Automated system for stamping dressed carcass

Abstract

Disclosed is an automated system for stamping dressed carcass. The automated system for stamping dressed carcass is an automated system for stamping that indicates meat quality ratings in meat packing, the automated system comprising: a visual-sensing unit for acquiring state information including size, shape, and position of dressed carcass, and on the basis of the acquired information, deriving stamping location information; and a stamping unit, linked to the visual-sensing unit, for stamping after receiving the state and stamping location information and moving toward the stamping location of the dressed carcass.

Description

Automated meat inspection process system

[0001] The present invention relates to an automated meat inspection process system, and more specifically, to an automated meat inspection process system that, in the inspection process for indicating the grade of the quality of meat in a slaughtering process, instead of a worker performing the inspection process manually one by one, checks the size and condition of the meat through a series of automated systems, identifies the optimal inspection location, and performs the inspection process after moving to the location, thereby reducing the burden on workers due to long-term simple repetitive tasks, minimizing manpower input, reducing operating costs and labor costs, and improving productivity by performing a rapid inspection process.

[0002] In general, efforts have been made recently to ensure that consumers can trust the origin and quality indicated on food ingredients, and as part of these efforts, systems for managing the history of livestock products and meat have been proposed.

[0003] Meanwhile, in pig slaughter, the inspection process is carried out after the cutting / incision process of the carcass is completed, and a livestock product inspector checks the quality and sanitary condition of the carcass and marks the carcass skin with a pass mark for each breed.

[0004] At this time, usually in the case of pigs, after slaughter, the two pieces of carcass are divided into two halves and fed into the inspection process line, and the worker goes through the process of stamping two stamps, one on each side of the relatively flat part of the carcass near the hind legs / hips.

[0005] Additionally, in the case of Jeju Island, in order to distinguish black pigs, a total of eight black pig marks and six inspection marks are stamped on four locations, including the top, middle, bottom, and back of one side of the carcass. In other words, in the case of black pigs, the unit price is more than twice that of regular pigs, so that they are not mixed in during the meat processing stage, and in order to distinguish them during the final auction, they are stamped with a relatively large number of inspection marks.

[0006] During this certification process, a meat inspector and a painting worker are usually sent to the work site at the same time, and after the meat inspector determines the grade, the painting worker performs the stamping task.

[0007] However, in reality, during this certification process, there are cases where up to 14 stamps are applied to each conductor, and the certification process must be completed approximately every 8 to 9 seconds along with the grade determination, which inevitably causes a great burden and fatigue on the workers.

[0008] In addition, since the location of the stamp is bound to be different depending on the size, shape, and condition of the meat, when stamping the meat manually, there is a problem that the printing quality of the stamp is not consistent, making it difficult to determine the grade later.

[0009] The purpose of the present invention is to solve such problems, and to provide an automated meat inspection process system that, in the inspection process for indicating the grade of the quality of meat in the slaughtering process, does not require a worker to manually perform the inspection process one by one, but instead checks the size and condition of the meat through a series of automated systems, identifies the optimal inspection location, and moves to the corresponding inspection location to perform the inspection process, thereby reducing the burden on workers due to long-term simple repetitive tasks, minimizing manpower input to reduce operating costs and labor costs, and improving productivity by performing a quick inspection process.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the technical idea of ​​the present invention for achieving the above object, an automated meat inspection process system may include an automated system for performing an inspection process for indicating a grade for the quality of meat in a slaughtering process, the system comprising: a vision sensing unit for obtaining status information on the size, shape, and position of the meat, and deriving inspection position information based on the obtained status information; and an inspection unit for receiving the status information and the inspection position information in connection with the vision sensing unit, moving toward the inspection position of the meat, and then performing an inspection operation.

[0011] In addition, the above-mentioned inspection unit may include a multi-joint robot capable of freely moving in one or more directions or angles; and an inspection module installed on the multi-joint robot as an end effector, which performs an inspection process by applying a stamp toward a location for inspection of the body.

