Vegetable Peeler

Abstract

To provide a vegetable peeling device that can be used to peel green onions, which have 4 to 5 leaves at the time of harvest and need to be prepared into one core and one leaf (one core leaf and one leaf), for example. [Solution] The system comprises a V-shaped member conveyor 10 as a base transport means, a flat belt conveyor 20 as a tip transport means, an AI-controlled first camera 30 as a first imaging means for capturing images of the green onions before peeling, a reference position analysis means 40 for detecting the reference position of the green onions based on image data from the first camera 30, an air injection means 50 for injecting air at the green onions to peel them, a nozzle position control means 60 for controlling the nozzle position of the air injection means 50 based on the reference position, a belt-like pressing means 70 for pressing down the green onions when air is injected, an AI-controlled second camera 80 as a second imaging means for capturing images of the green onions after peeling, and a success / failure determination means 90 for determining the success or failure of the peeling process based on image data from the second camera 80.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vegetable peeling device, and more particularly to a vegetable peeling device that can be used to peel long vegetables such as long-rooted green onions and other leafy stem vegetables, and is particularly suitable for peeling green onions. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a device for peeling leeks that can efficiently peel the outer skin and unnecessary leaves of leeks.

[0003] The device comprises a leaf conveying endless belt that is installed horizontally and conveys the leaves of leeks while holding them; a pair of upper and lower root conveying endless belts that are arranged on one side edge of the leaf conveying endless belt and convey the roots of leeks while holding them down; two rows of round belts that are arranged in the empty space on the leaf side of the pair of upper and lower root conveying endless belts and are arranged diagonally upward toward the upper downstream side; an air outlet for blowing away unwanted leaves that is provided toward the two rows of round belts at approximately the middle of the flow direction of the lower root conveying endless belt; a guide plate that is arranged in front of the air outlet for blowing away unwanted leaves and that places the leaves of leeks on it and guides air toward the leaves; and a plurality of peeling nozzles that are arranged above and below the empty space on the stem side of the leaf conveying endless belt and that spray pressurized liquid from above and below toward the roots of the leeks. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-245646 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The peeling device described in Patent Document 1 can hold onions, the outer skin of which has been peeled off by a peeling nozzle, on a guide plate while spraying air for blowing away unwanted leaves towards the onions, so that the leaves of the onions can be held stably and prevented from bending, and the air for blowing away unwanted leaves can be sprayed sufficiently over the entire leaf, ensuring the removal of unwanted leaves.

[0006] However, if this peeling device is used to peel green onions, which have 4 to 5 leaves at the time of harvest and need to be prepared into one core and one leaf (one core leaf + one leaf) according to standards, the outer skin and all the leaves will be blown away, so it cannot be used.

[0007] Therefore, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a vegetable peeling device that can be used to peel green onions, which have 4 to 5 leaves at the time of harvest and need to be prepared into one core and one leaf (one core leaf + one leaf) according to the standard. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The means for solving the problems of the present invention are as follows.

[0009] First, a root conveying means having a vegetable support member for placing and supporting vegetables, and conveying the root side of the vegetables in a state where the root side is contained in the vegetable support member; and air injection means having an air injection nozzle for instantaneously injecting high-pressure air from an air tank onto the vegetables.

[0010] Second, A tip conveying means is provided adjacent to the root conveying means and conveys the tip side of the vegetable; The vegetable peeling device described in claim 1 further comprises a belt-shaped pressing means for pressing down and stabilizing the tip portion of the vegetable being transported by the tip conveying means from above at the air injection position by the air injection means.

[0011] Third, The air injection nozzle is 3. The vegetable peeling device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that air is sprayed toward a branching point where unnecessary leaves branch off from the core of the vegetable.

[0012] Fourth, a first imaging means for imaging the vegetables before peeling that are transported by the root transport means; a reference position analysis means for analyzing image data obtained by the first imaging means and detecting a branch point between the core of the vegetable and unnecessary leaves as a reference position; The vegetable peeling device described in the third aspect is characterized in that it further comprises a nozzle position control means for controlling the position of the air injection nozzle based on the reference position detected by the reference position analysis means.

