Farm product measurement device

Abstract

A farm product measurement device 1 according to the present disclosure comprises: a light emission unit 6 for emitting light; a light reception unit 16 for receiving reflected light composed of the light reflected by a farm product; and a light shielding member 30 provided at the periphery of the light emission unit 6 and the light reception unit 16. The light shielding member 30 has an accommodation section 32 for accommodating at least some of the farm product.

Description

Crop measuring device

[0001] This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-100462, filed on June 21, 2024, and incorporates by reference all of the contents of said Japanese application.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a handy measuring device that irradiates light onto an object to be measured, such as a fruit, and performs spectroscopic analysis of the reflected light to obtain quality values ​​of the object, such as sugar content and acidity.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-116141

[0004] The presently disclosed crop measuring device includes a light-emitting unit that emits light, a light-receiving unit that receives light reflected by the crop, and a light-shielding member provided around at least one of the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit. The light-shielding member has a storage unit that stores at least a portion of the crop.

[0005] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a crop measuring device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the crop measuring device. FIG. 3 is an external view of the crop measuring device according to the first embodiment as viewed from the X1 direction. FIG. 4 is a view showing an example of a state when measuring a crop using the crop measuring device. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a crop measuring device according to a second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a top view of the crop measuring device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a view of the crop measuring device according to the second embodiment as viewed from the Y1 direction. FIG. 8 is a view showing an example of a state in which a crop is stored in a storage unit. FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view showing another example of the internal configuration of the crop measuring device.

[0006] [Problem to be Solved by the Present Disclosure] The conventional measurement device described above includes a plurality of light sources and a light receiving element. The light sources and the light receiving element are provided on a single substrate. The light receiving element is exposed on the substrate surface of the substrate and receives light reflected from the object to be measured.

[0007] In the above-mentioned measuring device, a substrate equipped with multiple light sources and light-receiving elements is brought close to the surface of the fruit to perform measurements. However, when the substrate is brought close to the fruit, light may enter from the outside, for example, between the fruit and the substrate, and the light-receiving unit may receive both reflected light from the fruit and light from the outside. Receiving light from the outside in this way may result in a decrease in measurement accuracy. In other words, the above-mentioned measuring device may be subject to disturbances from external light during measurement.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a technology that can suppress disturbance caused by external light.

[0009] Effect of the Present Disclosure According to the present disclosure, disturbance caused by external light during measurement can be suppressed.

[0010] First, the contents of the embodiments will be listed and described. [Outline of the Embodiments] (1) The presently disclosed agricultural produce measuring device includes a light-emitting unit that emits light, a light-receiving unit that receives light reflected by the agricultural produce, and a light-shielding member provided around at least one of the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit. The light-shielding member has a storage unit that stores at least a portion of the agricultural produce. According to the above configuration, the agricultural produce to be measured is stored in the storage unit, and therefore, during measurement, external light is blocked by the light-shielding member. As a result, disturbances caused by external light can be suppressed during measurement.

[0011] (2) In the agricultural produce measuring device of (1), when the storage unit includes a recess that opens to the first surface of the light-blocking member, the inner surface of the recess may have an exposed portion that exposes at least one of the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit. In this case, light can be irradiated onto the agricultural produce stored in the recess, or reflected light can be received.

[0012] (3) In the agricultural produce measuring device of (2), the contour shape of the opening of the recess on the first surface may have a shape in which the length in a first direction on the first surface is different from the length in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. In this case, the shape of the recess can be fitted to the shape of an agricultural produce having an elongated contour shape, such as grapes.

[0013] (4) In the crop measuring device of (2) or (3), when the inner surface of the recess has a bottom surface that is located at the bottom of the recess and includes the exposed portion, the outline shape of the bottom surface when the first surface is viewed from the front may be smaller than the outline shape of the opening of the recess when the first surface is viewed from the front, and the bottom surface may be located at the center of the outline shape of the opening of the recess. In this case, light is irradiated or reflected light is received near the bottom surface of the recess, so that disturbances caused by external light can be more effectively suppressed.

[0014] (5) In the crop measuring device of (2) or (3), when the inner surface of the recess has a bottom surface located at the bottom of the recess and including the exposed portion, and an inclined surface extending from the edge of the bottom surface to the opening of the recess, the inclined surface may have a slope that widens from the bottom surface toward the opening. In this case, light is irradiated near the bottom surface of the recess, or reflected light is received. Furthermore, the shape of the inner surface of the recess can be adapted to the shape of a crop with an elongated outline, such as grapes.

