JP6435858B2 - Grain quality discrimination device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a grain quality discriminating apparatus that discriminates grain quality.

  Conventionally, a grain quality discriminating apparatus that irradiates a grain with light, receives reflected light and / or transmitted light from the grain, and discriminates the grain quality based on the received signal is well known. (For example, see Patent Document 1).

  The grain quality discriminating apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes a grain transfer unit in which a plurality of recesses are provided in the outer peripheral edge of a rotating disk, a light source that irradiates light to the grain, and light emitted from the light source. An optical detection unit having a sensor for receiving reflected light and / or transmitted light from the grain, and a quality determining unit for determining the quality of the grain.

The optical detection unit is disposed at a side position of the rotary disk in the grain transfer unit, and is supplied to the rotary disk and transferred to the grain transferred in a state of being accommodated in the recess of the rotary disk. Light is emitted from the light source, and reflected light and / or transmitted light from the grain is received by the sensor to obtain a received light signal.
And the said quality discrimination | determination part discriminate | determines the quality of the said grain based on the said light reception signal (light reception amount) acquired by the said optical detection part.

By the way, in the known grain quality discriminating apparatus, the characteristics of optical elements such as a light source and a sensor in the optical detection unit change due to an influence of a temperature change or the like inside the main body.
Therefore, in the grain quality discrimination device described in Patent Document 1, a rectangular parallelepiped reference plate is attached to a part of the concave portion of the rotating disk, the reference plate is irradiated with light from the light source, A reflected light and / or transmitted light from a reference plate is received by the sensor, and a correction coefficient for correcting the received light amount of the sensor based on a comparison between the received light amount of the sensor and a preset reference light amount. Looking for.

  And according to the grain quality discriminating apparatus, at the time of every measurement, the correction coefficient is obtained, and the correction coefficient is used to correct the amount of reflected light and / or transmitted light received by the sensor from the grain. The grain quality can be accurately determined.

  However, the grain quality discriminating apparatus, as for the grain, with respect to the reference plate, although the reflected light and / or transmitted light from the front, back and side surfaces of the grain is received by the sensor. Only the reflected light and / or transmitted light from the front and back surfaces of the reference plate are received by the sensor.

  Even in the grain quality discriminating apparatus, it is possible to receive reflected light and / or transmitted light from the side surface of the reference plate by the sensor, but the amount of light received by the sensor from the side surface of the reference plate is Very small.

  Therefore, according to the grain quality discriminating apparatus, with respect to the amount of reflected light and / or transmitted light received by the sensor from the front and back surfaces of the grain, the sensor is from the front and back surfaces of the reference plate, respectively. The correction coefficient is obtained based on the amount of received light and can be corrected by using the correction coefficient. However, the sensor receives the amount of reflected light and / or transmitted light received from the side of the grain by the sensor. Since the amount of light received from the side surface of the reference plate is extremely small, the correction coefficient cannot be obtained and cannot be corrected.

JP 2006-200955 A

  Then, an object of this invention is to provide the grain quality discrimination | determination apparatus which can correct | amend the received light quantity of the reflected light and / or transmitted light which a sensor receives from the side surface of a grain.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides:
An optical unit having a light source for irradiating the grain with light, a sensor for receiving reflected light and / or transmitted light from the grain of light emitted from the light source, and
A quality discriminating unit for discriminating the quality of the grain based on the amount of light received by the sensor;
A reference plate for correcting the amount of light received by the sensor;
A grain quality discrimination device comprising:
The light source comprises a front side light source that emits light from the front side of the grain and / or a back side light source that emits light from the rear side of the grain,
The reference plate is a side reference plate for correcting the amount of reflected light and / or transmitted light received by the sensor from the side surface of the grain,
For the reflected light and / or transmitted light received by the sensor from the side surface of the side surface reference plate, the side surface reference plate is configured to receive a received light amount that is substantially the same level as the received light amount received from the side surface of the grain. The light source has a reflecting surface that reflects light emitted from the front surface side light source and / or the back surface side light source toward the side.

