Quality measuring equipment and sorting equipment

Abstract

To provide a quality measuring device and a sorting device that are compact yet capable of measuring the quality of the rear surface of fruits and vegetables with high accuracy. [Solution] A quality measurement device 10 includes a sorting conveyor 12 that transports fruits and vegetables to be sorted based on the quality measurement results, and an imaging device 13 that captures image data of the underside of the fruits and vegetables. A work area is provided near the sorting conveyor 12 where workers transfer the fruits and vegetables onto the sorting conveyor 12, and the imaging device 13 is positioned in the work area so that it can capture image data of the underside of the fruits and vegetables while the workers are transferring them.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a quality measuring device and a sorting device that measure the quality of fruits and vegetables and the like. [Background technology]

[0002] In many sorting facilities, cameras are used to capture images of the top and sides of fruits and vegetables as they flow along a conveyor line, and the quality of the fruits and vegetables is measured (such as determining the grade) based on the image data. In this case, because the cameras cannot capture images of the backsides of the fruits and vegetables being conveyed, the backsides of the fruits and vegetables are judged by a person to be of a different grade. For example, a person may lift the fruits and vegetables as they are being conveyed and visually determine the backsides. Patent Document 1 also describes a sorting device that captures images of the entire conveyed item and measures its quality by including a process of inverting the conveyed items (fruits and vegetables) placed in buckets using front-back inversion means (such as inversion rollers) provided in each bucket. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 08-175647 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 5816001 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When classification is done by humans, there are differences in the standards used by each worker (judge), which leads to problems with accuracy. In addition, skilled techniques are required for human judgment, and the decrease in skilled workers is also a problem.

[0005] In the sorting device of Patent Document 1, the fruit and vegetables are automatically turned over using a turning roller, which causes problems such as the device becoming larger in size and the transport and imaging sections becoming longer, which can damage the transported items.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a quality measuring device and a sorting device that are compact yet capable of highly accurate quality measurement of the back side of fruits and vegetables. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, a quality measuring device that is a first aspect of the present disclosure is a quality measuring device that measures the quality of fresh produce, and is equipped with a first conveyor that transports the fresh produce to be sorted based on the quality measurement results, and a first imaging device that can acquire image data of the underside of the fresh produce, and is characterized in that a work area is provided near the first conveyor where workers transfer the fresh produce onto the first conveyor, and the first imaging device is positioned in the work area and is able to acquire image data of the underside of the fresh produce while the worker is transferring the fresh produce onto the first conveyor.

[0008] According to the above configuration, when a worker transfers fruits and vegetables, the first imaging device can measure the quality of the rear surface of the fruits and vegetables. As a result, the quality measurement device can be made compact with almost no increase in the work area. Furthermore, because the quality measurement device measures quality based on image data captured by the first imaging device, even an unskilled worker can achieve high-precision quality measurement.

[0009] In addition, in the above-mentioned quality measuring device, the first imaging device can be arranged to the side of the first conveyor in the working area, and can be configured to acquire image data of the underside of the fruit or vegetable when the fruit or vegetable is held above it or when the fruit or vegetable is placed on the top surface.

[0010] Furthermore, the quality measuring device can be configured such that a plurality of loading sections are aligned on the first conveyor, the first conveyor is capable of loading and transporting one fruit or vegetable on each loading section, the first imaging device acquires image data of the fruit or vegetable, and when the fruit or vegetable is placed on one of the loading sections on the first conveyor after the image data has been acquired, the loading section on which the fruit or vegetable is placed is identified, and the acquired image data of the fruit or vegetable is stored in association with the identification information of the loading section on which the fruit or vegetable is placed.

[0011] According to the above configuration, the image data of the fruits and vegetables acquired by the first imaging device is matched on the device side with the specific information of the placement unit on which the fruits and vegetables are placed, so the worker performing the transfer work does not need to be aware of the placement unit on which the fruits and vegetables are placed.

