Fruit sorting system and method

Abstract

The invention discloses a fruit sorting system and method, and relates to the technical field of product sorting. The fruit sorting system comprises a feeding conveying mechanism, a self-rotating conveying mechanism, a visual collecting assembly, a sorting executing mechanism and a control assembly, the feeding conveying mechanism is used for conveying fruits, and the self-rotating conveying mechanism drives the fruits to rotate in the conveying process; the visual acquisition assembly acquires surface images of fruits; the sorting executing mechanism is used for receiving the fruits from the self-rotating conveying mechanism and sorting the fruits; and the control assembly is at least electrically connected with the visual acquisition assembly and the sorting execution mechanism, and is used for controlling the sorting execution mechanism to carry out sorting operation. Based on the technical scheme disclosed by the invention, the fruits can be automatically sorted, the size grades and surface defects of the fruits can be identified, the workload of manual participation is reduced, the sorting efficiency can be improved, the occurrence of missing sorting can be effectively avoided, and the sorting effect is greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of product sorting technology, specifically to a fruit sorting system and method. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, most conventional fruit and vegetable grading is still done manually, which requires a lot of labor, and the differences in the skills and experience of the workers lead to differences in grading standards.

[0003] Some fruit sorting machines already exist in related technologies, which mainly classify fruits based on their size and weight. However, these sorting machines cannot identify fruits and vegetables with surface quality problems (such as surface defects or strange shapes). Manual intervention is still required to identify and sort these fruits and vegetables manually, which affects sorting efficiency and is prone to missed sorting. Improvements are urgently needed. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the above-mentioned technical deficiencies and propose a fruit sorting system and method to solve the technical problems in the prior art where sorting machines cannot identify fruits with surface quality problems, requiring manual intervention in sorting, resulting in low sorting efficiency and easy omissions.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned technical objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: In a first aspect, the present invention provides a fruit sorting system, comprising: A feeding conveyor mechanism used for transporting fruit; A spin conveyor mechanism, located on one side of the feeding conveyor mechanism, is configured to receive fruit from the feeding conveyor mechanism and drive the fruit to rotate during conveying. A visual acquisition component, disposed on one side of the spin conveyor, is configured to acquire a surface image of the fruit on the spin conveyor. A sorting execution mechanism, disposed on one side of the spin conveyor, is configured to receive fruit from the spin conveyor and sort the fruit; and The control component is electrically connected to at least the vision acquisition component and the sorting execution mechanism, and is configured to control the sorting execution mechanism to perform sorting operations based on the image information acquired by the vision acquisition component.

[0006] In some embodiments, the spin delivery mechanism includes: frame; A roller assembly, mounted on the frame, includes a first roller and a second roller spaced apart, configured to jointly support the fruit and drive the fruit to move axially; and The drive assembly, which is connected to the first idler roller and the second idler roller respectively, is configured to drive the first idler roller and the second idler roller to rotate at different linear speeds, so that the fruit rotates while moving axially.

[0007] In some embodiments, the driving component includes: Drive components; A first transmission unit, connecting the driving member and the first idler roller, is configured to realize transmission between the driving member and the first idler roller; and The second transmission unit, connecting the driving member and the second idler roller, is configured to realize the transmission between the driving member and the second idler roller; The second transmission unit is connected in series with a differential speed adjustment device, which makes the rotational speed of the second idler roller different from that of the first idler roller.

[0008] In some embodiments, the first idler roller and the second idler roller are variable diameter rollers with a diameter decreasing along the fruit conveying direction; the first idler roller and the second idler roller are arranged in parallel and are configured on the frame with an adjustable spacing.

[0009] In some embodiments, the surface of the first idler roller and / or the second idler roller is covered with a flexible buffer layer; the flexible buffer layer is an airbag-silicone composite structure, the surface of the airbag-silicone composite structure is provided with micropores, and its surface also has a textured structure for increasing friction.

[0010] In some embodiments, the spin delivery mechanism further includes: A first roller brush mechanism, located at the entrance of the spinning conveyor, is configured to push fruit from the feeding conveyor into the working area of ​​the spinning conveyor; and / or The second roller brush mechanism, located at the outlet of the spin conveyor, is configured to push the fruit away from the spin conveyor and send it into the sorting execution mechanism.

[0011] In some embodiments, the sorting execution mechanism includes: The support frame is equipped with multiple inspection stations spaced apart along the fruit conveying direction; Multiple sorting buckets are movably arranged sequentially on the support frame along the fruit conveying direction, and are configured to receive fruits from the spinning conveyor mechanism in sequence; A sorting drive assembly, mounted on the support bracket and drively connected to the plurality of sorting hoppers, is configured to drive the plurality of sorting hoppers to circulate along the fruit conveying direction; and Multiple pusher actuators are respectively installed at the multiple detection stations and are configured to move the fruit at the corresponding station to the corresponding collection area according to control commands.

