyed at the same speed as the conveyor portion while sandwiching and holding the leading end portion of the fruits and vegetables having a predetermined length or more. It is characterized in that the fruits and vegetables to be sandwiched and the fruits and vegetables that are not sandwiched between the belt conveying sections are selected according to size.

  According to said structure, a belt conveyance part can hold | maintain and convey the front-end | tip part of fruit and vegetables beyond predetermined length with respect to the long fruit and vegetables conveyed on a conveyor part. Thereby, it can sort according to size according to length with the fruit and vegetables pinched | interposed into a belt conveyance part, and the fruit and vegetables which are not pinched | interposed into a belt conveyance part. In addition, the fruit and vegetable sorting apparatus does not require a photographing means such as a camera or an analysis means for analyzing the photographed image, and performs the sorting only with a simple mechanical configuration, so that the labor cost and the equipment cost are high. Can be avoided.

  Further, in the fruit and vegetable sorting apparatus, the conveyor unit is configured to attach a plurality of saucers to the outer peripheral side of the endless rotating member at a predetermined interval, and convey the fruits and vegetables placed on the saucer in the conveyor conveyance direction. The saucer is rotatably attached to the endless rotating member via a hinge portion provided on one end side in the conveyor width direction orthogonal to the conveyor transport direction, and on both sides of the conveyor width direction, When the side where the hinge part is provided is the front side and the side where the hinge part is not provided is the back side, it can be rotated between the horizontal state and the maximum inclined state where the front side is low and the back side is high. Thus, the belt conveying section can be arranged at a position sandwiching the leading end of the fruits and vegetables on the tray that is in the maximum inclined state.

  According to said structure, a belt conveyance part can be pinched | interposed and pinched | interposed the front-end | tip part of fruits and vegetables on the saucer in the maximum inclination state more than predetermined length. At this time, since the positioning is based on the lower end of the fruits and vegetables on the tray that is in the maximum inclination state, depending on the length between the fruits and vegetables sandwiched by the belt transport unit and the fruits and vegetables that are not sandwiched by the belt transport unit Can be sorted by size.

  The fruit and vegetable sorting apparatus has a guide plate disposed above the conveyor unit so as to be inclined so that the front side is low and the back side is high. The conveyor unit is configured such that the tray is the conveyor. While moving along the transport direction, has a tray lowering region that changes from the maximum tilt state to the horizontal state, the belt transport unit is arranged to include at least the tray lowering region, The guide plate has an upstream end disposed upstream from the downstream end of the belt transport unit and downstream from the upstream end of the tray lowering region. Fruits of a predetermined length or more sandwiched between the leading ends are placed on the upper surface of the guide plate, and fruits and vegetables having a length less than a certain length that is not sandwiched by the belt conveying unit pass below the guide plates. The fruits and vegetables of a predetermined length or longer placed on the upper surface of the guide plate are slid down from the guide plate after passing through the transport region of the belt transport unit and are selected from other fruits and vegetables. be able to.

  According to said structure, the specific structure of the fruit and vegetables sorter | selector which sorts sequentially from the long fruit and vegetables can be provided.

  In the fruit and vegetable sorting apparatus, the conveyor unit includes an inclined conveyance region that conveys the tray while maintaining the maximum inclined state while the tray moves along the conveyor conveyance direction, and the belt The transport unit has an upstream end disposed at the same position as or downstream from the upstream end of the inclined transport region, and the fruits and vegetables having a length less than a certain length that is not sandwiched by the belt transport unit. In addition, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the fruit is slid down from the tray during the conveyance in the inclined conveyance area and is selected from other fruits and vegetables.

  According to said structure, the specific structure of the fruit and vegetables selection apparatus which sorts in order from the fruit and vegetables with short length can be provided.

  In addition, the fruit and vegetable sorting apparatus has a tray lifting member fixedly disposed on the inner peripheral side of the endless rotating member, and the tray lifting member is connected to the conveyor portion of the endless rotating member. A saucer ascending region for changing the saucer that passes over the saucer elevating member during rotation from the horizontal state to the maximum inclined state, an inclined conveyance region that conveys the saucer while maintaining the maximum inclined state, and the saucer And a saucer lowering region that changes the maximum inclination state to the horizontal state.

  According to said structure, the state change of a saucer required in the selection process of fruit and vegetables can be performed by the saucer raising / lowering member fixedly arrange | positioned at the inner peripheral side of an endless rotation member. That is, there is no need for a dedicated driving means for changing the state of the tray, and the cost of the fruit and vegetable sorting apparatus can be reduced.

  Further, in the fruit and vegetable sorting apparatus, the tray lifting member has a concavo-convex portion in at least a part of the tray rising region and the inclined transport region, and a vibration is applied to the tray passing over the concavo-convex portion. It can be.

  According to said structure, by giving a vibration to the saucer which passes a saucer raising area | region or an inclination conveyance area | region, the fruits and vegetables currently placed on a saucer become easy to slide down with dead weight, and make positioning and selection of fruits and vegetables surely performed. be able to. Further, there is no need for a dedicated drive means for applying the vibration to the tray, and the cost of the fruit and vegetable sorting apparatus can be reduced.

  Further, in the fruit and vegetable sorting apparatus, the belt conveyance unit is arranged so that the conveyance start position is at the same height as the conveyance surface of the conveyor unit, and is inclined so as to rise from the conveyance surface of the conveyor unit toward the downstream. Furthermore, it is inclined with the same inclination as that of the belt conveyance unit with respect to the conveyance surface of the conveyor unit, and the upper surface thereof is disposed slightly below the conveyance surface of the belt conveyance unit. A guide plate and take-out means arranged above the conveying surface of the conveyor unit and almost immediately below the downstream end of the guide plate, and the belt conveying unit is configured to remove the tip portion. The sandwiched fruits and vegetables of a predetermined length or more are placed on the upper surface of the guide plate, and the fruits and vegetables of less than a certain length that are not pinched by the belt conveying unit pass below the guide plate. The fruits and vegetables placed on the upper surface of the guide plate can be separated from other fruits and vegetables by dropping the fruits and vegetables of a predetermined length or more on the take-out means from the downstream end of the guide plate. .

  According to said structure, the belt conveyance part can convey the fruit and vegetables which pinched | interposed the front-end | tip part from the conveyance surface of a conveyor part so that it may guide on a guide plate. In addition, the fruits and vegetables that are not sandwiched between the front ends are not guided onto the guide plate, but are transported while being placed on the conveyor. The fruits and vegetables guided onto the guide plate are further dropped onto the take-out means from the downstream end of the guide plate, and are sorted by the take-out means, so that they are not sandwiched between the fruits and vegetables sandwiched between the belt transport unit and the belt transport unit. It can be sorted by size according to length with fruits and vegetables.