[0012] Furthermore, the quality measuring device can be configured to include placement detection sensors positioned both upstream and downstream of the first imaging device in the conveying direction of the first conveyor, and if there is a placement section where the placement detection sensor upstream of the first imaging device does not detect the placement of fruits or vegetables at time t0, but the placement detection sensor downstream of the first imaging device detects the placement of fruits or vegetables at time t1, the quality measuring device can be configured to identify the placement section as the placement section where the fruits or vegetables for which image data was acquired during the period from time t0 to t1 were placed.

[0013] Furthermore, the quality measuring device may have a second conveyor that transports the fruits and vegetables to a predetermined position before measurement, and the working area may be a parallel area in which a portion of the downstream side of the transport area of ​​the second conveyor and a portion of the upstream side of the transport area of ​​the first conveyor are arranged in parallel, and the first imaging device may be arranged between the first conveyor and the second conveyor in the parallel area.

[0014] According to the above configuration, the moving distance of the fruits and vegetables during the transfer operation can be minimized, and the transfer operation can be carried out efficiently.

[0015] Furthermore, in the quality measuring device, the first imaging device can be configured to acquire image data of the underside of a fruit or vegetable when the fruit or vegetable is placed on the upper surface, and simultaneously measure the weight of the fruit or vegetable.

[0016] In addition, a sorting device that is a second aspect of the present disclosure is a sorting device that measures the quality of fruits and vegetables and sorts the fruits and vegetables according to the quality information obtained by the measurement, and is equipped with the quality measuring device described above and a second imaging device that is arranged on the conveying path of the first conveyor downstream of the parallel area and acquires image data of the top surface of the fruits and vegetables transported by the first conveyor, and is characterized in that it performs quality measurements of the entire front and back of the fruits and vegetables based on the image data of the bottom surface of the fruits and vegetables acquired by the first imaging device and the image data of the top surface of the fruits and vegetables acquired by the second imaging device, and discharges the selected fruits from the first conveyor at a predetermined position according to the obtained quality information and sorts the fruits. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] The quality measuring device and sorting device disclosed herein have the advantage that when transferring fruits and vegetables, the first imaging device can be used to measure the quality of the back side of the fruits and vegetables, and that the device has a compact configuration yet can perform highly accurate quality measurements of the back side of the fruits and vegetables. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a quality measuring device that is a part of the sorting device on the upstream side in the conveying direction according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing a part of the sorting device on the downstream side in the conveying direction. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control system of the sorting device. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an imaging device. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of an imaging device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6]FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a quality measuring device 10 according to a third embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a configuration example of a sorting device in a sixth embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a configuration example of a sorting device in a sixth embodiment. 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 perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a quality measuring device 10, which is a part on the upstream side in the conveying direction of a sorting device (hereinafter referred to as the present sorting device) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view showing a part on the downstream side in the conveying direction of the present sorting device. As shown in Fig. 1, the quality measuring device 10 has a supply conveyor (second conveyor) 11, a sorting conveyor (first conveyor) 12, an imaging device (first imaging device) 13, and a placement detection sensor 14.

[0020] The supply conveyor 11 is a conveyor that transports unmeasured fruits and vegetables F (e.g., tomatoes) to a predetermined position in a non-aligned state, and is, for example, a belt conveyor. The sorting conveyor 12 is a conveyor that can transport fruits and vegetables F in a state where their position on the conveyor can be identified and can discharge individual fruits and vegetables F from the conveyor at a desired location during transport. In this embodiment, the sorting conveyor 12 is a conveyor that arranges multiple loading cups (loading portions) 121 in a circular (circularly movable) aligned state in a plan view and can transport one fruit or vegetable F placed in each loading cup 121. Note that arranging multiple loading cups 121 in an aligned state means that the loading cups 121 are arranged at approximately equal intervals in the transport direction. Furthermore, the sorting conveyor 12 can discharge the fruits and vegetables F placed in the loading cups 121 from the conveyor by tilting the loading cups 121 laterally or opening the bottom of the loading cups 121 at a desired position. Furthermore, the sorting conveyor 12 moves in a circular motion, and the movement direction of the loading cups 121 is reversed at both ends, with one movement direction being the transport direction (outbound) of the fruits and vegetables F (the other movement direction being the direction in which the empty loading cups 121 return (return)).

