Visual sorting machine

Abstract

To provide a sorting device that can remove substandard fruits and vegetables without reducing its performance. [Solution] The sorting apparatus 1 of the present invention comprises a moving unit 10 for moving fruits and vegetables W, an imaging unit for imaging the moving fruits and vegetables W and generating an image of the fruits and vegetables W, a determination unit 30 for determining the quality of the fruits and vegetables W based on the image of the fruits and vegetables W, and a discharge unit 50 for discharging the fruits and vegetables W that have been determined to be substandard by the determination unit 30. The moving unit 10 includes a transport unit for transporting the fruits and vegetables W and a chute 12 provided at the destination of the transport unit. The chute 12 is provided with a discharge port 124 that can discharge the fruits and vegetables W downward. The discharge unit 50 includes an opening / closing unit for opening and closing the discharge port 124, and controls the opening / closing unit from a closed state to an open state at the timing when the fruits and vegetables W that have been determined to be substandard pass through the discharge port 124.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an appearance sorting machine that sorts workpieces based on the appearance of the workpieces.

Background Art

[0002] For example, in a fresh produce collection and shipping facility, a sorting device is used to sort the collected fresh produce according to its appearance and internal quality. The sorting device of Patent Document 1 includes a conveying means for conveying fresh produce, a data acquisition means for acquiring data related to the fresh produce conveyed by the conveying means, an individual information acquisition means for acquiring individual information including either the position of the fresh produce or the quality of the fresh produce based on the acquisition result of the data acquisition means, a gripping means for gripping the fresh produce based on the individual information, and a moving mechanism for moving the gripping means to a predetermined position.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above patent document, in order to remove out-of-spec fresh produce from the conveying means, a gripping robot is used as the gripping means. However, in order to grip the fresh produce moving by the conveying means with the gripping robot, it is necessary to accurately perform the position adjustment. In addition, since fresh produce is a natural product, its size and shape are non-uniform, so it is necessary to carefully perform the gripping operation corresponding to the size and shape. For this reason, it is necessary to determine the conveying speed of the conveying means in correspondence with the removal efficiency by the gripping robot. When the removal efficiency is low, it is necessary to slow down the conveying speed, and there is a risk that the overall ability of the sorting device will decrease. Such problems are not limited to the fresh produce sorting device, but also occur in the same way in a sorting device having a process of taking out workpieces using a gripping robot.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a visual sorting machine that can remove workpieces during transport without reducing its capacity. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the appearance sorting machine of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a conveying unit for transporting workpieces; a chute provided downstream of the conveying unit and opening and closing to drop and discharge the workpieces; an imaging unit for capturing images of the moving workpieces and generating images of the workpieces; a determination unit for determining the quality of the workpieces based on the images of the workpieces; and a discharge control unit for controlling the opening and closing of the chute to drop and discharge the workpieces based on the result of the determination.

[0007] Furthermore, the discharge control unit is characterized by controlling the opening and closing of the chute at the timing when the workpiece to be dropped and discharged passes through the chute.

[0008] Furthermore, the system includes a tracking unit that tracks the position of a workpiece in the transport section which is wider than the workpieces, the chute includes a plurality of opening and closing bodies arranged in the width direction of the transport section, and the discharge control unit controls the opening and closing of the opening and closing bodies corresponding to the position of the workpiece to be dropped and discharged.

[0009] Furthermore, the transport unit is characterized in that it can transport the multiple workpieces in a horizontal row.

[0010] Furthermore, the determination unit determines the size of the workpiece based on the image of the workpiece, The discharge control unit is characterized by opening and closing a number of opening / closing elements corresponding to the size of the workpiece.

[0011] Furthermore, the determination unit is characterized by determining the quality of the workpiece based on machine learning. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] The sorting device of the present invention can remove workpieces during transport without reducing its capacity. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] (a) A schematic plan view of a sorting apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and (b) A schematic side view of the sorting apparatus. [Figure 2] (a) Hardware configuration diagram of the sorting device, (b) Functional block diagram of the sorting device. [Figure 3] Flowchart of the computer for the sorting device described above [Figure 4] (a) A schematic plan view of a sorting apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention, (b) A schematic side view when substandard products are not being discharged, (c) A schematic side view when substandard products are being discharged. [Figure 5] Partial side view of the chute [Figure 6] (a) View from line AA, (b) View from line BB [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, using a fruit and vegetable sorting device as an example.

