A fruit grading apparatus and method

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of fruit grading technology, specifically to a fruit grading device and method, including a working frame and a detection component. The detection component includes a positioning rotating frame, a positioning motor, a tightening bracket, a bidirectional drive mechanism, an annular support component, and a scanning detection component. The positioning rotating frame is rotatably mounted on the working frame, and the output shaft of the positioning motor is connected to the positioning rotating frame. The positioning motor is fixedly mounted at the bottom of the working frame. Three sets of tightening brackets are evenly installed around the circumference of the positioning rotating frame, and the tightening brackets are slidably connected to the positioning rotating frame. Each set of tightening brackets includes two symmetrically arranged tightening brackets. The bidirectional drive mechanism is correspondingly arranged at each set of tightening brackets. It can achieve a partitioned strategy of first scanning the top and bottom surfaces by supporting the fruit with an adjustable collar, and then clamping the two ends of the fruit to achieve unobstructed side detection, thus realizing accurate full-surface detection of large fruits.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of fruit grading technology, and in particular to a fruit grading device and method. Background Technology

[0002] Existing fruit grading devices, especially automated inspection lines for large, near-spherical fruits such as watermelons and cantaloupes, generally employ roller-type or tray-type transport structures. The roller-type system uses V-shaped grooves formed by parallel rollers to support the fruit, and drives the rollers to rotate, allowing for surface image acquisition using multi-angle cameras. The tray-type system places the fruit individually into a fruit cup, and the tray's rotation enables full-surface scanning. These existing grading devices represent a leap from manual sorting to mechanized and automated inspection. They can combine machine vision and near-infrared spectroscopy technologies to continuously perform multi-station inspections of indicators such as fruit diameter, shape, surface defects, and internal sugar content on a single line, significantly improving grading efficiency and commercial processing capabilities. However, in actual use, existing fruit grading devices, such as roller-type devices, continuously obscure the annular band area where the fruit contacts the roller during the rotation process, creating an imaging blind spot that cannot be eliminated. Similarly, tray-type devices also suffer from obstruction of the lower side view of the fruit by the side wall or support edge of the tray, making it difficult to obtain truly complete fruit surface information. This results in a side occlusion blind spot generated by the support structure during rotation imaging, making it impossible to complete accurate full-surface detection of large fruits. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a fruit grading device and method, which can achieve a partitioned strategy of first scanning the top and bottom surfaces by supporting the fruit with an adjustable collar, and then clamping the two ends of the fruit and rotating it to achieve unobstructed side detection. In principle, this eliminates the blind spots caused by side occlusion when using traditional rollers or trays for rotating imaging, and achieves accurate detection of the entire surface of large fruits.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a fruit grading device and method, including a working frame and a detection component; The detection assembly includes a positioning frame, a positioning motor, a tightening bracket, a bidirectional drive mechanism, an annular support component, and a scanning detection component. The positioning frame is rotatably mounted on the working frame. The output shaft of the positioning motor is connected to the positioning frame, and the positioning motor is fixedly mounted at the bottom of the working frame. Three sets of tightening brackets are evenly installed around the circumference of the positioning frame, with each set spaced 120 degrees apart. The tightening brackets are slidably connected to the positioning frame. Each set of tightening brackets includes two symmetrically arranged tightening brackets. The bidirectional drive mechanism is correspondingly located at each set of tightening brackets to drive the two tightening brackets in the same set to move closer or further apart. Each positioning frame is equipped with an annular support component to form a corresponding ring support structure to support the fruit. The scanning detection component is mounted on the working frame for scanning and detecting the surface of the fruit.

[0005] The annular support component includes a side-mounted main frame, inner arc members, contact pads, a clamping angle adjustment component, and a ring size adjustment component. Each tightening bracket has a side-mounted main frame fixedly mounted on its side. Two inner arc members are rotatably mounted on the side-mounted main frame, rotating along the same axis. A contact pad is fixedly mounted on the inner ring of each inner arc member. The clamping angle adjustment component is mounted on each side-mounted main frame to drive the corresponding two inner arc members to rotate. The ring size adjustment component is mounted on each inner arc member to adjust the fitting range of the corresponding inner arc member.

