Meat grading apparatus and method

Abstract

The application provides a meat grading device and method, and relates to the technical field of detection. The device comprises: a pipeline comprising M sub-lines, wherein the M sub-lines comprise a first sub-line; N hangers mounted on the pipeline, wherein the N hangers are configured to connect different parts of the same meat object respectively, a first hanger in the N hangers moves along the first sub-line, and the remaining hangers move along other sub-lines, and M and N are both integers greater than or equal to 2; and a first scanning device configured to scan the part of the meat object moved along the first sub-line by the first hanger and output scanning data for meat grading.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of detection technology, and specifically to a meat grading device and method. Background Technology

[0002] In the production and processing of meats such as pork, mutton, and beef, grading and processing are carried out. Taking pork as an example, after a pig is slaughtered and cleaned into a carcass, it is hung on a grading and processing line by a hook. The backfat thickness of the carcass is then measured manually, and combined with visual observation, the carcass is graded, typically into one grade. However, manual meat grading suffers from problems such as poor accuracy, stability, and consistency. Therefore, some existing meat grading methods use X-ray imaging scanning equipment, which can overcome the aforementioned problems of manual meat grading.

[0003] However, the spacing between meat carcasses is crucial for meat grading using X-ray imaging scanning equipment. If adjacent carcasses are too close together, too tightly packed, or stacked, the X-ray imaging equipment struggles to achieve accurate imaging. For example, when adjacent pork carcasses are too close together, too tightly packed, or stacked, the X-ray equipment has difficulty distinguishing between the front and back carcasses. Furthermore, density differences between adjacent carcasses can interfere with each other when penetrating the meat, leading to overlapping or blurry scan images, thus affecting the accuracy of meat grading. Increasing the spacing between adjacent carcasses, on the other hand, reduces production efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the present invention proposes a meat grading device and method, which can effectively improve the efficiency of the meat grading process without affecting the accuracy of meat grading.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, a meat grading device is provided, comprising: a production line including M sub-line bodies, the M sub-line bodies including a first sub-line body; N suspension members installed on the production line, wherein the N suspension members are configured to respectively connect to different parts of the same meat object, the first suspension member of the N suspension members moves along the first sub-line body, and the remaining suspension members move along other sub-line bodies, M and N are both integers greater than or equal to 2; and a first scanning device configured to scan the parts of the meat object that are moved along the first sub-line body by being driven by the first suspension member, and output scan data for meat grading.

[0006] In some embodiments, the production line further includes: a first main line section connected to the M sub-line bodies; the N suspension members are configured to be diverted from the first main line section to the M sub-line bodies, wherein the first suspension member is diverted to the first sub-line body, and the remaining suspension members are diverted to other sub-line bodies.

[0007] In some embodiments, the first main line portion includes: M first main line bodies, which are connected one-to-one with the M sub-line bodies; wherein the spacing between the orthographic projections of adjacent first main line bodies is less than or equal to a first threshold.

[0008] In some embodiments, the spacing between the orthographic projections of adjacent sub-line bodies in the M sub-line bodies is greater than the first threshold.

[0009] In some embodiments, the N suspension members are configured to be diverted from the first main line to the M sub-lines, including: each suspension member is configured to move from the first main line to the corresponding connected sub-line.

[0010] In some embodiments, the production line further includes: a second main line section connected to the M sub-line bodies; the N suspension members are configured to merge from the M sub-line bodies to the second main line section, wherein the first suspension member merges from the first sub-line body to the second main line section, and the remaining suspension members merge from other sub-line bodies to the second main line section.

[0011] In some embodiments, the second main line portion includes: M second main line bodies, which are connected one-to-one with the M sub-line bodies; wherein the spacing between the orthographic projections of adjacent second main line bodies is less than or equal to a second threshold.

[0012] In some embodiments, the spacing between the orthographic projections of adjacent sub-line bodies in the M sub-line bodies is greater than the second threshold.

[0013] In some embodiments, the N suspension members are configured to merge from the M sub-lines to the second main line, including: each suspension member is configured to move from its respective sub-line to the corresponding connected second main line.

[0014] In some embodiments, different portions of the same meat object are affixed with the same information identification code. The apparatus further includes: a second scanning device configured to scan the information identification code affixed to a portion of the meat object moving along the first sub-line and output the information identification code of the meat object; and a computer communicatively connected to the first scanning device and the second scanning device, the computer being configured to receive and bind the scan data and the information identification code output by the second scanning device.