[0015] [First Embodiment]

[0016] The sorting device 1 of the first embodiment is installed in a facility for collecting and shipping produce W, and is a device that sorts produce W brought in by producers into grades according to their appearance and internal quality. As shown in Figure 1, this sorting device 1 is equipped with a first conveyor 11, a chute 12, and a second conveyor 13, which function as moving parts 10 for moving the produce W, which are the workpieces.

[0017] The first conveyor 11 is wider than a plurality of fruits and vegetables W and functions as a conveying unit for rotationally conveying the fruits and vegetables W. In the present embodiment, a driving roller conveyor 110 including a plurality of rollers 111 arranged continuously is used, and each of the rollers 111 is a driving roller driven in the conveying direction. As shown in the figure, the roller 111 included in the driving roller conveyor 110 has a length that can place a plurality of fruits and vegetables W side by side, but may also be a roller 111 having a length for conveying the fruits and vegetables W in a single row. Further, each of the rollers 111 rotates while moving in the conveying direction. Therefore, along with the movement and rotation of the roller 111, the fruits and vegetables W placed on the roller 111 are rotationally conveyed. Note that the first conveyor 11 is not limited to the driving roller conveyor 110, and any conveyor that can rotationally convey the fruits and vegetables W may be used. A chute 12 is provided at the downstream end of the first conveyor 11.

[0018] The chute 12 receives the fruits and vegetables W sent out from the first conveyor 11 and moves the fruits and vegetables W to the second conveyor 13. Specifically, the chute 12 has an upstream end 121 on the side of the first conveyor 11, is inclined downward from the upstream end 121, and has a downstream end 122 on the side of the second conveyor 13. The fruits and vegetables W sent out from the first conveyor 11 move to the second conveyor 13 while rolling on the inclined surface 123 of the chute 12.

[0019] The second conveyor 13 is a V-shaped belt conveyor that conveys the fruits and vegetables W that have moved on the chute 12 in a single row. The fruits and vegetables W placed on the second conveyor 13 are transported to a determination device that determines the grade of the external quality and internal quality of the fruits and vegetables W, and the fruits and vegetables W are sorted according to the determined grades.

[0020] Here, in the present embodiment, the presence or absence of non-standard fruits and vegetables W conveyed by the first conveyor 11 is determined. For the fruits and vegetables W determined to be non-standard (hereinafter referred to as non-standard products), when the shoot 12 is moved, they are removed through the discharge port 124 provided in the shoot 12. This is, for example, to prevent the second conveyor 13 and subsequent conveying means from being contaminated when spoiled fruits and vegetables W touch the second conveyor 13 and subsequent conveying means, which may lead to a decrease in the accuracy of quality determination due to such contamination and adhesion to other fruits and vegetables W. Note that non-standard fruits and vegetables W include not only spoiled fruits and vegetables W but also fruits and vegetables W whose size, shape, color, taste, etc. deviate from the specified range and fruits and vegetables W with many bruises.

[0021] Specifically, above the first conveyor 11, a camera 21 that functions as an imaging unit 20 is provided. The camera 21 is provided so as to include the downstream part of the first conveyor 11 in its angle of view, captures images at a predetermined frame rate, and transmits the generated images to the computer 31. As a result, images of all the fruits and vegetables W being rotationally conveyed in the downstream part of the first conveyor 11 are transmitted to the computer 31. Note that the imaging rate of the camera 21 is set such that the entire circumference of the fruit or vegetable is imaged while the fruit or vegetable makes one rotation.

[0022] The computer 31 includes a memory and a CPU. A program is stored in the memory, and when the CPU executes the program, the computer 31 functions as a determination unit 30 that determines whether the fruits and vegetables W conveyed by the first conveyor 11 are non-standard based on the full-circumference images of the fruits and vegetables W. Also, the computer 31 functions as a tracking unit 40 that tracks the positions of non-standard products on the first conveyor 11. Further, the computer 31 functions as a discharge control unit 50 that controls the opening and closing of a plurality of opening and closing plates 51 (opening and closing bodies) provided at the discharge port 124 of the shoot 12 to drop and discharge non-standard products.

[0023] The opening / closing plates 51 are plates that open and close the discharge port 124 provided on the inclined surface 123 of the chute 12. The discharge port 124 of the chute 12 is a hole provided from the upstream to the middle part of the chute 12, and the width of the hole is about the same as the width of the chute 12, and the length of the hole is formed to allow non-standard (larger than standard size) fruits and vegetables W to pass through. Each of the opening / closing plates 51 is a rectangular plate, and its longitudinal direction is oriented in the direction of the inclination of the chute 12. In addition, multiple opening / closing plates 51 are arranged in parallel along the width direction of the chute 12. As a result, multiple opening / closing plates 51 are provided to close the discharge port 124.

