KR102504509B1 - Apparatus for sorting fruit - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fruit sorting device capable of stably transporting fruits of respective sizes, wherein the structure is improved to enable the adjustment of the width in accordance with the size of the supplied fruit, thereby stably transporting and sorting various kinds of fruits using a single sorting device, and moreover sorted fruit exceeding the loading space is immediately detected to stop the operation of the device and to actively prevent a fruit from being damaged by being caught between the sorting device and a loading box, thereby inducing the maximization of the convenience of use and efficiency owing to being easy in handling, use, maintenance, management and repairs, which is caused by a structure different from the structure of existing devices, comprising: a supply part (10) provided to be able to adjust the lateral width in accordance with the size of a fruit, receiving a large number of fruits, aligning the fruits, and continuously supplying the fruits in one direction; a sorting part (20) arranged in a longitudinal direction below the supply part, individually accommodating fruits on a tray operated in an endless track, and discharging the fruits for each weight using the difference between the set value of a weight dial installed on the tray and the weight of the fruits; an electronic sorting unit (30) installed on the lower end of the tray to measure the weight of a fruit and discharging the fruit at a designated position in accordance with the discharge position for each weight set for a control part (32); and a loading part (40) arranged on one side of the sorting part and loading fruits, which are discharged from the tray, for each weight.

Description

Fruit sorting device capable of stable transportation by fruit size {APPARATUS FOR SORTING FRUIT}

The present invention is to advance the technical idea related to a fruit sorting device that automatically sorts fruits by weight, and more specifically, by improving the structure in a form that can adjust the width according to the size of the fruit being supplied, various types of sorting device can be used. It can stably transport and sort fruits, and furthermore, if the sorted fruits exceed the loading space, it is immediately detected and the operation of the device is stopped to actively prevent fruit from getting caught in the sorting device and the loading box and being damaged. The present invention relates to a fruit sorting device capable of stably transporting each fruit size, which maximizes the convenience and efficiency of use due to ease of handling, use, maintenance, and repair resulting from a structure differentiated from the existing one.

In general, since the quality and price of fruits are determined according to their weight, it is essential to individually measure the weight of fruits and classify them according to the measured weight. Fruit sorting is largely dependent on manual work, and such manual work is not only inefficient due to long working hours and high labor costs, and the error range for weight sorting is irregular depending on the individual ability and judgment of the worker, so perfect sorting is difficult.

In order to solve this problem, a device for automatically sorting by measuring the weight of fruits has been developed. As an example, Patent Registration No. 10-1403562 "Fruit sorting device" is published. The technology includes a frame formed with a fruit transfer path; a washing unit installed on the frame to remove foreign substances on the surface of the fruit to be sorted; and a sorting target fruit installed on the fruit transfer path and passing through the washing unit according to size. and a sorting drum rotatably supported on the frame; and a driving part for rotationally driving the washing part and the sorting drum.

In particular, the sorting drum has a cylindrical drum body formed by passing through the inside and outside of a number of sorting holes so that fruits of a certain size can flow into the inside, and rims provided at both ends of the drum body, and the sorting holes are formed according to the shape It is classified into two groups, the first group having long holes formed long in the direction intersecting the rotation center of the drum body and many of them lined up in a row, and the long holes formed long in the direction perpendicular to the sorting holes belonging to the first group. It forms a form and consists of a second group arranged adjacent to the first group, many of which are lined up in a row.

The above technology is a technology capable of selecting the size of fruits according to the diameter of the long hole formed in the drum body. However, this technology only selects the size of the fruit and cannot sort the fruit by weight.

For example, a technology capable of sorting fruits by weight is also provided, and the technology is published in Patent Registration No. 10-0381144 "Non-destructive fruit sorting device".

This technology is a device that can increase farmers' income and quality reliability by sorting and grading harvested fruits by sugar content, color, and weight without damaging them. The technology consists of a near-infrared spectroscopy system, and a sugar content determination unit for determining the sugar content of a sample in a sample chamber; and a weight determination unit for determining the weight of a sample by a load cell installed at an appropriate lower end of a transfer means; and a lighting chamber. An image processing unit that determines the color ratio by arranging a plurality of light sources inside and photographing the sample using a CCD camera; and an operation control unit that determines the grade of the sample in real time by arithmetic processing the result signal output from each of the above elements and conveyed. ; is a technology integrally installed on the fruit transfer path of the sorting device.

