JP7261434B2 - egg inspection device - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an inspection apparatus for determining the surface state of eggs.

Eggs to be shipped to the market are sorted by a sorting and packaging machine according to physical properties such as weight, and then packaged in a transparent synthetic resin pack or the like. Prior to or in parallel with this sorting and packaging, the eggs are subjected to various tests. As an example, the surface condition of eggs (physical properties of eggshells), specifically, eggs with cracks or cracks on the surface, eggs with excrement stains on the surface, etc. inspection.

For example, an egg inspection apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes a lighting device that irradiates light from directly below toward an egg to be inspected that is conveyed while being rotated about the long axis of the egg by rollers, and an egg. An imaging device that takes an image from directly above, and a judgment means that judges the surface state of the egg based on the photographed image are provided.

JP-A-11-326202 Japanese Patent No. 5394917

In the egg inspection apparatus described above, since the lighting device is positioned below the egg to be inspected, egg contents (egg white or egg yolk) may fall from broken eggs, and dust from dirty eggs may fall on the lighting device. There was a problem that it fell on the ground and accumulated.

In order to suppress the accumulation of egg contents, dust, etc. on the illumination device positioned below the egg to be inspected, a method as described in Patent Document 2 has also been considered. That is, in the egg inspection device described in Patent Document 2, a shielding plate is provided above the laser to prevent the laser from being contaminated by falling objects.

If such a shielding plate is made large, that is, if it can cover a large area, contamination of the laser can be reliably prevented, but it can be an obstacle when the egg is exposed to the laser beam. Conversely, a smaller shielding plate ensures that the egg is exposed to the laser beam, but also increases the risk of contamination of the laser.

The present invention provides an egg inspection device that can suppress the accumulation of egg contents, dust, etc. on the lighting device positioned below the egg to be inspected by another method that replaces such prior art. for the purpose.

The present invention includes an irradiating unit that irradiates light from below onto the eggs held at locations corresponding to the openings penetrating in the vertical direction formed between the rollers adjacent to each other in the conveying direction. an egg inspection apparatus comprising: an imaging unit for imaging the egg through which the light is transmitted from the top side of the egg ; and a determination unit for determining the surface state of the egg based on the image captured by the imaging unit. the irradiating unit includes an inclined plate that slopes downward from the axial end side of the roller toward the center ; and a light emitting member that has a light emitting surface that is flush with the surface of the inclined plate, It is characterized by being arranged on an extension line of a line connecting the imaging unit and the opening.

Here, "flush" means a state in which there is no level difference between the two surfaces and is flat.

Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an egg inspection apparatus capable of suppressing accumulation of egg contents, dust, and the like on an illumination device positioned below an egg to be inspected.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The schematic side view which looked at the inspection apparatus of the egg concerning one Embodiment of this invention along the conveyance direction. The enlarged side view of the egg inspection apparatus of the same embodiment. FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view showing the egg inspection device of the same embodiment, partially cut away. The top view of the egg inspection apparatus of the same embodiment. Operation explanatory drawing of the egg inspection apparatus of the same embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the image obtained with the egg inspection apparatus of the same embodiment.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. FIG. An egg inspection apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is used in an egg sorting system (not shown) for sorting according to physical properties such as weight.

The egg sorting system includes a raw egg supplying unit for supplying raw eggs, a direction aligning unit for aligning the directions of a plurality of supplied eggs E, and mainly eggs with cracked egg shells among the eggs E aligned in the direction. (hereinafter referred to as "broken egg") and a broken egg detection unit (corresponding to the "egg inspection device 1" of the present application), and an egg E other than the broken egg is washed with warm water or the like. an egg washing unit that dries the surface of the egg E after washing; a drying unit that dries the surface of the egg E after washing; , and a sorting and gathering section that excludes eggs that are out of egg trading standards, such as dirty eggs, bloody eggs, rotten eggs, very small eggs, and very large eggs, from sorting objects. Then, sorting is performed for each weight category of the agricultural and forestry standards based on the measurement results of the egg weight measuring unit that measures the weight of the normal eggs from which non-standard eggs are excluded. As for the raw egg supply section, the direction alignment section, the egg washing section, the drying section, the sorting and collecting section, and the egg weight measurement section, various known ones can be applied, so detailed description thereof will be omitted.