[0024] The lower end of each opening / closing plate 51 is attached to a linear motion device 52. The linear motion device 52 is a device that moves the opening / closing plate 51 in a straight line along the inclined direction of the chute 12, and is provided in a one-to-one ratio with each opening / closing plate 51. Each of the linear motion devices 52 is electrically connected to a computer 31, and when an open signal is input from the computer 31, it moves the opening / closing plate 51 in a straight line along the inclined surface 123 toward the lower end 122 of the chute 12. When the opening / closing plate 51 designated by the computer 31 moves in a straight line, the discharge port 124 opens, and the produce W is discharged by falling downward from the discharge port 124. In this way, the opening / closing plates 51 and the linear motion devices 52 function as a discharge section that discharges substandard products by dropping them from the discharge port 124 provided in the chute 12.

[0025] The control flow of computer 31 is described below. Computer 31 loads and executes a program stored in memory (not shown) via its CPU (not shown), and as shown in Figure 3, it sequentially performs the acquisition process (s10), determination process (s20), tracking process (s30), and discharge process (s40).

[0026] The acquisition process (s10) is the process of acquiring an image from the camera 21. Specifically, the camera 21 captures an image of the downstream portion of the first conveyor 11 and generates an image. Each time the camera 21 generates an image, it transmits the image to the computer 31. The computer 31 receives the image each time it is transmitted from the camera 21 and executes the following determination process (s20), tracking process (s30), and discharge process (s40). That is, the determination process (s20), tracking process (s30), and discharge process (s40) are executed in synchronization with the imaging rate of the camera 21.

[0027] When the computer 31 receives an image from the camera 21, it performs a determination process (s20). The determination process (s20) is the process of determining whether or not the produce W is substandard. In this embodiment, images of substandard produce W are prepared in advance as training data, and a trained model is generated by performing machine learning based on this training data. Then, the images of produce W included in the images acquired in the acquisition process (s10) are extracted, and the presence or absence of substandard products is determined by inputting the extracted images of produce W into the trained model. The computer 31 assigns an identification number to each of the extracted produce W, and sets a substandard flag to the identification number of produce W that is determined to be substandard. In addition, for produce W that is determined to be substandard, the size is measured based on the image of the produce W, and the size is stored in association with its identification number.

[0028] When the above determination process (s20) is executed, the computer 31 executes the tracking process (s30). The tracking process (s30) is the process of tracking the location (coordinates in the image) of the produce W that has been determined to be substandard. Specifically, each time the computer 31 acquires an image from the camera 21, it identifies the coordinates of all the produce W included in that image. The identified coordinates are stored in association with the identification number of the produce W. Here, since the substandard flag is set for the produce W that has been determined to be substandard in the above determination process (s20), the computer 31 tracks the location (coordinates) of the substandard produce.

[0029] When the above tracking process (s30) is executed, the computer 31 executes the discharge process (s40). The discharge process (s40) is the process of discharging substandard products. Specifically, the computer 31 extracts the coordinates corresponding to the identification information of each fruit and vegetable W and checks whether the X coordinate value, which is the coordinate value in the direction of transport, corresponds to the end of the first conveyor 11. Here, for fruits and vegetables W whose X coordinate value corresponds to the end of the first conveyor 11, it is checked whether the substandard flag is set. If the substandard flag is set, an open signal is sent to the linear motion device 52 corresponding to the Y coordinate value, and also to the linear motion devices 52 located to the left and right of the linear motion device 52 (and to the left and right depending on the size of the fruit and vegetable W) in accordance with the size of the fruit and vegetable W. As a result, when the substandard product passes through the discharge port 124, the number of opening / closing plates 51 corresponding to the position (Y coordinate) and size of the fruit and vegetable W are opened, and the substandard product is dropped and discharged through the discharge port 124.

[0030] As described above, the visual sorting machine is composed of a first conveyor 11 that functions as a transport unit, a camera 21 that functions as an imaging unit 20, a determination unit 30, a tracking unit 40, a computer 31 that functions as a discharge control unit 50, and a chute 12.

[0031] In this embodiment, the sorting device 1 is an appearance sorter in which substandard products are discharged from an outlet 124 provided in the chute 12 as they pass through the chute 12. Thus, in this embodiment, there is no need to use a gripping robot as in the conventional method, and it is only necessary to open and close the opening / closing plate 51, so there is no need to slow down the conveying speed of the produce W. Therefore, the sorting device 1 of this embodiment can remove substandard products without reducing its capacity by having them fall and discharged by the appearance sorter.