[0015] In some embodiments, the computer is further configured to: process the scan data to obtain grading information of the meat object; and bind the grading information to an information identifier output by the second scanning device.

[0016] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes: a third scanning device, communicatively connected to the computer, the third scanning device being configured to scan information identification codes affixed to a portion of the meat object connected to the other suspension members, and output information identification of the meat object; the computer is further configured to query the grading information of the corresponding meat object based on the information identification output by the third scanning device.

[0017] In some embodiments, any one of the suspension elements includes a hook comprising at least two hook portions, wherein each of the two hook portions hooks a portion of a different meat object.

[0018] In some embodiments, the distance between the orthographic projections of any two hooks is greater than a third threshold, wherein the third threshold is predetermined based on at least one of the following: the space occupied by the first scanning device, radiation shielding requirements, scanning throughput, and scanning resolution.

[0019] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for grading meat is provided, comprising: installing N suspension members on an assembly line, wherein the assembly line includes M sub-line bodies, the M sub-line bodies including a first sub-line body; connecting the N suspension members to different portions of the same meat object; moving the first suspension member among the N suspension members along the first sub-line body, and moving the remaining suspension members along other sub-line bodies, wherein M and N are both integers greater than or equal to 2; and scanning the portion of the meat object that is moved along the first sub-line body by the first suspension member, and outputting scan data for meat grading.

[0020] It should be understood that the description in this section is not intended to identify key or essential features of the embodiments of the present invention, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the invention. Other features of the invention will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The accompanying drawings are provided for a better understanding of this solution and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention, wherein:

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of pig carcass suspension in a pig carcass grading and processing production line in the existing technology.

[0023] Figure 2 A simplified top view of a meat grading device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is shown schematically.

[0024] Figure 3A simplified top view of a meat grading device according to a second embodiment of the present invention is shown schematically.

[0025] Figure 4 A simplified top view of a meat grading device according to a third embodiment of the present invention is shown schematically.

[0026] Figure 5 A simplified top view of a meat grading device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention is shown schematically.

[0027] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a pig carcass suspended in a meat grading device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0028] Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating a meat grading method according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown schematically. Detailed Implementation

[0029] To more clearly illustrate the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the following description of the embodiments is intended to explain and illustrate the overall concept of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. In the specification and drawings, the same or similar reference numerals refer to the same or similar parts or components. For clarity, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and some well-known parts and structures may be omitted from the drawings.

[0030] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this invention shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terms "first," "second," and similar terms used in this invention do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. The word "a" or "an" does not exclude multiple components. Terms such as "comprising" or "including" mean that the element or object preceding the word encompasses the elements or objects listed following the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Terms such as "connected" or "linked" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. Terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "top," or "bottom," etc., are used only to indicate relative positional relationships; these relative positional relationships may change accordingly when the absolute position of the described object changes.

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of pig carcass suspension in a pig carcass grading and processing production line in the existing technology.

[0032] like Figure 1As shown, in the prior art 100, after pigs are slaughtered and cleaned into carcasses, for example, hooks 121 hook the two hind legs of carcass 111, and adjacent hooks 122 hook the two hind legs of adjacent carcasses 112. Then, the carcasses 111 and 112 are cut in the middle (dashed line in the figure) and hung on the carcass grading and processing line 130 for further processing. If the gap between carcasses 111 and 112 is too small, i.e., they are too close together, the accuracy of grading will be affected when using X-ray imaging scanning equipment for meat scanning and grading. If the gap between carcasses 111 and 112 is too large, i.e., they are too far apart, the number of carcasses on the carcass grading and processing line 130 will be reduced, thus affecting the grading efficiency.

[0033] Therefore, embodiments of the present invention provide a meat grading device and method, which can effectively improve the efficiency of the meat grading process without affecting the accuracy of meat grading. The following is in conjunction with... Figures 2 to 7 The embodiments are described below. In these figures, the same elements are numbered the same.

[0034] Figure 2 A simplified top view of a meat grading device 200 according to a first embodiment of the present invention is shown schematically.

