Trimming device for slice piece, and method for trimming slice piece

Abstract

Provided is a slice piece trimming device including a conveyance unit that conveys a slice piece of a material along a direction of travel, a first camera that performs shooting of the slice piece, a cutting unit that is disposed downstream in the direction of travel with respect to a shooting position of the first camera and that is provided with an ultrasonic cutter, and a computer. The computer is configured to detect a defective part of the slice piece on the basis of a first image of the slice piece shot by the first camera, and to control the cutting unit so as to trim a region of the slice piece including the defective part that is detected, by the ultrasonic cutter.

Description

Slice trimming device and slice trimming method

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates to a slice trimming device and a method for trimming slices.

[0002] In the manufacturing process of various products, it is common to remove defective parts from materials. For example, in the manufacturing of food products, there are known devices that use a suction tube to remove foreign matter from strained potato dough, and methods for sorting defective potatoes from a batch of potatoes and removing the defective parts from the defective potatoes (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] However, when defects are removed from materials using a suction tube, holes may appear in the finished product, damaging its appearance. In addition, for efficient production of products, a higher processing speed is required in the process of removing defects.

[0004] On the other hand, it is known to use an ultrasonic cutter as a blade for cutting food materials transported on a belt conveyor (see Patent Documents 3 and 4). By using an ultrasonic cutter, it is possible to prevent the material from sticking during cutting and to cut at high speed.

[0005] However, there is no known technology for using an ultrasonic cutter to remove defective portions from material being transported on a belt conveyor.

[0006] Japanese Patent No. 5487091 International Publication No. 2015 / 187021 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-125487 Japanese Patent No. 6192464

[0007] The present disclosure provides a slice trimming device and method that can rapidly remove defects from a slice of material without damaging the appearance of the slice.

[0008] A first aspect of the present disclosure is a slice trimming device including: a conveying unit that conveys slices of material along a direction of travel; a first camera that photographs the slices; a cutting unit that is positioned downstream along the direction of travel from the photographing position of the first camera and is equipped with an ultrasonic cutter; and a computer, wherein the computer is configured to detect defective portions of the slices based on a first image of the slices photographed by the first camera, and to control the cutting unit to trim the area of ​​the slice that includes the detected defective portions using the ultrasonic cutter.

[0009] In the first aspect, slices transported by the transport unit pass under the first camera and the cutting unit located downstream along the direction of travel of the transport unit. The computer detects defects in the slices based on a first image of the slices taken by the first camera and controls the cutting unit to trim the area of ​​the slice containing the detected defects with an ultrasonic cutter. This allows high-speed detection and trimming without interfering with transport by the transport unit and prevents unnecessary damage to the slices caused by cutting with the ultrasonic cutter. Therefore, according to the first aspect, defects can be removed from the slices at high speed without damaging the appearance of the sliced ​​material.

[0010] A second aspect of the present disclosure is a slice trimming device according to the first aspect, wherein the cutting unit is configured to hold the ultrasonic cutter in a vertical position where the ultrasonic cutter can cut the slices, and the cutting surface of the blade of the ultrasonic cutter extends in a direction approximately parallel to the direction of travel, and further includes a head configured to be able to move back and forth in a direction approximately perpendicular to the direction of travel.

[0011] In the second aspect, the cutting unit has a movable head that holds the ultrasonic cutter. Specifically, the head holds the ultrasonic cutter so that the ultrasonic cutter is in a vertical position where it can cut the slices, and the cutting surface of the blade of the ultrasonic cutter extends in a direction substantially parallel to the direction of travel of the conveyor. The head also moves back and forth in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of travel of the conveyor. Thus, according to the second aspect, by using a computer to appropriately control the position of the head that holds the ultrasonic cutter, it is possible to use the ultrasonic cutter to cut the desired location of the slices.

[0012] A third aspect of the present disclosure is a slice trimming device in the first aspect, further including a second camera that photographs the slice upstream along the direction of travel relative to the photographing position of the first camera, and the computer controls the timing of photographing the slice by the first camera based on a second image photographed by the second camera.

[0013] In the third aspect, a second camera located upstream of the first camera's photographing position along the direction of travel of the conveyor captures an image of the slices, and the computer controls the timing of photographing the first camera based on the second image captured by the second camera. Thus, according to the third aspect, the progress of the slices on the conveyor is detected by preliminary photographing with the second camera, and based on the detected progress, the first camera photographs the slices at an appropriate time, thereby obtaining a first image suitable for detecting a defect.

[0014] A fourth aspect of the present disclosure is the slice trimming device of the first aspect, further including a first sensor that detects clogging of slices at the cutting edge of the ultrasonic cutter.

[0015] In the fourth aspect, the device further includes a first sensor that detects the clogging of the cutting edge of the ultrasonic cutter with sliced ​​pieces. Therefore, according to the fourth aspect, when the cutting edge of the ultrasonic cutter is clogged with sliced ​​pieces, the clogging can be properly detected and an early response can be taken.

[0016] A fifth aspect of the present disclosure is the slice trimming device of the fourth aspect, further including a clog removal nozzle that blows air toward the cutting edge of the ultrasonic cutter.

[0017] In the fifth aspect, the device further includes a clog removal nozzle that blows air toward the cutting edge of the ultrasonic cutter. Therefore, according to the fifth aspect, when a sliced ​​piece becomes clogged at the cutting edge of the ultrasonic cutter, the clog removal nozzle can be activated to remove the clog by air pressure.

[0018] A sixth aspect of the present disclosure is the slice trimming device of the first aspect, further including a second sensor that detects lifting of the transport section.

[0019] In the sixth aspect, the device further includes a second sensor that detects whether the conveying section is lifted. If the conveying section is lifted in the trimming device, the ultrasonic cutter of the cutting section will accidentally cut the conveying section. Therefore, according to the sixth aspect, unnecessary cutting of the conveying section can be prevented.

[0020] A seventh aspect of the present disclosure is a slice trimming device according to the first aspect, wherein the distance between the cutting edge of the ultrasonic cutter and the conveying surface of the conveying section is adjustable within a range of 0.3 mm or more and 0.5 mm or less.

[0021] In the seventh aspect, the distance between the blade edge of the ultrasonic cutter and the conveying surface of the conveying unit is adjustable within a range of 0.3 mm to 0.5 mm, so that the distance between the blade edge of the ultrasonic cutter and the conveying surface of the conveying unit can be finely adjusted to a position where the slices can be cut without cutting the conveying unit.

[0022] An eighth aspect of the present disclosure is a slice trimming device including a plurality of sets each consisting of the first camera, the second camera, and the cutting unit, each having a different photographable area and movable area.

