A surface high coverage visual detection and weighing combined spherical fruit grader

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of fruit sorting treatment equipment, in particular to a spherical fruit grader combining surface high-coverage visual detection and weighing. The grader comprises a rack, a feeding box, a carding assembly, a visual assembly, a moving assembly, a turnover assembly and a grading assembly. The application forms a closed darkroom by dynamically cooperating the moving platform with two groups of visual box bodies, respectively shoots the left and right hemispherical surfaces of the fruit, and realizes visual detection without dead angles. In combination with the weighing sensor data, the V-shaped fruit containing rack and the thin limiting sheet design, the accurate weighing can be ensured while the visual obstruction is minimized, the whole grading process is efficient and fast, and the damage rate of the fruit is low. The whole set of equipment adopts a modular compact layout, realizes the full-process automation from feeding, regulation, detection to grading and collection, has the outstanding advantages of high detection coverage, accurate sorting, low damage rate and adaptation to small scenes, and solves the problems of incomplete detection, large damage and large volume of the existing equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of fruit sorting and processing equipment, and in particular to a spherical fruit grading machine that combines high-coverage visual inspection and weighing. Background Technology

[0002] Post-harvest grading of spherical fruits (such as apples, citrus fruits, and pears) is a crucial step in enhancing their commercial value. Traditional manual sorting methods are labor-intensive, inefficient, and produce inconsistent sorting standards, making them unsuitable for the demands of modern agricultural production. While the development of automation technology has led to the emergence of various automated fruit sorting devices on the market, they still exhibit significant shortcomings in visual inspection capabilities.

[0003] Currently, most machine vision-based fruit sorting equipment uses cameras positioned in a fixed location to photograph the fruit. For example, Chinese patent application CN117244816A discloses a circular fruit sorting machine that detects fruit color using a vision sensor mounted on a sorting turntable. However, in this solution, the relative position of the fruit and the camera is essentially fixed, causing the camera to only capture partial surface images of the fruit. Defects in obscured areas (such as bruises, lesions, and insect damage) are easily missed, resulting in low visual coverage and severely impacting sorting accuracy.

[0004] To improve detection coverage, some technical solutions attempt to use mechanical structures to move the fruit and achieve multi-angle imaging. For example, Chinese utility model patent CN221620108U uses a clamping and rotating device to make the fruit rotate during transport, combined with circumferentially arranged cameras to achieve 360° surface detection. However, this solution requires complex clamping and rotating mechanisms, which not only increases equipment cost and maintenance difficulty, but may also cause mechanical damage to the fruit surface during clamping and rotation, especially for fruit varieties with delicate skin.

[0005] In addition, although the Chinese invention patent application with publication number CN117680384A uses two industrial cameras to photograph the fruit from the left and right sides, it lacks an effective enclosed shooting environment. Changes in ambient light can easily interfere with the image acquisition quality, and it still does not solve the problem of visual blind spots in recessed areas such as fruit stems / calyxes.

[0006] In summary, existing fruit sorting equipment generally suffers from the following problems in visual inspection: (1) Limited visual coverage makes it difficult to achieve near 360° detection of spherical fruits without blind spots; (2) The complex mechanisms used to achieve multi-angle detection are prone to damaging the fruit; (3) Open shooting environment is greatly affected by external light interference, which affects the stability of detection.

[0007] Therefore, there is an urgent need in this field for a technical solution that can achieve comprehensive and stable visual inspection of the surface of spherical fruits with minimal damage.

[0008] In addition to the poor performance of visual inspection, most fruit grading equipment on the market currently suffers from the following problems: the inspection indicators are limited, often relying solely on weight or size for sorting, making it impossible to comprehensively assess fruit quality; the equipment is bulky, with a compact structure and poor integration, making it unsuitable for small-scale fruit farmers or cooperatives; and the sorting process can easily cause mechanical damage to the fruit, affecting its commercial value. Utility Model Content

[0009] To address the shortcomings of the prior art mentioned in the background section, this application provides a spherical fruit grading machine with high detection coverage, accurate sorting, minimal damage to fruit, and a compact structure. The technical solution is as follows: The spherical fruit grading machine includes: frame; The vision unit is mounted on the rack and includes two sets of mirror-inverted and parallel boxes on the left and right sides, with a gap between the two sets of boxes. Each set of boxes contains a camera and a fill light. And a movable component that is vertically movable within the interval, the movable component including a movable platform for carrying fruit; The mobile platform is adapted to the gap between the two sets of boxes so that during its up-and-down movement, it can sequentially cooperate with the two sets of boxes to form two independent enclosed dark chambers. When the mobile platform is flush with the lower edge of the left box to form the first dark chamber, the camera in the left box can photograph the left hemisphere of the fruit. When the mobile platform is flush with the upper edge of the right box to form the second dark chamber, the camera in the right box can photograph the right hemisphere of the fruit.

[0010] In some embodiments, the system further includes a control system and components mounted on the frame; the components include: a feeding hopper connected to the left side of the frame for receiving and grading fruit and guiding it to roll down to a sorting component; a sorting component located downstream of the feeding hopper for sorting the fruit into a single row and intermittently conveying it out; a moving component including a moving platform and a drive mechanism for moving the moving platform up and down, the moving platform being used to carry a flipping component and drive it up and down; a flipping component mounted on the moving platform of the moving component for carrying the fruit conveyed by the sorting component, detecting the weight of the fruit, and flipping the fruit over to unload it into the grading component; a vision component mounted above the right side of the sorting component; and a grading component located on the right side of the frame for receiving the graded fruit tilted by the flipping component; wherein the control system is electrically connected to the moving component, the vision component, and the flipping component.