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, the supply conveyor 11 and the sorting conveyor 12 are arranged in parallel in part of their conveying regions. Specifically, part of the downstream region of the supply conveyor 11 and part of the upstream region of the sorting conveyor 12 are arranged in parallel. Here, the conveying direction of the supply conveyor 11 and the conveying direction of the sorting conveyor 12 are the same. In the region where the supply conveyor 11 and the sorting conveyor 12 are arranged in parallel (parallel region), at least one imaging device 13 is arranged between the supply conveyor 11 and the sorting conveyor 12. When multiple imaging devices 13 are provided, these multiple imaging devices 13 are arranged along the conveying direction. In the example of FIG. 1, three imaging devices 13A to 13C are arranged in order from the upstream side.

[0022] The parallel area in the quality measuring device 10 is also a work area where workers transfer the fruits and vegetables F from the supply conveyor 11 to the sorting conveyor 12. The worker performing the transfer work stands in a position facing the image capturing device 13 on the supply conveyor 11 side, and moves the fruits and vegetables F transported by the supply conveyor 11 so that they are placed in the placement cups 121 on the sorting conveyor 12. The quality measuring device 10 in FIG. 1 is equipped with three image capturing devices 13A to 13C, so a maximum of three workers can perform the transfer work at the same time.

[0023] Furthermore, while moving fruit or vegetable F, the worker holds the fruit or vegetable F over the image capture device 13 (or places the fruit or vegetable F on the top surface of the image capture device 13), causing the image capture device 13 to capture (photograph) an image of the back surface of the fruit or vegetable F (the bottom surface of the fruit or vegetable F being held over). Note that the "back surface of the fruit or vegetable F" here refers to the bottom surface of the fruit or vegetable F placed on the mounting cup 121. In the example of FIG. 1, a tomato (an example of fruit or vegetable F) is placed on the mounting cup 121 with the stem side facing down, so the worker holds the tomato over the image capture device 13 with the stem side facing down. In other words, the worker can place the fruit or vegetable F on the mounting cup 121 in the same orientation as when it was held over the image capture device 13, without changing that orientation. Note that, depending on the type of fruit or vegetable F, the worker does not need to consider the orientation when photographing (when holding the fruit or vegetable F over the image capture device 13).

[0024] 1, the imaging device 13 is disposed between the supply conveyor 11 and the sorting conveyor 12 (the order of the supply conveyor 11, imaging device 13, and sorting conveyor 12 is as seen from the worker's side). In this case, the moving distance of the fruits and vegetables F can be minimized during the transfer operation (including the operation of reading the backside of the fruits and vegetables F), allowing the transfer operation to be carried out efficiently. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the imaging device 13 may be disposed to the side of the supply conveyor 11 or the sorting conveyor 12 in the parallel area. For example, the imaging device 13 may be disposed on the opposite side of the supply conveyor 11 from the sorting conveyor 12 (the order of the imaging device 13, supply conveyor 11, and sorting conveyor 12 may be as seen from the worker's side).

[0025] In the quality measuring device 10, when an operator transfers fruit or vegetable F, the backside image data of the fruit or vegetable F acquired by the imaging device 13 must be associated (linked) with the specific information of the loading cup 121 on which the fruit or vegetable F is placed, and stored. This association is performed by the loading detection sensors 14. A plurality of loading detection sensors 14 are arranged along the conveying direction of the sorting conveyor 12, and detect the presence or absence of fruit or vegetable F placed on each loading cup 121. Specifically, the loading detection sensors 14 are arranged so as to be present both upstream and downstream of each imaging device 13 in the conveying direction. When there are a plurality of imaging devices 13, one imaging device 13 is arranged between two adjacent loading detection sensors 14. Thus, when n imaging devices 13 are provided in the quality measuring device 10, (n+1) loading detection sensors 14 are provided. In the example of FIG. 1, four loading detection sensors 14A to 14D are arranged in order from the upstream side.