[0023] In the eighth aspect, the device includes multiple sets of a first camera, a second camera, and a cutting unit, each with a different capture area and movable area. The conveying unit forms multiple lines of sliced ​​pieces moving in parallel, thereby improving material processing efficiency. Furthermore, when multiple sliced ​​pieces are processed in parallel, the cameras and cutting units may approach or collide with each other. However, by providing a set of a first camera, a second camera, and a cutting unit corresponding to each slice, processing can be performed while the sliced ​​pieces are appropriately spaced apart from each other. Therefore, according to the eighth aspect, defective portions can be removed from each sliced ​​piece at high speed without damaging its appearance, thereby improving the efficiency of the product manufacturing process.

[0024] A ninth aspect of the present disclosure is a slice trimming device in which, in the second aspect described above, the computer detects defective portions of the slice by comparing color information of the first image with predetermined color information, and controls the position of the head so that, when the defective portion is detected to be located to the right of the center of the slice, the ultrasonic cutter cuts the left side of the area of ​​the slice that includes the defective portion, and when the defective portion is detected to be located to the left of the center of the slice, the ultrasonic cutter cuts the right side of the area of ​​the slice that includes the defective portion.

[0025] In the ninth aspect, the computer detects defects in the slice by comparing color information of the first image of the slice captured by the first camera with predetermined color information. The computer also trims the slice by controlling the position of the head holding the ultrasonic cutter as follows: If a defect is detected to be located to the right of the center of the slice, the ultrasonic cutter cuts the left side of the region of the slice containing the defect. On the other hand, if a defect is detected to be located to the left of the center of the slice, the ultrasonic cutter cuts the right side of the region of the slice containing the defect. Thus, according to the ninth aspect, image recognition can be used to appropriately and easily detect defects in the slice, and the smallest region containing the detected defect can be removed from the slice.

[0026] A tenth aspect of the present disclosure is a slice trimming device according to the second aspect, wherein the computer controls the position of the head so that the ultrasonic cutter is in a horizontal position that does not cut the slice when no defective portion is detected in the slice.

[0027] In the tenth aspect, if no defective portion is detected in the slice, the computer controls the horizontal position of the head holding the ultrasonic cutter so that the blade of the ultrasonic cutter does not cut the slice, thereby easily avoiding cutting slices that should not be trimmed.

[0028] An eleventh aspect of the present disclosure is a method for trimming slices of material, comprising: conveying slices of material along a direction of travel; photographing the slices with a first camera; detecting a defective portion of the slice based on a first image of the slice photographed by the first camera; and trimming an area of ​​the slice including the detected defective portion downstream along the direction of travel from the photographing position of the first camera using the ultrasonic cutter.

[0029] In the eleventh aspect, slices transported along the direction of travel pass directly below the first camera and the ultrasonic cutter located downstream along the direction of travel. Defects in the slices are detected based on a first image of the slice taken by the first camera, and the area of ​​the slice containing the detected defects is trimmed using the ultrasonic cutter. This allows high-speed detection and trimming without interrupting the transport of the slices, and prevents unnecessary damage to the slices caused by cutting with the ultrasonic cutter. Therefore, according to the eleventh aspect, defects can be removed from the slices at high speed without damaging the appearance of the slices of material.

[0030] 1 is a top view showing a processing device according to the present embodiment; FIG. 2 is a front view showing the appearance of a slicer; FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an impeller; FIG. 4 is a top view showing the internal configuration of the impeller; FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a cutting head; FIG. 6 is a top view of the cutting head showing the arrangement of knives; FIG. 7 is a top view schematically showing the rotational movement of the impeller holding potatoes in the cutting head with knives arranged; FIG. 8 is a top view schematically showing the discharge of potato slices from the installation section of the cutting head; FIG. 9 is a view seen from the vertical side schematically showing the falling movement of slices discharged from the slicer; FIG. 10 is a top view schematically showing the operation of the processing device; FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing the falling of slices according to a comparative example; FIG. 12 is a schematic view showing the falling of slices according to an example; FIG. 13 is a top view schematically showing the entire trimming device according to the present embodiment; FIG. 14 is a schematic view showing the hardware configuration of a computer included in the trimming device; FIG. 15 is a view showing details of one line of the trimming device; FIG. 16 is a view showing an example of a second image of slices photographed by a second camera; and FIG. 17 is a view showing an example of a reference image stored in the computer. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a first image of a slice piece captured by a first camera; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a projected reference image obtained by projecting a reference image onto the outline of the slice piece; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a first image in which a defective part is detected; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a cutting surface of a slice piece to be cut on the first image; and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing details of the configuration of a cutting unit.

[0031] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings described below, identical or corresponding components are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0032] [Slicing Apparatus] FIG. 1 is a top view showing a processing apparatus 100 according to this embodiment.

[0033] The processing device 100 of this embodiment is a device that forms part of a system for manufacturing a product from a predetermined material. The material is not particularly limited as long as it can be sliced. As an example, the material may be food, particularly a root vegetable. Examples of root vegetables include potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, radishes, and lotus roots. A particularly preferred material is potatoes.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 1 , the processing apparatus 100 includes a slicer 10 and a belt conveyor 80. The slicer 10 is a device for slicing material. In particular, the slicer 10 is a so-called centrifugal slicer that is configured to forcefully eject sliced ​​pieces of the sliced ​​material into the surrounding area. Such centrifugal slicers are generally commercially available, such as Model CC (Urschel), Centris (registered trademark) 315 (FAM), and the Super Slicer Series (K. Machine). When using a commercially available slicer as the slicer 10 of this embodiment, it is necessary to remove the cover that is disposed around the slicer to prevent the sliced ​​pieces from scattering.

[0035] The rotation speed of the slicer 10 is not particularly limited as long as it is selected so that slices can be ejected from the discharge port along a parabolic trajectory. The appropriate rotation speed can be adjusted as appropriate depending on the type of material, the size of the slicer 10, and the like. As an example, when a MODEL CC (Urschel) is used as the slicer 10, the appropriate rotation speed of the slicer 10 is in the range of 240 rpm to 280 rpm, and may be 260 rpm in particular.