[0035] like Figure 2 As shown, a meat grading device 200 is provided, including a production line 210, multiple hanging members 221-228, and a first scanning device 230. Each hanging member is represented by a circle and filled with different images to represent different parts of different meat objects.

[0036] In this embodiment, the assembly line 210 may include multiple sub-line bodies 211 and 212, wherein any one sub-line body can be regarded as the first sub-line body. For example, sub-line body 211 is used as the first sub-line body to distinguish the various sub-line bodies of the assembly line 210 (hereinafter referred to as the first sub-line body 211). Sub-line bodies 211 and 212 may be arranged in parallel or not in parallel, and the present invention is not limited in this regard. In some embodiments, the assembly line 210 may also have more sub-line bodies, such as 3 or 4. It can be understood that the assembly line 210 belongs to the mechanical equipment for realizing streamlined transportation.

[0037] Multiple suspension components 221-228 are installed on assembly line 210. For simplicity of illustration, Figure 2The diagram partially illustrates two sub-line bodies 211 and 212 and eight hanging members 221-228 on the two sub-line bodies, but the invention is not limited thereto. Some or all of the hanging members 221-228 are configured to connect to different parts of the same meat object, such as different parts of a pig carcass. For example, if the multiple hanging members 221-228 include N hanging members, when N is 2, if the same meat object is a whole pig divided into two halves, then one hanging member connects to one half of the pork, and the other hanging member connects to the other half.

[0038] Combination Figure 2 Suspension member 221 connects a portion 241a of pig carcass A and a portion 242a of pig carcass B, and suspension member 222 connects another portion 241b of pig carcass A and another portion 242b of pig carcass B. It is understood that the N suspension members, the first suspension member, and the remaining suspension members involved in this invention are based on the same type of meat. For example, for the same type of meat, such as pig carcass A, corresponding to the first sub-line body 211, suspension member 221, which moves along the first sub-line body 211, i.e., moves in direction X, can be considered the first suspension member, while the other suspension member 222, i.e., the remaining suspension members among the N suspension members, moves along the sub-line body 212. Accordingly, suspension members 223, 225, and 227 can each be the first suspension members for their respective meat objects, moving along the first sub-line body 211, while the remaining suspension members 224, 226, and 228 move along the sub-line body 212.

[0039] Continuing with the example of a pig carcass, the first scanning device 230 is configured to scan a portion of the meat object that is moved along the first sub-line 211 by the first suspension member 221, and output scan data for meat grading. For example, in Figure 2 In the process, the suspension member 221 moves to the scanning area of ​​the first scanning device 230, which scans a portion 241a of pig carcass A, thus obtaining scan data on the meat grading of pig carcass A. Simultaneously, the suspension member 221 is also connected to a portion 242a of pig carcass B, which is also scanned by the first scanning device 230. Therefore, when all four suspension members 221, 223, 225, and 227 pass through the first scanning device 230, scan data on the meat grading of eight pig carcasses can be obtained.

[0040] Compared to a production line where each hanging member suspends only one pig carcass, the meat grading device 200 of this embodiment can greatly improve the efficiency of meat grading scanning without changing the spacing between adjacent hanging members. To prevent interference during scanning imaging, the spacing between two adjacent hanging members on the same sub-line can be adjusted. Furthermore, multiple sub-lines are provided, with different parts of the same meat object distributed on different sub-lines. One part of the meat object is scanned on the first sub-line, while other parts are transported on other sub-lines. This allows multiple sub-lines to simultaneously perform transport and production line operations, improving the overall production line efficiency.

[0041] As an example, the first scanning device 230 may include, for example, an X-ray imaging scanning device, and the scanning data may include any one of X-ray transmission images, X-ray backscattered images, computed tomography (CT) images, digital radiography (DR) images, etc. However, embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the first scanning device 230 may not be limited to an X-ray imaging scanning device; for example, the first scanning device 230 may also include at least one of visible light imaging devices, infrared imaging devices, and ultrasound imaging devices.

[0042] Figure 3 A simplified top view of a meat grading device 300 according to a second embodiment of the present invention is shown schematically.

