Loosening determination system, rice product manufacturing system, loosening determination method, and rice product manufacturing method

Abstract

To provide a loosening determination system capable of accurately and quickly determining the degree of loosening of cooked rice, and to provide a rice product manufacturing system, loosening determination method, and rice product manufacturing method.SOLUTION: A loosening determination system is provided, comprising a second image capturing camera 52, a third image capturing camera 53, and a fourth image capturing camera 54 for capturing images of cooked rice loosened by a loosening unit 32, and a loosening degree determination unit 74 for determining the degree of loosening of the cooked rice on the basis of the captured images captured by the second, third, and fourth image capturing cameras 52, 53,54.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a loosening determination system, a rice product manufacturing system, a loosening determination method, and a rice product manufacturing method.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a rice product manufacturing system, there is an onigiri manufacturing apparatus provided with a loosening unit for loosening cooked rice (see Patent Document 1). This onigiri manufacturing apparatus includes a rice input hopper for inputting cooked rice, a loosening unit (loosening wheel) for loosening the rice in the rice input hopper, a shutter for separating only the loosened rice by the amount for one onigiri, and a molding machine for molding the separated rice. In this onigiri apparatus, the degree of loosening of the rice can be adjusted to a good state by loosening the rice with the loosening unit.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the conventional onigiri molding apparatus, since the determination of the degree of loosening of the rice is performed by human senses (such as eating), it takes time to determine the degree of loosening, and there is a problem that the degree of loosening cannot be accurately determined.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a loosening determination system, a rice product manufacturing system, a loosening determination method, and a rice product manufacturing method capable of accurately and quickly determining the degree of loosening of rice.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a loosening determination system characterized by comprising an imaging unit that images the cooked rice loosened by a loosening unit, and a loosening degree determination unit that determines whether the loosening degree of the cooked rice is good or not based on the captured image captured by the imaging unit.

[0007] Further, the present invention provides a rice product manufacturing system for loosening cooked rice and manufacturing rice products using the loosened rice, the system comprising a loosening unit for loosening the rice, an imaging unit for imaging the rice loosened by the loosening unit, and a loosening degree determination unit for determining whether the loosening degree of the rice is good or not based on the captured image captured by the imaging unit. Here, the rice products referred to herein are products manufactured using cooked rice, and examples include onigiri, nori rolls, and white rice packed in containers (e.g., rice for bento).

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a loosening determination method characterized by executing an imaging step of imaging the cooked rice loosened by a loosening unit, and a loosening degree determination step of determining whether the loosening degree of the cooked rice is good or not based on the captured image captured by the imaging step.

[0009] Further, the present invention provides a rice product manufacturing method for loosening cooked rice and manufacturing rice products using the loosened rice, the method comprising an imaging step of imaging the rice loosened by a loosening unit, a loosening degree determination step of determining whether the loosening degree of the rice is within an appropriate range based on the captured image captured by the imaging step, and a cooking oil amount adjustment step of adjusting the amount of cooking oil used in cooking the rice when it is determined in the loosening degree determination step that the loosening degree is not within the appropriate range.

Advantages of the Invention

[0010] The loosening determination system, rice product manufacturing system, loosening determination method, and rice product manufacturing method according to the present invention can accurately and quickly determine the degree of loosening of cooked rice.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, a rice ball manufacturing system to which the loosening determination system, rice product manufacturing system, loosening determination method, and rice product manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention are applied will be described. This rice ball manufacturing system is a system that cooks cooked rice, loosens the cooked rice, and manufactures rice balls using the loosened cooked rice. In particular, this rice ball manufacturing system images the cooked rice after loosening and determines the degree of loosening (looseness) of the cooked rice based on the imaging result. Note that the rice ball manufacturing system is an example of a rice product manufacturing system.

[0013] (Configuration of the rice ball manufacturing system) As shown in FIG. 1, the rice ball manufacturing system 1 includes a rice cooker 11 that cooks cooked rice, a forming device 12 that forms the cooked rice, and a control terminal 13 that controls the rice cooker 11 and the forming device 12. The control terminal 13 is an example of an image analysis device.

[0014] The rice cooker 11 includes a rice cooking pot 21, a heater 22 for heating the rice cooking pot 21, a rice supply unit 23 for supplying rice to the rice cooking pot 21, a water supply unit 24 for supplying water (rice cooking water) to the rice cooking pot 21, and an oil supply unit 25 for supplying rice cooking oil to the rice cooking pot 21.

[0015] The rice supply unit 23 stores rice and supplies the stored rice to the rice cooking pot 21 according to an instruction from the control terminal 13. The water supply unit 24 stores water and supplies the stored water to the rice cooking pot 21 according to an instruction from the control terminal 13. The oil supply unit 25 stores rice cooking oil and supplies the stored rice cooking oil to the rice cooking pot 21 according to an instruction from the control terminal 13. Note that the supply of rice, water, and rice cooking oil to the rice cooking pot 21 may be configured to be automatically supplied as in this embodiment, or may be manually performed by a person's hand.

[0016] The rice cooking by the rice cooker 11 is performed by driving the heater 22 after closing the rice cooking pot 21 with a lid (not shown) in a state where the rice, water, and rice cooking oil supplied from the respective supply units 23, 24, and 25 are placed in the rice cooking pot 21.

[0017] (Configuration of the forming device) As shown in FIG. 2, the forming device 12 includes a stirring case 31 having a rice ball inlet 31a formed at the upper part, a loosening part 32 for loosening the rice ball introduced into the stirring case 31, a rice ball quantity adjustment part 33 for measuring and separating only the amount of rice ball corresponding to one rice ball from the rice ball loosened by the loosening part 32, a forming part 34 for forming the rice ball separated by the rice ball quantity adjustment part 33 into a rice ball shape, and an additional processing part 35 for performing additional processing such as adding seasonings, attaching nori seaweed, and packaging on the rice ball formed by the forming part 34.