  Since the fruit and vegetable sorting apparatus of the present invention performs sorting with only a simple mechanical configuration, it can sort fruits and vegetables by size according to length while avoiding an increase in labor costs and equipment costs. There is an effect that can be done.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of a sorting apparatus according to a first embodiment, illustrating an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the conveyor part contained in the selection apparatus of FIG. 1, (a) is a front view which shows the one end part side of a conveyor part, (b) is AA sectional drawing of (a). It is a perspective view which shows the inclination stand contained in the selection apparatus of FIG. It is a schematic front view of the selection apparatus of FIG. (A)-(c) is sectional drawing which shows the selection operation | movement of the L size fruit and vegetables by the selection apparatus of FIG. (A)-(c) is sectional drawing which shows the selection operation | movement of the L size fruit and vegetables by the selection apparatus of FIG. (A)-(c) is sectional drawing which shows the selection operation | movement of the S size fruit and vegetables by the selection apparatus of FIG. (A)-(c) is sectional drawing which shows the selection operation | movement of the S size fruit and vegetables by the selection apparatus of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the modification of the inclination stand contained in the selection apparatus of FIG. 1, showing an embodiment of the present invention, is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a sorting apparatus according to Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the tilting base contained in the selection apparatus of FIG. It is a schematic front view of the selection apparatus of FIG. (A)-(c) is sectional drawing which shows the selection operation | movement of the L size fruit and vegetables by the selection apparatus of FIG. (A), (b) is sectional drawing which shows the selection operation | movement of the L size fruit and vegetables by the selection apparatus of FIG. (A)-(c) is sectional drawing which shows the selection operation | movement of the S size fruit and vegetables by the selection apparatus of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the modification of the tilting base contained in the selection apparatus of FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a sorting apparatus according to a third embodiment, showing an embodiment of the present invention. (A) is a schematic front view of the selection apparatus of FIG. 17, (b) is a schematic plan view of the selection apparatus of FIG. (A)-(c) is sectional drawing which shows the selection operation | movement of the L size fruit and vegetables by the selection apparatus of FIG. (A)-(e) is sectional drawing which shows the selection operation | movement of the M size fruit and vegetables by the selection apparatus of FIG.

[Embodiment 1]
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a sorting apparatus (fruit and vegetables sorting apparatus) 10 according to the first embodiment. The sorting device 10 includes a conveyor unit 11, an inclined table (a tray lifting member) 12, a sponge belt (belt transport unit) 13, a guide plate 14, and a stopper 15. Each component will be described below.

(Description of conveyor unit 11)
Fig.2 (a) is a front view which shows the one end part side of the conveyor part 11, FIG.2 (b) is AA sectional drawing of Fig.2 (a). In the following description, the arrow X direction shown in FIG. 2 (a) is the conveyor conveyance direction, and the arrow Y direction shown in FIG. 2 (b) is the conveyor width direction. As shown in FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b), the conveyor unit 11 has a large number of trays 112 at predetermined intervals on the outer peripheral side of an endless belt (endless rotating member) 111 spanned between a pair of rollers 110. It is the structure formed by attaching. At least one of the pair of rollers 110 is a drive roller, and the endless belt 111 can be rotationally driven in the conveyor conveyance direction.

  The tray 112 is a semi-cylindrical member that is open at the top, and has a shape in which both ends in the conveyor width direction are also open. The tray 112 is rotatably attached to the endless belt 111 via a hinge portion 113 provided on one end side (front side) of the tray 112 in the longitudinal direction. Thereby, the saucer 112 is rotatable between a horizontal state (shown by a solid line in the drawing) and a maximum inclination state (shown by a broken line in the drawing) shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, of both sides in the conveyor width direction, the side where the hinge portion 113 is provided is the front side, and the side where the hinge portion 113 is not provided is the back side.

  Further, the endless belt 111 is provided with a rotation restricting portion 111a made of a protrusion such as a rib in the vicinity of each hinge portion 113. The rotation restricting portion 111a is in contact with the back surface (convex surface) of the tray 112 in the horizontal state, and restricts the rotation such that the rear side end portion of the tray 112 is lower than the horizontal state.

(Description of the tilting table 12)
As shown in FIG. 1, the tilting table 12 is fixedly disposed on the inner peripheral side of the endless belt 111, and lifts the rear side end of the tray 112 that passes over the tilting table 12 when the conveyor unit 11 is driven to rotate. (Turned around the hinge part 113) and tilted. The tilt table 12 is fixed to a frame member (not shown) of the sorting device 10.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the inclined base 12 has a first inclined edge 12 a, a horizontal edge 12 b, and a second inclined edge 12 c formed in this order along the conveyor conveyance direction at the edge portion on the back side. Yes. That is, the tray 112 is lifted from the horizontal state to the maximum inclined state when moving along the first inclined edge 12a (the tray rising region) and from the maximum inclined state to the horizontal state when moving along the second inclined edge 12c. Returned (destination lowering area). When the tray 112 moves along the horizontal edge 12b, the maximum inclination state is maintained (inclined conveyance area).

(Description of sponge belt 13)
As shown in FIG. 1, the sponge belt 13 is composed of a pair of rotating belts facing each other, and is disposed in a region including at least the second inclined edge 12 c of the inclined table 12 in the conveyor conveyance direction. More specifically, the upstream end of the sponge belt 13 is preferably slightly upstream from the upstream end of the second inclined edge 12c, and the downstream end of the sponge belt 13 is the second inclined edge. It is preferable that it exists in the downstream rather than the downstream edge part of 12c. In a plane orthogonal to the conveyor conveyance direction, the plate is disposed on the outer side of the rear side end portion on the extension line in the longitudinal direction of the tray 112 in the maximum inclination state. The sponge belt 13 has a leaf tip portion (tip portion) such as a green onion or burdock (hereinafter simply referred to as “fruit and vegetable”) sandwiched between these rotating belts, and can be conveyed along the conveyor conveying direction. Yes. The conveying speed of the sponge belt 13 is set to be the same as the conveying speed of the conveyor unit 11.

  The fruits and vegetables sandwiched between the leaf tips by the sponge belt 13 are only those having a predetermined length or more, and the selection length reference for the fruits and vegetables can be arbitrarily set according to the arrangement position of the sponge belt 13. The sponge belt 13 has an outer peripheral surface formed of an elastic foam so as not to damage the leaf tips of the sandwiched fruits and vegetables.