[0036] The belt conveyor 80 is a transport device that moves the sliced ​​pieces of material discharged from the slicer 10 to the next process in the production of products. The downward arrow in Figure 1 indicates the transport direction of the belt conveyor 80.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 1 , target areas 86A, 86B, and 86C are defined on the upper surface of the belt conveyor 80. The target areas 86A, 86B, and 86C are fixed areas on the upper surface of the belt conveyor 80 and do not move as the belt conveyor 80 moves. The target areas 86A, 86B, and 86C are defined as areas where slices discharged from the slicer 10 are desired to reach in order to proceed to the next process in the production of a product. Specifically, when slices of material discharged from the slicer 10 fall onto the upper surface of the belt conveyor 80, if the slices fall within one of the target areas 86A, 86B, or 86C, the slices will be properly transported to the next process in the production of the product as the belt conveyor 80 moves forward. Conversely, if the slices fall in a position outside the target areas 86A, 86B, or 86C, the slices may not be properly transported to the next process in the production of the product.

[0038] 1 shows three target areas, but the number is not limited to this. In this embodiment, as an example, the slicer 10 will be described assuming that sliced ​​pieces of material are discharged from three locations, and three target areas 86A, 86B, and 86C are set accordingly. An appropriate number of target areas can be set depending on the number of discharge sections that discharge slices in the slicer 10 and the length of the belt conveyor 80 in the width direction (the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction indicated by the downward arrow in FIG. 1).

[0039] As shown in FIG. 1 , the processing apparatus 100 also includes guide plates 60A, 60B, and 60C. The guide plates 60A, 60B, and 60C are configured to receive sliced ​​material pieces discharged from the slicer 10 and guide them to target areas 86A, 86B, and 86C on the upper surface of the belt conveyor 80. Specifically, the sliced ​​material pieces received by the guide plate 60A are guided to fall into the target area 86A. The same applies to the relationship between the guide plate 60B(C) and the target area 86B(C). Specifically, as an example, when viewed vertically, the guide plates 60A, 60B, and 60C can be positioned at approximately the same height as or slightly below the sliced ​​material discharge point of the slicer 10 located vertically above. The guide plates 60A, 60B, and 60C can be positioned at desired locations within the processing apparatus 100 by holding members (not shown).

[0040] Next, the configuration of the slicer 10 will be described in detail. Fig. 2 is a front view showing the appearance of the slicer 10. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the impeller 30. Fig. 4 is a top view showing the internal configuration of the impeller 30. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the cutting head 20. Fig. 6 is a top view of the cutting head 20 showing the arrangement of the knives 22A, 22B, and 22C.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 2, the slicer 10 includes a hopper 18, an annular cutting head 20, an impeller 30 coaxially mounted inside the cutting head 20, a housing 12, a gear box 14, and a support ring 16.

[0042] The impeller 30 has an axis of rotation that coincides with the central axis of the cutting head 20, and is housed within the housing 12 and is driven to rotate about the axis of rotation via a shaft (not shown) connected to the gearbox 14. The cutting head 20 is attached to a support ring 16 above the gearbox 14 and remains stationary while the impeller 30 rotates.

[0043] The input section 18A of the hopper 18 is configured to be able to receive material. In the following description, the material is assumed to be potatoes as an example. In a pre-processing step for product production (not shown), the potatoes are peeled, transported to a position directly above the hopper 18, and then input into the slicer 10 through the input section 18A of the hopper 18. The input potatoes are transported through the hopper 18 to the cutting head 20 and impeller 30 located below. When the impeller 30 rotates, the potatoes are carried radially outward by centrifugal force and engage with paddles 32 of the impeller 30 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) and the inner circumferential surface of the cutting head 20 (see FIGS. 5 and 6), which will be described later.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 3 , the impeller 30 includes paddles 32 oriented in a generally radial direction. For example, the impeller 30 will be described below as having five paddles 32. Each paddle 32 includes a retaining surface 32A. As the impeller 30 rotates, the retaining surface 32A captures potatoes introduced into the slicer 10 and directs the potatoes radially outward toward the knives 22 (see FIGS. 5 and 6 ) of the cutting head 20, which will be described later. For example, the paddles 32 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 are oriented in a direction referred to as negative pitch in this disclosure. Negative pitch refers to the fact that the radially inner end of the retaining surface 32A of each paddle 32 is inclined in the opposite direction to the rotational direction relative to the radius of the impeller 30, as shown in FIG. 4 . For example, the impeller 30 can be cast as a unitary structure using an alloy such as manganese aluminum bronze (MAB) alloy.

[0045] 4, when a potato 40 is fed into the slicer 10 from the feed port 18A of the hopper 18 and reaches the inside of the rotating impeller 30, it moves radially outward due to centrifugal force and comes into contact with and is held by the holding surface 32A of one of the five paddles 32. As long as the rotational speed of the impeller 30 is set appropriately (for example, in the range of 240 rpm to 280 rpm as mentioned above), the potato 40 rotates while being held by the holding surface 32A of the same paddle 32.

[0046] As shown in Figure 5, the cutting head 20 has knives 22 mounted on mounting portions 24 provided on its side. For ease of explanation, Figure 5 shows a single mounting portion 24 and knife 22 combination, but the number of mounting portions and knives is not limited to this. Also, it is not necessary to mount knives on all mounting portions, and an appropriate number of knives can be selected depending on the number of slices to be discharged from the slicer 10.

[0047] Fig. 6 shows a schematic example of the arrangement of the mounting portions 24 and knives 22 in the cutting head 20. In Fig. 6, 14 mounting portions 24 are provided on the cutting head 20, and knives 22A, 22B, and 22C are arranged only in 24A, 24B, and 24C of these mounting portions. No knives are arranged in the other 11 mounting portions 24.

[0048] The placement sections 24A, 24B, and 24C in FIG. 6 correspond to the guide plate 60A (60B, 60C) and target area 86A (86B, 86C) pairs shown in FIG. 1 . Specifically, when the potato 40 (see FIG. 4 ) held on the holding surface 32A of the paddle 32 of the impeller 30 comes into contact with the knife 22A of the cutting head 20 as the impeller 30 rotates, slices of the potato 40 are ejected from the placement section 24A, fall, and reach the target area 86A on the upper surface of the belt conveyor 80 via the guide plate 60A. The same applies to the knives 22B and 22C. Note that the upward arrow in FIG. 6 points in the same direction as the conveying direction of the belt conveyor 80 shown in FIG. 1 (the downward arrow in FIG. 1 ).

[0049] Next, the slicing process of the potato 40 and the falling movement of the slices will be described in detail. Figure 7 is a top view schematically showing the rotational movement of the impeller 30 holding the potato 40 within the cutting head 20 in which the knives 22A, 22B, and 22C are arranged. Figure 8 is a top view schematically showing the discharge of slices 40A, 40B, and 40C of the potato 40 from the mounting sections 24A, 24B, and 24C of the cutting head 20. Figure 9 is a vertical side view schematically showing the falling movement of the slices 40A discharged from the slicer 10.

