JPH11207270A - Fruits and vegetables sorter - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently sort and collect fruits and vegetables without damaging the same. SOLUTION: A sorter is equipped with a feed means 1 for feeding objects (w) to be sorted, a supply part 1 for supplying the objects (w) to be sorted to the feed means 1, a measuring apparatus 3 measuring the objects (w) to be sorted to input the sorting data thereof and a collection part 4 classifying the object (w) to be sorted into a plurality of taking-out parts 17 on the basis of the sorting data obtained in the measuring apparatus. In this case, a display means such as an electric light display panel 25 showing the display, which issues a command for the predetermined taking-out part 17 to collect the fed objects (w) to be sorted on the basis of a classifying section, to a worker is provided. By this constitution, the arrival of the objects (w) to be sorted to be taken out at the taking-out parts 17 can be announced to the worker previously by an information means 27.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sorting device for sorting fruits and vegetables such as fruits, tomatoes and cucumbers according to a preset sorting criterion such as grade, rank and maturity.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As an apparatus for sorting fruits and vegetables, for example, as shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 4-9250, the size of a fruit to be sorted is conveyed by a conveyor,
It is configured to measure the presence / absence of dirt and scratches, color, etc., determine the grade and rank of each sorted object, and sort and sort the sorted objects based on the determination information in the collection unit on the lower side of the transport. Generally, means for taking out selected objects include forcible discharging means for forcibly discharging the selected objects from the conveyor and supplying them to the box packing section via another branch conveyor or chute, or moving a robot hand or the like. Automatic box packing means for taking out the sorting object on the conveyor by using the loading device and directly packing the box is used.

[0003]

However, when the selected objects are taken out by the forcible discharging means or the automatic box packing means described above, depending on the kind of fruits and vegetables, when the selected objects are forcibly discharged or picked up by a robot hand. There is a possibility that a scratch or a damage may be caused when being gripped or sucked by the mechanism, and it is extremely difficult to set the forced ejection means and to set the gripping force and the suction force in the pickup mechanism.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and has as its main object to provide a sorting apparatus capable of sorting and collecting fruit and vegetables without damage and efficiently.

[0005]

Means for Solving the Problems [Structure, operation and effect of the invention according to claim 1]

(Structure) A sorting apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention is a conveying device for conveying an object to be sorted, a supply unit for supplying the object to be sorted to a conveying unit, an input unit for inputting information for selecting the object to be sorted, In a fruit and vegetable sorting device provided with a collecting unit for sorting and extracting the sorted items into a plurality of extracting units based on the sorting information input by the input unit, the sorted sorted items to be conveyed are classified based on the sorting category. A display means is provided for indicating to a worker a display for instructing collection at a predetermined take-out unit.

(Operation) According to the above configuration, when a sorting object in a certain sorting section reaches a predetermined take-out section, it is displayed by the display means, and an operator at this take-out section should take out from the display. What is necessary is just to recognize the sorting object, take it out manually, and perform a predetermined collection, for example, packing in a box.

(Effects) Therefore, according to the first aspect of the present invention, fruits and vegetables that are easily damaged, and those of the same fruits and vegetables that have a high class and a high class and a high commercial value can be manually extracted. By setting, it is possible to easily and easily extract only the sorted items of the sorting category from other items, and it is possible to efficiently perform sorting and collection with high quality or enhanced product value. It has become possible.

[Structure, operation and effect of the invention according to claim 2]

(Structure) In a sorting apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to the first aspect, the transporting means is configured to intermittently transport the sorted material.

(Operation) According to the above configuration, while the conveyance is stopped, the predetermined sorting object specified by the display means can be taken out with a margin. At this time, since the display means indicates the specific sorting object whose conveyance is stopped, the operator can select the sorting object to be taken out as compared with the case where the moving sorting object is recognized and taken out. Can be easily identified.