(Description of guide plate 14)
As shown in FIG. 1, the guide plate 14 is disposed above the conveyor unit 11, and is inclined so that the front side is low and the back side is high, like the tray 112 that is in an inclined state. The guide plate 14 is arranged such that the upstream end portion of the guide plate 14 is located upstream of the downstream end portion of the sponge belt 13 in the conveyor conveyance direction. In other words, it arrange | positions so that the partial area of the downstream of the conveyor conveyance direction of the sponge belt 13 and the partial area of the upstream of the conveyor conveyance direction of the guide plate 14 may overlap. Further, the upstream end portion of the guide plate 14 in the conveyer conveying direction may be at least downstream from the upstream end portion of the second inclined edge 12c of the inclined base 12, and the guide plate 14 has one second inclined edge 12c. It may overlap with the partial area. In the plane orthogonal to the conveyor conveying direction, the guide plate 14 has an inclination angle substantially equal to that of the tray 112 in the maximum inclination state, and the upper end position and the lower end position of the guide plate 14 are also in the maximum inclination state. Is substantially coincident with the upper end position and the lower end position. The guide plate 14 is fixed to a frame member (not shown) of the sorting device 10.

  On the guide plate 14, the fruits and vegetables that are transported while the leaf tip portion is sandwiched between the sponge belts 13 are placed, and after the holding by the sponge belts 13 is released, they are placed on the guide plates 14. The fruits and vegetables maintain their tilted state.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the notch part 14a which opens the downward direction of the guide plate 14 is provided in the upstream of the conveyance direction of the guide plate 14. The notch portion 14a is provided so as to form an oblique edge on the guide plate 14 so that the opening width is large on the upstream side in the conveyor conveyance direction and the opening width decreases toward the downstream.

(Description of stopper 15)
As shown in FIG. 1, the stopper 15 is a flat plate member whose longitudinal direction is the conveyor conveyance direction, and the fall of the fruits and vegetables placed on the receiving tray 112 in the inclined state and the fruits and vegetables placed on the guide plate 14. It is provided to prevent falling. The stopper 15 is fixed to a frame member (not shown) of the sorting device 10.

  The stopper 15 is arrange | positioned so that the arrangement | positioning area | region of the inclination stand 12 may be included at least in a conveyor conveyance direction. Further, the downstream end portion of the stopper 15 is disposed upstream of the downstream end portion of the guide plate 14. In the plane orthogonal to the conveyor conveyance direction, the stopper 15 is provided at a position close to the front side end of the tray 112 and faces the open front side end of the tray 112 when the tray 112 is in an inclined state. Are arranged to be.

(Description of the operation of the sorting apparatus 10)
Subsequently, the operation of the sorting apparatus 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 1 and FIGS. In the following description, a case where two types of sorting are performed with the fruits and vegetables of a predetermined length or more as L size and the fruits and vegetables of less than the predetermined length as S size is illustrated.

  The sorting operation of the fruits and vegetables by the sorting device 10 is performed by sequentially passing the regions D1 to D5 while the tray 112 on which the fruits and vegetables are placed moves in the conveyor conveyance direction. FIG. 4 is a schematic front view of the sorting apparatus 10 and is a diagram illustrating regions D1 to D5. In FIG. 4, for the sake of simplicity, the illustration of the tray 112 and the hinge portion 113 in the conveyor portion 11 is omitted, and only the endless belt 111 is illustrated.

  The region D <b> 1 is a region where the tray 112 is on the upstream side with respect to the upstream side end portion of the inclined base 12. The region D <b> 2 is a region in which the tray 112 is downstream from the upstream end of the inclined base 12 and upstream from the upstream end of the sponge belt 13. The region D <b> 3 is a region in which the tray 112 is downstream from the upstream end of the sponge belt 13 and upstream from the upstream end of the guide plate 14. The region D4 is a region in which the tray 112 is downstream from the upstream end of the guide plate 14 and upstream from the downstream end of the sponge belt 13. The region D5 is a region in which the tray 112 is downstream from the downstream end of the sponge belt 13 and upstream from the downstream end of the stopper 15. And the area | region D6 is an area | region where the saucer 112 exists in the downstream rather than the downstream edge part of the stopper 15. FIG.

  First, the selection operation of L-sized fruits and vegetables will be described. L-sized fruits and vegetables have a length equal to or longer than a predetermined length in which the leaf tip portion is sandwiched by the sponge belt 13. 5 and 6 show an L-size fruit and vegetable sorting operation, and show cross-sectional views in a plane orthogonal to the conveyor conveyance direction.

  In the region D1 on the upstream side of the tilt table 12, the tray 112 is kept in a horizontal state as shown in FIG. Fruits and vegetables (for example, leeks) are placed one by one on one tray 112 in the region D1. At this time, the fruits and vegetables placed on the saucer 112 have the thick and hard end as the front side, and the thin and soft end as the back side (for example, leafy vegetables such as leeks have the root portion in front. Side and leaf part on the back side). It is preferable that the fruits and vegetables placed on the tray 112 are fruits and vegetables after the washing process. Moreover, the operation | work which mounts fruits and vegetables on the saucer 112 may be automatically performed by the machine, or may be manually performed.

  In the region D2, the tray 112 is lifted by the tilt table 12 and changes from the horizontal state to the tilted state. FIG. 5B shows a state in the vicinity of the downstream side of the region D <b> 2, and the tray 112 is lifted by the horizontal edge 12 b of the tilting table 12 and is in a maximum tilted state.

  A stopper 15 is also disposed in the region D2. Therefore, the fruits and vegetables placed on the tray 112 in the inclined state slide down due to its own weight, but the stopper 15 prevents the fall from the tray 112. Further, the sorting accuracy is improved by positioning the lower ends of the fruits and vegetables by the stopper 15.

  In the region D3, the leaf tip portion of the L size fruit and vegetables having a predetermined length or more is sandwiched between the sponge belts 13. FIG.5 (c) has shown the state immediately after entering the area | region D3, and the receiving tray 112 is in the maximum inclination state.

  Thereafter, in the vicinity of the downstream side of the region D <b> 3, the tray 112 is transported along the second inclined edge 12 c of the inclined base 12, thereby approaching a horizontal state. At this time, since the fruits and vegetables are in a state where the leaf tips are sandwiched between the sponge belts 13, they are not lowered together with the tray 112 and are lifted up by the sponge belts 13.

  In the region D4, as shown in FIG. 6A, the fruits and vegetables lifted by the sponge belt 13 are placed on the upper surface of the guide plate. At this time, the tray 112 is lowered to a position where it does not interfere with the guide plate 14 at least in a plane orthogonal to the conveyor conveyance direction.

  The guide plate 14 is provided with the above-described notch portion 14a. For this reason, immediately after entering the region D4, only the vicinity of the upper end of the fruit and vegetables (near the sponge belt 13) is placed on the guide plate 14, and the range on the guide plate 14 increases as it moves in the conveyor transport direction. That is, the guide plate 14 can be placed on the guide plate 14 so as to scoop up the fruits and vegetables from the upper end side close to the sponge belt 13. Thereby, the malfunction that fruits and vegetables collide with the side end surface of the guide plate 14 and cannot be mounted on the guide plate 14 smoothly can be prevented.