The present invention
The reflecting surface of the side reference plate is preferably a light diffusion surface formed by a rough surface.
Here, in the present invention, the “rough surface” is a fine uneven surface formed by a mechanical process such as a blast process or a chemical process such as an etching process.

The present invention
It is preferable that the side surface reference plate has a color tone, for example, milky white, which diffuses transmitted light that is reflected toward the side by the reflection surface and is transmitted through the reference plate.

The present invention
It is preferable that the side surface reference plate is composed of one reference plate that reflects light emitted from the front surface side light source and / or the back surface side light source toward the side.

The present invention
The side-surface reference plate reflects the light emitted from the front-side light source toward the side, and reflects the light emitted from the back-side light source toward the side. Preferably, the second side reference plate is composed of two reference plates.

The present invention
Correction coefficients for correcting the received light amount of the sensor based on the received light amount of the reflected light and / or transmitted light from the respective reference plates received by the sensor and the preset reference light amount are red light / green light and blue light. It is preferable to determine for each of the lights.

The grain quality discrimination device of the present invention is
The reference plate is a side reference plate for correcting the amount of reflected light and / or transmitted light received by the sensor from the side surface of the grain,
Since the side reference plate has a reflective surface that reflects light emitted from the front surface side light source and / or the back surface side light source toward the side,
The sensor receives an amount of received light that is approximately the same level as the amount of light received from the side surface of the grain with respect to reflected light and / or transmitted light received from the side surface of the side surface reference plate.
Therefore, according to the grain quality determination device of the present invention, the amount of reflected light and / or transmitted light received from the side surface of the grain can be corrected. The received light amount is used for recognizing the measured side shape of the grain, for example, by performing binarization processing. For this reason, when binarizing, if the received light amount deviates from the true value, the side shape of the grain will be recognized as large or small.
According to the present invention, the side shape of the grain can be accurately recognized based on the corrected amount of received light, and the quality of the grain quality can be improved.

The grain quality discrimination device of the present invention is
If the reflecting surface of the side surface reference plate is a light diffusing surface formed by a rough surface, the reflected light reflected by the reflecting surface diffuses in the same manner as in the case of grain and the reflected light has no directivity. The sensor can receive light (for example, red light, green light, and blue light) from the side surface of the side reference plate evenly. Therefore, an appropriate correction coefficient can be obtained based on the light reception signal of the light from the side surface.

The grain quality discrimination device of the present invention is
The side surface reference plate is reflected light that is reflected toward the side by the reflection surface and has a color tone that scatters transmitted light that passes through the reference plate. Since there is no directivity as with the transmitted light, the sensor can receive light (for example, red light, green light, and blue light) from the side surface of the side surface reference plate without unevenness. Therefore, an appropriate correction coefficient can be obtained based on the light reception signal of the light from the side surface.

The grain quality discrimination device of the present invention is
If the side reference plate is made of one reference plate that reflects light emitted from the front side light source and / or the back side light source toward the side, the side reference plate can be easily handled. It becomes.

The grain quality discrimination device of the present invention is
Correction coefficients for correcting the received light amount of the sensor based on the received light amount of the reflected light and / or transmitted light from the respective reference plates received by the sensor and the preset reference light amount are red light / green light and blue light. If it asks about each of light, the quality discrimination accuracy of a grain will improve further.

It is a schematic explanatory drawing of the grain quality discrimination | determination apparatus in embodiment of this invention, Comprising: The schematic plan view of a transfer part and an optical block. It is a schematic explanatory drawing of the grain quality discrimination | determination apparatus in embodiment of this invention, Comprising: The schematic right view of a transfer part and an optical block. It is a schematic explanatory drawing of the grain quality discrimination | determination apparatus in embodiment of this invention, Comprising: The schematic front view of a transfer part and an optical block. Explanatory drawing in the case of moving an optical block in the grain quality discrimination | determination apparatus in embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of an optical block, Comprising: CC sectional schematic diagram of FIG. It is explanatory drawing of an optical block, Comprising: DD sectional drawing of FIG. Explanatory drawing of the reference | standard board for sides seen from the EE cross section of FIG. Explanatory drawing of the reference plate for other side surfaces. Explanatory drawing of the reference plate for other side surfaces. Explanatory drawing of the reference plate for other side surfaces. Explanatory drawing of the reference plate for other side surfaces. Explanatory drawing of the reference plate for other side surfaces.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 to 3 are schematic explanatory views of a grain quality discriminating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a transfer unit and an optical block, and FIG. 2 is a transfer unit and an optical unit of FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic right side view of the block, and FIG. 3 is a schematic front view of the transfer unit and the optical block of FIG.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the grain quality discriminating apparatus 1 irradiates the grain with light, the transfer unit 2 that transports the grain, and receives reflected light and / or transmitted light from the grain. The optical block 3 and the quality discrimination | determination part 7 which discriminate | determines the quality of the said grain are provided.