[0026] As an example, a data association method for a transfer operation using the imaging device 13B will be described below. In the transfer operation using the imaging device 13B, the worker is required to place the fruit or vegetable F in the placement cup 121 in the area between the placement detection sensor 14B and the placement detection sensor 14C. Here, for a specific placement cup 121 (referred to as placement cup 121s), the placement detection sensor 14B detects that no fruit or vegetable F is placed therein at time t0, and then the placement detection sensor 14C detects that the fruit or vegetable F is placed in the same placement cup 121s at a subsequent time t1. In this case, it is assumed that the worker performed a backside reading operation for the fruit or vegetable F between times t0 and t1 and placed the fruit or vegetable F in the placement cup 121s. Therefore, the quality measurement device 10 can associate the backside image data acquired by the imaging device 13B between times t0 and t1 with the placement cup 121s. In a similar manner, data association can be performed for a transfer operation using the imaging device 13A or C.

[0027] To ensure the above data association, the transport speed of the sorting conveyor 12 (the movement speed of the loading cups 121) must be set appropriately for the work space of the worker's transfer work. For example, assuming that the work time required for the worker to transfer one fruit or vegetable F to the sorting conveyor 12 is T1 seconds / piece (approximately 1 to 1.5 seconds / piece), it is preferable that the area movement time T2 (e.g., T2 = t1 - t0) between two adjacent loading detection sensors 14 for one loading cup 121 be set slightly longer than T1. In other words, it is preferable that the movement time T2 be set to be approximately the same as or slightly longer than the transfer work time T1. In this embodiment, the area movement time T2 is set to approximately 2 seconds.

[0028] 2, the sorting device is equipped with a surface measurement device (second imaging device) 15 on the conveying path of the sorting conveyor 12 downstream of the parallel area. The surface measurement device 15 uses a built-in camera to photograph the top surface of the fruit or vegetable F being conveyed by the sorting conveyor 12. Image data of the top surface of the fruit or vegetable F photographed by the surface measurement device 15 is also associated with identification information of the mounting cup 121 in which the fruit or vegetable F is placed.

[0029] This sorting device can measure the quality of the entire front and back of the fruit or vegetable F from image data of the back side of the fruit or vegetable F acquired by the imaging device 13 and image data of the top side of the fruit or vegetable F acquired by the surface measuring device 15. After the quality measurement of the entire front and back of the fruit or vegetable F is performed in this way, quality information (e.g., grade information, presence or absence of surface scratches) is obtained based on the image data of the entire front and back. The fruit or vegetable F for which quality information has been obtained is discharged from the sorting conveyor 12 at a predetermined position corresponding to the quality information. In the example of FIG. 2, multiple sorting conveyors 16 are arranged below the sorting conveyor 12 according to the discharge positions of the fruit or vegetable F, and the fruit or vegetable F discharged from the sorting conveyor 12 is transported to a predetermined position by the sorting conveyor 16. Note that although three sorting conveyors 16 are shown in the example of FIG. 2, the number of sorting conveyors 16 is not particularly limited and can be increased or decreased as desired depending on the number of grades to be sorted.

[0030] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the control system of this sorting device. As shown in Figure 3, this sorting device has a control device 20 that controls the entire device. The control device 20 has an operation control unit 21 and a determination unit 22. The operation control unit 21 controls the operations of the supply conveyor 11 and the sorting conveyor 12. The determination unit 22 determines quality information of the fruit or vegetable F based on input data from the imaging device 13, the placement detection sensor 14, and the surface measurement device 15.

[0031] The control device 20 may include, for example, a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), and a storage unit. The storage unit stores, for example, data and computer programs. For example, the storage unit can temporarily store data required for each process of the control device 20. The storage unit may include a main storage unit and an auxiliary storage unit. The storage unit may include, for example, a non-volatile memory, a hard disk drive, etc.

[0032] Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the imaging device 13. As shown in Fig. 4, the imaging device 13 has a housing 130, a measurement camera 131, a light-shielding unit 132, an illumination unit 133, a diffusion plate 134, a glass plate 135, and an area sensor 136. Note that in Fig. 4, in order to illustrate the internal structure of the imaging device 13, the housing 130 and a portion of the light-shielding unit 132 are not shown.