  In the region D5, as shown in FIG. 6B, the state of holding the fruits and vegetables by the sponge belt 13 is released by passing the conveyance region by the sponge belt 13, and the fruits and vegetables placed on the guide plate 14 are removed by the stopper 15. It will be in the state where the fall from the guide plate 14 is prevented.

  In the region D6, as shown in FIG. 6C, the stopper 15 is removed, and the fruits and vegetables fall down from the guide plate 14 so as to slide down. In the region D6, by arranging the L size container 50 (see FIG. 1) at the drop destination of the fruits and vegetables, the L size fruits and vegetables can be collected in the L size container 50.

  Next, an operation for selecting S-sized fruits and vegetables will be described. The S-sized fruits and vegetables are those having a length less than a predetermined length in which the leaf tip portion is sandwiched by the sponge belt 13. FIGS. 7 and 8 show the sorting operation for S-sized fruits and vegetables, and show cross-sectional views in a plane perpendicular to the conveyor conveying direction.

  FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B are diagrams showing the states of the regions D1 and D2. The state of the fruits and vegetables at this time is the same as the case of the L-sized fruits and vegetables shown in FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b).

  In the region D3, as shown in FIG. 7C, the leaf tip portion of the S size fruit and vegetables having a length less than the predetermined length is not sandwiched between the sponge belts 13. Therefore, in the regions D4 and D5 shown in FIGS. 8 (a) and 8 (b), the fruits and vegetables are maintained on the tray 112 that is returned from the inclined state to the horizontal state. At the same time, it passes under the guide plate 14.

  Accordingly, in the region D6 shown in FIG. 8C, the fruits and vegetables are not sorted by the guide plate 14 and are conveyed to the end of the conveyor unit 11. The S-sized fruits and vegetables conveyed to the end of the conveyor unit 11 are dropped from the tray 112 and collected by the S-size container 51 (see FIG. 1).

  In the example described above, the downstream end of the stopper 15 is positioned downstream of the downstream end of the sponge belt 13, but the downstream end of the stopper 15 is more downstream than the downstream end of the sponge belt 13. May also be located upstream. In this case, the region D5 in the above description is omitted, and the L-sized fruits and vegetables are released from the guide plate 14 at the same time as the holding state by the sponge belt 13 is released. In this case, the downstream end of the stopper 15 is more than the downstream end of the second inclined edge 12c of the inclined base 12 so that the S-sized fruits and vegetables can be prevented from falling from the receiving tray 112 in the inclined state. It only has to be downstream.

(Modification in Embodiment 1)
The sorting apparatus 10 in the above description exemplifies a configuration that performs two types of sorting of L size and S size, but the present invention is not limited to this, and three or more types of size sorting can also be performed. is there.

  The sorting device 10 in the above description is provided with only one stage of sorting unit composed of the tilting table 12, the sponge belt 13, the guide plate 14, and the stopper 15 with respect to the conveyor unit 11. Since the fruits and vegetables are selected and the remaining fruits and vegetables are S size, there are two types of size selection.

  On the other hand, for example, if the sorting unit is provided in two stages (upstream and downstream) with respect to the conveyor unit 11, three types of size sorting can be performed. That is, L size fruits and vegetables can be sorted first by the upstream sorting unit, then M size fruits and vegetables can be sorted by the downstream sorting unit, and the remaining fruits and vegetables can be made S size. In this case, if the arrangement positions of the sponge belts 13 are different between the upstream sorting unit and the downstream sorting unit, it is possible to sort different sizes in the respective sorting units.

  Further, as the tilting table 12, an tilting table 12 'shown in FIG. 9 may be used instead of the tilting table 12 shown in FIG. The inclined base 12 ′ shown in FIG. 9 has a configuration in which an uneven portion 121 is provided on at least a part of the first inclined edge 12 a and the horizontal edge 12 b corresponding to the region D <b> 2.

  In the case where the tilting table 12 ′ is used, vibration is generated when passing through the concavo-convex portion 121 in the tray 112 that shifts from the horizontal state to the tilted state when passing through the region D <b> 2. This vibration makes it easy for the fruits and vegetables placed on the tray 112 to slide down by their own weight, and the positioning of the fruits and vegetables by the stopper 15 can be performed reliably.

  In the above description, the guide plate 14 is fixed to a frame member (not shown) of the sorting device 10, but a vibrator or the like is attached to the guide plate 14 to give vibration to the guide plate 14. It is good also as a structure which can do. This vibration makes it easier for the fruits and vegetables placed on the guide plate 14 to slide down due to their own weight, so that the fruits and vegetables can be reliably dropped into the L-size container 50.

  In the above description, the stopper 15 is provided to prevent the fruits and vegetables from falling from the inclined tray 112. However, instead of the stopper 15, a bottom plate is provided at the front side end of each tray 112. It is good also as a structure provided (namely, the front side edge part of each saucer 112 is not open | released). In this case, even if the receiving tray 112 is inclined, the fruits and vegetables are prevented from falling by the bottom plate of the receiving tray 112. When the L size fruits and vegetables shown in FIG. 6 (c) are selected, the L size fruits and vegetables fall so as to slide down from the guide plate 14 instead of from the saucer 112. Therefore, even if the bottom plate is provided on the saucer 112, No problem.

[Embodiment 2]
In the first embodiment, the sorting device 10 configured to sequentially sort from fruits and vegetables having a long length has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a configuration in which fruits and vegetables having a short length are sequentially selected is also possible. In the second embodiment, the sorting device 20 having such a configuration will be described.

  FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the sorting device (fruit and vegetables sorting device) 20 according to the first embodiment. The sorting device 20 includes a conveyor unit 11, an inclined table 22, a sponge belt 23, and a stopper 25. Each component will be described below. However, since the conveyor unit 11 has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, detailed description of the conveyor unit 11 is omitted.

(Description of tilt table 22)
As shown in FIG. 11, the tilt table 22 has a first tilt edge 22a, a horizontal edge 22b, and a second tilt edge 22c, and the function thereof is the same as that of the tilt table 12 in the first embodiment. However, the sorting apparatus 20 according to the second embodiment is configured to sort fruits and vegetables while the tray 112 moves along the horizontal edge 22b, as will be described later. For this reason, it is preferable that the horizontal edge 22b in the inclined base 22 has a longer length in the conveyor conveyance direction than the horizontal edge 12b in the inclined base 12 so that the selection section can be sufficiently secured.

(Description of sponge belt 23)
The sponge belt 23 is the same as the sponge belt 13 in the first embodiment in configuration and function except for the position where it is arranged. The sponge belt 23 preferably has the upstream end of the sponge belt 23 slightly downstream from the upstream end of the horizontal edge 22b in the conveyor conveyance direction (it may not be upstream, and should be at the same position). However, it is preferable that the downstream end of the sponge belt 23 is in the vicinity of the downstream end of the horizontal edge 22b (if it is slight, it may be shifted to either the upstream side or the downstream side).