[0012] In some embodiments, the plurality of testing stations include: The defect detection station is used to remove defective products in conjunction with the corresponding push-material actuator; and The size grading station includes at least two of the following: a large fruit station, a medium fruit station, and a small fruit station, which are used to cooperate with the corresponding pusher actuator to sort fruits of different sizes into different areas.

[0013] In some embodiments, the control component is configured to execute the following speed constraint logic: Controlling the surface linear velocity V of the spin conveyor mechanism 辊 To satisfy: V 前 ≤V 辊 ≤V 后 V 前 V is the conveying speed at the end of the feeding conveyor mechanism. 后 The conveying speed at the inlet position of the sorting actuator; and The differential speed parameters of the roller assembly are controlled so that the number of rotations N ≥ 1 within the time frame L of the field of view of the visual acquisition assembly, and the axial displacement ΔX of the fruit ≤ L.

[0014] Secondly, the present invention also provides a fruit sorting method, applied to the fruit sorting system described in the first aspect, comprising the following steps: S1. The fruit is fed into the self-rotating conveyor via the feeding conveyor mechanism; S2. Drive the spinning conveyor mechanism to make the fruit spin as it moves toward the sorting execution mechanism; S3. Use the visual acquisition component to acquire image information of the fruit during its movement; S4. Identify the surface quality and size grade of the fruit based on the image information; S5. Based on the identification results, control the sorting execution mechanism to sort the fruits to different areas.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention provides a fruit sorting system and method, in which fruit is transported to a spinning conveyor by a feeding conveyor mechanism, the spinning conveyor mechanism drives the fruit to move toward the sorting execution mechanism and drives the fruit to spin during the conveying, the vision acquisition component can acquire surface images of the fruit, and the control component can control the sorting execution mechanism to sort the fruit from the spinning conveyor mechanism according to the image information.

[0016] In this way, by using the image information collected by the vision acquisition component, in conjunction with the sorting execution mechanism and control components, the fruit can be sorted automatically. It can not only automatically identify the size grade of the fruit, but also identify the surface defects of the fruit. This can reduce the amount of manual labor involved, help improve sorting efficiency, and effectively avoid the occurrence of missed sorting, thus greatly improving the sorting effect. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a fruit sorting system in one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the feeding and conveying mechanism in one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the feeding conveyor mechanism, the spin conveyor mechanism, and the vision acquisition component in one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the idler roller assembly in one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second transmission unit in one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the flexible buffer layer in one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the sorting execution mechanism in one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating a fruit sorting method in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 10. Feeding and conveying mechanism; 11. First support; 12. First conveying device; 121. Conveyor roller; 13. Feeding hopper; 14. Second support; 15. Second conveying device; 16. Inclined slide; 17. Guide assembly; 171. Guide plate; 172. Front baffle; 20. Spinning conveying mechanism; 21. Frame; 22. Idler assembly; 221. First idler roller; 222. Second idler roller; 223. Flexible buffer layer; 2231. Airbag layer; 2232. Silicone layer; 23. Drive assembly; 231. Servo motor; 232. Synchronous belt assembly Components; 2321, First driving wheel; 2322, First driven wheel; 2323, Second driving wheel; 2324, Second driven wheel; 2325, Synchronous belt; 233, Magnetic powder clutch; 24, First roller brush mechanism; 25, Second roller brush mechanism; 26, Roller brush; 30, Vision acquisition component; 31, Camera; 40, Sorting execution mechanism; 41, Support bracket; 42, Sorting hopper; 43, Sorting drive component; 44, Pushing execution component; 441, Defect detection station; 442, Large fruit station; 443, Medium fruit station; 444, Small fruit station; 45, Sorting table. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the invention.

[0020] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a fruit sorting system in one embodiment of the present invention. The fruit sorting system includes a feeding conveyor 10, a spinning conveyor 20, a vision acquisition component 30, a sorting execution mechanism 40, and a control component (not shown in the figure). The feeding conveyor 10, the spinning conveyor 20, and the sorting execution mechanism 40 are arranged sequentially and can form a production line structure together. The vision acquisition component 30 is located at the spinning conveyor 20. The control component is electrically connected to at least the vision acquisition component 30 and the sorting execution mechanism 40.