[0050] Figure 7 shows the rotational movement of the impeller 30 inside the cutting head 20. The curved arrow in Figure 7 indicates that the impeller 30 rotates clockwise. As described above with reference to Figure 2, the cutting head 20 is held stationary during the rotational movement of the impeller 30 by being attached to the support ring 16 above the gearbox 14. The upward arrows in Figures 7 and 8 point in the same direction as the upward arrows in Figure 6 and the downward arrows in Figure 1, and represent the conveying direction of the belt conveyor 80.

[0051] As described above with reference to Fig. 4, the impeller 30 of this embodiment has five paddles 32. It is also possible for each of the multiple paddles 32 to hold a potato 40. However, for ease of explanation, Fig. 7 shows a single potato 40 held on the holding surface 32A of a single paddle 32 of the impeller 30.

[0052] 7 indicates the centrifugal force due to the rotation of the impeller 30 acting on the potato 40. When observed from the coordinate system associated with the rotational motion of the impeller 30, an inertial force called the centrifugal force Fc acts on the potato 40, and the potato 40 rotates while being bound to the radial end of the impeller 30 and the inner surface of the cutting head 20.

[0053] As the impeller 30 continues to rotate from the state shown in Figure 7, the potato 40 contacts the mounting portion 24C of the cutting head 20 where the knife 22C is located, the mounting portion 24B where the knife 22B is located, and the mounting portion 24A where the knife 22A is located, in that order. As shown in Figure 8, the potato 40 is sliced ​​by contact with each knife, and slices 40C, 40B, and 40A are discharged. Each of the discharged slices 40C, 40B, and 40A is imparted with an initial velocity in the tangential direction of the outer periphery of the cutting head 20 at each mounting portion 24C, 24B, and 24A. Although Figure 8 shows each slice moving linearly on a horizontal plane, due to the effect of air resistance on thin and soft slices, the slices do not strictly follow a linear trajectory on the horizontal plane.

[0054] Figure 9 shows the trajectory of slice 40A, one of the three slices. The right-pointing arrow in Figure 9 indicates the conveying direction of the belt conveyor 80. As slice 40A moves forward under the influence of gravity and air resistance, it comes into contact with the lower surface 62A of the guide plate 60A. Due to the influence of air resistance, thin and soft slice 40A may bend or flex during its movement. In this embodiment, contact with the lower surface 62A of the guide plate 60A corrects the bending or flexing of slice 40A and makes it possible to straighten it.

[0055] The guide plate 60A can be made of various materials. For example, the guide plate 60A can be made of metal, resin, rubber, etc. An appropriate material can be selected depending on the type of material. As an example, the guide plate 60A is made of metal, preferably stainless steel.

[0056] The lower surface 62A of the guide plate 60A may be textured. The shape of the texture is appropriately selected depending on the type of material, the size and rotation speed of the slicer 10, and is not particularly limited as long as it serves the purpose of preventing the sliced ​​pieces 40A from sticking to the lower surface 62A. For example, the textured shape may be dotted, linear, wavy, concentric, or any pattern, or a combination thereof.

[0057] Furthermore, by adjusting the inclination angle of the guide plate 60A (the lower surface 62A), the slices 40A can be guided to a desired position along the conveying direction of the belt conveyor 80. Specifically, the slices 40A are guided so that they fall into the target area 86A. In particular, the slices 40A may be guided so that they fall below, especially directly below, the guide plate 60A.

[0058] The angle of the guide plate 60A (or the lower surface 62A) is not particularly limited as long as it can receive the sliced ​​pieces 40A and drop them into the target area 86A. The appropriate angle of the guide plate 60A can be adjusted as appropriate depending on the type of material, the size and rotation speed of the slicer 10, and the like. As an example, the angle of the guide plate 60A may be 20 degrees or more, or 30 degrees or more, with respect to the horizontal plane, or 60 degrees or less, or 50 degrees or less, with respect to the horizontal plane. As another example, the angle of the guide plate 60A may be in the range of 20 degrees or more and 60 degrees or less, for example, in the range of 30 degrees or more and 50 degrees or less, with respect to the horizontal plane. As another example, the angle of the guide plate 60A may be 35 degrees, 40 degrees, or even 45 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0059] Example 1 The inventor of the present disclosure performed the following specific measurements on the processing device 100 of this embodiment. Fig. 10 is a top view schematically showing the operation of the processing device 100. Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the falling of sliced ​​pieces 40A according to a comparative example. Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram showing the falling of sliced ​​pieces 40A according to an example.

[0060] 10 shows the operation of the processing device 100 according to the present embodiment, which has already been described. As the contents have been described above, detailed description will be omitted.

[0061] In this example, a Model CC (Urschel) slicer 10 was used, with the cover for preventing the slices from scattering removed and three slicing knives attached. The slicer's rotation speed was estimated to be 260 rpm. A potato 40 was sliced ​​using the slicer 10, and the three parabolic trajectories of the discharged slices 40A, 40B, and 40C were confirmed.

[0062] In this embodiment, three stainless steel metal plates with dot-shaped unevenness were prepared as guide plates 60A, 60B, and 60C, and each metal plate was placed on the three tracks of sliced ​​pieces 40A, 40B, and 40C at an angle of 40 degrees from the horizontal plane so that each metal plate faced each of knives 22A, 22B, and 22C of slicer 10.

[0063] 11 is a comparative example in which the guide plates 60A, 60B, and 60C are not provided in the processing apparatus 100. In this case, the sliced ​​pieces traveled approximately 400 mm in the horizontal direction while drawing a substantially parabolic curve, and fell onto the upper surface of the belt conveyor 80.

[0064] On the other hand, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 12 , slices projecting from the slicer 10 were received by the underside of a metal plate and fell onto the belt conveyor 80. For convenience of illustration, FIG. 12 shows the underside 62A of the guide plate 60A as a metal plate. However, as described above, when viewed vertically, the arrangement is as shown in FIG. 9 . The positions of the guide plates were adjusted appropriately so that the slices fell within an appropriate width on the belt conveyor 80 and did not slacken during the fall. The guide plates were ultimately placed 300 mm horizontally away from the installation sections 24A, 24B, and 24C of the slicer 10. The slices 40A, 40B, and 40C that fell from the three guide plates 60A, 60B, and 60C, respectively, flowed in three rows along the belt conveyor 80. This enabled the potatoes 40 to be appropriately guided to the intended positions on the belt conveyor 80 at a processing capacity of 780 slices / min (200 kg / h).