  The said transfer part 2 has the disk 21 rotated by the drive motor which is not shown in figure. A number of recesses 22 are formed at the peripheral edge of the disk 21, and a transparent bottom plate 23 is disposed in the recesses 22.

  The optical block 3 includes a light source that irradiates light to the grain, and a sensor that receives reflected light and / or transmitted light from the grain of light emitted from the light source. The optical block 3 is disposed on one side of the disk 21 in the transfer unit 2.

  The optical block 3 is supplied from the light source to the grains that are supplied onto the disk 21 and are continuously transferred while being accommodated in the recesses 22 of the disk 21 as the disk 21 rotates. , And the reflected light and / or transmitted light from the grain is received by the sensor to obtain a received light signal.

  The quality discriminating unit 7 discriminates the quality of the grain based on the light reception signal acquired by the optical block 3. The quality discriminating unit 7 may employ various configurations in addition to the configuration disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-202265.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the grain quality discrimination device 1 further includes reference plates 81 and 82 for correcting the amount of light received by the sensor in the optical block 3.
The reference plates 81 and 82 are attached to holding members 85 disposed at different positions away from the disk 21 in the transfer unit 2.

  Here, two reference plates 81 and 82 are mounted on the holding member 85, and one of them corrects the amount of reflected light and / or transmitted light received by the sensor from the front and / or back of the grain. The other side is a reference plate for front and rear surfaces 81, and the other is a side reference plate 82 for correcting the amount of reflected light and / or transmitted light received by the sensor from the side surface of the grain.

  The front and back reference plates 81 may use two types of reference plates having different brightness (density), for example, two reference plates, a white first reference plate and a translucent second reference plate. In that case, three reference plates are attached to the holding member 85.

  Further, in the grain quality discriminating apparatus 1, the optical block 3 is fixed to a rotating member 92 that rotates about a shaft 91 disposed in parallel with the rotating shaft 24 of the disk 21. The rotating member 92 has an arcuate outer peripheral edge, and a peripheral surface of the outer peripheral edge meshes with a gear 96 that transmits a rotational driving force of a motor 95 disposed adjacent to the rotating member 92. Thus, a gear 93 is formed.

FIG. 4 shows an explanatory diagram when moving the optical block in the grain quality discriminating apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the optical block 3 is driven by the rotation of the motor 95, and the grain measurement position A on the disk 21 and a different position away from the disk 21 via the rotating member 92. It is possible to move between the reference plate positions B.

  At the reference plate position B, the grain quality discriminating apparatus 1 first irradiates light from the light source of the optical block 3 to the front and back reference plate 81, and from the front and back surfaces of the front and back reference plate 81. The reflected light and / or transmitted light of the optical block 3 is received by the sensor of the optical block 3 respectively, and the received light amount of the reflected light and / or transmitted light from the front and back surfaces received by the sensor and a preset reference light amount. And a correction coefficient for correcting each received light amount of the sensor is calculated.

  Next, the grain quality discriminating apparatus 1 irradiates the side reference plate 82 with light from the light source of the optical block 3, and reflects and / or transmits light from the side of the side reference plate 82. Each sensor receives light from the sensor of the optical block 3, and compares the received light amount of reflected light and / or transmitted light from the side surface received by the sensor with a preset reference light amount to correct the received light amount of the sensor. A correction coefficient is calculated.