[0043] like Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, in addition to sub-line bodies 211 and 212, the assembly line 210 may also include a first main line section 310. The first main line section 310 is connected to the sub-line bodies 211 and 212. Multiple suspension members are configured to divert traffic from the first main line section 310 to the sub-line bodies 211 and 212, wherein a first suspension member (e.g., suspension member 321) is diverted to the first sub-line body 211, and the remaining suspension members (e.g., suspension member 322) are diverted to other sub-line bodies 212. As an example, the following can be used... Figure 3 The left side of the split line is considered the first main line area, and the right side of the split line is considered the sub-line area. In this way, the suspension components in the first main line area can be diverted to the sub-line area, and the first suspension component completes the meat grading scan in the first sub-line area.

[0044] Furthermore, the first main line section 310 may include one or more first main line bodies. For example, when multiple first main line bodies 311 and 312 are included, they are connected one-to-one with multiple sub-line bodies 211 and 212, respectively. For instance, first main line body 311 is connected to sub-line body 211, and first main line body 312 is connected to sub-line body 212, which is equivalent to forming two sub-production lines. When the number of sub-line bodies changes, the number of first main line bodies changes accordingly, and the number of sub-production lines also changes accordingly. For example, when there are 4 sub-line bodies, the number of first main line bodies and the number of sub-production lines are both 4. In this way, the suspension components in the area of ​​the first main line section can be orderly distributed to the sub-line body area. The sub-production lines may or may not be connected, and the present invention does not specifically limit this.

[0045] Please continue reading. Figure 3 The distance d1 between the orthographic projections of adjacent first main line bodies 311 and 312 is less than or equal to a first threshold. The orthographic projection can be understood as a ground projection. To save the floor space occupied by the first main line section 310, the distance between main line bodies within the area of ​​the first main line section 310 can usually be minimized, i.e., the first threshold can be set to a relatively small numerical range. In some embodiments, the distance d1 between the orthographic projections of adjacent first main line bodies 311 and 312 can be slightly larger than the diameter of the suspension member, which facilitates the movement of the suspension member on the connected first main line body. In other embodiments, the distance d1 between the orthographic projections of the first main line bodies 311 and 312 can be reduced to zero, for example, multiple first main line bodies are arranged vertically, with their orthographic projections overlapping. Specifically, for example, the first main line bodies 311 and 312 are parallel. When reaching the branching flow, the first main line body 311 bends and extends a distance d2-d1 to connect with the sub-line body 212, thereby achieving the effect of branching, i.e., the distance between the sub-line bodies is greater than the first threshold.

[0046] In other embodiments, the first main line section has only one first main line body. This first main line body, acting as a single branching main line body, connects to sub-line bodies 211 or 212 via a first connecting part, branching the suspension components into two or more sub-line bodies. As an example, a first controller (not shown in the figure) can be used to control the branching when there is only one branching main line body. For example, if suspension components are arranged sequentially on the single branching main line body waiting to be branched, the first controller can alternately branch the suspension components to multiple sub-line bodies 211 and 212. Specifically, the first controller can be a toggle mechanism, which can apply external force to the first connecting part to align the first connecting part with the sub-line body 211 or 212, thereby branching the suspension components to the aligned sub-line body. The first connecting part may include a first connecting rod, one end of which can be movably connected to the single branching main line body, that is, it can rotate a certain angle while maintaining the connection. The other end of the first link can come into contact with sub-line 211 or sub-line 212 with the external force applied by the actuation mechanism, thereby providing a movement path for the suspension.

[0047] In some embodiments, the spacing d2 between the orthographic projections of adjacent sub-line bodies 211 and 212 in the plurality of sub-line bodies is greater than a first threshold. That is, the spacing d2 is greater than the spacing d1. This is because meat objects typically require a larger spacing in the sub-line body region. Increasing the spacing d2 between adjacent sub-line bodies facilitates the first scanning device 230 in performing meat grading scanning without causing confusion or interference between adjacent meat objects. It also facilitates other operations such as meat transportation and processing on other sub-line bodies.

[0048] In some embodiments, each suspension member is configured to move from its location on the first main line to a corresponding connected sub-line. For example, suspension member 321 on the first main line 311 is moved to the corresponding sub-line 211, and suspension member 322 on the first main line 312 is moved to the corresponding sub-line 212. This avoids confusion during the flow separation of the suspension members, ensuring that each sub-line has a portion of the meat objects on the production line 210, and preventing the first scanning device 230 from missing any meat objects during scanning.

[0049] Figure 4 A simplified top view of a meat grading device 400 according to a third embodiment of the present invention is shown schematically.