[0065] [Slice Piece Trimming Apparatus] The slice piece trimming apparatus 200 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 13A is a top view schematically showing the entire trimming apparatus 200. Fig. 13B is a schematic diagram showing the hardware configuration of the computer 160. Fig. 14 is a diagram showing the details of one line of the trimming apparatus 200.

[0066] 13A , trimming device 200 includes belt conveyor 80, three second cameras 110, three first cameras 120, three cutting units 130, and computer 160. First camera 120 is provided downstream of second camera 110 in the conveying direction of belt conveyor 80, and cutting unit 130 is disposed further downstream of first camera 120.

[0067] The belt conveyor 80 is included as part of the processing device 100 described above. The belt of the belt conveyor 80 preferably has a smooth surface and a color that makes it easy to distinguish between sliced ​​pieces of the material being conveyed and defective parts thereof. As an example, if the material is potatoes 40, the color of the belt can be selected to be blue. The belt conveyor 80 is an example of a conveying unit of the present disclosure.

[0068] 13A shows three sets of the second camera 110, the first camera 120, and the cutting unit 130, but the configuration of the trimming device 200 of this embodiment is not limited to this. The processing device 100 described above is described as three slices 40A, 40B, and 40C dropping onto the belt conveyor 80 and being transported to the next process. For convenience, this embodiment will describe three sets of the second camera 110, the first camera 120, and the cutting unit 130 for trimming each of the three slices. The number of sets of the second camera 110, the first camera 120, and the cutting unit 130 included in the trimming device 200 can be changed as needed based on the number of slices discharged from the processing device 100. 13A, the centrally located one of the three cutting units 130 is shown shifted from the other two, but this is a design to prevent brackets 134A (see FIG. 21), which will be described later, from interfering with each other and impeding the function of the cutting units 130. Although a detailed explanation will be omitted, the arrangement of the second camera 110, the first camera 120, and the cutting units 130 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 13A, and the design can be changed as appropriate as long as each unit can perform its respective function.

[0069] Each second camera 110 photographs each slice 40 transported by the belt conveyor 80 and acquires a corresponding second image 112 (see FIG. 15 ). Each first camera 120 photographs each slice transported below the second camera 110 and acquires a corresponding first image 126 (see FIG. 17 ). Each cutting unit 130 trims each slice transported below the first camera 120 to cut off any defective portions.

[0070] The computer 160 is a control device for the trimming device 200. As shown in Fig. 13B, the computer 160 is configured to have a CPU 162, a RAM 164, a ROM 166, a storage 168, a user interface 172, and a communication interface 174. The components of the computer 160 are connected to each other via a bus 176 so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0071] The CPU 162 is a central processing unit that executes various programs and controls each component. That is, the CPU 162 reads the programs from the ROM 166 or the storage 168 and executes the programs using the RAM 164 as a work area. The CPU 162 controls each component of the computer 160 and performs various arithmetic processing in accordance with the programs recorded in the ROM 166 or the storage 168. In this embodiment, the ROM 166 or the storage 168 stores a trimming control program that controls the second camera 110, the first camera 120, and the cutting unit 130 included in the trimming device 200. Specific control by the computer 160 will be described in detail below.

[0072] The ROM 166 stores various programs and various data. The RAM 164 temporarily stores programs or data as a working area. The storage 168 is configured with a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD) and stores various programs including an operating system and various data. The user interface 172 is an interface used when a user uses the trimming device 200. For example, the user interface 172 is configured to include at least one of a liquid crystal display with a touch panel that allows the user to perform touch operations, a voice input receiving unit that receives voice input from the user, and a button that can be pressed by the user. The communication interface 174 is an interface that allows the computer 160 to communicate with other devices, and uses standards such as Ethernet (registered trademark), FDDI, and Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0073] 14 shows a single line of the trimming device 200 that corresponds to the slice pieces 40. For ease of explanation, only this line will be described below, but the trimming device 200 has a similar configuration for the other two lines.

[0074] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a second image 112A of a slice 40A captured by the second camera 110A. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a reference image 122A stored in the computer 160. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a first image 126A of a slice 40A captured by the first camera 120A. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a projected reference image 124A obtained by projecting the reference image 122A onto the outline of the slice 40A. FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of a first image 126A in which a defective portion 42A is detected. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of a cutting surface 150A to be cut on the first image 126A.

[0075] The second camera 110A shown in FIG. 14 photographs slices 40A of potatoes 40 conveyed to the photographing area by the belt conveyor 80, and acquires a second image 112A.

[0076] The second camera 110A may continuously capture the image of the capture area at a predetermined timing to acquire the second image 112A. Alternatively, the second camera 110A may capture the second image 112A as a video. The capture timing of the second camera 110A may be controlled as part of trimming control by the CPU 162 of the computer 160, which will be described later. The second camera 110A may capture the image of the belt conveyor 80 directly below, or the capture area may be located at a different position from the second camera 110A. The second camera 110A is not particularly limited as long as it can detect the presence of slices 40 on the belt conveyor 80. As an example, a black-and-white camera may be used as the second camera 110A.

[0077] The CPU 162 of the computer 160 of the trimming device 200 shown in FIG. 13 reads a trimming control program stored in the ROM 166 or storage 168 and executes trimming control using the RAM 164 as a working area. Hereinafter, for ease of explanation, trimming control by the CPU 162 of the computer 160 based on the trimming control program will be described as the computer 160. The computer 160 determines the progress of the slice 40A based on the second image 112A captured by the second camera 110A. For example, in the second image 112A shown in FIG. 15, the entire slice 40A is not captured, and the lower portion is not captured. The timing at which the slice 40A reaches the first camera 120A is determined based on the position of the second camera 110A (the image capture area) and the position of the slice 40A within the second image 112A. Specifically, the computer 160 determines when the first camera 120A can acquire a first image 126A that includes the entire slice 40A.

[0078] The computer 160 also stores a reference image 122A of the potato 40 shown in Fig. 16. The reference image 122A is an image showing a slice of the potato 40 that has a typical outer shape and does not contain any defective parts.

[0079] The first camera 120A shown in FIG. 14 photographs a slice 40A of a potato 40 that has passed under the second camera 110A and been transported to the photographing area by the belt conveyor 80, and obtains a first image 126A.

[0080] Fig. 17 shows an example of a first image 126A. Compared to the second image 112A shown in Fig. 15, the first image 126A shown in Fig. 17 properly captures the entire slice 40. This is because, as described above, the computer 160 determines in advance the appropriate timing for the first camera 120A to capture the image and controls the timing for acquiring the first image 126A.

