JPH0568320B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for sorting asparagus or green onions (hereinafter "asparagus or green onions" will be referred to as "asparagus etc.").

[Problems to be solved by conventional technology and invention] Conventionally, asparagus, etc., have been sorted and shipped according to each prefecture or production area, but the common points of these standards are It is stipulated that the stalks are cut to a uniform length, sorted into classes according to the diameter of the stalks, and the number of stalks corresponding to the weight of one bundle is bundled according to class.

On the other hand, as for conventional asparagus sorting techniques, those disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 59-26355 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 59-26356 are known.

In the conventional known method, when asparagus is imaged and image signals are processed, the diameter of the stem, the ratio between the maximum diameter of the tip and the diameter of the stem, and the length are calculated as selection elements, and When the calculated value of each sorting element satisfies the tolerance criteria, the stem is classified by size based on its diameter, and the stem diameter is determined by dividing the stem by a certain distance from the cut point to the tip of the stem. The diameter of one spot is measured and used as the diameter of that asparagus.

However, the reality is that asparagus stems come in a variety of shapes.

In other words, the reality is that there are some that are round-shaped with approximately the same diameter from the root to the bottom of the head of the ear, and others that have a diameter that gradually decreases from the root to the bottom of the head.

Furthermore, asparagus stems have many triangular bulges called scales or scale lobes from the base to the bottom of the neck, and the diameter depends on whether the bulges of the scales are in the position where the diameter is measured. There is also a real situation where the measured value of increases or decreases.

Due to this fact, in the above-mentioned conventional method in which the diameter of an asparagus stem is measured at a single point, the diameter measurement value may differ from the overall substance of the stem (not proportional to the weight). There is a problem in that it is not possible to accurately sort asparagus into classes that match the actual nature of the asparagus, and after sorting asparagus, when the number of asparagus corresponding to a predetermined weight is bundled and packed according to class, the number of asparagus in a bundle is not constant. In addition, in conventionally known products, the lengths of asparagus differ within the allowable range between the minimum and maximum allowable dimensions and are not uniform, resulting in a lot of work being done in the packing process. The problem was that it required time and effort.

Furthermore, when asparagus is sorted using the conventionally known method, the number and length of the bunches tied after sorting are uneven, resulting in a problem that the product looks bad.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to perform accurate class sorting that matches the substance of asparagus, etc., and improve the efficiency of bundling and packing work after sorting. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for sorting asparagus, etc., and a sorting device, which can improve the appearance of asparagus products.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention is directed to the stem, which is the body of asparagus, which has an infinite variety of natural products, and which exhibits a value most proportional to its weight. It is the projected area of the part of the stem, and it was also discovered that the parts of the stem that are likely to fluctuate and cause errors are one end on the root side and one end on the tip side (for green onions, the tip side of the leaf). Based on this, the following technical measures have been taken.

That is, the method for sorting asparagus, etc. of the present invention is as follows:
Asparagus, etc. as an object to be sorted is cut into a certain length by a cutting device while being conveyed on a conveyor, and the cut object to be sorted is cut into a certain length by a camera while being carried on a sorting conveyor. By taking an image and analyzing the image obtained by taking the image, the length from one end of the object to be sorted having a certain length to a predetermined position This method is characterized in that the area S of the stem at the length L is measured, and based on the measurement result, the objects to be sorted of a certain length are sorted and discharged according to class.

Furthermore, the apparatus for sorting asparagus, etc. of the present invention includes a conveyor for conveying asparagus, etc. as an object to be sorted, and a conveyor installed at a predetermined position along the conveyance path of the conveyor to separate the objects to be sorted to a certain length while being conveyed. a cutting device that cuts the cut objects of a certain length, a sorting conveyor that conveys the cut objects of a certain length, and a sorting conveyor that is installed at a predetermined position above the conveyance path of the sorting conveyor, and an object of a certain length that is on the sorting conveyor. By using a camera that captures an image and outputs an image signal, and by analyzing and processing the image obtained from the image signal from the camera, the length from one end of the object to be sorted of a certain length to a predetermined position X in the length direction is determined. A preset constant length L from the position X except for
and an arithmetic processing device that measures the area S of the stem, determines the class of the object to be sorted of a certain length based on the measurement result, and outputs a sorting signal for each class to the discharge device of the corresponding class. It is characterized by:

[Example] Examples of the present invention are shown in the drawings (Figs. 1 to 11) below.
The explanation will be based on Figure).

In FIGS. 1 to 5, reference numeral 1 denotes a two-row type automatic cutting device, which is equipped with two cutting conveyors 2 each serving as a conveyor, a narrow width conveyor 3, and two cutting devices 4.