[0011] In some embodiments, the feeding box consists of three vertical baffles and an inclined base plate. The inclined base plate is inclined downward along the fruit conveying direction, and its inclination angle α is 1° to 30°. The combing assembly includes a conveyor belt and a combing frame. The left end of the conveyor belt is located at the right end of the inclined base plate and is used to receive the fruit conveyed from the inclined base plate. The right end of the conveyor belt is provided with a combing frame. The combing frame is provided with multiple vertical baffles inside, and the upper end of the baffles is provided with a top plate. The spacing between the baffles forms n fruit channels (n=2 to 20), and the fruit channels are used for the fruit conveyed from the conveyor belt to pass through. The spacing between the baffles is 1.1 to 1.5 times the diameter of the fruit.

[0012] In some embodiments, the combing assembly further includes an intermittent discharge mechanism and a transition tray; the transition tray includes interconnected horizontal and vertical plates with a "7"-shaped cross-section; the left side of the horizontal plate is an inclined surface, which is connected to the right arc portion of the conveyor belt with a certain gap; the intermittent discharge mechanism includes a sliding baffle and an elastic element; the sliding baffle is slidably connected to the vertical plate of the transition tray through a sliding connection structure; one end of the elastic element is connected to the frame, and the other end is connected to the sliding baffle, and a pressure plate is provided at the bottom of the moving platform, so that the sliding baffle is configured such that: the sliding baffle is suspended and blocked at the fruit channel outlet by the elastic element, and when the moving platform moves downward, the pressure plate drives the sliding baffle to slide down and open the fruit channel outlet.

[0013] In some embodiments, the vision component includes two sets of mirror-inverted and parallel boxes; each set of boxes has an S-shaped cross-section, with a circular hole in its lower vertical plate, where a camera is installed, and a supplementary light is provided inside the box corresponding to the position of the camera lens; a gap is left between the two sets of boxes for a moving platform to pass through, and the moving platform is a box structure with openings on the left and right sides, so that when the moving platform carrying fruit moves up and down between the two sets of boxes, the moving component sequentially forms a closed dark chamber with the two sets of boxes.

[0014] In some embodiments, the box body is divided into n cuboid sub-boxes by vertical partitions, and the number of sub-boxes is the same as the number of fruit channels of the combing component; the moving platform is divided into n sub-boxes by partitions, and the sub-boxes are box structures with openings on the left and right sides, and the number of sub-boxes is the same as the number of fruit channels of the combing component; each sub-box is provided with the flipping component.

[0015] In some embodiments, the flipping assembly includes a fruit rack for supporting fruit, a weighing sensor for detecting the weight of the fruit on the fruit rack, and a flipping mechanism for driving the fruit rack to flip.

[0016] In some embodiments, the fruit rack includes two inner sides forming a V-shape and a horizontal bottom surface, so that the fruit rack has a V-groove structure; a plurality of transversely penetrating thin sheet-like limiting pieces are provided on the two inner sides.

[0017] In some embodiments, the flipping assembly includes: a bracket fixedly mounted on the mobile platform; a swing frame rotatably connected to the bracket via a pivot; a weighing sensor fixedly mounted on the swing frame; a fruit rack mounted on the sensing end of the weighing sensor for receiving and carrying fruit; a chute frame fixedly mounted on the bottom of the fruit rack; and a pusher, the cylinder of which is hinged to the bracket, and the end of its telescopic rod forming a sliding connection with the chute frame; wherein, when the telescopic rod of the pusher extends or retracts, it drives the chute frame, together with the fruit rack, the weighing sensor, and the swing frame, to rotate around the pivot, thereby realizing the flipping and resetting of the fruit rack.

[0018] In some embodiments, the grading assembly includes a grading box, a guide plate, and a turnover box; the grading box has multiple inclined flat plates inside, the angle γ between the inclined flat plates and the horizontal plane is 10° to 45°, so that the grading box is divided into multiple sub-slots, and a turnover box is provided at the outlet of each sub-slot; wherein, a guide plate is provided at the outlet of each sub-slot to guide the fruit to the turnover box.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the solution of this application has the following advantages: This application's solution achieves near-complete detection of spherical fruit surfaces without blind spots: a mobile platform dynamically coordinates with two sets of fixed enclosures to sequentially form two independent, enclosed darkrooms, which respectively acquire images of the left and right hemispheres of the fruit. This design overcomes the limitations of traditional fixed shooting positions or single-angle rotating shooting, achieving for the first time near 360° visual coverage of spherical fruit surfaces within a compact structure. It fundamentally solves the problem of detecting visual blind spots such as relatively obscured areas in fruits, reducing the missed detection rate of surface defects.