[0006] The scanning and detection components include an end-face scanner, a side scanner, a clamping adapter, and a partition. The partition divides the working area of ​​the machine frame into three independent processing stations evenly distributed in the circumferential direction. The three independent processing stations are vertically aligned with three sets of tightening brackets. The three independent processing stations are designated as station 1, station 2, and station 3. The side and top surfaces of station 1 are open, while the side and top surfaces of stations 2 and 3 are shielded. Two end-face scanners are located in station 2 and are fixedly installed on the upper and lower sides of the machine frame to scan and detect the upper and lower end faces of the fruit in station 2. The side scanner is located inside station 3 to scan and detect the sides of the fruit in station 3. The clamping adapter is located at station 3 of the machine frame to vertically clamp the fruit entering station 3.

[0007] The clamping angle adjustment component includes a fixed gear ring, an adapter gear shaft, and a transition worm gear. Each inner arc component is fixedly mounted with the fixed gear ring. Each fixed gear ring is equipped with a corresponding adapter gear shaft for engagement. The adapter gear shaft is rotatably mounted on the corresponding side-mounted main frame, and the gear on the adapter gear shaft meshes with the corresponding fixed gear ring. Each adapter gear shaft is fixedly fitted with the transition worm gear.

[0008] The ring size adjustment component includes an outer arc frame, a pad, a side arc rack, a drive gear, and a drive motor. The outer arc frame is slidably mounted on each inner arc component, and the outer arc frame slides along an arc-shaped groove provided on the inner arc component. The pad is fixedly mounted on the inner arc of each outer arc frame. A side arc rack is fixedly mounted on one side of each outer arc frame. Each side arc rack is equipped with a corresponding drive gear for engagement. The drive gear is rotatably mounted on one side of the inner arc component and meshes with the corresponding side arc rack. Each drive gear is driven by a drive motor, which is mounted on one side of the inner arc component.

[0009] The clamping adapter includes a bottom support cylinder, a bottom support component, a rotary table, a top clamping cylinder, a top clamping component, and a drive mechanism. The bottom support cylinder is fixedly installed at the bottom of the work frame, and its output end is located in the third station of the work frame. The bottom support component is rotatably installed on the output end of the bottom support cylinder. The rotary table is rotatably installed on the top of the work frame, and its rotation axis is vertically aligned with that of the bottom support component. The top clamping cylinder is fixedly installed on the rotary table, and its output end passes through the rotary table and is located in the third station of the work frame. The top clamping component is fixedly installed on the output end of the top clamping cylinder. The drive mechanism is connected to the work frame and is used to drive the rotary table to rotate.

[0010] The partition component includes three partition cutting plates, a connecting top plate, and an upper lifting cylinder. The three partition cutting plates are slidably installed on the working frame, and are evenly distributed at 120-degree angles around the rotation center axis of the adjusting frame. They are all slidably installed on the working frame in the vertical direction. The connecting top plate is fixedly connected to the top of the three partition cutting plates. The upper lifting cylinder is fixedly installed on the working frame, and the output end of the upper lifting cylinder is connected to the connecting top plate.

[0011] The clamping angle adjustment component further includes a drive worm, a linkage gear, a main drive gear, and a main drive motor. Each adapter worm gear is driven by a corresponding drive worm, which is rotatably mounted on the corresponding side-mounted main frame. Each drive worm is fixedly fitted with a linkage gear on its side. Two drive worms on the same side-mounted main frame are connected to the same main drive gear through the side-mounted linkage gear. The main drive gear is driven by the main drive motor, which is mounted on the corresponding side-mounted main frame.

[0012] The detection assembly further includes a suction guide, a connecting bracket, and a dust collection device. The suction guide is fixedly installed on one side of the work frame and has corresponding connecting channels that communicate with the internal processing environment of the second and third workstations of the work frame. The connecting bracket is connected to the suction guide. The air inlet of the dust collection device is connected to the connecting bracket, and the dust collection device is installed on one side of the work frame.

[0013] A fruit grading method, using the aforementioned fruit grading device, includes the following steps: Based on the size of the fruit to be graded, the two tightening brackets in the same group are driven to move closer or further apart through a bidirectional drive mechanism, which in turn drives the ring support component to adjust the inner diameter of the ring support structure, forming a support ring that fits the circumference of the fruit to stabilize the fruit. The adjusting frame is rotated by the adjusting motor, and the set of tightening brackets supporting the fruit are moved in sequence to the second and third stations corresponding to the scanning and detection components; At workstation number two, the scanning and detection components are used to scan and detect the upper and lower surfaces of the fruit. At workstation number three, the scanning detection component continuously scans the circumference of the fruit.