(Description of stopper 25)
The stopper 25 is provided in order to prevent the fruits and vegetables placed on the receiving tray 112 in the inclined state from falling, like the stopper 15 in the first embodiment. In the sorting device 20, the stopper 25 is provided separately into a first stopper 251 and a second stopper 252.

  The first stopper 251 is disposed in a region including at least the upstream end portion of the inclined base 22 (upstream end portion of the first inclined edge 22a) and the upstream end portion of the sponge belt 23 in the conveyor conveyance direction. More specifically, the upstream end of the first stopper 251 is preferably slightly upstream from the upstream end of the first inclined edge 22a, and the downstream end of the first stopper 251 is a sponge belt. It is preferable that it is slightly downstream from the downstream end of 23.

  The second stopper 252 is disposed in a region including at least the downstream end of the sponge belt 23 and the downstream end of the inclined base 22 (downstream end of the second inclined edge 22c) in the conveyor conveyance direction. More specifically, the upstream end of the second stopper 252 is preferably slightly upstream from the downstream end of the sponge belt 23, and the downstream end of the second stopper 252 It is preferably slightly downstream from the downstream end.

(Description of the operation of the sorting device 20)
Subsequently, the operation of the sorting apparatus 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 12 to 15. In the following description, a case where two types of sorting are performed with the fruits and vegetables of a predetermined length or more as L size and the fruits and vegetables of less than the predetermined length as S size is illustrated.

  The sorting operation of the fruits and vegetables by the sorting device 20 is performed by sequentially passing the regions D1 to D5 while the tray 112 on which the fruits and vegetables are placed moves in the conveyor conveyance direction. FIG. 12 is a schematic front view of the sorting device 20 and is a diagram illustrating regions D1 to D5. In FIG. 12, for the sake of simplicity, the illustration of the tray 112 and the hinge portion 113 in the conveyor portion 11 is omitted, and only the endless belt 111 is illustrated.

  The region D <b> 1 is a region in which the tray 112 is on the upstream side of the upstream end of the tilt table 22. The region D <b> 2 is a region in which the tray 112 is downstream from the upstream end of the inclined base 22 and upstream from the upstream end of the sponge belt 23. The region D <b> 3 is a region where the tray 112 is downstream from the upstream end of the sponge belt 23 and upstream from the downstream end of the sponge belt 23. The region D4 is a region in which the tray 112 is downstream from the downstream end of the sponge belt 23 and upstream from the downstream end of the second stopper 252. And the area | region D5 is an area | region where the saucer 112 exists in the downstream rather than the downstream edge part of the inclination base 22. FIG.

  First, the selection operation of L-sized fruits and vegetables will be described. L-sized fruits and vegetables have a length equal to or longer than a predetermined length in which the leaf tips are sandwiched between the sponge belts 23. 13 and 14 show the sorting operation of L-sized fruits and vegetables, and show cross-sectional views in a plane perpendicular to the conveyor conveying direction.

  In the region D1 on the upstream side of the tilt table 22, the tray 112 is maintained in a horizontal state as shown in FIG. Fruits and vegetables (for example, leeks) are placed one by one on one tray 112 in the region D1. This operation is the same as in the first embodiment.

  In the region D2, the tray 112 is lifted by the tilt table 22 and shifts from the horizontal state to the tilted state. FIG. 13B shows a state in the vicinity of the downstream side of the region D <b> 2, and the tray 112 is lifted on the horizontal edge 22 b of the tilt base 22 and is in a maximum tilt state. Since the first stopper 251 is disposed in the region D2, the fruits and vegetables placed on the tray 112 in the inclined state are prevented from falling from the tray 112 by the first stopper 251 and the lower end thereof is positioned. Is done. This operation is also the same as in the first embodiment.

  In the region D3, the leaf tips of L-sized fruits and vegetables having a predetermined length or more are conveyed in a state of being sandwiched between the sponge belts 23. Further, in the region D3, there is a portion where the stopper 25 (the first stopper 251 and the second stopper 252) does not exist as shown in FIG. Even in such a place where the stopper 25 does not exist, the leaf tip portion of the L-sized fruits and vegetables is sandwiched between the sponge belts 23, so that the fall from the tray 112 does not occur.

  In the region D4, as shown in FIG. 14A, the state of holding the fruits and vegetables by the sponge belt 23 is released, and the fruits and vegetables are prevented from dropping from the tray 112 by the second stopper 252. Further, the tray 112 is returned from the inclined state to the horizontal state while passing through the region D4.

  In the region D5, as shown in FIG. 14B, the fruits and vegetables are conveyed to the end of the conveyor unit 11 while the tray 112 remains horizontal. The L-sized fruits and vegetables conveyed to the end of the conveyor unit 11 are dropped from the tray 112 and collected by the L-size container 50 (see FIG. 10).

  Next, an operation for selecting S-sized fruits and vegetables will be described. The S-sized fruits and vegetables are those having a length less than a predetermined length in which the leaf tips are sandwiched by the sponge belt 23. FIG. 15 shows a sorting operation for S-sized fruits and vegetables, and shows a cross-sectional view in a plane orthogonal to the conveyor conveyance direction.

  FIG. 15A and FIG. 15B are diagrams showing the states of the regions D1 and D2. The state of the fruits and vegetables at this time is the same as in the case of L-sized fruits and vegetables shown in FIGS. 13 (a) and 13 (b).

  In the region D <b> 3, the leaf tip portion of the S size fruit and vegetables having a length less than the predetermined length is not sandwiched between the sponge belts 23. In the region D3, there is a portion where the stopper 25 (the first stopper 251 and the second stopper 252) does not exist as shown in FIG. In such a place where the stopper 25 does not exist, the S-sized fruits and vegetables fall so as to slide down from the tray 112 because the leaf tips are not sandwiched between the sponge belts 23. In the region D3, by arranging the S size container 51 (see FIG. 10) at the drop destination of the fruits and vegetables, the S size fruits and vegetables can be collected in the S size container 51.

(Modification in Embodiment 2)
The sorting device 20 in the above description has exemplified the configuration for performing two types of sorting of L size and S size, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it is also possible to perform three or more types of size sorting. is there.

  The sorting device 20 in the above description is provided with only one stage of the sorting unit composed of the inclined base 22, the sponge belt 23, and the stopper 25 with respect to the conveyor unit 11, and the sorting unit sorts S-size fruits and vegetables. Since the remaining fruits and vegetables are L-sized, there are two types of size selection.

  On the other hand, for example, if the sorting unit is provided in two stages (upstream and downstream) with respect to the conveyor unit 11, three types of size sorting can be performed. That is, the S-size fruits and vegetables can be sorted first by the upstream sorting section, the M-size fruits and vegetables can be sorted by the downstream sorting section, and the remaining fruits and vegetables can be made L size. Therefore, if the arrangement position of the sponge belt 23 is different between the upstream sorting section and the downstream sorting section, it is possible to sort different sizes in the respective sorting sections.