[0018] In addition, as a cooked rice conveying mechanism, the forming device 12 includes an introduction lift 41 that introduces the cooked rice cooked by the rice cooker 11 into the stirring case 31 from the cooked rice inlet 31a, a first conveyor 42 that conveys the loosened cooked rice by the loosening unit 32 to the cooked rice quantity adjusting unit 33, and a second conveyor 43 and a third conveyor 44 that convey the separated cooked rice by the cooked rice quantity adjusting unit 33 to the forming unit 34 and convey the formed cooked rice by the forming unit 34 to the additional processing unit 35. Note that the conveyance of the cooked rice from the rice cooker 11 to the forming device 12 (the introduction lift 41 thereof) may be configured to be performed manually by a person, or may be configured to be automatically performed by a belt conveyor or the like.

[0019] Furthermore, the forming device 12 includes a first imaging camera 51 that images the cooked rice on the introduction lift 41, a second imaging camera 52 that images the cooked rice on the first conveyor 42, a third imaging camera 53 and a fourth imaging camera 54 that image the cooked rice on the second conveyor 43, and a weighing scale 55 that measures the weight of the formed cooked rice. Note that the second imaging camera 52, the third imaging camera 53, and the fourth imaging camera 54 are each an example of an imaging unit. Also, the weighing scale 55 is an example of a weight measuring unit. Furthermore, a system including the control terminal 13, the second imaging camera 52, the third imaging camera 53, the fourth imaging camera 54, and the weighing scale 55 is an example of a loosening determination system.

[0020] The loosening unit 32 has, for example, a paddle 32a that stirs the cooked rice in the stirring case 31 and a drive motor (not shown) that rotationally drives the paddle 32a. The loosening unit 32 stirs the cooked rice by rotating the paddle 32a by driving the drive motor. As a result, the cooked rice is loosened, the rice grains of the cooked rice are separated, and the cooked rice is in a loosened state.

[0021] The cooked rice quantity adjusting unit 33 is composed of, for example, a shutter mechanism or the like, measures and separates only the amount of cooked rice for one rice ball, and delivers it to the second conveyor 43. In the present embodiment, the separation is performed so that the volume of the cooked rice is substantially constant based on volume criteria.

[0022] The forming unit 34 is composed of, for example, a rice ball-shaped forming mold (rice ball mold), etc., and forms the cooked rice separated by the cooked rice amount adjusting unit 33 into a rice ball shape. When it is necessary to fill the cooked rice with ingredients, the forming unit 34 fills the ingredients into the cooked rice in addition to forming the cooked rice.

[0023] The additional processing unit 35 performs additional processing such as applying seasonings to the rice formed into a rice ball shape, attaching nori seaweed to the rice, and packaging the rice. By these additional processes, the production of rice balls is completed.

[0024] The introduction lift 41 is composed of, for example, a placement plate configured to be swingable, and swings and drives in a state where the cooked rice is placed, thereby introducing the cooked rice from the cooked rice inlet 31a into the stirring case 31.

[0025] The first conveyor 42 is composed of, for example, a belt conveyor extending substantially horizontally from the loosening unit 32 to the cooked rice amount adjusting unit 33, and conveys the cooked rice loosened by the loosening unit 32 to the cooked rice amount adjusting unit 33.

[0026] The second conveyor 43 is composed of, for example, a belt conveyor extending substantially horizontally from directly below the cooked rice amount adjusting unit 33 through the forming unit 34 to the weighing scale 55, conveys the cooked rice (lump of cooked rice) separated by the cooked rice amount adjusting unit 33 to the forming unit 34, and conveys the cooked rice formed into a rice ball shape by the forming unit 34 to the weighing scale 55.

[0027] The third conveyor 44 is composed of, for example, a belt conveyor extending substantially horizontally from the weighing scale 55 to the additional processing unit 35, and conveys the cooked rice whose weight has been measured by the weighing scale 55 to the additional processing unit 35.

[0028] The first imaging camera 51 is disposed facing the introduction lift 41, and images the cooked rice cooked by the rice cooker 11 and placed on the introduction lift 41. That is, the first imaging camera 51 images the cooked rice cooked by the rice cooker 11 and before being loosened by the loosening unit 32.

[0029] The second imaging camera 52 is disposed facing the first conveyor 42, images the cooked rice that has been loosened by the loosening unit 32 and placed on the first conveyor 42. That is, the second imaging camera 52 images the cooked rice before being loosened by the loosening unit 32 and before being sorted by the cooked rice amount adjustment unit 33.

[0030] The third imaging camera 53 is disposed facing the second conveyor 43 at a position between the cooked rice amount adjustment unit 33 and the forming unit 34, and images the cooked rice sorted by the cooked rice amount adjustment unit 33. That is, the third imaging camera 53 images the cooked rice before being sorted by the cooked rice amount adjustment unit 33 and before being formed by the forming unit 34.

[0031] The fourth imaging camera 54 is disposed facing the second conveyor 43 at a position between the forming unit 34 and the weighing scale 55, and images the cooked rice formed by the forming unit 34. That is, the fourth imaging camera 54 images the cooked rice before being formed by the forming unit 34 and before additional processing is performed by the additional processing unit 35.

[0032] The weighing scale 55 measures the weight of the cooked rice that has been loosened by the loosening unit 32, sorted by the cooked rice amount adjustment unit 33, and formed by the forming unit 34.

[0033] (Configuration of the control terminal) As shown in FIG. 1, the control terminal 13 is an information processing device including a control unit 61 and a storage unit 62. The storage unit 62 is composed of, for example, a hard disk or the like, and stores various data for controlling the rice cooker 11 and the forming device 12. In the present embodiment, the storage unit 62 stores an appropriate range database 70.