[0014] The present invention discloses a fruit grading device and method. In actual operation, the two tightening brackets in the same group are driven to move closer or further apart according to the size of the fruit to be graded by the bidirectional drive mechanism. This causes the annular support component to adjust the inner diameter of the collar support structure, forming a support ring that fits the circumference of the fruit to stably place the fruit. Then, the adjustment motor drives the adjustment frame to rotate, moving the group of tightening brackets supporting the fruit to the second and third workstations corresponding to the scanning detection component. At the second workstation, the scanning detection component scans and detects the upper and lower surfaces of the fruit. At the third workstation, the scanning detection component continuously scans the circumference of the fruit. Thus, by using the adjustable collar to support the fruit, the upper and lower surfaces are scanned first, and then the two ends of the fruit are held and rotated to achieve unobstructed side detection. This eliminates the blind spots caused by the side obstruction during rotation imaging caused by traditional rollers or tray supports, and achieves accurate full-surface detection of large fruits. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the fruit grading device of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the vacuum cleaner device of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the working frame of the present invention cut open from the top.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the top section of the working frame and the adjusting frame of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping adapter component of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the side-mounted main frame of the present invention cut open from the side.

[0022] Figure 7 This is the invention Figure 6 Enlarged view of point A.

[0023] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the side-mounted main frame of the present invention cut open from the rear side.

[0024] Figure 9 This is the invention Figure 6 Enlarged view of point B.

[0025] Figure 10This is a schematic diagram of the structure cut open from the top of the inner arc member of the present invention. Figure 11 This is a flowchart of the fruit grading method of the present invention.

[0026] In the diagram: 101-Working frame, 102-Adjusting frame, 103-Adjusting motor, 104-Tightening bracket, 105-Bidirectional drive mechanism, 201-Side-mounted main frame, 202-Inner arc component, 203-Contact pad, 301-End face scanner, 302-Side scanner, 401-Fixed gear ring, 402-Adaptive gear shaft, 403-Adapter worm gear, 404-Drive worm, 405-Linkage gear, 406-Main drive gear, 407-Main drive motor 501-Outer arc frame, 502-Padded block, 503-Side arc rack, 504-Drive gear, 505-Drive motor, 601-Bottom support cylinder, 602-Bottom support component, 603-Rotating table, 604-Top pressing cylinder, 605-Top pressing component, 606-Drive mechanism with rotation, 701-Separating cutter, 702-Connecting top plate, 703-Top cylinder, 801-Suction guide, 802-Connecting bracket, 803-Dust collection equipment. Detailed Implementation

[0027] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0028] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0029] Please see Figures 1 to 10This invention provides a fruit grading device, comprising a working frame 101 and a detection component. The detection component includes a positioning rotating frame 102, a positioning motor 103, a tightening bracket 104, a bidirectional drive mechanism 105, an annular support component, and a scanning detection component. The annular support component includes a side-mounted main frame 201, an inner arc component 202, a contact pad 203, a clamping angle adjustment component, and a ring size adjustment component. The scanning detection component includes an end-face scanner 301, a side scanner 302, a clamping adapter component, and a partition component. The clamping angle adjustment component includes a fixed gear ring 401, an adapter gear shaft 402, and a connecting worm gear 403. The ring size adjustment component includes an outer edge arc frame 501, a pad 502, a side arc rack 503, a driving gear 504, and a driving motor 505. The clamping adapter component includes a bottom support cylinder 6. 01. Bottom support 602, rotating table 603, top pressing cylinder 604, top pressing component 605, and rotating drive mechanism 606. The partition component includes a dividing cutting plate 701, a connecting top plate 702, and an upper pressing cylinder 703. The clamping angle adjustment component also includes a drive worm gear 404, a linkage gear 405, a main drive gear 406, and a main drive motor 407. The aforementioned solution solves the problem that in the actual use of existing fruit grading devices, the roller type continuously blocks the annular strip area where the fruit side contacts the roller during the rotation process, forming an uneliminable imaging blind spot. Similarly, the tray type also has the problem of the tray side wall or support edge blocking the view of the fruit from the lower side, making it difficult to obtain truly complete fruit surface information. This results in a side occlusion blind spot generated by the support structure during rotation imaging, making it impossible to complete the full surface accurate detection of large fruits.