(Effects) Therefore, according to the second aspect of the present invention, the operator can easily identify the sorting object to be taken out, and can carry out the taking out operation without error and with a margin. In addition to providing the above-described effects of the invention according to the first aspect, the invention is effective in reducing the fatigue of the worker. Also, since the display may be stopped and executed, the display control is simplified as compared with the case where the moving object to be sorted is displayed while being specified.

[Structure, operation and effect of the invention according to claim 3]

(Structure) According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the sorting apparatus according to the first or second aspect, wherein the sorting unit of the sorting section assigned to the extracting unit arrives at the extracting unit. It is provided with an informing means for informing in advance.

(Operation) According to the above configuration, the worker in the unloading section can know in advance by the notification means that the sorting object of the sorting section for which the worker is in charge arrives. In such a case, a spare box or auxiliary material (insole) can be prepared in advance.

(Effects) Therefore, according to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the user from recognizing the replenishment of boxes and auxiliary materials after taking out the sorting object of the sorting section in charge and avoiding panic. Efficient sorting and collecting work can be performed with a margin, which promotes the above effects of the first or second aspect of the present invention.

[Structure, operation and effect of the invention according to claim 4]

(Structure) According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the sorting apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein a plurality of sorting sections are assigned to one take-out section, and this take-out section is provided. The display means in the
A plurality of different displays corresponding to the plurality of assigned sorting sections are configured to be executed.

(Operation) According to the above configuration, even if a plurality of sorting sections are assigned to one take-out section, the sortable objects to be taken out can be easily recognized by different displays on the display means.

(Effects) Therefore, according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, it is easy to assign a plurality of sorting sections with a small distribution to one take-out section, and to level the processing amount in each of the plurality of take-out sections. It becomes effective above. In addition, since the sorting and collecting work can be performed with a smaller number of extraction units than the predetermined number of sorting sections, it is effective in reducing the size of the collection unit and reducing the number of workers.

[Structure, operation and effect of the invention according to claim 5]

(Structure) According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the sorting apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the display means selects another object to be taken out preferentially by another sorting. It is configured to perform display for distinguishing from an object.

(Operation) According to the above configuration, for example,
By displaying the items to be sorted out with high priority for the sorted items in the high-class sorting section and collecting them early, it is possible to eliminate the chance of being damaged during the re-sorting process.

(Effects) Therefore, according to the fifth aspect of the invention, it is more effective to carry out sorting and collecting which brings high commercial value.

[Structure, operation and effect of the invention according to claim 6]

(Structure) A sorting apparatus according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the fruit and vegetable sorting apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the display means corresponds to the movement of the sorting object carried and moved by the carrying means. While moving, and is configured to perform a display for specifying the sorting object to be taken out based on the sorting section, and in the taking-out section, the sorting object in the sorting section assigned to this taking-out section is provided. It is characterized in that it is provided with a notifying means for notifying the user of the arrival in advance.

(Operation) According to the above configuration, when a sorting object arrives at the collecting unit, a display corresponding to a predetermined sorting section for each sorting object moves with the sorting object. The worker in the take-out unit recognizes the sorting object of the sorting section in charge from the moving display, takes it out manually, and performs predetermined collection, for example, packing.

At this time, in this embodiment, the display moves following the sequentially conveyed objects to be sorted, and the operator discriminates in a very short time whether or not the display is for the object to be picked up by looking at the moving display. And the mental burden for this may be great. Here, if it is informed in advance that the sorting object to be removed arrives by the notification means, the operator can prepare to visually identify the display, and the display moving along with the sorting object can be prepared. Confirmation is easier than when recognizing a display that suddenly appears.

Also, if the worker knows in advance that the sorting object of the sorting section for which he is in charge arrives,
For example, in the case of collecting in a box, a spare box or auxiliary material (insole) can be prepared in advance.

