JPH11171106A - Fruit and vegetables loader - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide fruit and vegetables loader which can automatically load fruits and vegetables in a neatly arranged state. SOLUTION: The fruit and vegetable loader includes a conveyer 6 for carrying out objects positioned at a take-out site while holding them to carry them into a loading section, a controller 7 for controlling operation of the conveyer, and a measuring part 4 for obtaining outer dimension information of the objects in a plan view, wherein the controller 7 is designed to obtain carry-in position information so that the objects can be arranged on the loading section in a plan view and also controls operation of the conveyer 6 to perform loading operation of the objects based on the carry-in position information.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for loading fruits and vegetables for loading fruits and vegetables into a loading section.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a fruit and vegetable loading apparatus, as shown in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 8-159730, when fruits and vegetables loaded and transported by a transport conveyor reach a predetermined loading position. The loading section for placing and supporting the fruits and vegetables is opened downward to discharge the fruits and vegetables to the loading section provided in the downward inclined position, and the fruits and vegetables are displaced downward by the own weight. In some cases, the sheets are sequentially stacked while being discharged at the same position.

[0003]

In the above-mentioned conventional structure, fruits and vegetables are randomly loaded into the loading section, and the loading posture of fruits and vegetables is unstable.
They could not be loaded in an orderly and efficient manner. Therefore, there has been a disadvantage that the operator has to take extra time and effort, such as correcting the posture so that the worker can manually align and load efficiently. Moreover, in the said structure, there existed a possibility that fruits and vegetables might be damaged by the impact at the time of discharge | release.

Therefore, in order to avoid such disadvantages, for example, a configuration is considered in which fruits and vegetables are taken out from a take-out place while being held by using a transfer means such as a robot hand, and loaded into a predetermined position in a loading section. But
If the loading position in the loading section by the transfer means is constant in this configuration, the same disadvantages as in the above-described conventional configuration will occur, and the configuration and method for how to load the loading section into the loading section are established. I didn't.

The present invention has been made in view of the above point, and an object of the present invention is to provide a fruit and vegetable loading apparatus which can automatically load fruit and vegetables in an orderly arrangement. It is in.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a fruit and vegetable loading device which can efficiently load fruits and vegetables with a minimum gap between the fruits and vegetables.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a transfer means for carrying out an object while holding an object located at a take-out location and carrying it into a loading section, and Transfer control means for controlling the operation, and measuring means for obtaining outer shape information of the object in plan view, the transfer control means based on the outer shape information, the loading section in plan view. The loading position information is obtained so that the objects can be arranged side by side, and the operation of the transfer means is controlled to execute the loading operation of the objects based on the loading position information.

Therefore, the transfer means carries out the object while holding the object located at the take-out location, and carries it into the loading section. However, the measuring means obtains the outer shape information of the object in plan view, and Based on the outer shape information, the transfer control means obtains information on the position at which the object is carried in by the transfer means so that the objects can be arranged side by side in the loading section in plan view. The loading operation of the object is executed based on the position information.

As a result, compared with a configuration in which the transfer means always discharges and loads the objects from the same position with respect to the loading section, for example, the objects are arranged neatly without overlapping, and Can be carried in a stable state, and then there is no need for extra work such as further manual posture correction, and there is little risk of the fruits and vegetables being rubbed against each other and being damaged, and the fruits and vegetables are arranged in order. It has become possible to provide a fruit and vegetable loading device that can be automatically loaded in a lined state.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the transfer control means includes the external shape information of the object to be carried in this time, and the transfer control means already carried in a portion adjacent to the object. It is configured to obtain the carry-in position information based on the outer shape information of the target object so that the respective target objects are in contact with or close to each other.

Therefore, utilizing the outline information of the object in plan view obtained by the measuring means, based on the outline information of the object already carried in the adjacent place and the outline information of the object to be carried in this time. Then, by determining the carry-in position information so that they come into contact with or close to each other, the carry-in target is transferred to that position, so that the objects come into contact with or close to each other. Can be sequentially loaded in the loading section in a proper state.

As a result, after the transfer operation by the transfer means, the gap between the fruits and vegetables can be reduced to the utmost without requiring any operation such as manually correcting the position so that the objects are in close contact with each other. It has become possible to provide a fruit and vegetable loading device that can be efficiently loaded in a reduced state.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, the measuring means takes an image of the object from above, and based on the imaging information obtained by imaging, the measuring means. The transfer control means is configured to determine the outer shape information, and determines whether the outer peripheral portion of the object to be carried in this time comes into contact with the outer peripheral portion of the object already carried in a portion adjacent to the object. Alternatively, it is configured such that the carry-in position information is obtained in close contact.

That is, the measuring means takes an image of the object from above and obtains the outer shape information based on the image information obtained by the image taking. For example, based on the imaging information, the area of the target object and the other area can be distinguished, and the outer shape information of the target object can be obtained from the image information of the target object area by an image processing method.