[0050] like Figure 4As shown, in this embodiment, the assembly line 200 may further include a second main line section 410, which is connected to a plurality of sub-line bodies 211, 212. The suspension members on the assembly line are configured to merge from the sub-line bodies 211, 212 to the second main line section 410, wherein the first suspension member (e.g., suspension member 321) merges from the first sub-line body 211 to the second main line section 410, and the remaining suspension members (e.g., suspension member 322) merge from other sub-line bodies 212 to the second main line section 410.

[0051] Furthermore, the second main line section 410 may include multiple second main line bodies 411 and 412, which are connected one-to-one with multiple sub-line bodies 211 and 212. For example, the second main line body 411 is connected to the sub-line body 211, and the second main line body 412 is connected to the sub-line body 212, which is equivalent to extending the sub-pipeline composed of multiple first main line bodies and multiple sub-line bodies. At this time, the first main line body 311, the sub-line body 211, and the second main line body 411 form one sub-pipeline, and the first main line body 312, the sub-line body 212, and the second main line body 412 form another sub-pipeline. When the number of sub-line bodies changes, the number of first main line bodies and second main line bodies changes accordingly, and the number of sub-pipelines also changes accordingly. For example, when there are 4 sub-line bodies, the number of first main line bodies, second main line bodies, and sub-pipelines is also 4. In this way, the suspension components within the sub-line area can be orderly merged into the second main line area. The extended sub-production lines may or may not be connected; this invention does not specifically limit this.

[0052] Please continue reading. Figure 4 The distance d3 between the orthographic projections of adjacent second main line bodies 411 and 412 is less than or equal to the second threshold. The orthographic projection can be understood as a ground projection. Similar to the function of the first threshold, to save the floor space of the second main line section 410, the distance between the main line bodies within the area of ​​the second main line section 410 can usually be minimized, that is, the second threshold can be set to a relatively small numerical range. The second threshold can be equal to or different from the first threshold; this invention does not limit this. Specifically, for example, if the second main line bodies 411 and 412 are parallel, near the merging line, the second main line body 412 bends and extends a distance d2-d3 to connect with the sub-line body 212, thereby achieving the merging effect, that is, the distance between the sub-line bodies is greater than the second threshold.

[0053] In some embodiments, the distance d3 between the orthographic projections of adjacent second main line bodies 411 and 412 can be slightly larger than the diameter of the suspension member, which facilitates the movement of the suspension member on the connected second main line bodies. In other embodiments, the distance d3 between the orthographic projections of the second main line bodies 411 and 412 can be reduced to zero, for example, multiple second main line bodies are arranged vertically with their orthographic projections overlapping.

[0054] In other embodiments, the second main line section has only one second main line body, which serves as a single merging main line body. This second main line body connects to sub-line bodies 211 or 212 via a second connecting part, merging the suspension components from different sub-line bodies into the second main line section 410 in a two-in-one or multi-in-one manner. As an example, a second controller (not shown) can be used to control the merging in the case of a single merging main line body. For instance, if different suspension components are suspended on different sub-line bodies awaiting merging, the second controller can alternately merge the suspension components on multiple sub-line bodies 211 and 212. The second controller can be the same as or different from the first controller, or it can be integrated with the first controller into a single controller; this invention does not limit this. Specifically, the second controller can be a toggle mechanism that applies external force to the second connecting part, aligning the second connecting part with sub-line body 211 or 212, thereby diverting the suspension components to the aligned sub-line body. The second connecting part may include a second link, one end of which can be movably connected to a single merging main line body, that is, it can rotate a certain angle while maintaining the connection. The other end of the second link can contact the sub-line body 211 or sub-line body 212 with the external force applied by the actuating mechanism, thereby providing a movement path for the suspension member.

[0055] In some embodiments, the spacing d2 between the orthographic projections of adjacent sub-line bodies 211, 212 in a plurality of sub-line bodies is greater than a second threshold. That is, spacing d2 is greater than spacing d3. This is because the meat object is located in the sub-line body region ( Figure 4 After scanning and grading the area between the split line and the merging line, the stream merges into the second main line section 410 area ( Figure 4 In the region to the right of the merging line, the second main line bodies 411 and 412 within the region of the second main line part 410 usually do not need a large spacing. In order to save the space occupied by the second main line part 410, the time interval d3 can be smaller than the spacing d2, which also achieves the effect of merging.