(Effects) Therefore, according to the invention of claim 6, while the display of the sorting object moves, the sorting object to be taken out can be easily recognized and the sorting object can be taken out promptly. In addition, it is possible to prevent the user from being panicked by recognizing the replenishment of the collection box and the auxiliary material after taking out the sorting object. Sorting and collecting work can be performed accurately.

[Structure, operation and effect of the invention according to claim 7]

(Structure) A sorting apparatus according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is the fruit and vegetable sorting apparatus according to the first or sixth aspect, wherein the display means is transported by the transporting means to move the sorting object. In addition to moving in accordance with the sorting section, it is configured to perform a display for specifying a sorting target to be taken out based on the sorting section, and a plurality of sorting sections are allocated to one take-out section, and Wherein the display means is configured to execute a plurality of different displays corresponding to the plurality of assigned sorting sections.

(Operation) According to the above configuration, when a sorting object arrives at the collecting unit, a display corresponding to a predetermined sorting section for each sorting object moves with the sorting object. The worker in the take-out section recognizes the sorting object of the sorting section in charge from the moving display and takes it out manually, and performs predetermined collection, for example, packing. At this time, even if a plurality of sorting sections are assigned to one takeout unit, the sortable objects to be taken out can be easily recognized by different displays on the display means.

(Effects) Therefore, according to the eighth aspect of the present invention, it is easy to assign a plurality of sorting sections with a small distribution to one take-out section, and to equalize the processing amounts at the plurality of take-out sections. In addition to this, it is easy to carry out the sorting and collecting work with a smaller number of extraction units than the predetermined number of sorting sections, which is effective in reducing the size of the collection unit and reducing the number of workers.

[Structure, operation and effect of the invention according to claim 8]

(Structure) The sorting device of the invention according to claim 8 is the fruit and vegetable sorting device according to any one of claims 1, 6 and 7, wherein the display means is controlled by the transport means. It moves so as to correspond to the movement of the sorting object to be conveyed, and is configured to perform a display for specifying the sorting object to be taken out based on the sorting section, and the display means should take out the object preferentially. It is characterized in that a display for distinguishing the selected object from other selected objects is performed.

(Operation) According to the above configuration, when a sorting object arrives at the collecting unit, a display corresponding to a predetermined sorting section for each sorting object moves with the sorting object. The worker in the take-out section recognizes the sorting object of the sorting section in charge from the moving display and takes it out manually, and performs predetermined collection, for example, packing. At this time, for example, for the sorted items of the high / equal sorting category, the display which should be taken out preferentially is given, and it is taken out and collected at an early stage, so that it can be damaged while undergoing the re-sorting process. Can be eliminated.

(Effects) Therefore, according to the invention of claim 8, it is set so that fruits and vegetables that are easily damaged and the same fruits and vegetables of the sorting section of high grade and high commercial value are manually extracted. By doing so, it is possible to easily and easily extract only the sorted items of the sorting section from other items, and to improve the sorting and collection efficiency, and further enhance the quality or the commercial value. Can be done in a state.

[Structure, operation and effect of the invention according to claim 9]

(Structure) The sorting device according to the ninth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, is configured such that the sorting object can be circulated and transported by the transporting means.

(Operation) According to the above configuration, the unsorted objects to be removed are circulated and returned to the collecting section, so that even if the to-be-sorted objects in the predetermined sorting section continue to arrive, they are all removed. There is no need to rush out, and what you have left behind can be waited for a later retrieval opportunity.

(Effects) Therefore, according to the ninth aspect of the present invention, as a result of hurrying out the sorting objects that have arrived at the station, the sorting and packing operations are complicated and the sorting objects are damaged. In addition, this is eliminated, and the above-described effect of the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is obtained, and the sorted objects can be handled easily with a margin, which is effective for quality conservation.

[0043]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Some embodiments of the present invention applied to a sorting apparatus using fruits such as persimmons as sorting objects will be described below.