Based on the outer shape information obtained in this manner, the object to be carried in this time is carried in a state where its outer peripheral portion is in contact with or close to the outer peripheral portion of the already carried object. It is possible to efficiently load the fruits and vegetables with the gaps between the fruits and vegetables being minimized.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, the mounting surface of the object in the loading section is such that the object moves by its own weight after being carried in, and the adjacent object moves. The measuring means is provided in an inclined posture so as to be close to the object, and the measuring unit images the object from above, and based on image information obtained by imaging, as the outer shape information, an image of the image of the object. The transfer control means is configured to obtain a rectangular area having a side part circumscribing the outer peripheral part, and the position of the rectangular area of the object to be carried in this time is already transferred to a place adjacent to the object. Is configured to obtain the carry-in position information so as to be adjacent to the position of the rectangular area of the object that is being moved. Position It is configured to set as the position of the rectangular region of elephant product.

Therefore, the mounting surface of the object in the loading section is provided in an inclined posture, and the carried object moves under its own weight and is loaded in a state of being close to an adjacent object. Then, a rectangular area is obtained as the outer shape information of each sequentially loaded object, and the carry-in position information is obtained as the carry-in position information so that the rectangular areas are adjacent to each other.
For example, the shape of the fruits and vegetables that are the object often has a complex shape with individual differences depending on the growth situation and the like, and when the position information is directly obtained based on the information of the outer peripheral portion, It is necessary to perform complicated processing such as complicated arithmetic processing, but by processing as rectangular information, it is possible to load objects by arranging objects with simple processing as much as possible.
Furthermore, since the position of the rectangular area of the target object as the carry-in position is set at a position shifted by an amount corresponding to the position shifted by its own weight, the gap between the objects is minimized as much as possible. It can be loaded efficiently.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the object is formed of a long fruit and vegetables, and the transfer means holds the object. The transfer control means is configured to change the orientation of the transfer means so that the orientation of the object in the longitudinal direction is aligned. I have.

In other words, in the case of long fruits and vegetables, if they are to be loaded side by side in a loading section, the orientation of the fruits and vegetables is problematic. Since the direction of the transfer means is corrected so that the longitudinal direction is aligned, it is carried into the loading section, so even long fruit and vegetables can be efficiently loaded with the gap between the objects as small as possible. Can be included.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, the transfer means is configured to hold an object by a suction action. In a configuration in which a pair of left and right gripping members, such as a robot hand, is carried in while gripping the left and right lateral portions of the target object, the gripping member is allowed to pass between the loaded objects. Although it is necessary to provide a gap, it is not necessary to provide such an extra gap by adopting a configuration in which the gap is held by the suction action, and the objects can be efficiently loaded in a state where the gap between the objects is reduced. .

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in any one of the fourth to sixth aspects, the object is made of fruits and vegetables that are long and curved in a substantially bow shape, The mounting means is arranged such that a longitudinal direction of the object is orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the inclination direction of the mounting surface, with respect to the mounting surface of the object in the loading section provided in the inclined posture, and Is configured to be carried into the mounting surface in such a posture that both ends in the longitudinal direction of the mounting surface are positioned on the inclined lower side of the mounting surface.

In the case where the target object is, for example, fruit and vegetables having a long shape such as cucumber and curving in a substantially bow shape, for example, the loading surface of the loading section provided in the inclined position is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 6, since the longitudinal direction is orthogonal or substantially perpendicular to the inclination direction of the mounting surface described above, and the both ends in the longitudinal direction are carried in such a manner as to be located on the inclined lower side, 2
Is received at the lower edge of the loading section at the slope,
It can be placed and supported in a stable posture. In addition, by carrying in such a manner, if the fruits and vegetables move under their own weight after being carried in, the fruits and vegetables do not roll and change their direction, they are easily parallel-translated as they are, and the gap changes due to the change in direction. While avoiding the problem, the objects can be efficiently loaded in a state where the gap between the objects is minimized.

[0023]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, a fruit and vegetable measuring apparatus according to the present invention will be described as applied to a cucumber sorting device as an example of fruit and vegetables to be loaded. FIG.
Fig. 2 shows a cucumber sorting device. This cucumber sorting apparatus takes out cucumber K one by one from a container 1 in which a large number of cucumbers K are loaded in a state where the longitudinal directions thereof are aligned in the same direction, and feeds the cucumber K one by one to a conveyor conveyor. When the cucumber K is located at a predetermined imaging location on the conveying path of the belt conveyor 3, the cucumber K is supplied from above. A measuring section 4 is provided as a measuring means for measuring the length, bending and the like of the cucumber K based on the imaged information and obtaining the grade and class of the cucumber K from the result. Then, the cucumber K is removed from the take-out location on the lower side in the transport direction from the imaging location.
Take out each one, and based on the evaluation result in the measuring unit 4,
An unloading device 6 is provided as a transfer unit that sorts and loads the storage boxes 5 (an example of loading sections) as a plurality of storage units based on preset sorting reference information.
Further, the supply device 2, the unloading device 6, and the belt conveyor 3
Is provided with a control device 7 as transfer control means for controlling the operation of.