[0020] Other features and beneficial effects of this application will be set forth in the following description and will be apparent in part from the description or may be learned by practicing the application. The objectives and other beneficial effects of this application may be realized and obtained by means of the structures particularly pointed out in the description, claims and drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort. Unless otherwise specified, the positional relationships in the drawings described below are based on the direction in which the components are drawn in the figures.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a grading machine provided in one embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the feeding box structure provided in one embodiment of this application; Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the feeding box provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the styling component structure provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of fruit conveying and feeding according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a combing device according to an embodiment of the present application combing multiple rows of fruit; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a transition tray structure provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a sliding baffle structure provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the visual component structure provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the cooperation between a vision component and a motion component according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of a mobile platform structure provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of a mobile component structure provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of a mobile component provided in one embodiment of this application from another perspective; Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of a flip component structure provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the main components of a fruit rack provided in one embodiment of this application; Figure 16 This is a front view of a fruit rack and a schematic diagram showing the position and dimensions of the limiting piece provided in one embodiment of this application; Figure 17This is a right view of a fruit rack provided in an embodiment of this application and a schematic diagram of the limiting piece obstructing the surface of the fruit; Figure 18 This is a top view of the limiting piece layout provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram of a hierarchical component structure provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 20 This is a perspective view of a grading box provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 21 This is a perspective side view of a grading box provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 22 This is a schematic diagram of a hierarchical operation provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0023] Figure label: 100. Frame; 200. Feeding box; 201. Base plate; 202. Stop bar; 300. Combing assembly; 301. Conveyor belt; 302. Combing rack; 303. Transition tray; 303a. Inclined surface; 303b. Horizontal plate; 303c. Vertical plate; 303d. Fastener mounting hole; 304. Sliding baffle; 304a. Smooth steel plate surface; 304b. Slide groove; 304c. Round hole; 304d. Base plate; 304e. Cutout; 305. Elastic element; 400. Vision assembly; 401. Housing; 401a. Bottom vertical plate; 401b. Round hole; 401c. Vertical partition; 401d. Upper vertical plate; 402. Camera; 403. Fill light; 5 00. Moving component; 501. Upper power unit; 502. Lower power unit; 503. Steel pipe; 504. Upper cable; 505. Fixed pulley; 506. Moving platform; 507. Slider; 508. Guide rail; 509. Pressure plate; 510. Lower cable; 600. Tilting component; 601. Bracket; 602. Pusher; 603. Swing frame; 604. Weighing sensor; 605. Slide frame; 606. Fruit rack; 606a. Inner side; 606b. Bottom surface; 606c. Limiting plate; 700. Grading component; 701. Grading box; 701a. Inclined plate; 701b. Inlet; 701c. Outlet; 702. Guide plate; 703. Turnover box. Detailed Implementation

[0024] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. The technical features designed in the different implementations of this application described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0025] In the description of this application, it should be noted that all terms used in this application (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains, and should not be construed as limiting this application; it should be further understood that the terms used in this application should be understood to have the same meaning as those in the context of this specification and the relevant field, and should not be understood in an idealized or overly formal sense, except as expressly defined in this application.

[0026] This article defines the direction of fruit transport as from left to right. This is only for ease of location differentiation and description, not to limit its direction.

[0027] like Figures 1 to 22 As shown, this application provides a spherical fruit grading machine that combines high-coverage visual inspection with weighing. The grading machine is arranged along the fruit's movement direction (from left to right), with the right side of the frame 100 lower and the left side higher, forming a compact functional layout, specifically including: 1. Rack 100 The frame 100 is a frame structure welded from metal tubes, providing a supporting foundation for the entire equipment. 2. Feeding box 200 The feeding box 200 is fixedly connected to the left end of the frame 100. It is formed by three vertically arranged baffles 202 and an inclined base plate 201. The inclined base plate 201 forms an angle α with the horizontal plane, and the value of the angle α ranges from 1° to 30°.

[0028] After the fruits to be sorted are placed in the feeding box 200, they naturally roll down the surface of the inclined bottom plate 201 under the action of gravity and roll naturally onto the conveyor belt 301 of the sorting assembly 300 connected to the feeding box 200.

[0029] This design enables the initial transport of fruit with low energy consumption, and by controlling the tilt angle, it can effectively slow down the rolling speed of the fruit and reduce collision damage.

[0030] 3. Organize component 300 The sorting assembly 300 is located downstream on the right side of the feeding box 200 and is used to receive the fruit from the feeding box 200 and sort it into an orderly queue. It includes a conveyor belt 301, a sorting frame 302, a transition tray 303, a sliding baffle 304, and elastic elements 305 (including but not limited to elastic pull ropes).

[0031] The left end of the conveyor belt 301 is located below the right end outlet of the inclined base plate 201 of the feeding box 200, and is used to receive fruit rolling down from above. The conveyor belt 301 is driven by a motor, and its conveying surface can be made of a material that meets food contact safety standards, conveying fruit to the right at a specified speed. In use, the fruit rolling down from the feeding box 200 lands on the conveyor belt 301, spreads out, and moves along the conveyor belt 301.

[0032] The sorting rack 302 is fixedly mounted on the frame 100 above the conveyor belt 301. It comprises multiple parallel vertical baffles, with a gap of a few millimeters between the lower edges of these baffles and the upper surface of the conveyor belt 301. The baffles form n parallel fruit channels (n ranging from 2 to 20). The width b of each channel is designed to be 1.1 to 1.5 times the typical diameter d of the fruit to be sorted. This structure enables effective separation and orientation correction of randomly stacked fruit, arranging it into n independent single-row queues, and helps to ensure that the fruit stem area faces upwards, providing a consistent orientation for subsequent visual inspection and improving inspection accuracy.