[0034] The appropriate range database 70 is a database that stores the appropriate ranges of each numerical value related to the quality of cooked rice. Specifically, the appropriate range database 70 stores the upper threshold value (and lower threshold value) of the glossiness degree of cooked rice, the lower threshold value (and upper threshold value) of the porosity of cooked rice, the upper threshold value (and lower threshold value) of the porosity variation of cooked rice, the upper threshold value (and lower threshold value) of the weight of cooked rice, and the upper threshold value of the degree of rice adhesion. These threshold values are set based on each numerical value obtained when the present rice ball manufacturing system 1 (actual machine) manufactures appropriate products (rice balls). Note that it is preferable that the imaging conditions of the imaging cameras 51 to 54 and the measurement conditions of the weighing scale 55 related to the acquisition of each numerical value used for setting the threshold values are the same as the conditions of the rice ball manufacturing operation described later. Also, it is preferable that the rice cooking conditions (type of rice to be cooked, rice cooking time, amount of water for rice cooking, type of cooking oil) of the cooked rice at the time of obtaining each numerical value used for setting the threshold values are the same as the conditions of the rice ball manufacturing operation described later. Note that each numerical value used for setting the threshold values may be configured to use data at the time of test manufacturing or may be configured to use data at the time of actual manufacturing.

[0035] The control unit 61 is composed of, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), etc., and controls the rice cooker 11 and the forming device 12. Further, the control unit 61 functions as a rice cooker control unit 71, a forming device control unit 72, a glossiness degree determination unit 73, a looseness degree determination unit 74, a rice adhesion degree determination unit 75, and a rice cooking oil amount adjustment unit 76 by executing a predetermined program.

[0036] The rice cooking device control unit 71 controls the rice cooking device 11 to cook cooked rice. Specifically, the rice cooking device control unit 71 controls the rice supply unit 23 to supply rice to the rice cooking pot 21 by the set rice amount. Further, the rice cooking device control unit 71 controls the water supply unit 24 to supply water to the rice cooking pot 21 by the set rice cooking water amount. Further, the rice cooking device control unit 71 controls the oil supply unit 25 to supply cooking oil to the rice cooking pot 21 by the set rice cooking oil amount. Further, the rice cooking device control unit 71 controls the heater 22 to heat the rice cooking pot 21 containing rice, water, and cooking oil to cook the cooked rice. In this embodiment, by changing the set rice amount, the amount of rice during cooking can be adjusted, by changing the set rice cooking water amount, the rice cooking water amount during cooking can be adjusted, and by changing the set rice cooking oil amount, the rice cooking oil amount (added amount) during cooking can be adjusted.

[0037] The forming device control unit 72 controls the forming device 12 to form the cooked rice cooked by the rice cooking device 11 into a rice ball shape and perform additional processing on the formed cooked rice. Specifically, the forming device control unit 72 controls the introduction lift 41 to introduce the cooked rice into the stirring case 31. Further, the forming device control unit 72 controls the loosening unit 32 to loosen the cooked rice. Further, the forming device control unit 72 controls the rice amount adjustment unit 33 to separate the cooked rice by the amount for one rice ball. Further, the forming device control unit 72 controls the forming unit 34 to form the cooked rice into a rice ball shape. Further, the forming device control unit 72 controls the additional processing unit 35 to apply seasonings, attach nori seaweed, perform packaging, etc. on the cooked rice. Further, the forming device control unit 72 controls the first conveyor 42, the second conveyor 43, and the third conveyor 44 to convey the cooked rice.

[0038] The shininess degree determination unit 73 determines whether the shininess degree of the cooked rice is good or not based on the captured images captured by the first imaging camera 51 and the second imaging camera 52. Specifically, the captured images are analyzed for luminance, and the shininess degree of the cooked rice is obtained based on the average luminance value of the cooked rice shown in the captured images. Then, by determining whether the obtained shininess degree exceeds the upper threshold value of the shininess degree stored in the proper range database 70, it is determined whether the shininess degree of the cooked rice is within the proper range.

[0039] The looseness degree determination unit 74 determines whether the looseness degree of the cooked rice is good or not based on the captured images of the imaging cameras 52, 53, 54 and the measurement results of the weighing scale 55. A good looseness degree refers to a state that is puffy and not easily displaced, with appropriate gaps between the rice grains and the rice grains being sufficiently bound together. Specifically, the looseness degree determination unit 74 determines the porosity, pore variation and weight of the cooked rice as indicators of the looseness degree, and has a porosity determination unit 81, a pore variation determination unit 82 and a weight determination unit 83.

[0040] The porosity determination unit 81 determines the porosity of the cooked rice based on the captured images captured by the third imaging camera 53 and the fourth imaging camera 54. The porosity of the cooked rice is the ratio between the rice grain part and the gap part between the rice grains. Specifically, the porosity determination unit 81 performs binarization processing on the captured images and obtains the ratio between the white part that is the rice grain part and the black part that is the gap part as the porosity. Then, by determining whether the obtained porosity is less than the lower threshold value of the porosity stored in the proper range database 70, it is determined whether the porosity of the cooked rice is within the proper range.

[0041] The void variation determination unit 82 determines the void variation of the cooked rice based on the captured images of the second imaging camera 52 and the third imaging camera 53. The void variation of the cooked rice is the degree of variation in the void ratio of each region of the cooked rice. Specifically, the void variation determination unit 82 divides the cooked rice portion of the captured image into a plurality of regions, then binarizes the captured image, and obtains the ratio of the white portion and the black portion of each region as the void ratio of each region. Then, based on the void ratios of the obtained regions, the degree of variation (variance or standard deviation) of the void ratios of the regions is calculated to obtain the void variation of the cooked rice. Then, by determining whether the obtained void variation exceeds the upper threshold value of the void variation stored in the appropriate range database 70, it is determined whether the void variation of the cooked rice is within the appropriate range.

[0042] The weight determination unit 83 determines the weight of the separated cooked rice based on the measurement result of the weighing scale 55. In the present embodiment, since the cooked rice is separated by the cooked rice amount adjustment unit 33 so that the volume is substantially constant, the weight of the separated cooked rice becomes an index of the degree of looseness. Specifically, the weight determination unit 83 obtains the weight of the separated cooked rice from the measurement result of the weighing scale 55. Then, by determining whether the obtained weight exceeds the upper threshold value of the weight stored in the appropriate range database 70, it is determined whether the weight of the separated cooked rice is within the appropriate range.

