Quality measurement device

Abstract

To provide a quality measurement device capable of measuring all surfaces (top surface and rear surface) of objects to be measured, such as fruits and vegetables, stored on a tray.SOLUTION: A quality measurement device 10 for measuring the quality of fruits and vegetables F placed on a storage tray T comprises: a first transport section 11 for transporting the storage tray T; a first surface measurement section 12 for measuring the fruits and vegetables F within the storage tray T from above in the first transport section 11; a tray inversion section 15 that performs an inversion operation to flip the storage tray T transported from the first transport section 11 in a vertical direction and carries out the storage tray T after the inversion operation; a second transport section 16 that transports the storage tray T after the inversion operation carried out from the tray inversion section 15; a tray removal section 17 that removes the storage tray T above the fruit and vegetables F at the second transport section 16; and a second surface measurement section 18 that measures the fruits and vegetables F from above in a state where the above storage tray T has been removed at the second transport section 16.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a quality measurement device that measures the quality of an object (fruit or vegetable) placed on a tray. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a sorting system that sorts fruits and vegetables by placing a plurality of fruits and vegetables on a tray, irradiating the fruits and vegetables in the tray with X-rays, and measuring the grade of the fruits and vegetables. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6861175 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Measurements using X-ray irradiation, as in Patent Document 1, cannot measure scratches on the surface of fruits and vegetables, and scratches must be visually inspected. Furthermore, in a surface measurement sorting system using trays, if the top surfaces of the fruits and vegetables are photographed with a camera or the like, it is possible to measure scratches on multiple fruits and vegetables at once. However, even in this case, the tray's placement surface (the underside of the fruits and vegetables) is in the camera's blind spot and cannot be photographed.

[0005] In other words, with conventional technology, it was not possible to measure the quality of the entire surface (top and bottom) of fruits and vegetables stored in trays, and it was necessary to rely on visual sorting, which reduced sorting efficiency and prevented complete automation.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a quality measuring device that can measure the entire surface (top and back) of an object to be measured, such as fresh produce or vegetables, placed in a tray. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the quality measuring device disclosed herein is a quality measuring device that measures the quality of an object to be measured placed on a storage tray, and is characterized by having a first transport unit that transports the storage tray, a first surface measuring unit in the first transport unit that measures the object to be measured in the storage tray from above, a tray inverting unit that performs an inversion operation to invert the storage tray carried in from the first transport unit up and down and carries out the storage tray after the inversion operation, a second transport unit that transports the storage tray after the inversion operation and is carried out from the tray inverting unit, a tray removal unit in the second transport unit that removes the storage tray above the object to be measured, and a second surface measuring unit in the second transport unit that measures the object to be measured from above with the upper storage tray removed.

[0008] According to the above configuration, by performing a measurement operation by the first surface measurement unit and a measurement operation by the second surface measurement unit, with an inversion operation by the tray inversion unit in between, it is possible to automate the entire surface measurement of the object to be measured contained in the storage tray.

[0009] The quality measuring device may be configured such that the tray inverting unit is disposed between the first transport unit and the second transport unit.

[0010] According to the above configuration, the quality measuring device can simultaneously transport a plurality of storage trays, improving work efficiency.

[0011] Furthermore, in the above quality measuring device, the storage tray includes a first tray and a second tray that is arranged inside the first tray and has regularly formed recesses for placing the objects to be measured, the first conveying unit has a second tray supply unit that is arranged downstream in the conveying direction of the first surface measuring unit and supplies a second tray to cover the top surface of the objects to be measured in the storage tray, the tray inverting unit performs an inverting operation while the objects to be measured in the storage tray are sandwiched between the two second trays, and the tray removing unit can be configured to remove the first tray and one of the second trays above the objects to be measured in the second conveying unit.

[0012] According to the above configuration, the object to be measured in the receiving tray is sandwiched between the two second trays during the inversion operation of the tray inverting unit, thereby suppressing misalignment of the object to be measured in the receiving tray. As a result, the object to be measured in the receiving tray is accurately inverted by the inversion operation, improving measurement accuracy.

