JPH11118722A - Automatic inspecting device of egg - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automatic inspecting device capable of preventing light leakage regardless of the shapes and sizes of eggs in which accuracy in the inspection of defective eggs is improved. SOLUTION: This automatic inspecting device 7 of eggs is provided with a chain conveyor 18 and a transferring roller 15 to transfer eggs 1 with eggshells and a luminaire for irradiating the eggs with light from one side of the eggs 1 toward CCD cameras 14 arranged on the other side of the eggs 1 and transmitting light through the eggs. In this case, the luminaire is provided with a light guiding part 31a to introduce light though the surfaces of the eggshells and an elevating and lowering mechanism to elevate and lower the light guiding part 31a between a location approaching the surfaces of the eggshells and a location distancing from the surfaces of the eggshells. The elevating and lowering operation by the elevating and lowering mechanism is interlocked with the transferring operation of the eggs 1 by the chain conveyor 18.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a transfer device for transferring an egg having an eggshell, and an image capturing device arranged on one side of the egg, which is illuminated with light from the other side of the egg. And an illuminating device for transmitting light into the inside of the egg.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a prior art of such an automatic inspection apparatus, there is an apparatus disclosed in JP-A-8-297100.
In this device, light is emitted from a light source arranged on the lower surface side of the egg mounted on the egg transport roller, and the light transmitted through the egg is photographed by an image photographing device arranged on the upper surface side of the egg, and this is photographed. Image processing detects defective eggs such as streaks and cracks.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned prior art, the distance between the light source and the egg on the egg transport roller is large, and the illumination light from the light source leaks from the periphery of the egg. There is a problem that not only the image processing for detection becomes very complicated but also the accuracy of the inspection is reduced. In order to deal with such a problem, it is conceivable to arrange a light-shielding plate in a part where light leaks to prevent light leakage, but the shape and size of eggs are various, and light leakage can not be completely prevented. Did not.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to prevent light leakage irrespective of the shape and size of an egg, and to increase the accuracy of inspecting defective eggs. It is to provide.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, an automatic inspection apparatus according to the present invention is directed to a transport device for transporting an egg having an eggshell, and an image capturing device arranged on one side of the egg. A lighting device for irradiating light from the other side of the egg and transmitting light inside the egg, further comprising a light guide unit for introducing light through an eggshell surface, An elevating mechanism for elevating the light guide unit between a position where the light guide unit approaches the eggshell surface and a position away from the eggshell surface; an elevating operation by the elevating mechanism; and an egg transporting operation by the transport device. And are linked.

In order to cope with light leakage, the light source may be brought close to the egg shell surface of the egg. However, if the light source is just brought close, the light source collides with the egg transport roller. Therefore, the light guide unit for introducing light through the eggshell surface is moved up and down between a position approaching the eggshell surface and a position away from the eggshell surface, and a lifting operation by a lifting mechanism, and the transfer device This is linked with the egg transport operation. This allows the light source to approach the egg shell surface of the egg at a timing that does not collide with the egg transport roller. Therefore, light leakage could be prevented regardless of the shape and size of the egg, and the accuracy of inspecting a defective egg could be increased.

[0007] As described above, the configuration of the transport device is such that a large number of rollers for loading and transporting eggs are arranged at a predetermined pitch. It is preferable that a plurality of the light guides are also arranged at the same pitch as the pitch of the rollers, and the lifting / lowering operation of the lifting mechanism is performed so that the light guides enter between the rollers. In particular, if a plurality of light guides are provided and these light guides are set at the same pitch as the rollers, all the light guides can be brought closer to the eggshell at a time, thereby improving the inspection efficiency. it can.

[0008] Further, the light source provided in the lighting device includes:
If the light guide is configured to irradiate light only when it is at a position close to the eggshell surface, the possibility of light leakage from around the egg can be almost eliminated.

As a method of interlocking the transfer device and the elevating mechanism, first, an encoder that operates in conjunction with the transfer operation is provided in the transfer device, and the elevating operation of the elevating mechanism is performed based on an output signal from the encoder. Things are conceivable.
According to this, there is no mechanical part in interlocking the two,
The timing for raising and lowering the lifting mechanism can be easily adjusted electrically. Of course, it may be configured to be mechanically linked by a cam mechanism.

