Laser marking system

Abstract

This invention provides a laser marking system applied to a conveying device that transports a target object. The laser marking system includes a control unit, a first imaging unit, and a laser module. The laser module includes a light source and a galvanometer assembly. The first imaging unit captures first image data and transmits it to the control unit. The control unit controls the laser module based on the first image data to establish a target distance between the laser module and the target object. The control unit calculates a parameter to generate a calculation result. Based on the calculation result, the control unit controls the light source to emit a laser beam and controls the galvanometer assembly to project the laser beam onto a target position on the target object, thereby solving the problem of generating a large number of discarded labels during conventional meat product marking.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a laser marking system, and more particularly to a laser marking system that can be applied to slaughterhouse production lines without being installed on the production line and can be directly adapted to various production lines. Prior Technology

[0002] The purpose of meat labeling is to ensure meat traceability, food safety, and quality control to meet the needs of consumers, regulatory agencies, and producers. Traceability means that the origin of the meat can be known through labeling (e.g., which farm, animal, or slaughterhouse the meat came from). Labeling also helps track the health status of animals to ensure that slaughtered animals are not diseased or have undergone the necessary quarantine and inspection, thereby guaranteeing the hygiene and safety of the meat.

[0003] Different countries and regions have different regulations and standards for meat labeling. In Taiwan, according to the Food Safety and Sanitation Management Act and the Food Safety Labelling Act, meat packaging must indicate the following information: (i) the name and type of meat (such as beef, pork, etc.), (ii) the name, address and contact number of the producer or manufacturer, (iii) the name and code of the slaughterhouse or processing plant, (iv) the production date and expiration date, (v) the storage conditions (such as refrigeration or freezing), (vi) the net weight or volume, and (vii) the place of origin (especially for imported meat products, the country of origin must be indicated).

[0004] Meat products that have passed slaughter hygiene inspections will have an inspection certificate stamp on their surface or packaging. These inspection certificates are divided into five types according to their different uses: Type A, Type B, Type C, Type D, and Type E. Type A uses a roller containing red food coloring ink to imprint the inspection certificate stamp on the surface of the poultry carcass. Type B uses red food coloring ink to press the inspection certificate stamp onto the surface of the skinned carcass. Type C uses a label containing the inspection certificate stamp to be affixed to the outer packaging of fresh or frozen poultry products. Type D uses the inspection certificate stamp as a drawstring on the poultry packaging bag. Type E uses a loop containing the inspection certificate stamp to be placed on the neck, wings, or legs of the poultry carcass.

[0005] However, the labels, drawstring bags, or loops used in conventional inspections are made of ink, glue, paper, or plastic. Although the label of a single package has little impact on the environment, considering the huge demand for poultry meat, this will generate a large amount of waste, thereby increasing the cost of disposing of waste labels. In addition, although the ink used for the labels stamped on the surface of meat products is made of food coloring, the stamping equipment may also contain bacteria or viruses that are harmful to the human body, such as E. coli, Salmonella, or Staphylococcus aureus, which may lead to food safety issues.

[0006] In view of the problems of the prior art, the present invention provides a laser marking system, which includes a control unit, a first image unit and a laser module. The laser marking system provided by the present invention is used to reduce the generation of waste labels and to avoid the problem of food safety caused by labels on meat products containing bacteria or viruses that are harmful to the human body. Summary of the Invention

[0007] One objective of this invention is to provide a laser marking system for use in a conveying device on a slaughterhouse production line, wherein the conveying device is used to transport target objects. The laser marking system provided by this invention includes a control unit, a first image unit, and a laser module, wherein the laser module includes a light source and a galvanometer assembly, in order to solve the problems of generating a large number of waste labels during conventional meat marking and the labels on meat containing bacteria or viruses that are harmful to the human body.