[0012] In addition, the above-mentioned verification module may include a housing installed at an end of the multi-joint robot and having a space provided therein; a cylinder built into the housing, the quality grade display information of the meat being engraved, and a stamp whose stamp surface moves linearly by the cylinder movement to mark the location of the verification of the meat; and an ink application unit for applying ink to the stamp surface of the stamp.

[0013] In addition, the ink application unit may include a roller unit including a roller that applies ink by contacting the painted surface of the stamp, and a roller holder that holds the roller so that the outer circumferential surface of the roller can make surface contact with the painted surface of the stamp; an ink supply pipe for receiving ink from an external ink supply device and supplying ink to the roller, and an ink discharge pipe for discharging ink contained in the roller; and a roller transport unit that horizontally moves the roller unit to apply ink to the painted surface of the stamp.

[0014] In addition, the roller conveying unit includes a motor that provides rotational force and has a pulley installed on a rotational axis; a wire wound around the pulley and having a weight installed at one end; and a fixing bar having one end fixed to one side of the wire and the other end fixed to the roller support; and as the rotational axis of the motor rotates forward, the wire wound around the pulley by the weight is unwound, thereby moving the fixing bar, thereby moving the position of the roller unit, and as the rotational axis of the motor rotates backward, the wire is wound around the pulley, thereby moving the fixing bar to an initial position, thereby moving the position of the roller unit.

[0015] In addition, the housing may be installed so that a through hole for the wire to pass through is formed near one side and the other side edge, and a guide groove is formed on the upper surface and the lower surface to guide the fixed bar to move in a straight line, and the wire released from the pulley passes through the through hole on one side and passes through the through hole on the other side while being fixed to the fixed bar.

[0016] In addition, the above-mentioned seals are provided in at least two units and can operate to strike the target position of the sword simultaneously.

[0017] The automated meat inspection process system according to the present invention has the effect of reducing the burden on workers due to long-term simple repetitive work, minimizing manpower input to reduce operating costs and labor costs, and improving productivity by enabling the inspection process to be performed quickly, by checking the size and condition of the meat through a series of automated systems, identifying the optimal inspection location, and then moving to the location to perform the inspection process, instead of having workers manually perform the inspection process one by one to indicate the grade of the quality of the meat in the slaughtering process.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automated land inspection process system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the main part of the vision sensing unit.

[0020] Figures 3 and 4 are enlarged views of the main part of the inspection module.

[0021] Figures 5 and 6 are operation status diagrams of the inspection module.

[0022] In order to fully understand the present invention, its operational advantages, and the objects achieved by the practice of the present invention, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and the contents described in the drawings, which illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention.

[0023] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail by describing preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings. The same reference numerals in each drawing represent the same components.

[0024] The present invention relates to an automated meat inspection process system, which, in the inspection process for indicating the grade of the quality of meat in a slaughter process, does not require a worker to manually perform the inspection process one by one, but instead, checks the size and condition of the meat through a series of automated systems, identifies the optimal inspection location, and then moves to the corresponding inspection location to perform the inspection process, thereby reducing the burden on workers due to long-term simple repetitive tasks, minimizing manpower input to reduce operating costs and labor costs, and can improve productivity by performing a rapid inspection process.

[0025] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automated system for a land inspection process according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a main part of a vision sensing unit, FIGS. 3 and 4 are enlarged views of a main part of a inspection module unit, and FIGS. 5 and 6 are operation status diagrams of the inspection module unit.

[0026] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, the land inspection process automation system according to one embodiment of the present invention may largely include a vision sensing unit (10) and an inspection unit (20).

[0027] The present invention is an automated system for a process of checking the quality and sanitary condition of meat and marking a pass mark for each variety on the skin of meat.

[0028] For example, in the case of pigs, after slaughter, the two pieces of carcass divided into two halves can be fed into the inspection process line and then the inspection process can be performed.

[0029] In this case, the slaughtered meat is put into the inspection process line through the transfer bar (1) while being hung on the transfer hook (2), and the meat can be directly transported to the inspection process line by a worker, or the meat can be sequentially transported to the inspection process line through an automated transport facility.