[First Example] FIGS. 1 to 6 show a first example of an apparatus for sorting fruits and vegetables according to the present invention. The sorting apparatus basically includes a transporting unit 1 for placing and transporting the object to be sorted w along a predetermined circulation path, and a transporting unit 1 for transporting the object to be sorted w.
A supply unit 2 to be placed and supplied manually, a measuring device 3 as an input means for taking an image of an object to be sorted w and taking in properties such as the size, color, presence or absence of scratches and dirt as sorting information, A collection unit 4 for taking out the articles w in a sorting section based on a predetermined sorting criterion;

The transport means 1 is configured as a bucket conveyor having a chain 5 which is wound in a plane and rotated in a fixed direction by a drive motor M, and a circular dish-shaped bucket 6 is provided. As shown in FIG. 3, a bracket 7 is attached to the chain 5 at a constant pitch in the transport direction, and a bucket support 8 is rotatably connected to the bracket 7 around a longitudinal axis x along the transport direction. Further, the bucket 6 is rotatably connected to the bucket support 8 around the vertical axis y. A hook-shaped locking member 9 that is elastically rotated and urged is pivotally connected to the bracket 7. Usually, the locking metal 9 is attached to the bucket support 8.
The bucket 6 and the bucket support 8 are held in a horizontal position by engaging with the locking pins 8a of the first and second members. And
If necessary, the latch 9 is forcibly moved by the actuator 10 such as a solenoid or an air cylinder.
When the bucket 6 is removed from the bucket a, the bucket 6 is tilted down around the longitudinal axis x by its own weight together with the bucket support 8 so that the sorting object w placed on the bucket 6 can be discharged to the side. I have. The turned-down bucket 6 and the bucket support 8 are forcibly returned to the original horizontal position by an operation from the outside, so that the latch 9 is elastically engaged with the latch pin 8a. The posture is maintained.

The supply section 2 is designed so that an operator can visually select and sort and supply the objects to be sorted w, which are stored in a container or the like and brought into the work place, to a bucket of the transport means 1. Scratched or particularly badly shaped products are preliminarily excluded here as extraordinary products.

In the measuring device 3, as shown in FIG. 4, two front and rear CCD cameras 11 are arranged on a conveyor, and a pair of inclined mirrors 12 are arranged on the left and right sides of the transport path. The upper surface and the left and right side surfaces of the sorting object w on the bucket 6 are simultaneously photographed by one CCD camera 11. In addition, a belt 13 is provided between the front and rear imaging parts, which is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the circular dish-shaped bucket 6, so that the bucket 6 passes through the first imaging part and reaches the second imaging part. By then,
The bucket 6 is rotated by 90 ° by contact with the belt 13 so that both side surfaces not photographed the first time are photographed the second time. That is, the upper surface and the entire side surface of the object to be sorted w are photographed by photographing twice with different 90 ° rotation phases.

As shown in FIG. 2, two CCD cameras 1
The imaging data obtained in step 1 is image-analyzed by the discriminating means 14, and desired properties to be inspected, such as size, color, presence or absence of flaws, etc., are measured or detected. Discrimination of the sorting category (grade, rank, etc.) of the sorted items w is performed. The discrimination data obtained in this way is stored in the control device 15, and based on the information from the rotary encoder 16 provided in the transport means 1, the movement amount of the transport means 1 and the transport position of each sorting object w Is calculated by the control device 15.

The collecting section 4 is constituted by arranging a plurality of take-out sections 17 for taking out sorted objects w for each sorting section and packing them in a box along the transport direction. Some (two in the illustrated example) take-out units 1 of the plurality of take-out units 16
7 (a) is equipped with a transfer device 18 for automatically packing the sorting objects w in a box, and in another unloading section 17 (m), an operator manually extracts and collects the sorting objects w. It is configured to be packed in a box 19.

