Beverage manufacturing system, control device, control program, and beverage manufacturing method

Abstract

This beverage manufacturing system comprises: a first line that conveys empty cans each having an opening; a second line that conveys fruit and vegetables having a projected area smaller than the area of the openings of the empty cans; a parallel link robot; and a control device that controls the parallel link robot such that the parallel link robot holds, for each single unit, the fruits and vegetables conveyed by the second line and inserts the held fruit and vegetables into the opening of one of the empty cans conveyed by the first line.

Description

Beverage production system, control device, control program, and beverage production method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a beverage production system, a control device, a control program, and a beverage production method.

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 (JP 2023-172534 A) describes a bottled beverage containing a carbonated beverage and dried fruit. The carbon dioxide content of the carbonated beverage contained in this bottled beverage is set to a gas volume such that the dried fruit is immersed in the carbonated beverage when the container is sealed, and the immersed dried fruit rises to the surface of the carbonated beverage when the container is opened.

[0003] However, in the containerized beverage described in Patent Document 1, the dried fruit must be packed into the containers by hand, making mass production difficult. Meanwhile, there is known a technology in which fruits and vegetables are grasped by a robot arm and transported to another line, but this type of technology cannot accurately dispense uneven solid materials such as fruits and vegetables grasped by the robot arm into empty containers that are transported at high speed.

[0004] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to provide a beverage production system, control device, control program, and beverage production method that can hold uneven solid material being transported one unit at a time and accurately dispense it into an empty container being transported.

[0005] A beverage production system according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a first line for transporting empty containers having an opening, a second line for transporting solids having a projected area smaller than the area of ​​the opening, an injection device configured to hold the solids transported on the second line one unit at a time and to be able to inject the held solids into the empty container through the opening, and a control device for controlling the injection device so that the solids transported on the second line are injected into the empty container transported on the first line.

[0006] According to this aspect, the non-uniform solid material being conveyed can be held in units and accurately poured into the empty container being conveyed.

[0007] The first line and the second line may run parallel to each other in the same direction.

[0008] According to this aspect, the operation of holding and feeding the solid object can be carried out efficiently.

[0009] The feeding device may include a holding section that releasably holds the solid material, and the control device may control the feeding device to move the holding section holding the solid material over the opening of the empty container and to feed the solid material into the opening of the empty container while moving the holding section in the same direction as the conveying direction of the empty container.

[0010] According to this aspect, the solid material can be accurately poured into the empty container.

[0011] The control device may control the feeding device to synchronize the movement speed of the holding section holding the solid material with the conveying speed of the empty container, and to feed the solid material into the opening of the empty container while moving the holding section ahead of the empty container downstream in the conveying direction.

[0012] According to this aspect, the solid material can be poured into the empty container with higher accuracy.

[0013] The control device may be configured to select, from images of the plurality of solid objects being transported on the second line, those solid objects whose shape meets a predetermined quality standard as the solid objects to be retained.

[0014] According to this aspect, it is possible to select solids that meet predetermined quality standards.

[0015] The predetermined quality standard may include an index value representing roundness, and the control device may select solid objects from the captured image whose index value satisfies a certain condition.

[0016] According to this aspect, it is possible to select solid objects whose index values ​​representing roundness satisfy a certain standard.

[0017] The specified quality standard may include an index value representing circularity and a color area representing the color area of ​​a specific part, and the control device may identify multiple solid objects from the captured image whose index values ​​satisfy certain conditions, and select from the multiple identified solid objects those whose color area is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

[0018] According to this aspect, it is possible to select solid objects whose index value representing circularity and color area satisfy certain standards.

[0019] The feeding device may include a holding section that releasably holds the solid objects, and the control device may select a number of solid objects greater than the number of holding sections, and if the feeding device fails to hold or feed one selected solid object, control the feeding device to hold another selected solid object.

[0020] According to this aspect, even if one solid object fails to be held or poured, another solid object can be held.

[0021] The holding portion may be a vacuum suction type gripper.

[0022] According to this aspect, the solid object can be held without being damaged.

[0023] The gripper may be a Bernoulli type gripper.

[0024] According to this aspect, the solid object can be held with high precision without being damaged.

[0025] The solid material may be formed into a slice shape.

[0026] According to this aspect, the solid material formed into a slice shape can be put into the empty container.

[0027] The solid material may be fruit or vegetable.

[0028] According to this aspect, fruits and vegetables can be placed into the empty container.

[0029] The solid material may be a piece of wood.

[0030] According to this aspect, wood chips can be put into the empty container.

[0031] A control device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a control device for a beverage production system comprising: a first line for transporting empty containers having an opening; a second line for transporting solids having a projected area smaller than the area of ​​the opening; an injection device configured to hold the solids transported on the second line one unit at a time and to be able to inject the held solids into the empty container through the opening; and a control device for controlling the operation of the injection device, wherein the control device controls the injection device so that the solids transported on the second line are injected into the empty containers transported on the first line.

[0032] A control program according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a control program for a beverage production system comprising: a first line for transporting empty containers having an opening; a second line for transporting solids having a projected area smaller than the area of ​​the opening; an injection device configured to hold the solids transported on the second line one unit at a time and to be able to inject the held solids into the empty container through the opening; and a control device for controlling the operation of the injection device, and causes a computer to control the injection device so that the solids transported on the second line are injected into the empty containers transported on the first line.

[0033] A beverage production method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a beverage production method using a beverage production system comprising: a first line for transporting empty containers having an opening; a second line for transporting solids having a projected area smaller than the area of ​​the opening; an injection device configured to hold the solids transported by the second line one unit at a time and to be able to inject the held solids through the opening into the empty container; and a control device for controlling the operation of the injection device, wherein the injection device is controlled so that the solids transported by the second line are injected into the empty containers transported by the first line.

[0034] The water activity of the solid material may be 0.80 or less.

[0035] According to this embodiment, it is possible to suppress the growth of microorganisms caused by solid matter.

[0036] According to the present disclosure, non-uniform solid material being conveyed can be held in units and accurately dispensed into the empty container being conveyed.

[0037] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a beverage production system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a control device and a parallel link robot according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a control device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram explaining the holding and inserting operations of fruits and vegetables according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a captured image from which the circularity of the fruits and vegetables has been derived. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a captured image from which the circularity and color area of ​​the fruits and vegetables have been derived. FIG. 7 is a top view schematically showing a robot inserting fruits and vegetables into the opening of an empty can. FIG. 8 is a side view schematically showing a robot inserting fruits and vegetables into the opening of an empty can. FIG. 9 is a side view showing a state in which the movement speed of a robot holding fruits and vegetables is synchronized with the conveying speed of the empty can. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow by a control program according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a parallel link robot according to a second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram explaining the holding and inserting operations of a plurality of fruits and vegetables according to the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a captured image from which the circularity and color area of ​​the fruits and vegetables have been derived.

[0038] An example of an embodiment of the technology of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that components and processes that perform similar operations, actions, and functions are given the same reference numerals throughout the drawings, and duplicated descriptions may be omitted as appropriate. Each drawing is merely a schematic illustration to allow a sufficient understanding of the technology of the present disclosure. Therefore, the technology of the present disclosure is not limited to the illustrated examples. Furthermore, in this embodiment, descriptions of configurations that are not directly related to the technology of the present disclosure or well-known configurations may be omitted.

[0039] [First Embodiment] Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a beverage production system 100 according to a first embodiment. The beverage according to this embodiment may be an alcoholic beverage or a non-alcoholic beverage. It may also be a beverage produced through a fermentation process or a beverage produced without a fermentation process. When the beverage to be produced is an alcoholic beverage, the alcohol content (volume concentration of ethanol) and the concentration of extract components are not particularly limited and may be determined appropriately depending on the desired product quality.

[0040] 1 , a beverage production system 100 according to this embodiment includes a first line L1, a second line L2, a control device 10, and a parallel link robot 20. The parallel link robot 20 according to this embodiment is an example of a feeding device. The feeding device is not limited to this parallel link robot 20, and may be, for example, another type of robot, a drone, or the like.