[0015] (6) In the agricultural produce measuring device of (1) above, the light blocking member may further include a storage unit variable mechanism that varies the size of the storage unit. In this case, the size of the storage unit can be changed depending on the size of the agricultural produce.

[0016] (7) In the crop measuring device of (6), the storage unit may include a base having an exposed surface on which at least one of the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit is exposed, and a strip-shaped member attached to the base so as to cover the exposed surface. In this case, the storage unit can store crops in a space surrounded by the base and the strip-shaped member. Furthermore, the storage unit variable mechanism can change the size of this space by varying the length of the portion of the strip-shaped member that covers the exposed surface.

[0017] (8) In the agricultural produce measuring device of (7), the base may have a first fixing portion on a first side of the base to which a first end of the strip-shaped member is fixed, and the storage unit adjustment mechanism may include a rail provided on a second side of the base opposite the first side, extending from the base in a direction opposite to the direction in which the exposed surface faces, and a slider that moves along the rail. The slider may have a second fixing portion to which a second end of the strip-shaped member opposite the first end is fixed. In this case, the slider can change the length of the portion of the strip-shaped member that covers the exposed surface. As a result, the size of the storage unit can be adjusted.

[0018] (9) In the agricultural crop measuring device of (8), the base may have a holding portion for holding the belt-shaped member on a second side of the base opposite the first side, in which case the portion of the belt-shaped member covering the exposed surface is held by the first side and the second side of the base.

[0019] (10) In the agricultural produce measuring device according to any one of (7) to (9) above, both ends of the storage section in the strip width direction may be open to the outside, making it easy to put agricultural produce in and take it out of the storage section.

[0020] [Details of the embodiment] Preferred embodiments will now be described with reference to the drawings. Note that at least some of the embodiments described below may be combined in any desired manner.

[0021] [Regarding the First Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a crop measuring device according to the first embodiment. The crop measuring device 1 is a device used to measure the quality values ​​of crops. Measurable quality values ​​include, for example, sugar content, acidity, pH, and polyphenol content. The crop measuring device 1 emits light containing near-infrared rays toward the crop and receives reflected light from the crop. The crop measuring device 1 also has a function of spectrally separating the reflected light and outputting information about the near-infrared rays in the reflected light as crop quality information. Note that reflected light includes not only light reflected from the surface of the crop, but also diffuse reflected light. Diffuse reflected light is reflected light that occurs when light penetrates the interior of the crop, scatters within the crop, and is then emitted back out of the crop.

[0022] 1 , the crop measuring device 1 includes a housing 2, a handle 3, a light-shielding member 30, and a power switch 5. The housing 2 is a member formed of resin or the like and has a horizontally elongated shape. The housing 2 houses circuits and the like for realizing the functions of the crop measuring device 1.

[0023] In the following description, the three mutually orthogonal directions in each drawing are referred to as the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction. As shown in FIG. 1 , one of the X directions is referred to as the X1 direction, and the opposite direction of the X1 direction is referred to as the X2 direction. One of the Y directions is referred to as the Y1 direction, and the opposite direction of the Y1 direction is referred to as the Y2 direction. One of the Z directions is referred to as the Z1 direction, and the opposite direction of the Z1 direction is referred to as the Z2 direction.

[0024] The housing 2 has a horizontally elongated shape extending along the Y direction. The handle 3 extends along the longitudinal direction (Y direction) of the housing 2 and is provided on the outer surface of the housing 2. The handle 3 is a part that is gripped by an operator operating the agricultural crop measuring device 1. The power switch 5 is a switch for starting the agricultural crop measuring device 1. The power switch 5 has a function of switching the state of the agricultural crop measuring device 1 between an activated state and a stopped state in response to an operator's operation input. In this embodiment, the power switch 5 is provided on the side of the housing 2, but this is not limited thereto and may be provided on the top surface or end surface of the housing 2 or the handle 3. The light-shielding member 30 is provided at the tip of the housing 2 on the Y1 direction side. The light-shielding member 30 has a resin main body 31 having a truncated cone shape. The main body 31 has a first surface 31a, which is a large-diameter surface, and a second surface 31b, which is a small-diameter surface. The second surface 31b is a surface parallel to the X-Z plane and facing the Y2 direction. The second surface 31b is connected to the housing 2. The first surface 31a is a surface that is parallel to the XZ plane and faces the Y1 direction. In other words, it is the surface opposite to the surface on which the housing 2 and the light emitting and receiving unit 4, which will be described later, are attached.