As shown in FIG. 2, the supply device 2 sucks and holds the cucumbers K one by one and takes them out of the container 1 by suction nozzles 8 provided so as to be able to move up and down and reciprocate in the horizontal direction. It is configured to be transferred onto the belt conveyor 3. That is, the support mechanism 10 is provided so as to be reciprocally movable with respect to the machine frame 9 in a horizontal direction (conveyor horizontal width direction) orthogonal to the conveying direction of the belt conveyor 3. 8 is supported so as to be able to move up and down.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the support mechanism 10 includes a pipe frame 11 extending in the lateral direction, a rectangular frame portion 12 connected to the pipe frame 11 and extending downward, and a pipe frame 11. A plurality of guide rollers 14 attached to both ends of the pipe frame 11 are provided along the machine frame 9. It is configured to be slidably engaged with and fixed to the left and right fixed rails 15, 15, and the entire support mechanism 10 is provided slidably in the horizontal direction. In addition, one for sucking and taking out cucumber K into the rectangular frame portion 12.
A support cylinder 16 provided with a plurality of suction nozzles 8 at the lower end is provided so as to be able to move up and down.

The support mechanism 10 is connected to a rubber belt 17 supported by the machine frame 9 while being rotatably wound along the fixed rails 15, 15, and is provided at one end of the machine frame 9. The rubber belt 17 is driven to rotate forward and backward by the first electric motor M1 so as to be reciprocated in the horizontal direction. A rubber belt 18 rotatably wound in the up-down direction is provided inside the rectangular frame portion 12 so as to be connected to the support cylinder 16.
The support cylinder 16, that is, the suction nozzle 8 is moved up and down by driving the rubber belt 18 to rotate forward and backward by a second electric motor M <b> 2 provided in the inside. An air suction passage 19 for performing a suction operation from the suction nozzle 8 by an air compressor (not shown) is formed inside the support cylinder 16. A laser type distance sensor 20 for detecting a target to be taken out of the plurality of cucumbers K loaded in the container 1 is provided on the lateral outer side of the rectangular frame portion 12.

After the harvest, the appearance defect such as color unevenness or scratches is artificially selected by an operator, and the defective appearance product is distinguished and stored in another storage device, for example. In the container 1, non-defective cucumber K having no defective appearance is loaded and stored in a state where the cucumber K is aligned in the longitudinal direction. As shown in FIG. 9, the container 1 is placed so that the longitudinal direction of the loaded cucumbers K is the same as the transport direction of the belt conveyor 3.

As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG.
Is provided with a support mechanism 21 similar to the supply device 2,
One suction nozzle 22 for sucking and taking out cucumber K
Is configured to be movable up and down and movable in the horizontal direction. However, in the unloading device 6, the support mechanism 21 supporting the suction nozzles 22 is in the same direction as the conveyor conveyance direction and in a direction perpendicular to the conveyor conveyance direction ( (In the width direction of the conveyor), and a support cylinder 23 that supports the suction nose 22 is provided so as to be rotatable around the vertical axis. An air suction passage 24 for suctioning from the suction nozzle 22 by an air compressor (not shown) is formed in the support cylinder 23 in the same manner as in the supply device 2.

That is, as shown in FIG.
A pipe frame 25 extending in the lateral direction, a rectangular frame portion 26 connected to the pipe frame 25 and extending downward,
A plurality of guide rollers 28 provided at both ends of the pipe frame 25 are provided with a cover body 27 and the like, which is located above the pipe frame 25 and covers an electric motor and the like to be described later.
Are slidably engaged with and fixed to the left and right fixed rails 30 provided along the support rail portion 29, and the entire support mechanism 21 is horizontally moved along the support rail portion 29. It is slidably provided in the direction.

The support rail portion 29 is supported by the machine frame 31 so as to be reciprocally movable in the width direction of the conveyor, and is rotatably wound along the longitudinal direction of the support rail portion 29. The rubber belt 32 is connected to the support mechanism 21, and the rubber belt 32 is driven forward and reverse by the third electric motor M3, so that the support mechanism 21 is operated to reciprocate along the conveyor conveyance direction.
As shown in FIG. 4, a rubber belt 33 rotatably wound along the machine frame 31 is connected to the support rail portion 29,
By driving the rubber belt 33 forward and reverse by the electric motor M4, the support rail portion 29 is configured to be reciprocated along the width direction of the conveyor. The support cylinder 23 is connected to a rubber belt 34 that is rotatably wound in the up-down direction, as in the case of the supply device 2.
The rubber belt 34 is vertically driven by the fifth electric motor M5 so as to be vertically moved up and down.