[0013] Fifth, A second imaging means for imaging the vegetables after peeling; Further provided is a success / failure determination means for determining the success or failure of the peeling process by a sheet number determination process based on the image data obtained by the second imaging means, The vegetable peeling device described in claim 4, characterized in that the nozzle position control means performs feedback control to correct the position of the air injection nozzle or the pressure of the injected air based on the judgment result by the success / failure judgment means.

[0014] Sixth, The air injection nozzle is the plurality of nozzles arranged from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction of the base conveying means include, for example, a first air injection nozzle, a second air injection nozzle, a third air injection nozzle, and a fourth air injection nozzle; The vegetable peeling device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein each spray nozzle is controlled by the nozzle position control means.

[0015] Here, the vegetables are sufficient as long as they are long and rod-shaped with outer skin and leaves attached. Among the various leafy stem vegetables, such as spring onions and other leafy stem vegetables, an example is spring onions, which must be prepared into one core and one leaf (one core leaf and one leaf) according to the brand standard, but cases with one core and two leaves or one core and three leaves are also eligible. In addition, the expression "peeling" can be substituted with "peeling," which indicates peeling the outer leaves or thin skin. In the present invention, it is not distinguished whether the object to be removed is "peeling" or "leaves," and both are included.

[0016] The vegetable support member may be any member that can separate adjacent vegetables so that they can be transported individually, and for example, a plate-shaped member with a partition near the adjacent boundary can be used, but a V-shaped member is preferable because it can be positioned with the target vegetable at the center and the range for capturing images is fixed. A V-shaped component is formed by bending the center of a single strip at an angle of approximately 120 degrees, or by welding two strips together at an angle of approximately 120 degrees. The reason for using 120 degrees here is that at 90 degrees the leaves will shrink and the point where the core and unnecessary leaves diverge will become unclear, making it difficult to take an image. In particular, when capturing an image of green onions, it is easier to detect the branching point between the core and unnecessary leaves when the outer leaves of the green onions are open, so 120 degrees is more advantageous than 90 degrees. The numerous independent V-shaped members that make up the base conveying means are screwed to the two conveying chains that function as the operating means via attachments, with a gap of approximately 2 to 3 mm between each adjacent member.

[0017] The root conveying means supports and conveys the root side of the vegetables to be conveyed, and is composed of an endless track with a V-shaped member as a vegetable support member, for example, and is operated by a motor.

[0018] The tip conveying means supports and conveys the tip end of the vegetable, which is the object to be conveyed.It is made of a material that is suitable for food, is composed of an endless track made of a wide belt, and is operated by a motor.

[0019] The first imaging means is a means for capturing images of the state of the vegetables before they are peeled from directly above using a CCD camera or the like with AI processing.

[0020] In the case of green onions, for example, the reference position analysis means detects the branching point between the core of the green onion and unnecessary leaves as the reference position, and simultaneously determines the size of the green onion (for example, S, M, L, etc.).

[0021] The air injection means is provided with an impact blow mechanism such as an impact blow valve that uses a pressure-resistant air hose as an air tank to instantaneously inject high-pressure air from the air tank for approximately 0.2 seconds. By adopting an impact blow mechanism that uses the pressure-resistant air hose as an air tank, it is possible to obtain effects such as reducing air consumption and downsizing the compressor. Here, the impact blow mechanism that instantly sprays high-pressure air has an electromagnetic valve with a large-diameter orifice, and a pressure-resistant air hose with high pressure resistance serves as a substitute for the air tank, with a peak pressure of approximately three times the normal pressure (0.2 MPa to 0.6 MPa) and a spray time of 0.1 to 0.3 seconds, preferably around 0.2 seconds.

[0022] The nozzle position control means controls the position of each air injection nozzle by an electric cylinder, a pneumatic actuator, or the like.

[0023] The belt-like pressing means is an endless track made of a sponge-like elastic material, and its height position can be adjusted by operating the lifting handle to correspond to the type of vegetable.