[0013] Furthermore, the quality measurement device can be configured so that, for each object to be measured, quality information obtained by measurement in the first surface measurement unit and quality information obtained by measurement in the second surface measurement unit are managed in an integrated manner.

[0014] According to the above configuration, quality information can be managed individually for each object to be measured in the storage tray, making it easier to use the quality information in the subsequent sorting process (a process of sorting the objects to be measured based on the quality information).

[0015] In the quality measuring device, the tray removal unit may have a suction transport unit that applies negative pressure to the upper surface of the storage tray to remove the storage tray by suction.

[0016] Furthermore, in the above quality measuring device, the storage tray includes a first tray and a second tray that is arranged inside the first tray and has regularly-spaced recesses for placing the objects to be measured, and a plurality of air vents are formed in the bottom plate of the first tray, and the suction and transport unit can apply negative pressure to the second tray through the air vents, thereby being able to simultaneously suction the first tray and the second tray. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] The quality measurement device of the present disclosure can automate the entire surface measurement of the objects to be measured stored in the storage tray, thereby achieving the effect of improving measurement accuracy and work efficiency. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a quality measurement device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a view of the inner tray supply unit as seen from the conveying direction side of the first conveying unit. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a view of the tray removal section as seen from the conveying direction side of the second conveying section. [Figure 4] 10 is an explanatory view showing a state in which the receiving tray is transported from the first transport unit to the tray reversing unit. FIG. [Figure 5] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the holding mechanism holds the accommodation tray in the tray inverting section. FIG. [Figure 6] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the tray reversing section performs a reversing operation. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the state of the tray inverting section after the inverting operation is completed. [Figure 8] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the holding mechanism releases the holding of the accommodation tray in the tray inverting section after the inverting operation; FIG. [Figure 9] 10 is an explanatory view showing a state in which the inverted storage tray is transported from the tray inverting section to the second transport section. FIG. [Figure 10]10 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of the tray reversing unit, showing one of the reversing conveyors and a pressing mechanism as viewed from the conveying surface side. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the quality measuring device. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram of a quality measurement device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] [First embodiment] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a quality measurement device 10 illustrating one embodiment of the present disclosure. The quality measurement device 10 measures the quality of a fruit or vegetable F (e.g., fruit such as strawberries) as a measurement object while transporting the fruit or vegetable F contained in a storage tray T. As shown in Fig. 1, the quality measurement device 10 has a first transport unit 11, a first surface measurement unit 12, an X-ray measurement unit 13, an inner tray supply unit (second tray supply unit) 14, a tray inverting unit 15, a second transport unit 16, a tray removal unit 17, and a second surface measurement unit 18.

[0020] The first conveying unit 11 conveys the storage trays T on the upstream side of the tray inverting unit 15 in the conveying direction, and may be implemented by a conveyor such as a belt conveyor or a roller conveyor. The storage trays T of this embodiment include an outer tray (first tray) To and an inner tray (second tray) Ti arranged inside the outer tray To. The inner tray Ti has a plurality of recesses formed in a regular pattern (for example, in a matrix). Fruits and vegetables F are placed on the recesses of the inner tray Ti, and the plurality of fruits and vegetables F are stored (placed) in a regular arrangement on the storage tray T.

[0021] 1, the first transport unit 11 is depicted as a single conveyor device, but the first transport unit 11 may be composed of multiple conveyor devices. In the transport area of ​​the first transport unit 11, a first surface measurement unit 12, an X-ray measurement unit 13, and an inner tray supply unit 14 are arranged.

[0022] The first surface measuring unit 12 is an imaging device such as a camera arranged above the conveying path of the first conveying unit 11, and measures the fruits and vegetables F stored in the storage tray T from above. In other words, the first surface measuring unit 12 can simultaneously capture images of the top surfaces of all the fruits and vegetables F stored in one storage tray T.

[0023] The X-ray measurement unit 13 has an X-ray generation unit 131 and an X-ray receiving unit 132, one of the X-ray generation unit 131 and the X-ray receiving unit 132 (X-ray generation unit 131 in FIG. 1) is arranged above the conveying path of the first conveying unit 11, and the other (X-ray receiving unit 132 in FIG. 1) is arranged below the conveying path. The X-ray measurement unit 13 is capable of X-ray imaging of all fruits and vegetables F stored in the storage tray T.