[0008] To achieve the aforementioned objectives and effects, the present invention provides a laser marking system applied to a conveying device for conveying a target object. The laser marking system provided by the present invention includes: a control unit, a first image unit, and a laser module. The control unit pre-stores marking data. The first image unit and the laser module are electrically connected to the control unit. The first image unit is adjacent to one side of the conveying device and is used to capture first image data of the surface of the target object. The laser module is electrically connected to the control unit and is adjacent to both the conveying device and the first image unit. The laser module is positioned corresponding to the target position on the surface of the target object. The laser module includes a light source and a galvanometer assembly. The light source emits laser light, and the galvanometer assembly receives the laser light and laser-engraves the marking data onto the target position using the laser light.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, after the first image unit transmits the first image data to the control unit, the control unit controls the laser module according to the first image data, so that a target distance is generated between the laser module and the target object.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the control unit generates a calculation result by calculating parameters, and controls the light source to emit laser light and controls the galvanometer group to project the laser light onto the target position on the surface of the target object according to the calculation result.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the conveying device moves the target object at a constant speed in one direction.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the target material is chicken, duck or goose meat.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the marking data includes a serial number, inspection code, one-dimensional barcode, two-dimensional barcode, slaughter hygiene inspection qualification mark, manufacturer name or manufacturer logo.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, the galvanometer assembly laser engraves the marking data onto the surface of the target object at a speed of 25 mm / s to 75 mm / s.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, the power of the laser light emitted by the light source is 9 watts to 15 watts.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, the time required for the galvanometer assembly to laser-engrave the marking data onto the surface of the target object is less than 5 seconds.

[0017] In another embodiment of the present invention, the laser marking system further includes a second image unit disposed on the other side of the galvanometer. The second image unit is electrically connected to the control unit. The second image unit is used to capture second image data of the surface of the target object and transmit it to the control unit. The control unit identifies the marking data by means of the second image data. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0018] Figure 1: It is a structural schematic diagram of one embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 2: It is a structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the present invention. Implementation

[0019] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the application will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these descriptions are merely exemplary and not intended to limit the scope of this application. Furthermore, descriptions of well-known structures and technologies are omitted in the following description to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the concepts of this application.

[0020] The accompanying drawings illustrate layer structure diagrams according to embodiments of this application. These drawings are not to scale, and some details have been enlarged for clarity, and some details may have been omitted. The shapes of the various regions and layers shown in the drawings, as well as their relative sizes and positional relationships, are merely exemplary and may deviate from reality due to manufacturing tolerances or technical limitations. Furthermore, those skilled in the art can design regions / layers with different shapes, sizes, and relative positions as needed.

[0021] Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments in this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments in this application without any innovative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0022] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0023] Furthermore, the technical features involved in the different embodiments of this application described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0024] It is known that labels, drawstring bags, or loops used for inspection and approval are made of ink, glue, paper, or plastic. With the huge demand for poultry meat, a large number of waste labels are generated. In addition, although the ink used for labels embossed on the surface of meat products is made of food coloring, the stamping equipment may also contain bacteria or viruses that are harmful to the human body, such as E. coli, Salmonella, or Staphylococcus aureus, which may lead to food safety issues. Currently, there are solutions for marking products with lasers, but these all require the laser module to be installed on the production line, which cannot be directly adapted to the existing production line and requires a new set to be made.

[0025] In view of the problems of the prior art, the present invention provides a laser marking system comprising: a control unit, a first image unit, and a laser module. The laser marking system provided by the present invention is used to reduce the generation of waste labels and to avoid the problem of food safety issues caused by harmful bacteria or viruses on labels on meat products. At the same time, it does not require the removal of the production line in use and can be directly adapted to various production lines.

[0026] Please refer to Figure 1, which is a structural schematic diagram of one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, this embodiment is the first embodiment, which is a laser marking system applied to a conveying device 3 in a slaughterhouse production line. The conveying device 3 is used to convey a target object 5. The laser marking system 1 of this embodiment includes: a control unit 10, a first image unit 20, and a laser module 30.

[0027] Continuing from the above, in this embodiment, the control unit 10 pre-stores a marking data 11, and the control unit 10 transmits the marking data 11 to the laser module 30. The marking data 11 includes a serial number, inspection code, one-dimensional barcode, two-dimensional barcode, slaughter hygiene inspection qualification mark, manufacturer name or manufacturer logo.

[0028] Continuing from the above, in this embodiment, the first image unit 20 is electrically connected to the control unit 10, and the first image unit 20 is disposed adjacent to one side of the conveying device 3. The first image unit 20 is used to capture first image data 21 of one surface of the target object 5.

[0029] Continuing from the above, in this embodiment, the laser module 30 is electrically connected to the control unit 10. The laser module 30 is disposed adjacent to one side of the conveying device 3 and one side of the first imaging unit 20. The laser module 30 is disposed at a target position 51 on the surface of the target object 5. The laser module 30 includes a light source 31 and a galvanometer group 33. The light source 31 is used to emit a laser beam 310, and the power of the laser beam 310 emitted by the light source 31 is 9 watts to 15 watts.

[0030] Continuing from the above, in this embodiment, the galvanometer group 33 is used to receive the laser light 310 and laser engrave the marking data 11 onto the surface of the target object 5 through the laser light 310.