[0024] The shape of the air injection nozzle is preferably a fan shape that widens towards the tip and has a gap of about 1 mm on the outlet side. The material of the air injection nozzle is preferably stainless steel. The position of the fan-shaped air injection nozzle is controlled so that it is at an angle of 30 to 45 degrees downward relative to the horizontal and has a distance of 10 to 30 mm from the surface of the green onion.

[0025] The air pressure and injection target position for each size of green onion are as follows: S size (stem diameter 4-5mm): 0.4-0.5MPa, approximately 10mm from the branching point towards the tip, opposite the base; M size (stem diameter 5-6mm): 0.4-0.5MPa, approximately 10mm from the branching point towards the tip, opposite the base; L size (stem diameter 6-7mm): 0.5-0.6MPa, approximately 20mm from the branching point towards the tip, opposite the base.

[0026] The second imaging means is a means for capturing images of the state of the vegetables after peeling from directly above using a CCD camera or the like with AI processing. [Effects of the Invention]

[0027] The present invention can provide the following effects.

[0028] The outer leaves are removed by instantly spraying high-pressure air onto the vegetables, so it can also be used to peel green onions, which have 4 to 5 leaves at the time of harvest and, according to standards, need to be prepared into one core and one leaf (one core leaf + one leaf). In addition, by adopting an impact blow mechanism that uses a pressure-resistant air hose as an air tank, not only can a high impact force be achieved on the target area, but air consumption can be reduced by more than 90% compared to conventional methods (continuous injection), making it possible to reduce initial costs.In addition, it is also possible to reduce overall costs by reducing the size of the compressor, etc. In addition, by providing a reference position analysis means that analyzes the image data obtained by the first imaging means and detects the reference position that is the branching point between the core of the vegetable and the unnecessary leaves, and a nozzle position control means that controls the positions of multiple air injection nozzles, it is possible to improve the success rate of the peeling process even for vegetables in different states. Furthermore, by performing feedback control using the success / failure determining means that determines the success or failure of the peeling process by the number determining process based on the image data obtained by the second imaging means, the success rate is further improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0029] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a vegetable peeling device according to an embodiment of the present invention from the rear side. [Figure 2] 1 is a left side view of a vegetable peeling device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 1 is a plan view of a vegetable peeling device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view showing an air injection nozzle and a belt-shaped pressing means of a vegetable peeling device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 5] 1 is a perspective view showing a belt-shaped pressing means of a vegetable peeling device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a green onion is placed on a vegetable peeling device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 7] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which green onions are peeled using a vegetable peeling device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 8] 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating position control of each air injection nozzle in a vegetable peeling device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the accompanying drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations are omitted. Air supply tubes and wiring between components are omitted. It should be noted that the description here is one embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. [Example]

[0031] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the vegetable peeling device of this embodiment includes a V-shaped member conveyor 10 as a root conveying means for placing and conveying the root side Vr of a green onion V as an example of a vegetable, a flat belt conveyor 20 as a tip conveying means for conveying the tip side Vt of the green onion V, an AI-controlled first camera 30 as a first imaging means for imaging the green onion V before peeling, a reference position analysis means 40 for detecting a reference position of the green onion V based on image data of the first camera 30, and an air sensor for detecting the reference position of the green onion V. The peeling device is equipped with an air injection means 50 for injecting air to peel off excess leaves, outer skins, and thin skins that are the objects to be removed, a nozzle position control means 60 for controlling the nozzle position of the air injection means 50 based on a reference position, a belt-like holding means 70 for holding down the green onions V when air is injected, an AI-controlled second camera 80 as a second imaging means for imaging the green onions V after peeling, and a success / failure determination means 90 for determining the success or failure of the peeling process by a number determination process based on the image data of the second camera 80. Each of these components is supported by the gantry main body.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 6, the V-shaped member conveyor 10 is configured by connecting a plurality of V-shaped members 11 in the traveling direction for placing and supporting the root side Vr of green onions V. A large number of the V-shaped members 11 are connected in parallel in the lateral direction so as to form a belt conveyor. The numerous independent V-shaped members 11 that make up the base conveying means are screwed to the two conveying chains that function as operating means via attachments (not shown), with a gap of approximately 2 to 3 mm between each of them. The V-shaped member 11 has an angle of 120 degrees and stably supports the root side Vr of the green onion V by clamping it from both sides, and has a V-shaped groove portion 11a so that air from the air injection means 50 can also flow around to the back side of the green onion V. An object such as a green onion placed on the V-shaped member is sandwiched between the inclined surfaces of the V-shaped member, and a space is formed near the apex of the V. This space allows the air sprayed from the air spray nozzle to reach the periphery of the target object, such as green onions, evenly, reducing the chance of mistakes in removing the outer skin or leaves. Furthermore, when a green onion is placed on the V-shaped member 11 having an angle of 120 degrees, the outer leaves of the green onion are open, making it easier to detect the branching point. The V-shaped member conveyor 10 is driven by a motor (not shown) and conveys the green onions V at a constant speed.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 6, the flat belt conveyor 20 is installed in parallel with the V-shaped member conveyor 10, and carries and conveys the tip side Vt of the green onions V. The flat belt conveyor 20 is driven in synchronization with the V-shaped member conveyor 10 to prevent the green onions V from twisting or shifting position during transport.