[0024] The X-ray measurement unit 13 is not an essential component of the quality measurement device 10 of the present disclosure, and may be omitted. When the quality measurement device 10 is provided with the X-ray measurement unit 13, the order of placement of the X-ray measurement unit 13 and the first surface measurement unit 12 may be reversed. Furthermore, when the X-ray measurement unit 13 is provided, the first transport unit 11 uses a conveyor device (for example, a belt conveyor using a resin transport belt) that is permeable to X-rays in the X-ray imaging area.

[0025] The inner tray supply unit 14 is disposed downstream in the conveying direction relative to the first surface measuring unit 12, and supplies an inner tray Ti to the storage tray T after imaging by the first surface measuring unit 12 so as to cover the top surface of the fruits and vegetables F. As a result, the fruits and vegetables F in the storage tray T are sandwiched between the two inner trays Ti from above and below. Note that the inner tray Ti supplied later by the inner tray supply unit 14 may be the same as the inner tray Ti placed in the outer tray To from the beginning, or it may be different. For example, the inner tray Ti supplied later may be made more rigid than the inner tray Ti placed earlier.

[0026] FIG. 2 is a view of the inner tray supply unit 14 as seen from the conveying direction side of the first conveying unit 11. As shown in FIG. 2, the inner tray supply unit 14 has a suction conveying unit 141 that suctions and conveys the inner trays Ti, and a tray stacking unit 142 on which a stack of inner trays Ti (tray stack) is placed. The tray stacking unit 142 is disposed next to the first conveying unit 11. The suction conveying unit 141 functions as an air chamber that suctions and releases the suction of trays by applying pressure or pressure from the outside. The suction conveying unit 141 can be moved up and down by a lifting cylinder 141a, and can also be moved horizontally by a moving mechanism (not shown). The suction conveying unit 141 supplies the inner trays Ti through the following operations.

[0027] First, the suction conveying section 141 moves above the tray stacking section 142, and then descends to a position where the lower surface of the suction conveying section 141 contacts the upper surface of the tray stack. In this state, the suction conveying section 141 applies negative pressure to the upper surfaces of the trays (depressurizing the air chamber) to adsorb the inner tray Ti at the top of the tray stack. After adsorbing the inner tray Ti, the suction conveying section 141 moves upward to lift the adsorbed inner tray Ti from the tray stack, and then moves horizontally to above the first conveying section 11. The suction conveying section 141 moves downward with a storage tray T that will receive the inner tray Ti located directly below the suction conveying section 141, and positions the inner tray Ti to cover the upper surfaces of the fruits and vegetables F in the storage tray T. In this state, the suction conveying section 141 releases the suction hold on the inner tray Ti (pressurizing the air chamber) and supplies the inner tray Ti into the storage tray T. Thereafter, the suction transport unit 141 returns to the initial position (above the tray stack unit 142) by vertical and horizontal movement, and repeats the above operation.

[0028] The accommodation tray T supplied with the inner tray Ti by the inner tray supply unit 14 is sent to the tray inverting unit 15 and is inverted upside down by the tray inverting unit 15. The configuration and operation of the tray inverting unit 15 will be described later.

[0029] The second conveying unit 16 conveys the storage trays T downstream of the tray inverting unit 15 in the conveying direction, and may be implemented by a conveyor such as a belt conveyor or roller conveyor. The inverting operation of the tray inverting unit 15 causes the up-down orientation of the fruits or vegetables F on the second conveying unit 16 to be inverted relative to the orientation on the first conveying unit 11. For ease of explanation, in this embodiment, the upper (upward facing) surface of the fruits or vegetables F on the first conveying unit 11 will be referred to as the top surface of the fruits or vegetables F, and the lower (downward facing) surface of the fruits or vegetables F on the first conveying unit 11 will be referred to as the back surface of the fruits or vegetables F. In other words, the back surface of the fruits or vegetables F faces up on the second conveying unit 16. A tray removal unit 17 and a second surface measurement unit 18 are disposed in the conveying area of ​​the second conveying unit 16.