[0056] In some embodiments, each suspension member on the production line 210 is configured to merge from its respective sub-line body 211, 212 into the corresponding connected second main line body 411, 412. For example, suspension member 421 on sub-line body 211 is moved to the corresponding second main line body 411, and suspension member 422 on sub-line body 212 is moved to the corresponding second main line body 412. This avoids confusion during merging of the suspension members, ensuring that meat items on each sub-line body 211, 212 are all merged into the second main line section 410.

[0057] Understandably, the process of using the first main line section 310 for merging and the second main line section 410 for diverting is only relative. In some cases, the second main line section 410 can also be used for diverting, and the first main line section 310 can also be used for merging. In this case, the suspension component in the assembly line 210 moves in the opposite direction of direction X, and the meat grading effect described in this article can still be achieved.

[0058] Figure 5 A simplified top view of a meat grading device 500 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention is shown schematically.

[0059] like Figure 5 As shown, in this embodiment, the meat grading device 500 may further include a second scanning device 510 and a computer (not shown in the figure). Different parts of the same meat object may be affixed with the same information identification code.

[0060] The second scanning device 510 is configured to scan an information identification code affixed to a portion of a meat object moving along the first sub-line 211, and output the information identification code of the meat object. As an example, the information identification code may include the slaughter time, production line information, origin, etc. of the meat object; the information identification code may be any one of a QR code or a barcode; and the second scanning device 510 may be any one of a QR code scanner or a CCD scanner. However, embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto.

[0061] The computer is communicatively connected to the first scanning device 230 and the second scanning device 510. For example, it can be connected via a local area network. The computer is configured to receive and bind scan data from the first scanning device 230 and information identifiers output by the second scanning device 510. In some embodiments, the computer is also configured to process the scan data to obtain grading information for the meat object; and to bind the grading information to the information identifiers output by the second scanning device 510. The method for processing scan data by a computer to obtain grading information for the meat object can be found in Chinese Invention Patent CN117171622A, and will not be described further herein.

[0062] Taking the suspension component 221 as an example, it suspends half a pig carcass 531. A QR code is printed on the half pig carcass 531a. The QR code can be scanned by the second scanning device 510 to obtain the identification information of the half pig carcass 531a. The identification information is sent to the computer by the second scanning device 510. Then, the first sub-line body 211 moves the half pig carcass 531a to the scanning area of ​​the first scanning device 230 to obtain the scanning data of the half pig carcass 531a. The scanning data is sent to the computer by the first scanning device 230. After receiving the identification information and scanning data of the half pig carcass 531a, the computer performs binding processing, and then obtains the meat grading information of the half pig carcass 531a containing the identification information. Similarly, by performing this operation on all pig carcasses on the first main line body 211, the identification information and meat grading information of all pig carcasses can be obtained, thereby realizing automated management of meat grading.

[0063] Please continue reading. Figure 5 In this embodiment, the meat grading device 500 may further include a third scanning device 520. The third scanning device 520 is also communicatively connected to a computer.

[0064] The third scanning device 520 is configured to scan information identification codes affixed to a portion of the meat object connected to the other suspension members (e.g., suspension member 222), and output the information identification of the meat object. Based on the information identification output by the third scanning device 520, the grading information of the corresponding meat object can be queried via a computer. As an example, the third scanning device 520 can be any of a QR code scanner or a CCD scanner. One third scanning device 520 can be equipped on each of the other sub-line bodies, or the other sub-line bodies can share a single third scanning device 520. However, embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto.

[0065] Taking the other half of the pig carcass 531b as an example, the other half of the pig carcass 531b and the other half of the pig carcass 531a are two halves of the same pig carcass, possessing the same meat grading information and bearing the same information identification code. On the first sub-line body 211, after the first scanning device 230 obtains the grading information of the other half of the pig carcass 531a, the grading information of the other half of the pig carcass 531b is also obtained accordingly. The second scanning device 510 has already transmitted the identification information of the other half of the pig carcass 531a to the computer and bound it to the grading information. Therefore, when the third scanning device 520 scans the information identification code on the other half of the pig carcass 531b, the grading information of the other half of the pig carcass 531b can be obtained immediately, without needing to scan the grading information of the other half of the pig carcass 531b through the first scanning device 230.

