JPH08225115A - Selection method and device for vegetable and fruit - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To mechanize and automate a packing work, and especially to efficiently operate a select device by long time continuous automatic operation independently from the time zone when a manual work is conducted by a worker so as to realize the reduction in size and cost of equipment. CONSTITUTION: Many trays for conveying vegetables and fruits, from which select information for sorting loaded vegetables and fruits by ranks and information for identifying each tray 1 have been detected, are accommodated and temporarily stored one by one in the respective storing racks of a warehouse 20 provided with many storing racks for trays 1, the individual storage locations of which can be recognized, and then the tray 1 loaded with the appropriate vegetables and fruits is carried out from the warehouse to a packing conveyer 9, taking the select information on the vegetables and fruits and the due-in time order as retrieval items.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for selecting fruits and vegetables.

[0002]

[Prior art]

[Background of the Invention] Conventionally, a fruit-picking field for selecting fruits and vegetables (agricultural products) (generally, a series of operations for selecting fruits and vegetables brought in by producers according to predetermined selection items, packaging them in boxes, and shipping them. The shipping area is called the “picking area”.
Short-term labor-intensive sorting work has been carried out by mobilizing a large number of temporary workers at the time of harvesting fruits and vegetables, but in recent years it has become increasingly difficult to secure temporary workers, Development and development of a device for mechanically and automatically measuring numerical values such as class and grade elements for selection,
With the automation of box packing machines, etc., and especially with the development of computer technology, it is becoming common to replace many parts of the fruit selection work with mechanical devices. However, the ultimate unmanned equipment has not been realized so far, and it is the current situation that labor-intensive work and automation work by mechanical devices are combined.

On the other hand, since fruits and vegetables are fresh foods, there is a demand for rapid selection processing of fruits and vegetables. On the other hand, since fruits and vegetables are easily damaged by handling, rough and rough handling is avoided. In addition, since the yield of fruits and vegetables is not constant throughout the year and is largely seasonally biased, the operating rate of the above-mentioned machinery and the like is low and the machinery and equipment with such a low operating rate. Preparing large-scale equipment for this is also subject to economic constraints such as equipment costs.

From the above, when planning a sorting field facility in which a part of the sorting work is replaced by a mechanical device, the working hours of workers, the quantity of fruits and vegetables brought in at the peak of harvest, and measurement judgment The equipment scale is designed in consideration of the processing capacity of the machinery and the like and the packaging machine.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, a process (sorting line) in a sorting field for sorting fruits, vegetables, packaging, and shipping is generally a cargo receiving (receipt of fruits and vegetables into a sorting plant)-
It consists of the procedure of measurement for sorting-sorting work-boxing work.Means for automating and automating the sorting work of such fruits and vegetables as much as possible has been conventionally considered in consideration of the background situation described above. Various proposals have been made.

For example, a bucket conveyor type sorting device known as one of the conventional sorting devices constituting the above sorting line (Jitsuko 62-38789, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2).
In No. 34674, etc., the worker supplies (puts) one by one the fruits and vegetables that have been loaded in bulk at the sorting field in a container etc. to a bucket connected to a rotating conveyor, and makes a predetermined measurement during transportation. (For example, class measurement such as weight measurement and size measurement, and grade measurement such as ripeness, color, and presence of scratches) are performed, and the selection rank of each fruit and vegetable is determined by a computer based on the measurement result. At the set discharge position, the bucket is tilted and rotated to discharge the fruits and vegetables into the sorting line for each rank.

However, this type of sorting apparatus has a problem that it is not suitable for sorting perishable fruits and vegetables such as apples and tomatoes, and it has some disadvantages in terms of equipment for sorting and processing a large amount of fruits and vegetables. There are various aspects. For example, since the worker manually supplies fruits and vegetables one by one to a bucket that rotates with a series of endless conveyors, setting the line speed (moving speed of the bucket) too high will increase the burden of the supplying work. Depending on the ability of the operator, supply failure may occur, leading to inefficient work of rotating a so-called empty bucket. In addition, since it is not possible to increase the line speed, it is conceivable to install a large number of lines to meet the processing amount at the peak of harvest and improve the processing capacity. The cost burden of low-cost equipment is further increased, and a large number of workers must be secured according to the number of lines, which is not suitable for the current situation where it is not easy to secure workers in recent years.

As an alternative to such a bucket type sorting device, fruits and vegetables addressed to each one are placed on a tray which is conveyed on a conveyor in a free state, and the measurement for a predetermined sorting element is the same as that of the bucket type. During the transportation,
There is also a sorter, which is generally called a free tray type, that discharges each tray to a conveyor of a sorting line (hereinafter referred to as "sorting conveyor") at a predetermined discharge position set for each class based on the determination result based on the measurement result. Known (JP-A-3-229676, JP-A-4-322)
778 etc.).

In this free tray type sorting apparatus, a worker manually supplies fruits and vegetables to the tray (work of placing fruits and vegetables on the tray) and a measuring line (conveying conveyor provided with a measuring device; hereinafter referred to as "measuring conveyor"). ) There is no linked relationship such as the work speed of one directly affecting the other while the work of measuring the predetermined class elements while transporting the tray above, and therefore the flexibility in equipment design There is an advantage that can be dealt with. For example, since the manual work of placing fruits and vegetables on the tray can be performed in a state where the trays are accumulated, the number of articles and the line speed of the measuring conveyor that conveys the trays guided from this accumulating section can be determined by measuring devices installed in the middle. You have the flexibility to make decisions based on your ability.

Further, in this free tray type sorting device,
Benefits can be obtained not only between supply and measurement, but also between measurement and sorting. That is, in the bucket type sorting apparatus, for example, if there are 10 ranks in the overall judgment of equality / class, a storage space (pool) for each sorting rank is required for fruits and vegetables discharged in each of these 10 ranks. In addition, the size of the pool must have a buffering capacity that does not hinder the packing process even if the sorting rank of the fruits and vegetables that arrive at the sorting field is extremely biased and concentrated in some pools. As a result, as the number of ranks increases, the planar scale of the equipment becomes extremely large, or the unused space during actual operation becomes considerably large. On the other hand, in the free tray type sorting device, the measuring conveyor, the sorting conveyor and the tray are not connected to each other, so even if it is expected that some fruits and vegetables will concentrate in some sorting rank, the packaging capacity is limited. There is an advantage that they can be dealt with without providing a pool immediately before the device. For example, consider the case where the overall judgment of equality / class is ranked in 10 steps as described above,
An intermediate pool for temporarily storing a group of fruits and vegetables that are distinguished only by the grade determination result (thus, a group in which fruits and vegetables having different grade determination results are mixed) (for example, 2 for 2 grade)
Since it is possible to provide a pool), it is possible to use part of the sorting conveyor and the boxing device for each class (for example, 5 articles in 5 classes) provided downstream of this intermediate pool for the processing of the rank in which fruits and vegetables are concentrated. The line speed of the measuring conveyor can be adjusted according to the tray retention status of the intermediate pool. In addition to providing an intermediate pool between the above-mentioned primary sorting by grade and secondary sorting by rank, the primary pool should be set so that the difference in the allowable line speed of the measurement and sorting due to equipment capacity etc. does not affect each other. A pool for randomly storing trays of measured fruits and vegetables can be provided at the front stage of sorting.

As described above, by utilizing the above-mentioned features of the free tray type sorting apparatus capable of randomly pooling the free trays before the secondary sorting or before the primary sorting, the boxing for each sorting section like the bucket type sorting apparatus is performed. It is not necessary to provide a pool immediately before the device, and there is an advantage that the planar scale of the sorting field equipment can be reduced.

[0012]

Although the free tray type sorting apparatus has various advantages as described above, there are many points to be examined in order to solve the following problems.