[0030] Once the meat is transported to the space where the verification process is performed, the full-scale verification process can be performed through the automatic verification process system of the present invention.

[0031] Meanwhile, the vision sensing unit (10) is a unit that obtains status information on the size, shape, and location of the meat put into the inspection process line, and derives inspection location information based on the obtained status information.

[0032] That is, the vision sensing unit (10) obtains status information on the size, shape, and location of the body, thereby being able to derive the location information of the actual inspection where the inspection should be performed.

[0033] In addition, the area where the seal is applied to slaughtered meat is a relatively flat area near the hind legs / hips of the meat, and if a seal is applied, it can be an area where the marking information on the stamped surface can be accurately printed.

[0034] Therefore, it is important to obtain status information on the size, shape, and location of the seal, and based on this status information, it is possible to derive desirable seal location information and improve the printing quality of the seal.

[0035] The above vision sensing unit (10) may include a support (11) erected on the ground and a vision sensor (12) installed on the support (11).

[0036] At this time, the vision sensor (12) is built into a sensor box (13), and a door (14) may be installed on one side of the sensor box (13) to expose or protect the vision sensor (12).

[0037] Meanwhile, the vision sensing unit (10) is intended to perform the task of recognizing the state of an object (ground) through visual data capture and processing. Basically, the vision sensor (12) includes a camera, and after capturing an image through the vision sensor (12), the information is collected and analyzed through an image processing algorithm of a control unit (not shown) to make an informed decision.

[0038] For example, a vision sensor (12) is typically used to detect, determine the location of, measure, and inspect objects by identifying patterns, shapes, colors, and textures, and is mainly used for the purpose of taking an image of an object and distinguishing it from a normal state.

[0039] These vision sensors (12) provide excellent precision due to their ability to analyze complex details, and are suitable for tasks requiring strict accuracy when analyzing complex images.

[0040] Accordingly, status information on the size, shape and location of the body is obtained through the vision sensor (12) of the vision sensing unit (10), and based on the obtained status information, the image is analyzed through machine learning to derive the optimal location for inspection where the inspection should be performed.

[0041] Next, the sealing unit (20) is a part that is connected to the vision sensing unit (10) and receives the status information and the sealing position information, moves toward the sealing position of the body, and then performs the sealing operation (stamp operation).

[0042] The above-mentioned inspection unit (20) may include a multi-joint robot (100) that can freely move in one or more directions or angles, and an end effector installed on the multi-joint robot (100), and a verification module (200) that performs a verification process by applying a stamp toward a verification location of the body.

[0043] That is, a movement toward a location for a physical inspection can be performed through the multi-joint robot (100), and a stamping operation can be performed to stamp the location for a physical inspection through the stamping module (200).

[0044] The above multi-joint robot (100) can be divided and operated with multiple joints, and can be formed in the form of a typical multi-joint robot that can perform rotational movements in vertical and horizontal directions so that the inspection module (200) can be positioned in multiple directions and at multiple angles.

[0045] In addition, the multi-joint robot (100) is connected to the vision sensing unit (10) and receives status information on the size, shape and location of the body and the location information of the body inspection from the vision sensing unit (10) and moves toward the location of the body inspection.

[0046] At this time, the multi-joint robot (100) can analyze the position and posture to which it should move based on the verified position information by reflecting the current position information and posture information, and can correct the constant position and posture.

[0047] Meanwhile, the above-described inspection module (200) may include a housing (200a) installed at the end of the multi-joint robot (100) and having a space provided therein, a cylinder (211) built into the housing (200a), quality grade display information of the meat (including other inspection information) engraved thereon, a stamp (200b) that moves linearly by the cylinder movement so that the stamp surface (213) marks the inspection position of the meat, and an ink application unit (200c) for applying ink to the stamp surface (213) of the stamp (200b).

[0048] The housing (200a) above is provided with a fastening part (201) on one side to be fastened to a tool mounting part (not shown) of the multi-joint robot (100), and the fastening part (201) can be mounted to the tool mounting part of the multi-joint robot (100) by magnetic force, but is not limited thereto, and can be fastened to each other in various fastening methods.