[0030] The tray removal unit 17 removes the storage tray T arranged above the fruit or vegetable F by inverting it upside down. As a result, the fruit or vegetable F is placed only on the inner tray Ti supplied by the inner tray supply unit 14, and the back surface of the fruit or vegetable F is exposed upward.

[0031] FIG. 3 is a view of the tray removal unit 17 as seen from the conveyance direction side of the second conveyance unit 16. As shown in FIG. 3, the tray removal unit 17 has a suction conveyance unit 171 that suctions and conveys the storage trays T (outer tray To and inner tray Ti), and a tray discharge unit 172 to which the removed storage trays T are discharged. The tray discharge unit 172 is disposed next to the second conveyance unit 16. The suction conveyance unit 171 has basically the same configuration as the suction conveyance unit 141 of the inner tray supply unit 14, and functions as an air chamber that suctions and releases the trays by applying pressure or pressure from the outside. That is, the suction conveyance unit 171 is capable of moving up and down by a lifting cylinder 171a, and is also capable of moving horizontally by a movement mechanism (not shown). The suction conveyance unit 171 performs the following operation to remove the storage trays T.

[0032] First, the suction conveyance unit 171 moves above the storage tray T that has been transported to a predetermined position in the second transport unit 16, and then descends to a position where the lower surface of the suction conveyance unit 171 contacts the upper surface of the outer tray To (the bottom surface that faces upward due to inversion). In this state, the suction conveyance unit 171 applies negative pressure to the upper surface of the tray to adsorb the storage tray T. In this embodiment, multiple air vents are formed in the bottom plate of the outer tray To, and negative pressure is also applied to the inner tray Ti through these air vents (depressurizing the air chamber), enabling simultaneous adsorption of the outer tray To and the inner tray Ti. After adsorbing the storage tray T, the suction conveyance unit 171 lifts the adsorbed storage tray T by moving upward, and then moves horizontally above the tray discharge unit 172. Above the tray discharge unit 172, the suction conveyance unit 171 releases the adsorption hold of the storage tray T (pressurizing the air chamber) and discharges the storage tray T onto the tray discharge unit 172. The suction and conveyance unit 171 may, if necessary, perform a downward movement and then release the suction and hold of the accommodation tray T. Thereafter, the suction and conveyance unit 171 returns to the initial position (above the second conveyance unit 16) by vertical and horizontal movement, and repeats the above operation.

[0033] In the above description, the tray removal unit 17 simultaneously sucks the outer tray To and the inner tray Ti and removes them in the same process. To achieve this, the bottom plate of the outer tray To is provided with ventilation holes H that penetrate the bottom plate. As shown in FIG. 13, it is preferable that the ventilation holes H are multiple holes that are evenly distributed. By providing the ventilation holes H in the bottom plate of the outer tray To, negative pressure acts on the bottom surfaces of the outer tray To and the inner tray Ti when the air chamber in the suction and transport unit 171 is depressurized, and the outer tray To and inner tray Ti can be lifted simultaneously.

[0034] However, the removal of the outer tray To and the inner tray Ti does not necessarily have to be performed in the same process, but may be performed in separate processes. That is, the suction and transport unit 171 may be arranged in two stages, and the outer tray To may be removed first, followed by the inner tray Ti.

[0035] The second surface measuring unit 18 is an imaging device such as a camera arranged above the conveying path of the second conveying unit 16, and similar to the first surface measuring unit 12, measures the fruits and vegetables F stored in the storage tray T from above. In the second conveying unit 16, the backsides of the fruits and vegetables F are facing up due to the inversion operation, so the second surface measuring unit 18 can simultaneously image the backsides of all the fruits and vegetables F placed on one inner tray Ti.

[0036] Next, the configuration and operation of the tray inverting unit 15 will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 9. As shown in Figures 4 to 9, the tray inverting unit 15 has a first inverting conveyor 151A, a second inverting conveyor 151B, a first pressing mechanism 152A, and a second pressing mechanism 152B. The first inverting conveyor 151A and the second inverting conveyor 151B have the same configuration and function, and when there is no particular need to distinguish between them, they will simply be referred to as inverting conveyors 151. The first pressing mechanism 152A and the second pressing mechanism 152B also have the same configuration and function, and when there is no particular need to distinguish between them, they will simply be referred to as pressing mechanisms 152.