However, the technology can sort the sugar content, color, and weight of the fruit, but cannot sort the fruit by size.

In general, in order to sort fruits using a fruit sorting device, fruits must be supplied to the sorting device, and most of these supplying processes are performed using a manual supply method using a worker's manual work and an automatic supply method using a hopper.

The manual feeding method requires only a process of simply placing the fruit on the sorting device, but as mentioned above, high labor costs are required and the occurrence of fallen fruit is high due to carelessness of the operator, so the work efficiency is poor. In addition, the automatic supply method must precede that the fruits are supplied in a row and individually accommodated in the tray, but even for the same type of fruit, the size of the fruit may vary depending on various circumstances such as the harvest date and variety, so sometimes the hopper Various problems occurred, such as not passing through the screening device or falling out of the sorting device.

Therefore, there is an urgent need for a technology capable of accurately arranging and supplying fruits in a row, having an extremely excellent level of fruit selection, and safely performing all sorting processes ranging from inputting and sorting of fruits.

Registered Patent Publication No. 10-1403562 "Fruit sorting device" Registered Patent Publication No. 10-0381144 "Non-destructive fruit sorting device"

The present invention was created in order to more actively solve the above problems, by providing a device that combines both an electronic sorting structure using a load cell and a mechanical sorting structure using a weight dial, so that professional repair is required. Even if a structure error occurs, it is a task to be solved to configure a sorting operation by immediately replacing the device with a mechanical sorting structure without stopping the operation.

In addition, the present invention actively improves the overall structure of the hopper into which fruit is put, that is, the supply unit, to provide a technology that can quickly and safely supply fruit by accurately aligning them in a row even if fruits of different sizes are input, as another challenge. do.

In addition, another challenge of the present invention is to provide a technology capable of automatically stopping the operation of the sorting device by detecting in real time when the allowable space of the loading part where the selected fruit is loaded is exceeded and can no longer be loaded. am.

In order to achieve the above object, the configuration of the fruit sorting device capable of stable transportation for each fruit size proposed in the present invention is as follows.

The fruit sorting device of the present invention is provided with adjustable left and right widths according to the size of fruits, and a supply unit 10 that receives and arranges a large amount of fruit and continuously supplies them in one direction; and is disposed in the longitudinal direction below the supply unit. , a sorting unit 20 that individually stores fruit in a tray operated in an endless orbit and discharges the fruit by weight using the set value of the weight dial installed on the tray and the difference in weight of the fruit; and, installed at the bottom of the tray to An electronic sorting unit 30 that measures the weight and discharges fruit to a designated position according to the discharge position by weight set in the controller 32; and, disposed on one side of the sorting unit, to load the fruit discharged from the tray by weight It is characterized in that it consists of; loading unit 40.

In addition, the supply unit 10 includes a hopper 11 for arranging the input fruit in a line; and a transfer rail 12 installed at the lower end of the hopper in the longitudinal direction and transferring the fruit in one direction by taking over the fruit from the hopper; A deceleration member 13 installed at one end of the transfer rail to set and support fruits falling to the sorting unit 20 to reduce the falling speed.

In addition, the hopper 11 includes a first control plate 11-1 installed to be position-adjustable inward and outward on one side of the transfer rail 12; and on the other side of the transfer rail facing the first control plate. It includes; a second control plate 11-2 installed to be able to adjust the position inwardly and outwardly.

In addition, the speed reducing member 13 is disposed across the width direction from the top of the transfer rail 12, and includes bolting to a slot provided in the transfer rail to adjust the front and rear position and angle.

In addition, the speed reduction member 13 is coupled downwardly from the bracket 13-1 disposed across the width direction from the upper end of the transfer rail 12; fruit falling from the transfer rail to the sorting unit 20 It includes; a brush (13-2) that supports setting.