[0049] Meanwhile, the housing (200a) may be formed of a main body (202) with a space provided inside, and may have a structure in which the upper rotating part (203) can be rotated by a hinge (204) to be opened and closed.

[0050] In addition, an air hose hole (207) may be formed on one side of the rotating part (203) for passing an air hose (not shown) for supplying and exhausting air to and from a cylinder (211) of a seal (200b) installed inside the main body (202).

[0051] The housing (200a) is basically formed in a box shape so that a space is provided inside, but the upper rotating part (203) is formed in a structure that is rotatable and open, and one side can be formed in a structure that is open so that the paint (200b) described later is exposed.

[0052] Meanwhile, the above-mentioned stamp (200b) is a part for engraving grade marking information at the location of the inspection mark of the meat, and a cylinder (211, including a piston) that reciprocates inside the main body (202) is installed built-in through a cylinder holder (212), and a stamp surface (213) on which grade marking information is engraved may be provided on one side of the cylinder (211), that is, near the open part of the housing (200a).

[0053] That is, the above-mentioned stamp (200b) receives compressed air from external air compressors (not shown) through an air hose (not shown), and the cylinder (211) moves in a straight line by means of pneumatic pressure by the compressed air, so that the stamp surface (213) can mark the inspection location of the meat and print the grade marking information at the inspection location of the meat.

[0054] The above-mentioned painting surface (213) may be made of a soft material such as rubber or silicone so that the ink can be maintained in a well-absorbed state for a certain period of time and adheres closely to the surface of the meat so that the ink can be printed smoothly.

[0055] In addition, the above-mentioned painting surface (213) can be configured to have various printed phrases engraved on it depending on the display information to be printed, and can be easily attached and detached so that the worker can replace the painting surface (213) and use it as needed.

[0056] Meanwhile, the ink application part (200c) is a part for applying ink to the painting surface (213) of the painting (200b) at set intervals.

[0057] The ink application unit (200c) may include a roller unit (220) including a roller (221) that applies ink by contacting the painted surface (213) of the stamp (200b) and a roller holder (222) that holds the roller (221) so that the outer surface of the roller (221) can make surface contact with the painted surface (213) of the stamp (200b), an ink supply pipe (230) for supplying ink to the roller (221) by receiving ink from an external ink supply device (not shown), an ink discharge pipe (240) through which ink contained in the roller (221) is discharged, and a roller transport unit (250) that horizontally moves the roller unit (220) to apply ink to the painted surface (213) of the stamp (200b).

[0058] The above roller (221) is formed so that a space is provided inside where ink is injected, and the injected ink is absorbed into the outer surface and applied.

[0059] At this time, an ink supply pipe (230) is connected to one side of the roller (221), and an ink discharge pipe (240) is connected to the other side, so that ink supplied through the ink supply pipe (230) flows into the roller (221) and is spread and distributed to the outer surface, so that ink is applied to the entire outer surface, and the remaining ink after being applied to the outer surface is discharged through the ink discharge pipe (240).

[0060] In this way, the remaining ink is injected into the roller (221) through the ink supply pipe (230), discharged through the ink discharge pipe (240), sent back to the ink storage tank (not shown) of the ink supply device, and then transferred back to the ink supply pipe (230) in a repeated cycle, so that ink can be continuously supplied so that ink is always applied to the outer surface of the roller (221).

[0061] That is, some of the ink supplied through the ink supply pipe (230) is absorbed by the roller (221), and the remaining part is discharged through the ink discharge pipe (240).

[0062] In addition, it is preferable that the roller (221) be made of a highly absorbent material, for example, a sponge-shaped material, so that the ink supplied for a certain period of time does not dry and remains absorbed, but is not limited thereto.

[0063] In addition, the roller stand (222) may be formed in a 'ㄷ' shape in cross section to fix one side and the other side of the roller (221), i.e., the rotation axis, so that the roller (221) can be fixed at a position where it can make surface contact with the paint surface (213) of the paint (220b), and one side of the roller (221) may be fixed at one end, and the other side of the roller (221) may be fixed at the other end.