As shown in FIG. 5, the transfer device 18
A vacuum suction type pickup mechanism 22 controlled by an air cylinder 21 is controlled in position by a front-rear horizontal movement mechanism 23 and a left-right horizontal movement mechanism 24 driven and controlled by a rodless cylinder or a toothed belt. When the sorted objects w of the assigned predetermined sorting section reach the take-out section 17 (a) for automatic box packing, they are taken out by the pickup mechanism 22 and stored in the collection box 19 in a predetermined arrangement pattern. It is going to do. In addition, as the sorting categories to be automatically packed, for example, those that are expected to have the largest distribution are selected in advance.

As shown in FIG. 6, each of the take-out sections 17 (m) of the take-out section 17 for manual filling is provided with a display means for instructing a worker to select an object w to be taken out. As the display means in this example, an electric display panel 25 arranged along the side of the conveyor path is used. The light-emitting display panel 25 is configured by arranging LED lamp groups in a plane. For example, when the sorting object w is sorted and sorted into five ranks based on its size, the sorting division of the sorting object w is performed. Corresponding to "maximum", "large", "medium",
The lighting operation is controlled based on a command from the control device 15 so that the character display A of "small" and "extremely small" is positioned immediately next to the bucket 6 on which the object to be sorted w is placed and follows. It has become so.

Here, one or more (up to three) sorting sections are assigned to each take-out section 17 (m), and near the collecting box 19, sorting sections to be accommodated therein are assigned. An electro-optical display 26 for displaying characters is provided. Then, the worker assigned to each take-out unit 17 (m) looks at the character display A moving on the electronic display panel 25, and identifies whether or not the sorting object w of the designated sorting section has been conveyed, If there is a predetermined sorting object w, it can be taken out and packed in the collection box 19 having the same display. When all the sorting sections are automatically boxed, it is not necessary to move and display the sorting sections.

Each take-out part 17 (m) for manual stuffing work
Is provided with a notice lamp 27 as a means for notifying in advance that the sorted object w of the assigned sorting section has arrived. It is considered so that the retrieval can be performed.

When the sorting objects w in the same sorting section are successively conveyed to the automatic box packing take-out section 17 (a) and the manual packing take-out section 17 (m), they cannot be completely removed. The selected objects w that could not be removed are collected by the collecting unit 4.
, And is circulated and conveyed, and may be taken out at the next opportunity. Here, a photosensor 28 is disposed as a circulating object recognition means at a position upstream of the supply unit 2 in the conveying path, and the presence of the sorting object w which has been circulated and conveyed without being taken out and its sorting section are recognized. It has become so.

As shown in FIG. 2, the sorting data from the control device 15 is input to the data totaling device 30. In the data totaling device 30, the name of the producer is input via the code setting device 31, and the fact that the supply of one lot has been completed is input by the lot completion switch 32. It is configured to issue a slip in which lots are totalized and the result is printed by the print output device 33.

The object to be sorted w which has been circulated and conveyed is
The image is measured again by the degree measuring device 3, but it is programmed to execute the movement display in the take-out unit 17 (m) for the manual filling operation using only the first determination data ignoring the second and subsequent determinations. I have. By doing so, for example, it is possible to avoid double counting when sorting data for each producer.

Each take-out part 17 (m) for manual stuffing work
In the display means, it is possible to easily identify and display whether it has been transported for the first time or has been transported cyclically. In other words, the character display A for the sorted objects w which has been circulated and conveyed is programmed so as to be accompanied by blinking, encircled display, or provided with an identification mark such as a triangle mark. The work is performed so as to take out the sorting object w with priority.

In the case where the bucket 6 is not taken out even after being circulated a predetermined number of times (for example, two times), the bucket 6 is turned over as described above in the collection unit 34 arranged downstream of the collection unit 4 as described above. The sorted object w is forcibly discharged from the transport path, and the sorted object w is continuously transported for an unduly long time.
Avoid damage due to vibrations, etc., and do not interfere with total management. It is preferable that the number of circulations serving as a reference for executing the forced unloading can be arbitrarily set.