[0030] Furthermore, the positioning frame 102 is rotatably mounted on the working frame 101, the output shaft of the positioning motor 103 is connected to the positioning frame 102, the positioning motor 103 is fixedly mounted on the bottom of the working frame 101, three sets of tightening brackets 104 are evenly installed around the circumference of the positioning frame 102, with each set spaced 120 degrees apart, the tightening brackets 104 are slidably connected to the positioning frame 102, each set of tightening brackets 104 includes two symmetrically arranged tightening brackets 104, the bidirectional drive mechanism 105 is correspondingly arranged at each set of tightening brackets 104, used to drive the two tightening brackets 104 in the same set to move closer or further away from each other, each positioning frame 102 is equipped with the annular support component, used to form a corresponding ring support structure to support the fruit, the scanning detection component is installed on the working frame 101, used to scan and detect the surface of the fruit.

[0031] In this embodiment, the work frame 101 is an overall cylindrical box structure, so that it can be evenly divided into three independent processing stations by subsequent structures.

[0032] The adjustment frame 102 can rotate around the central axis of the working frame 101, and the adjustment frame 102 is driven by the adjustment motor 103.

[0033] The three sets of tightening brackets 104 provided on the adjustment frame 102 are driven by the corresponding bidirectional drive mechanism 105. The bidirectional drive mechanism 105 mainly consists of screws with opposite threads on both sides and a motor that drives the screws to rotate. When the corresponding motor drives the screws to rotate, the tightening brackets 104 connected and cooperating with both sides of the screws can move closer or further away from each other at the same time, thereby realizing the adjustment of the fit size of the entire collar support structure.

[0034] In actual operation, based on the size of the fruit to be graded, the two tightening brackets 104 in the same group are driven to move closer or further apart by the bidirectional drive mechanism 105, which drives the annular support component to adjust the inner diameter of the collar support structure to form a support ring that fits the circumference of the fruit to stably place the fruit. Then, the adjustment motor 103 drives the adjustment frame 102 to rotate, moving the set of tightening brackets 104 supporting the fruit to the second and third workstations corresponding to the scanning detection component. At the second workstation, the scanning detection component scans and detects the upper and lower surfaces of the fruit. At the third workstation, the scanning detection component continuously scans the circumference of the fruit. Thus, by using the adjustable collar to support the fruit, the upper and lower surfaces are scanned first, and then the two ends of the fruit are held and rotated to achieve a partitioned strategy of unobstructed side detection. In principle, this eliminates the side obstruction blind spots caused by traditional rollers or trays during rotating imaging, and realizes accurate full-surface detection of large fruits.

[0035] Furthermore, each of the tightening brackets 104 is fixedly mounted with a side-mounted main frame 201; two inner arc members 202 are rotatably mounted on the side-mounted main frame 201, and the two inner arc members 202 rotate around the same axis; a contact pad 203 is fixedly mounted on the inner ring of each inner arc member 202; a clamping angle adjustment component is mounted on each side-mounted main frame 201 for driving the corresponding two inner arc members 202 to rotate; and a ring size adjustment component is mounted on each inner arc member 202 for adjusting the fitting range of the corresponding inner arc member 202.

[0036] Furthermore, each of the inner arc components 202 is fixedly mounted with a fixed gear ring 401; each of the fixed gear rings 401 is provided with a corresponding adapter gear shaft 402 for cooperation, the adapter gear shaft 402 is rotatably mounted on the corresponding side-mounted main frame 201, and the gear provided on the adapter gear shaft 402 meshes with the corresponding fixed gear ring 401; each of the adapter gear shafts 402 is fixedly sleeved with an adapter worm gear 403.

[0037] Furthermore, each inner arc member 202 is slidably mounted with an outer arc frame 501, which slides along the arc groove provided in the inner arc member 202; a pad 502 is fixedly mounted on the arc inner ring of each outer arc frame 501; a side arc rack 503 is fixedly mounted on one side of each outer arc frame 501; each side arc rack 503 is provided with a corresponding driving gear 504 for engagement, the driving gear 504 is rotatably mounted on one side of the inner arc member 202 and meshes with the corresponding side arc rack 503; each driving gear 504 is provided with a driving motor 505 for driving, and the driving motor 505 is mounted on one side of the inner arc member 202.