[0043] The rice adhesion degree determination unit 75 determines the degree of adhesion of the cooked rice to the second conveyor 43 based on the imaging result of the fourth imaging camera 54. Specifically, the captured image is subjected to grayscale processing and shading correction processing to emphasize foreign matters on the captured image, and the amount of the foreign matters is obtained as the degree of adhesion of the cooked rice to the second conveyor 43. Then, by determining whether the obtained adhesion degree exceeds the upper threshold value of the rice adhesion degree stored in the appropriate range database 70, it is determined whether the degree of adhesion of the cooked rice to the second conveyor 43 is within the appropriate range. Note that the upper threshold value may be set to 0 (zero) to determine the presence or absence of adhesion of the cooked rice to the second conveyor 43.

[0044] The cooked rice oil amount adjustment unit 76 adjusts the amount of oil used for cooking rice by the rice cooker 11 by changing the set cooked rice oil amount in the rice cooker control unit 71 based on the determination results of the respective determination units 73, 74, and 75. Specifically, when the degree of stickiness determination unit 73 determines that the degree of stickiness of the cooked rice exceeds the upper threshold value (when it is determined that the degree of stickiness of the cooked rice is not within the appropriate range), the cooked rice oil amount adjustment unit 76 decreases the set cooked rice oil amount by a certain amount (for example, 0.1% by mass based on the rice). Also, when the weight determination unit 83 determines that the degree of adhesion of the cooked rice to the second conveyor 43 exceeds the upper threshold value (when it is determined that the degree of adhesion of the cooked rice to the second conveyor 43 is not within the appropriate range), the cooked rice oil amount adjustment unit 76 increases the set cooked rice oil amount by a certain amount (for example, 0.1% by mass based on the rice).

[0045] In addition, when the loosening degree determination unit 74 determines that the loosening degree of the cooked rice is not within the appropriate range, the cooked rice oil amount adjustment unit 76 increases the set cooked rice oil amount in the rice cooker control unit 71. That is, when the porosity determination unit 81 determines that the porosity of the cooked rice is less than the lower threshold value, the set cooked rice oil amount is increased by a certain amount (for example, 0.1% by mass based on the rice). Also, when the porosity variation determination unit 82 determines that the porosity variation of the cooked rice exceeds the upper threshold value, the cooked rice oil amount adjustment unit 76 increases the set cooked rice oil amount by a certain amount (for example, 0.1% by mass based on the rice). Further, when the weight determination unit 83 determines that the weight of the cooked rice exceeds the upper threshold value, the cooked rice oil amount adjustment unit 76 increases the set cooked rice oil amount by a certain amount (for example, 0.1% by mass based on the rice).

[0046] (Rice ball manufacturing operation) Next, with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5, the rice ball manufacturing operation by the rice ball manufacturing system 1 will be described. This rice ball manufacturing operation is an operation of cooking rice and manufacturing rice balls with the cooked rice, and is performed under the control of the control terminal 13. Note that the rice ball manufacturing operation is an example of a method for manufacturing cooked rice products by loosening the cooked rice and manufacturing cooked rice products with the loosened rice.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 3, the control terminal 13 first controls the rice cooker 11 by the rice cooker control unit 71 to cook the rice (S1 to S4). That is, the rice cooker control unit 71 controls the rice supply unit 23 to supply the set amount of rice to the rice cooker 21 (S1). Also, the rice cooker control unit 71 controls the water supply unit 24 to supply the set amount of cooking water to the rice cooker 21 (S2). Further, the rice cooker control unit 71 controls the oil supply unit 25 to supply the set amount of cooking oil to the rice cooker 21 (S3). When the rice, water, and cooking oil are put into the rice cooker 21, the rice cooker control unit 71 controls the heater 22 to heat the rice cooker 21 to cook the rice (S4). After cooking the rice, the cooked rice is transported to the forming device 12 (the introduction lift 41) (S5), and the forming device control unit 72 controls the forming device 12 to perform the rice forming process (S6).

[0048] Here, referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the rice forming process by the forming device 12 will be described. This rice forming process is a series of processes to be described later, which are performed multiple times in a flow operation and are performed simultaneously in parallel.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 4, in the rice forming process, first, the first imaging camera 51 is controlled to image the rice on the introduction lift 41 (S11). After imaging the rice on the introduction lift 41, the shininess determination unit 73 determines the shininess of the rice based on the captured image captured by the first imaging camera 51 (S12). That is, the captured image is analyzed to obtain the shininess of the rice, and it is determined whether the shininess exceeds the upper threshold value of the shininess stored in the appropriate range database 70. And as a result of the determination, when it is determined that the shininess of the rice exceeds the upper threshold value (S12: Yes), the cooking oil amount adjustment unit 76 decreases the set cooking oil amount by a certain amount (for example, 0.1% by mass with respect to the rice) (S13).

[0050] When the imaging of the cooked rice and the determination of the shininess degree are completed, the introduction lift 41 is controlled by the molding apparatus control unit 72 to introduce the cooked rice into the stirring case 31 (S14). Then, the loosening unit 32 is controlled to loosen the cooked rice introduced into the stirring case 31 (S15).

[0051] When the cooked rice is loosened, the first conveyor 42 is controlled by the molding apparatus control unit 72 to convey the loosened cooked rice to the cooked rice amount adjustment unit 33, and the second imaging camera 52 is controlled to image the cooked rice being conveyed by the first conveyor 42 (S16, S17) (imaging step).