[0013] For example, in designing a sorting field facility, it is possible to promptly respond to different demands demanded by consumer markets, stores, consumers, etc. in various regions, and in particular, shipment by sorting rank is required. While there is a basic problem that it is desirable to be able to respond to the form and the supply of fruits and vegetables as quickly as possible (the provision of fresh products), it is possible to flexibly respond, for example, to preferentially shipping fruits and vegetables that have advanced ripeness. May also be required. However, since the product price is also required to be as low as possible, even if a large and expensive facility is installed to simply mechanize and automate the sorting facility, if it affects the product cost, It does not meet the request at all.

The present invention reduces the burden on the equipment as much as possible in accordance with the background technical conditions as described above, the conventionally proposed techniques, and the problems required under these technical conditions. The most basic object of the invention is to provide a novel method and apparatus for selecting fruits and vegetables which can efficiently meet the above demands.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a desirable method and apparatus for selecting fruits and vegetables which realizes unmanned work excluding manual processing as much as possible and can cope with the present situation where it is not easy to secure workers. The purpose is to provide.

Further, the present invention renews the concept of the conventional selection work, and mechanizes and automates the packing work such as the measurement work and the box packing for the labor-intensive work. Different from the working hours, it is possible to perform long-term automated work (for example, automatic operation all night) to efficiently operate the equipment, and therefore to select new fruits and vegetables that can realize downsizing of installation equipment and cost reduction. An object is to provide a method and an apparatus.

Still another object of the present invention is to realize labor-intensive work in a sorting field without biasing the conventional work load in the distribution process of producer-frying field-market. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel method and apparatus for selecting fruits and vegetables, which can be eliminated as a whole and can realize a substantially unattended and automated series of operations which has never been achieved.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel method and apparatus for selecting fruits and vegetables which can be preferably used even for fruits and vegetables that are easily damaged as compared with the conventional selecting apparatus.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel method and apparatus for selecting fruits and vegetables capable of simultaneously receiving and sorting a plurality of items and a plurality of varieties of fruits and vegetables which cannot be handled by a conventional fruit sorting field. Where it is.

[0020]

The above objects of the present invention can be achieved by the inventions described in each of the claims.

A first feature of the present invention described in claim 1 is selection information for sorting the fruits and vegetables loaded into ranks on each storage rack of a warehouse having a large number of tray storage racks capable of recognizing individual addresses, and After storing a large number of trays for fruit and vegetable transportation, in which the information for identifying each tray has been detected, for each one, and temporarily storing, select from among the above-mentioned storage shelf address information, fruit and vegetable sorting information, and tray identifying information. According to the method of selecting fruits and vegetables, at least one of the selected items is used as a retrieval item, and the tray on which the fruits and vegetables corresponding to the retrieval item are placed is carried out from the warehouse to a conveyor for sorting work.

In the above, the "sorting work" consists of a work of sorting fruits and vegetables into a predetermined sort classification (sorting rank) determined by the sorting information and a packing work of storing the sorted fruits and vegetables in a packing container. In the case of a sorting operation for a plurality of trays, it is preferable to simultaneously perform the operation of taking out fruits and vegetables of a specific rank in the tray according to the sorting information and separating them from each other, and the packing operation of packing them in a box, for example. Also, in the case of sorting work in the case of a tray that carries only one fruit or vegetable, if only the fruits and vegetables of a specific rank are to be concentrated and carried out based on the sorting information when the tray is unloaded from the warehouse, it will already be The work of separating the parts is completed, and therefore, only the above-described packing work can be performed after carrying out.

The fruits and vegetables to be used in the present invention are not particularly limited as long as they can be sorted and selected. For example, various fruits such as mandarin orange and apple, cucumber,
There can be mentioned vegetables such as eggplant and tomato.

According to the invention of claim 1, the following effects can be obtained. That is, in addition to the advantages of the free tray type, which is the selection system of the present invention, class determination factors such as size and shape for selecting fruits and vegetables, or grades such as ripeness, color, presence of scratches, etc. The fruits and vegetables that have already been measured are stored in the warehouse because the determination factors (hereinafter referred to as "equal class determination factors (selection factors)" including only at least one of these cases for convenience) are stored temporarily in the warehouse. After that, it is possible to separate the work of measuring the equal class judgment elements to obtain the predetermined selection information and the work of packing the fruits and vegetables ranked (ranked) by the selection information according to the rank, and sorting in the latter stage. The packing work can be made possible by using, for example, a conventional technique in which mechanization and automation are generalized, for a long time of automated operation (for example, overnight automatic operation). Furthermore, sorting information about fruits and vegetables on each tray that has been carried into the storage shelf of the warehouse, address information of the storage shelf in which each tray is stored, information for identifying each tray (tray identification information)
Can be used to execute appropriate priority processing.

As a concrete example of this priority processing, for example, when the fruits and vegetables to be brought into the sorting field are not a single item but a plurality of items (for example, cucumber and eggplant) or different varieties of the same item. Even in the case of (Apple Fuji and Kodama), if information on these items and varieties is registered in the computer together with, for example, tray identification information, priority processing to carry out trays using item cucumber as a search item, or varieties It is possible to prioritize the processing of picking up red balls as a search item, and if the time information and the producer information received at the sorting field are registered in the computer together with the tray identification information, the priority processing of the earliest fruits and vegetables will also be performed. There is an example in which it is possible to sort and pack each producer after measuring predetermined equal class judgment factors without distinguishing between fruits and vegetables that have arrived at the same time. Kill. Note that the search items used for priority processing are not limited to those described above, and may be, for example, small grain priority processing for tomatoes or the like, advanced processing (ripe) priority processing, coloring degree It can be executed by managing individual information according to request, such as high priority processing, priority processing based on such individual information is
This method is completely unthinkable in the conventional sorting method, and cannot be executed in the conventional apparatus not equipped with the above warehouse.

In the above method, when the address information of the storage shelves is used as the search item, for example, when the storage shelves of the warehouse are numbered from 1 to 1000 and trays are stored in the order of receipt of fruits and vegetables, The case where sorting processing is performed according to the order of arrival can be exemplified.

Further, when the selection information of fruits and vegetables determined based on the equal class determination element (sorting element) measured as the search item is used, for example, when the tray for transporting fruits and vegetables is one which carries one fruit and fruits, it is specified. It is possible to exemplify the case where only the fruits and vegetables of the rank are collectively carried out from the warehouse and packed, and when the tray is for loading a plurality of fruits and vegetables, the one with the largest number of fruits and vegetables of a certain rank is sequentially An example is a case of carrying out and sorting and packing.

When the tray identification information is used as the search item, for example, if the producer's code is included in the identification information, the case where the trays are carried out by the producer from the warehouse and sorted and packed is exemplified. You can

It goes without saying that the search items selected from the address information of the storage shelves, the selection information of fruits and vegetables, and the identification information of the trays are not limited to those described above as examples. Information according to need can be used as a search item.

As the tray used in the present invention, one in which one fruit or vegetable is placed in each of a plurality of distinguishable compartments can be used. In this case, it is necessary to detect the selection information for each of the fruits and vegetables in each section. Each section of the tray can be identified by, for example, but not limited to, detecting an identification mark provided in each section. The fact that the tray has a plurality of compartments on which fruits and vegetables are placed means, for example, a configuration in which a recess for placing fruits and vegetables is provided, which is divided into one row or two or more rows.

As the tray, one on which only one fruit or vegetable is placed can be used, and in this case, the fruit or vegetables on the tray carried into the warehouse as described above are selected based on the already-selected sorting information. Then, it can be carried out for each specific rank and sorted and packed. In equipment that implements such a method, for example, the first group of fruits and vegetables that are commonly selected in a specific rank of "excellent and large" as equal rank is carried out from the warehouse and packed, and then the second group. If the structure is such that the fruits and vegetables that are commonly selected in a special rank of “excellent and large” are carried out from the warehouse and processed for packing, the conveyor that carries out the trays from the warehouse only needs to be equipped with a device that performs only the packing process. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the conventional device for branching the tray to the sorting conveyor and discharging the tray or the sorting conveyor itself.