  Moreover, the said grain quality discrimination | determination apparatus 1 irradiates light to the grain accommodated in the recessed part 22 of the said disk 21 from the light source of the said optical block 3 in the said grain measurement position A, The surface of this grain, Reflected light and / or transmitted light from the back and side surfaces are received by the sensor of the optical block 3, and each reflected light and / or transmitted light from the front, back and side surfaces of the grain received by the sensor is received. Each received light amount is corrected by multiplying each of the amounts by each of the correction coefficients.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, at the time of measuring the grain, the grain is transferred to the optical block 3 by the disk 21 at a constant transfer speed. Therefore, when measuring the reference plates 81 and 82, the reference plates 81 and 82 are transferred to the optical block 3 at the same speed as the transfer speed. As a transfer method, for example, at the reference plate position B, the holding member 85 is rotated like the disk 21 so that the reference plates 81 and 82 are transferred to the optical block 3 at the transfer speed. . Alternatively, the rotation speed when the optical block 3 moves may be adjusted so that the reference plates 81 and 82 are transferred at the same speed as the transfer speed.

  In the grain quality discriminating apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, if the correction coefficient is calculated for each of the three primary colors of red light, green light and blue light, the grain quality discrimination accuracy is further improved. be able to.

5 and 6 are explanatory diagrams of an example of the optical block. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 1, and FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line DD in FIG.
The optical block 3 includes light sources 31 to 35, light receiving sensors 41 and 42, a condenser lens 47, and a dichroic short pass filter 51.

The light source includes two red, green, and blue light sources (RGB light sources) 34 and 35 as surface side light sources disposed on the surface side of the grain G.
Further, the light source includes a blue light source (B light source) 31, a green light source (G light source) 32, and a red / green light source (RG light source) 33 as back side light sources disposed on the back side of the grain G. . The blue light source 31 emits blue light necessary for specifying the planar shape of the grain. Each of the light sources preferably uses red, green, and blue LEDs, but other illuminations can also be used.

  The sensor is a surface side sensor 41 disposed on the surface side of the grain G so as to be able to scan in a direction parallel to the rotation surface of the disk 21 and perpendicular to the transfer direction of the grain G; It comprises a side sensor 42 arranged on the side of the grain so as to be able to scan in a direction perpendicular to the rotation surface of the disk 21.

The surface side sensor 41 is located on the optical axis of the blue light source 31 and includes a surface light receiving region 41a that receives reflected light and / or transmitted light from the surface side of the grain G.
Further, the side surface sensor 42 receives a light receiving area 42a for receiving the reflected light and / or transmitted light from the back surface side of the grain G, and the reflected light and / or transmitted light from the side surface side of the grain G. It includes a side light receiving region 42b that receives light.
Here, it is preferable to use a linear image sensor for each of the sensors, but other light receiving sensors can also be used.

  Further, a condensing lens 47 is disposed in front of each light receiving region of the surface side and side surface sensors 41 and 42, respectively.

  The dichroic short pass filter 51 has a characteristic of transmitting blue light and reflecting green light and red light among the three primary colors of red (R), green (G), and blue (B). On the back side of the grain G, the grain G and the blue light source 31 are disposed at an inclination angle of 45 degrees with respect to the rotating surface of the disk 21 and the second light receiving sensor 42.

  In the optical block 3, for example, the front-side light source and the back-side light source are alternately lit, and the grain G is irradiated with light alternately from the front side and the back side at the grain measurement position A.

And the light reception area | region 41a for the surface of the surface side sensor 41 receives the reflected light and / or transmitted light from the surface side of the said grain G. FIG.
Further, the light receiving area 42a for the back surface of the side sensor 42 receives reflected light and / or transmitted light from the back surface side of the grain G, and the light receiving area 42b for the side surface 42 has the grain receiving surface 42b. G or reflected light and / or transmitted light from the side surface of the reference plate 81 is received.

  In the optical block 3, for example, the front surface side light source and the back surface side light source are alternately turned on, and at the reference plate position B, the reference plates 81 and 82 are alternately irradiated with light from the front surface side and the back surface side.