[0034] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the AI-controlled first camera 30 captures images of the green onions V from above before peeling, which are being transported by the V-shaped member conveyor 10 and the flat belt conveyor 20. Image data obtained by the first camera 30 is sent to a reference position analysis means 40 that is a personal computer housed in a box.

[0035] The reference position analysis means 40 analyzes the image data from the first camera 30, and in the case of green onions in particular, detects the branching point, where unnecessary leaves branch off from the core, as the reference position. Furthermore, the reference position analyzing means 40 also determines the size of the green onion V (for example, S, M, L, etc.) at the same time. Information on the detected reference position and size is output to the nozzle position control means 60 and the air injection means 50. Here, the air pressure is set according to the size of the green onions so that small size is blown at 0.4 to 0.5 MPa, medium size at 0.4 to 0.5 MPa, and large size at 0.5 to 0.6 MPa. In addition, the injection target position is approximately 10 mm from the branching point toward the tip side, which is the opposite side of the base, for the S size, 10 mm from the branching point toward the tip side, which is the opposite side of the base, for the M size, and 20 mm from the branching point toward the tip side, which is the opposite side of the base, for the L size.

[0036] Specifically, although not shown in the figure, AI-controlled processing is performed by an AI edge terminal, which is an embedded PC (NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin), and an automatic peeling machine control unit (PLC: KV-8000). Image analysis is performed using deep learning (such as Convolutional Neural Network and Vision Transformer). Here, the AI ​​edge terminal processes the data captured by the first camera 30 and the second camera 80 using an image recognition PG (program), determines the size, detects branching points, and determines the number of leaves, and based on the results of the success / failure determination by the autonomous optimization PG (program), returns instructions to the automatic peeler control unit for fine-tuning the branching point position and blow strength. In addition, the automatic peeler control unit adjusts the position and injection pressure of each nozzle based on branch position information sent from the AI ​​edge terminal.

[0037] The processing procedure using the AI ​​edge terminal, which is an embedded PC, and the automatic peeling machine control unit is shown below. (1-1) The automatic peeling machine control unit notifies the AI ​​edge terminal of the processing start trigger signal and the jig number. (2-1) Set up the camera to detect the trigger and take a photo. (2-2) The first camera 30 photographs the green onion from above before peeling to capture an image. (2-3) A size determination process is performed using size determination AI (deep learning) on ​​the image captured by the first camera 30. At this time, the AI ​​estimates the size (thickness) of the green onion and classifies it into four categories: "S," "M," "L," and "none" based on the estimation result. If it is classified as "none," no air injection is performed in the subsequent peeling process, and for "L," a stronger injection is instructed. (2-4) An intersection determination process is performed on the image captured by the first camera 30 using an intersection determination AI model. (2-5) The image captured by the second camera 80 is subjected to a leaf count determination process using an AI model to determine whether the image has been successfully captured. (2-6) Save images and log data to the SSD. (2-7) The AI ​​edge terminal returns the nozzle position, green onion size, jig number, etc. to the automatic peeler control unit. (2-8) The AI ​​edge terminal notifies the automatic peeling machine control unit of a processing end trigger signal.