[0032] Furthermore, since the first conveyor 11 is a roller conveyor 110, the produce W is transported while positioned between each roller 111 and discharged to the chute 12. Therefore, the produce W is not discharged to the chute 12 at irregular intervals, but rather discharged in accordance with the transport speed of the first conveyor 11, so the opening and closing timing of the opening and closing plate 51 can be easily adjusted. In addition, since multiple produce W are transported in a horizontal line between each roller 111, it is possible to easily adjust the discharge control of many produce W.

[0033] [Second Embodiment]

[0034] As shown in Figure 4, the sorting device 1a of the second embodiment is equipped with a visual sorting machine (first conveyor 11, camera 21, and computer 31) and a second conveyor 13, and is similar to the first embodiment in that the visual sorting machine drops and discharges substandard produce W. However, the sorting device 1a of the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the configuration of the chute 12a provided in the visual sorting machine. The following explanation will focus on the configuration of the chute 12a.

[0035] The chute 12a of this embodiment is equipped with a plurality of oscillating bodies 53 (a plurality of opening and closing bodies). Each of the oscillating bodies 53 is equipped with an inclined portion 54 that slopes downward from the first conveyor 11 toward the second conveyor 13, as shown in Figure 5. The inclined portion 54 is formed in the shape of a strip plate, and its width is narrower than the diameter of the produce W. The longitudinal direction of the inclined portion 54 is arranged to extend from the first conveyor 11 toward the second conveyor 13. That is, the upstream end of the inclined portion 54 is positioned near the downstream end of the first conveyor 11 so that it can receive the produce W discharged from the first conveyor 11, and the downstream end of the inclined portion 54 is positioned near the upstream end of the second conveyor 13 so that it can supply the produce W to the second conveyor 13.

[0036] The oscillating body 53 is further provided with a protrusion 55. The protrusion 55 is formed on the lower side of the intermediate portion of the inclined portion 54, and is formed so that its thickness gradually increases toward the downstream side of the inclined portion 54, so that its surface forms an inclined surface. Multiple such oscillating bodies 53 are provided in parallel, as shown in Figure 4. Specifically, the multiple oscillating bodies 53 are arranged with a predetermined gap between them in a direction perpendicular to the movement path of the produce W from the first conveyor 11 to the second conveyor 13.

[0037] Each of the above-mentioned oscillating bodies 53 has its downstream end connected to an oscillating device 60, as shown in Figures 5 and 6. The oscillating device 60 includes a pull-type solenoid 61 located below the oscillating bodies 53. The solenoid 61 is configured such that its plunger 61a moves linearly in a direction perpendicular to the inclination direction of the inclined portion 54. The plunger 61a is connected to an extension 56 that extends downward from the inclined portion 54. A horizontally positioned oscillating shaft 62 is provided upstream of the connection point with the plunger 61a. Both ends of the oscillating shaft 62 are held by a holder 63. The holder 63 is attached to the case 61b of the solenoid 61 via an L-shaped fitting 64. An extension 57 extending from the inclined portion 54 is attached to the middle portion of the oscillating shaft 62. A spring 65 is also provided upstream of the oscillating shaft 62. The upper end of the spring 65 is connected to the downstream end of the oscillating body 53 (inclined portion 54), and the lower end of the spring 65 is attached to the holder 63. Thus, the oscillating device 60 is composed of a solenoid 61, an oscillating shaft 62, a fitting 64, a holder 63, and a spring 65. The oscillating device 60 provided for each oscillating body 53 is attached to a base plate 70 that extends in the width direction of the chute 12a.

[0038] Each of the oscillating devices 60 (solenoids 61) is connected to the computer 31, and based on an open signal input from the computer 31, the plunger 61a is attracted. Due to the operation of the plunger 61a, the oscillating body 53 rotates upward around the oscillation axis 62 and assumes a vertical position (Figure 4(c)). When a closed signal is input from the computer 31, the plunger 61a returns to its initial position, and the oscillating body 53 returns to its initial tilted position (Figure 4(a)). At this time, the elastic force of the spring 65 acts on the oscillating body 53, so the return to the initial position is rapid.

[0039] In this embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, the visual sorting machine uses a computer 31 to determine which products are substandard, and selects a oscillating body 53 to be activated based on the position and size of the substandard products. An open signal is then sent to the oscillating device 60 (solenoid 61) corresponding to the selected oscillating body 53. As a result, the selected oscillating body 53 assumes a vertical position, causing the chute 12a to open, and the substandard products are dropped and discharged downwards through this opening.