[0021] In practical applications, workers place batches of fruit to be sorted onto the feeding conveyor 10, which then sequentially transports the fruit to the spinning conveyor 20. The spinning conveyor 20 drives the fruit toward the sorting execution mechanism 40. During this process, the fruit can spin on the spinning conveyor 20, while the vision acquisition component 30 can capture images of the fruit's surface. The control component can then control the sorting execution mechanism 40 to automatically sort the fruit based on the captured image information.

[0022] The aforementioned feeding and conveying mechanism 10 is located at the front end of the production line and can be used to sequentially convey fruits to the spinning conveyor mechanism 20.

[0023] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 2 The feeding and conveying mechanism 10 may include a first support 11, on which a first conveying device 12 for conveying fruit is provided. The first conveying device 12 may include a plurality of conveying rollers 121 arranged side by side along the conveying direction. The plurality of conveying rollers 121 may be driven by a chain mechanism in conjunction with a motor.

[0024] Thus, when the fruit is placed on each of the conveyor rollers 121, the motor can drive each of the conveyor rollers 121 to move through the chain mechanism and transport the fruit to the spin conveyor mechanism 20.

[0025] In one embodiment, to facilitate feeding, a feeding hopper 13 can be fixedly installed at the front end of the first support 11. The bottom of the feeding hopper 13 is inclined downward in the fruit conveying direction, while the multiple conveying rollers 121 at the front end of the first support 11 can be arranged inclined upward from the bottom surface of the feeding hopper 13 (in the fruit conveying direction).

[0026] Using the above method, staff can place batches of fruit to be sorted into the feeding hopper 13, allowing the fruit to roll along the bottom surface of the feeding hopper 13 onto the conveyor roller 121, thus achieving rapid feeding.

[0027] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 3 The feeding and conveying mechanism 10 may also include a second support 14, which may be disposed between the first support 11 and the spin conveying mechanism 20, and its opposite sides may extend to the end of the first support 11 and the entrance of the spin conveying mechanism 20, respectively.

[0028] At this time, a second conveying device 15 is provided on the second support 14. The second conveying device 15 can be a belt conveyor, which can be driven by a motor. Its two ends can extend to the end of the first support 11 and the entrance position of the spin conveyor mechanism 20, respectively. At the same time, the end of the belt conveyor near the first support 11 can be lower than the height of the adjacent conveyor roller 121, and an inclined slide 16 for receiving fruit can be fixedly provided on the second support 14 near the first support 11.

[0029] Thus, when the fruit moves along the first conveyor 12 to the end of the first support 11, the fruit can slide down the inclined slide 16 onto the belt conveyor and move with the belt conveyor toward the entrance of the spin conveyor 20.

[0030] In one embodiment, such as Figure 3 As shown, to prevent multiple fruits from entering the spin conveyor 20 simultaneously and getting stuck, a guide assembly 17 can also be provided on the second bracket 14. The guide assembly 17 can include two guide plates 171, which can be fixedly mounted above the belt conveyor via a bracket. Both can be arranged along the conveying direction of the belt and are parallel to each other.

[0031] Thus, by controlling the spacing between the two guide plates 171, a channel can be formed between the two guide plates 171 that allows only a single fruit to pass through at a time. When multiple fruits move along the belt to the entrance of this channel, due to space constraints, each fruit can enter the channel sequentially and be arranged as a whole within the channel.

[0032] Understandably, since different fruits may have different sizes, the two guide plates 171 can be set up with adjustable brackets so that the spacing between the two guide plates 171 can be adjusted to meet the sorting needs of fruits of different sizes.

[0033] Meanwhile, to ensure that all the fruit on the belt can enter the channel enclosed by the two guide plates 171, the guide assembly 17 may also include two front baffles 172. The two front baffles 172 can be fixedly connected to the second bracket 14 and can be set on the side of the guide plate 171 near the first bracket 11. The two can be symmetrically arranged along the width direction of the belt, and together they can form a flared structure above the belt. The entrance of the flared structure is larger than its exit, and its exit can directly connect to the entrance of the channel enclosed by the two guide plates 171. The exit width of the flared structure can be equal to the entrance width of the channel.

[0034] Thus, the fruit that slides off the conveyor roller 121 onto the belt can move with the belt and enter the funnel structure formed by the two front baffles 172, and can enter the channel formed by the two guide plates 171 in sequence from the outlet of the funnel structure.

[0035] In one embodiment, the aforementioned spin conveyor 20 may be mounted on the second support 14. The spin conveyor 20 may receive fruit from the belt conveyor and drive the fruit toward the sorting execution mechanism 40.