[0037] The first and second reversing conveyors 151A and 151B, and the first and second pressing mechanisms 152A and 152B alternate in vertical position with each reversing operation of the tray reversing section 15, but the following description will exemplify the reversing operation from a state in which the first reversing conveyor 151A and the first pressing mechanism 152A are on the lower side and the second reversing conveyor 151B and the second pressing mechanism 152B are on the upper side. In Figures 4 to 9, 153 denotes a rotation axis when the tray reversing section 15 performs a reversing operation.

[0038] FIG. 4 shows a state in which the storage tray T is transported (carried in) from the first transport unit 11 to the tray inverting unit 15. At this time, in the tray inverting unit 15, at least the first inverting conveyor 151A (the inverting conveyor 151 located on the lower side) is driven in the transport direction together with the first transport unit 11. On the other hand, the second inverting conveyor 151B (the inverting conveyor 151 located on the upper side) may or may not be driven in the transport direction together with the first inverting conveyor 151A. More specifically, when the upper surface of the storage tray T comes into contact with the second inverting conveyor 151B, it is preferable that the second inverting conveyor 151B be driven in the transport direction or be rotated by contact with the storage tray T. When the upper surface of the storage tray T does not come into contact with the second inverting conveyor 151B, the second inverting conveyor 151B does not need to be driven.

[0039] The pressure mechanism 152 can move in a direction perpendicular to the conveying surface of the reversing conveyor 151. Because the conveying surface of the reversing conveyor 151 is parallel to the horizontal, the movement direction of the pressure mechanism 152 is vertical. The movement range of the pressure mechanism 152 includes both the inner side (the side opposite the contact surface with the storage tray T) and the outer side (the contact surface side with the storage tray T) of the conveying surface of the reversing conveyor 151 (the surface that contacts the storage tray T). In the state shown in FIG. 4, the pressure mechanism 152 is located outside the conveying surface of the reversing conveyor 151, and the pressure mechanism 152 does not obstruct the conveyance of the storage tray T from the first conveying unit 11 to the tray reversing unit 15. At this time, the upper surface of the lower first pressure mechanism 152A may be in contact with or spaced apart from the conveying back surface of the reversing conveyor 151 (the surface opposite the contact surface with the storage tray T).

[0040] FIG. 5 shows a state in which the holding mechanism 152 holds the storage tray T in the tray inverting unit 15. At this time, in the tray inverting unit 15, the second holding mechanism 152B (the holding mechanism 152 located on the upper side) moves downward to the inside of the conveying surface of the reversing conveyor 151, and the lower surface of the second holding mechanism 152B (the holding surface of the storage tray T) comes into contact with the upper inner tray Ti of the fruits and vegetables F. More specifically, the second holding mechanism 152B moves downward to an extent that the upper inner tray Ti is in close contact with the fruits and vegetables F. Furthermore, when the lower first holding mechanism 152A is separated from the conveying back surface of the reversing conveyor 151 in the state shown in FIG. 4, the first holding mechanism 152A moves upward to a position where it comes into contact with the conveying back surface of the reversing conveyor 151. As a result, the storage tray T comes into contact with both the first holding mechanism 152A and the second holding mechanism 152B, and is sandwiched and held from above and below by the holding mechanisms 152.

[0041] FIG. 6 shows the state in which the tray inverting unit 15 is performing an inverting operation. FIG. 7 shows the state of the tray inverting unit 15 after the inverting operation is completed. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, during this inverting operation, the tray inverting unit 15 rotates 180° around the rotation axis 153. As a result, the positional relationship between the first inverting conveyor 151A and the second inverting conveyor 151B and the positional relationship between the first pressing mechanism 152A and the second pressing mechanism 152B are inverted upside down. Note that the direction of rotation during the inverting operation of the tray inverting unit 15 is not particularly limited, and for example, the rotation direction may be reversed alternately for each inverting operation.