[0041] The parallel link robot 20 is a type of industrial robot that employs a "parallel link mechanism" that controls multiple mechanisms (parts) in parallel to operate the final output destination. The parallel link mechanism is mainly composed of a motor and bearings, and has a simpler structure than conventional articulated robots. The parallel link robot 20 has, for example, robots R1 to R5, which are controlled in parallel.

[0042] The control device 10 is a controller that is communicatively connected to the parallel link robot 20 and controls the operation of the parallel link robot 20. For example, a general-purpose computer such as a personal computer (PC) is used as the control device 10. The control device 10 may be provided external to the parallel link robot 20, or may be provided integrally with the parallel link robot 20.

[0043] The first line L1 is a line for transporting empty cans KN. The empty cans KN have openings through which the fruits and vegetables LS (described later) can be inserted. The empty cans KN are an example of empty containers, but the empty containers are not limited to cans. Examples of empty containers that can be used include two-piece beverage cans, three-piece beverage cans, bottle-shaped cans, flexible containers, and glass bottles. Flexible containers include containers made of flexible resins such as PE (polyethylene), PP (polypropylene), EVOH (ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer), and PET (polyethylene terephthalate) molded into a bottle shape. Flexible containers may be made of a single-layer resin or a multi-layer resin. The rear end of the first line L1 is connected to a downstream process. The empty cans KN processed on the first line L1 are then subjected to other processing in the downstream process.

[0044] The second line L2 is a line for transporting fruit and vegetables LS. The second line L2 runs, for example, parallel to the first line L1 in the same direction. Here, "same direction" may mean either parallel or non-parallel. When non-parallel, for example, the traveling direction of the second line L2 is inclined at 90 degrees or less relative to the traveling direction of the first line L1. The second line L2 is provided with a bowl feeder 110, a classification conveyor 111, and a return NG inspection machine 112. The fruit and vegetables LS are an example of a solid object, but this solid object is not limited to fruit and vegetables. The projected area of ​​the fruit and vegetables LS is smaller than the area of ​​the opening of an empty can KN. The "projected area" refers to the area of ​​a shadow cast on a surface including the opening when light is projected perpendicularly toward the opening and hits the fruit and vegetables LS. The fruit and vegetables LS is, for example, dried fruit. The type of fruit used as the raw material for the dried fruit is not particularly limited, and can be selected from fruits commonly used in beverages, such as citrus fruits such as lemons, limes, and oranges, as well as apples, blueberries, plums (including pickled plums), peaches, strawberries, pineapples, grapes, mangoes, figs, apricots, pears, bananas, and kiwis. One type of dried fruit may be used, or two or more types may be used. Furthermore, when the fruits and vegetables LS are citrus fruits, the albedo (the cotton-like or fibrous white part inside the citrus fruit peel) and the outer peel may be included, or the albedo and outer peel may be removed. The shape of the fruits and vegetables LS is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, sliced ​​or other shapes. Furthermore, while the projected area of ​​the fruits and vegetables LS placed into the empty can KN must be smaller than the area of ​​the opening of the empty can KN, the projected area of ​​all the fruits and vegetables LS transported to the second line L2 does not need to be small. As will be described later, the fruits and vegetables LS to be placed into the empty cans KN are sorted in advance, so fruits and vegetables LS of various sizes may be transported to the second line L2.

[0045] When dried fruit is sliced ​​as the fruit and vegetable LS, the thickness before drying may be, for example, 1.0 mm to 8.0 mm, or 2.0 mm to 6.0 mm. For convenience, the thickness may be the thickness at the time the dried fruit is added to the beverage. In this case, the thickness of the dried fruit may be, for example, 0.5 mm to 5.0 mm, or 1.0 mm to 3.0 mm. Furthermore, the thickness of the dried fruit in the beverage may be 1.0 mm to 8.0 mm, or 2.0 mm to 6.0 mm, due to the beverage impregnation. Adjusting the thickness of the dried fruit to the above numerical range makes it less likely to break.

[0046] In the technology of the present disclosure, it is desirable that the water activity of the solid material be controlled within a predetermined range. This allows the growth of microorganisms to be suppressed even when the solid material is, for example, fruit and vegetable LS, contributing to improving the quality of packaged beverages and maintaining their taste. Furthermore, deformation and discoloration of fruit and vegetable LS due to microbial growth can also be suppressed.

[0047] Water activity is the value obtained by dividing the water vapor pressure of a food by the water vapor pressure under the same conditions. Specifically, the water activity Aw of the food being measured can be defined as Aw = P / P0, where P is the water vapor pressure inside the sealed container when the food is stored in the sealed container and reaches equilibrium, and P0 is the water vapor pressure when the food is replaced with pure water and reaches equilibrium in the sealed container. If the water activity is 1.0, the water in the food is only so-called "free water" and there is no "bound water," so microorganisms are likely to grow. The smaller the water activity value, the smaller the proportion of "free water" to the water in the food and the greater the proportion of "bound water," making it more difficult for microorganisms to grow.

[0048] In this case, if the water activity is 0.80 or less, there is an effect of suppressing the proliferation of microorganisms in, for example, dried fruit, which is an example of fruit and vegetables LS.

[0049] Furthermore, a water activity of 0.75 or less is more effective in inhibiting microbial growth in dried fruit than a water activity of more than 0.75 but not more than 0.80. Also, a water activity of 0.75 or less is effective in inhibiting microbial growth even when the solid material is, for example, jelly (edible "gel").

[0050] In particular, if the water activity is 0.65 or less, the effect of inhibiting the growth of microorganisms in dried fruit is even higher than when the water activity is more than 0.65 and 0.75 or less.

[0051] The technique disclosed herein can be used to measure water activity using the "AquaLab TDL 2" water activity measuring device manufactured by Meter Japan Co., Ltd. (hereinafter simply referred to as the "water activity measuring device"). This water activity measuring device measures relative humidity by irradiating the space above the sample with a tunable diode laser, thereby determining water activity. This allows water activity to be measured without being affected by volatile components in fruit and vegetable LS.

[0052] The accuracy of the water activity measuring device should be checked before or at an appropriate time during use, and calibration should be performed if the accuracy has decreased. For this check and calibration, two types of water activity standard solutions manufactured by Meter Japan Co., Ltd., shown below, can be used as reagents. Water activity standard solution A: 0.250 aw, 6 mol / kg NaCl; Water activity standard solution B: 0.760 aw, 13.41 mol / kg LiCl. A sample cup containing each water activity standard solution is then placed in the chamber of the water activity measuring device, and the difference between the two water activity measurements is confirmed to be within the measurement precision (±0.005). If the difference between the two water activity measurements using either water activity standard solution A or B exceeds the measurement precision, calibration should be performed according to the specified calibration procedure for the water activity measuring device.

[0053] When actually measuring the water activity of fresh produce LS, each measurement step can be performed according to the following procedure. In the following, slices of lemon (lemon slices) are used as an example of fresh produce LS. (1) Warm up the water activity measuring device and confirm that the base temperature is stable at the specified temperature (25°C). (2) Confirm that the sample cup of the water activity measuring device is free of moisture and sufficiently dry. (3) Crush the sample (10 or more lemon slices). (4) Transfer the crushed material to the sample cup. (5) Place the sample cup in the chamber of the water activity measuring device and measure the water activity. (6) Perform a second water activity measurement using steps (4) and (5), and compare the two measurements. If the difference between the measurements is within the measurement accuracy (±0.005), the first measurement is adopted as the correct one. If the difference in the measured values ​​exceeds the measurement precision, for example, the water activity measuring device is cleaned, and then the above-mentioned calibration is performed, and the water activity of the fruits and vegetables LS is measured again according to the measurement procedures (1) to (6). Note that the cleaning of the water activity measuring device is performed according to a predetermined procedure.

[0054] In addition, when the beverage to be combined is whiskey or sake, wood chips may be used instead of the fruit and vegetable LS. By adding these wood chips to the whiskey or sake and aging them, it is possible to impart a suitable flavor to the whiskey or sake. In the case of wood chips, the shape is not particularly limited, and for example, they may be sliced ​​or have other shapes. In addition, in the case of wood chips, the thickness may be, for example, 1.0 mm to 15 mm, or 5.0 mm to 9.0 mm.