In the carrying-out device 6, the support cylinder 23 is placed in the sixth electric motor M
6 is provided so as to be rotatable around the vertical axis X1 by the drive of 6, so that the rotation posture can be corrected while the cucumber K is being sucked. That is, a drive shaft 35 having a hexagonal cross section is disposed inside the rectangular frame portion 26 in a state parallel to the support cylinder 23 so as to be able to be driven and operated by the sixth electric motor M6 so as to cover almost the entire vertical direction. A drive gear 36 is externally fitted so as to be rotatable integrally with the shaft 35 and slidable in the vertical direction, and is integrally formed with the support cylinder 23 in a state where the driven gear 37 provided on the support cylinder 23 meshes with the drive gear 36. It is provided so that it can be moved up and down,
The support cylinder 23 is configured to be rotatable regardless of the elevating operation.

As shown in FIG. 3, the belt conveyor 3 is configured to be driven to rotate by a seventh electric motor M7, and is controlled to intermittently repeat a transfer operation and a stop operation as described later. It is configured to be.

Each of the electric motors M1 to M7 as described above
Are each configured by a pulse motor, and as shown in FIG. 9, the operation state is controlled by a control device 7 as control means. The control device 7 includes a microcomputer, and is configured to control the operation of each electric motor according to a control procedure preset by a control program stored in a storage means (ROM).

As shown in FIG. 4, the plurality of storage boxes 5 are distributed and arranged on both sides in the width direction of the belt conveyor.
The cucumber receiving surface of the storage box 5 is set in a horizontal posture. still,
A plurality of cucumbers K for storing cucumber K, which is supplied through a chute 39b from a passage hole 39a formed between the belt conveyor 3 and the storage box 5, is provided below the mounting table 38 on which the storage box 5 is mounted. A collection unit 40 is provided.

As shown in FIG. 7, the measuring section 4 is provided with a box-shaped light-shielding cover 41 forming a shielding space for photographing, and the cucumber K ( A CCD camera 42 as an image pickup means for photographing an object is installed in a fixed position. The opening in the light-shielding cover 41 that allows the passage of the cucumber K is shielded so that external light does not enter the shielded space, and is cut at appropriate intervals so as to allow the cucumber K to pass through. A droop 43 is provided.

The CCD camera 42 has a CCD image pickup device (charge coupled device) 42a as an image forming portion having a two-dimensional resolution, and a CCD image pickup area which is located in front of the CCD image pickup device 42a and which captures cucumber K. Image sensor 42a
The image of cucumber K in a state where it is wider than the light receiving area of
And a lens mechanism 42b as an optical unit for forming an image on the D image pickup device 42a.
Is configured to sequentially output the imaging information of the imaging location in each set cycle, and is configured to output the imaging information as brightness (luminance) information, so-called monochrome image information. In addition, a light source (incandescent lamp) 44 for irradiating from above is provided in the light-shielding cover 41 so as to make the amount of irradiation of the cucumber K, which is the subject, uniform over substantially the entire surface.
Reflecting mirrors 45 are provided on both sides in the width direction of the belt conveyor 3 so as to irradiate the cucumber K from the lateral direction. C
The CD image pickup device 42a has a size of 256 × 2
A device having a resolution of 56 pixels is used, and the region to be imaged is a square region with a side of about 30 cm.

Further, an image processing means 100 for evaluating the cucumber K by image processing the image pickup information outputted by the CCD camera 42 is provided. This image processing means 100
Specifically, as the evaluation processing of the cucumber K, specifically, the length, bending, thickness, etc. of the cucumber K are measured, and based on the measurement result and the sorting reference information set and stored in advance, It is configured to determine the class / grade for sorting the cucumbers K. Further, the image processing means 100 is configured to obtain outer shape information of the cucumbers based on imaging information of the cucumbers captured by the CCD camera 42 in plan view.

As shown in FIG. 8, the image processing means 10
Numeral 0 denotes an analog / digital conversion process for converting analog image information output from the CCD camera 42 into digital information, and at the same time, a binarization process for distinguishing the image of the cucumber K from other areas. A / D converter 46 as value processing means, image memory 47 as storage means for sequentially storing output data of A / D converter 46
And a data processing section 48 as data processing means for determining the class / grade for sorting the cucumbers K based on the data stored in the image memory 47. The A / D converter 46 converts information output from the CCD camera 42 into binary information in real time and processes it, so that the processing is performed at high speed. The data processing section 48 is constituted by a microcomputer, reads the image data stored in the image memory 47 every set time (1/30 second), and sets and stores the control data stored in the storage means (ROM). The program is configured to execute image processing according to a processing procedure described later. The transfer mounting surface of the belt conveyor 3 is colored black so as to have a different brightness (lower) than that of the cucumber K, and is configured to have a low light reflectance. In the obtained captured image, the area of the cucumber K is configured to be surely a brighter image than the other area (the background, that is, the conveyor mounting surface). Thus, the image of the cucumber K can be extracted as accurately as possible.