  Further, the tilting table 22 may be a tilting table 22 'shown in FIG. 16 instead of the tilting table 22 shown in FIG. The inclined base 22 'shown in FIG. 16 has a configuration in which an uneven portion 221 is provided on at least a part of the first inclined edge 12a and the horizontal edge 22b corresponding to the region D2 and the region D3.

  When the tilting table 22 ′ is used, vibration is generated in the tray 112 that passes through the concavo-convex portion 221 when passing through the region D <b> 2 and the region D <b> 3. Due to this vibration, the fruits and vegetables placed on the tray 112 in the region D2 are easily slipped off by their own weight, and the fruits and vegetables can be reliably positioned by the first stopper 251. In the region D3, the fruits and vegetables can be surely dropped into the S size container 51.

[Embodiment 3]
FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a sorting device (fruit and vegetables sorting device) 30 according to the third embodiment. The sorting device 30 exemplifies three types (L, S, M) of size sorting, and includes a conveyor unit 31, a backing plate 32, sponge belts (belt transport units) 33A and 33B, and a guide plate 34A. , 34B, and take-out conveyors (take-out means) 35A, 35B. Each component will be described below.

  In the sorting device 30, a first sorting unit is configured by the sponge belt 33A, the guide plate 34A, and the takeout conveyor 35A, and a first sorting unit is configured by the sponge belt 33B, the guide plate 34B, and the takeout conveyor 35B. ing. The first sorting unit sorts L-sized leeks, and the second sorting unit sorts M-sized leeks downstream from the first sorting unit.

(Description of conveyor unit 31)
As shown in FIG. 17, the conveyor unit 31 includes a first conveyor 311 and a second conveyor 312 having different lengths. The first conveyor 311 and the second conveyor 312 are both general belt conveyors, and are arranged adjacent to each other so that the conveyor conveyance direction (X direction in the drawing) is parallel. Further, the first conveyor 311 and the second conveyor 312 have the same conveyor transport speed, the positions of the upstream end in the conveyor transport direction are aligned, and the positions of the downstream end are different.

  In the third embodiment, the arrangement side of the first conveyor 311 is the front side, and the arrangement side of the second conveyor 312 is the back side. The conveyor width of the first conveyor 311 is W1, and the conveyor width of the first conveyor 311 is W2.

(Description of the backing plate 32)
The backing plate 32 is disposed so as to contact the side surface of the first conveyor 311 or close to the side surface of the first conveyor 311 at least in the vicinity of the upstream side in the transport direction on the front side of the first conveyor 311.

  The caulking plate 32 aligns the root part of the fruits and vegetables with the caulking plate 32 when placing the unsorted fruits and vegetables (for example, leeks) on the conveyor unit 31.

(Explanation of sponge belts 33A and 33B)
As shown in FIG. 17, the sponge belts 33A and 33B are composed of a pair of rotating belts facing each other. The sponge belts 33A and 33B differ only in their arrangement positions, and the shape and size are basically the same.

  In the conveyor conveying direction, the sponge belt 33A is arranged so that its upstream end is substantially coincident with the downstream end of the second conveyor 312, and the sponge belt 33B has its upstream end positioned on the sponge belt 33A. It arrange | positions so that it may become a downstream rather than a downstream edge part. Further, in the conveyor width direction, the sponge belt 33A is arranged so that the position of the front side surface thereof and the position of the rear side surface of the second conveyor 312 substantially coincide with each other, and the sponge belt 33B is arranged on the front side surface thereof. It arrange | positions so that a position and the position of the back side surface of the 1st conveyor 311 may correspond substantially.

  The sponge belts 33A and 33B sandwich the leaf tips (tips) of long vegetables and fruits such as green onions and burdocks between these rotating belts so that they can be conveyed along the conveyor conveyance direction. It has become. Further, the sponge belts 33A and 33B are arranged to be inclined with respect to the conveyance surface of the conveyor unit 31 along the conveyor conveyance direction. Specifically, the conveyance start position by the sponge belts 33A and 33B is the same height as the conveyance surface of the conveyor unit 31, but is inclined so as to rise from the conveyance surface of the conveyor unit 31 toward the downstream. Yes. Moreover, it is preferable that the conveying speed of the sponge belts 33 </ b> A and 33 </ b> B is set so that the X direction component thereof is the same as the conveying speed of the conveyor unit 31.

  The fruits and vegetables sandwiched between the leaf tips by the sponge belts 33A and 33B are only those having a predetermined length or more, and the selection length reference for the fruits and vegetables can be arbitrarily set according to the arrangement positions of the sponge belts 33A and 33B. Sponge belts 33A and 33B are formed of an elastic foam material on the outer peripheral surface so as not to damage the leaf tips of the sandwiched fruits and vegetables.

(Description of guide plates 34A, 34B)
As shown in FIG. 17, the guide plates 34A and 34B are arranged above the conveyor unit 31 and on the front side of the sponge belts 33A and 33B. The guide plates 34A and 34B differ only in their arrangement positions, and are basically the same in shape and size.

  The guide plates 34A and 34B are provided in a substantially right-angled triangle shape such that the width is large on the upstream side in the conveyor conveyance direction and the width decreases toward the downstream. Similarly to the sponge belts 33A and 33B, the guide plates 34A and 34B are arranged to be inclined with respect to the transport surface of the conveyor unit 31, and the upper surfaces of the guide plates 34A and 34B are the sponge belts 33A and 33B. It arrange | positions so that it may be located slightly lower than the conveyance surface.

  In the guide plates 34A and 34B, one side out of two sides forming a right angle is disposed close to the front side surface of the sponge belts 33A and 33B. On the other hand, the other one of the two sides forming a right angle is the downstream end of the guide plates 34A and 34B, and the position thereof is set to a position substantially equal to the downstream end of the sponge belts 33A and 33B. Has been.

(Explanation of take-out conveyors 35A and 35B)
As shown in FIG. 17, the take-out conveyors 35A and 35B are located above the conveying surface of the conveyor unit 31 and downstream of the sponge belts 33A and 33B and the guide plates 34A and 34B (downstream end portions of the guide plates 34A and 34B). Is located almost directly below). The take-out conveyors 35A and 35B differ only in their arrangement positions and are basically the same in shape and size, but the length of the take-out conveyor 35B (the length in the transport direction) is longer than the length of the take-out conveyor 35A. You may shorten (refer FIG.18 (b)).