[0081] The first camera 120A may capture an image of the belt conveyor 80 directly below, but the capture area may not be directly below the first camera 120A but may be located at a different position. Note that the first camera 120A is not particularly limited as long as it can acquire color information of the slices 40 on the belt conveyor 80 and their defective parts. As an example, a color camera can be used as the first camera 120A.

[0082] The computer 160 compares the first image 126A captured by the first camera 120A with the reference image 122A described above to determine the presence and location of defects in the slice 40A. This determination can be performed using a well-known image recognition technique based on the color information of the image. For example, the computer 160 may capture a projected reference image 124A by projecting the reference image 122A onto the outline of the slice 44 included in the first image 126A (see FIG. 18 ), and then compare this projected reference image 124A with the first image 126A.

[0083] By comparing the two images based on the image recognition described above, the computer 160 can detect the defective portion 42A included in the slice 40A. Fig. 19 shows that the defective portion 42A is detected near the right end of the slice 40A in the first image 126A.

[0084] When the computer 160 detects a defective portion 42A in the slice 40A in the first image 126, it determines a cutting plane 150A along which the slice 40A should be cut. The cutting plane 150A can be determined to minimize the area trimmed from the slice 40A. For example, if a defective portion 42A is detected near the right edge of the slice 40A as shown in FIG. 19 , the cutting plane 150A can be set as close to the left edge of the defective portion 42A as possible within the control accuracy of the ultrasonic cutter 138A included in the cutting unit 130A (described below) while including the right defective portion 42A. Similarly, although not shown, if a defective portion 42A is detected near the left edge of the slice 40A, the cutting plane 150A can be set as close to the right edge of the defective portion 42A as possible within the control accuracy of the ultrasonic cutter 138A.

[0085] Specifically, the distance between the end of the defective portion 42A and the cut surface 150A can be set within a range of 0.0 mm to 2.0 mm, for example, 0.0 mm, 1.0 mm, or 2.0 mm. The distance between the end of the defective portion and the cut surface 150A can be set differently depending on the type of defect in the defective portion 42A. As an example, the defective portion 42A may be a bruise or a green spot.

[0086] FIG. 21 is a diagram showing the details of the configuration of the cutting unit 130A.

[0087] As shown in Fig. 21 , the cutting unit 130A includes a base 132A, a bracket 134A, a head 136A, and an ultrasonic cutter 138A. Furthermore, the base 132A is provided with a first sensor 142A, a clog removal nozzle 144A, and a second sensor 146A. The arrow perpendicular to the drawing in Fig. 21 indicates the conveying direction of the belt conveyor 80.

[0088] The base 132A is a member that holds the bracket 134A. The bracket 134A extends in a direction that is approximately perpendicular to the conveying direction of the belt conveyor 80. The bracket 134A is configured to be movable in the vertical direction.

[0089] The head 136A is supported by the bracket 134A while holding the ultrasonic cutter 138A. The head 136A is configured to be able to move back and forth along the extension direction of the bracket 134A. In other words, the head 136A is able to move back and forth along a direction approximately perpendicular to the conveying direction of the belt conveyor 80.

[0090] The ultrasonic cutter 138A is held by the head 136A so that the cutting surface of the blade extends in a direction substantially parallel to the conveying direction of the belt conveyor 80. An appropriate vibrator and oscillator can be selected for the ultrasonic cutter 138A depending on the type of material, the thickness of the slices, etc. As an example, for slices 40A of potatoes 40, a vibrator with a frequency of 22 kHz and an oscillator with a maximum output of 300 W can be used.

[0091] The distance between the blade edge of the ultrasonic cutter 138A and the belt conveyor 80 can be adjusted appropriately depending on the type of material, the thickness and shape of the sliced ​​pieces, etc., by adjusting the vertical position of the bracket 134A. For example, the distance can be adjusted within a range of 0.1 mm or more, 0.2 mm or more, 0.3 mm or more, 0.4 mm or more, or 0.5 mm or more, and 3.0 mm or less, 2.0 mm or less, 1.0 mm or less, 0.9 mm or less, 0.8 mm or less, 0.7 mm or less, 0.6 mm or less, or 0.5 mm or less. Furthermore, the gap can be adjusted within a range of 0.1 mm or more to 3.0 mm or less, 0.1 mm or more to 2.0 mm or less, 0.1 mm or more to 1.0 mm or less, 0.2 mm or more to 0.8 mm or less, or 0.3 mm or more to 0.5 mm or less. The thickness of the slices 40A of the flat potato 40 is about 1.3 mm, and the thickness of the V-cut (wave-shaped cut) slices 40A is about 1.7 mm. In these cases, the separation distance can be adjusted within a range of 0.3 mm to 0.5 mm, for example.

[0092] 13A and 13B controls the position of the head 136A of the cutting unit 130A based on the cutting plane 150A set based on the detected location of the defective portion 42A shown in Fig. 20. Specifically, the computer 160 determines the position of the head 136A along the extension direction of the bracket 134A (i.e., the position along the direction approximately perpendicular to the conveying direction of the belt conveyor 80) so that the cutting plane of the blade of the ultrasonic cutter 138A held by the head 136A coincides with the cutting plane 150A to be cut in the sliced ​​piece 40A, and moves the head 136A to that position.

[0093] The cutting section 130A shown in Figures 14 and 21 cuts the cutting surface 150A (see Figure 20) of the sliced ​​pieces 40A of the potatoes 40 that have been transported by the belt conveyor 80 passing under the first camera 120A using the blade of the ultrasonic cutter 138A.

[0094] It is also possible to adjust the blade of the ultrasonic cutter 138A so that it does not cut the cutting surface 150A but only makes an incision.

[0095] Furthermore, if the computer 160 does not detect any defective portion 42A in the slice 40A during analysis of the first image 126, it controls the horizontal position of the head 136A that holds the ultrasonic cutter 138A so that the blade of the ultrasonic cutter 138A does not cut the slice 40A. Specifically, in FIG. 21 , the head 136A is moved closer to the left or right end of the bracket 134A so that the blade of the ultrasonic cutter 138A does not come into contact with the slice 40A being conveyed.

[0096] The first sensor 142A is configured to be movable in the vertical direction and is configured to be able to detect a blockage of sliced ​​pieces at the cutting edge of the ultrasonic cutter 138A. The first sensor 142A is not particularly limited as long as it can detect a blockage of sliced ​​pieces at the cutting edge of the ultrasonic cutter 138A. As an example, an optical sensor, particularly a fiber sensor or a laser sensor, can be used as the first sensor 142A.

[0097] The clog removal nozzle 144A is configured to be movable vertically in accordance with the first sensor 142A, and is configured to spray air toward the cutting edge of the ultrasonic cutter 138A to remove clogged slices.