[0038] Furthermore, each of the adapter worm gears 403 is equipped with a corresponding drive worm gear 404 for driving, and the drive worm gear 404 is rotatably mounted on the corresponding side-mounted main frame 201; each drive worm gear 404 is fixedly sleeved on the side, and two drive worm gears 404 provided on the same side-mounted main frame 201 are connected to the same main drive gear 406 through the side-mounted drive gear 405; the main drive gear 406 is driven by the main drive motor 407, and the main drive motor 407 is mounted on the corresponding side-mounted main frame 201.

[0039] In this embodiment, when in use, each of the side-mounted main frames 201 fixed to the side of the tightening bracket 104 is rotatably provided with two inner arc parts 202. The two inner arc parts 202 are arc-shaped structures, which can form a roughly circular arc holding groove after adjustment, thereby facilitating the support of large, near-spherical fruits such as watermelons and cantaloupes.

[0040] Meanwhile, each inner arc member 202 is also fixedly provided with a corresponding contact pad 203 on its inner side. The contact pad 203 can make more stable contact with the fruit surface, avoiding the rigid structure from contacting the fruit surface and causing indentations or even cracks.

[0041] The two inner arc members 202 on the corresponding side-mounted main frame 201 can adjust their respective sleeve range by rotating relative to each other. The two inner arc members 202 are connected to the designated adapter gear shaft 402 through the fixed gear ring 401 on the corresponding end face, and then connected to the designated drive worm 404 through the adapter worm gear 403 installed on the corresponding adapter gear shaft 402. The two drive worms 404 on the same side-mounted main frame 201 are connected to the same main drive gear 406 through the linkage gear 405. The corresponding main drive gear 406 is driven by the main drive motor 407. Therefore, when the main drive motor 407 drives the corresponding main drive gear 406 to rotate, the two inner arc members 202 can be driven to rotate simultaneously through the above connection relationship, thus achieving synchronous drive of the two inner arc members 202.

[0042] It should be noted that when driving and adjusting the two inner arc components 202, the two inner arc components 202 need to rotate synchronously in opposite directions. Therefore, the direction of transmission can be adjusted by adjusting the direction of the thread teeth of the two driving worm gears 404, thereby completing the synchronous reverse drive of the two inner arc components 202.

[0043] To accommodate large fruits of varying sizes, each inner arc member 202 is also equipped with a corresponding outer arc frame 501. The lateral engagement range of the corresponding inner arc member 202 can be adjusted by sliding the outer arc frame 501. Each outer arc frame 501 is also equipped with a corresponding pad 502 to ensure stable engagement with the fruit surface. At the same time, each outer arc frame 501 engages with the driving gear 504 through a corresponding side arc rack 503. The driving gear 504 is driven by the driving motor 505. When the driving motor 505 drives the driving gear 504 to rotate, the driving gear 504 can drive the outer arc frame 501 to slide along the arc groove provided on the inner arc member 202 through its engagement with the side arc rack 503, ultimately adjusting the fitting range of the corresponding inner arc member 202.

[0044] Furthermore, the partition component divides the working area of ​​the work frame 101 into three independent processing stations evenly distributed in the circumferential direction. The three independent processing stations are vertically aligned with the three sets of tightening brackets 104. The three independent processing stations are station 1, station 2, and station 3. The side and top surfaces of station 1 are open structures, while the side and top surfaces of stations 2 and 3 are shielded structures. Two end-face scanning devices 301 are installed in station 2, and the two end-face scanning devices 301 are fixedly installed on the upper and lower sides of the work frame 101, respectively, for scanning and detecting the upper and lower end surfaces of the fruit in station 2. The side scanning device 302 is installed inside station 3 for scanning and detecting the side surfaces of the fruit in station 3. The clamping adapter component is installed at station 3 of the work frame 101 for vertically clamping the fruit entering station 3.

[0045] Furthermore, the three partition cutting plates 701 are slidably mounted on the working frame 101. The three partition cutting plates 701 are evenly distributed at 120-degree intervals around the rotation center axis of the adjusting frame 102, and are all slidably mounted on the working frame 101 in the vertical direction. The connecting top plate 702 is fixedly connected to the top of the three partition cutting plates 701. The upper lifting cylinder 703 is fixedly mounted on the working frame 101, and the output end of the upper lifting cylinder 703 is connected to the connecting top plate 702.