In addition, the sorting unit 30 includes a load cell 31 installed at the bottom of the tray to measure the weight of the individually stored fruit, and a control unit 32 to provide a signal so that the tray tilts at a set position. include

In addition, the control unit 32 determines in real time whether or not the loading of fruits is exceeded through the proximity sensor 32-1 installed on the loading unit 40, and operates the sorting unit 20 when the loading limit is exceeded. It further includes temporarily stopping to prevent the fruit from being caught between the tray and the loading part gap.

According to the present invention composed of the above-described configuration, a mechanical sorting unit for detecting the weight of fruits using a weight dial and selecting fruits based on the detected weight information, and measuring the weight of fruits using a load cell and based on the measured weight information Since the electronic sorting unit that sorts fruits is all in one device, even if an error occurs in the sorting unit that requires professional repair, it can be immediately replaced with a mechanical sorting unit, so that the machine does not stop operating and continues continuously. There is an advantage in that the production efficiency can be actively improved because the sorting operation is possible.

In addition, according to the present invention, the width of the supply path can be freely adjusted due to the position adjustment of the first and second control units installed in the hopper according to the average size of the input fruits, so they are accurately aligned in a line regardless of the size of the input fruits. It can be safely supplied to the sorting unit, and in addition, the fruit delivered from the supply unit to the sorting unit has a deceleration effect on the fall by the deceleration member provided in the supply unit, so that the fruit can be safely delivered to the correct position.

In addition, the present invention indiscriminately discharges the selected fruits regardless of the excess of the allowable space of the loading unit, causing the fruit to be caught between the sorting unit and the loading unit, thereby causing various problems such as breakdown of the sorting device or damage to the fruit. Unlike the previous cases, the proximity sensor installed in the loading unit detects fruits that exceed the allowable space in the loading unit in real time and delivers them to the control unit, and the control unit temporarily stops the operation of the sorting unit according to the detected information, completely solving the existing problems. This can create a more stable sorting work environment.

1 is a side view and a plan view of a fruit sorting device configured according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a front view of the fruit sorting device proposed by the present invention.
Figure 3 is a side view of the supply unit proposed by the present invention.
4 to 5 are plan views showing a form of adjusting the width of the hopper proposed by the present invention.
Figure 6 is a perspective view of the supply unit proposed by the present invention.
Figure 7 is a plan view showing some configurations of the selection unit proposed by the present invention.
8 and 9 are side views and plan views illustrating a method of determining whether a load is exceeded by using a proximity sensor proposed by the present invention as an example.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, the configuration of the present invention and the resulting actions and effects will be collectively described.

Advantages and features of the present invention, and methods for achieving them, will become clear with reference to the embodiments described below in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, and may be implemented in a variety of different forms, and only the present embodiments make the disclosure of the present invention complete, and common knowledge in the art to which the present invention belongs. It is provided to completely inform the person who has the scope of the invention, and the present invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. And like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification.

The present invention is disclosed in relation to the technical idea of a fruit sorting device that automatically sorts fruits by weight.

Above all, the present invention improves the structure in a form in which the width can be adjusted according to the size of the fruit being supplied, so that various kinds of fruits can be stably transported and sorted with one sorting device, and furthermore, the sorted fruit exceeds the loading space. In case of damage, it immediately detects this and stops the operation of the device, thereby actively preventing fruit from being caught in the sorting device and the loading box and being damaged. Note that it is related to a fruit sorting device capable of stable transportation by size of fruit that maximizes convenience or efficiency of use.

1 is a side view and a plan view of a fruit sorting device configured according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a front view of the fruit sorting device proposed by the present invention, Figure 3 is a side view of a supply unit proposed by the present invention, 4 and 5 are plan views showing the width control form of the hopper proposed by the present invention, Figure 6 is a perspective view of the supply unit proposed by the present invention, Figure 7 is a plan view showing some configurations of the sorting unit proposed by the present invention, 8 to 9 are side views and plan views illustrating a method of determining whether or not a load is exceeded by using a proximity sensor proposed by the present invention as an example.

The fruit sorting device proposed by the present invention is based on a multi-functional fruit sorting device that can be used by selectively switching between a mechanical sorting type and an electronic sorting type.