[0064] Meanwhile, the roller transport unit (250) is a part for transporting a roller (221) to apply ink to the paint surface (213) of the paint (200b).

[0065] The above roller conveyor (250) may include a motor (251) that provides rotational force and has a pulley (252) installed on a rotational axis, a wire (253) wound around the pulley (252) and having a weight (254) installed at one end, and a fixing bar (255) that is fixed to one side of the wire (253) through a fixing member (256) and the other side is fixed to the roller support (222).

[0066] Here, the motor (251) is a reversible motor capable of forward rotation, stop, and reverse rotation in a short time, and is a motor in which the main and auxiliary windings of the stator are designed to have the same characteristics during forward and reverse rotation.

[0067] Meanwhile, as the rotation axis of the motor (251) rotates in the forward direction, the wire (253) wound around the pulley (252) by the weight (254) is unwound, and the fixed bar (255) moves, thereby moving the position of the roller unit (220). As the rotation axis of the motor (251) rotates in the reverse direction, the wire (253) is wound around the pulley (252), and the fixed bar (255) moves to the initial position, thereby moving the position of the roller unit (220).

[0068] At this time, the housing (200a) may have a passage hole (205, 205') formed near one side and the other side edge for the wire (253) to pass through, and a guide groove (206) formed on the upper and lower surfaces for guiding the fixed bar (255) to move in a straight line.

[0069] That is, the wire (253) released from the pulley (252) can be installed so that it passes through the through hole (205) on one side and passes through the through hole (205') on the other side while being fixed to the fixing bar (255).

[0070] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, when the motor (251) rotates forward, the wire (253) wound on the pulley (252) is unwound in one direction by the weight of the weight (254), and at this time, the fixed bar (255) fixed to the wire (253) moves horizontally along the guide groove (206), and finally, the roller (221) rotates in a state of being in close contact with the paint surface (213) of the paint (200b), so that ink can be applied to the paint surface (213).

[0071] In addition, the wire (253) can be kept taut by the weight (254), and the wire (253) wound around the pulley (252) can move the roller part (220) and the fixed bar (255) in one direction by the weight (254) when the rotation axis of the motor (251) rotates forward.

[0072] At this time, in order to perform an operation of applying ink to the painted surface (213) of the stamp (200b), the cylinder (211) can be operated so that the painted surface (213) of the stamp (200b) is in close contact with the outer surface of the roller (221).

[0073] Meanwhile, as described above, when the ink application process on the paint surface (213) of the paint (200b) is completed while the roller (221) is moved in one direction, the roller (221) can be restored to its initial position.

[0074] In this case, the motor (251) rotates in reverse so that the wire (253) is wound around the pulley (252) again, and the fixed bar (255) and roller part (220) fixed to the wire (253) move along the guide groove (206) toward the motor (251) so that they can return to their original positions.

[0075] In this way, ink can be applied to the paint surface (213) of the paint (200b) at a set period or a set number of inspections through the roller conveyance (250).

[0076] Meanwhile, as another embodiment, the through hole (205, 205') may be formed in a shape in which one side of the through hole (205, 205') that the wire (253) comes into contact with, i.e. one side of the inner surface of the through hole (205, 205'), is slanted to reduce snagging or frictional resistance when in contact with the wire (253).

[0077] In addition, as another embodiment, a pulley (not shown) may be further provided on the side and upper surface of the housing (200a) near the passage hole (205, 205') so that the wire (253) can be hung when changing direction to reduce frictional resistance.

[0078] That is, a pulley of a pulley is further provided on the side and upper surface of the housing (200a) near the one-side through hole (205) and on the side and upper surface of the housing (200a) near the other-side through hole (205'), so that the wire (253) can be installed so as to pass through the through hole (205, 205') while being hung on the pulley of the pulley.

[0079] Meanwhile, at least two of the above-mentioned stamps (200b) are provided to engrave multiple display information on the body at once, and can operate to simultaneously target the target position of the body.