[0098] The second sensor 146A is configured to detect lifting of the belt of the belt conveyor 80. In the trimming device 200 of this embodiment, if the belt of the belt conveyor 80 lifts, the ultrasonic cutter 138A will cut the belt, so monitoring the belt lifting is important. Preferably, the second sensor 146A is a sensor capable of detecting belt lifting of 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm, more preferably, the second sensor 146A is a sensor capable of detecting belt lifting to the second decimal point, and even more preferably, the second sensor 146A is a sensor capable of detecting belt lifting in increments of 0.01 mm. As an example, the second sensor 146A is a contact-type displacement sensor. As another example, the second sensor 146A is an optical sensor, particularly a laser sensor.

[0099] In this embodiment, the first sensor 142A, the clog removal nozzle 144A, and the second sensor 146A are described as being arranged on the base 132A of the cutting section 130A, but the arrangement of these components is not limited to this, and they can be appropriately arranged in other locations on the trimming device 200 as long as they can perform their respective functions.

[0100] The computer 160 appropriately controls the first sensor 142A, the clog removal nozzle 144A, and the second sensor 146A so that the slices can move properly on the belt conveyor 80 in the trimming device 200 and the ultrasonic cutter 138A can properly cut off any defective portions of the slices.

[0101] Furthermore, although not shown, the trimming device 200 may include a first scraper that peels and collects the sliced ​​pieces 40A from the surface of the belt conveyor 80 at the end of the belt conveyor 80 in the traveling direction.

[0102] Furthermore, although not shown, the trimming device 200 may also include a cleaning mechanism for keeping the surface of the belt conveyor 80 clean. For example, if pieces of the sliced ​​pieces 40A remain stuck to the belt and circulate around the belt conveyor 80, interfering with the proper operation of the device, including an appropriate cleaning mechanism can solve the problem. Furthermore, particularly when the material being sliced ​​by the processing device 100 is grain, starch from the sliced ​​pieces 40 may adhere to the belt conveyor 80 during operation of the trimming device 200. If the adhered starch causes the belt to appear white and interferes with image capture by the first camera 120 and the second camera 110, including an appropriate cleaning mechanism can also solve the problem. As an example of a cleaning mechanism, the trimming device 200 includes piping for spraying cleaning water onto the belt. As another example, the present invention includes a second scraper for removing residual debris from the belt. As a further example, the trimming device 200 may include a third scraper for draining the cleaning water from the belt.

[0103] Example 2 The inventors of the present disclosure conducted specific measurements on the trimming device 200 of this embodiment as follows. A CA-H048MX (manufactured by Keyence Corporation) was used as the second camera 110, a CA-H200CX (manufactured by Keyence Corporation) was used as the first camera 120, an SF-3441 (300W) (manufactured by Sonotec Corporation) was used as the transmitter for the ultrasonic cutter 138(A), and an SF-8500RR (22KH) (manufactured by Sonotec Corporation) was used as the vibrator. The separation distance between the cutting edge of the ultrasonic cutter 138(A) and the belt of the belt conveyor 80 was set to 0.3 mm. The distance between the outer edge of the defective portion 42(A) detected in the sliced ​​piece 40(A) and the cut surface 150(A) was set to 0.0 mm for bruising and 2.0 mm for greening. A first scraper was installed at the end of the belt conveyor 80. In addition, a pipe for spraying cleaning water, a second scraper, and a third scraper were installed below the belt conveyor.

[0104] In this example, defective portions were separated from the sliced ​​potatoes 40 guided onto the belt conveyor 80 at an efficiency of 780 slices / min (200 kg / hr) in Example 1 for the processing apparatus 100 described above, at a processing capacity of 780 slices / min. The separated defective portions and portions not containing the defective portions were then transported to a subsequent process for separation.

[0105] (Operation of the Present Embodiment) In the present embodiment, potato slices 40A transported by the belt conveyor 80 pass under the first camera 120A and the cutting unit 130A located downstream along the direction of travel of the belt conveyor 80. The computer 160 detects defective portions 42A in the slices 40A based on the first image 126A of the slices 40A captured by the first camera 120A and controls the cutting unit 130A to trim the area of ​​the slices 40A containing the detected defective portions 42A using the ultrasonic cutter 138A. This allows high-speed detection and trimming without interrupting transport on the belt conveyor 80 and prevents unnecessary damage to the slices 40A caused by cutting with the ultrasonic cutter 138A. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, defective portions 42A can be removed from the slices 40A at high speed without damaging the appearance of the slices 40A.

[0106] In this embodiment, the cutting unit 130A has a movable head 136A holding an ultrasonic cutter 138A. Specifically, the head 136A holds the ultrasonic cutter 138A so that the ultrasonic cutter 138A is in a vertical position where it can cut the slices 40A and the cutting surface of the blade of the ultrasonic cutter 138A extends in a direction substantially parallel to the direction of travel of the belt conveyor 80. The head 136A also moves back and forth in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of travel of the belt conveyor 80. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the computer 160 appropriately controls the position of the head 136A holding the ultrasonic cutter 138A, thereby enabling the ultrasonic cutter 138A to cut the desired portion of the slices 40A.

[0107] In this embodiment, the second camera 110A, located upstream of the shooting position of the first camera 120A along the direction of travel of the belt conveyor 80, captures an image of the sliced ​​pieces 40A, and the computer 160 controls the timing of the image capture by the first camera 120A based on the second image 112A captured by the second camera 110A. Thus, according to this embodiment, the progress of the sliced ​​pieces 40A on the belt conveyor 80 is detected by preliminary image capture by the second camera 110A, and based on the detected progress, the first camera 120A captures the sliced ​​pieces 40A at an appropriate timing, thereby obtaining a first image 126A suitable for detecting a defective condition.

[0108] In this embodiment, the trimming device 200 further includes a first sensor 142A that detects the clogging of the slice pieces 40A at the cutting edge of the ultrasonic cutter 138A. Therefore, according to this embodiment, when the cutting edge of the ultrasonic cutter 138A is clogged with the slice pieces 40A, this can be properly detected and promptly addressed.

[0109] In this embodiment, the trimming device 200 further includes a clog removal nozzle 144A that blows air toward the cutting edge of the ultrasonic cutter 138A. Therefore, according to this embodiment, when a sliced ​​piece 40A is clogged at the cutting edge of the ultrasonic cutter 138A, the clog removal nozzle 144A can be activated to remove the clog by air pressure.