A broken egg detection unit (hereinafter referred to as “inspection device 1”) is arranged upstream of a washing unit for washing the eggs E and a drying unit for drying the eggs E. As shown in FIG. The inspection apparatus 1 according to this embodiment will be described in detail below.

The inspection apparatus 1 includes, as shown in FIG. 1, illumination units 2 and 3, imaging units 4 and 5, and a determination unit (not shown). The inspection apparatus 1 inspects the eggs E that are conveyed downstream while being rotated by the conveying section 6 mainly formed of a holding member 62 (for example, a spinning roller) that holds the eggs.

The irradiating units 2 and 3 irradiate the egg E with light. In FIGS. 1 to 3, paths of light emitted from the irradiation units 2 and 3 are schematically shown by dashed lines. The irradiation units 2 and 3 are, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, a first irradiation unit 2 for irradiation from one end E1 side of the egg E, and a first irradiation unit 2 for irradiation from the other end E2 side of the egg E. and a second irradiation unit 3 for performing. Each of the irradiating units 2 and 3 irradiates infrared light toward the lower surface of the egg E, below the conveying unit 6, specifically below between the holding members 62, 62 adjacent in the width direction. are placed.

1 to 5, the irradiation units 2 and 3 of the present embodiment include inclined plates 21 and 31 and light emitting members 22 and 32. As shown in FIGS. The surfaces of the inclined plates 21 and 31 are inclined with respect to the conveying surface for conveying the eggs E, and are arranged inclined inward so as to face the eggs E on the holding member 62. ing. In other words, the inclined plates 21 and 31 form an inclination that descends from the end portion side of the holding member 62 toward the center C in the left-right direction of each row, which will be described later. The inclined plates 21 and 31 are black and made of a material whose surfaces do not easily reflect light. Each of the inclined plates 21 and 31 is elongated and arranged along the conveying direction of the conveying section 6, and two inclined plates 21 and 31 adjacent to each other in the width direction are butted against each other at their vertexes. The light-emitting members 22 and 32 have light-emitting surfaces that are flush with the surfaces of the inclined plates 21 and 31, and use, for example, LEDs that emit infrared light with a wavelength of 750 nm to 850 nm. In addition, in FIG. 3, wiring and other descriptions located on the lower surface side of the inclined plates 21 and 31 and the light emitting members 22 and 32 are omitted.

Irradiation by each irradiation unit 2, 3 is performed based on a signal from a sensor (not shown) that is provided upstream of each irradiation unit 2, 3 and detects the presence or absence of eggs E. The sensor is provided above the egg E and detects the egg E transported from the upstream side by the transport unit 6 . Then, when the detected egg E is transported to a predetermined position, the irradiation units 2 and 3 emit light. Therefore, the irradiation units 2 and 3 are intermittently lit.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the irradiation units 2 and 3 are formed by arranging a plurality of the light emitting members 22 and 32 on one of the inclined plates 21 and 31 . Specifically, three first irradiation units 2 are arranged at predetermined intervals along the transport direction, and a second irradiation unit 3 is located at a position shifted by half a pitch from the first irradiation unit 2. are arranged at predetermined intervals. In addition, the first irradiation unit 2 is arranged at a position shifted to one side from the left-right direction center C of each row of the transport units 6 in six rows. It is arranged at a position shifted to the other side from the center C in the left-right direction. That is, the first irradiation section 2 and the second irradiation section 3 are arranged in a zigzag along the direction in which the egg E is conveyed.