  Moreover, the conveyance direction of take-out conveyor 35A, 35B is a direction orthogonal to the conveyor conveyance direction (X direction) of the conveyor part 31, and the conveyance direction is set toward the front side from the back side. Further, a sufficient space is provided between the take-out conveyors 35A and 35B and the conveyor unit 31 so that the fruits and vegetables that are still on the conveyor unit 31 can pass through.

(Description of the operation of the sorting device 30)
Next, the operation of the sorting device 30 will be described with reference to FIGS. The sorting operation of the fruits and vegetables by the sorting device 30 is performed by sequentially passing the regions D1 to D5 while the conveyor unit 31 on which the fruits and vegetables are placed moves in the conveyor conveyance direction. 18A and 18B are a schematic front view and a plan view of the sorting device 30, and are diagrams for explaining regions D1 to D5.

  The region D1 is a region located on the upstream side of the upstream end portion of the sponge belt 33A. A region D2 is a region from the upstream end of the sponge belt 33A to the downstream end of the guide plate 34A. Region D3 is a region from the downstream end of guide plate 34A to the downstream end of take-out conveyor 35A. A region D4 is a region from the upstream end of the sponge belt 33B to the downstream end of the guide plate 34B. And the area | region D5 is an area | region from the downstream edge part of the guide plate 34B to the downstream edge part of the extraction conveyor 35B.

  First, the selection operation of L-sized fruits and vegetables will be described. L-sized fruits and vegetables have a length equal to or longer than a predetermined length between which the leaf tips are sandwiched by the sponge belt 33A. Further, when the fruit and vegetables sandwiched between the leaf tips by the sponge belt 33 </ b> A are positioned so that their roots are aligned with the backing plate 32 and placed on the conveyor unit 31, the leaf tips are placed on the second conveyor 312. It protrudes to the back side. For this reason, L size fruits and vegetables become a size longer than (W1 + W2). FIG. 19 shows a sorting operation for L-sized fruits and vegetables, and shows a cross-sectional view in a plane perpendicular to the conveyor conveyance direction.

  In the region D1 on the upstream side of the sponge belt 33A, as shown in FIG. 19A, fruits and vegetables (for example, green onions) are placed one by one on the conveyor unit 31 (the first conveyor 311 and the second conveyor 312). . At this time, the fruits and vegetables placed on the conveyor unit 31 have the thick and hard side end as the front side, and the thin and soft side end as the back side (for example, leafy vegetables such as leeks have a root part) The front side and the leaf part the back side). Further, the fruits and vegetables are aligned by aligning one end thereof with the contact plate 32. The fruits and vegetables placed on the conveyor unit 31 are preferably fruits and vegetables after the washing process. Moreover, it is preferable that the operation | work which mounts fruits and vegetables on the conveyor part 31 is performed manually in order to perform the alignment using the patch plate 32 reliably.

  In the region D2, as shown in FIG. 19B, the leaf tips of L-sized fruits and vegetables having a predetermined length or more are sandwiched between the sponge belts 33A, and the L-sized fruits and vegetables are transported by the sponge belts 33A. Guided on the guide plate 34A. That is, when the leaf tip portion of the fruits and vegetables is lifted to the sponge belt 33A, the guide plate 34A can be placed on the guide plates 34A so as to scoop up the fruits and vegetables from the back side close to the sponge belt 33A.

  In the region D3, as shown in FIG. 19 (c), the fruits and vegetables that have passed through the downstream end of the sponge belt 33A and the downstream end of the guide plate 34A fall from the downstream end of the guide plate 34A and are taken out. It is dropped onto the conveyor 35A. The L size fruits and vegetables dropped on the takeout conveyor 35A are collected in the L size container 50 (see FIG. 17) by the conveyance of the takeout conveyor 35A.

  Next, the sorting operation for M size fruits and vegetables will be described. M size fruits and vegetables are those having a length less than a predetermined length in which the leaf tip portion is sandwiched by the sponge belt 33B. Further, the fruits and vegetables sandwiched between the leaf tips by the sponge belt 33B are (W1 + W2) or less and have a size longer than W1. FIG. 20 shows the sorting operation of S-size fruits and vegetables, and shows a cross-sectional view in a plane perpendicular to the conveyor conveyance direction.

  FIG. 20A to FIG. 20C are diagrams illustrating states of the regions D1 to D3. The M-size fruits and vegetables are not placed on the guide plate 34A or the takeout conveyor 35A because the leaf tips are not sandwiched between the sponge belts 33A, and remain on the conveyor unit 31 (first conveyor 311) as the region D1. ~ D3 is conveyed.

  In the region D4, as shown in FIG. 20 (d), the leaf tip portion of the M size fruit and vegetables is sandwiched between the sponge belts 33B, and the M size fruits and vegetables are guided onto the guide plate 34B as they are conveyed by the sponge belt 33B. Is done. That is, when the leaf tip portion of the fruits and vegetables is lifted to the sponge belt 33B, the guide plate 34B can be placed on the guide plates 34B so as to scoop up the fruits and vegetables from the back side close to the sponge belt 33B.

  In the region D5, as shown in FIG. 20 (e), the fruits and vegetables that have passed through the downstream end of the sponge belt 33B and the downstream end of the guide plate 34B fall from the downstream end of the guide plate 34B and are taken out. It is dropped onto the conveyor 35B. The M size fruits and vegetables dropped on the takeout conveyor 35B are collected in the M size container 52 (see FIG. 17) by the conveyance of the takeout conveyor 35B.

  The S-size fruits and vegetables are not placed on the guide plates 34A and 34B and the takeout conveyors 35A and 35B because the leaf tips are not sandwiched between the sponge belts 33A and 33B, and the conveyor unit 31 (first conveyor 311). Is conveyed to the end of the conveyor unit 31 while being placed on the conveyor. The S size fruits and vegetables conveyed to the end of the conveyor unit 31 are dropped from the first conveyor 311 and collected by the S size container 51 (see FIG. 17).

(Modification in Embodiment 3)
The sorting apparatus 10 in the above description exemplifies a configuration that performs sorting of three types of L size, M size, and S size, but the present invention is not limited to this, and two or more types of size sorting are performed. It is also possible to perform.

  For example, if the second conveyor 312, the sponge belt 33 </ b> A, the guide plate 34 </ b> A, and the take-out conveyor 35 </ b> A are excluded from the sorting device 30 shown in FIG. 17, two types of size sorting can be performed. Further, each time the number of belt conveyors in the conveyor unit 31 and the number of stages of the sorting unit including the sponge belt, the guide plate, and the take-out conveyor are increased by one, the sortable size types can be increased by one. That is, the sorting device 30 shown in FIG. 17 has two belt conveyors in the conveyor unit 31 and two stages of sorting units, and three types of size sorting are possible. If three are selected and the number of stages of the selection unit is three, four types of size selection are possible.