[0036] Please see Figure 3-4 The spin conveying mechanism 20 can be set on the side of the second support 14 near the sorting execution mechanism 40. It can include a frame 21, a roller assembly 22 and a drive assembly 23. The frame 21 can be fixedly connected to the second support 14. The roller assembly 22 and the drive assembly 23 can both be set on the frame 21. The roller assembly 22 can be used to carry fruit, and the drive assembly 23 can drive the roller assembly 22 to move so that the fruit can move toward the sorting execution mechanism 40 under the action of the roller assembly 22.

[0037] Specifically, the aforementioned roller assembly 22 includes a first roller 221 and a second roller 222. Both the first roller 221 and the second roller 222 can be configured as variable diameter rollers with a diameter decreasing along the fruit conveying direction. For example, both can be configured as conical rollers, and their specific dimensions can be flexibly set as needed without specific limitations.

[0038] Based on this, the first roller 221 and the second roller 222 are both arranged along the conveying direction of the fruit. They can be arranged side by side on the bearing seat, and the gap between them can be aligned with the outlet of the channel formed by the two guide plates 171.

[0039] Understandably, to ensure that the fruit, after being discharged through the aforementioned channel, falls directly onto the first idler roller 221 and the second idler roller 222, the first idler roller 221 and the second idler roller 222 can be symmetrically arranged along the width direction of the frame 21. The ends of both rollers near the frame 21 can be at the same height as or slightly lower than the belt on the second support 14. Thus, when the fruit is discharged through the aforementioned channel, because the gap between the first idler roller 221 and the second idler roller 222 aligns with the outlet of the channel, the fruit can fall directly onto the first idler roller 221 and the second idler roller 222.

[0040] Meanwhile, since the diameter of the end of either the first roller 221 or the second roller 222 closest to the second support 14 is larger than the diameter of the end furthest from the second support 14, the fruit on the roller assembly 22 will tend to roll along the roller assembly 22 toward the sorting execution mechanism 40 under the action of gravity. To prevent the fruit from falling off the sides of the roller assembly 22, baffles can be installed on both sides of the frame 21 in the width direction to block the fruit.

[0041] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 5 The aforementioned drive assembly 23 may include a drive component, a first transmission unit, and a second transmission unit. The drive component may be a servo motor 231, which may be fixedly mounted on the frame 21. It can be connected to the first idler roller 221 via the first transmission unit and to the second idler roller 222 via the second transmission unit, so that the servo motor 231 can drive the first idler roller 221 and the second idler roller 222 to rotate respectively.

[0042] Based on this, the aforementioned first transmission unit can be a synchronous belt mechanism, which can connect the output shaft of the servo motor 231 to the first idler roller 221. Thus, the servo motor 231 can drive the first idler roller 221 to rotate via the synchronous belt mechanism. Of course, the first transmission unit can also be other transmission mechanisms, such as gear mechanisms, chain mechanisms, couplings, etc., without specific limitations.

[0043] Unlike the first transmission unit, the second transmission unit described above may include a synchronous belt assembly 232, on which a differential adjustment device is connected in series. This differential adjustment device may be a magnetic powder clutch 233. Specifically, the synchronous belt assembly 232 may include a first driving pulley 2321, a first driven pulley 2322, a second driving pulley 2323, a second driven pulley 2324, and two synchronous belts 2325.

[0044] The first driving wheel 2321 can be mounted on the output shaft of the servo motor 231, and the first driven wheel 2322 can be mounted on the input end of the magnetic powder clutch 233. A synchronous belt 2325 can connect the first driving wheel 2321 and the first driven wheel 2322. Meanwhile, the second driving wheel 2323 can be mounted on the output end of the magnetic powder clutch 233, and the second driven wheel 2324 can be mounted on one end of the second idler roller 222. Another synchronous belt 2325 can connect the second driving wheel 2323 and the second driven wheel 2324.

[0045] Thus, the transmission path between the servo motor 231 and the second idler roller 222 is as follows: servo motor 231 - first driving pulley 2321 - synchronous belt 2325 - first driven pulley 2322 - input end of magnetic powder clutch 233 - output end of magnetic powder clutch 233 - second driving pulley 2323 - synchronous belt 2325 - second driven pulley 2324 - second idler roller 222. Therefore, the servo motor 231 can drive the second idler roller 222 to rotate through the second transmission unit.