[0055] The control device 10 according to this embodiment controls the operation of each robot R1 to R5 of the parallel link robot 20. The control device 10 controls the parallel link robot 20 so that each robot R1 to R5 of the parallel link robot 20 holds one unit of fruit or vegetable LS being transported on the second line L2 and places the held fruit or vegetable LS into the opening of an empty can KN being transported on the first line L1. Here, "holding one unit" may mean holding one piece of fruit or vegetable LS, or holding two or more pieces of fruit or vegetable LS stacked together.

[0056] Next, the first line L1 and the second line L2, which are the multiple production lines, will be specifically described with reference to FIG.

[0057] First, the empty cans KN loaded on a pallet are transferred to a conveyor, that is, the first line L1.

[0058] The empty cans KN transferred to the first line L1 are transported by a timing screw.

[0059] Meanwhile, on the second line L2, the temporarily stored fruit and vegetable LS is placed on a belt and transported to the bowl feeder 110. The bowl feeder 110 applies vibrations to the fruit and vegetable LS transported by the belt to align them in a certain position, and then supplies them to the classifying conveyor 111. The classifying conveyor 111 sifts the fruit and vegetable LS. The fruit and vegetable LS sifted by the classifying conveyor 111 is placed on the belt and transported.

[0060] Each robot R1 to R5 of the parallel link robot 20, under the control of the control device 10, holds the fruits and vegetables LS transported on the second line L2 (belt conveyance) one unit at a time, and inserts the held fruits and vegetables LS into the opening of an empty can KN transported on the first line L1 (timing screw).

[0061] The empty cans KN into which the fruit or vegetable LS has been added by the parallel link robot 20 are transported from the first line L1 to a subsequent process. In the subsequent process, the empty cans KN into which the fruit or vegetable LS has been added are filled with beverages or a lid is attached to the can body.

[0062] Meanwhile, the return NG inspection machine 112 on the second line L2 rejects any fruit or vegetable LS that does not meet the standards in terms of shape, color, or area from among the fruit or vegetable LS that have not been picked up by the parallel link robot 20. The fruit or vegetable LS that have not been rejected by the return NG inspection machine 112 are then fed back to the bowl feeder 110.

[0063] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the control device 10 and the parallel link robot 20 according to the first embodiment.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 2 , the control device 10 according to this embodiment includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, an input / output interface (I / O) 14, a storage unit 15, and a connection unit 16.

[0065] The CPU 11, ROM 12, RAM 13, and I / O 14 are connected to each other via a bus. The I / O 14 is connected to various functional units including a storage unit 15 and a connection unit 16. These functional units can communicate with the CPU 11 via the I / O 14.

[0066] The control unit is configured with the CPU 11, ROM 12, RAM 13, and I / O 14. The control unit may be configured as a sub-control unit that controls part of the operation of the control device 10, or may be configured as part of a main control unit that controls the entire operation of the control device 10. For some or all of the blocks of the control unit, an integrated circuit such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration) or an IC chip set is used. Individual circuits may be used for each of the above blocks, or a circuit in which some or all of the blocks are integrated may be used. The above blocks may be provided integrally, or some of the blocks may be provided separately. Furthermore, parts of each of the above blocks may be provided separately. The integration of the control unit is not limited to LSI, and a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor may also be used.

[0067] The storage unit 15 may be, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a flash memory. A control program 15A according to this embodiment is stored in the storage unit 15. The control program 15A may be stored in the ROM 12.

[0068] The control program 15A may be pre-installed in the control device 10, for example. The control program 15A may be realized by storing it in a non-volatile, non-transitory storage medium or distributing it via a network and installing it appropriately in the control device 10. Note that examples of non-volatile, non-transitory storage media include a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), a magneto-optical disk, a HDD, a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc Read Only Memory), a flash memory, a memory card, etc.

[0069] The connection unit 16 is an interface for connecting each of the robots R1 to R5 that make up the parallel link robot 20. Each of these robots R1 to R5 has the same configuration, and the configuration of the robot R1 will be described below as an example.

[0070] The robot R1 includes a main body 21 and a holding unit 24. The main body 21 includes a camera 22 and a drive unit 23. One camera 22 is provided for each robot. The camera 22 photographs multiple fruit and vegetable LS conveyed on the second line L2 from above, and the robot R1 transmits the photographed images to the control device 10. The drive unit 23 moves the robot R1 and drives the holding unit 24 to hold and insert the fruit and vegetable LS in accordance with instructions from the control device 10. The holding unit 24 releasably holds the fruit and vegetable LS. For example, a vacuum suction gripper is used for the holding unit 24. The shape of this gripper is not particularly limited, but it is preferably a Bernoulli gripper, for example. More preferably, it may be a Bernoulli gripper with the Coanda effect. By using this Bernoulli gripper, the fruit and vegetable LS can be held with precision without being damaged. The term "holding" here may refer to suction or gripping. In the case of gripping, a gripping type gripper may be used.

[0071] The robot R1 is configured to hold the fruit and vegetable LS transported on the second line L2 one unit at a time and to insert the held fruit and vegetable LS into an empty can KN through an opening. The robot R1 photographs the fruit and vegetable LS with a camera 22, acquires coordinate data of the pickable fruit and vegetable LS using a holding unit 24, and picks up, for example, one fruit and vegetable LS. The robot R1 synchronizes with the encoder of the timing screw transporting the empty can KN and releases (inserts) the fruit and vegetable LS into the empty can KN. The release into the empty can KN is performed by linking each robot with the corresponding empty can KN (here, one can) in a synchronization mode (also called a tracking mode). Before inserting the fruit and vegetable LS into the empty can KN, the camera 22 receives a trigger from the encoder of the timing screw or in response to a trigger from the camera 22 itself, photographing the pickable area, and the robot R1 acquires coordinate data of one or more pieces of fruit and vegetable LS that can be inserted from the captured image. The control device 10 controls the robot R1 based on the coordinate data obtained from the robot R1 to pick the fruit and vegetable LS. The robot R1 passes fruit and vegetable LS that are, for example, overlapping, have an incorrect size, are chipped, or have loose clusters, without giving them picking coordinates. However, even if fruit and vegetable LS are overlapping, it is possible to determine which is upper and which is lower by image analysis, so the upper fruit and vegetable LS can be picked up.

[0072] The CPU 11 of the control device 10 according to this embodiment writes a control program 15A stored in the storage unit 15 into the RAM 13 and executes the program, thereby functioning as each unit shown in FIG.

[0073] Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control device 10 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating the holding operation and the inserting operation of the fruit or vegetable LS according to the first embodiment.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 3, the CPU 11 of the control device 10 according to this embodiment functions as an acquisition unit 11A, a holding control unit 11B, and an input control unit 11C.

[0075] 4, empty cans KN are transported along the first line L1, and fruit and vegetable products LS are transported along the second line L2. The robot R1 photographs the fruit and vegetable products LS transported randomly along the second line L2 from above with the camera 22 and transmits the photographed image to the control device 10.

[0076] The acquisition unit 11A acquires the photographed image transmitted from the robot R1.

[0077] As shown in FIG. 4 , the holding control unit 11B controls the robot R1 to hold the fruit and vegetable LS transported on the second line L2 one unit at a time. Specifically, the holding control unit 11B selects, from among the multiple fruit and vegetable LSs, fruit and vegetable LSs whose shapes meet predetermined quality standards from the captured images acquired by the acquisition unit 11A as fruit and vegetable LSs to be held. Here, the predetermined quality standards may include, for example, an index value representing circularity. The predetermined quality standards may also include an index value representing circularity and a color area. Examples of index values ​​representing circularity include circularity and circularity. Circularity is an index value representing the proximity to a geometrically correct circle (a perfect circle), with higher circularity representing a closer circle. Circularity is an index value representing the degree of deviation from a geometrically correct circle, with lower circularity representing a closer circle. The color area represents the color area of ​​a specific portion of the fruit and vegetable LSs (e.g., the flesh portion). The circularity, the roundness, and the color area can be derived by known image analysis techniques.