Reference numeral 5 denotes a supply section, in which asparagus, etc. is placed on the tray 22 of the cutting conveyor 2 for conveying asparagus, etc. in a predetermined posture and aligned with the reference surface 23 (in the case of asparagus, the tip is aligned with the reference surface and the length is In the case of green onions, this is a feeding work area for feeding green onions one by one with the roots aligned with the reference plane, and the length is determined based on the number of workers required for the processing capacity of the sorting equipment. ing.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a sorting conveyor that is provided to be connected to the cutting conveyor 2, and a camera device 7 is provided at a predetermined position above the upstream side of the conveyance path. The imaging signal from this camera device 7 is
The data is sent to an arithmetic processing unit (not shown).

More specifically, the cutting conveyor 2 of the automatic cutting device 1 includes a pair of conveyor chains 21 that run and rotate from a starting end 24 toward a terminal end 25, and a large number of trays 22 are attached at predetermined intervals in the traveling direction. ing. The upper surface of the saucer 22 is
The cross section is formed into a special V-groove shape to better accommodate asparagus, etc., and the saucer 2
2 has a reference surface 23 at one end, and the other end (on the width conveyor 3 side) is formed to be open.

The width conveyor 3 is provided parallel to the cutting conveyor 2, with its starting end 33 being parallel to the starting end 24 of the cutting conveyor 2, and its terminal end 34 being parallel to the terminal end 25 of the cutting conveyor 2.
It is arranged closer to the starting end portion 24 in the traveling direction than the starting end portion 24 .

This narrow conveyor 3 includes a conveyor chain 31 that runs and rotates from a starting end 33 to a terminal end 34.
A large number of trays 32 having the same cross-sectional shape as the trays 22 of the cutting conveyor 2 and open at both ends are mounted so as to match the mounting pitch of the trays 22 of the cutting conveyor 2.

Further, this width conveyor 3 is configured to move in parallel with the cutting conveyor 2 and in synchronization with a cutting gap large enough to allow the cutter 41 to enter between the narrow conveyor 3 and the cutting conveyor 2. .

The cutting device 4 is provided near the terminal end 34 as a predetermined position along the conveyance path of the cutting conveyor 2, that is, along the conveyance path of the narrow width conveyor 3, and includes a disc-shaped cutter 41 and a pressing roller 42. It is composed of.

The cutter 41 is constantly rotating with a part of it getting into the cutting gap, and is conveying asparagus, etc., which is being conveyed astride the tray 22 of the cutting conveyor 2 and the tray 32 of the narrow width conveyor 3. It is designed to be cut to a certain length.

42 is a pressing roller, and the cutter 41
It is placed on the side and is rotatably supported.
Its outer periphery is adapted to come into contact with the mounting surfaces of the saucers 22 and 32.

According to this pressing roller 42, the saucers 22, 32
The asparagus etc. that are being conveyed by the cutter 41 can be pressed down softly from above, and there is no misalignment when cutting with the cutter 41, and a perpendicular cut surface can be obtained.

This pressing roller 42 is made of a soft material such as sponge, and is constructed so as not to damage the asparagus or the like.

That is, this presser roller 42
When cutting asparagus, etc. placed on top using the cutter 41, the outer periphery of the asparagus, etc. can be freely deformed to follow the shape of the saucer 22 in order to fit the asparagus, etc. into the V-groove so that the asparagus, etc. does not shift laterally or move. This allows for reliable cutting.

The sorting conveyor 6 receives, on a tray 62, asparagus, etc., which have been cut to a certain length by the cutting device 4 and is being conveyed by the cutting conveyor 2, and conveys the same. Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 1983 (1982), which was first proposed by a person
36020 and Utility Model Application Publication No. 59-97780 can also be used.

The camera device 7 is configured by combining a sensor camera 71 and an illumination device 72, and is configured to take an image of a certain length of asparagus or the like conveyed on a tray 62 of the sorting conveyor 6.

The sorting section 8 is arranged downstream of the camera device 7, and the sorting section 8 includes a sensor camera 7.
There are a plurality of discharge devices 10 for sorting and discharging the asparagus etc. imaged by 1 for each grade class, and in the illustrated example, there are a plurality of discharge devices 10 for sorting and discharging the asparagus etc.
Two of them are installed.

11a and 11b are conveyors, which are provided corresponding to the discharge devices 10a and 10b.

The discharge devices 10a and 10b are configured to alternately switch and operate each time a predetermined number of asparagus etc. are discharged. The carry-out conveyor 11 is stopped while the corresponding discharge device 10 is in operation, and when the discharge device 10 has discharged a predetermined number of discharges,
It moves forward a predetermined distance and then stops.

Reference numeral 9 denotes an automatic supply section, in which the starting end 61 of the sorting conveyor 6 is arranged at a predetermined position below the terminal end 25 of the cutting conveyor 2, and the sorting conveyor 6 and the cutting conveyor 2 are synchronously interlocked. ing.

In the above configuration, a signal captured by the cancer camera 71 is analyzed and processed as described below by an arithmetic processing unit (not shown) to determine the grade and class.

(B) Determination of class As shown in Figure 8, the determination of class is based on the length of asparagus etc. cut into a certain size, excluding the length from the root as one end to a predetermined position X in the length direction.
The area (projected area) S of the stem at a preset constant length L is calculated from the position Determine.