Each first irradiation unit 2 is set at a position hidden by an egg E placed on the conveying unit 6 in an image P captured by a first imaging unit 4, which will be described later. Each irradiating unit 3 is set at a position hidden by an egg E placed on the conveying unit 6 in an image P captured by a second imaging unit 5, which will be described later. In other words, in this egg inspection apparatus 1, the imaging units include the first imaging unit 4 for imaging the egg E from the other end E2 side of the egg E, and the first imaging unit 4 for imaging the egg E from the one end E1 side of the egg E. A second imaging unit 5 for imaging E, and the irradiation unit is a line connecting the first imaging unit 4 and the egg E on the conveying unit 6 (or an opening 63 described later in the conveying unit 6) It is arranged on the extension line of the line connecting the first irradiation unit 2 arranged on the extension line, the second imaging unit 5 and the egg E on the transportation unit 6 (or the opening 63 described later of the transportation unit 6) and a second irradiation unit 3.

Further, the irradiation units 2 and 3 of the present embodiment are adjustable in distance from the holding member 62 . Specifically, the irradiation units 2 and 3 are capable of moving up and down, and the upper end of the inclined plates 21 and 31 is positioned at the upper end of the holding member 62. and a retracted position (D) positioned below the lower end of the .

As shown in FIG. 1, the imaging units 4 and 5 photograph the egg E through which the light is transmitted. Specifically, the imaging units 4 and 5 are the first imaging unit 4 that images the egg E from the other end E2 side of the egg E, and the egg E from the one end E1 side of the egg E. and a second imaging unit 5 . The imaging units 4 and 5 are capable of photographing the top side of the egg E, are provided above the conveying unit 6, and are arranged obliquely with respect to the conveying surface. In this embodiment, CCD cameras having sensitivity in the near-infrared region are used as the imaging units 4 and 5, so that an image P obtained by transmitting infrared light through the egg E can be obtained. there is Each of the imaging units 4 and 5 is set so that three rows of eggs E are within the field of view. In this embodiment, two first imaging units 4 and two second imaging units 5 are provided. However, it is not limited to such things.

FIG. 6 shows an example of an image P of the eggs E arranged side by side as shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, an image P corresponding to 3 rows×3 columns is obtained, but in FIG. 6, it is shown in a format of 1 row×6 columns for explanation purposes. Here, from the left, a whole egg E3, a depressed egg E4, an open-cracked egg E5, a feces-stained egg E6, a content-adhered egg E7, and an internal wound/spotted egg E8 are schematically shown. Whole eggs E3 and open cracked eggs E5 with large holes on the shell surface are discarded. On the other hand, the depressed eggs E4 can be set so as not to be discarded unless there is a hole in them. The wound/spot egg E8 is set not to be discarded.

The judging section judges the surface state of the egg based on the images captured by the imaging sections 4 and 5 . It should be noted that the specific aspect of the determination section (image processing means) is of course not limited to the embodiments described below, and various methods known in this field can be applied.

A control device (not shown) for controlling the inspection apparatus 1 of this embodiment is a microcomputer system having a processor, a memory, an input interface, an output interface, and the like. Predetermined thresholds are stored in the memory of the control device for comparing the captured image P with the quantified gray values. As the predetermined threshold value, for example, a value for determining "cracks" or "adhesion of feces stains" in the image P photographed with infrared light can be considered.

If the gray value of the image P captured with infrared light falls within a range smaller (darker) than a predetermined threshold value, it can be determined that there is no "crack". On the other hand, if there is a portion in which the gray value of the image P captured with infrared light is larger (brighter) than a predetermined threshold value, that portion can be determined to be a "crack". That is, it can be said that a bright region (a portion larger than a predetermined threshold value) in the image P is a portion through which infrared light is transmitted more strongly.

The egg E through which the infrared rays are transmitted scatters light within the eggshell, and the entire egg E emits light like a luminous body. The cracked portion of the surface appears brighter than the unbroken portion because there is no eggshell to penetrate.