[0042] The reversing operation of the tray reversing unit 15 also turns the storage tray T held by the tray reversing unit 15 upside down. At this time, the fruits and vegetables F in the storage tray T are tightly sandwiched between the two inner trays Ti by the pressing mechanism 152, and are therefore not subject to relative displacement with respect to the storage tray T (such as shifting of the fruits and vegetables F within the storage tray T). As a result, the reversing operation of the tray reversing unit 15 accurately turns the backside of the fruits and vegetables F in the storage tray T upward, improving measurement accuracy.

[0043] 8 shows a state in which the holding mechanism 152 releases the holding of the storage tray T in the tray inverting section 15 after the inversion operation. At this time, in the tray inverting section 15, the second holding mechanism 152B (the holding mechanism 152 located on the lower side) moves downward to the outside of the conveying surface of the second invert conveyor 151B. Accordingly, the storage tray T also moves downward at the same time, and the storage tray T comes into contact with the conveying surface of the second invert conveyor 151B. At this time, the first holding mechanism 152A located on the upper side may also be moved upward to such an extent that it is separated from the conveying back surface of the first invert conveyor 151A.

[0044] 9 shows a state in which the inverted storage tray T is transported (discharged) from the tray inverting section 15 to the second transport section 16. At this time, in the tray inverting section 15, at least the second inverting conveyor 151B (the inverting conveyor 151 located on the lower side) is driven in the transport direction together with the second transport section 16. On the other hand, the first inverting conveyor 151A (the inverting conveyor 151 located on the upper side) may or may not be driven in the transport direction together with the second inverting conveyor 151B.

[0045] 10 shows a schematic configuration of the tray reversing unit 15, and is a plan view of one reversing conveyor 151 and a pressing mechanism 152 as viewed from the conveying surface side. As shown in FIG. 10, the reversing conveyor 151 is a belt conveyor in which a plurality of conveying belts 1511 are stretched between two roller members 1512. The plurality of conveying belts 1511 are arranged along the width direction (a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction on the conveying surface) with a gap G provided between adjacent belts. Of the two roller members 1512, for example, one is a drive roller and the other is a driven roller.

[0046] The tray inverting unit 15 has base portions 154 on both sides in the width direction, and roller members 1512 rotate and drive the conveyor belt 1511 while being held between the two base portions 154. In addition, a rotation shaft 153 of the tray inverting unit 15 protrudes from the outer side of the base portions 154 in the width direction. As a result, the inverting conveyor 151 rotates together with the base portions 154 to perform the above-mentioned inverting operation.

[0047] The pressure mechanism 152 has a plurality of long pressure bars 1521 whose longitudinal direction is the conveyance direction, and these pressure bars 1521 form a pressure surface for the storage trays T. Each pressure bar 1521 is disposed in a gap G between the conveyor belts 1511, and the width dimension of the pressure bar 1521 is set smaller than the dimension of the gap G. Therefore, when the pressure mechanism 152 moves up and down, the pressure bar 1521 can move between the inner and outer regions of the conveyance surface without interfering with the conveyance surface of the reverse conveyor 151. Note that the lifting mechanism (not shown) for the pressure bar 1521 in the pressure mechanism 152 is also fixed to the base 154, and the pressure mechanism 152 can also rotate together with the base 154 and the reverse conveyor 151.

[0048] 11 is a block diagram showing the control system of the quality measuring device 10. The quality measuring device 10 has a control device 20. The control device 20 has a calculation unit 21, a memory unit 22, and an input / output unit 23. The control device 20 controls the transport operations of the first transport unit 11 and the second transport unit 16, the measurement operations of the first surface measurement unit 12, the second surface measurement unit 18, and the X-ray measurement unit 13, the tray transport operations of the inner tray supply unit 14 and the tray removal unit 17, the reversal operation and transport operation of the tray reversal unit 15, etc.

[0049] The calculation unit 21 includes a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) and performs calculations based on a computer program. The memory unit 22 stores, for example, data and computer programs. For example, the memory unit 22 can temporarily store data required for each process of the calculation unit 21. The memory unit 22 may include a main memory device and an auxiliary memory device, and may include, for example, non-volatile memory or a hard disk drive. The input / output unit 23 is connected to the first transport unit 11, the first surface measurement unit 12, the X-ray measurement unit 13, the inner tray supply unit 14, the tray inverting unit 15, the second transport unit 16, the tray removal unit 17, and the second surface measurement unit 18.