[0033] The measurement camera 131 is a camera that photographs the backside of the fruit or vegetable F, and is disposed at the bottom of the imaging device 13 with the photographing direction facing upward. In this embodiment, the measurement camera 131 has a field angle of approximately 30° and an aspect ratio of 16.9.

[0034] The light-shielding section 132 is formed in a cylindrical shape with an open top, and is arranged so as to cover the periphery of the measurement camera 131. The light-shielding section 132 prevents external light from the surroundings from entering the measurement camera 131.

[0035] The lighting unit 133 irradiates the fruit or vegetable F with imaging light when imaging the fruit or vegetable F. In this embodiment, the lighting unit 133 uses a plurality of flat LED (Light Emitting Diode) lights, and these LED lights are arranged around the upper opening of the light-shielding unit 132.

[0036] The diffusion plate 134 is disposed above the illumination unit 133 and converts the light emitted by the illumination unit 133 into diffused light. That is, the diffusion plate 134 homogenizes the illuminance distribution of the photographing light on the fruit or vegetable F. Furthermore, the diffusion plate 134 has an opening at its center (camera field of view) aligned with the upper opening of the light-shielding unit 132 so as not to affect the photographing by the measurement camera 131.

[0037] Glass plate 135 is provided so that the worker can recognize the photographing position of fruit or vegetable F. That is, when photographing fruit or vegetable F, the worker brings fruit or vegetable F close to (or may touch) the upper surface of glass plate 135. Glass plate 135 is preferably made of tempered glass, and is preferably coated with a reflection-reducing coating.

[0038] The area sensor 136 detects the proximity of the fruit or vegetable F to the glass plate 135 and issues a trigger to photograph the fruit or vegetable F. That is, the area sensor 136 performs detection in the horizontal direction along the upper surface of the glass plate 135, and sets an area at a predetermined height (for example, about several mm or several cm) above the glass plate 135 as its detection area. When the fruit or vegetable F enters this detection area, the area sensor 136 detects the fruit or vegetable F. Alternatively, instead of the area sensor 136, the imaging device 13 may be provided with a photography switch that is operated by the worker himself. For example, if the imaging device 13 is provided with a foot-operated photography switch, the worker can photograph the backside of the fruit or vegetable by holding the fruit or vegetable over the glass plate 135 and stepping on the photography switch.

[0039] The imaging device 13 captures the backside image of the fruit or vegetable F under the control of the control device 20, and is performed, for example, as follows. First, when the imaging device 13 is in a standby state (a state in which imaging is possible), the lighting unit 133 is turned on. In this state, the worker brings the fruit or vegetable F close to the glass plate 135, and when the fruit or vegetable F is detected by the area sensor 136, the measurement camera 131 captures the fruit or vegetable F. When backside image data of the fruit or vegetable F is acquired through this imaging, the imaging device 13 temporarily turns off the lighting unit 133. The worker recognizes that imaging has ended (data acquisition) when the lighting unit 133 turns off, and places the fruit or vegetable F on the placement cup 121 of the sorting conveyor 12. The turned-off lighting unit 133 automatically returns to a lit state after a predetermined time (for example, a few seconds), and the imaging device 13 returns to a standby state.

[0040] In the quality measuring device 10, when associating the backside image data acquired by the imaging device 13 with the identification information of the mounted cups 121, the identification information of the mounted cups 121 can be recognized in the following manner, for example. First, the sorting conveyor 12 is provided with an encoder, and the control device 20 can recognize the position of each mounted cup 121 even on an operating sorting conveyor 12 using the output (encoder pulse) of this encoder. This allows the quality measuring device 10 to recognize the identification information of the mounted cup 121 that is the detection target of the placement detection sensor 14, and to associate the backside image data of the fruit or vegetable F with the identification information of the mounted cup 121. In this embodiment, for example, the resolution of the encoder is 1 pulse / mm, and the conveying speed of the sorting conveyor 12 is 30 m / min (500 mm / sec).

[0041] Furthermore, in this sorting device, the top surface image data acquired by the surface measuring device 15 for the same fruit or vegetable F also needs to be associated with the same mounting cup 121. In this case as well, the control device 20 can use the encoder pulse to identify the mounting cup 121 that is being measured by the surface measuring device 15. This allows the top surface image data of the fruit or vegetable F to be associated with the mounting cup 121 on which the fruit or vegetable F is placed.