It is preferable that the illuminating device is provided with a telescopic bellows, a light source provided therein, and a driving means for expanding and contracting the bellows. According to this, there is an advantage that not all the members constituting the lighting device need to be raised and lowered, but only a part of the members including the bellows need be raised and lowered.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the drawings.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[Overall Configuration of Automatic Egg Packaging Device] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the entirety of an automatic egg packaging device. The apparatus includes a six-row egg feeding conveyor 2 that transports eggs 1 in the direction of arrow A, a single row conveyor 3 that receives eggs 1 from the egg feeding conveyor 2 and transports the eggs in the direction of arrow B, and a single row conveyor. 3, a packing station 5 including a plurality of (six in FIG. 1) container conveyors 5a to 5f for transporting the packaging containers 4 in a direction indicated by an arrow a perpendicular to the egg transport direction, and controlling the operation of each conveyor. A control device 6 for performing inspection and an automatic egg inspection device 7 for inspecting defective eggs are provided. The inspection device 7 inspects whether the egg is defective, such as cracks, blood eggs, dirt, and decay. The control device 6 mainly includes a hardware portion such as a CPU and a storage device, and a software portion such as an operation program of the egg processing device.

The chicken eggs 1 supplied from the egg feeding conveyor 2 are:
After being weighed for each chicken egg 1, it is transferred to the single-row conveyor 3 and transported to the intersection with the container conveyors 5a to 5f. During this time, the control device 6 is transferred to the packaging containers 4 of the container conveyors 5c to 5f based on the weighed value of each chicken egg 1 according to the size and packing method according to the agricultural and forestry standard. The defective eggs are transferred to the packaging containers 4 of the container conveyors 5a and 5b regardless of the weighed value. The packaging container 4 in which the storage of the eggs 1 has been completed is packed in the packaging containers 4 on the container conveyors 5a to 5f.
Is taken out as a finished product from the downstream end in the transport direction.
In addition, what kind of packing is performed in which container conveyors 5a to 5f can be arbitrarily set.

The egg-feeding conveyor 2 transports the chicken eggs 1 at an appropriate distance from each other, and is provided with a weighing device 8 for measuring the weight of the chicken eggs 1 at the lowermost stream of the transport route of the egg-feeding conveyor 2. The weighing data of the hen 1 weighed by the weighing device 8 is transmitted to the control device 6.
Sent to The single-row conveyor 3 is driven by a drive motor 9 to transfer the eggs 1 from the weighing device 8 of the egg-feeding conveyor 2 to a cup for storing the eggs of the single-row conveyor 3, and to drop the eggs 1 from the cup. A kick device 11 and a packaging device 12 for receiving the eggs 1 falling from the cup by the operation of the kick device 11 and receiving the eggs 1 in the packaging container 4
And are provided.

The drive motor 9 is controlled by the control device 6, and the transport amount of the egg 1 on the cup is controlled by the control encoder 1
3 and sent to the control device 6. The power of the drive motor 9 is also supplied to the egg feeding conveyor 2. The transport amount of the egg 1 on the egg feeding conveyor 2 is also controlled by the control encoder 14. As described later, the encoder 1
4 also controls the operation of the inspection device 7. Egg feeding conveyor 2
And the single-row conveyor 3 are driven in conjunction with each other, and the transport speed of the eggs 1 in the single-row conveyor 3 is six times that of the egg-feeding conveyor 3.

[Configuration of Automatic Egg Inspection Apparatus (First Embodiment)] FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the automatic egg inspection apparatus 7. Although the apparatus for transporting the chicken eggs 1 is also shown in FIG. 3, a number of transport rollers 17 are connected by a chain 18 and is called a roller conveyor. Above the area R for inspecting the eggs 1 for defects, a total of 12 CCD cameras 15 as image photographing devices are set. The transport roller 17 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. The transport roller 17 has an end 1 supported by a chain 18.
7a, a drum-shaped recess 17b on which the egg 1 is mounted, and a connecting shaft 17c connecting the drum-shaped recesses 17b to each other.
These parts are integrally connected, and the shaft part 17a is rotatably attached to the chain 18. Further, a base 19 is provided below each end 17a, and the chain 18 is driven while each end 17a is in contact with the surface of the base 19. Further, a gap is formed between each of the transport rollers 17 so that light from the light source can be transmitted. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, each transport roller 17 advances in the transport path while rotating clockwise. The chain 18 is configured as an endless chain wound around a plurality of sprockets including the sprockets 20 and 21. The encoder 14 is provided coaxially with the sprocket 20, further provided with a sensor 22 for detecting the amount of rotation of the encoder 14, and an output signal from the encoder 14 is input to the control device 6.

[Structure of Illumination Device] The illumination device 30 will be described with reference to FIG. The lighting device 30 includes a telescopic bellows 31, a light source 32 composed of a xenon lamp mounted inside the bellows 31, a bellows holding plate 33 for holding the bellows 31, and a And a drive cylinder 34 for driving. At the tip of the bellows 31 is formed a light guide portion 31a that allows light from the light source 32 to pass therethrough. FIG. 4 shows a state where the light guide section 31a is closest to the eggshell surface of the chicken egg 1, and FIG. 5 shows a state where it is farthest away. The driving of the drive cylinder 34 is controlled based on an output signal (pulse signal) from the encoder 14, and as shown in FIG. The phase is electrically adjusted so that the gap between the roller 17 and the roller 17 is located.