[0033] The transition plate 303 is located at the right end of the exit of each fruit channel of the combing rack 302. Its overall cross-section is "7" shaped, consisting of a horizontal plate 303b and a vertical plate 303c. The left side of the horizontal plate 303b is machined into an inclined surface 303a. This inclined surface 303a maintains a small gap with the arc transition portion on the right side of the conveyor belt 301 during installation, ensuring that the fruit can smoothly transition from the conveyor belt 301 to the upper surface of the horizontal plate 303b. Additionally, the right side of the vertical plate 303c is machined with several fastener mounting holes 303d for cooperation with the sliding baffle 304 to form a sliding connection.

[0034] The sliding baffle 304 is formed by cutting and bending a steel plate, and its main body is a flat, smooth steel plate surface 304a. Two symmetrically arranged grooves 304b and a circular hole 304c for connecting the elastic element 305 are provided on the smooth steel plate surface 304a. The bent base plate 304d is perpendicular to the smooth steel plate surface 304a, and some cuts 304e are provided on the base plate 304d of the sliding baffle 304. The sliding baffle 304, through its grooves 304b, engages with fasteners (including but not limited to screws) passing through the fastener mounting holes 303d on the vertical plate 303c of the transition support plate 303, achieving a parallel sliding connection with the vertical plate 303c of the transition support plate 303.

[0035] The upper end of the elastic element 305 is fixedly connected to the frame 100, and the lower end is fixedly connected to the circular hole 304c of the sliding baffle 304. Under the tension of the elastic element 305, the sliding baffle 304 is held in the upper limit position, at which time its smooth steel plate surface 304a just blocks the exit of each fruit channel of the combing rack 302, preventing fruit from passing through.

[0036] It should be noted that: The conveyor belt 301 includes, but is not limited to, common belt conveyors, steel mesh conveyors, chain conveyors, etc. The conveyor belt 301 is preferably made of materials that meet food contact safety standards. The surface friction coefficient can be adapted to the physical characteristics of the target graded fruits (such as skin hardness and size specifications) to ensure smooth fruit transportation and transport the fruits at a specified speed.

[0037] In this embodiment, the elastic element 305 is composed of a combination of rubber rope, spring and rope. According to the above design concept, other materials can also be used for the elastic element 305, including but not limited to the embodiment scheme.

[0038] 4. Vision Component 400 The vision component 400 is fixedly mounted on the upper right side of the frame 100, above and to the right of the combing component 300. It includes two sets of mirror-inverted and parallel housings 401 on the left and right sides. A certain distance L is maintained between the two sets of housings 401. The width of the moving platform 506 in the moving component (500) is slightly less than L.

[0039] Each set of boxes 401 is constructed from S-shaped plates. The upper vertical plate 401d of box 401 has no openings, while the bottom vertical plate 401a has round holes 401b. Laterally (perpendicular to the fruit's direction of travel), the interior of box 401 is divided into n independent cuboid sub-boxes by multiple vertical partitions 401c. The number of sub-boxes corresponds to the number n of fruit channels in the sorting assembly 300. Each sub-box has no panel on the side facing the moving assembly 500, forming an opening.

[0040] Each of the sub-boxes is equipped with an image acquisition unit, including a camera 402 and a fill light 403. The camera 402 is mounted on the outside of the box 401, and its lens extends into the sub-box through a circular hole 401b in the bottom vertical plate 401a. The fill light 403 is mounted inside the sub-box, located around the lens of the camera 402, and is used to provide stable and uniform illumination during shooting.

[0041] The innovation of the vision component 400 lies in: It works in conjunction with the mobile platform 506 of the mobile component 500 to form a closed darkroom environment. When the mobile platform 506 moves to a specific height, the box structure with openings on both the left and right sides of the mobile platform 506 will be tightly connected with the opening side of the left or right box 401 to form a closed shooting space. Specifically: when the mobile platform 506 is flush with the lower edge of the left box 401 to form the first darkroom, the camera 402 of the left box 401 can shoot the left hemisphere of the fruit; when the mobile platform 506 is flush with the upper edge of the right box 401 to form the second darkroom, the camera 402 of the right box 401 can shoot the right hemisphere of the fruit.

[0042] This darkroom design effectively isolates the interference of external ambient light, providing stable lighting conditions for camera 402, thereby significantly improving the quality and consistency of image acquisition. This provides a crucial guarantee for achieving high-precision, low-miss-rate detection of fruit surface defects. Furthermore, the two-stage sampling covers most of the fruit's surface, resulting in a low defect miss rate.

[0043] 5. Mobile component 500 The movable component 500 is disposed in the gap between the two sets of housings 401 of the vision component 400 and can move up and down in the vertical direction. It includes an upper power unit 501, a lower power unit 502, a steel pipe 503, an upper pull cable 504, a fixed pulley 505, a lower pull cable 510, a movable platform 506, a slider 507, a guide rail 508, and a pressure plate 509.

[0044] The upper power unit 501 and the lower power unit 502 are drive mechanisms that provide linear motion. The steel pipe 503 is fixedly installed at the output end of the upper power unit 501.

[0045] The mobile platform 506 is a box structure with top and bottom plates and four side plates. The internal space of the mobile platform 506 is also divided into n sub-boxes by vertical partitions, the number of which corresponds to the number of fruit channels and the number of visual component sub-boxes. Each sub-box has openings on its left and right sides (facing the visual component 400). Multiple sliders 507 are mounted on the top and bottom plates of the mobile platform 506. These sliders 507 cooperate with vertical guide rails 508 fixedly mounted on the frame 100, ensuring that the mobile platform 506 can only slide precisely up and down along the guide rails 508.