[0042] As described above, the quality measuring device 10 of the present disclosure can measure the quality of the backside of the fruit or vegetable F when transferring the fruit or vegetable F from the supply conveyor 11 to the sorting conveyor 12. The quality measuring device 10 hardly increases the working area, and the entire device can be made compact. Furthermore, because the quality measuring device 10 performs quality measurement based on image data captured by the imaging device 13, even an unskilled worker can achieve highly accurate quality measurement.

[0043] Second Embodiment The imaging device 13 may not only measure the quality of the rear side of the fruit or vegetable F, but also simultaneously measure the weight of the fruit or vegetable F. FIG. 5 shows an example of the configuration of the imaging device 13 that enables weight measurement of the fruit or vegetable F.

[0044] 5 has a load cell (load sensor) 137 between the housing 130 and the glass plate 135, and the glass plate 135 is supported on the housing 130 only by the load cell 137. It is preferable to provide a plurality of load cells 137 so that the glass plate 135 can be stably supported, and more preferably, four load cells 137 are provided corresponding to the four corners of the glass plate 135.

[0045] 5, an operator places the fruit or vegetable F on the glass plate 135 rather than holding the fruit or vegetable F over the glass plate 135. The imaging device 13 not only measures the quality of the back side of the fruit or vegetable F placed on the glass plate 135, but can also simultaneously measure the weight of the fruit or vegetable F. In other words, the sum of the output values ​​of the multiple load cells 137 provided in the imaging device 13 is the weight of the fruit or vegetable F.

[0046] 5 also shows the area sensor 136, but it is also possible to omit the area sensor 136 by using the output of the load cell 137 as a trigger for photographing. In this case, the output value of any one of the load cells 137 is compared with a threshold value, and if the output value exceeds the threshold value, it is determined that the fruit or vegetable F has been placed on the glass plate 135, and photographing is performed by the measurement camera 131.

[0047] Third Embodiment In the quality measuring device 10 of the first embodiment, it is assumed that the mounting cups 121 do not shift position on the sorting conveyor 12 (the intervals between the mounting cups 121 on the conveyor do not change). However, the mounting cups 121 may be configured to be simply placed in an aligned state and transported without being fixed to the sorting conveyor 12. In such a case, the mounting cups 121 may shift position forward or backward on the conveyor.

[0048] When the placement cups 121 may be displaced on the sorting conveyor 12, data association is performed in the quality measuring device 10 as follows: Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the quality measuring device 10 in this embodiment.

[0049] The sorting conveyor 12 is provided with an encoder for accurately determining the transport distance. In addition to the placement detection sensors 14, a plurality of cup detection sensors 17 are arranged on the sides of the sorting conveyor 12 along the transport direction of the sorting conveyor 12. The cup detection sensors 17 are arranged close to the placement detection sensors 14 and detect cups 121 placed on the conveyor. However, the cup detection sensors 17 do not need to be arranged close to the placement detection sensor 14 located at the most upstream side. For this reason, in the example of Figure 6, of the four placement detection sensors 14A to 14D, the cup detection sensors 17A to 17C are arranged close to the placement detection sensors 14B to 14D.

[0050] In this embodiment, data association in the transfer operation is performed in the following procedure. (1) An operator holds the fruit or vegetable F over the imaging device 13 to obtain image data of the back side. (2) The worker places the fruit or vegetable F on the placement cup 121. (3) The placement detection sensor 14 detects that the fruit or vegetable F has been placed. (4) For the loading cup 121 in which the placement of the fruit or vegetable F was detected in (3), the exact position of the loading cup 121 in which the fruit or vegetable F was placed (identification information of the loading cup 121) is identified based on the output signal timing of the cup detection sensor 17 and the position information of the encoder. (5) The rear surface image data acquired immediately before by the imaging device 13 is associated with the identification information of the identified mounting cup 121.

[0051] As a result, even if the mounting cup 121 is displaced, highly accurate data association is possible.