Next, the processing procedure of the evaluation processing for the cucumber in the image processing means 100 will be described with reference to the control flowchart shown in FIG. First, an image is fetched from the image memory, and the image is stored in the A /
Binarization processing is performed by real-time processing using the D converter 46 (step 1). That is, binarization is performed by setting an area having a luminance equal to or higher than the set threshold to “1” and setting the other area to “0”. Next, while searching for the contour of the image area, a noise removal process for removing a minute area is performed (step 3). More specifically, the image data is sequentially scanned in the horizontal direction from the upper left to search for a pixel of data “1”. When the pixel of the data "1" is found, the scanning of the image data is interrupted, and from that point, the contour point of the image of the data "1" is searched, and the peripheral length of the contour point is simultaneously measured. . If the perimeter is less than a preset value, it is ignored as a noise component, and if it is more than the set value, the image area is a cucumber image area.

The outline 4 of the image area thus obtained
Using the information of No. 9, a moment feature value (center of gravity position, main axis) is calculated (step 4). More specifically, the moment M _0,0 , around the origin defined by the following [Equation 1]
M _1,0 and M _0,1 are obtained.

[0041]

(Equation 1)

Here, f (x, y) is the value of the pixel at the coordinates (x, y) on the binary image. Then, the center of gravity position (x ₀ , y ₀ ) of the image of the cucumber is obtained from the following [Equation 2].

[0043]

X ₀ = M _1,0 / M _0,0 , y ₀ = M _0,1 / M _0,0

Next, the secondary moments M _1,1 , M _2,0 , and M _0,2 around the position of the center of gravity on the image of the cucumber are obtained from the following [ _Equation 3], and based on [Equation 4], the cucumber is obtained. An angle θ between the direction in which the image is extended (principal axis direction) and the x-axis is determined, and a line 50 passing through the center of gravity G at an angle θ with the x-axis becomes the principal axis. Note that the main axis may be parallel to the x-axis in the image (θ = 0 °).

[0045]

(Equation 3)

[0046]

[Equation 4] θ = 1/2 · tan ⁻¹ ｛2M _1,1 / (M _2,0 −
M _0,2 )｝

Next, the length L of the cucumber is measured based on the outline 49 (step 5). That is, as shown in FIG. 12, each point sequence on the contour 49 is projected on the main axis 50 in a direction orthogonal to the main axis 50, and the distance between the two points where the distance is the largest among the projected points is determined. Let the length of the cucumbers be L.

The bending of the cucumber is measured based on the outline 49 (step 6). More specifically, as shown in FIG. 12, each point P1,
The distance (the distance in the direction perpendicular to the main axis) between the outline 49 and the main axis 50 is determined in order from each of the P2 to the set range toward the center in the length direction, and the distance on the outline 49 corresponding to the largest one is obtained. The reference points P3 and P4 are obtained. Next, the distance between the straight line 51 connecting each reference point and the contour data between each of the reference points P3 and P4 is sequentially determined, and the maximum distance between the two points is defined as the cucumber curve Q.

An appropriate position Hi for suction (holding) by the suction nozzle 22 in the unloading device 6 is determined (step 7). That is, as shown in FIG. 12, two points where a straight line passing through the center of gravity position G and perpendicular to the main axis 50 intersects the 49 contours are obtained, and the center position between the two points is determined as an appropriate position Hi.

The thickness F of the cucumber is measured based on the outline 49 (step 8). More specifically, as shown in FIG.
Along the one side in the width direction on the contour 49, the length is divided into N equal parts (for example, eight in the example illustrated in FIG. 13) along the length direction of the cucumbers (the direction along the main axis). Each point a
₁ , a ₂ ... _An are defined. Since the end of the cucumbers in the longitudinal direction has a "spot" or the like, the image is removed from the set small range portions on both ends. Each point b ₁ , b _2, ... B on the contour 49 facing the width direction with respect to each point
contour 49 over its longitudinal set range for _n
The distance is obtained at a plurality of points up to and the minimum value is set as the measured value at that point. Such measurement is performed at each of the above points, and the average value of the plurality of measurement values is defined as the thickness F of the cucumber.

Of the plurality of regions in which the length of the cucumber is divided into N equal parts for the thickness measurement, the outermost regions 53R and 53L located at both ends in the longitudinal direction are located adjacent to the central region. For each of the set setting areas 54R and 54L and the intermediate area 55 positioned in the middle in the longitudinal direction, the area of each area is determined by counting the number of pixels in the image (step 9).

Next, as shown in FIG. 14, rectangular data 56 (an example of a rectangular area) whose long side direction is parallel to the main axis 50 and circumscribes the image of the cucumber is obtained. The distance between the object and the contour 49 is determined for each set interval to create contour data (step 10).
This contour data is used at the time of carrying out operation.