[0040] [Example 1] In the above embodiment, one camera 21 is provided above the first conveyor 11, but there may be multiple cameras 21. For example, the multiple cameras 21 may be an overhead camera 21 positioned directly above the first conveyor 11 and two side cameras 21 positioned above both sides (left and right) of the first conveyor 11. These overhead camera 21 and side cameras 21, as in the above embodiment, capture images of the produce W being transported downstream of the first conveyor 11 and transmit the images of the produce W to the computer 31. The computer 31 performs a determination process (s20) based on the images received from the overhead camera 21 and the side cameras 21, and performs a tracking process (s30) based on the image received from the overhead camera 21. By performing the determination process (s20) while also considering the images received from the side cameras 21 in this way, the accuracy of the determination of non-standard items is improved.

[0041] [Differentiation 2] In the above embodiment and Modification 1, multiple light sources with different wavelengths may be provided. For example, light sources with visible light wavelengths, near-infrared wavelengths, and ultraviolet wavelengths may be provided. When multiple light sources are provided in this way, the output of the light sources is switched in synchronization with the imaging frame of the camera 21. By imaging the produce W with light of different wavelengths in this way, it becomes possible to detect deterioration of the produce W due to various causes.

[0042] [Difference 3] In the first embodiment described above, a plurality of opening / closing plates 51 and a plurality of linear motion devices 52 to which each opening / closing plate 51 is attached function as the discharge section 50. However, a plurality of rotating devices may be used instead of the plurality of linear motion devices 52. The rotating device rotates the opening / closing plate 51 downward, with the upper end of the opening / closing plate 51 as the pivot axis (a horizontal axis extending in the width direction of the chute 12). Similar to the linear motion devices 52, when an open signal is input from the computer 31, the rotating device rotates the opening / closing plate 51 downward around the pivot axis. This causes a portion of the discharge port 124 where the opening / closing plate 51 is located to open. Also, when a closed signal is input from the computer 31, the rotating device rotates the opening / closing plate 51 upward around the pivot axis. This causes a portion of the open discharge port 124 to close. The direction of rotation of the rotating device is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the opening / closing plate 51 may be rotated upward using the lower end of the opening / closing plate 51 as the pivot axis. In other words, the rotating device may be configured to rotate the opening / closing plate 51 upward based on an opening signal from the computer 31, and to rotate the opening / closing plate 51 downward along the inclined surface 123 based on a closing signal from the computer 31.

[0043] [Differentiation Example 4] In the above embodiment and modified example 1, the camera 21 is imaging the downstream portion of the first conveyor 11, but it may also image the entire first conveyor 11.

[0044] [Difference 5] In the above embodiments and modifications, the discharge unit discharges substandard products, but the fruits and vegetables to be discharged are not limited to substandard products. For example, it may also discharge fruits and vegetables of a predetermined grade.

[0045] [Modification 6] Although embodiments and modifications have been described using a fruit and vegetable sorting device as an example, the present invention is not limited to fruit and vegetable sorting devices. For example, it may be used as a sorting device installed in the food manufacturing process to sort the food products that have been manufactured. Alternatively, it may be used as a sorting device installed in the manufacturing process of industrial products to sort the industrial products that have been manufactured. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1. Sorting device 10 Mobile unit 11. First Conveyor 12,12a Shoot 20 Imaging Department 30 Judgment section 40 Tracking Section 50 Discharge control unit 51 Opening / closing plate (opening / closing mechanism) 53. Oscillating body (opening / closing mechanism) 124 Outlet

Claims

1. A conveying unit that rotates agricultural products around an axis perpendicular to the conveying direction while transporting them in parallel, A chute is provided downstream of the conveying section and opens and closes to allow the agricultural products to fall and be discharged, An imaging unit that captures images of agricultural products in rotational movement and generates images of those agricultural products, A determination unit that determines the quality of the agricultural product based on a surface image of the agricultural product, A discharge control unit controls the opening and closing of the chute in order to drop and discharge the agricultural product based on the result of the determination, A visual sorting machine for agricultural products equipped with [a specific feature].

2. The agricultural product appearance sorting machine according to claim 1, further comprising a tracking unit for tracking the position of agricultural products in the conveying unit which is formed to be wider than a plurality of agricultural products.

3. The chute comprises a plurality of opening and closing bodies arranged in the width direction of the transport section, The appearance sorting machine according to claim 2, wherein the discharge control unit controls the opening and closing of an opening / closing body corresponding to the position of the agricultural product to be dropped and discharged, based on the tracking results.

Images