Representatively enumerating the above-mentioned selection information used for selecting fruits and vegetables in the present invention, for example, as class information, class determination information determined based on the measurement result of the size and shape of fruits and vegetables. As grade information, grade determination information that determines sugar content, maturity, color, presence of scratches, etc. based on the measurement results using a measuring device, the above-mentioned classes and grades such as items and varieties of fruits and vegetables, producers, arrival time, etc. Management information other than information can be mentioned. It should be noted that the above grade determination information can include the result of the operator's visual determination of the quality that is difficult to determine mechanically and automatically.

The selection information is obtained by a predetermined calculation by inputting the result of measurement using a conventionally known measuring means (imaging means, sensor, etc.) or the result of inputting visual judgment with a keyboard or the like into a computer. be able to.
The tray identification information can be obtained by reading a bar code, which is a mark displayed on the surface of the tray, with a bar code reader. Management information such as items and varieties of fruits and vegetables and producers can be input by a worker using a keyboard or the like, or can be included in a tray identification mark. The arrival time can be set by, for example, recording time information at the time of measurement processing, or by recording the producer code and the receipt time at the time of arrival at the sorting field, but it is not limited to this. Absent.

The address information of the tray accommodating shelves in the warehouse is managed as a so-called logical address by a computer by x, y, z coordinates indicating the stages, columns, and rows of the shelves that are three-dimensionally (three-dimensionally) constructed. can do.

The various information detected as described above is recorded in the storage unit of the computer for managing the selection process. Therefore, for example, when a tray from a producer, which has been loaded with a plurality of cucumbers, arrives at a sorting field and has been subjected to predetermined measurement processing, barcode reading processing, etc., is carried into the storage shelf of shelf number 1. Then, in the storage unit of the computer, the storage shelf with the shelf number 1 of the warehouse stores the tray on which the fruit and vegetable cucumber of the producer A is placed, and the tray is partitioned and placed on the tray, for example, 10
The sorting information of the individual cucumbers is Shu-L, Shu-2L, Yu-2M, ... for each identified by the section information.
(Shu and Yu indicate grades, L and M indicate ranks), and further, record arrival time information, etc. that can be provided so as to be recorded as necessary as a series of related information. You can

As a result, it is possible to carry out the packing process by deciding the priority order for the packing process using any one of these information items as a retrieval item and carrying out from the warehouse as required.

Further, since the trays carried into the warehouse can be carried out without being related to the measurement of the selection elements of fruits and vegetables, for example, the receipt of the fruits and vegetables is received between 9:00 and PM5: 00, and the packing process is performed. By mechanizing and automating, it is possible to work for a long time, all day or all night, regardless of the time it takes to receive the goods.

When the above method is carried out, particularly when a tray carrying a plurality of fruits and vegetables is used, the fruits and vegetables according to the sorting rank corresponding to the tray to be conveyed are conveyed to the conveyor for conveying the trays carried out from the warehouse. It is preferable to use transfer means (a boxing device or the like) for taking out and transferring it to a packaging container prepared for each sorting rank. This is because, when a plurality of ranks of fruits and vegetables are mixed in one tray, the process of discharging the fruits and vegetables together with the trays to the sorting conveyor that branches is complicated.

The method of the present invention can be carried out by an in-house circulation system in which the trays are circulated in the sorting field, but the tray can be used as a container by which the producer can bring fruits and vegetables into the sorting station. It is also possible to implement it as a producer-picking place circulation method in which it is used by circulating between the sorting places. Such a producer-sorting tray tray circulation method is
This is one of the features proposed by the present invention together with the above-described temporary storage of trays in the warehouse, and the number of workers is significantly larger than the conventional method of manually placing fruits and vegetables received in a mixed loading container on a tray. Can be reduced to

The present invention also provides a sorting apparatus suitable for carrying out the method invention as described above, and its typical features are shown in the invention of claim 8.

That is, the feature of the invention described in claim 8 is that it has a large number of tray accommodating shelves capable of recognizing individual addresses, and tray accommodating means for accommodating the trays into appropriate accommodating shelves and the trays from the accommodating shelves. A warehouse having a tray carrying-out means for carrying out, a large number of trays for carrying fruits and vegetables having a sign for identifying each and having one or a plurality of compartments for placing fruits and vegetables, and a class of each fruit and fruits on the tray and / or
Alternatively, a sorting element measuring conveyor having means for measuring grade sorting elements, and a transport downstream side linked to the tray loading means so as to carry the tray into the storage shelf of the warehouse, and the tray from the warehouse. The upstream side is linked to the tray carry-out means so that it can be carried out, and a means for packing each fruit and vegetables according to the sorting rank based on the sorting information indicating the sorting rank determined from the measured sorting elements is provided on the transporting downstream side. A packing conveyor, storage means for storing at least information for identifying each of the trays, address information for each storage shelf to which the trays are carried in and out, and sorting information for each fruit and vegetable, and the above-mentioned storage means based on the storage information of the storage means. In the apparatus for sorting fruits and vegetables, which comprises a carry-out control means for selectively carrying out trays from the warehouse.

In the above construction, the warehouse having the storage shelves is not limited, but generally, a plate or a frame is used, and a large number of vacant spaces each having one side open in a plurality of vertical and horizontal rows. The shelf box forming the (accommodation shelf)
It is possible to use those constructed by arranging a large number at intervals. Further, the tray carry-in means for carrying in the trays to the appropriate storage shelves in this warehouse, or the tray carry-out means for carrying out the trays is, for example, vertically moved along one side of one shelf box,
It can be configured by using a lifter installed so that it can face each storage rack by moving laterally, and it can also be configured so that horizontal (horizontal) movement is performed by a conveyor and only vertical movement is performed by a lifter. You can also The tray carry-in means and the tray carry-out means may be shared by one lifter, may be provided separately, or a plurality may be provided for one shelf box.

In the above, when placing a plurality of fruits and vegetables, a flat tray is used. The “flat type” means that a section for placing a plurality of fruits and vegetables is provided in a flat shape instead of a step. In addition, the compartment that is divided so that the fruits and vegetables can be placed one by one depends on the type of fruits and vegetables to be placed, but in addition to providing a structure that is clearly separated by a wall, etc., it is a recess so that the placed fruits and vegetables do not roll carelessly In a structure in which a column is provided, or in a tray in which long fruits and vegetables that do not roll in the longitudinal direction such as cucumber and eggplant are placed in a plurality of rows, the partition between adjacent rows may be simply divided by lines, color coding, etc. .

In the partition of the tray, a partition member can be detachably provided to the tray body so that the number of compartments on which fruits and vegetables are placed and the shape of the compartment can be changed. In order to attach / detach such a partition member, a groove is provided in the tray main body, or a stopper that engages with a part of the partition member and fixes the partition member so that it does not fall off the tray main body is made of an elastic material such as rubber or spring. It can be configured by mounting via a member. Further, this attachment / detachment can be performed by forming the partition member with a synthetic resin having elasticity and using the elasticity of the synthetic resin to attach / detach it to / from the tray body.

The tray may be one in which a plurality of fruits and vegetables are placed in one row, but a plurality of rows provided in a plurality of rows, preferably two or three rows, is suitable for improving the treatment efficiency. As a method of obtaining the position information of a plurality of compartments, a symbol indicating an address in the vicinity of each compartment position in the tray (for example, a combination of R and L symbols indicating left and right in the case of two rows and a number indicating the number) The method of obtaining position information by reading this symbol, or the method of always carrying a regular tray in a fixed posture so that the tray is always numbered in a fixed order from the leading side in the feeding direction to obtain position information Etc. may be used.

Further, the tray may be provided with an opening at the bottom. This bottom opening can be used, for example, as an opening for measuring fruits and vegetables from below, or as an opening for vertically inserting a jig for lifting up fruits and vegetables from below. The tray may be provided with a partition member that can be attached and detached so that the number and shape of the fruit and vegetable placing sections can be changed so that it can be used for a plurality of kinds of fruits and vegetables of different sizes depending on the item, variety, and the like.