[0046] One end of the upper pull cable 504 is fixedly connected to the steel pipe 503, and the other end passes downwards around the fixed pulley 505 located on the upper part of the frame and is fixedly connected to the upper part of the moving platform 506. One end of the lower pull cable 510 is fixedly connected to the output end of the lower power unit 502, and the other end is fixedly connected upwards to the lower part of the moving platform 506.

[0047] The pressure plate 509 is fixedly installed on the lower surface of the lower plate of the moving platform 506. After the moving platform 506 moves down, the bent edge at the bottom of the pressure plate (509) contacts and presses the bottom plate 304d of the sliding baffle 304, causing the sliding baffle 304 to slide down and open the fruit channel so that the first fruit in the aforementioned multi-row single-row fruit can leave the channel outlet.

[0048] The working process of the mobile component 500 is as follows: When the mobile platform 506 needs to be raised, the upper power unit 501 retracts (pulling the steel pipe 503 upward), while the lower power unit 502 extends (lifting the lower cable 510). Through the coordinated action of the upper cable 504 and the lower cable 510, the mobile platform 506 moves upward along the guide rail 508. When the mobile platform 506 needs to be lowered, the upper power unit 501 extends, and the lower power unit 502 retracts, causing the mobile platform 506 to move downward. This dual-power coordinated traction design ensures smooth movement and precise position control.

[0049] It should be noted that: The upper power unit 501 and the lower power unit 502 can be mechanical structures capable of linear motion, including but not limited to one of the following: cylinder, hydraulic cylinder, electric actuator, gear and rack mechanism, sprocket and chain mechanism, etc. In this example, a cylinder is preferred. The cable 504 includes but is not limited to ropes such as steel ropes.

[0050] 6. Flip component 600 The flipping assembly 600 is provided in n sets, and is fixedly installed on n sub-boxes of the mobile platform 506 respectively. Each set of flipping assembly 600 is used to carry one fruit, weigh it, and flip it over to unload it after weight detection and visual inspection. The flipping assembly 600 includes a bracket 601, a pusher 602, a swing frame 603, a weighing sensor 604, a chute frame 605, and a fruit holding rack 606.

[0051] The bracket 601 is fixedly installed inside the sub-box of the mobile platform 506. The swing frame 603 is rotatably connected to the bracket 601 via a pivot, allowing it to swing around the pivot within a certain angle range.

[0052] The weighing sensor 604 is fixedly mounted on the swing frame 603. The fruit rack 606 is mounted on the sensing end of the weighing sensor 604 and is used to directly receive and support the fruit.

[0053] The fruit rack 606 has two inwardly inclined inner surfaces 606a arranged at a V-shaped angle and a horizontal bottom surface 606b, which together form a V-shaped groove structure. The V-shaped angle is preferably 90°. Multiple thin, sheet-like limiting plates 606c are transversely inserted into the two inner surfaces. The limiting plates 606c are very thin, ranging from 0.2 mm to 2 mm in thickness. This unique combination of the V-shaped groove and the thin limiting plates allows the fruit to automatically roll to the center of the bottom of the V-shaped groove after falling in, achieving automatic centering and ensuring the accuracy of the weighing results. Simultaneously, the extremely thin limiting plates have a very small obstruction area on the spherical surface of the fruit, minimizing blind spots in visual detection, which is one of the keys to achieving high surface coverage detection.

[0054] The slide rail 605 is fixedly installed at the bottom of the fruit rack 606. The cylinder of the pusher 602 is hinged to the bracket 601. The end of the telescopic rod of the pusher 602 is connected to the slide rail 605 by means of a slider and a slide rail, that is, the end of the telescopic rod can slide in the slide rail of the slide rail 605.

[0055] When the telescopic rod of the pusher 602 extends, its end slides within the slide frame 605, simultaneously pushing the slide frame 605. This, in turn, drives the fruit rack 606, the weighing sensor 604, and the swing frame 603 as a whole to rotate around the axis of the swing frame 603, thereby achieving the flipping and unloading of the fruit rack 606. The flipping angle β can be adjusted within the range of 10° to 45°. After unloading is completed, the pusher 602 retracts, causing the entire mechanism to rotate in the opposite direction and return to a horizontal state. By directly integrating the weighing sensor 604 onto the flippable swing frame 603, accurate weighing and flipping unloading of fruit can be completed at the same workstation, simplifying the mechanism and improving sorting efficiency.

[0056] It should be noted that: The dimensions of the 606 fruit rack can be adjusted to suit the actual size of the fruit. For example, if the fruit has a diameter of 100mm, such as... Figure 16 As shown, the included angle between the two inner sides 606a of the recommended V-shape is 90°; the thin limiting piece 606c has a thickness of 0.5mm and a width of 2mm; the heights of the six limiting pieces 606c on the side view of the fruit rack 606 are h1=6.2mm, h2=9.8mm, and h3=17.8mm, respectively; the distances between the two limiting pieces 606c and the center of symmetry of the fruit rack 606 are b1=33.4mm, b2=41.4mm, and b3=57.4mm, respectively.

[0057] 7. Grading Component 700 The grading component 700 is located on the right side of the frame 100 and is used to receive the fruits after they have been graded and collect them into their respective containers. It includes a grading box 701, a guide plate 702, and a turnover box 703.