[0046] In this embodiment, the internal processing area of ​​the work frame 101 is divided by three partition cutting plates 701. The vertical movement of the three partition cutting plates 701 changes the connection between the three independent processing stations. The three partition cutting plates 701 are driven by the upper cylinder 703 in conjunction with the connecting top plate 702. When the three partition cutting plates 701 move down to the lowest position, the three independent processing stations are completely separated, and the corresponding processing stations can perform their respective operations, avoiding mutual interference between the actual work of the three stations. When the three partition cutting plates 701 move up to the highest position, the three independent processing stations can be connected to each other. At this time, the adjusting frame 102 can adjust the three sets of tightening brackets 104 at their corresponding stations through the driving of the adjusting motor 103. The three partition cutting plates 701 ensure the stability of the internal environment of each station during operation, and also prevent the external environment from affecting the internal detection environment of the second and third stations, ensuring the accuracy of the final detection results.

[0047] The work frame 101 is divided into three stations by three partition cutting plates 701: station 1, station 2, and station 3, which correspond to loading and unloading operations, upper and lower end face scanning and inspection operations, and side scanning and inspection operations, respectively. In order to facilitate loading and unloading operations of external structures, the side and top surfaces of station 1 are open structures. Station 2 is equipped with two end face scanning devices 301, one above the other. Station 3 is equipped with a side scanning device 302 on its inner side. Both the end face scanning device 301 and the side scanning device 302 are existing vision inspection devices.

[0048] Meanwhile, workstations 1, 2, and 3 can perform their respective tasks simultaneously during actual operation. When the corresponding structure at workstation 1 is loading and unloading fruit, the fruit inside workstations 2 and 3 will be scanned and detected accordingly. After all three workstations have completed their corresponding operations, the adjustment frame 102 can be rotated to adjust the workstations of the entire support structure, and then the fruit moved to the corresponding workstation can be processed accordingly, thereby ensuring the detection efficiency of the corresponding fruit.

[0049] In order for the side scanning device 302 to scan the side surface of the fruit completely and without obstruction when scanning the side of the fruit, a clamping adapter is also provided at the third station. The clamping adapter can cooperate with the upper and lower end surfaces of the fruit that have been scanned to clamp and limit the fruit. Then, the clamped fruit is rotated by a corresponding structure so that the side scanning device 302 can scan and detect the side of the fruit completely and without obstruction.

[0050] Furthermore, the bottom support cylinder 601 is fixedly installed at the bottom of the work frame 101, and the output end of the bottom support cylinder 601 is located in the third station of the work frame 101; the bottom support member 602 is rotatably installed on the output end of the bottom support cylinder 601; the rotary table 603 is rotatably installed on the top of the work frame 101, and the rotary table 603 is vertically aligned with the rotation axis of the bottom support member 602; the top pressing cylinder 604 is fixedly installed on the rotary table 603, and the output end of the top pressing cylinder 604 passes through the rotary table 603 and is located in the third station of the work frame 101; the top pressing member 605 is fixedly installed on the output end of the top pressing cylinder 604; the rotating drive mechanism 606 is connected to the work frame 101 and is used to drive the rotary table 603 to rotate.

[0051] In this embodiment, the bottom support cylinder 601 drives the bottom support member 602 to contact the bottom end of the fruit located at station three, while the top clamping member 605 contacts the top end of the fruit located at station three through the drive of the top clamping cylinder 604. The contact surfaces of the bottom support member 602 and the top clamping member 605 are provided with corresponding elastic pads. At the same time, the bottom support member 602 and the top clamping member 605 are also provided with corresponding pressure sensing elements to avoid over-clamping.

[0052] After the bottom support 602 and the top clamping member 605 clamp and limit the upper and lower ends of the fruit through the corresponding cylinders, the rotating table 603 can be driven by the drive mechanism 606, thereby causing the clamped fruit to rotate. The drive mechanism 606 is mainly composed of a gear set and a motor, and the corresponding drive of the rotating table 603 is completed through the transmission of the gear set.