The conveyor for transporting the tray is a belt type,
The type and structure of the roller type are not particularly limited as long as the tray can be freely placed and conveyed.
In order to distinguish each tray conveyed on the conveyor from the other trays, for example, an identification mark such as a bar code may be provided on the tray so that the tray can be detected by the tray identification information reading and detecting means. According to this method,
Individuals can be reliably identified even when the trays are transported randomly, and individual fruits and vegetables can be reliably identified based on the placement position information in the trays. Such a tray identification information detecting means has, as a preferable configuration, a symbol such as a bar code peculiar to each tray, which is provided at an appropriate position such as a front entrance of a conveyor, an entrance or a middle of transportation, such as a carry-in entrance of a warehouse. Although a combination of optical reading means selected by selecting and reading at a plurality of positions, for example, a bar code reader can be used, the form is not limited as long as it can be identified. In addition, other information can also be included in the symbols such as barcodes on the tray. For example, information on the number of fruits and vegetables to be placed on the tray (the number of rows or the number of rows placed in one row), the producer Specific information can be given.

The measuring conveyor for the sorting element is
Means for measuring class factors such as size, for example, known measuring means such as load cells, scales, cameras, sugar content, maturity,
Means for measuring grade factors such as color and presence / absence of scratches, for example, imaging devices such as sensor cameras and video cameras, non-destructive inspection devices using optical, electromagnetic and mechanical methods such as near infrared and infrared spectroscopy Are arranged along the conveying direction of the conveyer, and are configured as a measuring means that is a combination of various calculating means (computer and program) for performing predetermined image processing based on the measurement information. It is also possible to adopt the one. In addition to the above measuring devices, or in place of the above measuring devices, a worker can visually judge the grade and input the judgment result with an input means such as a grade input device such as a keyboard on the measuring conveyor of the sorting element. It is also possible to provide. It goes without saying that one or more of the above class / grade element measuring means can be provided as necessary.

Based on the sorting element information measured by the sorting element measuring means and the position information of each fruit and vegetable, the sorting and sorting classification (sorting rank) of the individual fruits and vegetables put on each free tray is provided in the computer. Based on a predetermined standard, the determination unit as a unit, for example, 2
Classes according to the size of L, L, M, S, etc., and excellent, excellent, good,
It is decided by classifying it as a grade of merit.

In addition, the measuring element conveyor of this sorting element,
Further, various devices and the like can be attached if necessary. For example, the reading means for reading the mark of the tray at the time of the measurement by the above-mentioned measuring means or the loading into the warehouse is provided at an appropriate position, or the tray is circulated between the producer and the sorting field as described above. In such a case, instead of manually feeding the trays received in a stacked state at the sorting field onto the conveyor one by one, a stage disassembling device for automatically performing this work is provided. be able to.

The packing conveyor provided in association with the tray unloading means of the above-mentioned warehouse has a suitable structure depending on whether the tray is of a type in which one fruit or vegetable is placed or in the case of a multi-storing type in which a plurality of fruits and vegetables are loaded. Are not necessarily the same. For example, in the case where the trays are of a type in which the fruits and vegetables are placed in a plurality of sections, respectively, the packaging conveyor uses one (or a plurality) of fruits and vegetables corresponding to the specified sorting rank from the trays conveyed on the conveyor. It is preferable to provide the transfer means so as to be able to take out each corresponding sorting rank and transfer it to the packing container prepared for each sorting rank. As such a transfer means, for example, a suction type that suspends fruits and vegetables with a lower end vacuum chuck of a hanging rod that can be vertically moved and horizontally moved from above can be exemplified. It is preferable to use a transfer means (a means for taking out and boxing) of a system in which a large number of fruits and vegetables classified into the same sorting rank in the same tray are taken out at one time.

This transfer means can be operated a plurality of times for a plurality of sorting classifications (sorting ranks) using one unit, but from the standpoint of productivity, each sorting rank can be selected along the conveyor. It is preferable to provide a dedicated transfer means. By doing so, the transfer means can be used as it is as a boxing device (packing means for packing a container) for fruits and vegetables.
That is, fruits and vegetables taken out from the tray by a boxing device dedicated to sorting each rank is directly stored in a packing box or bag for a specific rank prepared in the vicinity, and is ranked in a predetermined equal rank. You can make a package of fruits and vegetables. In the case where the tray used in the present invention is of a type in which one fruit or vegetable is loaded, each fruit or vegetable carried into the warehouse can be carried out for each rank based on the selection information as described above, It is not necessary to select and transfer the fruits and vegetables for each rank as a group, and a simple transfer means can be used.

As a more preferred embodiment of the present invention, as described above, there is a case where the tray is also used as a container for carrying fruits and vegetables from the producer to the sorting field.
By doing this, after the producer puts the fruits and vegetables on the tray, all the sorting and sorting work can be done without touching the fruits and vegetables directly by handling the tray, and the number of handling works of the fruits and vegetables can be reduced. In addition to reducing the risk of scratches due to scratches, it is possible to automatically carry in fruits and vegetables using a device and to mount them on a conveyor, rather than the manual work of a conventional worker, in order to handle a standard tray.
It is possible to realize unmanned and automated fruit selection work that was previously impossible.

For such a structure, as described above, the tray having a large number of stacked trays is sequentially added to the starting end portion (including the case where it is provided in the preceding stage) of the measuring conveyor. It is preferable to provide a stacking device for loading the stacking means on the packing conveyor, and at the end of the packing conveyor, stacking means for facilitating the work of stacking a predetermined number of empty trays from which all fruits and vegetables have been taken out and returning them to the producer. It is also preferable to provide. These make automation of work even more advantageous.

When the trays are used in a circulation system including such producers, the trays can be surely maintained in the stacked state so that the trays can be carried in the stacked state from the producer. Moreover, it is preferable to provide an engaging portion for stacking and stacking that does not interfere with the stored fruits and vegetables.

When the in-house circulation system in which the trays are circulated in the sorting field without being circulated with the producer, it is preferable to provide a circulation return conveyor for empty trays.

The unloading control means for selectively unloading the tray from the warehouse is in accordance with a storage unit for storing the various information described above, a preset packing order, or a priority order designated by an operator's input. The drive means for driving the tray carry-out means, the drive means for the transfer means, etc., and is usually constituted by a computer.

In the present invention, in addition to the above configuration, a packing container carry-in for carrying a packing container containing a large number of packing containers capable of recognizing individual addresses and carrying the fruits and vegetables into a suitable packing shelf It is also possible to provide a second warehouse having means and a packaging container unloading means for unloading the packaging container from the storage shelf, and a unloading control means for selectively unloading the packaging container from the second warehouse. The warehouse can be configured separately as in the warehouse for loading the above trays, or can be configured integrally with the above warehouse for trays. When these two warehouses are integrally configured, for example, a shelf for carrying in packing containers and a shelf for carrying in trays may be provided separately, but some or all of these shelves are commonly used as trays and packing containers. It can also be a mold. When shared, the packing containers are usually larger and smaller in number than trays, so if some of the shelves are shared, the warehouse volume can be used more effectively and compactly. Further, the tray loading / unloading means may also be used for the packaging container.

The above warehouse can also be used as a warehouse for accommodating empty trays in combination with a conveyor of a circulation system in a tray place, and three of these empty tray storage, tray storage in a state where fruits and vegetables are loaded, and storage of packing containers are available. It can also be used as a shared warehouse.

[0060]

The present invention will be further described below with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings.

Embodiment 1 This embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 12 is, for example, shown in FIGS.
The tray 1 shown in Figure 1 is used by the producer
A large number of them are stored in two rows in a row and loaded into a sorting field in a stacked state for sorting and sorting, or the producer of the round fruits and vegetables such as apples and tomatoes using the tray shown in FIG. 28. The figure shows an automatic sorting device in which a large number of them are stored, stacked and loaded, and brought into a sorting field for sorting.