[0050] As part of the measurement operation of the quality measuring device 10, the calculation unit 21 performs image processing on the image data captured by the first surface measuring unit 12 and the second surface measuring unit 18 to determine whether or not there are scratches on the surface of the fruit or vegetable F. More specifically, the image data captured by the first surface measuring unit 12 is used to determine whether or not there are scratches on the top surface of the fruit or vegetable F, and the image data captured by the second surface measuring unit 18 is used to determine whether or not there are scratches on the back surface of the fruit or vegetable F. Furthermore, the quality information obtained from the measurement operation by the first surface measuring unit 12 and the second surface measuring unit 18 can include not only the presence or absence of scratches, but also information regarding the class of the fruit or vegetable F, such as its size, and information regarding the grade of the fruit or vegetable F, such as its color and shape. Furthermore, the measurement results from the X-ray measurement unit 13 can provide information such as the weight of the fruit or vegetable F, for example.

[0051] The measurement results (quality information) for each fruit or vegetable F are stored in the memory unit 22, together with tray identification information for identifying the storage tray T in which the fruit or vegetable F is stored and information on the placement position of each fruit or vegetable F within the storage tray T (tray coordinates). More specifically, for each fruit or vegetable F, the quality information obtained by measurement in the first surface measuring unit 12 and the quality information obtained by measurement in the second surface measuring unit 18 are stored in the memory unit 22 in an integrated state based on the tray identification information and the placement position information. This allows the quality measuring device 10 to manage the quality information individually for each fruit or vegetable F in the storage tray T, making it easy to use the quality information in the subsequent sorting process (the process of sorting the fruit or vegetable F based on the quality information).

[0052] As described above, the quality measuring device 10 of the present disclosure can automate the full-surface measurement of fruits and vegetables F stored in a storage tray T by performing a measurement operation by the first surface measuring unit 12 and a measurement operation by the second surface measuring unit 18, with an inversion operation by the tray inverting unit 15 sandwiched in between. This can improve measurement accuracy and work efficiency. Furthermore, in the quality measuring device 10, by disposing the tray inverting unit 15 between the first conveying unit 11 and the second conveying unit 16, multiple storage trays T can be transported simultaneously, improving work efficiency.

[0053] Second Embodiment 12 is a schematic configuration diagram of a quality measurement device 10' illustrating another embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 12, the quality measurement device 10' includes a conveying unit 11', a surface measurement unit 12', an X-ray measurement unit 13, an inner tray supply unit 14, a tray removal unit 17, and a tray inverting unit 15'.

[0054] The transport unit 11' transports the storage trays T, and is capable of forward transport and return transport, which are transport directions opposite to each other for the storage trays T. That is, the transport unit 11' transports the storage trays T before they are turned over to the tray turnover unit 15' on the forward transport, and transports the storage trays T after they have been turned over from the tray turnover unit 15' on the return transport. In addition, in the quality measurement device 10', the surface measurement unit 12', the X-ray measurement unit 13, the inner tray supply unit 14, and the tray removal unit 17 are arranged in the transport area of ​​the transport unit 11'. Note that the X-ray measurement unit 13 is not essential in this embodiment either.

[0055] The surface measuring unit 12' is an imaging device similar to the first surface measuring unit 12 and the second surface measuring unit 18 in the first embodiment. The X-ray measuring unit 13, the inner tray supply unit 14, and the tray removal unit 17 have the same configurations as in the first embodiment. The tray inverting unit 15' performs an inverting operation similar to the tray inverting unit 15 in the first embodiment, but furthermore, like the transport unit 11', it is capable of forward and backward transport of the storage tray T.