[0078] In this case, the retention control unit 11B selects, as the fruit and vegetable LS to be retained, fruit and vegetable LS whose index value representing circularity satisfies certain conditions—specifically, fruit and vegetable LS whose circularity is above a threshold or whose circularity is below a threshold. However, the threshold for circularity and the threshold for circularity are different. The retention control unit 11B may also select, as the fruit and vegetable LS to be retained, fruit and vegetable LS whose circularity and color area are both above a threshold, or whose circularity is below a threshold and whose color area is above a threshold. Here, circular fruit and vegetable LS are assumed to be circular, so circularity or circularity is derived. However, the shape may be polygonal, so an appropriate index value may be derived according to the shape of the fruit and vegetable LS. If the fruit and vegetable LS is polygonal, for example, pattern matching or the like may be used to select fruit and vegetable LS whose shape is above a certain level. For example, the outline of the fruit and vegetable LS may be indexed, or the color of the fruit and vegetable LS may be binarized and the black and white shades may be indexed. The holding control unit 11B controls the holding unit 24 of the robot R1 to pick up and hold the selected fruit or vegetable LS. The position of the fruit or vegetable LS to be held can be determined by converting the coordinate data of the fruit or vegetable LS obtained from the robot R1 based on the coordinate change amount corresponding to the transport speed of the second line L2.

[0079] That is, the holding control unit 11B selects fruit or vegetable LS that meets predetermined quality standards (e.g., circularity, color area) from the captured image, and acquires coordinate data for the selected fruit or vegetable LS from the robot R1. The holding control unit 11B converts the coordinate data acquired from the robot R1 based on a coordinate change amount corresponding to the conveying speed of the second line L2, and controls the robot R1 to move to the coordinates after the coordinate conversion. The robot R1 moves over the selected fruit or vegetable LS and turns on the suction function of the holding unit 24. After reaching the position of the coordinates after the coordinate conversion, the robot R1 descends and picks up the selected fruit or vegetable LS.

[0080] As shown in Fig. 4, the input control unit 11C controls the robot R1 to input the fruit or vegetable LS held by the robot R1 into the opening of an empty can KN being transported on the first line L1. Specifically, the input control unit 11C controls the holder 24 holding the fruit or vegetable LS to move above the opening of the empty can KN and to input the fruit or vegetable LS into the opening of the empty can KN while moving the holder 24 in the same direction as the transport direction of the empty can KN. It is desirable that the input control unit 11C synchronizes the movement speed of the holder 24 holding the fruit or vegetable LS with the transport speed of the empty can KN, and controls the holder 24 to move downstream in advance of the empty can KN in the transport direction while inputting the fruit or vegetable LS into the opening of the empty can KN.

[0081] 5A and 5B, a method for selecting fruit or vegetable LS from a captured image will be specifically described. In the following, a case where circularity is used as an example of an index value representing circularity will be described, but circularity may be used instead.

[0082] 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating an example of a captured image from which the circularity of the fruit or vegetable LS has been derived, respectively.

[0083] As an example, as shown in FIG. 5A , the retention control unit 11B performs image analysis on multiple fruit and vegetable LSs included in the captured image to derive their circularity. The circularity is derived for all fruit and vegetable LSs in the captured image. However, if two fruit and vegetable LSs overlap, it may be difficult to derive the circularity of the lower fruit and vegetable LS. Therefore, the set of two fruit and vegetable LSs may be considered as one. The same applies to three or more overlapping fruit and vegetable LSs. Whether the fruit and vegetable LSs overlap can be determined from the captured image. The retention control unit 11B determines whether the obtained circularity is equal to or greater than a first threshold. Note that fruit and vegetable LSs include oval shapes, so it is desirable to set the first threshold to a certain degree of tolerance. The first threshold may be set appropriately, for example, within a range of 70% to less than 100%. A circularity of 100% indicates a perfect circle. Note that when circularity is used, the retention control unit 11B determines whether the obtained circularity is equal to or less than the first threshold. In this case, the first threshold value may be set appropriately within the range of, for example, greater than 0% and equal to or less than 30%. A circularity of 0% means that the object is a perfect circle.

[0084] As an example, as shown in FIG. 5B , the storage control unit 11B performs image analysis on multiple fruit and vegetable LSs whose circularity is equal to or greater than a first threshold, and derives a color area. The color area is derived only for fruit and vegetable LSs whose circularity is equal to or greater than the first threshold. In other words, the color area is not derived for fruit and vegetable LSs whose circularity is less than the first threshold. As described above, the color area represents the color area of ​​a specific portion (e.g., a flesh portion) and is expressed, for example, as a ratio of the area of ​​the specific portion to the total area. The storage control unit 11B determines whether the obtained color area is equal to or greater than a second threshold. The second threshold may be set appropriately, for example, in the range of 70% or more and less than 100%, more preferably 80% or more and less than 100%.

[0085] That is, the storage control unit 11B identifies multiple fruit and vegetable LSs with a circularity equal to or greater than a first threshold value from the captured image, and selects, from the identified multiple fruit and vegetable LSs, those with a color area equal to or greater than a second threshold value. If there are multiple fruit and vegetable LSs with both a circularity and a color area equal to or greater than a threshold value, the fruit and vegetable LS located furthest downstream may be selected, for example. While the case where circularity and color area are used has been described here, it is also possible to use only circularity, as mentioned above. In this case, the storage control unit 11B simply selects, from the captured image, those fruit and vegetable LSs with a circularity equal to or greater than a threshold value.

[0086] Here, the holding control unit 11B controls the robot R1 so that the holding unit 24 picks up and holds the selected fruit or vegetable LS. In this case, the holding control unit 11B may select a number of fruit or vegetable LS greater than the number of holding units 24, and if the robot R1 fails to hold or insert one selected fruit or vegetable LS, it may control the robot R1 to hold another selected fruit or vegetable LS. Since each robot has one holding unit 24 in this embodiment, it is preferable to pre-select, for example, two fruit or vegetable LS. This allows the robot R1 to hold and insert the second fruit or vegetable LS if it fails to hold or insert the first fruit or vegetable LS, thereby more reliably inserting the fruit or vegetable LS. Another holding unit 24 may also be provided as a spare. In this case, the spare holding unit 24 may also hold fruit or vegetable LS in the same way as the holding unit 24 currently inserting fruit or vegetable LS. If the currently inserting holding unit 24 fails to insert the fruit or vegetable LS, the spare holding unit 24 may insert the fruit or vegetable LS instead of the currently inserting holding unit 24.

[0087] Next, a method for putting fruit or vegetables LS into the opening of the empty can KN will be specifically described with reference to FIGS.

[0088] FIG. 6 is a top view schematically illustrating the robot R1 inserting a fruit or vegetable LS into the opening of an empty can KN. FIG. 7 is a side view schematically illustrating the robot R1 inserting a fruit or vegetable LS into the opening of an empty can KN. (S1) to (S4) in FIG. 6 correspond to (S1) to (S4) in FIG. 7. In FIGS. 6 and 7, the open triangles indicate a time series, transitioning from (S1) to (S4). FIG. 8 is a side view showing a state in which the movement speed of the robot R1 holding a fruit or vegetable LS is synchronized with the transport speed of the empty can KN. Note that for simplicity, only the holding unit 24 of the robot R1 is shown in FIGS. 6 to 8.

[0089] 6 and 7, the control device 10 selects a fruit or vegetable LS to be held from the fruit or vegetable LS being transported on the second line L2, and causes the selected fruit or vegetable LS to be sucked and held by the holding unit 24 of the robot R1. Then, with the holding unit 24 still holding the fruit or vegetable LS, the control device 10 moves the holding unit 24 over the opening of an empty can KN being transported on the first line L1.

[0090] 6 (S2) and 7 (S2), the control device 10 moves the holding unit 24 in the same direction as the conveying direction of the empty cans KN (the direction indicated by the arrow). In other words, the movement speed of the holding unit 24 holding the fruits or vegetables LS is synchronized with the conveying speed of the empty cans KN. Here, "synchronization" does not mean that the movement speed of the holding unit 24 and the conveying speed of the empty cans KN do not have to be exactly the same, but may be the same within a predetermined tolerance range.