Finally, the class of the cucumber is determined based on the measurement information (step 11). That is, basically, based on the measured value of the length L and the preset class reference information (for example, a plurality of classes such as SS, S, M, L, and LL), the length of the cucumbers is determined. Is determined, and based on the measured value of the bend Q and predetermined grade reference information (for example, a plurality of grades such as A, B, and C), the bend of the cucumber is determined. Determine which grade it corresponds to. Then, according to the combination of the class and the class, the class rank (for example, AM, ALL, BS)
) Is determined, and it is determined which of the equal ranks set in advance for each storage box 5 corresponds.

The ratio between the length L and the thickness F of the cucumbers is determined,
Based on a comparison between the ratio and a preset ratio, it is determined whether the cucumbers are thick or fine.
Then, when it is determined that the person is extremely thick, the class determined based on the length is changed to one rank higher.
If it is determined that the class is extra fine, the class determined based on the length is changed to one rank lower.

Further, based on the area information measured in the step 9, it is determined whether or not the image is thick or narrow and whether or not the central portion is constricted. That is, FIG.
As shown in the figure, the area comparison between the end region 53R (53L) and the setting region 54R (54L) adjacent thereto, that is,
Depending on whether the ratio between the area of 53R and the area of 54R, and the ratio of the area of 53L and the area of 54L is larger than the judgment value for thick tail or smaller than the judgment value for thin tail, the thick and thin tail is determined. Is determined, and the intermediate region 55 is determined.
And the area of the setting region 54R (54L),
It is determined whether or not it is in a constricted state. When such a thick or narrow tail or constriction is determined, processing such as changing the rank based on a preset reference value, or determining that the product is out of the grade is performed.

Next, the control operation of the control device 7 will be described with reference to a control flowchart shown in FIG. When the operation is started, the first supply operation by the supply device 2 is executed (step 21). That is, the supply device 2
With the suction nozzle 8 raised,
The distance to the upper surface of the cucumber K is measured by the distance sensor 20 while reciprocating in the horizontal direction over the entire range of the container 1, and the entire width of the container 1 is divided into five zones. The position of the cucumber K at the highest position (the position where the distance is the smallest) is detected, and the cucumber K at the highest position among the highest positions of each zone is detected.
And is placed and supplied to the supply position on the belt conveyor 3. In the supply operation from the next time, the cucumber K
Will extract cucumber K from the zone at the highest position. When the taking out of all five zones is completed, the distance sensor 20 is reciprocated again to detect the height, and the cucumbers are taken out in the same order.

Next, conveyance of the belt conveyor 3 is started,
Based on the image information in the image processing means 100, when it is determined that the lower end of the cucumber K in the transport direction has reached the predetermined area U on the upper side in the transport direction in the imaging area of the CCD camera 42, from that point in time After the conveyance by the set distance, the conveyance of the belt conveyor 3 is stopped (steps 22 to 2).
5). The set distance is set to a value close to the maximum value expected as the length of the cucumber K (for example, about 25 cm) (see FIG. 15). Therefore, the CCD camera 42
And the image processing means 100 constitute a position determining means for determining whether or not the cucumber (target object) is located at the imaging location.

In the state where the conveyance of the belt conveyor 3 is stopped, the evaluation processing of the cucumber K by the image processing means 100 is executed based on the image of the cucumber K captured by the CCD camera 42, and at the same time, this conveyance is performed. In the stopped state,
The supply operation of the cucumber K by the supply device 2 and the sorting and unloading operation by the unloading device 6 are executed (step 26).
Then, when the supply operation and the unloading operation are completed, the conveyance by the belt conveyor 3 is restarted, and the process returns to step 23, and the above-described evaluation processing is repeated until the processing for all the cucumbers K in the container 1 is completed. (Steps 27, 28, 29).

The unloading operation will be described. At the start of control (when power is turned on), the suction nozzle 22 is located at a preset origin (reference position) (see FIG. 9). The origin is a position where the cucumber K to be carried out is expected to be present when the conveyance of the belt conveyor 3 is stopped in a plan view.
It is set at a position corresponding to twice the distance α from the imaging position of the camera 42. As shown in FIG. 17, in the unloading operation, the suction position (holding position) is determined from the information on the appropriate position Hi for sucking the cucumber K determined by the image processing unit 100 and the information on the transport distance by the belt conveyor 3.
Hp is determined as coordinate data in plan view (step 40). In addition, the conveyance distance of the belt conveyor 3 can be determined from the count value of the pulse applied to the seventh electric motor M7 (pulse motor). The storage box 5 to be sorted is determined based on the evaluation result by the image processing means 100, and the target carry-in position for the storage box 5 is determined (step 41). More specifically, as shown in FIG. 16, if the cucumbers have already been loaded into the storage box 5 and the previous loading position is stored, the rectangular data 56 of the cucumbers K at the previous loading position and the current time are stored. A position where the rectangular data 56 of the cucumber to be carried in is closely arranged is initially set as a temporary position (target reference position) (see FIG. 16A).
Based on the contour data obtained by the image processing means 100, a target carry-in position is obtained such that the gap between the cucumbers is reduced. That is, as shown in FIG. 16 (b), the minimum value of the sum of the gaps between the previous contour 49 of the cucumbers and the contour 49 of the present cucumbers (the distance between the contour 49 and the rectangle at a plurality of locations) is calculated. The carry-in target position is determined by shifting the position from the tentative position so that the cucumber comes close to the extent of contact with the cucumber by a corresponding amount. If the previous carry-in position is not stored, the carry-in target position is set so as to approach the inner edge at one end of the storage box.