[0046] Understandably, the servo motor 231 is directly connected to the first idler roller 221 via a synchronous belt mechanism, thereby driving the first idler roller 221 to rotate. Simultaneously, the servo motor 231 is connected to the second idler roller 222 via the synchronous belt assembly 232 and the magnetic powder clutch 233. By controlling the current of the magnetic powder clutch 233, its slip ratio can be changed, thus allowing the speed of the second idler roller 222 to be steplessly adjusted without changing the speed of the servo motor 231. This enables the second idler roller 222 and the first idler roller 221 to rotate at different linear speeds, creating a speed difference and achieving differential speed coordination.

[0047] Thus, by controlling the differential speed between the first idler roller 221 and the second idler roller 222, when the first idler roller 221 and the second idler roller 222 begin to rotate, the fruit is subjected to different tangential velocities at the contact points with the two idler rollers, and is rotated around its own axis. Therefore, through the combined action of the component of gravity and differential friction, the fruit can move forward while spinning on the idler roller assembly 22.

[0048] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, in order to enable the fruit to achieve the above-mentioned movement on the roller assembly 22, the first roller 221 and the second roller 222 are preferably configured as variable diameter rollers with a diameter decreasing along the fruit conveying direction.

[0049] Taking the case where both the first idler roller 221 and the second idler roller 222 are set as conical rollers as an example, the first idler roller 221 and the second idler roller 222 must ensure that the downward force of gravity on the fruit is greater than or equal to the sum of the rolling resistance and the differential friction resistance. Under this premise, the range of the full cone angle corresponding to the first idler roller 221 and the second idler roller 222 can be from 1° to 10°, and preferably from 2° to 5°. The specific angle can be flexibly set as needed and is not specifically limited.

[0050] In one embodiment, considering the different sizes of fruit, the first roller 221 and the second roller 222 are preferably configured with an adjustable spacing on the frame 21. For example, the bearing seats for mounting the two rollers (i.e., the first roller 221 and the second roller 222) can be slidably mounted on the frame 21 along its width and can be detachably fixed with fasteners or other means to achieve manual adjustment of the spacing. Alternatively, a lead screw or cylinder can be installed on the frame 21. The lead screw can work with a motor to drive the bearing seats to move, while the cylinder can push the bearing seats to move, thereby automatically adjusting the spacing between the two rollers.

[0051] In this way, by adjusting the distance between the two rollers to fit the size of the fruit, it not only helps to improve the stability of the fruit conveyed on the roller assembly 22, but also prevents the fruit from getting stuck or falling between the two rollers.

[0052] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 6 The surface of the first idler roller 221 and / or the second idler roller 222 is covered with a flexible buffer layer 223. This flexible buffer layer 223 can be an airbag-silicone composite structure, consisting of an airbag layer 2231 and a wear-resistant silicone layer 2232 from the inside out. The airbag layer 2231 is fixed to the surface of the corresponding idler roller, while the silicone layer 2232 is fixedly disposed on the outside of the airbag layer 2231. The surface of the silicone layer 2232 can be laser-processed with several micropores (not shown in the figure) with a diameter of 0.5mm-1mm. These micropores connect the inside of the airbag to the outside. Thus, when fruit presses against the idler roller, air can be discharged through the micropores, preventing the formation of a vacuum negative pressure that would make it difficult to peel the fruit from the idler roller or cause skin tearing.

[0053] To improve the stability of fruit transport, a textured structure can be set on the surface of the silicone layer 2232 facing away from the airbag layer 2231. For example, spiral fine lines can be molded on the surface of the silicone layer 2232 to increase the friction coefficient of the silicone layer 2232 and increase the friction between it and the fruit, ensuring that the roller assembly 22 can drive the fruit to spin.

[0054] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 3 To ensure that the fruit can fall onto the roller assembly 22, the spin conveying mechanism 20 may also include a first roller brush mechanism 24 and a second roller brush mechanism 25. The first roller brush mechanism 24 and the second roller brush mechanism 25 may be respectively arranged on the front and rear sides of the roller assembly 22 (the front and rear are determined by the fruit conveying direction). The two can respectively assist the fruit in entering the roller assembly 22 and exiting the roller assembly 22.

[0055] Specifically, the first roller brush mechanism 24 and the second roller brush mechanism 25 can adopt the same structural form. Taking the first roller brush mechanism 24 as an example, it includes a roller brush 26 and a driving device. The roller brush 26 and the driving device can be mounted on the second bracket 14 through a bracket, and the roller brush 26 can be rotated by means of a rotating shaft. The roller brush 26 can be set at the outlet position of the channel formed by the two guide plates 171, and its height can be adjusted so that it is above the fruit. The driving device can be any device that can drive the roller brush 26 to rotate, such as a motor. The driving device can be connected to the rotating shaft of the roller brush 26 to drive the roller brush 26 to rotate.