For the front and back reference plate 81, the front surface light receiving area 41a of the front side sensor 41 receives reflected light and / or transmitted light from the front side of the front and back reference plate 81, and The back surface light receiving area 42a receives reflected light and / or transmitted light from the back surface side of the front and back surface reference plate 81.
Further, with respect to the side reference plate 82, the side light receiving region 42 b of the side sensor 42 receives reflected light and / or transmitted light from the side of the side reference plate 82.

  7 to 12 are explanatory views of the side reference plate viewed from the EE cross section of FIG. 1, and the side reference plate 82 of the light irradiated from the front side light source 61 and / or the back side light source 62 is shown. A state in which reflected light and / or transmitted light from the side surface is received by the light receiving region of the side surface sensor 65 is shown.

  The side reference plate 82 shown in FIG. 7 is formed with a concave portion having a vertically inclined linear inclined surface on the side surface opposite to the side surface facing the side sensor 65, and the inclined surface is the surface-side light source. 61 and / or a reflection surface 83 that reflects light emitted from the back-side light source 62 toward the side.

  The side reference plate 82 shown in FIG. 8 is provided with a convex portion having a vertically symmetrical arc-shaped inclined surface on the side surface facing the side sensor 65, and the inclined surface is the surface-side light source 61 and / or The reflection surface 83 reflects the light emitted from the back-side light source 62 toward the side.

  The side reference plate 82 shown in FIG. 9 is provided with a convex portion having a vertically inclined linear inclined surface on the side surface facing the side sensor 65, and the inclined surface is the surface side light source 61 and / or The reflection surface 83 reflects the light emitted from the back-side light source 62 toward the side.

  In the side reference plate 82 shown in FIG. 10, a linear downward inclined surface is formed on the side surface opposite to the side surface on which the side surface sensor 65 faces, and the inclined surface is the surface side light source 61 and / or the surface light source 61. A reflection surface 83 is provided that reflects light emitted from the back surface side light source 62 toward the side.

Here, the side reference plates 82 shown in FIGS. 7 to 10 can be used by reversing the left and right sides.
Further, the side reference plate 82 shown in FIG. 10 can be used upside down.
Further, the side reference plate 82 is not limited to the example described in FIGS. 7 to 10, and reflects light emitted from the front side light source and / or the back side light source toward the side. What has a reflective surface should just be.
Note that the side reference plate 82 shown in FIG. 10 can be easily processed by forming a linear inclined surface.

As the side reference plate 82 shown in FIG. 10, two plates that are vertically and / or horizontally reversed can be used.
FIG. 11 shows an example in which two side reference plates 82 in FIG. 10 are used upside down.
11A reflects light emitted from the front surface side light source 61 toward the side by the downward reflecting surface 83 of the side surface reference plate 82, and FIG. 11B irradiates from the back surface side light source 62. The light is reflected toward the side by the upward reflecting surface 83 of the side reference plate 82.

FIG. 12 shows an example in which two side reference plates 82 in FIG.
12A reflects the light emitted from the front surface side light source 61 toward the side by the upward reflecting surface 83 of the side surface reference plate 82, and FIG. 12B illustrates the light emitted from the back surface side light source 62. The light is reflected toward the side by the downward reflecting surface of the side reference plate 82.
When two side reference plates 82 are used, three reference plates are attached to the holding member 85 shown in FIG.

According to each of the side surface reference plates 82, the side surface sensor 65 uses the reflected light and / or transmitted light received from the side surfaces of the side surface reference plates 82 as reflected light and / or transmitted light from the side surface of the grain. Alternatively, it is possible to receive a received light amount that is substantially the same level as the received light amount.
Therefore, according to the grain quality discriminating apparatus in the embodiment of the present invention, in addition to the amount of reflected light and / or transmitted light received from the front and back surfaces of the grain, the reflected light received from the side of the grain and It is also possible to correct the received light amount of transmitted light.