[0052] When the cooked rice being conveyed is imaged, the shininess degree determination unit 73 and the void variation determination unit 82 determine the shininess degree and the void variation of the cooked rice based on the captured image captured by the second imaging camera 52 (S18, S19). That is, the captured image is analyzed to obtain the shininess degree of the cooked rice, and it is determined whether the shininess degree exceeds the upper threshold value of the shininess degree stored in the appropriate range database 70. Also, the captured image is analyzed to obtain the void variation of the cooked rice, and it is determined whether the void variation exceeds the upper threshold value of the void variation stored in the appropriate range database 70. Then, as a result of the determination, if it is determined that the shininess degree of the cooked rice exceeds the upper threshold value (S18: Yes), the set cooked rice oil amount is decreased by a certain amount (for example, 0.1% by mass with respect to the rice) by the cooked rice oil amount adjustment unit 76 (S20), and if it is determined that the void variation of the cooked rice exceeds the upper threshold value (S19: Yes), it is considered that the loosening degree is too low, and the set cooked rice oil amount is increased by a certain amount (for example, 0.1% by mass with respect to the rice) by the cooked rice oil amount adjustment unit 76 (S21) (cooked rice oil amount adjustment step).

[0053] When the conveyance and imaging of the cooked rice, and the determination of the shininess degree and the void variation are completed, the cooked rice amount adjustment unit 33 is controlled by the molding apparatus control unit 72 to separate the cooked rice by the amount for one rice ball (S22).

[0054] As shown in FIG. 5, after the cooked rice is sorted, the forming device control unit 72 controls the second conveyor 43 to convey the sorted cooked rice to the forming unit 34, and controls the third imaging camera 53 to image the cooked rice being conveyed by the second conveyor 43 (S23, S24) (imaging step).

[0055] When the cooked rice being conveyed is imaged, the void ratio determination unit 81 and the void variation determination unit 82 determine the void ratio and void variation of the cooked rice based on the captured image captured by the third imaging camera 53 (S25, S26) (loosening degree determination step). That is, the captured image is analyzed to obtain the void ratio of the cooked rice, and it is determined whether the void ratio is less than the lower threshold value of the void ratio stored in the appropriate range database 70. Also, the captured image is analyzed to obtain the void variation of the cooked rice, and it is determined whether the void variation exceeds the upper threshold value of the void variation stored in the appropriate range database 70. Then, as a result of the determination, if it is determined that the void ratio of the cooked rice is less than the lower threshold value (S25: Yes), or if it is determined that the void variation of the cooked rice exceeds the upper threshold value (S26: Yes), the loosening degree is considered too low, and the cooking oil amount adjustment unit 76 increases the set cooking oil amount by a certain amount (for example, 0.1% by mass with respect to the rice) (S27) (cooking oil amount adjustment step).

[0056] When the conveyance and imaging of the cooked rice, and the determination of the void ratio and void variation are completed, the forming device control unit 72 controls the forming unit 34 to form the sorted cooked rice into a rice ball shape (S28).

[0057] When the cooked rice is formed, the forming device control unit 72 controls the second conveyor 43 to convey the formed cooked rice to the weighing scale 55, and controls the fourth imaging camera 54 to image the cooked rice being conveyed by the second conveyor 43 (S29, S30) (imaging step).

[0058] When imaging the cooked rice during conveyance, the void fraction determination unit 81 and the cooked rice adhesion degree determination unit 75 determine the void fraction and the adhesion degree of the cooked rice based on the captured image captured by the fourth imaging camera 54 (S31, S32) (loosening degree determination step). That is, the captured image is analyzed to obtain the void fraction of the cooked rice, and it is determined whether the void fraction is less than the lower threshold value of the void fraction stored in the appropriate range database 70. Also, the captured image is analyzed to obtain the adhesion degree of the cooked rice to the second conveyor 43, and it is determined whether the adhesion degree exceeds the upper threshold value of the adhesion degree stored in the appropriate range database 70. Then, as a result of the determination, if it is determined that the void fraction of the cooked rice is less than the lower threshold value (S31: Yes), it is considered that the loosening degree is too low, and the cooked rice oil amount adjustment unit 76 increases the set cooked rice oil amount by a certain amount (for example, 0.1% by mass with respect to the rice) (S33) (cooked rice oil amount adjustment step). Also, if it is determined that the adhesion degree of the cooked rice exceeds the upper threshold value (S32: Yes), the cooked rice oil amount adjustment unit 76 increases the set cooked rice oil amount by a certain amount (for example, 0.1% by mass with respect to the rice) (S33).

[0059] When the conveyance and imaging of the cooked rice, and the determination of the void fraction and the adhesion degree are completed, the molding device control unit 72 controls the weighing scale 55 to measure the weight of the cooked rice molded into a rice ball shape (S34).

[0060] After measuring the weight of the cooked rice, the weight determination unit 83 determines the weight of the cooked rice based on the measurement result of the weighing scale 55 (S35). That is, the weight of the cooked rice is obtained from the weighing scale 55, and it is determined whether the weight exceeds the upper threshold value of the weight stored in the appropriate range database 70. Then, as a result of the determination, if it is determined that the weight of the cooked rice exceeds the upper threshold value (S35: Yes), it is considered that the loosening degree is too low, and the cooked rice oil amount adjustment unit 76 increases the set cooked rice oil amount by a certain amount (for example, 0.1% by mass with respect to the rice) (S36) (cooked rice oil amount adjustment step).

[0061] When the weight determination is completed, the molding apparatus control unit 72 controls the third conveyor 44 to convey the measured rice to the additional processing unit 35 (S37). Then, the additional processing unit 35 is controlled to perform additional processing on the rice (S38). Thereby, the rice ball is manufactured and the main rice molding process is completed. Also, in this main rice molding process, when the change process of the set rice cooking oil amount (S13, S20, S21, S27, S33, S36) is performed, in the rice cooking process (S1 to S4) of the next rice ball manufacturing operation, the rice is cooked with the changed set rice cooking oil amount. Although not described above, in order to avoid duplication of the change process of the set rice cooking oil amount, it is preferable to cancel the execution of the change process of the set rice cooking oil amount once the change process of the set rice cooking oil amount is executed until the next rice cooking process is performed.

[0062] (Actions and Effects of the Embodiment) As described above, according to the configuration of the above embodiment, since the rice after being loosened by the loosening unit 32 is imaged and the quality of the loosening degree is automatically determined based on the captured image, the loosening degree of the rice can be accurately determined and the loosening degree of the rice can be quickly determined on the production line. Thereby, the waste loss of the rice can be reduced.