As a specific method for performing image processing on each image P, each image P may be binarized using a predetermined threshold value. As a result, if there is a "crack" in the image P, that portion appears as a brighter (whiter) area than the others. The judging unit may judge that there is a "crack" when there is even a small bright area, or judge that there is a "crack" when the area ratio of the bright area to the judgment area exceeds a threshold. good too. If a similar process is performed using a different threshold value for "fouling stain", that portion appears as a darker (blacker) area than the others.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the conveying unit 6 conveys a plurality of eggs E in an aligned state, and is attached to a roller shaft 61 and arranged along a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction. It is well known in this field, and is mainly composed of a toothed roller (an example of the holding member 62). Between the rollers 62 adjacent to each other along the conveying direction, an opening 63 is formed that penetrates in the vertical direction. The egg E is held at a location corresponding to the opening 63, that is, between the rollers 62 adjacent in the conveying direction. , the egg E rotates in a direction opposite to the rotation of the roller 62 . In addition, in FIG. 4, the roller shaft 61 and the roller 62 are indicated by two-dot chain lines.

Next, an example of control for the irradiation units 2 and 3 and the imaging units 4 and 5 of the inspection apparatus 1 of this embodiment will be described.

First, the presence or absence of the egg E to be inspected is detected. Specifically, it detects whether or not the egg E is placed between the adjacent rollers 62 using a sensor arranged upstream from the irradiation units 2 and 3 by a predetermined distance, and outputs a signal to that effect.

If there is an egg E, at the timing when the egg E on the conveying unit 6 comes directly above the first irradiation unit 2, the first irradiation unit 2 is turned on to irradiate the infrared light. At that time, if the irradiated infrared light (direct light) enters the imaging units 4 and 5, it will cause problems in photographing the egg E. Therefore, the irradiation position, irradiation timing, etc. should be set. Then, the egg E is imaged by the first imaging unit 4 in accordance with the irradiation of the infrared light. At this time, the second irradiation unit 3 is turned off.

After that, the egg E is moved by the conveying unit 6, and at the timing when the egg E comes directly above the second irradiation unit 3, the second irradiation unit 3 is turned on to irradiate the infrared light. Then, in the same manner as described above, the egg E is imaged by the second imaging unit 5 in accordance with the irradiation of the infrared light. At this time, the first irradiation unit 2 is turned off.

That is, the first imaging unit 4 detects the other end of the egg E when the first irradiation unit 2 is irradiating the egg E and the second irradiation unit 3 is not irradiating the egg E. The egg E is photographed from the E2 side. On the other hand, the second imaging unit 5 detects one side of the egg E when the first irradiation unit 2 is not irradiating the egg E and the second irradiation unit 3 is irradiating the egg E. The egg E is photographed from the end E1 side of .

Note that these steps are repeated six times in total, that is, three times of photographing by the first imaging unit 4 and three times of photographing by the second imaging unit 5 for one egg E moving while rotating. . Therefore, it is possible to inspect the entire circumference of the egg.

As described above, the egg inspection apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes the irradiation units 2 and 3 that irradiate light from the lower side of the holding member 62 that holds the egg E, and the egg E through which the light is transmitted. An egg inspection apparatus 1 comprising imaging units 4 and 5 for imaging and a determining unit for determining the surface state of an egg E based on the images captured by the imaging units 4 and 5, wherein the irradiation unit 2, Reference numeral 3 designates inclined plates 21 and 31 which are inclined inwardly so as to face the egg E on the holding member 62, and a light emitting member having a light emitting surface which is flush with the surfaces of the inclined plates 21 and 31. 22, 32.

With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the contents of the eggs and dust from accumulating on the lighting units 2 and 3 positioned below the eggs E being transported. For example, if contents such as albumen and/or yolk leak out of a cracked egg on holding member 62, they fall downward along inclined plates 21, 31 due to gravity. Therefore, they do not stay on the light emitting members 22 and 32 for a long time, and the inspection can be continued smoothly.

In addition, since the lower surface of the holding member 62 and the egg E is irradiated from an oblique direction, compared to the case where the irradiation is directed directly upward, the light reflected from the lower surface of the holding member 62 and the egg E is irradiated. It is possible to reduce the amount of the particles returning to the parts 2 and 3, and to perform the inspection more accurately. Furthermore, since the irradiation units 2 and 3 (inclined plates 21 and 31) are not provided immediately below the center C in the left-right direction of each row of the transport unit 6, reflection of light toward the holding member 62 or It is possible to suppress the scattering of dust and dirt.