[0058] The grading box 701 is a hollow box structure. Inside, there are multiple inclined flat plates 701a. These inclined plates 701a divide the interior of the grading box 701 into m independent sub-slots (m ranging from 2 to 10, corresponding to the number of fruit grades). The inlet 701b of each sub-slot faces the unloading side of the flipping assembly 600, and below the outlet 701c, there is a guide plate 702 and a turnover box 703. The angle γ between the inclined plate 701a and the horizontal plane is designed between 10° and 45° to ensure that the fruit can slide smoothly.

[0059] Once the fruit is tilted from the flipping component 600 onto the corresponding inclined plate 701a, it rolls down the slope under gravity, is cushioned and guided by the guide plate 702, and finally falls smoothly into the designated transfer box 703. This design utilizes gravity to achieve automatic conveying and collection without additional power, and the tilting cushioning reduces the risk of collision damage to the fruit during collection.

[0060] 8. Control System The grading machine is also equipped with a control system. This control system is electrically connected to the upper power unit 501 and lower power unit 502 of the moving assembly 500, all cameras 402 and supplementary lights 403 of the vision assembly 400, and all weighing sensors 604 and pushers 602 of the flipping assembly 600, as well as other actuators and sensors.

[0061] The control system coordinates the automated operation of the entire equipment. It controls the up-and-down movement rhythm of the moving component 500, synchronizing it with the unloading of the sorting component 300 and the timing of the image capture by the vision component 400. It receives real-time weight data from each weighing sensor 604 and fruit image data captured by the camera 402. It processes and analyzes the image data, extracting appearance features such as fruit size, surface defects, and color. Finally, based on preset grading logic, it controls the corresponding flipping component 600 to activate the pusher 602 to flip and unload the fruit when the moving platform 506 transports it above the inlet 701b of the corresponding grade grading box 701, thus completing precise automated grading.

[0062] The working process of this classifier fully covers the entire process from feeding to classification and collection. The specific steps are as follows: 1. Feeding process Operators pour batches of fruit awaiting grading into the feeding hopper 200 of the feeding unit. Under the influence of gravity from the inclined base plate 201 (inclination angle α = 1°~30°), the fruit automatically rolls down onto the conveyor belt 301 of the material conveying system, completing the initial feeding process. The anti-slip cushioning treatment on the inclined surface effectively prevents damage to the fruit skin.

[0063] 2. Material arrangement and conveying process Conveyor belt 301 transfers the fruit to the material sorting device. The fruit is then aligned and sorted through the channels (width b = 1.1d ~ 1.5d) of the sorting rack 302, forming a single row with stems facing upwards. Subsequently, the moving platform 506 of the moving component 500 moves downwards, pressing the base plate 304d of the sliding baffle 304 against the pressure plate 509 fixed below it. This forces the sliding baffle 304 to overcome the tension of the elastic element 305 and slide downwards, thus opening the sorting channel outlet. Under the continuous action of the conveyor belt 301, the fruit is precisely pushed onto the fruit rack 606 of the flipping component 600.

[0064] 3. Multi-dimensional detection process (1) Weight detection: After the fruit enters the fruit rack 606, the weighing sensor 604 fixed on the swing frame 603 collects the fruit weight data in real time and transmits the data to the control system for storage and preliminary analysis.

[0065] (2) Visual Inspection: The upper power unit 501 of the moving component 500 contracts and the lower power unit 502 extends in tandem, driving the moving platform 506 to move upward along the guide rail 508 via the upper pull cable 504 and the lower pull cable 510. When the moving platform 506 moves to the first position, its top aligns with the bottom of the left-side box 401 to form a first closed dark chamber, and the left-side camera 402 takes a picture of the left hemisphere of the fruit under the illumination of the supplementary light 403; when the moving platform 506 continues to move to the second position, its bottom aligns with the top of the right-side box 401 to form a second closed dark chamber, and the right-side camera 402 takes a picture of the right hemisphere of the fruit. The two side-by-side shots basically cover the entire surface of the fruit, and the collected image data is transmitted to the control system in real time for appearance feature analysis.

[0066] 4. Hierarchical decision-making process The control system is based on multi-sensor data fusion technology. It integrates weight detection data with appearance quality parameters (including size, surface defects, color, etc.) obtained by visual detection, and intelligently determines the grade of fruit according to preset grading criteria (such as weight range, appearance defect rate, maturity threshold, etc.), and outputs any one of the five grades: S+, S, A+, A, and substandard fruit.

[0067] 5. Graded unloading process When the mobile platform 506, carrying the fruit rack 606, moves to the inlet 701b of the corresponding grade grading component 700, the control system sends an action command to the pusher 602 of the flipping component 600. The telescopic rod of the pusher 602 extends, and its end slides within the slide frame 605 fixed to the bottom of the fruit rack 606, driving the swing frame 603 to rotate around the pivot, so that the fruit rack 606 can flip β=10°~45°, accurately pouring the fruit onto the inclined plate 701a of the corresponding grade grading box 701.

[0068] 6. Reset Procedure After unloading is completed, the pusher 602 retracts, causing the fruit rack 606 to return to a horizontal position. At the same time, the extension of the upper power unit 501 and the retraction of the lower power unit 502 of the moving component 500 work together to drive the moving platform 506 to quickly descend and return to its original position, and the system then enters the next grading cycle.

[0069] Summary of key design points and technical effects of this application scheme I. Key Design Points 1. Modular and compact structural design It adopts an integrated layout of seven functional units (rack 100, feeding box 200, sorting component 300, vision component 400, moving component 500, flipping component 600, and grading component 700) to realize a complete grading process in a limited space. 2. Material organization and precise positioning mechanism The comb rack 302 is equipped with a vertical channel with adjustable width (b=1.1d~1.5d).