[0091] 8, it is desirable to move the holding part 24 of the robot R1 downstream in the conveying direction ahead of the empty can KN. In other words, the center of the holding part 24 is shifted downstream in the conveying direction from the center of the opening of the empty can KN. This makes it possible to more reliably feed the fruit or vegetable LS into the empty can KN.

[0092] In (S3) of Figures 6 and 7, the control device 10 moves the holding unit 24 in the same direction as the conveyance direction of the empty can KN (the direction indicated by the arrow), turns off the suction of the holding unit 24, and deposits (releases) the fruit or vegetable LS into the opening of the empty can KN. In other words, the holding unit 24 moves over the opening of the empty can KN and drops the fruit or vegetable LS while moving in the same direction. Therefore, when viewed from the side, the fruit or vegetable LS appears to be falling at an angle due to inertial force. Note that "falling" here may refer to, for example, a free fall. However, air may be ejected from the holding unit 24 simultaneously with the release of suction of the holding unit 24 to encourage the fruit or vegetable LS to fall. The ejection of air is preferable because it improves the accuracy of the drop compared to a free fall. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, if the holding unit 24 advances slightly ahead of the empty can KN to drop the fruit or vegetable LS, the fruit or vegetable LS will collide with the wall downstream of the empty can KN in the conveyance direction and fall into the empty can KN.

[0093] In (S4) of FIG. 6 and (S4) of FIG. 7, the control device 10 moves the holding part 24 of the robot R1 from the first line L1 to a predetermined origin position.

[0094] 8 illustrates a case in which the holding unit 24 drops the fruit or vegetable LS while moving slightly ahead of the empty can KN, but this is not limiting. The fruit or vegetable LS may be dropped at a position where the center of the opening of the empty can KN and the center of the fruit or vegetable LS are aligned. Here, the moving speed of the holding unit 24 may be faster than the conveying speed of the empty can KN within the above-mentioned allowable range, and the fruit or vegetable LS may be dropped at a position where the center of the opening of the empty can KN and the center of the fruit or vegetable LS are aligned. In this case, the fruit or vegetable LS will fall while moving slightly faster than the empty can KN due to inertial force, and will hit the wall of the empty can KN downstream in the conveying direction and fall into the empty can KN.

[0095] Next, the operation of the control device 10 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0096] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing by the control program 15A according to the first embodiment.

[0097] First, when the control device 10 is instructed to control the parallel link robot 20, the control program 15A is started by the CPU 11, and the following steps are executed.

[0098] 9, the CPU 11 acquires the captured image shown in Fig. 5A, for example. As described above, the captured image is an image captured from above by the camera 22 of the robot R1 of the fruits and vegetables LS being randomly transported on the second line L2.

[0099] In step S102, the CPU 11 performs image analysis on a plurality of fruit or vegetable pieces LS included in the captured image, as shown in FIG. 5A above, for example, and derives the circularity.

[0100] In step S103, the CPU 11 performs image analysis on multiple fruit and vegetable LSs whose circularity derived in step S102 is equal to or greater than a first threshold, as shown in Figure 5B above, as an example, and derives a color area, which is the color area of ​​a specific part (e.g., a fruit part).

[0101] In step S104, the CPU 11 selects the fruit or vegetable LS whose color area calculated in step S103 is equal to or greater than the second threshold as the fruit or vegetable LS to be held. Note that the number of fruit or vegetable LS selected may be greater than the number of holding units 24. In the following description, it is assumed that the number of fruit or vegetable LS selected is greater than the number of holding units 24 in case the robot R1 fails to hold the fruit or vegetable LS.

[0102] In step S105, the CPU 11 acquires the coordinate data of the fruit or vegetable LS selected in step S104 from the robot R1.

[0103] In step S106, the CPU 11 adds the coordinate change amount corresponding to the conveying speed of the second line L2 that conveys the fruit and vegetable LS to the coordinate data acquired in step S105, and converts the coordinate data of the selected fruit and vegetable LS.

[0104] In step S107, the CPU 11 moves the holding unit 24 of the robot R1 onto the selected fruit or vegetable LS being transported on the second line L2 based on the coordinate data after coordinate transformation, as shown in (S1) of Figure 6 above, as an example.

[0105] In step S108, the CPU 11 turns on the suction of the holder 24 of the robot R1, and the robot R1 picks up and holds the selected fruit or vegetable LS being conveyed on the second line L2.

[0106] In step S109, the CPU 11 determines whether the robot R1 has successfully held the fruit or vegetable LS. If it is determined that the robot R1 has failed to hold the fruit or vegetable LS (if the determination is negative), the process proceeds to step S110. If it is determined that the robot R1 has successfully held the fruit or vegetable LS (if the determination is positive), the process proceeds to step S112.

[0107] In step S110, the CPU 11 moves the holder 24 of the robot R1 onto another selected fruit or vegetable LS being transported on the second line L2.

[0108] In step S111, the CPU 11 turns on the suction of the holder 24 of the robot R1, picks up and holds another selected fruit or vegetable LS being conveyed on the second line L2, and then proceeds to step S109.

[0109] In step S112, the CPU 11 acquires the position of the empty can KN to be dropped in. Here, the robot R1 and the empty can KN to be dropped in are associated in advance, and the position of the empty can KN to be dropped in can be acquired as line information regarding the first line L1.

[0110] In step S113, the CPU 11 moves the holding unit 24 holding the fruit or vegetable LS onto the opening of the empty can KN being transported on the first line L1, based on the position of the empty can KN obtained in step S112, as shown in (S2) of Figure 6 and (S2) of Figure 7 above, as an example.

[0111] In step S114, the CPU 11 moves the holder 24 in the same direction as the conveying direction of the empty cans KN, as shown in (S2) of Fig. 6 and (S2) of Fig. 7. In other words, the movement speed of the holder 24 holding the fruit or vegetable LS is synchronized with the conveying speed of the empty cans KN.

[0112] In step S115, the CPU 11 turns off suction of the holding unit 24 while moving the holding unit 24 in the same direction as the conveying direction of the empty can KN, and throws (releases) the fruit or vegetable LS into the opening of the empty can KN, as shown in (S3) of Figure 6 and (S3) of Figure 7 above, for example. Then, the CPU 11 moves the holding unit 24 of the robot R1 from the first line L1 to a predetermined origin position, as shown in (S4) of Figure 6 and (S4) of Figure 7 above, for example.

[0113] In step S116, the CPU 11 determines whether the end timing has arrived. If it is determined that the end timing has not arrived (if the determination is negative), the process returns to step S101 and is repeated. If it is determined that the end timing has arrived (if the determination is positive), the process by the control program 15A ends.

[0114] As described above, according to this embodiment, solid materials meeting the desired quality can be selected from the randomly transported non-uniform solid materials and held in units of one. Furthermore, the held solid materials can be moved in synchronization with the empty containers being transported at high speed. Therefore, the held solid materials can be placed in units of one with high precision into the openings of the empty containers.

[0115] In the first embodiment, a configuration in which solid materials are held one unit at a time and dispensed into the opening of an empty container is described. In the second embodiment, a configuration in which a plurality of solid materials are held in a row and dispensed into the openings of a plurality of empty containers at a predetermined timing is described.

[0116] The components of beverage production system 100A according to the second embodiment are the same as the components of beverage production system 100 described in the first embodiment, except for the configuration of parallel link robot 20. For this reason, the same components as those of beverage production system 100 described in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations thereof will be omitted.

[0117] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a parallel link robot 20A according to the second embodiment.

[0118] 10, the parallel link robot 20A according to this embodiment includes multiple robots R1 to R5, similar to the first embodiment. Each of these robots R1 to R5 has the same configuration, and the configuration of robot R1 will be described below as an example.

[0119] The robot R1 includes a main body 21 and multiple holding units 24A-24C. When it is not necessary to distinguish between the multiple holding units 24A-24C, they will be simply referred to as holding units 24. While the example in FIG. 10 shows three holding units 24, two or more holding units 24 may be included. The drive unit 23 moves the robot R1 and drives each of the multiple holding units 24 in accordance with instructions from the control device 10 to hold and insert the fruit or vegetable LS. Each of the multiple holding units 24 releasably holds the fruit or vegetable LS. The multiple holding units 24 hold the multiple fruit or vegetable LS in a line along the conveyance direction. For example, a vacuum suction gripper is used for each of the multiple holding units 24. The shape of the gripper is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that it be a Bernoulli gripper. More preferably, it may be a Bernoulli gripper with the Coanda effect. By using this Bernoulli-type gripper, the fruit and vegetable LS can be held with precision without being damaged. Note that "holding" here can mean either suction or gripping. In the case of gripping, a gripping-type gripper can be used.