The irradiation units 2 and 3 are formed by arranging a plurality of the light emitting members 22 and 32 in a row on the inclined plates 21 and 31, respectively. It is easy to arrange the irradiation units 2 and 3 so as to correspond to the transport unit 6 . In addition, since the light emitting surfaces of the plurality of light emitting members 22 and 32 and the surface of the single inclined plate 21 and 31 are flush with each other, compared to the case where only the light emitting surfaces are provided independently, Another effect is that when the light-emitting surface becomes dirty, it is easy to clean.

The irradiating units 2 and 3 can be moved up and down, and the elevated position (U) at which irradiation is possible toward a predetermined position of the egg E, and the upper ends of the inclined plates 21 and 22 are higher than the lower ends of the holding members 62 . It moves between the retracted position (D) located on the lower side. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the light-emitting surface can be brought as close to the egg E as possible at the elevated position (U). At the retracted position (D), as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, even if it is slid in the direction of the roller shaft 61, it does not interfere with the holding member 62. Inspection and cleaning of the irradiation units 2 and 3 can be performed.

Further, irradiation units 2 and 3 for irradiating the egg E with light, imaging units 4 and 5 for photographing the egg E through which the light is transmitted, and an image P photographed by the imaging units 4 and 5 and a judgment unit for judging the surface state of the egg E. The irradiation units 2 and 3 include a first irradiation unit 2 for irradiation from one end E1 side of the egg E and a second irradiation unit for irradiation from the other end E2 side of the egg E. The imaging units 4 and 5 photograph the egg E from the other end E2 side of the egg E while the first irradiation unit 2 is irradiating the egg E. An imaging unit 4 and a second imaging unit 5 for imaging the egg E from one end E1 side of the egg E while the second irradiation unit 3 is irradiating the egg E are provided.

Therefore, it is possible to inspect whether or not there are defects in the surface condition of the egg E, such as cracks, cracks, adhesion of dirt, etc., on the sharp end side or the blunt end side of the egg E. In particular, the egg E is rotated by the rollers 62 about the long axis that connects the sharp end and the blunt end of the egg E, and the whole circumference of the egg E is inspected one after another. Note that the first imaging unit 4 captures an area from the other end E2 of the egg E to the circumference of the egg E, and the second imaging unit 5 captures an image from one end E1 of the egg E to the egg. Since the area around the waist of E is photographed, it is of course possible to inspect cracks and the like in the vicinity of the waist. In this way, it is possible to reduce labor costs by automating the parts that have conventionally been manually checked visually for broken eggs and leaked eggs where the contents of the egg leak from the cracked part of the eggshell. Become.

In particular, according to the present embodiment, since the egg E is imaged from the side opposite to the end side illuminated by the irradiation units 2 and 3, the whole of the irradiation units 2 and 3 on the lit side is the egg E. is hidden by In other words, the irradiation units 2 and 3 and the imaging units 4 and 5 are arranged so that the imaging units 4 and 5 can photograph at a position where the egg E blocks the direct light from the irradiation units 2 and 3 . That is, the egg E is positioned at a position where the light emitted from the irradiation units 2 and 3 and the imaging units 4 and 5 are connected, and the egg E blocks the direct light from the irradiation units 2 and 3. Direct light entering 5 can be suppressed, and cracks and the like can be detected appropriately.

In addition, since the inspection device 1 of the present embodiment is arranged upstream of the cleaning unit that cleans the eggs E and the drying unit that dries the eggs E in the egg sorting system, the cleaning unit and the drying unit may become dirty. Broken or leaking eggs can be screened before being delivered to these devices. As a result, contamination of the device and water can be suppressed, and the labor of cleaning can be saved.

In addition, this invention is not restricted to embodiment mentioned above.

The egg inspection device may be used for inspections other than whether or not the egg is broken. Moreover, it may be arranged at any position in the egg sorting system. That is, the place where the egg inspection device of the present invention is arranged is not limited to the upstream side of the washing section, but the downstream side of the washing section and the upstream side of the drying section, or the downstream side of the drying section. good too.