FIG. 1 shows trays 1 loaded in a stacked state.
Shows an outline of the whole system of a sorting field equipped with a device for sorting by using as it is as a tray for carrying on a conveyor. In this figure, 110 is a tray in a stacked state stacked on a panel 112. Shown is a packing type tray in which the group 111 is brought into the sorting field by a truck, and each stacking tray group 111 can be placed on the stage dispersal conveyor 3 as it is, or can be sequentially stored after being temporarily stored in a storage warehouse (not shown). It is placed on the conveyor 3.

The tray 1 shown in FIG. 2 of the present example is a tray of a type that stores a large number of eggplants in two rows, has a rectangular box shape with an open upper surface, and has a wavy bottom portion so that the trays 1 are sequentially arranged in rows.
Two rows of loading compartments 101, 10 in which 0 horizontally long recesses are formed
1 has a bar code seal 10 for identifying the tray, which is provided on the four sides of the tray 1.
2 is attached. The sticker is attached to the four side surfaces (the two side surfaces shown in the drawing and the two side surfaces on the back side) because the bar code can be read regardless of the conveying direction or the reading direction. . The tray 1 of FIG. 2 is provided with the partition wall 103 in the central portion of the two rows, but this may be a chevron projection that is gentle in the lateral direction, or may simply be drawn. .

FIG. 3 shows the tray 1 in the producer (farmer).
The state in which the eggplants 2 to be selected are placed in each of the placement sections 101 is shown in FIG. 7. In this example, 20 eggplants in total are arranged in 10 rows in each of two rows, and the eggplants are placed in the same direction.

The stacking conveyor 3 sends the stacking tray group 111 to the stacking device 301 at a predetermined timing, and the stacking device 301 measures the sorting elements one by one of the trays 1 containing a large number of eggplants. It is provided so as to be sent to the measurement conveyor 4. As shown in FIG. 4, in the step breaking device 301 of this example, the supporting arms 302 are engaged with the lower edges of the flanges on the left and right sides of the second tray 1 from the bottom of the stacked tray group 111. The tray group above the second tray is lifted up so as to be separated from the bottom tray 1, and at the same time, the bottom tray 1 is sent to the next step, and then above the second tray. It is provided so that the tray group can be removed by repeating the operation of lowering the tray group onto the conveyor surface 303.

The trays 1 which have been separated one by one by the above-mentioned stage disassembling device 301 are conveyed as trays on the measuring conveyer 4 at intervals and are measured by the measuring stage 401 provided on the way. An image pickup camera 421, which is an apparatus, images an upper surface image of the tray, and the image pickup result is sent to a computer 5 having an arithmetic unit and subjected to a predetermined image processing to perform a rank determination. Note that the imaging is not particularly limited, and any known method such as a method of collectively imaging the entire tray and a method of repeating scanning in the lateral direction of the conveyor in synchronism with the conveyance of the tray can be adopted.

The measuring conveyor 4 of this embodiment is of an intermittent drive type in which the tray conveyance is stopped for a predetermined time for the image pickup by the image pickup camera 421. Further, although only one measuring device is shown for convenience of description, a plurality of measuring devices may be used without being limited to this, and for example, it is indicated by reference numeral 402 as shown in FIG. The worker at the different position may visually determine the grade of the fruits and vegetables on the tray, input the determination result with the keyboard 431, and obtain the selection information together with the imaging result as a selection element. Alternatively, the tray may be turned upside down and the eggplant may be transferred to another tray to image the top and bottom surfaces.

In the measuring stage 401, the bar code reader 411 simultaneously reads the bar code attached to each tray for identifying the tray.

With these, the bar code information (tray identification information) and the position information of the number of the right and left columns of the tray 1 in the left and right columns from the configuration described in FIG. The selection information of the individual eggplants that have been identified and specified and whose positions have been identified and specified as described above are also recorded in the storage unit of the computer 5. The tray in this example has 20 eggplants.
Sorting information is required for each of these eggplants. FIG.
Symbols such as “B-L” in (a) schematically show the state of the exemplary selection information thus obtained,
The symbols A and B indicate grades, and 2L, L, M, and S indicate classes indicating length.

Next, the tray 1 which has passed through the measuring stage
Are carried into the warehouse 20. The details of this warehouse 20 are shown in FIG.
, A plurality of storage shelves 202, 202, ... Is formed three-dimensionally in the vertical and horizontal directions by using a frame or a plate material, and a shelf box 201, 201 ,. In the lower part of the shelf box 201, a tray loading / unloading conveyor 2 is formed at a right angle to the measuring conveyor 4.
, 203, ..., Elevators (lifts) 204 for loading and unloading the trays on the tray loading / unloading conveyor 203 into the accommodation shelves 202 at predetermined positions or unloading the trays from the predetermined shelves. Is provided. This elevator is equipped with, for example, a cylinder device for pushing the tray into the shelf and pulling it out. A tray branch transfer device (not shown) for transferring trays from the measurement conveyor 4 to the tray loading / unloading conveyor 203 at a predetermined position is provided, and the tray branch transfer device, tray loading / unloading conveyor 203 is provided. And elevator 204
By controlling the driving of the above by the computer 5, a predetermined tray specified by the barcode information is carried in and stored in the storage shelf 202 of an appropriate address.

The above operation is repeated until all the eggplants that have arrived at the sorting field are brought into the warehouse. As a result, which tray is stored in the storage shelf 202 indicated by a predetermined address can be grasped by management of tray identification information at the time of loading, and at the same time, selection of all the eggplants placed on this specific tray can be performed. Information can also be grasped as information related to the tray identification information, and these are recorded in the storage unit of the computer 5.

Next, in parallel with the work for loading the tray 1 into the warehouse 20 or after the work is completed, the trays are unloaded from the storage shelves 202 in the warehouse 20 and packed in the prepared packing box. Work is done.

The tray 1 is transferred from the warehouse 20 to the packing conveyor 6
The work of carrying out the tray can be carried out in the reverse order of the work of carrying the tray into the warehouse 20. That is, the tray 1 is pulled out from the storage shelf 202 at the predetermined address designated by the computer 5 onto the elevator 204, is lowered onto the tray loading / unloading conveyor 203, and is rotated by the tray loading / unloading conveyor 203 for packing. Transfer to the conveyor 6. At this time, the drive of the elevator 204, the tray loading / unloading conveyor 203, and the transfer device (not shown) are controlled by the computer 5 provided so as to have a function as an unloading control unit. The feature of this example is that the order of unloading the tray 1 from the warehouse 20 can be selected by using appropriate information as a search item.

Explaining this, for example, if the producer code is included in the identification information (bar code) of the tray on which the eggplants received from the producer are placed, the eggplant of a specific producer is preferentially carried out. Can be packed. By doing so, even if the eggplants received from a plurality of producers are randomly measured and carried into the warehouse 20 without taking the order into consideration, the eggplants of a specific producer can be arbitrarily taken out. , The work restrictions at the time of arrival can be reduced. Also, when the tray identification information (bar code) is read on the measuring conveyor 4, if the time (clock) information is also recorded together, the items in the order of arrival will be irrelevant to the producer. It can be preferentially taken out and packed, which has the advantage of always supplying fresh eggplant to the market. Furthermore, when the weight is extremely biased toward a specific rank due to the eggplant selection information recorded in the storage unit of the computer 5, the sorting and packing devices 6 _{1 to} 6 ₅ to be described later are used. , Rather than operating one unit for each rank, use two units for the packaging processing of the eggplant of the uneven rank, and for one rank with a small amount, one sorting box packing device It is also possible to change the operating status such that it is also used for rank processing.