[0120] The robot R1 is configured to hold a plurality of fruit and vegetable LSs transported along the second line L2 in a line and to insert the held plurality of fruit and vegetable LSs into the openings of a plurality of empty cans KN. The robot R1 photographs the fruit and vegetable LSs with a camera 22, acquires coordinate data for the fruit and vegetable LSs that can be picked up by each of the plurality of holding units 24, and sequentially picks up a plurality of fruit and vegetable LSs (three in this case). The robot R1 synchronizes with the encoder of the timing screw that transports the empty cans KN and releases (injects) the plurality of fruit and vegetable LSs into the plurality of empty cans KN (three in this case) at a predetermined timing. Note that "releasing (injecting) at a predetermined timing" may mean releasing (injecting) a plurality of fruit and vegetable LSs simultaneously or sequentially releasing (injecting) a plurality of fruit and vegetable LSs with a predetermined time lag. Here, "simultaneously" does not necessarily mean exactly the same timing, but may mean simultaneously within a predetermined tolerance. The predetermined tolerance range can be set, for example, depending on timing discrepancies caused by device accuracy errors. The "predetermined time" can be set to an appropriate value depending, for example, on the performance and specifications required of the device. Release to the empty cans KN is performed by coordinating each robot with multiple corresponding empty cans KN (three in this example) in synchronization mode (tracking mode). The camera 22 receives a trigger from the timing screw encoder before releasing the cans KN, or receives a trigger from the camera 22 itself, and photographs the pickable area. The robot R1 then acquires coordinate data for three or more pieces of fruit and vegetable LS that can be released from the photographed image. The control device 10 controls the robot R1 based on the coordinate data obtained from the robot R1 to pick multiple pieces of fruit and vegetable LS. The robot R1 passes over fruit and vegetable LS that are, for example, overlapping, have an incorrect size, are missing, or have loose bunches, without assigning picking coordinates.

[0121] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the holding and inserting operations of a plurality of fruit or vegetable pieces LS according to the second embodiment.

[0122] As shown in FIG. 3, the CPU 11 of the control device 10 according to this embodiment functions as an acquisition unit 11A, a holding control unit 11B, and an input control unit 11C.

[0123] As shown in Fig. 11, empty cans KN are transported along the first line L1, and fruit and vegetable products LS are transported along the second line L2. The robot R1 photographs the fruit and vegetable products LS transported randomly along the second line L2 from above with the camera 22, and transmits the photographed image (the area surrounded by the dotted line in Fig. 11) to the control device 10.

[0124] The acquisition unit 11A acquires the photographed image transmitted from the robot R1.

[0125] As shown in FIG. 11 , the holding control unit 11B controls the robot R1 to line up and hold multiple pieces of fruit and vegetable LS transported on the second line L2. Specifically, the holding control unit 11B selects, from the captured image acquired by the acquisition unit 11A, multiple pieces of fruit and vegetable LS whose shapes meet predetermined quality standards (e.g., circularity, color area) as pieces of fruit and vegetable LS to be held, and assigns priorities to the selected multiple pieces of fruit and vegetable LS in order from the downstream side in the conveyance direction. Here, the number of selected pieces of fruit and vegetable LS is equal to or greater than the number of holding units 24. In the example of FIG. 11 , priorities "1" to "3" are assigned in order from the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the captured image. The holding control unit 11B selects, as pieces of fruit and vegetable LS to be held, multiple pieces of fruit and vegetable LS whose circularity is equal to or greater than a threshold, or selects, as pieces of fruit and vegetable LS whose circularity and color area are both equal to or greater than a threshold. As described above, circularity may be used instead of circularity. When circularity is used, the holding control unit 11B selects multiple fruit and vegetable LSs whose circularity is below a threshold, or selects multiple fruit and vegetable LSs whose circularity is below a threshold and whose color area is above a threshold. Here, circularity is derived because circular fruit and vegetable LSs are assumed. However, since the shape may be polygonal, an appropriate index value may be derived based on the shape of the fruit and vegetable LSs. The holding control unit 11B controls the multiple holding units 24 of the robot R1 according to the assigned priority to sequentially pick up and hold the selected multiple fruit and vegetable LSs. The position of each of the multiple fruit and vegetable LSs to be held can be determined by coordinate conversion of the coordinate data of each of the multiple fruit and vegetable LSs obtained from the robot R1 based on the coordinate change corresponding to the transport speed of the second line L2.

[0126] That is, the holding control unit 11B selects multiple fruit or vegetable LS that meet predetermined quality standards (e.g., circularity, color area) from the captured image, and acquires coordinate data from the robot R1 for each of the selected multiple fruit or vegetable LS. The holding control unit 11B converts each of the multiple coordinate data acquired from the robot R1 based on a coordinate change amount corresponding to the conveying speed of the second line L2, and controls the robot R1 to move sequentially to the coordinates after the coordinate conversion according to the priority assigned by the robot R1. The robot R1 moves over the selected fruit or vegetable LS and turns on the suction function of the holding unit 24. After reaching the position of the coordinates after the coordinate conversion, the robot R1 descends to pick up the selected fruit or vegetable LS.

[0127] As shown in FIG. 11 , the input control unit 11C controls the robot R1 to input, at a predetermined timing, a plurality of fruit and vegetable LSs held by the robot R1 into the openings of a plurality of empty cans KN being transported on the first line L1. Specifically, the input control unit 11C controls the plurality of holders 24, each holding a fruit and vegetable LS, to move over the openings of a corresponding plurality of empty cans KN, and controls the plurality of holders 24 to input the plurality of fruit and vegetable LSs into the openings of the corresponding plurality of empty cans KN at a predetermined timing while moving the plurality of holders 24 in the same direction as the transport direction of the empty cans KN. It is desirable that the input control unit 11C synchronizes the movement speed of the plurality of holders 24, each holding a fruit and vegetable LS, with the transport speed of the plurality of empty cans KN, and controls the plurality of holders 24 to move downstream in the transport direction ahead of the plurality of empty cans KN, and input the plurality of fruit and vegetable LSs into the openings of the corresponding plurality of empty cans KN at a predetermined timing.

[0128] In the example of FIG. 11 , three fruit and vegetable LSs selected from the captured image (areas surrounded by dotted lines) are sequentially picked up from the downstream side in the conveyance direction. In this case, it is advisable to assign priorities (e.g., "1," "2," and "3") to the three selected fruit and vegetable LSs in order from the downstream side in the conveyance direction. That is, the holder 24A picks up the fruit and vegetable LS with priority "1," then the holder 24B picks up the fruit and vegetable LS with priority "2," and then the holder 24C picks up the fruit and vegetable LS with priority "3." When picking up the second and third fruit and vegetable LSs, it is desirable to control the position of the holder 24 so that the picked first fruit and vegetable LS does not collide with the other fruit and vegetable LSs. Furthermore, if the fruit and vegetable LSs are being transported regularly, it is possible to pick up three fruit and vegetable LSs simultaneously.

[0129] The plurality of holding units 24A to 24C are arranged in series in threes at intervals equal to the intervals between the empty cans KN. When picking up the fruit and vegetable LS, they hold them one by one, and when dropping them into the plurality of empty cans KN, the held plurality of fruit and vegetable LS are released at a predetermined timing.

[0130] Next, a method for selecting a plurality of fruit and vegetable LS from a photographed image and assigning priorities will be specifically described with reference to FIG.

[0131] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a captured image from which the circularity and color area of ​​a fruit or vegetable LS are derived.