[0053] When scanning the side of a fruit, the inner arc member 202 and its corresponding structure that were previously used to cooperate with the fruit can be disengaged from the corresponding fruit by moving and rotating accordingly, thereby reducing the occlusion range of the corresponding structure, so that the side scanning device 302 can perform more comprehensive scanning and detection of the side of the fruit.

[0054] Preferably, the detection component provided by the present invention further includes a suction guide 801, a connecting bracket 802, and a vacuuming device 803.

[0055] Specifically, the suction guide 801 is fixedly installed on one side of the work frame 101, and the suction guide 801 is provided with corresponding connecting channels to communicate with the internal processing environment of the second and third workstations of the work frame 101; the connecting bracket 802 is connected to the suction guide 801; the air inlet of the dust collection device 803 is connected to the connecting bracket 802, and the dust collection device 803 is installed on one side of the work frame 101.

[0056] In this embodiment, the suction guide 801 is connected to the internal processing environment of workstations 2 and 3 through corresponding connection channels. At the same time, the suction guide 801 is connected to the dust collection device 803 through the connecting bracket 802. This allows the dust collection device 803, in conjunction with the connecting bracket 802 and the suction guide 801, to ensure a clean internal testing environment during testing at workstations 2 and 3. This allows for the adsorption of dust and impurities on the fruit surface, preventing misjudgments by the corresponding testing equipment due to impurities attached to the fruit surface.

[0057] Please see Figure 11A fruit grading method, using the aforementioned fruit grading device, includes the following steps. S1: According to the size of the fruit to be graded, the two tightening brackets 104 in the same group are driven to move closer or further apart by the bidirectional drive mechanism 105, which drives the ring support component to adjust the inner diameter of the ring support structure to form a support ring that fits the circumference of the fruit so as to stably place the fruit. S2: The adjustment motor 103 drives the adjustment frame 102 to rotate, and the set of tightening brackets 104 supporting the fruit are moved sequentially to the second and third workstations corresponding to the scanning and detection components. S3: At station number two, the upper and lower surfaces of the fruit are scanned and detected by the scanning detection component; S4: At station number three, the fruit's circumference is continuously scanned using the scanning detection component.

[0058] The above-disclosed embodiments are merely one or more preferred embodiments of this application and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this application. Those skilled in the art can understand that all or part of the processes for implementing the above embodiments and equivalent changes made in accordance with the claims of this application still fall within the scope of this application.

Claims

1. A fruit grading device, comprising a working frame, characterized in that, It also includes detection components; The detection assembly includes a positioning frame, a positioning motor, a tightening bracket, a bidirectional drive mechanism, an annular support component, and a scanning detection component. The positioning frame is rotatably mounted on the working frame. The output shaft of the positioning motor is connected to the positioning frame, and the positioning motor is fixedly mounted at the bottom of the working frame. Three sets of tightening brackets are evenly installed around the circumference of the positioning frame, with each set spaced 120 degrees apart. The tightening brackets are slidably connected to the positioning frame. Each set of tightening brackets includes two symmetrically arranged tightening brackets. The bidirectional drive mechanism is correspondingly located at each set of tightening brackets to drive the two tightening brackets in the same set to move closer or further apart. Each positioning frame is equipped with an annular support component to form a corresponding ring support structure to support the fruit. The scanning detection component is mounted on the working frame for scanning and detecting the surface of the fruit.

2. The fruit grading device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The annular support component includes a side-mounted main frame, inner arc members, contact pads, a clamping angle adjustment component, and a ring size adjustment component. Each tightening bracket has a side-mounted main frame fixedly mounted on its side. Two inner arc members are rotatably mounted on the side-mounted main frame, rotating along the same axis. A contact pad is fixedly mounted on the inner ring of each inner arc member. The clamping angle adjustment component is mounted on each side-mounted main frame to drive the corresponding two inner arc members to rotate. The ring size adjustment component is mounted on each inner arc member to adjust the fitting range of the corresponding inner arc member.

3. The fruit grading device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The scanning and detection component includes an end-face scanner, a side scanner, a clamping adapter, and a partition component. The partition component divides the working area of ​​the work frame into three independent processing stations evenly distributed in the circumferential direction. The three independent processing stations are vertically aligned with three sets of tightening brackets. The three independent processing stations are station 1, station 2, and station 3. The side and top surfaces of station 1 are open structures, while the side and top surfaces of stations 2 and 3 are shielded structures. Two end-face scanners are located in station 2, and are fixedly installed on the upper and lower sides of the work frame to scan and detect the upper and lower end faces of the fruit in station 2. The side scanner is located inside station 3 to scan and detect the sides of the fruit in station 3. The clamping adapter is located at station 3 of the work frame to vertically clamp the fruit entering station 3.