Further, in each of the side surface reference plates 82, each reflecting surface 83 is formed into a rough surface including fine uneven surfaces by mechanical processing such as blast processing or chemical processing such as etching processing.
Accordingly, the reflecting surface 83 of the side surface reference plate 82 is a light diffusing surface formed by the rough surface, so that the reflected light reflected toward the side by the reflecting surface diffuses, and the side surface side sensor 65 can receive red light, green light, and blue light from the side surface of the side reference plate 82 without unevenness.

Further, the side surface reference plate 82 may have a color tone that diffuses the transmitted light that is reflected toward the side by the reflection surface 83 and passes through the side surface reference plate 82, for example, milky white. .
If the side surface reference plate 82 has a color tone that diffuses transmitted light such as milky white, it is reflected light that is reflected sideways by the reflection surface 83 and passes through the side surface reference plate 82. The transmitted light diffuses, and the side sensor 65 can receive red light, green light, and blue light from the side surface of the side reference plate 82 without unevenness.
When the side reference plate 82 has a color tone that diffuses transmitted light such as milky white, the reflective surface does not necessarily have to be the rough surface.

In the grain quality discriminating apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the reference plates 81 and 82 are attached to the holding member 85 disposed at a different position away from the disk 21 in the transfer unit 2. The position at which the reference plates 81 and 82 are disposed is not limited to this, and may be mounted in a recess formed at the peripheral position of the disk 21, for example.
Further, the grain quality discrimination device according to the embodiment of the present invention always attaches the reference plates 81 and 82, but temporarily attaches the reference plate to the device when correcting the amount of light received by the sensor. You may do.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that the configuration can be appropriately changed without departing from the scope of the invention.

  The grain quality discriminating apparatus of the present invention can correct the amount of reflected light and / or transmitted light received by the sensor from the side face of the grain, and is extremely useful.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Grain quality discrimination | determination apparatus 2 Transfer part 21 Disk 22 Recessed part 23 Bottom plate 24 Rotating shaft 3 Optical blocks 31-35 Light source 41 Surface side sensor (light receiving sensor)
42 Side sensor (light receiving sensor)
47 Condensing lens 51 Dichroic short pass filter 61 Front side light source 62 Back side light source 65 Side sensor (light receiving sensor)
7 Quality discriminating part 81 Front and rear reference plate 82 Side reference plate 83 Reflecting surface 85 Holding member 91 Shaft 92 Rotating member 93 Gear 95 Motor 96 Gear A Grain measurement position B Reference plate position G Grain

Claims (6)

An optical unit having a light source for irradiating the grain with light, a sensor for receiving reflected light and / or transmitted light from the grain of light emitted from the light source, and
A quality discriminating unit for discriminating the quality of the grain based on the amount of light received by the sensor;
A reference plate for correcting the amount of light received by the sensor;
A grain quality discrimination device comprising:
The light source comprises a front side light source that emits light from the front side of the grain and / or a back side light source that emits light from the rear side of the grain,
The reference plate is a side reference plate for correcting the amount of reflected light and / or transmitted light received by the sensor from the side surface of the grain,
For the reflected light and / or transmitted light received by the sensor from the side surface of the side surface reference plate, the side surface reference plate is configured to receive a received light amount that is substantially the same level as the received light amount received from the side surface of the grain. A grain quality discriminating apparatus comprising a reflecting surface that reflects light emitted from the front side light source and / or the back side light source toward the side.   The grain quality determination device according to claim 1, wherein the reflection surface of the side surface reference plate is a light diffusion surface formed by a rough surface.   The grain quality determination device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the side surface reference plate has a color tone that diffuses transmitted light that is reflected toward the side by the reflection surface and is transmitted through the reference plate.   The grain according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the side reference plate is composed of one reference plate that reflects light emitted from the front side light source and / or the back side light source toward the side. Quality discrimination device.   The side reference plate reflects the light emitted from the front side light source toward the side and reflects the light emitted from the back side light source toward the side. The grain quality discrimination device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising two reference plates of the second side reference plate.   Correction coefficients for correcting the received light amount of the sensor based on the received light amount of the reflected light and / or transmitted light from the respective reference plates received by the sensor and the preset reference light amount are red light / green light and blue light. The grain quality discrimination device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 which is obtained for each of the lights.

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