[0038] As shown in Figures 4 and 7, the air injection means 50 has a fan-shaped stainless steel first air injection nozzle 51, second air injection nozzle 52, third air injection nozzle 53, and fourth air injection nozzle 54, which are capable of instantaneously injecting high-pressure air onto the green onions V to remove the outer leaves and thin skin. In this embodiment, a pressure-resistant air hose, which is a mesh hose with a length of 80 cm to 1 m and an inner diameter of 13 mm, is connected to each nozzle. Depending on the condition of the green onions, high-pressure air can be instantly sprayed using an impact blow valve mechanism, and pressure control valves allow pressure adjustment for each nozzle. The multiple air injection nozzles are arranged from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction as a first air injection nozzle 51, a second air injection nozzle 52, a third air injection nozzle 53, and a fourth air injection nozzle 54, at a downward angle of 30 to 45 degrees, and at a distance of approximately 10 to 30 mm from the target object.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 4, a first pressure-resistant air hose 512 is connected to a first air connection port 511 of the first air injection nozzle 51, a second pressure-resistant air hose 522 is connected to a second air connection port 521 of the second air injection nozzle 52, a third pressure-resistant air hose 532 is connected to a third air connection port 531 of the third air injection nozzle 53, and a fourth pressure-resistant air hose 542 is connected to a fourth air connection port 541 of the fourth air injection nozzle 54. Although not shown in the drawings, each air connection port is connected to a pipe member having an air injection nozzle attached to the tip side, and an impact blow valve is attached inside this pipe member. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 513 denotes a first electric cylinder that adjusts the position of the first air injection nozzle 51, reference numeral 523 denotes a second electric cylinder that adjusts the position of the second air injection nozzle 52, reference numeral 533 denotes a third electric cylinder that adjusts the position of the third air injection nozzle 53, and reference numeral 543 denotes a fourth electric cylinder that adjusts the position of the fourth air injection nozzle 54, and all have a stroke of approximately 50 mm. As shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2, the other end of the first pressure-resistant air hose 512 is connected to a first air delivery side connection port 514 . In FIG. 2, reference numeral 515 denotes a pressure control valve that controls the pressure of the air supplied to the first air delivery side connection port 514. Although not shown in the figure, other pressure-resistant air hoses are also connected to the air outlet connection ports, and each has an impact blow valve that enables high-pressure air to be sprayed in an instant, in about 0.2 seconds. Here, a pressure-resistant air hose with a length of 1m and an inner diameter of 13mm acts as an air tank, enabling instantaneous high-pressure spraying using the impact blow valve.

[0040] In Figure 7, a long, plate-shaped base-side first position control guide 101 is installed to hold the green onion V near the base, and a long, plate-shaped base-side second position control guide 102 is installed to be located further towards the tip than each nozzle and to hold the green onion V near the middle of the base.

[0041] The first air injection nozzle 51 injects relatively strong air downward from the branch point, which is the reference position detected by the reference position analysis means 40 of the green onion V, mainly to peel off the outermost skin (underskin). Following the processing by the first air injection nozzle 51, the second air injection nozzle 52 injects air aimed at the branch point, which is the reference position detected by the reference position analysis means 40, and removes unnecessary leaves of the green onion V. The third air injection nozzle 53 injects air at a position slightly below the branch point, which is the reference position detected by the reference position analysis means 40, to remove unnecessary leaves from the one-core-one-leaf portion. The fourth air injection nozzle 54 injects air again toward the root part below the branching point to remove the last remaining thin skin, and may use stronger air than the other nozzles. The strength of the air sprayed from each air spray nozzle is individually adjusted by a pressure control valve (only 515 is shown in Figure 2) according to the size and condition of the green onion V.