[0066] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a pig carcass suspended in a meat grading device 600 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0067] like Figure 6 As shown, in this embodiment, any one of the suspension members in the meat grading device 600 may include a hook. The hook includes at least two hook portions, each hooking a portion of a different meat object. For example, on the assembly line 620, the right hook portion of suspension member 611 suspends the left half of a pig carcass 630, the left hook portion of suspension member 612 suspends the right half of a pig carcass 630, the right hook portion of suspension member 612 suspends the left half of a pig carcass 640, the left hook portion of suspension member 613 suspends the right half of a pig carcass 640, the right hook portion of suspension member 613 suspends the left half of a pig carcass 650, and the left hook portion of suspension member 614 suspends the right half of a pig carcass 650. By cutting along the middle of each pig carcass 630, 640, and 650, each hanging piece 611, 612, 613, and 614 suspends half of each of the two pig carcasses. Therefore, by scanning only half of the hanging piece, the meat grading information of the entire pig carcass can be obtained, which greatly improves the efficiency of meat grading scanning.

[0068] In some embodiments, the distance d4 between the orthographic projections of any two hooks is greater than a third threshold. The third threshold is related to at least one of the following: the space occupied by the first scanning device 230, radiation shielding requirements, scan throughput, and scan resolution. This is because, when the first scanning device 230 scans two halves of a pig carcass on the same suspension member, if the two halves are too close together, the first scanning device 230 may not be able to clearly scan the meat grading information of each pig carcass. However, by pre-determining a suitable distance d4 based on at least one of the following: space occupied, radiation shielding requirements, scan throughput, and scan resolution, mutual interference between the two halves of the pig carcass during scanning can be avoided, thereby obtaining more accurate scan grading information.

[0069] For example, the occupied space refers to the floor area and volume occupied by the first scanning device 230. Radiation shielding requirements include the dimensions and parameters of the shielding components of the first scanning device 230, as well as requirements regarding the leakage radiation dose rate of the first scanning device 230. Scan throughput includes the number of objects allowed to pass through the first scanning device 230 per unit time during operation. Scan resolution refers to the smallest detail that the first scanning device 230 can distinguish during X-ray scanning. For example, if the first scanning device 230 emits X-rays for radiation scanning, a shielding door will be set up to block the radiation. When there are people nearby, the shielding door will close and the scanning will stop; when there are no people nearby, the shielding door will open and the scanning will begin. The installation of the shielding door increases the occupied space, and its opening and closing also increases the scanning time, thereby reducing the throughput efficiency. To achieve higher throughput efficiency, the number of hooks that can be accommodated can be increased by reducing d4; however, if d4 is too small, the scanning effect will be reduced. Therefore, a suitable d4 is further determined in conjunction with the scanning resolution.

[0070] Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating a meat grading method 700 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown schematically.

[0071] like Figure 7 As shown, a meat grading method 700 is provided. In this embodiment, the meat grading method 700 may include steps S710 to S740:

[0072] In step S710, N suspension components are installed on the production line, wherein the production line includes M sub-line bodies, and the M sub-line bodies include a first sub-line body.

[0073] In step S720, N hanging members are respectively connected to different parts of the same meat object.

[0074] In step S730, the first suspension member among the N suspension members is moved along the first sub-line body, and the remaining suspension members are moved along other sub-lines bodies, where M and N are both integers greater than or equal to 2.

[0075] In step S740, the first scanning device scans a portion of the meat object that is moved along the first sub-line body by the first suspension member, and outputs scan data for meat grading.

[0076] It is worth noting that the meat grading method 700 in this embodiment of the invention corresponds to the meat grading device 200 in this embodiment of the invention, except... Figure 7 In addition, the meat grading method 700 may also include step embodiments of each mechanism / component in the corresponding device section. The method section is specifically described in the device section and will not be repeated here.

[0077] It should be understood that the various forms of processes shown above can be used to reorder, add, or delete steps. For example, the steps described in this invention can be executed in parallel, sequentially, or in different orders, as long as the desired result of the technical solution disclosed in this invention can be achieved, and this is not limited herein.