In other words, the root side and the tip of the stem (leaf tip) are prone to errors due to local size reduction and enlargement.
One end of the side is excluded from measurement, and
By measuring the area at a preset single value length L, that is, the area as the integrated value of the diameter values at countless points at this constant length L, it is possible to obtain an accurate measurement value proportional to the weight. It is possible to perform accurate classification according to the substance of asparagus, etc.

(b) Judgment of grade (degree of shape deformation) The degree of shape deformation for grade determination includes partial root bending on the base side, partial ear (leaf) bending on the tip (leaf tip) side, and overall bending. The squiggly S-bend is measured, and the arcuate bend of the entire length is not considered important because it is straightened by binding, so there is no need to measure it.

For root bending, measure the maximum distance between a straight line connecting the root side to near the center of the entire length and the center line passing through the center of the stem, as shown in Figure 9, and use this value as the standard setting value for root bending. Compare and grade.

Curved ears (in the case of asparagus) are the 10th
As shown in the figure, the maximum distance between the straight line connecting the tip of the ear to near the center of the entire length and the center line passing through the center of the stem is measured, and this value is compared with the standard set value for ear bending to determine the grade.

S-curve (for long onions) is the maximum width that the center line of the stem swings to both sides with respect to a straight line connecting two predetermined points O-O of the center line connecting the root to the tip of the head, as shown in Figure 11. This value is compared with the S-bend standard setting value to determine the grade.

Incidentally, although it is preferable to perform the grade determination by measuring the degree of each shape deformation described above, it is not necessary. If this is not done, the judgment can be made visually when the asparagus etc. are placed on the sorting conveyor 6, and the judgment result can be used to shift the placing position on the saucer 62 as shown in FIG. As for the technique, the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-71067, which was previously proposed by the present applicant, may be used.

[Effects of the Invention] The present invention cuts asparagus, etc. into a certain length using a cutting device during transportation, and cuts the asparagus, etc. into a certain length from one end of the cut asparagus, etc. to a certain length. The area of the stem is measured at a preset length L from position X, excluding the length up to position As the measurement results are obtained and the asparagus is sorted and discharged (sorted), it is possible to accurately classify the class according to the substance of the asparagus, etc., and the length and weight per piece of the asparagus etc. that have been sorted are the same. It is possible to improve work efficiency when bundling and packing the number of products that correspond to a predetermined weight, and since the number and length of each bundle are uniform, the appearance of the bundled products can be improved. It is something that you have.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings are all explanatory diagrams showing embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an overall plan view of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the main parts of the cutting device, FIG. 4 is a side view of the main parts of the cutting device, and FIG. A sectional view of the main parts of the cutting device, Fig. 6 is an explanatory view of the discharge switching of the sorting section, Fig. 7 is an explanatory view of the placement position of the saucer,
Figure 8 is a diagram explaining the class measurement procedure, Figures 9 and 10
Figure 11 shows root bending, spike bending, and S.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of measurement procedures for bending grade determination items. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Automatic cutting device, 2... Cutting conveyor as a conveyor, 21... Conveyor chain, 22... Receiver, 23... Reference surface,
24... Starting end, 25... Terminating end, 3... Width conveyor, 31... Conveyor chain, 32... Receiver, 33... Starting end, 34... Terminating end, 4... Cutting device, 41... ... cutter, 42 ... holding roller, 5 ... supply section, 6 ... sorting conveyor, 61 ...
...Starting end, 62...Saucer, 7...Camera device, 7
1...Sensor camera, 72...Lighting device, 8...
... Sorting section, 9... Automatic supply section, 10, 10a,
10b...discharge device, 11, 11a, 11b...
conveyor.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. Asparagus or the like as an object to be sorted is cut into a certain length by a cutting device while being conveyed on a conveyor, and the cut object to be sorted of a certain length is placed on a sorting conveyor. By taking an image with a camera while the object is being conveyed, and analyzing the image obtained by taking the image, the object is separated from the length from one end of the object to a predetermined position X in the length direction. A method for sorting asparagus, etc., characterized by measuring the area S of a stem at a predetermined length L from a position . 2. A transport conveyor that transports asparagus, etc. as a material to be sorted; a cutting device installed at a predetermined position along the transport path of the transport conveyor to cut the material to be sorted into a certain length while it is being transported; a sorting conveyor that conveys objects of a certain length to be sorted; a camera that is installed at a predetermined position above the conveyance path of the sorting conveyor and that images the objects of a certain length on the sorting conveyor and outputs an imaging signal; By analyzing and processing the image obtained from the imaging signal from the camera, a predetermined length is removed from one end of the object to be sorted with a certain length to a predetermined position Measure the area S of the stem at length L, determine the class of the object to be sorted with a certain length based on the measurement result,
1. A sorting device for asparagus, etc., comprising an arithmetic processing device that outputs a sorting signal for each class to a discharge device of the corresponding class.