[0070] An intermittent discharge mechanism consisting of a sliding baffle 304 and an elastic element 305.

[0071] The "7"-shaped structure of the transition tray 303 ensures a smooth transition for the fruit.

[0072] 3. All-around visual inspection system The two sets of mirror-set enclosures 401 and the mobile platform 506 dynamically cooperate to form a closed darkroom; Two-sided shooting mechanism (left and right hemispheres); The camera 402 and the fill light 403 are integrated inside the housing 401 to isolate external light interference.

[0073] 4. Low-damage weighing and unloading structure The 606 fruit rack uses a V-groove structure (with an included angle of 90° on the inner side 606a) to achieve automatic centering; The 606c limiting plate is only 0.2-2mm thick, minimizing visual obstruction; The pusher 602 is driven by the slide frame 605, and the flipping angle β is adjustable from 10° to 45°.

[0074] 5. Multi-dimensional intelligent hierarchical system Weight data (weighing sensor 604) and visual data (size, defects, color) are fused and analyzed; Five-level grading standard (S+, S, A+, A, secondary fruit); The control system coordinates the timing of each component to achieve fully automatic hierarchical operation.

[0075] In summary, this application solution achieves high-coverage visual inspection of the left and right hemispheres of the fruit by dynamically cooperating with the mobile platform 506 and the fixed box 401 to form a closed dark chamber; it uses a combing rack 302 and an intermittent discharge mechanism to achieve orderly arrangement and precise positioning of the fruit; the fruit holding rack 606 adopts a V-groove structure and a thin limiting plate 606c to ensure weighing accuracy while minimizing visual obstruction; the entire set of equipment adopts a modular and compact design, which is suitable for small application scenarios.

[0076] II. Technical Effects 1. More comprehensive and accurate testing: Combining weight and all-round appearance inspection, covering dimensions such as maturity, defects, and shape, the grading results are more reliable.

[0077] 2. Low fruit damage rate: Anti-slip feeding, stable clamping, optimized tipping unloading and buffer collection structure effectively reduce mechanical damage.

[0078] 3. High adaptability: The miniaturized structure is suitable for small business entities, and the parameters can be adjusted to meet the needs of different fruit types and grades.

[0079] 4. High degree of automation: The entire process from feeding to grading is completed automatically without human intervention, improving sorting efficiency and product consistency.

[0080] 5. Controllable cost: Modular design reduces manufacturing and maintenance costs, avoids high-cost and complex structures, and is economical.

[0081] This application's complete set of equipment adopts a modular and compact layout, integrating feeding, conveying, weighing, visual inspection, movement, grading collection, and control units. It achieves orderly positioning of fruits through a material straightening device, combined with two-sided visual imaging and high-precision weighing, and with an adjustable flipping unloading mechanism, it realizes full-process automation from feeding, straightening, inspection to multi-level precise grading collection. It has outstanding advantages such as high detection coverage, accurate sorting, low damage rate, and adaptability to small scenarios, solving the problems of incomplete detection, large damage, and large size of existing equipment.

[0082] Furthermore, those skilled in the art should understand that although many problems exist in the prior art, each embodiment or technical solution of this application can be improved in only one or a few aspects, without necessarily solving all the technical problems listed in the prior art or background art simultaneously. Those skilled in the art should understand that any content not mentioned in a claim should not be construed as a limitation on that claim.

[0083] Although this document frequently uses terms such as rack, loading bin, sorting assembly, vision assembly, moving assembly, flipping assembly, and grading assembly, the possibility of using other terms is not excluded. These terms are used merely for the convenience of describing and explaining the essence of this application; interpreting them as any kind of additional limitation would contradict the spirit of this application. The terms "first," "second," etc. (if present) in the description, claims, and accompanying drawings of the embodiments of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0084] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the above embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A spherical fruit grading machine, characterized in that, include: Rack (100); The vision component (400) is mounted on the rack (100). The vision component (400) includes two sets of mirror-inverted and parallel boxes (401) on the left and right sides, with a gap between the two sets of boxes (401). Each set of boxes (401) is equipped with a camera (402) and a fill light (403). And a movable component (500) disposed vertically within the interval, the movable component (500) including a movable platform (506) for carrying fruit. The mobile platform (506) is fitted with the gap between the two sets of boxes (401) so that the mobile platform (506) can cooperate with the two sets of boxes (401) to form two independent closed dark chambers during the up and down movement of the mobile platform (506); when the mobile platform (506) is flush with the lower edge of the left box (401) to form the first dark chamber, the camera (402) of the left box (401) can take pictures of the left hemisphere of the fruit; when the mobile platform (506) is flush with the upper edge of the right box (401) to form the second dark chamber, the camera (402) of the right box (401) can take pictures of the right hemisphere of the fruit.

2. The spherical fruit grading machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a control system and components mounted on the rack (100); the components include: Feeding box (200); it is connected to the left side of the frame (100) and is used to receive and grade the fruit and guide it to roll down to the combing assembly (300). A sorting component (300), located downstream of the feeding box (200), is used to sort the fruit into a single row and intermittently convey and release it; The moving component (500) includes a moving platform (506) and a driving mechanism for moving the moving platform up and down. The moving platform (506) is used to carry the flipping component (600) and drive it to move up and down. The flipping component (600) is mounted on the moving platform (506) of the moving component (500) to carry the fruit conveyed by the sorting component (300) and detect the weight of the fruit, and flip the fruit over to unload it into the grading component (700). The visual component (400) is mounted on the upper right side of the combing component (300); The grading component (700) is located on the right side of the frame (100) and is used to receive the graded fruit tilted by the flipping component (600); The control system is electrically connected to the moving component (500), the vision component (400), and the flipping component (600).