By moving the suction nozzle 22 to the suction position,
The suction nozzle 22 is lowered to the location where the cucumber K is present, and the suction operation is performed by sucking air (step 42). It is determined whether or not suction has succeeded by checking if the pressure in the air suction passage has become negative by a negative pressure sensor. If suction is successful, the cucumber K slightly rises while sucking Then, the proper posture for storage, that is, the rectangular data of the cucumber K at the previous loading position and the cucumber K to be loaded this time
When the cucumber K is bent, the rotation phase of the cucumber K is corrected by the rotation operation of the support tube 23 so that when the cucumber K is bent, the posture is such that both ends are located on the lower side. (Steps 43, 44, 4
5). In other words, the cucumber K is conveyed to the target carry-in position while being sucked, and is carried into the storage box 5 (step 46). When the loading operation is completed, the loading position with respect to the storage box 5 is stored, and the suction nozzle 22 is returned to the origin position (steps 47 and 48). When the cucumber K is loaded from one end side to the other end side of one storage box 5, the descending amount of the suction nozzle 12 is reduced by a set amount, and the cucumber K in the lower row of the previously loaded lower row is reduced. It will be loaded sequentially on top. In step 43, if the suction operation has not been properly performed even after the set number of times (about three times), the unloading operation is terminated to prepare for the subsequent cucumbers K. (Steps 49 and 50).

The cucumber K whose suction operation by the unloading device 6 could not be performed properly or the cucumber K other than the rank set for each storage box 5 is disposed on the lower side in the transport direction of the belt conveyor 3. It is collected by the collection unit 57 and is processed manually.

[Another Embodiment] (1) In the above embodiment, the outline 49 of the cucumbers carried in last time was used.
So that each cucumber comes close to the extent of contact with the minimum value of the sum of the gap between the outline 49 of the cucumbers to be carried in this time (the distance between the outline 49 and the rectangle at a plurality of locations).
The carry-in target position is obtained by shifting the position from the tentative position (the position where the rectangular data are arranged close to each other) to the lower side of the inclination. When the outline 49 of the cucumber is shifted in parallel to the inclined lower side and shifted, the position where the outline 49 of the cucumber comes into contact with the previous outline 49 may be obtained as the carry-in target position.

(2) In the above-described embodiment, the storage box is provided in a horizontal position. However, instead of such a configuration, as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 18, the position of the rectangular data of the cucumber K to be carried in this time is as follows. As shown in FIG. 18, the cucumber K is moved by its own weight and provided in an inclined posture so as to approach an adjacent object. The loading position information is obtained so as to be adjacent to the position of the rectangular data of the cucumbers already carried in the place adjacent to the cucumbers (see FIG. 18 (a)), and after the carrying, it is moved by its own weight and shifted by the amount of displacement. Alternatively, the position may be set as a position shifted from the carry-in position information at that time (see FIG. 18B) as the position of the rectangular data of the cucumber.

In FIG. 18, the case where the middle part of the cucumbers is carried in with the middle part positioned on the lower side of the storage box is illustrated, but as shown in FIG. 16, the longitudinal direction of the cucumbers is in the inclination direction of the storage box. When the cucumber is corrected and brought in so as to carry it in such a posture that it is perpendicular or nearly perpendicular to and the both ends in the longitudinal direction of the cucumber are located on the lower side of the storage box, the posture of the cucumber is stabilized and When moving by its own weight along the slope, it is possible to reduce the disadvantage such as rolling and reversing the posture.

(3) In the above-described embodiment, the carry-in target position is determined such that the outlines of the cucumbers come into contact with or close to each other in advance. However, as shown in FIG. The target carry-in position may be set in a state where the target carry-in position is simply arranged at an adjacent position so that the rectangular data of the cucumber to be carried in this time comes into contact.

(4) In the above embodiment, the supply device 2 and the carry-out device 6 suck and hold the target object (cucumber K) by the suction nozzle, and convey the object (cucumber K). For example, a configuration may be adopted in which a target object is held and transported by a pair of holding members made of a soft material.

(5) In the above embodiment, the object is placed and transported in a posture in which the longitudinal direction of the object is along the conveyor transport direction. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the object can be placed in any direction. It may be one that is transported.

(6) In the above embodiment, the CCD camera 42 having a two-dimensional resolution is used as the imaging means. However, a CCD line sensor having a resolution only in one-dimensional direction is arranged along the width of the conveyor. The image information of the object may be obtained by sequentially reading the output. Further, instead of the CCD camera 42, a MOS type imaging device or other imaging device may be used.