[0132] As an example, as shown in FIG. 12 , the holding control unit 11B identifies multiple fruit and vegetable LSs with a circularity greater than or equal to a first threshold from the captured image, selects multiple fruit and vegetable LSs with a color area greater than or equal to a second threshold, and assigns priorities to the selected fruit and vegetable LSs in order from the downstream side in the conveying direction. In this case, the holding control unit 11B may select a number of fruit and vegetable LSs (four in this example) greater than the number of holding units 24. In the example of FIG. 12 , priorities (e.g., “1,” “2,” “3,” and “4”) are assigned to the four selected fruit and vegetable LSs. The holding control unit 11B controls each of the three holding units 24 of the robot R1 to pick up and hold each of the three selected fruit and vegetable LSs. However, if the robot R1 fails to hold or insert any of the fruit and vegetable LSs, the holding control unit 11B may also control the robot R1 to hold another selected fruit and vegetable LS. Since each robot has three holding units 24 in this embodiment, for example, it is preferable to preselect four fruit and vegetable LSs. This allows the fourth fruit or vegetable LS to be held more reliably if any of the three fails to be held.

[0133] Next, the operation of the control device 10 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0134] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing by the control program 15A according to the second embodiment.

[0135] First, when the control device 10 is instructed to control the parallel link robot 20A, the control program 15A is started by the CPU 11, and the following steps are executed.

[0136] In step S121 of Fig. 13, the CPU 11 acquires, as an example, the captured image shown in Fig. 12. As described above, the captured image is an image captured by the camera 22 of the robot R1 from above of the fruits and vegetables LS being randomly transported on the second line L2.

[0137] In step S122, the CPU 11 performs image analysis on a plurality of fruit or vegetable pieces LS included in the captured image, as shown in FIG. 12 above, for example, and derives the circularity.

[0138] In step S123, the CPU 11 performs image analysis on multiple fruit and vegetable LSs whose circularity derived in step S122 is equal to or greater than the first threshold, as shown in Figure 12 above, as an example, and derives a color area, which is the color area of ​​a specific part (e.g., a fruit part).

[0139] In step S124, the CPU 11 selects, as the plurality of fruit and vegetable LS to be held, the plurality of fruit and vegetable LS whose color areas calculated in step S123 are equal to or greater than the second threshold value. Note that the number of fruit and vegetable LS selected may be greater than the number of holding units 24. In the following description, it is assumed that the number of fruit and vegetable LS selected is greater than the number of holding units 24 in case the robot R1 fails to hold the fruit and vegetable LS.

[0140] In step S125, the CPU 11 acquires, from the robot R1, coordinate data for each of the plurality of fruits and vegetables LS selected in step S124.

[0141] In step S126, the CPU 11 assigns priorities to each of the plurality of fruit or vegetable items LS selected in step S124, starting from the downstream side in the conveying direction, as shown in FIG. 12 above, for example.

[0142] In step S127, the CPU 11 adds the coordinate change amount corresponding to the conveying speed of the second line L2 that conveys the fruit and vegetable LS to each of the multiple coordinate data acquired in step S125, and converts the coordinate data of each of the selected multiple fruit and vegetable LS.

[0143] In step S128, the CPU 11 moves the holding unit 24A of the robot R1 onto the first selected fruit or vegetable LS being transported on the second line L2 based on the priority and the coordinate data after coordinate transformation, as shown in Figure 11, as an example.

[0144] In step S129, the CPU 11 turns on the suction of the holder 24A of the robot R1, and picks up and holds the first selected fruit or vegetable LS being conveyed on the second line L2.

[0145] In step S130, the CPU 11 moves the holding unit 24B of the robot R1 onto the second selected fruit or vegetable LS being transported on the second line L2 based on the priority and the coordinate data after coordinate transformation, as shown in Figure 11, as an example.

[0146] In step S131, the CPU 11 turns on the suction of the holder 24B of the robot R1, and picks up and holds the second selected fruit or vegetable LS being conveyed on the second line L2.

[0147] In step S132, the CPU 11 moves the holding unit 24C of the robot R1 onto the selected third fruit or vegetable LS being transported on the second line L2 based on the priority and the coordinate data after coordinate transformation, as shown in Figure 11, as an example.

[0148] In step S133, the CPU 11 turns on the suction of the holder 24C of the robot R1, and picks up and holds the selected third fruit or vegetable LS being conveyed on the second line L2.

[0149] In step S134, the CPU 11 determines whether the robot R1 has successfully held multiple (here, three) fruit and vegetable LSs. If it is determined that the robot R1 has failed to hold any of the multiple fruit and vegetable LSs (in the case of a negative determination), the process proceeds to step S135. If it is determined that the robot R1 has successfully held multiple fruit and vegetable LSs (in the case of a positive determination), the process proceeds to step S137.

[0150] In step S135, the CPU 11 moves the holder 24 among the holders 24A to 24C that failed to hold the fruit or vegetable LS onto another selected fruit or vegetable LS being transported on the second line L2.

[0151] In step S136, the CPU 11 turns on the suction of the holding unit 24 that failed to hold the fruit or vegetable LS, and then suctions and holds another selected fruit or vegetable LS being transported on the second line L2, and proceeds to step S134.

[0152] In step S137, the CPU 11 acquires the positions of the empty cans KN to be inserted. Here, the robot R1 and the empty cans KN to be inserted are associated in advance, and the positions of the empty cans KN to be inserted can be acquired as line information regarding the first line L1.

[0153] In step S138, based on the positions of the multiple empty cans KN obtained in step S137, the CPU 11 moves multiple holding sections 24A to 24C, each holding a fruit or vegetable LS, onto the openings of the multiple empty cans KN being transported on the first line L1.

[0154] In step S139, the CPU 11 moves the multiple holding units 24A to 24C in the same direction as the conveying direction of the multiple empty cans KN. In other words, the movement speed of the multiple holding units 24A to 24C, each holding a fruit or vegetable LS, is synchronized with the conveying speed of the multiple empty cans KN.

[0155] In step S140, the CPU 11 moves the plurality of holding units 24A to 24C in the same direction as the conveyance direction of the plurality of empty cans KN, turns off the suction of the holding units 24A to 24C at a predetermined timing, and throws (releases) the plurality of fruit or vegetable pieces LS into the openings of each of the plurality of empty cans KN. Then, the CPU 11 moves the plurality of holding units 24A to 24C of the robot R1 from the first line L1 to a predetermined origin position.

[0156] In step S141, the CPU 11 determines whether the end timing has arrived. If it is determined that the end timing has not arrived (if the determination is negative), the CPU 11 returns to step S121 and repeats the process. If it is determined that the end timing has arrived (if the determination is positive), the CPU 11 ends the series of processes performed by the control program 15A.

[0157] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to select and hold a plurality of solid objects that meet the desired quality from among the randomly transported non-uniform solid objects. Furthermore, it is possible to move the held plurality of solid objects in synchronization with the plurality of empty containers that are transported at high speed. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently feed the plurality of held solid objects into the openings of the plurality of empty containers with high accuracy.

[0158] In each of the above embodiments, the robot control process executed by the CPU after reading the software (program) may be executed by various processors other than the CPU. Examples of such processors include a programmable logic device (PLD) (such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA)) whose circuit configuration can be changed after manufacture, and a dedicated electrical circuit such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) that is a processor having a circuit configuration designed specifically for executing a specific process.

[0159] Furthermore, the operations of the processor in each of the above embodiments may be performed not only by a single processor but also by multiple processors located at physically separate locations working together. Furthermore, the order of the operations of the processor is not limited to the order described in each of the above embodiments and may be changed as appropriate.

[0160] The above describes an example of a system and a control device according to an embodiment. The embodiment may be in the form of a program for causing a computer to execute the functions of each unit of the control device. The embodiment may be in the form of a non-transitory storage medium that stores the program and is readable by a computer.

[0161] Furthermore, the configuration of the control device described in the above embodiment is merely an example, and may be changed depending on the situation without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0162] Furthermore, the processing flow of the program described in the above embodiment is also an example, and unnecessary steps may be deleted, new steps may be added, or the processing order may be rearranged within the scope of the main idea.

[0163] In the above embodiment, the processing according to the embodiment is realized by a software configuration using a computer by executing a program, but the present invention is not limited to this. The embodiment may be realized by, for example, a hardware configuration or a combination of a hardware configuration and a software configuration.

[0164] The following additional notes are provided regarding the above-described embodiments.