[0056] In the quality measuring device 10', the surface measuring unit 12', the X-ray measuring unit 13, and the inner tray supply unit 14 are operated during the outbound transport. That is, during the outbound transport, the surface measuring unit 12' can photograph the top surface of the fruit or vegetable F, and quality information about the top surface of the fruit or vegetable F can be obtained. After the outbound transport, the storage tray T is inverted by the tray inverting unit 15' and then transported on the return journey. During the return transport, the tray removal unit 17 and the surface measuring unit 12' are operated. That is, during the return transport, the surface measuring unit 12' can photograph the back surface of the fruit or vegetable F, and quality information about the back surface of the fruit or vegetable F can be obtained. That is, in the quality measuring device 10', the transport unit 11' serves both as the first transport unit and the second transport unit recited in the claims, and the surface measuring unit 12' serves both as the first surface measuring unit and the second surface measuring unit recited in the claims.

[0057] Since the quality measuring device 10' cannot transport multiple storage trays T at the same time, in Figure 12, only the storage tray T at the right end of the figure (located in the tray inversion section 15) is shown in solid lines, and the other storage trays T are shown in virtual lines.

[0058] As described above, the quality measuring device 10' of this embodiment performs forward and return transport with an inversion operation by the tray inversion unit 15 in between, and performs measurements by the surface measuring unit 12' during each transport, thereby automating the full surface measurement of the fruits and vegetables F stored in the storage tray T.

[0059] The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and are not intended to be limiting. Therefore, the technical scope of the present disclosure should not be interpreted solely by the above-described embodiments, but should be determined based on the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 10,10' Quality Measuring Device 11 First conveying section 11' Conveying section (first conveying section, second conveying section) 12 First surface measurement section 12' surface measurement unit (1st surface measurement unit, 2nd surface measurement unit) 13 X-ray Measurement Section 14 Inner tray supply unit (second tray supply unit) 141 Suction conveying section 15,15' Tray inversion section 151 Reversing conveyor 152 Presser mechanism 16 Second conveying section 17 Tray removal section 171 Suction conveying section 18 Second surface measurement section 20 Control device 21 Arithmetic section 22 Memory section T storage tray To outer tray (1st tray) Ti Inner Tray (Second Tray) F Fruits and vegetables (object to be measured) H Ventilation Hole

Claims

1. A quality measurement device that measures the quality of an object placed on a storage tray, a first transport unit that transports the storage tray; a first surface measuring unit in the first transport unit that measures the object to be measured in the storage tray from above; a tray inverting unit that performs an inverting operation of inverting the receiving tray carried in from the first transport unit in a vertical direction and carries out the receiving tray after the inverting operation; a second transport unit that transports the storage tray after the inversion operation carried out from the tray inversion unit; a tray removal unit that removes the accommodation tray above the object to be measured in the second transport unit; a second surface measuring unit in the second transport unit that measures the object to be measured from above in a state in which the upper storage tray has been removed;

2. The quality measurement device according to claim 1, The quality measuring device, wherein the tray inverting unit is disposed between the first transport unit and the second transport unit.

3. The quality measurement device according to claim 1, the storage tray includes a first tray and a second tray disposed inside the first tray and having regularly formed recesses on which the objects to be measured are placed, the first transport unit has a second tray supply unit disposed downstream of the first surface measuring unit in a transport direction, the second tray supply unit supplying a second tray so as to cover an upper surface of the object to be measured in the accommodation tray, the tray inverting unit performs an inverting operation while sandwiching the object to be measured in the accommodation tray between the two second trays, The quality measuring device, wherein the tray removal unit removes the first tray and one of the second trays located above the object to be measured in the second transport unit.

4. The quality measurement device according to claim 1, A quality measurement device characterized in that, for each object to be measured, quality information obtained by measurement in the first surface measurement unit and quality information obtained by measurement in the second surface measurement unit are managed in an integrated manner.

5. The quality measurement device according to claim 1, The quality measuring device is characterized in that the tray removal unit has a suction transport unit that applies negative pressure to an upper surface of the storage tray to remove the storage tray by suction.

6. The quality measuring device according to claim 5, the storage tray includes a first tray and a second tray disposed inside the first tray and having regularly formed recesses on which the objects to be measured are placed, A plurality of ventilation holes are formed in the bottom plate of the first tray, The quality measuring device is characterized in that the suction and transport unit applies negative pressure to the second tray through the air hole, and is capable of simultaneously suctioning the first tray and the second tray.

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