  In addition, the sorting apparatus 30 shown in FIG. 17 is configured to drop the fruits and vegetables sorted by the sponge belts 33A and 33B and the guide plates 34A and 34B onto the take-out conveyors 35A and 35B, and take them out by conveyance of the take-out conveyors 35A and 35B. ing. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and instead of the take-out conveyors 35A and 35B, for example, a bowl-shaped drop chute may be used as the take-out means. That is, it is good also as a structure which drops and arrange | positions a fall chute directly under the downstream edge part of guide plate 34A, 34B, drops fruit and vegetables on this fall chute, and slides and removes fruits and vegetables on a fall chute.

  In such a configuration using a drop chute, the configuration is simpler than that of the take-out conveyors 35A and 35B, but in order to slide down the fruits and vegetables, it is necessary to place the drop chute in an inclined manner in order to ensure a tilt height. The sorting device tends to be large. On the other hand, in the sorting device 30 using the take-out conveyors 35A and 35B, the size of the device can be reduced.

  The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and do not serve as a basis for limited interpretation. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention is not interpreted only by the above-described embodiments, but is defined based on the description of the scope of claims. Further, all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of the claims are included.

10, 20, 30 Sorting device (Fruit and vegetable sorting device)
11, 31 Conveyor part 111 Endless belt (endless rotating member)
112 Sauce plate 113 Hinge part 12 and 22 Inclined base (a saucer raising / lowering member)
12a, 22a First inclined edges 12b, 22b Horizontal edges 12c, 22c Second inclined edges 13, 23, 33A, 33B Sponge belts (belt transport section)
14, 34A, 34B Guide plate 15, 25 Stopper 32 Abutting plate 35A, 35B Extraction conveyor (extraction means)
251 First stopper 252 Second stopper 311 First conveyor (belt conveyor)
312 Second conveyor (belt conveyor)
50 Container for L size 51 Container for S size 52 Container for M size

Claims (6)

A fruit and vegetable sorting device that sorts long fruits and vegetables according to size according to length,
A conveyor section for conveying fruits and vegetables in the conveyor conveyance direction;
Among the fruits and vegetables that are carried on the conveyor unit, having a belt conveying unit that can be conveyed at the same speed as the conveyor unit while holding the tip part of the fruits and vegetables of a predetermined length or more,
Sorting by size the fruits and vegetables sandwiched between the belt conveying unit and the fruits and vegetables not sandwiched between the belt conveying unit ,
The conveyor unit is configured to attach a plurality of saucers at a predetermined interval on the outer peripheral side of the endless rotating member, and convey fruits and vegetables placed on the saucer in a conveyor conveyance direction,
The saucer is rotatably attached to the endless rotating member via a hinge portion provided on one end side in the conveyor width direction orthogonal to the conveyor transport direction, and on both sides of the conveyor width direction, When the side where the hinge part is provided is the front side and the side where the hinge part is not provided is the back side, it can be rotated between the horizontal state and the maximum inclined state where the front side is low and the back side is high. And
The fruit and vegetable sorting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the belt conveying unit is disposed at a position sandwiching a tip of the fruits and vegetables placed on the tray that is in the maximum inclined state . The fruit and vegetable sorting apparatus according to claim 1 ,
Above the conveyor section, it has a guide plate that is inclined and arranged so that the front side is low and the back side is high,
The conveyor unit has a tray lowering region that changes from the maximum inclined state to the horizontal state while the tray moves along the conveyor conveyance direction,
The belt conveyance unit is disposed so as to include at least the tray lowering region,
The guide plate has an upstream end disposed upstream from the downstream end of the belt transport unit and downstream from the upstream end of the tray lowering region. The fruits and vegetables having a predetermined length or more sandwiched between the leading ends are placed on the upper surface of the guide plate, and the fruits and vegetables having a length less than a certain length that is not sandwiched by the belt conveying unit pass below the guide plates. Has been placed,
A fruit and vegetable sorting apparatus characterized in that fruits and vegetables of a predetermined length or more placed on the upper surface of the guide plate are separated from other fruits and vegetables by sliding off the guide plate after passing through the conveying region of the belt conveying unit. . The fruit and vegetable sorting apparatus according to claim 1 ,
The conveyor unit has an inclined conveyance area that conveys while maintaining the maximum inclination state while the tray moves along the conveyor conveyance direction,
The belt transport unit has an upstream end disposed at the same position as or downstream from the upstream end of the inclined transport region,
A fruit and vegetable sorting apparatus characterized in that fruits and vegetables having a length less than a fixed length that is not sandwiched by the belt transport unit are slid down from the tray during transport in the inclined transport region and sorted from other fruits and vegetables. . The fruit and vegetable sorting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
It has a saucer elevating member fixedly arranged on the inner peripheral side of the endless rotating member,
The tray elevating member is configured to change the tray that passes over the tray elevating member when the endless rotating member rotates with respect to the conveyor unit from the horizontal state to the maximum inclined state; An apparatus for sorting fruits and vegetables, characterized in that it is provided with an inclined conveyance area for carrying while maintaining the maximum inclination state, and a saucer lowering area for changing the saucer from the maximum inclination state to the horizontal state. The fruit and vegetable sorting apparatus according to claim 4 ,
The fruit and vegetables are characterized in that the saucer lifting member has a concavo-convex portion in at least a part of the cradle ascending region and the inclined conveyance region, and is configured to vibrate the saucer passing over the concavo-convex portion. Sorting device. A fruit and vegetable sorting device that sorts long fruits and vegetables according to size according to length,
A conveyor section for conveying fruits and vegetables in the conveyor conveyance direction;
Among the fruits and vegetables that are carried on the conveyor unit, having a belt conveying unit that can be conveyed at the same speed as the conveyor unit while holding the tip part of the fruits and vegetables of a predetermined length or more,
Sorting by size the fruits and vegetables sandwiched between the belt conveying unit and the fruits and vegetables not sandwiched between the belt conveying unit,
The belt conveyance unit is disposed at an inclination so that the conveyance start position is the same height as the conveyance surface of the conveyor unit and rises from the conveyance surface of the conveyor unit toward the downstream,
Furthermore, the guide is arranged so as to be inclined at the same inclination as the belt conveyance unit with respect to the conveyance surface of the conveyor unit, and the upper surface thereof is positioned slightly below the conveyance surface of the belt conveyance unit. The board,
And a take-out means disposed above the conveyor surface of the conveyor unit and substantially immediately below the downstream end of the guide plate,
Fruits and vegetables having a predetermined length or more sandwiched between the front ends by the belt transport unit are placed on the upper surface of the guide plate, and fruits and vegetables having a length less than a predetermined length that is not sandwiched by the belt transport units are below the guide plate. Is arranged to pass through
Fruits and vegetables having a length equal to or longer than a predetermined length placed on the upper surface of the guide plate are dropped from the downstream end of the guide plate onto the take-out means and selected from other fruits and vegetables. Sorting device.

Images