[0052] As described above, in this embodiment, the mounting cups 121 are placed on and transported without being fixed to the sorting conveyor 12. In this case, the fruits and vegetables F can be sorted by discharging the fruits and vegetables F from the sorting conveyor 12 in mounting cups 121 each. A known technique such as that disclosed in Patent Document 2 can be used as a method for discharging the fruits and vegetables F in mounting cups 121 each.

[0053] [Fourth embodiment] The measurement of the backside of the fruits and vegetables can be performed not only by the stationary imaging device 13 as described above, but also by using a glasses-type wearable terminal (so-called smart glasses) worn by the worker. That is, the worker performing the transfer work can visually recognize the backside of the fruits and vegetables he or she has picked up for transfer through the smart glasses and can have the smart glasses capture an image of the backside of the fruits and vegetables. In this case, the trigger for capturing the image can be, for example, information on the worker's line of sight detected by the smart glasses.

[0054] Furthermore, when smart glasses are used as the first imaging device, it is also possible to identify the mounting cup 121 on which the fruit or vegetable F is placed as follows: Identification information (such as a serial number) of the mounting cup 121 is displayed as a barcode or the like on the side of the mounting cup 121 (the surface facing the worker during transport), and when the worker places the fruit or vegetable F on the mounting cup 121, the identification information of the mounting cup 121 is read by the smart glasses. With this method, the mounting detection sensor 14 described in the first embodiment can be omitted.

[0055] Fifth Embodiment In the parallel area of ​​the quality measuring device 10, a worker (general worker) using the imaging device 13 (or smart glasses in the third embodiment) and a worker (experienced worker) who can visually judge the quality of fruits and vegetables without using the imaging device 13 may simultaneously perform the transfer work. In this case, the skilled worker works on the upstream side in the conveying direction, and for fruits and vegetables that the skilled worker is unsure about judging, the general worker works on the downstream side using the imaging device 13 to perform the transfer work. Furthermore, the installation of the imaging device 13 may be omitted in the area where the skilled worker performs the transfer work.

[0056] When placing fruits or vegetables whose quality has been judged on the mounting cup 121, the skilled worker can reflect the judgment result by adjusting the position of the mounting cup 121. For example, on the sorting conveyor 12, the mounting cup 121 can be changed in position in the width direction of the conveyor (the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction), and the skilled worker moves the mounting cup 121 on which fruits or vegetables judged to be "excellent" are placed away from the skilled worker, and moves the mounting cup 121 on which fruits or vegetables judged to be "fair" are placed toward the skilled worker. Furthermore, on the sorting conveyor 12, the mounting cup 121 located in the center of the width direction of the conveyor is used for fruits or vegetables that have not been judged by the skilled worker (fruit or vegetables transferred by a general worker). In this case, by subdividing the position of the mounting cup 121 on the sorting conveyor 12, it is possible to reflect more multi-level judgment results.

[0057] As a result, the surface measuring device 15 can recognize the position of the placed cup 121 on the conveyor, and thereby recognize the quality judgment made by the skilled worker. Then, the sorting device sorts the fruits and vegetables whose quality has been judged by the skilled worker based on the judgment results. In this embodiment, the load on the sorting device can be reduced when a skilled worker is present.

[0058] Sixth Embodiment 7 and 8 are plan views showing an example of the configuration of the sorting device in this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8, the sorting device of the present disclosure may have the following modifications to the sorting devices described in the first to fifth embodiments. Note that in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8, the mounting cups 121 are not shown to make it easier to see the fruits and vegetables F on the sorting conveyor 12.

[0059] First, before the rear surface of the fruits and vegetables F is measured by the imaging device 13, multiple fruits and vegetables may be stored in a container C and brought to the work area. For example, a sorting table 18 may be installed in each work area, and the container C may be placed on the sorting table 18 while the transfer work is being carried out. In this case, the container C may be brought by a supply conveyor 11 (see FIG. 7) or may be brought by hand. If the container C is brought by hand, the supply conveyor 11 may be omitted, as shown in FIG. 8.

