JPH0570099B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention irradiates fruits and vegetables (hereinafter referred to as "fruits") with ultraviolet rays, and the fluorescence emitted by the ultraviolet rays is excited to remove pressure scratches and scratches. This relates to a method of inspecting and grading the presence or absence of disease and damage (hereinafter referred to as ``disease and damage'') and the extent of the disease.

[Prior Art] In recent years, it has been known in the laboratory that when fruits are irradiated with ultraviolet rays, some components contained in the epidermis of the fruits emit fluorescence. For example, it is known that the oil spores in the epidermis of citrus fruits do not emit fluorescence in healthy fruit without any disease or damage, but they emit fluorescence when the oil spores, which are invisible to the naked eye, are destroyed by disease or damage.

On the other hand, fruits are sorted into classes based on size and quality at a collection center or fruit sorting facility, and are then packed and shipped in boxes according to grade and class.

Regarding grade sorting, various automatic sorting machines have become widespread and automatic sorting is performed, but grade sorting is done based on the unique color, luster, and shape of fruits, as well as tanning and tanning.
The presence and extent of pest damage and external injuries are determined visually by humans.

[Problem to be solved by the invention] However, the symptoms of diseases and injuries to fruits do not appear on the epidermal surface immediately after they occur, but may appear 2 to 3 days after shipment, by the time they are placed on the market or in stores. It was often hot. However, in the sorting process at the fruit sorting plant, these diseased fruits are latent and do not appear on the epidermis surface, so even experienced sorters cannot distinguish (detect) them, making accurate quality sorting difficult. The problem was that I couldn't do it. For this reason, diseased and damaged fruits are judged to be of high quality (excellent or superior quality) and are sorted and shipped, which may cause complaints from the market or consumers, lowering the reputation of the producing area and causing farmers to suffer. The reality is that profits are declining.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems and actual circumstances, and is used in grade (quality) sorting at fruit sorting facilities to detect diseased fruit, especially the epidermal surface of fruit, which is difficult to distinguish by visual inspection by sorters. To provide a quality sorting method capable of non-destructively, reliably, and highly efficiently distinguishing fruits with latent diseases and injuries that have not manifested in the past, and accurately and highly efficiently sorting fruits with skins. The purpose is to

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention is based on the fact that when fruits are irradiated with ultraviolet rays, certain components contained in the epidermis of diseased fruits emit strong fluorescence, and this emitted fluorescence is The following technical means were developed to achieve the above objective by applying the fact that it was known in the laboratory that it is difficult to visually see in bright light to fruit sorting facilities.

That is, the present invention surrounds a part of the conveyance process in which fruits and vegetables with skins as objects to be sorted are randomly conveyed to form a dark area, and in order to irradiate a large number of objects to be sorted being conveyed within the dark area. Ultraviolet rays are irradiated over almost the entire conveying surface of the container, and the presence or absence of fluorescence emitted by the objects to be sorted when excited by the irradiated ultraviolet rays is detected, as well as the state of fluorescence emission. Based on the inspection results, it is possible to determine whether the objects to be sorted are sick or damaged. This is a structure of a quality sorting method for fruits and vegetables, which is characterized by sorting objects to be sorted by determining their presence and extent. (Note that in the explanation of the above configuration, "fruits and side dishes" was used instead of "fruits.") Thus, the present invention is designed to irradiate ultraviolet rays to a large number of fruits with skins being transported in a dark region. By irradiating almost the entire area of the transport surface with ultraviolet rays, even if multiple fruits emit fluorescence on the transport surface, the luminescent state can be inspected almost simultaneously and the extent of disease or injury can be determined almost simultaneously. It is a non-destructive method that can reliably and non-destructively identify disease-damaged fruits that were difficult to distinguish by conventional visual inspection by sorters, especially fruits with latent disease and damage that does not appear on the surface of the fruit's epidermis. It is possible to discriminate fruits with high efficiency and to select the quality of fruits with skins accurately and with high efficiency.

In the present invention, preferably, the inspection of the fluorescence emission state is an inspection of the area where the fluorescence is emitted and the intensity of the fluorescence. It is preferable to use ultraviolet light in the wavelength range of 270 nm to 400 nm as the ultraviolet light, which emits good fluorescence and is easy to distinguish.

The conveyance process in which a part of the dark area is provided is preferably a grading manual sorter that is used for visually inspecting the appearance in a fruit sorting facility, and a part of the sorter placed in the grading manual sorting section is It can be placed in this dark area and used for quality inspection and sorting.

In addition, a sensor camera is installed in the dark area in place of the quality inspection and sorting person, and the sensor camera detects the fluorescence emitted by the diseased product due to the ultraviolet rays irradiated in the dark area.From the information obtained, the fluorescence is detected. It is also possible to sort the fruits by calculating the intensity, light emitting area, etc. with a calculation device to determine the degree of disease or damage to the fruits.

[Example] Hereinafter, a diagram showing an example of the present invention will be described.

In Figures 1 and 2, 1 is a grade manual sorter, with both outer conveyors 101 and a central conveyor 102.
It consists of a lower stage conveyor 103 and a discharge chute 104 for defective products, and is similar to the known one.

2 is a dark area, which is a grading manual sorting machine 1 that randomly conveys a large number of fruits with skins as objects to be sorted 6;
A part of the transport process is covered with a light shielding material 201 to form a dark room. The dark area 2 does not need to be a completely dark room as long as the surface of the conveyance surface is dark.