Explaining the structure of the packing conveyor 6, in this packing conveyor 6 of this example, for example,
Rank is沿設plurality of sorting boxes packed units _{61 through 65} for the five certain sorting packing, after removal of all eggplant in the tray by a predetermined sorting boxes packed operations to be described later, shown in FIG. 6 As described above, after stacking the empty trays 1 by the stacking device 7 for sequentially stacking the empty trays 121 to form the empty tray group 121, the pallets are placed and sent back to the producer by the truck. The stacking device 7 includes, for example, a sensor 701 that detects that a tray is fed from the transport conveyor 4, and a descending drive device (not shown) that lowers the support 702 one step down each time the sensor detects the tray feeding. It is composed of

Next, a description will be given sorting box filling device 6 _{through 65} described above is one of the characteristics of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, this sorting box packing device of the present example is arranged so as to straddle over the packing conveyor 6 and the supply conveyor 8 of the packing box 801, and as shown in FIGS. It has a large number of hanging rods 602 (in the illustrated example, six pieces are used in order to avoid complication of the drawing). These hanging rods 602 have horizontal rails 604 whose upper end portions 603 form a pair of upper and lower sides. , 604, which are movably suspended in the axial direction, and pulled by a rotating wire 605 so as to be positionally movable in the tray conveying direction. As shown in FIG. 10, a designated eggplant in the tray 1 is taken out. Can and Figure 1
As shown in FIG. 1, the packing box 801 is provided so that it can be housed at a narrow interval. 606 is a rotating wire 60
5 a driving pulley for the traction pivot, the pulley drive motor including a pulse motor or the like 607, 608 is a driven pulley, on the basis of the selection information being sent from the computer 5, for example, sorting boxes in sorting boxes packed units ₆₁ The predetermined vacuum chuck 601 is driven so as to accurately move to the position of the eggplant 2 classified into the equal rank of 2L, which is closed. In addition, each device of the rotating wire 605, the drive pulley 606, the pulley drive motor 607, and the driven pulley 608, which is a mechanism for pulling and rotating the suspension rod 602, corresponds to each suspension rod 602. By being provided, any combination of fruits and vegetables in the tray 1 can be taken out.

Further, a sorting box packing device provided over the packing conveyor 6 and the supply conveyor 8 of the packing box 801 for taking out the eggplants from the tray 1 and packing the packing box 801. Of the above-mentioned vacuum chuck 601-
The pulley drive motor 607 and the like are mounted on a slider 611 provided in a fixed frame 610 of the sorting and boxing device so as to be movable in a direction across the packing conveyor 6 and the supply conveyor 8 (left-right direction in FIG. 7). That is, FIG.
And, as shown in FIG. 10, a slide cylinder 613 provided between the fixed frame 610 and the rail 612.
And a roller 615 that rolls on the rail 614 on the opposite side are provided so that the slider 611 can be moved. By controlling the movement of the slide cylinder 613, the eggplant take-out position from the tray and the packing position in the packing box can be set. Will be moved between. In addition, the two rows of the suspension rods 602 mounted on the slider 611 of this example are the fruits and vegetables placing section 10 of the tray 1.
It is not necessary to control the movement so that there is always a one-to-one correspondence with the two rows of 1. For example, in a device that takes out eggplants of the Shu, 2L classification, all (10 pieces) of the 2L classification are in the right row of the tray. If the eggplants of No. 2 and 2L are classified in the left column, first, the slider 611 is moved to move the six hanging rods 602 in the right column and the two hanging rods in the left column. 60
In total, 8 pieces of eggplants are sucked and suspended by 2 and then the suspension rod 6 in the left column.
Slider 611 at the position where 02 faces the right column of the tray.
Can also be moved to suck and suspend the four eggplants in the right column of the tray by the remaining four suspension rods 602. This state can be understood by a case where the slider 611 in FIG. 8 faces the packaging conveyor 6 directly above, and a case where the slider 611 faces the packing conveyor 6 rightward or leftward by one line with a shift.

[0078] Such a sorting box filling device 6 _{through 65,} as shown in FIG. 12, the tray 1 being transported on the packaging conveyor 6, for example, as shown in FIG. 12 (a), first At the stage of sorting and sorting (for example, classification of Hide and 2L), 12 eggplants are taken out at once and packed in a packaging box, and then at the stage of the second sorting and sorting (for example, classification of Hide and L).
As shown in 2 (b), the operation of taking out two eggplants and packing a total of 12 eggplants into the packaging box at _one time is carried out in sequence to each sorting boxing device 6 _{1 to} 6 ₅ and sorting sorting is performed. To finish.

Returning to FIG. 1, in this example, the packing box 801 in which a predetermined number of eggplants are packed is the packing box transport conveyor 9
It is configured to be returned from the above to the above-mentioned warehouse 20 and carried into the packing box storage shelf provided in this warehouse 20. This is due to the following, that is, the operation of packing from the tray into the packaging box can be performed in a mechanized and automated state, as can be understood from the above description.
In this example, this is done overnight so that it can be performed for a long time, and a structure that does not necessarily require a high-performance transfer device (take-out device) is adopted. The cost burden of the transfer device that transfers the product to the packaging box has been reduced. However, it is necessary to temporarily store the packed boxes as a result of performing such an overnight operation, and for this reason, the configuration described above is adopted. In addition, the packing box accommodating shelf and the tray accommodating shelf 2
By making it possible to share with 02, the packed box can be stored in the empty storage shelf 202 and the warehouse facility can be effectively utilized. In the above configuration, it is usual to indicate the rank of the contents of the packaging box, so that a label such as a bar code is attached to this display or the surface of the packaging box to selectively carry out the tray. Similarly, it is also preferable to carry out the packing box for each rank.

The packing box carried out from the warehouse 20 is carried out of the sorting station from the discharge conveyor 10 through the palletizer 11.

According to the eggplant sorting apparatus of the present embodiment as described above, the processing of receiving fruits and vegetables such as eggplants to be received, the measurement processing for sorting, and the packaging of the sorted fruits and vegetables according to the sorting information and the like. Since the work to be performed can be performed in terms of both content and time, the packing equipment, which tends to increase the cost burden of equipment and equipment, adopts equipment with relatively low processing capacity that requires a long processing time. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the size of the entire sorting facility and the cost of facility investment.

Further, according to the configuration of this example, since various information can be used as search items for carrying out the tray from the warehouse, there is an advantage that specific fruits and vegetables can be preferentially processed according to an appropriate request. can get.

Furthermore, the trays used as free trays for conveying fruits and vegetables in the sorting field are used by the producer in the circulation cycle including the sorting field, and as a result, the operator in the sorting field There is no need to manually handle fruits and vegetables, and the excellent effect that the entire sorting field can be automated and virtually unmanned can be achieved.

Example 2 In this example shown in FIGS. 13 to 21, the producer is shown in FIG.
For example, apples that have been loaded into the sorting field in bulk in the container 30 shown in Fig. 2 are placed manually on the tray 1 that stores four of each in two rows, so that the trays can be circulated and used in the sorting field. 2 shows an automatic sorting device according to the present invention. In addition, although this example will be described for fruits and vegetables apples, it is natural that this may be eggplant, tomato or the like.

The feature of this example is that it is not used for circulating the trays with the producer, but is used only for circulation within the sorting field, and is different from the first embodiment. The configuration in which the second warehouse 12 for temporarily storing the boxes is provided separately from the warehouse 20 is partially different from that of the first embodiment, but other configurations are substantially the same as those of the first embodiment. Therefore, common configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

In this example, as shown in FIG. 13, the apples 200 of fruits and vegetables received in the container 30 are manually placed on the tray of the measuring conveyor 4 by the operator at the position 403 to make 8 per tray. The work of placing individual pieces is performed.

And a tray 1 on which this apple is placed
In the same manner as in the first embodiment, the upper surface of the imaging camera 421 is imaged and the selection information based on the predetermined rank element is obtained. At the same time as the measurement, the bar code is read by the bar code reader 411, and then the bar code is carried into the storage shelf of the warehouse 20 at an appropriate address.

The operation of loading the apples 200 on the tray 1 and the operation of loading the apples 200 into the warehouse 20 are the same as in the first embodiment.
This work is performed, for example, between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM. In addition, the address information of the storage rack in which the tray 1 thus loaded into the warehouse 20 is loaded into a specific address, the identification information of the tray and the sorting information of the apples 200 on the tray, and the computer 5 It is the same as the first embodiment in that it is recorded as information related to the storage unit.