[0165] (Supplementary Note 1) A beverage production system comprising: a first line that transports empty containers having an opening; a second line that transports solid objects having a projected area smaller than the area of ​​the opening; a dosing device configured to hold the solid objects transported on the second line one unit at a time and to be able to dispense the held solid objects into the empty containers through the openings; and a control device that controls the dosing device so that the solid objects transported on the second line are dispensed into the empty containers transported on the first line. (Supplementary Note 2) The beverage production system described in Supplementary Note 1, wherein the first line and the second line run parallel to each other in the same direction. (Supplementary Note 3) The beverage production system described in Supplementary Note 1 or Supplementary Note 2, wherein the dosing device includes a holding unit that releasably holds the solid objects, and the control device controls the dosing device to move the holding unit holding the solid objects over the openings of the empty containers and dispense the solid objects into the openings of the empty containers while moving the holding unit in the same direction as the conveyance direction of the empty containers. (Supplementary Note 4) The beverage production system of Supplementary Note 3, wherein the control device controls the pouring device to pour the solid object into the opening of the empty container while synchronizing the movement speed of the holding unit holding the solid object with the conveying speed of the empty container and moving the holding unit ahead of the empty container downstream in the conveying direction. (Supplementary Note 5) The beverage production system of any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 4, wherein the control device selects, from a photographed image of the solid objects conveyed on the second line, a solid object whose shape satisfies a predetermined quality standard as a solid object to be held. (Supplementary Note 6) The beverage production system of Supplementary Note 5, wherein the predetermined quality standard includes an index value representing roundness, and the control device selects, from the photographed image, a solid object whose index value satisfies a certain condition. (Appendix 7) The beverage production system described in Appendix 5, wherein the predetermined quality standard includes an index value representing circularity and a color area representing the color area of ​​a specific part, and the control device identifies multiple solid objects from the captured image whose index values ​​satisfy certain conditions, and selects from the multiple identified solid objects those whose color area is equal to or greater than a threshold value.(Supplementary Note 8) The beverage production system according to any one of Supplementary Notes 5 to 7, wherein the injection device includes a holding unit that releasably holds the solid object, and the control unit selects a number of solid objects greater than the number of holding units, and controls the injection device to hold another selected solid object if the injection device fails to hold or inject one selected solid object. (Supplementary Note 9) The beverage production system according to Supplementary Note 3, wherein the holding unit is a vacuum suction gripper. (Supplementary Note 10) The beverage production system according to Supplementary Note 9, wherein the gripper is a Bernoulli gripper. (Supplementary Note 11) The beverage production system according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 10, wherein the solid object is formed in a sliced ​​shape. (Supplementary Note 12) The beverage production system according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 11, wherein the solid object is a fruit or vegetable. (Supplementary Note 13) The beverage production system according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 11, wherein the solid object is a piece of wood. (Appendix 14) A control device for a beverage production system comprising: a first line that transports empty containers having an opening; a second line that transports solid objects having a projected area smaller than the area of ​​the opening; an injection device configured to be able to hold the solid objects transported on the second line one unit at a time and to be able to inject the held solid objects into the empty containers through the openings; and a control device that controls the operation of the injection device, wherein the control device controls the injection device so that the solid objects transported on the second line are injected into the empty containers transported on the first line. (Appendix 15) A control program for a beverage production system comprising: a first line for transporting empty containers having an opening; a second line for transporting solid objects having a projected area smaller than the area of ​​the opening; an injection device configured to be able to hold the solid objects transported on the second line one unit at a time and to be able to inject the held solid objects into the empty containers through the openings; and a control device for controlling the operation of the injection device, the control program causing a computer to control the injection device so that the solid objects transported on the second line are injected into the empty containers transported on the first line.(Supplementary Note 16) A beverage production method using a beverage production system comprising: a first line that transports empty containers having an opening, a second line that transports solid objects having a projected area smaller than the area of ​​the opening, a dosing device configured to be able to hold the solid objects transported on the second line one unit at a time and to be able to operate to dispense the held solid objects through the opening into the empty container, and a control device that controls the operation of the dosing device, wherein the dosing device is controlled so that the solid objects transported on the second line are dispensed into the empty containers transported on the first line. (Supplementary Note 17) The beverage production method according to Supplementary Note 16, wherein the water activity of the solid objects is 0.80 or less.

[0166] The disclosures of Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-015159, filed on February 2, 2024, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-216937, filed on December 11, 2024, are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. All documents, patent applications, and technical standards mentioned herein are incorporated herein by reference to the same extent as if each individual document, patent application, and technical standard was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

Claims

1. A beverage production system comprising: a first line for transporting empty containers having an opening; a second line for transporting solid objects having a projected area smaller than the area of the opening; an injection device configured to be able to hold the solid objects transported on the second line one unit at a time and to be able to inject the held solid objects into the empty containers through the openings; and a control device for controlling the injection device so that the solid objects transported on the second line are injected into the empty containers transported on the first line.

2. The beverage production system according to claim 1, wherein the first line and the second line run parallel to each other in the same direction.

3. The beverage production system described in claim 1, wherein the injection device includes a holding section that releasably holds the solid material, and the control device controls the injection device to move the holding section holding the solid material over the opening of the empty container and to inject the solid material into the opening of the empty container while moving the holding section in the same direction as the conveying direction of the empty container.

4. The beverage production system described in claim 3, wherein the control device synchronizes the movement speed of the holding section holding the solid material with the conveying speed of the empty container, and controls the injection device to inject the solid material into the opening of the empty container while moving the holding section ahead of the empty container downstream in the conveying direction.

5. The beverage production system described in claim 1, wherein the control device selects, from images of the plurality of solid objects transported on the second line, solid objects whose shape meets predetermined quality standards as solid objects to be retained.

6. The beverage production system according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined quality standard includes an index value representing roundness, and the control device selects solid objects from the captured image whose index value satisfies certain conditions.

7. The beverage production system described in claim 5, wherein the predetermined quality standard includes an index value representing circularity and a color area representing the color area of a specific part, and the control device identifies multiple solid objects from the captured image whose index values satisfy certain conditions, and selects from the multiple identified solid objects those whose color area is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

8. The beverage production system of claim 5, wherein the injection device includes a holding section that releasably holds the solid objects, and the control device selects a number of solid objects greater than the number of holding sections, and controls the injection device to hold another selected solid object if the injection device fails to hold or inject one selected solid object.

9. The beverage production system according to claim 3, wherein the holding unit is a vacuum suction type gripper.

10. The beverage production system according to claim 9, wherein the gripper is a Bernoulli type gripper.

11. The beverage production system according to claim 1, wherein the solid material is formed into a slice shape.

12. The beverage production system according to claim 1, wherein the solid material is a fruit or vegetable.

13. The beverage production system according to claim 1, wherein the solid material is a piece of wood.

14. A control device for a beverage production system comprising: a first line for transporting empty containers having an opening; a second line for transporting solid objects having a projected area smaller than the area of the opening; an injection device configured to be able to hold the solid objects transported on the second line one unit at a time and to be able to inject the held solid objects into the empty containers through the openings; and a control device for controlling the operation of the injection device, wherein the control device controls the injection device so that the solid objects transported on the second line are injected into the empty containers transported on the first line.

15. A control program for a beverage production system comprising: a first line for transporting empty containers having an opening; a second line for transporting solid objects having a projected area smaller than the area of the opening; an injection device configured to be able to hold the solid objects transported on the second line one unit at a time and to be able to inject the held solid objects into the empty containers through the openings; and a control device for controlling the operation of the injection device, the control program causing a computer to control the injection device so that the solid objects transported on the second line are injected into the empty containers transported on the first line.

16. A beverage production method using a beverage production system comprising: a first line for transporting empty containers having an opening; a second line for transporting solid objects having a projected area smaller than the area of the opening; an injection device configured to be able to hold the solid objects transported on the second line one unit at a time and to be able to inject the held solid objects into the empty containers through the openings; and a control device for controlling the operation of the injection device, wherein the injection device is controlled so that the solid objects transported on the second line are injected into the empty containers transported on the first line.

17. The method for producing a beverage according to claim 16, wherein the water activity of the solid material is 0.80 or less.

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