[0063] Also, according to the configuration of the above embodiment, since the void variation is determined as an index of the loosening degree, the loosening degree of the rice can be determined in consideration of the loosening degree of each region of the rice. As a result, each region of the manufactured cooked rice can be made to have a good loosening degree, and a good texture can be obtained throughout the manufactured cooked rice.

[0064] Also, according to the configuration of the above embodiment, since the gloss degree of the rice is determined based on the captured images captured by the imaging cameras 52 and 53, the gloss degree of the rice can be accurately and quickly determined. Also, since the rice cooking oil amount is adjusted based on the gloss degree of the rice, the rice cooking oil amount can be adjusted with high accuracy.

[0065] Moreover, according to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, since it is configured to determine the degree of adhesion of cooked rice to the second conveyor 43 based on the captured image captured by the fourth imaging camera 54, the degree of adhesion of cooked rice to the second conveyor 43 can be accurately and promptly determined. Further, since it is configured to adjust the amount of cooking oil based on the degree of adhesion of cooked rice to the second conveyor 43, it is possible to suppress the adhesion of cooked rice to the second conveyor 43 and other cooked rice conveying structures.

[0066] Moreover, according to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, by sharing the captured image captured by the second imaging camera 52 for the determination of the shininess degree and the determination of the void variation (the degree of loosening), it is not necessary to prepare an imaging camera for each determination, and the rice ball manufacturing system 1 and the loosening determination system can be configured simply.

[0067] Moreover, according to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, by sharing the captured image captured by the third imaging camera 53 for the determination of the porosity and the determination of the void variation, it is not necessary to prepare an imaging camera for each determination, and the rice ball manufacturing system 1 and the loosening determination system can be configured simply.

[0068] Moreover, according to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, by sharing the captured image captured by the fourth imaging camera 54 for the determination of the porosity (the degree of loosening) and the determination of the degree of adhesion of cooked rice to the second conveyor 43, it is not necessary to prepare an imaging camera for each determination, and the rice ball manufacturing system 1 and the loosening determination system can be configured simply.

[0069] (Regarding other embodiments) The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the above-described embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. It should also be noted that not all combinations of the features described in the embodiments are essential means for solving the problems of the invention. The present invention can be appropriately modified and implemented without departing from its gist.

[0070] For example, in the above embodiment, the imaging cameras 52, 53, and 54 capture visible light imaging images, and based on the visible light imaging images, the loosening degree is determined. However, an X-ray camera may be used as the imaging cameras 52, 53, and 54, the imaging cameras 52, 53, and 54 capture X-ray imaging images (X-ray images), and based on the X-ray imaging images, the loosening degree (particularly the porosity and pore variation) is determined.

[0071] Also, in the above embodiment, the void variation determination unit 82 calculates the variance or standard deviation of the porosity in a plurality of regions partitioning the cooked rice, and determines whether the variance or standard deviation exceeds the upper threshold value to determine the quality of the loosening degree. However, the void variation determination unit 82 may calculate the minimum value of the porosity in a plurality of regions partitioning the cooked rice, and determine whether the minimum value is less than the lower threshold value of the porosity (whether the minimum value is within an appropriate range) to determine the quality of the loosening degree.

[0072] Also, in the above embodiment, the shininess degree of the cooked rice is determined twice by the determination of the shininess degree based on the imaging image of the first imaging camera 51 (S12) and the determination of the shininess degree based on the imaging image of the second imaging camera 52 (S18). However, only one of the determination of the shininess degree based on the imaging of the first imaging camera 51 and the determination of the shininess degree based on the imaging image of the second imaging camera 52 may be performed. Also, the shininess degree of the cooked rice may be determined based on the imaging image of the third imaging camera 53 or the imaging image of the fourth imaging camera 54.

[0073] Further, in the above-described embodiment, the porosity of the cooked rice was determined twice by the porosity determination (S25) based on the captured image of the third imaging camera 53 and the porosity determination (S31) based on the captured image of the fourth imaging camera 54. However, a configuration may be adopted in which only one of the porosity determination based on the imaging of the third imaging camera 53 and the porosity determination based on the captured image of the fourth imaging camera 54 is performed. Further, a configuration may be adopted in which the porosity of the cooked rice is determined based on the captured image of the second imaging camera 52.

[0074] Further, in the above-described embodiment, the variation in porosity of the cooked rice was determined twice by the determination of porosity variation (S19) based on the captured image of the second imaging camera 52 and the determination of porosity variation (S26) based on the captured image of the third imaging camera 53. However, a configuration may be adopted in which only one of the determination of porosity variation based on the imaging of the second imaging camera 52 and the determination of porosity variation based on the captured image of the third imaging camera 53 is performed. Further, a configuration may be adopted in which the variation in porosity of the cooked rice is determined based on the captured image of the fourth imaging camera 54.

[0075] Further, in the above-described embodiment, the degree of adhesion of the cooked rice to the second conveyor 43 was determined based on the captured image of the fourth imaging camera 54. However, a configuration may be adopted in which the degree of adhesion of the cooked rice to the second conveyor 43 is determined based on the captured image of the third imaging camera 53. Further, the cooked rice adhesion degree determination unit 75 may determine the degree of adhesion of the cooked rice to the first conveyor 42 based on the captured image of the second imaging camera 52, and the cooked rice oil amount adjustment unit 76 may adjust the cooked rice oil amount based on the determination result of the degree of adhesion of the cooked rice to the first conveyor 42. Furthermore, the rice ball manufacturing system 1 may further include an imaging camera that images the cooked rice inlet 31a of the stirring case 31, and the cooked rice adhesion degree determination unit 75 may determine the degree of adhesion of the cooked rice to the introduction lift 41 or the cooked rice inlet 31a, and the cooked rice oil amount adjustment unit 76 may adjust the cooked rice oil amount based on the determination result of the degree of adhesion of the cooked rice to the introduction lift 41 or the cooked rice inlet 31a.