[0042] As shown in Figures 4 and 8, the nozzle position control means 60 automatically adjusts the positions of the first air injection nozzle 51, the second air injection nozzle 52, the third air injection nozzle 53, and the fourth air injection nozzle 54 in the vertical direction using electric cylinders based on information from the reference position analysis means 40. As shown in FIG. 8, for example, a position 130 mm from the end of the V-shaped member 11 is set as a starting point P, and the position of each nozzle is adjusted based on information on the distance (reference position) from this starting point P to the branch point. In other words, the position of each nozzle is adjusted so that the S size is located approximately 10 mm from the branching point toward the tip, the M size is located 10 mm from the branching point toward the tip, and the L size is located 20 mm from the branching point toward the tip. Here, the reason why the vicinity of the branch point is handled by two nozzles, the second air injection nozzle 52 and the third air injection nozzle 53, is to deal with variations in the branch point. The fourth air injection nozzle 54 can also blow air toward the base portion below the branch point at a fixed position 25 mm from the end of the V-shaped member 11. This ensures that air injection is always performed at the optimum position.

[0043] As shown in Figure 5, the belt-like pressing means 70 has a lifting handle 71 and a sponge belt 72 that presses down the tip side Vt of the green onion V from above to prevent the green onion V from floating up or being blown away when air is sprayed (see Figures 4 and 5). The sponge belt 72 is made of jersey neoprene rubber with a rubber hardness of 20°, which is excellent in thickness and cushioning, and its surface is covered with cloth to improve durability. In FIG. 5, reference numeral 73 denotes a drive motor that drives the sponge belt 72, and reference numeral 74 denotes a timing pulley for transmitting the driving force. The amount of pressure can be managed and adjusted using digital values, and by operating the lifting handle 71, the first lifting guide shaft 75 and the second lifting guide shaft 76 can be used to adjust the up and down position, which is designed to prevent damage to the green onions V.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 1, the AI-controlled second camera 80 captures an image of the green onion V from above after the peeling process by the air injection means 50. The image data obtained by the second camera 80 is output to a success / failure determination means 90 that performs a number determination process.

[0045] The success / failure determining means 90 determines whether the peeling process has been properly performed (for example, whether the peeling process has been performed in one core and one leaf as specified by the standard) based on the image data from the second camera 80 by performing a sheet number determination process. Here, if the number of leaves is two (one core and one leaf), the peeling process is judged to be successful, otherwise it is judged to be a failure. The result of this determination is fed back to the nozzle position control means 60 and the air injection means 50, and is used to correct the air injection pressure and nozzle position. That is, based on the result of the success / failure determination by the number of sheets determination process, the total of the penalty values ​​for the past 50 times (the number of times is variable) is evaluated. The penalty value is set according to the state of failure. For example, if one sheet fails, the penalty is set to be large, and if three sheets fail, the penalty is set to be small. The reason for this setting is that if there are three pieces, the product can be shipped even if only one piece is peeled, but if there is only one piece, the product cannot be shipped. Using Bayesian optimization, the nozzle position and air pressure offset values ​​are adjusted every 50 times, and the settings that minimize the penalty value are automatically searched for and applied. Bayesian optimization is an optimization method in the field of machine learning that uses a probabilistic model for parameter adjustment to search for optimal solutions while minimizing the number of evaluations. It efficiently optimizes settings such as nozzle position and air pressure while balancing exploration and utilization.

[0046] Next, the operation of the vegetable peeling device of this embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, the worker sets each green onion V (green onion) on the V-shaped member 11 of the V-shaped member conveyor 10 and the flat belt conveyor 20. The set green onions V are automatically transported by a conveyor. During transportation, the first camera 30 captures an image of the green onion V, and based on the image data, the reference position analysis means 40 identifies the position and size of the branching point of the green onion V.

[0047] Based on the identified information, the nozzle position control means 60 adjusts the positions of the first air injection nozzle 51, the second air injection nozzle 52, and the third air injection nozzle 53, and the air injection means 50 instantly injects air from each nozzle at the optimal pressure. At this time, the belt-like pressing means 70 presses the tip side Vt of the green onion V, preventing the green onion V from flapping and assisting in stable peeling processing. At the same time, the root side first position control guide 101 and the root side second position control guide 102 can prevent the green onions V from moving wildly and flying out of the V-shaped member conveyor 10 when high-pressure air is blown on them momentarily (see Figure 7).