[0025] Main body 31 has storage section 32 for storing at least a portion of the crop. Storage section 32 includes recess 34. Recess 34 is provided so as to open to first surface 31a. Light blocking member 30 will be described in detail later.

[0026] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the agricultural crop measuring device 1. The agricultural crop measuring device 1 further includes a light-emitting / receiving unit 4. The light-emitting / receiving unit 4 is provided at the tip of the housing 2 on the Y1 side. The light-emitting / receiving unit 4 includes a light source circuit 6, a protective plate 8, a holder 10, and a light-receiving unit 16. The light source circuit 6 includes multiple light sources 12 and a circuit board 14. The multiple light sources 12 function to emit light to be emitted toward the agricultural crop G. The multiple light sources 12 are LED elements. The multiple light sources 12 emit light including near-infrared rays. The light source circuit 6 functions as a light-emitting unit that emits light. In the following description, the light source circuit 6 is also referred to as the light-emitting unit 6. Note that while grapes are shown as the agricultural crop G here, other agricultural crops such as apples, peaches, pears, and tomatoes may be used.

[0027] The circuit board 14 is a dielectric substrate made of polyimide resin, epoxy resin, PPE resin, fluororesin, or the like. The circuit board 14 has a mounting surface 14a on which a plurality of light sources 12 are mounted. The circuit board 14 has a disk shape. The circuit board 14 has a hole 14b. The center of the hole 14b coincides with the center of the outline of the circuit board 14. A light receiving unit 16 is provided in the hole 14b so as to be exposed to the protective plate 8. The light receiving unit 16 has the function of receiving light from the crops G.

[0028] The protective plate 8 is a disk-shaped member formed of a glass plate or a resin plate that transmits at least near-infrared light. The holding portion 10 is a resin member integrally formed at the end of the housing 2 and has an opening 11. The opening 11 communicates between the inside and outside of the housing 2. The opening 11 has a cylindrical inner circumferential surface 11a. The light-emitting portion 6 and the protective plate 8 are held and fixed to the inner circumferential surface 11a of the opening 11. The holding portion 10 holds the periphery of the light-emitting portion 6 and the periphery of the protective plate 8. Therefore, the light-emitting portion 6 and the protective plate 8 are fixed to the inner circumferential surface 11a so as to close the opening 11.

[0029] The light-emitting unit 6 and the protective plate 8 are arranged along the X-Z plane. The light-emitting unit 6 and the protective plate 8 are arranged concentrically and parallel to each other, facing each other. The light-emitting unit 6 and the protective plate 8 are arranged in this order in the Y1 direction. The mounting surface 14a of the light-emitting unit 6 faces the Y1 direction. In other words, the mounting surface 14a faces the outside of the housing 2. Therefore, light emitted by the light source 12 of the light-emitting unit 6 passes through the protective plate 8 and is emitted to the outside.

[0030] The light receiving unit 16 is a component including a single optical fiber or a bundle of multiple optical fibers, and is fixed inside the housing 2. The light receiving unit 16 has a rod shape that extends along the Y direction of the housing 2. The light receiving unit 16 has a light receiving surface 16a and an end surface 16b. The light receiving surface 16a is an end surface that faces the protective plate 8 (Y1 direction side) and faces the protective plate 8. The end surface 16b is an end surface opposite the light receiving surface 16a. The light receiving unit 16 has the function of guiding light that enters from the light receiving surface 16a to the end surface 16b.

[0031] The end of the light receiving unit 16 on the light receiving surface 16a side is inserted into the hole 14b of the circuit board 14. The light receiving surface 16a is located inside the hole 14b. The light receiving surface 16a is exposed to the protective plate 8. The light receiving unit 16 receives light that enters the inside of the housing 2 through the protective plate 8 at the light receiving surface 16a. In other words, the outer surface of the protective plate 8 forms the light emitting / receiving surface 4a, which emits light and receives light reflected from the crops G. The light receiving unit 16 guides the light received by the light receiving surface 16a to the end surface 16b. The light guided to the end surface 16b is provided to the subsequent spectroscope 18.