[0078] The specific embodiments described above do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations, and substitutions can be made according to design requirements and other factors. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this invention should be included within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. A meat grading device, characterized in that, include: The production line includes M sub-line bodies, wherein the M sub-line bodies include a first sub-line body; N suspension components are installed on the production line, wherein different suspension components among the N suspension components are configured to connect to different parts of the same meat object respectively. The first suspension component among the N suspension components moves along the first sub-line body, and the remaining suspension components move along other sub-lines body. Any two hooks of the first suspension component hook onto different parts of the meat object. M and N are both integers greater than or equal to 2. A first scanning device is configured to scan different portions of the different meat objects that are moved along the first sub-line body by being driven by the first suspension member, and output scan data for meat grading of the different meat objects. In this case, if one part of the same meat object is scanned in the first sub-line body, other parts are transported in other sub-lines body; In this device, different portions of the same meat object are affixed with the same information identification code, and the device also includes: The second scanning device is configured to scan information identification codes affixed to a portion of a meat object moving along the first sub-line and output the information identification of the meat object. A computer is communicatively connected to the first scanning device and the second scanning device, and the computer is configured to receive and bind the scan data and the information identifier output by the second scanning device.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The assembly line also includes: The first main line section is connected to the M sub-line sections; The N suspension members are configured to be diverted from the first main line to the M sub-lines, wherein the first suspension member is diverted to the first sub-line, and the remaining suspension members are diverted to other sub-lines.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first main line section includes: M first main bodies are connected one-to-one with the M sub-body connections; The spacing between the orthographic projections of adjacent first main bodies is less than the spacing between the orthographic projections of adjacent sub-body bodies in the M sub-body bodies.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The N suspension members are configured to be diverted from the first main line to the M sub-lines, including: Each of the suspension elements is configured to move from the first main line to the corresponding connected sub-line.

5. The apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that, The assembly line also includes: The second main line section is connected to the M sub-line bodies; The N suspension members are configured to merge from the M sub-lines to the second main line section, wherein the first suspension member merges from the first sub-line to the second main line section, and the remaining suspension members merge from other sub-lines to the second main line section.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The second main line section includes: M second main bodies are connected one-to-one with the M sub-body bodies; The spacing between the orthographic projections of adjacent second main bodies is less than the spacing between the orthographic projections of adjacent sub-body bodies in the M sub-body bodies.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, The N suspension members are configured to merge from the M sub-lines into the second main line section, including: Each of the suspension elements is configured to move from its respective sub-line to the corresponding connected second mainline.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The computer is also configured to: The scanned data is processed to obtain the grading information of the meat object; The hierarchical information is bound to the information identifier output by the second scanning device.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that, The device further includes: A third scanning device is communicatively connected to the computer. The third scanning device is configured to scan the information identification code affixed to a portion of the meat object connected to the other suspension components and output the information identification of the meat object. The computer is also configured to query the grading information of the corresponding meat object based on the information identifier output by the third scanning device.

10. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1-4, 6-7, 8-9, characterized in that, Any of the aforementioned suspension components includes: A hook, comprising at least two hook portions, wherein each of the two hook portions hooks a portion of a different meat object.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that, The distance between the orthographic projections of any two hooks is greater than a third threshold, wherein the third threshold is predetermined based on at least one of the following: the space occupied by the first scanning device, radiation shielding requirements, scanning throughput, and scanning resolution.

12. A method for grading meat, characterized in that, include: N suspension components are installed on the assembly line, wherein the assembly line includes M sub-line bodies, and the M sub-line bodies include a first sub-line body; The N suspension components are respectively connected to different parts of the same meat object; The first suspension member of the N suspension members moves along the first sub-line body, and the remaining suspension members move along other sub-lines bodies. Any two hooks of the first suspension member hook onto a part of a different meat object. M and N are both integers greater than or equal to 2. The first scanning device scans different parts of the different meat objects that are moved along the first sub-line body by being driven by the first suspension member, and outputs scanning data for meat grading of the different meat objects. In this case, if one part of the same meat object is scanned in the first sub-line body, other parts are transported in other sub-lines body; In this method, different portions of the same meat object are affixed with the same information identification code, and the method further includes: The second scanning device scans the information identification code affixed to a portion of the meat object moving along the first sub-line and outputs the information identification code of the meat object. The computer establishes a communication connection with the first scanning device and the second scanning device, and receives and binds the scanning data and the information identifier output by the second scanning device.

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