One example of this adjustment will be described.
As shown in FIG. 6, the signal output from the encoder 14 is
The pulse signal is divided into a pulse signal having a form as shown in FIG. 3A and a pulse signal having a form outputted at every pitch of the conveying roller 17 as shown in FIG. By driving the drive cylinder 34, the drive cylinder 34 is also driven at the same cycle as the cycle in which the transport roller 17 moves by one pitch. However, as described above, when the light guide portion 31a has risen to the maximum, the gap between the transport rollers 17 must be exactly positioned, so that the phase of the pulse signal in (b) is adjusted. This adjustment must be made based on the pulse signal of (a). In FIG. 4, four bellows 31 are provided along the transport direction, but they are also provided in the row direction.
In this embodiment, a total of 24 locations are provided.

A large number of CCD cameras 1 are provided above the transport path.
5 are installed. The output of the CCD camera 15 is transmitted to an image processing device 25, and the result of the image processing is displayed on a monitor 26.
Will be displayed. The image processing method may be a known technique, and is disclosed in, for example, JP-A-8-297100. Imaging by the CCD camera 15 is performed four times. In order to inspect a defective egg, it is necessary to examine the entire surface of the chicken egg 1, and for this purpose, imaging is performed a plurality of times. Also,
Since the transport roller 17 is rotating, the egg 1 is also transported while rotating. The reason why the chicken egg 1 is rotated in this way is to efficiently find a defective portion.

[Configuration of Illumination Device (Second Embodiment)] FIG.
Shows a configuration in which the lighting device is moved up and down by a cam mechanism.
Members having the same functions as in the first embodiment shown in FIG. The cam mechanism 40 includes a cam 42 that rotates in conjunction with the sprocket 20 by a chain 41, and a follower lever 43 that engages with the cam surface 42a by pressing. The chain 41 is wound around a boss 42b provided integrally with the cam 42, and is configured such that the cam 42 makes a half turn each time the egg 1 advances by one pitch. The follower lever 43 is swingable about an axis 44, and a follower pin 45 that contacts the cam surface 42a.
And a long hole 46 which engages with the connecting pin 35 integrally attached to the bellows holding plate 33.

Further, a modified example of the present invention will be described. <1> Although chicken eggs have been described as an example of eggs, the present invention can be applied to eggs other than chicken eggs. <2> In the present embodiment, the light source does not move up and down and the light guide section 31a
Only the light source is moved up and down, but the light source may be moved up and down.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an entire automatic egg packaging apparatus.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing an automatic egg inspection apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of an egg feeding conveyor.

FIG. 4 is an illuminating device according to the first embodiment (a light guide section is at an uppermost position).

FIG. 5 shows a lighting device according to the first embodiment (a light guide section is at a lowermost position).

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an output signal from an encoder.

FIG. 7 shows a lighting device according to a second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Chicken egg 2 Egg feeding conveyor 6 Control device 7 Automatic egg inspection device 14 Control encoder 17 Transport roller 18 Chain 30 Lighting device 31 Bellows 31a Light guide part 32 Light source 33 Bellows holding plate 40 Cam mechanism 42 Cam 43 Follower lever

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A transport device for transporting an egg having an eggshell,
In an automatic egg inspection apparatus having an illumination device for irradiating light from the other side of the egg toward the image capturing device arranged on one side of the egg and transmitting light inside the egg, The lighting device includes a light guide unit that introduces light through the eggshell surface, a position where the light guide unit approaches the eggshell surface, and an elevating mechanism that moves up and down between a position away from the eggshell surface. An automatic egg inspection apparatus, wherein a lifting operation by the lifting mechanism and a transfer operation of an egg by the transfer device are linked. 2. The light source provided in the lighting device is configured to irradiate light only when the light guide is at a position close to the eggshell surface. 2. The automatic egg inspection apparatus according to claim 1. 3. The conveying device, wherein a large number of rollers for loading and conveying the eggs are arranged at a predetermined pitch, and the light guide section of the lighting device is also arranged at the same pitch as the pitch of the rollers. 3. The automatic egg inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the eggs are arranged, and the lifting / lowering operation of the lifting / lowering mechanism is performed so that the light guide unit enters between the rollers. 4. . 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transfer device includes an encoder that operates in conjunction with a transfer operation, and the lifting mechanism moves up and down based on an output signal from the encoder. The automatic inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. 5. The automatic inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lifting mechanism includes a cam mechanism that operates in conjunction with a transfer operation of the transfer device. 6. The illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the illumination device includes an extendable bellows, a light source provided therein, and a driving unit that extends and contracts the bellows. An automatic egg inspection apparatus according to the above.