[0056] Understandably, the first roller brush mechanism 24 is located at the exit position of the channel formed by the two guide plates 171. When the fruit moves to this position, it can contact the bottom of the roller brush 26. The drive device can drive the roller brush 26 to rotate and push the fruit from the belt conveyor to the idler roller assembly 22.

[0057] Similarly, the second roller brush mechanism 25 can also be mounted on the second bracket 14 via a bracket and can be positioned at the outlet of the roller assembly 22 so that it can push the fruit on the roller assembly 22 out and onto the sorting execution mechanism 40. The specific details will not be elaborated further.

[0058] Please see Figure 3 In this embodiment, the aforementioned visual acquisition component 30 may include one or more cameras 31. Taking one camera 31 as an example, the camera 31 can be mounted on the frame 21 for mounting the roller assembly 22 via a bracket, so that the camera 31 can be mounted above the roller assembly 22, and preferably directly facing the gap between the two rollers. When the visual acquisition component 30 includes multiple cameras 31, the number of cameras 31 can be set to 2-6, and the multiple cameras 31 can be spaced apart along the axial direction of the rollers, and can each capture surface images of the fruit.

[0059] Thus, as the fruit moves and spins along the roller assembly 22, the camera 31 can continuously capture images of the fruit's surface. Because the fruit spins while moving along the roller axis, it can capture images of different locations on the fruit's surface even if the camera 31's position remains unchanged. Furthermore, images captured by multiple cameras 31 can be fused to improve resolution.

[0060] It should be noted that, taking the case of setting up a single camera 31 as an example, to ensure comprehensive identification of fruit surface defects, the fruit should be able to rotate at least 360° around its own axis during the axial movement of the fruit along the roller assembly 22. Furthermore, during this 360° rotation, the fruit should not slip out of the field of view of camera 31, ensuring that camera 31 can capture a complete 360° image of the fruit's surface. Similarly, when multiple cameras 31 are set up, it should be ensured that the fruit has rotated at least 360° before slipping out of the field of view of the last camera 31.

[0061] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 7 The sorting execution mechanism 40 mentioned above can be located on the side of the spinning conveyor 20 away from the belt conveyor (i.e., the second conveyor 15). It includes a support bracket 41, multiple sorting buckets 42, a sorting drive assembly 43, and multiple pushing actuators 44. The sorting drive assembly 43 is mounted on the support bracket 41 and can be a belt mechanism or a chain mechanism. Each sorting bucket 42 can be sequentially mounted on the belt mechanism or chain mechanism along the corresponding belt or chain, so that the sorting drive assembly 43 can drive each sorting bucket 42 to move along the preset conveying direction of the fruit.

[0062] Understandably, in practical applications, the moving speed of the sorting hopper 42 can be synchronized with the discharge speed of the fruit from the roller assembly 22 by the control component, so that the fruit discharged from the roller assembly 22 can accurately fall into a sorting hopper 42. Of course, considering that the moving speed of each fruit on the roller assembly 22 may vary slightly, a sensing device (such as an infrared sensor) can also be installed at the end of the frame 21 to sense the discharge of fruit, and work with the control component to control the movement of the sorting hopper 42 and actively receive the falling fruit.

[0063] Meanwhile, considering the sorting requirements, the sorting hopper 42 can be configured as a detachable structure on the sorting drive assembly 43. For example, in one embodiment, the sorting drive assembly 43 can adopt a chain mechanism, on which multiple magnetic support blocks can be sequentially arranged. These support blocks can be permanent magnets or electromagnets, and the bottom of the sorting hopper 42 can be set as a flat surface, made of a metal material that can magnetically attract the support blocks. In this way, when the support blocks attract the sorting hopper 42, the sorting hopper 42 can maintain a stable posture with its opening facing upward on the sorting drive assembly 43; and when the magnetism of the support blocks disappears, or when subjected to external force, the sorting hopper 42 can also be separated from the sorting drive assembly 43, facilitating the sorting of the fruit inside.

[0064] In addition, the aforementioned multiple pusher actuators 44 can be distributed at intervals along the extension direction of the support bracket 41, and each pusher actuator 44 can constitute a detection station, so that multiple pusher actuators 44 can jointly form multiple detection stations on the support bracket 41.

[0065] In one embodiment, taking any of the pushing actuators 44 as an example, it can be any component that can push the sorting bucket 42 to flip toward the sorting area, such as a cylinder or an electric cylinder. In this case, the above-mentioned multiple inspection stations may include a defect inspection station 441 and a size grading station, wherein the size grading station may include at least two of the following: large fruit station 442, medium fruit station 443, and small fruit station 444.