The egg sorting system can also be modified in various ways except for the inspection device according to the present invention. The inspection apparatus of the present invention may be applied to an egg sorting system that does not have a washing section or a drying section.

The irradiating part can be changed in various ways as long as it can irradiate the egg with light. Specifically, as the irradiation unit for transmission, one containing components of visible light to infrared light can be used, and among infrared rays, it is preferable to use near-infrared light with a wavelength of 780 nm to 870 nm. . That is, if a wavelength shorter than 780 nm is used, the eggshell color tends to be affected, and if the wavelength longer than 870 nm is used, the absorption of water increases, which makes the egg yolk or albumen more susceptible to the effects, or the sensitivity of the imaging means. This is because there arises a problem that the The irradiator may also include a lens or other device that refracts and converges light, or a diaphragm or other device that limits the angle of light.

The holding member is not limited to rollers as described above, and various other carriers known in the field can be applied. In other words, the conveying unit is not limited to one that conveys the eggs while rotating them, and is not limited to one that conveys the eggs with the long axis of the eggs arranged sideways in the conveying direction. Also, the number of columns is not limited to six.

The number of irradiating units is not limited to the illustrated one, and can be varied in accordance with the manner in which the eggs are held by the holding member and the number of transport rows. For example, when transported in a row, only one set of left and right inclined plates may be provided, and only one light emitting member may be arranged on one inclined plate.

The inclined plate does not necessarily have to be plate-shaped, and the angle of inclination with respect to the conveying surface and the shape of the plate can be changed in various ways without departing from the gist of the present invention. Further, adjacent irradiation sections may be integrally formed.

The irradiation unit may be fixed at a predetermined position so as not to move up and down.

The first irradiation section and the second irradiation section may be arranged along the direction orthogonal to the transport direction. Also, the timing at which the first irradiation unit is turned on and the timing at which the second irradiation unit is turned on may partly overlap as long as it does not overlap with the imaging timing of each imaging unit. Further, all of the first irradiation units may be turned on at the same timing, or may be divided into a plurality of groups and may be turned on at different timings for each group. The same applies to the second irradiation section.

The imaging unit is not limited to the above as long as it can photograph an egg. The position of the photographing unit and the angle with respect to the conveying surface are not limited to those shown in the drawings, and various changes are possible. Also, the images captured by these imaging units are only examples.

The determination unit may determine the state of the surface based on the brightness difference (contrast) of the captured image. For example, if there is a portion (edge) where the luminance changes significantly in the image, it can be determined that there is a "crack" or "adhesion of excrement stains" in that portion. Prior to edge detection, the image may be subjected to preprocessing well known in the art.

The embodiment disclosed this time is an example and is not limited to this. The present invention is defined by the scope of the claims rather than the scope described above, and is intended to include all modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the scope of the claims.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for an inspection device that determines the surface state of an egg.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Egg inspection apparatus 2, 3... Irradiation parts 21, 31... Inclined plates 22, 32... Light-emitting member (U)... Elevated position (D)... Retreat position 4, 5... Imaging part 62... Holding member E... Egg

Claims (3)

an irradiating unit that irradiates light from below onto the egg held at a location corresponding to the vertically penetrating opening formed between the rollers adjacent in the conveying direction;
an imaging unit that captures an image of the egg through which the light is transmitted from the upper surface side of the egg ;
An egg inspection device comprising a determination unit that determines the surface state of the egg based on the image captured by the imaging unit,
The irradiating unit includes an inclined plate that slopes downward from the axial end side of the roller toward the center , and a light-emitting member that has a light-emitting surface that is flush with the surface of the inclined plate. An egg inspection device, characterized in that it is arranged on an extension line of a line connecting the part and the opening. 2. The apparatus for inspecting eggs according to claim 1, wherein the irradiating unit is composed of one inclined plate and a plurality of the light emitting members arranged on the inclined plate. The irradiating unit is movable up and down, and moves between a raised position where the egg can be irradiated toward a predetermined position, and a retracted position where the upper end of the inclined plate is positioned below the lower end of the roller. 3. The egg inspection device according to claim 1 or 2.

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