Accordingly, the fruit sorting device of the present invention includes a supply unit 10 that receives and arranges a large amount of fruit and continuously supplies them in one direction; and is disposed in the longitudinal direction below the supply unit and individually stores the fruit in a tray operated in an endless track. and a sorting unit 20 that discharges fruit by weight using the set value of the weight dial installed on the tray and the difference in weight of the fruit; and, installed at the bottom of the tray to measure the weight of the fruit, set in the control unit 32 It consists of an electronic sorting unit 30 that discharges fruit to a designated location according to the discharge position by weight; and a loading unit 40 disposed on one side of the sorting unit and loading fruits discharged from the tray by weight.

The supply unit 10 serves to receive a large amount of fruit and individually supply them to the sorting unit, and a hopper 11 for arranging a large amount of randomly input fruit in a row; and installed in the longitudinal direction at the bottom of the hopper, It is divided into; a transfer rail 12 that transfers the input fruit in one direction.

The hopper 11 forms a wall of a predetermined height along the edge of the transfer rail 12 to prevent fruit entering the transfer rail 12 from escaping to the outside, and serves to align the randomly introduced fruit in a line. Do it.

The hopper 11 is installed on the edges of both sides of the transfer rail 12 to prevent the lateral deviation of the fruit, between the first control plate 11-1 and the second control plate 11-2 and the first and second control plates. It is divided into a blocking plate (11-3) that is installed across and prevents the fruit from departing in the forward direction.

The second control plate 11-2 is installed at a set distance from the blocking plate 11-3, and the spaced area becomes an entrance through which fruits can enter the transfer rail 12. The first regulating plate 11-1, the second regulating plate 11-2, and the blocking plate 11-3 have cushioning materials attached to their inner surfaces to prevent the input fruit from colliding with the hopper and causing injury.

In particular, the supply unit 10 of the present invention is provided to be able to adjust the left and right widths according to the size of the input fruit.

The width adjusting function is provided through the hopper 11, and the width adjusting function is exhibited by selectively changing the positions of the first adjusting plate 11-1 and the second adjusting plate 11-2. The first control plate 11-1 and the second control plate 11-2 have long slots formed in the lateral direction on the coupling surface with the transfer rail 12, and within the range allowed by the slots, the first control plate And the position of the second control plate can be varied.

As shown in FIG. 4, as the size of the fruit increases, the first control plate 11-1 and the second control plate 11-2 are moved to the outside of the transfer rail 12 to expand the width between the first and second control plates. As shown in 5, as the size of the fruit is smaller, the first and second control plates are moved to the inner side of the transfer rail to reduce the width between the first and second control plates.

On the other hand, in the present invention, after adjusting the coupling force between the control plate and the transfer rail 12 through bolting, the position of the control plate is varied, but the position may be automatically varied using a cylinder, TM screw, motor, or the like. Since the purpose is to expand or reduce the width between the transfer rails 12 by adjusting the positions of the first and second control plates 11-1 and 11-2, any structure that can implement this can be applied.

The selection unit 20 is installed to extend in the longitudinal direction of the supply unit 10 and is disposed at a lower position than the supply unit. Accordingly, the supply unit 10 drops the fruits and delivers them to the sorting unit 20 . Here, the supply unit 10 further includes a deceleration member 13 for reducing the falling speed of the fruit to prevent the fallen fruit from colliding with the sorting unit 20 and being damaged or being thrown away from the sorting unit. .

The reduction member 13 is disposed across the width direction from the top of the transfer rail 12, and is characterized in that it is installed to be able to adjust the front and rear position and angle by bolting to a slot provided in the transfer rail.

The reduction member 13 is coupled downwardly from the bracket 13-1 disposed across the width direction from the upper end of the transfer rail 12 to set fruits falling from the transfer rail to the sorting unit 20. It is divided into; supporting brush (13-2).

On the other hand, the brush 13-2 may be worn due to repeated contact with the fruit, and if the function is lost due to wear, it is provided in a bracket and bolted form so that it can be replaced from the bracket 13-1. .