[0076] In the above-described embodiment, regarding the determination of the degree of looseness (porosity and pore variation), a configuration was adopted in which three imaging cameras, namely the second imaging camera 52, the third imaging camera 53, and the fourth imaging camera 54, were installed. However, only one of the second imaging camera 52, the third imaging camera 53, and the fourth imaging camera 54 may be installed, and based on the imaging result of the single imaging camera, the degree of looseness (porosity and pore variation) may be determined.

[0077] In the above-described embodiment, the degree-of-looseness determination unit 74 was configured to determine whether the degree of looseness of the cooked rice is lower than the appropriate range. However, the degree-of-looseness determination unit 74 may be configured to determine whether the degree of looseness of the cooked rice is higher than the appropriate range. In such a case, when the degree-of-looseness determination unit 74 determines that the degree of looseness of the cooked rice is higher than the appropriate range, the cooked-rice oil amount adjustment unit 76 reduces the cooked-rice oil amount (set cooked-rice oil amount) by a certain amount (for example, 0.1% by mass with respect to the rice).

[0078] In the above-described embodiment, the shininess determination unit 73 was configured to determine whether the shininess of the cooked rice is higher than the appropriate range (whether the shininess of the cooked rice exceeds the upper threshold value). In addition to this, the shininess determination unit 73 may be configured to determine whether the shininess of the cooked rice is lower than the appropriate range (whether the shininess of the cooked rice is less than the lower threshold value). For example, the shininess determination unit 73 may determine whether the shininess of the cooked rice is less than the lower threshold value, and when the shininess determination unit 73 determines that the shininess of the cooked rice is less than the lower threshold value, the cooked-rice oil amount adjustment unit 76 may increase the cooked-rice oil amount (set cooked-rice oil amount) by a certain amount (for example, 0.1% by mass with respect to the rice).

[0079] Further, in the above embodiment, the cooked rice oil amount adjustment unit 76 is configured to increase or decrease the cooked rice oil amount by a fixed amount as an adjustment of the cooked rice oil amount (set cooked rice oil amount). However, the adjustment amount of the cooked rice oil amount is not limited to a fixed amount. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which the adjustment amount of the cooked rice oil amount is changed according to the degree to which the determination value (crispness, porosity, porosity variation, weight, or adhesion degree) deviates from the appropriate range.

[0080] Further, in the above embodiment, the weight of the cooked rice sorted based on volume is used as an index of the loosening degree, and the quality of the loosening degree is determined based on the weight of the cooked rice. However, a configuration may be adopted in which the volume of the sorted cooked rice is used as an index of the loosening degree, and the quality of the loosening degree is determined based on the volume of the cooked rice. For example, the cooked rice amount adjustment unit 33 may sort the cooked rice so that the weight is substantially constant based on weight, and the loosening degree determination unit 74 may obtain the volume of the cooked rice sorted based on weight from the captured images of the third imaging camera 53 or the fourth imaging camera 54, and determine the quality of the loosening degree based on whether the obtained volume is within the appropriate range. For example, it may be determined whether the volume of the cooked rice is less than the lower threshold value. If it is determined that the volume of the cooked rice is less than the lower threshold value, it may be configured that the loosening degree is too low and the cooked rice oil amount is increased. In such a case, a configuration may be adopted in which the volume of the cooked rice is estimated from the captured images of the imaging cameras 53 and 54, or a depth camera may be used as the imaging cameras 53 and 54, and the volume of the cooked rice may be obtained based on the depth information. Further, a configuration may be adopted in which the volume of the cooked rice is obtained using two imaging cameras with different viewpoints.

[0081] Further, in the above embodiment, the molding device 12 is configured to mold the cooked rice into a rice ball shape to manufacture rice balls. However, a configuration may be adopted in which the cooked rice is filled into a container to manufacture, for example, rice for bento, or the molding device 12 may be configured to mold the cooked rice into a columnar or cylindrical shape to manufacture a seaweed roll. That is, the present invention may be applied to a rice product manufacturing system that manufactures rice products other than rice balls.

[0082] In the above embodiment, the cooking oil amount was adjusted based on the quality of the looseness of the cooked rice. However, the cooking water amount may be adjusted based on the quality of the looseness of the cooked rice, or the cooking oil amount and the cooking water amount may both be adjusted. Further, the looseness of the cooked rice may be adjusted by adjusting the amount of the cooking improver added during cooking based on the quality of the looseness of the cooked rice.

[0083] In the above embodiment, the cooking oil amount was adjusted based on the determination result by the looseness determination unit 74. However, a configuration may be adopted in which the determination result determined by the looseness determination unit 74 is notified. That is, the onigiri manufacturing system 1 may further include a notification unit that notifies the determination result determined by the looseness determination unit 74. For example, when the looseness determination unit 74 (void ratio determination unit 81, void variation determination unit 82, weight determination unit 83) determines that the looseness is too low, the notification unit notifies the user that the looseness is too low.

[0084] (Summary of the Embodiment) Next, the technical idea grasped from the above-described embodiment will be described by referring to the reference numerals and the like in the embodiment. However, each reference numeral and the like in the following description are not limited to the members and the like that specifically show the components in the claims in the embodiment.