[0032] The agricultural crop measuring device 1 further includes a spectrometer 18, a control circuit 20, and a power supply circuit 22. The spectrometer 18, the control circuit 20, and the power supply circuit 22 are housed inside the housing 2. The spectrometer 18 disperses light guided from the light receiving unit 16 and converts the light intensity of each wavelength in a predetermined wavelength range into a signal output. The signal output from the spectrometer 18 is provided to the control circuit 20. The control circuit 20 is a computer having a processing unit including a processor and a memory unit. The control circuit 20 is connectable to an external computer 29 via an interface unit 24 provided in the housing 2. The control circuit 20 controls the spectrometer 18 and the power supply circuit 22. The control circuit 20 also controls the light emitter 6 via the power supply circuit 22. The control circuit 20 also generates quality information based on the signal output provided by the spectrometer 18 and provides the information to the computer 29 external to the agricultural crop measuring device 1. The quality information includes information about the light intensity of the dispersed light in the near-infrared region. Computer 29 uses the quality information to determine and output quality values ​​such as sugar content and acidity. Power supply circuit 22 converts externally applied power and supplies the converted power to light-emitting unit 6, spectroscope 18, and control circuit 20. Each unit, including power supply circuit 22, is switched between an operating state and a stopped state by power switch 5. When each unit, including power supply circuit 22, is switched from a stopped state to an operating state, agricultural produce measuring device 1 enters an activated state.

[0033] The light from the light-emitting unit 6, emitted from the light-emitting / receiving surface 4a, is irradiated onto the crops G stored in the storage unit 32 and reflected by the crops G. The light reflected from the crops G reaches the light-emitting / receiving surface 4a. The light from the light-emitting / receiving surface 4a may also pass through the crops G and reach the light-emitting / receiving surface 4a again. As described above, the light-receiving surface 16a is exposed to the protective plate 8. Therefore, the reflected light and transmitted light that reach the light-emitting / receiving surface 4a pass through the protective plate 8 and are incident on the light-receiving surface 16a of the light-receiving unit 16. As a result, the reflected light and transmitted light are received by the light-receiving unit 16.

[0034] The reflected light and transmitted light incident on light-receiving surface 16a are guided to spectroscope 18 by the main body of light-receiving unit 16. Spectrometer 18 separates the reflected light and transmitted light and provides quality information to computer 29. As a result, computer 29 determines the quality value of crop G.

[0035] [Regarding the Light-Shielding Member 30] As shown in FIG. 2 , the main body 31 of the light-shielding member 30 is provided in the holder 10. The main body 31 has a through-hole 36 in addition to the accommodation portion 32 (recess 34). The through-hole 36 penetrates the center of the main body 31 in the Y direction. The through-hole 36 has an annular surface 36a, an annular step 36b, and an opening 36c. The annular surface 36a is provided on the second surface 31b side of the through-hole 36. The annular surface 36a abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the holder 10. The main body 31 is fixed to the housing 2 by inserting the holder 10 into the annular surface 36a. Thus, the main body 31 is provided around the light-emitting unit 6 and the light-receiving unit 16.

[0036] The annular step 36b is a surface parallel to the XZ plane and rises radially inward from the edge of the annular surface 36a on the Y1 direction side. The end face of the holder 10 on the Y1 direction side abuts against the annular step 36b. The annular step 36b determines the position of the light blocking member 30 in the Y direction relative to the housing 2. The opening 36c is a circular opening that connects the through hole 36 to the recess 34.

[0037] As described above, the light-shielding member 30 has a recess 34. The through-hole 36 opens into the recess 34. The first surface 31a of the light-shielding member 30 includes a flat portion 38 in addition to the recess 34. The flat portion 38 is a flat portion parallel to the X-Z plane. The recess 34 is recessed in the Y2 direction relative to the flat portion 38. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the recess 34 has an opening 34a and an inner surface 34b. The inner surface 34b has a bottom surface 34b1 and an inclined surface 34b2. The bottom surface 34b1 is a surface located on the bottom side (Y2 direction side) of the recess 34. The inclined surface 34b2 is a surface that connects the edge of the bottom surface 34b1 to the opening 34a. The inclined surface 34b2 has an inclination that widens from the bottom surface 34b1 toward the opening 34a.

[0038] The opening 36c is closed by inserting the holder 10 into the through-hole 36. Therefore, a part or all of the protective plate 8 that closes the opening 36c becomes the bottom surface 34b1. In other words, the light emitting and receiving surface 4a of the protective plate 8 is included in (the bottom surface 34b1 of) the inner surface 34b of the recess 34.