[0031] Continuing from the above, in this embodiment, the conveying device 3 moves the target object 5 at a constant speed in a direction W.

[0032] Continuing from the above, in this embodiment, when the target object 5 is transported to the front of one of the first image units 20 via the conveying device 3, the first image unit 20 captures the first image data 21 of the surface of the target object 5, and the first image unit 20 transmits the first image data 21 to the control unit 10.

[0033] Continuing from the above, in this embodiment, after the control unit 10 receives the first image data 21, the control unit 10 controls the laser module 30 according to the first image data 21, so that a target distance 53 is obtained between the laser module 30 and the target object 5, and the control unit 10 controls one of the laser intensities of the laser module 30 according to the target distance 53.

[0034] Continuing from the above, in this embodiment, the first image unit 20 includes two cameras, and the two cameras capture images of the target object 5 from different angles. Therefore, the first image data 21 includes images of the target object 5 from two or more different angles. The control unit 10 calculates the target distance 53 by triangulation based on the distance between the two cameras and the angle at which the two cameras capture images of the target object 5.

[0035] Continuing from the above, in this embodiment, after the control unit 10 receives the first image data 21, the control unit 10 generates a parameter 15 by recognizing the first image data 21, calculates the parameter 15 to generate a calculation result 151, and controls the light source 31 to emit the laser beam 310 to the target position 51 according to the calculation result 151.

[0036] Continuing from the above, in this embodiment, parameter 15 includes: the moving speed of the conveying device 3 and the distance between the first image unit 20 and the laser module 30, and the target position 51 of the surface of the target object 5 in the first image data 21.

[0037] Continuing from the above, in this embodiment, parameter 15 is used to perform image recognition on the first image data 21, thereby generating the calculation result 151, which is used to locate the target position 51, so that the target position 51 can correspond to the neck, wings or legs of chicken, duck or goose meat, which have lower edible value.

[0038] Continuing from the above, in this embodiment, the calculation result 151 is the time required for the target object 5 to move from the first image unit 20 to the laser module 30 and the target position 51 of the surface of the target object 5. The time calculated by the calculation result 151 is the position that the target object 5 is expected to move to, which is aimed at by the laser module 30. The control unit controls the light source 31 to emit the laser light 310 to the target position 51. The position calculated by the calculation result 151 is used to locate the target position 51 that the target object 5 is expected to move to. The control unit controls the light source 31 to emit the laser light 310 to the target position 51.

[0039] Continuing from the above, in this embodiment, the target object 5 is chicken, duck, or goose meat, and the target location 51 is the neck, wing, or leg of the chicken, duck, or goose meat.

[0040] Continuing from the above, in this embodiment, the neck, wings, or legs of each different type of chicken, duck, or goose meat have different thicknesses or sizes. Therefore, the target distance 53 is used to ensure that the neck, wings, or legs of different types of chicken, duck, or goose meat achieve the same laser effect.

[0041] Continuing from the above, in this embodiment, the galvanometer group 33 laser engraves the marking data 11 onto the surface of the target object 5 at a speed of 25 mm / second to 75 mm / second.

[0042] Continuing from the above, in this embodiment, the time required for the galvanometer group 33 to laser engrave the marking data 11 onto the surface of the target object 5 is less than 5 seconds.

[0043] Continuing from the above, in this embodiment, the target object 5 of the marking data 11, after being laser-engraved, showed negative results for Escherichia coli and Salmonella after SGS testing.

[0044] In this way, the laser marking system of the present invention only needs to be installed on one side of the original production line. The marking data 11 can be laser-engraved onto the surface of the target object 5 on the production line through the laser marking system. At the same time, it can be adjusted according to different production lines to adapt to various production lines.

[0045] Please refer to Figure 2, which is a structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, this embodiment is the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the laser marking system 1 further includes a second image unit 40, which is disposed on the other side of the galvanometer group 33 and is electrically connected to the control unit 10.

[0046] Continuing from the above, in the second embodiment, the second image unit 40 is used to capture second image data 41 of one of the target positions 51 of the target object 5, and the second image unit 40 transmits the second image data 41 to the control unit 10.

[0047] Continuing from the above, in the second embodiment, the control unit 10 performs image recognition using the second image data 41, and then identifies whether the marking data 11 has been successfully laser-engraved on the target position 51 of the target object 5. In this embodiment, the control unit 10 can further identify whether the marking data 11 is clearly on the target position 51 of the target object 5 after laser engraving, avoiding the target object 5 from becoming blurry after laser engraving due to uneven surface.