Sorting sections are pre-assigned to the respective take-out sections 17 of the collection section 4 based on the distribution of classes and the like predicted from the producer, the timing, and other conditions of the brought-in sorting object w. However, the assignment is automatically changed based on the discrimination data obtained by the measurement by the measuring device 3 and the data of the amount of the sorted objects to be circulated and conveyed. In other words, the processing amount of a certain sorting section,
When it is detected that the circulation amount is large, it is determined that the distribution of the sorting section is larger than expected or exceeds the processing capacity, and the allocation to each of the extracting units 17 is changed. Is intended to level the processing amount.

For example, in a state where all of the sorting objects w in the sorting section “medium” are assigned to the automatic box packing, the processing amount and the circulation amount of this sorting section increase, and the picking section 17 ( m), if the processing amount in the take-out unit 17 (m) to which the sorting section "extra large" is assigned is small, the taking out section 17 of this sorting section "extra large" is used.
(m) is also newly assigned to the sorting category “medium” and the moving display of the sorting category “medium” is executed, so that the worker here can take out “extra large” and “medium”. is there. In addition, by changing the assignment only between the take-out units 17 (m) for the manual filling work, each take-out unit 17 (m) is changed.
The processing volume in (m) may be leveled as much as possible. In addition, when the allocation is changed at the take-out unit 17 (m) for manual stuffing, the moving display is changed, and
Accordingly, the display on the display 26 and the notice display are changed.

[Second Example] FIGS. 7 and 8 show a second example of a fruit and vegetable sorting apparatus according to the present invention. This sorting device is an example configured to sort fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes into three ranks of "large", "medium" and "small".
Basically, as in the previous example, a transport unit 1 for placing and transporting the sorting object w along a predetermined plane circulation path, a supply unit 2 for manually placing and sorting the sorting object w to the transport unit 1, Sorted object w
A measuring device 3 as an input means for capturing the image and taking in the sorting information, and a collecting section 4 for manually extracting the sorting object w in a sorting section based on a predetermined sorting criterion.

The conveying means 1 is constituted by a bucket conveyor in which buckets 6 are attached at a constant pitch to a chain 5 which is wound in a plane and driven by an electric motor M. 6 is provided with a rotary encoder 16 for calculating the position. Also, this transport means 1 is equivalent to several buckets (for example, 8 buckets).
The drive device 35 of the electric motor M is driven and controlled by the tact operation control device 36 so that the tact operation is performed at the pitch of (t).

The supply section 2 is arranged so that, as in the previous example, an operator visually selects and sorts the objects to be sorted w, which are stored in a container or the like and brought into the work place, and places them on the bucket of the transporting means 1. Here, those having noticeable scratches, and particularly those having bad external appearance, are excluded in advance as extraordinary products.

The measuring device 3 is configured so that the object to be sorted w is imaged from above by the CCD camera 11, and the obtained image data is analyzed by the judgment means 14, and the size of each object to be sorted w is determined. The information is determined as “large”, “medium”, or “small” and is input to the control device 15 as selection information.

The collecting section 4 is provided with four take-out sections 17 for manual filling.
A predetermined number (in this case, eight) of buckets 6 coming immediately before are taken out as work objects. Then, the first take-out unit 17 located at the uppermost position of the conveyance takes out the sorting section “large”, the next second take-out section 17 takes out the sorting section “small”, and the next third take-out section 17 takes out the sorting section “small”. Then, the sorting section “medium” is taken out, and the last fourth taking-out section 17 is taken out.
Is assigned to take charge of the sorting categories "large", "medium" and "small". By the way, if the tact movement for eight buckets is performed in one second and the stop time for taking out is set to four seconds, a maximum of 576 can be achieved in one hour.
Zero processing is possible.

Each of the take-out sections 17 is provided with an electric display panel 25 as a display means, and each of the electric display panels 25 sorts the sorting sections assigned to the eight buckets 6 in the take-out area. When the object w is present, the lighting is controlled by the control device 15 so as to display the character display A of “large”, “medium”, and “small” immediately beside the object w.