[0039] Therefore, the light emitting unit 6 and the light receiving unit 16 are exposed to the inside of the recess 34 through the protective plate 8. The protective plate 8 constitutes an exposure portion that exposes the light emitting unit 6 and the light receiving unit 16 to the inside of the recess 34.

[0040] The opening 34a is a boundary between the recess 34 and the flat portion 38. Fig. 3 is an external view of the agricultural produce measuring device 1 according to the first embodiment as viewed from the Y1 direction. Fig. 3 shows a front view of the first surface 31a of the light blocking member 30. As shown in Fig. 3, the contour shape of the opening 34a on the first surface 31a has a shape in which the length in the X direction (first direction) is different from the length in the Z direction (second direction) perpendicular to the X direction. More specifically, the contour shape of the opening 34a is an ellipse with the minor axis parallel to the X direction and the major axis parallel to the Z direction.

[0041] Furthermore, the contour shape of the bottom surface 34b1 when the first surface 31a is viewed from the front is smaller than the contour shape of the opening 34a and is located approximately in the center of the contour shape of the opening 34a.

[0042] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the state when measuring crop G using crop measuring device 1. As shown in Fig. 4, crop G is held by the hand of an operator wearing light-shielding globe 100, and light-shielding member 30 of crop measuring device 1 is pressed against the surface of crop G opposite light-shielding globe 100. At this time, light-shielding member 30 is pressed so that a portion of crop G is contained within recess 34. In other words, the internal space of recess 34 is a space for containing crop G. Thereafter, light-emitting unit 6 is turned on, and the light from light-emitting unit 6 is irradiated onto crop G within recess 34 (container 32). In this way, the quality value of crop G is determined.

[0043] According to the above configuration, a portion of the crop G to be measured is accommodated in the recess 34 of the accommodation unit 32, and therefore, during measurement, light from outside is blocked by the light blocking member 30. As a result, disturbances caused by light from outside can be suppressed during measurement.

[0044] In the above embodiment, the inner surface 34b of the recess 34 has the protective plate 8 as an exposed portion that exposes the light-emitting unit 6 and the light-receiving unit 16, so that light can be appropriately irradiated onto the crops G stored in the recess 34 and the reflected light can be appropriately received. Furthermore, in the above configuration, the contour shape of the bottom surface 34b1 of the inner surface of the recess 34, including the light-emitting and light-receiving surface 4a, is smaller than the contour shape of the opening 34a and is located at the center of the contour shape of the opening 34a. As a result, light is irradiated near the bottom surface 34b1 of the recess 34 and the reflected light is received, so that disturbances caused by external light can be more effectively suppressed.

[0045] In addition, in the above configuration, the contour shape of the opening 34a is elliptical in that the length in the X direction is different from the length in the Z direction, so the shape of the recess 34 can be fitted to the shape of agricultural produce with an elongated contour, such as grapes. Furthermore, the inclined surface 34b2 of the recess 34 has an inclination that widens from the bottom surface 34b1 toward the opening 34a, so that light is irradiated near the bottom surface 34b1 of the recess 34 and reflected light is received. Furthermore, the shape of the inner surface 34b of the recess 34 can be fitted to the shape of agricultural produce with an elongated contour, such as grapes.

[0046] [Second Embodiment] Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a crop measuring device 1 according to a second embodiment. Fig. 6 is a top view of the crop measuring device 1 according to the second embodiment. The light blocking member 30 of this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the storage section 40 is composed of a base 44 and a belt-shaped member 46, and in that the light blocking member 30 is provided with a storage section adjustment mechanism 42.

[0047] FIG. 7 is a view of the agricultural produce measuring device 1 according to the second embodiment, viewed from the Y1 direction. Note that the strip-shaped member 46 is omitted from FIG. 7 . As described above, the storage unit 40 of this embodiment includes a base 44 and a strip-shaped member 46. The base 44 is a rectangular plate-shaped member fixed to the holder 10 of the light projecting and receiving unit 4. The base 44 is formed of resin or a metal such as steel or aluminum alloy. The base 44 includes a plate-shaped member 44a, a housing 44b, and four ribs 44c. The plate-shaped member 44a is a rectangular plate-shaped portion that constitutes the entire base 44. The plate-shaped member 44a is provided along the X-Z plane. The housing 44b is provided on the surface of the plate-shaped member 44a facing the Y2 direction. The housing 44b is a cylindrical member. The holder 10 is inserted into the inner periphery of the housing 44b. In this way, the base 44 is fixed to the housing 2. The base 44 is also provided around the light-emitting unit 6 and the light-receiving unit 16.