4. The fruit grading device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The clamping angle adjustment component includes a fixed gear ring, an adapter gear shaft, and an adapter worm gear. Each inner arc component is fixedly mounted with the fixed gear ring. Each fixed gear ring is provided with a corresponding adapter gear shaft for engagement. The adapter gear shaft is rotatably mounted on the corresponding side-mounted main frame, and the gear on the adapter gear shaft meshes with the corresponding fixed gear ring. Each adapter gear shaft is fixedly fitted with the adapter worm gear.

5. The fruit grading device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The ring size adjustment component includes an outer arc frame, a pad, a side arc rack, a drive gear, and a drive motor. The outer arc frame is slidably mounted on each inner arc component, and the outer arc frame slides along an arc-shaped groove provided on the inner arc component. The pad is fixedly mounted on the inner arc of each outer arc frame. A side arc rack is fixedly mounted on one side of each outer arc frame. Each side arc rack is equipped with a corresponding drive gear for engagement. The drive gear is rotatably mounted on one side of the inner arc component and meshes with the corresponding side arc rack. Each drive gear is driven by a drive motor, which is mounted on one side of the inner arc component.

6. The fruit grading device as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The clamping adapter includes a bottom support cylinder, a bottom support component, a rotary table, a top clamping cylinder, a top clamping component, and a rotating drive mechanism. The bottom support cylinder is fixedly installed at the bottom of the work frame, and its output end is located in the third station of the work frame. The bottom support component is rotatably installed on the output end of the bottom support cylinder. The rotary table is rotatably installed on the top of the work frame, and its rotation axis is vertically aligned with that of the bottom support component. The top clamping cylinder is fixedly installed on the rotary table, and the output end of the top clamping cylinder passes through the rotary table and is located in the third station of the working frame; the top clamping component is fixedly installed on the output end of the top clamping cylinder; the rotating drive mechanism is connected to the working frame and is used to drive the rotary table to rotate.

7. The fruit grading device as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The partition component includes partition cutting plates, a connecting top plate, and an upper lifting cylinder. The three partition cutting plates are slidably mounted on the working frame. The three partition cutting plates are evenly distributed at 120-degree angles around the rotation center axis of the adjusting frame, and are all slidably mounted on the working frame in the vertical direction. The connecting top plate is fixedly connected to the top of the three partition cutting plates. The upper lifting cylinder is fixedly mounted on the working frame, and the output end of the upper lifting cylinder is connected to the connecting top plate.

8. The fruit grading device as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The clamping angle adjustment component further includes a drive worm, a linkage gear, a main drive gear, and a main drive motor. Each adapter worm gear is driven by a corresponding drive worm, which is rotatably mounted on the corresponding side-mounted main frame. Each drive worm is fixedly fitted with a linkage gear on its side. Two drive worms on the same side-mounted main frame are connected to the same main drive gear through the side-mounted linkage gear. The main drive gear is driven by the main drive motor, which is mounted on the corresponding side-mounted main frame.

9. The fruit grading device as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The detection assembly also includes a suction guide, a connecting bracket, and a dust collection device. The suction guide is fixedly installed on one side of the work frame and has corresponding connecting channels that communicate with the internal processing environment of the second and third workstations of the work frame. The connecting bracket is connected to the suction guide. The air inlet of the dust collection device is connected to the connecting bracket, and the dust collection device is installed on one side of the work frame.

10. A method for grading fruit, using the fruit grading device as described in any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Based on the size of the fruit to be graded, the two tightening brackets in the same group are driven to move closer or further apart through a bidirectional drive mechanism, which in turn drives the ring support component to adjust the inner diameter of the ring support structure, forming a support ring that fits the circumference of the fruit to stabilize the fruit. The adjusting frame is rotated by the adjusting motor, and the set of tightening brackets supporting the fruit are moved in sequence to the second and third stations corresponding to the scanning and detection components; At workstation number two, the scanning and detection components are used to scan and detect the upper and lower surfaces of the fruit. At workstation number three, the scanning detection component continuously scans the circumference of the fruit.

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