Further, a photo sensor 37 for detecting the presence of the unselected material w to be picked up is provided at the lower position of the transport of each picking unit 17, and the picking-up at each picking unit 17 is confirmed. Bucket 6 became
Useless display is not performed at the position corresponding to. Further, it is also possible to judge from the information from the photo sensor 37 that the worker noticed this and returned the bucket 6 to the empty bucket 6 after mistakenly picking it up. The next time the sorting object w whose classification is no longer known is conveyed in a circulating manner, "?" Is displayed on the electronic display panel 25 to prompt preferential removal.

In addition, a photo sensor 28 as a circulation recognizing means for detecting the presence of the sorted object w which has been left and circulated is installed at an appropriate place between the last take-out section 17 and the supply section 2. The number of circulations of the sorting object w is monitored by the control device 15, and when the circulated sorting object w is conveyed to the collection unit 4, the character display A in the corresponding takeout unit 16 is accompanied by flashing. An operator can easily recognize that the object is enclosed in a circle or has an identification mark such as a triangle, and that the object has been circulated.

Also in this example, the control device 15, the code setting device 31, and the data totaling device 30 connected to the lot completion switch 32 are provided, and the lot totaling result for each producer is output to the printout device 33. Is output as a print slip.

Third Embodiment FIGS. 9 to 11 show a third embodiment of the present invention. In this example, tact transfer is performed on a so-called one-pass type transfer path in which sorting and extraction is performed while the sorting target w is passed once through a non-circulation type transfer path. (Display means) 25 for performing identification display.
The supply unit 2 is installed in the upper part, the measuring device 3 for measuring the size of the sorting object w is installed in the lower part, and the collection part 4 provided with three take-out parts 17 for the manual filling operation is installed in the lower part. Have been. Further, each take-out section 17 is provided with an electric display panel 25 along the transport means 1.

The conveying means 1 used here includes a pair of left and right long mounting bodies 42, each having a fixedly arranged concave portion 41 for accommodating and holding the objects to be sorted w at a constant pitch, and this mounting body. A long transport body 43 that performs a circulating motion combining vertical movement and forward / backward movement between 42 is provided, and concave portions 44 are formed on the upper surface of the transport body 43 at the same pitch as described above.

In the take-out time zone, as shown in FIG. 11A, the carrier 43 is at the lowered position, and the sorting object w is held in the concave portion 41 of the placing body 42. When the conveyance is started, as shown in FIG. 11B, the conveyance body 43 first rises, and the sorting object w held by the mounting body 42 is
Transfer to and lift. When the sorting object w is lifted above the concave portion 41, as shown in FIG.
The carrier 43 advances horizontally by a predetermined plurality of pitches (5 pitches in this case). Next, as shown in FIG. 11 (d), the carrier 43 descends and the sorting object w in the concave portion 44 is placed on the placing body 42.
To the concave portion 41 of FIG. Thereby, each object to be sorted w
Are transported at once by a predetermined plurality of pitches at a time, and are again held by the mounting body 42. That is, the sorting object w is transported at once by a predetermined number of pitches. here,
By the time the next conveyance is started, the operator of each take-out unit 17 confirms whether or not the electronic display panel 25 has the character display A of the sorting section in charge of the operator, and if there is, the previous sorting object. Take out w and pack it in a box. Also, during this time,
The transport body 43 retreats horizontally to the original position and prepares for the next tact transport.

Also in this example, the advance arrival as described in the previous example may be notified, and a plurality of sorting sections may be assigned to one take-out section 17 for execution.