[0048] The plate-shaped portion 44a has an opening 44a1. The opening 44a1 is a circular hole. The opening 44a1 is concentric with the housing 44b. The opening 44a1 is large enough to expose the entire light-emitting and light-receiving surface 4a of the protective plate 8. Therefore, when the surface of the plate-shaped portion 44a facing the Y1 direction is viewed from the front, the light-emitting unit 6 and the light-receiving unit 16 are exposed through the opening 44a1 and the protective plate 8. Therefore, the surface of the plate-shaped portion 44a facing the Y1 direction constitutes an exposed surface on which the light-emitting unit 6 and the light-receiving unit 16 are exposed. In the following description, the surface of the plate-shaped portion 44a facing the Y1 direction will be referred to as an exposed surface 44a2.

[0049] Four ribs 44c are provided on the four sides of the plate-shaped portion 44a. The four ribs 44c protrude in the Y1 direction from the four sides of the plate-shaped portion 44a. The four ribs 44c include a first rib 44c1 and a second rib 44c2. The first rib 44c1 is a rib provided on the first side 44p of the base 44. The first side 44p of the base 44 is the side of the base 44 facing in the X1 direction. The second rib 44c2 is a rib provided on the second side 44q of the base 44. The second side 44q of the base 44 is the side of the base 44 facing in the X2 direction.

[0050] The first rib 44c1 has a rectangular plate shape that extends along the YZ direction. The first rib 44c1 has a first fixing surface 45 to which the belt-shaped member 46 is fixed. The first fixing surface (first fixing portion) 45 is provided on the surface of the first rib 44c1 that faces the X1 direction. The second rib 44c2 also has a rectangular plate shape that extends along the YZ direction. As shown in FIG. 7, a slit S is provided between the second rib 44c2 and the edge portion 44a3 of the plate-shaped portion 44a. The slit S is a long, narrow gap that extends along the Z direction. The belt-shaped member 46 passes through the slit S.

[0051] The belt-shaped member 46 is a member formed from a resin film, cloth, or the like. The belt-shaped member 46 has the function of blocking at least near-infrared rays. The belt-shaped member 46 is attached to the base 44 so as to cover the exposed surface 44a2 of the base 44. The belt-shaped member 46 forms an arch that protrudes in the Y1 direction between the first edge 44p and the second edge 44q of the base 44. That is, the belt-shaped member 46 has an arch portion A from the first end 46a to the slit S. The arch portion A is the portion of the belt-shaped member 46 that covers the exposed surface 44a2. A space is provided between the arch portion A and the exposed surface 44a2. The crop to be measured is placed in this space. That is, the storage unit 40 of this embodiment has a space for storing the crop between the arch portion A and the exposed surface 44a2.

[0052] The belt-shaped member 46 has a first end 46a on one side in the longitudinal direction and a second end 46b on the opposite side in the longitudinal direction from the first end 46a. The first end 46a is fixed to the first fixing surface 45 of the base 44. The belt-shaped member 46 rises in the Y1 direction from the first rib 44c1, forms an arch portion A by gently curving, and returns to the second side 44q of the base 44. On the second side 44q of the base 44, the belt-shaped member 46 passes through the slit S. The second end 46b of the belt-shaped member 46 is located on the Y2 side of the base 44. The second end 46b is fixed to the storage portion adjustment mechanism 42.

[0053] The accommodation section variable mechanism 42 has a function of varying the size of the accommodation section 40. The accommodation section variable mechanism 42 has a rail 50 and a slider 52. The rail 50 is formed of resin or a metal such as steel or an aluminum alloy. The rail 50 is provided on the second side 44q side of the base 44. More specifically, the rail 50 is fixed to the second rib 44c2. The end of the rail 50 on the Y1 direction side is fixed to the second rib 44c2. The rail 50 extends from the second rib 44c2 in the Y2 direction (the opposite direction from the exposed surface 44a2).

[0054] The second rib 44c2 has a retaining portion 53 into which the rail 50 is inserted. The retaining portion 53 is provided in approximately the center of the second rib 44c2 in the Z direction. The rail 50 is inserted into the retaining portion 53 and fixed with a bolt 54. The Y2-direction end of the rail 50 is fixed to a bracket 56. The bracket 56 is a member fixed to the Y2-direction end face of the housing 2. The bracket 56 protrudes in the X2 direction from the end face of the housing 2. A retaining portion 56a into which the rail 50 is inserted is provided at the tip of the bracket 56. The rail 50 is inserted into the retaining portion 56a and fixed with a bolt 58. With both ends fixed to the second rib 44c2 and the bracket 56, the rail 50 is arranged along the Y direction on the X2-direction side of the housing 2.