[0060] Second, the sorting conveyor 12 does not have to move in a circular motion, but may instead be configured to move linearly in one direction. This configuration is suitable for the case where, as described in the third embodiment, the fruits and vegetables F are sorted and discharged from the sorting conveyor 12 in individual mounting cups 121. Although not shown in Figures 7 and 8, in this case, a mechanism for supplying mounting cups 121 onto the sorting conveyor 12 is provided at the most upstream portion of the sorting conveyor 12.

[0061] Thirdly, in sorting the fruits and vegetables F, the fruits and vegetables F discharged from the sorting conveyor 12 may not be discharged onto the sorting conveyor 16, but may be discharged into a receiving box B for boxing.

[0062] 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]

[0063] 10 Quality Measuring Device 11 Supply conveyor (second conveyor) 12 Sorting conveyor (first conveyor) 121 Placement cup (placement part) 13 Imaging device (first imaging device) 130 cabinet 131 Measurement Camera 132 Light blocking section 133 Lighting Department 134 Diffuser 135 Glass Plate 136 Area Sensor 137 Load Cell 14 Placement detection sensor 15-surface measuring device (second imaging device) 20 Control device 21 Operation control section 22 Judgment section

Claims

1. A quality measuring device for measuring the quality of fruits and vegetables, a first conveyor for transporting the fruits and vegetables to be sorted based on the quality measurement results; a first imaging device capable of acquiring image data of the underside of the fruit or vegetable; a work area is provided near the first conveyor where an operator transfers fruits and vegetables onto the first conveyor; The quality measuring device is characterized in that the first imaging device is arranged in the work area and is capable of acquiring image data of the underside of the fruit or vegetable while the worker is transferring the fruit or vegetable.

2. The quality measurement device according to claim 1, The first imaging device is positioned to the side of the first conveyor in the working area, and is characterized by acquiring image data of the underside of fruits and vegetables when the fruits and vegetables are held above or placed on the top surface.

3. The quality measurement device according to claim 1, A plurality of placement sections are arranged in an aligned state on the first conveyor, and the first conveyor is capable of placing and transporting one fruit or vegetable on each placement section, A quality measuring device characterized in that image data of fruits and vegetables is acquired by the first imaging device, and when the fruits and vegetables are placed on one of the storage sections of the first conveyor after the image data has been acquired, the storage section on which the fruits and vegetables are placed is identified, and the acquired image data of the fruits and vegetables is stored in correspondence with the identification information of the storage section on which the fruits and vegetables are placed.

4. The quality measuring device according to claim 3, a placement detection sensor disposed on both the upstream side and the downstream side of the first imaging device in a conveying direction of the first conveyor; A quality measuring device characterized by the fact that, when there is a placement section where the placement of fruits or vegetables is not detected at time t0 by a placement detection sensor upstream of the first imaging device, but the placement of fruits or vegetables is detected at time t1 by a placement detection sensor downstream of the first imaging device, the placement section is identified as the placement section where fruits or vegetables were placed and for which image data was acquired during the period from time t0 to t1.

5. 3. The quality measurement device according to claim 2, a second conveyor for transporting the fruits and vegetables to a predetermined position before measurement; a parallel area in which a downstream portion of the transport area of ​​the second conveyor and an upstream portion of the transport area of ​​the first conveyor are arranged in parallel is defined as the working area; The quality measuring device is characterized in that the first imaging device is disposed between the first conveyor and the second conveyor in the parallel area.

6. 3. The quality measurement device according to claim 2, The quality measuring device is characterized in that the first imaging device acquires image data of the underside of the fruit or vegetable when the fruit or vegetable is placed on the upper surface, and simultaneously measures the weight of the fruit or vegetable.

7. A sorting device that measures the quality of fruits and vegetables and sorts the fruits and vegetables according to quality information obtained by the measurement, The quality measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 6; a second image capturing device disposed on a conveying path of the first conveyor and configured to capture image data of an upper surface of the fruit or vegetable being conveyed by the first conveyor; A sorting device that measures the quality of the entire front and back of fruits and vegetables using image data of the underside of the fruits and vegetables acquired by the first imaging device and image data of the top side of the fruits and vegetables acquired by the second imaging device, and discharges the selected fruits from the first conveyor at a predetermined position according to the obtained quality information and sorts them.

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