[0085] <1> A looseness determination system (13, 52, 53, 54), comprising: an imaging unit (52, 53, 54) that images the cooked rice loosened by a loosening unit (32); and a looseness determination unit (74) that determines the quality of the looseness of the cooked rice based on an imaging image imaged by the imaging unit (52, 53, 54). <2> The looseness determination system (13, 52, 53, 54) according to <1>, wherein the looseness determination unit (74) determines the void variation of the cooked rice as the looseness. 《3》The looseness determination unit (74) determines the looseness of the cooked rice as the porosity or volume of the cooked rice, and the looseness determination system (13, 52, 53, 54) according to 《1》 or 《2》 is characterized in that. 《4》The looseness determination system (13, 52, 53, 54, 55) according to any one of 《1》 to 《3》 further includes a weight measurement unit (55) that measures the weight of the cooked rice loosened by the loosening unit (32), and the looseness determination unit (74) determines the quality of the looseness of the cooked rice based on the measurement result measured by the weight measurement unit (55). 《5》A rice product manufacturing system (1) that loosens cooked rice and manufactures rice products from the loosened cooked rice, comprising: a loosening unit (32) that loosens the cooked rice; an imaging unit (52, 53, 54) that images the cooked rice loosened by the loosening unit (32); and a looseness determination unit (74) that determines the quality of the looseness of the cooked rice based on the captured image captured by the imaging unit (52, 53, 54). 《6》The rice product manufacturing system (1) according to 《5》 further includes a cooking oil amount adjustment unit (76) that adjusts the amount of cooking oil in the cooking of the cooked rice when the looseness determination unit (74) determines that the looseness is not within the appropriate range. 《7》The rice product manufacturing system (1) according to 《6》 further includes a glossiness determination unit (73) that determines the glossiness of the cooked rice, and the cooking oil amount adjustment unit (76) adjusts the amount of cooking oil in the cooking of the cooked rice when the glossiness determination unit (73) determines that the glossiness is not within the appropriate range. 《8》The rice product manufacturing system (1) according to claim 《6》 or 《7》 further includes a rice adhesion determination unit (75) that determines the degree of adhesion of the cooked rice to the conveying conveyor (52, 53) or the rice inlet (31a), and the cooking oil amount adjustment unit (76) adjusts the amount of cooking oil in the cooking of the cooked rice when the rice adhesion determination unit (75) determines that the degree of adhesion is not within the appropriate range. The rice product manufacturing system (1) according to any one of <5> to <8>, further comprising a notification unit that notifies the determination result determined by the loosening degree determination unit (75). <10>A loosening determination method, comprising: an imaging step (S17, S24, S30) of imaging the loosened cooked rice by a loosening unit (32); and a loosening degree determination step (S19, S25, S26, S31) of determining whether the loosening degree of the cooked rice is good or bad based on the captured image captured in the imaging step (S17, S24, S30). <11>A rice product manufacturing method of loosening cooked rice and manufacturing rice products with the loosened cooked rice, comprising: an imaging step (S17, S24, S30) of imaging the cooked rice loosened by a loosening unit (32); a loosening degree determination step (S19, S25, S26, S31) of determining whether the loosening degree of the cooked rice is within an appropriate range based on the captured image captured in the imaging step (S17, S24, S30); and a cooked rice oil amount adjustment step (S21, S27, S33) of adjusting the amount of cooking oil in the cooking of the cooked rice when it is determined in the loosening degree determination step (S19, S25, S26, S31) that the loosening degree is not within the appropriate range.

Explanation of reference numerals

[0086] 1: Rice ball manufacturing system, 13: Control terminal, 31a: Cooked rice inlet, 32: Loosening unit, 42: First conveyor, 43: Second conveyor, 52: Second imaging camera, 53: Third imaging camera, 54: Fourth imaging camera, 55: Weighing scale, 73: Shininess degree determination unit, 74: Loosening degree determination unit, 75: Cooked rice adhesion degree determination unit, 76: Cooked rice oil amount adjustment unit

Claims

1. An imaging unit that images the rice loosened by a loosening unit, A loosening degree determination unit that determines whether the loosening degree of the rice is good or bad based on the captured image captured by the imaging unit, wherein the loosening determination system is characterized by comprising the above.

2. The loosening degree determination unit determines the variation in voids of the rice as the loosening degree, and the loosening determination system according to claim 1 is characterized by this.

3. The loosening degree determination unit determines the porosity or volume of the rice as the loosening degree, and the loosening determination system according to claim 1 is characterized by this.

4. Further comprising a weight measurement unit that measures the weight of the rice loosened by the loosening unit, The loosening degree determination unit determines whether the loosening degree of the rice is good or bad based on the measurement result measured by the weight measurement unit, and the loosening determination system according to any one of claims 1 to 3 is characterized by this.

5. A rice product manufacturing system that loosens cooked rice and manufactures rice products from the loosened rice, A loosening unit that loosens the rice, An imaging unit that images the rice loosened by the loosening unit, A loosening degree determination unit that determines whether the loosening degree of the rice is good or bad based on the captured image captured by the imaging unit, wherein the rice product manufacturing system is characterized by comprising the above.

6. When it is determined by the loosening degree determination unit that the loosening degree is not within an appropriate range, further comprising a rice cooking oil amount adjustment unit that adjusts the amount of rice cooking oil in the rice cooking, and the rice product manufacturing system according to claim 5 is characterized by this.

7. Further comprising a shininess degree determination unit that determines the shininess degree of the rice, The rice cooking oil amount adjustment unit adjusts the amount of rice cooking oil in the rice cooking when it is determined by the shininess degree determination unit that the shininess degree is not within an appropriate range, and the rice product manufacturing system according to claim 6 is characterized by this.

8. Further comprising a rice adhesion degree determination unit that determines the degree of adhesion of the rice to a conveyor that conveys the rice or a rice inlet, The rice cooking oil amount adjustment unit adjusts the amount of rice cooking oil in the rice cooking when it is determined by the rice adhesion degree determination unit that the adhesion degree is not within an appropriate range, and the rice product manufacturing system according to claim 6 is characterized by this.

9. The rice-making system according to any one of claims 5 to 8, further comprising a notification unit that notifies the determination result determined by the loosening degree determination unit.

10. An imaging step of imaging the loosened cooked rice by a loosening unit, A loosening degree determination method, characterized by executing a loosening degree determination step of determining whether the loosening degree of the cooked rice is good or bad based on the captured image captured in the imaging step.

11. A rice-making method for loosening cooked rice and manufacturing rice products with the loosened cooked rice, comprising: An imaging step of imaging the cooked rice loosened by a loosening unit, A loosening degree determination step of determining whether the loosening degree of the cooked rice is within an appropriate range based on the captured image captured in the imaging step, A rice-making method, characterized by executing a cooking oil amount adjustment step of adjusting the cooking oil amount in the cooking of the cooked rice when it is determined in the loosening degree determination step that the loosening degree is not within the appropriate range.

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