[0055] The slider 52 is a member formed of resin or a metal such as steel or aluminum alloy. The slider 52 is slidable in the Y direction along the rail 50. The slider 52 has a guide portion 52a and an arm 52b. The guide portion 52a is a cylindrical member slidably attached to the rail 50. The guide portion 52a is provided on the outside of the rail 50 and is slidable in the Y direction along the rail 50. The guide portion 52a can be fixed to the rail 50 by a thumbscrew 52c. The arm 52b is a rod-shaped member extending from the guide portion 52a on both sides in the Z direction. The arm 52b has a second fixing surface 52b1 to which the belt-shaped member 46 is fixed ( FIG. 6 ). The second fixing surface (second fixing portion) 52b1 is provided on the surface of the arm 52b facing the X1 direction. The second end 46b of the belt-shaped member 46 is fixed to the second fixing surface 52b1.

[0056] Therefore, when the slider 52 is moved in the Y direction, the second end 46b also moves in the Y direction. As described above, the strip-shaped member 46 passes through the slit S. Therefore, when the slider 52 is moved, the strip-shaped member 46 moves in and out of the slit S, changing the dimension of the portion of the strip-shaped member 46 from the first end 46a to the slit S. When the slider 52 is moved in the Y1 direction, the dimension of the portion from the first end 46a to the slit S increases, and the arch portion A becomes larger. Conversely, when the slider 52 is moved in the Y2 direction, the dimension of the portion from the first end 46a to the slit S decreases, and the arch portion A becomes smaller. In this way, by moving the slider 52 of the storage unit adjustment mechanism 42, the size of the space for storing agricultural products in the storage unit 40 can be adjusted.

[0057] Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of crops G stored in storage section 40. As shown in Figure 8, crops G are stored in a space surrounded by arch section A and base section 44. When light-emitting section 6 is turned on in this state, the light from light-emitting section 6 is irradiated onto crops G inside recess 34 (storage section 32). This allows the quality value of crops G to be determined.

[0058] In this embodiment, storage unit 40 has base 44 having exposed surface 44a2 and strip-shaped member 46 attached to base 44 so as to cover exposed surface 44a2, so that crops G can be stored in the space enclosed by base 44 and strip-shaped member 46, and external light is blocked during measurement. As a result, disturbances caused by external light can be suppressed during measurement.

[0059] In this embodiment, the length of the arch portion A, which is the portion of the belt-shaped member that covers the exposed surface, can be changed by using the slider 52. As a result, the size of the storage portion 40 can be varied. Therefore, by operating the slider 52, the size of the storage portion 40 can be changed according to the size of the crops G.

[0060] In this embodiment, the slits S provided in the base 44 constitute a holding portion that holds the belt-shaped member 46 on the second side 44q side. This allows the arch portion A of the belt-shaped member 46 to be appropriately held between the first side 44p side and the second side 44q side of the base 44.

[0061] In this embodiment, both ends in the Z direction (strip width direction) of the space surrounded by the arch portion A and the base portion 44 are open, which makes it easy to put crops G in and take them out of the storage portion 40.

[0062] [Others] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive.

[0063] In the above embodiments, the light-emitting unit 6 and the light-receiving unit 16 are collectively provided in the light-emitting / receiving unit 4, but the light-emitting unit 6 and the light-receiving unit 16 may be configured separately. In a configuration in which the light-emitting unit 6 and the light-receiving unit 16 are configured separately, the light-blocking member 30 only needs to be provided around at least one of the light-emitting unit 6 and the light-receiving unit 16. In the first embodiment, the opening 34a has an elliptical contour. However, the opening 34a may have a circular or rectangular contour. Furthermore, the opening 34a may have a shape that combines a circular and a rectangular contour.