Next, as in the first embodiment, the trays are sequentially carried out from the warehouse 20 to the packing conveyor 6 by using appropriate search items, and the sorting box packing device is provided along the packing conveyor 6. According to 6 _{1 to} 6 ₅ , they are stored and packed in the packing box 801 prepared for each sorting rank.

Further, in this example, as shown in FIG. 13, the empty tray 1'after taking out the apples is returned to the warehouse 20 by the return line 6'of the packing conveyor 6 and is empty. It is brought in to and is pooled. Then, the empty tray 1'returned to the warehouse 20 is carried out to the supply line 4'of the measuring conveyor 4 as needed, and is used for placing the next fruits and vegetables.

Further, the packing box 801 in which a predetermined number of apples 200 are packed is stored in the second warehouse 12 which is temporarily stored by the discharge conveyor 900 in this example, and is appropriately carried out from the sorting field through the palletizer 11. .

FIG. 15 shows a situation in which the worker at the position of reference numeral 402 visually judges the grade of the apple 200 on the tray 1 conveyed on the measuring conveyor 4, and the judgment result is shown. Is input by the keyboard 431 and sent to the computer 5. In addition, it is not limited to this method to visually determine the grade, for example,
As shown in FIG. 16, when the worker at the position of reference numeral 403 manually puts the apples on the tray of the measuring conveyor 4, the picking line is selected according to the judgment result visually classified into two. But you can do it.
For example, in the example shown in FIG. 16, the left side in the transport direction is the A grade row and the right side is the B grade row, and if the row to be placed is determined based on the determination result, the image pickup apparatus or the like in the subsequent stage can be placed without using any input means. Only by obtaining the position information, the grade evaluation information can be automatically input to the computer 5.

Also in this example, the contents of the receiving process of fruits and vegetables such as apples that arrive at the sorting field, the measuring process for sorting, and the process of packing the sorted fruits and vegetables according to the sorting information are described. Since it can be performed without delay in terms of time and time, it becomes possible to adopt a packaging machine, which has a relatively low processing capacity, which requires a long processing time, as a packaging apparatus which tends to have a large cost burden on equipment and devices. As a result, it is possible to achieve the advantages of downsizing of the entire sorting facility and reduction of facility investment.

Further, since various information can be used as search items to carry out the tray from the warehouse 20, there is an advantage that specific fruits and vegetables can be preferentially processed according to an appropriate request.

[0095] FIGS. 17 to 21, using a packing device 6 _{through 65} of the packing apparatus substantially the same structure of Example 1, a warehouse 20 specific for each sorting ranks over the tray 1, which is carried out from Shows the work of packing apples in a packing box. The work is substantially the same except that the fruits and vegetables targeted are different.

22 and 23 show a sorting and boxing device different from that described in the second embodiment (similar to the first embodiment). −
Vacuum chuck 6 of the method previously proposed in No. 250593
A large number of suspension rods 602 'with 01's suspended are rotated along a constant endless track 650 to lift an apple of a predetermined rank on the tray 1 and transfer it to a packing box 801. Has been done.

The sorting and packing apparatus having such a structure can also constitute the automatic fruit and vegetable sorting apparatus of the present invention.

Embodiment 3 In this embodiment shown in FIGS. 24 and 25, the tray 1 is of the type shown in FIG. However, since the tray 1 is of a type in which one vegetable is placed, it is replaced with the sorting and packing devices 6 _{1 to} 6 ₅ provided along the packing conveyor 6. Simple boxing device 6
The feature is that only one 60 is provided. It should be noted that the tray 1 is not limited to a rectangular shape, and for example, a known flat round shape may be used.

The reason for being configured in this way is that, for example, fruits and vegetables on which a large number of trays 1 carried in a warehouse are placed,
Since it is possible to carry out the selection information indicating the rank of the equal class as a search item for each specific rank group, for example,
First, only the tray on which the fruits and vegetables of A-2L are loaded is carried out and stored in the packing box prepared for A-2L by the packing device 660, and then only the tray on which the fruits and vegetables of A-L are loaded is packed. This is because it suffices to carry out the work of carrying out and packing all in a packing box prepared for A-L by the packing device 660 sequentially for each rank.

The structure shown in FIG. 24 is for explaining the basic structure of the third embodiment, and other structures can be adopted as required. For example, it is possible to improve the processing efficiency by branching the same packaging device from the warehouse 20 into a plurality of packing conveyors and installing and operating the same packing device on each of these conveyors. Needless to say, when the equipment according to the second embodiment is provided, only a part of the plurality of packaging devices provided may be operated.

According to this example, in addition to the effect obtained in the second embodiment, there is an effect that a packing process for each sorting rank can be performed.

Reference Example FIGS. 26 to 29 show modified trays that can be used in the above-described embodiments.

Of these, the tray 1 shown in FIG.
27, a cross-shaped bottom opening 131 is provided on the bottom, and a rod 132 of a lift member is upwardly inserted from the cross-shaped bottom opening 131 as shown in FIG.
The fruits and vegetables are lifted above the tray by the lighting device 13
4, the structure is such that the imaging camera 135 can be facilitated. Further, in FIG. 26B, a circular bottom opening 136 is provided in the bottom of the tray, light from the illumination lamp 137 from below is transmitted to fruits and vegetables, and the image is picked up by the image pickup camera 138 from above to indicate the internal quality. The structure is shown so that the elements can be measured.

FIG. 28 shows the internal partition 140, 1 of the tray.
An example in which 41 is detachably provided is shown, which has the advantage that a tray can be shared for a plurality of fruits and vegetables of different sizes and items. Grooves may be provided inside or on the inner wall of the tray in order to facilitate the attachment and detachment of the internal partition and to stabilize the internal partition.

FIG. 29 shows an example in which trays are configured to be stable in a stacked state when the trays 1 are reused between the producer and the sorting field. In the example of this figure, Bottom rib 15 that engages the inner edge of the top opening of the tray 1.
The case where 0 is provided is shown. The structure for stabilizing the stacking is not limited to the example of FIG. 29, and an appropriate structure can be adopted as necessary.

[0106]

According to the method and apparatus for sorting fruits and vegetables of the present invention, the flexible shipping form, specifically, the specific item and variety, which meets the demands of the market and consumers, while reducing the facility burden as much as possible. It is possible to appropriately adopt a shipping form such as priority shipping such as, priority shipping of fruits and vegetables having a specific selection rank, shipping according to the order of receipt, or shipping for each producer.

Further, it is possible to realize a substantially unmanned work excluding the manual work as much as possible, and it is possible to provide a desirable method and apparatus for selecting fruits and vegetables which can cope with the present situation where it is not easy to secure a worker.

Furthermore, in contrast to the time period when labor-intensive manual work is performed, packaging work which takes a relatively long time and which is relatively easy to mechanize and automate can be performed for a long time, for example, overnight. Since it can be carried out by automatic operation or all-day automatic operation, efficient operation of the device, and therefore downsizing of the installation equipment (for example, for a sorting field with the same processing amount, a device with a processing capacity of a fraction) can be used. Also, it is possible to obtain an effect that the cost can be reduced.

Further, after the conventional measurement processing, equipment such as a branching device for sorting processing, a branched conveyor, a pool for each branching conveyor, etc. is unnecessary, and the equipment can be further downsized, the cost can be reduced, and the fruit and vegetables can be further reduced. The sorting cost per piece can be reduced.

Furthermore, as compared with the conventional sorting apparatus, if the tray is circulated between the producer and the sorting field,
Since the fruits and vegetables themselves can be directly handled only by the packing work, there is an effect that the fruits and vegetables which are easily damaged can also be suitably used.

Furthermore, there is an effect that it is possible to simultaneously receive a plurality of items and a plurality of varieties of fruits and vegetables, which could not be handled at all in the conventional sorting field.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of the entire sorting field of Example 1 to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a schematic configuration of a tray used in the first embodiment.