(7) In the above embodiment, the unloading operation is terminated when the unloading device 6 cannot perform properly even if the unloading device 6 repeatedly performs the holding operation of the object a predetermined number of times. Alternatively, the unloading operation may be performed only once and the unloading operation may be terminated, or may be repeatedly performed until the holding operation can be properly performed.

(8) In the above embodiment, the supply device 2 for automatically supplying the object (cucumber K) onto the belt conveyor 3;
An unloading device 6 for automatically taking out an object (cucumber K) from the belt conveyor 3 and storing it in the storage box 5 is provided, but instead of such a configuration, the following a, b , C. a. A configuration in which the supply operation and the unloading operation of the object are manually performed manually. b. A configuration in which the unloading device 6 is provided, the unloading operation is performed automatically, and the supply operation of the target object is performed manually. c. A configuration in which the supply device 2 is provided, the supply operation is performed automatically, and the operation of unloading the target object is performed manually. In addition, a. And c. In the configuration described above, the evaluation result of the object by the image processing means may be displayed on the display means so that the worker can recognize the evaluation result.

(9) In the above embodiment, the case of Cucumber K as an object has been exemplified. However, the present invention is not limited to Cucumber K but can be applied to various fruits and vegetables such as eggplant, tomato, persimmon and the like.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a cucumber sorting device.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a cucumber sorting device.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a cucumber sorting device.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the unloading device.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a supply device.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of an unloading device.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a measuring unit.

FIG. 8 is a control block diagram.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of an unloading device.

FIG. 10 is a control flowchart of an evaluation process.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a control operation.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of an operation of an evaluation process.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the evaluation processing.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the evaluation processing.

FIG. 15 is a plan view showing an operation state at an imaging location.

FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram of an operation for obtaining a carry-in target position.

FIG. 17 is a control flowchart of an unloading operation.

FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram of an operation for obtaining a carry-in target position according to another embodiment.

FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram of an operation for obtaining a carry-in target position according to another embodiment.

FIG. 20 is a front view of a carry-out device according to another embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 4 Measurement means 5 Loading section 6 Transfer means 7 Transfer control means K Object

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Atsushi Kitamachi 64 Ishizu-Kitacho, Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture Inside Kubota Sakai Factory

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A transfer means for carrying out an object located at an unloading position while holding the object, and carrying the object into a loading section, a transfer control means for controlling the operation of the transfer means, and a plan view of the object. Measuring means for obtaining the outer shape information in the, the transfer control means, based on the outer shape information, obtains the loading position information so that objects can be arranged side by side in a plane view in the loading section, Further, a fruit and vegetable loading device configured to control the operation of the transfer means so as to execute the loading operation of the object based on the loading position information. 2. The transfer control means, based on the outer shape information of an object to be carried in this time and the outer shape information of an object already carried in a place adjacent to the object, The fruit and vegetable loading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the loading position information is determined so that the respective objects come into contact with or close to each other. 3. The measuring means is configured to take an image of the object from above and obtain the outer shape information based on image information obtained by imaging the object. The method according to claim 1, wherein the carry-in position information is determined such that the outer peripheral portion of the object to be carried in and the outer peripheral portion of the object already carried in a portion adjacent to the object come into contact or close contact. 2. An apparatus for loading fruits and vegetables according to 2. 4. A mounting surface of the object in the loading section is provided in an inclined posture such that the object moves by its own weight after being carried in and approaches an adjacent object. A configuration in which a rectangular area whose side part circumscribes an outer peripheral portion of an image of the target object is obtained as the outer shape information based on the imaging information obtained by imaging the target object from above and the imaging information obtained by imaging. The transfer control means may be arranged so that the position of the rectangular area of the object to be carried in this time is adjacent to the position of the rectangular area of the object already carried in a place adjacent to the object. The position of the rectangular area of the target object is set to a position shifted from the carry-in position information by an amount that moves by its own weight and shifts by its own weight after the carry-in, and is set to obtain the carry-in position information. Composed Loading device for fruit vegetables according to claim 1 or 2, wherein there. 5. The object is formed of a long fruit and vegetables, and the transfer means is configured to be able to change the direction in a plan view while holding the object, and the transfer is performed. The fruit and vegetable product according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control unit is configured to correct the direction of the transfer unit so that the longitudinal direction of the object is aligned. Loading equipment. 6. The apparatus for loading fruits and vegetables according to claim 1, wherein the transfer unit is configured to hold the target object by an adsorption action. 7. The object is made of fruits and vegetables that are long and curved in a substantially bow shape, and wherein the transfer means is a mounting surface of the object in the loading section provided in an inclined posture. In contrast, in a posture in which the longitudinal direction of the object is orthogonal or substantially perpendicular to the inclination direction of the mounting surface, and both ends in the longitudinal direction of the object are located on the lower side of the mounting surface. The fruit and vegetable loading device according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the fruit and vegetable loading device is configured to be carried into the placing surface.