[0048] Continuing from the above, in the second embodiment, the control unit 10 uses the second image data 41 to identify the engraving result of the marking data 11 laser engraving on the target position 51 of the target object 5.

[0049] In summary, this invention provides a laser marking system. When a target object is conveyed to a first imaging unit via a conveying device, the first imaging unit captures first image data of the target object's surface and transmits this data to a control unit. Upon receiving the first image data, the control unit controls the laser module to establish a target distance between the laser module and the target object. Simultaneously, the control unit generates calculation results using calculation parameters and controls the light source to emit laser light and the galvanometer assembly to project the laser light onto the target position on the target object's surface. This solves the problem of generating a large number of discarded labels during conventional meat labeling, and the food safety issue caused by the potential presence of harmful bacteria on the stamping tools used during conventional meat labeling. Furthermore, after the target object undergoes laser engraving and marking using the laser marking system provided by this invention, the data is verified by SGS. The test results for Escherichia coli and Salmonella were both negative. Furthermore, the laser labeling system provided by this invention does not require the reconstruction of the production line. It only needs to be installed on one side of the original production line. It can also be adjusted according to different production lines to adapt to various production lines.

[0050] Therefore, this invention is indeed novel, inventive, and industrially applicable, and undoubtedly meets the requirements for patent application under the Patent Law of our country. Therefore, we hereby file a patent application in accordance with the law, and earnestly pray that the Bureau will grant the patent as soon as possible.

[0051] However, the above description is merely one embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent changes and modifications made to the shape, structure, features and spirit described in the claims of the present invention should be included within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

[0052] 1: Laser Marking System 3: Conveying device 5: Target object 51: Target Location 53: Target Distance 10: Control Unit 11: Marking data 15: Parameters 151: Calculation Results 20: First Image Unit 21: First Image Data 30: Laser Module 31: Light source 310: Laser Beam 33: Galvanometer Group 40: Second Image Unit 41: Second image data W: direction

Claims

1. A laser marking system applied to a conveying device for conveying a target object, the laser marking system comprising: a control unit for pre-storing marking data; a first image unit electrically connected to the control unit, the first image unit being disposed adjacent to one side of the conveying device, the first image unit being used to capture first image data of a surface of the target object; and a laser module electrically connected to the control unit, the laser module being disposed adjacent to the side of the conveying device and the side of the first image unit, the laser module being positioned corresponding to a target position on the surface of the target object, the laser module comprising: a light source for emitting a laser beam; and a galvanometer assembly for receiving the laser beam and laser-engraving the marking data onto the target position using the laser beam; wherein... After the first imaging unit transmits the first image data to the control unit, the control unit controls the laser module based on the first image data to achieve a target distance between the laser module and the target object. The control unit controls the laser intensity of the laser module based on the target distance. The control unit generates a parameter by recognizing the first image data. The parameter includes the moving speed of the conveying device, the distance between the first imaging unit and the laser module, and the target position of the surface of the target object in the first image data. The control unit calculates the parameter to generate a calculation result. The calculation result includes the time required for the target object to move from the first imaging unit to the laser module and the target position of the surface of the target object. The control unit controls the light source to emit the laser light and controls the galvanometer group to project the laser light onto the target position based on the calculation result.

2. The laser marking system as described in claim 1, wherein the conveying device moves at a constant speed in one direction.

3. The laser marking system as described in claim 1, wherein the target object is chicken, duck or goose meat.

4. The laser marking system as described in claim 1, wherein the marking data includes a serial number, inspection code, one-dimensional barcode, two-dimensional barcode, slaughter hygiene inspection certificate, manufacturer's name or manufacturer's logo.

5. The laser marking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the galvanometer assembly laser-engraves the marking data onto the surface of the target object at a speed of 25 mm / s to 75 mm / s.

6. The laser marking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the power of the laser beam emitted by the light source is between 9 watts and 15 watts.

7. The laser marking system as described in claim 1, wherein the time required for the galvanometer assembly to laser-engrave the marking data onto the surface of the target object is less than 5 seconds.

8. The laser marking system as described in claim 1 further includes a second imaging unit disposed on the other side of the galvanometer assembly, the second imaging unit being electrically connected to the control unit, the second imaging unit being used to capture a second image of the surface of the target object and transmit it to the control unit, the control unit identifying the marking data by means of the second image data.

9. The laser marking system as described in claim 1, wherein the control unit calculates the target distance from the first image data using triangulation.

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