[0066] Based on this, the arrangement of each inspection station on the support bracket 41 can be flexibly set as needed. For example, in one implementation, four inspection stations can be set on the support bracket 41, and these four inspection stations can be set sequentially along the fruit conveying direction as defect inspection station 441, large fruit station 442, medium fruit station 443, and small fruit station 444. In this case, the specific position of each inspection station on the support bracket 41 is not specifically limited. For example, defect inspection station 441, large fruit station 442, medium fruit station 443, and small fruit station 444 can be set sequentially at the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th sorting bins 42 in the fruit conveying direction.

[0067] Understandably, as the fruit moves with the sorting hopper 42, the control component can determine whether the fruit is a defective product, a large fruit, a medium fruit, or a small fruit based on the corresponding image information. If the fruit is determined to be a defective product, when the corresponding sorting hopper 42 moves to the defect detection station 441, the control component can control the pusher actuator 44 at the corresponding station to push the sorting hopper 42 to flip towards the sorting area and discharge the corresponding fruit. Similarly, based on the fruit category determination result, the control component can automatically sort the fruit in each sorting hopper 42 through the pusher actuator 44 at different stations.

[0068] Of course, in order to facilitate fruit sorting, in one embodiment, a sorting table 45 can be set on one side of the above-mentioned support bracket 41. The sorting table 45 can be divided into multiple sorting areas, which can correspond to the above-mentioned defect detection station 441, large fruit station 442, medium fruit station 443 and small fruit station 444 respectively. The details will not be elaborated further.

[0069] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the aforementioned control components can be electrically connected to the feeding conveyor 10, the spin conveyor 20, the vision acquisition component 30, and the sorting execution mechanism 40, respectively. Their types and models are not specifically limited. For example, they can be PLC modules or industrial control computers, and the specifics will not be elaborated further.

[0070] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the operating speeds of the belt conveyor, idler assembly 22, and sorting drive assembly 43 should at least be controllable through this control component. Under this premise, the control component can execute the following speed constraint logic: Controlling the surface linear velocity V of the spin conveyor mechanism 20 辊 To satisfy: V 前 ≤V 辊 ≤V 后 V 前 V is the conveying speed at the end of the feeding conveyor mechanism 10. 后 The conveying speed at the 40 inlet position of the sorting actuator; and The differential speed parameters of the roller assembly 22 are controlled so that the number of rotations N≥1 within the time of the visual acquisition assembly 30's field of view length L, and the axial displacement ΔX of the fruit ≤L.

[0071] Please see Figure 8 This invention also provides a fruit sorting method, which can be applied to the fruit sorting system in any of the above embodiments, and includes the following steps: S1. The fruit is fed into the self-rotating conveyor 20 via the feeding conveyor 10; S2. Drive the spinning conveyor 20 to make the fruit spin while moving toward the sorting execution mechanism 40; S3. Use the visual acquisition component 30 to acquire image information of the fruit during its movement; S4. Identify the surface quality and size grade of the fruit based on the image information; S5. Based on the identification results, control the sorting execution mechanism 40 to sort the fruits to different areas.

[0072] Understandably, based on the above-mentioned fruit sorting system, the specific implementation process of the fruit sorting method can be as follows: when the fruit is manually fed into the feeding hopper 13, it will roll onto the conveyor roller 121 by gravity, and the conveyor roller 121 will send the fruit to the belt conveyor device; with the help of the guide component 17, the belt conveyor device can guide the fruit into the channel enclosed by the two guide plates 171.

[0073] At the end of the belt conveyor, the fruit is carried into the idler assembly 22 by the first roller brush mechanism 24; on the idler assembly 22, the fruit can move forward while spinning, and at the same time the camera 31 can take pictures of the fruit from 360 degrees to capture the surface image of the fruit.

[0074] The fruit discharged from the roller assembly 22 falls into the sorting hopper 42 below under the action of the second roller brush mechanism 25, and moves on the support bracket 41 with the sorting hopper 42. During this process, the control component can determine whether the fruit is a defective product, a large fruit, a medium fruit, or a small fruit based on the corresponding image information, and can control each pushing actuator 44 to automatically sort the fruit in the sorting hopper 42 according to the judgment result.

[0075] By using the image information collected by the vision acquisition component 30 in the above manner, combined with the sorting execution mechanism 40 and control components, fruits can be automatically sorted. This not only automatically identifies the size grade of the fruit, but also identifies surface defects, which can reduce the amount of manual labor involved, help improve sorting efficiency, and effectively avoid missed sorting, thus greatly improving the sorting effect.