3. The spherical fruit grading machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The feeding box (200) consists of three vertical baffles and an inclined bottom plate (201). The inclined bottom plate (201) is inclined downward along the conveying direction of the fruit, and its inclination angle α is 1° to 30°. The combing assembly (300) includes a conveyor belt (301) and a combing rack (302); the left end of the conveyor belt (301) is located at the right end of the inclined base plate (201) and is used to receive the fruit transported from the inclined base plate (201), and the right end of the conveyor belt (301) is provided with a combing rack (302). The combing rack (302) is provided with multiple vertical baffles inside, and the upper end of the baffles is provided with a top plate; the spacing between the baffles forms n fruit channels (n=2~20), and the fruit channels are used for the passage of fruits transported by the conveyor belt (301); The spacing between the baffles is 1.1 to 1.5 times the diameter of the fruit.

4. The spherical fruit grading machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: The combing assembly (300) also includes an intermittent discharge mechanism and a transition pallet (303). The transition pallet (303) includes a horizontal plate (303b) and a vertical plate connected to each other, and its cross-section is in the shape of a "7". The left side of the horizontal plate (303b) is an inclined surface (303a), which is connected to the right arc portion of the conveyor belt (301) with a certain gap. The intermittent discharge mechanism includes a sliding baffle (304) and an elastic element (305). The sliding baffle (304) is slidably connected to the vertical plate of the transition tray (303) through a sliding connection structure; one end of the elastic element (305) is connected to the frame (100), and the other end is connected to the sliding baffle (304), and the bottom of the moving platform (506) is provided with a pressure plate (509), so that the sliding baffle (304) is configured such that the sliding baffle (304) is suspended and blocked at the fruit channel outlet by the elastic element (305), and when the moving platform (506) moves down, the pressure plate (509) drives the sliding baffle (304) to slide down and open the fruit channel outlet.

5. The spherical fruit grading machine according to claim 2, characterized in that, The vision component (400) includes two sets of mirror-inverted and parallel boxes (401). Each box (401) has an S-shaped cross section, and its lower vertical plate (401a) is provided with a round hole (401b). A camera (402) is installed at the round hole (401b), and a fill light (403) is provided inside the box (401) corresponding to the position of the camera (402) lens. There is a gap between the two sets of boxes (401) for the mobile platform (506) to pass through. The mobile platform (506) is a box structure with openings on the left and right sides, so that when the mobile platform (506) carries the fruit and moves up and down between the two sets of boxes (401), the mobile component (500) forms a closed dark chamber with the two sets of boxes (401) in sequence.

6. The spherical fruit grading machine according to claim 5, characterized in that: The box (401) is divided into n cuboid sub-boxes by vertical partitions (401c), and the number of the sub-boxes is the same as the number of fruit channels in the combing component (300); The mobile platform (506) is divided into n sub-boxes by a barrier plate. The sub-boxes are box structures with openings on the left and right sides, and the number of sub-boxes is the same as the number of fruit channels in the combing component (300). Each of the sub-boxes is provided with the flipping component (600).

7. The spherical fruit grading machine according to claim 6, characterized in that: The flipping assembly (600) includes a fruit rack (606) for supporting fruit, a weighing sensor (604) for detecting the weight of the fruit on the fruit rack (606), and a flipping mechanism for driving the fruit rack (606) to flip.

8. The spherical fruit grading machine according to claim 7, characterized in that: The fruit rack (606) includes two inner surfaces (606a) forming a V-shaped angle and a horizontal bottom surface (606b) to give the fruit rack (606) a V-shaped groove structure; Multiple transversely penetrating thin sheet-like limiting pieces (606c) are provided on the two inner surfaces.

9. The spherical fruit grading machine according to claim 7, characterized in that: The flipping component (600) includes: The bracket (601) is fixedly installed on the mobile platform (506); The swing frame (603) is rotatably connected to the bracket (601) via a pivot. A load cell (604) is fixedly mounted on the swing frame (603); A fruit rack (606) is installed at the sensing end of the weighing sensor (604) to receive and support fruit; The chute (605) is fixedly installed at the bottom of the fruit rack (606); The pusher (602) has its cylinder hinged to the bracket (601), and the end of its telescopic rod is slidably connected to the slide frame (605); When the telescopic rod of the pusher (602) extends or retracts, it drives the slide frame (605) together with the fruit rack (606), the weighing sensor (604) and the swing frame (603) to rotate around the rotating shaft, thereby realizing the flipping and resetting of the fruit rack (606).

10. The spherical fruit grading machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The grading component (700) includes a grading box (701), a guide plate (702), and a turnover box (703); The grading box (701) is provided with multiple inclined flat plates (701a) inside. The angle γ between the inclined flat plate (701a) and the horizontal plane is 10° to 45°, so that the grading box (701) is divided into multiple sub-slots, and a turnover box (703) is provided at the outlet of each sub-slot. Each sub-trough has a guide plate (702) at its outlet to guide the fruit to the turnover box.

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