The sorting unit 20 includes a main body stably installed on the ground; and a plurality of trays orbiting on the main body. The main body has a structure formed long in the longitudinal direction so that a plurality of trays can turn, and both level feet and casters are provided at the bottom to be stably installed on the ground, and optionally to be easily moved to another place using casters. may be

The body is provided with a sprocket rotatably coupled to both ends, and is configured to include a chain wound around the sprocket to rotate. A tray is coupled to the chain at regular intervals to achieve an endless cycle along with the chain, and is installed to be tilted from the chain, and the fruit is sorted by weight by discharging the fruit at a set position therefrom.

The tray includes a support part, a descending part, and a seating part as means for supporting the fruit to be safely transported to a set position. The support part is a component for connecting the tray to the chain, and one side is fixedly coupled to the chain and the other side is coupled to the tray. The descending part is hinged to the support part and is coupled to be lowered in the vertical direction. The seating portion is provided on the upper surface of the tray to allow fruit to be seated, and is made of a roundish curved groove to stably support the fruit without damage.

In particular, the tray is installed to be tiltable from the support unit, and a tilting operation is performed at a predetermined position to discharge the fruit accommodated in the seating unit to the set area of the loading unit.

The sorting unit 20 receives fruits from the supplying unit 10 and stores them in a tray, and the tray measures the weight of the received fruits. Fruits are weighed by a pendulum dial installed on one side of the tray, and the tray is tilted at a designated place according to the measured weight, and the fruits are classified and discharged by weight.

For example, the selection unit 20 is provided to be installed at regular intervals along the longitudinal direction of the main body, and mechanical selection is performed by including a shaft, a variable rail, a weight, and a scale display unit.

This mechanical sorting unit 20 has a structure disposed in a spaced space formed between the chains of the main body.

The shaft is coupled between the support portion and the tray to rotate the tray from the support portion to enable seesaw movement. One side of the shaft protrudes into a space formed between the chains, and the protruding shaft is coupled to the side of the chain, and the shaft has a structure in which a seesaw moves around a hinge when sorting fruits by weight.

The weight is screwed to the other side of the shaft, and the weight is screwed to the shaft to have a structure that can be moved in the longitudinal direction. In addition, on the surface of the weight, detailed scales subdivided into the range of '0 ~ 100g' are displayed, and these detailed scales are used to sort fruits by weight, and are used to set the weight of fruits.

The scale display unit protrudes from the outside of the guide frame to surround the circumference of the shaft, and on the surface of the scale display unit, a weight value setting scale is displayed at a position adjacent to the subdivided and displayed subscale so that fruits can be sorted by set weight. . Here, the weight value setting scale is displayed from 0 to 1300g, and accordingly, the mechanical sorting unit can sort fruits within the range of at least 100g to 1300g by weight by weight.

When the weight of the fruit seated on the tray is greater than the weight of the weight, the mechanical sorting unit 20 forms an empty space between the chains by interlocking with the shaft, and the sorting pin formed at the bottom of the tray is separated into the empty space. It is structured to sort fruits by set weight.

The sorting unit 30 includes a load cell 31 installed at the bottom of the tray to measure the weight of individually stored fruits; and a pull ring (not shown) for imparting a bending operation to the tray.

The load cell 31 is installed at the bottom of the tray to immediately measure the weight of the fruit accommodated in the tray. The load cell 31 is connected to the control unit 32 separately installed in the sorting unit 20 through electronic signals, and transmits the measured information to the control unit in real time. The control unit 32 selects the location where the fruit is to be discharged by weight, and commands the tray to be tilted when the load cell reaches the position corresponding to the measurement and weight of the fruit.

The control unit 32 is configured to include a proximity sensor 32-1 installed on the inlet side of the loading unit 40. The proximity sensor 32-1 is installed in a set of two on both sides of the entrance of the loading part 40, which is in close proximity to the sorting part 20. Accordingly, the control unit 32 can determine in real time whether the fruit is loaded excessively through the proximity sensor 32-1 installed on the loading unit 40.