[0076] The specific embodiments of the present invention described above do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of the present invention. Any other corresponding changes and modifications made in accordance with the technical concept of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fruit sorting system, characterized in that, include: A feeding conveyor mechanism used for transporting fruit; A spin conveyor mechanism, located on one side of the feeding conveyor mechanism, is configured to receive fruit from the feeding conveyor mechanism and drive the fruit to rotate during conveying. A visual acquisition component, disposed on one side of the spin conveyor, is configured to acquire a surface image of the fruit on the spin conveyor. A sorting execution mechanism is located on one side of the spin conveyor and is configured to receive fruit from the spin conveyor and sort the fruit. as well as The control component is electrically connected to at least the vision acquisition component and the sorting execution mechanism, and is configured to control the sorting execution mechanism to perform sorting operations based on the image information acquired by the vision acquisition component.

2. The fruit sorting system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The spin delivery mechanism includes: frame; A roller assembly, mounted on the frame, includes a first roller and a second roller spaced apart, configured to jointly support the fruit and drive the fruit to move axially; and The drive assembly, which is connected to the first idler roller and the second idler roller respectively, is configured to drive the first idler roller and the second idler roller to rotate at different linear speeds, so that the fruit rotates while moving axially.

3. The fruit sorting system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The driving component includes: Drive components; A first transmission unit, connecting the driving member and the first idler roller, is configured to realize transmission between the driving member and the first idler roller; and The second transmission unit, connecting the driving member and the second idler roller, is configured to realize the transmission between the driving member and the second idler roller; The second transmission unit is connected in series with a differential speed adjustment device, which makes the rotational speed of the second idler roller different from that of the first idler roller.

4. The fruit sorting system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first and second idlers are variable diameter rollers with diameters decreasing along the fruit conveying direction; the first and second idlers are arranged in parallel and are configured with an adjustable spacing on the frame.

5. The fruit sorting system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The surface of the first idler roller and / or the second idler roller is covered with a flexible buffer layer; the flexible buffer layer is an airbag-silicone composite structure, the surface of the airbag-silicone composite structure is provided with micropores, and its surface also has a textured structure for increasing friction.

6. The fruit sorting system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The spin delivery mechanism further includes: A first roller brush mechanism, located at the entrance of the spinning conveyor, is configured to push fruit from the feeding conveyor into the working area of ​​the spinning conveyor; and / or The second roller brush mechanism, located at the outlet of the spin conveyor, is configured to push the fruit away from the spin conveyor and send it into the sorting execution mechanism.

7. The fruit sorting system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sorting execution mechanism includes: The support frame is equipped with multiple inspection stations spaced apart along the fruit conveying direction; Multiple sorting buckets are movably arranged sequentially on the support frame along the fruit conveying direction, and are configured to receive fruits from the spinning conveyor mechanism in sequence; A sorting drive assembly, mounted on the support bracket and drively connected to the plurality of sorting hoppers, is configured to drive the plurality of sorting hoppers to circulate along the fruit conveying direction; and Multiple pusher actuators are respectively installed at the multiple detection stations and are configured to move the fruit at the corresponding station to the corresponding collection area according to control commands.

8. The fruit sorting system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The multiple testing stations include: The defect detection station is used to remove defective products in conjunction with the corresponding push-material actuator; and The size grading station includes at least two of the following: a large fruit station, a medium fruit station, and a small fruit station, which are used to cooperate with the corresponding pusher actuator to sort fruits of different sizes into different areas.

9. The fruit sorting system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The control component is configured to execute the following speed constraint logic: Controlling the surface linear velocity V of the spin conveyor mechanism 辊 To satisfy: V 前 ≤V 辊 ≤V 后 V 前 V is the conveying speed at the end of the feeding conveyor mechanism. 后 The conveying speed at the inlet position of the sorting actuator; as well as The differential speed parameters of the roller assembly are controlled so that the number of rotations N ≥ 1 within the time frame L of the field of view of the visual acquisition assembly, and the axial displacement ΔX of the fruit ≤ L.

10. A method for sorting fruit, characterized in that, The fruit sorting system applied to any one of claims 1-9 includes the following steps: S1. The fruit is fed into the self-rotating conveyor via the feeding conveyor mechanism; S2. Drive the spinning conveyor mechanism to make the fruit spin as it moves toward the sorting execution mechanism; S3. Use the visual acquisition component to acquire image information of the fruit during its movement; S4. Identify the surface quality and size grade of the fruit based on the image information; S5. Based on the identification results, control the sorting execution mechanism to sort the fruits to different areas.

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