[0080] The above-described automated meat inspection process system according to the technical idea of ​​the present invention has the effect of reducing the burden on workers due to long-term simple repetitive work, minimizing manpower input to reduce operating costs and labor costs, and improving productivity by enabling the inspection process to be performed quickly, by checking the size and condition of the meat through a series of automated systems, identifying the optimal inspection location, and then moving to the location to perform the inspection process, without the worker having to manually perform the inspection process one by one to indicate the grade of the quality of the meat in the slaughtering process.

[0081] As described above, the best practice embodiments have been disclosed in the drawings and specifications. While specific terms have been used herein, they are used solely for the purpose of describing the present invention and are not intended to limit the meaning or scope of the invention as defined in the claims. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent embodiments are possible. Accordingly, the true technical protection scope of the present invention should be defined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

[0082] The present invention is implemented as an automated meat inspection process system that reduces the burden on workers due to long-term simple repetitive work, minimizes manpower input, reduces operating costs and labor costs, and improves productivity by enabling a rapid inspection process, by checking the size and condition of the meat through a series of automated systems, and identifying the optimal inspection location, and then moving to the corresponding inspection location to perform the inspection process, without the worker having to manually perform the inspection process for grading the quality of the meat in the slaughtering process. However, it can be applied to various industrial fields within the scope of the configuration of the present invention.

Claims

1. In an automated system for performing a certification process to indicate the quality of meat during the slaughter process, A vision sensing unit that obtains status information on the size, shape, and location of the body and derives location information based on the obtained status information; and An automated land inspection process system comprising a land inspection unit that receives the status information and the land inspection location information in connection with the above vision sensing unit, moves toward the land inspection location, and then performs a land inspection operation.

2. In paragraph 1, The above seal is, A multi-joint robot capable of freely moving in one or more directions or angles; and An automated meat inspection process system characterized by including an inspection module that performs an inspection process by applying a stamp toward a meat inspection location as an end effector installed on the above multi-joint robot.

3. In paragraph 2, The above verification module is, A housing installed at an end of the above multi-joint robot and having a space provided inside; A cylinder is built into the housing, and information on the quality grade of the meat is engraved thereon, and the cylinder moves in a straight line to mark the position of the meat on the painted surface; and An automated system for a land inspection process, characterized in that it includes an ink application unit for applying ink to the painted surface of the above-mentioned painting.

4. In paragraph 3, The above ink application part, A roller unit including a roller that applies ink by contacting the painted surface of the stamp, and a roller holder that holds the roller so that the outer surface of the roller can make surface contact with the painted surface of the stamp; An ink supply pipe for supplying ink to the roller by receiving ink from an external ink supply device and an ink discharge pipe for discharging ink contained in the roller; and An automated system for a land inspection process, characterized in that it includes a roller conveyance unit that horizontally moves the roller unit to apply ink to the painted surface of the above-mentioned painting.

5. In paragraph 4, The above roller conveyor, A motor that provides rotational force and has a pulley mounted on a rotating shaft; A wire wound around the above pulley and having a weight installed at one end; and A fixed bar having one end fixed to one side of the wire and the other end fixed to the roller stand; A meat inspection process automation system characterized in that, as the rotational axis of the motor rotates forward, the wire wound around the pulley by the weight is unwound, thereby moving the fixed bar to move the roller unit, and as the rotational axis of the motor rotates backward, the wire is wound around the pulley, thereby moving the fixed bar to the initial position, thereby moving the roller unit.

6. In paragraph 5, The above housing, A through hole for the wire to pass through is formed near the corners on one side and the other side, and a guide groove is formed on the upper surface and the lower surface to guide the fixed bar to move in a straight line. An automated land inspection process system characterized in that the wire released from the pulley passes through a through hole on one side and passes through a through hole on the other side while being fixed to the fixed bar.

7. In paragraph 5, The above seal is, An automated meat inspection process system characterized in that at least two are provided and operate simultaneously to price meat toward the inspection location of the meat.

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