3 is a diagram showing a state where the eggplant is stored in the tray of FIG. 2, (a) is a plan view, and (b) is a longitudinal sectional view.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the stage dispersal device.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an outline of a warehouse for loading and unloading trays according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a view for explaining the operation of the stacking device.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the arrangement of the sorting and packaging device according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a plan view for explaining the operation of the sorting and packaging device.

FIG. 9 is a plan view for explaining a drive unit of a suspension rod of the sorting and packaging device.

FIG. 10 is a view showing an operation when the eggplant is taken out from the tray of the sorting and packaging apparatus.

FIG. 11 is a view showing an operation when the eggplant is stored in the packing box of the sorting box packing device.

FIG. 12 is a view for explaining a state in which eggplants are sequentially taken out by the sorting boxing device.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an overview of the entire sorting field of Example 2 to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a container used for loading and receiving the apples of Example 2 in bulk.

FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining the work of performing visual grade determination on the way of the measurement conveyor.

FIG. 16 is a view for explaining the work of performing a visual grade determination during the work of placing fruits and vegetables on a tray and placing the fruits and vegetables in the grade-specific placement row.

FIG. 17 is a plan view for explaining the operation of the packaging device according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a plan view for explaining a drive unit of a suspension rod of the sorting and packaging apparatus.

FIG. 19 is a view showing an operation when taking out an apple from a tray of the sorting box packaging device.

FIG. 20 is a view showing an operation when the apples are stored in the packing box of the sorting box packing device.

FIG. 21 is a view for explaining a state in which apples are sequentially taken out by the sorting and packaging device.

FIG. 22 is a plan view for explaining another sorting boxing device that can be used in place of the sorting boxing device according to the second embodiment and its operation.

FIG. 23 is a view for explaining the operation of taking out apples from the tray and storing the apples in the packing box by the sorting and boxing device of FIG. 22.

FIG. 24 is a diagram showing an overview of the entire sorting field of Example 3 to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 25 is a perspective view showing an example of a schematic configuration of a tray used in the third embodiment.

FIG. 26 is a view showing a tray having a cross-shaped bottom opening and a tray having a structure having a circular bottom opening.

27 is a view for explaining a mechanism for lifting and lifting the apple above the tray by inserting and lifting the lift member from below through the cross-shaped bottom opening of FIG.

FIG. 28 is a view for explaining a tray provided with removable partitions.

FIG. 29 is a view showing a tray provided with an engaging portion effective in stacking.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Tray, 2 ... Eggplant, 3 ... Level conveyor, 4 ... Conveyor, 5 ... Control device, 6 ...
..Sort box packing device, 7 ... Stacking device, 8 ... Packaging box supply conveyor, 9 ... Packing box transport conveyor, 10
... Discharge conveyor, 11 ... Palletizer, 20 ...
··Warehouse.

Claims (16)

[Claims] 1. A container for transporting fruits and vegetables in which sorting information for sorting loaded fruits and vegetables into ranks and information for identifying each tray have been detected in each storage rack of a warehouse equipped with a large number of tray storage racks that can recognize individual addresses. After storing a large number of trays for each one and temporarily storing them, at least one selected from the address information of the storage rack, the selection information of fruits and vegetables, and the information for identifying the tray is used as a search item. 2. A method of selecting fruits and vegetables, which is characterized in that a tray on which fruits and vegetables corresponding to the above is placed is carried out from the warehouse to a conveyor for sorting work. 2. The tray for transporting fruits and vegetables according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of distinguishable compartments is provided with one fruit and vegetable, and the selection information of detected fruits and vegetables is in the compartments. A method for selecting fruits and vegetables characterized by being detected respectively. 3. The fruit and vegetables according to claim 2, wherein the fruits and vegetables on the trays successively carried out from the warehouse to the conveyor for sorting work are taken out according to the sorting information detected for each of the fruits and vegetables and packed in predetermined amounts. How to select vegetables and fruits. 4. The method of selecting fruits and vegetables according to claim 1, wherein each of the fruits and vegetables transporting trays carries one fruits and vegetables. 5. The tray according to claim 4, wherein the selection information of the fruits and vegetables is used as the search information, and the tray on which the fruits and vegetables searched by the common selection information is placed is carried out from the warehouse to the conveyor for performing the packing work sequentially. How to select fruits and vegetables. 6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
Selection information of fruits and vegetables includes class determination information determined based on measurement results such as size and shape of fruits and vegetables, grade determination information determined based on visual results of appearance and / or measurement results using a measuring means, A method of selecting fruits and vegetables, which is a combination of at least any two or more of the above-mentioned classes such as item, variety, producer, arrival time, and management information other than grade determination information. 7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The fruit and vegetable transport tray is used as a container for the fruit and vegetable producer to carry the fruit and vegetables into the sorting field, and is circulated between the producer and the sorting field. 8. A warehouse comprising a large number of tray accommodating shelves capable of recognizing individual addresses, and having a tray carry-in means for carrying the trays into an appropriate accommodating shelf and a tray carry-out means for carrying out the trays from the accommodating shelves, A plurality of trays for conveying fruits and vegetables having a mark for identifying the fruits and having one or a plurality of compartments for placing fruits and vegetables, and means for measuring the class and / or grade selection element of each fruits and vegetables on the tray during the conveyance. In addition, the transporting downstream side is linked to the tray loading means so that the tray is loaded into the storage rack of the warehouse, and the upstream side is the tray unloading means so that the tray can be loaded from the warehouse. A means for packing each fruit and vegetable according to the selection rank based on the selection information indicating the selection rank determined from the above-mentioned measured selection elements is provided downstream of the transportation. Based on the storage information stored in the storage conveyor, the storage means for storing at least the information for identifying the trays, the address information for the storage shelves in which the trays are carried in and out, and the sorting information for the fruits and vegetables. And a carry-out control unit that selectively carries out the tray from the warehouse. 9. A tray for manual input means for inputting a result of visually judging the appearance state of fruits and vegetables, instead of or together with the means for measuring the classification element of the class and / or grade of claim 8. A vegetable and fruit sorting device characterized by being provided in the middle of the transportation route. 10. The tray according to claim 8 or 9,
Bottom opening provided for measuring fruits and vegetables from below,
Alternatively, a device for sorting fruits and vegetables, which has a bottom opening provided so that a jig for lifting up the fruits and vegetables upward can be inserted from below. 11. The apparatus for sorting fruits and vegetables according to claim 8, wherein the tray is provided so that the number and shape of the compartments on which the fruits and vegetables are placed can be changed by a removable partition member. . 12. The tray according to claim 8, wherein the tray has a plurality of compartments on which fruits and vegetables are placed.
On the packing conveyor, fruits and vegetables corresponding to one or more specified sorting ranks are taken out from the tray conveyed on the packing conveyor according to the sorting rank, and transferred to the packing container prepared according to the sorting rank. An apparatus for sorting fruits and vegetables, characterized in that the transfer means is provided along the transport direction. 13. The vegetable according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the tray carries one fruit or vegetable, and the packaging conveyor is provided with one or more fruits or vegetables corresponding to a specified sorting rank. An apparatus for sorting fruits and vegetables, which is provided with transfer means for taking out from a tray conveyed on a conveyor and transferring it to a packing container prepared for each sorting rank along the transportation direction. 14. The vegetable and fruit sorting device according to claim 8, wherein a plurality of transfer means are provided along the transport direction of the packing conveyor. 15. The packing container carry-in means for carrying in a packing container storing fruits and vegetables into an appropriate storage shelf, and the packing container carry-out means for carrying out the packing container from the storage shelf according to any one of claims 8 to 14. A sorting apparatus for fruits and vegetables, which is provided in a warehouse and is provided with a carry-out control means for selectively carrying out a packing container from the warehouse. 16. The apparatus for sorting fruits and vegetables according to any one of claims 8 to 15, wherein the tray for delivering fruits and vegetables is also used as a container for a producer to bring the fruits and vegetables into a sorting field. .