3 is an ultraviolet lamp;
UV rays 30 are applied to a large number of objects 6 being conveyed in the dark area 2 and on the conveying surface of the outer conveyor 101.
In order to be able to irradiate ultraviolet rays 2 with ultraviolet 3
It is installed in the dark area 2 to irradiate 02,
Preferably, a reflection plate 301 is included.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a light-shielding plate, which serves as a lamp cover to prevent the ultraviolet rays 302 from being scattered to areas other than the conveyance surface of the outer conveyor 101.

5 inspects the presence or absence of fluorescence emitted by the object to be sorted 6 when excited by the ultraviolet ray 302 (preferably ultraviolet rays in the wavelength range of 270 nm to 400 nm) irradiated by the ultraviolet lamp 3, and the state of fluorescence emission, and determines the object to be sorted based on the inspection results. This is a quality sorter who sorts the items 6 to be sorted by determining the presence and extent of disease or damage in the items 6 to be sorted.

More specifically, if there is any disease or damage on the epidermis of the object to be sorted 6 that has been irradiated with ultraviolet rays 302 in the dark area 2, the quality sorter 5 will detect strong fluorescence even if it is hidden and does not appear on the surface of the epidermis. The object 6 to be sorted is picked up and the area and intensity of the emitted fluorescence are inspected. The degree of disease or injury of the items 6 to be sorted is determined according to the criteria set, and the items 6 are sorted onto a predetermined conveyor.

In this way, in the present invention, if there is a diseased fruit among the many skinned objects 6 being transported in the dark area 2, it will emit strong fluorescence, making it difficult for even an experienced sorter to distinguish in a bright area. It is possible to non-destructively and reliably identify disease damage, especially the objects 6 to be sorted that have latent disease damage that does not appear on the epidermal surface of the objects 6 to be sorted, and moreover, a plurality of objects 6 to be sorted can be identified with fluorescence. By emitting , these plurality of objects 6 to be sorted can be discriminated almost simultaneously and can be discriminated with high efficiency.
A material to be sorted 6 with a skin can be quality-sorted accurately and with high efficiency.

Note that normally, the lower conveyor 103 in the center is used to convey inferior products of the lowest quality, and the central conveyor 102 above it is used to convey intermediate-grade products, so the quality sorter 5 is in a position where the quality sorter 5 suffers from severe illness or injury. Defective fruits are put into a defective product discharge chamber 104 and discharged by the lower conveyor 103, and those with relatively mild disease and damage are classified as intermediate products and are delivered to the central conveyor 102.
and transported to the next process. Healthy fruits with no disease or damage do not emit fluorescence, so they are passed over as is.
In addition, in the dark area 2, instead of the quality sorter 5, a sensor camera is installed to detect the fluorescence emitted by the disease and injury, and the information detected by the sensor camera is image-processed and arithmetic-processed by a calculation device to be sorted. It is also possible to determine the degree of disease or injury of the objects 6 and sort the objects 6 to be sorted.

Reference numeral 7 denotes a quality sorter who visually inspects the objects 6 to be sorted, who visually inspects the objects 6 to be sorted in a bright place outside the dark area 2 in accordance with the grade criteria, and sorts them onto the conveyor.

[Operations and Effects of the Invention] As described above, the present invention provides a method for irradiating ultraviolet rays to a large number of fruits being transported in a dark area surrounding a part of the conveying process in which fruits with skins are randomly conveyed. Since ultraviolet rays are irradiated over almost the entire area of the transport surface, if there are diseased fruits among the large number of fruits with skin that are being transported in the dark, they will emit strong fluorescence. It is possible to non-destructively and reliably identify fruit with disease and damage that is difficult for even sorters to distinguish, especially fruit with latent disease and damage that does not appear on the surface of the fruit's skin. If the fruits emit fluorescence, it is possible to distinguish these multiple fruits almost simultaneously and with high efficiency, and it is possible to accurately and efficiently sort out the quality of fruits with skins. In addition, since the products shipped in boxes are not contaminated with fruit that could potentially cause disease or injury as defective products, the market and consumer signal increases for the production areas where the products are shipped, resulting in high reputation and high profits. can be obtained.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1...Grade hand sorter, 101...Outside conveyor, 102...Central conveyor, 103...Lower conveyor, 104...Discharge chute, 2...Dark area,
201...Shading material, 3...Ultraviolet lamp, 301
...reflector, 302...ultraviolet rays, 4...shading plate,
5, 7... Quality sorter, 6... Item to be sorted.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A part of the conveyance process in which fruits and vegetables with skins as objects to be sorted are randomly conveyed is surrounded as a dark area, and a large number of objects to be sorted being conveyed are irradiated within the dark area. Ultraviolet rays are irradiated over almost the entire conveyance surface in a dark area, and the presence or absence of fluorescence emitted by the objects to be sorted when excited by the irradiated ultraviolet rays is detected, as well as the state of fluorescence emission. Based on the test results, disease or damage to the objects to be sorted can be detected. A quality sorting method for fruits and vegetables, which is characterized by sorting objects to be sorted by determining the presence and extent of such defects. 2. The method for quality sorting fruits and vegetables according to claim 1, wherein the inspection of the fluorescence emission state is an inspection of the area where the fluorescence is emitted and the intensity of the fluorescence.