[Alternative Embodiment] The present invention can be implemented in the following modes. (1) The moving display by the display means is not limited to character display, but may use marks and patterns of various shapes such as circles, triangles, squares, and stars, or symbols and signs. May be further color-coded. Alternatively, each sort section may be displayed simply by moving spots of different colors. In this case, the display 26
Will be displayed in the same manner as the moving display. (2) In addition to using the electric display panel 25, a liquid crystal display or a CRT display can be used as the display means. (3) As a display means for identifying the sorting object w to be taken out to the operator, in addition to displaying by the display device provided at a predetermined position beside the transport path, the sorting object w and a bucket on which the sorting object w is placed. It is also possible to apply a color-coded spot light to 6, or to write and display characters, symbols, and the like on the sorting object w and the bucket 6 on which the sorting object w is placed by laser light irradiation. (4) In the above example, the sorting information obtained by the measurement by the measuring device 3 is input, and each sorting object w is automatically sorted and determined based on the sorting information. It is also possible to employ a configuration in which an operator monitors the selected material w and performs sorting determination, and the result is artificially input as sorting information using a switch or a keyboard.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a first example of an apparatus for sorting fruits and vegetables according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of a first example.

FIG. 3A is a vertical sectional front view of the transport unit in a state where the bucket is in a horizontal posture. FIG. 3B is a vertical sectional front view of the transport unit in a state where the bucket is turned down.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a measuring device.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a transfer device.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a part of a take-out part for manual filling work.

FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view showing a second example of the fruit and vegetable sorting apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a control block diagram of a second example.

FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view showing a third example of a fruit and vegetable sorting apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a part of a transport unit.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory view showing a tact movement by a transport unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Conveying means 2 Supply part 3 Measuring device 4 Collection part 17 Extraction part 25 Display means (electric light display panel) 27 Notification means (Announcement notification lamp) w Sorted object

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A conveying means for conveying an object to be sorted, a supply unit for supplying the object to be sorted to a conveying means, an input means for inputting information for selecting an object to be sorted, In a fruit / vegetables sorting apparatus provided with a collecting unit for sorting and extracting selected objects into a plurality of extracting units, a worker instructs a collecting unit to instruct a predetermined extracting unit to sort conveyed selected objects based on the sorting category. An apparatus for sorting fruits and vegetables, comprising the display means shown in (1). 2. An apparatus for sorting fruits and vegetables according to claim 1, wherein said conveying means is configured to intermittently convey the objects to be sorted. 3. The fruit and vegetable sorting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said take-out section is provided with a notifying means for informing in advance that a sorting object of a sorting section assigned to said take-out section has arrived. 4. A plurality of sorting sections are assigned to one take-out section, and the display means in the take-out section executes a plurality of different displays corresponding to the assigned plurality of sort sections. The fruit and vegetable sorter according to any one of claims 1 to 3. 5. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the display means displays a display for distinguishing an object to be taken out preferentially from another object to be selected. Fruit and vegetable sorter. 6. The display device is configured to move in accordance with the movement of the sorting object carried and moved by the carrying unit, and to perform a display for specifying the sorting object to be taken out based on the sorting section. 2. The fruit and vegetable sorting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said take-out section is provided with a notifying means for informing in advance that a sorting object of a sorting section assigned to said take-out section has arrived. 7. The display means is configured to move in accordance with the movement of the sorting object carried and moved by the carrying means, and to perform a display for specifying the sorting object to be taken out based on the sorting section. Yes, and a plurality of sorting sections are assigned to one take-out unit,
The fruit and vegetable sorting device according to claim 1 or 6, wherein the display means in the take-out unit is configured to execute a plurality of different displays corresponding to the assigned plurality of sorting sections. 8. The display means is configured to move in accordance with the movement of the sorting object transported and moved by the transport means, and to perform a display for specifying the sorting object to be taken out based on the sorting section. 2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein said display means is configured to provide a display for distinguishing a selected object to be taken out preferentially from other selected objects.
The fruit and vegetable sorter according to any one of claims 6 and 7. 9. The fruit and vegetable sorting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sorting means is configured to be capable of circulating and transferring the sorting object.