In addition, when it is determined through the proximity sensor 32-1 that the loading limit of the loading unit 40 is exceeded, the driving of the sorting unit 20 is temporarily stopped so that fruit is not caught between the tray and the loading unit. prevent

The fruit sorting device of the present invention composed of the above configuration includes a mechanical sorting unit for detecting the weight of fruit using a weight dial and sorting fruit based on the detected weight information, and measuring the weight of fruit using a load cell and the measured weight. Since the electronic sorting unit that sorts fruit based on information is all in one device, even if an error occurs in the sorting unit that requires professional repair, it can be immediately replaced with a mechanical sorting unit, so the operation of the device can be improved. Continuous sorting is possible without stopping, so production efficiency can be actively improved.

In addition, since the width of the supply path can be freely adjusted due to the adjustment of the position of the first and second control units installed in the hopper according to the average size of the input fruits, they are accurately aligned in a line regardless of the size of the input fruits and the selection unit It can be safely supplied, and in addition, the deceleration effect is exerted on the fall of the fruit delivered from the supply unit to the sorting unit by the deceleration member provided in the supply unit, so that the fruit can be safely delivered to the correct location.

In addition, the sorted fruit is indiscriminately discharged regardless of the excess space of the loading part, causing the fruit to be caught between the sorting part and the loading part, resulting in various problems such as breakdown of the sorting device or damage to the fruit. Unlike, the proximity sensor installed in the loading part detects fruit that exceeds the allowable space of the loading part in real time and delivers it to the control unit, and the control unit temporarily stops the operation of the sorting unit according to the detected information, thereby completely solving the existing problems. A more stable screening work environment can be created.

The present invention described above has been described with reference to one embodiment shown in the drawings, but this is only exemplary, and those skilled in the art can make various modifications and equivalent other embodiments therefrom. will have to be clarified. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention should be construed according to the appended claims, and all technical ideas within the equivalent range should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention.

10. Feed section 11. Hopper
12. Transfer rail 13. Reduction member
20. Selection unit 30. Selection unit
31. Load cell 32. Control unit
40. Loading part

Claims (7)

It is possible to selectively switch between mechanical selection and electronic selection, but a supply unit 10 that receives and sorts a large amount of fruit and continuously supplies them in one direction; and a tray disposed in the longitudinal direction below the supply unit and operated in an endless track. A sorting unit 20 that individually stores fruits and discharges fruits by weight using the set value of the weight dial installed on the tray and the difference in weight of the fruit; and, installed at the bottom of the tray to measure the weight of the fruit, and a control unit An electronic sorting unit 30 that discharges fruit to a designated position according to the discharge position by weight set in (32); and a loading unit 40 disposed on one side of the sorting unit and loading fruits discharged from the tray by weight; including,
The supply unit 10 includes a hopper 11 for arranging the input fruit in a row; a transfer rail 12 installed at the lower end of the hopper in a longitudinal direction and transferring the fruit in one direction by taking over the fruit from the hopper; and a transfer rail A deceleration member 13 installed at one end of the sorting unit 20 to set and support the falling fruit to reduce the falling speed; includes,
The hopper 11 includes a first control plate 11-1 installed to be position-adjustable inward and outward on one side of the transfer rail 12; and on the other side of the transfer rail facing the first control plate. Including; second control plate 11-2 installed to be position-adjustable to the outside,
The reduction member 13 is disposed across the width direction from the top of the transfer rail 12, and is bolted to a slot provided in the transfer rail to adjust the front and rear position and angle, but the width at the top of the transfer rail 12 A bracket (13-1) disposed across the direction; and a brush (13-2) that couples downward from the bracket and sets and supports fruits falling from the transfer rail to the sorting unit (20); stable transfer by fruit size, including A fruit sorting device that can do this.
delete delete delete delete According to claim 1,
The sorting unit 30,
A load cell 31 installed at the bottom of the tray to measure the weight of the individually stored fruit;
a control unit 32 for providing a signal so that the tray is tilted at the set position;
A fruit sorting device that can be stably transferred by fruit size.
According to claim 6,
The control unit 32 determines in real time whether or not the loading of fruits is exceeded through the proximity sensor 32-1 installed on the loading unit 40, and temporarily stops driving the sorting unit 20 when the loading limit is exceeded. A fruit sorting device capable of stable transfer by fruit size, further comprising preventing fruit from being caught between the tray and the loading part gap.

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