[0110] In this embodiment, the trimming device 200 further includes a second sensor 146A that detects lifting of the belt of the belt conveyor 80. If the belt of the belt conveyor 80 in the trimming device 200 is lifted, the ultrasonic cutter 138A of the cutting unit 130A will erroneously cut the belt conveyor 80. Therefore, according to this embodiment, unnecessary cutting of the belt conveyor 80 can be prevented.

[0111] In this embodiment, the distance between the blade edge of the ultrasonic cutter 138A and the belt of the belt conveyor 80 is adjustable within a range of 0.3 mm to 0.5 mm. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the distance between the blade edge of the ultrasonic cutter 138A and the belt of the belt conveyor 80 can be finely adjusted to a position where the sliced ​​pieces 40A can be cut without cutting the belt conveyor 80.

[0112] In this embodiment, the trimming device 200 includes multiple sets of a first camera 120, a second camera 110, and a cutting unit 130, each with a different capture area and movable area. The belt conveyor 80 forms multiple lines of sliced ​​pieces 40 moving in parallel, thereby improving material processing efficiency. Furthermore, while it is common for multiple sliced ​​pieces 40 to be processed in parallel, the cameras and cutting units may approach or collide with each other. However, by providing a set of a first camera 120, a second camera 110, and a cutting unit 130 corresponding to each sliced ​​piece 40, processing can be performed while maintaining an appropriate distance from each other. Therefore, according to this embodiment, defective portions 42(A) can be removed from each sliced ​​piece 40 at high speed without damaging the sliced ​​pieces 40's appearance, thereby improving the efficiency of the product manufacturing process.

[0113] In this embodiment, the computer 160 detects a defective portion 42A in the slice 40A by comparing color information in the first image 126A of the slice 40A captured by the first camera 120A with color information in the reference image 122A (or the projected reference image 124A). The computer 160 also trims the slice 40A by controlling the position of the head 136A holding the ultrasonic cutter 138A as follows: If the defective portion 42A is detected to be located to the right of the center of the slice 40A, the ultrasonic cutter 138A cuts the left side of the region of the slice 40A that includes the defective portion 42A. On the other hand, if the defective portion 42A is detected to be located to the left of the center of the slice 40A, the ultrasonic cutter 138A cuts the right side of the region of the slice 40A that includes the defective portion 42A. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the defective portion 42A of the slice 40A can be detected appropriately and easily using image recognition, and the minimum area including the detected defective portion 42A can be removed from the slice 40A.

[0114] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if no defective portion 42A is detected in the slice 40A, the computer 160 controls the horizontal position of the head 136A holding the ultrasonic cutter 138A so that the blade of the ultrasonic cutter 138A does not cut the slice 40A. Therefore, this embodiment makes it easy to avoid cutting slices 40A that should not be trimmed.

[0115] Furthermore, this embodiment provides a method for quickly removing defective portions 42A from slices 40A of material without damaging the appearance of the slices 40A.

[0116] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims and the technical ideas described in the specification and drawings. Note that any shapes or materials not directly described in the specification and drawings are within the scope of the technical ideas of the present disclosure as long as they achieve the effects of the present disclosure.

[0117] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10...Slicer 12...Housing 14...Gearbox 16...Support ring 18...Hopper 18A...Feeding section 20...Cutting head 22...Knife 22A...Knife 22B...Knife 22C...Knife 24...Installation section 24A...Installation section 24B...Installation section 24C...Installation section 30...Impeller 32...Paddle 32A...Holding surface 40...Potato 40A...Slices 40B...Slices 40C...Slices 60A...Guide plate 60B...Guide plate 60C...Guide plate 62A...Underside 80...Belt conveyor 86A...Target area 86B...Target area 86C...Target area 100...Processing device 110...Second camera 110A...Second camera 112...Second image 112A...Second image 120...First camera 120A...First camera 122A...Reference image 124A...Projected reference image 126...First image 126A...First image 130...Cutting portion 130A...Cutting portion 132A...Base 134A...Bracket 136A...Head 138A...Ultrasonic cutter 142A...First sensor 144A...Removal nozzle 146A...Second sensor 150A...Cutting surface 160...Computer 200...Trimming device

Claims

1. A slice trimming device comprising: a conveying unit that conveys slices of material along a direction of travel; a first camera that photographs the slices; a cutting unit equipped with an ultrasonic cutter and positioned downstream along the direction of travel from the photographing position of the first camera; and a computer, wherein the computer is configured to detect defects in the slices based on a first image of the slice taken by the first camera, and to control the cutting unit to trim the area of ​​the slice including the detected defects with the ultrasonic cutter.

2. The slice trimming device according to claim 1, wherein the cutting unit further comprises a head configured to hold the ultrasonic cutter so that the ultrasonic cutter is in a vertical position capable of cutting the slices and the cutting surface of the blade of the ultrasonic cutter extends in a direction approximately parallel to the direction of travel, and to be capable of reciprocating in a direction approximately perpendicular to the direction of travel.

3. The slice trimming device according to claim 1, further comprising a second camera that photographs the slices upstream along the direction of travel from the photographing position of the first camera, and the computer controls the timing of photographing the slices by the first camera based on a second image photographed by the second camera.

4. The slice trimming device according to claim 1, further comprising: a first sensor for detecting a blockage of slices at the cutting edge of the ultrasonic cutter.

5. The slice trimming device according to claim 4, further comprising: a clogging removal nozzle that blows air toward the cutting edge of the ultrasonic cutter.

6. The slice trimming device according to claim 1, further comprising: a second sensor for detecting lifting of the conveying portion.

7. The slice trimming device according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the blade edge of the ultrasonic cutter and the conveying surface of the conveying part is adjustable within a range of 0.3 mm to 0.5 mm.

8. The slice trimming device according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of sets of the first camera, the second camera and the cutting unit, each having a different photographable area and movable area.

9. The slice trimming device according to claim 2, wherein the computer detects defective portions of the slice by comparing color information of the first image with predetermined color information, and controls the position of the head so that, when the defective portion is detected to be located to the right of the center of the slice, the ultrasonic cutter cuts the left side of the area of ​​the slice including the defective portion, and when the defective portion is detected to be located to the left of the center of the slice, the ultrasonic cutter cuts the right side of the area of ​​the slice including the defective portion.

10. The slice trimming device according to claim 2, wherein the computer controls the position of the head so that the ultrasonic cutter is in a horizontal position that does not cut the slice when no defective portion is detected in the slice.

11. A method for trimming slices of material, comprising: conveying a slice of material along a direction of travel; photographing the slice with a first camera; detecting a defective portion of the slice based on a first image of the slice taken by the first camera; and trimming a region of the slice including the detected defective portion with the ultrasonic cutter downstream along the direction of travel from the photographing position of the first camera.

Images