[0064] In the above embodiments, the agricultural produce measuring device 1 provides quality information to an external computer 30, and the computer 30 uses the quality information to determine a quality value. However, as shown in FIG. 9 , the agricultural produce measuring device 1 may include a built-in microcomputer 60 capable of determining a quality value. In this case, the control circuit 20 of the agricultural produce measuring device 1 provides the quality information to the microcomputer 60. The microcomputer 60, which has received the quality information, determines a quality value and outputs the quality value to the outside via the interface unit 24. With this configuration, the agricultural produce measuring device 1 can be made to output a quality value, eliminating the need to connect the computer 30 to the agricultural produce measuring device 1.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the power supply circuit 22 converts externally applied power and supplies it to each component. However, as shown in FIG. 9 , the agricultural produce measuring device 1 may have a built-in battery 62. In this case, the power supply circuit 22 can supply power from the battery 62 to each component. This allows the agricultural produce measuring device 1 to be used for measurement without receiving power from an external source. This eliminates the need to connect a power supply cable or the like to the agricultural produce measuring device 1, reducing the burden on the operator.

[0066] The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the meaning described above, and is intended to include meanings equivalent to the claims and all modifications within the scope thereof.

[0067] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 agricultural product measuring device 2 housing 3 handle 4 light-emitting / receiving unit 4a light-emitting / receiving surface 6 light-emitting unit (light source circuit) 8 protective plate (exposed portion) 10 holding unit 11 opening hole 11a inner surface 12 light source 14 circuit board 14a mounting surface 14b hole 16 light-receiving unit 16a light-receiving surface 16b end surface 18 spectroscope 20 control circuit 22 power supply circuit 24 interface unit 29 computer 30 light-shielding member 31 main body 31a first surface 31b second surface 32 storage unit 34 recess 34a opening 34b inner surface 34b1 bottom surface 34b2 inclined surface 36 through-hole 36a annular surface 36b annular step 36c opening 38 flat surface 40 Storage section 42 Storage section variable mechanism 44 Base 44a Plate-shaped section 44a1 Opening hole 44a2 Exposed surface 44a3 Edge section 44b Housing 44c Rib 44c1 First rib 44c2 Second rib 44p First side 44q Second side 45 First fixing surface (first fixing section) 46 Belt-shaped member 46a First end 46b Second end 50 Rail 52 Slider 52a Guide section 52b Arm 52b1 Second fixing surface (second fixing section) 52c Thumb screw 53 Holding section 54 Bolt 56 Bracket 56a Holding section 58 Bolt 60 Microcomputer 62 Battery 100 Light-shielding globe A Arch section G Agricultural produce S Slit (holding section)

Claims

1. A crop measuring device comprising: a light-emitting unit that emits light; a light-receiving unit that receives light reflected by the crop; and a light-shielding member provided around at least one of the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit, wherein the light-shielding member has a storage unit that stores at least a portion of the crop.

2. The agricultural product measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the storage section includes a recess that opens to the first surface of the light-shielding member, and the inner surface of the recess has an exposed portion that exposes at least one of the light-emitting section and the light-receiving section.

3. The agricultural product measuring device according to claim 2, wherein the contour shape of the opening of the recess on the first surface has a shape in which the length in a first direction on the first surface is different from the length in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

4. The agricultural product measuring device according to claim 2, wherein the inner surface of the recess has a bottom surface that is located at the bottom of the recess and includes the exposed portion, and the contour shape of the bottom surface when the first surface is viewed from the front is smaller than the contour shape of the opening of the recess when the first surface is viewed from the front, and is located in the center of the contour shape of the opening of the recess.

5. The agricultural crop measuring device according to claim 2, wherein the inner surface of the recess has a bottom surface located at the bottom of the recess and including the exposed portion, and an inclined surface that connects from the edge of the bottom surface to the opening of the recess, and the inclined surface has a slope that widens from the bottom surface toward the opening.

6. The agricultural product measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the light blocking member further comprises a storage section variable mechanism for varying the size of the storage section.

7. The agricultural crop measuring device described in claim 6, wherein the storage section has a base having an exposed surface on which at least one of the light-emitting section and the light-receiving section is exposed, and a strip-shaped member provided on the base so as to cover the exposed surface.

8. The agricultural crop measuring device described in claim 7, wherein the base has a first fixing portion on a first side of the base to which a first end of the belt-shaped member is fixed, and the storage portion adjustable mechanism has a rail provided on a second side of the base opposite to the first side and extending from the base in a direction opposite to the direction in which the exposed surface faces, and a slider that moves along the rail, and the slider has a second fixing portion to which a second end of the belt-shaped member opposite the first end is fixed.

9. The agricultural crop measuring device according to claim 8, wherein the base has a holding portion for holding the belt-shaped member on a second side of the base opposite to the first side.

10. The agricultural produce measuring device according to claim 7, wherein both ends of the storage section in the width direction of the band are open to the outside.

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