[0048] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the waste such as husks and unnecessary leaves removed by the air jets falls to the bottom of the conveyor and is collected in a special waste box 103. Although not shown in the figure, the part that is removed by the air jet is entirely covered with a transparent cover, so that debris such as the outer skin and unnecessary leaves removed by the air jet will not scatter around.

[0049] After the peeling process, the green onions V are photographed by the second camera 80, and the finished state is judged by the number-of-pieces determining process success / failure determining means 90. The result of this determination is used for real-time feedback control. After mechanical processing, a final visual check and readjustment may be performed by a human operator.

[0050] According to the vegetable peeling device of this embodiment, by combining image processing by a camera with air injection technology using an impact blow valve, it is possible to automate and streamline the work of peeling green onions and removing unnecessary leaves, which has previously been done manually. In particular, it was confirmed that a high peeling success rate and the target processing speed (approximately 80 pieces per minute) were achieved through stable support of the green onion V by the V-shaped member 11, stabilization by the belt-like holding means 70, and the division of roles of each nozzle and precise position and pressure control. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 10 Base conveying means (V-shaped component conveyor) 11 V-shaped member 11a Groove 20 Tip conveying means (flat belt conveyor) 30 First imaging means (first camera) 40 Reference position analysis means 50 Air injection means 60 Nozzle position control means 70 Belt-shaped holding means 71 Lifting handle 72 Sponge Belt 73 Drive motor 74 Timing pulley 75 First lift guide shaft 76 Second lift guide shaft 51 First air injection nozzle 511 First air connection port 512 No. 1 pressure-resistant air hose 513 First electric cylinder 514 First air outlet connection port 515 Pressure Control Valve 52 Second air injection nozzle 521 Second air connection port 522 Second pressure-resistant air hose 523 Second electric cylinder 53 Third air injection nozzle 531 Third air connection port 532 No. 3 Pressure-Resistant Air Hose 533 Third electric cylinder 54 4th air injection nozzle 541 4th air connection port 542 No. 4 Pressure-Resistant Air Hose 543 4th electric cylinder 80 Second imaging means (second camera) 90 Success / failure determination method 101 Base side first position control guide 102 Root side second position control guide 103 Trash Box V Green onion Vt tip side Vr base side P starting point

Claims

1. a root conveying means for conveying the vegetables with the root sides of the vegetables contained in the vegetable support member, the root conveying means comprising a vegetable support member having a V-shaped member with a V-shaped groove for placing and supporting the vegetables; The vegetable peeling device is characterized by comprising an air injection means having an air injection nozzle that uses an impact blow mechanism that uses a pressure-resistant air hose as an air tank to inject high-pressure air from the pressure-resistant air hose at 0.2 MPa to 0.6 MPa for 0.1 to 0.3 seconds onto the vegetables to remove outer leaves.

2. A tip conveying means is provided adjacent to the root conveying means and conveys the tip side of the vegetable; 2. The vegetable peeling device according to claim 1, further comprising a belt-shaped pressing means for pressing down and stabilizing the tip portion of the vegetable being conveyed by the tip conveying means from above at the air injection position of the air injection means.

3. The air injection nozzle is 3. The vegetable peeling device according to claim 1, wherein air is jetted toward a branching point where unnecessary leaves branch off from the core of the vegetable.

4. a first imaging means for imaging the vegetable before peeling that is transported by the root transport means; a reference position analysis means for analyzing image data obtained by the first imaging means and detecting a branch point between the core of the vegetable and unnecessary leaves as a reference position; 4. The vegetable peeling device according to claim 3, further comprising: a nozzle position control means for controlling the position of the air injection nozzle based on the reference position detected by the reference position analysis means.

5. a second imaging means for imaging the vegetables after peeling; and a success / failure determination means for determining whether the peeling process has been successful or not based on the image data obtained by the second imaging means.

5. The vegetable peeling device according to claim 4, wherein the nozzle position control means performs feedback control to correct the position of the air injection nozzle or the pressure of the injected air based on the result of the judgment by the success / failure judgment means.

6. The air injection nozzle is a plurality of air injection nozzles arranged from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction of the base conveying means, 5. The vegetable peeling device according to claim 4, wherein each spray nozzle is controlled by said nozzle position control means.

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